Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Grandpa Qiu Shi's face was full of...

With a smile plastered on his face, Eunuch Qiushi greeted the carriage and said kindly, "Your Highness, Little Stone is young and doesn't know any better. If he has offended you, this old servant apologizes on his behalf and hopes that Your Highness will forgive him."

He seemingly protectively pulled Little Stone behind him, but in reality, his gaze swept around him and the carriage, as if secretly trying to find out what had happened in the short few moments Little Stone had been inside.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to thank Little Stone for helping Firefly, so I'm offering him a bowl of soup noodles." Feng Mian's attitude remained unchanged, showing no sign of anything amiss. He gently advised, "Now that you've eaten, go and get some rest. We'll be setting off soon."

Liu Ying and Wu Liu also calmly bowed to Qiu Shi Gong Gong.

Wu Liu rested her hand on the carriage door frame and politely asked, "Does Your Excellency have anything else to do? The Princess is about to have her meal."

It wouldn't be right to leave the carriage door open all the time, letting the princess eat a bite of food and then just breathe in the wind, would it?

"It's alright, this old servant will not disturb the princess's meal any longer." Eunuch Qiu Shi quickly and tactfully withdrew.

The carriage door slowly closed, shutting out all sight.

Liu Ying, her legs weak, sat down beside Feng Mian and asked in a trembling voice, "Princess, what did Little Stone mean just now? He told us to leave quickly, is there some danger? Could it be that Eunuch Qiu Shi was someone else in disguise?"

Wu Liu glanced at her, both amused and exasperated, and leaned closer to whisper, "He just told us not to go back to the capital. Is there some danger in the capital?"

Although there were imperial guards outside the carriage, and no one would be so bold as to lie on the carriage and eavesdrop, the three of them still put their heads together and communicated in whispers.

"Maybe. But it's not certain that we can make it right now." Feng Mian was a little uneasy, but she still scooped a bowl of soup noodles out of the earthenware pot, remembering the advice to eat well and not ruin her health.

She forced herself to eat the steaming hot soup dumplings one bite at a time, her mind racing with thoughts of what to eat.

She wasn't sure if the Imperial Guards were trustworthy. Although they had escorted her all the way from Shengjing to the northern frontier and were now escorting her back to Shengjing, and had been dutiful for some time, these people were, after all, selected from the imperial guards of Shengjing. Who knew which family or power stood behind them?

What if there's a traitor among them? Besides, Eunuch Qiushi has brought a team of guards. Given her physical condition and speed, and with no one to help her, she'll probably be caught within a few miles. If things turn ugly then, the situation could be many times worse than it is now.

With the enemy and friend still unclear, and even the purpose of the person behind the scenes unknown, she can only take risks and proceed step by step, acting according to circumstances.

She finished a bowl of soup noodles, but couldn't eat anymore. So she put down her bowl and chopsticks, took out the bone whistle from her neck, and stroked it. Qingyi had set off a few days earlier than them; she wondered if she could make contact nearby. She'd try on the road later; she had to find a way to send the message back.

She carefully put away the bone whistle and took out the small brocade pouch her uncle had given her when she left the capital. The future held a foreseeable yet unknown danger, so she wanted to see what was inside the pouch before she became too deeply mired in trouble, lest she be left without even a chance to open it when the time came.

The small brocade pouch was only the size of a palm, made of unremarkable grass-gray cotton and linen cloth, and felt slightly heavy when held in the hand. The opening was sealed tightly, and the knot was rather complicated. Fortunately, Feng Mian had learned how to untie this kind of knot when she was a child with her uncle, and with a few deft movements of her fingertips, she was able to untie the knot at the opening.

She held the brocade pouch by the bottom and poured its contents into her palm. The icy touch felt like a prick on her hand, and she instinctively clenched her fist, her mind going blank.

Did she see wrong? How come it looks like half of the tiger tally just fell into her hand?

She clasped her hands tightly together, then carefully opened a crack. The inscribed bronze tiger tally lay quietly in her palm, its cool texture almost warmed by her touch.

Fengmian's heart pounded wildly. She carefully put the tiger tally back into the brocade pouch, tied it again, and tucked it back into her bosom. She covered her clothes with her palm and took deep breaths to calm her shocked emotions.

Why would her uncle put the tiger tally in the brocade pouch and give it to her so early? Did he foresee something and leave the tiger tally for her as a backup plan?

It wasn't until the carriage started moving again that Feng Mian's heartbeat gradually calmed down, and she began to think about how she could live up to the trust represented by the tiger tally.

Grandpa Qiushi seemed eager to return to Shengjing, urging the group to hurry up, even faster.

As more and more people appeared on both sides of the official road, Commander Lu and his deputy sighed, "I had become so used to the northern scenery in the northern frontier that I thought it would be a good opportunity to make merit if I could stay by the princess's side for a few more years. Now that we are heading towards Shengjing, I am starting to miss the customs and culture of my hometown."

The deputy commander laughed loudly: "Don't you feel that the autumn wind here isn't as dry? Oh, the wind in the northern frontier is so strong, my face is practically peeling off!"

As they were talking, the two heard birds chirping and looked around.

Commander Lu: "The weather is getting better as we head south. There are more birds by the roadside. Look over there and catch a couple for a treat."

Although the instant soup noodles taste good, I can't stand eating them every day. I'm really craving the meat flavor.

