Joy of Life: Starting by clinging to the eldest princess's coattails!

Wu Feng, who had already flown far away on the white crane, was unaware of everything that happened in the palace afterward.

Once outside Kyoto, the flock of birds obediently dispersed, fluttering into the dense forests of the surrounding mountains and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Wu Feng himself rode the largest white crane, accompanied by more than a dozen golden eagles, and silently returned to the mountains and forests in the eastern suburbs from high in the sky.

After landing, he patted the white crane's neck, and the golden eagles folded their wings and landed on the surrounding branches.

"You stay here and wait for me, the rest of you go back," Wu Feng said, stroking the largest golden eagle among them.

The flock of birds seemed to understand, and gently flapped their wings.

Without further delay, Wu Feng used his Flying Willow Light Smoke Technique to gracefully glide out of the forest and head towards the Qiwu Villa.

-

The backyard of Qiwu Villa was quiet.

Wu Feng climbed over the wall and went straight into the room where Li Yunrui usually stayed, then closed the door behind him.

He walked to the dressing table and sat down. In the dim moonlight streaming in from the window, he took out a makeup toolbox from his inventory.

Removing makeup is much faster than applying it.

Foundation, blush, eyebrow makeup... wiped away bit by bit.

The beautiful face in the mirror gradually blurred, revealing his original features.

After wiping away the last bit of makeup, Wu Feng looked at himself in the mirror and let out a soft breath.

He stood up, took off the plain white dress he was wearing, folded it neatly, placed it on the bedside table, and then took out his own clothes from the closet to change into.

After tidying up, Wu Feng pushed open the back window and jumped out.

Instead of using the main gate, he climbed over the wall again to leave the villa and headed towards the mountains and forests in the eastern suburbs.

The golden eagle was still waiting for him in the same spot.

As Wu Feng approached, the golden eagle lowered its head and nuzzled his hand.

Wu Feng flipped onto the eagle's back and patted its neck: "Let's go, south."

The golden eagle spread its wings, which were more than ten feet long, and with a sudden flap, it carried Wu Feng into the sky and glided southward.

The wind was strong at high altitude, making Wu Feng's robes flutter loudly.

He gazed down at the mountains and rivers receding rapidly.

We need to catch up with Li Yunrui's ship as soon as possible.

In a day, her boat probably didn't go very far.

-

No one in Kyoto was destined to sleep soundly that night.

People gathered in the streets and alleys, excitedly discussing the flock of birds that had just blotted out the sky.

Some say it's a deity descending to earth, others say it's an auspicious omen; the more they talk about it, the more mystical it becomes.

The palace was brightly lit.

The Emperor's decree that "Ye Qingmei is the goddess of my Qing Kingdom" had already spread, and the eunuchs and palace maids walked carefully and spoke in hushed tones.

Chen Pingping quickly received the message from the palace from the Imperial Censorate.

"An auspicious omen?" He sat in his wheelchair, listening to Shadow's report, his face expressionless, only tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest twice. "His Majesty certainly knows how to save face."

He already knew roughly what the truth was.

Looking out the window at the sky, he suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with irony and an inexplicable sadness.

"Very well," he said softly. "It's better for a young lady to receive offerings from the people than to be forgotten."

-

At the confluence of the Liujing River and the Wei River, the water surface is wide, shimmering with hazy ripples in the dim light of dawn.

Li Yunrui's official boat was quietly moored beside the dock.

She stood at the bow of the boat, wearing a pure white fox fur cloak, her hands gently resting on her slightly protruding belly, her face bearing that unique, gentle yet languid smile, gazing at the deep blue sky on the distant river.

Chunmei stood half a step behind her.

Shuying and eight other sword-wielding maids were scattered on both sides of the ship's side, while the other maids and boatmen also stood guard in their respective positions, and no one made a sound.

Mei walked lightly to Li Yunrui's side and lowered her voice: "Your Highness, we haven't found anyone following us from the capital to here."

Li Yunrui's expression remained unchanged as she continued to gaze at the river, her voice soft:

"The section from Liujing River to Wei River is within the garrison area of ​​the Kyoto Garrison Division on both banks. Even if His Majesty really wanted to take action, he wouldn't choose this location."

