Little Pink Starfish

The Daughter Who Makes the Emperor Worry

After the Arson Task Force left the street where the Gu residence was located, Xiao Zhuang galloped off toward the Dali Temple.

While driving the carriage, Xiao Wei said to Yu Xiaoxiao, “Princess, if the Dali Temple finds a prisoner missing, His Majesty will definitely issue an investigation.”

Yu Xiaoxiao waved it off. “Didn’t you say the official in charge of the Dali Temple is one of Zhao Qiuming’s people?”

“Yes,” Xiao Wei nodded. “The Minister of Justice is part of Prime Minister Zhao’s faction.”

“Then I don’t care if he lives or dies,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied, lecturing him. “Xiao Wei, we should be good people—but not doormat good people. You’re just too soft-hearted.”

It was the first time in his life Xiao Wei had been called kind… and it didn’t feel good at all.

Gu Xinglang chimed in, “Then should I go into the palace first with the Seventh Prince and Xiao Wei?”

“Mm-hmm,” Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. “Xiao Gu, if you can, try talking to my dad about life and stuff.”

Gu Xinglang sighed. “Princess, how exactly are you going to set fire in the palace?” Between philosophy and arson, the latter seemed more actionable right now.

“I’ll do it myself,” Yu Xiaoxiao said. “Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to go wrong.”

Xiao Wei couldn’t help but say, “Princess, remember—Prince Consort still can’t walk. Keep the fire small, okay?”

“Okay,” Yu Xiaoxiao promised him.

The bandit leader looked around at this group of lunatics and couldn’t help but think—are they all out of their minds? Fires don’t just burn “a little” because you say so!

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at Gu Xinglang’s injured legs and told Xiao Wei, “When the fire starts, you have to carry my Xiao Gu and run. Don’t worry about my dad—he’s got people protecting him. He won’t get roasted.”

What else could Xiao Wei say but “yes, Princess”?

When the carriage reached the palace gates, Yu Xiaoxiao and the bandit leader got off. She told Gu Xinglang and Xiao Wei, “You two go ahead.”

Xiao Wei glanced at the peacefully sleeping Yu Ziyi in Gu Xinglang’s arms and whispered in despair, “Seventh Prince looks so content. Where’s the ‘crying himself to sleep missing His Majesty’ part?”

Gu Xinglang shared the pain. Right. The kid was out cold—how was he supposed to sell the story that the prince had cried himself into exhaustion from longing?

Yu Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, wasn’t worried at all. She leaned over to peek at the sleeping dumpling and, without warning, smacked his little butt.

“WAAAHHH—!”

The baby’s loud wails pierced through the quiet night.

“There we go,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, placing the now bawling prince back into Gu Xinglang’s arms. “You go on. If he stops crying by the gate, just hit him again.”

Gu Xinglang was speechless.

“Wait—this is your actual little brother, right?!” the bandit leader said in shock.

Yu Xiaoxiao huffed. This little brat had tried to rat her out—was she supposed to get sentimental now?

“Let’s go,” Gu Xinglang said weakly to Xiao Wei. The princess had already struck—what else could he do?

Xiao Wei rubbed his mouth like it was going numb from shock.

As the carriage rolled off, Yu Xiaoxiao turned to the bandit leader. “Let’s find a place to hide and wait for Xiao Wei.”

The two of them huddled in a doorway, the autumn wind making the bandit leader sneeze repeatedly as he wiped his nose and asked, “Princess, I know you’re strong and all, but… you’re really going to storm the palace with me and Xiao Zhuang? We’ll die for sure.”

“Such a shame for your true love,” Yu Xiaoxiao said disdainfully. “It’s just the palace. If I’m not scared, why are you?”

He wasn’t even mad at being looked at like a coward. “If I die, so be it. I’m already a dead man walking in the government’s eyes. But Xiao Zhuang—he doesn’t deserve to die.”

“Pfft,” Yu Xiaoxiao scoffed. “Don’t worry about him. He’s better at fighting than you.”

The bandit leader wasn’t convinced—no one had compared them! How could she just say he was worse?

“Think about what you’re going to say when you see your true love,” Yu Xiaoxiao told him. “Consort Li must have suffered all these years. You’d better sweet-talk her, got it?”

“Sweet-talk?” the bandit leader stared. “The Buddha Hall’s burning down—who has time to flirt?”

“You dummy,” Yu Xiaoxiao said. “You’ll talk once you see her, won’t you? That’s when you do it!”

The bandit leader went blank. Sweet-talking a woman? What would he even say? “I… I should say what?”

“Kneel and sing Conquer Me,” Yu Xiaoxiao deadpanned.

The bandit leader: ……

“I wonder which woman my dad’s sleeping with tonight…” Yu Xiaoxiao muttered while waiting for Xiao Zhuang, then turned to the bandit leader. “You’ve heard the story of grinding an iron rod into a needle, right?”

“Yeah, but what’s that got to do with His Majesty? Also, Princess… you call the Emperor ‘dad’?”

Yu Xiaoxiao said, “One day, my dad will grind that iron rod into a needle too.”

Oh—OH HELL.

The bandit leader cursed his own freakishly fast comprehension. He understood what she meant—and now desperately wanted to just die.

Meanwhile, Emperor Xianzong wasn’t sleeping, nor was he cuddling with any consorts. He was sitting in the Lan Book Pavilion, enjoying fine wine and exquisite food. On the floor before him, a group of young beauties danced gracefully to elegant music.

Sipping wine, admiring soft waists and swaying hips, the emperor sighed, “This is the life of the gods.”

“Your Majesty,” a eunuch’s voice came from outside just as he was feeling content.

“What is it?” Xianzong asked lazily.

The eunuch reported, “Your Majesty, the Prince Consort is requesting an audience at the palace gates.”

“Who?” Xianzong’s voice jumped an octave.

At the sound of his raised voice, the musicians immediately stopped playing, and the dancers froze. The hall fell dead silent.

Outside, the eunuch trembled, “Your Majesty, Prince Consort Gu is at the gate with the Seventh Prince.”

Heavens above!

Xianzong dropped his white jade cup—it clattered on the table, splashing wine everywhere.

“Your Majesty?” the eunuch called again.

“Prince Consort…” Xianzong muttered, disbelieving. “Did you say Prince Consort? Gu Xinglang?”

Everyone inside and outside thought the Emperor had probably dozed off and was now confused—there was only one princess in the empire, so there could only be one Prince Consort!

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the eunuch confirmed. “Prince Consort Gu is at the gate, carrying the Seventh Prince, asking for an audience.”

Xianzong took a deep breath and said, “Alright. Just tell me—what did the princess do this time?” Gu Xinglang showing up unannounced at night? It had to be Linglong stirring up trouble again. Xianzong suddenly felt so bitter—why did his married daughter still make him worry like this? Couldn’t she let him live just one peaceful day?

The eunuch outside hesitated, then said through the closed doors, “Your Majesty, Prince Consort said nothing about the princess. He only said that for some unknown reason, the Seventh Prince has been crying nonstop tonight. Fearing for his health, he brought the prince into the palace to be checked.”