The princess traveled through time for a year to help the prince build his kingdom and then left

At the hour of Xu, inside the Imperial Palace.

The palace banquet ended and the dust settled.

When the Southern Emperor returned to his bedroom, he immediately asked his servants to bring him a pot of good wine.

He leisurely poured himself a glass of wine, then took a sip, as if savoring the flavor of fine wine.

Then, he filled the glass with wine again, but did not drink it. He just held the glass in his hand, shaking it slightly, as if enjoying this moment of tranquility and relaxation.

After a while, he raised his head and drank the wine in the glass, then suddenly burst into laughter, his voice hearty and bold.

He laughed so hard that he fell backwards, even a little exaggeratedly, his body leaning back almost to the ground, and the expression on his face was distorted due to excessive laughter.

There was a hint of cunning and complacency in his eyes.

It was an imperceptible expression. He was laughing at Xiao Yifei's stupidity, but also secretly congratulating himself on his own intelligence.

He pretended to be drunk to conceal his excitement.

At the palace banquet tonight, under the protection of loyal ministers such as Marquis Ding'an, he was able to hand over the edict of succession to Zuo Qingyun.

A big stone in Nandi's heart finally fell to the ground.

These past few days, he was always worried, as if there was a huge mountain pressing on his heart, fearing that something might go wrong in this matter.

Now that everything has been completed smoothly according to his wishes, he feels extremely relieved and satisfied.

The emotions that had been suppressed surged out like a tide. With the help of alcohol, Nan Di fully released the depression and pain in his heart.

It was as if I had finally found a breakthrough, allowing those long-hidden emotions to flow.

As early as ten years ago, he had already realized that although Xiao Yifei had certain talents, his character was too cruel and his methods were too vicious. He was definitely not a qualified monarch.

Therefore, from then on, he began to secretly look for the prince Zuo Qingyun who was living among the people, and always regarded him as the most suitable candidate for the throne in his mind.

And now, after years of hard work and waiting, he finally found Zuo Qingyun as he wished.

He was full of expectations and trust for the future emperor.

Because in his opinion, Zuo Qingyun not only possesses outstanding talents and wisdom, but more importantly, he also has a kind and upright heart.

Such qualities are necessary to become a wise ruler. He firmly believes that only by allowing Zuo Qingyun to ascend the throne can the prosperity of the Southern Kingdom and the happiness and well-being of the people be ensured.

Ding'an Hou Mansion.

Ding'an Marquis Mansion is located in the prosperous area of ​​Yuncheng, covering a vast area and magnificent appearance.

It not only has exquisite buildings and gardens, but also a well-trained army to guard the safety of the mansion.

As a trusted minister of the Southern Emperor, Marquis Ding'an has always been loyal to the court and is deeply trusted and respected by the Southern Emperor.

Therefore, the Ding'an Marquis Mansion has a very important position in Yuncheng, and no one dares to provoke it easily.

Wang Xinghua, the son of Marquis Ding'an, is of similar age to Zuo Qingyun. The two have had private dealings for a long time and have a very good relationship.

In addition, the wife of Marquis Ding'an also has some connection with Zuo Qingyun's mother, Concubine Shu.

Therefore, when Zuo Qingyun was in trouble, the Ding'an Marquis Mansion chose to stand up and support him without hesitation, and invited him to live in the mansion to protect his safety.

After the banquet, Zuo Qingyun and Qin Rubing followed Marquis Ding'an back to his mansion.

Marquis Ding'an arranged them to stay in a quiet courtyard in the mansion, allowing them to live there with peace of mind.

Zuo Qingyun can use this time to organize his thoughts and think about his next actions.

Xiao Yifei's minions failed to capture Zuo Qingyun and Qin Rubing, but all signs indicated that they were under the care of Marquis Ding'an.

Although Xiao Yifei suspected that Zuo Qingyun and Qin Rubing had moved into Marquis Ding'an's Mansion, he did not dare to act rashly.

After all, the strength of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion cannot be underestimated. If you break in by force, it will inevitably cause an uproar.

He had no choice but to send people to secretly monitor the Ding'an Marquis Mansion and look for the right opportunity.

A few days later, Xiao Yifei finally found an opportunity for Zuo Qingyun and Qin Rubing to go out.

He followed them quietly and came to a remote valley.

