94 Chapter 94

◎The Princess Arrives◎

A month had passed since the princess disappeared, and everyone in the government offices in Sichuan was on edge.

Gao Quan, the governor of Huguang, was previously ordered to lead troops to search for the whereabouts of the princess, but he had never found her. He was extremely anxious and had blisters on his lips.

"Governor Gao, Ms. Feng and Meng, the tutor, want to see you." One of the princess's personal guards came to announce.

Gao Quan's official position was much higher than theirs, but he did not dare to be negligent at all. After politely returning the greeting, he followed him into the room.

In the room, Meng Fan and Feng Caiyu sat side by side, holding a map in their hands. When they saw him come in, they turned the map over and placed it on the table.

Before Gao Quan could greet him, Meng Fan said, "We've received news of the princess's whereabouts. Sir Gao, give the order to move camp immediately."

Gao Quan's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked, "Where are we going?"

"Jianzhou, Chengdu Prefecture."

Before the attack, the princess told them that after being "missing" for a month, no matter what the situation was, they should go to Jianzhou to meet up as planned.

Now that a month has passed, it is time for them to set off.

After receiving the order, Gao Quan immediately summoned his soldiers and prepared to set off.

When the local government officials saw this, they came over to ask him questions, but he answered them casually.

He figured it out.

During the month of his disappearance, Ms. Feng and Meng, his tutor, were indeed as anxious as they were, but they did not show any sign of despair.

He had been suspicious to begin with, but now that he thought about it, they were anxious to see the princess and were equally worried about her safety, but it was definitely not because the princess was missing.

The princess’ disappearance is fake, the secret investigation is real.

But no one expected that the princess, with her noble body, could endure the pain of secret investigation and undercover operations.

This reminded him of last year in Anlu, when he was ordered to wipe out the rebels in Bishan. The person who gave the order was a Jinyiwei named Meng.

Later he learned that this Lord Meng had disguised his identity, secretly investigated in Anlu County for several months, personally entered the tiger's acupoints, risked his life, and split the nine camps of Bishan. This allowed him to wipe out all the rebels in Bishan with the least casualties.

When Gao Quan considered the matter with the later world-famous "Princess of Three Discussions", he realized with a little thought that the identity of this Lord Meng must be extraordinary.

The current queen's surname is Meng, so it is normal for the princess to disguise her identity and take her mother's surname as a pseudonym.

If Lord Meng was really the princess, then it would not be surprising that the princess took advantage of the situation and disappeared this time.

Gao Quan felt a little relieved and led his troops to clear the way.

A team of more than a thousand people set out from Shenxuan Posthouse in Guangyuan County and headed all the way to Chengdu Prefecture.

The spies who were secretly spying immediately reported to Chengdu Prefecture, and the lifeless departments of Chengdu Prefecture immediately became active.

The princess's personal guards set out. Could it be that they have found the princess?

The Imperial Guards were strictly managed, and Gao Quan led the soldiers from Huguang to follow them. The spies could only observe from afar and did not dare to get close at all, so they had no way of getting any inside information.

Everyone thought that the princess had been found and was about to visit Chengdu.

In the Dusi Yamen, Liu Zhaoyu crushed a walnut.

He was not afraid of the princess's arrival, but he was upset that his plan had failed.

A boot stepped on the fallen walnuts.

"Why is Liu Dutai worried?" The man who came was wearing a green Taoist robe, and the whisk in his arm moved in the wind.

Liu Zhaoyu took out a new walnut from the drawer and began to play with it in his palm. He said expressionlessly, "The princess found it."

"Princess, you are blessed by fate. It's as expected."

"Where are you from?" Liu Zhaoyu frowned, his eyes gleaming with ferocity. "She'll be arriving in Chengdu soon."

To him, fooling a teenage girl should have been an easy task, but the setback in his attack plan made him a little alert.

Is the princess really that easy to fool?

Princess Sanyi's reputation, even if it was due to the flattery of Beijing officials, is there some truth to it?

Before meeting the princess, everything was unknown, and this uncertainty continued to increase his worries.

Shu was originally under his control, but the arrival of the princess disrupted the situation, and he had not even seen the princess.

