IDWBE -Chapter 353 Living Signboard

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Jiao Zhong’s eyes scanned all directions, ears alert to every sound. Turning onto another street, he gave a quick signal to the guards on either side. Several plainclothes attendants caught on and silently melted into the bustling crowd, indistinguishable from ordinary people.

“Old Jin, add extra scallions to the tofu pudding.”

Lin Yi reached the bridge and immediately recognized the tofu pudding vendor who often set up at the gate of He Mansion Street.

“Ho—”

Old Jin spotted Lin Yi and was about to call out, but catching Jiao Zhong’s sharp glare, he swallowed the words in fright.

Immediately, he understood the situation.

Once again, Prince He was playing his “incognito visit” game. Honestly, he thought it was completely unnecessary.

Back in the day, he and Prince He claimed to handle all sorts of unruly behavior. Who in South City’s old neighborhoods didn’t know Prince He?

Even though Prince He had been south for years, his face and demeanor hadn’t changed much. Many people could recognize him immediately upon sight.

Now, the reason nobody greeted him was only because of the fierce guards surrounding Prince He.

So all this “disguise” was self-deception.

He only dared to mutter this in his mind—speaking aloud in front of Jiao Zhong and the others, who looked like demons, would likely get him beaten.

“Alright, stop dawdling,” Lin Yi laughed. “Come up quickly; I’m starving.”

Old Jin smiled. “Don’t worry, coming right away.”

Under Jiao Zhong’s unblinking gaze, he scooped the tofu pudding into a bowl. Following protocol, he first took a small scoop with a silver ladle handed by a guard, poured it into a tiny bowl, and—ignoring the heat—gulped it down himself. Only when Jiao Zhong nodded did he carefully bring the bowl to Prince He.

Lin Yi, unaware of all this, still chided when the tofu arrived: “There aren’t that many people here. Why so slow?”

“All my fault, Your Highness.”

Old Jin kept apologizing. In his fifties and already bent with age, he now stooped even lower, nearly touching the ground with his head.

He didn’t dare offend Prince He—not out of fear of punishment, but because he feared Prince He might stop coming to his stall for tofu pudding.

Prince He was his living advertisement!

Anyone would want a taste of the tofu pudding favored by the Regent Prince.

Even without the prince’s power, spending a few coins to enjoy such treatment wasn’t unreasonable.

And anyone who dared say his tofu pudding was bad? He’d spit in their face.

Prince He had praised it repeatedly—who else even mattered?

No matter how picky someone was, could they compare to Prince He?

“Alright, go on with your work.”

Seeing Old Jin fussing, Jiao Zhong shooed him aside.

“Yes, leaving now, Your Highness.”

Old Jin shivered, then quickly turned away.

Lin Yi ate his tofu pudding, chuckling: “No need to scare people like that.”

Jiao Zhong said, “Your Highness, these insolent commoners—if you show them any favor, they wouldn’t even know their own name.”

Lin Yi shook his head with a smile.

After finishing, he strolled to the north canal, watching the slowly flowing water. “I’ve been back this long and haven’t even fished once.”

Jiao Zhong said, “Your Highness, I can fetch a fishing rod.”

“No need. This river and I are enemies—always a wasted effort,” Lin Yi waved. “Next time, we’ll go fishing outside the city.”

As he stood by the river, he noticed the peeling sign of the Fuduo Inn. Hesitating to enter, he saw a woman carrying a wooden basin, squeezed among a group of women, washing clothes by the river.

Jiao Zhong quickly said, “Your Highness, this is Pingjiang County Lady.”

“No maid either?”

Looking closer, Lin Yi saw that Hu Miaoyi’s previously golden hair was now bare—no ornaments at all.

The Hu family had clearly reached rock bottom.

The county lady washing clothes in public, without a single decent accessory, was unthinkable.

Jiao Zhong explained, “Your Highness, per your previous orders, neither Yuezhou nor Wuzhou may provide him rice. The court has stopped him as well. He has no way out. By law, leaving his fief without imperial summons would strip him of his title.”

Lin Yi laughed. “If he doesn’t clarify things with the Ministry of Rites, his title as a prince is no different from a commoner. Tell Ma Jin to ignore this old man for now. He can’t live too comfortably. Of course, we can’t let him starve—my not-yet-married wife also needs to eat well. Might help her grow a little more.”

Jiao Zhong wanted to slap himself for hearing such words but could only grit his teeth and say, “As you command.”

“Also,” Lin Yi thought for a moment. “How did Her Highness find out the Hu family came to the capital and happen to see father and daughter? Investigate thoroughly. No random people should be able to pester Her Highness and disturb her meditation.”

“Understood.”

After escorting Prince He back to the mansion, Jiao Zhong hurried to the palace and informed Xiao Xizi.

Who else could handle palace matters besides Xiao Xizi?

Xiao Xizi sipped his tea slowly, then rose, pacing. “Hmm, it might be that wretched Lai Ru. Thinking she’s a fifth-rank official, she almost forgets her place. Send someone.”

“Eunuch.”

A young eunuch entered, bowing low, not daring to look up.

“Keep a close watch on that Lai Ru. If she leaves the palace without permission, follow her. See who she meets, what she says, and report back to me.”

Xiao Xizi snorted coldly.

“Yes, sir.”

The eunuch left quietly, closing the door.

Jiao Zhong said, “If it’s her, I don’t know what to do.”

“What else can be done?”

Xiao Xizi gestured to his neck with a chopping motion. “Prevent her from acting up again.”

Jiao Zhong worried, “Lai Ru has been with Her Highness for so long. What if Her Highness has trouble explaining?”

Xiao Xizi smiled, “If you don’t speak, I don’t speak. Can Prince He really tell Her Highness himself? In this palace, dozens die every year—that’s normal.”

Jiao Zhong agreed, “Eunuch is right.”

The sudden harshness in Xiao Xizi’s tone startled him.

Xiao Xizi continued, “The young eunuch Bai En, close to Consort Tang, originally served the Empress. He’s also a disciple of Liu Chaoyuan. Perhaps I’ll send him along with that wretched maid.”

“Eunuch, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Jiao Zhong felt something had changed in him, but couldn’t pinpoint what. He didn’t want to linger.

“Do as you wish, Guard Jiao.”

Xiao Xizi watched Jiao Zhong leave the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs.