The Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty, the Empress has returned to the Cold Palace. She must have heard that there is a flower viewing party outside the palace tonight, so she went back to prepare," Ji Shang reported, bowing and clasping his hands.
Li Qiji placed the memorial in his hand on the dragon table, raised his head, and pinched his brow, saying, "In that case, Hua Quan, go to the Cold Palace and tell the Empress that I will accompany her tonight."
"Ah, Your Majesty, are you leaving the palace?"
"This servant will immediately inform the guards and prepare a carriage!" Hua Quan exclaimed.
Li Qiji said unhappily, "There's no need for that. There will be so many carriages and a huge mess. How can we appreciate the flowers then?"
"Tonight, I will go out with the Empress. None of you should follow me. Ji Shang, you can follow me from the shadows," Li Qiji said.
Ji Wu and Hua Quan refused to accept this and immediately knelt down, crying and shouting, "Your Majesty, how can you leave the palace without your servants? We can serve you and the Empress, and if you and the Empress buy anything, we can carry it for you!"
"Your Majesty, you must take this servant with you! This servant cannot leave Your Majesty's side!"
Hearing the two of them crying and shouting, Li Qiji had a headache and could only nod and say, "Alright, alright, I grant your permission."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Hurry up and inform the Empress!" Li Qiji said, looking at Hua Quan who had gotten up from the ground.
Hua Quan quickly replied, "Yes, this servant will go right away."
So Guan Zhiyue, who was in the Cold Palace, was looking at what clothes would be suitable for her when she heard a palace maid at the door report that Eunuch Hua, who was by the Emperor's side, had arrived.
"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty be well!"
"What brings Eunuch Hua to my cold palace? Does His Majesty have any instructions?"
Hua Quan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, may I speak to you in private?"
"Oh ho, quite mysterious, alright, then come in with me!" Guan Zhiyue led Hua Quan into her room, leaving Bi Lian to stand guard at the door.
Seeing that no one was in the room, Hua Quan said softly, "Your Majesty, the Emperor sent me to tell you that he will be going to admire the flowers outside the palace with you tonight."
"What? The Emperor is going too?"
"Shh, Your Highness, please keep your voice down. The Emperor is going on an incognito tour, so we can't let anyone notice." Hua Quan tugged at Guan Zhiyue's hem.
Guan Zhiyue pouted, nodded, and said, "Okay, okay."
"Alright, I understand. You may go back now and tell the Emperor that I'm waiting for him at the palace gate. I've also made an appointment with his cousin."
"Ah, and there's also Lord Xin!"
"Yes, yes, I understand. I'll take my leave now!"
Guan Zhiyue waved her hand and said, "Go, go!"
*****
night.
Guan Zhiyue wore a light blue, double-breasted long dress with a swan in flight embroidered on the chest, and a white robe over it, fastened at the waist with a light blue belt of the same color.
On the left, a white jade pendant hung, and his hair was tied up with a silver headband and secured with a silver hairpin, making him look like a handsome young man.
"Your Highness, you are absolutely captivating! If you weren't a woman, I would want to fall in love with you too," said Bilian, looking at Guan Zhiyue's attire.
Guan Zhiyue twirled the folding fan in her hand, gently tapped Bilian on the head, and said, "Call me Young Master."
"Yes, young master."
"Alright, let's hurry up and leave, don't be late!" Guan Zhiyue instructed.
Bilian was dressed as a servant, and the two of them went out through a side gate of the palace.
Then, they circled around to the palace gate, and as soon as they arrived, they saw Li Qiji swaggering out of the main gate.
"Damn, didn't this guy say he wanted to keep a low profile? Why is he coming out through the main gate?"
Just as he finished speaking, Li Qiji turned back, leaving Guan Zhiyue stunned. Regardless, she headed towards the carriage beside him.
"Cousin Xin, quickly help me up!" Guan Zhiyue shouted, and a slender, fair hand, as white as a scallion, reached out from the carriage.
Guan Zhiyue didn't pay any attention, reached out and climbed onto the carriage, then went inside to take a look!
Good heavens! Isn't this his cousin Xin? This guy looks so familiar, so handsome, so otherworldly! The worst part is, his hand is still in the other guy's hand!
"Are you Lord Su?"
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!" Su Xu said.
Bilian had just climbed to the edge of the carriage when she heard a voice inside. She lifted the curtain and exclaimed, "Holy crap! It's Chief Minister Su!"
"Lord Su, what are you doing here?" Bilian asked, trembling.
