After traveling through time, I became a princess in ancient times

Inside the Cining Palace, the flickering candlelight illuminated the magnificent yet slightly dull palace. The occasional whisper of the night breeze outside the window failed to break this moment of tranquility.

The Emperor gently embraced Concubine Yi and snuggled up to her on the dragon bed. Concubine Yi had her hair hanging down and her cheeks flushed, and she had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the Cining Palace, and Eunuch Li's voice sounded in the outer hall, with a bit of anxiety: "Your Majesty, I have something urgent to ask for your attention."

The emperor heard the noise outside the door, gently let go of Concubine Yi from his arms, tucked in the corners of the quilt for her, put on his dragon robe, sat beside the dragon bed, and said in a deep voice: "Come in."

Eunuch Li hurried into the inner hall, lowered his head, and spoke anxiously, "Your Majesty, the spies reported that the King of the South had led the secret guards out of the city late at night, and his whereabouts are unknown."

The emperor pondered for a moment, with a heavy worry between his brows. He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and stared at the bright moon outside the window that was covered by thin clouds. The moonlight passed through the clouds, casting mottled light and shadows, just like the current situation in the country, an interweaving of light and darkness, complex and unpredictable.

"The royal family should not interfere in the affairs of the martial arts world, but the Jade Guanyin incident is no longer a simple dispute in the martial arts world. It involves a wide range of issues. If it falls into the hands of thieves, it may cause greater disasters."

Eunuch Li stood aside, secretly trying to figure out the emperor's intentions, and said carefully: "Your Majesty is wise. People in the martial arts world have fought over the Jade Guanyin and there are rumors that this treasure can help unify the martial arts world, and even..."

He paused, as if he had some reservations.

"Be bold!"

The emperor's expression suddenly changed, anger surging between his brows, as if it could instantly ignite the air around him.

He strode towards Eunuch Li with big steps. Every step he took made the gold bricks in the bedroom rattle, making people feel uneasy.

"I am the emperor, how can the affairs of the rivers and lakes be compared with those of the imperial court, let alone the nonsense of plotting to seize the throne."

After saying that, he swung his sleeves violently, and the wind from his sleeves brought a gust of wind, which rushed directly to Eunuch Li's face. Although it did not really hit him, the fierce force had already made Eunuch Li kneel on the ground involuntarily, trembling all over, and begging for mercy repeatedly: "I deserve to die, I spoke out of turn, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

The emperor was still furious, with turbulent waves in his heart. He turned around and strode towards the table. He slammed the dragon table so hard that the candlesticks on the table swayed and the light and shadows danced.

"Quickly summon the commander of the Imperial Guards, Zhang Deyuan, to come to the throne immediately."

As soon as he finished speaking, Eunuch Li was still shaking with fear, and he walked out of the hall in a hurry with trembling steps.

Soon, hurried footsteps were heard outside the Cining Palace, accompanied by the slight clash of armor. A middle-aged general wearing silver armor and with a resolute face walked in quickly. It was Zhang Deyuan, the commander of the imperial guards.

He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "General Zhang Deyuan pays respect to the Emperor. I wonder what urgent matter is there for summoning you so late at night?"

Looking at this capable general who has been protecting the peace of the imperial city for many years, the emperor gently raised his hand and signaled him to stand up.

"I urgently summon Commander Zhang to come here to entrust you with an important matter."

Commander Zhang clenched his fists and said, "If the emperor has any orders, I am willing to go through fire and water for him, even if I die."

His words were powerful and sonorous, like the sound of a war drum before an iron cavalry sets out on an expedition, stirring and agitating people's hearts.

"The Southern King left the city late at night and his whereabouts are unknown. I am worried that this incident is related to the Jade Guanyin incident that has been making headlines in the martial arts world recently. I order you to immediately mobilize the elite of the Imperial Guards to secretly track the Southern King and his entourage to find out their true purpose. Remember, you must act with caution and not alert the enemy."

