Joy of Life: Starting by clinging to the eldest princess's coattails!

At Kyoto's East Gate, the bluish-gray city walls cast long shadows in the afternoon sun.

When the city gate guard saw the carriage bearing the nameplate of the Princess approaching, with Chunmei from Guangxin Palace sitting on the carriage shaft, his expression turned serious, and he immediately knelt on one knee.

The two rows of guards behind him knelt down in unison, their armor clanging loudly.

Upon seeing this, the people queuing to enter and exit near the city gate also hurriedly knelt down, forming a dense mass on the ground.

The carriage did not stop, but slowed down, rolling over the bluestone road and slowly entering the city gate.

Wu Feng sat in the carriage and could see the kneeling people outside through the cracks in the window.

That is power.

The sound of wheels echoed through the city gate before emerging into the sunlight again. Shopkeepers and pedestrians on both sides of the street, upon seeing the imperial insignia on the carriage, stepped aside and bowed in respect.

The carriage traveled all the way towards the palace, and only when the figure in black disappeared around the street corner did the East Gate come alive again.

The garrison commander stood up, dusted off his knees, and shouted for the people to continue queuing.

A low murmur arose from the crowd, but it was quickly drowned out by the clamor.

……

Guangxin Palace.

The carriage stopped in front of the palace gate. Chunmei jumped out of the carriage first, and Wu Feng opened the back door and came out.

Li Yunrui helped Wu Feng out of the carriage, her dark skirt brushing against the carriage shaft, shimmering in the sunlight.

The eight sword-wielding maids silently dispersed and disappeared. The remaining four ordinary maids followed behind her with their heads bowed.

The group walked through the palace path toward the main hall.

Occasionally, when they encountered palace maids and eunuchs from other palaces, they would quickly retreat to the side of the road and bow their heads in greeting upon seeing Li Yunrui from afar, not daring to even breathe loudly.

When Li Yunrui reached the entrance of the main hall, he suddenly stopped.

She turned her head slightly, her voice gentle:

"Little Wuzi."

Wu Feng quickly stepped forward: "Your Highness."

"From today onwards," Li Yunrui said without turning around, "you will no longer be responsible for the small garden. You will serve me together with Chunmei."

Wu Feng bowed his head: "Yes, Your Highness."

Chunmei stood to the side, her face showing no surprise, clearly having expected this.

The four maids exchanged glances, all seeing shock on each other's faces.

The eldest princess had never had a eunuch serving her personally before.

Li Yunrui didn't say anything more, stepped over the threshold, and entered the main hall.

Chunmei immediately followed, and Wu Feng also hurriedly went inside.

It was much cooler inside the main hall than outside. The windows were half-open, and a breeze was blowing through, causing the gauze curtains to sway gently.

Li Yunrui walked to a cushioned recliner and slumped down. She seemed genuinely tired, leaning back and closing her eyes.

Wu Feng and Chunmei stood respectfully three steps away from her, waiting with their hands at their sides.

After a long while, Li Yunrui finally opened his eyes again.

Her gaze fell on Wu Feng, looking him up and down as if searching for something.

His gaze was very detailed, sweeping over every inch of Wu Feng's body from head to toe, making Wu Feng feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Chunmei," Li Yunrui suddenly spoke.

"This servant is here."

"Give him the complete technique."

Chunmei responded and turned to walk towards the study on one side of the hall.

Wu Feng immediately feigned excitement, stepped forward, and knelt down: "Thank you for your grace, Your Highness!"

"Get up," Li Yunrui said, his voice tinged with languor.

Wu Feng stood up, still keeping his head down.

"Have you been to school?" Li Yunrui asked softly.

Wu Feng cautiously replied, "Your Highness, I have never attended a private school. However, when I was a child, there was an old man next door to my house who had many books in his room and taught me a lot."

"Oh?" Li Yunrui's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Including those... outrageous words?"

She had a smile on her face, but her eyes were frighteningly bright.

Wu Feng raised his head, grinned, and approached the recliner. He squatted down and began to gently massage her legs.

"Your Highness," he softened his voice, "you said you wouldn't blame me."

