Chapter 254 Let me leave the palace, I want to go home
Amused by Yuan Heng's reaction, Ji Qingwu finally smiled slightly.
"There are roots and leaves."
She's not the type to take her anger out on others when she's powerless. She knows exactly who to turn to for help and who to hold accountable.
It was getting late, so she needed to return to Cining Palace as soon as possible.
Looking at the surrounding scenery, she wanted to go back but didn't know the way, so she could only place her hopes on Yuan Heng.
"Your Highness, do you know how to get back to Cining Palace?"
Yuan Heng said shrewdly, "We'll find out when a palace servant passes by and comes along."
He didn't know that Ji Qingwu was standing at the crossroads.
He asked, "We've been in the bushes for so long and haven't seen a single person pass by. Are we worried that no one will come?"
Yuan Heng said, "No, Xiao Shunzi will come looking for me."
Ji Qingwu still remembers the eunuch who took care of the young prince.
Rather than waiting for Xiao Shunzi to come looking for her with a fuss and make a scene that the whole palace would know, it would be better for her to find her own way back.
However, Ji Qingwu was in a daze on the way here and didn't notice any markings.
But as she looked back at the spot she had just been, she suddenly noticed something was amiss.
She remembered picking all the flowers and plants on the ground before, and now they had all mysteriously disappeared; it was definitely that place.
At that moment, the gate of the palace not far away opened, and a palace maid in yellow carrying a lantern came out.
She walked towards the two of them, bowed first, and said, "This servant greets Your Highness and Miss Ji."
Yuan Heng, with his hands behind his back, said, "Get up. Do you know how to get to Qian Yuan Palace from here?"
The palace maid replied, "This servant is from Anhua Palace. Her Highness specifically instructed this servant to guide us."
The timing was perfect. Ji Qingwu asked, "How did Your Highness know we got lost at the gate?"
The palace maid said, "This is the most remote place in the entire Phoenix Palace. People often wander into the vicinity of Anhua Palace and can't find their way out."
I've wandered in by mistake and can't find a way out...
Ji Qingwu recalled that she had once walked such a changeable path.
The path behind Hanshan Temple is like this.
The palace maid led them forward, and Ji Qingwu said, "This road seems to be different from the road I came by."
The palace maid continued walking, praising, "Miss Ji is truly exceptionally intelligent. Because our Ladyship prefers tranquility, she used some clever tricks to conceal the truth during the construction of this place."
Using this bewitching formation even in the palace shows that this empress truly dislikes socializing. Yet Emperor Wusu agreed to do so, suggesting she must have once been favored by the emperor.
Ji Qingwu had never heard of this person before, so she asked, "May I ask who your mistress is?"
The palace maid said, "My mistress is Consort Hui. My lady doesn't like to go out, so it's normal that you haven't heard of her."
As she spoke, she stopped in her tracks, and the road in front of her widened, with palace servants passing by one after another.
"This is the main road of the palace, so this servant will not see Your Highness and Miss Ji off any further."
Ji Qingwu said, "Thank you."
Before they had gone far, Xiao Shunzi appeared in a hurry and chattered in Yuan Heng's ear for a while.
"Oh, my little prince, why are you abandoning this servant? If anything happens to you, this servant will be guilty of a thousand deaths."
Yuan Heng got annoyed by his nagging: "What could possibly happen to me in the palace? There are so many guards here, so stop making a fuss."
Xiao Shunzi said, "Even the safest place can be dangerous sometimes. It's really thanks to Miss Ji for bringing His Highness back."
Ji Qingwu turned away and did not accept his bow.
It turned out that Yuan Heng had followed her all the way to the vicinity of Anhua Palace, and it wasn't a stroll at all; she almost lost Yuan Heng as well.
Ji Qingwu squatted down and said, "Your Highness, I think Eunuch Shun is right. Even in the palace, we can't run around. Safety is more important than anything else."
By this time, it was already dark, and the palace lanterns along the road were lit.
The yellow light shone on Ji Qingwu's face, making her expression appear incredibly gentle.
Yuan Heng couldn't help but take a half step forward, getting closer to her and whispering in her ear.
"I just want to see you."
Hearing that soft voice, Ji Qingwu's heart softened: "How about we agree on a time to meet every day?"
Yuan Heng's dark eyes lit up, and he whispered something in her ear.
Ji Qingwu nodded: "Okay, I'll do whatever you say. Go back with Grandpa Xiaoshunzi quickly."
*
When Ji Qingwu returned to Cining Palace, the palace maid who had accompanied her to Zhaoyang Palace to deliver the soup had already told the Empress Dowager everything that had happened in front of the Emperor.
As Ji Qingwu entered the palace, the Empress Dowager was sitting on the long chaise longue with her eyes closed and a sullen face.
Shi Xi was massaging her shoulders, and when Fang Hua saw Ji Qingwu, she gave her a worried look.
"Greetings, Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager slowly raised her eyes and beckoned, saying, "You're finally back. Come to my side."
Ji Qingwu took a deep breath.
She blinked, a layer of mist welling up in her eyes, and walked to the Empress Dowager's side.
The Empress Dowager noticed the dirt on her shoes and the hem of her dress, and also saw the tears in her eyes.
The two had not spent their time together in vain; the Empress Dowager knew that her niece was a sincere person.
He swallowed back the words of rebuke, and his tone softened considerably.
"I have seen many women, but I have never seen one like you who looks gentle and kind but is actually stubborn and unpleasant."
Ji Qingwu stood there with her head down, looking utterly lost.
The Empress Dowager waved for Shi Xi to step aside and watched her.
"If the Emperor is in a bad mood, you should step aside and reappear when he is in a better mood."
When the palace maid said that Ji Qingwu had smashed the soup bowl in front of Emperor Wusu, the Empress Dowager's heart skipped a beat, thinking that her niece's life was in danger.
The Empress Dowager said, "How much do you know? Do you think you have nine lives? How dare you argue with the Emperor!"
When Ji Qingwu looked up, her face was full of sadness, and a tear was hanging on her lower eyelid, about to fall, making her look very pitiful.
"Your Majesty, you didn't see how cold His Majesty looked, or what he said."
Seeing her expression, the Empress Dowager also felt a little sorry for her.
She sighed, "I've been through this myself; it's normal for couples to have disagreements."
"Let alone the emperor, even the wives of ordinary officials would never smash bowls and plates over a few words. It would be a laughing stock if word got out."
Ji Qingwu said aggrievedly, "His Majesty smashed the bowl first, and he said that he was tired of me."
The Empress Dowager said sternly, "He is the emperor. Just because he can do something doesn't mean you can."
Ji Qingwu covered her face with her hands and sobbed, "I've already fallen, and I'm too ashamed to stay in the palace. Empress Dowager, please let me leave the palace. I want to go home."
When she heard that she wanted to go back, the Empress Dowager's expression changed.
It's rare for the Ji family to produce someone whom the Emperor takes a liking to. Although he was disliked, he's at least gained a title and position, and we can discuss things later.
The Empress Dowager said anxiously, "You child, you come home at the slightest setback. What kind of behavior is that?"
Ji Qingwu choked back tears and said defiantly, "If the Empress Dowager won't stand up for me, I'll leave the palace and go home!"
The Empress Dowager was at her wit's end by this.
"How do you expect me to make decisions for you?"
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