The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

Xiao Ji spurred his horse and galloped towards Xiao Nanzhi.

Seeing her standing there unharmed, my heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly settled down, and I couldn't help but let out a soft breath.

"We've finally found you." His voice was filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

To find their whereabouts, Xiao Ji traveled tirelessly for three days and three nights without sleep.

He had already tracked down their approximate location and thought he would be able to meet up with them soon.

Who could have predicted that Ji Huaili would interfere halfway through the journey and bring Bai Shu and Xiao Nanzhi onto the ship?

By the time he received the news and rushed there, the ship had already vanished, and the people had been taken to who-knows-where.

Later, following the clues of the Dongling people, they finally found them deep in the mountains and forests.

The journey was fraught with peril.

It's both fierce tigers and vicious wolves.

Xiao Ji was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, his heart constantly in his throat, fearing that Bai Shu and Xiao Nanzhi would perish in the jaws of the beast.

Fortunately, he arrived in time.

Xiao Nanzhi threw herself into his arms, crying her eyes out: "You've finally come to save us! I was so scared!"

She had just thought she was going to be eaten by wolves.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Ji appeared.

On the other side, Bai Shu finished the battle swiftly, strode up to Xiao Ji, knelt on one knee, and said in a steady and powerful voice: "Your subordinate greets Your Highness."

"Get up quickly." Xiao Ji reached out and firmly supported Bai Shu's arm, helping him up.

His expression was full of satisfaction: "You have done a great service in protecting the princess, and the Emperor will surely reward you handsomely."

These words were like a ray of light, instantly illuminating Bai Shu's eyes.

He subconsciously looked up and met the expectant light in Xiao Ji's eyes, and an overwhelming joy welled up in his heart.

But amidst the joy, there was also a hint of disbelief. After hesitating for a long time, she finally stammered, "Your Majesty, he..."

Xiao Ji placed a large hand heavily on Bai Shu's shoulder, patted him, and said meaningfully, "Your good days with Nan Zhi are not far away."

The implication is that, considering his previous achievements and his great merit in protecting the emperor this time, it shouldn't be difficult for him to ask the emperor for Xiao Nanzhi's hand in marriage.

Bai Shu's smile widened uncontrollably. He turned to look at Xiao Nanzhi, only to see her cheeks flushed and her head lowered shyly.

In an instant, Bai Shu's eyes welled up with tears.

Are those tough days we've endured finally coming to an end?

Is the end of our suffering finally approaching?

"Don't be too happy yet. The most urgent thing is to get back to the capital as soon as possible. There has been a sudden change here, and Father Emperor is probably still in the dark." Xiao Ji's expression turned serious.

Bai Shu and Xiao Nanzhi exchanged a glance, understood each other, and nodded heavily.

This turn of events was too sudden. Dongling must hate Nanyue to the core. In a fit of anger, they might send their troops south and provoke a war between the two countries.

We should return to the capital as soon as possible and take precautions.

The three dared not delay any longer, immediately mounted their horses, and galloped towards the capital.

Despite her weakened state, Xiao Nanzhi sat in the carriage and followed along.

The bumpy ride left her feeling quite exhausted, as if her internal organs were churning inside her.

Fortunately, as they approached the capital, the climate became increasingly mild and pleasant, and Xiao Nanzhi's health gradually recovered.

Meanwhile, a major upheaval had already begun in the capital.

Inside the Qiankun Hall, the atmosphere was so oppressive it seemed like water could be squeezed out of it.

Suppressed coughs rang out intermittently. Emperor Wen sat on the dragon throne, his face haggard and his figure slightly hunched.

His face was shrouded in gloom, so dark it was terrifying, and his eyes were fixed on a secret letter on the table in front of him.

The handwriting on the secret letter was shocking: Xiao Ji, in order to sabotage the marriage alliance between the two countries, actually seriously injured the King of Dongling and killed countless Dongling people.

Now, the King of Dongling has returned to Dongling and is preparing his troops for war against Nanyue.

These few lines of text were like a bombshell, exploding in Emperor Wen's heart and filling him with rage.

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

Before he could finish his words, he started coughing violently again.

The Empress hurriedly patted Emperor Wen's back and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Prince Chu has always been steady and reliable. Even if he and Mingyue are deeply in love, he might not be capable of doing something so earth-shattering."

Xiao Yin sat at the head of the table, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Emperor Wen and said insincerely, "Yes, Father, perhaps this news is false. Although my brother is sometimes arrogant, he is not so reckless as to not know what is important."

"Even if the princess and her niece have a deep bond, they wouldn't disregard the imperial decree and do such a rebellious thing."

He and the Empress exchanged a glance, both of them looking smug.

Sure enough, Emperor Wen was furious.

He slammed his hand heavily on the table and shouted, "He's become increasingly disrespectful to me because of his military achievements! Guards..."

At the command, even Eunuch Fu's heart trembled.

But he still walked up respectfully and said, "This old servant is here."

"By imperial decree, the entire Chu Prince's household is under house arrest. No one is permitted to visit them without my permission."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Fu looked at Emperor Wen in shock, as if he couldn't understand the emperor he had served for many years.

Emperor Wen has always doted on his youngest uncle, and now the Princess Consort of Chu is pregnant.

However, he wanted to place all the family members of the Prince of Chu under house arrest.

Is this crazy?

Isn't this tantamount to convicting the Chu King's Mansion?

Even though his heart was pounding like a drum, since eunuchs were not allowed to interfere in politics, Eunuch Fu could only suppress his inner shock.

Oh no, oh no, the sky is about to be pierced with a hole.

Putting aside whether the General's Mansion and the Prince of Nanyang's Mansion would agree, if His Highness the Prince of Chu were to return, wouldn't he be heartbroken?

How disappointed he must have been in the Emperor.

The Empress and Xiao Yin were also shocked; they hadn't expected Emperor Wen to turn on them so suddenly.

They thought they would make Xiao Ji suffer, but Emperor Wen actually flipped the table.

They didn't even care about the young imperial grandson.

The two were overjoyed, but on the surface they still pretended to plead for the Chu King's family: "Father, please calm down, Father, please reconsider."

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" The Empress also knelt on the ground.

Emperor Wen, however, seemed determined and snorted heavily: "Anyone who pleads for mercy will be punished the same as the King of Chu."

Upon hearing this, both the Empress and Xiao Yin fell silent.

But in his eyes, he couldn't hide his pleasure.

The Imperial Guards quickly surrounded the Chu King's residence.

When Song Wenjun received the news, she was shocked.

She was almost six months pregnant at this time, and her belly was already showing.

Madam Xu quickly helped her up, her eyes filled with anxiety: "Your Highness, you must hold on."

Song Wenjun's hands and feet were ice-cold. After a brief moment of panic, she regained her composure: "I believe the Prince would not do such a thing. This matter is not yet settled, and we cannot lose our composure."

"Go and bring Yan Yan over."

Mrs. Xu wiped away her tears, nodded, and went out.