372: Chapter 170: Kids, Old Sun Will Be Back Soon 372: Chapter 170: Kids, Old Sun Will Be Back Soon Li Mumu had not been waiting for too long when a highly elite cavalry unit rushed from the direction of the Imperial City, breaking through numerous obstacles to arrive at the base of West Spring Mountain.
She summoned the Patriarch and whispered, “You all stay and guard our doors; I will be back shortly.”
After saying this, she suddenly felt like Monkey Sun ascending to heaven to become the Stable Officer.
The Patriarchs, unfamiliar with the reference, were extremely anxious, “Your Highness, can you really return?
If you’re not here, what should we do?”
“Of course, I will return.
Don’t worry.
I’m just going to the city to see if I can bring back some good things for you all,” she reassured them.
Li Mumu had always been curious about what exactly was inside the Imperial City that made those self-less Nomads continually throw themselves into death.
Was it just the matter of the lights?
While the lights of Sun Family Town were attractive to them, they were not nearly as compelling as those of the Imperial City.
When she saw the general who had come to meet her, she almost blurted out a curse.
It’s my father!
Damn, how could it be my father coming to pick me up?
“Your humble servant, Fuyuan Marquis Mu Yuming, is ordered to escort the Princess back to the palace!” he announced.
What??
Seeing Mu Yuming in his noble and impressive demeanor, Li Mumu almost lost her usual cool composure.
You didn’t recognize me?
Or do you not know who I am?
Right…
Normally, you would be dreaming at this time.
Li Mumu’s attention was entirely on her own father, completely missing the sneaky White Hair foreign woman and her two accompanying ornaments lurking at the back of the troop.
…
Seeing that the Princess was unharmed and clear-headed, not looking like she had undergone anything indescribable, Mu Yuming was immediately relieved and quickly helped the Princess onto his mount, then switched to another warhorse.
Then the entire troop made a 180-degree turn on the spot and began to race back towards the Imperial City.
Mu Yuming was playing on this time difference.
As everyone knows, those Nomads outside could not pose a real threat to the Imperial City and were almost impossible to breach the Inner City.
Then how had Princess Ping’an initially been abudcted from deep within the Inner Court?
This was not something to think about deeply.
From receiving the imperial decree to deploying his troops, Mu Yuming had wasted little to no time at all—he wanted to make a quick round trip so that any behind-the-scenes plots or schemes would not have time to unfold.
Out of caution, he also brought along Mu Yusha, who, despite her elusive presence as a Commandery Princess, was known in King Mu’s Mansion as a formidable figure.
Fortunately, the entire process went smoothly without any issues.
No problems meant good news.
Mu Yuming had always acted low-key, not seeking merits but avoiding faults.
He still didn’t know why Princess Zhaoning from the palace had chosen him specifically, but as long as he safely delivered Princess Ping’an to the palace, the rest should no longer concern him.
Just before reaching the Palace Gate, while waiting for the palace to open, Mu Yuming suddenly felt someone watching from behind and instinctively looked back.
He saw an official on a teahouse terrace further away, raising his teacup with a smile as a gesture of respect.
Minister of Rites Tong Guinian?
Are we close?
Or does he have another motive?
Because they weren’t close, Mu Yuming couldn’t immediately grasp what Lord Tong meant.
Once Princess Ping’an was safely inside the palace and no further decrees were issued, Mu Yuming gathered his troops and returned to the Mansion.
Just as he was halfway there, he heard someone call from behind, “Marquis, wait a moment!”
Mu Yuming looked back and saw Tong Guinian standing at the street corner, gesturing a distant salute to him.
After hesitating for a while, he dismounted and walked over, greeting with a fist, “Lord Tong, do you have urgent business?”
Tong Guinian smiled and said, “Marquis, did you just bring someone back from outside the Imperial City?”
Mu Yuming nodded and said, “Yes.”
“I find that lady very familiar, isn’t she Princess Ping’an who was kidnapped from the palace?
Where did you rescue her from?”
Mu Yuming frowned and said, “If you are interested in matters of the palace, you should directly go into the palace and ask in person.”
Do I know you that well?
Should I answer whatever you ask?
I don’t owe you anything; I’m not your subordinate.
“Hehe, I am just kindly reminding the Marquis.”
Tong Guinian smiled and said, “Princess Ping’an has been lost for many days, and though she appears unharmed on the outside, who knows the real situation?
If anything happens in the palace, you, the Marquis, cannot escape the responsibility.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
Mu Yuming completely ignored his remarks.
What’s it to you whether I have responsibilities or not!
Seeing Mu Yuming’s impervious demeanor, Tong Guinian’s lips twitched slightly, and he lowered his voice, “Marquis, don’t you want to know why Princess Ping’an was abducted in the first place?”
“No, I don’t.”
Mu Yuming shook his head, “Lord Tong, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
Tong Guinian’s expression changed slightly, and he said sharply, “Fuyuan Marquis!
Do you realize the disaster that is about to befall you?”
“I don’t care.”
Mu Yuming turned around and walked away, leaving Tong Guinian alone, his face contorted with indignation.
What kind of person is this, like an impenetrable lump of iron?
…
It was Mumu’s first time entering the Imperial Palace, and frankly, she was a bit disappointed.
Beyond the deep manors and elegant pavilions, there was almost nothing else.
It was completely hollow.
Just like one of those trashy open-world virtual games she had played before.
It possessed a beautiful map, but empty, with nothing inside, nothing to do but look at the scenery.
What is there to boast about a big map?
It’s just a game engine’s default mapping tool, which can be run to create as large a map as you wish…
Did you really think it was crafted by artists planting every tree individually?
It had a kind of primitive elegance typical of the EA era.
The Imperial Palace was divided into three layers, the outermost being empty with not a single soul, only the Defending Army stationed on the walls.
In the middle layer, you could see passersby coming and going, yet still devoid of vigor—as if due to poor optimization, adding more people would just drop the frame rate.
Only upon entering the inner part of the Imperial Palace did Mumu see groups of palace maids and eunuchs.
While being led forward by an old eunuch, she passed neatly arranged mansions, whether this or that chamber, presenting a magnificent scene akin to modern internet celebrity live-streaming apartments.
It was a wonder how the Emperor’s health held up against this ancient city’s challenges.
Past a dazzling maze of pavilions, she finally arrived at a grandiose palace gate.
She had thought this was where the Emperor usually rested, but the old eunuch told her that this was Princess Zhaoning’s sleeping quarters.
Hmm…
it looked like a massive coffin, square and sturdy.