Jing Wan'er's breathing changed from heavy to light. Although she couldn't see Pei Tan behind her, she knew it was him.

  On the bow of the painting boat, the only person she saw was him.

  Pei Tan entered the palace, naturally wearing official attire, to meet the emperor. The sleeves of the third-rank Da Li Temple's robe, in the wind on the bow of the painted barge, stirred... Princess Jing's eyes.

  "Are you Lord Pae?" she asked as if carefully seeking confirmation.

  Jing Wan'er couldn't believe her luck either. She had escaped from the palace tonight and unexpectedly ran into Pei Tan in the palace.

  Pei Tan, however, soon discovered that Jing Yuanyuan was wearing palace maid attire. A palace maid appearing by the Taiye Pool at midnight?

  Just as he also felt something was amiss, he heard this palace maid ask this question.

  Can still feel the cautiousness in those words.

  Bai Tan finally felt that something was wrong, with a dagger pressed against his neck. The woman didn't seem afraid, but instead immediately called out his identity.

  "Pei Tan remained silent for a long time before saying: 'How did you know this official?'"

  Those familiar with Pei's speech know that he almost never uses the term "ben guan".

  His body often still maintains the habits of a noble young master, and when he is polite, his voice "Pei Mou" makes people feel at ease.

  Jing Wan'er couldn't describe her emotions, even with a dagger to her throat, she felt more at ease than any moment in the past five years.

  Although Pei Tan couldn't see Jing Yuanyu's expression either, his senses were extremely sharp in the darkness. He could feel that this little palace maid, who was being pointed at with a dagger, not only didn't have a hint of fear, but even if she knew his identity, she didn't have any feeling of surprise or panic.

  Pei Tan thought he was a gentleman, and at first, he thought it was the thief in the Da Ming Palace. Unexpectedly, it was a weak woman. The woman's clothes were still dripping wet, and she was being threatened by a big man with a knife. Pei Tan couldn't help but frown, and at that moment, he let go of his hand.

  Jing Wanner felt that the coolness in her neck was gone, and she immediately reached out to touch it, only to find that the dagger was no longer there.

  At this time, she finally dared to turn her body in silence, raised the corner of her mouth and lifted her head. Pei Tan had already taken out a lighter from another sleeve, lit it up, and the two saw each other for the first time in the faint light.

  Pai Tan's face was beyond imagination, a delicate and refined face. Jing Wan'er also saw Pai Tan for the first time, his face looked younger than she had imagined, he held a lighter in his right hand wrapped in gauze.

  "It's really Lord Pae..." Jing Yuanyu murmured.

  Pei Tan sized her up from head to toe, and just as he was about to ask further questions, the entire boat suddenly shook violently.

  Jing Wan'er was also shocked by this sudden change.

  Pei Tan held up the lighter and saw her subconsciously raise her head to look outside the room, with a pale color on her face that didn't appear even when she was facing the dagger earlier.

  Then Pei Tan knew what had happened, and the painting boat automatically docked on the shore.

  He was floating on this liquid pool, as if he had been drifting for a whole night.

  The tranquility of the night was thus shattered, and countless loud noises came from outside the painting boat. Someone shouted loudly: "Who is in the painting boat!? Come out immediately!"

  The voice was like that of a palace guard, cold and severe.

  Jing Wan'er was certain that this was the person who had been searching for her all night, and she couldn't believe they had even found her here.

  The news of the escape of a palace maid from the Miscellaneous Duties Room had spread throughout the Great Ming Palace overnight, and all the guards in the palace were mobilized to catch a small palace maid without wings.

  "Bring a few people and search the painting boat!" Pei Tan heard someone say outside.

  The houseboat is accessible from front and back, and there are only five rooms in total, making it easy to search.

  And judging from the sound, they must be coming from the bow of the ship and will start searching from there.

  At this time, the palace maid in front of him suddenly took a step forward, her eyes fixed intently on him: "...... Lord Pei, has Zong Huo already escaped from Chang'an?"

  All the sounds outside added together are no match for this girl's clear and crisp voice that is deafening.

  Pei Tan quickly looked at her. Jing Wanyu's eyes were extremely bright, even a bit like the stars in this dark night, containing things that no one could imagine.

  In this world, there is only one palace maid who cares whether Zong Ho is alive or not.

  Pei Tan's heart was almost clear as snow.

  Outside the painting boat, a meaningful sound rose: "Look at this painting boat land, how can there be water marks?"

  Jing Wan'er was soaked from head to toe, having just emerged from the water. The puddle on the ground was naturally left by her body.

  Only then did Pei Tan suddenly extinguish the flame on his hand and push open the door of the sedan chair.

  Those guards who were searching for Da Ming Palace have indeed gathered at the bow of the ship.

  Pei Tan stood with his back to Jing Wanyu, his voice as soft as floating clouds: "Hide inside and don't come out."

  The door of the side room closed in front of Jing Yuanyuan, and outside came the sound of Pei Tan's distant voice.

  When Pei's figure gradually appeared in the painting boat, all the searching guards were stunned.

  Bai Tan's three-product official uniform was not fake, and his calm and composed figure also made the searching people dare not to advance or retreat for a while.

  "Who are you?" The leading guard's eyes deepened, staring at Pei Tan.

