Ji Wu Jiu went to the 3 main army camps, to bid farewell to the departing armies, and said some very motivational words towards the soldiers making the tens of thousands of men feeling highly motivated. He then returned to the palace, and continued a whole day of work at Yang Xin Hall, during dinner time, he decided to go to Kun Ning Palace to eat, because he was starting to miss Ye Zhen Zhen.
Thinking about yesterday night’s sweetness, inside Ji Wu Jiu’s was very warm, and sweet. That is why he can’t wait to meet with Ye Zhen Zhen, making his steps even faster.
However, when he reached Kun Ning Palace, JI Wu Jiu found out Ye Zhen Zhen have not started dinner preparation, and this in her case was something very out of the ordinary. Feeling something was wrong, he went into her room immediately.
There was no one inside the room, Su Yue, Su Feng or w.a.n.g You Cai was not there also. Then, there was noise coming from the bed, some m.u.f.fled voices could be heard, the atmosphere was very weird.
Ji Wu Jiu thought that perhaps Ye Zhen Zhen was ill, so he walked towards the bed opened the muslin cloth to take a look, but who knew he would be so shocked by what he saw.
On the bed, there was no Ye Zhen Zhen, but only Su Feng and Su Yue, both of them being tied up properly, mouth covered, and the weird m.u.f.fled voices were made by them earlier. When the both of them saw Ji Wu Jiu, their eyes brightened, and tried to send message through their eyes.
Ji Wu Jiu suddenly felt something bad happened, at that moment many types of possible scenarios flew by his mind, each getting worse then the other. He took out the cloth from their mouth and asked “Where is the empress? Was she kidnapped by w.a.n.g You Cai?”
“Replying to your majesty, it was w.a.n.g You Cai who was kidnapped by the Empress!”
Hearing that Ye Zhen Zhen was not in danger, he calm down a little, untied the both of them and said “Speak, what actually happened?”
“This morning, after serving the empress her breakfast, she and w.a.n.g You Cai tied me up, and placed me on the bed. Then Su Feng was called in, tied and placed together with me. After that the empress left with w.a.n.g You Cai. Before that w.a.n.g You Cai was advising her not to go, and when he left, he does not seem to be very willing as well. But the empress threatened him, if he does not want to go, she will tie him up and throw him into Tai Ye Lake to feed the fishes. What happens after that, I do not know”
“She has never returned at all?”
“No”
Ji Wu Jiu did not understand, as the empress, Ye Zhen Zhen can do what ever she likes, why does she need to tie people up? Tying this to maid servants up, would most probably be because she was afraid the both of them will go look for her when she did not return, and if they can’t find her the entire palace will be notified.
Afraid they will go look for her?
She left the palace?!
Ji Wu Jiu was shocked by his guess. For a woman that lives in the palace to sneak out, really requires a lot of courage, but thinking that the person is Ye Zhen Zhen, he felt that it was not impossible.
Furthermore, to forcefully bring along w.a.n.g You Cai, would most probably be because he has the badge to leave the palace, something that even an Empress would not be able to obtain easily.
JI Wu Jiu immediately summoned the palace guards as well as eunuchs on duty to ask if they have seem the empress, or any stranger’s face ,he was afraid Ye Zhen Zhen will camouflage herself as an eunuch to leave the palace.
In within that group of people, there were actually a lot of them that seen her, she did not change her appearance. According to their answer, Ji Wu Jiu found her route of leaving the palace, it was towards the Shen Wu Gate.
Threrefore, Ji Wu Jiu personally rushed to Shen Wu Gate, and summoned all the eunuchs on duty, and asked if they have seen the empress.
The eunuchs that were on duty in the morning answered “Replying to your majesty, the empress left the palace with an imperial edict at around 8am.”
“Imperial edict?” Ji Wu Jiu raised his eyebrows dangerously “Which edict was she referring to!?”
“According to Niang Niang, it was from your majesty personally”
JI Wu Jiu took a deep breath and asked “Did she bring anyone else?”
“Replying to your majesty, she only brought along w.a.n.g You Cai “
“Only bringing one person, and you all dared to let her go out” Ji Wu Jiu’s face was very scary when he said those words.
The eunuchs realized that something was not right, and immediately kneeled down to beg for mercy.
“Someone, bring these group of people down, and each to be flogged 40 times, keep their heads on at the moment, if anything were to happen to the empress, I will be back for them. You, bring a few people to investigate outside the palace to look for the empress’s trace, do not let news travel out. What ever happened today, who ever speaks a single word to another person, all will be beheaded!”
After leaving his words, ignoring the sounds that are coming from the people being dragged away, Ji Wu Jiu body was shaking, his expression was still very bad. Feng You De can actually hear the sound of him clenching his teeth.
To fake an imperial edict! To leave the palace without permission! This woman’s guts is getting bigger and bigger!
JI Wu Jiu got angrier by each thought, and returned to Gan Qing Palace filled with anger. On the way back, all the maid servants and eunuch that happens to see him was scared till they all kneeled down and not daring to make a single sound, and waited for Ji Wu Jiu to go far away, in the mean time inside they were all thinking about the capability of the person who can actually anger the emperor to this state.
Pa.s.sing by Kun Ning Palace, Ji Wu Jiu suddenly stopped.
Leaving the palace according to edict? From the emperor personally?
In his mind, he was trying to recollect every single word that he said to her yesterday.
“Go out, I do not want to see you”
“Understood”
“You are the emperor, every word you say is an edict, is that correct?”
