"What do you mean?" Mou Chou raised an eyebrow, her heart skipping a beat as she asked nervously.
Qing Yao smiled faintly. "Don't forget she saved my life. Even if she had ulterior motives, I owe her a thank you. For that man, she has gone all out. If the King of Beijin's palm force had been a bit stronger, she might have breathed her last. She did save me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Mou Chou responded, following her. The two left the sleeping quarters, their figures nimbly passing through the corridors towards Weiyang Palace. Mou Chou had been there once and knew where Ximen Xinyue resided, so she led the way, using her Qing Gong. In the blink of an eye, they arrived.
Ximen Xinyue's residence was lit by palace lanterns, casting a hazy glow.
Mou Chou flickered inside and saw Ximen Xinyue asleep on the large bed. Beside her, two little palace maids dozed, and her personal maid, Lianyan, was leaning against the bed, dozing off.
Mou Chou gathered her wide sleeves and flicked them lightly, sending out three small pebbles. She had anticipated that there might be people in the sleeping quarters on the way.
The three people in the sleeping quarters were struck by acupressure points that induced sleep, and they all slowly tilted to one side, making faint sounds. Despite the light sounds, Ximen Xinyue was alerted. She abruptly opened her eyes and gazed at Qing Yao, who stood by her bed.
Fear flashed in her eyes. Why had this woman come in the middle of the night? Her internal injuries had not yet healed, and she couldn't defeat both of them. Did she know about the Emperor's decision to bestow her the title of concubine and was jealous, coming to silence her?
"I've come to thank you. Although you had ulterior motives, you did save me. As for your motives, they are no longer important."
Qing Yao spoke softly, with a faint smile. In the dark night, her beautiful face was strikingly alluring, her dark eyes flashing with a coldness like frost and snow.
Standing so quietly under the lamplight, she was like a secluded orchid in the valley, untouched by the dust of the mundane world, radiating such brilliance.
At this moment, Ximen Xinyue had to admit that the Emperor seemed to love her fittingly; this woman possessed noble qualities.
"You came just to say this?"
Ximen Xinyue spoke softly, and at this moment, she even thought that perhaps she could refrain from fighting or competing, and willingly and obediently become her Shu Concubine.
"Yes. Take good care of yourself, and everything will be fine. Take care, I'm leaving."
Qing Yao reached out and tucked in the corner of her quilt, as if treating her own sister, without any hint of anger or jealousy.
In fact, she had hated Ximen Xinyue before, but later she had come to terms with it. Although Ximen Xinyue was ruthless and used any means to achieve her goals, her upbringing and environment were different from hers. Her general father and her noble status destined her to have extraordinary adaptability.
To marry the man she loved, she had made such great efforts, even risking her life. One could not say she was not so detestable.
Everyone was just walking their own path in their own position, so there was no right or wrong.
"Thank you," Ximen Xinyue, uncharacteristically, said. She watched Qing Yao turn and leave her sleeping quarters. Her slender back, graceful and composed. No matter how many years passed, she would still remember this back, as proud and upright as a plum blossom.
Qing Yao and Mou Chou returned from Weiyang Palace. Mou Chou and Mei Xin each carried a bundle on their backs. Qing Yao held Mao Xueqiu. The three of them left together.
In the vast Fengluan Palace, everyone was asleep, and only they, like ghosts in the dark night, disappeared silently into the world.
The north wind howled, and the swirling residual snow rustled in the night.
The next morning, the eunuchs and palace maids of Fengluan Palace discovered that the Empress was missing. The female official Yiyun and the chief eunuch cried in fear but dared not report it to the Emperor. They dispatched all the eunuchs and palace maids in the imperial harem to search, hoping that the Empress had gone out for some reason.
Two hours later, in Fengluan Palace, there was a chorus of weeping. The Empress was missing, along with the maids she had brought with her.
And at the same time.
In the grand hall of Liuli Palace, the young and handsome Emperor was joyfully entertaining envoys from six nations, accompanied by a group of ministers below.
"A'jiu, have the eunuchs summon the Empress. Say that distinguished guests from afar wish to meet the Empress."
Murong Liuzun's voice was gentle with a hint of pride as he waved his hand, unrestrained and bold.
"Yes, Your Majesty," A'jiu took the order and retreated. Outside the palace gate, he instructed a young eunuch to go to Fengluan Palace to summon the Empress, saying that His Majesty wanted the Empress to come as envoys from the six nations had arrived.
The young eunuch took the order and quickly turned to Fengluan Palace to proclaim the imperial decree.
Within the magnificent golden hall, bursts of pleasant laughter could be heard, the loudest and most captivating being from the reigning Emperor.
His handsome face was filled with triumph. His narrow phoenix eyes were raised, radiating dazzling brilliance. The corners of his lips curved into a captivating smile. Currently, among the seven nations, Xianyue had the greatest advantage, which could be seen from the cautious and careful demeanor of the envoys from the six nations. xxs 1
With Yao'er's wisdom and disposition, if she had his assistance, it would undoubtedly be like adding wings to a tiger, like gaining a divine artifact, greatly increasing his power. Therefore, the other six nations were somewhat apprehensive, which must be the reason for the visit of the envoys from the six nations.
The envoys from the six nations were all attentive, constantly uttering flattering words. Emperor Xian was already the most astute emperor in the world. If the Empress was truly as sharp as rumored, Xianyue's dominance might be overwhelming, and they would have to put in some effort.
Footsteps sounded outside the palace gate. The envoys from the six nations all looked towards the gate, their eyes filled with novelty and inquiry, eager to see the rumored resourceful Empress. However, they saw a panicked young eunuch rush in, holding a letter high and shouting, "Your Majesty, something is wrong! The Empress has left a letter and departed the palace."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone in the grand hall changed. Some were disbelieving, while others were smug.
The young Emperor on the high seat's face instantly changed. Losing his composure, he said gloomily, "Read it."
"In the 103rd year of Xianyue, I, Mu Qingyao, divorce Emperor Murong Liuzun. From now on, men marry women, and women marry men, and they shall not interfere with each other. Civil and military officials shall be witnesses, and envoys from the six nations shall bear witness. Mu Qingyao respectfully presents."
After the young eunuch finished reading, he trembled uncontrollably. The entire grand hall fell into a deathly silence. Everyone seemed unable to recover from the shock.
Since ancient times, only men had divorced their wives. It had never been heard of that a woman could also divorce her husband, let alone divorce the current Emperor, the youngest and most handsome emperor in the world. Strange things happen every year, but this was the most bizarre.
From the mere mention of divorcing the Emperor, one could see that the Empress had a unique mind and was bold and reckless, daring to do what ordinary people would not. She was likely a remarkable woman.
As the eyes of the envoys from the six nations flickered, they already understood. They all stood up and respectfully said:
"Reporting to Emperor Xian, our Emperor sent us to Xianyue to seek counsel from the Empress. Now that the Empress has left the palace, there is no need for us to stay. We take our leave."