"Miss, thanks to you, my grandfather and I are living very well now."Xiao Cui beamed, saying happily."Miss, please come with me."Xiao Cui said, stepping forward to take Ankang Princess's hand, then led her behind their stall.Xiao Cui's grandfather, who had been busy with his head down, noticed a visitor and looked up to see Ankang Princess and the others. He immediately put down his work, wiped his hands, and quickly stood up to greet them, a natural smile on his face."Miss, you've come!"Xiao Cui's grandfather was filled with gratitude for this kind Miss who had changed the lives of him and his granddaughter."Elder, how have you been lately? The Money Gang hasn't come to bother you again, have they?"Ankang Princess immediately asked the question she was most concerned about."No, no, Miss, you can rest assured."Xiao Cui's grandfather waved his hand, denying it at once."Ever since you taught them a lesson last time, the Money Gang hasn't caused any trouble in the West Market.""They even took great care of my granddaughter and me, fearing we might be bullied by others.""Xiao Cui and I, in our confusion, were actually protected by the Money Gang."Xiao Cui's grandfather chuckled, looking a bit embarrassed.After hearing these words, the Three Little Ones also collectively breathed a sigh of relief.It was certainly best if the Money Gang was sensible; otherwise, if things really soured, both sides would be in great trouble.Ankang Princess's first act of chivalry was not meant to end in tragedy.Li Xuan looked around and found that business at this stall was indeed good."Little girl, are you still doing business or not?""Why have you started chatting?""You haven't forgotten what I wanted, have you? Hurry up and wrap it for me!"The customers waiting at the stall began to urge them on.Xiao Cui opened her mouth, originally planning to close the stall for the day and then catch up with Ankang Princess properly later.But Ankang Princess seemed to have seen through Xiao Cui's intentions, reaching out to stop her, then said, "Xiao Cui, you and your grandfather should stay busy for now. We'll wander around the West Market, and when you're not busy later, we'll come back to find you, okay?""This..."Xiao Cui seemed a bit hesitant.On one hand, she felt that doing so would be neglecting Ankang Princess.On the other hand, the daily income from selling knotwork was a very important source of income for her and her grandfather.Seeing Xiao Cui hesitate, Ankang Princess immediately decided:"It's settled then, we'll come back later."With that, Ankang Princess waved goodbye to the grandfather and granddaughter, then carried Li Xuan and left, with Yu'er and Chief Steward Shang following close behind."Oh, Miss..."Xiao Cui stood on her tiptoes, about to call out to Ankang Princess, but found that in the dense crowd, Ankang Princess's figure was already nowhere to be seen."How can she be gone as soon as she walked out?"Xiao Cui suddenly looked bewildered.At this moment, Xiao Cui's grandfather called out:"Xiao Cui, attend to the customers first. We'll close early today and invite Miss Li for a simple meal tonight.""It's just that I don't know if Miss Li will be willing to honor us with her presence."Xiao Cui's grandfather said, his expression growing anxious.Logically speaking, he had lived a long life and seen much of the world, but at this moment, he was as flustered as a child."Don't worry, Grandfather, Miss will definitely honor us."Xiao Cui comforted her grandfather, then continued to attend to the customers.Xiao Cui's grandfather no longer continued to make knotwork at the stall but began to attend to customers with Xiao Cui.For customized knotwork, they only took notes, making excuses that they were too busy these days and needed more time for delivery.Although the grandfather and granddaughter lived in poverty, they understood that money could not be earned endlessly.They could sell their knotwork every day, but Ankang Princess rarely visited.After closing the stall today, both the grandfather and granddaughter had a major event to look forward to, and they attended to customers with extra vigor, only wanting to sell out quickly and close up."Your Highness, it seems Xiao Cui and her grandfather haven't been harassed since then."Yu'er said happily.Ankang Princess nodded, also feeling a wave of relief.The last time she returned to the palace, her biggest worry was that Xiao Cui and her grandfather would face retaliation from the Money Gang.At that time, even if Ankang Princess could avenge them, the harm suffered by the grandfather and granddaughter would be irreparable.Fortunately, this worst-case scenario did not happen.At this moment, Chief Steward Shang, uncharacteristically, asked:"Ankang Princess, were those two the people you mentioned earlier, who were persecuted by the Money Gang?"Previously, Ankang Princess had only entrusted Zhao Feng with