Chapter 62

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Chapter 62: Title

In the inner hall, both the Emperor and Empress were dressed in plain clothes, their faces filled with worry. As Lian Rong entered, the Empress stood up. "A-Rong."

Lian Rong slightly furrowed her brows and bowed. "Brother, sister-in-law."

The Emperor looked at her with concern, noticing her tired expression. "As soon as the Empress and I heard about this, we rushed over. The guards at Prince Rong’s residence are usually strict; how could this happen?"

Lian Rong frowned and said softly, "The royal sister originally planned to visit the ceramic factory in the west today to pick out some nice items for Meisheng. Unexpectedly, we encountered this problem in the residence before we could choose anything."

The Emperor looked at her seriously. "The royal city has not been peaceful lately; first, the Prime Minister’s residence was robbed, and Gu Bailong was ambushed upon returning to the city. Now, it has come to you. These people truly do not regard our royal family. This matter cannot be rushed; I will handle it. You only need to take care of things in your residence and stay inside for now."

The Empress nodded in agreement. "I feel this matter is not simple. They are targeting A-Rong this time. If they succeeded once, they will surely try again. Your Majesty, how about sending over some forest guards from the palace?"

Lian Rong hurriedly stood up. "The forest guards are unnecessary; as long as the royal sister is in the residence, they will have some restraint. The guards within the residence should be able to handle it."

"No, this is too serious. I heard reports that the losses in the residence are over half, and many are injured. If we do not send over some help, who will assist with your daily matters? By the way, after such a big incident, why haven’t we seen Meisheng?" The Empress’s tone was clearly dissatisfied.

Lian Rong felt helpless. "Meisheng was a bit scared today and isn’t well. I hope brother and sister-in-law can understand."

The queen sat back down, displeased, and said, "Now she is also the mistress of Prince Rong’s residence. If everything depends on you to handle, what was the point of marrying her?" She felt it was unfair to Lian Rong.

"Sister-in-law,"

"Although you are both women, she did marry into the family. A-Rong, there should be limits to how much you pamper and protect her."

Lian Rong felt a bit of a headache, unsure why the queen suddenly focused on this matter.

"Alright, Your Majesty, this is A-Rong’s own business. She knows what to do. As for moving the forest guards, A-Rong, just listen to your sister-in-law once. Otherwise, she won’t eat or sleep well." The emperor spoke earnestly.

Lian Rong did not refuse any longer and agreed. This was a chance to place spies near her, keeping her actions under his watchful eye. Such bold control over her was a clever move. However, it played right into her hands.

After sending off the emperor and empress, Lian Rong stood outside the residence as a wise and loyal minister for a while until the carriage disappeared from sight. She gazed at the end of the road, her eyes becoming deeper and darker, while her heart felt unusually calm and indifferent.

"This is very good."

*

Meanwhile, Lianyang and Lian Chen’s team had also gotten ready to leave the city. Liangzhou was much larger than the other cities, and this rebellion had undoubtedly been plotted for a long time, including many towns. Not only did it have good land, but it was also far from the emperor’s reach, leading some to struggle with their ambitions. Since the Eastern Emperor wouldn’t allow even a grain of sand in his eyes, they had to uproot this group of rebellious forces quickly.

The news had reached Prince Rong’s residence. Some people, even though they didn’t want to move, decided to shift their legs driven by a simple desire to do good. They didn’t know when they would see each other again. Though they weren’t going to war, it was still a task from the emperor, so it wouldn’t be dangerous and they wouldn’t be sent off to fight.

Gu Hengbo rushed to leave, casually putting on a clothing piece and tying her hair up simply, looking quite neat.

Seeing her in plain colors, Shui Yan, who had recently recovered, stood nearby and guessed, "Is the crown princess going out?"

Gu Hengbo glanced at the unclear reflection in the mirror and replied, "Today Lianyang and Lian Chen are leaving the city. I need to see them off."

