Meng Zhang, the prefect of Hengyang Prefecture, had once won first place in the imperial examinations and became the top scholar. He was also quite handsome, which is why the eldest princess of the time took a fancy to him and married him.

Of course, he hadn’t been born yet at that time, so naturally it had nothing to do with him.

But later, the eldest imperial sister gave birth to a child. As the first grandson of the imperial family—even if only a maternal grandson—he was greatly favored by the Emperor and enjoyed unparalleled prestige. For a time, he even seemed poised to overshadow him.

Seeing her son’s favor, the eldest princess actually petitioned the Emperor to bestow a name upon him, and the name the Emperor granted was— hi.

Throughout history, this character has always been bestowed only upon imperial princes; for someone from an outsider family to receive such an honor has only made them even more arrogant.

Especially that Meng Zhi—he’s a master at playing the victim. He’d speak harshly to him, but in front of the Emperor, he’d put on an act of being bullied, even going so far as to falsely accuse him of abusing a kitten.

In reality, he had heard the agonized cries of a kitten in the Imperial Garden and followed the sound to find it. Just as he managed to wrest the dying kitten from Meng Zhi’s grasp, the Emperor suddenly appeared.

And Meng Zhi, the villain, actually turned the tables and accused him of being the one who had injured the kitten so badly. 

At the time, the kitten had just been snatched from Meng Zhi’s grasp, and its dying state was indeed quite convincing; as a result, the Emperor punished him by making him copy Buddhist scriptures countless times. Fortunately, his older brother and the Empress Dowager both believed him; otherwise, he would have been utterly devastated.

The Hengyang Prefecture they were heading to was Meng Zhang’s territory. Meng Zhi had always spent a few months at the Princess’s Mansion in the capital and a few months at his official residence in Meng Zhang. Although he was currently still in the capital, he felt extremely uncomfortable and had no desire to get involved with that family!

Liu Gonggong thought it was some big deal, but it was just a matter of not going to Hengyang Prefecture—they could simply go somewhere else. “Then shall we bypass Hengyang Prefecture and head straight to Miyang Prefecture?”

Xiao Yunqing was still displeased: “I don’t want to go to Miyang Prefecture either.” 

“Then where would Your Highness like to go?” Liu Gonggong remained patient.

Xiao Yunqing said, “We’ve been traveling entirely on the official roads. Every time we leave one prefectural city, the next county magistrate’s procession is already waiting by the roadside. They know our destination well in advance, and they always surround me and lead me to the wealthiest areas. What could we possibly uncover that way?”

Liu Gonggong nodded. 

Of course, this isn’t an inspection. It’s simply that His Majesty, seeing how gloomy His Highness has been in the palace, has found an excuse to let him get away from the Empress Dowager and take his mind off things at the same time. Of course, we’ll go wherever feels right.

“Since we’re on an inspection, we must go where they don’t want us to be seen, and our movements must remain unpredictable. Moreover, the better the place, the less we should go there. For instance, right now, we shouldn’t be taking this main road. Look, we should take this small path instead.” Xiao Yunqing pointed to a clearly secluded, wild path nearby.

“How can that be?” Liu Gonggong’s eyes widened as he protested, “That path is narrow and winding, and there’ll be plenty of insects. Our carriage won’t be able to pass, so we’ll have to walk. Our legs will be crawling with fuzzy bugs, and we might even end up with a bunch of bites.” 

Xiao Yunqing’s expression did indeed change. He quickly made up his mind and said nonchalantly, “It’s fine. Just have the attending physician prepare some medicine. Besides, it’s just a short walk—I can handle it.”

Liu Gonggong sighed. The prince had grown up; he wasn’t so easy to fool anymore.

This time, Xiao Yunqing was more stubborn than ever; no matter what Liu Gonggong said, he wouldn’t be swayed. He even refused to eat until he got his way.

Seeing that it had been a full hour since mealtime, Liu Gonggong finally couldn’t hold out any longer and gave in. “All right, I’ll do whatever Your Highness says. Shall we have our meal now?”

