Fan Qingyue was horrified when she saw that the two of them were truly intent on fighting their way back to the royal city. She hurriedly knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Your Majesty! The royal city is heavily guarded. If you return, you will surely meet your doom. Please reconsider, Your Majesty!"
Seeing that Li Mufan was indifferent and about to mount his horse, she became even more anxious. In desperation, she grabbed onto Li Mufan's leg, pleading with all her might.
"Your Majesty, if the green hills remain, there will always be firewood! You must not return!"
The rest of the guards knelt as well, shouting in unison, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
The sound was thunderous, and Li Mufan paused, clarity slowly returning to his mind.
Filled with rage, he looked down at the female general clutching his leg, then at the more than two hundred personal guards kneeling before him. He roared furiously at the sky.
"Li Haotian, Wang Mengyu, Wang Fuchen—one day, I will kill you all with my own hands!"
"Let's go! Head west!"
After shouting these words, he mounted his horse and, with a roar, led his personal guards westward at full gallop.
---
**Five Days Later - Sun Moon City**
It was early morning in the palace's back garden.
In a serene pavilion by the lake, a girl with flowing black hair, dressed in luxurious palace attire, calmly sipped her tea. She was Wang Mengyu, Li Mufan's newlywed princess.
"My dear concubine! One day feels like three years without seeing you! Just a moment apart, and I feel unsettled. I've missed you so much!"
Suddenly, a tall young man wearing the royal robe of the Sun and Moon King sat down across from her, smiling. This young man was the new king of the kingdom, Li Haotian.
Wang Mengyu simply smiled at him, subtly changing the subject. "A few days ago, I heard that Li Mufan and his traitorous group appeared near Canaan Pass. How did Your Majesty handle it?"
Li Haotian shook his head and replied, "Prime Minister Wang expected that this group of thieves would leave Canaan Pass and seek refuge in the empire. We had laid a trap, but for some reason, that boy fled before we could close the net. I've received word from the front that he escaped west."
"West?" Wang Mengyu's brow furrowed slightly. "To the west lies the Xihe Kingdom. Although it's part of the same empire as us, relations have been strained for years. Could it be that the thieves are trying to join forces with them, only to be rejected?"
"It's not impossible," Li Haotian said with a nod. "Baizhaoji, the ruler of Xihe Kingdom, has always sought to expand his territory. He might exploit this situation. The empire has always turned a blind eye to disputes between vassal states."
"If he truly allies with Xihe, it could cause trouble. I've already informed the general stationed at Pingxi Pass, and 10,000 more troops set out the day before yesterday. If they attempt to escape that way, they'll be surrounded and crushed from both the front and rear."
Wang Mengyu remained silent, gazing thoughtfully at the serene lake beyond the pavilion. After a long moment, she sighed softly and spoke with an air of contemplation.
"Your Majesty, your preparations are indeed thorough. If he escapes west, he will surely be captured. But there is something you may not know. The late king once had a deep grudge against Baizhaoji of Xihe. Li Mufan would never seek refuge there, knowing this."
Li Haotian frowned slightly. "Oh? Is that so? Then where do you think they'll flee?"
Wang Mengyu smiled faintly and replied, "Your Majesty, I've heard that in Dongshan City, there's a place called Wangjiang Tower. From this tower, one can see the Yuncang River as it rushes through Yixian Gorge. The view is said to be breathtaking. Would you care to accompany me there for a visit?"
Li Haotian paused, then realized her meaning and laughed heartily.
"My dear sister Wang has invited me, how could I refuse? I'll make the necessary arrangements, and we'll depart for Dongshan City first thing tomorrow!"