"As the saying goes, good and evil will eventually be repaid. It seems these evildoers still fear the severe punishment of Great Xing's laws."
Yang Wanli stood by, feigning emotion.
The Three Little Ones glared at him in unison, scaring him into silence.
Clearly, both Yang Wanli and Magistrate Zhang had long known that Lord Xiong and the others had died last night.
Today, they were just waiting for Princess Ankang to witness this scene.
"Whoever is behind this, they are quite decisive."
Li Xuan couldn't help but think this as he looked at the self-slain corpses on the ground.
This way, these cases could no longer be prosecuted.
The culprits were already dead, so who could be sued?
Princess Ankang looked at Yang Wanli, then at Magistrate Zhang, truly not knowing what to do next.
After a moment of contemplation, Princess Ankang finally sighed and said:
"The Changan County Yamen's prison is filled with righteous aura, causing these scoundrels to repent and reform as soon as they enter, even leading them to commit suicide out of fear of punishment."
"It's truly remarkable."
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Zhang smiled broadly, waving his hands repeatedly:
"Oh, Your Highness, what are you saying?"
"This humble official is merely fulfilling his duty as Changan County Magistrate under His Majesty's wise leadership."
"How dare I claim credit, how dare I claim credit!"
Although Magistrate Zhang said this, his demeanor and expression fully demonstrated how pleased he was.
"Good, this princess will remember good officials like Magistrate Zhang."
Princess Ankang resided in Jingyang Palace, and although Jingyang Palace was the Cold Palace, there was no problem with her referring to herself as 'this princess'.
Magistrate Zhang just smiled, noncommittally.
He clearly did not take Princess Ankang's words to heart.
Perhaps martial artists like Yang Wanli didn't know, but how could Magistrate Zhang, as one of the two county magistrates in the capital, not know Princess Ankang's status in the palace?
It was already common knowledge that this sickly princess had long resided in the Cold Palace, out of favor with the Emperor.
Therefore, Magistrate Zhang didn't care about Princess Ankang's threats at all.
In his opinion, Princess Ankang had no way to deal with him.
Unless she died within his yamen, making him complicit, there was no other way to deal with him.
This was why Magistrate Zhang was so composed.
Princess Ankang also knew that she truly had no official way to deal with Magistrate Zhang.
Moreover, with Lord Xiong and the others dead, there was no evidence, making it impossible to investigate the relationship between the Money Gang and the Changan County Yamen.
This was their territory; it was impossible for them to provide clues to Princess Ankang themselves.
Princess Ankang took one last look at Magistrate Zhang, committing his appearance to memory, then flicked her sleeves and departed.
"Your Highness, please take care."
"This humble official is busy with duties, so I won't see you off."
Magistrate Zhang bowed behind Princess Ankang, the smugness he had suppressed for so long finally unable to be hidden any longer.
Before leaving, Yang Wanli and Magistrate Zhang exchanged glances, a knowing smile appearing on both their faces.
They nodded slightly, then parted ways.
Without Princess Ankang's order, Xu Lang did not release Yang Wanli's restraints and escorted him out of the yamen.
After leaving the yamen, Princess Ankang angrily slapped the armrest of her wheelchair and said indignantly:
"These bastards!"
Princess Ankang turned to look at Yang Wanli, then pointed at him and said:
"You're no good either!"
Princess Ankang felt that Yang Wanli must have known the news that Lord Xiong and the others had been silenced before he came to follow them today.
For these people, this was the least costly and most efficient method.
Just a few lives of low-level gang members could completely block Princess Ankang's excuse for causing trouble.
Yang Wanli watched Princess Ankang's angry but helpless expression, secretly chuckling to himself.
But the next moment, Princess Ankang pointed at Yang Wanli and said to him:
"Lead the way! I'm going to bloodbath the Money Gang!"
Yang Wanli couldn't help but freeze, thinking he had misheard.
"Still not leading the way!"
Princess Ankang glared, giving Xu Lang a meaningful look.
Xu Lang immediately understood and was about to take action against Yang Wanli.
Yang Wanli was startled and quickly advised:
"Your Highness, what you are doing is wrong."
"It is unreasonable and unlawful."
