Tonight Feng Si was nowhere to be found, and no one knew where he had gone.
Feng Wuya followed Long Xinghe to the separate villa, and everyone else had no choice but to follow.
After all, Long Xinghe had brought hundreds of soldiers. Unless they truly intended to clash with them, there was no reason for them to refuse.
Upon entering Long Teng, it was imperative not to easily provoke the local army.
Their numbers were limited, and Feng Si, who could protect Feng Wuya, was also missing.
If a conflict were to erupt now, it would bring them nothing but harm.
Chu Qianli was merely worried that Long Xinghe clearly harbored deep affection for Wuya.
Now that Wuya had been invited to her residence, she wondered if she would commit any monstrous acts against him.
Chu Qianli paced her room, unable to rest for a moment all night.
"A'li, no matter what, she is the eldest princess, holding a high position and considerable prestige in Long Teng. She should... she should not act too drastically towards the Fifth Prince."
Long Ziyue was also worried, but at this point, worry was futile.
She glanced at Chu Qianli's back, then at Fu Long, her heart filled with guilt.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect things to turn out this way. My mother is still in the palace, and I... I'm at a loss."
Long Xinghe had said that because Prince Ding's health had been poor, the Empress had "invited" her into the palace to recuperate.
Chu Qianli stopped in her tracks and turned to stare at her, "Why did Her Majesty suddenly bring her into the palace? Why was there no action before?"
Prince Ding should not have been easily taken in, especially knowing the hidden dangers within the palace.
Entering the palace was akin to sending a lamb to the tiger's den.
Now, with her mother in the palace, even Long Ziyue dared not make any rash moves.
Truly, they were being controlled at every turn!
"Her Majesty the Empress is too despicable. She used the excuse of the Ji Cheng unrest to transfer General Wei away."
Long Ziyue clenched her fists, her voice filled with anger, "As soon as General Wei left, she immediately brought my mother into the palace!"
"General Wei?" That name sounded very familiar. Chu Qianli quickly asked, "Is it the old General Wei Xian?"
This was undoubtedly a renowned figure in Long Teng country before.
Chu Qianli had heard from her uncle, Long Feifan, that this old General Wei was the most trusted general of the late emperor.
He had fought alongside the late emperor in numerous campaigns, achieving great merit.
Her uncle had also said that anyone could betray her, but old General Wei never would!
This old General Wei was also someone Chu Qianli absolutely had to meet upon her return to Long Teng country.
Although she might not have much military power now, her connections were extensive. If she wanted to contact former subordinates loyal to the late emperor and Princess Xiyue, old General Wei could definitely be of great help!
Long Ziyue looked at her, somewhat surprised, "You know old General Wei?"
"How could I not?"
Long Ziyue sighed lightly and shook her head helplessly, "Old General Wei has been detached from court affairs for many years and has been living a reclusive life. My mother visited countless times, but she has always refused to come out of seclusion."
"Then..."
"The General Wei I'm referring to is old General Wei's daughter, Wei Qiong."
Although Wei Qiong only commanded less than a third of the troops that old General Wei had commanded, this military force was enough to protect her and her mother in the imperial city.
With Wei Qiong's troops combined with her mother's army, even the current Empress could not deal with them.
But she hadn't expected that by designing to transfer General Wei away, her mother would be immediately controlled.
The army outside the city was likely still in a state of disarray.
"I must return to my mother's military camp as soon as possible to appease the soldiers' emotions. Otherwise, I fear that if my mother cannot contact them for a long time, they will be persuaded by the eldest princess."
An army's greatest fear was the absence of a commander.
Without a backbone, the soldiers' morale would be greatly shaken. If Long Xinghe were to use coercion and enticement at this time, not all soldiers might be able to resist the temptation.
It wasn't that they were disloyal, but rather that without seeing their commander, the path ahead was uncertain, and everyone lacked direction.
"But my mother is in their hands. If I don't go see my mother first to confirm her safety, I cannot leave."
Long Ziyue was now at a loss.
"It's unlikely you can leave easily right now."
Fu Long had investigated and found that the entire separate villa was guarded by Long Xinghe's people.
The army was layered three deep, with such tight security, it was clear they were not allowing any of them to leave.
Long Ziyue knew this in her heart, but at this moment, she was powerless.
"I'm sorry, A'li, Brother Fu. I really didn't expect... I really didn't expect that after returning, I couldn't even guarantee your safety."
She had invited them, and failing to guarantee their safety was her responsibility.
Long Ziyue felt immensely guilty.
Chu Qianli said lightly, "What does this have to do with you? We came here willingly."
She still hadn't told Long Ziyue about her true identity; the time was not right.
Fu Long glanced at her, naturally understanding her meaning.
However, with the situation unresolved, her identity absolutely could not be revealed.
"A'li, I'll go take a look..."
"No need," Chu Qianli immediately interrupted. "Just act as if nothing has happened. We are envoys from the Northern Underworld Kingdom, and moreover, Wuya is a prince of the Northern Underworld. They won't do anything to us for now."
After all, a war between the two countries would not be a good thing for the current Empress.
The unrest within her own country had not yet been properly quelled. Although she had taken control of Long Teng for over a decade, there were still some people who sought the truth of the past.
Therefore, for years, Long Teng country had never actively provoked conflicts with neighboring countries, as they did not wish to face internal and external pressures at this time.
"Our safety, at least for now, should not be a major issue."
The only problem was that they could not freely go out to contact Princess Xiyue's former subordinates.
The Empress had used such forceful methods to control them immediately upon their arrival. She must be planning something significant during this period!
And their arrival might have made the Empress feel pressured.
"Ziyue, remember not to act rashly for now. Prince Ding is still in their hands. What we need to do now is to meet Prince Ding first."
"I know," Long Ziyue nodded.
Chu Qianli hesitated for a moment, then suddenly lowered her voice and asked, "Ziyue, can you be sure of your mother's intentions?"
"What do you mean?" Long Ziyue didn't understand, in what aspect of her intentions?
"If, if Princess Xiyue were to return at this time..."
Long Ziyue's heart trembled, and she stood up abruptly, "Where is Princess Xiyue?"
"I'm just saying, if." Chu Qianli placed her index finger on her lips, making a shushing gesture.
Long Ziyue's heart was filled with excitement, her chest heaving, "If... if His Highness were to return, my mother and I would definitely follow him to the death, never shirking our duty!"