The Empress Has Been Missing for a Month

Xiao Mingzhao could not break free; her heart collapsed within her.

Tuoba Xiangtai saw this and took it to heart, but he also knew that this matter required time and patience. It would be fine once Xiao Mingzhao slowly accepted him.

He was completely devoted to Xiao Mingzhao. One day, she would understand his painstaking efforts and be willing to stay by his side forever.

Therefore, Tuoba Xiangtai did not push her too hard. He stepped outside the door but did not leave. He stayed right there at the entrance for the entire night, freezing like a fool, without taking a single step away.

By the next morning, Xiao Mingzhao, who had been emotionally shattered all night, had fallen asleep leaning against the edge of the bed. Tuoba Xiangtai, who had also stayed awake all night, was full of energy.

He hurried to the kitchen and cooked personally, preparing breakfast for Xiao Mingzhao.

He even personally washed the clothes he had prepared for Xiao Mingzhao when he arrived.

After everything was ready, he brought it in to Xiao Mingzhao.

"Luan'er, eat something, won't you?"

"Don't starve yourself!"

Xiao Mingzhao woke up at the slightest sound and suddenly screamed, "Let me go!"

As she struggled, the gold chains rattled loudly.

Tuoba Xiangtai shook his head and did not continue on that topic, instead saying, "Luan'er, I made this for you with my own hands out of love."

"Just take a bite!"

Seeing that Xiao Mingzhao remained unmoved and even looked like she was about to cry again, Tuoba Xiangtai panicked a little and had no choice but to retreat outside.

Before long, a maid sent by his personal guards came to report that the ministers of the Great Yu dynasty were at the gates, demanding the return of their female emperor!

After all, Xiao Mingzhao had not returned all night; how could those ministers sit still?

Facing these people, Tuoba Xiangtai instantly returned to his normal self. He thought for a moment, straightened his robes, and strode out.

At the entrance of the Yuchen Manor, he wore a smile, looking like an elegant and dashing young nobleman with extraordinary bearing. "Gentlemen, Luan'er is staying at my manor. She says she will be staying for a while."

"In the future, if you have any matters to report, simply submit your memorials here."

"As for advising Her Majesty to return to the palace, do not bring it up again. I'm afraid Her Majesty has no time for that recently!"

Without waiting for the ministers to erupt in an uproar, he returned inside the manor.

He peeked through Xiao Mingzhao's door and waited until her mood had improved slightly—at the very least, when she had stopped crying—before gently pushing the door open and walking in.

"Luan'er, I had the ministers send the memorials here."

"From now on, I will help you with state affairs."

"You won't have to be so tired."

"Get plenty of rest!"

Xiao Mingzhao shouted again, "Let me go!"

This shout was earth-shattering.

The grievances she had suffered all night poured out like a ruptured dam. Boundless anger and regret surged within Xiao Mingzhao's heart.

She could not understand why the man she loved had become like this.

But Tuoba Xiangtai still just shook his head slightly.

And so, a day passed.

The courtiers of Great Yu truly could not sit still any longer.

A nation cannot go a single day without its monarch!

And the major affairs of the court could not be left unattended!

There were many major issues, especially in the south, where Lin Yizhi's son, Lin Zixiao, was causing a massive uproar, having nearly recruited an army of two hundred thousand.

In the northern frontiers, Ren Tianye had almost occupied the entire region.

It could be said that every day brought urgent military intelligence.

The Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers did not dare to make decisions on their own.

They tried various methods, but in the end, having no other choice, they could only submit these memorials to the Yuchen Manor.

Because of this, the Duke of Zhenguo fainted from anger on the spot. Despite the imperial physicians' desperate efforts to save him, they could not bring the illustrious old general back.

However, Tuoba Xiangtai smoothly got his hands on the memorials.

He was truly a man of his word.

He actually helped Xiao Mingzhao process the memorials.

But state affairs were incredibly difficult and complex. Even Xiao Mingzhao, who had been on the throne for years, occasionally made oversights. How could Tuoba Xiangtai, a mere barbarian, make sense of them?

But Tuoba Xiangtai genuinely put in the effort.

Holding the memorials, he studied and replied to them daily. He would sit in Xiao Mingzhao's room for sixteen hours a day, entirely buried behind the desk, writing meticulously.

He truly treated Great Yu as an empire belonging to him and Xiao Mingzhao.

But this made the courtiers boil over even more.

The vermilion imperial comments on the memorials had turned into the handwriting of a barbarian?!

In the eight hundred years of the Great Yu dynasty, when had they ever suffered such humiliation?

"How could Her Majesty do this? Does she truly intend to hand our Great Yu over to a barbarian?"

"Although Her Majesty had shown such intentions before, we only took it as a passing joke. But now it has become reality. The authority of the vermilion brush of the Great Yu dynasty has fallen entirely into the hands of a barbarian. How will we face the late emperors in the underworld?"

"Colleagues, we must think of a way. We cannot let Her Majesty stay in the Yuchen Manor indefinitely. This has already become a laughingstock to the world. Are we to let Great Yu collapse in an instant because of this?"

...

Countless loyal ministers discussed the matter fervently.

All were extremely indignant.

But there was still no solution. After all, from their perspective, Xiao Mingzhao refused to even show her face; they did not even have the chance to advise her in person!

And so, they merely clamored like this.

One day, two days, three days, five days, ten days...

The courtiers suddenly quieted down and stopped arguing.

With Xiao Mingzhao failing to appear for so long, anyone who wasn't a complete fool realized that something was wrong.

A thought arose in everyone's mind.

But not a single person dared to voice it.

They could only think of roundabout ways, and soon, their ideas turned to Lu Qing.

"General Lu, you command the imperial guards. Now that Her Majesty has been missing for ten days, and you bear the responsibility of guarding the capital, how can you take this so lightly?"

"You must find a way to get Her Majesty back to the palace."

Lu Qing had been riding high on success lately. His official rank had skyrocketed, and he was reaping a bountiful harvest in love. He had even acknowledged Lu Jun as his son. He was in the midst of sweet, tender romance, so how could he care about anything else?

He immediately replied, "Her Majesty and Young Master Tuoba have not seen each other for many years. Now that they are reunited, naturally they do not wish to be parted. As a subject, how can I tear them apart?"

Lu Qing completely ignored these old fogeys who understood nothing of love, directly shutting his doors to live a happy life with his family of three.

Consequently, Xiao Mingzhao's disappearance gradually stretched to fifteen days, twenty days, thirty days!

A full month.

If it weren't for the fact that Xiao Mingzhao's handwriting could occasionally be seen on the memorials, these ministers would have thought she had been murdered.

But,

Even so, this was no way to go on.

Xiao Mingzhao remained in the Yuchen Manor, refusing to come out no matter what.

Merely writing a few memorials and handling major affairs every day—is this what the emperor of a dynasty should be doing?

As a result, in their panic, after holding numerous private gatherings, the ministers finally brought the matter out into the open.

Recommended by the officials, three people were selected.

The first was Lu Qing.

The ministers forcefully broke down his door and dragged him out of his older brother's room, right out of Ruyue's bed.

The second was the Prime Minister.

The third should have been the Duke of Zhenguo.

But since the Duke of Zhenguo had passed away, he could only be replaced by his offspring. The Duke had only one daughter, named Gu Qingyue, who served in the court as the Commander of the Mounted Escorts.

...