Teasing the First Dragon at the Start

She first peeked out of the inner room, and after finding no one there, she patted her youthful chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

The girl stretched, revealing her beautiful figure, and muttered as she walked inside, "I don't know what Mother has been up to these days. She hasn't come back yet, leaving me all alone in Xianyang Palace, so bored."

She glanced at it casually and noticed a box that had never been there before sitting next to the phoenix bed.

Did Mother bring these back from her trip?

A sense of curiosity arose in her heart, so she stepped forward, opened the box, and found that inside were pieces of strange food wrapped in white paper, with a faint milky aroma.

As the young princess of the Ying clan, the girl was well-traveled and had seen all sorts of rare things, but she had never seen anything so strange before. Was this a dessert?

She was a little curious and couldn't resist tearing it open and taking a bite. A rich milky aroma spread in her mouth. The sweet taste made her cover her cheeks with her hands and her eyes light up.

This...this tastes so blissful.

The sweetest thing she had ever drunk before was honey water.

This dessert was sweeter than honey water by an inch or even a fraction.

"Hu Yu, what are you doing?"

Just as she was about to have another one, a dignified female voice came from behind her.

The girl's body suddenly stiffened, as if she had been electrocuted, and she couldn't help but shudder.

Chapter Eleven: Mother and Daughter's Thoughts

Hu Yi turned around stiffly and looked back, only to see Sister Zheng standing not far away, looking at her with a smile on her face.

She playfully stuck out her tongue, quickly walked forward, and affectionately took Zhengjie's arm: "Mother, when did you get back!"

Looking at Hu Yu's pouting and coquettish manner, Zheng Jie smiled helplessly: "What are you doing sneaking around in my palace?"

Hu Yu blinked his heterochromatic eyes and said with a grin, "Mother, you've misunderstood. I'm just here to visit you; I'm not acting suspiciously."

"You never give me a moment's peace," said the Empress Dowager, affectionately ruffling Hu Hai's dark hair.

In fact, she and Hu Hai were not related by blood, but their relationship was as close as that of a mother and daughter.

The reason for this is mainly related to her mother, Zhao Ji.

She returned to her homeland, Handan, from the state of Zhao at the age of thirteen, expecting to be greeted by the long-awaited love of her parents. However, her father passed away early, leaving behind an empty throne. As for her mother…

Her mother wanted her lover more than her, and even tried to assassinate her for the sake of that lover.

From that moment on, Zhengjie was left with a considerable psychological scar, and she has never married, devoting herself entirely to matters of state.

Seeing that His Majesty had not yet found an heir and that the ministers' advice was of no use, they had no choice but to select a few from the eighteen royal daughters to be groomed as successors.

Among them, the eighteenth girl, Hu Yi, looked most similar to Zheng Jie.

She bears a striking resemblance to Zheng Jie, with her willow-leaf eyebrows, straight nose, bright phoenix eyes, and delicate chin making them look almost identical.

The two stunningly beautiful women standing together looked more like sisters than mother and daughter.

However, the two women have completely different temperaments; Zheng Jie is an empress who looks down on the world.

She was not merely a mature and beautiful woman; she held great power, commanded millions of troops, swept across six kingdoms, drove back the Xiongnu in the north, and conquered the Baiyue in the south. Her long-standing status as a ruler imbued her every move with an indescribable nobility and majesty.

As for Princess Hu, although she is beautiful and looks like a young and innocent Zheng Jie, she is too immature in temperament, and is just a mischievous and naughty little girl.

Caught red-handed by Sister Zheng, Hu Yi looked like a child who had made a mistake, kneeling in front of the table and looking at Sister Zheng with his head down.

The Empress Dowager chuckled and said, "Alright, stop pretending. What little scheme of yours can possibly escape my notice?"

Hu Yi immediately grinned and fawned over Zheng Jie's arm, saying, "Hehehe, Mother, don't be angry. I was just a little curious and took a quick look."

Zhengjie waved her hand gently, and a palace maid quickly stepped forward, tidied up the messy phoenix couch, and handed over the box.

Upon opening it, I found a box full of milk candies, but now less than half of them remained.

Zhengjie gave Hu Yi a half-smile: "Is this what you mean by just glancing at it a couple of times, and if you looked at it a little longer, wouldn't there be none left?"

"Oh dear, Mother..."

Hu Hai pouted in a coquettish manner.

Zhengjie shook her head helplessly, picking up a piece of milk candy in her hand: "Is this white thing tasty? You ate so much of it?"

Hu Yu nodded slightly, licking his lips with his little tongue as if savoring the memory: "Mother, what kind of pastry is this? Which chef made it? The sweet taste is just so delicious."

The Empress looked at the box in her hand with some surprise. Facing Hu Yu's blinking eyes, she said softly, "This was not made by any chef. It was a gift that a remarkable person who lived in seclusion in the city gave me before I left."

Hu Yi's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "Extraordinary person, Mother, where does that extraordinary person live?"

Seeing the way her eyes darted around, Zhengjie teased, "What, are you planning to snatch a man out in the street and bring him back for your husband?"

A blush crept onto Hu Yu's fair face: "Oh dear, Mother, what are you saying? I would never be so unreserved."

The Empress Dowager smiled and looked at her with amusement: "Don't I know what you're thinking? Once you see something delicious or fun, you can't help but want to snatch it back. Who was it that sat on the ground and cried because they couldn't get the snacks from your sister back then?"