"Our Money Gang are law-abiding citizens. How can you, without cause, bloodbath our Money Gang?"
Yang Wanli only now truly realized what the hell was meant by 'power makes right'.
It seemed the princess couldn't win the lawsuit, so she was going straight for a bloodbath.
Yang Wanli wanted to reason, but where could he go to reason?
Magistrate Zhang even called Princess Ankang "Your Highness."
Reporting to the officials might be useful for Yang Wanli, but only after the Money Gang had already been bloodbathed.
Moreover, she was a princess. If she dared to bloodbath the Money Gang, would the Money Gang dare to touch her?
If Princess Ankang were harmed in any way, the Money Gang would cease to exist in this world.
Yang Wanli had been playing the role of a grandson for a long time, never expecting this Princess Ankang to be so utterly unreasonable.
Speaking of which, he had to thank two old acquaintances who had taught Princess Ankang an important lesson, showing her how to maximize her advantages.
In the palace, Princess Ankang was timid and retreated to a corner of the Cold Palace, playing the role of a silent, unnoticed figure.
Outside the palace, Princess Ankang struck hard, oppressing gangsters and villains, embodying the domineering and unruly little princess.
Under the warm midday sun, Yang Wanli looked at Princess Ankang, feeling a chill and not knowing how to react.
Although Xu Lang and the other Great Inner Experts were strong, the Money Gang was not a pushover either.
But if they really fought with the Great Inner Experts and resisted Princess Ankang, the Money Gang would probably truly be bloodbathed.
Seeing Yang Wanli speechless and no longer as smug as before, Princess Ankang couldn't help but smile, showing her teeth.
This sweet and lovely smile appeared exceptionally cold and ruthless in Yang Wanli's eyes.
"I'm tired. Whoever wants to be this damn vice-leader can be it."
At this moment, Yang Wanli just wanted to give up.
But just then, a voice rang out, and someone walked towards them.
"Oh, it's quite lively here."
Everyone turned to look, all showing surprise.
Xu Lang and the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs all bowed respectfully, and Yang Wanli's eyes also lit up, as if he had seen a savior.
Princess Ankang frowned deeply, gently stroking Li Xuan, and asked with some surprise:
"Fourth Prince, why are you here?"
That's right, the person who appeared before everyone was none other than the Fourth Prince, Li Yi.
The Fourth Prince looked at Princess Ankang's entourage and then asked:
"It seems that Thirteenth Imperial Sister has solved the case. Are you out enjoying the streets?"
Princess Ankang did not immediately answer the Fourth Prince's question. Instead, she looked at the eunuch still by his side, responsible for recording his words and actions, feeling somewhat confused.
This indicated that the Fourth Prince had not yet solved the case and had not completed this month's Imperial Garden trial.
And in Princess Ankang's impression, with the Fourth Prince's abilities, solving a case should not be difficult.
Especially since he could also leverage the influence of his mother's family outside the palace.
A few thoughts flashed through Princess Ankang's mind, then she smiled gently and answered the Fourth Prince's question.
"Yes, Fourth Prince."
"However, it seems Fourth Prince has not yet solved the case?"
The Fourth Prince smiled somewhat awkwardly:
"Hehe, I, your Imperial Brother, am dull-witted. How can I be as intelligent as my Imperial Sister? I have no clue about the case in my hands."
Princess Ankang nodded, not taking it to heart, and instead consoled him:
"There are still two more days, today and tomorrow. Fourth Prince, you must work hard."
After Princess Ankang finished speaking, she prepared to leave with her people, but the Fourth Prince stopped them.
"Does Fourth Prince have anything else?"
"Imperial Sister, don't blame your Imperial Brother for being nosy."
The Fourth Prince said this, clearly intending to meddle.
Princess Ankang quietly awaited the Fourth Prince's next words.
"I heard you seemed to be threatening this brother earlier."
The Fourth Prince pointed at Yang Wanli.
"Imperial Sister, it's not that I'm lecturing you."
"Although we are Imperial children, we cannot arbitrarily bully common folk outside, as this would harm Father Emperor's prestige."
"Listen to me, you should not make things difficult for this brother."
As soon as the Fourth Prince uttered these words, the Three Little Ones all looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.
