Xie Ming

After the rain stopped and dusk fell, the Imperial Guards who had traveled north from Hangzhou found their way to the cave.

It shattered the spring within the cave.
In her haste, Yu Zhen accidentally woke up the unconscious Xiao Jingchuan.

In the hazy light, Xiao Yan was teasing Yu Zhen when she interrupted him, revealing the truth about what was happening outside the cave.

Xiao was sullen and let Mei Cheng'an enter, but he himself was wearing his armor again, his clothes disheveled.

In response, Yuzhen was so anxious that she didn't notice what was happening. Once she allowed the person to enter and saw what was going on, she hesitated to speak, but it was too late to make amends.

Meanwhile, Mei Cheng'an, who was impatient about his private affair outside the door, knew his place and instructed his men to guard the outside before entering alone. He was startled and dumbfounded when he saw Xiao Lang.

Especially now that he was dressed in disheveled clothes, Consort Hui Yuzhen beside him also had messy hair and a flushed face.

This makes one even more inclined to think.

I only thought that since others were worried about Consort An's safety, it would be pointless to dwell on this scene, so I didn't have time to pay attention to it.

Seeing him looking around and scanning every corner of the cave, Yuzhen coughed lightly, feeling guilty.

But before he could speak, Xiao Lang spoke first.

"Uh, Mei Cheng'an, Commander Mei, we met once at Xihua Gate back then."

"I never imagined we'd meet again here." He continued, drawing Mei's gaze back to himself.

"Is His Majesty currently in Hangzhou, and is everything alright?"

"Whose orders did you come on?"

"Lord Liu, is the security in Hangzhou adequate?"

Xiao's words were eloquent and dignified, defusing the awkward situation.

Mei, however, seemed rather distracted and reluctantly gave a perfunctory reply.

"Uh, this"

"Ah, Your Excellency."

"His health was not good when the Emperor moved from Nanjing."

"You've had a long and tiring journey, so..."

"As a lowly and insignificant official, I am not very familiar with the specifics."

"I have come here on the orders of Lord Liu."

"We have Hangzhou under our control right now. The Imperial Guards are gathering troops from the local government along the way to defend the city, so there should be no immediate danger. Your Excellency can rest assured," Mei replied perfunctorily.

Upon looking over, Xiao Jingchuan also sensed something was amiss and couldn't help but ask.

"kindness?"

"How?"

"You seem quite distracted. What are you staring at?"

As they spoke, Xiao Lang intentionally released his imposing presence, but he was unaware of the strategic importance of Mei Cheng'an's journey, and a misunderstanding arose.

Seeing that her worries had been noticed, Mei couldn't help but feel quite apprehensive.

"Ah, Your Excellency, please forgive me; Consort Hui, please forgive me."

"This humble servant has been unable to locate Consort An since then, therefore..."

Unfortunately, Mei Cheng'an could no longer contain himself and, disregarding all else, clasped his fists in prayer and immediately brought up the matter of Consort An again.

Upon hearing this, Yuzhen seemed to have already made up her mind. She quickly stepped aside, revealing the corpse of Consort An that was hidden on the stone slab behind her.

"Sister Dong, Sister Dong..." Tears welled up in her eyes again as she spoke.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing Dong Ruining's corpse, Mei Cheng'an was horrified and suddenly stood up, rushing towards it in a completely out-of-control manner.

"Rui, Rui Ning!"

"Rui Ning."

Upon arriving before Consort An, he embraced her tightly and burst into tears.

Xiao and Yuzhen were stunned by this, and they exchanged a surprised look.

Hearing the heartbreaking sobs, Yuzhen was also saddened and interjected to explain the reason.

"Yes, Sister Dong and I were chased by enemy cavalry the whole way."

"They strayed into the winding road of Tianmu Mountain, and because they could not keep up with the traffic, they almost all perished at the hands of the Jiannu people."

"Fortunately, the Duke of Jingguo rushed to the rescue, and that's how it happened." He wiped away a tear.

"It's a pity that Sister Dong fell from her carriage and horse while protecting me."

Thinking of the deep bond between the sisters, Yu-chen began to sob again.

"Sister Dong was a very efficient person when she was alive, and she loved cleanliness."

