"General Ji, please wait."
Nalan Mingzhu called out to Ji Shaocheng, who looked up at her.
He used to hate this woman, but in the past few days, everything she did was for Ling'er's sake. Seeing everything she did, he could no longer hate her and even felt some goodwill towards her. So when he heard Nalan Mingzhu call him, he couldn't help but stop and look at her.
"Is there something you need, Princess?"
Nalan Mingzhu nodded and said with a smile, "Mingzhu wants to apologize to General Ji. I wanted to marry General Ji without his consent. It was my overestimation of myself. Please rest assured, General Ji, after the Dengzhou incident, this marriage will be called off, and you can marry someone else."
After she finished speaking, her face was resolute, without the slightest hint of resentment or grievance.
Under the moonlight, her pupils gleamed with a deep, resolute light. Ji Shaocheng saw in her the same resolute spirit as Ling'er. After all, she was her person, and even her personality was somewhat similar. He didn't reject such a person. Just as Ji Shaocheng was about to speak, Nalan Mingzhu didn't give him the chance. Her clear voice rang out again.
"General Ji, please take care."
After saying that, she turned and walked into the main hall, no longer looking at Ji Shaocheng behind her. In fact, she still felt a pang of sadness in her heart. This man was almost going to become her husband, but unfortunately, she was not lucky enough to be with him, so she was destined to miss out on him.
Behind him, Ji Shaocheng's eyes were deep and dark, and the corners of his lips were slightly curved. Perhaps this woman was also a good match. At least the two of them had one thing in common: they were both genuinely good to Ling'er. Thinking about it this way, he was no longer opposed to marrying her. He would make all the plans after returning from Dengzhou. By then, when his father returned, he should also get married.
Ji Shaocheng thought to himself, then turned and left Liuyue Palace, taking his men with him.
In the main hall of Liuyue Palace, Hailing and Shen Ruoxuan were talking when their two maids, Shimei and Shilan, returned and reported back.
Shi Mei was ordered to go to the West Mansion to rescue Xi Yuan, but when she arrived, she found the entire mansion in chaos. To her surprise, Xi Yuan had committed suicide by taking poison. By the time Shi Mei arrived, she heard that Xi Yuan was already cold. Hai Ling was heartbroken upon hearing this. She had sent Shi Mei to rescue Xi Yuan precisely because she was afraid that Xi Yuan would do something rash, but it was too late. This shows that although Xi Yuan was young, she had a strong personality. Perhaps after returning from Cining Palace, she decided to die to prove her point and resolutely refuse to marry Prince Zhaoyang.
Her intention was to save her, but in the end, she couldn't defy fate.
This was her own doing, and it was the Empress Dowager and the west family who forced her to her death.
Hailing was sad for a while, then remembered that she had asked Shilan to poison Cixi Palace, and looked up at Shilan.
Shi Lan then reported on her plan to drug the Empress Dowager at Cixi Palace, and the drugging went smoothly.
With everything arranged in the palace, Hailing felt much relieved. Seeing that it was already dawn, she instructed her two maids, Shimei and Shilan, to pack up what needed to be packed. She and Mingzhu went into the palace to change into men's clothes, and she instructed Shen Ruoxuan to wait for her outside the palace.
Shen Ruoxuan acknowledged and left, and everyone went about their own business.
Hailing and Nalan Mingzhu went into the palace to change into men's clothes. The two maids, Shimei and Shilan, had already packed their belongings and left the palace. Outside the door, Fuyue led several palace maids and eunuchs to kneel down and cried out sadly.
"Your Majesty the Empress."
Hailing looked at them, thinking that they had followed her once, and that she might never come back after leaving, and her heart still ached. She reached out to help Fuyue up and carefully gave her some advice.
"Fuyue, stay in the palace and keep an eye on the Empress Dowager's movements. If anything seems amiss, immediately send someone to the Ji residence to report to General Ji."
"Yes, Your Highness, I understand."
Fu Yue suppressed her sadness and nodded.
Hai Ling then said a few more words of concern, and seeing the sadness of the palace maids and eunuchs, she did not forget to comfort them.
"Don't worry, His Majesty and I will be back soon, and I will reward you handsomely."
Her words gave everyone hope, and they all kowtowed deeply.
"Yes, Your Majesty, we servants await Your Majesty's return to the palace."