The Fourth Prince smiled, not feeling the slightest discomfort under their gaze.
"Oh? Fourth Prince knows him?"
Princess Ankang seemed only curious about the relationship between the Fourth Prince and Yang Wanli.
"We met by chance."
The Fourth Prince replied with a smile.
"So that's how it is."
Princess Ankang showed a look of sudden understanding.
Princess Ankang looked at Yang Wanli, finding that he was currently hanging his head, looking at the ground, as if the conversation before him had nothing to do with him.
Princess Ankang then turned her gaze to the Fourth Prince, finding that he was patiently awaiting her reply.
"I understand."
Ankang nodded, then said to Yang Wanli:
"Remember what I told you before, Xiao Cui is my friend. If anything happens to her and her grandfather, no matter the cost, I will make the Money Gang disappear completely."
Ankang's voice was chilling and resolute as she spoke.
The Fourth Prince couldn't help but glance at Ankang again; it was the first time he had seen such a side of her.
"It's not a coincidence after all."
Looking at Ankang in front of him, the Fourth Prince thought to himself.
He didn't even realize that a hint of excited smile had appeared on his face.
"Ankang, what is your ambition?"
The Fourth Prince silently questioned, wanting to see through Ankang.
Yang Wanli dared not answer, merely bowing his head and cupping his hands in greeting to Ankang.
He knew that he had no place to speak here.
Then, Ankang looked at the Fourth Prince and said to him:
"Fourth Prince, I wish you success in your investigation."
"Ankang will take her leave first."
With that, Ankang took her people and boarded the carriage, leaving the place directly.
Yang Wanli, on the other hand, was left directly where he stood.
After Ankang left, Yang Wanli endured the soreness in his shoulder, approached the Fourth Prince, and respectfully saluted:
"Your Highness..."
The Fourth Prince raised his hand to stop him, then instructed:
"As Ankang said, do not touch those two people; in fact, protect them. Do not give Ankang any reason to act."
The Fourth Prince knew that Ankang alone could not extend her reach outside the palace.
But the two Chief Stewards of the Internal Affairs Bureau could.
Especially Zhao Feng, who would probably be eager for such an opportunity.
Yang Wanli nodded, but couldn't help but frown as he looked at the person next to him, who was constantly recording something.
He didn't understand why the Fourth Prince brought such a person with him when speaking these words.
But Yang Wanli dared not inquire about these matters casually; he merely obeyed orders.
The Fourth Prince naturally noticed Yang Wanli's gaze, but had no intention of explaining.
Unlike his other siblings, the Fourth Prince actually didn't particularly like leaving the palace.
He would rather stay in the palace, tending to his flowers and plants.
Even being lectured by his imperial mother was better than staying outside the palace.
"Go back. You no longer need to worry about Ankang's matters."
"Remember to keep a low profile these days."
Yang Wanli nodded and respectfully replied:
"Yes, Your Highness."
After giving these instructions, the Fourth Prince did not linger and left directly with his people.
Yang Wanli stood there respectfully seeing the Fourth Prince off, and only after the Fourth Prince's figure was completely out of sight did he let out a sigh of relief.
At this moment, several people gathered around Yang Wanli.
"Deputy Gang Leader, is everything alright now?"
"For now, yes."
Yang Wanli pressed his sore shoulder and answered casually.
"So, what's next for us?"
These people were all waiting for Yang Wanli to make a decision.
"Act discreetly, and we'll discuss it after the Gang Leader returns."
"Also, keep a close eye on that little girl and her grandfather in the West Market; they absolutely must not get into trouble."
"If anything happens to these two now, it will be blamed on us."
Yang Wanli couldn't help but sigh at this point.
No matter where, being a deputy was always the hardest.
Especially with the Money Gang's leader heading south recently, Yang Wanli had to worry about all the gang's affairs, big and small.
Before, he wasn't the one to make final decisions; he was only responsible for assisting with tasks assigned by the leader.
But now that this responsibility was on his shoulders, it made him realize that being a gang leader wasn't something just anyone could do.
"Hehe, thank you for your hard work today, Deputy Gang Leader, for humbling yourself before a little girl."
