good season

Princess Huixin was not the first in the royal family to have someone beat the Dengwen Drum; the Second Prince was her role model.

However, given Princess Huixin's status in the royal family, she should not have known that the instigator of that incident was the Second Prince, nor would she have known that the Second Prince did not die of illness, but was "given" death by his own father.

However, Princess Huixin knew about that incident, about the elderly couple who were seeking justice for their son, and about the white-haired old mother who died under the cane.

Zhao Shiqing closed her eyes. In the past, she only regarded Princess Huixin as a crazy woman who was infatuated with a lover, but now she doesn't think that way anymore.

There are really many bad people in this world. She thought Zhu Yu was bad enough, and Sun Lanzhi was bad enough, but those people were bad in the open. As for Luo Liqiong, she would probably be grateful to Princess Huixin until the moment she was beaten to death.

You exposed Lin Sen, ruining his reputation and causing him to lose the chance to become a prince consort. Lin Sen was scum to begin with, and it's understandable that you did these things because you didn't want to marry him.

But why did you take advantage of poor Luo Liqiong?
Is it simply because you are a princess and she is a helpless orphan?
No, you are also an orphan. The difference between you and her is that you are in the royal family, while she is in the common people.

Zhao Shiqing had never despised anyone as much as she did now. She threw down the chicken bone in her hand, stood up, and said to Zhen Wuduo, "Grandpa, I'm going out for a walk."

Zhen Wuduo: "Wipe your mouth clean."

Zhao Shiqing took the handkerchief Lingbo handed her, wiped her mouth haphazardly a couple of times, and strode out.

Zhen Wuduo coughed lightly, and a bodyguard entered from outside the door.

"Follow her, but don't let her find out."

As darkness fell, Zhao Shiqing walked out of Tianjing Hutong, whistled, and Xiao Guai flew to her.

[You're being followed by five people.]

Zhao Shiqing believed that her grandfather must have sent someone to follow her, but she didn't believe there were five people. Xiao Guai couldn't count, so if it was one or two, it might be true, but if he said a number higher than three, then she shouldn't believe him.

Zhao Shiqing asked, "Do you know the residence of Princess Jiarou?"

Xiao Guai tilted his head, not understanding the words put together.

Zhao Shiqing sighed, "Never mind, let's go look for it together."

She remembered hearing that Princess Jiarou's residence was very close to the Zizhu Temple, which would make it convenient for the princess to visit the temple.

But she had never been to Zizhu Temple, and didn't even know where it was located.

She was still wearing the same royal blue scholar's robe she had worn during the day. Without disturbing Lao Fan, she drove the mule cart out from the back door. To make herself look more like a carriage driver, she put the tattered straw hat that Lao Fan had placed on the mule cart on her head.

Suddenly, three dark figures darted onto the mule cart and quickly seized the most comfortable spots.

Zhao Shiqing exclaimed, "Xiao Ye, what brings you here? Who's going to watch the house when you're out?"

Xiaoye: [The sycophant is guarding the house.]

The sycophant Xiaoye is referring to is Ah Huang, and Xiaoye and Ah Huang are sworn enemies.

Zhao Shiqing looked at the other two groups: "Have you been to Princess Jiarou's residence?"

Xiao Yao and Da Pang go out to have fun almost every night; who knows, they might have been to some places.

However, both cats said they had never been there and didn't know who Princess Jiarou was.

"Little darling, lead the way. If you see any birds, ask them for directions to Zizhu Temple."

The capital city only has a curfew on a few main streets, and the Five City Guards will patrol continuously, but you can just avoid those streets.

Fortunately, Xiao Guai was lucky; she only had to ask three birds before she found someone who knew about Zizhu Temple.

Zhao Shiqing paid the price of a handful of melon seeds to hire a guide, a sparrow. It had been arguing with its companions and was preparing to venture out on its own when an eagle struck up a conversation with it. The little sparrow was first frightened, then excited, and now it was smug.

It has made something of itself; it not only befriended an eagle but also did business with a two-legged creature that understands bird language.

The little sparrow had been to Zizhu Temple and knew the big house near it.

Zhao Shiqing led her night patrol team, following Little Sparrow through the streets and alleys, and arrived at the Princess's residence an hour later.

Zhao Shiqing found a secluded spot and parked the mule cart there.

She was wearing a dark robe that blended seamlessly with the night. The little sparrow didn't follow; it was enjoying its melon seeds on the roof of the mule cart.

Zhao Shiqing promised to put the uneaten sunflower seeds in the designated place.

Upon reaching the outer walls of the mansion, the little demon meowed: "The cat was here; there's cat poop buried under that tree."

Big Fatty chimed in: "My poop is buried under this tree."

