These three places are not far apart. If something goes wrong in one of them, the other two courtyards will be able to hear it. The person keeping watch frowned and pondered.
Not long after, the middle-aged woman returned with some groceries and went home. No one came out for a while. The guards who had gone with her also returned. After exchanging a few hand gestures, one of them nodded, came out from his hiding place, looked around the three courtyards, and then went back to the inn to report to the captain.
Guard Wang frowned, nodded, and went to report back to Yan Shujin, giving a general account of the matter.
Yan Shujin sneered: "Pretending to be mysterious."
The guard remained silent.
Yan Shujin said, "Let them come back to rest. There's no need to keep an eye on them anymore."
The guard looked at Yan Shujin.
Yan Shujin thought about it all night: "I'm afraid the prefect of Caicheng has already received my letter. At the latest, he should be setting off with his men this afternoon. If they travel overnight, they should arrive by tomorrow morning."
Guard Wang nodded. Unless the prefect of Caicheng had a death wish, he wouldn't intentionally delay. He could only be faster than Yan Shujin estimated, not slower.
Does the Prefect of Caicheng want to live?
However, upon seeing the news coming from the Northwest, he didn't dare to lie to Yan Shujin. The Prince Xuan was wreaking havoc in the Northwest, and it was said that even the executioners' cleavers had been worn out and replaced several times.
The guard asked, "Isn't the princess afraid he'll run away?"
"Have someone pack up. I'm going to see the county magistrate now and say I want to see this old immortal." Yan Shujin said coldly, "If I don't see him today, I'll lead men to surround the Taoist temple tomorrow."
This way, they'll have an excuse, lest they resort to desperate measures and harm the child.
Wang, the guard, actually had a way to catch that old swindler, but it wasn't as convenient as Princess Yongfu had thought, so he immediately agreed.
Yan Shujin told the guard Wang to go and prepare, and she went back to change her clothes, muttering to herself, "I think I was really stupid yesterday. Why did I have to go through all that trouble with them?"
Aunt Yu helped Yan Shujin change into a new dress and said, "Princess, you just didn't think of that for a moment."
Yan Shujin turned the gold bracelet on her wrist and said, "Call Doctor Liu. If he dares to let me see a fake one, I'll smash their Taoist temple."
Aunt Yu agreed.
After everything was ready, Yan Shujin sat in the carriage, with guards on horseback protecting the carriage. The group went to the county government office in a grand procession. The county magistrate had already received the news and quickly led his men to kneel and welcome them at the gate.
Yan Shujin didn't even get out of the carriage. Instead, Aunt Yu stepped forward and said, "The princess has heard that there is an old immortal in the town. She is curious and wants to go and see him. Please lead the way, magistrate."
The magistrate was taken aback for a moment and said, "Princess, please wait a moment. I will send someone to the Taoist temple to inform them to let all the irrelevant people leave."
Aunt Yu's expression softened somewhat: "Okay."
The magistrate's wife also came out and said, "This is the princess's first time visiting a Taoist temple. Why don't I show the way to her?"
Aunt Yu looked at the county magistrate's wife and said, "It's acceptable."
The county magistrate's wife laughed.
Aunt Yu made no attempt to invite the county magistrate's wife into the carriage. Once everything was settled, she got into the carriage and ignored everyone else.
The county magistrate's family also had a carriage, so the magistrate's wife quickly had it prepared. She also called her daughter and various gifts that had been prepared overnight, and they all sat in the carriage.
The county magistrate, eager to curry favor, abandoned all business at the yamen. He intended to ride near Princess Yongfu's carriage, but found there was no room for him. He could only sheepishly approach his own carriage and lead his yamen runners toward the Taoist temple.
The magistrate hadn't expected the old immortal to be so disrespectful. When they arrived at the Taoist temple, the old immortal only allowed Princess Yongfu to enter by herself or speak to him through the door. The magistrate's face changed color.
The county magistrate's wife was even more embarrassed, feeling that this old sage really couldn't see reality.
Yan Shujin stepped down from the carriage and looked at the so-called disciples of the old immortal blocking the door. Among them were even some Daoist nuns, who were probably the rich girls who had been specially sent to serve the old immortal. "Does the old immortal mean that only I am allowed to join the sect?"
An older Taoist nun stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Princess, you may bring your maids, but with so many people, I'm afraid it will disturb the old immortal's peaceful cultivation."
Yan Shujin sneered and said, "Do you know what it means to be shameless when given a chance?"
"How dare you disrespect the old immortal?"
The guard stepped forward to prevent these people from harming Princess Yongfu.
Yan Shujin said, "Could it be that the old immortal is too ashamed to face people? I wonder if you have all heard the saying, 'All land under heaven belongs to the king.' Standing on my land, does a guest have to be paid a visit by the host? Get out here, or I'll have someone drag him out!"
The man impersonating the old sage inside the house was sweating profusely with anxiety. After receiving the news from the magistrate, he quickly sent someone to inform the old sage, but this round trip would take time. No one expected Princess Yongfu and her entourage to arrive so quickly. If it were only Princess Yongfu and those who had never seen the old sage before, he was confident he could fool them. However, there was also the magistrate, his wife, and Old Liu, all of whom were familiar with the old sage. He feared that he would be exposed as soon as he went out.
Author's Note: Han Songsong: Do you know why Old Man Wang next door lived to be a hundred years old?
Sun Qiao: Because I don't meddle in other people's business.
Han Songsong: No, because I didn't offend the princess.
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