Chapter 190: A Ghostly Voice Rang Out Eerily.

Ye Shao: "They’ve spotted us. They’ve definitely spotted us."

Xiao Yang: "No need to repeat the obvious."

Ye Shao: "So what do we do now?"

Xiao Yang sighed. "Tell me, what can I possibly do to coax Prince Jing to stop crying?"

She, who feared nothing under the heavens, was now a little afraid of Prince Jing’s tears.

That wail of his was just too wretched. She really couldn’t handle it.

Prince Jing didn’t want money or power; he was purely worried about her. This was going to be tricky.

As expected, she hated playing the emotional card the most. It was too draining.

While Xiao Yang was still agonizing over this, Ye Shao grew anxious. "Your Majesty, never mind Prince Jing for now! They’ve circled back."

On the main road, Su Wu’s men, who had left and now returned, spotted the bloodstains on the ground and quickly found the body.

"Just as I thought, they were faking it! After them!"

The group quickly mounted their horses and gave chase.

This time, they certainly wouldn’t be as easy to fool as before.

This troop was about fifty strong; those seven were definitely no match for them.

Although none of them recognized Marquis Wucheng, judging from the recent situation, the one tied up like a dumpling was, in all likelihood, the Marquis himself.

Xiao Yang rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Let’s go. We’ll follow them and see."

’If I bring Marquis Wucheng back, will Prince Jing cool down a little?’

The three of them spurred their horses in pursuit, trailing them from a distance of about two hundred meters.

However, they chased them almost all the way to Luoyan City, but there was still no sign of the group.

The men in front were starting to question their very existence, and Xiao Yang was also starting to have her doubts.

They had been chasing at a good clip. How fast could that group have gone in a horse-drawn carriage?

They hadn’t seen any forks in the road, had they? How could they have just vanished?

Xiao Yang couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Finally, she rode onto the main road.

This was the territory of Luoyan City. The men from Yizhou wouldn’t dare act recklessly here. Besides, the three of them weren’t their target. Even if they were spotted from afar, they would at most get a passing glance.

Upon finally entering the gates of Luoyan City, Xiao Yang still saw no sign of that group, which naturally meant no Zhao Cheng’an either.

The thought of what she had to face next gave her a splitting headache.

But setting that aside, there were more important matters at hand. She instructed Ye Shao, "Take two hundred men and deal with that group. While you’re at it, see if you can meet up with those other people."

"And who are you planning to meet?"

A ghastly voice rang out, chilling and sinister.

A chill instantly ran down Xiao Yang’s spine.

Slowly, she turned, feeling as if she could hear her own bones creaking, CRACK CRACK CRACK.

She turned her head, and her world came crashing down.

Not far away, a man on horseback clad in black robes exuded a menacing, predatory aura. His face was so dark with fury that one could hardly make out his features. Who else could it be but Rong Yin?

GULP!

Xiao Yang forcibly suppressed the disgraceful urge to pull Ye Shao in front of her as a shield. She stood up straight, puffed out her chest, and feigned composure, chanting internally, ’I am the Emperor. I am the Emperor!’

"What are you doing here? I was just taking a casual stroll."

Rong Yin urged his horse forward to ride beside her. "This subject has come to escort Your Majesty."

His eyes were locked on her, as if he wanted to devour her whole, and his tone left no room for refusal.

Xiao Yang was the Emperor, and a very impressive one at that, but she also knew she was in the wrong here.

’Feeling like a coward inside, but gotta act tough on the outside.’

"It has been many days. The Regent King’s presence is as magnificent as ever. Let us head back for now."

After speaking, she shot Ye Shao a look. He quickly cupped his hands in a salute and departed, only then did Xiao Yang follow Rong Yin.

A large group escorted Xiao Yang, keeping her in the center. Rong Yin didn’t speak, Xiao Yang didn’t speak, and the others dared not even make a peep.

