Chapter 265 No Breakthrough

And so, Song Zhimian followed Princess Shou Kang and Princess Yongxin on their journey to Jiangnan.

On the night before her departure, Ye Yunshu called Song Zhimian over.

"This is my token from the Censorate. When you arrive in Jiangnan, show it to the head of the Censorate there, and she can handle anything for you."

And this gold medal is also prepared for you.

Lan Qian and Mu Xiao both have connections to the royal family, so there are some things that are not suitable for them to do in person. At that time, you can just step forward with the imperial gold token.

Remember, safety is the priority. As long as we can find something, that's fine.

Also, keep an eye on Lan Qian, that girl; she's a bit impatient and arrogant.

He can control his temper in the capital and in front of me, but once he's outside and encounters something unpleasant or displeasing, he definitely won't be able to control it.

"Keep an eye on her. As long as she doesn't go too far, just let her be. She's not a bad person at heart." Ye Yunshu gave Song Zhimian a lot of instructions.

Song Zhimian agreed to all of them.

However, Song Zhimian still had a feeling that Ye Yunshu's temper seemed to have improved a lot after she became empress.

"Your Majesty, that's not what you said when you sent me to the southwest."

Back then, you casually told me to go and kill Ruan Xingzhi, and that feeling...

"His Majesty seems to have calmed down a lot now," Song Zhimian suddenly said.

Ye Yunshu was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"Yes! I used to do things recklessly, only caring about the truth. That was because I knew that no matter what the consequences were, Father Emperor would bear them. Back then, I was truly arrogant because of his favor!"

Now... no one is there to back me up, so I have to think about the consequences of everything I do.

Being an emperor isn't good either; at least you can't do whatever you want!

Ye Yunshu's words made Song Zhimian suddenly realize the truth.

Yes, Ye Yunshu has to bear all the burdens herself now.

Three days later, Song Zhimian went to Jiangnan with Princess Shou Kang and Princess Yongxin.

The journey was safe and without any obstacles.

...

In the courtyard prepared by the prefect of Jinling, Song Zhimian, Princess Shou Kang, and Princess Yongxin sat together to admire the moon.

Today is the fifteenth of the lunar month, and the moon in the sky is brighter than ever before.

The three of them had been in Jinling for three days, and in two more days they would be heading to Suzhou.

"The Ye family of Gusu is my elder sister's ancestral home. Although my elder sister's branch separated early on, everyone knows how glorious the Ye family of Gusu was," Princess Shou Kang said casually.

Song Zhimian and Princess Yongxin both nodded repeatedly.

Although the Ye family of Suzhou is a family of imperial merchants, their status is in no way inferior to that of the top noble families in the capital.

Which of those noble families in the capital doesn't have some connection with the Ye family?

To be precise, the current Empress Ye Yunshu and the former Empress were both descendants of the Ye family, and even the Han State Duke's Mansion in the capital was related to the Ye family.

They dared not underestimate the Ye family.

“Yes, my maternal grandmother also told me to go and offer incense to the ancestors of the Ye family!” Princess Yongxin added.

Song Zhimian also thought about going to Suzhou to take a good look, hoping to find some clues there!

During their three days in Jinling, the three of them truly didn't find a single clue.

Princess Shou Kang visited the charitable hall in Jinling and also toured the surrounding estates; everything seemed normal.

The smiles on the faces of the elderly and children at the charity center didn't seem fake, nor did they seem threatened.

The people in the village didn't seem to be exploited; everyone seemed quite content.

Princess Shou Kang went to the school, and everything seemed normal.

It seems that there are no problems with the charitable institutions in Nanjing.

Princess Yongxin also went to Chunbuwan in Jinling. As soon as she took out the token in her hand, the manager of Chunbuwan in Jinling immediately treated everyone as honored guests.

After looking around, there's no problem with Spring Festival not being late.

Song Zhimian came to Jiangnan under the guise of purchasing goods. Since it was purchasing, she couldn't avoid visiting the various weaving workshops in Jinling.

After a small meeting with the owners of various weaving workshops, Song Zhimian realized that the palace's procurement was indeed straightforward, with each workshop offering normal prices.

Many of them are even losing money to gain publicity.

After all, it's an honor to have your own things sent to the palace and purchased by the Imperial Household Department, isn't it?

Because of this, all the large and small weaving workshops around Jinling sent their finest products, hoping that their ancestral graves would emit auspicious smoke and their goods would be sent to the palace.

So, in other people's eyes, the three of them seemed to have done their jobs quite well and smoothly.

Actually, what the three of them really wanted to do... they had absolutely no clue about!

...

"It's alright, don't worry. We're still going to Suzhou and Yangzhou! These two places are also prosperous, and the more prosperous a place is, the more likely you are to see problems," Song Zhimian whispered to comfort Princess Yongxin and Princess Shoukang.

They both nodded, then continued to look up at the moon.

The moon over Nanjing is quite beautiful!

After spending two more days wandering around Jinling, the three of them carefully reviewed all the matters concerning Shantang and Chunbuwan to ensure there were no oversights before heading to Suzhou.

Originally, it would have been closer to go from Nanjing to Yangzhou, but after considering the itinerary, the three decided to make Yangzhou their last stop.

Princess Shou Kang said that Yangzhou has the best brothels and male prostitutes in Dayu.

She planned to go and take a look after finishing her errands, and while she was at it, see if there were any good male prostitutes she could bring back to the capital. Her elder sister would send a male prostitute to the mistress of any family she disliked...

If they went to Yangzhou first and then went to Suzhou after taking a fancy to a male prostitute, it wouldn't look good. People would think that the three of them were indulging in pleasure and losing their ambition.

...

The convoy continued without stopping and soon arrived outside Suzhou.

Looking at the temple in the distance, which was still somewhat blurry, Song Zhimian immediately thought of that famous line of poetry.

Hanshan Temple outside Suzhou!

In Jiangnan, every place is a scenic spot, and every scene inspires a poem...

Later generations of Jiangnan culture and tourism didn't need any external promotion; the ancient poets were enough to promote Jiangnan.

It's the kind of thing you have to learn from a young age...

"Suzhou is just ahead. We've had a long journey, so let's rest outside the city before we go in!"

"Furthermore, this is an official matter, so I'll send someone to inform the prefect of Suzhou first," Princess Shou Kang suggested.

Song Zhimian and Princess Yongxin immediately agreed.

The carriage has been bumping around for so long, everyone seems quite tired, it would be good to take a rest.

The convoy soon stopped to rest.

After getting off the carriage, Song Zhimian and the other two realized that the official road outside Suzhou was more prosperous than other places.

There were simple stalls on both sides of the official road, where some people sold tea, some sold steamed buns, and others sold wontons and other food.

Song Zhimian only glanced at the scene before spotting a figure that surprised her...

Song Zhiqing...

Wasn't that young woman with a coarse cloth wrapped around her head and dressed in plain clothes like a married woman the very sister she had once hated with a passion?