"She is not like you."
Emperor Xuanwu spoke with a meaningful gaze. "Your Fifth Sister has already once completed her studies at the Imperial Academy. Moreover, she is nearing the age at which she may be permitted to attend court."
Attend court?
But was she not a princess?
Then again, it seemed there was no law in the Tian Sheng Dynasty that barred princesses from entering court…
Hiss.
Yun Chuhuan was struck dumb by this revelation. Head still spinning, he left the Imperial Study in a daze and returned to Yaohua Palace. The first thing he did was relay the news to Noble Consort Liu.
"What? Are you certain? Your Father Emperor truly said that?"
"He did, didn't he? Consort Mother, you are shocked too, aren't you?"
Watching his mother, who had just moments ago been reading Capital Weekly with great interest but now hadn't even noticed that the journal had slipped from her lap to the floor, Yun Chuhuan felt a strange sense of validation.
So it wasn't just him. Everyone else was equally stunned.
"Consort Mother, what do you think—"
"Excellent, excellent!"
Not even hearing the rest of Yun Chuhuan's question, Noble Consort Liu's eyes gleamed with sudden joy.
"As expected of Shu'er!"
Yun Chuhuan: "?"
His Fifth Sister was about to enter court, and Consort Mother was this overjoyed? Yun Chuhuan grew more confused by the moment.
Little did he know what Noble Consort Liu had been enduring each time she read Capital Weekly lately.
In the fantasy serial authored by Yun Shu, the female protagonist rose from uselessness, defied expectations, and carried the air of an invincible dragon-blooded heroine. She spared no one, taking on the world with fiery pride. Readers were left flushed with righteous fervor.
Yet, flipping from fiction to reality…
What did she see?
The esteemed young lady of the Tang family had nearly lost her life at the hands of the Cao family.
Yun Shu had opened a restaurant and hired both men and women without restriction, only to be viciously slandered by bitter scholars with faces thicker than city walls.
And the countless injustices against women—there was no end to them.
The contrast was maddening. It left Noble Consort Liu agitated and powerless.
For all her noble status, she was still but a consort. A title that sounded lofty, but outside the confines of the palace, it meant little. She could change nothing.
That was why, when she heard Yun Chuhuan say that the Emperor might allow Yun Shu to attend court, her first thought—amid her shock—was clear and fierce:
"The heroine has been at my side all along.
A woman entering court, and with success?
If Shu'er could truly accomplish such a thing… then everything might change."
Noble Consort Liu sprang to her feet, radiant with excitement.
"No, this cannot wait. I must write a letter to the Liu residence at once. If my father and brothers were to obstruct this matter, This Consort would lose sleep out of sheer fury!"
Yun Chuhuan: "??"
What in heaven's name was going on?
Was he no longer the child most cherished by his mother?
She could at least explain what she was so excited about!
Unaware that she had already won the favor and future support of the formidable Liu family without lifting a finger, Yun Shu departed the palace at first light the next morning with Xiao Yuanzi in tow.
Beneath the Emperor's feet, the capital thrived with its unmatched splendor.
As dawn's light touched the horizon, wisps of steam already curled from bun stalls lining the streets.
Yun Shu lifted the curtain of the carriage, keeping a careful eye out.
As she had hoped, at the far end of the morning market, she spotted a butcher's stall that sold pork.
Laid out upon the table were not only cuts of fresh meat, but also a few items rarely seen before.
And more importantly, the prices were shockingly low.
"Twenty wen per jin?"
Drawn in by the butcher's call, a few passersby could not help but swallow hungrily.
"What are you selling? Is that meat too?"
"This here is cleaned pig intestine, along with pig's blood, pig liver—"
"Pfaugh! You shameless man!"
The old fellow who had asked the question flew into a rage before the butcher could even finish listing the items.
"I thought it strange your meat was so cheap. You've the gall to sell such filth and call it food? Have you lost your mind? Do you not fear retribution for such deeds?"
"What nonsense! May the heavens punish you instead!"
Wrongly accused, the butcher slammed a cleaver onto his chopping board, voice ringing down the entire street.
"Yesterday's latest issue of Capital Weekly quoted none other than Princess Sheng An herself, saying that all these items are edible, so long as they are cleaned properly!
They were even served at the New Year's banquet in the palace. His Majesty himself, and the ministers of court, all tasted and praised them.
At Tian Waitian Restaurant, starting from the third floor and above, stir-fried pig intestine has already reached six taels of silver per dish!
I'm selling it for just twenty wen per jin. If that isn't a fair price, I don't know what is.
You ignorant old goat, best keep your mouth shut!"
"This is pig intestine?"
From the growing crowd, a curious voice rose. Someone stood on tiptoe for a better view, tempted yet hesitant.
"I was at the teahouse yesterday when they read out parts of Capital Weekly. Princess Sheng An did indeed say that such things, when properly prepared, taste just as delicious as regular dishes.
But I've never tried it myself… Twenty wen may be cheap for meat, but it's still not nothing…"
"If you want to try it, best act soon!"
The butcher had caught that last comment and snorted proudly.
"Today, I'm selling cheap because I know folks have never eaten this before and might not take to it right away.
But give it a few days. Once everyone's tasted it and realizes how good it is, you can bet the price will rise. It may still not match pork, but it'll certainly be higher than this!"
"Well then…"
From the crowd, someone finally stepped forward.
"I'll take two jin!"
"Right away!"
Grinning ear to ear, the butcher picked up his scale and began weighing out the pig intestine.
Yun Shu let the curtain fall, satisfied. Another task assigned by Imperial Father, complete.
From behind, more voices could be heard calling out.
"I'll take a jin too!"
"And me! Two jin!"
At the edge of the carriage door, Xiao Yuanzi sat quietly, eyes shining with envy.
He missed his father.
When his father had been alive, he doted on him more than anyone. Xiao Yuanzi had loved meat as a child, so his father had worked tirelessly to earn more money.
While other households could only afford meat once or twice a year, he got to eat it two or three times a month. If his father were alive to see such cheap meat now, surely he would buy some for him. The longing and wistfulness in Xiao Yuanzi's eyes were clear.
Yun Shu studied him for a few moments, then suddenly asked,
"Would you like to leave the palace?"
"Your… Your Highness means me?"
Startled from his thoughts, Xiao Yuanzi looked up to find Yun Shu smiling at him. His heart skipped a beat.
Leave the palace?
Could he… truly leave the palace again?