Li Yuyu circled left and right and arrived near the Cold Palace.
It was also the place where she’d been caught climbing the palace wall last time. Li Yuyu took the flying claw wound around her waist, closed one eye to aim at the wall, and flung it up with force.
"What was that sound?"
Song Sheng made a hand gesture and lowered his voice.
Liu Feizhu, who was patrolling with him, put his hand to his waist, ready to draw his sword at any moment.
The two cooperated tacitly, one to the left, one to the right, closing in on the source of the sound.
"Bold thi—"
"Wait!" Song Sheng slammed a hand down on Liu Feizhu, who was about to strike, then tipped his head back to look at Li Yuyu, who had just climbed onto the palace wall, his expression turning complicated.
Li Yuyu was startled; luckily she kept her grip steady on the top of the wall, or she would have fallen.
When she saw who was below the wall, Li Yuyu’s brows and eyes curved: "Hi, Vice Commander Song, we meet again."
Song Sheng noted that this was absolutely not the way he wanted to be meeting Li Yuyu.
"Li Xiurong?" Once Liu Feizhu saw who was on the wall, a cold sweat instantly broke out down his back.
Good thing the Deputy Commander had stopped him, otherwise...
Thinking of General Li’s dark face when he came back last time, Liu Feizhu shivered.
"S-Song, Brother Song, I—I suddenly have a stomachache, I—I’m going to the toilet first." Liu Feizhu clutched his stomach and, without waiting for Song Sheng’s reply, slipped away at high speed.
Song Sheng: ...
A quarter of an hour later, Li Yuyu was holding an osmanthus cake and eating, her lively big eyes darting all around as she sized up the little shops lining the street.
In the Imperial Palace, Jian Yi was kneeling before Yan Xiu, clearly feeling the oppressive pressure in front of him.
"Call Song Sheng over to Us!"
"Yes." Shen Quan didn’t dare lift his head; he hurried out to send a quick-footed little eunuch to summon Song Sheng.
Jian Yi remained kneeling on the ground.
"Go." Yan Xiu drew in a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.
"Yes." Jian Yi’s figure flickered, and he quickly left the hall, heading out of the palace to search for Li Yuyu.
When Shen Quan returned, he carefully observed Yan Xiu’s expression and said softly, "Emperor, Vice Commander Song has arrived."
"Have him roll in here!"
Yan Xiu’s voice, thick with fury, echoed out of the hall.
Song Sheng shivered. After a moment’s thought, he planted both hands on the ground and did several flips, literally rolling into the hall.
Yan Xiu: ...
Shen Quan: ...
"This humble servant kowtows to the Emperor. May the Emperor be blessed with boundless fortune and health!" Song Sheng didn’t dare stand, kneeling on one knee, his head lowered very, very far.
Yan Xiu stood at the top with his hands behind his back, his deep phoenix eyes slowly narrowing, his low voice tinged with danger: "Do you know why We summoned you?"
"This humble servant knows." Song Sheng knocked his head to the floor. "This humble servant encountered Lady Xiu while on patrol."
"Lady Xiu wished to leave the palace, so this humble servant escorted Her Ladyship out of the Imperial Palace."
"You are truly bold!"
"Yes. May the Emperor punish me." Song Sheng shifted to kneel on both knees and kowtowed, asking for punishment.
Last time, when Li Xiurong wanted to leave the palace and he blocked her, he’d truly lived through a stretch of hell. This time Li Xiurong wanted out again, and he’d thought: either way I’m going to be punished, maybe if Li Xiurong helps plead for me, I’ll get off lighter?
Yan Xiu was furious beyond measure and pointed at Song Sheng: "Throw him into the dungeon!"
Song Sheng let out a breath of relief.
Thankfully, it was just a stint in the dungeon.
"This humble servant thanks the Emperor for His mercy." After kowtowing, Song Sheng rose from the ground; without needing anyone to drag him, he headed straight toward the dungeon.
Yan Xiu paced back and forth on the golden dais with his hands behind his back, then suddenly spoke: "Little Quanzi."
"This servant is here."
"Li Xiurong probably doesn’t have any Silver Tael to stay at an inn, does she."
Shen Quan: ???