Chapter 93 Extra: Outside the Palace Walls (Part 3)
Chapter 93 Extra: Outside the Palace Walls (Part 3)
Inside the palace, the Empress Dowager was unaware that Su Su had already left. As she slowly walked to the door of the Imperial Study, Shen Gaoyi saw that elegant and noble figure in crimson and purple from afar. His heart skipped a beat, and he dared not delay for the slightest. He hurriedly turned around and stepped inside to report.
As soon as the Empress Dowager arrived at the gate, Shen Gaoyi came out to greet her, bowing respectfully and saying, "May the Empress Dowager enjoy boundless blessings."
The Empress Dowager entered the study and saw Li Qianche rising from his desk to greet her. She said gently, "Your Majesty, please sit down. I only have a few words to say."
After bowing, Li Qianche sat down with the Empress Dowager and asked, "What brings the Empress Dowager here in person?"
The Empress Dowager said calmly, "In principle, this matter should not be my concern, but Su Su has served the Emperor, so I should at least inform him. She requested to leave the palace to pray at Puning Temple, saying that she felt unworthy to serve the Emperor any longer. Since the Emperor has granted her permission to leave the palace, shouldn't he reward her with some personal gifts to fulfill this duty of loyalty between the Emperor and his subject?"
Li Qianche suddenly stood up, his expression one of surprise and doubt: "What did the Empress Dowager say? Request to leave the palace? When did I ever grant that request?!"
Seeing his reaction, the Empress Dowager's suspicions were now largely confirmed, but she maintained a calm and composed demeanor.
"The list of those released from the palace and permitted to pray for blessings was compiled and presented to the Emperor a month ago. His Majesty, busy with affairs of state, may not have noticed it? The imperial edict in vermilion ink is still fresh. At this moment… judging by the time, Su Su should have already arrived at Shenwu Gate. The imperial carriage is ready, awaiting departure…"
Before the words were even finished!
"Shen Gaoyi—!!!"
A suppressed growl, laced with shock and anger, boomed like thunder in the silent study. Li Qianche was jolted as if by an invisible force, rushing out from behind the imperial desk, not even having time to apologize to the Empress Dowager.
The inexplicable restlessness that had been lingering in his heart for days finally found its outlet, transforming into overwhelming panic and an almost instinctive fear that instantly overwhelmed all his reason!
She's leaving the palace?! Leaving without a word? Why?!
It was because of the matter of the Prince of Ning's heir that he demoted her to a concubine and punished her too severely, which truly broke her heart and made her completely disheartened.
Or is it because... he took Mu Hanyan back, making her feel like she had nowhere to stand?
Countless sharp speculations and belated regrets pierced his heart like poisonous thorns, until only one incredibly clear and searing thought remained, screaming wildly—he couldn't let her go! He absolutely couldn't let her leave like this!
"Prepare the carriage! To Shenwu Gate! Immediately! Right now!!" He shouted sharply as he walked out, his voice tense and urgent, a tone Shen Gaoyi hadn't heard in many years.
Shen Gaoyi responded repeatedly, scrambling and tumbling as he called out to the ceremonial guard.
However, before the emperor's carriage was ready, Li Qianche could not wait any longer. He pushed aside the eunuch who came forward to put an outer cloak on him, rushed out of the imperial study, and ran straight towards the Shenwu Gate, leaving the group of eunuchs and guards who were chasing after him far behind.
Upon reaching the Shenwu Gate, a side gate opened, and groups of palace maids dressed in coarse cloth and carrying small bags were bowing their heads and passing through the heavy door in a silent and orderly manner.
Li Qianche abruptly stopped, his chest heaving violently from running.
His gaze swept across every downcast face with lightning speed, like a gust of wind sweeping away fallen leaves—but none! There was no familiar, bright face gazing at him with a mixture of reproach, laughter, or affection! There was no figure who could always capture his attention in a crowd!
A chilling, almost overwhelming panic suddenly gripped his heart, tightening and tightening.
"Close the palace gates!" He abruptly raised his hand, his voice hoarse with urgency, yet carrying an undeniable, absolute imperial authority. "Issue my decree: Lock the gates immediately! All those who have left the palace today are to be recalled! Those who have not yet left are not to be allowed to pass!"
