Chapter 166 Departure
At exactly 7:00 AM, palace servants called out from outside the palace gates.
Lan Wu opened her eyes groggily and, unsurprisingly, met Chu Mingheng's gaze. Then she realized something.
Oh, she should get ready to leave.
Chu Mingheng did not sleep all night, and his eyes were filled with fatigue and worry.
"Your Majesty, it's time to get up." Lan Wu gently nudged him.
Chu Mingheng took a deep breath, got up from the couch, and told Lan Wu to sit in her original position while he went to call someone in to serve her.
Lan Wu paused in her attempt to get up, then slowed down.
She glanced at the window outside the curtain. She couldn't see the sky from the window, but the weather had warmed up occasionally these past few days, so she figured it would be sunny today.
After waiting for a while, palace servants entered the hall to help them wash up.
Because she was going on a long journey, Lanwu didn't dress up in a very luxurious way. She simply had her hair tied up in a bun and put on some warm clothes.
When Chu Mingheng looked over, Lan Wu had already dressed up. She was wearing a light blue long dress embroidered with magnolias, and her hair was adorned with several pearl and jade hibiscus hairpins. Her eyebrows and eyes were pretty, and her lips were as red as summer lotus.
During breakfast, the two didn't talk much, nor did they need to. They could understand each other's meaning with just a glance.
Even if it's hard to leave, we have to go.
It was still winter, and Lan Wu hadn't seen the warm sunshine she was hoping for. To make matters worse, it was a cloudy day, and even the sky looked gray.
Standing in front of the palace gate, Lan Wu looked down at the palace carpet at her feet, unwilling to leave, and lightly rubbed the corner of the carpet with her toes.
Suddenly, a cloak was draped over his shoulders.
Lan Wu turned around and saw Chu Mingheng's face.
"Isn't this His Majesty's cloak?" She turned her attention back, pulled the black cloak around her neck, pressed her cheek against the side of the hood, and smelled Chu Mingheng's scent.
She became somewhat pleased: "Did His Majesty give it to me?"
Chu Mingheng hummed in agreement, reached out and cupped her face, and said with amusement, "I've given you so many things and I've never seen you this happy. Now it's just a cloak, what's there to be so happy about?"
Lan Wu snorted softly, her face flushed, and said, "You wouldn't understand."
"Remember to tell me if you need anything along the way, and don't forget to speak up if you feel unwell. Your physicians and palace maids are by your side, ready to serve you at any time... Don't make me worry, okay?"
Lan Wu felt that Chu Mingheng was treating her like a fool. Of course she knew she had to speak up, so she muttered softly, "I'm not mute, of course I'll speak up."
After saying that, she reminded him again: "You have to miss me, understand? If you don't miss me, I won't miss you either."
Her usual spoiled tone didn't come across as a threat at all; on the contrary, it was clearly just her being affectionate.
Chu Mingheng pulled her back into the hall, pressed her down on a chair and kissed her for a while. Finally, he let go, wiped her lips, and said softly, "Awu is the one who should miss me."
Lan Wu is young, and young people love to play. It's true that they're reluctant to part with her now, but once they get on the road and the novelty wears off, they'll forget about her completely.
Lan Wu didn't know what he was thinking. When she heard him say this, she couldn't help but sniffle and almost burst into tears.
"Don't cry, my dear. I'll take you out..."
When the Imperial Concubine went to Changyong Mountain, His Majesty personally saw her off; what a grand scene!
It wasn't just the concubines in the harem; officials from the previous dynasty also gathered in front of the palace gates to see them off.
In front of so many people, Lan Wu managed not to cry. She just kept looking at Chu Mingheng, her mind still uncontrollably focused on him.
Chu Mingheng also helped her get into the carriage. The carriage was spacious and warm, but Lan Wu's hands were numb and trembling.
She couldn't help but pull back the curtain to look at Chu Mingheng.
Chu Mingheng was standing to the side and, unsurprisingly, saw her pull back the curtain.
"Alright, it's almost time. I'll come to pick you up in three months. Don't cry."
Lan Wu nodded and hummed in agreement. She leaned against the window, touched her face again, and said, "I didn't cry."
This trip to Changyong Mountain was her own choice. She had gone to great lengths to get Chu Mingheng to agree, so she couldn't let him back out at the last minute.
Thinking of all this, she smiled slightly and gestured to Chu Mingheng, "Your Majesty, please go back."
Lan Wu couldn't see her own expression, but Chu Mingheng could clearly see her extremely forced, even bitter, smile. Upon hearing Lan Wu's words again, he couldn't help but step forward, reach out and touch her cheek, and whisper:
"Don't cry, Awu. If you're sad, don't think about me. Think about something else that makes you happy."
Many people were watching, and the concubines behind them also saw their intimate behavior, their feelings were complicated.
Of course, there are also those who disdain it.
I originally thought that since Lan Wu was sent to Changyong Mountain by imperial decree, it must be because His Majesty disliked her. But now, looking at her, he doesn't seem to dislike her at all; he clearly likes her very much.
The time is almost up.
A court official standing next to Chu Mingheng stepped forward and whispered a reminder.
"Understood." He gave a light "hmm," then withdrew his hand, looked into Lan Wu's bright black eyes, and finally nodded slightly, taking a step back to indicate that they could set off.
The procession had to move for a while before Lan Wu's carriage finally started moving. Chu Mingheng had said he would protect Lan Wu's safety and wouldn't allow anyone to take advantage of the situation. The guards going to Changyong Mountain were all transferred from the Ministry of War, and there were also guards on standby at all times. Not to mention that Lan Wu had a few more secret guards by her side.
Nothing will happen.
But this was also the first time he had seen Lan Wu leave from his sight since he first met her.
He was not the Chu Mingheng of his previous life, nor had he experienced the sorrow of what he thought was an insignificant part being the last. But he thought that if Lan Wu had made even the slightest mistake during these three months, he would not forgive himself.
As the carriage moved slowly, Lan Wu's face receded further and further into the distance until it could no longer be seen.
Logically, now that the carriage had left, His Majesty should have turned back, but he didn't even move a step. Since he didn't move, the people around him naturally didn't dare to move either, and they all waited for his order.
Once the carriage was completely out of sight, the crowd finally heard His Majesty give the order: "Disperse."
The people around gradually dispersed, leaving only a few figures still standing in the same spot.
Chen Kang'an waited beside His Majesty, carefully observing His Majesty's expression, shaking his head inwardly—if His Majesty was unwilling to let the Imperial Concubine travel to Changyong Mountain, then why did he insist on issuing this decree?
Isn't this just asking for trouble?
well.
He thought this to himself, but naturally dared not say it aloud. Only after watching the last few figures disappear did he whisper, "Your Majesty, shouldn't we go back?"
Chu Mingheng slowly withdrew his gaze, turned around and walked back, while asking Luo Yun beside him, "What did the Imperial Concubine say to you before she left?"
Luo Yun was taken aback and immediately realized that he was asking about what the Empress had told her yesterday. So she bowed and replied softly, "Your Majesty, the Empress said that I should keep an eye on you and secretly write to her if you don't eat or sleep well one day."
Chu Mingheng seemed somewhat helpless, but his mood improved slightly. He instructed Luo Yun, "Since the Imperial Concubine has given you instructions, you must do them well."
"Write every day."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
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