The valley is shrouded in clouds and mist, the terrain is steep, and it looks quite mysterious.

Zuo Qingyun and Qin Rubing seemed to be looking for something. They walked and stopped, observing the surrounding environment.

Xiao Yifei was secretly delighted, thinking that this was a rare opportunity. When he was about to make a move, he suddenly felt a strong aura coming from behind.

He turned around and saw a white-haired old man in front of him. The old man had sharp eyes and extraordinary temperament, and was obviously a master.

The old man attacked with a palm, the palm wind was so sharp that he had no time to dodge and was immediately blown away.

"Ah!" Xiao Yifei exclaimed and woke up from his dream.

In the darkness, Xiao Yifei sat on the bed, breathing heavily, and broke out in a cold sweat.

He was clearly aware that his fear of Zuo Qingyun had penetrated deep into his bones.

"Zuo Qingyun, I cannot stand with you."

At dawn, Xiao Yifei summoned his advisers to discuss how to get rid of Zuo Qingyun and Qin Rubing.

Ding'an Hou Mansion.

For many consecutive days, Marquis Ding'an continued to invite ministers from the court to gather at his mansion.

At the same time, with the help of Marquis Ding'an, Zuo Qingyun also had the opportunity to meet with various ministers and explain to them his ideas and plans for the future governance of the country.

In the residence of Marquis Ding'an, exciting discussions unfolded one after another.

Relying on his wisdom and eloquence, Zuo Qingyun elaborated in detail his insights and strategies on various aspects such as politics, economy, and military.

He proposed to strengthen centralization and improve government efficiency and execution; to develop agricultural production and ensure people's basic living needs; to strengthen military construction and safeguard national security, etc.

These views were recognized and supported by ministers, but some people expressed doubts and concerns about them.

However, no matter what, this move by Marquis Ding'an gave Zuo Qingyun more opportunities to display his talents and ideas.

Through communication with ministers, he also had a better understanding of the situation within the court and the distribution of various forces, which laid a solid foundation for his future ascension to the throne.

Qin Rubing has not been idle during this period, helping Zuo Qingyun to recruit talents from all sides.

Zuo Qingyun and Chu Tian have a close relationship. If he ascends the throne, the Southern Kingdom will surely become a friendly ally of the Eastern Kingdom.

Qin Rubing would also send pigeons to inform Chu Tiancheng of the progress of Zuo Qingyun every now and then.

Everything is done in secret.

Ten days later.

The minister sent by the Southern Emperor to collect evidence of Xiao Yifei's treason finally submitted the secret report.

The Southern Emperor took the heavy memorial and began to read it with a serious expression.

As each line of words came into view, his brows furrowed more and more, and a hint of anger and worry flashed in his eyes.

After reading it, Nandi remained silent and fell into deep thought.

He held the memorial tightly in his hand, as if he wanted to imprint the information in it deeply into his mind.

After a long moment, he sighed softly, as if he had made up his mind.

The Southern Emperor picked up the red brush and began to carefully review the memorial. His strokes were firm and powerful, and every word was full of determination and majesty.

Finally, he put down the red pen, his eyes revealing a determination.

The Southern Emperor originally wanted to wait until the next morning court session to expose Xiao Yifei's crime of treason in public, but he was afraid that the night would bring more trouble.

After struggling for a long time, he summoned his confidants and issued an order: "Go immediately and secretly capture Xiao Yifei!"

These confidants were all trusted and capable men of the Southern Emperor. After receiving the task, they acted quickly without hesitation.

However, Xiao Yifei was cunning after all, and had been planning for many years, with minions everywhere. Just when the Southern Emperor's confidants were preparing to set off, Xiao Yifei still got the news in advance through special channels.

As soon as Xiao Yifei got the news, he took action immediately.

He was well aware that the Southern Emperor's suspicion of him was growing, and he also knew that if he was caught, the consequences would be disastrous.

Xiao Yifei was well prepared for such a failed outcome.

So, he decided to flee Cloud City and find a safe place to avoid the limelight.

In fact, he had already made arrangements for such an escape plan.

Ever since Zuo Qingyun appeared in Yuncheng, he knew that there might be such a day.

Under the cover of night, Xiao Yifei quietly left Yuncheng according to the safe passage prepared in advance and disappeared into the night.

No one knew where he went. He took his confidants and some important items that he had prepared long ago and embarked on the road of escape.