Upon hearing this, the commander of the palace guards was greatly alarmed and hurriedly knelt down, his forehead touching the cold blue bricks: "Your Majesty! This... releasing the palace servants is according to old custom, and most of them have already been verified and left through the side gate. Forcibly closing and recalling them now may cause chaos and is also inconsistent with the old system..."
"I said, close the gate." Li Qianche stepped forward, staring down at the commander, his gaze as cold and sharp as ice in the dead of winter, each word like a nail, "You, can't you hear me?"
The commander trembled and dared not say another word: "Your subordinate obeys! Close the gate! Close the gate immediately!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The heavy palace gates slowly slammed shut at the command, emitting a dull thud. The palace maids who hadn't yet left cried out in alarm, bewildered as to what was happening. Those who had already stepped out of the palace gates turned back in astonishment, completely lost and confused.
"Shen Gaoyi!" Li Qianche shouted, his voice extremely tense. "Go and ask! Has Consort Su left the palace? When did she leave? Which direction did she go?!"
"Yes! This servant will go right away! Right away!" Shen Gaoyi was terrified and scrambled towards the guard's office.
A moment later, he rushed back, his face ashen, and knelt heavily before Li Qianche, his voice trembling so badly it was almost incoherent: "Your Majesty...the guards at the gate said...Consort Su's carriage, at Shenshi...3:45 PM...had already checked the Empress Dowager's ordination certificate and left...left the palace...They said, they said it was heading towards Puning Temple..."
It's 3:45 PM! Nearly an hour has passed since then!
Li Qianche felt a "buzz" in his mind, as if something had collapsed.
An hour! If the carriage were traveling at high speed, it could cover dozens of miles! She had actually... traveled for so long!
"Prepare the horses." He turned around abruptly, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth, cold and resolute, and walked straight toward the imperial horse led by the guards.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You mustn't!" Shen Gaoyi was heartbroken and disregarded his own decorum before the emperor. He rushed forward and hugged Li Qianche's leg, tears streaming down his face. "Your Majesty! You are the most honored person in the land, and your life is tied to the fate of the nation. How can you leave the palace so easily..."
"Get out of my way!" Li Qianche lowered his head, his bloodshot eyes glaring at him. The surging violence and anxiety within them made Shen Gaoyi instantly lose his voice. "Are you going to defy me?!"
"This servant wouldn't dare! This servant would never dare!" Shen Gaoyi was terrified, hastily letting go and prostrating himself on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This servant... this servant only... only..."
"Hurry up and prepare the horses!" Li Qianche shouted sternly, no longer looking at him.
This time, Shen Gaoyi dared not stop him again. He immediately stood up and shouted in a hoarse voice to the guards beside him, "Quick! Quickly prepare a horse for the Emperor! The fastest and most stable one!"
At the same time, he quickly gave a wink to a little eunuch behind him.
The young eunuch understood and, taking advantage of the chaos, quietly slipped out of the crowd and ran wildly towards the Cining Palace.
The horse was quickly brought over. Li Qianche didn't even wait for the guards to set up the saddlebags; he grabbed the saddle, nimbly mounted, and yanked the reins: "Giddy up!"
The horse neighed and galloped out of a palace gate that was not yet fully closed, stepping onto the official road outside the palace shrouded in twilight.
Shen Gaoyi was terrified and hurriedly grabbed a horse. He also ordered a dozen of the best imperial guards, and the group spurred their horses on, desperately chasing after the resolute bright yellow figure ahead.
The sound of horses' hooves was as rapid as a sudden rainstorm, shattering the tranquility of the twilight in the outskirts of Beijing.
Li Qianche was extremely anxious and kept urging his horse on, wishing he could grow wings and fly to Puning Temple immediately.
The evening breeze whistled past his ears, but it couldn't dispel the restlessness and panic in his heart.
She had never left the palace alone before. Now that night was approaching, would she encounter any danger? Was the coachman reliable? Would the journey be safe? Countless terrible thoughts uncontrollably entered her mind, making her palms, which were gripping the reins, sweat profusely.
When we arrived at the foot of Puning Temple Mountain, it was already completely dark, and a cold crescent moon hung alone in the sky, casting its clear light.
The mountain temple was deserted, with only a few lanterns swaying in the night wind.
Before the horse had come to a complete stop, Li Qianche leaped off and charged straight toward the temple gate.