Zhang heard this, and a trace of solemnity flashed across his brows. He recalled the various rumors about Jade Guanyin in and outside the imperial city in recent days, and secretly calculated in his heart. Under the candlelight, his resolute face looked even more profound.

"Your Majesty, I have indeed heard about the Jade Guanyin. People in the martial arts world regard it as a treasure and compete for it. Now the King of Beiling wants to go south to investigate in person, which shows that this matter is no trivial matter. If the King of Nan is also heading to Nandu, then..."

Having said this, he paused, his eyes fixed on the emperor, as if he could see through the worries in the emperor's heart.

The emperor sighed softly, put his hands behind his back, slowly walked to the window, and stared at the dark night sky in the distance.

"The secrets behind this Jade Guanyin are far beyond my expectation. Commander Zhang, you must not only track the Southern King, but also pay attention to the movements of the Northern King to ensure that the two of them do not go astray for their own purposes, and do not let the Jade Guanyin fall into the hands of people with ulterior motives."

Commander Zhang looked even more solemn. Both the King of the South and the King of the Beiling were members of the royal family. If there was a conflict between them, the consequences would be serious.

He pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: "If the two princes fight each other over the Jade Guanyin, how should I respond?"

"Because of the fate of King Beiling, he was ridiculed and never welcomed by the royal family. In recent years, King Beiling has made many contributions to the people, so I conferred him the title. After all, the royal family owes him a lot. This time, King Beiling went south for the sake of the people. But I also hope that the brothers can live in harmony and protect our Dragon Kingdom together."

Commander Zhang knelt on one knee, with his right fist against his chest: "I will do my best to protect Prince Beiling and will never let His Royal Highness Prince Nan make any mistakes. Both princes are of royal blood. I swear with my life to ensure that there will be no conflict between them and to avoid hurting the relationship between flesh and blood."

"Commander Zhang, make preparations quickly and set off for Nandu City immediately. Gather your best guards to accompany you."

"As ordered, I will do it right away."

After saying this, Commander Zhang rushed out of the Cining Palace like a gust of wind.

The emperor sighed lightly and waved his hand to let Eunuch Li go back and rest. Suddenly, only he and Concubine Yi were left in the bedroom.

Concubine Yi gently stood up from the dragon bed, walked slowly to the emperor's side, and gently held his hand. Although her hands were a little rough due to the work of state affairs, they were still warm and strong.

She looked at the emperor with a gentle gaze and said softly, "Your Majesty, you have been working hard for the country and the people day and night, and you are exhausted. Although the King of the South is extreme in his actions, he is of royal blood after all. How could he ignore the overall situation?"

After a pause, Concubine Yi reached out and gently stroked the emperor's brow with her slender fingertips, trying to soothe the deep sorrow.

"King Beiling cares about the world. He will be able to properly handle the Jade Guanyin matter this time when he goes south. You don't need to worry too much."

The flickering candlelight was reflected on the magnificent dragon bed. The two figures seemed even more affectionate between the light and shadow.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to use my body as a boat to carry you through the fatigue of this long dark night." She slowly unbuttoned the emperor's clothes with her fingers, her movements full of tenderness.

The emperor gently embraced Concubine Yi in his arms. The air was filled with the faint scent of ambergris and her unique body fragrance, which was intoxicating.

At the same time, outside the palace gate of the imperial city.

Commander Zhang rode a tall horse, wearing silver armor, and holding an exquisite bow bestowed by the late emperor. The bow was carved from black wood, and the bowstring was taut, ready to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy at any time.

The sound of horse hooves echoed outside the empty palace gate, each sound striking the silence of the night with irresistible majesty.

Dozens of guards dressed in black followed behind the commander, each with a uniform sword tied around his waist.

Commander Zhang looked at the darkness ahead, secretly thinking about various possible changes and response strategies in his mind.