Hai Ling stopped talking, turned around and strode away. Nalan Mingzhu, Shi Mei and Shi Lan, along with fifty guards in the shadows, followed Hai Ling away. The group quietly left the back hall of Liuyue Palace and headed straight out of the palace.
By the time they left the palace, it was already daylight.
In the early morning, Bianliang City was bustling with people, and the streets were lively with shouts and calls, creating a vibrant market.
Hai Ling and Nalan Mingzhu, along with several of their men, found Shen Ruoxuan at the agreed-upon location. Instead of rushing out of the city, the group headed to the Xi family residence of the Prince of Cang.
On the side of the street, Hai Ling's carriage pulled over, and Shen Ruoxuan went down to the Cangwang Mansion to request an audience with the young prefectural chairman, Liang.
The guards from the Prince of Cang's mansion went in to report, and soon Xi Liang came out with red eyes, indicating that he hadn't slept well all night. As soon as he saw Shen Ruoxuan, he became excited, rushed over and grabbed Shen Ruoxuan's hand, anxiously asking questions.
"What about the Empress? How is she? Is she alright?"
Upon seeing Xi Liang's movements, Shen Ruoxuan knew that she must have heard about what happened in the palace last night and knew that her master had been cursed with the Soft Love Silk. That's why she couldn't sleep all night and was extremely anxious. As expected of her master's friend, she was truly loyal.
Shen Ruoxuan led Xi Liang into the carriage, and Xi Liang immediately grabbed Hai Ling with concern upon seeing her.
"Ling'er, why did you leave the palace? How are you? Are you feeling unwell? Or is something hurting?"
Xi Liang felt heartbroken when she thought of the suffering Hai Ling was going through. She held Hai Ling tightly in her small hands, wishing she could take her place. The thought of a pregnant woman encountering such a thing filled her with sorrow.
Hai Ling had come to terms with it. Knowing that the matter was beyond repair, why grieve? On the bright side, Ah Lang only wanted to torment her and didn't take her life, which was already a blessing. Her child was also safe. One shouldn't have too many desires. Now she didn't resent anyone, only blamed fate. The real culprit, Ah Lang, was also dead, and he didn't get a good end either.
"Xi Liang, Xi Liang, don't get agitated. I've come to you with something to ask of you."
"What is it?"
Hearing Hai Ling's serious tone, Xi Liang finally calmed down and looked at Hai Ling, wondering what was wrong.
Hai Ling held Xi Liang's hand: "Xi Liang, I'm leaving Bianliang City for Dengzhou. I need to see with my own eyes that Ye is alright before I can feel at ease. But I'm a little worried about Bei Lu after I leave. Can you do me a favor?"
When Xi Liang heard that Hai Ling was leaving Bianliang City, she instinctively felt uneasy. She wanted to accompany her to Dengzhou, but when Hai Ling said she needed her help, she swallowed her words and calmly looked at Hai Ling. Hai Ling let out a long breath and looked at Xi Liang.
“My biggest fear about leaving the capital is the chaos in the court. Right now, there is no news of the emperor, and rumors are circulating in the court. If someone has ulterior motives, the government will surely fall into chaos. I have entrusted everything to my brother Ji Shaocheng, but he is ultimately too weak and alone. Xi Liang, you stay in Bianliang City and help him. Your identity, and the identity of your Cangwang Mansion, will definitely be able to help him. Xi Liang, you must help him secretly.”
Xi Liang instinctively wanted to shake her head. She wanted to accompany Ling'er to Dengzhou. She was really worried about letting her go to Dengzhou alone.
However, when she looked up, she saw deep pleading in Hai Ling's eyes as she stared at her intently. Xi Liang's heart sank. She had never seen Ling'er ask anyone for anything before, including the past. But now she was asking her for help to stabilize the current situation in Bei Lu. Although she didn't have that much power, the Cangwang Mansion's capabilities and her own abilities would surely allow them to notice the undercurrents and warn Ji Shaocheng in time. With this arrangement, Bei Lu would definitely be safe.
"Alright, I promise you. I will guard Bianliang City for you and keep an eye on the movements in the court. Don't worry, Ling'er. Besides our Cangwang Mansion, there are also people from the Ningnan Marquis Mansion, and Lord Wu and others whose hearts are with the Emperor. They will definitely stabilize the court. Go ahead, I will wait for you here."