After turning in place for a while, Yu Kong heard a rumbling sound and looked at Shen Yi beside her, “Are you hungry?”
Shen Yi nodded in confusion, looking like she had caused a lot of trouble for this aunt.
Now that things have come to that, there was no way out. Yu Kong thought for a moment, “Forget it, Auntie will take you to find something to eat first.”
Fortunately, it was warmer now, and when the sun came out, it dispelled the cold air. Yu Kong put on her outer robe, tied her hair casually with a tree branch, and did the same for Shen Yi.
After doing that, Yu Kong looked at Shen Yi and collected all the jewelry from her, then started a fire, rubbed some ashes on both of their faces, turned Shen Yi’s clothes inside out, and tore them up in the ashes before dressing Shen Yi in them. She also used a wooden stick to tie up Shen Yi’s hair.
“Let’s go. Remember, you are called An Ping, I am your master, and we are both practitioners from the Baiyun Taoist Temple. Do you remember?”
Shen Yi nodded blankly and looked at her clothes, “Master, are we going to beg for food?”
Yu Kong: …
“People who practice Taoism do not beg for food. We are going to help people relieve their worries, do fortune-telling, and meet people. I won’t ask you, so don’t speak. Just follow me, understand?”
Shen Yi nodded and followed Yu Kong.
They still didn’t know where the town was, and they couldn’t go hungry like that. Yu Kong picked some fruits along the way to barely satisfy their hunger.
Walking along the river, they soon saw a village. Yu Kong’s eyes lit up, and after looking at Shen Yi and herself, the two walked towards the village.
While Yu Kong was struggling for a living with Shen Yi, Qin Su, in the capital, hadn’t slept all night. During the early court session, Qin Hao, worried, got up early to follow along. Fortunately, there were no issues during the court session, and Qin Su hadn’t caused any trouble yet.
After the morning court session, Prime Minister Shen stayed back, and Shen Yi hadn’t returned for two days, so naturally, he was worried.
Seeing Prime Minister Shen, Qin Su also knew that the matter couldn’t be kept from Shen Yi’s parents and had to be told truthfully.
“Prime Minister Shen, rest assured, no matter what, I will bring An Ping back. Those people didn’t capture An Ping; Auntie disappeared with An Ping. With Auntie’s skills, she must be able to protect An Ping.”
Qin Su mentioned Yu Kong, at least giving Prime Minister Shen some peace of mind. “I’ll leave it to Your Highness then.”
“It’s my fault anyway.”
Qin Su was also self-blaming.
After seeing Prime Minister Shen, Qin Su looked at Qin Hao, “Have those men in black revealed anything?”
“They have. They are from the third prince’s side. But there’s something fishy about this. The identities of these men in black seem too obvious as if they want us to know it was the third prince’s doing. It’s too easy to trace.”
Qin Hao still had doubts and couldn’t conclude.
“Is it important? Once we have solid evidence, isn’t that enough? The carriage belongs to me; causing discord among siblings and attempting to murder a royal sister is more than enough, right?”
Qin Su’s face was stern; she didn’t care who it was, no one would be spared.
“What if there is someone behind the scenes?”
Qin Hao frowned slightly.
“We’ll punish those with evidence first. Later, if we find the mastermind, we’ll punish them too. Is that contradictory? Anyway, for now, let’s just kill one. We can always posthumously honor them as a prince later, can’t we?”
Qin Su’s eyes were icy cold, a stark contrast to her previous warmth and brightness.
Qin Hao watched, the demeanor he expected Qin Su to have as an empress, yet now he felt a bit reluctant.
“You have the potential to be a tyrant.”
“I also have the potential to be a despot. Act now, Second Brother.”
Qin Su remained unmoved and gave the cold command.
In royal struggles, it was always a matter of life and death; momentary softness would only lead to endless troubles. The only thing to do was to eliminate the threat.
Qin Hao glanced at the clear blue sky, knowing that the capital was about to fall into chaos.