  After Pei Tan's figure appeared at the bow of the boat, he saw that on the shore, densely packed and standing in rows, were thousands of Qīn Niú Wèi wearing silver armor.

  Someone's eyes dimmed: "It turned out to be Grand Master Dali Temple... How could the Grand Master be in this painting boat?"

  Pei Tan looked at the person speaking, "I went into the palace last night and stayed too late, thanks to His Majesty's kindness, I spent the night in the palace."

  "Originally it was like this......" The person's eyes moved slightly, "May I ask, is there only Lord Pei alone on the painting boat?"

  How can this waterlogging be explained?

  "His Honor was alone in a painted barge on the Taiye Pool for quite some time, and at night the water flowed rapidly, getting the stern of the boat wet."

  The person in charge had a profound and mysterious gaze, but he didn't show any sign of believing what Pei Tan said.

  After a while, the man chuckled: "We also have a task at hand, I wonder if Lord Pei can allow us to go in and search the painting boat. If there is no one, we can also complete our task."

  Pei Tan's eyes were dim and distant, and after a long while, he said: "Please proceed."

  The leader smiled and said: "Since that's the case, we..."

  "Wait!"

  A shrill voice filled with anger came from the crowd.

  The eunuch who followed Pei Tan last night hastily pushed through the crowd and appeared in front of Pei Tan.

  When he saw Pei Tan standing alone at the bow of the boat, the eunuch seemed to let out a sigh of relief: "Lord Pei, His Majesty has entrusted me to ask you, have you had a pleasant night boating on the lake?"

  Pei Tan's expression didn't change: "I'm having a great time."

  The eunuch smiled: "That's good, then. My task is also considered complete."

  Although the pond is large, it flows smoothly with the water, and it will inevitably float to this place. This eunuch seems to have been waiting here early on.

  The guards in the palace, seeing the eunuchs beside Emperor Zhongzong, naturally became more cautious.

  The eunuch looked around at the people and his face turned cold:

  "Lord Pei has received the emperor's personal promise, and is taking a pleasure boat ride on this Taiye Pond. You've searched all the way here, startling Lord Pei - are you also doubting the emperor's decree?"

  The guards immediately knelt down in a circle and said in fear: "Your subordinate dare not."

  "Eunuch impatiently said: 'Go go go, hurry up and search elsewhere, remember, the living must be seen, the dead must be seen as a corpse!'"

  Once entered the palace, she will be a maid for life, and even if she dies, she must die within these palace walls.

  When everyone had dispersed, the eunuch's expression of absolute ruthlessness was replaced by a flattering smile.

  "Right, Lord Pei, look at the sky, it's almost dawn. His Majesty has ordered me to escort you out of the palace, don't delay your important matters."

  "Alright, let Pei take care of this matter for a moment."

  The eunuch smiled all over his face: "Of course."

  Pei Tan Bian turned around again and entered the painting boat.

  Jing Wan'er had been leaning against the door of the wing room, and she basically heard everything that was going on outside. When she heard Pei Tan's footsteps, she subconsciously took a step back.

  Pei Tan pushed open the door and entered, seeing Jing Wanyu standing still, looking at each other.

  Jing Wan'er was soaked from head to toe, including her shoes and socks. In this state, she would definitely be caught red-handed if she went out.

  "Next, you listen to me."

  ……

  As the sky grew brighter, the eunuch led Pei Tan along the outer palace path.

  Not far ahead is the main gate of the palace.

  Pei Tanchun stopped in his tracks and said to the eunuch, "Let's just send it here. When I entered the palace, I had my personal guards and carriage wait not far from the palace gate."

  The eunuch heard this and immediately smiled and said: "In that case, I'll take my leave."

  "Thank you, sir."

  After the eunuch finished his courtesy, he turned around and returned to the palace path. Pei Tan continued walking forward, seeing the increasingly close palace gate.

  The attendant from Pei County was indeed guarding the carriage and waiting near Wenchang Gate.

  While Pei Tan did not come out for a whole night, he also waited diligently and did not leave at all.

  But just after the hour of Mao had passed, Pei Xian saw a slender eunuch walking towards him and his carriage with his head lowered.

  At this time, the palace road was dimly lit and deserted, and this little eunuch naturally stood out.

  County Pei thought that it might be the young master of his family in the palace, temporarily passing on some message to him. Just like last night, a eunuch came to tell him that Pei Tan wanted to stay in the palace until dawn and let him wait.

  Look at that thin eunuch, step by step approaching the carriage.

  Pei County finally noticed that eunuch's feet were extremely slender and had the delicate ankles that only women possessed.

  Pei County's hand suddenly grasped the hilt of his sword, his eyes fiercely staring at the approaching "eunuch".

  Just as he was about to draw his sword, the eunuch finally arrived in front of him. "He" lifted a face that was full of panic: "Are you Lord Pei's guard?... It was Lord Pei who ordered me to find you!"

  This sentence caused Pei Xian's hand, which was gripping the knife, to suddenly loosen.

  This "little eunuch" was actually Jing Yu'er in disguise. She recalled when Pei Tan returned to the painting boat again:

  She saw Pei Tan walk directly to a box in the corner of the room and pull out a piece of clothing from inside.

  The clothes were thrown at Jing Wan'er. She saw that it was not a woman's dress, but a green robe of the eunuchs in the palace.

  "Put on this dress and wait for me at Wenchang Gate."