the matter of Xiao Cui and her grandfather.After all, Zhao Feng was the Chief of the Internal Affairs Bureau, and because he came to teach Yu'er martial arts every morning, he had more opportunities to meet the Three Little Ones.It was only this morning, before setting off, that Ankang Princess mentioned whom she was going to visit on this trip.Ankang Princess's visit today was not without the intention of introducing Chief Steward Shang to Xiao Cui and her grandfather.There were some things she couldn't say outright.But letting Chief Steward Shang know this connection would certainly do no harm.Ankang Princess nodded, then asked Chief Steward Shang:"Chief Steward Shang, do you know anything about this Money Gang?""I've heard a little."Chief Steward Shang smiled slightly, also nodding.The group wandered through the bustling West Market, returning to their previous state where passersby unknowingly made way for them.And Chief Steward Shang began to speak of his knowledge of the Money Gang."The Money Gang, as its name suggests, was founded to gather wealth from all over the world.""Its leader, Chen Tan, possesses extraordinary strength. People in the martial arts world call him 'Ephermeral Finger'."Hearing this strange nickname, Ankang Princess couldn't help but ask:"Chief Steward Shang, what does 'Ephemeral Finger' mean?""It is said that Chen Tan is skilled in a remarkably powerful finger technique," Chief Steward Shang explained, then raised his hand and made a flicking gesture, continuing, "A single flick of his finger means an instant of life or death."This description made the Three Little Ones' hearts tighten simultaneously."No wonder the Money Gang could grow so large; their leader also seems to be a ruthless character.""I just wonder how this person compares to the top Great Inner Experts?"Previously, Li Xuan had seen Zhao Feng use a finger technique with formidable power.He wondered how Chen Tan, the leader of the Money Gang, would compare to him.Li Xuan would not underestimate people from the martial arts world. To establish such a large underground gang in the capital, Chen Tan certainly wouldn't be a simple character."Speaking of 'Ephemeral Finger', his strongest asset isn't his finger technique, but his diplomatic and adaptable style of doing things.""As long as it's something that can make money, the Money Gang will do it.""Many people are also willing to cooperate with the Money Gang to make money.""The Money Gang has been rising for nearly twenty years, but even today, within the capital, the Money Gang has never suffered a major setback."Li Xuan could understand Chief Steward Shang's words.In the capital, various forces were intertwined, and conflicting interests were like a tangled mess.Becoming friends with one faction often meant becoming adversaries with another, an unavoidable fact.The Money Gang cooperated with others for mutual benefit and grew stronger, but there were always those who didn't want to see this happen.Yet, the Money Gang had developed for twenty years, growing stronger and stronger to its current scale, which showed that they made mostly correct decisions in handling complex interest issues.To be honest, this ability made Li Xuan somewhat envious.Isn't this very ability to make friends what he currently lacks?Thus, it seemed that the Fourth Prince being acquainted with Yang Wanli, the Vice Leader of the Money Gang, was not an unusual thing.Rather, given the positions of the Money Gang and the Fourth Prince, it would be strange if they didn't know each other."So, the Money Gang will do anything as long as it can make money, is that right?"Ankang Princess extracted the key information."Theoretically, yes, that's correct."Chief Steward Shang nodded, then continued:"With Chen Tan's style of doing things, if someone could offer him enough profit, he might even directly hand over the position of Money Gang Leader."Li Xuan couldn't help but smile upon hearing this:"This Great Leader Chen is truly a money-grubber."...Meanwhile.At the other end of the West Market.A group of people was rushing out of the West Market.The leader was a dignified and handsome middle-aged man.He was tall and slender, dressed in exquisite and tasteful clothes.A typical handsome older man, with a few strands of white hair at his temples further enhancing his mature charm.However, compared to his excellent appearance, his hands were particularly striking.A man's hands were even better cared for than those of an ordinary woman.His ten fingers were like white jade, without the slightest blemish."Leader, weren't you going to greet that Princess?"Yang Wanli, the Vice Leader of the Money Gang, hurried behind him, asking in confusion."Hmm, I suddenly remembered an urgent matter I need to handle, and I'm afraid I'll have to leave for a while again."The handsome older man said with a serious expression."Wanli, while I'm away, you'll