The Empress strode up to the carriage with commanding steps, her manner imperious and her air overbearing.

“A’Jiu, this Palace has matters of great importance to discuss with you. Step down first and come inside the hall to sit with this Palace.”

Feng Jiu’er cast her a cold, sideways glance. Truly unexpected — this troublesome Empress had come again.

For a consort of the inner palace to seek an audience with a court official, even a member of the imperial family such as the Ninth Prince, was against all propriety and proper conduct.

At the lighter end, it would draw talk of improper behavior; at the heavier end, it could raise suspicions of a secret personal entanglement.

This Empress was truly a remarkable woman, to genuinely be capable of disregarding all rumor and gossip, going to seek out the Ninth Imperial Uncle time and again, so openly and boldly.

She cared nothing for her own reputation — but the Ninth Imperial Uncle still had his to think about! Was she not dragging the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s name through the mud?

“A’Jiu, this Palace is speaking to you!” Had it not been for that figure within the carriage, which was unmistakably her A’Jiu, the Empress might well have begun to suspect the person inside had been switched out.

But that profile, those clean lines, that tall and slender silhouette — that cold and arrogant bearing — who else could it be but her A’Jiu?

The Empress reined in her temper and pressed on: “A’Jiu, step down first. This Palace has words for you.”

“Your Highness the Empress, our Longqi Army is about to depart—”

“Silence!” The Empress shot Feng Jiu’er a sharp glare and snapped: “In this Palace’s presence, when have you ever had the right to speak?”

Zhan Yuheng’s brow creased, and he was about to say something when Feng Jiu’er raised the token directly in front of the Empress.

Faced with Nanmen Rong, the head of the Nanmen clan and an Empress who commanded thirty percent of Bei Mu’s military forces, Feng Jiu’er stood tall and unintimidated, without a trace of fear.

“A general in the field is not bound by all commands from the court. Longqi New Army — hear my order. Move out!”

“Yes!” Soldiers in the field answered only to the Ninth Prince’s command. Even though they were still within the imperial city, they were the Ninth Prince’s men, and they answered only to the Ninth Prince’s token.

What was more, every one of these soldiers was a hot-blooded man and woman of valor — to be told to obey a woman of the inner palace was something they found deeply galling.

The force of over fifty soldiers set out immediately, without the slightest delay.

The Empress’s face turned green with fury: “Feng Jiu’er, you dare show disrespect to this Palace — you—”

But the other party paid her no heed whatsoever, not even sparing her a glance.

The Empress fixed her gaze on the figure behind the curtain: “A’Jiu…”

“Get lost.” The low, deep voice that came from within carried an inexplicable, richly resonant quality.

Because it was so pleasing to the ear, and because it was so brief, the chance of anyone detecting that this voice was not quite the same as the Ninth Prince’s was rather slim.

And besides — what had he just said?

Get lost.

He had just told the Empress — a woman of immense power — to get lost. Such pride, such commanding dominance. Who else could this be but the Ninth Prince?

A’Jiu really was inside! The Ninth Imperial Uncle was truly sitting in that carriage!

So the news from three days ago had indeed been nothing but a cover. Though she still did not understand why the Ninth Prince would go to such lengths this time — he had never once cared about would-be assassins along the road before.

But as long as the person inside truly was the Ninth Prince, it no longer mattered why he had done it. None of it mattered anymore.

The Empress had fallen behind by quite a distance before she finally snapped back to her senses and rushed to catch up: “A’Jiu, this Palace truly does have urgent matters to discuss with you—”

Suddenly, a surge of powerful inner energy burst forth from inside the carriage.

It was overwhelming — and it forced the completely unprepared Empress back several stumbling steps in succession.

It was Zhan Yuheng who strode over and caught her, sparing her the fall.

“Mother, since the Ninth Imperial Uncle has pressing matters to attend to, Mother should stop detaining him.” Even toward his own mother, Zhan Yuheng was deeply displeased by this behavior of hers: “Mother! Obstructing the army on the march — that is a capital offense!”