After two days of riding, Xue Zining felt her body could not take it anymore, so she got into the carriage.
"Xue Yan, tell Feng Wu to enter the city later. We haven't eaten or slept well these past few days while rushing to get here."
Xue Yan smiled upon hearing this, "Okay, this servant will tell Feng Wu now."
In the evening, Xue Zining and the other two entered Yancheng. Yancheng, as its name suggested, was a place where salt was produced.
Yancheng was the largest salt-producing area in Huangze, located on the border of Jiangnan.
Upon entering the city, Xue Zining felt it was different from other cities; it was rich and prosperous.
Indeed, it was the wealthiest place in Huangze.
"Your Majesty, shall we summon the Prefect of Yancheng?" Xue Yan asked in a low voice.
"No need, find an inn," Xue Zining replied.
Xue Yan nodded and said to Feng Wu behind her, "Feng Wu, you go find an inn. I'll accompany His Majesty for a walk."
Feng Wu nodded, "Okay."
"Your Majesty, let's go look ahead!" Xue Yan saw that the tea house in front seemed to be crowded with people.
Xue Zining and Xue Yan arrived at the tea house, where a storyteller was currently telling a story.
Xue Yan ordered a pot of tea and some snacks, and Xue Zining sat down.
The storyteller was a woman of about forty, with vacant eyes, always looking forward. Da Feng Novel Network.
Xue Yan whispered, "Is she blind?"
"Xue Yan, be careful with your words!" Xue Zining whispered.
Xue Yan stuck out her tongue and said no more.
The storyteller suddenly glanced in their direction and continued, "Today I will talk about the current Empress."
Xue Zining was slightly stunned. Xue Yan said, "How dare she speak of you..."
The storyteller said, "The Empress, in her youth, eliminated the Regent who had long dominated the court. However, for the Prime Minister, she traveled to the Snow Country to open the Divine Temple and obtained the supreme treasure of the Divine Temple. Little did she know, that treasure awakened the memories of the person beside her."
"Storyteller, didn't you say the supreme treasure of the Divine Temple was fake?"
The storyteller smiled enigmatically, "Is it fake or real? False is true, true is false. Why bother with the specifics? I am merely a storyteller."
"Who would listen to something fake?" someone angrily left their seat.
Then, more people began to leave.
The storyteller was unfazed and continued, "The supreme treasure of the Cold Hall could save lives, but not hearts. Human hearts are unfathomable. You know a person's face but not their heart. The Empress was injured. After this experience, she finally saw the true faces of people."
Suddenly, thunder struck outside. The storyteller suddenly slammed the clapboard and said, "The Empress went to the Cold Country and obtained the supreme treasure, but then gave it to someone else. She saved the Cold Country, thinking everything was calm, but she didn't know a huge vortex was approaching her. For the rest of the story, please wait for the next installment."
With that, the storyteller got up to leave.
"Xue Yan, stop her," Xue Zining said to Xue Yan beside her as she stood up.
In the private room of the tea house, Xue Zining looked at the storyteller and said faintly, "I want to hear about the Empress's subsequent events now. Can you elaborate for me?"
The storyteller opened her vacant eyes and said, "Patron, I have finished telling all that I had for today. The next part will have to wait until tomorrow."
Xue Yan took out a silver ingot and placed it in front of the storyteller, saying, "If you tell it to my lady now, this silver ingot will be yours."
The storyteller trembled all over. She fumbled for the silver ingot on the table, touched it, and found it was real. She couldn't help but ask, "If I tell it, will this be mine?"
"Naturally," Xue Yan replied.
"I'll tell it," the storyteller said readily.
After the storyteller left, Xue Yan returned to find her lady deep in thought. She couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, she is just a storyteller. What she says is unlikely to be true. You should just take it as a joke."
Xue Zining looked up, "Xue Yan, do you think everything is a coincidence? How could a storyteller recount my affairs with such accuracy if it wasn't orchestrated by someone?"
Xue Yan was startled, "Your Majesty, it is best to return to the capital as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications."
Xue Zining nodded, "Xue Yan, write a letter to Lord Yu and ask him to come and escort us."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Xue Yan left.
She poured herself a cup of tea. Before the storyteller left, she had said to her, "You will face a greater trial in one year's time. It will be the most perilous in your life. I hope to meet you here again after a year."
What could it be?
Xue Zining gazed into the distance. Was it Hua Yunjin?
Three days after Xue Yan sent the letter, Yu Ji's reply arrived. The letter stated that she would be waiting to welcome the imperial carriage outside the capital.
Since meeting the storyteller that day, she had never reappeared. Even when Xue Yan searched for her, the woman seemed to have vanished into thin air, disappearing completely.
On the fourth day, Xue Zining set off from Yancheng.
Outside the capital, a carriage stopped. The curtain was lifted, and Xue Zining stepped out. Looking at the two characters, "Jing Cheng," hanging on the towering city walls, she felt a wave of emotion. After half a year, she had finally returned.
As she walked forward, she saw a dense crowd.
Yu Ji stepped forward and knelt on the ground. The courtiers behind her also knelt, "Your subject greets Your Majesty, Long live Your Majesty forever!"
"Rise," Xue Zining said.
She scanned the surroundings and noticed that Li Chenxuan was not among them. She stepped forward and lightly helped Yu Ji up, "Lord Yu, where is Lord Li?"
Lord Yu heard this and said, "Your Majesty, many things have happened during your absence."
"Get in the carriage, and explain in detail," Xue Zining said, turning towards the carriage.
Lord Yu nodded and followed her into the carriage, explaining in detail the events that had transpired in the capital over the past six months.
Upon hearing this, Xue Zining's expression turned grave, "You mean Princess Huimin disappeared after entering the palace?"
Yu Ji nodded, "Yes, and Feng Jiu also disappeared along with her."
Xue Zining looked at Feng Wu, who shook her head, "I haven't received any news from Feng Jiu."
"Go to the Li Residence," Xue Zining commanded.
About an hour later, the carriage stopped outside the Li Residence. Xue Zining got out of the carriage and said to Yu Ji, "You can go back. I can handle this alone."
Yu Ji bowed and left.
Xue Zining approached and found the gate was not closed. Pushing the door open, she saw overgrown weeds in the courtyard. She frowned and said to Feng Wu and Xue Yan behind her, "You two tidy up this place."
She walked into the study and saw a young man slumped there.
Walking forward, she patted the young man's shoulder. The young man got up groggily, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted towards her.
Xue Zining took a step back, her voice quite cold, "Li Chenxuan, have you been drinking?"
Li Chenxuan trembled all over. After a long moment, he clapped his sleeves and knelt on the ground, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"
"Li Chenxuan, do you know your crime?" Xue Zining asked coldly.
Li Chenxuan looked up and saw the cold frost on the beautiful face of the young girl. He lowered his gaze, "Your subject knows his crime!"
"Negligence of duty, your crime is indeed great."
The young girl's voice was as cold as the frost of late autumn, devoid of any emotion.
Li Chenxuan's body stiffened. He kowtowed, "Your subject is guilty. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
"You are indeed guilty, but I am in need of capable people now. Lord Li, please rise. I have something to ask you."