In the mausoleum of Mount Yin, Da Yi.

Outside, the moon was bright with a few stars. Inside, the mausoleum was dark and mysterious.

Gu Yunyao was listless on a rush cushion with a white background and a black border.

Early in the morning, she and several high-rank concubines got on the carriage. They followed the funeral processions with the length of four or five miles out of the capital, all the way to Mount Yin.

Along with them was the convoy of Princess Anhe.

On the loess land, thick wooden mounds meandered and made deep furrows.

Gu Yunyao in the carriage sloshed all day. When she arrived at the destination, it was in the twilight.

A woman who didn't go out for a long time had never been so tired. When entering the palace to keep vigil beside the coffin for the emperor and the empress, she was physically and mentally exhausted, and her spirit had long been scattered.

It was late, and the wind outside the palace was cold, making scripture banners rustle.

Gu Yunyao frowned at the flame's elusive long bright lights and even had no strength to sigh.

Several thin long black shadows obliquely slopped through the cold floor tiles. It was the manager eunuch of the mausoleum bringing people over to arrange for Imperial Mothers to go to the room for a rest.

Imperial Mothers would have to live in the garden of the mausoleum for 49 days.

Out of the great palace, Gu Yunyao commanded Song Qin to raise lanterns to watch from a distance on the way.

The place was surrounded by green mountains and the terrain was stretching. She exclaimed,

"I just got out of a cage, and now I'm trapped in another cage. It's like a circle. When will such days end?"

The old eunuch led the way and placed several Imperial Mothers in a high-walled courtyard.

Compared with the big palace where the emperor's and the empress's coffins were laid, the yard was more alive.

Even it was night now, outside the room were only a few candles. It was difficult to feel the slightest sense of obscure rotting.

A master was accompanied by a female slave of the palace. The rooms were quickly allocated.

Gu Yunyao and Song Qin lived in a house. Just after putting down their package, that manager brought someone to send brand-new bedding to them.

Before leaving, the manager eunuch stood at the door. A slightly respectful smile appeared on his yellow face. He bowed and scraped,

"Imperial Mother Master, in the mountain, it's still cold at night. I take you more quilts in case that you get cold at night. Also, there are many machine-operated locks in the mausoleum everywhere. Please don't walk around at will. There is the only way from the room to the palace."

Gu Yunyao was nervous and stricken to the heart. She couldn't help to look after her cloak and became calm,

"Lord, is the mausoleum of Mount Yin is the place where Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot eradicated the rebel party and arrested the culprit of the mannequin case in the Palace?"

"Hush!"

His face changed greatly. He was extremely nervous, and waved his hand endlessly,

"Oops. You can't mention that matter. That is a taboo in the Palace. Come on. It's late now. You should take a rest. Tomorrow morning you'll be still busy. ”

"Thanks a lot, Lord."

Gu Yunyao watched the old eunuch leave with his people step by step and go to other rooms to send bedding. She then commanded Song Qin to lock the door.

Unlike in the palace, the mausoleum was not locked at night.

There was nothing here but dead people, statues, and icy walls.

It was a great honor to be a watcher for the imperial family for thousands of years. No one was worried about anyone running away. What's more, the road and the mountain roads were heavily guarded. ven the winged birds are hard to fly out.

Gu Yunyao and Song Qin lay on a bed. They talked about Leng Qingtang and Yunxi worriedly, and Zhao An, who stayed in the Palace.

Late at night, outside the room, the wind was stronger and the window paper rustled endlessly.

The two worked hard for a day, and now they were also very tired. There was a subtle knock outside the door as they were babbling.

Song Qin immediately sobered up and sat up. In the dark, she appeased her master and looked away panicked to the door. Then she listened carefully and asked,

"Who is there?"

"Don't light up the lamp. It's me, Huanan Qiang."

The two in the room were surprised.

Huanan Qiang, was this Princess Anhe's name?

"Open the door quickly."

Gu Yunyao knew that something urgent had happened, so she asked Song Qin to open the door in the dark. Meanwhile, she got off the bed after putting on the dress, and scrambled to put on embroidered shoes.

When the door opened, two slender black figures went into the room with the moonlight.

Taking off the wide hat of the black cloak, Princess Anhe revealed her delicate face.

Beside her was a Men of Sacrifice from Udan, who had come to protect her.

"Your Highness ... "

Gu Yunyao was about to kneel and was very grateful that she argued with Imperial Mother Xiao to save her life.

"Don't bother."

Princess Anhe helped the woman get up. She was calm and got down to business without saying much,

"You need to go with me tonight!"

Gu Yunyao was shocked,

"Your Highness, is there something wrong?"

An He was silent and stared at the woman's face full of panic and confusion with her sharp eyes.

She shook her head slowly and said firmly,

"You can't stay in the Palace anymore. You can go anywhere. If you stay in the Palace, Prince Chen will use you as the hostage to force Leng Qingtang and Yunxi to give in."

Gu Yunyao sat down in a chair dispiritedly and looked better after a while. Then she stood up and asked,

"Do you mean Master Leng and Yunxi are safe and sound?"

Princess Anhe paced a few steps and sneered with ruthless eyes,

"Prince Chen and his mother left no means untried, thinking that they can kill Leng Qingtang easily outside the Palace. They're daydreaming. As long as I'm here, I will not let their plot succeed."

