Xiao Shiyan originally wanted to take this opportunity to make the Xu family cause trouble and completely expose their ugly faces.

Unexpectedly, the Xu family remained completely silent this time.

Since Xu Songnian's whereabouts are still unknown, the Xu family's attention will not be diverted by the addition of a few concubines to the Eastern Palace.

At the same time, Xiao Yuan, who had just defeated the "rebel army," returned to Hangzhou and immediately launched a series of powerful measures, thoroughly investigating all the prefectures and counties within the vassal state. Those rabble who were about to make a move were terrified and fled to other vassal states.

The carriage carrying Chen Siyi and her daughter slowly drove along the official road in the southwest direction.

To prevent her from escaping, Chen Siyi's ankles were always locked in shackles.

Xiao Yuan's personal guards lined both sides of the carriage, while only one maidservant remained inside to serve him.

Chen's mother lay pale and dying in the carriage.

Chen Siyi looked at her coldly, and hearing her occasional panting, she felt annoyed.

She hated Xiao Yuan and Su Xuerong, that despicable couple, with all her might. She scratched her fingernails hard across the carriage wall, drawing blood, but she felt no pain.

The maid opposite was terrified.

The carriage traveled westward and entered Tanzhou several days later.

Xiao Yuan originally planned to settle the mother and daughter in Tanzhou, but Su Xuerong's words reminded him.

Therefore, Chen Siyi and her daughter's destination this time was Sichuan.

He wanted to send Chen Siyi directly west of Bashan, so that she would never be able to return to the Central Plains for the rest of her life.

While resting at a post station in Tanzhou, Chen Siyi discovered that the shackles had chafed her ankles raw, with bits of flesh and blood stuck to them, making her once smooth and fair skin look terrible.

After being taken to a guest room at the inn, she stared intently at her ankle, lost in thought.

"Why? Why does she, a lowly commoner, dare to steal my man..."

Her voice murmured.

The maidservant fed Chen's mother medicine from the side, glancing at her from time to time, but dared not say a word.

As the inn gradually quieted down at night, Chen Siyi lay on the hard, simple, and dirty bed, her eyes fixed on the roof beam above her head, occasionally letting out a cold laugh.

Suddenly, the sounds of clashing swords and fighting came from outside the guest room. The maid jumped up from the bed in a panic: "Princess, there are people outside..."

Chen Siyi, however, remained expressionless, staring at the roof beam.

"Bang!"

A door was kicked open, and someone rushed in.

Chen Siyi continued to stare at the sky above her head, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips.

Someone came to kill her?

Xiao Yuan still refused to give her a way out.

"Who did I think it was? It's you!"

Suddenly, she heard a mocking laugh.

"Report—"

Ming Shu strode into Juxian Hall: "Your Highness, we've discovered Xu Songnian's whereabouts."

Where did he escape to?

"Tanzhou!"

Xiao Yuan frowned.

"Send men to chase after him immediately! We must find him alive or dead!"

"yes!"

A few days later, an urgent report came from Tanzhou.

Xu Songnian, who was on the run, led his remaining troops to raid the Tanzhou prefecture. When they passed by a post station, he kidnapped Chen Siyi and fled directly to the southwest, entering the Shu region.

"...The bodies of our fifteen personal guards, the old princess, and the maids were found in the post station, but Chen Siyi is missing," Ming Shu said.

Xiao Yuan frowned, then sneered, "I didn't expect him to escape!"

“Write a letter to the King of Chu, saying that if these two are captured and sent back to Hangzhou, I will reward him handsomely,” Xiao Yuan said.

Ming Shu replied, "The current King of Chu is no longer under the control of the court. Do you think he will listen to you?"

Thirty years ago, the Shu region was divided by the late emperor among the non-royal kings, the King of Chu, and his descendants.

After the King of Chu took office in the fiefdom, he practically became a local emperor. The Shu region was far from the capital and the emperor was far away, so it gradually broke away from the control of the imperial court.

During this internal strife, the King of Chu seized the opportunity to completely break with the court and declare himself king.

Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "It doesn't matter. At least let the King of Chu know that he might be able to capture two hostages that the Xu family and Xiao Cheng care about."

Although the King of Chu firmly held onto the rich land of Shu, he would never give it up again.

As Xiao Cheng was about to ascend the throne, the eldest son of his in-laws, the Xu family, and the woman he cared about suddenly hid in Shu. If the King of Chu wasn't a fool, he would naturally do everything in his power to capture the two of them and use them as leverage to negotiate with Xiao Cheng.

“What if Xu Songnian persuades the King of Chu to join forces…” Ming Shu was somewhat worried.

Xiao Yuan said, "If the King of Chu were so easily persuaded, why did Father Emperor send people to Shu to negotiate several times only to return empty-handed?"

Once you have supreme power, who would willingly hand it over and let others control their destiny?

If the King of Chu acted this way thirty years ago, the King of Chu thirty years later would be even less likely to actively submit to the court.

"Judging by his age, the King of Chu should be around sixty..." Xiao Yuan said, "He has thirteen sons and more than twenty grandsons..."

If the inner court is in turmoil, the King of Chu will face the same predicament as the previous dynasty.

If several sons of similar age want to seize the throne, it will inevitably cause great chaos.

Xiao Yuan tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, and after a moment asked, "When will Ling Qingxue return?"

Ming Shu calculated the time: "Ten days ago, he wrote to say that he had taken his mother on a southbound passenger ship and, if nothing unexpected happens, they will arrive in Hangzhou in half a month."

"There's something important I need him to do when he gets back."

"yes!"

Just as Ming Shu was about to leave, Xiao Yuan called him back: "While you're at it, go to the Su residence and tell Madam Su where Chen Siyi is."

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