Ruthless Host and Her Little Darling Quick Transmigration

Before Li Yunxiao could think about it, the young Taoist priest shook his head and waved his hands.

"Sigh! Fine, then. It seems we're not meant to be. We're destined to leave empty-handed." Seeing the distrust in his eyes, Yan Zixuan turned and left without a second thought.

Three, two, one, the little Taoist priest slowly took steps, silently counting in his mind.

"Master, wait! I don't distrust you. I just left in a hurry today and didn't bring any money with me." The young Taoist smiled, thinking to himself: This kid really can't hold back. But the real trick is yet to come; I'm sure you won't take the bait!

The young Taoist priest glanced at his waist, where a piece of jade of excellent color hung. "Never mind if you didn't bring it. I have other important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Li Yunxiao touched the jade at his waist but did not say anything to stop him.

A servant, his face fawning, rushed forward. "Master Yan, I am a servant of the Prime Minister. My master has been looking for you for a long time. Didn't we agree to have your child's birth date and time read?"

The young Taoist priest kept a straight face, exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom, perfectly embodying the image of a highly accomplished Taoist master. In reality, he possessed exceptional memory and keen eyesight, and had already spotted the Prime Minister's entourage long ago.

The attendant stepped forward and whispered, "Ten thousand taels of gold, we have prepared them." Although the man's voice was soft, Li Yunxiao was close enough to hear their conversation clearly.

The attendant was astute; noticing the Taoist priest standing with a young man, he guessed he was the priest's next client. He first revealed the prime minister's identity to demonstrate the priest's exceptional skills, then quietly quoted the price for fortune-telling, elevating the priest's status.

Yan Zixuan gave him a "you're quite something" look. No wonder he's the Prime Minister's attendant. That insight, that shrewdness—if she could have him as an attendant, wouldn't that be like adding wings to a tiger?

What a pity, he was the prime minister's attendant.

"It's done!" Receiving Master Yan's signal, the attendant's eyes and brows beamed with joy. If Master Yan put in a good word for him with the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister might just be pleased and betroth Xiao Cui to him.

Ten thousand taels of gold?

Unexpectedly, this Taoist priest was of such high status. The jade pendant that he had thought was priceless suddenly seemed worthless. Li Yunxiao lowered his head and gripped the jade pendant even tighter, afraid that the Prime Minister's attendants would see it and laugh at him for being ignorant of the ways of the world.

Yan Zixuan glanced back casually, and seeing his expression, sighed inwardly. Oh well, this guy's a cheapskate; there's no way she'll get the jade pendant.

Yan Zixuan flicked her sleeves and entered Changshan without looking back. The mountain breeze blew, causing her clothes to flutter, giving her an air of purity and innocence, untouched by worldly affairs.

The attendant, unaware that Master Yan had already given up on the person, stayed behind to offer a few words of advice. "Master Yan is a royal fortune teller; to be favored by him is a kind of fate. You must cherish it!"

Seeing Master Yan walk away, the attendant immediately followed. "Master, I'll show you the way."

“I have lived on this mountain for many years, and I know the shortest road better than you do.”

The two walked further and further away, leaving Li Yunxiao standing alone. "Is this the royal fortune teller?"

It was from this moment that a deep impression was left in Li Yunxiao's mind: Don't consult fortune tellers, fortune telling is very expensive, especially by royal fortune tellers.

On a distant high-rise building, a woman dressed in a phoenix robe chuckled softly as she looked over. This woman was Qin Baobao. Although she hadn't heard what the two people were saying, she could deduce most of what was going on based on their clothing and actions.

It seems that Qi Yunzi was almost tricked by the Taoist priest, but unexpectedly, he turned the tables and the Taoist priest had to leave due to unforeseen circumstances.

This Taoist priest was able to enter Changshan Mountain; he seemed very familiar with the terrain. Qin Baobao had a bad feeling: could this charlatan be a royal Taoist priest?

It's best to get rid of these charlatan Taoist priests.

But why was there suddenly someone beside him? Dressed meticulously, with disheveled hair, and seemingly floating on the ground, this person was hovering behind the Taoist priest. Clearly, this wasn't a person, but a ghost.

"What is Your Highness looking at? You've been standing by the window for quite a while." The speaker was General Li's first wife, in her forties, still beautiful and gentle.

"Look at this ghost and this interesting person. Mrs. Li, come and see if you recognize this person?"

Madam Li's expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "Your Majesty is joking. What ghost could there be in broad daylight?"

Madam Li put down her teacup and walked lightly to the window. Looking out, she could see the entire Changshan Mountain in its entirety—truly a wonderful spot for sightseeing.

"Who is Your Majesty referring to?"

"That Taoist priest in black robes, the one who just passed through the archway and was about to go onto the bridge."

"Judging from their attire, they should be royal fortune tellers. The person next to them is a servant of the Prime Minister's residence. It seems they are going to tell the Prime Minister's fortune."

At this distance, an ordinary person could only make out a rough outline, but the general's wife insisted that it was a servant from the Prime Minister's residence. The fact that she had such a strong impression of a servant from the Prime Minister's residence suggests she had seen them many times; otherwise, she wouldn't be so familiar with them.

"What are the treatment like for a royal fortune teller?"

"Judges have always been respected, especially royal judges. Their treatment is beyond question; their monthly salary is comparable to that of a first-rank minister." It's quite rare for the Empress to know nothing about this.

However, the Empress of the past always carried a hint of sorrow between her brows. This time, however, the sorrow had vanished, replaced by an air of noble elegance and aloofness, so intense that it was almost impossible to look directly at her. Every movement she made seemed to exude royal majesty.

Qin Baobao whispered, "With such good treatment, why go out and swindle people?" Could it be that he's deliberately trying to make money?

"What?" Madam Li thought she had misheard. After all, royal fortune tellers were of noble character and had a deep-rooted impression on people. How could they be associated with swindling and deceiving?

Mrs. Li waited for a while but didn't hear a reply, so she could only console herself that she had just hallucinated.

"How long has it been since General Li returned?"

"Ah? It's been about five years, hasn't it?" Madam Li was puzzled by the Empress's sudden change of topic, so she could only try to make conversation to avoid the silence falling again. "My eldest son has been gone for two years, and my youngest son hasn't returned for over a year."

Over the years, she had always considered herself of high status and relied on others to maintain appearances. Unexpectedly, after meeting the Empress, she became the one maintaining those appearances.

"I'm getting old, and I like to go out for a stroll when I have nothing to do. The sun is shining brightly today, so why don't you go out for a walk too, Your Majesty?" The Empress seemed to prefer quiet, so she went out for a while and wandered around outside, hoping to return before the lunch banquet.

"I...I...I also had the same idea, let's go sit in the small lotus pavilion next door!" I almost blurted out the wrong thing because I often heard Xiao Feng refer to himself as "I," but luckily there were only two people in the room.

Qin Baobao turned her head and glanced at Madam Li.

Lady Li kept her head down, lost in thought, pretending not to hear. The Emperor's murderous glare before he left was still vivid in her mind. She must have been tired of living to provoke the Emperor.