Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 93 Shocking Change
early morning.

Song Yi had a nightmare last night, dreaming that Jiang Lanye abandoned her and went to the far northwest alone, leaving behind many guards to watch over her and forbidding her from leaving without permission.

When I suddenly opened my eyes, there was no one beside me.

Song Yi quickly sat up and touched the bedding next to her; it was ice cold.

She suddenly panicked, got out of bed, and walked quickly to the dragon throne. Looking at the memorials on the table that she hadn't yet taken away, she randomly picked out a few, sat down, and began to flip through them.

She couldn't understand many things, but she could vaguely make out words like "Northwest" and "Northern Qiang".

It really comes down to the war.

She closed the book and hurriedly went to flip through other memorials.

"All ten cartloads of grain transported from the Hexi waterway to Qingzhou were robbed."

Song Yi's mind was buzzing, and she mechanically looked down.

But in reality, she couldn't focus on anything else at that moment. All she knew was that it wasn't just a shortage of food and supplies; there seemed to be people hoarding troops, raising them without authorization, embezzling the people's food and money, disregarding the people's wishes, and forcibly conscripting soldiers, among other things.

Where is Jiang Lanye?

She murmured something, then immediately lifted her skirt and ran to the palace entrance, opening the door.

Eunuch Cao was guarding outside the door when he heard the noise and was startled.

"Oh dear, Your Highness, what's wrong?"

The moment Song Yi saw Eunuch Cao, her heart finally settled down.

Where is Jiang Lanye?

"His Majesty went to court early this morning and hasn't returned yet."

Song Yi looked at the bright sky.

How long has he been gone?

"In less than two hours."

Song Yi narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Eunuch Cao, and asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"

Cao Gonggong was so frightened that he stammered twice.

No, no.

With a bang, Song Yi slammed the door shut again.

She was worried.

Why hasn't Jiang Lanye come back yet?

Song Yi paced back and forth inside the hall several times. After an unknown amount of time, the hall door was suddenly opened.

She quickly lifted her skirt and ran over, bumping into Jiang Lanye's arms.

Jiang Lanye was surprised by Song Yi's warm welcome as soon as he entered. He instinctively hugged her and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

"Where have you been?"

Song Yi asked in a muffled voice.

"I went to court. There were many things to do this morning, so I'm only just returning."

Seeing that Song Yi seemed to have been frightened and was nestled in his arms, refusing to leave, he raised his hand and gently stroked her back.

"what happened?"

"I had a nightmare that you were leaving."

After she finished speaking, she looked up at Jiang Lanye and asked, "You're not leaving, are you?"

Jiang Lanye remained silent.

He released Song Yi and suddenly said, "I am going to meet with my ministers now. It will be in the side hall. You stay here and wait for me. I will be back in a moment."

"I do not believe!"

She suddenly became extremely agitated.

"You're going to leave."

Song Yi spoke with certainty.

Jiang Lanye looked away and caught a glimpse of a mess of memorials on the table.

"Have you read the memorial?"

His tone suddenly turned cold.

Song Yi bit her lip tightly and said, "I know everything. As the emperor, you've decided to follow the soldiers to Qingzhou in the northwest, haven't you?"

Jiang Lanye hadn't expected Song Yi to be so perceptive; it was also his oversight that he had forgotten about the memorial. "Song Yi, this matter is not yet settled, and I will not leave easily."

"I will go see my ministers now and talk to you later, okay?"

Song Yi reached out and grabbed his sleeve tightly, saying, "Then you can't sneak away without me."

Jiang Lanye grabbed her wrist, pulled her hand down, and gave her a deep look.

"Wait for me."

After saying that, he turned and left.

"Jiang Lanye! Jiang Lanye, you can't lie to me!"

Song Yi shouted at the door.

After the person left, Song Yi sat to the side, carefully recalling all the details of their past interactions.

No wonder she sometimes felt that Jiang Lanye was acting strangely.

It turned out that he had already planned to leave the palace after his birthday.

Everything has a traceable path.

He hasn't said a word in all this time.

Song Yi lay listlessly on the table. After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Lanye finally returned.

However, this time his face was clearly exhausted.

Song Yi straightened up and asked with concern, "How is it?"

Jiang Lanye sat down in front of her, gently took her hand, and said softly:
"Song Yi, listen to me. This trip isn't for fun. The situation is dangerous, and the terrain there is harsh, incomparable to the Imperial Palace or the Golden Throne Hall. You..."

Before he could finish speaking, Song Yi coldly shook off his hand.

"All you're saying is that you don't want to take me with you!"

"Song Yi".

He emphasized his words.

"This is a military campaign. I will go there to oversee the troops, and their morale will remain high. You should not get involved in this kind of thing."

"Isn't it good to stay here?"

Why should I suffer with him?

"As the emperor, if the situation there is so troublesome, you should just send more generals. Why do you have to go in person? What will happen to the capital if you leave? Who will take care of things if something goes wrong?"

Jiang Lanye said calmly, "The capital is the safest place. Besides, I have already arranged for people to handle the rest of the trivial matters after I leave. There will be correspondence, and my spies will also be here. Nothing will happen."

Song Yi simply couldn't understand Jiang Lanye's decision.

"You are the emperor, isn't the emperor's life important? You yourself said that place is extremely dangerous, why are you still determined to go?"

"I will be fine."

Jiang Lanye said seriously, "In the past, I only handled military affairs, not wielding swords and spears or going to the battlefield to kill enemies."

Song Yi bit her lower lip hard.

"That won't do either, I want to go with you."

Jiang Lanye let out a deep breath and patiently said to Song Yi, "Do you know how far this journey is? It will take at least ten days and at most fifteen days. The journey will be arduous, and everything you have now will be gone by then."

Song Yi glared at him, unwilling to back down.

"Jiang Lanye, are you looking down on me? Do you think that I, Song Yi, am someone who craves and cares about these things? So what if I'm not a concubine? The common people can still live comfortably. I'm just accompanying you to Qingzhou. What makes you think I can't endure the hardships of the journey?"

"I have never thought of it that way."

However, whenever Jiang Lanye saw her bright smiling face, he only wanted to hide her away carefully, so that she wouldn't have to endure any of the storms of this world.

Because he cared about her so much, he was even more unwilling to let her come with him.

"Along this journey, everyone has said goodbye to their families, wives and children, left their homes, and traveled through mountains and rivers to reach Qingzhou. Since I am going to set an example, I cannot take you with me."

Song Yi was taken aback, and quickly said, "I can pretend. I'm not a concubine, I can go with you."

"No."

Jiang Lanye refused without hesitation.

He absolutely could not stand by and watch Song Yi suffer like everyone else.

Seeing that he refused to budge, Song Yi stood up abruptly, her tone resolute:
"Fine, then go. After you leave, I'll leave too, go back to my world, and wait for you to come back. You'll never see me again in this lifetime."

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Lanye's eyes as he stared intently at Song Yi.

(End of this chapter)