"I'm willing to serve my master..." Hong Yi immediately wanted to express his loyalty, but before he could finish his words, Mu Fengqie interrupted him.
"This isn't about whether you're willing or not. It's that your internal energy alone is not enough. The profound internal energy I'm talking about is that of a reclusive expert, extremely powerful."
"Is there... no other way?" Reclusive experts were so hard to find! Even if they were found, they might not be willing to help them.
"Not yet. But everything restrains and is restrained by something else. There must be a solution. It's just a matter of time."
"You've been working hard, Qie'er."
After Mu Fengqie's actions today, Hong Yi's impression of her had improved a lot. However, it didn't mean that he accepted Mu Fengqie as his master's wife.
After getting along for a few days, Mu Fengqie also felt that Hong Yi was dissatisfied with her. It seemed that he didn't want to see her with Jing Xunchi.
But Mu Fengqie didn't care. Who she was with was her own freedom. No one else could interfere or even think about it.
After they had all rested, they set off for the capital of Nanqing. They arrived at the inn where they had stayed before leaving.
"Waiter, is there something going on in the capital? Why is it so lively today?" Yuan Yuhan stopped the waiter and asked.
"Sir, you must be from out of town. There's no big event in the capital. But I heard that the empress of the palace will hold a palace banquet tomorrow and has invited all the noble families."
"Do you know why the empress is holding the palace banquet?"
"I don't know, sir."
Yuan Yuhan gave the waiter a small silver coin and sent him away.
"What do you think the empress of Nanqing is up to this time?"
"I don't know yet. But I always feel that the empress has ill intentions in holding this palace banquet." A Ru frowned.
Suddenly, an arrow shot towards them. Jing Xunchi quickly pulled Mu Fengqie into his arms to protect her.
By the time Hong Yi chased after the attacker, the person had already run away.
Jing Xunchi pulled out the arrow and saw that the arrowhead was hollow. There was a letter inside, and an invitation was tied to the end of the arrow.
"An invitation to the palace banquet?"
"Humph, it seems my intuition was right. She really has ill intentions."
There were so many of them, but they only got one invitation, and only Jing Xunchi and A Jie were invited. What was the empress doing if not causing trouble!
They had just arrived in the capital when they received the invitation. It seemed that the empress of Nanqing had been keeping track of their whereabouts.
"Tomorrow, I'll visit the empress in the name of a prince of Qin Dynasty."
"I'll go too. Our Tianlin Kingdom is very polite. How can we come to Nanqing without paying a visit to the empress?"
So what if they didn't have an invitation? They could still visit in the names of a prince and a princess. The empress couldn't refuse to receive them.
Hong Yi knew Yuan Yuhan's identity, but he had no idea about A Ru's. So when he heard what she said and thought that there was only one princess in Tianlin, he was extremely shocked. He didn't expect A Ru to have such a high status.
"Sister Feng'er, you'd better rest in the inn tomorrow. The empress doesn't know your identity yet. If she sets her eyes on you, you'll be in danger."
"Okay. I'll stay and take care of Mu Nan."
Come to think of it, they really had to thank the empress of Nanqing. Otherwise, she and Mu Nan wouldn't have gotten together so soon. She had originally planned to ignore Mu Nan for a few more days. But after that assassination, she understood.
Some people were really worth waiting for and loving. Her love for Mu Nan remained the same as ever. After that day, Lü Yun and Mu Nan were almost inseparable.
Mu Nan doted on Lü Yun beyond description. Because he knew that Yun'er had forgiven him, he had to treat her well. The wife he had finally coaxed back couldn't run away again because of his own stupidity.
Just look at what had happened to his master. His mistress still hadn't forgiven him.
*
In the Nanqing Palace, all the ministers, their wives, and young ladies were sitting in their seats, chatting.
"Do you think the empress has something that she can't say in the court?"
"I don't know. You can never guess the emperor's mind. If you guess wrong, you might even get your head chopped off."
"Yeah, you're right."
Only after everyone had arrived did the empress of Nanqing slowly appear.
"Her Majesty, the Empress, has arrived!"
The empress of Nanqing was dressed in magnificent palace clothes and made a grand entrance.
"We ministers greet Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years!"
"All of you may rise!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The empress of Nanqing glanced at everyone present. Noticing that Jing Xunchi and Mu Fengqie hadn't come, she couldn't help clenching her fists.
Everyone looked at the empress. Seeing that she didn't seem to be ready to say anything, they didn't remind her either.
"Princess Mu Fengqie of Qin Dynasty has arrived!"
Since Jing Xunchi's name wasn't on the invitation, but it was stated that one person must accompany the invitee to enter, Jing Xunchi and Mu Fengqie came together.
"We pay our respects to Your Majesty."
"You don't need to be so polite. Please take your seats quickly." Before the smile on the empress's face could fade, a servant came to report.
"Your Majesty, the princess of Tianlin Kingdom and the fifth prince of Qin Dynasty are here."
The empress frowned. "What are they doing here?"
"Let them in."
"Yes."
A Ru and Yuan Yuhan entered together. Yuan Yuhan carefully supported A Ru. He heard A Ru whisper, "This dress is so long. I've almost fallen several times."
"It's okay. Endure it for a while. I'm holding you. Don't worry. You're here to support your sister today."
"The princess of Tianlin pays her respects to Your Majesty."
"The fifth prince of Qin pays his respects to the empress of Nanqing."
"I wonder what brings the two of you to my Nanqing?" She knew that the two of them were in Nanqing, accompanying Zhan Zhi and Mu Fengqie. She hadn't sent them invitations just to avoid them.
But she didn't expect that they would openly reveal their identities and attend the palace banquet as a prince and a princess.
"Prince and I and A Ru passed by Nanqing. Hearing that there would be a palace banquet today, we thought we'd come and join the fun."
"In that case, please take your seats." Anyway, your presence or absence won't make much difference.
"Everyone, I have some good news to tell you today. I'm already over a month pregnant."
"Congratulations to Your Majesty! Congratulations to Your Majesty!" One person stood up to express his congratulations, and everyone followed suit. It was indeed good news.
"Congratulations to Your Majesty! Congratulations to Your Majesty!"
"I've decided that as soon as the child is born, regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl, I'll make him or her the crown prince."
"We will surely assist the crown prince wholeheartedly in the future."
After hearing these words, the empress felt very pleased. She reached out and touched the child in her belly, her eyes full of love. This was her and Zhan Zhi's child. She would surely protect him well.
"I heard that the empress's harem is empty. May I ask whose child is in Your Majesty's belly?" A person who had been pre-arranged by the empress of Nanqing stood up and asked a question that everyone had been keeping in their hearts.
"This..." The empress hesitated, not knowing whether she should say it or not.