Su Wanwan never expected that her travel permit would be unable to leave Juyong Pass.
It is now dark, and returning to the capital is impossible.
In this desolate wilderness, she had no choice but to find a nearby family to stay with temporarily.
About thirty miles south of Juyong Pass lies Yong'an City, which is under the jurisdiction of Changping Prefecture.
They found an inn in the city to rest and planned to send someone to the Duke of Anguo's mansion the next day to ask for help in resolving the issue of travel permits.
The inn has many thresholds and stairs, making it quite inconvenient for wheelchairs to go up and down.
Su Wanwan didn't want to be carried around, so she moved her body with the help of her crutches.
Of course, the sight of him running out to stay at a guesthouse despite his injured leg also attracted a lot of attention.
But there's nothing we can do about it.
Yan Rong carefully supported Su Wanwan from behind.
I glanced up unintentionally and saw a figure in the corridor; my expression turned ugly for a moment.
When Su Wanwan arrived at the room, her forehead was already covered in a fine layer of sweat.
She quickly ate the food delivered by the inn and went to sleep.
I just hope the travel permit issue can be resolved soon so I can get away from this troublesome place in the capital.
Yan Rong instructed He Ying, "I'll stay with you tonight, Miss. Go check if your luggage and everyone else are settled in. Get some rest."
He Ying nodded and left.
Yan Rong was the most trusted head maid, and even she always obeyed Yan Rong's orders.
...
Before the morning court session began, Lu Xingjian walked gracefully toward Fengtian Gate.
The chief steward beside him asked with a half-smile, "Your Majesty, did you sleep well last night?"
Lu Xingjian glanced at him lightly, his dark eyes gleaming with a cold light: "You've been quite free lately?"
Steward Li instinctively sensed danger and quickly smiled obsequiously.
"How could that be? Your Majesty, you have wronged this old servant."
"My legs are about to break from running."
"Miss Su left the capital yesterday and is about to pass through Juyong Pass."
"If this old servant hadn't arranged for someone to prevent them from passing under the pretext of not having a travel permit, they would probably be at Jimingyi by now."
Steward Li shook his head helplessly:
"I don't know what she's so determined to do after leaving the pass."
Lu Xingjian's expression visibly turned cold.
"Bring the person back to the capital."
He recalled Su Wanwan's reply that night and felt inexplicably irritated.
The name he didn't want to remember lingered in his mind.
He thought she would at most leave the capital for Luoyang.
I never imagined they'd be so bold as to go to the frontier!
That guard, who seemed like an ant, was so important to her.
Before the morning court session began, Chief Eunuch Li read out an imperial edict.
The emperor instructed all civil and military officials not to waste time repeatedly discussing matters that had already been settled, and to speak concisely and avoid unnecessary words, or else they would be severely punished.
At the same time, Xie Pi, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy, who made outrageous remarks during yesterday's morning court session, was dismissed.
Xie Pi was the third-ranked scholar in the previous imperial examination, the second son of Xie Qian, the former second-ranking official, and a leader of the literati in Zhejiang.
With the two shackles in place and the lingering effects of the previous summer's punishment of kneeling still present, today's morning court session was indeed much quieter.
Even the strange celestial phenomena of yesterday are no longer mentioned by anyone.
Lu Xingjian was satisfied with the officials' temporary obedience and looked at Chief Eunuch Li when the court session ended.
Chief Steward Li's eyes flickered as he nervously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Your Majesty, Su girl... has disappeared."
Lu Xingjian frowned: "You sneaked out of the pass?"
They are quite capable, though.
Steward Li's expression was grave. "It shouldn't be."
"They said they were staying at the Tongfu Inn in Yong'an City, but when the maid got up in the middle of the night, she found that the person who was sleeping soundly in bed was gone."
Lu Xingjian's face instantly turned cold and grim, sensing the scent of a conspiracy.
She had just been harassed in the palace yesterday, but escaped unscathed.
He disappeared outside the capital that very night.
He didn't believe anyone was deliberately targeting her.
He ordered in a deep voice: "Order the Three Thousand Battalion and the Divine Machine Battalion to blockade Yong'an City and cut off the main transportation routes around the capital."
Steward Li hesitated, swallowing back the words of advice that were on the tip of his tongue.
The Three Thousand Battalion was the elite cavalry force in the capital.
The Shenji Battalion, equipped with powerful firearms, possessed unparalleled combat strength and lethality, making it the most important army unit.
The simultaneous mobilization of the two battalions would likely plunge the capital into panic.
The search for this person has gone to far too much of a fuss.
However, he didn't dare to offer any advice at the moment, and instead sent someone to fetch Liu Yu, the Minister of War.
Liu Yu was highly regarded by Su Jian in the past, but was later ostracized by Liu Daxia, the Minister of War. It was only through Su Jian's strategic planning that Liu Yu was able to keep his official position.
Lu Xingjian returned to the Qianqing Palace first.
As I passed the door of the room where they had parted yesterday, I paused and looked at the spot where the wheelchair had been.
The smooth, mirror-like black brick floor was completely empty.
A few rays of sunlight shone in, and dust particles flew wildly in the beams of light, adding a touch of vitality to this dark and desolate tall building.
This only made the entire Qianqing Palace appear even more tranquil and serene.
It was as if he was the only one left.
...
Su Wanwan didn't sleep very soundly.
It's like being in a cage, with no way to escape.
It was as if a huge net had enveloped her, making it hard for her to breathe.
In a daze, he seemed to see Lu Xingjian's face, and he said reluctantly, "Wait for me to come back."
She felt like her eyelids weighed a ton, and she couldn't open them no matter what she did.
A slightly shrill male voice rang out from not far away:
"Why isn't he awake yet? Could it be that you didn't handle him well and hurt him?"
"How could that be?"
A rough male voice, tinged with flattery and respect, rang out.
"My master instructed that she should not be harmed, and I dare not disobey. However, the effects of the sleeping potion have not worn off, and she will not wake up for a while."
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