"Even a thousand miles of farewell must come to an end. Lord Xiahou, you have brought me here." Jian Yang said with a smile.
Xiahou Riyue looked at her intently, then took out a brocade pouch from his bosom and handed it to her.
"What's this?"
It's quite heavy.
Jian Yang took it, casually opened it and glanced at it, her eyes widening immediately.
Inside was a whole bag of melon seeds.
"Ah, this..."
"Keep it," Xiahou Riyue said with a smile. "Although I don't know where you're going, you'll need travel expenses eventually."
After saying that, he pulled out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve, each note worth a hundred taels.
At a glance, it must be at least a thousand taels.
He handed all of these to her as well.
“That wouldn’t be right,” Jian Yang quickly declined. “I’ve been eating and living at your place all this time, and I even ruined one of your houses. How can I take your money again?”
Xiahou Riyue placed the silver note in her hand without saying a word.
"If you ever get tired of traveling, you can come to Jiangnan to find me," he solemnly promised.
Upon hearing this, Jian Yang laughed and said, "Okay, when I make a lot of money in the future, I will go to Jiangnan to find you, and I will also buy you a big house to repay you."
"Okay, I'll wait."
Despite saying that, both of them knew very well that this parting was a long and uncertain one, and they didn't know when they would meet again.
As the sky grew brighter, the carriage gradually came to a stop.
Jian Yang thanked Xiahou Riyue, said goodbye, and then jumped off the carriage with her luggage.
Her most important task right now is to find a place to get some sleep.
She was so busy running around last night that she stayed up almost all night, and she desperately needs to catch up on her sleep.
Fortunately, they came to a town not far from where they were walking, and Jian Yang went straight to the inn without saying a word and had a good nap.
I slept straight through until evening.
After Jian Yang casually ordered a bowl of wontons to fill her stomach, she went out and bought a chestnut-colored pony.
This was something she had planned yesterday.
Heading south, it's at least a thousand miles; relying solely on two legs, it would probably take until next year to get there.
Having horses for transportation saves both time and effort.
At the same time, Xiahou Riyue was summoned to the palace by the emperor.
On the dragon throne, the emperor, his face grim, coldly scrutinized Xiahou Riyue, who was bowing to him.
"My dear minister, you may rise," the emperor said in a cold voice. "I heard that your neighbor's house caught fire last night?"
Xiahou Riyue nodded slightly and said, "That's right. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed, and my family was not affected either."
The emperor curled his lips into a smile.
"How come I heard that the house that caught fire was also owned by Lord Xiahou?"
Xiahou Riyue remained calm and said indifferently, "Your Majesty is wise. That house was purchased by my father many years ago and later given to me."
"Is anyone living here?" the emperor asked.
Xiahou Riyue said, "Only two servants usually take care of it."
"If hardly anyone lives here, why did such a big fire start?"
"Your Majesty, I do not know."
"You're lying!" the emperor suddenly roared in fury. "I sent people to investigate, and it was clear that the house had been doused with kerosene. But according to my secret guards, only your guards and servants entered and left the house that day!"
Xiahou Riyue remained completely calm. "I wonder why Your Majesty has sent secret guards to monitor this humble subject?"
The emperor was delighted.
"Xiahou Riyue, do you really want me to break off all relations with you?"
Xiahou Riyue remained silent.
"That is my empress. You hid her, and I spared your life as a gesture of leniency!"
Xiahou Riyue laughed and said, "But she is not happy being imprisoned in this deep palace. She hates power struggles and intrigues. She just wants to live a free and unrestrained life."
Having said that, he was essentially admitting that he had hidden Jian Yang.
Suppressing his anger, the emperor asked, "Where is the empress now?"
Xiahou Riyue remained silent.
"Don't think I don't know just because you don't tell me," the emperor sneered. "Last night you started that fire to help the Empress escape in the chaos. Am I right?"
Xiahou Riyue said quietly, "Your Majesty is wise. You know the Empress wants to escape, so why are you so persistent in searching for her?"
"Because she can only be my woman," the emperor declared firmly.
This statement not only demonstrates the emperor's domineering presence but also asserts sovereignty over his competitors.
Xiahou Riyue, however, recklessly said, "But she may not want to be your woman."
"Xiahou Riyue," the emperor said through gritted teeth, "Don't think that just because your Xiahou family has been meritorious officials for generations, I won't dare to touch you."
Xiahou Riyue laughed and said, "As long as Your Majesty is not afraid of being condemned by the people, you may take action."
A brief silence fell over the hall.
"You may leave. From now on, you are not to set foot in the imperial city again without my summons."
He was a wise ruler. Although he could have immediately ordered Xiahou Riyue's execution to vent his anger, the country would have lost an important talent.
So he swallowed his anger.
"I obey the decree."
Xiahou Riyue recognized the emperor's appreciation for talent, which is why he dared to confront him so brazenly.
After Xiahou Riyue left, the emperor sat quietly for a long time.
He was also considering whether he should set Jian Yang free, letting her roam freely like a fish leaping in the sea or a bird soaring in the sky.
But the thought that he might never see her again in his remaining years caused him a dull ache in his heart.
Ultimately, he made a selfish decision.
"Yongfu, convey my order: send people to find the Empress. No matter what, you must find her."
"This servant will take care of it immediately."
On the other hand, Jian Yang had already guessed that the emperor was looking for her, so she basically avoided official roads.
As a result, despite her deliberate hiding, the emperor's men failed to find her even after a month.
Jian Yang even brushed past them several times.
Now that she has disguised herself as a man, even if the emperor were face to face with her, he would never recognize who she is.
Because of her wealth, Jian Yang lived a very carefree life.
Wherever she goes, she makes sure to appreciate the local scenery and try the local cuisine.
If this happened in modern times, becoming a travel blogger would be a piece of cake.
In her past life, Jian Yang had a dream of traveling whenever she wanted.
However, she devoted most of her time to work in order to make a living, and from graduation to time travel, she didn't have many opportunities to travel properly.
Jian Yang never expected that her wish from her previous life would be fulfilled here, and she felt it was all worth it.
She ate and drank her way through the place until she reached a place called Qinghe County.
Because the local lotus leaf sticky rice chicken was so delicious, Jian Yang's original departure plan was repeatedly postponed.
She originally planned to wait until she had eaten her fill before setting off, but unexpectedly, the flood season arrived.
The torrential rain continued day after day, and the water level was visibly rising higher and higher.
Jian Yang was forced to stay in Qinghe County.
Fortunately, the sticky rice chicken comforted her, making the days seem less unbearable.
Besides eating glutinous rice chicken, Jian Yang has another way to pass the time every day.
That is to observe the various patients in the clinic across the street.
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