“Jiu’er and the Night Prince should go first,” Qiao Mu said in a low voice, striding over.

“Right, arrange for them to leave first,” Xiao Yingtao added with a nod.

“No!” Feng Jiu’er shook her head. “Xing Zizhou, take my father and leave first. I’ll stay.”

“Jiu’er, no…” Xiao Yingtao shook her head.

“All of you go too.” Feng Jiu’er turned back. “I’ll stall the First Prince here — otherwise the whole group won’t be able to escape.”

“This is an order! Go arrange it, quickly!”

“I’ll stay with Jiu’er.” Qiao Mu turned as well.

“No! All of you must leave!” Feng Jiu’er’s forceful voice seemed to make the whole courtyard tremble.

Feng Li and Jian Yi, coming out from the side chamber, ran into Feng Jiu’er on her way back.

Feng Jiu’er raised her eyes to meet theirs, taking a deep breath.

“Jian Yi, take my father and leave. I need to get ready — there’s no time.”

“I won’t go.” Jian Yi shook his head.

“If Jian Yi won’t go, neither will I.” Feng Li took hold of Feng Jiu’er’s small hand. “You two shouldn’t have come in the first place, and now you certainly can’t stay.”

Feng Jiu’er stopped, turned around, and looked at the two stubborn men, stamping her foot in frustration.

“I said I won’t…”

“And we said we’d stand together through everything!” Xiao Yingtao cut her off.

“If we leave, we leave together; if we stay, we stay together!”

“If we leave, we leave together; if we stay, we stay together!” Xing Zizhou echoed.

“If we leave, we leave together; if we stay, we stay together!” Qiao Mu declared her stance as well.

“All of you…” Feng Jiu’er’s brows knitted tightly.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the side door.

Everyone turned their heads, attention fixed on the small door.

“I’ll go see what’s going on.” Xing Zizhou moved ahead of the others, striding toward the small door.

Xiao Yingtao and Qiao Mu walked toward the people in front of the side chamber.

Xing Zizhou reached the door and asked quietly, “Who is it? We’re not open today.”

“I’m looking for Little Feng.” A clear, refined voice came from outside.

Feng Jiu’er, though some distance away, still heard it.

She frowned and waved a hand at Xing Zizhou, striding forward.

Feng Jiu’er opened the small door, and a pair of familiar eyes met hers.

“Little Feng, it’s me.” The Empress said in a low voice.

“Empress, why have you come? And dressed like this?” Feng Jiu’er asked, puzzled.

The Empress glanced inside, then replied softly, “I’m leaving. Do you need help?”

“Getting out of the capital shouldn’t be a problem.”

Feng Jiu’er’s brow, which had just relaxed a little, furrowed again.

The Empress’s lips curved slightly as she took Feng Jiu’er’s hand, gentle as the day before.

“Last night’s tea wasn’t from the Kingdom of Fengxi.” She patted the back of Feng Jiu’er’s hand lightly.

“That was a particular type of tea leaf unique to the Northern Di lands.”

Feng Jiu’er withdrew her hand and said in a low voice, “Empress, Little Feng doesn’t understand what you mean.”

“We’re not open today. You should go back.”

“You’re not from the Northern Di lands, and besides, I’ve felt your pulse — you’ve been hiding your internal strength all along,” the Empress said, her expression unchanged throughout.

“Little Feng, my martial skill is weak — killing me would be effortless for you, wouldn’t it?”

“And the reason I came out alone today is to make my position clear.”

“I only want to help you — even if you were the most unforgivable of criminals.”

“I’m not.” Feng Jiu’er shook her head. “But I don’t want your help.”

“Empress, you’re a good person. Go, and live the happiness that’s waiting for you — why wade into muddy waters for our sake?”

Feng Jiu’er tried to close the door, but the Empress grabbed her arm.

“Little Feng, let me help you this once, or I won’t be able to leave with an easy heart.”

“The troops will be here soon. With your abilities, escaping won’t be easy. For the sake of the person you’re trying to protect, come with me.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced back at everyone, took a deep breath, and turned back around.

“Empress, are you truly certain you won’t regret this?” She herself had never meant to use the Empress.

“Mm.” The Empress nodded. “Don’t dawdle! Keep wasting time here and I really will start to regret it.”

“All right.” Feng Jiu’er let go of the small door. “Wait for me a moment, it’ll be quick!”

In the end, all six of them — Feng Jiu’er included — boarded the carriages the Empress had prepared.

Feng Li, Feng Jiu’er, Jian Yi, and the Empress rode in one carriage; Qiao Mu, Xiao Yingtao, and Xing Zizhou rode in the other.

The two carriages slipped through amid the chaos while the Empress’s own procession was being searched.

Before reaching the city gate, the Empress returned to the lead carriage, and Feng Jiu’er and the others changed clothes, scattering themselves among the procession.

With the first checkpoint’s inspection already done, the search at the city gate went much more smoothly.

At noon, the procession left through the city gate, setting out on the road toward the Kingdom of Fengxi.

Feng Jiu’er had never expected that, in the end, it would be the Empress who helped them.

Having left the capital, they had already accomplished more than half of what they needed.

The procession pressed on until nightfall, when it finally stopped.

The six of them who had left together each had their own duties.

Only Feng Jiu’er stayed closest to the Empress; over half a day, the two of them met twice.

At night, the procession of more than thirty people entered a courtyard.

On this journey, the Empress had brought none of her palace servants with her — everything had been arranged by General Yao.

General Yao asked no more than necessary about the people the Empress had brought along.

Once inside the courtyard, the six of them finally gathered together for the first time.

In the side chamber, everyone sat together to eat, silently agreeing to say nothing more of it.

After the evening meal, Feng Jiu’er said goodbye to the others and went to see the Empress.

Seeing Feng Jiu’er enter, the Empress waved a hand. “All of you go out. Little Feng can stay.”

“Yes!” The two maids bowed and withdrew.

“Come sit.” The Empress said briefly, lowering her head, continuing her meal.

Feng Jiu’er stepped forward, picked up the chopsticks on the table, and asked softly, “Empress, what did you want to say?”

“Sit down.” The Empress glanced up at her. “You probably haven’t eaten your fill, have you? Keep me company a while.”

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er no longer refused, nodding and sitting down.

The chopsticks were the ones the maid had used to serve the Empress, never used otherwise.

Feng Jiu’er picked up several pieces of meat in a row and swallowed them down.

Finally, she took an empty bowl and ladled herself a bowl of rich chicken soup, drinking it down.

“I’m full.” She set down the bowl and chopsticks, wiping her mouth.

“Pour the tea,” the Empress said softly.

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er stood, picked up the teapot, and poured the Empress a cup of tea.

The Empress set down the cloth in her hand, glanced up, and waved her hand again.

Feng Jiu’er sat back down, and the Empress asked plainly, “Looking for me — is there something?”

“There is.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “I came to say thank you. If not for you, we’d be in serious trouble today.”

“Mm.” The Empress picked up her teacup. “Is there nothing else you want to say?”

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and shook her head. “Not for now.”

“But please believe, Empress, that we’ll meet again — and I promise I’ll bring you a surprise.”

“A surprise?” The Empress arched an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’ll become my daughter-in-law?”

“No.” Feng Jiu’er burst into laughter.

“But it’s not impossible that I’ll bring you back a daughter-in-law of your own.”