"However, this intelligence certainly couldn't be kept from the garrison along the way. Qin Ye is still the commander of the Kyoto Garrison Division."

Chunmei gently advised, "Your Highness, it's late, please go inside and rest."

Li Yunrui did not move.

She tilted her head slightly, the fur of her fox fur making her cheeks appear even whiter and more delicate, and a hazy, dependent look appeared in her charming eyes.

"Hmm..." she drawled, as if she were pouting, "I feel a little uneasy that Xiao Wuzi isn't here tonight..."

Chunmei quickly said, "Your Highness, don't worry, he wouldn't lie to you. He'll definitely catch up with you tomorrow morning."

"Then let's rest." Li Yunrui sighed softly, raising his hand to rub his temples. "After a day on the boat, I'm really feeling a bit seasick..."

She turned and walked towards her room in the cabin.

Chunmei immediately stepped forward to support her, her voice even softer: "Your Highness, should we have the accompanying physician take a look?"

"No need." Li Yunrui shook her head, her voice revealing weariness. "I'm just a little sleepy right now."

Chunmei said no more, but quietly gave Meigu a look.

Mei understood and turned to instruct the accompanying doctor to be ready at any time.

-

It was 3:45 AM, and it was still dark.

Riding the golden eagle, Wu Feng finally flew to the sky above the mountains and forests near the confluence of the Liujing River and the Wei River.

He landed on a flat hillside and patted the golden eagle's wings: "You follow in the shadows, and I'll call you when I need you."

The golden eagle let out a low cry and flapped its wings to fly into the dense forest.

Wu Feng used his Flying Smoke Technique, his figure as swift as smoke, and sped towards the dock.

When we arrived at the dock, it was already early morning. A faint layer of dawn was breaking on the horizon, and the mist on the river began to dissipate.

He recognized Li Yunrui's official boat, which was decorated with palace lanterns, at a glance.

Wu Feng took out the Embroidered Spring Blade from his inventory and strode towards the boat.

Just as the footsteps approached the ship's side, a figure swiftly leaped off the ship, a sword flashing straight at them!

It is Ling Shuang.

"It's me!" Wu Feng immediately said.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Ling Shuang slightly shifted her sword stance, but the tip remained pointed at Wu Feng, and she did not immediately retract it.

The other seven sword-wielding maids also instantly flashed to the cabin entrance, their hands on their sword hilts, their eyes wary.

Once Ling Shuang could see Wu Feng's face clearly in the dim morning light, she sheathed her sword and took a half-step back.

Wu Feng lightly touched the ground with his feet and used his lightness skill to leap onto the deck.

Mei Gu had already rushed over upon hearing the commotion. When she saw it was Wu Feng, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Young Master Wu."

"Nothing happened on the journey, right?" Wu Feng asked in a low voice. "How is His Highness?"

Anita Mui also responded in a low voice:

"Nothing happened from the Liujing River to here. It's just that His Highness was a little seasick yesterday and wasn't in very good spirits."

Wu Feng understood.

He tiptoed to the stern of the boat to wash his face quickly, wiping away the dust of the night, and then headed towards Li Yunrui's room.

Chunmei had already woken up when Ling Shuang rushed off the boat.

Knowing that it was Wu Feng who had arrived, she was relieved and was now waiting at the door of the room.

She knew Wu Feng would definitely come.

"Your Highness is still asleep, isn't he?" Wu Feng walked to the door, his voice low.

Chunmei shook her head: "Your Highness slept quite soundly. It's just that we're going into the Wei River today, and the current is swift. I'm afraid Your Highness will find it even harder to adjust."

"Leave this to me," Wu Feng said. "I'll go in and rest for a while, you should get some more sleep too."

Chunmei nodded and gently pushed open the door.

Wu Feng slipped inside, and Chunmei gently closed the door behind her.

The room was dark, with only a sliver of dim morning light filtering in from the window.

Wu Feng could see the familiar silhouette on the bed and hear her even, soft breathing.

He walked quietly to the bedside, sat down on the carpet, leaned over the edge of the bed, and closed his eyes, inhaling the familiar, soothing fragrance.