Report to the Empress and the Eldest Princess: They're using the system to poach your men.

"Your Highness, after passing the villages and towns ahead, we will reach Chenzhou in five more days. We can rest there for a while."

Mo Feng rode his horse faster and reported the upcoming journey to Shen Sangwan.

"We will not linger in Chenzhou. We will rest tonight and then take a detour from Xuzhou to Qizhou the day after tomorrow."

Mo Feng was somewhat puzzled by his prince's actions, but he did not ask any questions. Instead, he slowed down and relayed Shen Sangwan's orders.

Phoenix Palace

Wen Yuening slept for seven days before slowly waking up. When she opened her eyes, she had already moved from the soft couch to the bed, with Cen Yan watching over her.

In the past, she was the one who took care of Shen Sangwan when she was sick, and now that the Empress is in a coma, she is the one who is worried about her. Sometimes she wonders if she is the two of them's maid.

Seeing Wen Yuening open her eyes, Cen Yan got up from the stool and bent down to ask what was wrong.

"How does it feel?"

Seeing that the other person was looking around, she continued, "After receiving a letter, Qingque left the palace last night."

Wen Yuening struggled to get up from the bed, and Cen Yan naturally supported her.

"You just woke up, why don't you lie down for a while longer?"

Wen Yuening shook her head in response, her voice hoarse, "Is there anything to eat?"

"I've always kept meat porridge in the small kitchen, I'll have someone bring it over right now."

Cen Yan helped Wen Yue Ning up and sat her down on a chair before going out to have Ru Shan, who was waiting outside, prepare the meal.

"How long have I slept?"

Having not eaten for many days, Wen Yuening spoke weakly, as if she were sick and frail.

Cen Yan still felt somewhat guilty, after all, she had been feeding the other person the nutritional fluids left by Shen Sangwan every day, which was really unfair to the other person.

What made her feel most guilty was that she was the one who suggested this method to Shen Sangwan.

This made her feel even more guilty.

Today is the seventh day.

"His Highness has been gone for seven days..."

Wen Yuening lowered her eyes, her heart filled with mixed feelings. For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall fell silent, and Cen Yan felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

She suddenly felt a pang of fear. What if the Empress found out that she was the one who came up with this terrible idea...?

“Um… Yue Ning, you don’t need to worry about Sang Wan. She didn’t go directly to Yuanzhou, but secretly went to Qizhou. You should know that place better than I do, so—”

Wen Yuening seemed to have guessed something, and looked up at Cen Yan, "So Your Highness is using a feint?"

"She told me before that you had warned her that there might be a deeply hidden traitor among her. Her purpose this time is twofold: first, to find the hidden threat, and second, because Xiaotong has assigned her a task."

The reason I was chosen to tell you this is because once she left, there was no one she could trust to guard Zhongdu. If I had explained it to you from the beginning, she was afraid you wouldn't have allowed her to lure the enemy with her body.

So she had to resort to some... underhanded methods to force you to stay, so that you could control things behind the scenes, and she could do what she wanted more freely in the front.

After Cen Yan finished explaining, Wen Yuening suddenly remembered something, "Did Qingque say anything when she left?"

"He only said he would be back today."

"Are the letters still there?"

"She burned it immediately after reading it, so I didn't see the contents of the letter."

Seeing Wen Yuening's serious expression, he felt that this matter was definitely not simple.

"Yuening, has something happened?"

"Qingque has been keeping an eye on the Ming Prince's residence. I haven't woken up yet. She wouldn't have left the palace overnight unless something urgent had happened."

Wen Yuening tried to get up excitedly, but a wave of dizziness almost made her fall to the ground.

"Be careful."

After helping the other person to sit down in a chair, Cen Yan moved a stool and sat down next to her. "Don't worry, it's not too late to think of a solution after Qing Que comes back and asks about the situation."

“I’m afraid that if the Prince Ming finds out that Your Highness has left the city and followed the path of the Prince Yi, and now that Cen Qingyu is not in the palace and the Imperial Guards are not under the control of Mo Feng, Your Highness’s subordinate, if he were to rebel, it would be easier for him than for the Prince Yi and the Duke of Anguo.”

Wen Yuening tapped her fingers on the table, her brows furrowed as she tried to calculate the worst possible outcome.

"Bang bang——"

At that moment, the bookshelf in the corner inside suddenly made a sound and opened from the inside.

Since the secret passage between Fengluan Palace and the Princess's Residence was repaired, Shen Sangwan had the entrance mechanism redesigned so that it could be opened freely from both inside and outside. If it could only be opened from the outside, it would be more troublesome to connect them.

Cen Yan knew that Qing Que had returned, so she quickly went up to her and saw that Qing Que's complexion was not good and she looked tired.

"Qingque, what's wrong with you...?"

"This servant is unharmed, Your Highness. Has my mistress awakened?"

Cen Yan nodded, and Qing Que went directly to the outer room.

Seeing Wen Yuening sitting in a chair, she hurriedly stepped forward to report on the events outside the palace.

"Your Majesty, rumors about His Majesty are spreading everywhere. There's also the fact that Cheng Que of the Northern Witches is in Zhongdu. And last night, Prime Minister Wen met with Qing Tang, but Qing Tang doesn't know what they talked about."

"What rumors?"

"They say that since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has acted tyrannically, ruthlessly demoting and exiling those who have rendered meritorious service to the court. They also say that His Majesty has a violent temper and arbitrarily kills palace servants, so he can hardly be called a wise ruler..."

"There are many more. These are all sayings circulating in restaurants and teahouses, and I have copied them all down."

Qingque took out a folded piece of paper from her bosom, unfolded it, and handed it to Wen Yuening.

After only a few quick glances, Wen Yuening lost all interest in watching any further.

Cen Yan took it and looked at it, feeling utterly speechless.

The handling of corrupt officials is described as suppression, and the promotion of those from poor families is said to be forming cliques and excluding old-timers. These rumors are utter nonsense. Cen Yan finds it hard to believe that anyone would actually believe such things.

"This rumor... is utter nonsense. Do people really believe it?"

Qingque nodded without hesitation.

"No way—are these people brainless? They believe everything they hear?"

To make sure she wasn't mistaken, Cen Yan looked at it again, but still couldn't believe it.

"It seems that the Ming King is already building up momentum, intending to use the pretext of punishing the tyrant to force the emperor to abdicate and rebel."

"What's going on at the Prince Ming's residence?"

"Princess Ming has disappeared without a trace. Prince Ming has been searching for her in secret, but according to Qingzhi's information, she should have been found and hidden by the Eldest Princess's people."

Cen Yan poured a cup of tea and handed it to Qing Que, saying, "Have a sip of water to calm down."

Qingque, who was already a little thirsty, couldn't help but be moved when Cen Yan handed her water.

"This servant thanks the princess."

Only after receiving a signal from her mistress did she take the drink and drink it down in one gulp.

"Cough cough cough-"

"Why are you in such a hurry? There's plenty of tea."

Seeing that the person had finished drinking, Cen Yan picked up the teapot and poured another cup for them.

After drinking three cups of tea, Qingque continued, "Ruoli and Ruoxin, who serve Your Highness, should remain in the capital. If Your Highness wishes to see Princess Ming, perhaps you can ask them where they are."