After a long silence.
Zhao Junyao barely managed a smile:
"It’s nothing!"
"How could it be nothing?" Xia Ruqing’s eyes suddenly welled with tears.
"You’ve been acting strange since last night, and now you look so unwell!"
"Are you hiding sothing from ?"
She suddenly rembered.
Ever since she ntioned the phrase ’how could a mother not worry about her child’ last night.
He had been acting off!
"Did I say sothing wrong?"
"Emperor, I... I didn’t an to!"
Everyone knows that he has a poor relationship with the Empress Dowager.
Saying such things must have made him recall the sad mories of his childhood.
"Emperor, I..."
Just as Xia Ruqing was at a loss, Zhao Junyao grasped her cold hand.
"Stop overthinking, it’s not your fault!"
Xia Ruqing looked at her hand held by him, then at his gradually warming face.
She finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"You must be hungry, let’s eat!"
She smiled awkwardly, not daring to bring up anything else, saying as much.
Zhao Junyao reached out to touch her face.
Outside the window, the fresh scent after the rain ca rushing in, the erald green sycamore canopy spread grandly, a flower a tree, each blade and leaf, displaying unparalleled beauty.
But none of this compared to this face before him.
Her face remains radiant as ever, her eyes as clear as back then, her heart as always pure and transparent.
She remains untainted.
Like the bright winter sun, illuminating and warming his iceberg-like heart.
After all these years, she remains as wonderful.
Zhao Junyao affectionately embraced her.
"Qingqing, it’s a blessing to have you!"
Xia Ruqing felt a bit disoriented, unaware of what he had experienced during childhood.
Even the always invincible Zhao Junyao has beco like this, showing how unqualified the Empress Dowager is as a mother.
She hesitated for a mont, then slowly reached out to hold him back.
"Emperor..."
"Don’t speak, let hold you for a mont!"
Xia Ruqing obediently remained still.
The warm autumn sun shone upon the lush green sycamore canopy outside the window, making the view outside even more ethereal and clear.
Glittering dew hung upon the green sycamore leaves, reflecting rainbow lights in the sunlight.
The air carried the earthy scent of post-rain freshness, soothing to, as you inhaled it deeply.
Uncertain how much ti had passed.
Zhao Junyao finally gently released her.
His expression at last returned to tranquility, his gaze regained its usual depth and wisdom, and the chill around him gradually dissipated with the sunny warmth outside.
Xia Ruqing finally relaxed a bit.
"Emperor! Are you... hungry?"
She dared not ntion anything about the mother and son, not even asking a single word.
Zhao Junyao taciturnly refrained from speaking of it.
"You’re hungry, right! Let’s go eat!"
Saying so, he took her along.
Xia Ruqing sighed secretly: Finally, things seem better!
She followed him to dine without saying a word.
...
Since they had not yet gotten the expected information.
Zhao Junyao briefly found nothing to do.
On the first day, he patrolled the Wei River area.
The Wei River, in flood season, had risen considerably, repair workers had ceased work entirely.
But neither craftsn nor Ministry of Works officials dared abandon their posts.
They steadfastly inspected the river embanknt daily.
Ensuring they could swiftly detect danger, find ways to fix them imdiately, minimizing Jiangnan’s flood impacts.
Zhao Junyao took a long stroll along the river embanknt.
Watching the turbulent waves and rolling vortices and the occasional large cracks on the embanknt, he felt a lingering unease.
’This year’s flood season seems more intense than ever!’
’Luckily, I sent people in advance for repairs, otherwise... the river might not hold up by now!!’
’Such severe flooding, if the riverbank burst...’
Zhao Junyao dared not imagine the outcos.
He felt thankful, at least half had already been repaired, though cracked, it wasn’t critical.
This sumr might... pass peacefully.
In the following days.
He stayed at the inn, not going anywhere.
Now and then, eting with Imperial Censors and Secret Investigators for news updates.
Occasionally, accompanying Xia Ruqing on outings, catering to her curiosity.
The rest of the ti was spent quietly reading.
Reading royal family secrets, studying Chu Dynasty history, even looking at neighboring nations’ visiting envoys.
Thus went by half a month.
The Capital City has entered autumn, and Jiangnan’s sumr heat began dissipating gradually.
Zhao Junyao suddenly received a piece of news from the Secret Investigator.
"Zhao Junqi’s whereabouts have been found in Guangnan!"
Zhao Junyao felt shock in his heart.
Indeed, Guangnan is Prince Yan’s stronghold.
They had cultivated ties for decades there, people and foundations all tied in.
With such resources, how could Zhao Junqi possibly abandon them?
What shocked him, however, was despite Zhao Junqi’s exile to the harsh regions outside, how did he escape to Guangnan?
Xia Ruqing guessed.
"Soone probably helped him secretly!"
Zhao Junyao narrowed his eyes coldly.
"Help is certain, but... what baffles is, on the inside, Zhao Junqi has an accomplice!"
"Ah?"
Xia Ruqing felt incredulous.
"Impossible, isn’t it?"
Treason carries the death penalty, who would risk such danger, helping a chicken hit the stone!
The odds clearly unfavorable, it’s surely futile.
Zhao Junyao laughed coldly.
"Zhao Junqi’s roots in the court are shallow, but do not forget!"
"Inside the court... there are still people loyal to the Empress Dowager!"
Xia Ruqing widened her eyes in shock.
"But, Emperor, how could it be, the Empress Dowager now ignores palace affairs, even dismissing her consorts’ bi-monthly audiences..."
Zhao Junyao shook his head.
"You underestimate the Empress Dowager!"
Xia Ruqing wanted to speak up, but opening her mouth found nothing appropriate to say, then decided to remain silent.
Zhao Junyao’s chill intensified, fist tightening, gaze as piercing as a torch.
"Mother, is it truly you?"
He couldn’t understand aside from the Empress Dowager, who else within the court had such networking, willing to exert force transferring Zhao Junqi from the North Frontier to Guangnan.
Who else possesses such veil-shrouding skill to conceal everything!
Who amongst ministers?
Even those under one person’s command within the Cabinet lack such prowess!
Besides the Empress Dowager, who else?!
Xia Ruqing hesitantly.
"Emperor, is escaping convict difficult?!"
Zhao Junyao sneered.
"What do you think?"
"They cannot use official roads, nor enter any city, if wishing escape, must travel small paths!"
"Encountering land routes fine, yet water routes demand detours!"
"Such hardships..."
"In Great Chu’s hundred-plus years of founding, convict escapes hardly occur!"
"Either dying at the frontier, or perishing on way from it!"
There, terrain perilous, beasts plentiful, alone, unaided!
Escaping alive virtually unheard of.
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