Begin your journey to Bashu
At Cining Palace, Shi Hui looked at the fireworks in the sky and said to Shunhua, "Shunhua, go and find out who set off these fireworks! It's not a festival, why are they setting off fireworks? It's so noisy!"
Shunhua bowed his head and said, "Yes."
When Qingyi returned from the Ji residence, she ran into Zhao Hongxing. The two waited for each other at the foot of the city wall and enjoyed the fireworks together.
Sui Feng carefully searched for Li Xingyi in Fengyi Palace. Qian Wu heard a faint sound and quietly slipped out from the crowd.
Qianwu, who was skilled in martial arts, soon found Suifeng on the roof of a palace.
Qianwu looked at the man dressed in black before her, drew her sword, and said, "Looking for the Empress? Then leave your head behind."
Having said that, he rushed towards Sui Feng with a "whoosh!"
Seeing this, Sui Feng immediately dodged, but Qian Wu attacked him again. Sui Feng continued to dodge, and Qian Wu said, "Is this all you've got?"
Sui Feng ignored her and Qian Wu pressed on relentlessly. Seeing that he couldn't keep dodging, Sui Feng took the initiative and decided to defeat the woman in front of him before going to find Li Xingyi.
Sui Feng drew his sword and began to fight seriously. The two fought to a standstill, "Clang clang clang!"
Suddenly, the wind carried the sound of many footsteps, "tap tap tap!"
Seeing this, Sui Feng had no choice but to take the opportunity to leave.
When the Imperial Guards arrived, only Qianwu was on the roof. The captain of the Imperial Guards hurriedly asked, "Miss Qianwu, are you alright? Did you see who it was?"
Qianwu looked towards the location of the Prince Pingshou's residence and said, "I'm fine. I'm most likely one of his people."
The captain of the Imperial Guard understood immediately and said, "In that case, we'll continue our patrol."
Asahi said, "Mm."
The next day, Qi Dou, Li Xingyi, Qi Min, and others stood at the city gate. They saw Qi Hui, wearing a jade crown, dressed in black, and holding a black fan, walking towards them.
Qi Hui cupped his hands to Qi Dou and Li Xingyi and said, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."
Qi Dou said, "Sixth Brother, there's no need to be so formal."
Qi Hui replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I greet Your Majesty and Your Majesty."
At this moment, Qi Min coughed deliberately, and Qi Hui, seeing this, reluctantly cupped his hands to her and said, "Greetings, Third Imperial Sister."
Qi Min crossed her arms and said, "Hmm, it's been a long time. Sixth Brother has become quite polite."
Qi Hui's biological mother was a palace maid. After the palace maid died, he was adopted by Shi Hui.
Shi Hui looked down on Qi Hui and didn't like him, so she tacitly allowed the people in the palace to beat and scold him, and often beat Qi Hui for no reason.
Qi Hui therefore disliked Shi Hui very much, and he didn't like her daughter much either, especially since Qi Min was a spoiled and willful child.
Qi Hui's expression remained calm, but his eyes flickered slightly.
I am naturally polite, but I simply didn't want to show it to you.
Qi Dou said, "Get up, Your Majesty. Please be careful on this trip."
Qi Hui lowered his hand and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I understand."
After saying that, he looked at Li Xingyi and said, "Your Majesty, I had heard of your beauty before, but I did not know that you were as beautiful as the rumors said. No wonder Your Majesty appointed you as Empress as soon as you ascended the throne."
Qi Min said, "Your Majesty is naturally beautiful, but it's rather impolite of you to only see her now."
It's already April, and Qi Hui is indeed a bit late in meeting Li Xingyi.
Li Xingyi didn't care about these things and said indifferently, "Prince Pingshou is too kind."
Qi Hui ignored Qi Min and smiled at Li Xingyi, saying, "Haha, I didn't expect my sister-in-law to be so modest."
Qi Dou put his arm around Li Xingyi's shoulder and said, "Xingyi is indeed being modest."
Li Xingyi glanced at him but said nothing.
Qi Dou then looked at Qi Min and explained, "Hui Min, my sixth brother fell ill after Father Emperor's death and has been recuperating at home. He only recently recovered and volunteered to go to Sichuan to fight the plague, so naturally he didn't have the chance to see Xing Yi."
Qi Min scoffed, "Tch! Since you've just recovered, don't try to be a hero and get rid of the plague. Besides, you don't know any medicine, and there's no cure for the plague yet. Going there would just be suicide."
Everyone was stunned after hearing this. Qi Hui said confidently, "You can't say that. Of course I want to do my part for the people of Sichuan."
Qi Min retorted, "Isn't that just sending them to their deaths? What if you get infected before you even have a chance to do anything?"
Everyone fell silent. At this moment, Qi Wenzhe and a group of people from the Imperial Medical Academy came forward to pay their respects. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, Princess Huimin, and Prince Pingshou are all greeted."
Qi Dou raised his hand and said, "Get up."
Everyone is here now, except for Grand Commandant Ji Shao.
Everyone looked towards the city gate and saw Ji Shao and Dou Niang further away.
Dou Niang seemed reluctant to leave and was crying in Ji Shao's arms. Ji Shao patted her back and wiped away her tears. He said something and then walked towards Qi Dou and the others.
