Du Gu Luanyue was extremely angry. Was this Huo Wei going crazy again in the middle of the night?
The grievances in her heart from today had not completely subsided. As soon as she came back, she had a big argument with Zhao Chuyan in front of the Zhaoyang Palace. She was exhausted all over and still had to deal with this crazy man, Huo Wei.
Aunt Meijiang comforted her, "Your Majesty, go. This is in front of the palace gate. No matter how arrogant the Prince of Yuzhang is, he won't dare to do anything to harm you."
Du Gu Luanyue got up and stepped out of the phoenix carriage. She walked to the back of the carriage and adjusted her fox - fur cloak. "What do you want to say to me, Your Highness?"
Huo Wei half - lowered his black eyes. "Stay here in front of the palace gate tonight. Don't go anywhere."
Du Gu Luanyue gave him a strange look. "What on earth do you mean?"
Huo Wei said, "I'm giving you a return gift."
She flicked her sleeves and was about to get back into the carriage when Huo Wei grabbed her back. "Why are you so angry? Who has angered you?"
Du Gu Luanyue pursed her lips and looked back at him.
"I'm from the small country of Southern Chu. How dare I have a temper? It's just that on this cold winter night, I have to be forced by the Prince to stand outside in the wind and snow. I'm freezing to death."
Huo Wei loosened his grip on her hand, but his voice and expression were still tough. "Endure it."
Hearing his somewhat fierce tone, Du Gu Luanyue stopped talking to him. She silently leaned against the carriage and lowered her head.
The cold wind blew, making the tip of her nose turn red. She shrank tightly into her fox - fur cloak, and her hands and feet were already freezing cold.
She hadn't slept for two nights. Standing under the phoenix carriage for a short while, her eyes began to open and close. Before long, sleepiness came over her.
Huo Wei looked up. She was swaying, her head bobbing up and down. She could hardly stand steadily.
He stepped forward and stood under the phoenix carriage for a while. Du Gu Luanyue tilted and was about to fall, but she didn't hit the ground. Her forehead just bumped into Huo Wei's arm.
Huo Wei said, "Your Majesty, go back into the phoenix carriage and wait. It won't be long."
Du Gu Luanyue was woken up from her sleep. She said warily, "Huo Wei, what return gift are you giving? Are you plotting against me again?"
Huo Wei's smile had a touch of evilness. "Scared?"
After a pause, he added, "Try not to sleep tonight. Stay awake."
Du Gu Luanyue ignored him but didn't make a fuss to go back to the Zhaoyang Palace. She felt that Huo Wei's visit today seemed to have other intentions. It didn't seem like he was trying to make things difficult for her.
She flicked her sleeves and got back into the phoenix carriage. Before long, a little eunuch brought a small hand - warmer.
When the little eunuch left, he nodded at Huo Wei and then quietly walked away.
The next day, before dawn, there was movement outside the palace.
Huo Wei asked, "How long until they arrive?"
Meng Tan's eyebrows were covered with some snow. He looked up and said, "They have entered the city gate of the imperial capital. It will take another half an hour or so to reach the palace gate."
Huo Wei nodded.
Meng Tan looked at his master several times and finally couldn't help asking,
"Your Highness, why did you stand in the snow all night? It's so cold. Couldn't you go back and sleep for a while and then come back?"
Huo Wei gave him a cold look. "A man who has been in the military camp is used to it."
Meng Tan looked at the snow on his master's shoulders and then touched his own head. He just wanted to say that he had also stood with Huo Wei all night and thought it was really unnecessary.
After all, the returning troops would take at least one night no matter how fast they were. But of course, he didn't dare to say it out loud.
At dawn, the snow stopped but the wind didn't.
The thick, overlapping blue clouds in the sky covered the already dim sky, making it seem a bit desolate and silent.
Under the yellow - covered umbrella, the curtain of the phoenix carriage was fluttering in the wind. The horse shook its head and shook off the snow on it.
Every breath Huo Wei exhaled turned into white mist. His frozen and slightly red hands knocked on the phoenix carriage a few times. "His Majesty has returned to the palace."
The beauty in the phoenix carriage looked haggard from staying up all night. Hearing this, she moved her body. She had only closed her eyes for a short while all night.
Hearing Huo Wei's words, she blinked her eyes, as if she had understood a thing or two.
When Mu Rong Min's imperial carriage arrived at the palace gate, Huo Wei stepped forward. "Your son pays respects to Father Emperor."
