The city lord's residence, the main hall.

Prince Wu was there with a eunuch and a few guards of the imperial presence.

Prince Wu had just examined their tokens, and their identities checked out.

The eunuch carried the An Emperor's token.

It was gilded all over, carved with two dragons soaring among auspicious clouds, and on the other side were the words Imperial Edict.

The casting and the carving were the finest this world could produce. No craftsman among the common people could possibly have forged it.

Prince Wu's face was grim.

These people had come on the An Emperor's orders to take Princess Consort Wu and the child to the capital.

The eunuch's thin, shrill voice piped up. "My lord prince, please have the princess consort come out. This eunuch is carrying out an imperial order and dares not delay."

Prince Wu's voice was low. "Whose idea was this?"

The eunuch said, "Her Majesty's, naturally."

"Impossible..." Prince Wu's face was dark. "Her Majesty is kind. She would never separate husband and wife. Someone must have been whispering slander in her ear. Tell this prince who it was."

The eunuch said in a snide voice, "My lord prince, this eunuch is only carrying out an imperial order. I know nothing else... Hurry and bring out the princess consort. Her Majesty's orders can't be delayed."

Prince Wu sensed by instinct that something wasn't right.

Ning Chen was the one who'd arranged for Princess Consort Wu and the child to join him in Bianzhou.

Her Majesty might be the Son of Heaven, but she was also his own little sister, so he knew her well... The present sovereign was by no means a cold, heartless woman who suspected people for no reason.

He looked at the eunuch. "Does the Prince Regent know about this?"

The eunuch said coolly, "This eunuch wouldn't know that. Maybe he does?

My lord prince should understand: Gaoli slaughtered sixty thousand of our Great Xuan soldiers and seized their supplies... Princess Consort Wu is Gaoli's Seventh Princess. Her Majesty and the Prince Regent have to take precautions.

My…