Zhong Muyu let the Princess Consort of Fu pull her back to her room, while inside the Empress's room, the Empress and Lu Ziying were discussing their next steps.
Holding the hot tea in her hands, Lu Ziying was still somewhat uneasy: "Mother, is this really alright?"
"Such heavy snow is a blessing in disguise. They lost their horses and weapons, and were attacked by a bear. There was no way they could escape safely."
“But Lu Ziyuan’s martial arts skills are extraordinary, and I’m afraid there might be unforeseen circumstances.”
"There are variables..."
The Empress rubbed her temples, then called Lu Ziying to her side and whispered a few words in her ear.
Lu Ziying was startled: "This is too dangerous!"
"But once you succeed, everything will be different, won't it?"
Lu Ziying thought about it and realized that it was indeed the case; they couldn't let them leave that forest alive.
So he quietly slipped away, found a few of his personal guards, and put his plan into action.
...
In the mountains, the Emperor and Lu Ziyuan trudged back, their steps uneven. The heavy snow blurred their vision, and their hands and feet were numb with cold. The Emperor's wounds had stopped bleeding and were no longer painful. But this was not a good thing; they knew that stopping meant being stuck there forever.
The Emperor tripped and fell, and Lu Ziyuan quickly helped him up, saying, "Father, be careful."
The emperor looked around blankly. All he could see were messy withered trees and grass, and a vast expanse of white snowflakes.
"Yuan'er, where have we arrived?"
"Father, we're almost there. If we keep pushing, we'll be back soon."
The emperor coughed once and said nothing more. The two of them then helped each other walk back.
Although Lu Ziyuan had determined the general direction, they had exhausted too much energy, and the wind and snow had obscured their vision. Now, he was not even sure if they had deviated from the way back.
In short, we cannot stop; we must leave the mountains before dark.
On the other side, Zhong Muyu couldn't sit still any longer. Not wanting to disturb Prince Fu and his wife, she made an excuse to return to her room.
Zhong Muyu wanted to find Lu Ziyuan through her dreams, or at least find out their current situation, but if Lu Ziyuan was awake, she would not be able to connect to his dreams.
In desperation, she took out a signal firework and went outside, hoping it would guide them back.
Fireworks rose into the sky and exploded into a red flower. The sky was dark at the time, which made the fireworks stand out more clearly. Zhong Muyu sincerely hoped that this thing would work.
After she finished, she pulled her cloak tighter and walked back. On her way back, she saw Lu Ziying leading several soldiers out.
There's not a soul around on days like this. Where is the Crown Prince going with just a few people?
Confused, Zhong Muyu couldn't help but want to follow and see what was going on.
She watched as Lu Ziying led his men away from the palace. Before they had gone far, she was startled by the sudden appearance of the Crown Princess.
"Royal sister-in-law?"
Zhong Muyu was puzzled as to why she was outside, when she saw a meaningful smile on the Crown Princess's dignified and beautiful face.
"Seventh sister-in-law, you seem to be in a hurry. Where are you going?"
"I was worried about my father and the prince, so I came out to wander around. What is my sister-in-law doing?"
Zhong Muyu remained calm and fearless. She could tell that the Crown Princess's expression was somewhat subtle, as if she would hit her if she took another step forward.
From this perspective, the Crown Prince's behavior becomes even more suspicious.
The Crown Princess said, "Alas! How could I not know what you were thinking? I am just as worried about them, but worrying can't be like a headless fly running around. If you catch a cold, how heartbroken will the Seventh Prince be when he returns?"
“That makes sense, which is why I was just about to head back. But since we can’t wander around aimlessly, why did Your Highness take people out with you? With the snow falling so heavily, it wouldn’t be appropriate to take people out to search, would it?”
Zhong Muyu pretended to be inquisitive. People who have done something wrong tend to be secretive, and she was determined to bring up this topic.
The Crown Princess's smile froze on her face: "The Crown Prince, like everyone else, is worried about their safety, so he specifically ordered the soldiers to keep an eye out. Fearing that the messengers might not relay the message properly, he went himself. If Seventh Sister-in-law is still worried, why don't you come to my room and we have a good chat?"
"I see. Thank you for your kind offer, Your Majesty. I'll return to my own residence now."
"That's true. It's so cold outside. Why don't you wear more clothes? Bringing someone out like this could make them freeze."
The Crown Princess feigned concern as she reminded her, her tone calm, but her entire demeanor betrayed something strange.
Zhong Muyu didn't want to confront her directly, so she took her leave. On her way back, the Crown Princess kept an eye on her, afraid that she might do something wrong.
Back in his room, Zhong Muyu was certain they were plotting something. Thinking about it carefully, if the Emperor didn't return, wouldn't they be the biggest beneficiaries?
But she had no evidence at the moment, so she couldn't act rashly. Zhong Muyu thought that she would wait until dark at the latest. If they still hadn't returned by then, she would go to look for them herself, even if there was a blizzard!
...
In the mountains, Lu Ziyuan and the Emperor, who were traveling, suddenly heard an explosion in the distance. However, due to the rugged terrain and the wind and snow obscuring their vision, they did not see the light of the fireworks.
"What was that sound?" the Emperor asked.
"It sounds like fireworks, maybe it's reminding us of where to go back."
The firework only made one sound, but that was enough. Lu Ziyuan was glad that he hadn't gone astray, and at the same time, he guessed that the signal was released by Zhong Muyu.
His inner motivation grew stronger, and he couldn't help but tighten his grip on the emperor's arm.
However, things didn't go as planned, and not long after, they smelled a foul, fishy odor.
Along with the smell came pairs of eerie green eyes.
Wolves are most hungry on snowy days, and sometimes they will risk approaching human dwellings to steal food, which is how they were unlucky enough to encounter the wolves.
"Father, be careful!"
Lu Ziyuan shielded the emperor behind him while cautiously drawing his dagger. However, the dagger was stained with bear blood, and the smell of blood excited the wolves even more. They surrounded the two of them, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Instantly, a strong wolf pounced first, but Lu Ziyuan swiftly slashed its throat with his knife. This seemed to be a signal, as the other wolves also pounced.
If it were Lu Ziyuan himself, he could handle them, but the emperor he brought was injured, exhausted, and unarmed, making it impossible for him to fight the wolves.
In the blink of an eye, they had killed several wolves, but they also had new wounds on their bodies, which were cold and painful in the cold wind.
The death of their companion frightened the remaining wolves. They looked at the blood-dripping dagger in Lu Ziyuan's hand, thought it over and over again, and finally chose to turn around and run away.
As soon as the wolf left, the two breathed a sigh of relief. The emperor collapsed to the ground, ignoring his bleeding wounds, and said to Lu Ziyuan, "Yuan'er, don't worry about me. You should go back now. If this continues, I'm afraid we'll both die here."
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