“Yao’er, if you were to return, how would I deal with you?”
Murong Liuzun’s eyes were clouded, like an unfathomable dense fog, making it impossible to see clearly. With a sweep of his hand, he coldly commanded,
“You may all go.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the ministers rose, all heaving a sigh of relief. The imperial physician, who had collapsed on the ground, finally managed to catch his breath, struggling to get up and leaving the Liuli Palace from behind the ministers.
The Liuli Palace fell silent.
In the emptiness of the hall, Ah Jiu quickly ordered a young eunuch to fetch the medicine chest. She personally tended to the Emperor’s wounds and applied medicine.
The Emperor sat motionlessly, his gaze filled with entanglement, loneliness, coldness, arrogance, and a myriad of other emotions, making his expression unpredictable. His face shifted through countless changes, finally settling into a frigid command to Ah Jiu.
“Immediately issue an imperial decree to the Prince of Nan’an, ordering him to leave the palace and search for the Empress. Ensure he finds her whereabouts before the six kingdoms. I do not wish for anything to happen to her.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Ah Jiu acknowledged and exited. As she reached the doorway, she heard a deep and melodious voice from the high seat again: “Instruct the Prince of Nan’an that if he sees her, he should say that as long as she returns, everything will be alright.”
If she truly disagreed to take Ximen Xinyue as a concubine, he would bestow a new marriage upon Ximen Xinyue. However.
The man on the high seat, with his alluring phoenix-like eyes, flashed with confusion. Did the Empress’s actions count as jealousy?
Ah Jiu understood the Emperor’s implicit meaning. What did “everything will be alright” mean? It likely meant that he would act according to the Empress’s wishes. This was truly rare. Ah Jiu had followed the Emperor for so long and had never seen him compromise. This was the first time.
She hoped the Empress would return. The one she carried was the imperial bloodline. If it were a young prince, he might even be the Crown Prince.
On the official road, an exquisite carriage proceeded at a leisurely pace.
The carriage was not overly luxurious, with an eight-treasure canopy adorned with gold and inlaid with jade, with jade ornaments hanging from its four corners, trailing tassels that swayed in the wind as the carriage moved.
Half of the space inside the carriage was furnished with a soft couch, covered with a soft and comfortable white rug. A low table was also placed there, laden with fruits, pastries, and tea.
At this moment, the tea still emitted a steaming aroma and had not spilled despite the carriage’s jolting, which spoke volumes of the driver’s skill in handling the horses to make the carriage move both quickly and steadily.
On the soft couch, a beauty reclined casually. Her cloud-like black hair cascaded down, framing a flawless face. Her skin was as clear as snow, her eyebrows sharp, and her eyes luminous. A languid and relaxed air permeated her being. Her white jade-like slender fingers held a cup of tea, its fragrance filling the entire carriage.
The woman’s pair of beautiful eyes calmly watched the tea leaves unfurling and expanding in the hot water, releasing their rich aroma.
“Miss, where are we going now?”
The young maidservant who spoke had delicate and pretty features, possessing an inherent playfulness and loveliness. Her large, watery eyes flickered with confusion.
The person reclining on the couch was the Empress Mu Qingyao, the first Empress in all of history to divorce her Emperor. The maidservant speaking was her maid, Mei Xin. They had left the palace three days ago and were already seven to eight hundred li away from Lin’an City. Along the way, they had carefully avoided large towns, only staying in sparsely populated villages, rushing southwards.
As they had moved some distance from the capital, the carriage’s speed had slowed considerably.
However, besides their mistress, the three subordinates had no idea where they were heading after this mad dash. Now, Mei Xin finally couldn’t help but ask her mistress. Oh, no, since leaving the palace, the Empress had instructed them to call her “Miss” from now on.
Since she had left the palace, she was no longer the Empress of Xian Yue, but the Third Miss of the Mu Family.
Qingyao lifted her head, casually glancing at Mei Xin, then looked at Mo Chou. Mo Chou also had a questioning look on her face. Qingyao smiled and spoke faintly.
“We are traveling and sight-seeing anyway, there’s no rush to get anywhere. Let’s head south along the way. To Huaicheng, isn’t Aunt Su Ge in Huaicheng?”
Upon hearing her mistress’s words, Mei Xin immediately smiled. So Miss was going to Huaicheng. Good, good. She had long heard that the scenery in Jiangnan was beautiful, and they would finally have the chance to witness the Jiangnan scenery. Mei Xin was delighted.
Mo Chou, on the side, raised an eyebrow and quietly observed her mistress, speaking softly.
“Miss, I fear the Emperor’s people might find us in Huaicheng. Then we would be…”
“That’s why we are not in a hurry. We are traveling and sight-seeing, just to miss their timing,” Qingyao said nonchalantly.
She knew that man would look for her. The imperial physician would surely report her pregnancy to the Emperor. This man was perhaps unable to tolerate the imperial bloodline flowing out. But so what?
Since she had decided to leave him, to divorce him, then whether it was her or the child in her belly, they were severed from him.
“Yes, Miss.”
Mo Chou felt a little more at ease. Miss had her own plans; why should she overthink? She then smiled.
The small carriage was filled with warmth. The three women leaned casually on the couch, chatting, their laughter soaring out.
The man driving in front wore a hooded cloak, with a black veil covering the circumference of the hood. He was draped in a black cloak, which billowed out like a falcon swooping down from high above, then soaring up again, as if eager to return to the heavens.
This driver was Mo You. Seeing that the sky was darkening, he couldn’t help but slow down and respectfully inquired from within.
“Miss, shall we find an inn ahead?”
“Yes, if the town ahead is not too large, we will stay at an inn tonight,” a clear and cold voice emanated from the carriage. Although soft and melodious, it carried a compelling dignity. Mo You immediately responded, “Very well.”
The carriage proceeded towards the small town ahead.
At dusk, they stopped at a small town.
This town was not large, surrounded by high mountains. The distant mountains were hazy, the evening glow was red, and the setting sun was like blood.
A soft halo of pale red light enveloped the small town. The people in the town were mostly simple and content, their faces meeting them with smiles.
The group found an inn, the best one in the small town, though it wasn’t particularly grand, just a two-story building, the storefront kept very neat.
There weren’t many lodgers in the inn. In such a small place, there were usually few visitors. Today, several arrived at once, and the innkeeper and the waiter were exceptionally enthusiastic, so excited they were a bit flustered.
Looking at the handsome young gentleman before them, the people behind him seemed to be his servants.
Qingyao had been dressed as a man throughout the journey, wearing a smoky grey robe, a blue cloak over it, with a face like a painting, hair tied up with a jade hairpin, and elegant demeanor.
The innkeeper and the waiter guessed that this must be the young master of a wealthy family. Not only was he handsome, but his maids and servants were also so attractive, which was truly rare.
“Are you here to stay, honored guest, or to dine?”