I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 170 A Good Show of Bidding Farewell to Empress Liyang

The hall only fell completely silent once Xu Fenghua's figure disappeared from sight.

All that remained was the faint sound of ginkgo leaves falling outside the window.

Qin Mu stopped playing with the thumb ring.

He did not get up immediately, but sat there quietly, his gaze fixed on the direction Xu Fenghua had left, as if penetrating the palace walls and looking into a more distant place.

The usual smile on his lips gradually faded, replaced by a cold indifference.

"Yunluan." He suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly echoing in the hall.

A silver figure, like mercury flowing from the shadows of the palace corner, appeared silently three steps to Qin Mu's side.

It was Yunluan.

Unlike usual, she seemed a little different today.

On his usually cold and handsome face, there was a trace of blush that had not completely faded, like rouge accidentally smudged on the first snow.

Those eyes, which were always as cold as ice, now seemed to be covered with a thin layer of mist, losing some of their sharpness and gaining a rare softness and an imperceptible shyness.

Even her posture of standing with her head bowed seemed more submissive than usual, carrying an indescribable sense of taming.

Clearly, Qin Mu's casual remark last night, "You stay here tonight too," and everything that happened afterward in the warm pavilion of the rear hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, were not entirely without impact.

"Your Majesty," she replied softly, her voice softer than usual, with a barely perceptible hoarseness.

Qin Mu glanced at her sideways, his gaze lingering for a moment on her reddened earlobes.

"On Empress Li Yang's side,"

Qin Mu's voice returned to its usual indifference, yet carried a chilling undercurrent, "Have you left the capital?"

Yunluan quickly composed herself, forcibly suppressing the blush on her face, and her gaze became focused again.

"Your Majesty, according to the Dragon Shadow Guards monitoring the welcoming post station, the Li Yang delegation is packing their belongings, and their carriages and ceremonial regalia are ready. It seems that Empress Zhao Qingxue... should already be preparing to return to Li Yang."

Upon hearing this, Qin Mu's lips slowly curled into a cold, piercing smile.

That smile held no warmth whatsoever, only a chilling murderous intent.

"She's not worried at all."

He muttered to himself, his tone laced with sarcasm, "Or perhaps, you're so composed because you're certain I wouldn't dare touch her in the capital?"

Yunluan sensed the chilling killing intent hidden in Qin Mu's words, and her heart tightened slightly. She tentatively asked, "Your Majesty... are you planning to attack her?"

Qin Mu stood up, his moon-white wide-sleeved robe drooping with his movement, silver cloud patterns flowing in the morning light.

He walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looked in the direction of the welcoming post station, and spoke in a calm voice, each word as firm as iron:

"Of course. My Great Qin is not the backyard where Empress Li Yang can come and go as she pleases."

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:

"During the grand wedding ceremony, in full view of everyone, she was an envoy and I was the host, so naturally I had to consider the face of diplomatic relations and couldn't take action. But now that the ceremony is over, it's time for her to return home."

"The journey is fraught with peril, the mountains are high and the rivers are long... If we encounter bandits or vagrants outside the borders of my Great Qin, or if anything unexpected happens, then it will have absolutely nothing to do with me, or with my Great Qin."

His words were spoken casually, but the murderous intent and scheming contained within them seemed to lower the temperature in the hall.

A hint of understanding flashed in Yunluan's eyes, followed by worry:

"Your Majesty, this matter is of utmost importance. If handled improperly, it could trigger a war between our two nations. Perhaps... you should allow me to make the arrangements? I will select the most elite soldiers, plan meticulously, and strive for a decisive and traceless strike."

However, Qin Mu slowly shook his head.

He turned around, his gaze falling on Yunluan's face, his eyes as deep as an ancient well, as if they could absorb all light.

"No," he said calmly, yet with an undeniable resolve, "this time, I... will go myself."

"His Majesty?!"

Yunluan gasped softly, her face drained of all color in an instant, even the faint blush that had lingered before vanished without a trace, leaving only utter shock and worry.

"Why should you personally take the risk? Empress Li Yang is surely protected by a peerless master like Li Chunfeng, and the delegation itself is also well-equipped with guards..."

Qin Mu raised his hand, stopping her from speaking.

"It's precisely because she has a master by her side, a truly top-tier master,"

Qin Mu spoke slowly, a glint in his eyes.

"So, you might not be able to do it. Li Chunfeng... that old Taoist priest, has one foot already in the door of the Land Immortal realm, far beyond the reach of ordinary Celestial Phenomenon Realm cultivators. For others to go would be suicide, and they might even alert the enemy."

He paused, looking at the undisguised worry in Yunluan's eyes, his tone softening slightly, but still firm:

"This matter concerns the fate of the nation, and even more so... the chess game between me and that Empress. I want to see for myself just how much this Zhao Qingxue, who commands respect in the Eastern Continent despite being a woman, really is. I also want her to understand that once she steps onto the territory of my Great Qin, she must abide by the rules of my Great Qin. Want to leave? Not so easy."

"Moreover, I need to pretend that Xu Longxiang was the one who did it, and only I can do that. No one else can."

Qin Mu smiled, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

Yunluan sighed inwardly.

She knew that once Qin Mu made up his mind, no one could change it.

Looking into Qin Mu's eyes, which burned with fighting spirit and cold killing intent, she could only feel deep helplessness and obedience, despite her many worries.

"Then...when does Your Majesty plan to depart? How should I cooperate?"

She asked in a low voice.

Qin Mu looked up at the sky; the morning light was just right.

"Since she is already prepared to leave, she probably won't delay until the afternoon."

He estimated the time, "It would take two or three days to get from the capital to the banks of the Lancang River, even at the fastest horse. I will wait for her a hundred miles away from the capital, in a place where the population is relatively sparse and the terrain is conducive to an accident."

He looked at Yunluan and issued a series of clear commands:

"You will remain in the palace and be responsible for monitoring the movements of all the palaces, especially Huaqing Palace and Yuxiu Palace. Xu Fenghua is going to visit Jiang Qingxue. If there is any unusual communication between them, report it immediately."

"In addition, have the elite Dragon Shadow Guards accompany us secretly, but they don't need to get too close. They just need to keep watch on the perimeter to prevent other forces from interfering or supporting the Li Yang delegation."

"Inside the palace, tell the outside world that I am still shaken by yesterday's assassination attempt and need to rest for a few days. I will not hold court for the time being, and Li Si and Wang Ben will take charge of government affairs. Everything should proceed as usual, and no one should be allowed to suspect anything."

"Yes! I understand!"

Yunluan bowed and accepted the order.

Qin Mu took one last look at the clear autumn sky outside the window, and that cold smile reappeared on his lips.

"Alright," he turned around, the hem of his moon-white casual robe fluttering slightly, "Let's go... let's get ready too."

"We can't afford to mess up this grand farewell to Empress Liyang."

As soon as he finished speaking, he started walking towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Sunlight shone on him, and the silver cloud patterns on his moon-white robe seemed to come alive, flowing with a cold and dangerous luster.

Yunluan followed closely behind, her silver soft armor gleaming with a resolute, cold light in the morning glow.

The figures of the master and servant quickly disappeared into the depths of the winding corridors of Huaqing Palace.