After finishing their serious business, these few people immediately flattered Yang Wanli, massaging his feet and legs, truly acting like sycophants.
...
On the other side, Ankang, in the carriage, lifted the curtain and looked at the scenery outside, appearing somewhat absent-minded.
Yu'er and Xiao Cui both noticed Ankang's low mood and dared not disturb her casually.
Li Xuan, however, was completely unconcerned, nestled in Ankang's arms, occasionally teasing Ankang with his tail, gently scratching her chin and neck.
At first, Ankang tried hard to pretend she wasn't bothered, maintaining her profound demeanor.
But then, the itch became unbearable, and she picked up Li Xuan exasperatedly, holding him in front of her.
Li Xuan shyly used his hind legs and tail to cover his little belly, continuously breaking through Ankang's psychological defenses with his charming gaze.
"You naughty Li Xuan, you only know how to bully me."
Ankang snorted, then buried her face in Li Xuan's belly, rubbing against him affectionately.
Li Xuan gently hugged Ankang's head, meowed twice, and then began to purr contentedly.
This sound could bring peace and soothe emotions.
Li Xuan had previously practiced the Dragon Tiger Wind Fierce Roar, further enhancing his purring, causing Ankang's little emotions to slowly recede like a tide.
"After all that, it turns out I am the Money Gang."
Ankang, with her head buried in the cat's belly, suddenly said this for no reason.
Yu'er and Xiao Cui looked at each other, not understanding what Ankang meant by that.
Li Xuan, however, somewhat understood Ankang's thoughts.
The Money Gang was very likely backed by the Imperial family's power.
Even if it had no direct connection to Ankang, as a member of the Imperial family, she had her own share of responsibility.
The appearance of the Fourth Prince already explained a lot.
Behind the Money Gang, the Fourth Prince was exerting his influence, and behind the Fourth Prince, there were probably many more people.
Ankang just couldn't understand why these people would oppress the citizens of Great Xing so much through the Money Gang.
Fine clothes and rich food, silk and satin.
They were even held in such high esteem.
Was that not enough?
What more did they want from these poor common people?
Ankang, who had lived in the Cold Palace since childhood, naturally racked her brain but couldn't understand.
She didn't know how her other siblings, those Imperial children, enjoyed their glory and wealth.
Ankang still hadn't realized that she was the anomaly.
But these questions were gradually cast aside by Li Xuan's comfort.
The carriage quickly returned to the West Market, and Xiao Cui's grandfather was overjoyed to see his granddaughter return safely.
"Xiao Cui, why are you back so soon?"
After his initial joy, Xiao Cui's grandfather asked with some concern, unable to help but glance at Ankang's expression.
Xiao Cui immediately explained what had happened earlier at the Changan County Yamen.
When Xiao Cui's grandfather learned that Lord Xiong and the others had all died suddenly in prison, his wrinkled eyes couldn't help but widen.
"Xiao Cui, you said Lord Xiong and them died?"
"Yes, Grandpa." Xiao Cui nodded and said seriously, "Lord Xiong and them died. I saw it with my own eyes."
Xiao Cui understood that in the face of this fact, her grandfather would be even more shocked than she was.
Xiao Cui knew that her grandfather's prejudice against the Money Gang would be even greater than her own.
She had only been bullied by the Money Gang for a few years, while her grandfather had been bullied by them his entire life.
Even the death of her parents was related to the Money Gang.
It was just that she was too young at the time and could no longer remember what happened back then.
Grandpa never mentioned the details of those years, only telling Xiao Cui not to ask too many questions.
Only on the anniversary of Xiao Cui's parents' death each year would Xiao Cui's grandfather take Xiao Cui to their graves to burn paper money, and then silently drink a pot of cloudy yellow wine.
He would drink a cup and pour a cup in front of the grave.
This was the only day of the year Xiao Cui's grandfather drank alcohol.
Even during the New Year, Grandpa couldn't bear to buy the cheapest yellow wine to drink.
But every year on the anniversary of Xiao Cui's parents' death, Xiao Cui's grandfather would buy a pot of yellow wine and spill half of it in front of the grave.
After hearing the news of Lord Xiong and the others dying in prison, Xiao Cui's grandfather silently sat back behind his stall.
