After I got into the drama, I led the plot astray

I quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

I thought about it and asked again: "When should I leave?"

Zheng Xian said: "If you delay for one more day, your father will be in danger. You should set out early tomorrow morning."

Zheng Xian thought for a moment and said, "I'll let Zi Yan accompany you. You will be his servant. Try to keep a low profile and don't let anyone know your identities."

Zheng Xian would only let me leave the palace when he had no other choice, otherwise he would have wanted to worship me like a Buddha in the palace every day.

But isn't Gongsun Wen going to preside over this year's Spring Examination? Why would Zheng Xian send him to go with me?

But that's not the point. The point is that I don't want to be Gongsun Wen's servant. Who knows if he will take revenge on me? Will he deliberately make trouble for me? So I frowned and said, "Your Majesty, can you change your identity? Even if I can't be on an equal footing with Lord Gongsun, at least I can't be his servant. Lord Gongsun usually treats me coldly. If I become his servant, won't he order me around?"

Zheng Xian looked at me deeply, as if he wanted to see something from my face, but he only saw my face full of disgust. He actually smiled, patted my shoulder and said, "It's getting late, go back and rest early. Zi Yan will come to pick you up from the palace tomorrow morning."

Zheng Xian always keeps his word. He didn't agree with me changing my identity, and I couldn't confront him, so I had to leave.

I went back to my room and told Yingchun that I was going on a long journey and asked her to return to the Marshal's Mansion tomorrow and she didn't need to follow me.

When Yingchun heard that I was going out without her, her eyes immediately turned red, tears came, and she sobbed, "Does the Second Young Master dislike this servant of yours?"

Seeing her like this gave me a headache. I hated seeing people cry. I quickly said, "How could I dislike you?"

Yingchun looked at me pitifully and asked, "Then why didn't the Second Young Master take me with him when he went out?"

I said helplessly, "It's very dangerous this time. I can't take you with me. I don't even know if I can come back alive. It's not worth it to risk your life. Your whole family depends on your monthly salary. If you die, what will happen to your parents and brothers?"

After hearing this, Yingchun burst into tears but couldn't utter a word.

I sighed and said, "Go and help me pack my things. I will leave early tomorrow morning. Oh, by the way, don't tell Miss Third my real whereabouts. Just say that I went to Lishan to recuperate. It's not convenient for a woman to stay there, so you went back to the Marshal's Mansion. Remember?"

Yingchun agreed with tears in her eyes.

The next morning, Wei Yi came to call me and said that His Majesty was waiting for me for breakfast.

I packed up briefly and went to the imperial dining hall, where I saw Zheng Xian already sitting there waiting. Besides Zheng Xian, Gongsun Wen and Zheng Yan were also there.

Zheng Yan saw me and greeted me with a smile: "Good morning, Ah Man."

I glanced out the window and saw that it was still dark. It was indeed quite early.

I found a seat and sat down, and immediately a palace maid came forward to serve me food.

Zheng Xian looked very bad, with two big dark circles under his eyes, obviously he did not sleep well last night.

Gongsun Wen's expression remained indifferent. In a crowded place, he looked like an extraordinary being who didn't care what happened.

Zheng Xian saw me sitting down and said, "Ah Man, when you go to Beixiang this time, you must listen to Zi Yan in everything. Don't act impulsively. If you encounter danger, remember to save your life and don't be stubborn."

I nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I remember it."

We had breakfast in silence, and after we finished, Zheng Xian urged me to leave. Gongsun Wen and I rode in the same carriage, Yingchun leaned against the window of the carriage and held my hand tightly, not wanting me to leave, while Zheng Yan rode a horse to escort us all the way to the palace gate.

After leaving the palace, I suddenly felt excited. I could finally breathe the air of freedom again, which made me feel refreshed.

It was already dawn, and some small vendors had set up their stalls early to start their business, and the streets became bustling.

I leaned on the car window, looking at the lively and energetic street, and couldn't help humming a song.

Gongsun Wen, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes, looked at me and asked, "Why are you so happy?"

Although I was a little annoyed when I was interrupted while humming, I still answered in a good-tempered manner: "Because I can leave the palace and no longer have to live in that suffocating palace. I can also go to Beixiang State, which I have never been to. It is said that the place is frozen all year round and the people live in ice houses. Since it is difficult to make a fire, they eat meat raw. It is very exciting just to think about it."

Gongsun Wen traveled around with his teacher in his early years and had no idea how many times he had been to Beixiang State. People there rarely ate raw meat, but they would drink the raw blood of animals after catching them, which was a way to supplement nutrition.

Gongsun Wen looked at me with excitement and said helplessly, "Going to rescue your father this time is very dangerous. It is very likely that his life will be in danger. But you are not worried at all and you are very excited. People who don't know you will think you are traveling."

I groaned and said, "Look at what you said. This is my first time traveling far away since I came here. How can I not be excited? And someone is providing me with food and accommodation, and a free long-distance trip. Such a good thing has happened to me. How can I not be happy?"

Gongsun Wen really couldn't understand my train of thought, and he was too lazy to argue with me. He pulled out a large bundle from the corner, opened it, took out a set of clothes from it, threw it to me, and said, "Put on this set of servant's clothes, and I will help you dress up after you change."

I picked up the clothes and took a look. Although the linen clothes were not torn, they were also washed white, obviously worn by someone else. The texture of linen was originally hard and prickly, and after being washed white, it was even harder like a hard steamed bun. It was not warm at all to wear, and it hurt my skin.

I threw the clothes back to Gongsun Wen and said with disgust: "I don't wear clothes that have been worn by others."

Gongsun Wen said slowly: "Before I left, His Majesty told you to obey me in everything. Are you trying to disobey him?"

Gongsun Wen either kept silent or spoke like an arrow that hit the mark.

I moved to Gongsun Wen's side cursing and reached out to take the clothes, but the coachman suddenly pulled the reins and the carriage braked suddenly. I lost my balance and fell headfirst into Gongsun Wen's arms, making him groan. I was also dizzy and hugged Gongsun Wen tightly. The posture was as if I wanted to take him by force, as ambiguous as it could be.

But Gongsun Wen, who has always been obsessed with cleanliness, didn't push me away even though I bumped into him and it hurt him. Instead, he hugged my shoulders and said, "This is a busy city. Be obedient and stop making noise."

Gongsun Wen has a faint orchid fragrance on him, just like his personality, cold and difficult to approach, yet possessing an extremely attractive charm.