Shen Gaoyi and his guards arrived shortly after. They dismounted, and Shen Gaoyi, already panting heavily, shouted as he chased after them, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Slow down! Watch your step!"
The temple gates were not closed, and a young novice monk was sweeping the floor. He was stunned by the sudden commotion. Li Qianche didn't even glance at him and headed straight for the main hall.
Upon hearing the news, the temple abbot rushed over. Seeing the imperial entourage arrive, he hurriedly led the monks to kneel and greet the emperor: "Amitabha! We were unaware that Your Majesty would be visiting our humble temple so late at night. We have failed to greet you properly and earnestly hope that you will not do so..."
"Where is Consort Su?!" Before the abbot could finish speaking, Li Qianche grabbed his collar and lifted him up. The emperor's crimson eyes shone frighteningly in the dim light, and his voice was hoarse from urgency and the journey. "After Shenshi today, have any palace concubines come here? Speak!"
The abbot, terrified by the sudden interrogation and the emperor's intimidating aura, turned pale and stammered, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... No concubines from the palace have come to our temple today..."
"What did you say?!" Li Qianche's pupils shrank sharply, and he unconsciously increased the force in his hand, staring intently into the abbot's eyes as if trying to dig out a lie from them.
"Say that again?! She clearly left the palace and headed towards Puning Temple! How could she not have arrived?!"
The abbot was being choked so hard he could barely breathe. He looked with difficulty at the monks behind him, who all looked bewildered and fearful, and shook their heads.
The abbot steadied himself and affirmed, "Your Majesty is wise... Indeed, no palace ladies came today. Our temple only received a few ordinary worshippers today, and they all left this afternoon..."
Upon seeing this, Shen Gaoyi quickly stepped forward and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please calm down! Perhaps... perhaps Consort Su encountered something on the road that caused a delay? Or perhaps there was a problem with the carriage?"
Delay? Situation? Li Qianche suddenly released his grip, and the abbot staggered backward, almost falling.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest, making his eardrums buzz. An hour's journey, now the night was deep, yet she hadn't reached the temple… She had never left the palace gates, didn't know the way, was accompanied only by two palace maids, and even the coachman knew nothing of her background… And she, she was so beautiful…
A more terrifying thought, like a venomous snake, slithered into her mind—what if something had happened to her? Robbery? Kidnapping? Or…she never wanted to come to Puning Temple in the first place?!
"Find him!" Li Qianche whirled around, his voice distorted with extreme panic, and roared at Shen Gaoyi and his accompanying guards, "Find him for me! Immediately! Search this area thoroughly! Every possible path, the surrounding villages, forests, and post stations—leave no stone unturned! If you can't find him..."
His gaze swept over the trembling crowd, his words chillingly cold: "I want your heads!"
"Your servant obeys!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Shen Gaoyi was terrified and immediately ordered his guards to scatter and search, while he himself led a few people to search along the official road down the mountain.
The night was deep, and the mountain breeze was cool. Li Qianche refused to return to the temple to wait, and instead stood in the open space in front of the temple, pacing back and forth like a trapped beast.
The moonlight cast his anxious shadow long and short. Each time a guard ran back to report "no trace found," the coldness in his eyes deepened, and his anxiety intensified.
Time passed slowly, and the lights in the distant villages gradually went out, leaving only the chirping of insects.
After searching for more than an hour, almost every mile around had been combed through, but there was still no trace of Su Su.
The green-canopied carriage and the three people, master and servant, seemed to have vanished into thin air on the official road from the capital to Puning Temple.
Li Qianche stood in the cold night wind, gazing at the end of the dark, winding official road. His heart, which had been hanging high, sank little by little into an ice cave, and a chill spread from his limbs to his bones.
He suddenly remembered her last few times, calm and compliant, without the fiery radiance of the past.
Was she already determined to leave at that time? Was Puning Temple just a pretext for her to escape?
The thought sent chills down his spine.
Shen Gaoyi dragged his weary steps back and looked at the emperor's solitary figure standing in the moonlight, his back seemingly frozen in time.
He was filled with trepidation and cautiously stepped forward, whispering, "Your Majesty... continuing this search is not a good idea. It's late, and the mountains and fields are not very safe. Besides, you... you cannot stay away from the palace for too long. There are still many affairs of state, especially the aftermath and compensation for the war in the southwest. Several generals' reports and requests for merit are all waiting for your return for Your Majesty's decision... Why don't you return to the palace first? This servant will send more people to expand the search area and inform you immediately if there is any news about Consort Su?"
