When the emperor saw Duoduo’s expression, a trace of suspicion surfaced in his eyes.
Duoduo caught it immediately.
She slipped Little Gold into her sleeve and looked at the emperor with utmost sincerity.
“Grandpa, was my Little Gold amazing?”
Her little face was practically shouting, “Hurry up and praise me!”
The suspicion in the emperor’s eyes vanished completely.
“Your Little Gold is indeed impressive!”
“It actually allowed you to exchange several blows with one of My Shadow Guards. Very good!”
Duoduo covered her tiny mouth and giggled.
“Grandpa, when I grow up, will I become the most powerful person in the world?”
After saying this, Duoduo seemed to realize that she had said something wrong. She lowered her hand and secretly stuck out her tongue.
“I mean, the most powerful person besides you, Grandpa!”
Seeing the expression on Duoduo’s face—no different from that of an ordinary child—the emperor secretly shook his head.
He must have been imagining things!
The emperor beckoned to Duoduo.
Without the slightest hesitation, Duoduo ran over. She tilted up her little face, beaming with smiles as she looked at him.
“Grandpa!”
Seeing Duoduo’s smiling face, the emperor’s gloomy mood improved considerably.
He took Duoduo’s hand and placed the jade pendant in her palm.
When he saw the clear refusal on her face, he pressed down on her hand as she tried to pull it back.
“Changle, listen to Grandpa!”
“Right now, the Xiongnu have invaded the borderlands, and the common people there are suffering terribly.”
“They hope that someone will come to their aid!”
Duoduo blinked.
She seemed to have guessed what the jade pendant represented.
However, she pretended not to understand.
“Didn’t Fifth Uncle send soldiers to the border?” Duoduo tilted her little head, her face full of confusion.
“How can this one jade pendant save the common people there?”
“Is it very valuable?”
“Can it be exchanged for lots of silver to give to the people?”
Duoduo’s face was filled with innocence, just like any ordinary child’s.
“This is a jade pendant that can be used to mobilize troops,” the emperor said, staring intently at Duoduo.
Duoduo seemed even more confused.
“Grandpa, if it can mobilize troops, then you should give it to Fifth Uncle!”
“On the way here, I heard that Fifth Uncle is the emperor now!”
After saying this, Duoduo seemed to realize that she had spoken out of turn. She covered her mouth, panic filling her eyes.
The emperor’s gaze darkened.
He raised a hand and closed Duoduo’s fingers around the pendant.
“Don’t try to play games with Grandpa!”
“Grandpa doesn’t believe that you understand nothing!”
The emperor thought of the policy essay Duoduo had answered earlier. There had been nothing about her response that resembled that of a child only a few years old.
Duoduo’s current behavior clearly showed that she did not want the jade pendant!
This child was actually protecting her father!
It seemed that Prince of Pingyang’s painstaking efforts to teach her had not been wasted.
Once the emperor understood the crucial point, he calmed down.
“Prince of Pingyang’s guards have already been waiting for quite some time. They must be growing impatient.”
The emperor was giving Duoduo an indirect warning.
If she refused to take it, he would have someone give it to Yunxiao instead.
Duoduo glanced at the water clock.
Oh dear, she had indeed been inside for quite a while!
Duoduo hurriedly stuffed the jade pendant into her sleeve.
“Grandpa, I’ll be going now!”
She quickly bowed to the emperor, then dashed away.
“That child certainly runs fast!”
“It’s not as if I’m some primordial beast!” the emperor muttered helplessly.
The emperor looked at the Shadow Guard lying on the floor and waved a hand.
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing my life!”
The Shadow Guard was immensely grateful. He kowtowed three times to the emperor before disappearing from the room.
The room fell silent all at once.
The emperor slowly replayed every move Duoduo had made since entering.
He realized that Changle had probably tricked him.
But he had no proof.
And he was still relying on Changle to do something for him!
What a clever little imp!
The emperor couldn’t help smiling in satisfaction.
She truly was a princess of the imperial family!
The emperor’s thoughts took another turn.
He remembered Changle saying that the parasitic worms had come from the southern borderlands.
The southern borderlands?
When had he ever been there?
The emperor fell into deep thought.
In the end, he became absolutely certain that he had never visited the southern borderlands.
However, he vaguely remembered that one year, one of the selected palace candidates had supposedly come from there.
But the emperor had no impression of that woman whatsoever.
He rubbed his brow and lowered his head to give an order.
“Someone come!”
A guard appeared in the room.
“This subordinate greets Your Majesty!”
“Have Xiao Lizi come here.”
“Yes.”
The guard disappeared from the room.
The emperor heard the distant sound of silk instruments and frowned.
“What’s going on? Why is it so noisy?”
A Shadow Guard hurriedly appeared.
“Your Majesty, the Li family is holding a flower-viewing banquet today!”
The emperor immediately understood. The Li family had arranged the banquet as a way to invite Changle over to meet him while avoiding prying eyes.
He waved his hand, and the Shadow Guard disappeared.
Duoduo hurried out of the courtyard.
As soon as the main gate opened, she saw Yunxiao trying to push past the servants and enter the courtyard to look for her.
“Yunxiao! Qingliu!”
Duoduo hurriedly called out.
“Princess, you finally came out!”
Yunxiao and Qingliu abandoned their struggle with the servants and ran over.
The two of them anxiously examined Duoduo from head to toe. Only after confirming that she was unharmed did they relax.
“Princess, who was inside? Why were you in there for so long?”
Duoduo winked at Yunxiao and Qingliu.
“I was admiring the flowers and lost track of time.”
“Oh, right! I want to have the iced treats Aunt Xu prepared!”
“Let’s go!”
Yunxiao noticed that the two servants were watching them warily.
He also knew that this was not the place to talk.
The three of them left the front courtyard and headed toward the rear courtyard.
When they reached the second gate, Yunxiao stopped.
“Princess, this subordinate will wait here.”
Duoduo waved a hand at him. “It’s too hot outside. Go wait in the carriage.”
“I’m going back with Aunt Xu. There’s still plenty of time!”
Duoduo was worried that Yunxiao might wander around the residence and offend someone he absolutely should not, bringing endless trouble upon them.
She wanted to send him away.
Yunxiao shook his head. “The prince ordered this subordinate to remain by the princess’s side at all times.”
Duoduo blinked, then put on an angry expression.
“What? You won’t even listen to me?”
“This princess commands you to go wait in the carriage!”
“This is the Li residence. If you disgrace Prince of Pingyang’s household, I’ll have Father punish you with a beating!”
Yunxiao stared at Duoduo in astonishment.
The princess had never spoken so harshly to him before.
What was wrong with her today?
Qingliu had served at Duoduo’s side for quite some time, so she naturally understood that the princess did not want Yunxiao inside the residence.
She gave Yunxiao a push.
“The princess gave you an order, and you actually dare disobey?”
“Yunxiao, when did you become so bold?”
“Hurry up and go!”
After Qingliu pushed him several times, Yunxiao lowered his head.
“Yes. This subordinate will leave at once.”
Yunxiao had decided that he could fulfill the prince’s instructions just as well from outside.
Duoduo saw through his intentions at a glance.
“Qingliu, go out and wait with him!”
“How can that be!”
Yunxiao and Qingliu objected in unison.
