Wow, this rough-around-the-edges pregnant wife is something else, she's incredibly ruthless!

One person is fast, and Meng Tong arrived in the capital at dusk.

Since it was still daytime and it wasn't appropriate to go in directly, Meng Tong found a secluded grove outside the city to settle down. After tidying himself up, he headed straight for the city gate.

The capital city is located in the north, and the weather is much colder than in Laoshan Town. The sky is hazy and there is a light drizzle.

Over her previous clothes, the woman wore an inconspicuous gray-white cloak, and also put on a not-so-new-looking raincoat and a straw hat.

Carrying a used basket with a few eggs inside, Meng Tong disguised herself as an ordinary woman and walked towards the city gate.

Compared to the large number of refugees seen at the city gate before, there were far fewer today; instead, there were more well-dressed merchants.

There were even foreigners dressed in strange clothes, often with carts full of goods behind them and camels that Meng Tong only mentioned.

With a slight glint in his eyes hidden beneath his straw hat, Meng Tong joined the queue to enter the city.

In front of her was an elderly man in his fifties, carrying a full basket on his back. It was unclear what was inside, but it looked quite heavy.

"Hey! Why is it so slow? The checks weren't this strict when we entered the city a few days ago!"

"Don't you know that people from other countries have come to our Great Wei these past few days?"

"I've heard about it, but isn't it too early? I remember it's supposed to come around the end of the year, when the Emperor will announce a message to the world."

Hearing rustling voices behind him, Meng Tong slowly moved forward, listening intently to the gossip.

"Hey! Do you know what secret the Emperor is about to announce to the world?"

"I don't know. But it should be a good thing, right?"

"Tch, it's obvious you don't know."

How did you know?

"Of course, come closer and listen, this is a secret I don't tell anyone."

The voices behind her grew softer and softer, and Meng Tong turned slightly to glance at the two of them.

Because they were wearing thick clothes and she couldn't move too much, all that could be seen were the boots they were wearing.

Judging from the voice, the man in black boots must be the one who was going to tell the so-called secret. Meng Tong quietly moved closer and overheard the news, which she already knew.

The man leaned close to another man's ear and whispered, "I heard that our Crown Prince has been demoted for committing a crime, and the announcement may be about establishing a new heir."

"What? How is that possible? Isn't His Highness the Crown Prince the Emperor's only heir?"

"Tsk, didn't you know that the most favored Consort Li gave birth to a little prince not long ago? I heard he's very much loved by the Emperor. I think the Crown Prince will probably be demoted..."

"I do vaguely recall what you're saying, but can you guarantee it?"

"That's not necessarily true. I heard it from someone else. That person has a pretty good relationship with the palace."

After overhearing that, Meng Tong learned an important piece of information: the death of Crown Prince Wei Lian had not yet been made public.

And the little prince born to Consort Li, the situation is quite complicated.

Meng Tong had no intention of getting involved; he was just a bystander.

The woman listened to their conversation as she followed the group forward.

The inspecting officers checked each person one by one. Just as they were about to reach Meng Tong, several soldiers riding tall horses suddenly ran out of the city.

They charged recklessly, ignoring the people at the city gate.

Meng Tong quickly stepped back a few paces to his right to avoid disaster.

The old man in front of her, however, was hit by a horse that rushed out because he was carrying heavy things and was slow to react due to his age.

The man and his basket fell to the ground, and the things that had been covered rolled out. Meng Tong looked at the charcoal at his feet and realized what was in the old man's basket.

The charcoal wasn't considered high-quality, so everyone glanced at it and continued climbing. The old man, however, endured the pain and quickly put the fallen items back in.

With a slight flicker in his eyes, Meng Tong merely watched as someone else. He took out the prepared items from his sleeve and handed them to the gatekeepers. After verifying that everything was in order, he let the man into the city.

The capital city was as bustling as ever, with vendors hawking their wares incessantly.

Meng Tong looked up at the sky, then immediately found the nearest inn.

The drizzle in the sky began to intensify. Meng Tong ordered hot water, took a comfortable bath, changed into clean clothes, and stayed at the inn.

As night falls, the unique liveliness of the capital city truly begins.

The weather was kind; the light drizzle had stopped, and the moon, which had been hiding behind the dark clouds, peeked out.

Donning a clean, moon-white cloak, Meng Tong left the inn.

She was currently located in the southern part of the capital, an area mainly consisting of places selling snacks and entertainment.

If you want to buy poultry or something, you have to go west.

Tonight was just a scouting trip; Meng Tong didn't actually plan to buy anything. He walked westward, looking around as he went.

Meng Tong noticed many foreigners; some were leading tall camels to sell goods, while others were carrying beautiful women for display—it was quite a lively scene.

Occasionally, Meng Tong would stop to look at or buy things that interested him, such as fine spices, fabrics, and ornaments.

……

It took Meng Tong a full half hour to finally arrive at the West City. Compared to the bustling South City, this place was much quieter, and the air was filled with unpleasant smells.

Seeing the droppings of some unknown animal under her feet, Meng Tong casually asked a shopkeeper on the street, lifting her skirt.

"Shopkeeper, I'd like to ask if you sell piglets or other poultry here?"

"Young lady, you want to buy?"

Standing at the entrance of his own shop, a burly shopkeeper was butchering a freshly slaughtered domestic pig, with several waiters of similar appearance standing beside him.

They had never seen such a young girl before, and as soon as they saw her and asked her a question, they all put down what they were doing and looked over.

Seeing that Meng Tong showed no sign of panic, the shopkeeper's face showed a hint of relief, and then he continued, "If you want to buy poultry, you have to come early, they're all gone now."

"I know, I just came to ask."

How many do you want to buy?

Without stopping his hands, the shopkeeper glanced up at Meng Tong while cutting the meat.

Upon hearing this, the woman knew he was trying to find out, and then she glanced at the shop behind him.

Meng Tong hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "How many do you have, shopkeeper? If you have any sows, I'd like some too. The master recently acquired a new estate, and he asked me to come and inquire."

"Oh, such a boastful tone."

Clearly showing interest, the shopkeeper casually handed the knife in his hand to the man beside him.

Then he took off the black leather apron he was wearing.

He glanced at Meng Tong and said, "Would you dare come in and talk?"

"can."

Without hesitation, Meng Tong stepped into the store and discovered that it was a shop selling braised food.