Yong Yaxuan couldn't remember what kind of mood he was in when he saw this message. But this time, he was determined to protect her. He immediately moved to the imperial study and summoned his counselors to discuss the matter.
The old imperial physician watched the young emperor's hasty figure disappearing and sighed. It seemed that when it came to state affairs and his own health, he always chose the former.
In the imperial study, Yong Yaxuan still had a fever. His head was dizzy and his body ached. As he listened to the ministers' impassioned speeches and paced slowly, he felt so unsteady that he had to stop and support his forehead.
A courtier seeing this said, "Your Majesty is ill. Why not sit down and listen to us?"
But with everyone so excited, how could he sit still?
Eunuch Li came to support Yong Yaxuan, and he then sat down on the chair.
Everyone's view was that no matter what happened, the emperor should hold the throne firmly, and the matter of rescuing the queen should be left to others.
But Yong Yaxuan wanted to go in person. He had already owed her too much. Even if he knew it was a trap, he didn't care.
Because of the emperor's willfulness, the counselors' discussion shifted to practical issues such as how to travel secretly to ensure the emperor's safety, how to use a substitute to stabilize the Great Yong Dynasty, and how to handle the memorials during the emperor's absence.
Finally, Yong Yaxuan made a secret will. If he really couldn't return, Yun Xuan would succeed him, with the empress dowager acting as regent and a chief minister appointed to ensure the stability of the Great Yong Dynasty.
This will was made secretly and would only be made public after his death.
In the following days, Yong Yaxuan began to order people to prepare for his trip. Coincidentally, at this time, Beihan sent an invitation, inviting Yong Yaxuan to participate in the autumn hunting activity in Beihan to enhance the friendship between the two countries.
Once this happened, the court officials were divided into two factions and had a fierce discussion.
One faction believed that the country couldn't be without a king for a day. Beihan must have a plot this time. If Beihan broke the agreement and detained Emperor Yong, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The other faction, however, believed that the two countries had already intermarried and established a friendly relationship. Moreover, the invitation was made openly. If Beihan had any evil intentions, it would surely be condemned by the world. Besides, Beihan's military strength was no match for that of the Great Yong Dynasty. It would be unwise to start a war between the two countries because of this matter.
Yong Yaxuan's high fever had subsided by now, but he still had a headache from their quarrels. So he gave a hint, "Diplomatic relations between the two countries cannot be easily broken. Since Beihan has the courage to invite me openly, I believe Beihan won't do anything dirty."
Since the emperor had spoken, the quarrel died down.
Yong Yaxuan said, "If I'm not in the court, all matters will be handled by the three dukes. Besides, I have some other arrangements."
After saying that, he transferred some officials' duties. These arrangements were what he had thought of when he was planning to secretly leave the palace. They were also to balance the situation in the court and prevent chaos.
After making these arrangements, he discussed the latest changes with his counselors. Finally, they decided that he would first disguise himself and leave the palace. He would keep everything simple and rush to Beihan first.
As for the emperor's entourage for the autumn hunting in Beihan, it would take several days to prepare. Moreover, with so many carriages and horses, the traveling speed would surely be slow. So he arranged for a substitute to go in his place. This could also fish out whether there was anyone in the Great Yong Dynasty who wanted to harm him.
After making these arrangements, he changed his clothes and set off.
He had just recovered from a serious illness and was still weak. But when he thought of what Ji Feiyu might be going through, his heart ached as if being cut by a knife. He wished he could grow wings and fly to Beihan.
Missing you, worrying about you, going towards you. May you be happy and safe.
In Beihan at this time, Ji Feiyu wanted to know the second prince's secret, so she naturally started with the fake Ji Feiyu.
She found a night and secretly slipped into the fake Ji Feiyu's residence.
But when she got to the room, there was no one there.
Ji Feiyu looked around and walked towards the desk.
On the desk was a copied map of the mountains and rivers. The copying technique was rather rough, and judging from the ink marks, it had been copied a long time ago, not recently. There must be something fishy...
Ji Feiyu rummaged through the desk to see if there were any other clues. Just then, a voice sounded, "What are you doing here?"
It was her own voice!
Ji Feiyu looked up and saw her familiar face appearing at the door.
Damn it. Could this woman walk without making a sound?
Ji Feiyu pretended to be familiar and said, "Feiyu, it's me. Before, with the second prince around, it was inconvenient for us to recognize each other. Now that it's midnight and there's no one around, you don't have to act so strange with me."
The woman walked into the room, closed the door, and looked at her strangely. "Do we know each other?"
Ji Feiyu looked at her expectantly. "Of course we do. Have you forgotten?"
The eagerness in Ji Feiyu's eyes made the woman a little wavering. Then she firmly shook her head. "But I don't know any Flute-playing Young Master."
Ji Feiyu said, "I'm not the Flute-playing Young Master. This face of mine is fake, and so is my voice."
Hearing this, the woman curiously sized her up, walked around her in a circle, and laughed. "Can this be fake? Let me take a good look."
Ji Feiyu thought to herself: She's really a good actress. She must have seen through my fake face a long time ago, but now she's still pretending not to know.
The woman said, "So who on earth are you?"
Ji Feiyu said, "Have you forgotten? We met four years ago, and I even saved your life."
Ji Feiyu thought that if this woman was really Ji Feiyu, she surely wouldn't forget such a great favor. If she couldn't remember, then she could expose her.
The woman fell into deep thought. After a while, she said, "But four years ago, I met too many people and experienced too many things. There were more than one person who saved me. If you don't give me some hints, how can I know who you are?"
Goodness. She threw the question back again. Ji Feiyu really wanted to roll her eyes at her, but she held back.
She said, "It was in a romantic setting. You slipped off the roof, and I flew up and caught you."
The woman couldn't help laughing. "This kind of scene mostly appears in storybooks. I don't remember anyone treating me like this, except that bastard. But you're obviously not him. Who on earth are you?"
Ji Feiyu understood and said, "You don't remember me?" She began to size her up and finally said, "If you're not Ji Feiyu, then who are you?"
The woman said, "If I'm not Ji Feiyu, then who else could I be? If you're an old acquaintance of mine, just tell me your name. Why are you being so secretive?"
Ji Feiyu said, "I'm entrusted by someone to rescue you. But if I want to rescue you, I must first confirm your identity."
The woman said, "Rescue me? Alright, I'll tell you. I did make acquaintance with a man four years ago. His name was Butterfly Flower. He did catch me like that, but you're not him."
Ji Feiyu was greatly shocked. She could even know this! But on the surface, she just smiled faintly. "Since that's the case, you must be Ji Feiyu. I'll take you out!"
But the woman worriedly said, "I'm afraid it won't be that simple."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Feiyu heard a chaotic sound of footsteps outside the door. Then the door was suddenly opened. Surrounded by a group of people, the second prince walked in, shaking his folding fan, and laughed. "Flute-playing Young Master, who were you just saying you were going to take out?"