Yaoyao: “Is Imperial Father worried about the relief funds that have gone missing?”
Dantai Ji was startled. “My child, you truly are clever. You actually understood what the Grand Chancellor and the Minister of Revenue were saying.”
Yaoyao pursed her lips. “That money must have been hidden by someone.”
Dantai Ji said, “Indeed. It was hidden by a thief—and hidden very well.”
Yaoyao clenched her hands and hesitantly glanced at her father. She knew who had done it, but she did not know how to tell him.
She had become clever now. Before doing anything, she had to think it through. She could no longer act so impulsively.
“Why have you come to see Imperial Father today, Yaoyao?”
Yaoyao’s eyes lit up. “Imperial Father leaves the palace on the fifteenth of every month. Tomorrow is the fifteenth. Could you take Yaoyao with you?”
A trace of hesitation crossed Dantai Ji’s face. “That won’t do tomorrow. Imperial Father has important matters to discuss with several officials and cannot leave the palace. I’ll take you out next month on the fifteenth.”
Yaoyao stared blankly at him for a moment. Then she looked straight at her father and said, “Imperial Father leaves the palace every month to learn about the people’s lives. How can you simply decide not to go?”
“State affairs are more important.”
Yaoyao tilted up her little head and objected seriously, “Learning about the people’s lives is very important too. Why don’t you let Yaoyao go in your place? After I leave the palace, I’ll remember everything I see and hear. When I return, I’ll tell you all about it!”
Dantai Ji was stunned. A smile flickered in his eyes. “You’re still such a little child. How old are you, really? Do you mean to leave the palace all by yourself?”
Yaoyao raised her head and said with utmost seriousness, “Why not? If Imperial Father is worried about my safety, you can send more guards to protect me. Yaoyao is very clever. I love listening to stories, so I’m sure I’ll hear things that Imperial Father never could! I’ll remember all those stories and come back to tell you.”
“You little rascal. You don’t even know enough to be embarrassed when praising yourself.”
Yaoyao tugged at Dantai Ji’s arm. “Yaoyao is a princess, not a little rascal! Imperial Father, just let Yaoyao go in your place. I promise I won’t cause trouble! I’ll come back to the palace very soon!”
Looking at his soft and adorable daughter clinging to his sleeve, Dantai Ji nearly agreed at once.
Fortunately, his reason prevailed. He found an excuse and said, “Your mother consort won’t agree.”
“Mother agrees. She loves Yaoyao the most.”
Yaoyao refused to let go of Dantai Ji. She tilted her head back and pleaded pitifully, looking as though she would never give up until she got what she wanted.
In the end, Dantai Ji truly had no choice but to relent.
He also sent twelve highly skilled imperial guards, disguised as ordinary men, to protect Yaoyao at close range.
That night, Cui Huaiyin learned that her daughter would be leaving the palace. Naturally, she objected with all her might. But the moment Yaoyao mentioned the dream immortal, she fell silent.
The immortal had told her daughter to leave the palace. Her daughter had to go. Since the immortal had not allowed Cui Huaiyin to accompany her, she would wait in the palace instead.
In any case, there could be no harm in listening to the immortal.
Thus, the next day, before dawn, Yaoyao put on a simple outfit. Under the eager, watchful eyes of her Imperial Father and mother consort, she led twelve guards disguised as ordinary men out of the palace.
The twelve imperial guards surrounded her completely. Everyone who passed by turned to look at her.
Yaoyao felt that this was not right. She lifted her head and said to the leading general, “Father sent me out to learn about the people’s lives. If you surround me like this, how am I supposed to blend in with the common people?”
General Guo, a tall and imposing man, lowered his head respectfully. “The master ordered us to protect Miss at all times. We cannot allow Miss to suffer even the slightest injury!”
Yaoyao pursed her lips. She glanced at the guards surrounding her, then kicked a stone at her feet. “I want to go to Bai Xiang Tower!”
