Chapter 331: Blinding the World's Eyes

Qiao Mai walked to the shop's doorway; the group scrambled up in a disheveled heap, pointing at her viciously.

"You dare hit the Emperor's own grandson; just wait for it."

"Your Princess Consort is waiting; go file a complaint. If you don't kill the Princess Consort, you'll be looked down upon."

At that moment, the people snacking in the Qiao Ji Puzi heard the commotion and came out; seeing the scene, their blood boiled with excitement.

"Look, Consort Fu beat Jiu Huang Sun of Wu Huangzi's family; she struck him well, skillfully, and even made his parents fail to recognize him, which is even better."

"Serves him right, relying on being royalty to commit crimes in Jingcheng; now he's hit the iron plate. Watch, given the Emperor's favor toward Fu Wang, this beating will not only be in vain, but he'll also be harshly scolded by the Emperor."

Those words reached Qiao Mai's ears without omission; she glanced at the watching townsfolk, then lowered her eyes to the scum on the ground.

"If you ever come back to the shop to harass my daughter again, I'll beat you each time I see you."

"Y-you dare?"

"Can't go home."

"I don't know; I came on foot, will go back after selling out, if not sold out I'll spend the night on the street and continue selling the next day,"

For some reason, this little girl caught her eye; she found her especially pleasant to look at.

Qiao Mai brushed Yang Lao'er with her hand and asked, "It's only been a few years since the Emperor cleaned up the street thugs, yet Jingcheng is this chaotic again?"

"What if it still doesn't sell out?"

"Is your home in Jingcheng?"

"Then give it a try? Yang Lao'er is ready."

Although Li Wang was granted a fief and lost his eligibility as Crown Prince, he still has several sons guarding the Emperor; if any son catches the Emperor's eye and is chosen as Crown Prince, he will become the Retired Emperor.

Today Jiu Huang Sun's meal was taken in vain; Qiao Mai wagered that the Emperor wouldn't blame her, so she leisurely strolled the street.

A crisp voice rang in her ear, and pulling her thoughts back she saw a seven- or eight‑year‑old little girl clutching a large bunch of Chinese Peony, without an umbrella, drenched all over, hawking along the street, and she was about to reach her.

"Consort Fu, the father of this Jiu Huang Sun is not easy to deal with; you should be careful,"

After receiving medicine, being bandaged, and the prescription being written, the Imperial physician left; only then did Jiu Huang Sun tell his parents about today's events.

"Father Emperor?"

The couple exchanged a glance, clenched their teeth, wanting to see whether, in the Father Emperor's eyes, a minister mattered more than his own son or grandson.

Who exactly is the Master? He is extremely curious!

"No, in a village in the outskirts of Jingcheng,"

"Who told him to debase himself, to harass Qiao Wan Ling? A proper prince runs to the Embroidery Goods Puzi to show off, spends his time chasing cats and dogs, teases girls on the street, goes to the Brothel to drink flower wine, and even doesn't spare my own family's daughter. Do you think I'm a fool? You treat him like a treasure, I treat him like a foul stone in a thatched roof; discarding him would be a good thing."

"Impossible; even immortals have a day of returning to the void, let alone mortals. Don't even think about it,"

"Master, you have so many affairs every day, so of course your Realm Advancement is slow. With your talent, comprehension, and such a powerful external boost, advancing a Major Realm in a year is possible,"

"Grandfather Emperor, I am your grandson; they are ministers, and if the ruler orders a minister to die, the minister has no choice but to die,"

"If people don't offend me, I won't offend them; if anyone offends me, I will repay a hundred or a thousand times!"

"I don't care; my son turned out like this, you must avenge him. That girl from her family, my son has secured her—no, not taken, but married her,"

"I see."

At the Baozi Puzi, "Two vegetable buns, please."

"Why did you run into our shop to cause trouble? Men and women shouldn't be intimate; you secretly glanced, and later I could have let your father king propose, but you were caught red‑handed by Consort Fu, and the townsfolk testified. How can we speak before your Grandfather Emperor?"

"Then just take her now; once the son is ready, we will repay a hundred or a thousand times when we return."