The Taoist priest chuckled, "Born in the palace, raised in wealth and luxury, how could one truly understand the hardships of the common people? Why should Governor Liu be afraid?"

"Don't forget her 'Three Proposals,' and also," Liu Zhaoyu stared into his eyes, "she uprooted the Sun Moon Sect's branch in the capital."

Although it was stated that the princess was poisoned and injured in the teahouse, and the emperor and empress wiped out the remnants of the Sun and Moon Sect in anger, this can only fool children.

Any smart person would know what role the princess played in this.

Liu Zhaoyu didn't think she could cause any trouble in Shu, but that didn't stop him from still feeling wary of her.

He looked at the Taoist priest's expression, but saw that he remained calm and said, "A useless person is not worth remembering."

"The Taoist priest has a good heart."

"Tai Liu, you are so kind."

After waiting for three days, the princess's personal guards, along with the troops of Huguang Governor Gao Quan, arrived at the city of Jianzhou with flags flying and an awe-inspiring presence.

The case of the total extermination of the family took place in Jianzhou Salt Field. Everyone unanimously believed that the princess's destination was Jianzhou, so high-ranking officials from various departments of Chengdu Prefecture and the Jianzhou prefect and other officials lined up outside the city gate to wait for her.

The Left Governor of Sichuan is the highest administrative officer, and it is most appropriate for him to represent all officials.

He was over fifty years old, thin, with wrinkles at the corners of his eyes full of frost. His half-white hair was tied up in a black hat, and his goatee kept shaking as he spoke.

"Your humble servant Jiang Youxin wishes the princess good health and happiness."

The rest of the officials knelt down and paid their respects.

However, the princess's carriage was empty, with no one inside, so their greetings were destined to go unanswered.

Feng Caiyu rode on his horse and said loudly, "My lords, please stand up. The princess is still waiting in the city. Please follow the carriage into the city."

Everyone: ???

Officials from various departments looked at each other in confusion. Why did the princess act so unconventionally?

Liu Zhaoyu felt that he had been tricked again. How could such a small city like Jianzhou not even notice that the princess had sneaked in?

He glanced indifferently at the Jianzhou prefect, whose knees went weak and he fell to his knees just as he was about to stand up, and asked his attendants to help him up.

The officials stood on both sides, leaving a wide path, and the royal guards marched straight into Jianzhou City.

The troops did not sound the gong to clear the way, so the people in the city were unaware of it. The five hundred personal guards were wearing armor, and the thousand or so soldiers were talking as one. Everyone retreated to the left and right, not daring to speak loudly.

Some brave souls, noticing that the procession did not drive away the people and that there were people wearing crimson official robes behind them, became curious and followed the procession from a distance to watch the excitement.

The team stopped in front of an inn.

The innkeeper and his waiter were peeking through the door, and the guests inside also opened the windows and carefully observed through the cracks. Seeing this situation, they were all stunned.

After receiving the signal from Meng Fan, Gao Quan immediately led his men to surround the entire inn. The team of more than a thousand people was surrounded by three layers inside and outside, and it was so tight that no outsiders could get close at all.

No one dared to ask anything at the inn or the shops near it.

Meng Fan and Feng Caiyu dismounted together.

One of them held a crown and robes in his hands, and the other carried a dressing box. After entering the inn, they nodded slightly to the innkeeper.

"Where is Room A-1? Please lead the way."

The innkeeper almost couldn't breathe. It was only when the waiter pinched him hard that he took a deep breath and said tremblingly, "On the second floor, please, please..."

Oh my god, he usually speaks very fluently, why did he stutter at the critical moment?!

But with such a big scene, even a fool would know that there is an important person living in the store!

His mind was blank. He just mechanically walked up the stairs with a blank face and led the two noble girls to the door of Room A1.

This room had been booked for ten days, but it was not until this morning that two young people checked in.

Who would come to stay so early in the morning? The two men were dark and rough-skinned, wearing coarse linen clothes, and they didn't look like people who could afford to stay in a room for ten days.

He was quite impressed.

Now I finally understand that he is not a young kid at all, but a mysterious big man!