“Understood!” General Guo replied.
Yaoyao climbed back into the carriage, and they set off for Bai Xiang Tower.
She found a seat inside and sat down, pretending to observe the people’s lives just as her Imperial Father did.
However, those guards surrounded her once again.
Whenever anyone passed by, the guards frightened them away.
Even Daoxiang, standing beside Yaoyao, shrank her neck and became vigilant along with them.
Yaoyao propped up her chin and stared blankly at the people surrounding her. No wonder Imperial Father only took Eunuch Wang Zhong and one guard with him whenever he left the palace…
Yaoyao shook her head and counted the hours on her fingers. Then she stood up and called loudly to General Guo and the others, “Come with me. We’re leaving the city.”
General Guo’s expression did not change. “The master never said anything about Miss leaving the city.”
“Did Father say that you had to obey my orders?”
“The master ordered us to ensure Miss’s safety.”
Yaoyao: “…”
Thus, Yaoyao settled for her second choice. She said she wanted to climb the city wall and admire the beautiful spring scenery.
General Guo remained silent for a long while but did not say anything more.
He followed behind Yaoyao, scrutinizing everyone who looked in their direction. It seemed that if anyone dared approach even half a step closer, he would kick them away.
Yaoyao quickened her pace and climbed into the carriage.
The imperial guards mounted their horses, once again surrounding the carriage on all sides as they headed toward the city gate.
It took half an hour to travel from the inner city to the gate.
Yaoyao calculated the time inside the carriage. They would reach the gate by late morning.
She remembered hearing someone say in her previous life that the Marquis of Zhenxi had arrived in the afternoon. Because he had tried to force his way into the city, he had been shot dead in front of the gate.
There could be no harm in arriving early.
After more than half an hour, the carriage finally reached the city gate.
General Guo called from outside, “Miss, we’ve arrived.”
Daoxiang jumped down first, then lifted Yaoyao out of the carriage.
Yaoyao looked at the towering city wall, then at the soldiers guarding the gate. Nothing seemed out of place.
“Miss, would you like to go up onto the city wall?” General Guo asked.
Yaoyao nodded and headed toward the steps leading up the wall.
Soldiers guarded the entrance to the city wall.
General Guo displayed his token, and the soldiers immediately stepped aside, allowing Yaoyao and the others to pass.
Yaoyao successfully climbed to the top of the wall and looked down at the people coming and going through the city gate.
Some carried shoulder poles. Some bore bundles of firewood on their backs. Others traveled by carriage…
The common people were all dressed in coarse cloth. Only a few wore silk.
She needed to find the Marquis of Zhenxi, but she had never seen him before…
However, she had asked around and learned that the Marquis of Zhenxi was very tall and would stand out clearly in a crowd.
The Marquis of Zhenxi had fled back from a thousand li away. He should look about the same as a beggar by now, right…?
Yaoyao stared intently at the city gate for a long time, but she still did not see anyone who looked like the Marquis of Zhenxi.
“Miss, you’ve been standing here for half an hour. Why don’t we return to Bai Xiang Tower for a meal?”
Yaoyao shook her head. She took a piece of pastry from her scented pouch and ate it while continuing to watch the gate. “No. I’m here to learn about the people’s lives in Father’s place.”
As she spoke, Yaoyao seemed to think of something. She turned to Daoxiang and said, “There are pastries in the carriage. If you’re hungry, you can eat some.”
General Guo hurriedly said, “We’re not hungry.”
Yaoyao took a bite of the sweet pastry. “I’m already hungry, and you’re all much bigger than I am. Of course you must be hungry too, especially since we’ll have to stand here for quite a while longer.”
General Guo and the other eleven guards: “…”
After standing there for another short while, all of them ended up eating Yaoyao’s pastries.
Even then, General Guo could not hold back any longer. He finally asked, “Prin—Miss! Weren’t you supposed to be learning about the people’s lives in the master’s place? Why did you come all the way to the city gate?”
