Chapter 2

Chu Zhaoyou seized an opportunity to separate from the rest of the opera troupe.

He needed to leave the city quickly. Soon, news of the emperor’s disappearance would spread, and his departure with the troupe during the chaos would not go unnoticed.

Chu Zhaoyou’s first stop was the pawnshop, where he pawned all the hairpins and accessories from his head. The original owner had hit her head on a table, causing her carefully arranged hair to become disheveled, and a large phoenix crown adorned with gold and jade fell to the ground, with no one daring to pick it up.

The troupe’s costumes were not authentic, and Chu Zhaoyou was afraid that carrying the crown would raise suspicions. With a heavy heart, he only kept a few hairpins.

After leaving the pawnshop, he sold the hairpins for a mere five taels of silver. Pressed for time, he didn’t have the luxury to haggle with the shopkeeper, and readily accepted whatever was offered. The shopkeeper’s grin stretched from ear to ear.

After removing his makeup, he entered the adjacent clothing store.

Men’s clothing or women’s clothing?

Chu Zhaoyou mentally prepared himself and reluctantly let go of the men’s clothing. He was now fleeing for his life, and women’s clothing was safer, but men’s clothing was a backup.

I can adapt to any situation.

Chu Zhaoyou thought as he put on the elegant moonlight yellow dress.

He also had a set of ordinary men’s clothing, one for the public and one for private use. The regent would surely praise his cleverness if he saw it.

…..

“Strange, there shouldn’t be two leading actresses in one opera troupe.” Qian Shicheng, the leader of the Imperial Dragon Guards, watched the billowing smoke as the opera troupe left the palace and sighed.

The Imperial Dragon Guards were the top military force in Da Chu, and its members were all highly skilled warriors, personally approved by the regent before being officially enlisted.

As the leader of the Imperial Dragon Guards, Qian Shicheng was renowned for his prowess, but he was still afraid of the two tigresses at home—his wife and his mother.

Two women in one household made for quite a drama, and one leading actress could outshine ten plays.

He marveled, “The leader of this opera troupe is truly knowledgeable!”

If the opera troupe hadn’t been frightened out of the capital by the regent, Qian Shicheng would have sought advice from the troupe leader on how to achieve balance.

“What are you talking about?”

The voice of Regent Xiao Heng came from behind, causing Qian Shicheng to startle. After so many years, as the leader of the Imperial Dragon Guards, he still couldn’t detect Xiao Heng’s approach.

After a moment of hesitation, as one of Xiao Heng’s trusted confidants, Qian Shicheng understood the regent’s aversion to opera troupes better than anyone else. If it weren’t for the regent’s cold and aloof nature, making it hard to imagine him falling in love. Qian Shicheng almost suspected that Xiao Heng had been hurt by actors in his youth.

Despite his thoughts, he cautiously repeated the two sentences he had just spoken.

Afterward, he carefully glanced at Xiao Heng’s expression and felt a pang of unease. He had never seen the regent, who usually held himself high, look so grim.

Xiao Heng’s face was taut, and his voice was as heavy as a submerged boulder. “Two leading actresses… go and see where His Majesty is.”

There was no need to check; Xiao Heng had a gut feeling that Chu Zhaoyou had fled.

From being awakened by a headache in the morning to now, Xiao Heng finally understood where his unease was coming from.

The poison in his body was about to flare up… Xiao Heng’s eyes narrowed. Was Chu Zhaoyou deliberately trying to escape at this critical moment?

Before long, Qian Shicheng returned, holding Eunuch Xue, who was by the emperor’s side.

“Your Highness, His Majesty… has disappeared,” Qian Shicheng reported.

“Hmm?” Xiao Heng’s gaze was as cold as a blade, and the air around him felt like an icy tundra.

Eunuch Xue trembled like a sieve. “His Majesty said… he wanted to watch the opera and didn’t want me to follow…”

Xiao Heng interrupted him. “Block the news, close the city gates, and have the Imperial Dragon Guards search with all their might. Before nightfall, His Majesty must be brought back to the palace.”

“Understood,” Qian Shicheng replied.

Eunuch Xue wanted to explain on behalf of His Majesty. His Majesty, in a more flattering light, was the ruler of a nation, but in a less flattering light, he was a puppet. If the puppet was out of control, there would be consequences upon his return.

Before he could utter an explanation, a gust of wind sounded in his ears. Xiao Heng didn’t leave through the main gate but used lightness skills to scale the city wall, swiftly disappearing into the horizon.

With all his might, the regent, using lightness skills, was beyond anyone’s reach.

Xiao Heng considered where Chu Zhaoyou might go and planned to send people to search for him. Suddenly, a severe, stabbing pain erupted from his temple.

Then, everything went black, and before he could issue any orders, Xiao Heng collapsed in mid-air and fell to the ground.

Xiao Heng closed his eyes in self-mockery.

For more than seven years, he had endured and protected the royal family, and the Chu family owed him deeply. At this moment, Xiao Heng allowed hatred to grow and consume everything.

…

Chu Zhaoyou circled the city wall and was disappointed to find that all the city gates were sealed.

It wasn’t even dark yet, and not even a fly could escape.

The search effort made it clear that he truly was an emperor.

Chu Zhaoyou sighed. If it weren’t for the regent planning to confine him to the imperial mausoleum in the future, he could have been an emperor.

He deliberately changed his accent after a while, switching from northeastern to Sichuanese to Fujianese and Cantonese. The original owner had been exposed to these dialects from a young age, and so far, no one had suspected him.

Taking a risk, he bought two meat buns and strolled through the streets and alleys. Chu Zhaoyou found a dilapidated alley.

Before he could enter, he heard a cacophony of punches, kicks, and insults from inside. Though his rational mind told him that curiosity killed the cat and that he shouldn’t meddle when fleeing for his life, his steps instinctively halted.

Chu Zhaoyou couldn’t bear the thought of someone losing their life because of his indifference.

I’ll take a look.