Qin Zhao observed through the gap in the window, but his eyes froze slightly.
After the Ministry of Rites, it should be the emperor's carriage.
But what appeared before him was not the imperial carriage, but... the phoenix chariot that the Queen Mother rode.
Black was the most revered color of the dynasty. Through the layers of black veil shrouding the phoenix chariot, one could vaguely discern a graceful and elegant woman seated within. Her features were unclear, and she appeared to be reading something. As she passed the teahouse, she seemed to sense something and glanced up at the second floor.
The windows on the second floor of the teahouse were ajar, and from the perspective of the convoy, nothing could be seen.
The Queen Mother withdrew her gaze and spoke softly, "Chang Shun."
"I'm here." The old eunuch beside her responded quickly.
The Queen Mother's voice sounded very young, and her words were soft and gentle, yet they exuded a sense of authority that was not even angry. "Pass the word down. The weather looks gloomy today, and it might rain later. Tell them to hurry and not to stop on the way unless it's urgent."
"I obey your command."
The old eunuch turned to leave, but the Queen Mother stopped him again, "Also, have people search all along the way, especially the post stations and teahouses. Your Majesty is ill and weak, don't give these thieves an opportunity to take advantage."
The Empress Dowager's decree was quickly passed down. Deng Tianyou was far away from the Empress Dowager's phoenix carriage. When he learned the news from the imperial guards, the surrounding post stations and teahouses had already been searched.
Including Qin Zhao's hiding place.
Deng Tianyou was so restless in the carriage that he even breathed very lightly, always paying attention to the movements outside, fearing that he would hear the news that a suspicious person had been spotted in the distance.
But no.
No new news came until the convoy left the post station.
Deng Tianyou breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that his palms were already covered in sweat.
.
Not far away, Qin Zhao emerged from the dense bushes. The tea shop owner was waiting beside him. "Sir, what should we do now?"
Looking at the caravan going off into the distance, Qin Zhao said leisurely, "It seems like I'm unlucky today."
Is it because he didn’t bring his young husband with him?
According to past custom, other than the current Empress, no other concubines were allowed to accompany the ceremony, and the Empress Dowager was naturally not allowed to do so either. Furthermore, before today, the imperial family had clearly communicated that the Empress Dowager would remain in the capital during the ceremony and would not be accompanying the emperor.
Now it seems that things have obviously changed.
But this did not surprise Qin Zhao too much.
Meeting the little emperor in the teahouse was only the simplest of all his plans. Before this, he did not have much hope that this plan could be successfully implemented.
How could he be allowed to see the king of a country so easily?
Qin Zhao gathered his thoughts and ordered, "Bring the horses here."
The horses were prepared in advance. If Qin Zhao and his party failed to successfully bring the little emperor in at the teahouse, they would take a shortcut and ride horses to the ancestral temple.
Qin Zhao selected five people to go with him.
However, his luck today seemed to be really bad. When the group just crossed a mountain, it suddenly started snowing.
This was the first snow they encountered since arriving in Beijing.
It was as if God wanted to make up for the late snow this year. The originally fluttering snow soon turned into heavy snow, and thick fog rose in the mountains, making it difficult to see.
There was a sudden storm of wind and snow in the mountains. After Qin Zhao persisted in the snow for half an hour, he finally found it difficult to move forward.
Even if the horse can still walk, he cannot.
Qin Zhao hadn't fully recovered yet, and at this critical moment, he didn't dare to joke with his health. So, when they came across a dilapidated temple on the road, Qin Zhao immediately ordered them to go inside to hide from the snow.
This temple is located in the middle of nowhere, with no village in front and no shops behind. It is not very popular and there is only an old abbot and a few young monks in the whole temple.
Qin Zhao was taken to the main hall to rest. In the courtyard outside the hall, there was a large lotus pond. Lotus leaves grew in the pond, and snowflakes melted into the water, creating ripples on the surface.
"Please have some tea, benefactor." The old abbot brought Qin Zhao a cup of tea.
Qin Zhao thanked him and pointed to the lotus pond in the courtyard and asked, "Why aren't there any fish in this lotus pond in the temple?"
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