His eyes were wide open, as if he was doubting whether he was still asleep.
"Grandpa, what's wrong?"
Xiao Cui worriedly went to her grandfather's side, holding his hand, and asked nervously.
After a long while, a few drops of tears, as cloudy as yellow wine, streamed down Xiao Cui's grandfather's old face, not even reaching the ground before disappearing into the intricate wrinkles.
"Grandpa, why are you crying?"
Xiao Cui asked, puzzled.
It was a good thing that Lord Xiong was dead; she didn't understand why her grandfather was shedding tears.
"It's nothing, nothing."
"Xiao Cui, Grandpa is happy!"
"Hahaha..."
Xiao Cui's grandfather laughed and then cried again, weeping bitterly.
Xiao Cui awkwardly comforted her grandfather, not understanding what was wrong with him.
But somehow, Xiao Cui was also infected by her grandfather's tears and started crying with him.
The Three Little Ones watched silently from the side, saying nothing.
Princess Ankang lowered her head, then quietly said to Yuan'an,
"Let's go."
"Shouldn't we say goodbye to Xiao Cui and them?"
"It's fine, we can say goodbye tomorrow."
Hearing Princess Ankang say this, Yuan'an nodded, then quietly pushed the wheelchair away from Xiao Cui's stall.
The group walked and stopped in the West Market, and at Princess Ankang's signal, they arrived in front of a pond.
Inside the West Market, there was a liberation pond, where some people would buy small fish fry and release them into the pond.
And some people, in pursuit of more merit, would specifically find some very large fish and then release them.
They didn't consider how many small fish fry those big fish would eat after being released into the liberation pond.
Princess Ankang did not participate in such liberation activities, but merely watched the scenery around the liberation pond from the side.
The liberation pond was not large, but there were always people coming and going around it.
The West Market was full of merchants from all over, doing all sorts of business.
Therefore, things like luck were especially important to them.
Spending just a few coppers to get a good omen for themselves was something these merchants were more than happy to do.
However, Princess Ankang only watched for a while and saw the merchant selling liberation fish fry repeatedly scooping fish out of the liberation pond and then selling them again.
The fish fry were released, then scooped up, then sold again for release.
It seemed that nothing had changed except for the merchant selling liberation fish fry's purse getting fatter and fatter.
The fish fry were still those fish fry, and the liberation pond was still that liberation pond.
This comical scene made Princess Ankang shake her head and laugh.
After watching the released fish for a while, Princess Ankang returned to Xingqing Palace early to rest.
After so many days out of the palace, she gradually lost her sense of novelty and instead began to feel a wave of fatigue.
It was no wonder, as Princess Ankang's routine had become less regular these past few days.
Especially when she was on Flower Street, she didn't sleep well at night; too many things had happened.
During the day, various things happened, and just receiving all that information was not a simple task.
…
After Princess Ankang had rested well, she ushered in her last day out of the palace.
Today was their seventh day out of the palace, and at the latest, they would have to return to the palace tomorrow.
Thinking of this, Princess Ankang immediately regretted resting so early yesterday.
"A child is a child."
Li Xuan looked at Princess Ankang's conflicted and regretful expression, and couldn't help but think to himself.
"Li Xuan, we can't be so listless anymore."
"Today, we must have a good time, play to our heart's content, and enjoy ourselves!"
Princess Ankang excitedly rubbed Li Xuan, ceaselessly bothering him.
"This little girl, after a nap, her spirits have recovered quite well."
Li Xuan knew he had worried for nothing.
Princess Ankang put on her clothes, ready to set off.
But before sitting in the wheelchair, she twisted her neck and wiggled her buttocks, doing some warm-up exercises.
When she used to sit in the wheelchair all the time, Princess Ankang hadn't realized how uncomfortable it was to sit constantly.
Recently, when going out, Princess Ankang had been sitting in the wheelchair all the time, and every day, half of her buttocks would go numb from sitting.
She used to think sitting in a wheelchair was quite comfortable and effortless, but now, no matter how she sat, it felt uncomfortable.
Li Xuan looked at Princess Ankang reluctantly sitting in the wheelchair and couldn't help but think:
"I need to quickly find a suitable reason for Ankang's recovery, so she can openly walk in front of people in the future, and even run and jump."
