She was a little girl of about ten years old.
This little girl was not tall, with rosy cheeks, big bright eyes, and she wore a vivid red dress, with little bells dangling from her hair.
She looked strangely familiar.
That was right. Even when this little girl grew up, he would never mistake her. Four years ago, when he left the capital to take up his post in Xinghua County, he had run into a warm-hearted little girl right at the city gate.
That girl was like a cluster of fire—lively, bright, and unreservedly bold.
During the years he served in Xinghua County, he often thought of that little girl who had smiled at him.
Now that she had grown up, she was still as radiant as ever, just like a wisp of flame, warm, and burning brighter and brighter.
A tiny, palm-sized young face tilted up, her bright eyes fixed on him, smiling gently. Even without her saying a word, he could feel that she still remembered him too.
For no reason, a surge of indescribable joy swelled in his chest. It was even more delightful than the feeling he had when he heard that the Emperor had punished the Minister of Personnel just now.
"You are that little girl I met at the city gate four years ago!"
Rongyao's eyes went wide, and she said to Fan Xiuwen excitedly, "You still remember me!"
Fan Xiuwen said, "Of course I do. That day I promised that if I ever got the chance, I would meet you again after I returned to the capital."
The moment he finished speaking, Fan Xiuwen seemed to realize something, and he looked at Rongyao with a hint of uncertain scrutiny.
"But why are you in the imperial palace?"
Right after Fan Xiuwen asked this question, several court officials who had just come out of the morning court walked over, stopped, and bowed to Rongyao. "We pay our respects to Grand Princess Fuxi."
Rongyao replied to the officials, "No need for formalities, my lords."
After that, the officials gave Fan Xiuwen a strange look and then left.
Fan Xiuwen froze on the spot, staring straight at Rongyao.
Grand Princess Fuxi. She was actually Grand Princess Fuxi! Of course, who else but the most favored eldest princess of the Emperor could move freely around the palace, even come to the outer court, and be at this age?
Once Fan Xiuwen came to his senses, he quickly bowed to Rongyao. "This lowly official pays his respects to Your Highness, Grand Princess."
Rongyao helped Fan Xiuwen up. "No need for formalities, Lord Fan."
Fan Xiuwen then straightened up, looking at Rongyao. The flush on his face had not faded, and he stammered a little when he spoke, nothing like the composed, unflappable manner he had when he impeached his superior in the grand hall just a moment ago.
"Your Highness, this humble official has long admired you. The moment I stepped into the capital, I heard that Princess Fuxi presented the sweet potato and put forward excellent strategies. It is the greatest honor for me to meet you today."
Rongyao looked at Fan Xiuwen with bright eyes, her cheeks flushing, and said excitedly, "I have long admired you too. I heard that you dug irrigation canals in Xinghua County, helped the local people reclaim wasteland, and established village schools. In just four years, Xinghua County has taken on a brand new look, governed in perfect order by you, so that all the people there live and work in peace and contentment."
Fan Xiuwen said, "As the county magistrate of Xinghua, those are all my duties. Any other magistrate in my position would have done the same."
Rongyao shook her head and said firmly, "No. No one else would love the people as their own children, no one else would spend all their savings and salary without reservation to build irrigation canals, and no one else would make it known far and wide that girls are also allowed to attend school, even setting aside half of the village school spots for girls. Most people don't understand that women, just like men, also want to learn to read and write, and see the wider world."
Fan Xiuwen was stunned, staring blankly at Rongyao.
He had no idea that Princess Fuxi knew all these details so clearly.
Ever since he returned to the capital, he had heard so many stories about Princess Fuxi. He knew that she was the Emperor's most beloved princess, the child prodigy praised by Grand Tutor Gao, and that she had single-handedly reformed the rules of county schools, giving girls across the Great Zhou Dynasty a chance to learn, and also giving him a burst of courage.
Princess Fuxi was extraordinarily brilliant. She found the sweet potato that could save people in arid regions, and came up with strategies to fill the state treasury...
Her name was known to every household in the Great Zhou. Now when people wanted to insult women, they would show a little more respect. Because with Princess Fuxi around, those stubborn old people could no longer say that women were born useless, or that women did not deserve to study...
It turned out that while he had been looking up at the moon in the dark night, the moon had been shining down on him all along.
No one would ever know what Princess Fuxi meant to him. He could not lose this moon.
Fan Xiuwen gave Rongyao a faint but truly heartfelt smile. His eyes were a little red, and his breath came in slight, eager gasps.
"This lowly official... thanks Your Highness."
Rongyao's eyes lit up, and she took Fan Xiuwen's hand. "Have you had your breakfast yet?"
Fan Xiuwen froze for a moment, then shook his head. "Not yet."
Rongyao took a pastry wrapped in oiled paper out of her purse and handed it to Fan Xiuwen. "I can't ask you to stay for a meal in the palace, but this is my favorite pastry. Have a taste."
Fan Xiuwen stiffly took the pastry. It was round, flaky, crumbly, and smelled deliciously sweet.
Rongyao urged him, "Try it quickly."
Fan Xiuwen swallowed the tightness in his throat. "Thank you for the pastry, Your Highness."
With that, he lifted the pastry and took a small bite. The sweet flavor spread across his mouth. It was delicious. It was the most delicious pastry he had ever tasted in his life.
Rongyao asked, "Is it good?"
Fan Xiuwen nodded hard, his head lowered. "It's delicious."
Rongyao said, "If you like it, next time I leave the palace to visit your residence, I will bring you more."
Fan Xiuwen suddenly lifted his head, looking at the Grand Princess in front of him with bright eyes. "Next time?"
Rongyao nodded. "Ever since I was little, I have never left the capital. I have no idea what the world outside is like. You have been to Lingzhou, passed through so many places, seen so many people and things, and governed Xinghua County so well. I am really curious. In a few days, when I am allowed to leave the palace, if I come to visit you, would you be willing to tell me all about your travels?"
Fan Xiuwen was stunned for a second, looking at the expectant expression on the princess's face. Once he realized what she meant, a smile curled up on his lips unconsciously, and he said quickly, "It would be my greatest honor. I would tell Your Highness everything I have seen in my life."
Rongyao clapped her hands. "That's wonderful!"
Rongyao stole a glance at her surroundings, saw that most of the officials had left one after another, and there was no one else around. She moved a little closer to Fan Xiuwen, tugged at his sleeve to make him bend down, and then whispered in his ear, "Lord Fan, have you been investigating the Censorate these days?"
Fan Xiuwen went rigid all over, his eyes wide open. "How did Your Highness know that?"
Rongyao said, "... I wanted to see you, so I had someone look into your affairs, and found out that you have been investigating the Censorate recently."
Fan Xiuwen's cheeks flushed, and he said with a hint of joy, "Thank you for your favor, Your Highness."
Rongyao said, "You are now serving in the Censorate. If you carry out this investigation, you might bring great danger to yourself."
Fan Xiuwen said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. I know what I am doing."
Rongyao pursed her lips and said, "You cannot act alone. Tomorrow, I will send a few personal guards to you to keep you safe."
Fan Xiuwen said, "But that's not necessary..."
Rongyao said in an unyielding tone, "If anything happens to you, I will be very, very sad and hurt."
Fan Xiuwen stared blankly at the solemn princess in front of him, and after a long time, he replied, "... Very well. This official will do everything as Your Highness says."
Rongyao finally felt a little relieved.
In his past life, when Fan Xiuwen was conducting an investigation at the Censorate, he was abducted and murdered by malicious evildoers.