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar, and a man dressed as a palace guard rode up, dismounted, and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager has decreed that you return to the palace immediately!"
Li Qianche remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard a thing. He continued to stare intently into the dark distance for a long time before finally turning his head very slowly.
The moonlight illuminated his profile, and his usually deep and unfathomable eyes were now bloodshot, with a deep, almost broken emotion surging within them that Gao Yi couldn't understand.
“Night Shadow.” He spoke to the void, his voice so hoarse it was almost unlike his own.
A dark figure appeared silently not far from him, kneeling on one knee: "Your Majesty."
Li Qianche closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, only a cold, unquestionable resolve remained: "Investigate. Find out the coachman who took Su Su out of the palace today, and find him. Then, follow every possible clue to find her for me."
He paused, each word seemingly ground out from between his teeth, "I want to see her."
Nightshade paused slightly, then looked up: "Your Majesty, I have been ordered to investigate the case of the Prince of Ning's heir, and I have recently obtained new leads..."
“This case is being transferred to someone else.” Li Qianche interrupted him, his tone authoritarian and brooking no argument. “You, now, immediately, go and handle this matter. I only want the result.”
Nightshade paused for a moment, then lowered his head: "...Your subordinate obeys."
The dark figure flickered, blended into the night, and disappeared.
Li Qianche stopped looking at anyone and speaking. He mounted his horse, turned it around, and slowly rode towards the capital.
His back was straight, yet it exuded a deep, lingering loneliness and melancholy.
The road back to the palace seemed even longer than the way there. The cold night wind pierced through his robes, but it couldn't dispel the ever-thickening ice in his heart.
Inside the imperial study, the lights were bright, yet the silence was eerie. Li Qianche dismissed everyone and sat alone on the large dragon throne, neither reviewing the mountain of memorials nor summoning any officials.
He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the exquisitely carved caisson ceiling, but the image of those empty, calm eyes kept flashing before his eyes, as did her resolute departing figure, and the endless darkness and emptiness in front of Puning Temple.
A conjecture he dared not delve into, yet which gnawed at his heart, finally surfaced—perhaps it was her own choice to leave.
It wasn't an accident, nor was it a delay; it was something she had meticulously planned—to leave the palace, to leave...him.
So she used the Empress Dowager's ordination certificate, so she probably never intended to go to Puning Temple at all, so she disappeared so cleanly and neatly that he had no idea where to start his search.
But why?
Could it really be because of that demotion?
At that time... he was angry at her for being arrogant and unrestrained, and he wanted to use this opportunity to temper her temper and temporarily remove her from the center of the Ning Prince's scandal! He thought that after finding out the truth, he could make it up to her and everything would go back to the way it was before.
He even... he even planned to find a pretext to restore her status in a few days.
How could she... become so heartbroken that she resorted to such a drastic way to leave?
Li Qianche raised her hand and covered her eyes. Beneath her palm, her eyelashes trembled violently. Something was stuck in her throat, both dry and painful.
He remembered the past, how she would always come up to him with her eyes crinkling, and no matter how cold his expression was, she would try her best to make him happy. She would snatch the snacks from his plate, chatter on and on, and get so jealous that the whole palace would know if he glanced at any of the concubines...
At that time, her eyes were sparkling, filled with unreserved infatuation and dependence, as if he were her whole world.
When did the light in those eyes begin to fade? Was it when he repeatedly reprimanded and neglected her because of the court officials? Was it when he brought Mu Hanyan back? Or was it when... he demoted her to a low-ranking concubine and confined her to Changxin Palace?
It was he who... pushed her away with his own hands, pushed her far away, until she finally turned around and walked without any hesitation towards a place he could no longer reach.
A very low, hoarse laugh echoed in the empty, silent hall, carrying endless self-mockery and bitterness.
"Su Su..." He lowered his hand, his bloodshot eyes staring at the flickering candlelight, and murmured to himself, his voice so soft as if afraid of shattering something, "Where are you...?"
The only answer he received was the soft crackling of the candle wick and the boundless, deep night outside the window.
What he didn't know was that Su Su, under the careful arrangements of her father and brothers, had already changed carriages and embarked on a journey south, hundreds of miles away from the capital and from him.
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