"I hope Imperial Physician Xue keeps his word when the time comes."
Previously, when Li Xuan helped Fang Muyang, he had already negotiated terms with Imperial Physician Xue.
Imperial Physician Xue could not cure Princess Ankang's illness; this was something that had been determined long ago.
Otherwise, Imperial Physician Xue would not have dared to say that Princess Ankang would not live past eighteen.
But now, Li Xuan didn't need Imperial Physician Xue to actually cure the illness; he only needed him to be the public reason.
As for how Imperial Physician Xue would fabricate it then, that was his own business, not something Li Xuan needed to worry about.
Whether his medical skills suddenly had a breakthrough or he accidentally obtained a mysterious prescription.
In any case, as long as Imperial Physician Xue could take responsibility for Princess Ankang's recovery, that would be enough.
At that time, whether anyone would trouble him, Li Xuan wouldn't care.
These were all conditions agreed upon when Li Xuan helped Fang Muyang.
But for now.
It was still better for Princess Ankang, who had no other legitimate reason, to sit in the wheelchair.
Otherwise, the pressure that Imperial Physician Xue was supposed to share would be concentrated on them.
Moreover, Li Xuan was willing to step forward himself, as an auspicious omen, to bring more resources and attention to Jingyang Palace.
But he was not willing for Princess Ankang to also step forward.
The secret of Princess Ankang's constitution should be concealed if possible; Li Xuan hoped to buy Princess Ankang as much time as possible for low-key development.
Too early for Princess Ankang to attract the attention of others was not a good thing.
Although Princess Ankang had won several Imperial Garden competitions in recent months.
But as long as the fact that Princess Ankang was a sickly person remained unchanged, not many people would truly consider her a threat; they would only find her an eyesore, unlucky, and not having many years left to live, yet still causing trouble.
Therefore, Li Xuan needed to continue using Princess Ankang's original non-threatening image to gain more development time while they were still weak.
By the time others perceived Princess Ankang as a real threat, Li Xuan hoped that Jingyang Palace would have already become an untouchable behemoth.
And all of this required time to slowly accumulate.
During these days out of the palace, Li Xuan, apart from silently cultivating, was thinking about these things, only occasionally participating in gossip.
The difficulty of cultivating both Yin and Yang attribute true qi was too great, beyond Li Xuan's imagination.
Even with a trace of Yin-Yang Power helping him, the progress of those two Qi Sensing Realm cultivation methods was truly touching.
After so many days, Li Xuan had not even broken through one-tenth of the progress.
Yang Deficiency Qi Induction Method: 9%
Yin Weak Qi Gathering Technique: 9%
The progress of these two cultivation methods was so slow because he gained only one percent progress each time he practiced one, and when he practiced the other, the progress would regress by 0.5 percent.
Initially, Li Xuan's progress was faster, but now it was getting slower and slower.
And the true qi of the Qi Sensing Realm was extracted from his blood and essence.
The foundation laid by each realm of the Lower Three Ranks before was precisely for cultivating true qi from the physical body.
Simply put, the Qi Sensing Realm was a process of refining essence into qi.
However, this process was extremely difficult, and coupled with Li Xuan's choice of dual cultivation of Yin and Yang, the difficulty was raised by an unknown number of times.
Li Xuan could only practice these two Qi Sensing Realm cultivation methods once a day at most; his body simply couldn't handle more.
This was still under the premise that Li Xuan was exceptionally talented and had obtained a trace of Yin-Yang Power in the Sun Moon Yin Yang Pond.
Anyone else would have long since had a mental breakdown and suffered qi deviation.
"Alas, forget it."
"There will be a way when we get there, and things will sort themselves out."
Li Xuan shook his head and stopped thinking about these things.
In any case, cultivation always required taking one step at a time; no matter how far or difficult, if he took one step every day, he would eventually reach the destination.
Compared to other martial artists, Li Xuan, relying on his talent, had already gained all the advantages.
Others couldn't see the progress bar and had no idea how far they were from completion.
Not to mention the outrageous fact that Li Xuan gained progress just by cultivating.
