Chapter 148: Take Back the Jade Seal

Xiao Jieyun had just stepped out of Zichen Hall's main gate when the sight before him froze him in place.

He saw Tuan Tuan sitting steadily and clunkily in a finely crafted little carriage.

Pulling the carriage was, astonishingly, a massive, gray‑white sled dog with a defiant look!

The huge dog wore a special harness, stuck out its tongue, puffed and panted, looking ready to spring.

"Oi! My little ancestor!" Eunuch Cheng's face turned pale with fright. "Little Princess! What would happen if you fell!"

Tuan Tuan's two little hands clutched the reins tightly, her face flushed with excitement: "No, no! It's so fun! Imperial Uncle, look!" She patted the little carriage as if presenting a treasure.

Then she waved at His Majesty, "Imperial Uncle, you keep busy, I'm off!"

Xiao Jieyun was taken aback by her whirlwind demeanor: "You came all this way just to let me have a look at your… mount?"

Tuan Tuan giggled, "No! I'm here to see Imperial Uncle! Now that I've seen him, let's go! Big Wolf, run!"

Big Wolf let out a low bark, thrust its four paws, and the carriage whooshed forward, darting out with a gust of wind, and in an instant burst beyond Zichen Hall's courtyard wall.

Xiao Jieyun watched the dust‑free silhouette, helplessly rubbing his brow: "Was she like this back at Ning Prince's Mansion? No wonder I left her in the palace; Yuan Heng wasn't worried at all."

Eunuch Cheng laughed: "His Majesty, you see, you've been cooped up inside for several hours reviewing documents; no matter how I advise you, you won't budge."

"The Princess's commotion just gave you a chance to get some fresh air, didn't it?"

"Look at the weather, smell the flowers—doesn't the spirit feel invigorated?"

"If I may say so, Little Princess may be bold and mischievous, but she always hits the right spot in people's hearts—truly a blessed child!"

Xiao Jieyun inhaled a breath of fresh, flower‑scented air, and the pent‑up gloom in his chest eased considerably; he shook his head with a smile, "Old thing, you're the only one who can say that," and turned back to the main hall, his steps noticeably lighter.

Tuan Tuan steered her little dog carriage, becoming an unprecedented sight along the palace corridors.

Where she passed, palace staff stepped aside, leaving a string of bell‑like laughter.

"Look! It's Little Princess!"

"Is that… a dog‑pulled carriage?"

"How novel!"

After running for a while, Tuan Tuan tied the reins in front of a palace garden.

She hopped down, patted Big Wolf's fluffy head: "Big Wolf, are you tired?"

Big Wolf shook its head vigorously, full of vigor, its tongue stretching long.

"Running so long, you're thirsty, right? I'm thirsty too!" Tuan Tuan looked up and asked the young eunuch guarding the palace gate, "Where is this?"

The eunuch quickly bowed and replied, "This is Dezheng Palace."

"Who lives here?"

"It's Noble Consort De."

Tuan Tuan nodded confidently, "I'm thirsty! Go in and ask if I can have a cup of water."

The eunuch dared not delay, "You are…"

"I'm Princess Jiayou!"

The eunuch hurried inside to convey the message.

Soon, he returned, running, "Princess, Noble Consort De invites you in."

Tuan Tuan led Big Wolf, which pulled the carriage, following the eunuch into Dezheng Palace.

Tuan Tuan parked the little dog carriage at the main hall entrance: "Wait a moment, Big Wolf."

She entered the main hall and bowed: "Tuan Tuan has seen Noble Consort De."

She thought to herself, why does Imperial Uncle have so many consorts!

Noble Consort De sat regally on the main seat, smiling slightly: "Help her up, have a seat. I've heard of the Princess's fame; meeting you today, you're indeed as lovely as jade and snow."

Tuan Tuan rose, looked up, hmm, this consort, though not as beautiful as the Empress, was still passable!

She politely asked, "Noble Consort De, I'm thirsty, and Big Wolf is thirsty too; may we have some water to drink?"

