“Princess! They...” Lüdou’s eyes were filled with terror.
Since ancient times, “plague” has been a word that strikes fear into everyone.
If they really reported it to the authorities, then no one in the Prince of Pingyang’s mansion would survive.
Duoduo said nothing. She lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.
At that moment, she couldn’t help but feel grateful. Ever since that last incident, she had switched to riding in an ordinary carriage.
From the outside, no one could tell which mansion it belonged to.
Otherwise, those people wouldn’t be heading to the authorities to report them—they would have burned them alive instead.
“Lüdou, tell the driver to follow them,” Duoduo whispered.
Lüdou quickly instructed the driver to trail the group, then climbed back inside.
“Princess, with this delay, you’ll be late for the Imperial Academy.”
Duoduo waved her hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. The Grand Tutor never said when I had to arrive.”
The carriage sped ahead and soon caught up with the group.
Now Duoduo saw that what had started as four or five people had grown to several dozen.
It was almost as if one call had drawn a hundred responses.
More and more people gathered, marching in a great tide toward the government office.
Among the crowd, Duoduo spotted a familiar face.
Uncertain, she leaned out for a closer look.
Just then, the person in the crowd turned around.
This time, Duoduo saw clearly.
It was Ling Yu’s subordinate!
Duoduo had met this person once before.
Her heart filled with suspicion.
Could this person be a traitor?
Duoduo secretly scanned the gathered crowd again.
This time, she spotted several more familiar faces.
And then she understood.
This was a trap set by her father!
To risk everything for survival!
Moreover, Duoduo felt that the person who had passed by her carriage earlier had deliberately spoken loud enough for her to hear.
What was her father trying to tell her?
Duoduo recalled that during breakfast that morning, Xiao Yi had shown no sign of anything unusual.
He hadn’t even spoken to her.
And she, because of her guilty conscience, hadn’t dared to look at him too much.
She had even felt secretly relieved that he hadn’t called her over.
Why was her father doing this?
Duoduo remembered her father saying he had assigned people to watch the medicine shops, hoping to catch the mastermind behind everything.
But today’s actions would surely alert the enemy, wouldn’t they?
Now the real culprit would be even harder to capture!
"Lüdou, tell the driver to turn around. We’re going to the palace!"
Once Duoduo understood, she knew there was no need to keep following.
Lüdou’s eyes showed surprise.
“Princess, aren’t we following them anymore?”
“They’re going to report the Prince of Pingyang’s mansion to the authorities and have it burned down!”
“Even though we’re not members of the mansion, the Prince and Princess have been very kind to us...”
Duoduo hadn’t expected Lüdou to misunderstand.
She pointed at the growing crowd outside the carriage and asked,
"Lüdou, with all these people, do you think you and I can stop them?"
Lüdou was speechless. “Princess, even though... even though we can’t stop them, we can go explain to the authorities that no one in the Prince of Pingyang’s mansion has the plague!”
"Do you think the magistrate will believe them or us?"
Lüdou’s face fell with frustration.
"They’ll definitely believe them!"
She and Duoduo were just children. Who would take their word for it?
Especially when it came to something like the plague?
The magistrate certainly wouldn’t risk ignoring the lives of the entire city.
"Princess, are we just going to stand by and let them die?"
Lüdou had grown fond of the Prince of Pingyang’s mansion. Here, she had met her master and learned a craft.
She had learned to read and write, and had even earned her own money!
Although she used to talk about redeeming herself and setting up her own household,
now she increasingly saw the mansion as her home.
Duoduo tilted her little head.
"Who said that? We’re going to get reinforcements!"
"Driver, turn around and head to the palace! As fast as you can!" Duoduo shouted outside.
The carriage turned and sped toward the palace.
Seeing that Lüdou still didn’t understand, Duoduo explained.
"Lüdou, think about it. Who is the highest official in all the land?"
Lüdou hesitated for a moment, then realized.
"The Emperor!"
"Princess, are you going to beg the Emperor to save the Prince of Pingyang’s mansion?"
Duoduo nodded.
"But how will we get into the palace?"
Lüdou worried that before they even reached the palace gates, news that the Prince of Pingyang’s mansion had the plague would have already spread inside.
"That’s why the driver has to hurry!"
Duoduo raised her voice and said to the window.
"Princess, hold on tight!" the driver warned from outside.
"Giddyup! Giddyup!" He cracked the whip continuously.
The carriage sped forward.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the carriage stopped at the palace gates.
Before the carriage had fully stopped, Duoduo grabbed Lüdou and leaped down.
"Lüdou, if the guards won’t let you in, wait outside, understand?"
Lüdou shook her head firmly.
"I’m following the Princess!"
"I’m your mistress. Are you defying my order?" Duoduo put on a stern face.
Lüdou’s eyes reddened. "Yes, Princess. I obey."
Duoduo straightened her clothes, puffed out her chest, and strode boldly to the palace gate.
"Who goes there?" a guard stopped her.
Duoduo took out her Imperial Academy pass. "The Grand Tutor summoned me today."
The guard recognized Duoduo. He checked her pass.
"The Imperial Academy is on break today. You may enter, but she cannot."
Duoduo nodded and reached for her book case from Lüdou.
Lüdou clutched it tightly, a pleading look on her face.
"Guard, please let me in! I’m not a troublemaker!"
The guard remained unmoved, showing no leniency.
Remembering what Nanny Li had taught her, Lüdou gritted her teeth, took out a money pouch from her waist, and offered it to the guard.
"Please, sir, make an exception. The Imperial Academy is far from here."
"This book case is heavy. If the Princess has to carry it, she’ll be late."
"And the Grand Tutor will punish her again!"
The guard glanced at the money pouch with disdain.
"Is Princess Changle not entering? If not, then leave."
Duoduo noticed a lone horseman galloping toward them in the distance.
She shot Lüdou a meaningful look, and Lüdou finally let go.
Duoduo picked up the book case and quickly slipped through the palace gate.
Lüdou hurried back to the carriage and ordered the driver to leave immediately.
Once inside, Duoduo carried her book case and dashed toward the Imperial Academy.
As she ran along a narrow alley between high palace walls, she saw a group of people slowly moving ahead.
Duoduo sighed quietly.
Was she really this unlucky? Had she run into a palace concubine again?
She slowed down and strained to identify which palace they belonged to.
When she recognized them, her heart leaped again.
Clearly, luck was not on her side.
Because ahead of her were Prince Ling and Song Shuyu.
