As he stepped outside, Emperor Zhaojing remembered something and turned to ask, "By the way, how is the Empress now?"
"She's sick; she hasn't been feeling well these past few days and is resting in Yuxian Palace," Xie Jingrun said in a calm tone.
Emperor Zhaojing asked in surprise, "You didn't tell her about Prince Su?"
Xie Jingrun shook his head. "No, she's not feeling well, so I won't tell her yet. I'll tell her when she's feeling better."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaojing hesitated and said, "If you keep this from her, and something really happens to Prince Su, she will blame you."
"Nothing is more important than her health," Xie Jingrun frowned.
Emperor Zhaojing sighed. Hearing that the Empress was ill, he was worried and wanted to visit her, but then he thought of something and changed his mind. "Since you've decided to keep it from her for now, I won't be going to your Yuxian Palace for meals anytime soon, so I don't accidentally let it slip."
"Alright." Xie Jingrun got up and saw him out of the Imperial Study. He watched him walk away before returning to the Imperial Study.
As the Empress, Rong Qingqing was not allowed to leave the palace without permission, especially not to go to such a far place as Suzhou. This matter had to be kept secret from Emperor Zhaojing and the Empress Dowager, and it could not be known to the outside world either.
She went to Suzhou in secret, which is why Xie Jingrun lied to Emperor Zhaojing that she was ill and wanted to keep the matter of Prince Su from her. In order not to affect her condition, Emperor Zhaojing will not appear at Yuxian Palace for a while.
In this way, Rong Qingqing's trip to Suzhou should be kept secret for a while.
...
Rong Qingqing was traveling swiftly along the official road under the escort of Jiangzhou and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
In her spare time, although she had looked at the routes, she had never actually practiced them. Last time she escaped, she didn't go very far, so she could only follow behind Jiangzhou and a group of Imperial Guards.
“Your Majesty, it’s getting dark. Let’s find an inn in the small town ahead and stay there. We can set off again early tomorrow morning. What do you think?” Jiang Zhou slowed down his horse and waited until Rong Qingqing was alongside him before turning to ask her for permission.
Rong Qingqing glanced at the sky and shook her head. "It's already hot now, so it doesn't matter if we don't stay at an inn. Getting on the road is more important. Every bit of progress we can make is worthwhile. If we can't go any further, we can rest where we are."
Jiangzhou understood her concern for Prince Su, so she didn't try to persuade her any further, since there was still some time before dark.
The group traveled for a while longer. Rong Qingqing looked back at Doctor Xu and felt a little guilty that he was so old and still had to go through all this trouble. She was young and it didn't bother her to work hard, but Doctor Xu was old and had limited energy. Moreover, Xiao Zhen's condition was still unknown, and she didn't know if Physician Lin could cure him.
If Physician Lin cannot cure the poison, she only hopes that Doctor Xu can, so Doctor Xu must not be harmed.
Thinking of this, she said to Jiangzhou, "Let's rest here for the night and set off again tomorrow morning." Traveling at night is not only dangerous but also inefficient, so it's better to get some rest and set off early tomorrow morning.
Jiangzhou glanced at Doctor Xu, who already looked exhausted, and understood. He waved for everyone to rest on the spot.
Madam Xu breathed a sigh of relief and dismounted.
He often went up the mountain to dig for medicinal herbs, so he was physically stronger than most people his age. However, he hadn't ridden a horse in a long time, and after a long afternoon of travel, he was indeed quite tired.
The Imperial Guards were indeed well-trained. The team worked together and quickly set up two simple tents and lit a fire. They even brought fish and pheasants.
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