As long as he appears with the kitten, he can bring the kitten and Ling'er back together.
Inside the palace, the Ji family members hadn't seen the letter, so they didn't know its contents. Ji Cong anxiously pressed, "What exactly happened?"
Hai Ling then gestured to Shi Mei to hand the letter to her father. Ji Shaocheng also stood aside and read the letter. After reading it, the two men's resolute faces darkened, and Ji Shaocheng immediately cursed angrily.
"That Feng Zixiao is shameless. He imprisoned Ling'er last time, and now he still has the nerve to do this kind of thing. It's utterly despicable."
Everyone in the palace was furious, but Hai Ling didn't care about any of that. What she wanted to know most was whether the little cat was alright, so she called out to Shi Mei in a deep voice, "Bring in the meal immediately. I want to eat."
Upon hearing her words, the angry people in the palace were finally somewhat relieved. The fact that Hai Ling had eaten was something to be happy about. As long as she was alright, that was good. They would also rescue the kitten. In short, they would not let Feng Zixiao run rampant.
Shi Mei happily accepted the order and rushed out, ordering people to prepare a meal, as the Empress was about to dine.
As soon as the news spread, the eunuchs and maids throughout Liuyue Palace cheered. The Empress had eaten, which meant that the Empress would soon be alright.
The Empress's illness is actually a mental one, not a serious one. Now that she has eaten, I believe she will recover in less than two days.
The meal was quickly brought into the palace. Although Hailing didn't really want to eat, she needed to conserve her strength before going to see Feng Zixiao. Feng Zixiao said that they would exchange people at the border between the two countries.
Ye Lingfeng instructed Hai Ling to rest for a while, and then he, Ji Cong, and Ji Shaocheng went to arrange the manpower before immediately setting off for the border between Da Zhou and Bei Lu.
This time, Hailing did not refuse. As long as there was news of the kitten, she would be relieved. She was determined to save the kitten, even if it meant exchanging herself for it. She would be at ease as long as she was sure the kitten was alright.
Inside the palace, all was quiet. The maids who served her closely, such as Shi Mei and Shi Lan, saw that Hai Ling had finally fallen asleep. For the past three days, she had not eaten or drunk anything. If it weren't for the imperial physician prescribing a lot of tonics to boost her energy and spirit, she would probably be unrecognizable by now.
In the Imperial Study, Ye Lingfeng ordered the eunuchs to summon the Prime Minister, the Minister of War, the Minister of Justice, and others to the palace. He then told them the whereabouts of the young prince. Immediately, everyone's faces were filled with anger, as they never expected that the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty would do such a despicable and shameless thing.
"Your Majesty, let's fight! Let's destroy their Great Zhou Dynasty and make Feng Zixiao a sinner for all eternity."
"I agree with this matter; I will lead the charge."
Ji Shaocheng patted his chest and nodded in agreement. He said that the soldiers of Beilu were not bad, and although the court was in chaos in the past, they were now united. Moreover, the national treasury was not short of money. They had money and manpower, so they were not afraid of the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty at all.
Many people in the study nodded in agreement. Ye Lingfeng's eyes were deep and dark. It seemed that a war between their Northern Lu and the Great Zhou Dynasty was inevitable. Only a war could quell their anger. Feng Zixiao had repeatedly provoked them, which was intolerable. In the past, he had considered the peace of Northern Lu and the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If the two countries went to war, the people would inevitably suffer. But now, even if they didn't fight, Feng Zixiao would come to cause trouble from time to time. They couldn't stay on the defensive forever.
"Let's rescue the kitten first, and then we can discuss this matter."
Ye Lingfeng spoke in a deep voice, and the ministers in the study nodded in agreement.
That's right. Right now, we need to rescue the young prince first and not let him fall into Feng Zixiao's hands. Then we can decide how to fight this battle with the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"I will be leaving the capital for a while now, so I will leave the affairs of the court to you gentlemen."
"Your Majesty, we obey the decree," the crowd responded. Ye Lingfeng then ordered them to leave, leaving only Ji Shaocheng and Wen Bin: "You two will come with me to rescue the young prince."
"yes."
Both men responded, and Ye Lingfeng then arranged for several capable subordinates and secretly dispatched several hundred Feather Guards to protect them.
After arranging everything, he went to Liuyue Palace to pick up Hailing. Hailing had already woken up and was ready. She only took her two maids, Shimei and Shilan, with her to the border between Beilu and Dazhou.