"That's it." His legs were shaking as he kept thinking about whether he had been disrespectful or neglectful in the morning.

The big shot paid extra for a new bathtub, and he bought it and delivered it in time; he ordered several breakfasts and did not cheat on the weight; he happened to have replaced the teacups in the room with a new set a few days ago, and no one had used them yet.

Great, he didn’t offend any big shot!

"Thank you." Meng Fan nodded politely.

The boss was very perceptive and immediately turned around and went downstairs, not daring to ask about any secrets.

Feng Caiyu just raised her hand to knock on the door, and the door opened from the inside, revealing a wheat-colored face.

"You're here, come in quickly." Jiang Qing moved sideways.

The two of them entered the room together. The room was simply furnished, which made them feel distressed and sad.

If they were not useless, why would the princess sneak into the salt works herself?

The two of them thought silently in their hearts that they must train more people for the princess so that such a thing would not happen again.

If Xie Mingzhuo knew what they were thinking, he would be both amused and shocked. It wasn't that she couldn't find help, but she wanted to experience more of it herself while she still had some "freedom" so she wouldn't be easily deceived.

When she becomes a permanent official in the government in the future, it will be difficult for her to have such an opportunity again.

"Stop kneeling." Xie Mingzhuo stopped the two people who were kneeling and stood up, saying, "Change my clothes for me."

The princess's daily attire was too complicated for her to put on by herself and she needed help from someone.

The two of them were very clever and skillful. In just a few moments, the foolish grass and trees transformed into the majestic Jade Leaf Golden Carnation.

Jiang Qing also changed into the military uniform of a thousand-household soldier and returned to being the princess's majestic guard.

"Ayu, pass the order down and head to the Jianzhou Salt Tax Office."

The Jianzhou Salt Tax Office was not located in the city, but in a town thirty miles outside the salt field.

It is only thirty miles from Jianzhou City to the Salt Tax Office.

Xie Mingzhuo was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with gold and red interwoven like clouds, but even the brocade clothes as bright as clouds could not suppress her elegant and graceful demeanor.

As soon as he stepped out of the room, the innkeeper and the waiter who were waiting in the corner were all stunned. It was not until Feng Caiyu coughed lightly that they suddenly came to their senses, lowered their heads in panic, and dared not look again.

The embroidered skirt brushed past the threshold of the inn. The officials waiting outside inadvertently saw the face of Her Royal Highness the Princess, and a line of poetry came to their minds.

The autumn chrysanthemums are glorious and the spring pines are luxuriant.

This thought disappeared in an instant, and everyone knelt down and shouted, "Your Highness, we respectfully welcome Her Highness, Princess. May Her Highness be blessed with good health!"

The sound was like a loud bell. The people inside and outside the inn were all dumbfounded and immediately knelt on the ground.

The innkeeper was almost dumbfounded.

The extremely noble Princess is staying at his inn!

I also sat on his chairs, ate his breakfast, and drank his tea!

Oh my god, how much smoke has risen from his ancestral grave?!

The waiter beside him was grinning from ear to ear. After being awakened by his slap, he did not bear any grudge at all. Instead, he said foolishly, "Boss, I served the princess before."

The innkeeper slapped him again. "What do you mean by service? You just delivered breakfast and carried a few buckets of water. You didn't even enter the house. What's there to be proud of?"

Aren't the breakfast and water bucket his? He should be the one proud! If only he hadn't been lazy and personally delivered the food and water!

Xie Mingzhuo smiled warmly and said, "No need to be so polite. You are all loyal ministers and generals of Daqi, and have always helped the court solve problems. It was I who was willful and playful, wanting to imitate the knights in the novels. I felt that the guards were too much of a burden and sneaked out. I am really causing trouble for you all."

This is shortening their lifespan!

Jiang Youxin hurriedly said, "Princess, you have wronged us. It is because we have not been strict in our administration that banditry has become rampant, putting Princess in such a precarious position. We are unforgivable!"

"Since Lord Jiang has said so, if I don't punish him, won't I disappoint you?" Xie Mingzhuo still had a smile on his face.