“Liu Gonggong loves me the most.” Xiao Yunqing finally broke into a smile.

Liu Gonggong sighed with a smile. He had first raised the late Emperor, and later been entrusted by the late Emperor with the care of his most beloved young prince, whom he had looked after since the boy could walk—treating him just like a child. “If Your Highness would just settle down a bit and listen more to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, this old servant would be much better off.”

A major decision, like the young prince wanting to change course and head straight for that remote area, must be reported to the Emperor immediately. While the young prince sat comfortably in the carriage, enjoying eight-treasure duck, candied fruits, and hibiscus cakes, Liu Gonggong could only diligently write a note to the Emperor to report the matter.

Little did Liu Gonggong expect that the path the young prince had casually pointed out would be in such terrible condition!

Not only was the road as muddy as he’d described—impassable for a carriage—but it was also overgrown with dense forests and poisonous undergrowth. They’d have to walk through the woods wearing the medicinal pouches prepared by the imperial physician. Liu Gonggong’s legs went weak, and when he looked up, lo and behold, the young prince was shivering too. 

Xiao Yunqing’s face darkened as he looked at the thick grass before him, which stood taller than his waist. Glancing back at Liu Gonggong’s trembling belly, he felt a surge of defiance. Grabbing the medicinal pouches, he gritted his teeth and led the way into the thicket.

Liu Gonggong hurried to follow.

Since the young prince was determined to stick to his guns and wouldn’t turn back until he hit a wall, he had no choice but to quickly order his accompanying guards to go ahead of him and cut down all the tall grass and shrubs to clear a path for the prince.

Once they had finally made it through that difficult stretch, another mountain loomed before them. “At least there’s a path here,” Liu Gonggong consoled himself. “We can still travel by carriage.”

But then, right on the mountain road, they ran into bandits.

Liu Gonggong felt like crying but had no tears left—what kind of luck was this! And these bandits were downright stupid.

Not only did they fail to notice the numerous guards flanking the carriage, but they also didn’t realize that such an elaborate and magnificent carriage was far beyond their capacity to provoke—they were just a bunch of rustic villagers wildly swinging kitchen knives and farm tools!

In the end, they had no choice but to have the guards each grab two bandits and take them to the local county office. From the moment they were hauled away, the bandits had been wailing and crying out for their parents, begging the magistrates to spare them. Their faces were smeared with snot and tears. Liu Gonggong, annoyed by the commotion, ordered the guards to find something to stuff into their mouths.

They had been traveling for two days, physically and mentally exhausted, and had not encountered a single place to rest along the way. It was only by chance that they came across this band of bandits; knowing there was a county town ahead, they thought they could finally get some rest.

But when they arrived at the county magistrate’s office, there wasn’t a soul in sight—not even a guard at the gate. What if bandits had broken in? Liu Gonggong couldn’t help but sneer with contempt, “It really is a backwater. How dare they be so negligent in their duties?”

If this had happened in the palace, he would have been dragged out and beheaded long ago.

Eunuch Liu Gonggong glanced over and immediately ordered the guards to strike the drum of grievance. Upon hearing the drumbeat from inside the room, Xiang Shiye and Feng Xin both startled.

It was simply that the drum of grievance had been sounded so rarely in recent years; most disputes were resolved at the Shenming Pavilion in front of the main gate. The Shenming Pavilion handled neighborhood disputes, and such matters were generally not worth bringing before the court for judgment.

If a neighborhood dispute arose, the parties involved would be summoned directly to the Shenming Pavilion. With the parties in conflict, as well as authoritative elders such as village chiefs, neighborhood leaders, or clan heads, would gather there, and the elder would mediate in the middle.

It must be said that the Shenming Pavilion has helped resolve many conflicts that might otherwise have escalated, turning major issues into minor ones and letting them fade away without a trace.

Even Duan Jin, upon hearing of this, praised it as an effective mechanism for resolving conflicts and disputes diversely, noting that it should have been reported to higher authorities long ago to be recognized as a model of excellence.

