"It's me."
"Your Majesty..." Zhao Yanluo was still a little startled.
"Zhao Yanluo, I've startled you." Xue Xingyue couldn't help but say.
Zhao Yanluo's face turned red, "Your Majesty, hearing you speak like this makes me a little unaccustomed."
Xue Xingyue heard this and said, "It seems I can't be too gentle with you."
Thinking of the Empress's gentle demeanor, Zhao Yanluo couldn't help but shiver.
"Your Highness, there's someone ahead," Wuchen, who was walking in front, suddenly said.
Xue Xingyue narrowed her eyes, the soft whip at her waist already in her hand, ready to strike at any moment.
"Your Highness, we haven't been discovered," Wuchen said.
Xue Xingyue relaxed her grip and was about to head towards the imperial palace when she suddenly saw a familiar figure. Before she could think, she gave chase, and Wuchen, noticing, quickly followed.
Xue Xingyue knew she had only one thought: she had to find him, to see if his face was that of the person she remembered.
Finally, she stopped when she reached a dead end, looking around but finding no trace of anyone.
"Your Maj..." Wuchen, who had caught up, was about to speak to a somewhat dazed Xue Xingyue but was stopped by her.
"Let's talk outside," Xue Xingyue glanced deeply in a certain direction before leaving.
In the darkness, a figure slowly emerged. He was wearing a large black cloak, his expression unreadable. Suddenly, he smiled and then departed.
All the way, Xue Xingyue was silent. Wuchen dared not ask. Upon returning to her sleeping quarters, she remained silent, lost in thought until dawn.
At the first light of dawn, she returned to her normal self.
"Have there been any recent developments regarding the Third Prince?" she asked.
If it weren't for the Third Prince's sudden disappearance, the hundred thousand troops of Prince Nanping would not have entered the imperial city so smoothly. It was precisely because of the Third Prince's absence.
That helped Prince Nanping.
However, it just felt a bit too coincidental. How could the Third Prince have disappeared right after being ambushed?
But these were no longer things she was concerned about. Regardless, the Third Prince's disappearance had indeed helped them.
Emperor Qi returned to his sleeping quarters and angrily threw everything within them. He roared, "Where is Chen Mingsheng? Where is he?"
"Your Majesty, General Chen... General Chen went to find the Ghost Doctor for Your Majesty," the eunuch by his side, Yusheng, said tremblingly.
"Ghost Doctor?" Emperor Qi looked at Yusheng, his gaze as if he could devour him.
Yusheng braced himself and said, "Yes, it is said that the Ghost Doctor has now developed a medicine for immortality."
"Immortality? Is that true?" Emperor Qi stepped forward and grabbed Yusheng by his collar.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Yusheng felt he was suffocating before Emperor Qi finally released him.
"Are you telling the truth?" Emperor Qi asked coldly, looking at Yusheng.
Yusheng said, "This servant would never dare to deceive Your Majesty."
Emperor Qi snorted, "I believe you wouldn't dare. You may all leave!" he waved his hand.
Yusheng, with the remaining palace attendants, did not dare to linger and quickly left.
Emperor Qi then said in a low voice, "Sir, are you still here?"
Hearing no response, he called out again, "Sir?"
In the empty sleeping quarters, only his own voice echoed.
The border of Qi Kingdom
"Ah Ling... how much further?"
The Third Prince, Qi Yuheng, who was leaning on Ah Ling's back, asked weakly. He never imagined that the poetry gathering he organized would turn into a deadly one.
If it weren't for Ah Ling's desperate protection, he would have already perished.
"Your Highness, we are probably very far from the imperial palace now." Along the way, they were pursued. A Da covered their retreat and had not yet caught up; he was probably gone.
Ah Ling's expression was somber. He had grown up with Ah Da, and reaching this point was beyond his imagination.
The Prince's path should have been smooth until he inherited the throne. He never expected that after the appearance of that cold girl, everything changed.
Ah Ling saw an old man carrying firewood ahead and said, "Your Highness, I'll go see if I can find a place to stay."
The Third Prince nodded, "You go ahead!"
Ah Ling carefully lowered the Third Prince and walked forward, addressing the old man carrying firewood, "Old sir, may I ask where this is? Are there any places to stay nearby?"
The old man glanced at Ah Ling and asked, "Are you here to visit relatives?"
Ah Ling nodded, "Yes. We were attacked by bandits halfway here and all our money was stolen. My young master was also injured and needs a place to recover."
The old man said, "If your young master doesn't mind, he can come to my home. I live alone."
Ah Ling was extremely grateful. He went back, picked up the Third Prince, and chatted with the old man carrying firewood as they walked, "Old sir, where is this?"
The old man said, "This is Mingxia Pass."
Ah Ling was taken aback, "Mingxia Pass? Is Prince Nanping's mansion also here?" Da Feng Novel Network
The old man's eyes lit up, "Are you here to visit relatives at Prince Nanping's mansion?"
Ah Ling said, "Does the old sir know?"
The old man became much friendlier, "Who in Mingxia Pass doesn't know Prince Nanping? The Prince Nanping who has repelled enemies countless times."
Ah Ling said, "My young master is a relative of Prince Nanping's consort."
"Your young master will be recuperating at my home these few days. When his injuries have healed, I will take you to Prince Nanping's mansion. To be frank, I deliver firewood to Prince Nanping's mansion," the old man said.
Ah Ling thanked him.
Upon arriving at the old man's house, the old man gave the best room to Ah Ling and slept in the side room himself.
"I never expected to come to Mingxia Pass. This can be considered an accident," the Third Prince's lips curved slightly.
Ah Ling was startled, "Your Highness, you..."
"Since Heaven has given me this opportunity, I will not waste such a good opportunity."
The old man brought out all the good medicinal herbs for the Third Prince's treatment.
Soon, the Third Prince's injuries had greatly improved.