As for the situation in the capital, it doesn’t concern Yu Kong and Shen Yi for now. The two of them walked towards the village along the river.
The village was small, with only a few villagers. It was the end of the farming season, and people were sitting under trees chatting and cooling off. Seeing Yu Kong and Shen Yi, they were curious.
Facing the curious gazes of the villagers, Yu Kong walked up to them, “We are from Baiyun Taoist Temple, traveling to your village. We seek temporary shelter here and offer fortune-telling and feng shui consultations. If my predictions are incorrect, I won’t take a penny. If they are accurate, I kindly ask the elders to offer us a bowl of water as payment.”
The villagers looked at Yu Kong’s Taoist robe and did not suspect anything, curiously gathering around.
“You have nothing, how can you divine?”
Yu Kong found a rock to sit cross-legged, Shen Yi stood behind her with her head down, looking imposing but empty-handed.
“Don’t worry, although I have nothing, I only need to calculate with my fingers to know.”
The crowd looked at each other, but since it didn’t cost anything, they decided to give it a try.
Soon a villager stepped forward, “Since you don’t take money, please divine for me. Where did my mischievous child’s lost shoe from yesterday go?”
Yu Kong nodded, asked a few questions, closed her eyes, and calculated, “The item is not far, in the southeast direction, near water and soil. If you go now, you can find it.”
The villager was surprised by Yu Kong’s quick response and rushed to search. Encouraged by the success, others also began to ask questions, big and small. Yu Kong answered what she could and avoided revealing what shouldn’t be disclosed.
The first villager returned soon with the shoe, “It’s amazing! I went to the southeast by the water and found it. It turns out my naughty child hid it while fishing in the river yesterday. Thank you, Taoist, thank you!”
Seeing Yu Kong’s accurate divination, the villagers were impressed, some even wanted to pay her for fortune-telling.
“I dare not take any payment. I’m just passing through and don’t need money. I just want to rest here for a while,” Yu Kong declined politely.
Her refusal to accept payment further convinced the villagers. Some brought tea, snacks, and food for her and Shen Yi to enjoy together.
After resting and eating, Yu Kong and Shen Yi bid farewell to the villagers and asked about the nearest town.
Fortunately, a kind-hearted person offered to take them in their ox cart since the town was quite far away. Yu Kong thanked them and predicted a bright future for their family, making them laugh.
After leaving the village, Yu Kong and Shen Yi rode in the ox cart towards the town. Shen Yi was curious about how Yu Kong divined earlier but refrained from asking due to others’ presence.
Yu Kong had already spoken enough earlier, so she remained silent now. The journey continued quietly until they reached the town by midday.
Parting ways with the villagers, Yu Kong and Shen Yi continued their journey. Shen Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Master, are your predictions always accurate?”
“Destiny plays a part, but effort is also crucial. Who knows for sure?” Yu Kong replied cryptically.
Shen Yi, was intrigued, asked more questions, eager to learn from Yu Kong.
“If you want to learn, truly become my disciple, and I will teach you,” Yu Kong teased.
Excited, Shen Yi agreed, and they continued their journey, discussing their next steps.
However, their peaceful journey was interrupted when they encountered a group of thugs demanding their money.
Yu Kong, undaunted, saw that as an opportunity to teach them a lesson. With swift actions, she incapacitated the thugs and retrieved the money they had taken.
Confused, Shen Yi questioned Yu Kong’s actions, feeling conflicted about the situation.
“Retribution for wrongdoing is necessary. It’s a lesson for them not to cross the line again,” Yu Kong explained, justifying her actions.
After treating Shen Yi’s wounds at a clinic, Yu Kong continued to teach him valuable life lessons as they embarked on their journey together.
“Is the bandage ready?”
Yu Kong returned from the medical hall, holding two brand new headscarves in her hand, and her voice brought the distracted girl back to reality.
The young girl looked a bit embarrassed as she lowered her head in response, quickly tidying up the things.
Yu Kong gave the girl a few more copper coins, “Please also trouble the girl to boil some water. We need to freshen up.”
