Hai Ling patted Feng Qian's back and gently comforted her.
Inside the main hall, everyone was watching the couple. Once Feng Qian calmed down, she let go of Hai Ling, reached out and took her hand, smiling shyly.
"I'm sorry, Hailin, I was just too excited."
"It's alright, come here," Hailing pulled Feng Qian's hand and led her to sit down on one side of the main hall. She began to ask Feng Qian about what happened after she left the Great Zhou Dynasty. Feng Qian then told Hailing about her encounter with Helian Qianxun, the patriarch of the Yunjiang clan, after leaving the Great Zhou Dynasty. On the day she left the Great Zhou, aimlessly, she offended a handsome but sickly young man in brocade robes, Helian Qianxun. She only cursed Helian Qianxun, saying that he was a beautiful woman with a sickly fate, and Helian Qianxun took her back to Yunjiang. Later, the two of them were at odds in Yunjiang, but they actually developed feelings for each other. Originally, Helian Qianxun did not allow her to leave Yunjiang, but this time, Helian Qianxun ordered Sese and others to go out of Yunjiang to capture Alang, so she took the opportunity to leave. Who knew that once she left and returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty, she found that the outside world had completely changed and was no longer the same as before. Her brother and mother were both gone.
At the mention of this, Feng Qian started crying again.
Hai Ling quickly comforted her, telling her not to be sad anymore. It had been a long time since this happened, and if she was sad, Feng Zixiao and her mother would never see it. From now on, she should just live happily.
"Hailin, what about you? How did you come to Beilu in the first place? And how did you become the Empress of the Northern Dynasty?"
Feng Qian asked with concern, and Hai Ling briefly recounted what had happened to her afterward. When she mentioned being kicked out of the palace by Feng Zixiao, Feng Qian looked at her with disappointment and choked up as she spoke.
“Brother, he has always been pampered and cherished since childhood, yet he ultimately lost because of this one thing.”
"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. We should be happy about this rare encounter."
The two of them eventually let go of their sadness and became happy. It was a rare encounter, so they should naturally be happy.
Hai Ling called Xi Liang and Nalan Mingzhu over and introduced them to Feng Qian. The four of them then began to talk in the main hall.
Ji Shaocheng and Shen Ruoxuan were exhausted after staying up all night. Hailing told them to go and rest, and that they could talk about it later.
The women continued chatting inside the main hall, and the sounds of their conversations filled the air until dawn.
After Feng Qian appeared, she learned that the person Ah Lang wanted to harm was Hai Ling. As Hai Ling's friend, she felt obligated to stay in the palace to accompany her and prevent Ah Lang from hurting her good friend. This put everyone at ease.
However, while everyone waited, Alang remained inactive.
On this day, Ye Lingfeng sent someone back with a message.
In the main hall of Liuyue Palace, Shizhu respectfully greeted the Empress and then presented her with her mistress's letter.
Hai Ling excitedly opened the letter. In it, Ye Lingfeng told her that he had successfully rescued Ji Cong. Now, he and Ji Cong were escorting provisions to Dengzhou, determined to wipe out the Green Ant Clan as quickly as possible before returning to the capital. He told her to stay obediently in the palace and wait for his return, promising to eliminate the Green Ant Clan in the shortest time possible before coming back.
At the end of the letter, he wrote his longing: "Ling'er, I miss you. Do you miss me?"
When Hailing saw this sentence, she thought of the grievances she had suffered recently, and tears welled up in her eyes in an instant, almost falling. She barely managed to hold them back, and her slender white hands couldn't help but touch her belly, her heart filled with longing.
Night, I have our child now. You must wipe out the Green Ant Clan and come back soon. My child and I are waiting for you here.
Below the main hall, Shi Mei was asking Shi Zhu about the matter of General Jie Qiu Ji of Yuqi Pass. Shi Zhu then explained the situation at the time, which was thrilling to everyone. They felt as if they were there, witnessing the perilous situation firsthand. If the Emperor had not gone to help, General Jie Qiu Ji and the others would have surely died. As for the 200,000 dan of grain, if it had not been transported to Dengzhou, the soldiers would have had nothing to eat.
