"You're leaving the palace?" the maiden in a plain, pale dress asked Yan Zhao, who was bowing before her in the Zhaoyuan Palace, her voice calm.
Yan Zhao nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Seated in her chair, the maiden propped her chin on her jade hand and said slowly, "Young Master Yan, once one enters the palace, it's like a deep sea. Don't you know this?"
Yan Zhao raised his head. His dark eyes were as brilliant as the stars in the sky, twinkling with an overwhelming radiance. He replied faintly, "Your Majesty, I never knew that entering the palace meant dying within its walls."
The maiden's gaze turned cold. "Others can leave the palace, but you… cannot."
A flicker of something unusual flashed in Yan Zhao's eyes. Soon, the corner of his lips curved upwards into a faint smile. "If Your Majesty is uneasy about me leaving, why not accompany me?"
The maiden was taken aback and blurted out, "What business do I have there?"
"I recently learned the whereabouts of my mother's clansmen, around Mingyue Tower. Would Your Majesty accompany me?" Yan Zhao asked.
"You go to see your mother's clansmen, what would I go to see?" The maiden shook her head in disagreement.
"Doesn't Your Majesty wish to leave the palace?" Yan Zhao suddenly looked up and asked.
Those star-river-like eyes were incredibly beautiful.
After leaving the palace, Xue Zining felt a tinge of regret. How did she so carelessly agree to leave the palace with Yan Zhao?
However, she was somewhat puzzled by Yan Zhao's words. In her past life, until her death, she had never heard of Yan Zhao searching for his mother's clansmen.
In this life, many things were changing.
"Yan Yi, go to Fu Ji Tang and buy some peach blossom pastries," Yan Zhao suddenly said to Yan Yi outside the carriage as it traveled.
Yan Yi outside the carriage...
Yan Er, hearing this, whispered to Yan Yi beside him, "Young Master told you to buy peach blossom pastries, why aren't you going?"
Yan Yi scratched his head. "How come I didn't know Young Master liked peach blossom pastries? Doesn't he hate peach blossoms the most?"
Yan Er rolled his eyes at Yan Yi and sighed, "You fool, do you think Young Master is the one eating them?"
Yan Yi was stunned, and after a moment of realization, he grinned slyly and patted his head. "Look how foolish I am, I forgot there's someone inside?"
"Aren't you going yet?" A clear, impatient voice finally came from inside the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Xue Zining looked thoughtfully at Yan Zhao, whose expression was somewhat displeased. She couldn't help but wonder if these two outside thought the person in the carriage was foolish and couldn't hear their conversation.
Soon, the peach blossom pastries were bought by Yan Yi. He carefully handed them to the somewhat displeased Young Master and said meekly, "Young Master, they've been bought."
Yan Zhao acknowledged with a faint sound. Yan Yi placed the peach blossom pastries inside the carriage and quickly retreated.
Xue Zining watched Yan Zhao's long, slender fingers unwrap the paper packet, revealing pieces of peach blossom-shaped pastries, pink tinged with a faint white.
Yan Zhao pushed them towards her and said, "Your Majesty, please try them?"
Xue Zining was surprised. She had thought Yan Zhao wanted to eat them himself. Were these bought for her?
Seeing her hesitation, the corners of Yan Zhao's lips curved upwards, as if he was smiling. His porcelain-white fingers picked up a peach blossom pastry and put it in his mouth. "Your Majesty, they're not poisoned."
"That's not what I meant." Xue Zining picked up a peach blossom pastry. She knew that even if there was poison, it wouldn't be administered at such a public moment.
She truly hadn't expected the peach blossom pastries to be so delicious. They were soft and delicate on the tongue, with a faint taste of peach blossoms. These pastries were very tasty.
Xue Zining saw Yan Zhao put down the half-eaten peach blossom pastry and stopped her own action, asking, "Why aren't you eating?"
Yan Zhao chuckled softly, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone. "When I was young, my mother liked to make peach blossom pastries and would force me, who disliked eating, to eat them. To this day, I can't forget their taste."
Xue Zining was slightly taken aback, then lowered her eyes, looking at the peach blossom pastry in her hand. She also recalled that in her youth, her mother seemed to like making some pastries, but her mother lacked the talent, and the ones she made were inedible. Later, her mother stopped making them altogether.
Now, she wanted to reminisce, but had forgotten the taste of her mother's cooking.
Yan Zhao noticed that the maiden who had been happily eating the peach blossom pastry moments ago had now put it down, her interest seemingly waning, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor. He felt a pang of confusion, wondering if he had said something wrong.
Upon arriving at Mingyue Tower, Xue Zining followed Yan Zhao out of the carriage and directly into the private room Yan Zhao had booked.
The door to the private room was pushed open, revealing a man in a blue robe already seated inside.
Seeing Yan Zhao, the man stood up, his expression somewhat agitated. "You... are Shi Yu's child?"
"It is I. And you are?" Yan Zhao inquired.
The man exclaimed excitedly, "Child, I am your maternal uncle."
As he spoke, the man reached out to take Yan Zhao's hand.
Xue Zining, standing behind them, observed the man's excited demeanor, yet noticed a calmness in the depths of his eyes.
She took a step back. At that moment, the man, who had been excitedly referring to Yan Zhao as his nephew, suddenly pulled a dagger from his sleeve and lunged towards Yan Zhao's abdomen.
"Young Master, be careful!" Yan Yi, who was beside them, rushed forward.
Yan Zhao merely glanced at the man calmly, his clear voice resonating, "Overestimating your strength."
He simply shifted his body slightly, and the dagger missed its mark. As the man attempted a second strike, Yan Yi kicked his leg, causing the man to fall to his knees in pain.
"Speak, who sent you..." Before Yan Yi could finish his question, the man had already collapsed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Yan Yi felt the man's nose and shook his head. "Young Master, this person had taken poison beforehand. His mission failed, and he bit into the poison, leading to instant death."
Yan Zhao's expression turned as cold as frost. He said sternly, "Send people to investigate."
"There's no need to investigate. They are trained assassins."
The maiden's voice from behind made Yan Zhao frown. He turned to see the maiden pointing a delicate finger at a pattern on the man's nape.
Yan Zhao's gaze grew even colder. "Drag him away. Don't offend Your Majesty's eyes."
Yan Yi dragged the man's body away.
"I apologize for startling Your Majesty," Yan Zhao said, bowing.
"I wasn't startled, but Young Master Yan's lead has been cut off."
Yan Zhao looked up upon hearing this and said, "It has been many years. Today's loss doesn't matter."
Xue Zining was slightly stunned.
Yan Zhao let out a soft laugh. On his already refined and handsome face, such a smile appeared as if all the flowers in the world were awakening.
Xue Zining turned her face away, thinking to herself that she must never look at Yan Zhao's smile again in the future; it was too breathtakingly beautiful.
Back in the carriage, Yan Zhao remained silent, lost in thought. Although she couldn't fathom his mind, Xue Zining could inexplicably sense his low mood.
The lead was right before them, yet it ended in futility.
She felt she must have acted on impulse when she blurted out, "I'll take you somewhere."
Yan Zhao was slightly taken aback. He had never expected the Empress to proactively take him to another place.
"I gratefully accept your offer!" Yan Zhao said.
Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in a valley.