Shui Yan nodded, "That’s fine. I’ll go tell the prince."

Gu Hengbo didn’t respond, adjusting her clothes as she headed outside.

Shui Yan called after her, but Gu Hengbo paid no attention, walking out as if she hadn’t heard.

"You go and tell him. I’ll go first, or I might miss them," Gu Hengbo said, quickening her pace.

Shui Yan sighed and followed her. Since the incident in the residence, the crown princess and the prince hadn’t spoken much, but she clearly noticed that the crown princess’s appetite had increased significantly.

At the city gate, only a few curious onlookers stood around. From a distance, Gu Hengbo saw Lian Chen waving at her. She instructed Shui Yan to stop the carriage aside and walked over to the two of them. It seemed the people who were meant to see them off had already done so, and now she was the only one left to join.

"You two are quite pitiful. Am I the only one here to see you off?" Gu Hengbo teased them with a smile.

Lian Chen looked at her pale face and wanted to say something, but he didn’t know how to start. He could only smile and say, "Indeed, we’ve never seen anyone as pitiful as us."

Gu Hengbo suppressed her joking mood and glanced at the few men behind them, "Why are there only so few people with you?"

"There are too many; it would attract too much attention. Another group is behind us," Lianyang clarified her doubt.

Gu Hengbo nodded, "I won’t say polite words. Just be careful on the road."

Lian Chen mounted his horse, pulled the reins, and whistled in response to her. Lianyang followed suit, watching Lian Chen already galloping far ahead and feeling a bit helpless.

"Lianyang," Gu Hengbo called to the white-clad young man on horseback, her eyes moist for a moment, "Take care."

Lianyang gazed at her for a while, a smile spreading across his face, "I know, you still owe me a meal."

Gu Hengbo was taken aback; by the time she regained her senses, the figure in white was already fading into the distance. She sighed, standing there in a daze until Shui Yan came to call her, startling her back to reality. Hiding her thoughts, she got onto the carriage with Shui Yan.

Throughout the journey, Gu Hengbo’s mind raced with countless thoughts. She wished she could just ride off in the carriage from the royal city, leaving this place of strife, leaving that person behind.

Often, reality and dreams run in opposite directions. Just like last time, she had only hoped to find someone else to help her, only to discover they were the same person. That person even thought she was trying to escape, falsely accusing her and nearly costing her life.

Everything here filled her with disgust and fear. If she could, she would rather never come back.

When Gu Hengbo returned home, she learned that someone from the Prime Minister’s residence had come to see her. She could guess with her toes who it was. Sure enough, the person in front of her, holding a big black box and blinking at her, was none other than Qingfeng.

"Miss," Qingfeng’s voice held a hint of a sniffle.

Gu Hengbo walked over and pinched her cheek. "What brings you here? Miss me?"

Qingfeng shook her head and pouted. "It was Madame who sent me. A few days ago, there was an incident at Prince Rong’s residence, and it worried Madame greatly. She felt relieved to hear that you are fine, so she made these snacks for you overnight, saying they would calm your nerves. Here."

Gu Hengbo opened the food box and saw that it was filled with her favorite treats. She closed the lid. "Did my mother make these herself?"

"Of course! Madame was torn between wanting to see you and thinking it might not be appropriate, so she sent me."

Gu Hengbo noticed Qingfeng’s face turning red and couldn’t help but tease her. "Look at you! You seem upset about coming here. Don’t you want to see me?"

Qingfeng dodged her reaching hand. "Miss, don’t be silly. I promised Madame that I would leave after delivering this."

Seeing her, Gu Hengbo felt much better and refused to let her go. "It’s been days since we last saw each other. Stay and chat with me for a little while. I’ll have someone take you back later. I’ve been feeling down these past few days."

Unable to resist Gu Hengbo’s pleas, Qingfeng agreed to stay for just a short while, and Gu Hengbo finally settled down.