Zhao Shiqing: Okay, I asked you before and you said you hadn't been here, but when we got there you said you had. Were you just messing with me?
Zhao Shiqing asked, "Do you know the cats here?"

Big Fatty: [I know the tabby boss here; he said he'd take me under his wing last time.]

The little demon meowed, expressing its dissatisfaction.

[The shameless boss is hated by the cat!]

Zhao Shiqing: No need to ask, my little demon sister must have been teased by that tabby cat.

Big Fatty: [You scratched its face all over, but you didn't lose anything.]

Little Demon: [Shut up, you stinky fat cat!]

Zhao Shiqing quickly intervened to mediate the fight and gave orders to them to fetch Boss Li Hua.

The little demon refused to go, so Big Fatty went by himself. A moment later, Big Fatty came over with a tabby cat.

The tabby cat swaggered around, looking completely unruly. Before it even got close, the little demon hissed at it, arched its back, and was ready to launch a fierce attack at any moment.

Xiao Ye was sleeping at Zhao Shiqing's feet when she heard the noise and jumped up, barking loudly at the tabby cat.

Zhao Shiqing: "We're all on the same side, shut up!"

Xiaoye reluctantly shut her mouth, and Lihua snorted coldly, cursing, "Where did this stupid dog come from?"

Xiao Ye whimpered twice, "Baby's being bullied, baby's so pitiful."

Upon seeing Zhao Shiqing, the leader of the fox spirits looked disdainful and asked Fatty, "You mean her?"

Before the fat man could speak, Zhao Shiqing said, "It's me. What's up? Want to fight one-on-one?"

The alpha female cat stared at her in astonishment: "Are you a monster?" Zhao Shiqing nodded: "Not only am I a monster, I can also turn cats into dogs."

She pointed at Xiaoye: "See? This is Xuanmao in disguise."

The tabby cat leader shuddered: [A black cat turned into a black dog? You sent me here so you could turn me into a dog too?]

Zhao Shiqing: "If you don't answer my questions properly, I'll turn you into a dog, a mangy dog."

The tabby cat had never seen a two-legged creature that could talk to a cat and understand each other. It was both surprised and frightened. A monster! A legendary monster! And here I am, a cat, encountering one!

This cat doesn't want to be a dog, especially not a mangy dog!

Zhao Shiqing smiled: "Then answer my question. A good answer will be richly rewarded."

She untied the purse from her waist and took out a few dried fish.

The dried anchovies were made by Lingbo using her secret recipe. Just smelling them made the tabby cat drool.

Next, Zhao Shiqing asked several questions, and the tabby cat answered them all. Zhao Shiqing was pleasantly surprised. The tabby cat's gossip skills were almost on par with Ah Huang's. In the Princess's mansion, it knew everything, from the Princess grinding her teeth in her sleep to a little eunuch stealing an apple.

[You're asking about the woman Princess Huixin brought back from outside? This cat knows, that woman is leaving tonight.]

Zhao Shiqing was taken aback: "Leaving tonight?"

The eldest tabby cat: [Before this fat man called me over, I saw her burning paper money in the yard. She kept calling for her mother as she burned the paper money, which scared me so much that I thought there was a ghost. She said she would leave that night to let the emperor know what that bad person had done and to make the emperor decide to return her child to her.]

Zhao Shiqing felt a chill run down her spine.

If the same thing happened to her friends, who would believe that banging a drum and getting a beating would make the emperor decide to return the child to her?

Who would believe that?
Zhao Shiqing thought of everyone around her. Even eight-year-old Zhang Ye wouldn't believe it, but there was one person who would.

That's Wan Ruyi!

Wan Ruyi was raised in a nunnery from a young age. She was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper and easily trusted others. However, she was skillful and clever. She was innocent, but not foolish.

Zhao Shiqing had never met Luo Liqiong, but from the information the old man had gathered, it was clear that although Luo Liqiong was not raised in a nunnery from a young age, she came to the Lin family at the age of seven and remained there until she was sent to the estate. During this time, she never left the Luo family and had no contact with the outside world. She was like a lump of dough, allowing the Lin family to mold and shape her at will. To some extent, she was similar to Wan Ruyi.

So she believed Princess Huixin's lies and was convinced that as long as she beat the Dengwen Drum, she could expose Lin Sen's evil deeds to the world, and then the emperor would stand up for her and return her child to her.

Zhao Shiqing clenched her fists. She wasn't one to meddle in other people's business, and whether Princess Huixin married a pig or a dog was none of her concern. But this matter was too immoral, and her fists hardened!
This is Princess Jiarou's residence. Princess Huixin was able to hide Luo Liqiong here thanks to Princess Jiarou and her palace maids and nannies, who were all extraordinary and devoted all their energy to cultivation.

