Chapter 94 I really don't like you anymore.

Yunxi left the palace on the second day.

I really didn't want to stay a moment longer.

Just like when they came, they arrived empty-handed with Xiao Bei's nanny and Yuanxiao, and left empty-handed as well.

As she walked out of the tall, imposing palace gates, she didn't even turn her head back.

"She deliberately chose the time when I was attending court, just so I wouldn't have to see her off?" Xiao Shenjing heard this news as soon as he finished court and glanced at Fu Shun sideways.

The emperor was clearly very dissatisfied.

Fu Shun quickly bowed and admitted his mistake.

Otherwise, what else can we do?

His Majesty personally promised that Empress Yun could leave the palace at any time.

Who dares to stop them, who dares to obstruct them?

Xiao Shenjing also realized that he was taking his anger out on others.

He coldly ordered the food to be served.

As soon as he sat down, he said to Fu Shun, "Go and summon Gu Wenqian to me."

Compared to secret guards, inspectors are generally well-hidden in the city, and many are just ordinary people, making them very difficult to detect.

Now, many powerful figures in the palace have taken notice of her.

She also brought their child with her.

Even if some people are not sure that he is Xiao Shenjing's offspring, they will never let him go easily.

If Yunxi insists on going out now, she will face more risks.

Therefore, he cannot restore her status, much less allow Yuanxiao to sit on the throne of the Eastern Palace.

Otherwise, it would only make her a target of public criticism.

Although Yunxi insisted that leaving the palace was risky.

But the capital city is under the emperor's nose, a place he can absolutely protect her from.

So soon, Yunxi's temporary residence became much larger.

Yunxi glanced at the street and closed the window.

"Miss, what do we need to do now?" Xiao Bei asked.

Yunxi pinched Yuanxiao's chubby little face, "Let's rest for a few days first, and then open our Peach Blossom Village."

"Okay." Just as Xiao Bei was about to leave, Yun Xi suddenly called out to him in a low voice, "Can you still secretly practice with Big Brother?"

Xiao Bei nodded.

"Then you must tell him to be careful and cautious with Lord Lu recently, and not to give that madman Xiao Shenjing any leverage." She pursed her lips. "And don't come to see me for the time being."

Yesterday, Xiao Shenjing asked her if they could stop arguing.

What was her answer?

She said she could give it a try.

"A delaying tactic?" Xiao Shenjing smiled, almost instantly seeing through her thoughts.

“Who wants to argue with you every day?” Yunxi frowned at him. “What good does arguing do me? I’m just being humiliated again and again by being demoted to a slave, thrown into the laundry department, and banished to the cold palace.”

"I'm sorry," Xiao Shenjing said, holding her hand and readily admitting his mistake.

Yunxi choked up.

She is someone who never likes to complain.

Saying it now is merely to add weight to the argument.

Make him more lenient so that he doesn't touch the other people's weight.

I never expected that he would admit his mistake.

Taking advantage of this position, Xiao Shenjing disregarded his pain and simply pulled Yunxi into his arms.

Just as she was about to struggle, she heard a voice coming from above.

"You're right. If I hadn't insisted, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Yunxi paused for a moment.

He was secretly delighted.

Has Xiao Shenjing already figured it out?

Are you ready to let go?

"But no matter what, I will not let go."

So you should stop getting entangled with other men.

The words lingered in his throat, almost bursting through the emperor's tightly pursed lips, but he ultimately swallowed them back.

“Yunxi”

Xiao Shenjing lowered his head, took her arm, bent down, and looked into her eyes, saying, "When the time is right, I will send all the concubines out of the palace."

"From now on, it will just be the two of us," he assured.

"Xiao Shenjing, have you ever thought about this?" Yunxi looked at him and said calmly for the first time, "I really don't like you anymore."

Xiao Shenjing felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

A cold, numbing sensation spread from my heart to my fingertips, even making my eardrums buzz.

He held his breath silently.

Time stretched out infinitely long, yet it seemed to freeze in an instant.

After a few breaths, he felt a faint movement of air in his chest. He slowly opened his mouth, his voice as deep as if it had been ground by sand, "You once loved me."

This is not a question, it is a declaration.

Yunxi frowned immediately, about to speak.

However, Xiao Shenjing would not allow any other voices to appear.