Your Highness, Shi Zhu looked at the Empress above. He had heard about the many dangerous things the Empress had encountered after his master left the capital. If his master knew about these things, he would probably stop caring about Dengzhou and rush back as fast as he could.
However, Hai Ling didn't want Ye Lingfeng's work to be abandoned halfway because of her own affairs, so she wrote a letter and asked Shi Zhu to take it to Dengzhou. She also instructed him not to tell their master anything about the palace. If he leaked even a single word, she would not forgive him. She told him to wait until their master had wiped out the Green Ant Clan and returned safely before telling him.
Although Shizhu felt sorry for the Empress, she knew that this was the only way for the time being. In the end, Shizhu returned to Dengzhou with Hailing's reply.
Alang from Beilu seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. As time went on, Hailing and the others felt a sense of oppression, and even Feng Qian felt uneasy. Could Alang just keep dragging things out with them like this forever?
Another two weeks have passed.
That night, in Liuyue Palace, Hailing and Fengqian were sleeping soundly when they suddenly heard hurried footsteps in the long hall, followed by a long voice from a eunuch: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty? The Emperor has returned to the palace injured."
Hailing woke up with a start from her large bed. Looking at the eunuch rushing in from outside the hall, she cried out in alarm, "What did you say?"
The young eunuch was pale-faced: "Your Majesty, I just heard that His Majesty was injured in Dengzhou and has now secretly returned to the capital. He is in Lanyuan Palace, and all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital have been summoned there."
Hai Ling felt a tightness in her chest, feeling utterly powerless. She couldn't utter a single word, and her face turned deathly pale. Feng Qian, seeing this, held her hand tenderly and gently comforted her.
"Don't be anxious, maybe it's nothing serious. Let's go to Lanyuan Palace and take a look."
"yes."
Shi Mei and the others rushed over to serve their mistress. Everyone busied themselves with tidying up, and Hai Ling hurriedly walked out. Feng Qian followed behind her, repeatedly reminding her, "Don't worry, nothing will happen, nothing will happen."
The large group headed towards Lanyuan Palace.
The Lanyuan Palace was brightly lit, and the imperial physicians were busy coming and going, with everyone's face showing caution.
The eunuchs and palace maids stood guard at the door, not daring to breathe. Hai Ling led Feng Qian and the others in, and the eunuchs and palace maids knelt on the ground: "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."
Hai Ling ignored these people and led Feng Qian and the others to Lan Yuan Palace to see Ye Lingfeng.
Unexpectedly, the chief eunuch of Lanyuan Palace blocked her way and spoke respectfully and fearfully.
"Your Majesty, please wait. We have received an imperial decree from the Empress Dowager requesting that Your Majesty not enter for the time being."
"Why?"
Hai Ling cried out in disbelief. Lying inside was her man, the man she loved. He was injured. Why wouldn't she be allowed to go in? What did the Empress Dowager mean by this?
Hai Ling's face was full of gloom and murderous intent. She reached out and slapped the chief eunuch across the face, cursing angrily.
"You audacious servant! The Empress Dowager is the master, but am I not the master too? The Emperor is ill, and I am extremely anxious. If you dare to say another word, I will kill you, you dog servant."
After saying that, she rushed in, but after taking only two steps, she saw the Empress Dowager walking out of the main hall with a gloomy face and cold eyes, blocking her way.
"Empress, what are you doing?"
In the past, Hai Ling would have spoken to the Empress Dowager in a polite manner, but today, thinking about what the Empress Dowager had done, she was furious and retorted sharply.
"What did Mother Empress say about me? His Majesty is injured, and Mother Empress actually ordered people to block Ling'er's way, preventing Ling'er from visiting His Majesty. I don't know what kind of reason this is?"
His words were sharp and cold, chilling to the bone, and his entire being was like frost and snow in the dead of winter.