Chapter 18

The three of them squeezed out of the dense crowd of heads and hid on the very edge.

They had no interest in some prince; they only thought that once the people left and the city gate opened, they could hurry back to the village.

"Step back, all step back! Don't offend the noble!" The soldiers guarding the gate had probably not seen such a spectacle in decades and were a bit flustered, occasionally waving their scabbards to push people outward.

Soon, they saw the carriages rolling and flags fluttering.

At the very front were dozens of tall horses, the guards on them each carrying a curved scimitar at their waist, looking majestic. Protected in the middle was a three-horse carriage decorated with extreme luxury, with maidservants and matrons walking on both sides—clearly, the person inside was either wealthy or noble.

There were also a few green-canopied official sedans following at the very end; judging by the posture, they were the local Magistrate and gentry.

The commoners became even more restless, and someone shouted excitedly: "The Thirteenth Prince!"

*Clang, clang, clang! *

The sword-wielding guards drew their blades in unison, their eagle-like gazes sweeping across.

That person was so scared he fell to his knees with a *thump*; human nature is to be timid, so in an instant, a large crowd knelt down with a *whoosh*.

Du Ruo looked left and right, and seeing that everyone had submitted, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart: there are no human rights in ancient times.

Then, she very decisively knelt down as well.

She wasn't stupid; why act tough at a time like this? Didn't she know that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down?

The procession stopped, and the pearl curtain of the three-horse carriage was lifted, revealing a young girl dressed in green palace attire.

"Elders and fellow villagers, please rise." The girl raised a hand toward the crowd, her crisp voice like jade beads falling onto a plate: "His Highness says that Wutou Xian has beautiful mountains and clear waters, and is a place of outstanding people; he is very pleased. Today, he is in a hurry to travel, so he bids you farewell."

The crowd immediately wore faces of honor and enjoyment, looking just like dogs that had been petted by their masters.

After the pleasantries were finished, the girl turned and entered the carriage.

"Master, we can leave the city now," she said respectfully to the handsome man inside, who was wearing a python robe and had an untamed look between his brows.

The Thirteenth Prince leaned lazily on the couch: "Let's go. After looking at these poor mountains and bad waters for several days, it's time to go to the capital and see what it's like."

The girl glanced at him quickly and then lowered her eyes just as fast.

She always felt that her master was different somehow; clearly, the capital was the place where he had grown up since childhood, so why say he was going there to "see what it's like"? Was there any place in the capital that her master hadn't seen?

She didn't know, and she didn't dare ask, only lowering her head and eyes to reply "Yes."

The Thirteenth Prince was bored and lifted the carriage curtain to glance outside casually.

The crowd was still kneeling, and everywhere were commoners with their heads bowed in reverence, no different from what he had seen elsewhere in the past few days.

Except for the fat woman with a face full of pustules at the very back.

That woman was very conspicuous, not because she was fat, nor because she was ugly.

It was because her expression was very different from the fear and trembling of the others—leisurely and calm, and within that calmness, there was a hint of perfunctoriness.

The Thirteenth Prince's long, narrow phoenix eyes narrowed.

The commoners of this world had a natural awe of imperial power, and he did not feel this awe from this woman. Either there was something wrong with her brain—the ignorant are fearless—or there was something wrong with her thinking, believing that the royal family was no better than anyone else, which is what is called—equality.

Could it be, is it her?

The Thirteenth Prince sat up straight abruptly and ordered: "Hehuan, go, bring that fat woman over."

Hehuan looked in the direction of his gaze, her expression changing: "Could she be the assassin who tried to kill you on the embankment last time? Good, this servant will go order people to capture her and interrogate her with torture!"

Assassin? And interrogate with torture?

"Who told you she was an assassin? Do the assassins in your house grow that fat?" Truly a pig's brain; with that physique, let alone killing someone, whether she could even run was a question.

Hehuan was puzzled: "Then why does Master want to call her over?"

After thinking for a moment, her eyes suddenly lit up: "Could it be that you have taken a fancy to her and want to take her back to the capital?"

If that were the case, that would be too good.

Previously, Master had always liked young male actors, and the Empress had worried herself sick over this, and the Emperor was also very displeased with Master because of it. If Master could take a woman back on this trip, the Empress would definitely be overjoyed.

Although she was a bit ugly, at least she was a woman!

Just as she wanted to ask a few more questions, the Thirteenth Prince's personal guard, Long Jiu, reported in a low voice from outside the curtain: "Your Highness, Du Ren Mei, the Assistant Magistrate of Wutou Xian, requests an audience."

Du Ren Mei? That king of living off his wife, who relied on his wife to get promoted and rich?

The Thirteenth Prince said coldly: "Not seeing him."

Long Jiu paused and added: "Du Ren Mei says he has a good thing to present to Your Highness, and says you will definitely be very happy once you hear about it."

His official rank isn't high, but he has many schemes; no wonder he was able to latch onto the big tree of the Marquis of Beian.

The Marquis of Beian's legitimate daughter is, after all, Consort Rong in the palace; he still has to spend some time in the palace after returning, so he might as well give Consort Rong some face.

"Let him in. I want to see what else this Du Ren Mei wants to give me besides his daughter."

Turning to see Hehuan, the Thirteenth Prince's brows furrowed: "Why are you still standing there like a fool? I told you to bring that fat woman over; do you have to wait until I've breathed my last before you go?"

Hehuan hurriedly said "Oh" and rolled out nimbly.

A moment later, Du Ren Mei entered.

At over forty years old, perhaps because he lived in comfort, he looked only in his early thirties. Although Du Ren Mei's appearance couldn't compare to Jiang Mo Nian's, he was still a rare handsome man; he was upright, fair-skinned and beardless, wearing a black official uniform, looking like a graceful gentleman.

The Thirteenth Prince, however, knew very well that the person in front of him was just a hypocrite.

Because just a few days ago, this man had been trying every possible way to stuff his precious daughter, Du Mingzhu, to him as a concubine.

"Your Highness." Du Ren Mei bowed deeply.

The Thirteenth Prince glanced at him, casually picked up a lychee from the silver tray on the small table, and asked nonchalantly while peeling it: "Speak, what good thing?"

Du Ren Mei hurriedly said: "It is like this, Your Highness is departing for the capital today. This official has always been clean-handed and has no money to prepare a good farewell gift, so... I would like to present a person to you."

A person? It wouldn't be a woman again, would it?

Does he think I didn't take a fancy to Du Mingzhu, so he found another candidate?

The Thirteenth Prince sneered: "Magistrate Du, I advise you to put your energy into proper business and stop with these crooked ideas. I... does this Prince need you to present a woman?"

He didn't even know how many palace maids were around him, and each one was a delicate beauty; besides, what kind of beauties could be raised in this poor, remote place?

Du Ren Mei was stunned and hurriedly waved his hands: "No, no, no, Your Highness, you have misunderstood. The person this official wants to present is not a woman, but, but a man."