Chapter 756: Chapter 756: Leaving the Palace, Grand Ancestor Emperor!

Li Qingmu took a few steps toward Rong Si’s Fengming Palace, and as he passed by a garden, his figure suddenly staggered and, using the cover of the flowers, vanished right in front of the following palace maids and eunuchs.

"Your Majesty!"

The palace maids and eunuchs were shocked, calling out in alarm and searching everywhere.

"Your Majesty is missing!"

They were so frantic that they were nearly in tears, especially since Rong Si had instructed them earlier to keep an eye on His Majesty and not let him leave the palace.

The palace maids and eunuchs following him were all Rong Si’s trusted aides, each with decent martial arts skills, yet now they couldn’t keep him in sight.

Upon hearing the news, Rong Si angrily smashed a table full of porcelain.

"Useless, all of you are useless, couldn’t even keep an eye on one person! What use do I have for you?"

Rong Si roared, and Chen Liu knelt in front of her, knowing he was wrong and could only plead for mercy.

"Your Highness, please calm down, anger harms the body."

Yin Li hurriedly advised her, as Rong Si had already gone mad once before and couldn’t afford a second time, so emotions had to be kept in check.

"Hmph, is it because his wings have hardened now? Can he go against my will as his mother?"

Rong Si said coldly, her eyes icy.

Yin Li said, "Your Highness, perhaps His Majesty is truly tired and weary, and just wants to go out and relax; these thick palace walls can indeed feel stifling."

"Stifling?" Rong Si sneered, "Indeed very stifling. That boy has been wild outside since childhood! It seems I’ve been too lenient with him lately, letting it go to his head! When he returns, I’ll definitely teach him a lesson!"

After pausing, Rong Si asked, "Has Ming Fei also disappeared?"

Someone on the side responded "Yes," and the smile on Rong Si’s face grew colder, exclaiming, "Those two..."

Those two what?

She didn’t know how to describe it.

Can’t very well call them scoundrels, can I?

Thinking of her son’s usual obedience and this time’s rebellion, Rong Si sank back into her seat, lightly pressing her temples with her fingers.

She remembered when she first saw Li Qingmu, the sharpness in that child. Was it not the same now?

Perhaps she had become accustomed to his docility and compliance recently, which is why such a strong reaction now.

"Yin Li, do you think he might have remembered something?"

Yin Li was shocked and said, "Princess, you must not have such thoughts. If His Majesty really remembered something, he wouldn’t be this gentle!"

Indeed!

At the time, she personally fed Li Qingmu the potion; if he really remembered something, he would definitely recognize her.

But what if... he was just pretending all along?

This thought startled Yin Li herself!

No way, it couldn’t be!

But, that man is so clever... if he really wanted to pretend, who could see through it?

Yin Li felt she was overthinking, yet when she looked up, she saw Rong Si was already on her feet, and their eyes met.

"Whether he remembers or not, we’ll decide after he returns! Right now, we must quickly send out people to find him... no, there’s no need, follow him, see what exactly he wants to do?"

Initially, Rong Si wanted to have Li Qingmu brought back, but upon realizing that the people she dispatched didn’t even know how he disappeared, she understood that this son’s martial arts might already be incredibly high.

Gone are the days of picking him up like a chick and carrying him back.

"Was it a mistake for me to let You Su teach him martial arts?"

Rong Si muttered to herself.

...

"Hot buns, piping hot lamb buns, fresh and tasty, come buy them!"

"Pancakes, selling pancakes, one cent a big one, guaranteed to fill you up!"

"..."

On the bustling Hongmeng Street, pedestrians came and went.

A young couple strolled down the street, looking around, very happily.

"A Mu, why is this street named Hongmeng? Such a strange name!"

Long Yue’s head was wrapped in a kerchief, dressed like a village woman, a disguise common on the streets, meant to avoid attention.

She knew her husband had already angered Rong Si by taking her out, and the Princess might be having people search all over the Imperial City for them!

So, they had to be low-key, very low-key!

Li Qingmu’s disguise was even more amusing. He wore a fisherman’s hat and had glued a small mustache on himself, making Long Yue want to laugh.

"This street wasn’t always called Hongmeng, it was once Qinglong, but later, the Grand Ancestor Emperor wanted to cultivate into immortality, so he changed the street to Hongmeng Avenue."

"Uh..."

Long Yue wanted to laugh but forced herself to hold it in.

It was really challenging to suppress it.

Cultivating into immortality, isn’t that hilarious?

But come to think of it, it’s normal. How many wise and powerful emperors throughout history, by old age, sought the secret of immortality?

In the end, they consumed all sorts of strange elixirs, either dying suddenly or muddled in the head, ruining a lifetime of reputation in their late years.

Li Qingmu saw the playfulness and mockery in the eyes of the little woman and smiled softly, "It’s human nature, as the saying goes, ’A person in the game is perplexed; a bystander is clear.’ Those emperors, when they held the power of life and death, who wouldn’t want to live forever, immortal and eternal?"

"So, did that Grand Ancestor Emperor strive in that direction?"

"Indeed! He was too hasty, and in the end, his energy channels reversed, causing him to die suddenly!"

After talking with Rong Si that day, Li Qingmu returned to look through the detailed history of the Grand Ancestor Emperor and gained some understanding of this emperor.

This emperor was also quite a brilliant ruler, excelling in both civil and military affairs; he ascended the throne at fifteen and reigned for forty years.

He was very prolific, fathering nineteen sons in a row, and it was only with Rong Si that he finally had a daughter.

Therefore, Rong Si, though not of significant age, had always been called Princess.

Because the Grand Ancestor Emperor had only this one daughter, and she was truly treated as a treasured gem.

Moreover, the Grand Ancestor Emperor’s initial few sons were also exceptional, leading to fierce competition for the throne.

Initially, he supported healthy competition among them, but gradually, perhaps due to aging or placing more importance on power, he felt threatened by these vigorous young sons.

Emperors are the most suspicious; once doubt sets in, it accumulates and evolves. Hence, the Grand Ancestor Emperor systematically eliminated his sons.

Without those remarkable sons threatening his position, the Grand Ancestor Emperor then desired immortality, and at this time, You Su appeared.

You Su told him that humans could truly achieve longevity!

Of course, longevity doesn’t mean undying immortality, but rather extending one’s lifespan. For example, an ordinary person living to seventy is considered long-lived, but he said it could be extended by another sixty years. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

An extra sixty years, making it a hundred or hundred twenty-three years. How could the Grand Ancestor Emperor not be tempted?

He was indeed tempted, but the Grand Ancestor Emperor wasn’t muddled yet and didn’t really trust You Su.

It was then that You Su introduced the Tianxing Pavilion, an unbelievably mysterious organization!

He told the Grand Ancestor Emperor that the Pavilion Master of Tianxing Pavilion was over two hundred years old and still appeared youthful and energetic, looking as if they could live another two hundred years.

The Tianxing Pavilion was already mysterious enough, and the Grand Ancestor Emperor was moved; plus, You Su was highly skilled and immensely powerful, defeating even the Imperial Guard when they tried to attack him.

In such circumstances, the Grand Ancestor Emperor completely trusted You Su, honoring him as a distinguished guest and appointing him as State Preceptor!