[Ding~ Mood points +30!]

A perfectly timed force came from her thigh, and Li Yunrui paused slightly. She looked down at the little gardener squatting at her feet.

He looked up, a flattering smile on his handsome face, but there was no fear in his eyes, only an almost frank intimacy.

This feeling...

Li Yunrui suddenly felt that this little guy was somewhat similar to that woman Ye Qingmei in some ways.

He... wasn't afraid of her.

Just then, Chunmei returned, carrying a thin book in her hand. The pages were slightly yellowed, and the cover bore the words "Shouyuan Jue" (守元诀).

"Your Highness." Chunmei handed the book to Li Yunrui.

Li Yunrui took it, didn't even look at it, and handed it directly to Wu Feng.

Wu Feng took it with both hands, cradling it in his arms, his joy undisguised. He looked up at Li Yunrui and said earnestly:

"Thank you for your grace, Your Highness. From now on, I belong to you in life and in death!"

Chunmei's small mouth opened slightly, clearly stunned by these words.

She thought to herself, "You're a eunuch, is this how you show loyalty? That's really too much..."

But Li Yunrui laughed.

The laughter was soft, escaping from her throat, and her cheeks radiated an indescribable allure.

This is so much fun...

She spoke softly, leaned back, and closed her eyes again.

"Ugh... I'm tired, I'm going to take a nap~"

Chunmei immediately went to get a thin blanket and gently covered Li Yunrui's legs.

Wu Feng thought for a moment, then stood up and went around to the back of the recliner. He reached out and gently placed his fingers on Li Yunrui's shoulder, beginning to massage it.

The pressure was just right, my fingertips gently pressing along the lines of my shoulders and neck, finding those stiff spots, and then lightly circling them.

Li Yunrui's body trembled slightly.

The sensation from my shoulder was very clear; the warmth of my fingertips seeped through the thin fabric.

That strange pleasure surged up again.

[Ding~ Mood points +30!]

She didn't open her eyes or speak; she just let Wu Feng hold her down.

Her breathing gradually calmed down, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath, and the neckline of her dark dress was slightly open, revealing a small patch of fair skin.

Chunmei stood silently to the side, watching this scene. Her Highness was being far too lenient with Wu Feng.

Is she... about to fall out of favor?

The thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly suppressed it. His Highness's thoughts are unpredictable; it's best not to let them wander.

……

Meanwhile, in the Weiyang Palace of the imperial harem.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and the Empress sat on a soft chair under the eaves, holding a book in her hands.

She wore a dark-colored palace dress with subtle patterns, her hair was neatly combed and adorned with a few simple jade hairpins. Though over twenty years old, her appearance was not exceptionally beautiful, but she possessed a dignified air.

A maid dressed in a light blue dress walked quickly and lightly, stopping three steps away from the Empress and bowing respectfully.

"Your Majesty."

The Empress looked up, shifting her gaze from the pages of the book: "Speak."

"Her Highness the Princess went to Taiping Villa today," the maid said in a low voice, "but she didn't stay long, she came out in less than half an hour."

The Empress paused slightly, then regained her composure.

"Ignore him." She closed the book and placed it on her lap. "Just an impatient fool."

A faint, almost imperceptible sneer appeared at the corner of her lips: "It's just a pity about those experts from the Junshan Society."

The maid lowered her head, not daring to reply.

"What news is there from the Empress Dowager?" the Empress asked again.

"The Qin family has already made their move," the maid's voice softened. "The core commanders of the Kyoto Garrison have all been replaced by direct descendants of the Qin family. Several other established families have also been secretly mobilizing their core forces to Kyoto these past few days, and they should arrive in Kyoto within the next day or two."

A faint smile appeared on the Empress's face.

"Everyone who was supposed to come has come..." she said softly, as if talking to herself. "Next, we'll see what news comes from His Majesty."

Although it's somewhat risky, as long as Ye Qingmei is killed...

As long as Ye Qingmei dies.

Even if the Censorate, the Fan family, the Jiangnan Navy, the Ye family... no matter how powerful those forces are, would they dare to do anything to these deeply rooted old noble families of Qing Kingdom?