The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Chapter 1774 Youning Flying Bird Messenger

“Grandpa, the north is now pacified, and Dalang has been brought under my control. Can you now allow Zhuoyang to freely enter and leave Chenqing Palace? Zhuoyang is a pitiful person, all alone and helpless. I am her only friend, and I rarely visit her.” Cheng Youning spoke up for Zhuoyang because he saw that Wan Lianxing was happy.

"How often do you go to see her? You see her more often than you see your own concubine! I heard that you just went to Chenqing Palace to deliver a box of chestnut pastries to Zhuoyang."

Cheng Youning quickly pulled out a box of chestnut pastries from behind her back. "I saved the best box for Grandpa. They're fresh out of the oven and still warm. It's perfect to eat them now."

Cheng Youning took out a piece of food and eagerly offered it to Wan Lianxing's lips.

Wan Lianxing was very accommodating this time, putting down the memorial in his hand and slowly eating. He asked Cheng Youning, "Did Zhuoyang send you to beg me? Does she want to freely enter and leave Chenqing Palace?"

Cheng Youning shook her head: "No, she just said she wanted to see my great-grandfather and asked me to help her think of a way."

Upon hearing this, Wan Lianxing realized that the man hadn't given up on her yet. "Looks like he hasn't locked her up enough!"

“Grandpa, Zhuoyang is a weak woman who can’t even kill a chicken. She’s always crying and it’s really pitiful. You can see her, but you can’t keep her locked up in Chenqing Palace all day long.”

Wan Lianxing snorted, "You think you're pitiful just because a woman sheds tears? Be careful you don't get hurt by a woman without even realizing it!"

Cheng Youning paused, pondering the meaning behind her grandfather's words.

"Grandpa, Zhuoyang cried so hard! His eyes are all swollen from crying."

"That's because she knows that her Great Lang has perished, and her father's whereabouts are unknown. And it all started because of her; she is the one who started it all. She is crying for her motherland, and it has nothing to do with me. There is nothing left between us except hatred. Giving her a place to live is already an act of charity."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Youning realized that he had failed to help Zhuoyang again. It seemed he would have to find another opportunity. His great-uncle would surely be happy again.

……

A few days later, Wan Lianxing received a message from Cheng Youning via teleportation. It contained only one line: "The hot spring is ready, Grandpa, come quickly!"

Wan Lianxing shook his head and tossed the note onto the dragon's desk.

The old steward chuckled and said, “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is filial, so please go! You haven’t left the palace in a long time, spending all day confined in the Hall of Mental Cultivation facing these memorials. This old servant is worried that my health will collapse! Today the ministers are on holiday, so Your Majesty should also take a rest. The Crown Prince’s residence is now beautifully renovated. Doesn’t Your Majesty want to go and see the glazed tile roof for yourself?”

Wan Lianxing laughed: "I've seen those glazed tile roofs before, haven't the Prince Pang's Mansion already changed them?"

The old steward smiled and said, "It's different; the glazed tiles in the Crown Prince's residence are different!"

"What's the difference?"

"Your Majesty will know once you go and see for yourself."

"You're still keeping me in suspense? Well then, let's go and see for ourselves."

The old steward was overjoyed to hear that the Emperor was leaving the palace. He quickly helped Wan Lianxing change into civilian clothes, disguised him, and then led a few others out.

Upon arriving at the palace gate, they saw Cheng Feng waiting there.

"Uncle, why are you taking so long to come out? I've been waiting for you here for half an hour!"

"Are you also going to the Crown Prince's residence for a banquet?"

Cheng Feng said, "I originally didn't plan to go. The messenger was exhausted from delivering messages so many times. Then the letter said that my uncle was also going. The hot spring there is hot, and I was afraid that he wouldn't be able to take good care of my uncle, so I came along!"

"I didn't plan to go either. It was the old steward who persuaded me, and that's how I got to go. With you accompanying me, it would be perfect."

Cheng Feng said, "Uncle, you've been cooped up in the palace all day, and your heart has grown old. You should have come out and moved around a long time ago."

Wan Lianxing sighed, "You might as well say I'm getting old!"

"He hasn't aged, but he's become much more dull. I'll accompany you for a walk, and if you get tired, we can take a carriage. You can see how prosperous our Fengying City is."

"That's what I meant."

It was the dead of winter, just past dawn, and Zhu Jin Street was already bustling with activity. The pot in front of the Yangchun Noodle Shop was steaming, and the noodle shop owner's chopsticks, which were at least a foot and a half long, were stirring the pot from time to time. He had probably cooked 10 bowls of Yangchun noodles that morning. Four or five simple wooden tables were full of people, and the few empty seats were places that customers had just vacated after finishing their noodles. The empty bowls on the tables hadn't been cleared away yet, and the next person found a seat and sat down.

Just then, a peddler in a blue cloth jacket walked by, carrying a load on his shoulder and striking a wooden clapper in his hand. His voice was so loud it could pierce through the morning mist. He sold a wide variety of things: wooden combs, brooms, tickling toys, small butterflies, small bowls, needles, and thread boxes. He only had two baskets, which were crammed full. The most amazing thing was that there was nothing he couldn't sell, only things you couldn't imagine.

And the old woman selling flowers came out early, carrying a basket of roses of various colors. As she passed by, the fragrance was so sweet it was intoxicating, making you want to sniff. The men were unmoved by the flowers in the old woman's hand, but the girls couldn't resist. Sure enough, my wife hadn't even gone ten meters before she was stopped by two young ladies.

Looking further into the distance, around the octagonal tables of the teahouse, six or seven people were already sitting in twos and threes. Some were holding two shiny red walnuts in their hands, still diligently polishing them, while others had a birdcage beside them. They had come out to walk their birds in the morning and were now chatting idly at the entrance of the teahouse!

Cheng Feng looked around but didn't see his older brother carrying a birdcage to walk the bird. He guessed that the man had gone to the next street today.

The streets were getting more and more crowded. Wan Lianxing, who had long been used to the loneliness and coldness of the palace, was still not used to it. "Feng'er, there are really a lot of people on the streets!"

Cheng Feng smiled and said, "Uncle, it's still morning. Wait a while and you'll see a huge crowd. There are people everywhere, from one end to the other, and you won't be able to walk!"

Wan Lianxing nodded slightly upon hearing this; this was exactly the prosperous and flourishing era he had envisioned.

Suddenly someone shouted in the distance, and the people on the road split in two, quickly dodging to both sides of the road, clearing the way for Zhu Jin Street. Then a group of people slowly walked towards them.

Suiying stood in front of the group, muttering a curse under his breath: "Who has such a big entourage!"

Not knowing who the person in front was, Cheng Feng pulled Wan Lianxing to hide in the crowd to avoid any accidents, because they didn't bring many people with them this time, only a dozen or so, but fortunately, they were all experts.

Before anyone knew it, an attendant appeared beside Wan Lianxing and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, "The chief镖头 (head镖师) of Baoxiang镖局 (Baoxiang Escort Agency) has returned with his men!"

Upon first hearing the name Baoxiang Escort Agency, Wan Lianxing felt it sounded familiar. After repeating it to himself twice, he realized, "Isn't that the Baoxiang Escort Agency founded by Li Lao Er!"