After the interstellar female general died in battle, she transmigrated into the body of a dashing p

Soon, Zheng Zhian transformed from a noble and adorable princess into an ordinary farm boy, but his porcelain-white and delicate face made him look nothing like a child from an ordinary family.

Xiao Huachi took her, not entirely satisfied with the result, and reluctantly said, "That's fine."

Ling Fei also came out from the other side through the small door, having changed into a set of plain cotton and linen clothes. Despite the ordinary clothes, he somehow managed to look like a clothes thief.

"Don't slouch so straight. Yes, smile." Xiao Huachi taught him how to be an ordinary person with a look of disdain.

Even when going out, Ling Fei would hunch over and move his arms and legs in unison.

It looked ridiculous no matter how you looked at it. Zheng Zhian couldn't stop laughing. "Ling Fei is just walking normally, isn't he?" He was really afraid that someone would mistake him for a bad guy and arrest him on the street!

Ling Fei breathed a sigh of relief, straightened his back, and finally felt comfortable.

"Hey! You..."

Seeing that the old man was about to scold him, Zheng Zhian immediately tightened his grip on his neck and asked curiously, "Master, what exactly are you going to do?"

"Don't you like going out of the palace? Today I'll show you around to your heart's content!"

If it weren't for his sarcastic tone, Zheng Zhian would have truly believed him, and she wouldn't have cared what he was actually trying to do.

Unexpectedly, they really did just wander around, looking at this and that along the way.

Why go through all this trouble just to go shopping?

After walking for a while, Zheng Zhian realized that this was South Street, which she had never been to before, and it was just as bustling and prosperous as North Street.

When they left South Street, Zheng Zhian thought he would go straight to North Street, but instead he turned left and went through a small alley. The scene before her surprised her.

Just one alley away, the scenes are worlds apart; in comparison, West Street appears extremely noisy and chaotic.

Xiao Huachi still held the little one, slowly weaving through the various vendors' cries. Most of the itinerant vendors simply placed their bamboo baskets by the roadside, some even using a rough, large rag as a base for their wares.

Unlike North and South Street, even the roadside stalls have awnings to protect them from the wind and rain, and they look much more organized than here.

The stalls on West Street mostly sell all kinds of vegetables, poultry, livestock, and household and farm tools... but none of them sell cosmetics, jewelry, or antiques.

Arriving at a small stall on a corner, next to which was a small stove with steam rising from the pot, and two simple wooden tables.

Xiao Huachi put the little one down, casually found a seat, and called out loudly, "Shopkeeper, three bowls of soup noodles, please."

The stall was run by an elderly man who looked to be nearing sixty. He smiled kindly and said, "Please wait a moment, sir."

Zheng Zhian was about to climb onto the stool when he caught sight of Ling Fei still standing to the side. Helplessly, he pulled Ling Fei over, pointed to the stool, and said, "You sit down." He then turned back and climbed onto the stool again.

Why does this stool have to grow so tall for no reason?!

It took him a while to finally sit down, but he was still standing. Zheng Zhian said helplessly, "Hurry up and sit down!"

Kūki Kaze, who was standing next to him, said nonchalantly, "Please sit down."

Seeing that Elder Xiao had spoken, Ling Fei had no choice but to sit down, but he sat up straight, looking somewhat at a loss.

Before long, the old man brought out three bowls of meat pies, then wiped his calloused hands on his apron and said with a smile, "Please enjoy your meal, gentlemen."

"Thank you, sir!" Zheng Zhian replied sweetly, raising her little face.

The old man said awkwardly, "No, no."

Before Zheng Zhian could speak again, a loud voice rang out, "Old Sun, quickly give us two bowls of meat pies."

The old man turned to cook something and asked, "Old Wang, how's the firewood selling?"

"Don't mention it."

Zheng Zhian ate what was in his bowl, but his eyes were looking at the table opposite him. One of the people there looked like an elder, and the other was much younger and looked quite alike, so they were probably father and son.

