Chapter 204: Strolling the Streets

"The prince is thoughtful." Mu Yuanzhi smiled and took a sip.

It makes one feel refreshed and delighted; drinking it gives the sensation of being on a vast prairie, free and at ease, and also brings the tranquil release of gazing afar from a height.

Delicious!

"What tea is this?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

"This is Goshan tea, a specialty of the Yingxu Kingdom; it's rarely available in the Central Plains." Prince Jia said.

Yingxu Kingdom? Could it be the country where Prince Jia went as a hostage?

Mu Yuanzhi felt doubtful but didn't dare ask, fearing that bringing it up would upset them.

"This is the tea I often drank when I was a hostage; I got used to it and brought back plenty." Prince Jia didn't seem to mind mentioning this experience.

Mu Yuanzhi discreetly sized up the hostage prince before her, just as Qilin had said; conversing with him indeed felt comfortable, no wonder Qilin praised him endlessly.

A hostage in a foreign land—how his days went can be imagined; yet he managed to become such a person, truly not easy, nor simple.

This person should not be underestimated.

Regardless of whether he appears that way on the surface, at least his ambition is set in stone.

Having ambition is good; without ambition, one cannot achieve great things.

Mu Yuanzhi felt that looking at Prince Jia gave her a sense of choosing a master, perhaps due to Qilin's influence.

Clearly, there's not even a hint of it in the eight characters.

Mu Yuanzhi took another sip of tea.

"Miss Mu, when do you plan to set off?" Prince Jia asked.

Mu Yuanzhi naturally knew what "set off" meant; she rubbed the teacup and countered: "What do you think, Prince?"

Prince Jia seemed pleased with her question, smiling: "In three days, someone will come to fetch me out of the capital; then, Miss Mu and Young Master Qilin can leave together with me."

Qilin looked eagerly at Mu Yuanzhi, unable to wait for her agreement.

Mu Yuanzhi pondered briefly, then asked: "Where is the prince going?"

"Naturally, to find the person he seeks."

"What riddle is this? Are you looking for my master?" Qilin asked.

Anyway, only the three of us are here.

"Which master? Aren't you supposed to have many masters?" Prince Jia teased.

Mu Yuanzhi raised her eyebrows; this Qilin really tells everything to others...

"Besides, the ones we can find are just the two of them, and they're already together!"

Prince Jia smiled without speaking.

"Then where will we stay for these three days?" Qilin asked.

"Stay here." Prince Jia said, setting down his teacup.

Mu Yuanzhi frowned suspiciously: "Stay here?"

"Exactly, right now this is the safest place in the entire capital; I'm staying here too." Prince Jia said.

Mu Yuanzhi thought that if she didn't stay here, there seemed nowhere else to go.

"Senior sister, with me around, it's the same wherever we stay." Qilin assured, patting his chest.

So, Mu Yuanzhi agreed and stayed at this Auspicious Blessing Inn.

But the emperor could know that Qilin went to see Prince Jia; could he not know they're here now?

Mu Yuanzhi felt doubtful.

But thinking so much is useless; since we've come, let's make the best of it.

The next day, Mu Yuanzhi rose early; the inn was livelier than yesterday. She seemed to hear them discussing a princess; at first she thought her own identity had been exposed, but later realized they were talking about Pei Yunxi.

It seems Pei Yunxi escaped from prison and was recaptured.

The Imperial Court of Justice has walls of bronze and iron; how could Pei Yunxi still manage to escape?

Truly, a centipede dies but does not stiffen!

"Shall we go outside to have a look?" Qilin proposed.

"Sure." Mu Yuanzhi had the same idea.

They left Heaven River Ward and saw that the patrolling soldiers outside were more numerous than usual; they guessed the emperor had already discovered they were not at the Pingnan Prince's Residence.

Mu Yuanzhi adjusted her hat, and she and Qilin walked openly down the street; today she was still wearing male attire that covered her neck, and without close inspection one could hardly tell she was a woman.

"Caught! We've caught Princess Yunxi!"

"Did she really escape?"

"What crime did she commit? The emperor actually imprisoned his own daughter in the Imperial Court of Justice!"

"They say she plotted to harm her kin—whose kin?"

"Rumor has it it's Princess Yuanzhi!"

"I've long thought she was off; indeed, when she was at the Pingnan Prince's Residence, it turned out appearances reflect the heart!"

Mu Yuanzhi listened to those serious-sounding discussions and roughly figured out where Pei Yunxi was.

She and Qilin walked along the crowded areas and soon saw a group of Imperial Court of Justice soldiers and some palace guards.

She felt she was really bold, daring to appear here at this time.

"It's Pei Yunxi!" Qilin whispered excitedly in Mu Yuanzhi's ear.

Mu Yuanzhi looked ahead and saw Pei Yunxi being escorted by palace guards not far ahead; she bore none of her usual haughty demeanor, like a defeated rooster with head bowed and spiritless, her expression seeming to wish she could dig a hole and bury herself.

The onlookers pointed and gossiped about her, but she did not lift her head.

Pei Yunxi, you too have your day!

Mu Yuanzhi felt immensely relieved; seeing Pei Yunxi's pallid face and emaciated frame, it was clear she had not been faring well in the heavenly prison.

Going into that kind of place as the Imperial Court of Justice will surely get you skinned alive; the Minister of the Imperial Court of Justice is a ruthless official, and dealing with someone like Pei Yunxi is a piece of cake.

They dare to openly let Pei Yunxi suffer humiliation in the street; they must have already gathered a lot of evidence of her wrongdoing.

Perhaps sensing Mu Yuanzhi's gaze, Pei Yunxi, who had been lowering her head, suddenly lifted it and looked around.

Mu Yuanzhi?

It must be Mu Yuanzhi!

She's sure Mu Yuanzhi is here!

A gaze that made her feel utterly disgusted was fixed on her, and she could sense it.

Where is she? Where is Mu Yuanzhi?!

Damn vile woman!

It's all that vile woman's fault! It must be that shameless thief again stirring up trouble before the Father Emperor!

They not only stole her livelihood, but also want to exterminate her completely.

Damn thief Mu Yuanzhi!

Pei Yunxi gritted her teeth in hatred, her nails digging into her flesh.

"What are you looking at? Hurry up!" An imperial guard in charge of escorting Pei Yunxi couldn't stand her walking so slowly; he was rushing to finish his duty.

Pei Yunxi took out her anger on that person, saying: "I am a princess! What right do you have to treat me like this?!"

"Still putting on airs as a princess here? When has a princess ever been paraded through the streets like this?" The imperial guard laughed loudly.

Others also joined in, laughing at her misfortune.

Pei Yunxi glared at them hatefully, recognizing that a few of them had previously fawned over her, following her and Pei Shangling during the palace search.

What a bully who fears the strong and preys on the weak, a lackey!

Just wait; once she turns the tables, she'll make sure these people come to a bad end!

Pei Yunxi silently memorized their faces.

Suddenly, her gaze met Mu Yuanzhi's, and her whole body trembled with excitement.

Is it Mu Yuanzhi?!

Why is she dressed in men's clothes? Did she sneak out?

No way—could Mu Yuanzhi be under house arrest?