Chapter 66

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, it is bad!"

A palace attendant came tumbling into the great hall.

"What is the meaning of this panic?"

Looking at the unseemly attendant, Li Er frowned.

All the dukes and high-ranking officials present also turned to look at the attendant.

What had happened?

"Your Majesty, news has come from the royal estate on the outskirts of Changancheng that the Empress and Princess Princess Changle have not returned for a day and a night."

"What did you say!?"

Hearing this, Li Er stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock and rage.

Empress Empress Zhangsun was Li Er's original wife.

The couple had weathered over a decade of storms together; they were inseparable and deeply in love.

And Princess Princess Changle was Li Er's heart's delight, the apple of his eye.

The two most important women in Li Er's life had gone missing together.

How could he not be furious?

The atmosphere in the Ganlu Hall instantly dropped to freezing.

When an Emperor is enraged, a million corpses fall!

That was no joke!

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger first. Perhaps the Princess is innocent and naive, curious about things outside the palace, and may have been delayed somewhere. The Empress loves her daughter dearly; perhaps she is currently accompanying the Princess on an outing."

Empress Zhangsun Zhangsun Wuji stepped forward to soothe him.

"The Duke of Zhao is right! Please, Your Majesty, set your heart at ease. In this bright and prosperous age,"

"Yes, yes, yes! There will certainly be no trouble."

"Well said."

"The Empress and the Princess will be fine."

The crowd of people all chimed in to agree.

Hearing these words, Li Er's tense mood gradually relaxed.

That was true!

In the entire Great Tang, who would dare to be disrespectful to the Empress and the Princess?

Perhaps that girl Princess Changle was just playing and lost her way outside.

Sigh!

I should not have agreed to let them leave the palace for an outing.

Li Er felt some regret in his heart. He looked up at Cheng Cheng Yaojin and said, "Cheng Yaojin, I order you to lead two thousand Imperial Guards to search for the whereabouts of the Empress and Princess Changle. Before sunset, you must find them for me!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

After receiving the order, Cheng Yaojin strode out of the Sweet Dew Palace.

Li Er sat slowly on the dragon throne, lost in thought. Feeling restless, he dismissed everyone.

"Sigh!"

"I hope all is well!"

Murmurs and sighs echoed within the Sweet Dew Palace.

Yunzhou.

Eight hundred miles north of the Guannei Circuit.

This was the northernmost city of the Great Tang, only a hundred miles from the Turkic border.

This city was a vital frontier fortress and the first line of defense against a Turkic southward invasion.

"Your Majesty, we have traveled for a day and a night and have finally arrived in Yunzhou. Once we leave Yunzhou, we will be at the Turkic border."

Lu Dongzan wiped the sweat from his face, looking slightly exhausted.

It was understandable.

Galloping eight hundred miles in a day and a night was taxing even for military men, let alone a civil official like Lu Dongzan.

"Hmm, let us rest here for a while today."

Qin Mu nodded.

Soon.

The group settled into the largest inn in Yunzhou City.

Under Qin Mu's arrangement, Empress Empress Zhangsun and Princess Changle stayed in the same room, and he dispatched several skilled women to "protect" them.

In such a frontier city, Empress Empress Zhangsun and Princess Changle would have a hard time escaping even with wings.

Princess Wencheng, Li Xueyan, was arranged in another room.

Up to this very moment.

Li Li Xueyan was still kept in the dark, believing she was on her way to Tibet, unaware that Empress Empress Zhangsun and Princess Changle were also traveling with them.

Of course.

She also believed the person she was about to marry was Songtsen Gampo.

Along the way.

Li Li Xueyan had resigned herself to her fate!

Things had come to this.

No amount of effort could change her destiny now.

The night grew deep.

Qin Mu walked slowly to the door of the guest room.

"Your Majesty."

Two women dressed as maids bowed respectfully.

"Hmm."

Qin Mu nodded and pushed the door open to enter. ===== CHAPTER 68 =====

Qin Mu nodded and pushed the door open to walk in.