"Your Majesty, I await your presence here!"
"Your Majesty, have you made an appointment with him?" Guan Zhiyue asked.
Su Xu released Guan Zhiyue's hand and said, "Yes, Your Majesty said you would take me to admire the flowers, so I went back to my residence to change my clothes and came to the palace gate to wait for Your Majesty."
"What about my cousin Xin?"
Seeing Su Xu's puzzled expression, Guan Zhiyue said, "It's Xin Chenchen, Lord Xin!"
Su Xu raised the folding fan in his hand, lifted the curtain, and glanced at the carriage on the other side of the palace gate.
Guan Zhiyue looked over and exclaimed, "Holy crap, isn't that Lord Xin?!"
"Then I won't disturb Lord Su any longer. I have an appointment with Lord Xin." Guan Zhiyue got up and was about to leave the carriage.
Su Xu then spoke calmly, "Since we have the same goal, let's work together!"
"Xuqing, go and inform Assistant Instructor Xin that the Empress is with me. When the Emperor comes out, we will stroll through the streets and admire the flowers together!" Su Xu said.
Guan Zhiyue looked at the stern-faced man in front of her and felt a little scared. He gave off a cold and aloof feeling, which was not very comfortable.
After a short while, the emperor suddenly appeared out of nowhere and climbed into the carriage. He saw that his ministers and his wife were sitting on either side of him.
"Empress, your outfit is truly a sight to behold!" Li Qiji said, glancing at Guan Zhiyue.
Guan Zhiyue smiled but didn't say anything. Inside the carriage, only Li Qiji and Su Xu would occasionally exchange a few words, but Guan Zhiyue didn't want to listen!
The carriage swayed and rattled as it approached the street. The group got off, and Guan Zhiyue, like a wild horse, ran towards the bustling crowd. The street was brightly lit, with lanterns everywhere in various colors. People were crowding in front of the shops, and there were about five or six pots of flowers on the steps of the shops.
There are all kinds of flowers, all blooming in a riot of colors, a truly dazzling and delightful sight, leaving one breathless with enchantment.
“Young master, there are so many flowers! It’s almost as big as the Imperial Garden! There’s every kind of flower imaginable.” Bilian tugged at Guan Zhiyue’s sleeve.
This was Guan Zhiyue's first time attending such a large-scale folk event, and she felt quite happy. The men following behind her all looked dashing and debonair. Many women in the capital knew Lord Su Xu, especially his white robes, which were his signature attire!
Before long, women began to gather around in twos and threes. Su Xu maintained his poker face, neither smiling nor angry. Li Qiji, standing to the side, joked, "It seems our Lord Su is truly beloved by women!"
"Young Master Li, you jest. People only care about my appearance!" Su Xu said coldly, but his eyes never left the hopping figure in front of him.
Just as the group was passing by a large restaurant, the crowd suddenly surged. Someone scattered some silver coins in the crowd and shouted, "There's silver on the ground! Who dropped their silver?"
Suddenly, everyone rushed over and crowded together. Guan Zhiyue was separated from Bilian by the crowd. Several men walked out from the crowd and surrounded Guan Zhiyue. Guan Zhiyue, who was powerless to fight, was panicked.
Li Qiji, who had been watching ahead, spotted Guan Zhiyue looking weak and helpless in the crowd. He gathered his energy, stepped on the shoulders of the crowd, and leaped to Guan Zhiyue's side, pulling her into his arms and carrying her through the crowd.
As soon as the two jumped out and ran into a dark alley, a dozen or so men in black suddenly appeared from the air. Li Qiji grabbed Guan Zhiyue with one hand and drew a soft sword from his waist with the other, and began to fight the men in black.
Because of the large number of people, and the presence of Guan Zhiyue who did not know martial arts, Li Qiji soon sustained several wounds. However, Guan Zhiyue was well protected by him and was not harmed.
After a fight, three men in black were killed. The remaining men, seeing that Li Qiji's men were chasing after them, gave up and fled. Those hiding in the shadows fired three cold arrows in succession.
"Watch out~~"
Before he could finish speaking, an arrow grazed Guan Zhiyue's shoulder and pierced Li Qiji's heart. With Guan Zhiyue's help, Li Qiji collapsed to the ground, spitting out dark red blood.
When Ji Shang arrived with his guards, he saw Li Qiji lying on the ground, covered in blood, and Guan Zhiyue standing beside him, completely terrified, her hands covered in blood and her eyes glazed over.
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