An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

"Grandpa, grandma, Xier wants to stay at home for a few days."

After dinner, Jing Chunxi put down the celadon teacup, gently smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeves, and looked up at Prince Jing and Princess Jing, who were seated in the main seats. The candlelight danced in her clear eyes, and the whole room seemed warm.

"Stay! How can I not stay here now that I'm back?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Jing immediately put down the handkerchief that she was wiping the corner of her mouth, leaned forward slightly, and her eyes sparkled with joy.

Her wrinkled hands tapped the table excitedly, causing ripples to appear on the surface of the water in the teacup.

"According to grandma, we should celebrate the New Year at home, and let your father take care of the things over there." As he spoke, his voice choked up.

She recalled the empty hall during last year's New Year's Eve dinner, with only her eldest son and his family of three accompanying them for dinner, and she couldn't help wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeves.

"Grandmother had Qingqiu Courtyard tidied up and a few new quilts added..."

Jing Chunxi felt a warm sensation in her heart as she watched her grandmother's excitement. She noticed that although her grandfather didn't say anything, his fingers twirling his beard trembled slightly, and he nodded, clearly happy too.

"I'd love for you to live in the mansion, too!" Ling'er suddenly jumped up from her embroidered cushion, the pearls in her hair jingling as she moved. She quickly ran to Jing Chunxi's side, tugging on her sleeve and shaking it. "You don't have to live in Qingqiu Courtyard anymore, it's so lonely all by yourself."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at the two small indigo bundles placed in the corner of the hall. They were brought in by her sister's maid just now. Ling'er's eyes flashed with cunning, and she emphasized: "Sister and Ling'er live together!"

Before Jing Chunxi could reply, Ling'er was already bounding out like a cheerful little bird. "I'll tell Mother and have someone make your bed!" She called back as she ran, as if afraid her sister would regret it. The hem of her butterfly-embroidered skirt fluttered at the threshold.

"My sister wants to discuss something with grandpa." Jing Chunxi raised his voice quickly and couldn't help but smile at Ling'er's back as she suddenly stopped in the corridor.

"Tell your aunt that my sister won't go to pay her respects until tomorrow morning." She paused, her tone softening. "I'll be back later. Go to bed first and don't wait for me."

"I know!" Ling'er's crisp reply came over, but she had already run a long way away.

She instructed two maids to pick up the bundles. The sound of their footsteps gradually faded away, leaving only the lingering sound of silver bells. "Mother will surely be happy to know that you are here. You can look forward to eating delicious food tomorrow morning!"

It’s great to be sisters in this life! Jing Chunxi thought as he looked at her back.

She knew her sister too well—the rolling eyes she had just seen clearly indicated that she had something else important to do. But Ling'er was always sensible and knew what to ask and what not to ask.

When Ling'er's footsteps completely faded, Jing Chunxi turned around, her expression already grave. The candlelight in the room suddenly flickered, casting a deeper shadow between her eyebrows.

"Grandfather," she took a deep breath and lowered her voice to a very low level, "I want to enter the palace once."

Prince Jing's hand, fiddling with the incense burner, suddenly paused. The smoke of sandalwood curled between his fingers, making his calloused fingers look even more worn.

The old man slowly raised his head, a gleam of light flashed in his cloudy eyes, but there was no trace of surprise, as if he had expected this trip.

"Then grandfather will find a skilled guard to follow you." He said in a deep voice, his tone full of unquestionable determination.

The Buddhist beads in Princess Jing's hand suddenly stopped. Her face turned pale, but she forced herself to remain calm.

"Be careful in everything," she said, her voice trembling, her fingertips pinching a Buddhist bead so hard that it turned white. "If you don't advance, you will retreat. There's no need to rush."

Jing Chunxi held the old man's trembling hand tightly and deliberately raised a bright smile: "Xi'er knows. Daddy didn't tell grandpa and grandma, right?"

She blinked, then suddenly somersaulted in the air. When she landed, her clothes fluttered like a butterfly. Without even taking a breath, she said, "Xi'er is Daddy's little apprentice, and also Brother Xiaokang's apprentice. I can fly over rooftops and walk on walls. Hehe."

This witty remark eased the two elders' expressions. Prince Jing stroked his beard and chuckled, but worry was hidden in his eyes. He knew better than anyone that this girl's Qing Gong was only good enough to scale walls and cross houses. If she really encountered a master from the Imperial Palace...

In fact, her ability was just that. Her cheap father said that due to her bone condition, no matter how much she studied, she wouldn't make much progress. To be more precise, her Qinggong skills would only be able to save her life, not become a hero.

Therefore, Prince Jing’s arrangement was correct.

……

As the night deepened, Prince Jing's sedan chair once again headed for the palace. This time, the elderly man clutched not a memorial but a heart filled with worry. A burly guard accompanied the sedan, and a petite figure loomed in the shadows.

"Uncle, wait outside."

After entering the palace and walking near Shou'an Palace, Jing Chunxi whispered instructions as she approached the palace wall. The moonlight shone on her tightly bound hair crown, casting a cold silver edge.

The guard was about to dissuade him when he saw a figure flash before his eyes - the little servant had already jumped onto the palace wall, the corners of his clothes rustling in the night wind, and in a blink of an eye he disappeared behind the eaves.

The guard's eyes widened. This dexterity far exceeded his expectations! His tense muscles gradually relaxed. He touched the dagger at his waist, shook his head in self-mockery, and began to survey his surroundings vigilantly.

I thought the little guy was bronze, but unexpectedly he was a king.

Jing Chunxi landed lightly on the bluestone slab in the inner courtyard of Shou'an Palace. Before he could stand firmly, he suddenly felt a chill on the side of his neck.

"Swish!" "Swish!" Two streaks of cold light pierced the air, the icy blades pressing against the skin of her neck. Under the moonlight, two men in black flashed out from behind the pillars like ghosts, their swords pressed motionlessly against her vitals.

"One of us! One of us! Don't do it!" Jing Chunxi's voice was stuck in her throat. She could feel the blade of the sword rise and fall slightly as she swallowed. Cold sweat slid down her back, soaking her inner clothes.

She tilted her neck back cautiously, but the two swords followed closely behind her, frightening her so much that she froze immediately.

The two sword-wielding men were as silent as stone statues, only the eyes revealed through their masks gleamed like cold stars. Jing Chunxi quickly thought: "I'm looking for Madam Zhou! I came here with the Prince last time!" Seeing that the other party still didn't let go of the sword, she quickly added: "Last summer! There were four of you in total. Two of you went with the Prince, and I stayed with Madam Zhou..."

The tip of the sword seemed to loosen a little, and the two men took a slight step back.

Jing Chunxi seized the opportunity and suddenly raised her hand to pull off her hairband, letting her long black hair cascade down. She then pulled down her veil, revealing her still childish face. "I'm a girl! I'm looking for Madam Zhou."

This sudden change startled the two men in black. The swords retreated with a clang, and one of them even took a half step back, clasping his fists and bowing, "Miss, please!"

Jing Chunxi breathed a sigh of relief, then realized her legs were weak. Her fingers were still trembling slightly as she bent down to pick up the hairband.

"I was scared to death..." She muttered softly, and tied up her messy hair again, but a wave of fear surged in her heart - if she had been a little slower, she would probably have been killed on the spot.