After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

"What has my older brother been doing while I was away?"

Zhao Shiyu bathed with the help of her maids, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall, adding a touch of gloom to her otherwise bright appearance.

Her gaze sharpened as she looked at the maid who was wiping her body; there was no trace of the weak demeanor she had shown in front of the Jiang family mother and son.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the Young Master has not left the residence these past few days. His reason is that with the Prince away, the residence cannot be left unattended."

"Heh~ Taking charge, what a fine way to take charge!"

Zhao Shiyu waved away the maid, and the steam rising from the bathtub blurred her face.

Yuanzhou City Garrison Battalion —

"Your Highness, the steward of the Prince's residence has come to report that a distinguished guest has arrived. The Princess and the Princess are already entertaining the guest. The Princess has sent the head steward to invite you back to the residence!"

Upon hearing this, the King of Shu clenched his hands in his sleeves, but his expression remained calm.

"Prepare the horses! Return to the Prince's Palace!"

King Zhao Ying of Shu returned to his palace after a long and arduous journey. He dismissed the servants who had prepared water and robes and went directly to his and his queen's main courtyard.

"princess!"

"Your Highness! You're back!"

When the Princess of Shu saw that her husband hadn't changed his clothes, she knew that he had understood what her daughter had told her.

Not daring to worry her husband, she immediately recounted how Zhao Shiyu had returned home that morning.

"Shiyu is taking a bath and changing clothes now, and will be here soon. Your Highness can rest assured that your daughter is fine, not injured, and not bullied. She is just a little weak because she has been hungry for a few days."

"Yes, Shiyu has always been a smart girl. This accident was deliberately orchestrated by someone, but the person behind it all..."

They hid it too well!

"Alright, Your Highness, we can put the investigation into the mastermind on hold for now. There are still many things to attend to. Have you forgotten? The entire city of Yuanzhou is still under lockdown; people can only enter, not leave."

"Alas, yes, then we'll have to put on another show. It will be hard on you, Your Highness."

The King of Shu's eyes softened with tenderness; his daughter had been found, and his tense nerves finally relaxed.

"Yu'er is also my daughter. Why is Your Highness saying such things?"

As they were talking, Zhao Shiyu walked over gracefully, her face now showing her usual gentle and innocent expression.

"Father, Mother."

Zhao Shiyu curtsied, and the King of Shu quickly stepped forward to help her up, carefully examining her.

"Yu'er, you have suffered. It is your father's fault for not finding you in time. Don't worry, your father will not let those who plotted against you off lightly!"

Zhao Shiyu's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, which she quickly suppressed.

“Father, this matter needs further consideration. While I was trapped, I discovered some interesting things.”

The King of Shu and his queen exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of confusion...

Wangfu Guest House —

"Mingfei, when do you think the people from the Prince's Mansion will let us leave? They can't keep detaining us indefinitely just because of the Princess's reputation, can they?"

The Prince of Shu's mansion was the highest-ranking family Lin Yueniang had ever entered in her life, and naturally possessed the awe that people of this era held for the powerful and wealthy.

Jiang Xiaoqi noticed her mother's nervousness and could only offer words of comfort.

Lin Xiao was still wearing the imposing and flamboyant robe that Jiang Xiaoqi had chosen for him, and he was awkwardly scratching and fidgeting.

"Brother Lin, you have lice?"

Lin Xiao's hand paused. Lice? What lice? After a beat of slow reaction, he looked up at Jiang Xiaoqi, his eyes full of accusation.

"Hehe, don't be angry, don't be angry. You can change when you get back."

Lin Xiao likes simple clothes. Although his family are all military officers, he has never seen anyone in his family dress like this since he was a child.

This peacock costume makes him look like a soldier, but he looks even more like a theatrical performer!

"Is this Prince's residence planning to invite us to have lunch?"

Lin Xiao couldn't help but walk to the door and look around, just in time to run into the servant who came to deliver a message.

The servant said respectfully, "Gentlemen, the princess invites you."

Lin Mo and Fu Ling waited in the guest courtyard, while Jiang Xiaoqi and her son, along with Lin Xiao, followed the servant back to the reception room.

At this moment, Zhao Shiyu was wearing a light pink glazed brocade dress, which shimmered in the sunlight.

Simply put, it's the reflection of light off the gold threads on the clothes.

The Prince of Shu and his wife sat at the head of the table. When the Prince of Shu saw Jiang Xiaoqi and the other two, he frowned slightly.

"So it was the three of you who saved Shiyu?"

Jiang Xiaoqi: Isn't this a rhetorical question? He didn't believe that the Princess and the Princess hadn't told the Prince of Shu what had happened in the beginning, but he still answered with two words.

"Exactly."

The King of Shu nodded, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and didn't rush to ask the next question.

He's a prince, so it's normal for him to have some airs... Normal my ass!

Even if they are princes, they are the benefactors who saved his daughter. Even if they are not given any special treatment, they shouldn't be deliberately ignored!

Otherwise, you should just open the gates of the Prince's Mansion right away; they don't care about having lunch at the Prince's Mansion!

"Yuanzhou City will be fully reopened today. What are your plans?"

Jiang Xiaoqi: Huh? What do you mean? Yuanzhou is out of control, so they're doomed too?

"We were traveling and studying abroad when we passed through Yuanzhou City. We heard that it was spring-like all year round, so we thought we would stay for a while."

Today, the lockdown on Yuanzhou has been lifted, so we will pass through the city and head towards Chunyi County. Once we get tired of staying in Chunyi, we'll continue south.

After hearing Jiang Xiaoqi's words, the King of Shu put down his teacup and said, "Since you gentlemen still wish to travel, I will not insist that you stay."

But before you all leave the palace, I have a request to make. I wonder if you would be willing to grant it?

Jiang Xiaoqi's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm and said, "Your Highness, please grant my request! If it is within my power, I will certainly grant it."

……

Finally leaving the Prince's mansion, Lin Yueniang felt that even the air outside was much better.

Belatedly remembering something, she raised her hand and peeled off the temporary "matchmaker's mole" on her face.

The Prince's Mansion acted swiftly; by the time the group arrived at the city gate, they had already seen a long queue of people waiting to leave the city.

"It's getting late, let's find a place to have lunch, and then we probably won't have to stand in line like idiots anymore."

Jiang Xiaoqi disliked queuing in her previous life, and she can't stand it in this life either, so she'd better travel during off-peak hours!

"There's a wonton stall over there, and a sesame seed cake stall next to it."

Fuling's eyes are like a food scanner; she quickly found two decent stalls.

As for a three-story restaurant, she hadn't even considered it; a meal there would be incredibly expensive. Her masters had already spent a considerable amount of money on the journey, so of course, she wanted to save wherever possible.

So Li Mo and she tacitly agreed to cook for themselves whenever possible, and to eat at roadside stalls instead of restaurants.

The four of them ordered four large bowls of wontons, and Fuling went to the sesame seed cake stall next door and bought eight sesame seed cakes.

Sure enough, after the four finished lunch, the congestion at the city gate eased.

"Brother Lin, are you coming to Chunyi with us, or..."

"I have to go home and get my mother's dowry back. We'll meet again someday!"

Lin Xiao finally changed his clothes and hid the dowry list he had retrieved from the abandoned house very carefully.

"Um, I haven't taken the provincial examination yet..."

"So what? Do you think I won't see you during the imperial examination?"

"Haha, great! We'll meet again someday in the capital!"

See you in the capital!