Thinking this way, he didn't need to be so anxious and needed to slow down his mindset.
After reaching the Middle Three Ranks, cultivation was clearly different from when he was in the Lower Three Ranks.
It was no longer possible to advance by leaps and bounds as before.
As Li Xuan's cultivation rank became higher and higher, the slower progress of cultivation was also an inevitable matter.
While Li Xuan was thinking about these problems, Princess Ankang had already prepared to go out.
But as soon as they stepped out of the room, they found that someone was already waiting outside.
"Sister, where are you going to play today?"
Princess Yuan'an asked with a smile.
"Yuan'an, where have you been playing these past two days?"
"I haven't seen you at all."
Princess Ankang also smiled and greeted Princess Yuan'an.
"I saw many fresh and interesting things in the capital these past two days, and I was temporarily lost in them."
Princess Yuan'an, knowing she had been playing a bit too wildly these past two days, smiled sheepishly.
Then she continued:
"By the way, Elder Sister."
"Do you remember Eighth Prince saying he would take us out on the last day?"
"He sent someone yesterday to tell us to wait for him today."
Princess Ankang was a little surprised to hear this.
She had thought Eighth Prince's words were just polite talk, but she didn't expect Eighth Prince to be serious.
"Elder Sister, do you have other plans today?"
Princess Yuan'an asked.
Princess Ankang immediately shook her head:
"I was just planning to go out and play casually."
"Oh, I need to make a trip to the West Market to say goodbye to a friend."
Princess Ankang suddenly remembered that she hadn't said goodbye to Xiao Cui yesterday.
"Then it shouldn't matter; we can just stop by the West Market on the way later."
"I wonder what Eighth Prince has planned; he swore he'd take us to a fun place before."
Although Princess Yuan'an kept mentioning Eighth Prince in her words, sounding a bit impolite, she was already looking forward to the itinerary Eighth Prince had arranged.
When it came to having fun, if Eighth Prince ranked second among the Imperial Princes and Princesses, then no one would dare to rank first.
After the two princesses chatted for a while, Eighth Prince arrived.
He hadn't stayed in Xingqing Palace for a single day these past few days, always enjoying himself outside.
Moreover, the eunuch responsible for recording his words and actions was no longer by Eighth Prince's side, indicating that he had also solved his own case.
"Darn it, Eighth Prince, you actually solved your case too!"
At this moment, the eunuch who recorded her words and actions was still by Princess Yuan'an's side.
Seeing Eighth Prince so relaxed, how could she not be envious?
Princess Yuan'an had drawn a murder case in the Imperial Garden earlier.
However, Princess Yuan'an had no interest in that competition and had only been focused on playing these past few days, not investigating the case at all.
It was only on the second day after leaving the palace, when she made plans with Princess Ankang to go to Flower Street that night, that she pretended to investigate the case for a day.
But when it came to investigating cases, these Imperial Princes and Princesses were laymen to begin with, and with their lack of dedication, there was even less chance of them solving anything.
Princess Yuan'an had initially thought that Eighth Prince had also been only focused on playing and hadn't investigated the case at all, but when she saw that only Flower-Clothed Eunuchs were by his side, she suddenly felt a strange sense of betrayal.
"Haha, Yuan'an, you think I'm like you?"
Eighth Prince joked.
Eighth Prince had long expected the current outcome.
Princess Ankang solving her case did not surprise Eighth Prince.
Previously, Princess Ankang had already proven her abilities through several competitions.
Although some people still used the excuse of luck to deny Princess Ankang's achievements.
But Eighth Prince was not one of those fools.
If one could keep winning simply by luck, then the other Imperial Princes and Princesses who lost would merely be useless.
Eighth Prince did not consider himself useless.
As for Princess Yuan'an.
Eighth Prince had also long anticipated that she wouldn't properly investigate the case.
"Eighth Prince, what do you mean!"
Hearing the hidden meaning in Eighth Prince's words, Princess Yuan'an immediately flew into a rage.
She had never been pleasant to Eighth Prince.
"Alright, alright, no more bickering with you."
"Today is the last day, let's just have fun."
"Otherwise, you might not know when your next trip out of the palace will be."
Eighth Prince quickly appeased Princess Yuan'an.