"Now that we are separated forever, even in my passing, I want to leave this world cleanly."

Yuzhen couldn't bear it and kept rambling on and on.

Xiao Jingchuan, an outsider, saw that Mei Cheng'an, who had just finished showering plum blossoms, could not suppress his emotions and was now holding her in his arms. He felt a pang of sadness and reached out to silently stop Yuzhen from speaking.

Sure enough, even if someone were to say something to him, Mei Qianzong wouldn't listen to a single word.

He broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably, before muttering to himself, "Rui Ning, I... I'm late."

"Brother Cheng'an is late, I'm so sorry, so sorry."

As he spoke, he trembled as he touched Consort An's cheek.

"I shouldn't have let you go that year by the bamboo grove in Wanfenglin."

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault."

There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. When a person is in the deepest grief, their chest and heart feel as if they are being pricked by needles, and they feel weak and unable to breathe properly.

Perhaps because of this kind of performance, people have always expressed their sorrow and grief over their talents.

Right now, Mei Cheng'an is suffering from excruciating pain and is extremely distressed because of this situation.

Seeing the man's appearance, Yuzhen initially intended to interrupt him to show consideration for his feelings.

Fortunately, Xiao Lang pressed her down, indicating that it wasn't necessary.

We are both wanderers in this world.
As men who have both suffered heartbreak, they understand each other better; at this moment, they have no choice but to bear it alone.

And so it went.

Mei Qing was filled with sorrow and grief for a long time, and her face became increasingly dejected.

After his spirits had somewhat recovered, he spoke to Xiao and Zhen.

"A lifelong vow is kept hidden in our sleeves, the green mountains bear witness without words."

Recite a monologue and sniffle.

"Duke, Consort Hui."

"This mission to lead troops north to search for the whereabouts of the two empresses is an order from the imperial court."

"Especially Your Majesty."

“Lord Duke, I, Mei Cheng’an, guarantee with my life that I will ensure the Empress’s safe return to Hangzhou.”

"To avoid any unnecessary complications, it would be best if you avoided suspicion."

As Mei Cheng'an pulled himself out of his grief and regained his senses, he spoke these words to Xiao and Zhen.

What is actually being contemplated is the correct interpretation here.

However, Xiao remained somewhat persistent and worried, fearing that Yuzhen's trip to Hangzhou might cause further complications.

So, they insisted on making other arrangements.

"Uh"

"Mei Cheng'an, the dead cannot be brought back to life, please take good care of yourself."

"It was fate, it was destiny. I risked my life to pursue her alone, but I was too late. I couldn't protect Consort An. Alas."

A sigh escaped.

"However, as for Consort Hui's safety, I think it would be better for me to take her back to Huzhou for the time being."

"At present, there are still a large number of Jurchens wandering around in the Jiangnan region."

"Although I have led my troops to blockade the mouth of the Yangtze River, there are still a large number of enemy cavalry coming from the south, and it is difficult to completely eliminate them all in one go."

"I think it would be safer for Consort Yu, uh, to be my guarantor."

Xiao's words were precise and his conviction unwavering.

Upon hearing of the Duke of Deguo's actions, Mei Cheng'an was also moved.

Perhaps out of regret, or out of a shared understanding of how difficult it is to find a partner in a secret relationship, she was persuaded to agree.

"Ha, what a rare encounter. Let's not go back to that palace."

"Duke Jingguo, are you sure you want to do this?" Mei asked, his voice firm.

"I'm sure!" Xiao met his gaze with unwavering certainty.

In this way, the two seemed to share a tacit understanding.

However, unexpectedly, Yu-zhen jumped out to object to this statement.

"Uh, no!"

"Stop fooling around."

"Such a breach of etiquette is unacceptable to you, and neither of us will fare well, not to mention Xiao'e."

"Furthermore, if I don't return to Hangzhou, Commander Mei will definitely not be able to explain himself."

He gave a wry smile, lost in thought.

"The imperial heirs in my womb are all here for this purpose."

"If that's the case, then it makes sense for us to go to Hangzhou with the Imperial Guard."

"Xiao Jingchuan, you shouldn't have kept me here."

(End of this chapter)