The princess was ordained by Heaven.

In the following days, the imperial court discussed this matter.

Three days later, Tao Heng set off with a group of guards.

Zheng Xun saw him off out of the city, then went to the street to buy some food and novelties before entering the palace.

The emperor was reviewing memorials in his study. The memorials were piled high on the table, and from the outside, only the top of his head could be seen.

"Why so early? Is something the matter?"

Zheng Xun handed the pastries he was carrying to Li Xiaojun, smiling shyly, "Father..."

"Don't pretend."

Zheng Xun rubbed his face and said normally, "Father, can I have Zheng Jiu and Zheng Shi?"

Although neither the original owner nor she was very familiar with the emperor, she had already noticed that the emperor had become inexplicably closer to her and more tolerant of her.

She's shameless, so naturally she'll take advantage of the situation.

The emperor handed a completed memorial to Li Xiaojun, put down his pen, and expressionlessly pointed to the door of the imperial study: "Turn around and get out."

Zheng Xun, without any expression, pouted and said, "Father, don't be so stingy..."

"Am I being stingy, or are you asking for an exorbitant price?"

"Father~"

"Do you know how much effort and money it takes to train a bodyguard?"

Zheng Xun blinked, avoiding the question, "Please, Father Emperor~"

[I only asked you for it because I knew. I don't even mind that the secret guards will help you monitor me, so why are you still reluctant to part with it? You're so stingy!]

The emperor was furious but laughed; “Giving it to you is not impossible. I can not only give you Zheng Jiu and Zheng Shi, but also ten Azure Dragon Guards.”

The Azure Dragon Guard was established by the emperor and served as his direct personal guards, each member of which was a highly skilled individual.

The Azure Dragon Guard has high requirements, with only 500 people in total. If there's a chance to recruit ten, Zheng Xun could no longer contain himself, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a crazy smile.

[So generous?! This is a steal!]

[Father, Father, Father, you are my real father, from now on you are my royal father!]

emperor:……

It's as if I'm not your real father if I'm stingy.

He changed the subject: "However, you must tell me what you and A-Jin are doing."

Hesitating even for a blink of an eye would be disrespectful to her beloved secret guards and Azure Dragon Guards. Zheng Xun blurted out everything.

“Some of the travelogues and stories are based on the Brown Kingdom. If they are corroborated, we might be able to compile a map of the Brown Kingdom,” she said, not making any definitive statements. “However, this is just a hypothesis. Whether it will work is not guaranteed, so I have not publicized it widely.”

Even so, it was enough to excite the emperor.

"Good! Good! Good!" He stood up and paced back and forth. "Xun'er, you are my unicorn son!"

Zheng Xun humbly replied, "This matter still depends on Second Sister."

"Your second sister?"

"Yes. My second sister is proficient in fine brushwork, numerology, and the art of astronomy. She is knowledgeable, has traveled to famous mountains and rivers, and has some knowledge of geography. However, my second sister is still young, and this is not something she can do alone. Therefore, we need to find some people to help."

The emperor was surprised that she spoke so highly of Zheng Jin, and even more surprised that Zheng Jin possessed such abilities.

Who could give birth to him!

Look at her children, each one is a rare talent.

He was secretly gloating, but outwardly he solemnly took out a token: "Alright, here you go. You can use this to mobilize your ten Azure Dragon Guards."

Actually, I had prepared it a long time ago, but this time I had a formal reason for giving it to her.

Zheng Xun happily said goodbye to him and went to find Zheng Jin with a few books in her arms.

"Second sister, second sister, I've brought you some books!"

Zheng Jin was arranging flowers when she heard her voice and let out a long, painful sigh: "Why are you still sending them?"

The books that the ministers had read last time were all sent to Zheng Jin, and she hasn't finished reading them yet, so they've come again.

"How much of the book did Second Sister read last time?"

"I've done a quick look and just picked out the ones that need further study."

Zheng Xun stared in disbelief: "So fast?"

"It's alright, I just skimmed through it and didn't remember anything."

"That's amazing."

Zheng Xun couldn't help but sigh.

That's why she's worthy of being the female lead in a book.

[My second sister's excellence is beyond doubt, but it's a pity that her marriages have been too bumpy. All three of her marriages ended in dismal failure. But even so, it did not defeat her. Instead, it made her brilliance and radiance even more dazzling. No wonder the seventh prince of the Brown Kingdom later tried to take her away by trickery. If I were a man, I would also want to reach for the moon in the sky.]

Zheng Jin's scissors wobbled, and she accidentally cut the flower branch at an angle.

Is your marriage going badly...?

Zheng Jin seemed to be deep in thought.

Actually, she doesn't have to get married. She's a princess. If she really likes someone, it would be best if she could take him as a male concubine. If not, she should just let go.

And what is this seventh prince of the Brown Kingdom? Alright, so it was you who wanted to force yourself on me, huh? Just you wait! If I don't cripple him, she's not a Zheng.

It must be said that although Zheng Jin was still young at this time, her carefree and open-minded nature was already beginning to show.

Zheng Jiao, who grew up in the royal family, and Zheng Jin, who has royal blood, are essentially similar.

Zheng Xun had no idea that the female lead's future official partner had already been replaced by her. She smiled and said, "Second sister, take your time. There's no rush. When I have the chance, I'll go around and see if I can find you a few helpers."

“That would be perfect,” Zheng Jin breathed a sigh of relief. “There are so many books; it wouldn’t be easy for me to manage them all by myself.”

Zheng Xun greeted her with a smile and exchanged a few pleasantries before leaving the pastries he had brought for her.

Zheng Jin's brows relaxed, and she was in a pleasant mood.

My sister brought her some snacks; my sister must care about her!

Zheng Xun then turned and went to Consort Xian's residence—Jingyue Palace.

This was her most important destination on this trip to the palace.

There weren't many people in Jingyue Palace. Zheng Xun was a familiar face, and along the way, the palace servants didn't bother to announce her arrival.

On a hot summer day, several eunuchs and palace maids were catching cicadas in a small garden. The large trees in the garden had not been pruned and grew freely and luxuriantly, making it a perfect place to cool off.

As soon as you get close, you can smell the scent of mosquito repellent. The virtuous concubine, dressed in simple purple, is grinding something with a stone pestle. Beside her, a boy of about ten years old is leaning back in a recliner, looking at a book in his hands.

Zheng Xun waved: "Aunt Ping, brother!"

The original owner had many older brothers at the academy, but only this one.

Consort Xian looked up at him and smiled: "Come here, Auntie has chilled some almond shortbread. Try it in a bit. I specially saved it for you. Si Nan doesn't have any."

She turned and instructed the maid to bring out the cheese, leaving only Zheng Xun and Consort Xian and her son in the courtyard.

The Sixth Prince put down his book, smiled gently, and called her by her nickname: "Sweetie, it's been a long time since you've come!"

He was thin and frail, with skin that was always pale from lack of sunlight. He was curled up in a large recliner, looking so pitiful that it touched one's heart.

Zheng Xun moved a small stool and sat down next to the Sixth Prince, gently pinching his sleeve and explaining softly, "A lot has happened recently, I didn't mean to not come."

"What interesting thing happened?"