The medical hall was very small, with only the young girl and her father. There might not be many visitors in a day. Looking at the copper coins in her hand, the girl hesitated for a moment but agreed in the end.
After freshening up in the medical hall, Yu Kong looked at the transformed Shen Yi, put the headscarf on her head securely, and even took a veil to cover her face. “This should be good. Remember, absolutely do not take it off.”
Shen Yi nodded, and only then did Yu Kong lead her out.
Yu Kong’s face was also cleaned of dirt. The young girl looked at Yu Kong and then at Shen Yi, wondering when these two celestial-like figures had arrived in this small town.
“Thank you, miss. I wonder if there is a Yunzhai Tower here?”
Yu Kong walked up to the young girl and casually asked. The town was not large, so if there was a Yunzhai Tower, most people should know about it.
The young girl looked at Yu Kong in surprise. She saw these two people in Taoist robes and dirty clothes and initially thought they were wandering Taoists. She didn’t expect them to ask about Yunzhai Tower, which was a famous place known far and wide.
“Yes, there is a Yunzhai Tower, but not in this town. It’s further south, in Jinliu Town. I’ve been there with my father before, but why does a Taoist want to go there?”
“Oh, I once did a divination for the manager of Yunzhai Tower a few years ago. It’s time for it to come true, so I came to check on it.”
Yu Kong settled in her heart. “Do you know how long it takes to get from here to Yunzhai Tower?”
The young girl’s doubts disappeared upon hearing Yu Kong’s words. “It’s not far from here to that town, but it takes about a day on foot, and then finding Yunzhai Tower would take another half a day. It’s late now, so it might not be possible to go today. Taoist should rest in this town tonight and go early tomorrow. Perhaps you can arrive before dark.”
The young girl looked at the two women and considered the dangers of traveling at night.
“That’s true. Thank you. I wonder if there’s a place to rent a carriage in this town? My disciple is injured and can’t endure much hardship.”
Yu Kong calculated the remaining money and realized it wasn’t enough.
The young girl glanced at Shen Yi, understanding the situation. “There isn’t, but my father and I are going to that town the day after tomorrow for medical visits. If you don’t mind, you can stay in town for another day and travel with us. Our carriage is small, but it can accommodate you.”
Yu Kong hesitated. It was indeed a good idea, but she and Shen Yi had already been missing for two days. If they didn’t send a message back soon, Qin Su in the capital would go crazy.
“How far is it from here to the capital?”
“The capital?” The young girl thought for a moment. “This is Jingyuan County, bordering the capital region. But going to the capital would still take two or three days.”
“So far?”
Yu Kong thought that it would be impossible for them to leave the capital region, but she hadn’t expected to end up in Jingyuan County. She felt a little scared; the river was so swift, and they were lucky to be alive.
“Is Taoist going to the capital?”
The young girl nodded. Although she hadn’t been to the capital, she often heard people talk about it.
“Someone asked me to deliver a letter to the capital, but I didn’t expect it to take this long.”
Yu Kong calculated the days. Even if she managed to find Yunzhai Tower and send the message to the capital, it would take another three or four days. Forget it; let Qin Su suffer for a few more days.
“We are traveling slowly, but if a messenger goes, with a fast horse, it would take less than two days. It’s not far at all.”
Yu Kong inquired more details from the little girl and decided to go early the next day to find a horse. She would take Shen Yi with her since every day mattered, and delays could lead to changes.
After bidding farewell to the little girl, Yu Kong put on her hat and walked out. She needed to find an inn to stay for the night.
Unable to afford a good inn, Yu Kong and Shen Yi settled for a rundown one, sharing a room to save some money.
“How can we send a letter to the capital city first?” Yu Kong was truly troubled. Entrusting this task to someone else wasn’t safe, but in this unfamiliar place, where could she find a reliable person?
While Yu Kong was anxiously pondering, Shen Yi brought a basin of water, interrupting her thoughts. “Master, it’s time to freshen up and have dinner.”
