Chapter 32 - 2#

Xiao Cuan didn’t dismount, only sat on horseback, eyes lowered, scanning them: “Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty…”

Before they could stand up, Xiao Cuan asked again: “Has the edict of the Empress’s appointment been passed down?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, it has all been passed down.” The leading official replied respectfully. “Now, throughout the entire An Prefecture, down to the villages and towns, everyone knows Your Majesty has appointed an Empress. Further south, Huai Prefecture and Chen Prefecture, receiving Your Majesty’s decree a bit slower, are still in the process of deployment.”

“Has any eighteen-year-old fair youth come to the government saying he is the Empress?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, no.”

No, still no.

Xiao Cuan was silent, lowering his eyes.

Seeing him silent, the minister added: “We have prepared a mansion for Your Majesty in the city. Would Your Majesty like to rest for a while?”

“Accepted.”

Xiao Cuan grabbed the reins, spurred the horse, bypassed them, and rode straight into the city.

He had set out from the capital five days ago, traveling day and night, changing five horses on the way. He headed all the way south and finally reached An Prefecture.

That night in the side hall of the Taiji Hall, he had thought of many ways.

His final plan was that since he couldn’t find Yanzhi, he would make Yanzhi find him.

So, he deliberately proclaimed to the world that he had appointed an Empress and informed all under heaven of Yanzhi’s name.

He couldn’t control Yanzhi now, but he could completely control the territory of Liang.

He was confident that as long as Yanzhi was still within the borders of Liang, he would surely hear this news.

Xiao Cuan was full of confidence that Yanzhi leaving in a huff was only because of the Empress’s appointment.

So he thought, as long as Yanzhi knew he was now the Empress, he would surely return on his own.

He knew Yanzhi didn’t want him to have a beauty selection from the start.

Over this matter, Yanzhi had even secretly hidden under the covers and cried several times.

Now, he had proclaimed to the world and appointed Yanzhi as Empress. Others might not see it, but Yanzhi, who was on the run, would surely see that this was the Emperor taking a step back and calling him back.

As long as Yanzhi still wanted to be Empress, he would surely return.

The position of Empress was bait; he was going to catch Yanzhi like this.

But once Yanzhi returned, the bait could be given to him, the snacks in the palace could be given to him, and the snacks in the system store could also be given to him.

But now, there was still no trace of Yanzhi.

Xiao Cuan rode to the mansion where he was staying.

He took a deep breath, comforting himself.

Catching birds requires patience; fishing requires patience.

Catching Yanzhi requires even more patience.

He had already arrived in the south; he had already smelled the faint scent of Yanzhi in the wind.

He had plenty of days to wait slowly for Yanzhi to take the bait.

Xiao Cuan dismounted and strode across the threshold.

The Emperor had arrived in a hurry, and the An Prefecture officials had responded hastily; the relay station was also the mansion of the prefectural governor.

A crowd of officials secretly peeked at the Emperor’s expression, fearing he would be unsatisfied.

Xiao Cuan, however, looked straight ahead, not glancing once, and strode through the corridor, barking orders—

“Send the memorials from the capital to my room!”

“Bring some food and drink! Bring a basin of fresh water for washing!”

“Everyone, replenish your rations, rest for one night, set out tomorrow morning, and continue the journey!”

The close ministers and personal guards had long been used to this, cupping their fists and taking the order: “Yes!”

Only the local officials of An Prefecture, not understanding the situation, widened their eyes.

This… didn’t the Emperor say he was here for an inspection? Why was it being conducted like a military campaign?

Finally, Xiao Cuan stopped, turned back, and said seriously: “My arrival in the south is not to be widely publicized, not a word is to be leaked, do you all understand?”

The ministers hurriedly said: “We understand!”

The people in the south only knew the Emperor had appointed an Empress and that from today on, court would be suspended until after the New Year. They thought the Emperor and the newly appointed Empress were currently being affectionate and loving in the Daliang Palace.

Xiao Cuan was naturally doing this on purpose, deliberately hiding his movements for fear of scaring Yanzhi away.

Xiao Cuan pushed open the door and entered the room.

The personal guards followed his instructions, put down the food, hot water, memorials, maps, and his luggage, then left.

He didn’t have much luggage, just two bundles.

One bundle contained his change of clothes and some writing materials, carried by the personal guards.

The other bundle also contained clothes. But not his, they were Yanzhi’s.

Yanzhi didn’t leave many clothes in the palace, and he had used one up in a moment of impulse.

Before setting out, he had folded all of Yanzhi’s clothes and brought them with him, carrying them himself.

It was ridiculous; he had carried bows and arrows, long halberds, led armies in all directions, and personally commanded campaigns.

Now he had to run around carrying Yanzhi’s clothes.

Sometimes, even Xiao Cuan felt like laughing when he thought about it.

He put Yanzhi’s clothes on the couch and stood before the bronze basin himself. He first washed his hands, then his face, and finally changed out of his dust-covered clothes. Only after getting himself clean did he dare reach out to touch them.

Yanzhi’s outer garments, shoes, and socks were spread on the bed. Xiao Cuan hesitated for a moment, then finally picked up Yanzhi’s inner garment and sat at the desk.

Holding the inner garment in his left hand, pressing it against his chest and stroding it, occasionally lowering his head to sniff it, his right hand turned over the urgent memorials sent from the capital.

Since he was coming south to find Yanzhi, he simply suspended court and left Bian Ying and Liu Xun to oversee the state.

Anyway, as the New Year approached, there wasn’t much going on in court, and the loyalty of the ministers was full; he was quite relieved.

Xiao Cuan glanced at them randomly, gave a simple reply, and threw the memorials aside.

