Qingyao paced anxiously in the room. Fortunately, Geng Han soon woke up. The moment he opened his eyes and saw Qingyao, his usually expressionless face was filled with heartache. He quickly got out of bed and began to kowtow.
Qingyao rushed to block his movements and spoke in a deep voice.
"What happened, Geng Han?"
"Your Highness, you must save our Prince. He has been imprisoned by the Emperor, accused of plotting to usurp the throne. He was caught red-handed by the Emperor at the time.
In truth, this was the Emperor's and the Prince of Nan'an's plan all along. Yet, the Emperor, with a group of his men, apprehended the Prince in the study in front of all the civil and military officials, accusing him of regicide and usurpation?"
By the end of his words, Geng Han didn't know what to do. Fortunately, he thought of the Empress, the only one who could save the Prince.
Qingyao frowned, recalling what Liu Zun had said when he left. He had clearly stated that he wanted the Prince of Nan'an to succeed him. If that were the case, why would he then accuse the Prince of Nan'an of usurping the throne? What was he trying to do?
This time, even she couldn't figure out his true intentions.
"Besides the Prince of Nan'an, are there any other movements in the capital?"
Qingyao asked coldly. What was his purpose? If he truly wanted to punish the Prince of Nan'an, she wouldn't believe it.
Could his motive for doing this be to force her return to the capital? Because he knew that the Prince of Nan'an's subordinates would definitely seek her help, thus allowing her to return to the capital naturally.
Although she had already planned to return, she still had reservations about his overbearing methods. Moreover, the Prince of Nan'an was his beloved younger brother. By doing this, wasn't he hurting the Prince of Nan'an's feelings?
"No, apart from imprisoning the Prince, everything else is fine. I didn't expect that even after the unification of the land, the Emperor still viewed the Prince as a thorn in his side. The Prince has always been loyal, and it was the Emperor who made the Prince act this way.
In order for me to meet Your Highness, your subordinate rode swiftly to the army led by General An, and then obtained news from General An before rushing to Wuding Valley, begging Your Highness to save the Prince's life."
After speaking, Geng Han prepared to kowtow again.
Qingyao's expression darkened, her pupils flashing with sparks. She couldn't quite grasp what was happening. What trick was the Emperor playing? Were all the words he had spoken to her before lies? Was it truly to force her return to the capital?
He had always doted on the Prince of Nan'an, Liu Zhao, and Princess Xingzhu.
These were his only remaining relatives. How could he have imprisoned the Prince of Nan'an? Moreover, he had ordered the Prince of Nan'an to disguise himself as him and guard the palace. Coming back now to frame him was extremely despicable!
"Alright, stop kowtowing and don't speak ill of the Emperor. The Emperor will not harm the Prince of Nan'an. Perhaps there are other reasons."
Little Fish watched the scene before her, wide-eyed. Listening to these events, it didn't seem like something her father would do. He had always been upright. How could he frame his imperial uncle like this?
Had everything her father had done previously been merely a disguise? If it were true, this performance was too elaborate!
"Your Highness, you must save the Prince?"
Seeing that Qingyao had not agreed to return, Geng Han became very afraid that she would not return and called out.
"Alright, I was already planning to return to the capital. You go back first, and I will follow shortly. Be careful, don't alert anyone in the capital. I want to see what is going on."
"Okay," Geng Han immediately breathed a sigh of relief, as if as long as she agreed to save the Prince, their Prince would not die.
"Then I'll be going back," as soon as he finished speaking, he turned to leave. Because he had been too tense before, now that he relaxed, he almost fell headfirst. Bing Xiao quickly reached out and caught him, helping him lie down on the bed.
Ming Yue walked closer, felt his pulse, and spoke calmly, "Master, he is fine. He just fainted from exhaustion."
"Mm, as long as he's alright."
Qingyao nodded, leading the people in the room out and returning to her own room. Her expression had been grim from beginning to end. Since she didn't speak, the others dared not say anything.
The room was silent.
After a long while, Qingyao finally spoke, "Let's prepare to return to the capital. Shen Yu, you can go back."
"No, what if the Master is in danger? I'll accompany you," Shen Yu said calmly. At this moment, Qing Feng and Ming Yue entered from outside the door, both speaking at the same time, "We will also accompany the Master."
"Forget it, so many people will attract too much attention. The two of you should stay in the valley."
Qingyao looked at Qing Feng and Ming Yue and said slowly. They had followed so many people on this journey, and now that the Seven Kingdoms were destroyed, who would target her?
However, as soon as she finished speaking, Qing Feng pondered for a moment and finally said.
"Then let Ming Yue accompany the lady. Although you have many people, Ming Yue is skilled in medicine and knowledgeable about poisons, so having him along is beneficial." Qing Feng's tone was persistent, and Ming Yue immediately nodded in agreement.
Now, the two of them were truly afraid that something would happen to the lady. Because they had no other relatives since childhood, apart from the young master, there was no one else.
Now that the young master was dead, they still had Miss Mu. If something happened to her, they would truly be alone and desolate. Therefore, Qing Feng insisted that Ming Yue accompany them.
"Alright then, Qing Feng will stay in the valley, and Ming Yue will travel with us."
Geng Han rested for a night and insisted on returning to the capital the next morning. Qingyao and Mo Chou did not return with him but took a separate route. They disguised themselves and secretly entered the capital.
They traveled discreetly, day and night, choosing small towns as their resting places. Since they didn't know the current situation in the capital, it was better to remain hidden.
Ten days later, they arrived at the capital. The city was bustling with activity. Lin'an City was even more vibrant than before, with thriving businesses.
The streets were crowded, and carriages and horses flowed endlessly.
Little Fish lifted the curtain to look outside. The tall Bai squeezed in, and the small furry Xue Qiu also nestled close to her. One person and two animals, the scene was quite comical.
Qingyao remembered that the last time she returned to the capital, she still had red spots on her face. Now, her appearance had fully recovered, and she felt much more at ease. No matter how capable a woman was, she still cared about her appearance.
Two majestic horses followed the carriage. Shen Yu and Ming Yue sat atop them. Although these two tried to keep a low profile and even altered their appearance, making them much less recognizable than before, their tall and straight figures still attracted the attention of many women.
Sunlight poured down from the clouds, bathing the earth in warmth.
The carriage headed towards the Prime Minister's Mansion.
With the Prince of Nan'an captured, it seemed as if there was no change in the vast capital. Everything proceeded as usual, with no apparent impact.
Could it be that the news of the Prince of Nan'an's arrest had not yet been announced to the capital? If that were the case, was the Emperor truly trying to force her back to the capital? Her gaze was chilly as she sat motionless.
Mo Chou couldn't help but ask, "Master, why do you think the Emperor did this? Is it truly for..."
Mo Chou didn't finish. She had considered this possibility, and Bing Xiao had also thought of it, which was why the Empress's expression was so cold.
Having spent so much time together, Mo Chou knew her personality. She disliked being schemed against. Moreover, the Empress was already preparing to return to the capital. The Emperor's move was likely to bring trouble upon himself, as the Empress would not easily forgive him.