Hu Yi's pretty face flushed red, and she tugged at Zheng Jie's arm shyly, saying in a sweet voice, "Mother~"

Zhengjie smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I won't say anymore."

Hu Yi's complexion improved considerably after that.

The Empress played with the milk candy in her hand, a strange light flashing in her phoenix eyes: "But this person is indeed a great talent. If you can really win him back, I will be overjoyed."

"A genius?!"

Hu Jie glanced at Zheng Jie with some surprise.

She knew very well how discerning her mother was in judging people. Anyone praised by her mother was someone who had made outstanding contributions to the court. She never expected that this mysterious and extraordinary person could be so highly regarded by her mother.

Hu Yi's eyes darted around: "Mother, if I can bring this person back, how will you reward me?"

"This man is exceptionally insightful and is no ordinary person. If he can be put to use, he will surely become a pillar of the court in due time."

Zhengjie paused, then smiled and said, "However, this Bai Su is not an easy person to deal with. How about this, haven't you been eyeing my Chasing Wind for a long time? If you can bring him back, I will give that horse to you."

"Really!!!"

Hu Yi's eyes suddenly lit up, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

You see, that Swift Wind was Mother's favorite steed. Its coat was jet black and shiny, and it could gallop for thousands of miles, stirring up dust. It could cross water and climb mountains as if they were flat. She had been eyeing it for more than just a day or two.

Hearing that Sister Zheng was willing to give it to her, she was naturally overjoyed.

"Don't be too happy yet, I haven't finished speaking."

Zhengjie glanced at her with her phoenix eyes and smiled, "That Bai Su was punished by the court for participating in the armed conflict and was sent to the border to repair the Great Wall for a period of time. Therefore, she is very resistant to the court and has never been willing to serve as an official."

"Therefore you may befriend him, but you must not reveal my identity. I will need to use this identity to interact with him in the future."

Hu Yi's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly: "Not being able to reveal one's identity sounds like a lot of trouble."

Seeing her hesitant expression, Zhengjie pondered for a moment and said, "By the way, I remember that Bai Su is very knowledgeable about food. Not only does she have this kind of pastry, but she can also make a dish called hot pot. It tastes very delicious, more than a hundred times better than the imperial chefs in Xianyang Palace. I still can't forget it."

"Cough cough..."

Hu Yu coughed lightly and looked at Zheng Jie with a serious expression: "Well... Mother, hot pot and such are not important. I just want to meet this great talent from the streets."

Chapter Twelve: A beauty so stunning she can't see her toes when she looks down is truly breathtaking.

On the bustling street.

Bai Su slightly raised her head and looked at the woman in front of her: "Miss, would you like to buy the box?"

The pretty woman smiled gently: "I heard that the boxes here contain touching words. If you buy one, you can tie a red thread of fate with the person you love. Is that true?"

Bai Su nodded and said with a smile, "Of course. My exquisite box contains countless words of longing. For just two hundred coins, it can help you convey your love and find your destiny."

"Then help me pick one."

Looking at Bai Su, who had a detached and carefree expression, the woman couldn't help but ask curiously, "I wonder what kind of woman you, young master, like?"

"Everyone has different preferences..."

Bai Su said with a smile, "Some people think that mature and plump married women are the most beautiful. They are well-educated, reasonable, and very sensible. With just a light tap, they can know what you are thinking and bend down on their own initiative."

"Some people think that a young girl is more beautiful, youthful, lively, clever and charming, with eyes full of your image."

"But in my opinion, these are just the outdated views of the world."

The woman asked in confusion, "I wonder what kind of woman you, sir, find most beautiful?"

Bai Su handed the box to the woman and said solemnly, "In my opinion, someone who can't see her toes when she looks down is the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Why did you just say that someone who can't see their toes when they look down is the most beautiful woman in the world?"

A clear, melodious girl's voice suddenly came from behind.

Bai Su subconsciously turned around and saw a girl in a red dress looking at him with a puzzled expression.

The girl possessed a pair of rare heterochromatic eyes, which were very lively and expressive. She had fair skin, delicate eyebrows like willow leaves, and red lips like cinnabar. Her jet-black hair was tied up high and adorned with an exquisite hairpin.

She looked like a classical girl who had stepped out of a painting, but her blinking eyes gave her an air of not being very bright.

The visitor was none other than Hu Yi.

She had just arrived when she heard Bai Su's last words, and a sense of doubt immediately arose in her heart.

This woman is by no means stunningly beautiful, so what does it have to do with whether or not you can see her toes?

She looked down at her toes, her delicate toes wriggling inside her boots for a long time, unable to understand the relationship between the two. Out of curiosity, she finally couldn't help but ask a question.

She originally wanted to come with her sister, but the court was undergoing reforms and there were many government affairs to handle, so her mother couldn't get away for the time being.

Left with no other choice, she had to follow the address her mother had given her and search for the place.

Of course, there were bound to be many bodyguards hidden among the crowd behind them.

During this period, Bai Su sold a lot of phonograph boxes. Thanks to this ingenious and unique object, Bai Su gained some local fame, which made it easy for Hu Yu to find her.

He wanted to approach her and strike up a conversation, but he heard a strange statement from Bai Su.

Bai Su snapped out of her daze and faced the girl's puzzled gaze.

He lowered his gaze slightly, glanced at the girl's somewhat immature development, and smiled, "Well, you'll understand when you grow up."

Hu Yu tilted his head, a bunch of question marks popping up above his head: "Why later?"

Bai Su smiled mysteriously: "This is where the heart desires, where people go."