Finally found you!

Princess Zhenzhen stood by the roadside with her chin raised, sizing up the approaching young lady. She thought to herself: Nothing special about her, dressed like a green onion!

Binglu rushed over: “Miss, you’ve finally come out.”

“Done browsing?” Qiao Zhao had spent most of the day copying Buddhist scriptures, and her hand was somewhat sore. She gently massaged her hand while asking.

Binglu winked and whispered, “Miss, that very pretty young lady by the roadside seems to be waiting for you.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhao looked up.

The young lady standing by the roadside appeared to be fifteen or sixteen years old, truly possessing rare beauty. Her imperious bearing was even more striking than her looks.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze moved downward, settling on the iris flower embroidered on the girl’s sleeve.

So it was the Ninth Princess.

Her grandmother was born into the imperial family and would occasionally mention matters concerning the royal clan. With her good memory, she had gradually learned various things. The reason she had such a deep impression of the Ninth Princess was that the Ninth Princess’s mother consort had a very special background.

The Ninth Princess’s mother, Imperial Consort Li, was originally a dancing girl from Princess Changrong’s residence—Princess Changrong being Chi Can’s mother. She had once been a beauty who captivated the entire capital.

Qiao Zhao stepped forward and curtsied gracefully: “This subject’s daughter greets Your Highness, the Princess.”

“You recognize me?” Princess Zhenzhen raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“I once heard someone say that the Ninth Princess is filial and often comes to Shuying Nunnery to pray for the Empress Dowager’s blessings. Therefore, this subject’s daughter dared to make this guess.” Qiao Zhao straightened and explained.

Princess Zhenzhen bit her lip.

This person was truly cunning—did she think that by starting with flattery, she wouldn’t be angry anymore?

“Did I tell you to rise?” Seeing the young lady before her standing straight as a pine tree, Princess Zhenzhen became even more displeased.

Could it be that just because she had caught Master’s attention, she thought she could disregard her, a princess?

Qiao Zhao sighed inwardly.

So even in this pure Buddhist sanctuary, true peace was still hard to find.

“Your Highness’s meaning is that you forbid this subject’s daughter from rising?” Qiao Zhao asked calmly in return.

The current princesses of Great Liang were nowhere near as noble as their aunts and great-aunts.

Emperor Mingkang’s empress had died early, and he never established another. He spent his days obsessed with cultivation and longevity, not to mention the princesses—even the remaining two princes rarely saw him.

None of the ministers or nobles were fools. With such an unreliable emperor, what good would it do even if their family’s sons married a princess? The emperor didn’t even care about his sons; how could he possibly look after his sons-in-law?

Moreover, none of the princesses were born of the empress; their mother consorts all came from humble backgrounds. In essence, they only held the hollow honor of being princesses. This Ninth Princess was different only because she had caught the Empress Dowager’s attention and had a good reputation.

Of course, Qiao Zhao wasn’t looking down on the Ninth Princess. She simply had her pride. In an informal setting, she believed her conduct was entirely proper, so why should she fear the princess’s criticism?

Princess Zhenzhen was stumped by Qiao Zhao’s question.

She glared at the composed young lady before her, acutely realizing that this wasn’t one of those palace servants who could be beaten and scolded at will. Even with her status as a princess, spreading rumors of bullying a subject’s daughter wouldn’t sound good.

This feeling made Princess Zhenzhen somewhat annoyed, yet also brought a hint of novelty.

“When did this princess ever mean that? You’re being unreasonable!”

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but smile, saying with a gentle expression: “It was this subject’s daughter who was being unreasonable. Then, may this subject’s daughter take her leave?”

Of course, she couldn’t leave! But if she said so directly, wouldn’t this impudent girl ask again: “Your Highness forbids this subject’s daughter from leaving?”

Princess Zhenzhen bit her lip, feeling she had never encountered such a cunning and bold girl. She simply avoided answering and asked directly: “Why did Master see you?”

To see you, she wouldn’t even see this princess?

“This subject’s daughter came to copy Buddhist scriptures for the Master.” Since this Ninth Princess often came to Shuying Nunnery, future encounters were inevitable, so Qiao Zhao answered honestly.

“Master asked you to copy Buddhist scriptures?” Princess Zhenzhen looked Qiao Zhao up and down, her tone critical. “You don’t look particularly special.”

Qiao Zhao was too lazy to engage in verbal sparring. She curtsied again and said: “Your Highness, this subject’s daughter takes her leave.”

Under Princess Zhenzhen’s cold gaze, Miss Qiao rose gracefully, nodded slightly to Binglu, and walked away with composed steps.

“Your Highness—” Gongbi called out carefully.

This was Dafu Temple, not the palace. The princess must restrain herself!

The Ninth Princess could stand out among all the princesses and catch the Empress Dowager’s attention precisely because she wasn’t without cunning. She took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and said through gritted teeth: “Follow them!”

That cunning girl had made her so angry that she forgot to ask about her background!

Binglu glanced back and whispered to Qiao Zhao: “Miss, that princess is following you.”

She was a princess! Her miss wasn’t even afraid of a princess—she admired her miss more and more!

“Pay her no mind.”

The master and servant walked down the mountain path step by step. Binglu pointed ahead, her voice excited: “Miss, look! The temple fair hasn’t ended yet. There aren’t as many people now—shall we go take a look?”

Qiao Zhao pondered for a moment and nodded: “Very well, let’s go browse.”

This was her first real outing since returning to the Li residence. It would indeed be disappointing to return just like this.

Qiao Zhao gazed distantly toward the direction of Minister Kou’s residence, then withdrew her gaze and let Binglu pull her toward the temple fair.

Though they said the crowds had thinned considerably, it was still quite lively. There were shoulder-pole opera performances, flag juggling, yangge dancing, stilt walking—each attraction surrounded by crowds. There were also ring toss games, sugar figurine blowing, and candied hawthorn selling…

Walking through the bustling crowd, Qiao Zhao was enchanted by this worldly excitement.

In Miss Qiao’s eyes, even a crudely made monkey mask from a small stall was more vivid than the pampered flowers and plants in deep courtyards and grand residences.

“Miss, let’s go watch the magic tricks! There’s a magician over there who’s amazing!”

Binglu pulled Qiao Zhao over, and they saw a crowd surrounding a young woman. In front of the woman sat a large pot with oil already boiling vigorously.

A girl of about ten carried a winnowing basket, walking among the spectators while calling out: “My sister received guidance from immortals and her hands fear no hot oil! She will now perform retrieving coins from the oil pot. Please show your support, grandfathers and grandmothers, uncles and aunties, brothers and sisters!”

The girl made a round, and coins clinked into her basket. When she reached Qiao Zhao, Binglu excitedly threw in a copper coin.

Seeing the girl pour all the coins from her basket into the oil pot with a clatter, the young woman showed her hands to everyone and announced loudly: “Please watch carefully, everyone.”

After speaking, she plunged her hands into the boiling oil. Amid the crowd’s gasps, she grabbed a handful of coins, then repeated this several times until she had retrieved all the coins that had sunk to the bottom.

“Excellent!” Cheers rose and fell.

“So amazing, so amazing.” Even after leaving, Binglu was still marveling, tugging at Qiao Zhao’s sleeve and asking: “Miss, do you think that young lady received guidance from immortals?”

Qiao Zhao smiled: “Immortal guidance may not be certain, but it’s just some unconventional techniques.”

“What unconventional techniques?” a man and woman asked in unison.