“A Leader does not back down on his words”
…. So it was this type of edict, it was this this way you left the palace! Ye Zhen Zhen you are really!!!!
Ji Wu Jiu felt that he will burst anytime soon, seeing a bright light, his chest was heaving heavily, angered blood was rising, and suddenly feeling a sweetness in his mouth, there was liquid coming out from his mouth uncontrollably.
Feng You De saw that Ji Wu Jiu vomited blood, he was scared but immediately help hold on to him, and shouted to the eunuchs nearby “Faster, call the imperial doctor!”
Doctor Tie, checked on Ji Wu Jiu, and said that his anger attacked his heart. Towards this, Doctor Tie was surprised, the emperor was not someone temperamental, this time what could have caused him to be this angry.
JI Wu Jiu dismissed everyone, and sat on his bed alone, in deep thoughts.
Yesterday night, because he was being too emotional, he said that type of sweet words. When Ye Zhen Zhen asked him, he thought that she just wanted a promise from him, but who knew, she was using the opportunity to lure out those words from him.
For him to finally make a decision about being loyal to her only, he thought that it would be able to touch her a little, but who knew, she does not bother about it!
His sincere feelings was not received, and not only throwing it on the floor, but adding a few stomps on it as well.
Too cruel, you are too cruel Ye Zhen Zhen.
Ji Wu Jiu smiled bitterly. They all said the emperors are the most cold hearted, but only the heart made of stone that can never be melted are truly the ones that make people life bitter.
His heart was being stabbed by thousands of needles, and was screaming sadly, it was like it being sliced to thousands pieces, layer by layer making him pained till numb, and hard to breath. Ji Wu Jiu held on to his chest with strength, slowly calling out Ye Zhen Zhen’s name, again and again, his gaze from a fool in love, slowly turning into cold and hatred.
You think that you walking out of the palace with my edict, you will be fine? Ye Zhen Zhen I will definitely not let you off easily!
Ji Wu Jiu did not sleep the whole night. He was thinking about his conversation with Ye Zhen Zhen, thinking about yesterday’s nights happening. All the sweet talk, at this moment was become a joke.
What’s a bigger joke was that, he is starting to be worried about her.
A woman, only bringing a young eunuch along, and not knowing the culture of the normal citizens, if someone were to con her, what would happen?
If she met someone dangerous, what would happen?
If this news was spread out, and people with hidden agenda managed to find her first, what would happen?
The world outside is different from the palace. Inside the palace she can do what she wants, but inside the city, who will know that she is the empress? Who will be patient with her, protect her?
She is such a pretty person, eyes bright, with a mole on top of her lips, if someone were to have bad intentions towards her…..
JI Wu Jiu does not dare to think further. He suddenly stood up and shouted “Zhao Zhi Cheng!”
The moment his words ended, someone immediately appeared and kneeled in front of the bed “I am here, is there any order your majesty?”
“Bring all the hidden guards and spies, to look for the empress, every house send someone back to send news”
“Understood”
Zhao Zhi Cheng left. Ji Wu Jiu lie back down on the bed, and was in imagination land, but because he was still in an anxious state, he was not sleepy as well. When Feng You De came in to rise the emperor for court, he found that his face was very tired, without vigor ,so he advised “Your majesty, if you are not feeling well, shall we cancel today’s court? Your body is the upmost important”
Although Ji Wu Jiu was not in the mood for court, he still went to Huang Ji Hall and sat for a while, the ministers was reporting their works non stop, until they received the gaze from Feng You De, so in the end the court ended quickly.
After the court ended, Ji Wu Jiu received the report from the hidden guards, Ye Zhen Zhen, after leaving Shen Wu Gate, headed north and did not stop at her home. Then in the middle of her route, she changed her appearance so her trace was lost. Zhao Zhi Cheng already ordered drawings to be made, and was searching each main gate of the capital.
Towards north? Did not return home? Ji Wu Jiu kept replaying this two sentences and headed to Ci Ning Palace. He told the empress dowager, Ye Zhen Zhen suddenly fell ill, and cannot perform her daily greetings, the other consorts also does not need to go Kun Ning Palace to disturb her.
“You still want to fool me, it was evident that she sneaked out from the palace!”
Ji Wu Jiu at the moment does not have the time to bother about who was the one who leaked the news, and only said “She did not sneak out, but she had my edict”
The empress dowager scolded “Such actions, not only the emperor did not fault her, but still help to cover?”
“Mother, I am not in a good mood today, so I would not argue with you. I only have one thing to say, if anyone dares to harm the empress using this opportunity, I will definitely not be forgiving”
Zhao Zhi Cheng reported that, the whole capital’s gate did not see the empress leave, Ji Wu Jiu also seems to have properly calmed down, so his thoughts are more clear now. He was angry about Ye Zhen Zhen’s trick and her cold heart, but did not think about the most important part.
Why did Ye Zhen Zhen took such a big dare to leave the palace? What is there that she really wants to do, and only can be done after leaving the palace?
War.
So she definitely left the capital. The guards at the gate did not notice her most probably because she did a very good camouflage.
“No need to search for her, most probably she has already joined the army group” Ji Wu Jiu said towards Zhao Zhi Cheng. Now he is very regretful that he gave her a tiger seal, but who knew her courage would be so high.
Zhao Zhi Cheng who was kneeling on the ground felt his heart lighter, “Your Majesty, do you want me to send someone to the army camp to retrieve the empress?”
“No need, this time I want to catch her personally”.
Note: Forecast ~ will be busy till next Thursday ~ L