The two bandit leaders suddenly saw Prefect Liu, an old acquaintance! They glared at him irritably, their expressions awkward, filled with resentment and anger.

"What, are Prefect Liu and these two very familiar with each other?" Chief Sun asked, observing the expressions on the three men's faces.

Cheng Er stepped forward and said casually, "Could it be that Prefect Liu is in cahoots with them?"

Prefect Liu was shocked. How could they be pinning all the blame on him? He quickly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty and Empress, please understand that I have no connection with these two people whatsoever. However, I am well aware that bandits are rampant in this area, and I led men to suppress them before and after, which is why I recognized these two men."

Azi found his expression somewhat amusing, while Di Jinghan almost choked on his words, as Cheng Er's single sentence had startled him so much.

“I hope that what Prefect Liu said is true. Now that the person has been arrested, we have eliminated this major threat. I do not want the people here to continue living such a difficult life where they cannot even make a living.”

Prefect Liu looked troubled. Not to mention that unifying the people was a major problem in this southern region, the backward economic development alone could not meet the needs of so many people.

"Prefect Liu, rest assured, I will have people assist you in governing Nanzhou, and you need not worry about finances. I hope that within three years Nanzhou will be a completely different place."

Upon hearing this, Prefect Liu was overjoyed. He too longed to realize his ambitions, but had been hampered by limited resources and numerous restrictions. Now, with the emperor's special permission, he could finally ensure a better life for the people.

"Your Majesty, I thank you. Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will live up to your expectations and make Nanzhou prosperous!"

Seeing that Prefect Liu was so moved that he was about to cry, Azi felt a sense of admiration. She had heard of Prefect Liu before, but she never expected him to be such a good official.

"Prefect Liu must be tired, please get up." Azi saw him kneeling back and forth, and he was so agitated that she was worried he might faint. She should hurry up and get him up.

Upon hearing the beautiful voice, Prefect Liu realized he might have lost his composure: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was momentarily overwhelmed with emotion and spoke so much. I have prepared the finest tea at my residence..."

Seeing him start reciting again, Azi exchanged a helpless smile with Di Jinghan. Di Jingcheng put his arm around Azi and got into the carriage, and the others ignored Prefect Liu, who was kneeling on the ground muttering to himself.

"Ah Cheng, how long do you think he'll finish reading?" Ah Zi lifted the curtain and looked out. Prefect Liu hadn't gotten up yet. Cheng Yi and Cheng Er stood in front of him, watching leisurely without saying a word to remind him.

“Sister-in-law, in my opinion, if no one reminds him, he will probably keep saying he’s going ahead.”

Azi chuckled; this Prefect Liu was truly adorable.

Di Jingcheng sighed helplessly and squeezed Azi's little hand: "Never mind him, let him read it."

Cheng Yi and Cheng Er mounted their horses and led the group into the city, shouting, "Prefect Liu!"

Prefect Liu hurriedly raised his head, as a horse's hooves trampled past him, kicking up dust that covered his face: "Your Majesty!" He scrambled to his feet, and his servant quickly helped him up.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Highness, please slow down!" Prefect Liu hurriedly mounted his horse and followed with his men.

Since Di Jingcheng and his group were staying at the prefect's residence, it was impossible to bring so many people into the village; it would not only cause unnecessary panic.

Moreover, the mountain road is difficult to travel and the target is too large, so there is a risk of encountering something unexpected.

The next day, Prefect Liu hosted a banquet for the group. After the banquet, Emperor Jingcheng and Prefect Liu exchanged some instructions before preparing to depart for the Yi tribe.

They only brought Qinghe and Chengyi, both of whom were skilled in martial arts and wouldn't be a burden. As for Di Jinghan, she was placed in the prefect's residence, where she had plenty of people to protect her.

She really wanted to go too, but after hearing that the local ethnic minorities were very xenophobic, she didn't make a fuss.

Azi and Di Jingcheng set off early the next morning, with Chengyi and Qinghe following behind carrying their bundles, and of course, the secret guards were also protecting them in secret.

They traveled for half an hour along mountain paths, passing through the villages of two other ethnic groups. The people there wore distinctive ethnic costumes, and their faces were full of vigilance when they saw that they were carrying weapons.

Cheng Yi and Qing He concealed their weapons behind their backs, and the group gave them friendly smiles before the others turned and left.

The closer Azi got to her tribe, the more nervous she became. She was about to see her long-lost father, mother, grandfather, brother Yimeng, and her friends.

She gripped Di Jingcheng's hand even tighter, walking ahead excitedly. Di Jingcheng was much more nervous than Azi. He had been reborn, and although he knew that Azi's family and people had accepted him in his previous life, there were too many changes in this life, and he didn't know if things would go so smoothly.

He gripped Azi's hand tightly, his lips pressed together, as if facing a formidable enemy. Seeing these people again filled him with guilt, and he didn't know what to do.

Azi noticed his emotions and took the initiative to hug his waist: "Acheng, don't worry, my father and mother are very nice people, and my grandfather has already met you, he won't dislike you."

"And Brother Yimeng, you two are already very familiar with each other."

Di Jingcheng smiled and said, "Alright, for my precious Azi, I will work hard to gain their approval."

He found himself back on the familiar path. This was the third time Di Jingcheng had come here, including his previous life. The scene of him being chased flashed before his eyes, followed by his rescue by the woman he loved, and then how he had been ungrateful...

He let Azi lead him toward the tribe in the valley, his forehead already beaded with sweat, his palms slightly damp. He had never been a coward; wielding imperial power and controlling life and death, he was now filled with increasing fear.

"Ah Cheng, are you alright?" Ah Zi asked worriedly, seeing beads of sweat on his forehead, even though the climate in Nanzhou was the most pleasant.

"It's alright, let's keep going." Di Jingcheng took a deep breath. "Are you tired, Zi? I'll carry you."

As he spoke, he bent down and tugged at her small hand, revealing a reassuring smile. Azi went along with his wishes and let him carry her down the mountain.

Seeing this, Cheng Yi glanced at Qing He, who was beaming with a maternal smile, and said coldly, "Do you want me to carry you?"

Qinghe was startled and took a step back, waving her hand awkwardly: "No need, no need, thank you, Lord Chengyi."

Cheng Yi smirked: "Then hurry up and follow, the Emperor and the Empress have already gone far away."

Qinghe turned to look at the Emperor and Empress, who had already walked quite a distance. Chengyi had quickly caught up. She quickened her pace to catch up, while also gently patting her chest. This Lord Chengyi was truly frightening; she had thought something terrible had happened! He'd given her quite a fright.

Azi, perched on Di Jingcheng's back, told him about her father, mother, and grandfather, her face beaming with a happy smile.

Di Jingcheng also relaxed a lot. Listening to his baby's cheerful voice, his tension gradually dissipated.

"My dear, your mother is from the Central Plains, but where exactly?" Di Jingcheng recalled her mother's name, and a question that had been lingering in her mind resurfaced.

Azi smiled and said, "My mother mentioned to me that she came from the capital, just like you, Acheng. My mother's name is also very nice; it's Nalan Mingzhu."

Di Jingcheng savored the name: Nalan Mingzhu, Nalan Mingzhu, Nalan…