still need to shoulder the affairs of the capital. Don't disappoint me."He said, turning to pat Yang Wanli's shoulder, giving him a strong encouragement."You've been Vice Leader for several years now; it's time to take another step forward.""Do well, I have high hopes for you!"With that, the handsome older man continued to walk forward.His steps seemed unhurried, but Yang Wanli and the others behind him struggled to keep up.And this time, in the blink of an eye, they could no longer find the figure ahead."Where's the Leader?""Where did such a big Leader go?"Several voices sounded from behind Yang Wanli; these were the core members of the Money Gang.Today, they received news that Ankang Princess would be coming to the West Market, so they specifically came here, intending to show goodwill to Ankang Princess and completely resolve the previous minor unpleasantness.Antagonizing members of the Imperial family was not the Money Gang's style.Even if Ankang Princess's presence wasn't that prominent, the Money Gang still took it quite seriously.Just these past few days, the Leader, who had returned from handling matters in the south, was back. To express the highest sincerity, a group of Money Gang high-ranking officials came together, hoping for a beautiful encounter with Ankang Princess to forget all previous unpleasantness.But for some unknown reason, shortly after arriving at the West Market, their Leader changed his mind and was now leaving in a hurry."What's wrong with the Leader?""Didn't he just come back from handling matters?""Why is he going out again?"Several high-ranking officials of the Money Gang gathered around Yang Wanli, discussing animatedly."Old Yang, what do we do about this matter today?""Do we still need to go and greet that Princess?""Without the Leader, wouldn't it seem insincere?""The last time Old Yang went to see that Princess alone, he didn't get a good reception.""I heard that if the Fourth Prince hadn't intervened, Old Yang would have been in trouble.""..."Everyone was discussing, but Yang Wanli had no mind to listen.After so many years, he knew exactly what kind of person this Leader was."Still want me to take another step forward?""I'm already the damn Vice Leader, where else do you want me to go?""Did that bastard see another old flame again?"Yang Wanli looked around in horror, specifically at those mature women who still retained their charm.Every time their Leader wanted to dump the gang on him, he would be beaten up by an unknown mature beauty within three days, demanding to know the Leader's whereabouts.And their Leader, like a mouse that smelled a cat, would always hide in some hole, leaving Yang Wanli alone to face these myriad difficulties.Yang Wanli recalled all the past terrible experiences, looking at the passing mature women on the street, a drop of cold sweat unconsciously trickling down."Stay vigilant, first send me back to the gang's headquarters!"Everyone was startled, not knowing what Yang Wanli meant by this.But seeing Yang Wanli's serious expression, seemingly not joking, everyone perked up."Old Yang, what's going on?""I'll explain when we get back!"Yang Wanli said in a deep voice, then hurriedly left under the escort of a group of Money Gang high-ranking officials... Chief Steward Shang, accompanying the Three Little Ones while shopping, suddenly sensed something, looked towards the other end of the West Market, a smile playing on his lips.Li Xuan, nestled in Ankang Princess's arms, feigned sleep with half-closed eyes, but had been constantly observing Chief Steward Shang, who was following them.He squinted and saw Chief Steward Shang suddenly smile slightly, and his heart stirred.Originally, Li Xuan was only observing Chief Steward Shang's movements when using his abilities, but he unexpectedly saw Chief Steward Shang's smile."What is Chief Steward Shang smiling about?""Is there someone he cares about over there?"Li Xuan wanted to crane his neck to look back as well, but he was currently pretending to sleep, which was obviously inappropriate.And just then, Li Xuan noticed Chief Steward Shang turning to look at him, and the smile on his face became even more pronounced.Li Xuan's heart immediately tightened, and he instantly buried his head deeper into Ankang Princess's arms, no longer caring about external matters."Li Xuan, you're so clingy at your age!"Ankang Princess noticed Li Xuan's movement, chuckled playfully, but tightened her embrace around the little darling in her arms, making him more comfortable.And as they finished their stroll and were about to return to Xiao Cui and her grandfather's stall, someone came to meet them from the opposite direction."Miss, here, here!"Ankang Princess looked up and saw Xiao Cui and her grandfather, each carrying a bundle on their backs.Clearly, the grandfather and granddaughter had closed their stall early and came directly to find them.