"But at present Yunxi has gone to Wei Sea. I'm thinking that even if Leng Qingtang escapes, he will also struggle to go to Wei Sea to meet Yunxi. In that case, sooner or later Prince Chen will get the news. Once the Eastern Depot takes the lead in opening the underground palace, Prince Chen will inevitably coerce them with you."

With one breath, Princess Anhe turned her eyes to the Men of Sacrifice.

Men of Sacrifice said nothing and handed the parcel in his arms to Song Qin.

An He continued to explain,

"These are two sets of eunuch clothes, and you'll change them later. At this time, the transport of incense oil coal parked outside the yard and unloading takes half an hour. You have enough time. After changing your clothes, you can get into the queue of escorts down the hill, and my people will meet you at the head of the Baiyu Bridge of the Huan River."

"Well..."

Escape was no small matter. For a conventional woman, it was the first time.

Gu Yunyao frowned and hesitated.

Princess Anhe held her hand, and the words of comfort were covered with unabashed anxiety,

"Don't be afraid and don't hesitate. It's a critical moment now. You don't want to see your good sister implicated by you, do you? Since I can protect you, I can't give up halfway. I have to keep up."

Outside the yard, the drums sounded three times. Men of Sacrifice was expressionless and gave a hint,

"My master, it's time to go back."

An He nodded to him, and turned her face to give Gu Yunyao a detailed instruction,

"Don't worry. It's going to be all right. Once you leave the capital, my people will protect you. When it's done, we will think of a long-term plan."

Gently opening the door, Men of Sacrifice led Princess Anhe out of the yard quietly.

Song Qin locked the door to change clothes for Gu Yunyao.

The woman sat motionless for a moment in her chair with tears in her eyes and a frown on her face,

"Song Qin, if we leave now, we won't know when to return. Zhao An alone stays in the Palace. How can I rest assured? He became a eunuch and went to the Palace for me, but now I'm going to abandon him..."

"Well..."

Song Qin stamped his feet and had no idea at this moment.

In the world, a slight move in one part might affect the situation as a whole. Leaving aside everything was easier said than done, but when the matter needed to be done, it was tough.

Song Qin stared at the clothes in the package and thought for a while. She gritted her teeth and said,

"My master, we don't have other choices now. Just as Her Highness says, we have to go. If Lord Zhao learns the truth, he won't blame you."

Gu Yunyao nodded mournfully with tears rolling down,

"Yes, he's supportive of everything I do. I owe him my life."

Song Qin then also cried. Wiping her face, she snuffled and comforted Gu Yunyao,

"My master, what are you saying? How do you know that he did not owe you in his last life, and that he pays you back in this lifetime?"

Gu Yunyao gave a sad smile,

"You are right. He owes me, and I owe him. Life is complicated. This is predestined fate. Well, just help me change clothes."

A clutter of footsteps fell into the yard and stopped in front of Gu Yunyao's room hurriedly The soft voice sounded a little strange,

"Imperial Mother Yu, I'm from the Palace. The news from Duanben Hall is that the Seventh Prince is suffering from abdominal pain, crying to see you. I obey Prince Chen's decree to pick up you immediately back to the Palace."

—

The night was tantalizing, and the lights in Qinming Hall were clear.

Prince Chen, wearing a blue flower gold line robe and a loose ribbon around his waist, was concentrating on painting at the desk.

The woman in the painting was sexy, young, and delicate. She was Yunxi that he missed day and night, wasn't she?

After dyeing the last touch of peach on the flower, Prince Chen raised the brush pen, looked at the person in the picture. Then he smiled wantonly,

"Yunxi..."

He whispered with affectionate and confused eyes. He slowly bent down and gently kissed the girl's crystal-clear lips in the painting.

Eunuch Rong entered with a horsetail whisk in his hands. Seeing this scene, he hurriedly lowered his head and stopped to say,

"Your Highness, Concubine Yu has come back to the Palace."

Prince Chen sat up and the expression on his handsome face didn't change. He looked at the eunuch and smiled,

"Well done. I know that my aunt can't know her place but make trouble secretly!"

Shaking off the brush pen with great strength, Prince Chen asked again,

"Have you gotten the clue of Solo Hua?"

The eunuch's expression changed slightly. Not daring to conceal anything, he leaned closer to the ground,

"Your Highness, not yet."

"Humph!"

Prince Chen looked unhappy and said,

"The eunuch in charge of the announcement hasn't transmitted any news back, so I have to make a plan B. If my senior fellow apprentice really saves Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot and detain Imperial Mother Yu in the Palace, I believe that Gu Yunxi will come back."

"Your Highness, you're wise." Eunuch Rong took this opportunity to flatter him.

"As long as Miss Yun comes back to Jing City, Leng Qingtang must follow her. Your Highness, at that time, you can go after an easy prey..."

"Hahahaha!"

Prince Chen couldn't help to fall into a reverie and pointed to the painting of beauty on the desk pleasedly,

"Give the painting to the best craftsman of The Imperial Ceremonial Service and made sure it's mounted well."

"Yes, I'm going. I'm going now."

Eunuch Rong put the horsetail whisk on his belt and leaned over to the desk with a flattering smile. He held the paint with two hands and didn't forget to ingratiate himself with his master,

"Wow, the girl is so pretty...Your Highness, you're so good at painting..."

"Cut the crap. Be quick!"

Prince Chen kicked him in the ass and burst out laughing.