Officials: ???

Why was Her Royal Highness acting out of the ordinary again? How were they supposed to respond?

Liu Zhaoyu lowered his head and knelt on the ground, realizing that he could hardly see through the young Princess Rong'an.

But after just two sentences, everyone was terrified and panicked.

No one knows whether her words are just unruly or there is another deeper meaning.

"Haha, I was just joking with you all," Xie Mingzhuo said again. "I heard from Ah Yu and my cousin that you guys also sent people to search for me for many days. I should be thanking you. Why would I punish you?"

"I am terrified."

"Everyone, get up."

Xie Mingzhuo walked past the officials, and the hem of her gorgeous skirt gently brushed against their official robes, making their hearts rise again.

She boarded the tall, spacious, and magnificent carriage, turned around and looked down at the crowd, saying slowly, "Everyone, please follow me to the Jianzhou Salt Tax Office. Do not stay here and disturb the people."

"Your Highness obeys your command."

Xie Mingzhuo turned to Gao Quan again and said, "Governor Gao, thank you for continuing to protect me."

"Princess, please forgive me for my humiliation. I will do my best to protect you." Gao Quan immediately expressed his loyalty.

The Emperor's decree is: If you do not see the princess, you may not return to the palace. If you see the princess, you must be at his disposal.

As for why he, the governor of Huguang, had to guard the princess in Shu, he didn't dare to think about it, nor could he think about it. He just had to obey orders.

As the car drove away from Jianzhou City, the residents finally woke up from their dreams.

"Boss, you're rich! You're going to be rich!" the innkeeper shouted excitedly in the boss's ear.

The inn where Her Royal Highness the Princess stayed will only be crowded with guests in the future. Who wouldn’t want to experience the inn where the princess stayed?

The innkeeper murmured, "Lock it! Room A, number one! Go lock it!"

No one can enter from now on.

The neighbors congratulated him one by one, their eyes bleeding with envy.

In any case, Jianzhou City is particularly lively today, and the focus of the topic is all on Her Royal Highness Princess Rong'an.

Those who have seen the princess up close all praised her graceful and elegant demeanor and her enviable beauty.

Even scholars and literati competed to write poems in praise of it.

Xie Mingzhuo didn't know any of this, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

She sat in the carriage, exchanging information with Meng Fan and Feng Caiyu. Officials followed behind the carriage, separated by dozens of personal guards.

"Your Highness has lost a lot of weight. He must not have eaten well these days." After finishing talking about business, Feng Caiyu said with red eyes.

"I really didn't eat well," Xie Mingzhuo said with a smile, "When we get to the ambassador's office, why don't you cook a table of delicious food to comfort me."

Feng Caiyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Your Highness is making fun of me again."

As she said this, many nourishing dishes popped up in her mind, and she had already decided that she must take care of His Highness next.

A team of more than a thousand people meandered along the official road like a long dragon, and their fluttering flags could be seen from afar.

Bai San lay sprawled in a ditch by the roadside, blending seamlessly into the grass. The near-noon sun poured down from the sky, landing on his thin back, with faint traces of blood visible.

Insects and ants crawled into his clothes and bit his wounds, but he didn't move at all, not daring to move at all.

There was a fight at the salt works last night. He took advantage of the chaos to escape and was waiting for the last chance. He would not let all his efforts go to waste because of a few insects and ants.

When will the princess come?

If he doesn't come soon, Cao Shengcai will find out that he has run away and will definitely bring people to capture him, and then everyone in Baisha Village will die.

Your Highness, please come quickly.

He didn't know if it was the prayer that worked, but he vaguely felt the ground against his chest trembling slightly, as if many people were stepping on the ground at the same time. As time went on, the vibration became louder and louder.

He couldn't help but look up.

The flags flying in the air come into view, with gold and red interwoven, just like the rosy red glow in the morning, complementing the orange-gold light of the rising sun, which is a beautiful sight.

It’s exactly the kind of flag that Brother Tiezhu was talking about!

Bai San was as anxious as a flash. He rushed out of the ditch in an instant, rushed onto the official road, held up the blood-red petition, and knelt on the ground.