The emperor lay on his sickbed, and when he saw Anan's appearance, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He looked at Anan carefully and suddenly remembered what the Empress looked like when she was young.
The Empress was no longer the same as before, but when he saw Anan, he seemed to see the Empress's shadow, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
"My child, you have suffered so much," the emperor said with emotion. "I thought the one in the palace was the crown prince, but it turns out he was switched with another."
The emperor realized that the crown prince he had always favored was actually a fake. He felt a pang of sorrow, but also a sense of relief, for he had finally found the real crown prince.
“Father!” Anan called out to the emperor.
The emperor trembled even more and shed tears, embracing him tightly.
Seeing the emperor so agitated, Xu Yuehuai worried that something might happen to him, so she quickly took out a pill and fed it to him.
His condition improved significantly after taking the medicine, which put Xu Yuehuai at ease.
At this moment, Qi Guze also arrived at the palace. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Anan was safe and sound. He had been feeling guilty for not protecting Anan, but now that he saw Anan had finally returned to the palace, the weight on his heart was lifted and his anxiety vanished.
He knew that Anan was the hope of the Great Zhou Kingdom and the only chance to bring down Aqi, and he would do everything in his power to protect Anan's safety.
"Gu Ze, did you know beforehand that the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace was a fake Crown Prince?" the Emperor asked Qi Gu Ze.
Qi Guze nodded lightly.
"Then why didn't you tell me before?" the emperor asked, puzzled.
"Wasn't it because you only believed that fake prince's words before?"
Upon hearing Qi Guze's words, the emperor immediately blushed.
"It was all my fault before. I shouldn't have believed only one side of the story. I won't do that again from now on. You and Princess Heyue should stay in the capital from now on." The emperor realized his mistake and then secretly sent people to search for Aqi.
Unfortunately, they discovered that Ah Qi seemed to have received a secret message and had already secretly escaped.
Seeing everyone weeping with joy, Xu Yuehuai was deeply moved. She knew she had done the right thing, not only saving Anan's life but also helping the Great Zhou Kingdom find its true crown prince.
She silently stepped aside, preparing to leave the palace.
However, at that moment, a guard suddenly rushed into the palace and reported that someone had discovered traces of the fake crown prince outside the palace.
Upon hearing this, Qi Guze immediately ordered the arrest of the fake crown prince and his cronies, and the entire city entered a state of emergency.
In the bustling imperial city, soldiers relentlessly searched for Ah Qi's whereabouts. However, no matter how hard they tried, they could not find him.
Ah Qi, that mysterious and dangerous man, seemed to have vanished into thin air.
On this day, Xu Yuehuai returned to Tianxiang Tower in the capital. She wanted to check on the business operations of Tianxiang Tower.
She sat in the accounting room, flipping through the ledgers, her brows furrowed.
Suddenly, a noise came from outside the window. Xu Yuehuai was startled and looked up to see the injured A Qi jumping in through the window, clutching a dagger tightly in her hand, the tip of the blade pointed directly at her neck.
"You'd better not make a sound." Ah Qi's voice was low and cold, with a sharp killing intent in his eyes.
Xu Yuehuai took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. She knew that Ah Qi was no longer that gentle and pitiful child, but a desperate fugitive being hunted down.
“Ah Qi, you’d better not do anything you’ll regret. If you lay down your sword now, it might not be too late. I can speak to the Emperor and the Prince to spare your life,” she said slowly, trying to make her voice sound calm and natural. “I hope you can think carefully about my advice.”
A hint of doubt flashed in Ah Qi's eyes, but he did not loosen his grip on the dagger in the slightest.
"You'd better not give me this nonsense. Now I need you to take me away from the capital." His tone left no room for argument, as if everything was in his hands.
Although Xu Yuehuai was somewhat panicked, she knew she had to remain calm. She smiled gently, "Aqi, calm down. If you keep pointing a knife at me like this, I can't help you leave the capital."
Ah Qi seemed to be touched by her words, and the murderous intent in his eyes lessened slightly.
Xu Yuehuai seized the opportunity to continue, "Put down the knife first, and I promise to help you leave the capital safely."
Ah Qi remained silent for a moment, and finally slowly put down the dagger in his hand.
Xu Yuehuai breathed a sigh of relief and gestured for Aqi to sit down and rest. She immediately instructed the servants outside to prepare a carriage, intending to let Aqi leave the capital in the carriage.
Soon after, a horse-drawn carriage slowly drove up.
Ah Qi was disguised as a maid and followed Xu Yuehuai into the carriage.
The carriage was dimly lit, and Ah Qi's face was pale and haggard. Xu Yuehuai couldn't help but feel a pang of pity, but she knew she couldn't be soft-hearted at this moment.
The carriage slowly drove out of the city gate and headed out of the city. The scenery along the way flowed past the carriage window, but the two remained silent.
Xu Yuehuai kept observing Aqi's expression and movements, worried that he might suddenly attack. Aqi, on the other hand, was deep in thought, seemingly planning his next move.
Before they knew it, the carriage had traveled quite a distance. Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves broke the surrounding tranquility.
Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened, knowing that the pursuers had discovered their trail.
Knowing their movements were unusual, they immediately sent people to chase after them.
She quickly lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, only to see a group of people dressed in black rapidly approaching the carriage.
"Ah Qi, they're catching up," Xu Yuehuai said slowly.
Ah Qi raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes. "I know, didn't you tell the guy?"
"How could I?" Xu Yuehuai shrugged. "Actually, after spending time together, I didn't want you to end up like this."
Ah Qi snorted coldly, "It had better be that way. You better sit here quietly and don't try anything clever."
Xu Yuehuai smiled slightly and said nothing more. She knew that the most important thing at the moment was to find a way to shake off the pursuers. The men in black were getting closer and closer, and the leader shouted for the carriage to stop.
Ah Qi gripped the dagger tightly, a murderous glint in his eyes. Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened; she knew Ah Qi had gone mad and she couldn't let him continue down this path.
"Ah Qi, listen to me." Xu Yuehuai tried to remain calm. "If you put down your weapon now, I can plead with the Emperor and the Prince for you, and you will be fine. But if you continue to resist, then things might be different."
Ah Qi didn't speak, but the murderous intent in his eyes intensified. Xu Yuehuai was anxious; she couldn't just watch Ah Qi walk towards his doom.
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