13. Back home, but for how long?
When they entered the capital a few days later, a royal guard walked up to them. "Your Highness." The guard bowed, Yan told him to rise. Su and Rushuang opened the curtain of the carriage, curious to see why they had stopped. "Your Highness." The guard also greeted Su, she wasn't used to the reference others gave her because she was the consort of Prince Qi, so she quickly told him to rise. "The Dowager Empress requests the presence of the Princess consort Qi immediately." The guard said. Su and Yan looked at each other, both curious why the Empress wanted to see Su so urgently. "Thank you, I'll go the palace. Fei Yuan please." Su turned to Fei Yuan who had driven the carriage. "Rushuang." Xie held out his hand to pull her up unto his horse. "We will meet up soon, we will leave first." Xie said before riding into town. Yan rode to the carriage and said: "Su, I'm coming with you. I want to visit the Royal Archives. When your business with the Dowager Empress is concluded you don't have to wait for me." Knowing what he wished to search in the Royal Archive, Su solemnly nodded. They then quickly entered the capital and traveled to the royal palace. Yan helped Su out of the carriage and walked with her to the private office of the Dowager Empress. After a few minutes of talking with each other Yan excused himself. He went to the large Royal Archives to find the Honggu files that were kept there. It took the better part of the day to find the reports he specifically wanted and to get them copied.
When he returned to the Qi Mansion he found Su in the pavilion closes to the office, this was her favorite place to sit and work, if she didn't need to write. The table in front of her was filled wit quite a lot of scrolls. Yan was wondering what the Dowager Empress wished to discuss with Su so he quickly walked up to her. "Dear, what did the Dowager Empress wanted to see you for?" Looking up at her husband Su smiled lovingly. Yan smiled back, leaned down and kissed her. Enjoying the kiss and a little time just for the two of them, Su just kissed him back. In the end it was Yan who broke the kiss and looked at her questioningly. "The Dowager Empress asked me to research the families of these ladies." Waving her hand over the scrolls laid out before her. Taking up one of the scrolls and unrolling it, revealing the picture of a lady, Yan commented: "It seems like she really is trying to find the next Empress." Before Su could comment they were interrupted by two persons coming from the back gate. His eyes widened in shock when Yan noticed who were hurrying towards them. Next to him he noticed Su rising, having seen their unexpected guests. "Your Majesty." Both Yan and Su said at the same time, bowing. The emperor seemed annoyed and commander Fu, who followed him seemed to be annoyed as well. "Brother, you have to help me." The Emperor started as he stepped up on the pavilion. His eye was then drawn to the scrolls, some of which were still open, showing the portraits inside. He stopped abruptly, Fu almost bumped into his back. "Oh no, she has roped you into this as well! What does she want you to do?" The Emperor looked at Yan and Su, both were take aback at the word oaf the emperor. Yan responded first, telling he emperor what the Dowager Empress had asked Su to do. "No, please don't. I met some of them and those were so dull. Yan, please, I need to get away for a while. Can't you travel the country as Pei Zhao and take me with you as your younger brother?"
"Your Highness, please reconsider, we can't guarantee your safety." Commander Fu pleaded, looking at Yan, clearly showing he needed help. The Emperor turned to Fu: "If I go in disguise we won't need all the guards, nobody outside the capital will see m a the Emperor. Yan said it himself, people don't recognize him, well except the people from court, but we can order them to cooperate."
"Brother, people outside of the capital don't care about court related cases or who Prince Qi is. That's why it is easy for me to put on the guise of Pei Zhao and have them believe I'm not Prince Qi. For you I fear it would be more difficult. Those who recognize you will be less easily persuaded you're not you. You're the Emperor, we have to make sure you're safe. That can't be done." Yan tried to reason, but to no avail as the Emperor continued: "Look, I need to get away. Mother is getting more and more insistent and these ladies she keeps inviting…I mean, yes, they are beautiful, they all master all the ladylike behaviors and activities deemed appropriate for accomplished ladies, they are from powerful families, but I don't want them as my Empress. I keep telling mother, but she just doesn't listen. I've thought it all through: We will go to the border…" at this both Fu and Yan looked extremely worried. The last place they would want the emperor to go, in disguise or not, was the border, but the Emperor didn't heed them and carried on. "There we'll be with a well-trained army, capable of protecting me. We'll got to the Marquis, the report he sends troubles me. I want to see the situation myself. You'll accompany me, with Su of course. We'll go as the Pei family. We can trust the Marquis not to tell." At that moment they were interrupted by Fei Yuan: "Sister Su…ehm…Your Highness." He corrected himself. Su turned to Fei Yuan , who had not yet seen the guests, Su cleared her throat slightly, at which Fei Yuan looked up from the message he was carrying. Noting the guests he quickly bowed: "Your Majesty."
"You may rise." Fei Yuan rose from his bow and turned to Su. "Someone from the Mingjing Office delivered an urgent message from the Head Officer." He handed the message to Su, who quickly opened it and read it. The message clearly surprised her, Yan could see it in the minute changes in her face, to which he had grown familiar. Su looked at him and said: "They found Yu Li, she is near the border with Beirong."
"Yu Li? The maid of Prince Yun? The one who attempted to kill Princess Yunchuan?" The Emperor asked.
"Yes, she escaped a few weeks after she was put in prison. The Mingjing Office believes she had outside help and has been trying to find her and now they have." Su explained, once more reading the message. Yan stepped closer to her, so he could read the message with her and read out: "Those that have tracked her will make contact with the Marquis to request hep in apprehending her."
"Well that settles it. Clearly you two need to travel to the Marquis. I'll join you." At this remark Fu bristled: "Your Highness, we can't give you the protection you need." From his intimate knowledge of his brother Yan could see he would not be persuaded. Once more finding Su with his eyes, Yan could see she also had her doubts. He tried to reassure her, pulling her closer to him, before addressing his brother: "All right…" from the corner of his eye he saw the disbelieve in Fu's face. Clearly he had thought Yan wouldn't give in to this idea of the Emperor. "But we have next to no time to arrange this. We bring Xie Beiming and Rushuang and a troupe of his warriors. Commander Fu will also join us, without your regalia. Fei Yuan notify Brother Xie, ask them to come immediately. Then ask Liu Yu to join us." Su who was of course very much in tune with her husband, started to clear the scrolls away. "I'll go to the clothing shop. It's too late to leave today, we'll set of tomorrow." Nodding his approval Yan helped Su carry the scrolls inside. Su also halted a maid, ordering her to get tea ready for their guests.
Hours later, after the curfew, when all in the capital were resting, Pei, Su, Fei Yuan and the Emperor, now called Pei Zhu, went to Pei Mansion. With the token of Prince Qi it was easy to reach the mansion from where they would leave.