"Those big restaurants in the north of the city say the food cooked with the firewood we cut isn't good, so they won't take it." The middle-aged man angrily slammed his fist on the wooden table.

The old man turned around and looked at them, as if looking for something. "Where's the firewood?" They wouldn't have thrown away the firewood they had worked so hard to chop!

"I sold it to a small restaurant at a low price." The middle-aged man was a little frustrated. "From now on, I'll just sell it in our Xicheng District, so as to save the trouble and time and not get any good results."

Why bother with firewood when cooking? Zheng Zhian looked at his master, who was enjoying his meal, with a puzzled expression.

Xiao Huachi indicated that they should finish eating first and then talk.

The old man served them the cooked soup noodles, and remembering what he had recently heard about the imperial examinations, he looked at the young man and said, "Isn't Xiao Wang educated? Let him try the imperial examinations too; maybe he can even pass them and get a degree!"

For poor families like theirs, their lives are destined to be filled with toil.

In the past, if the father was useless, the son was bound to be poor. Now that the emperor is granting special imperial examinations, isn't that giving the poor a chance to turn their lives around?

The man surnamed Wang snorted and glared at his son beside him. "My son can't even recognize all the characters in the Three Character Classic, yet he wants to take the imperial examinations." He then added dismissively, "Do you really think that with the imperial examinations, children from poor families like ours can become officials? Hmph, it's just another way of saying that rich kids can take the exams!"

Since the founding of the dynasty, An Chong had never heard of any official who came from humble origins.

The old man shook his head and sighed.

......

After the father and son left, Xiao Huachi picked up Zheng Zhian and prepared to leave as well, calling out, "Check, waiter."

The old man hurried over and said with a smile, "Sir, it'll be three coins in total."

Ling Fei consciously took out his money pouch from his pocket and handed the money to him.

The three of them left leisurely, just as they had arrived. Only then did Zheng Zhian ask, "Are things here so cheap?" She hadn't really paid attention to how much Zong Zhenping had paid when she bought things on North Street earlier.

Although this kid is intelligent, he's still young. He's been raised in luxury since birth, so it's normal that he doesn't understand.

Xiao Huachi explained with a serious expression, "Otherwise what? These people only earn seven or eight hundred coins a month if they work hard. If they can earn ten taels of silver a year, that would be very good for them."

"Is that so?" Zheng Zhian silently recalled that each of her clothes cost over a hundred taels. Before this, she had always thought that money here was calculated in taels.

The three of them finished strolling along West Street, and the sun had already set.

Back at the Star-Picking Tower, a figure in pure white sat with head bowed in a corner.

Zheng Zhian, who had been put down, raised his little face and said, "Senior brother is reading again."

Upon hearing this, Chu Mo raised his head and nodded slightly.

Xiao Huachi sat to the side, poured himself a cup of tea, and looking at her unserious little face, said seriously, "After seeing so much today, what are your thoughts?"

This trip with her wasn't just for fun.

Upon hearing this, Chu Mo looked at her in confusion. No wonder he hadn't seen his master after he came out of the palace; they had left the palace.

Zheng Zhian put away his joking and stood properly, reflecting on what he had seen and heard along the way. The difference between the people in just one alley was like heaven and earth. His master wanted him to think about the people.

Seeing her confusion, Xiao Huachi countered, "Why do you think the Emperor and the Duke of Yun didn't avenge your mother?"

She naturally knew the answer to this question. Zheng Zhian looked up and guessed, "First, Father and the others did not find out who was behind it, but..." This was obviously impossible.

You can tell from my grandfather's reaction yesterday.

Xiao Huachi knew what she meant by "but," and continued to ask, "Then what is the second one?"

“Secondly, it’s the person behind it.” Zheng Zhian frowned and said in a deep voice, “Someone in a high position with great power.”