The leading officer said, "His Majesty has ordered that Lord Li remain in his residence and not go out from today onwards."
Li Chenxuan frowned, "Why?"
"Lord Li may not know, but yesterday Feng Ying attempted to assassinate His Majesty and was executed before Zhaoyuan Palace."
Li Chenxuan trembled and took a step back, "How... how is that possible?"
Princess Huimin closed the door and pulled Li Chenxuan back, asking, "Feng Ying..."
Li Chenxuan lowered his eyes, "She's dead."
Princess Huimin trembled. She frowned and looked at Li Chenxuan, saying, "I will go into the palace."
Li Chenxuan stiffened and looked up, "Elder Sister..."
Princess Huimin took out a token and said, "This is a special decree of amnesty His Majesty gave me back then. I can enter and leave the palace freely."
"But, Elder Sister..."
"Chenxuan, His Majesty might be in danger right now, and all I can do is this. Don't worry, I'm not reckless. If I find anything amiss, I will leave the palace immediately."
"Elder Sister, please be careful!" Li Chenxuan knew that his sister entering the palace might be the best course of action.
Opening the door, the officers were blocking the residence. Princess Huimin took out her token and said coldly, "This is His Majesty's decree of amnesty. I am entering the palace."
The officers had no choice but to let her pass.
Princess Huimin got into the carriage. In the carriage, she held Qing Xiu's hand and said, "Qing Xiu, why do you have to follow?"
Qing Xiu said, "Your Highness, if anything happens, this servant can protect you."
"We will all come out safely," Princess Huimin said word by word, tightly grasping Qing Xiu's hand.
With the token, Princess Huimin easily arrived before Zhaoyuan Palace.
She knocked on the door, and it was opened by a man she recognized, Feng Yin, who had once served the Empress.
However, after the Regent Xue Wenjie died, he had voluntarily distanced himself from Feng Yin and was now a fourth-rank Imperial Guard with a sword by the Empress's side.
"Sir, this subject requests an audience with His Majesty," Princess Huimin said, presenting her token.
Xue Yu coldly appraised Princess Huimin, then bowed and said, "Please wait a moment, Your Highness."
Seeing that Xue Yu did not make things difficult for her, she felt a slight sense of relief.
The wait was long, about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn. A palace maid walked over, "Your Highness, please follow this servant."
Princess Huimin had never seen this unfamiliar palace maid and asked, "Where is Xue Yan?"
Previously, Xue Yan had always been by the Empress's side.
The young palace maid faltered and said, "This servant does not know about the sister Your Highness is referring to. This servant arrived late and does not know many things."
Princess Huimin asked no further questions and entered the sleeping quarters. The palace maid whispered, "This servant will take her leave!"
Princess Huimin stepped forward and knelt to pay her respects, "This subject greets His Majesty!"
"Rise!"
Princess Huimin stood up and looked up. Her gaze fell upon a screen, behind which someone was vaguely seated.
The figure was similar in build to the Empress.
She also noticed someone standing beside the Empress, whose silhouette somewhat resembled Xue Yu.
"Be seated!" the Empress commanded.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" A stool was brought over, and Princess Huimin sat down.
"Your Highness seeks an audience with Us. Is there something you wish to discuss?" the Empress asked after she was seated.
Princess Huimin's face flushed slightly, "Your Majesty, there are some things this subject finds difficult to say. Could Lord Xue step aside for a moment?"
The Empress looked at Xue Yu, who bowed and said, "This subordinate withdraws!"
At this moment, only the Empress and she were in the hall.
The Empress spoke, "Your Highness, can you speak now?"
Princess Huimin stood up from the stool and curtsied, "Your Majesty, it is said that men should marry when they come of age, and women should marry when they are ready. This subject has also reached the age of marriage in the blink of an eye. I beg Your Majesty to preside over this matter."
The Empress said, "The parents' command and the matchmaker's words. Your Highness must still consult your parents on this matter."
Princess Huimin looked up, her gaze clear, "Has Your Majesty forgotten? This subject has already left the Li manor and established her own household."
The Empress seemed to falter, "We seem to have forgotten..."
"Your Majesty, this subject requests an imperial decree granting freedom of marriage."
"Princess Huimin, freedom of marriage would contradict the regulations of so many years, would it not?"
"Your Majesty, this subject is feeling unwell and is not fit to remain here any longer. This subject wishes to take her leave!" Princess Huimin suddenly said.
"You may go," the Empress said.
Princess Huimin stood up and walked towards the door. Qing Xiu was anxiously waiting outside. She quickly whispered, "Hurry..."
Qing Xiu startled, not daring to delay, and helped her walk out of the palace.
In the end, she even started to run.
Xue Yu approached the sleeping quarters and drew back the screen. Behind it was a face resembling Xue Zining.
"Xue... Lord Xue..." The woman quickly got up to bow.
"Even now, you still can't remember? You are the Empress now. You have no presence at all," Xue Yu said coldly.
"Lord Xue, you truly humble this servant. This servant was merely a maid by the Empress's side before. Now, to have me impersonate the Empress is more painful than killing me."
Xue Yu sneered upon hearing this, "Is that so? But you did a good job being Hua Yunjin's informant before, didn't you, Xue Yan?"
Xue Yan trembled, "Lord Xue, this servant had no choice."
Xue Yu snorted, "What did Princess Huimin say to you just now?"
Xue Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Princess Huimin merely inquired about my marriage."
"Marriage?" Xue Yu frowned.
Xue Yan nodded, saying somewhat laughingly, "She even asked for an imperial decree of freedom of marriage. I think she's simply talking nonsense..."
"What did you just say? Freedom of marriage?" Xue Yu asked coldly.
Xue Yan nodded, "Yes, how ridiculous!"
"How did you reply?" Xue Yu's expression gradually sank.
Xue Yan faltered, not understanding why Xue Yu's expression had become so grim, but still replied, "Of course, I disagreed. Has anyone in thousands of years had freedom of marriage? Even if..."
"Useless..."
Xue Yu said angrily.
Xue Yan was so frightened she almost fell to the ground, "Xue... Lord Xue, did this servant say something wrong?"
Xue Yu's face was extremely displeased, and his gaze was murderous. "The day the Empress enfeoffed Princess Huimin, she already granted her an imperial decree for freedom of marriage. She was confirming whether you were truly the Empress."
Xue Yan trembled, "She..."
"Guards, stop Princess Huimin immediately," Xue Yu said with a cold snort, flicking his sleeves as he left.
Princess Huimin got into the carriage and said urgently, "Quick... hurry back to the manor."
She had to bring this news back to Chenxuan.
"Your Highness, there are people behind the carriage," the coachman said after driving for a while.
"Stop..." someone shouted from behind.
Princess Huimin was sweating profusely. She had to tell Chenxuan about this.
"Your Highness, you must live well..." Qing Xiu, who was beside her, suddenly said.
Princess Huimin was stunned. Qing Xiu struck the back of her neck with a swift chop.
"Qing Xiu..."
Qing Xiu changed into Princess Huimin's clothes and said to the coachman, "Do not stop the carriage. They dare not do anything. If they stop the carriage, just say you don't know."
The coachman looked at her and said, "Young lady, take care!"
Qing Xiu smiled, "Tell Your Highness that Qing Xiu was very content to have followed her side throughout her life."