Noble Consort De immediately ordered, "Bring the Princess a cup of honeyed water, and pour some clear water for this dog… Big Wolf."

"Yes."

The honeyed water was presented, and Tuan Tuan grabbed the cup and chugged it noisily; after running the whole way, she was also extremely thirsty.

A boy of about five or six, dressed in a blue brocade robe, timidly peeked out from behind a screen, his eyes involuntarily drifting toward the Big Wolf and carriage outside the hall.

Noble Consort De called softly, "Jin'er, come here."

The boy shuffled over, and Noble Consort De embraced him: "This is the palace's imperial son, named Xiao Jin, Xing 12. Jin'er, this is Princess Jiayou, Tuan Tuan."

Tuan Tuan looked at Xiao Jin's furtive yet yearning gaze and understood immediately.

She stepped before Xiao Jin, raised her little hand, and pointed outside the door: "Do you want to ride my little dog carriage? Are you scared? If not, come play with me!"

Noble Consort De instinctively prepared to refuse on behalf of her shy son, but unexpectedly Xiao Jin gently tugged her sleeve and whispered, "Mother, I wish to go."

Noble Consort De was stunned.

Her child had always been timid and shy; how could he today have the courage to try such a "dangerous" thing?

Seeing the light in her son's eyes, she swallowed the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue: "Fine, go, hold on tight."

Tuan Tuan happily took Xiao Jin's hand and walked out of the hall together.

She patted Big Wolf's shoulder: "Big Wolf, he'll ride with me; will pulling both of us be too tiring for you?"

Big Wolf exhaled a puff of warm breath from its nose, tilted its head to glance at the skinny Xiao Jin, its gaze disdainful as if to say, "Is that all?"

Tuan Tuan giggled, "Come up! Big Wolf says he can pull the two of us!"

Xiao Jin was lifted onto the carriage by palace staff, nervous and excited, and whispered, "Can it understand you?"

"Of course!" Tuan Tuan proudly lifted her chin, gave the reins a shake, "Big Wolf, run!"

Xiao Jin mimicked her and shouted, "Big Wolf! Run!"

Big Wolf surged again, pulling the two little ones, and sped out of Dezheng Palace like the wind, scattering countless bursts of laughter wherever it passed.

Noble Consort De stood at the Palace gate, her eyes filled with surprise and gratitude.

Not far away on the Palace road, Consort Rong was leading her son Xiao Lin, strolling slowly amid a crowd of palace attendants.

Suddenly, a gray‑white shadow, accompanied by crisp laughter and the sound of wheels, whooshed past them.

Xiao Lin recognized the two people in the carriage at a glance; he tugged at Consort Rong's sleeve, pointed at the departing dog cart, his envious eyes reddening as he cried, "Mother Consort! That's Tuan Tuan and little brother!"

"I want to play with that little dog cart too! Mother Consort! Whimper, they left, ignoring me! Mother Consort! I want to play with that cart! Mother Consort!"

Consort Rong glanced at the fleeing "chief culprit", then lowered her head to look at her son wailing and crying, shouting nonstop; she felt the blue veins at her temples throb, a familiar sense of helplessness surged, pounding her with an unrelenting headache.

At the same time, Da Xia, Guoshi Residence.

"What? The fiery nation is building a Heavenly Sacrifice Platform? The Emperor will personally perform the Heavenly Sacrifice to pray for rain?"

"Yes! National Preceptor! The news just delivered back."

"He says so, the fiery nation's Emperor even appointed a five‑year‑old girl as a Heaven‑praying Immortal Envoy! To assist him in the Heavenly Sacrifice!"

Gongsun Zhi understood at once: "It's her! Definitely her! The stinky brat who can pierce my destiny!"

Wu Luo thought for a moment: "Now your body is unhindered, set out immediately, and head back to the fiery nation again."

"This time, you will travel abroad as a Shen Tong, using this fiery nation's rain‑prayer to retrieve our Imperial Jade Seal!"

"Yes!"