On the evening of the next day, Feng Yunshu made an excuse to go out and look at jewelry. Hearing this, Helan Yanting said that he would send Yan Liu to go with her to protect her safety. Feng Yunshu quickly shook her head and declined.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness. Your concubine just wants to go out and stroll around some jewelry and fabric shops. It's not convenient for a man like him to follow. Your concubine will return to the mansion early."
"All right then. Be careful, Madam. Take this purse. Have Lao Xu go to the accounting room for more money when you've spent it all."
Feng Yunshu wasn't polite. She reached out and took the bulging purse. "Thank you, Your Highness."
It would be foolish not to take the money that was given for free.
Feng Yunshu didn't expect that it would be so easy for her to go out. However, the two maids, Zilan and Axi, kept following her persistently. They were like a tail that she couldn't shake off.
"Zilan, this princess wants to eat steamed buns. Could you go to the famous bun shop in the east of the city and buy some? I want meat buns!"
"Axi, this princess suddenly wants to eat the pineapple cakes from the pastry shop in the west of the city. Go and buy some. I'll take them back to the mansion to eat."
Axi was a bit worried. "Princess, if Axi goes, won't you be in danger staying here alone?"
"There are so many people coming and going on this long street. How could there be any danger? Hurry up and go. This princess will wait for you here."
"All right then. Princess, just stroll around here. Don't go too far. Axi will be back soon!"
Feng Yunshu nodded with a smile and waved at her. "Okay, hurry up."
Watching the two maids leave, Feng Yunshu immediately turned around and headed towards the Jing Prince's Mansion of Dongfang Yuan.
As soon as Feng Yunshu left, a figure flashed behind her and silently followed her.
In the Jing Prince's Mansion.
Dongfang Yuan had been waiting in the mansion early. When the maid in the mansion saw Feng Yunshu coming, she immediately led her into the room and then took out a set of maid's clothes.
"Princess Helan, please change into this quickly."
"Where's His Highness?"
"His Highness is waiting in the outer hall."
Feng Yunshu changed into the maid's clothes and coiled her hair into a double bun like a maid. At first glance, she really looked the part. However, this maid's appearance was too eye - catching, and it was hard for people not to notice her.
To make herself look more ordinary, Feng Yunshu asked the maid to bring some cosmetics and applied them on herself. Finally, she looked at the ordinary - looking face in the mirror with a satisfied expression. The facial features were rather comical, but at first glance, she really blended in with the crowd.
After getting dressed up properly, Feng Yunshu went out and walked to the front hall.
In the front hall, Dongfang Yuan was standing with his hands behind his back. When he heard the footsteps, he turned around. At first sight of the person, he almost didn't recognize her. He was obviously a bit surprised at Feng Yunshu's new look.
"Your Highness?"
Feng Yunshu noticed Dongfang Yuan's surprise and reminded him. "Didn't you almost fail to recognize your concubine at first sight?"
Dongfang Yuan looked at Feng Yunshu's rather comical appearance and couldn't help laughing. "Why did you dress up like this?"
"It's to avoid being recognized. It seems that my disguise is quite successful. You, Your Highness, didn't recognize your concubine even when you were this close."
Dongfang Yuan had to nod in agreement. "It's really a good disguise."
"Shall we go then?"
Dongfang Yuan nodded with a smile in his eyes. "Yes, you follow this king into the palace."
Soon, Feng Yunshu, pretending to be a maid, followed behind Dongfang Yuan and successfully sneaked into the palace.
After entering the palace, Dongfang Yuan led Feng Yunshu towards the main hall.
"Yunshu, this king has inquired everywhere but still hasn't found out where Father Emperor has hidden that spiritual beast. Even if we've entered the palace, how are you going to find the spiritual beast?"
On the way, Dongfang Yuan whispered to Feng Yunshu.
Feng Yunshu whispered mysteriously, "Your Highness doesn't need to worry about this. As long as you can let your concubine enter the palace smoothly without being noticed."
Of course, Feng Yunshu couldn't tell Dongfang Yuan that she had a connection with Xiaoling. As long as she found a secluded place nearby, held her breath, and released her aura to sense, she would surely be able to feel Xiaoling's presence.
Feng Yunshu was just about to separate from Dongfang Yuan and act on her own when a man in a brocade robe, looking imposing, walked towards them from the front.
"It's getting late. What brings you, the third brother, into the palace at this time?"
When the man got closer, Feng Yunshu saw clearly that it was the Crown Prince, Dongfang Qi.
Dongfang Yuan stopped and looked at the Crown Prince with a faint smile. "Your Majesty, my mother - concubine has been feeling unwell recently. She said that she would start to have a headache as soon as the sun set. This subject is worried about my mother - concubine's safety, so I've come to the palace to visit her."
Dongfang Qi nodded after hearing this. "The third brother is well - known for his filial piety. With such a heart, I'm sure that Concubine Hui will recover soon."
As he spoke, Dongfang Qi's eyes thoughtfully swept over Feng Yunshu, who was standing a bit behind with her head down.
"This maid behind the third brother looks rather unfamiliar. I wonder which palace she's from. Could it be that the third brother has even forgotten the way to Concubine Hui's palace and needs this little maid to lead the way?"
Dongfang Yuan quietly moved a bit to block Feng Yunshu behind him. "Your Majesty always likes to joke with this subject. This little maid is going with this subject to Concubine Hui's palace to get something. It's just on the way."
Dongfang Qi raised his eyebrows and took a step forward. "This maid looks rather smart and good - looking. This Crown Prince really lacks such a delicate maid to serve him. How about the third brother let this maid go back with this Crown Prince?"
"Your Majesty is joking again. Hehe, she's just a clumsy maid with a plain appearance. She's not as good as Your Majesty said. She might displease Your Majesty if she goes to the Eastern Palace. If Your Majesty really needs one, this subject will surely find a top - notch one and send it to the Eastern Palace personally."
"Oh? It seems that the third brother is not willing to give this little maid to this Crown Prince?" Dongfang Qi raised his eyebrows and looked at Dongfang Yuan meaningfully.
"She's just a little maid. There are plenty of them in the palace. Why? Does the third brother have some special relationship with this little maid, so he's reluctant to part with her?"
To avoid being recognized, Feng Yunshu had been deliberately keeping her head down and not looking directly at Dongfang Qi. After all, Dongfang Qi had seen her in the main hall that day.
She originally thought that Dongfang Qi would just say a few words to Dongfang Yuan and then leave, but now Feng Yunshu found that Dongfang Qi seemed determined to pick a fight.
Fine. Since you like to pick a fight so much, I'll grant your wish.
Feng Yunshu quietly took out a packet of powder from her waist and crushed the paper outside. The powder quickly emitted a strange smell, simply called the smell of a fox.
Coincidentally, a gust of wind blew at this moment, and the smell of the powder quickly spread.
Dongfang Qi and Dongfang Yuan, who had been in a stalemate, suddenly smelled a strong smell of a fox. They both instinctively raised their sleeves to cover their noses and frowned.
"What's this smell? It's so pungent..."
Dongfang Qi covered his nose and spoke with disgust on his face. He looked like he was about to vomit.
Soon, they found that the source of the smell was Feng Yunshu, who had been standing a bit behind with her head down.
"What's that stench on you?" Dongfang Qi frowned with a dark face and took a big step back.
Feng Yunshu still kept her head down. She pretended to be flustered and took a few steps back. Then she bowed and apologized quickly. "Reporting to Your Highness the Crown Prince, this maid has had this smell on her since childhood. Sometimes it suddenly gets worse. It's this maid's fault for offending Your Highness the Crown Prince and the Third Highness..."