Yang Lao'er stayed in the shop; he isn't afraid of causing trouble, with the Master as a powerful backing, what is he afraid of?

The diners returned to the shop; the Bull Shopkeeper stood at the counter, craned his head toward the window, then straightened his back.

A single sentence frightened the Li Wang couple, who hurried to have someone carry their son away, fearing that staying longer would not only prevent revenge but also cause the Father Emperor to punish them.

"Madam, do you like flowers? These are flowers grown by my family; buy a stem?"

"Father Emperor, it was Lady Qiao who first acted, breaking three of your grandson's ribs."

"Look at you as parents, what have you spoiled him into?"

One day, the Master will shine with blinding brilliance, dazzling the world.

"How far is the journey to Jingcheng to sell flowers?"

"People are greedy; I naturally wish they were like me,"

Not mentioning him, other Princes also share the same intention.

The Master never engages in battles without certainty; if he dares to beat any Jiu Huang Sun, he must have the ability to not fear offending the royal family.

The ground was damp, the wide street sparsely populated; she walked under an umbrella, glancing around.

She rarely roamed Jingcheng, even less when alone.

"Hungry."

"Do you think taking a wife is that easy? Not to mention whether your Grandfather Emperor agrees, a royal wedding alone takes about half a year just for the procedures,"

"Come with me."

"Ugh, she's a commandery princess, still being taken; drop that thought,"

Thus they had someone carry Jiu Huang Sun to the Imperial Palace; in the Yushufang, the Emperor lifted his gaze to look at the Fifth Son kneeling on the ground and the Jiu Huang Sun on a stretcher.

The couple was stunned, so angry they almost struck him.

A little blue bird appeared at an unknown moment, perched atop Qiao Mai's head, gently fluttering its wings.

Her eyes deepened; she turned and waved at them, "You be busy, I'll go take a walk."

Qiao Mai took six cash coins from her pouch, received the two buns, and handed them to the little girl, who kept her head down and did not take them.

Even if they dote on their son, they don't want to return to the fief; it's a poor place, they'd rather die than go.

Moreover, that Jiu Huang Sun was carried back to Li Wang's manor; when the Prince and Princess learned, they promptly summoned the palace's Imperial physician.

"Master, if ordinary people practice longevity, living 150 years is no problem; with your alchemy of Longevity Pills, surpassing two hundred years is also feasible."

You don't know, do you? The emperor's reforms target the ministers' families, while the royal clan can't bear to be reformed.

Hungry, starving.

Flowers for sale, flowers for sale, two Wen a stem, Three Wen two stems, flowers for sale, flowers for sale.

Living in the secular world, I naturally prioritize the secular. I am now at the third stage of Nascent Soul, with a five‑hundred‑year lifespan, enough for me to advance, but my family and they have only a hundred‑ten‑year lifespan, so I must spend more time with them.

After the imperial physician's careful examination, Jiu Huang Sun's sternum had three broken ribs; fortunately they were only fractures, not embedded in the lungs, otherwise the person would be dead.

Good, six Wen.

I am not a tyrant; I can love the people as my own children, and I should love my ministers even more. Get out, and if there is another time, your whole family will return to Fengdi and not stay in Jingcheng any longer.

It's been a year and I've only risen a small step; indeed, the higher the cultivation, the harder the promotion.

Qiao Mai crouched down and looked at the little girl, skinny and small, her two big eyes sunken, a typical sign of malnutrition.

Then how do you eat in Jingcheng?

Half a year? Then let's first avenge Dizi.

Are you hungry now?

A baa— sound rang, it was about to rush down the steps, frightening the crowd who, supporting those three, fled in a hurry, prompting the onlookers to burst into laughter.

The princess said well; if everyone were like the princess, the Playboys in Jingcheng wouldn't dare be so reckless.

Get out for me, go back and teach him properly; if I see him still not handling his affairs, don't blame me for being impolite.

Madam, I have no money to give you.

You suit my taste; this is a gift for you to eat, no money?

No reward without merit.

Yo, not bad, you get it all?

(End of chapter)