Upon seeing this, Qi Hui teased, "Grand Commandant Ji, it seems you're reluctant to part. You two have such a good relationship; I'm truly envious."
Ji Shao immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness is joking. I am already thirty-nine years old, while Your Highness is only twenty (17 years old) and not yet married. There is no need to envy me."
Qi Min chimed in, "That's right."
Qi Dou looked at Qi Hui and said, "So, Sixth Brother, you want to get married? If so, when you return, I will arrange a marriage for you, okay?"
Qi Hui smiled and said, "If that time really comes, I hope you won't forget it, Your Majesty."
Qi Dou said, "Of course."
After hearing this, Qi Min muttered under her breath, "I'm not even married yet, what's the rush?"
Although the sound was a little soft, it was loud enough for people to hear.
Qi Dou asked with a smile, "Is Huimin also thinking about getting married?"
Qi Min immediately retorted, "No!"
Qi Hui scoffed after hearing this, "Then what did you say?"
Qi Min didn't want to talk to him, so she stopped speaking.
At this moment, Qianwu whispered in Li Xingyi's ear, "Your Majesty, another audacious person has come."
Qi Hui's eyes deepened slightly upon seeing Qian Wu, and he said, "I had long heard that my elder brother bestowed a palace maid upon my sister-in-law, but I never expected that this palace maid would be so beautiful."
Qi Min perked up upon hearing this and asked, "What? You've taken a fancy to someone?"
Qi Hui rolled his eyes at her.
Qianwu stood straight as if she hadn't heard. Li Xingyi shielded her behind him and said calmly, "Prince Pingshou, it's getting late. Let's set off soon."
Qi Dou glanced at the sky and said, "It is indeed getting late."
Qi Hui smiled and bowed to them, saying, "In that case, I will set off immediately."
After saying that, he walked towards his carriage.
Ji Shao and Qi Wenzhe glanced at Qi Dou, who stepped forward and whispered, "Last night, a man sneaked into Fengyi Palace. He was discovered by Qianwu and fought with her, but unfortunately, the man escaped in the end."
Ji Shao glanced at Qi Hui's carriage and said, "Could it be..."
Qi Wenzhe said, "Judging from how he treated Qianwu just now, it should be him. I just don't know why he sent someone to Fengyi Palace? And why he deliberately mentioned Qianwu in front of everyone?"
Ji Shao asked in confusion, "Indeed, Prince Pingshou doesn't seem to be brainless. How could he have revealed that he sent people to Fengyi Palace himself?"
Qi Wenzhe was worried.
...His Majesty is still here. Is it really okay for you to say that his brother is brainless in front of him?
Qi Dou lowered his eyes and said, "No matter what, remember to keep an eye on him. Also, be extremely careful on this trip."
Ji Shao and Qi Wenzhe bowed and said, "Yes."
Qi Min stood to the side, looking at them with a puzzled expression, and asked, "What are my brothers talking about?"
Li Xingyi watched them quietly, then turned around and walked towards the palace, glancing at Qianwu as he left.
Qi Min looked at Li Xingyi's retreating figure with a puzzled expression and asked, "Why did you leave, Sister-in-law?"
At this moment, Qi Hui was sitting in the carriage.
My dear brother, I had no idea that the people around you knew martial arts. So you were just as wary of me as Father did?
As he thought this, he felt an endless bitterness in his heart, and then leaned back.
Fine, fine, this way I can kill you without hesitation.
After everyone was seated in the carriage, Qi Hui gave the order to set off.
Qi Dou watched their carriage disappear into the distance.
Sixth brother, are you issuing a challenge to the emperor?
Qi Dou then turned and returned to the palace.
Qi Min glanced around and saw that everyone had left, so she went back as well.
As soon as Li Xingyi returned to the palace, he saw Shunhua waiting with people. When Shunhua saw Li Xingyi, she gestured for him to come over, saying, "Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager requests your presence."
Li Xingyi glanced at Shunhua quietly, then walked towards Cining Palace. Upon seeing this, Shunhua immediately followed closely behind.
Li Xingyi said, "Qianwu, go and tell that person to wait a moment."
Before Qianwu could reply, Shunhua spoke first: "Your Majesty, you don't mean to send someone to find His Majesty, do you? The Empress Dowager just wants to talk to you, there's no need to invite His Majesty over, especially since His Majesty has to deal with state affairs."
Li Xingyi glanced at her and said, "Aunt Shunhua, you misunderstand. His Majesty is extremely busy. How could I send someone to invite him over for such a matter?"
Shunhua said, "That would be good, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has ordered that Qianwu must also go to Cining Palace."
Li Xingyi said calmly, "In that case, why don't Aunt Shunhua send someone to go to Fengyi Palace with Qingyi? That way, it will prove that I did not send anyone to invite His Majesty."
Shunhua thought for a moment and then asked, "May I ask why Your Majesty sent someone to Fengyi Palace?"
Li Xingyi said calmly, "Since we have guests today, if I am not here, I should send someone to entertain them, so as not to neglect them."
Shunhua replied, "Then let's do as Her Majesty the Empress wishes."
After saying this, she instructed a palace maid beside her to accompany Qingyi to Fengyi Palace.
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