Besides the memorials, there were also maps.

Xiao Cuan spread out the map and saw that Huai City in Huai Prefecture, further south than An Prefecture, was marked with a red cinnabar dot.

The entire south, centered on Huai City, radiated outward, and the horse travel distance to other prefectures and counties was about the same.

Xiao Cuan chose this as his base of operations for the convenience of catching someone.

He would stay in the center of the south; no matter where news of Yanzhi came from, he could arrive as quickly as possible.

While looking at the map, Xiao Cuan also opened Yanzhi’s affection panel to take a look.

Good, very good.

For the past few days, no new people had appeared on the panel, indicating that Yanzhi had been staying in one place and hadn’t run away.

But the names of the people on the panel couldn’t be found in the government’s household registers.

It’s okay, it’s okay, he had already reached the south, and he would find him soon.

Xiao Cuan lowered his head, holding Yanzhi’s inner garment in both hands.

He was just about to draw some of Yanzhi’s scent when suddenly, a soft “riiiip” sound came from under the inner garment.

Xiao Cuan hurriedly flipped the garment over to check carefully.

How did it break? He hadn’t used any force!

Xiao Cuan held up the garment, observed carefully, and only then realized that it was because he had been riding for five days and nights, and the reins had worn calluses onto his palms.

His palms were rough, and they had snagged the silk of the inner garment.

Dammit! Why were Yanzhi’s clothes so soft?

Just like Yanzhi himself, they couldn’t be touched or handled; they broke before he even did anything.

Thinking back to when he and Yanzhi were on the bed, he’d pull at them casually, not knowing how many clothes were torn; why would he care about these two inner garments?

Xiao Cuan was furious, crumpled the inner garment into a ball, threw it back onto the couch, and continued looking at the map.

The next moment, he fell silent, drew a dagger from his waist, and aimed it at his own hand.

Weren’t they just calluses?

Couldn’t he just cut them off!

Once cut off, he could continue to touch Yanzhi’s clothes!

When he found Yanzhi and touched his cheek, Yanzhi would surely rub against his palm like a kitten and then ask him in surprise: “Your Majesty, why is your hand so comfortable?”

Yes, that’s how it should be.

With one cut, his palm was covered in blood.

The pain brought him back to his senses.

Wait, by cutting his hand and leaving a scar, wouldn’t his palm be even rougher?

With blood flowing out, wouldn’t it dirty Yanzhi’s clothes again?

Xiao Cuan tossed the dagger aside, clenched his fist, and forced the blood to stop.

You’re finished, Xiao Cuan; how did you become so stupid?

*

It’s over! It’s all over now!

Yanzhi stood at the town entrance, staring at the two characters “Yanzhi” on the edict, completely stunned.

How could his name be on the edict for the Empress’s appointment?

The Emperor wants to appoint him as Empress? Has the Emperor lost his mind?

Back in the Daliang Palace, the Emperor’s words were still fresh in his ears.

The Emperor said he was clumsy and slow-witted.

The Emperor said he wasn’t even qualified to be the lowest-ranking concubine, and that he was basically nothing.

The Emperor also said his family background was lowest of the low, his learning was lowest of the low, and his martial arts were also…

Wait, as if to echo the “lowest of the low” the Emperor once said, the edict for the Empress’s appointment was full of the word “extraordinary.”

Now this edict says Yanzhi’s family background is extraordinary, his learning is extraordinary, and his martial arts are also extraordinary.

If the edict had been written by the officials of the Shangshu Bureau, it would be impossible for them to use the word “extraordinary” several times in a row; it lacked literary grace and was not solemn.

Then… there was only one possibility.

—This edict was written by the Emperor himself!

When this thought suddenly popped into his head, Yanzhi’s heart skipped a beat, and a chill rose to the top of his head.

He instinctively looked up, scanning the surroundings with a wary gaze.

Has the Emperor already found him? Is the Emperor nearby? Is the Emperor watching him?

Is the Emperor deliberately playing tricks on him again?

Yanzhi looked at the people around him—people he was familiar with every day—now each one of them had become the Emperor’s face.

The Emperor has come to catch him? The Emperor has come to catch him!

In an instant, the world spun!

Yanzhi’s feet gave way, and he collapsed directly.

“Hey! Yanzhi!”

Chu Yu reacted quickly and caught him.

“Are you okay? How are you?”

“No…”

Yanzhi wanted to speak, opened his mouth, but found he couldn’t make a sound.

Chu Yu looked at him, then at the edict, and finally supported him, leading him toward the donkey cart.

People nearby hurriedly asked: “What’s wrong? What’s wrong with Little Yan?”

Chu Yu said: “It must be from being hit by those ruffians; he’s about to faint. I’ll take him back to apply medicine.”

“Alright, look at Little Yan’s face, it’s so white; he should rest well.”

“We can’t read; wait a bit and help us read it, see what the Empress’s name is.”

“There are many characters I don’t recognize either!” Chu Yu said loudly. “You all disperse; the stalls are still there, don’t let anyone steal your things.”

As soon as Chu Yu said this, they remembered that their vegetables, meat, and tofu were still at the market.

The group hurriedly dispersed.

Chu Yu struggled to drag Yanzhi onto the donkey cart and drove it himself: “Let’s go home; we’ll talk at home.”

The donkey cart drove forward. As it passed the wooden board, Yanzhi suddenly jumped off the cart, reached out, and tore down the edict, stuffing it haphazardly into his bosom.

Chu Yu was silent for a moment, then finally turned his head away, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.

Let’s just say it wasn’t posted well by the messenger and was blown down by the wind.