"Since you once liked me," he interrupted her with an almost fierce urgency, his voice rising several decibels, carrying an undeniable imperial pressure and an almost obsessive certainty, "then you will definitely like me again!"

These words carried weight and authority; they were not a test, but an imperial edict.

Rejection is not permitted.

"I'll give you time; we'll take it slowly."

Yunxi bit her tongue to stop herself from refuting him.

Xiao Shenjing is a madman. If she angers him again now, who knows what the consequences will be.

"Wait if you want, I've already told you anyway." But it wasn't in her nature to keep the words stuck in her throat, so she threw down those words and turned to leave.

My thoughts returned.

She noticed that Xiao Bei was looking at her.

"What's wrong?" Yunxi asked.

"There are suspicious people outside the inn," Xiao Bei said.

Yunxi instructed, "It's alright, just be careful in your work."

Needless to say, they must be Xiao Shenjing's men.

These people in the public eye might just be there for her to see; who knows how many other eyes are watching her from the shadows.

She would never have been able to tolerate it under other circumstances, but now, in a place like the capital where all sorts of people mingle, and with Yuanxiao to protect, she decided to let it be.

Anyway, she'll always find a way to solve her current predicament.

Before that, she needs to be patient.

After resting for a few days, Yunxi took Yuanxiao and Xiaobei for a stroll in the streets.

Finally, I found a shop I liked in Langfang Hutong.

There are many inns here, and they are adjacent to Zhengyangmen Street. There are also merchants from all over the country gathering here, so the source of customers is stable.

The annual rent is just too expensive.

Her money was limited.

She also needed to rent a courtyard to settle down, buy some things, and save some money for emergencies.

Seeing her staring at the rent figure that was almost emptying half of her savings, she remained silent for a long time.

This hesitation instantly aroused the boss's impatience.

The shopkeeper's shrewd, triangular eyes swept quickly over her simple yet neat dress, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of his mouth, carrying a hint of understanding and undisguised disdain. He crossed his arms, leaned back slightly against the counter, as if this allowed him to look down on the "petty" tenant before him.

"Tsk," he snorted, as if he thought Yunxi's hesitation was utterly foolish. "My lady, you'd better think this through. My shop—" He deliberately dragged out the sound, arrogantly raising his chin towards the bustling Zhengyangmen Street outside the door, "You see it too? What location? Right under the emperor's nose, the very heart of Zhengyangmen! You can see the palace walls just above your eyes, and beneath your feet lies the official road where merchants from all over the country transport their goods!"

As he spoke, he extended a short, thick finger and tapped it forcefully on the table, making a dull thud, as if he were knocking on a dullard's head: "Look at all these inns on this street, which one isn't full of wealthy merchants? What's the first thing merchants from all over the country do after they disembark and unload their goods? Find a place to eat, drink, and discuss business! My shop is a prime location overflowing with gold and silver! Are you still complaining about the price?"

"With so little money, you think you can establish yourself in the capital? I'm afraid that's a bit much."

The boss didn't say what it was, but his sidelong glance at Yunxi was full of disdain, as if she didn't know what she was missing.

Yunxi laughed at his expression.

Just as she was about to speak, Xiao Bei, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore. He rolled up his sleeves and cursed, "You better speak properly to my young lady, or I'll knock your dog teeth out."

The boss was clearly no pushover either, showing no fear whatsoever. "Who do you think you are? Do you know who I am?"

"A dog that hasn't been fed always barks loudly, wanting a bone from its owner." Yunxi casually picked at her ear, glancing disdainfully at the pot-bellied boss. "You've offended my ears, Miss. I'm leaving, Xiao Bei."

"What did you say!" The boss was furious and about to hit him.

Before he could even roll up his sleeves, Xiao Bei pinned him to the ground and kicked him hard.

"Do you even know who I am?" The boss wiped the mud from his mouth, his whole body trembling with rage. "You just wait!"

A crowd had already gathered outside to watch the spectacle.

Watching Yunxi and Xiaobei leave with pity, he thought, "These are relatives of the Prefect of the Capital; these two outsiders are in for trouble."

Almost as soon as Yunxi returned to the inn with Xiaobei, this small matter reached Xiao Shenjing's ears. Dao Yi bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, should we intervene in this matter?"

Xiao Shenjing, who was reviewing the memorials, merely glanced at him indifferently.

