Empress Jing'an was busy packing her luggage, and the Emperor was there to make trouble. He had sent a letter to Quanzhou last night, telling Princess Jinyi that he was going to Quanzhou.
Traveling for the Emperor and Empress, even incognito, was no easy feat. While not as elaborate as a trip under imperial decree, it was still far more complex. Not only did they have to man the escorts, but they also had to manage the various post stations. After all the arrangements were made, they were scheduled to depart three days later.
The emperor went out and had a secret chat with the prince for two hours before leaving the imperial study.
Sheng Shu and Yu Jiaxing were also drafted. Although they had not yet passed the imperial examination, they were qualified enough. The prince assigned them tasks, and after they returned home, they set off the next day, one heading west and the other heading east.
By the time the Emperor and Queen Jing'an were escorted out of the city, the Sixth Prince had already started working at the Ministry of Personnel.
Before leaving, Empress Jing'an instructed the Crown Prince, "My son, be cautious in everything you do. Although your father is not in the capital, he has already provided you with all the necessary personnel. If anything urgent comes up, please report it as soon as possible."
Empress Jing'an, who still had more to say, was taken by the emperor's hand. The emperor smiled and said to her, "Fangting, don't miss the auspicious time. The prince has been handling government affairs for several years. There is no need to worry."
She hadn't felt it at first, but now she felt reluctant. Queen Jing'an waved at the prince with red eyes and said, "My son, you must take good care of yourself."
Pulling Emperor Jing'an away, the Emperor turned back and said, "Prince, behave well and don't worry your mother."
The Sixth Prince watched the departing convoy and whispered to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, how long will Father and the Empress be gone?"
After shaking his head, the prince said, "I don't know." He thought to himself, my sister would probably come back after giving birth to the baby, and it would be impossible for her to stay with me all the time.
The two unmarried young men stood behind her, and a strange look flashed in the Eighth Princess's eyes. After the New Year, the Eighth Princess would also marry, and her husband was the second son of the Weibei Marquisate. The Eighth Princess was very dissatisfied with this. As an unfavored princess, marrying down like this made her feel very dissatisfied.
After everyone returned to the palace, the Eighth Princess dismissed the servants. When she was the only one left in the room, she picked up the top letter from the secret compartment under the bed.
The Eighth Princess stared at the sender's name for a long time before she seemed to have made up her mind. She put the letter back and went to the desk. She dipped her pen in ink and wrote a single sentence on the thin page.
After writing the letter, the Eighth Princess sat at the table for a long time before putting the letter into the envelope and sealing it. After the palace servant delivered the letter, the Eighth Princess collapsed on the bed in a daze.
Sometimes she thought that she had done something wrong, and sometimes she thought about what would happen if she followed the plan. It was not until midnight that the Eighth Princess fell asleep in a daze.
The group of people from the Xiangyang Marquis' Mansion who left the city on the same day slowly headed from Dengzhou to the capital.
In the carriage, Xin Jie'er looked out the window at the scenery, chatting and laughing with the Marquis from time to time. However, she didn't sit for long before she felt uncomfortable. The carriage was moving fast and it was very bumpy. It was the same when she came to Dengzhou from the capital. Xin Jie'er covered her mouth and leaned on the Marquis's arms to relieve the discomfort.
After two hours, the carriage finally stopped and they were about to embark on the waterway. Xin Jie'er, jumping off the carriage, said sweetly to the Marquis's wife, "Mother, let's buy some more food. The boat trip will take several days, so we probably won't be stopping at shore much along the way."
Madam Hou tapped Xin Jie'er's nose and said, "Okay, as you say."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com