Because Hai Ling had not eaten or drunk for days, she was very weak and became drowsy as soon as she got into the carriage. Seeing her so haggard, Ye Lingfeng felt both pain and hatred in his heart. If the little cat was really in Feng Zixiao's hands, then Feng Zixiao was too hateful.
He's definitely going to fight this battle; the little cat wants to vent his anger.
The carriage slowly departed from the capital, heading east.
Along the way, Hai Ling's spirits improved considerably, unlike before when she was half-dead. She ate when she was hungry and slept when she was tired, and soon her spirits were much better. Ye Lingfeng and the others knew that she wasn't unconcerned about Xiao Mao'er, but rather that she was forcing herself to recover quickly so that she could deal with Feng Zixiao and rescue Xiao Mao'er.
Looking at her like this, Ye Lingfeng felt both heartache and relief; she had finally recovered.
"Ling'er, we'll be at Tangying Pass soon. You must not get hurt again. Little Cat will be alright."
Ye Lingfeng said this because he was afraid that Feng Zixiao might not have the kitten. In short, they had to be prepared for both possibilities. The news of the kitten's disappearance had spread everywhere. If Feng Zixiao didn't have the kitten, who knew what would happen to Ling'er after her disappointment? That's why Ye Lingfeng said this.
Hai Ling naturally understood what he meant. Although she was heartbroken, she still nodded vigorously.
During the days he was sick, he was just as sad as she was. In addition, the Empress Dowager's health was deteriorating, and with his own health also deteriorating, all the burdens fell on his shoulders. Therefore, he was more tired than anyone else, but he never showed it in front of her.
Now that she has recovered, she doesn't want him to worry anymore. Even if the kitten is no longer in Feng Zixiao's hands, she won't collapse again. She wants to save her energy to find the kitten's whereabouts. The kitten's whereabouts are unknown. He is a lucky man and must be alive somewhere.
Thinking about it this way, my heart was filled with hope.
Ye Lingfeng reached out and put his arm around her, remaining silent.
The garrison commander of Tangying Pass led his men to welcome them into Tangying Pass, which was the closest pass to the Great Zhou Dynasty. That's why Ye Lingfeng and the others came here and sent someone to deliver a message to Feng Zixiao, asking them to exchange people outside Tangying Pass.
Ye Lingfeng naturally couldn't actually use Hai Ling to exchange for someone, so he ordered someone to disguise Shi Lan and make her look exactly like Hai Ling, while Hai Ling disguised herself as Shi Lan.
Feng Zixiao had already arrived at the city tower opposite Tangying Pass, so the two sides agreed to exchange people at the border between their respective locations.
Ye Lingfeng led the disguised Shi Lan, followed by Ji Shaocheng, Wen Bin, and others, then the garrison commander and soldiers of Tangying Pass. By the time both groups arrived, it was already dark.
Ye Lingfeng and Shi Lan sat on their horses, with a dark mass behind them, all watching the movements opposite them.
On the opposite horse, Feng Zixiao, dressed in black brocade, was arrogant and unrestrained, his every move exuding a wild charm. This was the first time the two groups had met since he was beaten by Feng Zixiao last time. Thinking that he, a dignified emperor, had been beaten to the point of barely breathing by Ye Lingfeng, Feng Zixiao's face darkened. Ye Lingfeng dared to hit him, so he would have to bear his wrath. He was going to take Hailing to the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even if she was unwilling to be his empress or concubine, he would separate the couple, because this was the price he paid for hitting him.
"Ye Lingfeng, this is your son."
Feng Zixiao's calm voice rang out, and with a wave of his hand, a group of people on horseback behind him rode out carrying children. Unfortunately, the children were wrapped up in layers, so Ye Lingfeng, Hai Ling, and the others could not see clearly whether the child was actually Xiao Mao'er.
"Now let Her Majesty the Empress speak."
Feng Zixiao spoke up because he was afraid that Ye Lingfeng would use trickery and find a fake woman to impersonate Ji Hailing. That's why he spoke up, because while a person's appearance can be disguised, their voice is difficult to imitate. Although he hadn't spent much time with Ji Hailing, he was familiar with her voice.
Upon hearing Feng Zixiao's words, Shi Lan glanced at Ye Lingfeng, a glance that conveyed affection even in front of outsiders.
Feng Zixiao felt a surge of resentment. She was supposed to be his empress, but in the end, she became Ye Lingfeng's empress. It was truly infuriating.