Chapter 617: Accidental Encounter with the National Master

Xie Pan’Er, the young Emperor, and Xiaosuisui simultaneously shouted coldly.

A small head popped out from the little bundle Xie Pan’Er carried on her back.

Xiaobai’s little head looked around, then scampered onto Xie Pan’Er’s shoulder, baring its teeth menacingly at the surrounding constables.

"Oh! What a cute little rabbit! Quick, catch it! We’ll take it back and roast it. It’ll make a fine feast!"

Seeing Xiaobai on Xie Pan’Er’s shoulder, Chief Zhou’s mind immediately sparked with an idea.

He ordered his men to grab Xiaobai from Xie Pan’Er’s shoulder. However, Xiaobai was incredibly agile. With a single leap, it jumped directly onto Chief Zhou’s head and, with one swipe of its paw, tore off a large patch of his hair.

"Ah! My hair!"

Chief Zhou howled in pain, yelling, "Catch it! Kill it for me!"

Xiaobai welcomed all comers; it had never feared a fight. What could a few mere mortals possibly do to it?

Watching Xiaobai reduce the group of bailiffs and constables to a chaotic, dusty mess greatly amused Xie Pan’Er and the others. The Emperor sneered disdainfully, ignoring these contemptible clowns and continuing forward, holding Xiaosuisui tightly.

Xie Pan’Er hurriedly called out, "Xiaobai, let’s go!"

Then she, too, quickly headed towards the Yunhang Coast.

On both sides of the Yunhang Coast, ruined houses, battered and skewed by the tornado, were everywhere.

"Nearly all the houses here have been blown down. The report stated no casualties, but the disaster victims requiring relief and aid numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Yet, why don’t we see a single victim here?"

The Emperor was puzzled. Xie Pan’Er frowned deeply as she examined some of the collapsed beams.

"What have you noticed?" the Emperor asked Xie Pan’Er.

Pointing at the collapsed beams, Xie Pan’Er said, "I just find it strange. I’ve inspected the beams of several houses and found that much of the wood is rotten. Moreover, some of the main support beams used aren’t the kind typically used in house construction."

"How could this be? The local people here were originally unwilling to leave their homeland, so the imperial court had consistently advocated for their relocation. If they were unwilling to leave their ancestral land, why didn’t they build their houses more sturdily?"

Many questions surfaced in the Emperor’s mind.

Xie Pan’Er said, "Not only that, since we arrived, we haven’t seen a single villager in this area. If it weren’t for these collapsed houses, I would have doubted we were in the right place."

Xie Pan’Er had barely finished speaking when Xiaosuisui said, "Someone is coming."

"Who?"

Following the direction Xiaosuisui indicated, Xie Pan’Er and His Majesty the Emperor saw two figures, one tall and one short, both dressed in white. The taller one had silver hair, and the shorter one appeared to be about four or five years old.

"The National Master!"

"And his young disciple, the Lucky Star Li Yanyan!" Xiaosuisui added.

"What Lucky Star? In my eyes, only my Xiaosuisui is the Lucky Star," the Emperor said, pinching her small cheek and holding her even tighter.

Over yonder, the National Master and Li Yanyan had also spotted them.

The National Master was greatly astonished. He walked over and asked the Emperor, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

"Seeing is believing. I wished to understand the situation of the Yunhang residents firsthand, so I came personally!"

The National Master rubbed his temples in exasperation. "Your Majesty, you abandoned matters of state to come here. Aren’t you afraid the ministers will be displeased when they find out?"

"I am the Emperor, the Son of Heaven. Must I consider the ministers’ feelings wherever I wish to go?"

"Precisely because you are the Son of Heaven, the Emperor, your every action affects the entire imperial court and the country. Your sudden journey south last time was risky enough, and now you’ve taken such a risk again."

"With my beloved daughter present, even if you were in danger, I would not be!"

Xiaosuisui clapped her little hands from her perch on the Emperor’s shoulder. "That’s right! Even if you’re in danger, my daddy won’t be!"

The National Master’s eyes narrowed.

Something about this Princess seemed amiss,

he suddenly felt.

He squinted, studying Xiaosuisui’s face for a good while, then instinctively reached out towards her small face.

Xiaosuisui saw this and quickly turned her face aside, dodging him.

"What do you think you’re doing?" the Emperor asked, watching the National Master warily.

The National Master hastily explained, "Your humble servant feels that the Princess’s physiognomy seems... rather extraordinary!"

His words startled both the Emperor and Xie Pan’Er. They knew Xiaosuisui’s true appearance, and if the National Master were to expose it...

"What’s so extraordinary about it? This face of hers, if you put her on the Main Street, were it not for this scar on her face, I reckon I wouldn’t even be able to find her again!"

The Emperor spoke casually, but his words struck the National Master, whose eyes widened.

"Precisely! It’s this scar on her face. I cannot see through her physiognomy; it appears to be because I am affected by this scar on her face!"

Hearing this, the Emperor and Xie Pan’Er inwardly cried out in alarm.

They absolutely could not let the National Master reveal that Xiaosuisui was wearing a mask!

"National Master! We have journeyed all the way from the Capital City without any rest. Now, His Majesty and the Princess are tired. Do you, National Master, know if there is any place to stay here on the Yunhang Coast?" Xie Pan’Er quickly stepped in, changing the subject.

The National Master’s brow furrowed.

How dare this Xie Pan’Er spoil my opportune moment!

he fumed inwardly, though his expression remained neutral as he spoke. "I have already scoured both sides of the Yunhang Coast; there isn’t a single place offering shelter. If we want lodging, we’ll have to return to Yunhang County Town."

"Not a single place fit for habitation? Is the devastation here so complete? Then what about the people? Their houses have collapsed, reportedly with no casualties. If they aren’t here rebuilding their homes, where have they gone?" Xie Pan’Er voiced this doubt.

The Emperor also agreed with her question. "Indeed! Where have the people here gone?"

Xiaosuisui dangled her short legs while on the Emperor’s shoulders and said, "Daddy, put me down. I want to walk around."

The Emperor glanced at her pretty little white dress, then at the damp, muddy ground, and said, "Be good and stay put. The ground is dirty; it will soil your pretty dress."

Xiaosuisui wouldn’t listen. "It’s okay! I brought extra clothes! If it gets dirty, I’ll just change into another set."

She wasn’t short of much, but she had clothes in abundance. They were all exquisite custom-made items from the Bright Moon Pavilion. Her Third Aunt also often liked to sew a couple of outfits for her when she had nothing else to do, and Xiaosuisui kept them all in her little pouch.

The Emperor couldn’t win against her and had to put her down.

Xiaosuisui started walking towards a small hill. Xie Pan’Er said, "I’ll go with her and see!"

The Emperor was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with the National Master, but the utter lack of disaster victims here was indeed peculiar.

"National Master, what are your thoughts on the absence of any disaster victims here?"