When they finally returned to their lodgings, Prince Jing was waiting at the entrance. Once he saw clearly that it was indeed her who had returned, he didn’t cry. He just let out two cold snorts and walked away.

He cut a desolate and bleak figure, looking for all the world like she had broken his heart.

Xiao Yang: "..." ’I’d rather he cried. This is even harder to deal with.’

Rong Yin dismounted first, then looked up and raised a hand to help Xiao Yang down.

Though he was looking up at her, his gesture held an undeniable dominance.

Xiao Yang could only offer her hand. He grasped it tightly as she swung herself off the horse, and then he led her inside by the hand.

Not a word was spoken until the door was closed. Rong Yin released her hand, turned, and took two steps away. His voice, cold and furious, cut through the silence. "Your Majesty is truly something else. This subject can no longer control you."

"Harboring a criminal, putting yourself in harm’s way—is there anything you won’t dare to do?"

"Do you know that you are the Emperor? Do you have any idea how many people want to kill you? If even the slightest thing goes wrong, it would mean eternal damnation!"

Rong Yin was in a state of towering rage, like a powder keg about to explode. Though she was being reprimanded, Xiao Yang didn’t offer a single word in her defense.

’I’m a magnanimous Emperor. He’s been worried sick all these days. It’s only right that he throws a tantrum and vents his anger.’

However, just as the powder keg was about to detonate, he suddenly spun around and fiercely pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

His grip was so strong that Xiao Yang felt as if her bones were about to be crushed.

And he was trembling. His breathing was trembling, his hands were trembling.

He buried his head in the crook of her neck, deeply inhaling her scent.

Dominant, yet fragile.

His anger, his scolding—it was all just because he was worried, because he was afraid.

Even when scolding her, he couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh.

Xiao Yang raised her arms and hugged him back. Turning her head slightly, she placed a series of soft kisses on his cheek. "I’m sorry. I made you worry."

She might be cold and detached, but she wasn’t ungrateful. She could see the sincerity in others’ hearts.

Rong Yin held her, his anger melting away with every kiss she gave him.

After a long moment, he finally released her, then lowered his head and gently pecked the corner of her lips.

"As your subject, I made Your Majesty coax me. Has this subject gone too far?"

Xiao Yang: "You’re only saying that after I’m done coaxing you. Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?"

Sometimes, Rong Yin hated it too—hated his own weakness. He had spent two months in constant fear and anxiety, bottling up a bellyful of rage, only to arrive and learn that she had run off to fool around again.

He had suppressed his fury to go out and find her, never expecting to run into her right at the city gates.

One moment he wanted to swallow her whole, the next, with her in his arms and after a few simple kisses, all his anger had vanished into thin air. All that remained was the relief and joy of having found what was lost, of having his arms filled once more.

As long as she appeared before him, whole and full of life, there was nothing he couldn’t forgive.

As it turned out, one should never speak in absolutes.

Xiao Yang was covered in dust from her journey, so she went to bathe and change her clothes first. Rong Yin was also about to get changed when, just as he stepped out of the room, he ran into Mu Yunlian, who had just rushed back.

The dark aura around Rong Yin, which had just dissipated, instantly reconverged.

He could forgive anything, but he absolutely could not forgive *this*.

Whether this person was called Meng Xuechen or Mu Yunlian didn’t matter. All Rong Yin knew was that Your Majesty’s attitude toward him was special, that she was extremely tolerant of him. Even after he had kidnapped and taken her away, Your Majesty still chose to protect him.

Ling Ji had been by the Emperor’s side the whole time, and he also had people in Liangzhou sending him messages. So, although Mu Yunlian was worried about the Emperor, he knew she was safe and wasn’t in a panic.

Seeing Rong Yin’s attitude now, he didn’t mind dealing with this love rival first.

He had arrived too late, allowing Ah Yang to encounter Rong Yin first. But it didn’t matter. He would clear away all obstacles.