The palanquin had just started moving when it suddenly lurched violently.
If Tang Zhuyun hadn't been somewhat skilled and hadn't held on tightly to the side with her right hand, she probably would have been thrown off.
At the same time, a nearby guard swiftly took the place made by the fallen sedan bearer, and the palanquin immediately regained its footing.
Emperor Wen placed many capable and skilled people around Tang Zhuyun.
"Your Majesty!" The lady-in-waiting turned pale with fright.
Tang Zhuyun waved her hand, looking at the fallen sedan bearers, and said, "Send the imperial physician over to take a look."
When she went out with such a entourage, there must have been imperial physicians accompanying her.
The sedan bearers were actually fine; they knelt on the ground, trembling, and said that they had been hit in the back of their knees by a stone.
The imperial physician examined him and confirmed that what he said was true.
Lu Zhenyan, the commander of the Imperial Feathered Guard accompanying the emperor, stepped forward and advised, "Your Majesty, this place is not safe to stay any longer. Please return to the palace immediately."
"Hmm." Tang Zhuyun's eyes were calm and indifferent. She instructed the guards to investigate here, and added, "Don't disturb the people. If you can't find anything, then forget it."
Anyway, Emperor Wen is still here; he will send people to investigate again.
"Yes." The crowd accepted the order.
Tang Zhuyun glanced at Lei Qun and found that the latter was looking up at her.
As their eyes met, Lei Qun knelt there, cupped his hands in a wry smile, and his lips moved slightly.
Tang Zhuyun didn't understand at first, but thinking it was probably an apology, she nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
The palanquin was lifted again and, relying on its winding path, slowly made its way towards the palace.
Meanwhile, someone had already rushed to the palace to report what had happened to Emperor Wen.
Not long after they left, one of the guards hurriedly returned and said something to Lu Zhenyan, who was leading the way. The latter leaned forward and let the guard whisper a few words in his ear.
Lu Zhenyan seemed to hesitate briefly before riding over.
"Your Majesty," he dismounted and bowed respectfully, asking, "The road ahead is congested. May we take another route back to the palace? Please give your instructions."
Tang Zhuyun looked down at him and said calmly, "With me here, who dares to obstruct me?"
Although his voice was neither hurried nor slow, it exuded authority, leaving Lu Zhenyan speechless for a moment.
Lu Zhenyan inwardly groaned.
His experiences over the past two years have been truly dramatic.
He was originally just an unknown soldier in the Imperial Feathered Guard. His family's expectation of him was the same as that of other scions of declining noble families: to obtain a position so that he could have a better reputation when he married.
Lu Zhenyan felt that he couldn't be so lazy and had to be more ambitious.
However, in the Imperial Feathered Guard, background is more important than seniority, and they are mostly just guards patrolling inside and outside the capital. To put it bluntly, they are just figureheads with no real role to play.
Coming here to pursue a better future is truly a futile endeavor.
Frustrated, Lu Zhenyan could only devote his extra energy to practicing martial arts.
One day, after Lu Zhenyan finished practicing, he noticed a bright yellow figure beside him.
He hastily bowed and cried out, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Wen asked him some questions, such as his age and background, and then had his guards spar with him.
Lu Zhenyan's performance was at least satisfactory to himself.
At that moment, he was not only nervous but also filled with excitement.
His pearl is finally about to be discovered!
Roll up your sleeves, ready to get to work!
Emperor Wen was indeed very satisfied with him, but the outcome was not what Lu Zhenyan had expected.
He transferred Lu Zhenyan to the Empress's side.
Lu Zhenyan: That's it?
He had lofty ambitions, yet in the end he could only serve as a bodyguard for the Empress?
That would have been worse than patrolling inside and outside the imperial city!
But since we're here, we have to do our jobs properly.
Unexpectedly, he, who thought he would be forgotten, was promoted one after another, rising rapidly to become the commander of the Imperial Feathered Guard.
The problem is, he didn't do anything!
Finally, after receiving guidance from others and observing the daily interactions between the Emperor and Empress, he suddenly realized that the Empress's presence was the shortcut to promotion!
Lu Zhenyan even more diligent and conscientious.
This was a Brocade Guard commander who was "dedicated to his work" and was particularly adept at understanding Emperor Wen's thoughts.
While it's said that they are guarding the Empress, their more important duty is to act according to the Emperor's wishes.
In this respect, Lu Zhenyan did a good job, so he remained firmly in his position and never gave those who envied, were jealous of, or hated him an opportunity to bring him down.
Of course, Lu Zhenyan also figured out the Empress's personality.
This person is really easy to talk to, down-to-earth, but has a temper and doesn't like being lied to.
However, the Emperor did not want the Empress to worry about this.
Therefore, some things should be kept secret.
For example, his current desire to take a detour.
Lu Zhenyan that the Empress would calmly say that it was alright to take a detour; but he did not expect that the Empress would take it seriously today.
He knew that the Empress was not in a good mood when he heard Tang Zhuyun start referring to herself as "this Empress".
"Your Majesty," Lu Zhenyan immediately softened his tone and lowered his voice, "There are some unclean things ahead..."
Tang Zhuyun said, "Something unclean? Then I'm even more determined to go and see."
"Your Majesty!" Lu Zhenyan's eyes were filled with anxiety as he shook his head repeatedly. "Please don't go. I'm afraid there are treacherous officials causing trouble."
Tang Zhuyun said calmly, "Just say it."
Lu Zhenyan knelt on the ground, forcing himself to say, "It must be rebels causing trouble, confusing the public, and undermining morale."
"Let's go take a look."
Tang Zhuyun roughly understood what was going on.
Although Emperor Wen never mentioned it to her, she had vaguely heard that some people were still arguing about the legitimacy of his ascension to the Emperor Wen.
"... yes!"
The group quickly caught up with the group ahead.
Tang Zhuyun saw four large black characters on the red tiles of the shop roof on her left-hand side.
A complete transformation.
Looking at the shop again, haha, it's a coffin shop.
These people really know how to pick a location.
Among the many houses with blue-tiled roofs, the coffin, covered with red tiles, stands out conspicuously, and the four large black characters are also particularly striking.
That's fine, but upon closer inspection, the words seem to be moving.
"Your Majesty," Lu Zhenyan, bowing his head, "It must be some troublemakers trying to cause trouble. I'll send someone to check it out."
Tang Zhuyun glanced at the surrounding crowd, some terrified and others seemingly "aha," and sneered, "What's the use of looking? A mere trick, yet you dare to fool the people like this!"
Lu Zhenyan hesitated to speak, but he vaguely guessed that the Empress's words meant she had a plan.
Tang Zhuyun said, "I knew what this was all about when I first saw it in elementary school."
Please stop insulting people's intelligence.
However, Lu Zhenyan thinking that the Empress's safety must not be compromised.
"Your Majesty, this is not a place to linger. Let's return to the palace first," he said cautiously.
Only by aligning yourself with powerful figures can you achieve long-term development.
One slip-up and his future is ruined.
"Some things, if not resolved on the spot, who knows what rumors will spread about them later. Lu Zhenyan," Tang Zhuyun said with a sneer, "You're doing this—"