frightfiction Chapter 631 The Princess's Traces
Chapter 631 The Princess's Traces
It was just dawn. Lan Qingwu gently wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and looked around. She was still a little confused.
Ru Ping's voice rang softly outside the bed curtains: "Empress, are you awake? It's still early, sleep a little longer!"
Lan Qingwu felt a sense of relief. She was already the Empress. It seemed she had only had a very real dream. Of course, her soul might have traveled to another parallel time and space. Fortunately, those events had never happened here. She had finally survived her ordeal, and the Shenwu Emperor had given up his imperial harem for her. They had ultimately remained together until now. The events of that time and space must have been a warning to her. In reality, they were not separated by life and death. She had not died young, and the Shenwu Emperor had not died of depression. Now that the Shenwu Emperor was about to return victorious, they would never have to be separated again! Thinking of this, she finally felt a sense of relief.
It was still quite early. Lan Qingwu was about to lie down on the bed when suddenly there was some noise outside the door. Lan Qingwu frowned slightly and asked, "What's going on?"
Ruhan walked in angrily from outside. She bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother has brought people in. She looks very unhappy. Look..."
Lan Qingwu sighed softly and said, "It must be about Princess Mingzhu again. A few days have passed, the imperial city has settled down, but there is still no news from Princess Mingzhu. Get up! I'll go out and take a look!"
By the time Lan Qingwu arrived at the main hall, fully dressed, Empress Dowager Li was already impatient. Lan Qingwu stepped forward to pay her respects, but Empress Dowager Li said sullenly, "Your Majesty, there's no need to be so polite! It's okay for me to wait a little longer, but I'm afraid Mingzhu won't be able to wait any longer!"
Lan Qingwu was about to ask when Imperial Concubine Jiang arrived with several high-ranking concubines to pay their respects. After everyone had paid their respects, Lan Qingwu offered them a seat. She then turned her head and looked at Empress Dowager Li: "Mother, do you have any news about Princess Mingzhu? Where is she? I will send someone to bring her back immediately."
Imperial Concubine Jiang and the others perked up upon hearing this, their ears pricked up. Empress Dowager Li angrily said, "Last night, the men I sent to the Imperial Clan Court finally learned from the Fourth Prince that Mingzhu had been trapped outside the Imperial City. Empress, you've been interrogating her for so many days, haven't you gotten any information? If Mingzhu were to suffer any harm as a result of this, how would you face the Emperor?"
Lan Qingwu frowned as he listened: "Mother..."
The Seventh Prince's voice suddenly rang out from the doorway: "My grandson has been conducting the interrogation all along. Grandmother, the clan office really hadn't gotten any information out of us before last night!"
The anger on Empress Dowager Li's face subsided a little: "Xiao Qi, the Empress Dowager naturally understands that you are a good child."
However, Empress Dowager Li was also afraid that Queen Lan Qingwu would take this opportunity to interfere and get rid of Princess Mingzhu, the Princess Yuandi who was at odds with her.
The Seventh Prince clasped his fists in salute and stood up straight. "Grandmother, it's a coincidence that I've come to bother you so early. I received news from my Third Brother last night: my eldest sister and her husband have been kidnapped and are trapped outside the Imperial City. Time waits for no one. Every extra quarter of an hour of delay puts my eldest sister and her husband in greater danger. I'm here to ask for your permission. My Second Brother is still recuperating, so let me take the others to the outskirts of the Imperial City to look for them!"
Lan Qingwu was a little hesitant, "Xiao Qi, we don't know what dangers and traps there are. Mother is really worried!"
Empress Dowager Li was also a little worried. She was afraid that her granddaughter would not be saved and her most beloved grandson would be sacrificed. For a while, she had no good solution.
At this moment, the eunuch who had been accompanying the Seventh Prince hurried in. He knelt on the ground with a plop and said with a trembling voice, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Empress, the concubines, and the Seventh Prince, your servant has received news that the tomb of Madam Ci'an and her son in the mountain behind Guo'an Temple has been disturbed! Empress, Seventh Prince..."
Lan Qingwu widened his eyes in shock, feeling angry and furious.
The Seventh Prince's expression was even uglier. He said in a deep and cold voice, "It seems some people are trying to force this prince to leave the Imperial City!"
Empress Dowager Li also knew about the Seventh Prince's adoptive mother and brother. She said anxiously, "No! Since you know it's a trap, Xiaoqi, you absolutely cannot leave the imperial city! Queen..."
The Seventh Prince's stubborn temper flared up again. He gritted his teeth and said bitterly, "Mother, I must go! Whoever commits such a heinous act and maliciously disturbs the peace of my adoptive mother and brother, I will never let them go!"
Concubine Jiang was worried: "But, if those people are just trying to lure you out, this is a trap, what will you do?"
The Seventh Prince said proudly, "They are nothing but rats! They are so cowardly. I can even defeat their large armies, let alone their schemes and petty tricks! Mother! Please allow me to lead the troops out!"
Concubine Wan, Concubine Liang, Concubine Han, and the others frowned and glanced at each other. Lan Qingwu, after much deliberation, finally decided, "Let Li Tong'an, the deputy commander of the Jinlin Guard, follow the clues to find the eldest princess's whereabouts. He will lead the Jinlin Guard and bring the eldest princess safely into the palace! The Queen Mother will leave the Xuanyu Guard and... everyone your father left behind to you. You and Li Tong'an will act separately. Xiaoqi, after you leave the imperial city and deal with Madam Ci'an's affairs, return to the palace immediately. Your safety is paramount! Do you understand?"
The Seventh Prince saluted and said, "Son, I will obey your command!"
Empress Dowager Li was unable to and could not tell the Seventh Prince not to go, because Lady Ci'an and her son's lives were indirectly lost because of her, and she really could not say to the Seventh Prince not to care about them.
Empress Dowager Li could only worry, "If anything goes wrong, return to the palace immediately! Got it?"
Concubine Jiang and others also gave some instructions in a flurry.
The Seventh Prince thanked them one by one, turned around and left without hesitation. No one noticed that there were a few shadows missing from the main hall of Fengqi Palace.
Empress Dowager Li and others stayed in Fengqi Palace because they were waiting for news about Princess Mingzhu and the Seventh Prince.
Especially Empress Dowager Li, she would not give up until she got news about Princess Mingzhu, and she would question Lan Qingwu with a gloomy face from time to time. Lan Qingwu could only let Empress Dowager Li stay in Fengqi Palace. The other concubines were also reluctant to leave, and they all accompanied the Empress Dowager and the Queen to wait for news.
The concubines comforted Empress Dowager Li from time to time. Lan Qingwu arranged all the food for the people in the palace, and then dealt with Empress Dowager Li's questions.
Time slipped by bit by bit, and everyone ate lunch absentmindedly. As noon passed and afternoon quietly arrived, Empress Dowager Li's face had grown dark. "Queen, you really didn't do anything behind my back, did you?"
How could they have been searching for Princess Mingzhu for almost a whole day with no news? Unless someone had been involved, and when Emperor Shenwu left, he had transferred considerable power to Lan Qingwu. While Prince Ding, the Second Prince, and the Seventh Prince were officially in charge, in reality, all three of them obeyed Lan Qingwu's orders. Anyone with a discerning eye could see this.
Lan Qingwu was extremely helpless and a little annoyed: "Mother, please wait a little longer! His Royal Highness Prince Ding and others are also waiting for news! Mother, you can ask Prince Ding in more detail! Xiaoqi also has no news, so we should be patient!"
This wait lasted until dusk and dark night arrived.