The legal advisor, however, blushed at the praise, insisting it was merely a haphazard experiment he’d been conducting over the years to foster neighborly bonds—hardly something that could be called “exemplary model.”

Hearing the drumbeat, both men hurried out.

A large crowd stood at the entrance, every one of them dressed in fine, luxurious attire, looking just like characters from a storybook. Xiang Shiye was momentarily dazed, wondering, “Could the young prince really be here?”

Then he heard a plump old man in front of him shriek, “What are you standing there for? Pay your respects to the Prince!”

Xiang Shiye felt his vision go dark; his worst fears had come true. He hurriedly pulled Feng Xin down to his knees and cried, “We pay our respects to the Prince! Long live the Prince!”

Liu Gonggong sized him up. He was an old man, lean and wiry—barely passable for a small town. He looked at Xiang Shiye and asked, “Are you the county magistrate?”

Xiang Shiye shook his head. “I am merely the county’s counselor—Xiang Boqiu. The Magistrate has gone down to the village with another constable. I’ll have someone summon him back immediately.” As he spoke, he gave Feng Xin a meaningful glance.

“Never mind, the secretary will do. These bandits intended to assassinate the Prince. Where is the jail?” Liu Gonggong glanced at the bandits being led by the guards. The bandits were wailing uncontrollably; upon hearing that their crime was “attempting to assassinate the Prince,” their eyes widened in horror.

Realizing that such a terrible charge surely meant beheading—and perhaps even torture on the bed of nails or wearing red shoes—they all shuddered, their faces turning ashen. In an instant, the air was filled with a chaotic mix of sobbing, wailing, and cries of innocence.

After Xiang Shiye pointed in a direction, Liu Gonggong waved his hand, signaling the guards to throw the men inside.

Liu Gonggong squeaked in a high-pitched voice, “The Prince has come here on an inspection tour, so he will be staying at the county yamen for two days. You…” Xiang Shiye hurriedly replied, “I’ll go prepare the room immediately.”

Duan Jin had only given it a passing thought before; he never expected the young prince to actually arrive. By the time he rushed back, the inner quarters of the county yamen were already in complete disarray.

Suddenly, the courtyard was packed with people. Ever since he’d entered the county government compound, people had been stopping him one after another, and he’d had to pull out his magistrate’s token time and again to prove his identity.

Until a plump, white-haired old man stood before him, and he instinctively thrust his badge forward.

Liu Gonggong choked on his words, swallowing the “Who are you?” he had been about to ask. He glanced down at the badge with a condescending look before saying, “So you’re the county magistrate?”

The man’s gaze was clearly unfriendly, but Duan Jin knew he was a confidant of the Young Prince. Given the circumstances, he forced a gentle smile and said, “Yes. Are you Liu Gonggong?”

Liu Gonggong nodded, sizing him up from head to toe. Only then did he notice that this county magistrate was dressed in coarse hemp robes, his shoes caked in mud. With such disheveled attire, how could he possibly present himself before the Prince!

“It would be best for you to tidy yourself up first, Magistrate,” Liu Gonggong said, glancing at his feet.

Duan Jin froze for a moment upon hearing this and looked down at himself. Indeed, he had slipped into a mud puddle just two days earlier when he first went to the countryside, but since then, he had kept himself spotless every day. Yet today, in his haste, he had stepped in mud again.

It would indeed be inappropriate to meet anyone looking like this, let alone the young prince, who was treated with the utmost reverence. He nodded and said, “Liu Gonggong is right. I’ll go back and change right away.”

With that, he turned to head back to his room.

“Wait, where are you going?” Liu Gonggong stepped in to block his path.

Duan Jin was puzzled. “Didn’t Liu Gonggong tell me to go back to my room to change?”

Liu Gonggong thought to himself, “I told you to change, but I didn’t tell you to walk past the prince covered in mud before changing.” 

“The prince is inside; you can’t go in right now.”

Duan Jin：“……”

“Then how am I supposed to change?”

Liu Gonggong was at a loss, too. “How about…”

Before he could finish, footsteps sounded from behind.

“Liu Gonggong? Who are you talking to?”