Mu Rong Jue quickly dismounted from his horse and stretched out his arm under the imperial carriage to help Mu Rong Min out.
Mu Rong Min learned from Mu Rong Jue that something had happened in the Zhaoyang Palace and it had caused quite a stir. The imperial guards had even been mobilized.
When Mu Rong Min heard this, he couldn't sit still. So he set off for the palace in advance after only sleeping for a few hours. The crown prince from Dongning, who was traveling with him, also got out of his carriage.
Du Gu Luanyue walked out of the phoenix carriage. Her jade - like face looked tired and haggard. The loose hair on her shoulders added a touch of fragility. She said weakly,
"Your concubine pays respects to Your Majesty."
Mu Rong Min walked over. He saw that Du Gu Luanyue's charming eyes were extremely red from staying up all night, full of bloodshot eyes. She looked quite pitiful.
The beauty didn't say a few words before tears welled up in her eyes. But she just bit her lips and endured it. She didn't step forward to pour out all her grievances.
At this moment, she more or less understood why Huo Wei had asked her to wait at the palace gate. The principle of taking the initiative was always right.
Mu Rong Min wanted to hold her frozen and red hand, but the beauty shook him off.
She pouted and said in a cute but fierce tone, "Your concubine's hands are cold. I'm afraid of freezing Your Majesty."
Mu Rong Min knew she was being petty, but there were outsiders standing behind him. He smiled and turned around and said, "My queen is still young. Please don't laugh at her."
He grabbed her hand with his warm palm. "What's this all about? Why are you here at the palace gate so early in the morning? Why don't you go back to the Zhaoyang Palace to rest?"
Du Gu Luanyue glanced at the young man standing behind Mu Rong Min, whose attire was obviously different from that of the nobles of Northern Yan.
He was probably from Dongning. Looking at the dragon pattern on his brocade robe, it wasn't hard to guess that he should be the crown prince of Dongning.
She looked at Mu Rong Min with red - rimmed eyes and cried,
"Your concubine won't go back to the Zhaoyang Palace. Your concubine has been waiting here since last night. I've been waiting for the palace gate to open this early morning so that I can leave."
Mu Rong Min asked, "Where are you going?"
Du Gu Luanyue lowered her head. "Your concubine wants to go back to Southern Chu."
The crown prince of Dongning, Xie Xuanjin, immediately recognized the extremely beautiful woman in front of him.
It was Du Gu Luanyue, the most beautiful woman in Southern Chu. He had just heard that she had married into Northern Yan a while ago, and now she was leaving?
Mu Rong Min's face looked a bit unnatural. Du Gu Luanyue was not only the queen of Northern Yan but also the beloved daughter of the emperor and queen of Southern Chu. Her identity represented Southern Chu.
Now that the crown prince of Dongning was here, and he heard the news that the princess of Southern Chu wanted to leave.
If Dongning had other ideas and tried to win over Southern Chu secretly, it would be bad.
This matter might be unfavorable to Northern Yan.
He cleared his throat, held Du Gu Luanyue's hands with both hands, and looked at her gently.
"If the queen has any grievances in Northern Yan, I'll support you. Just don't talk about leaving. It makes me so sad to hear that."
Du Gu Luanyue blinked her eyes, and the tears flowed down her cheeks.
"There's no place for your concubine in Northern Yan. I'm even afraid to go back to the Zhaoyang Palace.
The imperial guards can surround the Zhaoyang Palace at any time. They can beat or kill. Your concubine still wants to keep her life and go back to Southern Chu."
Hearing this, Huo Wei's thin lips curled up involuntarily. This Du Gu Luanyue was really smart. She could figure it out on her own without any reminder.
Mu Rong Min's face darkened. He said coldly, "Prince of Yuzhang, as the deputy commander of the imperial guards, don't you have anything to say?"
Huo Wei bowed and said,
"To answer Father Emperor, a small team of imperial guards was dispatched to surround the Zhaoyang Palace last night.
Your son was celebrating his birthday in the prince's mansion at that time and didn't allow anyone to dispatch troops suddenly. When I heard about this, I rushed to the Zhaoyang Palace in a hurry.
I found that Her Majesty the Queen couldn't even enter the Zhaoyang Palace. She was standing outside the palace and didn't dare to take a step closer."
Mu Rong Min scolded, "Who dared to dispatch the imperial guards privately? What are you, the deputy commander of the imperial guards, doing!"
Huo Wei said, "To answer Father Emperor, it was the Zhao family."