Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 12 The Hidden Painting

Standing in front of that peony painting for a long time, Jiu Que stroked his chin, feeling only curiosity.

Could Yu Lang have installed some kind of secret passage in his study? Logically speaking, you should be able to see the switch simply by moving the picture aside?
When they moved it aside, they found nothing, which was strange.

Jiu Que picked up the painting and held it up to Jin Hua, showing great interest.

"Golden Flower, was this painting painted by Yu Lang?"

Unexpectedly, Jin Hua knew nothing about this and shook her head blankly.

“I don’t know. He never let me in, nor did he let me clean. Everything inside, including the door, was made by himself.”

Everyone is now looking at this peony painting. Chunyu Shuang reached out and gently stroked the marks on it, lost in thought. The brushstrokes here are of varying shades, clearly not painted at the same time. And look at the scroll, it's exceptionally lustrous, obviously because it was cherished by its owner and frequently handled.

After hearing Chunyu Shuang's guess, Jiu Que looked at the scroll from left to right, picked up one end of the scroll and gently twisted and broke it. Under the surprised gazes of everyone, he actually managed to twist the scroll open and a folded piece of paper fell out.

Upon opening it, most people present couldn't help but turn their faces away instantly, blushing with embarrassment. The reason? It contained a remarkably lifelike and erotic depiction of fire-avoidance.

The paper ball didn't look big, but when unfolded, it was about three feet long. It was covered with many naked women, each with their own unique charm.

Although she was embarrassed, she still had to continue investigating. Jiu Que didn't care much; she had seen far too many things, and this little bit posed no threat to her. She simply stared at one of the women for a while, then abruptly put away the hidden piece of paper.

Chunyu Shuang and the others found it somewhat strange, but since Jiu Que was the one in charge of this trip, they didn't say anything. Jiu Que, however, looked rather unpleasant.

"Brother, you must have some men under your command, right? Could you send out a few more? I need some help."

The tall man nodded and briefly introduced himself.

"Wei Yuan".

Jin Hua was still somewhat bewildered, but Ying Jiu Que and the others had already gotten up and were preparing to leave.

The old man who had been following them also came outside. It was already dusk, and the sounds of children crying and laughing could still be heard in the distance. Surprisingly, none of the people standing outside left. Although some couldn't bear it any longer and sat down on the ground, they didn't show any impatience. When they saw Ying Jiuque and the others, they couldn't help but gather around them, their eager gazes only relaxing when they saw the old man's reassuring look.

"Old Mu, is Jin Hua alright now?"

In the dimly lit alley, amidst the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life, the piece of paper tucked in Jiu Que's sleeve sent shivers down his spine. The feeling, mixed with the smoke, was truly unbearable. Taking a deep breath, Jiu Que clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"Alright, fellow villagers, neighbors, we've kept you all waiting today. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. We're just here to find someone, so there's no need to panic. This is under the Emperor's nose; with His Majesty's protection, everyone will be safe and sound, and any misfortune will turn into good fortune. We've troubled you for so long, and now we must leave. But a few brothers will be keeping watch tonight. See those guys? They're tall and strong, every single one of them a real hero! Don't worry, they're government officials, truly paid by the Emperor, representing His Majesty's face. His Majesty cherishes the people most, and to prevent anyone from causing trouble in secret, he specially sent them here; they will surely protect everyone's safety."

Old Mu was somewhat surprised to see that Jiu Que had eased everyone's worries with just a few words. This was truly strange. Normally, what everyone feared most were the government's soldiers. Forget about them eating the emperor's grain; it was precisely because they were paid by the government that those petty officials and clerks could exploit the people so much. It wasn't obvious on the surface, but they would do all sorts of dirty tricks behind the scenes, making the neighborhood suffer terribly.

But in Ying Jiuque's words, those officials seemed to be in charge of the people's affairs. Their tone of voice and their attitude of taking it for granted made everyone unconsciously believe them.

This is not true, is it?

Under the collective gaze of everyone, the golden-armored guards who entered stiffened. They were usually stationed in the palace, and while not of the highest nobility, they were still sons of high-ranking officials and nobles, pampered and spoiled for years, rarely having such close contact with ordinary people. Initially, they had shown some disdain or kept their distance, but after Ying Jiuque's few words and the expectant, apprehensive gazes of these people, a strange feeling arose within them. Perhaps, perhaps this is how I should be?
Although they had never heard of doing this before, the expectant and approving looks on everyone's faces instantly ignited the passion in these young men. They didn't mind that Ying Jiuque was making them guard the alleys of ordinary people, and they nodded very seriously.

Seeing their slightly immature appearance, the old woman who had tricked Jiu Que out of a bag of candied melon seeds rolled her eyes and began to speak fluently and eloquently.

“These young men are still young. It’s cold at night. Wait, I’ll bring you my son’s clothes to keep you warm. Don’t worry, they’re all brand new and have never been worn before.”

"That's right! They're here to protect us, so we can't let them go hungry and cold for nothing! Come on, let's go to the old man's house and get something to eat!"

"Let's go! We can eat first and then get to work!"

The group of young men were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm surrounding them, their faces flushed, and they looked at Ying Jiuque with pleading eyes.

Wei Yuan found it strange. His brothers hadn't arrived yet. These were all His Majesty's Golden Armor Guards, whom he often encountered in the palace. Although they weren't the elite of the Golden Armor Guards, they were always a cut above the ordinary guards, but he had never seen them so shy before.

Jiu Que glanced at the cunning old woman, a smile playing on his lips, before making a hasty retreat. Of course, despite everyone's enthusiasm, the Golden Armor Guards couldn't freely eat outside while on duty, so they had to decline.

Jiu Que, who had just left, was wondering where he would stay for the night when he unexpectedly saw a low-key blue carriage parked at the street corner. Although the eunuch driving the carriage was dressed in plain clothes, his occasional movements revealed some distinctive features.

Upon seeing Ying Jiuque, the little eunuch was overjoyed and quickly invited the four of them into the carriage.

When they saw the smiling old emperor, everyone realized their suspicions: His Majesty had been waiting for them all along. Oh no, they needed to think of what to say next.

[They didn't even have a sip of hot water before having to go back to work. Everyone else is treated like oxen and horses, we're nuclear-powered donkeys! The old emperor certainly knows how to wield his whip skillfully!]

(End of this chapter)