Chapter 8
After receiving this important news, Ying Jiuque and the other two didn’t waste any time. They quickly took their court badges and left the palace, heading straight for Tonghua Alley. Emperor Jingtai squinted as he watched their hurried figures disappear into the distance, feeling a twinge of emotion.
“Youth really is something…”
After reminiscing a little about the vigor of young people, the emperor waved his hand.
“These young ones are so reckless. Not a single one knows martial arts, and yet they rush off so excitedly. What if they encounter unreasonable people? Wouldn’t they get bullied to death? Ah, well… you go and help them.”
A tall shadow in the darkness nodded and silently followed.
The room fell silent for a moment. Jiufu opened his mouth, but then closed it again.
The emperor laughed heartily.
“You old thing, why are you pretending to worry now? Don’t you care about your godson’s future? Shall I call him back?”
“Your Majesty trusts the child, and that makes this old servant very happy. But I do worry that there might be criticism in court…”
“Worry about what!”
Emperor Jingtai came from humble beginnings. Even after being emperor for thirteen years, though his manners had become more refined, at his core he was still fierce. With no outsiders around and speaking to Jiufu, who had served him for nearly twenty years, he spoke freely and casually.
If the historians saw this, they might make a harsh note of it.
“Your godson is at the prime of his youth. What good is staying in the palace all day? He should go out and achieve something, to live up to being a man in this world. Those high-and-mighty people, always thinking their family background makes them superior… in my heart, I’ve never cared about family background. I only care about usefulness. As for my own background, I was just a country lad—those aristocratic families can talk all they want about how I’m unfit to sit here!”
Jiufu sniffled and bowed deeply.
“Your Majesty is truly the Son of Heaven, recognized by all. This old servant sincerely believes that you are the wisest ruler in the world!”
How could the emperor not be moved that someone remembered his godson amidst all his busy affairs? People like Jiufu were often discriminated against. Without family roots, it was as if they had committed some unforgivable sin. The high-ranking officials might smile politely, but could they truly respect him? He knew very well.
Others aside, even his adopted children, healthy and capable, were secretly looked down upon just because he, their eunuch father, adopted them. Jiufu may not speak of it, but he was not unaware.
That foolish child must grasp this opportunity well!
Ying Jiuque and the other two left the palace with a column of golden-armored guards, astonishing the onlookers. The emperor had actually assigned his personal guards to this freshly minted county lord! If Ying Jiuque hadn’t made her first adult appearance in the capital today, people might have thought she was a long-hidden gem of the royal family. Wait… though she looked frail, she really was beautiful. Could the emperor have taken a liking to her?
Many considered this possibility, though no one dared speak it aloud.
Ying Jiuque, however, felt nothing of the sort. She worked for the emperor, so having some extra personnel was normal. Ten days seemed long, but if she could investigate and clarify things quickly, she could gain more prestige. After all, she really didn’t want to remain a confined noblewoman in a grand household.
Tonghua Alley was a commoner’s street, and a group like theirs would be conspicuous, so they had changed into casual clothes before leaving. However, the golden-armored guards were tall and imposing, their fierce aura making them intimidating. This time, they were only here to investigate, not to arrest anyone. Ying Jiuque considered briefly and decided to go first with Chunyu Shuang and Xie Mingchen. Xie Mingchen’s harmless demeanor wouldn’t raise suspicion.
Following the address given by Investigator Xin, the three finally arrived at a small courtyard with a dark brown wooden door. The door looked ordinary, but from outside, one could see a tall paulownia tree within the courtyard, its green leaves lush in this season.
They stopped a hurried, gray-haired elderly woman on the street. Ying Jiuque smiled and handed her a small packet of candied sunflower seeds. The previously grumpy woman immediately brightened and became exceedingly friendly.
“Young ladies, you must be new here. Looking for someone, I suppose? Not to brag, but in this alley, there isn’t a household I don’t know!”
Ying Jiuque smiled politely and avoided the woman’s outreached hand.
“Ma’am, I vaguely heard that a young lady named Yun lives here? She’s my cousin. Her family suffered some misfortune and she came to seek refuge. The letters were delayed, and our family went out of town. Now that we’ve returned and received the letter, we’re very worried! You see, she has a little girl and no support—how pitiful! My two siblings and I spent nearly half a month trying to find her, and now we finally hear she might live here. And here we are, meeting you, ma’am!”
Even Chunyu Shuang was surprised at how down-to-earth Ying Jiuque could be. Considering that the county princess had previously lived on an estate, perhaps this grounded nature was why. It seemed the princess was not as delicate or pampered as people imagined.
The elderly woman was ecstatic, pointing excitedly at the wooden door behind her.
“What luck! That young lady lives here! I even saw her go out to buy vegetables this morning! Shall I knock on the door for you?”
Seeing the three hesitate, the kind-hearted woman looked at the only man in the group. Xie Mingchen was gentle and weak-looking, not physically strong, so she took the initiative to pull Ying Jiuque toward the door.
“Bang bang bang!”
“Yun! Are you there? Open the door!”
Footsteps quickly approached inside, and soon a beautiful face appeared as the door opened.
“Aunt Lin, what—”
Mid-sentence, Yun stopped upon seeing a half-hidden face behind Aunt Lin, smiling at Ying Jiuque. She couldn’t speak further.
Ying Jiuque, however, was unreserved. She entered with Xie Mingchen and Chunyu Shuang and handed Aunt Lin a small paper bag filled with candied sunflower seeds, stamped with the name of the most famous candy shop on East Street. Their family’s young ones had been talking about it for days; this would finally quiet them!
Peeking one last time at Chunyu Shuang’s official boots hidden under his skirt, Aunt Lin ate a seed and quietly moved to the corner of the wall
