Song Qingshu felt somewhat guilty about it. Last time, when he had been in Lin'an disguised as Jia Baoyu, he had been unable to handle everything himself and had relied entirely on Li Yuanzhi to leave openly and honorably.
But while he had freed himself, Li Yuanzhi had paid too great a price. Originally chosen as an imperial consort and even a strong contender for empress, she had been cast into the Cold Palace overnight because she was no longer a virgin. Even so, with Li Kexiu's hundred thousand Green Standard troops behind her, she could still have lived comfortably. But now Li Kexiu's power had been utterly wiped out, and she no longer had anyone to protect her. After the scandal that had happened before, where in this vast imperial palace could she possibly find a place for herself?
It was said that the Forbidden City in his previous life had buried far too many wronged souls. Once night fell, all manner of ghostly cries echoed within, and no one dared wander around there. Though some of it was surely rumor, it was common in the imperial harem for consorts to be put to death at the slightest provocation, not to mention palace maids and eunuchs.
The more Song Qingshu thought about it, the more his heart pounded in alarm. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he flashed through the window and rushed toward the imperial palace. I should have come to get her sooner. If anything happens to her, I'll probably spend the rest of my life drowning in regret.
Li Yuanzhi's clever, eccentric, innocent smile filled his mind. Song Qingshu moved faster and faster, nearly crossing an entire street with each step. Before long, he had slipped into the imperial palace.
He had visited the Southern Song