The deputy commander's eyes ached from looking so hard, but he still couldn't find any trace of the bird. He said regretfully, "It's a pity that Lord Lu didn't come back with us, otherwise we could have asked him to be the bait again."

The two laughed as they recalled what had happened on their trip to the northern frontier. "Forget it, there's nothing to eat in Shengjing anyway, let's just wait a couple more days."

Inside the carriage, Feng Mian tucked the bone whistle that had produced the bird-like sound back into her clothes. She was filled with anxiety, wondering where Qingyi had gone and whether she could hear the whistle. If this method failed, she would have to find a way to be alone for a while after arriving in the capital and find another way to send a message.

As night deepened, the carriage quietly stopped in the backyard of the post station, and several imperial guards carefully checked the surroundings.

"Alright, you guys go and rest first. We'll be setting off again before dawn tomorrow."

"Captain, you go and rest. Xiao Jia and I will keep watch."

"Stop with the act, go to sleep." The captain of the Luanyi Guard waved the remaining three away. Watching them leave the courtyard, he suddenly felt a movement behind him. He turned around sharply, but saw nothing. As far as the eye could see, apart from a corner barely illuminated by the two lanterns of the post station, the rest of the place was pitch black.

The branches were still trembling, but there wasn't enough room for a person to hide on the bare trunk.

"Is the wind that strong?" the squad leader muttered, then walked to the eaves and stood with his arms crossed.

Above him, a dark figure peeked out from the shadows on the side of the building. He glanced briefly at the lone guards standing under the eaves, then nimbly leaped onto the roof and swept away like a gust of wind, leaving not a ripple.

The entire post station was quiet and dark, with only a tiny, bean-sized light faintly emanating from a single room on the third floor.

The man in black climbed to the window, covered his lips with his palm, and made a faint bird-like chirping sound.

Soon, the window above his head was gently pushed open, and he climbed inside.

As soon as he landed, he closed the window and then bowed to the person inside, saying, "I apologize for disturbing the princess so late at night, Qingyi."

"It's alright, come and sit down." Feng Mian sat at the table in the center of the room, with only a dimly lit oil lamp beside her. "I was worried about being discovered, so I couldn't light a lamp. I could only use the excuse of being afraid of the dark to leave a night lamp on."

She was prepared to wait all night, but she didn't expect Qingyi to arrive so quickly.

"I received a message from the Crown Prince by carrier pigeon halfway there, saying that the Princess is also coming to the capital. He ordered me to slow down and wait for the Princess, lest she have something urgent to ask me to." Qingyi walked closer, but did not dare to sit down. She first honestly explained why she was able to meet Feng Mian today, even though she had set off several days earlier.

After all, if Emperor Jiayu is truly seriously ill, even if he rushes to the capital first, he won't be able to see him. It would be better to go to the capital with Feng Mian so that they can look after each other and act more conveniently.

"Fortunately, he sent you a message." Feng Mian felt a little relieved that Baili Xunzhou had thought things through so thoroughly. She then instructed Qingyi to sit down again, "What I am about to say is very important. Come closer and listen."

Qingyi simply stepped forward and knelt down beside Fengmian, just enough to hear her whisper.

Feng Mian didn't insist that he sit down and listen to her. Instead, she whispered what had happened, "There should be secret communication methods in the army. First, find a way to inform the Crown Prince about this, and then..."

The oil lamp's light flickered, and the burning wick gradually sank into the oil, then hissed and went out.

As darkness descended upon the room, the rising sun gradually climbed up the window rim, illuminating the now empty room.

On the official road, the carriage sped towards Shengjing, covered in dust and braving the biting wind.

The closer one gets to the capital, the more bustling the streets become. Despite the cold winter, the long street is still lively, with the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts filling the air and the shouts of vendors rising and falling.

Hearing the familiar local accent, even Feng Mian's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

"Stop the car! This is forbidden territory within the palace grounds! Who dares to trespass!"

The guards at the palace gate blocked the way with their spears crossed. Eunuch Qiu Shi struggled to climb down from the carriage and was about to step forward to explain that this was Princess Qingping's carriage when he heard the sound of galloping hooves coming from inside the palace road.

"Let him pass!" Crown Prince Chu Jingze rode ahead, appearing at the palace gate, his jade crown slightly askew, his cloak fluttering in the wind.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" The palace gate guards hurriedly bowed and quickly moved aside the horses to make way for the carriage.

Feng Mian pushed open the carriage door and saw a familiar figure close at hand; her eyes suddenly reddened.

"Brother."

Chu Jingze rode his horse to the carriage. He looked visibly tired, with dark circles under his eyes, but he still managed a gentle smile at Feng Mian. He reached out and ruffled her wind-blown hair. "Alright, stop crying. Go see your father."

Before even stepping into the Mingxin Hall, the strong smell of medicine filled the air. Feng Mian panicked and his legs went weak. He reached out to support Liu Ying to steady himself, but his palm landed in a much larger hand.

Chu Jingze stepped forward, pushed Liu Ying aside, and held Feng Mian's hand tightly. "Don't be afraid, Father's condition is relatively stable now, but..."

Chu Jingze helped Feng Mian into the bedroom. Inside the bright yellow curtains, Emperor Jiayu lay quietly with his eyes closed. His face was as pale as paper, with only the slight rise and fall of his chest indicating a glimmer of life.

"He remains unconscious."