Once again placed under house arrest in the old lady's courtyard, Yun Xi was "escorted" out under the watchful eyes of a group of maids and servants, as if she were a thief.
Thinking about how they had treated her young mistress, Yu Zhu was still fuming even after they left the courtyard.
However, looking at Yun Xi, she seemed relaxed and in high spirits.
"Miss, I can't believe you're still smiling. Those people are just too much!"
"Especially that Nanny Qian. She dared to act like a big shot and order you to clean the spittoon! I just want to punch her right in the face!"
This Nanny Qian had always been a bully when the previous mistress was alive, and now she was picking on the young mistress!
Her young mistress was, after all, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion. How dare Nanny Qian order her mistress to do the work that only a low - level maid would do? She really deserved a beating!
As Yu Zhu spoke, she angrily waved her fist at the air.
Yun Xi sneered and took Yu Zhu's hand.
"Don't be angry. It's a waste of time to get angry with someone like her who acts tough but is actually a coward and flatters the powerful while bullying the weak."
Evil people will surely get their just deserts. Sooner or later, Nanny Qian would taste the bitter fruit of her actions!
Although Yu Zhu knew Yun Xi was right, she still couldn't swallow her anger.
"Luckily, you were smart enough to make the old lady let you go. Otherwise, who knows what else they would have done to you!"
During the time she had been with Yun Xi, Yu Zhu noticed that her young mistress was really different from before.
When faced with injustice, instead of meekly accepting it, she could quickly seize the opportunity and fight back cleanly, which made Yu Zhu very happy.
Hearing Yu Zhu's words, Yun Xi smiled cunningly.
"If I didn't act quickly, how could I have time to do my own things?"
"Miss, you still want to go outside the city gate!"
Looking at the snowflakes flying all over the sky, Yu Zhu couldn't help but frown.
"Of course!"
Yun Xi gave Yu Zhu a bright smile and walked quickly towards the courtyard gate.
She had never intended to give up this plan. It was just that the old lady was a bit of a problem, and she couldn't completely ignore her.
Now that the old lady had angrily kicked her out, at least she wouldn't be called there for a while, and she could finally start working on her own business!
However, just as the mistress and maid left the mansion and got into the carriage, a majestic voice came over loudly.
"Xier! Where are you going?"
Because of the heavy snow today, the morning court had ended early. Yun Sheng had just returned to the mansion and unexpectedly bumped into his daughter about to go out. He immediately walked quickly over and blocked the carriage.
As soon as she sat down, Yun Xi heard her father's voice. She couldn't help but close her eyes and wished she could pretend not to hear.
But under Yu Zhu's urging, she slowly stood up, lifted the curtain of the carriage, and a bitter smile appeared on her face.
"What a coincidence, Father. You're back so early!"
Seeing that it was really his daughter, Yun Sheng immediately frowned and snorted.
"If I had come back any later, you would have slipped away again! How many times have I told you, why do you always run outside as a young girl?"
"Now it's not safe anywhere in the capital. If something happens to you, how can I explain it to your mother?"
Yun Sheng had a cold face and stared at his daughter sharply.
However, Yun Xi looked unconvinced and muttered in a low voice.
"Then I won't explain."
"What did you say?"
Although Yun Xi's voice was low, it still reached Yun Sheng's ears. He stared at her in disbelief with wide - open eyes.
In the past, he always thought his daughter was too obedient. He even worried that she would be bullied by her in - laws after marriage. But somehow, his daughter had changed.
She not only talked back to him but also ignored his repeated warnings!
"Go home."
Yun Sheng ordered, but Yun Xi hung her head, bit her lip, and didn't say a word. She didn't move either.
The father and daughter confronted each other for a while, neither willing to give in. At this moment, a clear voice broke the deadlock.
"Prime Minister Yun, why don't you listen to your daughter's thoughts first and then decide whether to let her go out?"
Yun Xi looked up in surprise and only then noticed that there was a man behind her father. He was tall and had handsome features. He was smiling at her at the moment.
"Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Yun Xi curtsied. It was a bit embarrassing to be seen in this situation by an outsider.
She couldn't figure out why the Crown Prince, who usually didn't get involved in politics, would come to the Prime Minister's Mansion, especially on such a snowy day.
"What can she do? She's just worried about those refugees outside the city. But the situation there is very tricky now. What can a young girl do?"
The sudden deaths of the refugees had been happening one after another, which had made the people in the capital panic. Even the emperor couldn't sleep or eat in peace.
Worried that there might be a new disease hidden among the refugees besides the plague, the emperor had been summoning his ministers every day to discuss the matter, but they hadn't come up with any solutions.
The emperor was so angry that he even ordered the Imperial Medical Academy to come up with a countermeasure within a month before the New Year.
Otherwise, everyone in the Imperial Medical Academy, from the top to the bottom, would be severely punished!
Moreover, he wouldn't allow his daughter to take risks. Even if the Crown Prince tried to persuade him, it wouldn't work!
"Who says I can't do anything?"
Yun Xi was unconvinced. She thought her father was sometimes too old - fashioned. He still treated her like a two - or three - year - old child, not telling her anything and not allowing her to do anything.
Even if she was willing to be a parasite, she didn't want to be such a useless one!
"Fine, then tell me what you can do?"
"You're just a young girl and don't know anything about medicine. Even the Imperial Medical Academy can't solve this problem. Can you solve it just by going there?"
Although he didn't object to his daughter doing good deeds, he wanted her to understand that the urgent problem now was not the food and clothing of the refugees, but something more serious.
Even if his daughter went outside the city, at most she could just add a few more cotton - padded clothes and an extra meal for the refugees.
It wouldn't help solve the fundamental problem at all!
Seeing that her father was so skeptical of her, Yun Xi got angry.
"I'm going out this time to solve the problem of the sudden deaths of the refugees! If Father doesn't believe me, why won't you let me try?"
As soon as Yun Xi said this, before Yun Sheng could say anything, Qi Yu's eyes lit up. He stared at Yun Xi's delicate face with excitement.
"You have a way?"
Meeting Qi Yu's hopeful black eyes, Yun Xi bit her lip and said uncertainly.
"I won't know until I try it myself."
She had been studying medical books desperately at home recently and knew a bit about medical principles. Based on what she had seen this morning, she had a certain degree of confidence in her mind.
But she didn't dare to say that she was 100% sure!
Hearing his daughter's words, Yun Sheng's face darkened even more.
"No. I've said that the situation outside the city is complex and dangerous. I won't allow you to go!"
Not knowing whether Yun Xi was just making up an excuse to go outside the city, Yun Sheng firmly blocked her way.
As he spoke, he stepped forward to grab his daughter's wrist, but Yun Xi dodged to the side and nimbly hid behind the Crown Prince. She grabbed the Crown Prince's arm with both hands, poked her head out, and stared angrily at her father, Yun Sheng.
"I'm going today. Father, what you're delaying now is not time but lives!"