"From what you're saying, you're a bit more free than us, aren't you?"
Princess Yuan'an retorted, a little unconvinced.
Eighth Prince merely smiled slightly at this, then said:
"My situation is a bit special; you can't learn it."
Eighth Prince did not dwell on this topic but immediately took the two princesses and prepared to leave.
Upon departure, Princess Ankang mentioned that she needed to go to the West Market to say goodbye to a friend.
Eighth Prince looked surprised, not expecting Princess Ankang to have made a friend outside the palace in just a few days.
However, Eighth Prince did not refuse Princess Ankang's request to go to the West Market first.
Their schedule for the day was not tight, so taking some time out was not a problem.
"Do we need to wait for you?"
Eighth Prince's intention was to ask Princess Ankang if he and Princess Yuan'an needed to step aside.
To this, Princess Ankang just shook her head:
"Eighth Prince and Yuan'an are welcome to come with me if they wish."
Seeing that Princess Ankang was not avoiding them, Eighth Prince and Princess Yuan'an followed her to the West Market.
With three Imperial children traveling together, the entourage was significantly larger.
Three carriages lined up in a row, and after leaving Xingqing Palace, they headed directly for the West Market.
In the West Market, Princess Ankang quickly found Xiao Cui.
Today, their stall had good business, with many people buying their woven knots.
Seeing Princess Ankang arrive, Xiao Cui and Xiao Cui's grandfather greeted her warmly.
Even though they had just seen each other yesterday, the Three Little Ones all felt that the grandfather and granddaughter had changed a bit.
It seemed that after their cry yesterday, the grandfather and granddaughter had undergone some kind of transformation.
"Miss, you've arrived."
Yesterday in the Changan County Yamen, although Xiao Cui had already learned Princess Ankang's identity, she had continued to address her as 'Miss' at Princess Ankang's request.
If she were to suddenly shout 'Your Highness' in the bustling West Market, it would likely cause quite a stir.
When these Imperial children left the palace this time, as long as they weren't meeting officials in an official capacity, they always asked others to address them as 'Miss' and 'Young Master' to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Princess Ankang also got straight to the point, telling Xiao Cui and her grandfather:
"I'm going home tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll be able to visit again, so I came to say hello to you two."
Xiao Cui understood Princess Ankang's meaning of 'going home' and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
She had heard many things about the Imperial family and knew that it was not a place one could enter or leave freely.
Even though Princess Ankang was a noble princess, it probably wasn't as convenient for her as it was for them to go out on a daily basis.
Xiao Cui composed herself, then looked up at Princess Ankang with a smile, and continued:
"Then, Miss, please take care of yourself after you go home. If you have the chance to come to the West Market in the future, please be sure to visit me and Grandpa."
Princess Ankang nodded, agreeing to this.
She waved to Xiao Cui, inviting Xiao Cui to come closer.
After Xiao Cui came forward, Princess Ankang gently hugged Xiao Cui, then whispered in her ear:
"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can go to the Ping An Trading Company in Chongdefang and send a message to Chief Steward Shang; I will naturally receive the news then."
Li Xuan had told Princess Ankang about the Ping An Trading Company last night.
The Ping An Trading Company was Emperor Yongyuan's asset, and Chief Steward Shang had passed through here when he took Li Xuan out of the palace to perform a task before.
Using Chief Steward Shang's name, it shouldn't be difficult to send a message.
After they returned to the palace, they could just ask Chief Steward Shang for help.
Although Xingqing Palace could also serve as a place to transmit messages, there was no guarantee that the people there would be diligent, and Princess Ankang had almost no influence there; even if Xiao Cui truly sent the message to Xingqing Palace, whether Princess Ankang would receive Xiao Cui's message was another matter entirely.
Overall, Jingyang Palace's power was still too weak.
In the palace, because Li Xuan had gained some importance, he could now rely on some of the Internal Affairs Bureau's influence.
But outside the palace, they were completely destitute.
However, Li Xuan also knew that these things could not be rushed.
As long as he had enough patience, Li Xuan believed that with his help, Princess Ankang would definitely have a day when she held immense power.
At that time, Li Xuan could experience what it felt like to walk around with impunity.