Dao Yi immediately lowered his head. "Your subordinate will take care of it right away."

As soon as he turned around, Xiao Shenjing said again, "Buy that shop, and then choose a mansion in the West Gate. Take a hundred taels of gold from my treasury and send it to Yunxi."

In the evening, Yunxi was surprised that the fat boss actually dared to come.

Although they knelt and kowtowed three times and kept saying, "Please, sir, spare my life."

He even presented her with the house deed, tears streaming down his face, afraid she wouldn't accept it.

Yunxi had just chased the people away.

Soon someone delivered another box.

Upon opening it, they found it filled with gleaming gold and a property deed.

It's obvious who did this without even guessing.

Yunxi was about to ask someone to take it back when she realized there was no one outside the door.

The next day, Yunxi finalized the location of the shop.

Chongbeifang, located in the outer city, is adjacent to Xuanwumen and is a major land route to Beijing from the southwest. It is a necessary passage for carriages, caravans, and candidates for the imperial examinations.

Xiaochangkou (where the Beijing Army had a military drill ground, and soldiers on rest days had a high demand for drinking).

"The main thing is that the rent here is cheap. It costs 150 taels at Zhengyangmen, but it's only 6 taels here." Yunxi said with a smile, holding Yuanxiao. "Anyway, let's go to the big store and buy some strong liquor first. We'll go to Zhengyangmen after we make some money!"

On the day Peach Blossom Village Tavern opened, Xiao Shenjing changed into a moon-white casual robe and left the palace as soon as court was over.

Xiao Shenjing was very unhappy that Yunxi did not use the house deed and gold he gave her.

But he insisted on going to support her when her new store opened.

Besides, he and she hadn't seen each other for seven days.

Knowing that she loved it when he wore moon-white clothes, he changed into several outfits in his bedchamber before finally choosing a plain, everyday dress.

A jade hairpin half-tied up her ink-black hair, exuding an air of elegance and natural grace.

On the opening day of "Taohuawu" in Chongbeifang, the crowds were so large that they almost lifted the low roof off.

The place was bustling with noise. The coachman played drinking games with his shirt open, the elephant handlers laughed loudly while slapping the table, and the soldiers boasted while standing on benches in their boots. The noise was deafening.

When Xiao Shenjing's tall figure appeared at the entrance of Peach Blossom Village, it was like a cloud that had mistakenly fallen into a swamp.

His plain, moon-white robes fluttered gently like flowing clouds, without a single wrinkle. The finest ice silk fabric seemed out of place in this cheap tavern, and the faint, aloof light emanating from them made the surrounding noise inexplicably subside a few steps away.

Occasionally, a rough and uncouth gaze that didn't know the nuances of the matter would meet Xiao Shenjing's eyes, and he would immediately shrink back as if doused with ice water, feeling inexplicably frightened.

He possesses an innate nobility and an imposing presence.

The compacted earth beneath his feet was covered with grass clippings and unidentified stains, and Xiao Shenjing's spotless official boots with their thousand-layer soles felt filthy underfoot.

Especially when a burly man at the next table spat out a chewed bone onto the ground with a "plop," the emperor's jawline instantly tightened like a bowstring. His slender fingers brushed across the tip of his nose with extreme restraint, his brows furrowing with suppressed deep repulsion and discomfort.

The guard leading the way pushed through the crowd and whispered, "Young master, it's too filthy here, perhaps..."

Xiao Shenjing did not answer, but his deep, cold gaze pierced through the bustling crowd and locked onto the busy figure behind the counter.

Yunxi handed a freshly opened jar of strong liquor to a burly elephant handler. A brand-new indigo apron was tied around her waist, the sleeves rolled up high to reveal a slender forearm. Her face wore a bright, lively smile that the emperor had never seen before, so bright it was almost blinding.

Sensing the unusual quiet in the tavern, she looked up and glanced towards the entrance.

Their eyes met.

Although Xiao Shenjing was stunning enough to make anyone's heart flutter, Yunxi still casually looked away.

She showed no enthusiasm towards others, treating him as if he were invisible, and kept her head down, fiddling with her abacus.

Xiao Shenjing.

Didn't she see him?

Absolutely not!

Does she think that he, the emperor, is less important than these common laborers?

Xiao Shenjing's face instantly darkened.