After the emperor's words fell, the court was silent.
Seeing all the heads drooping, the emperor's voice grew cold, "What, are you all mute?"
The ministers lowered their heads even further.
The emperor was not foolish; he knew what these people were thinking, and anger flared up in his heart.
"Normally, you bicker over trivial matters in court until my headache flares up, yet today you've all fallen silent!"
The ministers below lowered their heads even further, all feigning ignorance.
Seeing this, the emperor became even angrier.
Fortunately, he had already considered who to send last night, otherwise this matter might not have been settled even after a full morning court session!
The emperor took a deep breath, not wanting to waste more time with these fellows. "I..."
"Father, this humble son is willing to go." A figure suddenly stood out.
Everyone looked up in surprise. Crown Prince Qin Ye Xiu stood at the forefront, respectfully offering his services.
His appearance shocked everyone as much as the emperor's earlier calm demeanor.
After all, though the Regent held immense power and no one dared to offend him, the Crown Prince's hostility towards him was never concealed.
Others couldn't pinpoint the exact grievance between the two, but they all knew one thing: among those who wished for the Regent's demise, the Crown Prince was one of them.
Now that the Regent was in trouble, he was voluntarily offering to save him. Could this be… an attempt to strike the final blow?
The emperor had the same thought, so he refused Qin Ye Xiu's request without hesitation, "With the year-end approaching, your wedding with the Gu family's daughter should be prioritized. You need not trouble yourself with the journey to Guanzhou."
"Father, as Crown Prince, I should place national welfare above personal affection." Qin Ye Xiu lifted the hem of his robe and knelt directly.
"This humble son is willing to sign a military pledge here: I will not return to Chongzhou until the disaster in Guanzhou is resolved!"
As his words fell, the court erupted in discussion.
"Hiss—what's gotten into the Crown Prince?"
"That's too impulsive."
"The Crown Prince doesn't seem like such an impulsive person?"
...
After all, it was in the imperial court, and despite the murmurs, no one dared to speak too loudly.
The emperor did not intervene, merely gazing thoughtfully at the kneeling figure, his mind elsewhere.
Qin Ye Xiu could feel the gazes from all directions, but he remained motionless on the ground, his attitude seemingly resolute.
He knew very well why his father didn't want him to go, and he knew that had it been his former self, he might indeed have delivered the killing blow.
His thoughts had now changed, and he would not act impulsively, but the reasons were inconvenient to disclose.
The emperor remained silent for a long time, and the once noisy court gradually quieted down.
After an unknown period, the emperor finally broke the silence: "Since the Crown Prince insists on requesting, I shall grant it."
He then added, "The journey to Guanzhou is long, and the Crown Prince is of noble status. I will arrange for people to protect you."
Those who stood in this court were all intelligent, and they understood the emperor's words.
On the surface, he was assigning people to ensure the Crown Prince's safety, but in reality, he was to supervise him, preventing him from dealing a final blow to the Regent.
The emperor cared so much for the Regent; logically, he should have refused the Crown Prince's proposal directly, so why agree to let him go to Guanzhou?
Doubts arose in everyone's hearts, but they dared not question the emperor's decision.
After the court session, the people the emperor assigned to Qin Ye Xiu turned out to be his most skilled personal guards.
When Qin Ye Xiu saw these individuals while counting the numbers, he understood that his father had sent them to protect him and, more importantly, to ensure he didn't harm the Regent.
His father still held the Regent in such high regard.
Qin Ye Xiu concealed the expression in his eyes and arranged for these people to join his entourage.
Brother Wei was right; he had been winning consistently against Qin Ye Cheng in their recent power struggles, gaining significant momentum.
However, his father was far from abdicating, making his actions appear somewhat ostentatious.
This time, going to Guanzhou, he was taking only his father's people. He would have no one to rely on for any actions he might wish to take. This was his father's way of admonishing him.
...
Meanwhile, upon receiving the news from Cao Zhuang, Li Yue Shu immediately set off with Mother Mo.
The three children, led by Old Yan, stood at the back gate to see them off, their faces filled with reluctance and worry.
Shen Zhi Yu, in particular, had teary eyes.
Li Yue Shu felt reluctant too, but she couldn't possibly bring the children along.
She gently kissed each child's forehead before turning and boarding the carriage.
"Giddy up!"
The carriage moved swiftly and soon left the city.
Because they set off early, about ten miles outside the city, Li Yue Shu saw few people on the road.
She drove the carriage to a secluded corner. Once she confirmed no one was around, she brought her luggage and Mother Mo into her space.
Then, she unhitched the horse, fitted it with a prepared saddle, and mounted it directly.
Qin Mo Yuan was an excellent teacher. He had taught Li Yue Shu to ride a horse only a few times, but each session was precise and detailed.
Therefore, although Li Yue Shu was not yet a master rider, she was capable of traveling by horseback.
...
The events of the court that day spread rapidly throughout the inner palace.
Consort Rong, who had returned to the inner palace, naturally received the news and was puzzled.
How could the emperor be so calm upon hearing of the Regent's predicament?
Consort Rong, feeling worried, quickly summoned her personal maid. "Go to the Prince's mansion and send word for Miss Li to come to the palace to check my pulse."
If something had happened to the Regent, Miss Li would surely know, and she wanted to ask if she could help.
The maid moved quickly, but returned alone. "Your Highness, the Prince's mansion said Miss Li left for Guanzhou early this morning. This servant also heard that the Regent's carriage entered the palace last night, and the Emperor summoned her from Consort Lan to the imperial study in the middle of the night."
Consort Rong instantly understood.
No wonder the emperor had not seemed anxious this morning when he heard about the Regent's accident; he had already known the news.
After a moment of thought, Consort Rong asked, "How many people did Miss Li take with her when she left?"
The maid replied, "To speed up their journey, she only took one attendant."
Upon hearing this, Consort Rong assumed she had taken a skilled bodyguard and did not inquire further.
As soon as she heard about the Regent's accident, Miss Li rushed off alone, implying that the Regent held a special place in her heart.
Thinking of how Zi Min always spoke of Miss Li, Consort Rong's conviction grew stronger.
...
Being alone, Li Yue Shu's speed towards Guanzhou was not slow. She even ate and slept in her space, saving on travel expenses.
Li Yue Shu was now incredibly grateful that she had learned map reading from Qin Mo Yuan on the way to Chongzhou, which allowed her to navigate without getting lost.
However, as she approached Guanzhou, the weather grew colder, and she encountered more refugees.
Li Yue Shu disguised herself slightly, changing out of the brocade hat and sable fur prepared by Old Yan, and covering her face to blend in with the refugees.
The deeper she went into Guanzhou, the more refugees she encountered.
Li Yue Shu put away her route map and asked a refugee who was squatting on the ground, shivering, "Brother, do you know where Da Geng Mountain is?"
According to the message from the palace, Qin Mo Yuan had an accident at Da Geng Mountain.