After ensuring there was no danger inside, Mo Jiuye pulled He Zhiran down with him.
To prevent anyone from noticing any clues, after ensuring He Zhiran was safe, Mo Jiuye turned back again and carefully lifted and replaced the flagstone he had moved earlier, putting it back in its original position.
Although this could not completely restore it to its original state, at the very least it would not look too conspicuous.
He Zhiran had already taken a flashlight from her spatial space, and the two proceeded cautiously, observing their surroundings.
Compared to the last time Mo Jiuye brought her here, this time seemed less tense, so she was able to observe more carefully.
When Mo Jiuye was a child, he used to play around and pass through this secret passage many times.
Therefore, he was very familiar with the environment of the secret passage.
Today, entering again through a different entrance, after winding through it, he could confirm that apart from the entrance to the Imperial Palace which had changed, the rest of the secret passage remained the same as before.
So although he was also observing, he did not scrutinize it as carefully as He Zhiran.
After walking about a hundred meters, He Zhiran suddenly stopped.
The flashlight's beam also shone on a particular spot on the wall.
Mo Jiuye knew his wife must have discovered something unusual.
He Zhiran pointed to where the flashlight was shining and said, "Husband, look here."
Mo Jiuye looked closely and saw a square imprint on the wall.
Such an imprint appearing here was quite peculiar.
Mo Jiuye pushed it gently with one hand, and to their surprise, with hardly any effort, the section of the wall with the square imprint slowly moved backward.
Neither of them expected that there would be such a hidden space within this secret passage.
He Zhiran shone the flashlight into the hole that had appeared in the wall.
What they saw left them both stunned.
Inside was a square bundle wrapped in bright yellow silk.
Even without Mo Jiuye saying anything, He Zhiran knew what it was.
"Husband, I didn't expect Emperor Shunwu to have hidden the Imperial Seal here."
This was something Mo Jiuye had not anticipated either.
"Since we've found it, we should take it with us."
He Zhiran was thinking the same thing. Although they had no intention of usurping the throne, they could hand it over to Fei Nanyu directly, which would be a huge favor.
Even if Fei Nanyu could not smoothly become the Crown Prince after meeting Emperor Shunwu, this could serve as leverage for him.
With a thought, He Zhiran sent the Imperial Seal into her spatial space.
Mo Jiuye carefully examined the hole, and after confirming there were no other items, restored the wall to its original state.
The two continued along the secret passage and left just as the sky was brightening.
The exit of the secret passage was no longer in the location Mo Jiuye remembered -- it was another residence, but not the same one as before.
Mo Jiuye was familiar with the Capital city, and after observing the surroundings from outside the residence, he figured out the location.
From this observation, he couldn't help but inwardly laugh -- the entrance to the secret passage that Emperor Shunwu had changed was only separated from the original entrance by a courtyard, showing how perfunctory he had been in making the change.
But it didn't matter to Mo Jiuye how perfunctory Emperor Shunwu had been -- it wasn't his concern.
He needed to take He Zhiran to the Fei Residence before it became fully light outside.
With Emperor Shunwu missing from the Empress's chambers, the Imperial Palace was in chaos, and this had also affected the areas outside.
After leaving the courtyard where the secret passage entrance was located, they saw that the number of patrol guards on the streets had increased greatly.
The distance to the Fei Residence was quite far, so Mo Jiuye carried He Zhiran as they leapt over rooftops, directly jumping onto the walls of the Fei Residence.
Fei Nanyu had already woken up by then, or perhaps he had not slept all night due to the matters weighing on his mind.
In any case, he was currently pacing anxiously in the study.
When Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran knocked and announced themselves, Fei Nanyu quickly invited them in.
Although he was very concerned about their discoveries from entering the palace, he first told He Zhiran about Minister Hao's situation.
"Ninth Lady, please rest assured, I have arranged for Minister Hao to rest in the guest courtyard. I will take you both to see him a little later."
"Thank you, Sir Fei, for taking care of my father," He Zhiran expressed her gratitude. Without waiting for Fei Nanyu to ask, Mo Jiuye went straight to the main point.
"We first encountered Concubine Yuan after entering the palace, and I've already explained your general situation to her. I could see that Concubine Yuan deeply regrets what happened back then, and she is now eagerly hoping to see you.
"The Empress Dowager was killed by the Empress, and the Emperor has been hidden by the Empress in her own chambers..."
Mo Jiuye recounted to Fei Nanyu all the events that had transpired after entering the palace, and also informed him that both the Emperor and Concubine Yuan wished to meet him.
Fei Nanyu never expected that Mo Jiuye would have accomplished so much on this trip into the palace. What surprised him even more was that despite all his planning, he had been unable to find a suitable way to restore his identity.
Yet this matter had been inadvertently accomplished by Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran.
He respectfully bowed to the two of them: "I am grateful to Ninth Master and Ninth Lady for enabling this today."
Regardless of whether the situation would develop according to his plans after meeting Emperor Shunwu and Concubine Yuan, he had to thank Mo Jiuye for creating this opportunity.
After a moment's hesitation, he asked Mo Jiuye, "With the Imperial Palace under such tight security now, does Ninth Master have a good way for me to enter?"
To enter, there was only one way -- to render him unconscious and bring him into the palace through the spatial space.
Considering Fei Nanyu's intelligence, Mo Jiuye was a little hesitant.
He Zhiran sensed his confliction and stepped forward, saying, "If Sir Fei trusts us, then don't ask any questions. My husband and I guarantee we will safely deliver you before Emperor Shunwu and Concubine Yuan."
Fei Nanyu was a shrewd man. Although he was curious about the method they mentioned, he restrained himself from asking further.
After all, everyone has their own secrets. If he asked and they refused to reveal it, not only would they not tell him, but it would also affect the trust between them.
"If I cannot even trust Ninth Master and Ninth Lady, then I fear there may not be anyone or anything in this world worthy of Fei's trust.
"Permit me to ask one more question -- if it's convenient, can we bring another person into the palace in addition to me?"
He Zhiran raised her eyebrows: "Does Sir Fei intend to bring Fe Mama along?"
Fei Nanyu nodded: "The key person who can prove my identity is Fe Mama. I believe that if she can accompany me, it would add more credibility when verifying my identity."
This point was indeed valid. In ancient times, unlike modern medical advancements, to confirm a parent-child relationship, a simple DNA test would suffice.
Although they had already clearly explained Fei Nanyu's identity, spoken words lack solid evidence.
In such a situation, having a witness present would be the most convincing.
"That's not a problem. We plan to take Sir Fei into the palace tonight after dark. As long as Fe Mama can come here before nightfall, it will be fine."
