Traveling smoothly from Jiangnan to the capital, Bai Yan returned to the capital in less than half a month.
As Dan Niang was about to enter the city with her official documents, she looked up and saw a dense, dark mass of people on the city walls of the capital.
Dan Niang was stunned for a moment, then immediately turned around with a smile and said to the person in the sedan chair, "Princess, it's His Majesty! His Majesty has come out of the city to welcome you!"
His Majesty came out of the city to welcome them personally! Who else but their princess could have such an honor?
Bai Yan reached out from inside the sedan chair, looked up, and could see her father, the emperor, waiting for her on the city wall.
Behind the emperor were the civil and military officials of the Southern Dynasty. Even though they were too far away to see their faces clearly, Bai Yan knew that the expressions on their faces would not be pleasant.
"Danniang, Hongping, go and fetch my makeup box," Baiyan ordered.
Since her father wanted to save face for her, she couldn't just go back looking so dejected.
The officials following behind the emperor all lowered their heads, each with their own thoughts... No matter how much they resented His Majesty's heavy reliance on his daughter, which allowed the hen to crow at dawn, they could not deny the princess's achievements in Jiangnan Prefecture.
Now, accompanying His Majesty to greet the princess is like a dud shot fired by their civil service group at the princess two years ago, which has now been extinguished without a trace, leaving them feeling extremely frustrated by their defeat.
Bai Yan had been traveling light for several days, but now that the emperor and his officials had come to greet her, she quickly ordered two maids to bring her newly made clothes, as well as rouge and face powder.
Fortunately, she was young, and despite traveling for several days, her face did not look haggard; instead, it was as rosy as a sunset. Dan Niang quickly drew a beautiful mountain and river pattern on her forehead as decoration, and then lightly touched her lips.
After getting out of the sedan chair, the princess was helped to the city wall by two maids, one on each side.
Standing outside the city were the embroiderers and their families, while those on the city walls were the emperor and his ministers. Inside the city walls were the common people of the capital, who only knew that the princess was returning to the city today and that His Majesty had come to receive her in person.
But they couldn't climb the city wall, and apart from the princess's red dress, they couldn't see her face.
Dan Niang and Hong Ping stepped aside, while Bai Yan looked at the emperor opposite her and bowed, saying, "Father."
Bai Qing stepped forward and helped his daughter up. He couldn't contain his excitement and patted her shoulder, saying, "Tianfu, you've done a great job these past two years."
Bai Yan chuckled lightly: "Your subject also brought back a gift for Father Emperor."
The two walked to the edge of the city wall, where there was a huge crowd of people, mostly Jiangnan embroiderers with their families. Once this group of people entered the textile factories in the capital, the capital would gradually become a second Jiangnan...
The long-standing, unchanging gentry and aristocratic atmosphere in the capital, which even emperors and princesses could not shake, would be changed by the arrival of this group of embroiderers.
Bai Qing looked at everything his daughter had brought back with delight, then took her hand and said with a smile, "Today you will ride in my imperial carriage back to the palace. It has been two years since we last met, and Consort Li has missed you very much. I also have a lot to say to you."
Before Bai Yan could speak, an accompanying official said, "Your Majesty, isn't this against the rules?"
Rules? Aren't all the rules in this world decided by the emperor?
Bai Qing, leading Bai Yan, looked down from the city wall at the people of Jiangnan outside and asked loudly, "How have you been doing during the two years the princess has been in Jiangnan Prefecture?"
The people below didn't hesitate at all: "Yes!"
"Are you willing to move to the capital with the princess?"
"We are willing, of course we are willing!" came the resounding shouts of the people, both men and women.
Bai Qing continued, "I personally rode in my imperial carriage to welcome my daughter back to the palace to celebrate her victory. Don't you all pay your respects to your princess so that the people of the capital will know that she has returned?"
The people of Jiangnan Prefecture outside the city understood the emperor's meaning and shouted loudly, "Long live the princess!"
Princess Tianfu has returned to the capital!
"Long live Princess Tianfu!"
"Our Princess Tianfu has returned in the imperial carriage bestowed upon her by His Majesty!"
The shouts of millions shook the heavens. Bai Yan looked at the people outside the city and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
Public opinion is the most unstoppable force, and in such a chorus of voices, the official's voice was naturally drowned out.
Amidst the cheers of the people, the princess rode back to the palace with the emperor in a dragon carriage, a truly magnificent sight.
Two years ago, the princess left the capital in a hurry, and no one knew about it. But two years later, such a thunderous shout made Princess Tianfu's name resound throughout the capital.
Some people couldn't stand it and shrugged, saying, "Princess Tianfu is a woman, yet she always shows her face in public like this. I heard that she often doesn't come home all night when she's working at the government office in Jiangnan. I wouldn't dare marry a woman like that!"
Before he could finish speaking, someone nudged his shoulder.
The man turned around and saw a girl carrying a bundle. A girl raised in the water towns of Jiangnan, her appearance alone exuded a gentle charm.
"Young lady, you..."
"Pah!" the girl retorted. "If I were a man, I'd pee on you to make you look at your own pathetic state, and I'd pee on you to wake you up. You dare to have such a dream?"
"You're not even worthy to serve a princess's chamber pot!"
The man was immediately enraged: "You...you're a girl, how can you shout like that in front of others!" He looked around. This was the capital city, how could such an unruly wild girl be allowed to run around outside? Where were her parents?
Unexpectedly, several young girls, around thirteen or fourteen years old, carrying bundles, also came over.
"That pedantic scholar insulted the princess, beat him up!"
"What are you doing! This is the capital city, right under the emperor's nose!"
"Beat him up!"
...
Bai Yan and her father Bai Qing have already returned to the palace, unaware of what happened outside.
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