Seeing Shen Yi’s innocence and obedience eased Yu Kong’s worries a bit. A well-behaved child always looked pleasing to the eyes.
After freshening up and having a simple dinner with the remaining money, they awaited an early start the next day.
The next morning, Yu Kong and Shen Yi set out early to see if there were any places selling horses. Regardless, their priority was to find Yunzhai Tower.
While walking down the main street, Yu Kong noticed a group of soldiers hurrying past. She glanced at them strangely, “Why are there patrols here?”
“I’ve never seen this before,” remarked a local passerby, equally puzzled.
Yu Kong didn’t dwell on it and continued towards the horse market. Soon, they encountered a white-clad general riding a tall horse, whom Yu Kong found familiar.
Having not slept for two nights, Jin Shaoyun felt like he was seeing double. Since Miss Shen disappeared, the princess acted like a madman. He was also worried and searched along the river, reaching Jingyuan County. He thought there was no hope until he heard in a village that two female Taoists had passed by. He decided to rest in the village and inquire further before heading to town.
Jin Shaoyun believed those were Yu Kong and Shen Yi, especially since Yu Kong was wearing Taoist robes when she vanished.
With that clue, Jin Shaoyun wasted no time and hurried to town with his men.
As Jin Shaoyun and Yu Kong passed each other, a light bulb went off in Yu Kong’s mind. “Shaoyun!”
Jin Shaoyun, feeling a bit dazed, hearing someone call him, pulled the reins, looking around on his horse.
Yu Kong led Shen Yi and removed her hat, revealing herself. “Little brat, over here!”
Jin Shaoyun turned his head in surprise, rubbing his eyes. “Your Highness?”
“Don’t you recognize me? I’m your aunt!” Yu Kong walked up to Jin Shaoyun’s horse and scrutinized him. “Is it really you?”
Jin Shaoyun’s and Yu Kong’s families had some distant relations, and with Qin Su and Jin Shaoyun growing up together, she called Yu Kong “aunt.” However, they hadn’t met in many years. If not for the “Jin” on Jin Shaoyun’s saddle, Yu Kong might not have believed it was him.
Jin Shaoyun dismounted, stumbled a bit, and approached Yu Kong, realizing his eyesight had failed him momentarily. “Aunt? It’s really you! Is Miss Shen with you?”
“She is, but she’s had a little… issue,” Yu Kong said nervously, taking off Shen Yi’s hat, and revealing the bandage on her head.
“Miss Shen is injured?”
Jin Shaoyun was surprised, but finding them was a relief.
Seeing Shen Yi’s unfamiliar attitude towards Jin Shaoyun, he looked puzzled and asked Yu Kong, “Who is Miss Shen to you?”
“Let’s talk about it later.”
Yu Kong noticed the onlookers and put the hat back on Shen Yi.
Understanding the situation, Jin Shaoyun took them to the best inn in town, where Yu Kong and Shen Yi freshened up and changed clothes. He then bought the best carriage in town to escort them back.
On the way back, Jin Shaoyun learned what had happened. Seeing Shen Yi staying close to Yu Kong and warily eyeing him, he couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. “She doesn’t even recognize Her Highness?”
“They’ve both been through a lot. How can you expect her to recognize your Highness? How old does Your Highness think she is?”
Yu Kong was also troubled. When she couldn’t go back, she worried about how to return. Now that they could, she worried about explaining everything.
“Aunt, I was just asking casually. You don’t know; these past few days, Her Highness has been frantic. We thought Miss Shen’s return would solve everything, but then she got this condition. I don’t know if Her Highness can handle it.”
Jin Shaoyun felt wronged by Yu Kong’s scolding, looking down like a bullied maid.
This is a fan translation, the novel does not belong to me. Support the author by donating to the site linked on the synopsis page. You can also donate to me if you appreciate my work and help get the funds to donate to the authors. I would also appreciate it if you left a comment!
Baihe Tales 
Poor shouyun 😂🤣 He always got scolded 😂
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