Yes, as Boss Tabby just said, everyone living here, regardless of age or gender, is completely obsessed with the superstitions. Influenced by them, Boss Tabby also wants to become a cat immortal one day. Unfortunately, his will is not strong enough. He meditates and sleeps soundly. In the end, the cat immortal was delayed by sleeping.

However, on the other hand, although the people in the Princess's residence wouldn't keep a close eye on Princess Huixin, this was still a shady matter, and Princess Huixin probably wasn't bold enough to take Luo Liqiong through the main gate.

Zhao Shiqing narrowed her eyes and asked, "Do you know which gate Princess Huixin usually uses?"

[I know!] There's nothing that's related to the Princess's residence that Boss Li Hua doesn't know. This is its territory, and it's the boss here.

Zhao Shiqing called Xiao Guai over, whispered a few words to him, and Xiao Guai flapped his wings and flew away.

The alpha dog stared wide-eyed. This monster could not only control cats and dogs, but also eagles!
Good heavens, could that eagle also be a cat in disguise?
The eldest raccoon couldn't control his tongue and asked the question.

Zhao Shiqing snorted coldly: "Don't have any illusions. You still want to be an eagle? You can't even be an owl. You can only become a dog."

Tabby Cat Boss: I hate dogs!

Two hours later, when Zhao Shiqing was so sleepy she could barely stand, Xiao Guai finally flew back.

【It’s out! 】

It was late at night, and all was quiet. The capital of Dayong was devoid of the daytime's vibrant flowers and the evening's bright lights, resembling a desolate and forlorn old woman who had removed her glamorous attire.

A sedan chair was moving through the alley, with a person, a dog, and two cats following at a distance.

Zhao Shiqing felt that the roads she had taken to get here were considered back roads, but compared to this sedan chair, she had traveled a broad and wide road.

After all, those roads were still passable for mule carts, but now she had left the mule carts on the road and sent Xiao Guai to watch over them, because the mule carts simply couldn't navigate these narrow roads and couldn't even squeeze in.

Zhao Shiqing was glad that she grew up in the mountains, which gave her good physical strength and speed.

At first, the dog and two cats could keep up, but as they walked, the little demon jumped into her arms and she couldn't walk anymore.

Even the fat guy complained of being tired, saying he had too much fat.

Forced marches are not suitable for them; they usually travel while having fun.

So Zhao Shiqing could only carry one in her arms and the other on her back, walking until she was covered in sweat and her eyes were filled with tears.

Even though they were some distance apart, Zhao Shiqing could still see it clearly.

This sedan chair is the kind used for carrying passengers on the road. Although the two sedan chair bearers are strong and sturdy, they are obviously not trained martial arts practitioners. Princess Huixin would not entrust such an important matter to sedan chair bearers hired from outside. It is highly likely that these two people, like Manager Li, are servants of the Meng family.

Just when Zhao Shiqing felt so tired she was about to collapse, the sedan chair finally stopped.

This place is very remote, but fortunately Zhao Shiqing has been here before, and it's not far from Ruyi Fang.

Zhao Shiqing had been here before because this place was once as famous as Su's Tea Shop, and it also had a haunted house.

At this moment, the sedan chair stopped at the location of the haunted house, a small inn.

A murder once occurred in this small inn. A madman broke in with a kitchen knife and started slashing people indiscriminately, killing three and seriously injuring many others. The madman had no family, and he himself died during the capture. The victims, adhering to the tradition of extorting money from the place where the man died, had no choice but to seek compensation from the innkeeper. The innkeeper couldn't afford to pay and fled overnight. The victims looted everything they could from the inn, leaving only an empty house.

More than a decade later, the murder case had long been forgotten, and the innkeeper quietly returned to the capital and sold the place at a bargain price.

This place is still an inn, but business is slow.

Zhao Shiqing waited outside for a while, and when she saw the two sedan chair carriers come out of the inn, she took Xiao Ye inside.

In the dead of night, first two burly men brought a woman over, and then a young scholar arrived. Oh, and the young scholar also brought a dog and two cats. The innkeeper's eyes widened in astonishment.

Zhao Shiqing was exhausted and sleepy, and very hungry. She took out a ten-tael silver note and handed it to the waiter: "Find me something to eat, the rest is yours."

The young waiter couldn't believe it. Ten taels! Ten taels!

Seeing that he was standing still, Zhao Shiqing said, "The woman who just came in is my nephew's mother. You can bring her some food while you're at it. Oh, and get me another room. Ten taels isn't enough, is it? Here's another ten taels!"

Another silver note was handed over, and the young shop assistant suddenly realized what was happening! (End of Chapter)