The wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs, and the silver-plated hub made a soft hum, like plucking a taut string.

Mo Er, acting as the coachman, held the reins with one hand. The tips of her blue deerskin boots peeked out from under her apricot-colored skirt. She moved with ease, just like a seasoned coachman.

Actually, the free hand was very close to the waist, where an ebony dagger was hidden.

At the slightest sign of trouble, she could immediately draw her weapon to fight back.

The people chosen by Suimo are all top-notch, each with their own unique skills and rich experience in carrying out missions.

Neither the person rushing to catch the train nor those following around them showed any particular wariness; they all seemed quite natural.

The atmosphere in the returning group was somewhat somber, and no one spoke.

Meng Jian rode ahead to lead the way, remaining secretly vigilant.

Considering the strength displayed by the mysterious figure, a small group of imperial guards would be meaningless unless he commanded a massive army.

Therefore, she only brought about twenty elite cavalrymen on this return trip, and the people around Qin Zhaoyue all seemed to be serving maids, and no one knew their true identities.

On the surface, he is the only expert. If he is really after the Sixth Princess, it would be a good opportunity.

Even though I should be fully focused, the image from just now keeps popping into my mind.

Jiang Qingpu was indeed a respectable doctor. His words of prostration before leaving were meant to alleviate the Sixth Princess's guilt.

But Qin Zhaoyue didn't turn around to look at him, nor did she respond with a single word.

She simply pursed her lips tightly, her body trembling slightly, clearly trying her best to control herself.

He appeared expressionless, but the sorrow between his brows was so deep that it couldn't be dispelled.

Meng Jian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the images in his mind; this was not the time for sentimentality.

Pei Xueqiao was behind the carriage. The night wind ruffled the curtains, but he couldn't see what was inside.

His gaze would involuntarily drift to that spot, and he felt a stifling unease in his heart.

She was a girl not even twenty years old, yet she held such a noble status.

Through the rescue incident, Pei Xueqiao has come to the conclusion that the Sixth Princess is only outwardly absurd in her actions, but is actually quite kind-hearted; otherwise, she would not have risked standing up for a group of commoners.

Pei Xueqiao was confident that he could see clearly whether it was feigned or genuine after a day.

She must be heartbroken right now.

Inside the carriage, Qin Zhaoyue took off her outer garment and lay down on the soft cushion.

Just like before coming to Mingyan County, I would rather sit than stand, and rather lie down than sit.

They appeared equally lazy, but stared blankly at the top of the hill, their expressions listless and lifeless.

Only Suimo was in the carriage with the maid. She stared at the pale, pretty face, opened her mouth several times but couldn't utter a single word.

The image of the Sixth Princess telling her to make things difficult for her flashed through her mind. At that time, she was lively and cunning, with a sparkle in her eyes.

Unlike now, he resembles an old man nearing the end of his life.

For the first time, Suimo felt a bit disgusted with her own inarticulateness, unsure of what comforting words to say.

Just then, Qin Zhaoyue, who was lying dead, suddenly spoke: "Sui Mo..."

"Your subordinate is here!"

Upon hearing the other party call out to him, Sui Mo immediately responded, unaware that his tone carried a hint of eager joy.

She called out once and then fell silent again. She waited for a long time, and just as she was about to ask, she heard the Sixth Princess suddenly ask:

What did the Empress Dowager instruct before leaving the capital?

Sui Mo was startled and stood there stunned.

Qin Zhaoyue didn't look at her expression; she already knew the answer from her silence.

At first, she naively thought that her mother was really "punishing" her, or that she had seen some of her wisdom through the disaster relief fundraising.

Given that the original owner had been acting recklessly and absurdly, even if she "opened her heart" in the Imperial Study, the Empress Mother probably still thought she was hiding her talents and biding her time.

She only showed some ability because she was framed and her innocence was to be tarnished.

What's the point of biding one's time and concealing one's abilities? It's nothing more than securing that supreme position.

When a woman says no, she doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't want it.

As a woman herself, the Empress Dowager wanted to test whether to include her in the consideration for the throne again.

Therefore, it is reasonable to send a team of Qingluan Guards to protect her, since she does not have a military background like her elder sister and does not have her own personal guards.

In other words, besides accompanying and protecting her, Sui Mo is very likely to record her actions along the way and then summarize them to report to the Empress.

Qin Zhaoyue originally intended to just drift along, but she was moved with compassion after actually seeing the disaster victims.

Especially those seriously ill patients reminded her of her past life.

Knowing some strange skills or even some bizarre medical techniques is not a big deal. It is not beneficial to governing the country, and in retrospect, the impact is so-so.

Moreover, there is no evidence to support her treatment method, and if people insist on using this to attack her, it will be difficult for her to refute them.

However, the ink fragments crossed the boundary.

Her role as a guard and recorder suggests that she was acting as an observer, monitoring her words and actions on behalf of her mother, the Empress.

However, Sui Mo took the initiative to take on critically ill patients, sharing the risks that originally belonged only to her.

Could it be that after only a dozen days of getting to know each other, my personal charm has won her over and made her take the initiative to do this?

Qin Zhaoyue was not the original owner of this body, and she knew exactly what was going on.

Why would someone a member of the Imperial Guard or a commander of the Azure Phoenix Guard be subjected to such treatment?

If we rule out the possibility that she acted on her own initiative, then there is only one possibility left: the Empress Dowager gave some instructions before leaving the capital.

Sui Mo remained silent, knowing he had given himself away.

Before his departure, His Majesty granted her the authority to act as she saw fit, leaving it to her to decide when to convey the secret edict.

The current situation was certainly not one that required the reading of a secret decree, so she remained silent.

After a long silence, he sighed and replied, "Your Highness, it is not possible to say now."

Since the truth has been revealed, there's no point in hiding it anymore; it's better to admit it.

Qin Zhaoyue remained noncommittal.

In her past life, she was just an ordinary girl, a bit of a homebody who loved watching TV dramas.

I've watched quite a few period dramas set in the imperial court, but I'm definitely not as good as someone who actually handles politics, let alone the emperor.

If she couldn't think of it, she stopped thinking about it. Too lazy to bother, she simply closed her eyes and continued lying there like a corpse.

The sound of the drum came from afar, and before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep sleep amidst the swaying.

The group returned to the county government office in this way. Seeing that the Sixth Princess was fast asleep, Sui Mo did not wake her up.

He gently picked her up and carried her straight to the backyard.

Meng Jian was puzzled. He had clearly had many good opportunities along the way, so why hadn't he made a move?

He remained secretly vigilant the entire time, but detected no one spying on him. Could they be planning to make their move at the county government office? That shouldn't be the case…

Thinking this, Meng Jian walked forward on his own, seemingly intending to follow the Sixth Princess.

A figure blocked his way. "Commander Meng, that's the women's backyard..."