Chapter 21 The Heart of Freedom
Xiao Qing's heart fluttered in an instant, but putting that flutter into action was not something that could be done in a day or two.
After the Grand Tutor left, Xiao Qing kept thinking about things.
But no matter how much she thought about it, the very first hurdle—how to leave the palace—was proving incredibly difficult for her.
Even if the Nanhua Palace were less secure, it would be impossible for the emperor of a country to leave the palace at will without being detected.
If such things were so easy to happen, then the emperor's life would have been lost to who knows who.
This is not scientific.
She ultimately ruled out the possibility of leaving the palace on her own.
So the only option left was to leave the palace with the help of others.
She counted and counted, but there were really not many people she could borrow from.
If Mingxiu knew she was planning to escape from the palace… never mind. She shouldn't trouble herself with such a question.
Zhao Youchen?
Let's not even think about it.
Besides these people... are there any others who can freely leave the palace?
Big head.
Finally, she thought of one person—Fu Mingyi.
Yes, she felt this was her only chance.
Fu Mingyi is going north, surely he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, right?
Shouldn't she at least offer to deliver it?
Let's assume something.
She would take the opportunity of escorting the Grand Tutor out of the palace, and could even accompany him all the way to the outskirts of the city.
Then, since the Grand Tutor's journey is long, he should at least take two cartloads of luggage with him, such as supplies for the barbarians.
Isn't this how countries that have lost battles in history have done things? This is called paying tribute.
And these cars... could probably hide a person or two, right?
But how could she slip away from Zhao Youchen and the others, hide in Fu Mingyi's carriage, and then not be discovered by Zhao Youchen and Fu Mingyi?
Once she has done this, she can then slowly figure out a way to leave on her own.
As for what happened after I left...
It's best to bring more money and banknotes to tide us over for now. As for what happens later, we can talk about it after she leaves.
She went through the whole process in her mind several times, and all that was left was to prepare.
Fu Mingyi was preparing to travel north in the Grand Tutor's mansion, while Xiao Qing was preparing to escape from the palace.
However, compared to Fu Mingyi's methodical approach, Xiao Qing appeared much more flustered.
When it came time to prepare, Xiao Qing realized that escaping was far more difficult than she had imagined! Much more difficult!
She didn't have anyone of her own, so no one helped her prepare or covered for her.
She had no money on her—the emperor, of course, didn't handle money; whatever the emperor wanted, someone would bring it to him! So she could only pick out some small items displayed outside to carry with her—to exchange for money when she went out.
She didn't have enough time, didn't know enough about the routes inside and outside the palace, and didn't have enough knowledge of the local customs and culture.
Even when she looked in the mirror and saw her own thin, fair-skinned appearance—clearly from someone from a wealthy family who had never experienced hardship—she was still quite beautiful.
After secretly going through all that trouble, Xiao Qing was completely demoralized by her own actions.
However, the spark in her heart had not been extinguished.
She spread her arms and flopped onto the bed, thinking she'd just have to play it by ear.
Mingxiu, standing outside, couldn't understand why the young emperor had been fiddling around inside for most of the night. She was already very sleepy, but she still asked, "Your Majesty, are you having trouble sleeping?"
Xiao Qing closed her eyes, feeling exhausted.
Mingxiu waited for a while, then thought, "Okay, she's asleep now."
The next day, Fu Mingyi indeed presented the memorial and then took his leave.
Xiao Qing didn't sleep well last night, so she wasn't feeling well when she woke up this morning.
However, upon seeing the Grand Tutor, she immediately became incredibly enthusiastic, expressing her desire to see him off.
Fu Mingyi smiled and naturally agreed. He even thought to himself that although His Majesty often seemed like an adult, parting must be very difficult for him, who had grown accustomed to being with him.
He thought that Xiao Qing's farewell was just seeing him off at the palace gate.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Qing stared at him longingly and even followed him outside.
He had to speak up to stop them, saying, "Your Majesty, this is enough."
There were other ministers present at this time. Fu Mingyi had already spoken with Wang Xiang and others. After exchanging pleasantries, it was time for everyone to go home.
But Xiao Qing not only didn't leave, she even came closer to continue seeing him off...
The ministers watched with their eyes closed and their faces calm, but their thoughts were all different.
Wang Xiang smiled broadly, "Your Majesty's deep affection and kindness are truly a great fortune for the country and a blessing for its people." His expression was exceptionally sincere.
Fu Mingyi looked intently at Xiao Qing, whose eyes held a mixture of stubbornness and anticipation, a subtle tenderness in them.
It's rare to see His Majesty with that kind of look in his eyes.
In the end, the Grand Tutor agreed.
The ministers suggested sending the gifts together, but Xiao Qing refused. She made it clear that she wanted to send the gifts to the Grand Tutor separately.
With his future uncertain, many ministers looked at Fu Mingyi with sympathy and regret, as if they could already foresee his future.
They felt a deep empathy for His Majesty's feelings.
So, in the end, the ministers left obediently, in a self-righteous and dejected mood.
The Grand Tutor gave Zhao Youchen a few instructions, then left the guards behind and went to arrange the Emperor's travel.
Perhaps because they were facing parting, the Grand Tutor squatted down, reached out and straightened Xiao Qing's clothes, speaking in a low and gentle tone.
"General Zhao will protect Your Majesty, so Your Majesty need not worry. I will return as soon as possible."
Xiao Qing's heart was pounding.
If she leaves like this, Mingxiu might be implicated. Therefore, considering Mingxiu's safety, she must exclude her from the beginning.
For this reason, she didn't bring Mingxiu with her when she went out to see the Grand Tutor off in the morning.
Since she had not mentioned sending the Grand Tutor out of the palace beforehand, Zhao Youchen did not make any arrangements in advance.
At this point, Fu Mingyi's schedule was already arranged, but Zhao Youchen's arrangements for seeing him off were made on short notice.
As a result, it is inevitable that the planning and rehearsals will not be as rigorous as those done in advance.
However, Zhao Youchen personally led men to guard the area, which made Xiao Qing's escape more difficult.
Xiao Qing's mind was filled with the words "act according to circumstances," but as he walked this far, sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Why is this "machine" so hard to find?
Because she was thinking about this the whole way, she barely heard a single word the Grand Tutor said on the road. And because she was afraid of giving herself away if she didn't answer well, she remained mostly silent.
Fu Mingyi sensed Xiao Qing's absent-mindedness and unhappiness, and thinking of Xiao's subjects waiting for him in the northern capital of Ping'an City, his heart felt heavy.
With various thoughts swirling in their minds, the carriage finally stopped at the north gate of Nanhua City.
The place Xiao Qing wanted to go was just outside the North Gate.
When Xiao Qing got out of the carriage and saw the city gate, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
Freedom seemed to be just ten steps away from the door.
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