The wind was rather strong today.
Wang Feifei smoothed her hair. Perhaps it wasn’t tied properly, but a few stray strands kept being blown across her face by the wind, bringing an itchy sensation.
She stole another glance at the Empress, who was pulling her along.
The current Empress… somehow felt a little different from the Empress of the past.
The Empress of the past—how domineering and majestic she was! Her aura suppressed people so much they struggled to breathe. Yet now, the Empress seemed much more composed than before.
Of course, this wasn’t to say the present Empress was no longer domineering. That domineering air still appeared occasionally, but most of the time, the Empress had become gentler.
In Wang Feifei’s view, this Empress was actually more reassuring. For although the past Empress was domineering, she also carried an extra edge of ferocity; being around her always made one’s heart feel unsettled. But the current Empress made one involuntarily want to draw closer and speak.
“Feifei, why do you keep looking at me?” The Empress asked without turning her head.
“Ah… Young Miss, I’m sorry, Feifei didn’t mean to!” Wang Feifei said hastily.
Even if Her Majesty was more gentle than before, being stared at by her like this wasn’t good, right? Her own actions were entirely a form of disrespect.
The Empress turned her head to glance at Wang Feifei and smiled. “So you really were staring at me all along? I didn’t know earlier; I was just guessing. It seems I guessed correctly.”
Wang Feifei’s face flushed slightly. She felt a little teased.
Had the Empress actually learned to tease people now?
“Then why were you staring at me?” The Empress asked again.
“Mm, because Young Miss is the most beautiful to look at! Of all the people Feifei has ever seen, Young Miss is without a doubt the most beautiful.” Wang Feifei stated with absolute certainty, not a hint of hesitation.
“Is that so?”
The Empress couldn’t help but touch her own face.
Was she good-looking?
She was aware of this. On the first day she transmigrated, when she looked in the mirror, she knew what her appearance was like. But over the past period, she had gradually grown accustomed to her own looks.
“Just because someone is beautiful, you want to look at them more? But Feifei, you are a girl too—do you also like looking at other women?”
“Of course! Who wouldn’t like to look at beautiful things more?”
“I see.”
The Empress’s eyes flickered.
She had to admit Wang Feifei was absolutely right. Who wouldn’t want to look at beautiful things more?
She pulled Wang Feifei even closer, turned her head, and looked at her from top to bottom.
Being stared at by the Empress like this made Wang Feifei blink. She couldn’t decipher the meaning in the Empress’s eyes, only feeling that the current look was something she had never seen in the past.
“Thump!”
Just as the atmosphere grew a little strange, a sound came from ahead, causing both of them to look over.
It was at a street corner. Someone was walking out from it, but somehow tripped and fell to the ground.
It was an ordinary-looking, unremarkable man dressed very plainly. He scrambled to his feet in a fluster, then quickly knelt down. “Apologies… so sorry for accidentally startling Your… Excellency.”
The Empress checked this person with her Mystic Left Eye.
Name: Wang Ming.
Identity: Carpenter.
He seemed to be a very ordinary person. But based on his reaction, the Empress knew he had recognized her, hence his panicked demeanor.
“Where have you seen me before?” The Empress asked unhurriedly.
“This humble one was once an Imperial Guard, therefore I have seen Your Excellency.” Wang Ming answered honestly.
He was fairly clever, knowing that outside the palace, he could not directly address the Empress’s identity, so he used the title “Your Excellency.”
The Empress, however, was slightly surprised by his words.
Imperial Guard?
The current Imperial Guard was transformed from her original Heroine Battalion, meaning the entire Imperial Guard was composed of women. A male Imperial Guard could only be from the previous generation, during the time of the Previous Emperor.
After she ascended the throne, those Imperial Guard members had either been transferred to other departments or disbanded and returned to civilian life. It seemed the person before her had gone to become a carpenter.
The Empress didn’t dwell on it. She nodded slightly. “Just act as if you never saw me today. Go about your own business now.”
“Yes.”
Wang Ming dared not say more. He rose and quickly retreated.
Ignoring this interlude, the Empress continued wandering the streets with Wang Feifei.
In the afternoon, brilliant sunlight spilled over Phoenix Capital. Bustling sounds filled the streets and alleys.
The Empress and Wang Feifei sat inside a teahouse. They weren’t drinking tea, merely looking at the scenery outside through the window. They had paid enough Silver Banknotes, so the shopkeeper wouldn’t complain.
It wasn’t long before a knock came on the door.
Wang Feifei went to open it. Standing outside was precisely Mu Fuwan.
After entering the room, Mu Fuwan knelt on one knee before the Empress and reported, “Your Majesty, the palace maid who left the palace today is named Yun Zheng. This Subject followed her and discovered she went to a slum area. She is currently still there.”
Even in a place as prosperous as Phoenix Capital, slums inevitably existed. The official designation was Old City District, but commoners generally called it the slums. Those without money all lived there.
“The slums? What is this palace maid named Yun Zheng going there to do?” The Empress pondered for a moment before asking.
“It is not yet certain. After she entered a large courtyard there, I observed no unusual movements and felt she would not leave for a while, so I came here to report first,” Mu Fuwan answered.
“Let’s go. Since we are free anyway, we might as well go and see the situation together.” The Empress made this decision after a brief thought.
Naturally, Mu Fuwan and Wang Feifei had no objections.
They left the teahouse and, under Mu Fuwan’s guidance, quickly headed toward the destination.
The distinction between the slums and other areas was quite stark. Arriving at this area, the Empress noticed the buildings all looked much more dilapidated and old. Moss on the walls was a common sight, and foul-smelling ditches were not so rare.
Seeing this situation, the Empress furrowed her brows slightly.
The degree of decay hidden beneath Phoenix Capital’s prosperity was not low at all. If even Phoenix Capital was like this, other places were likely unimaginable. No wonder the Phoenix Dynasty had been constantly filled with unrest, making her position as Empress so unstable.
In no time, the Empress and her companions reached their destination.
Before them stood a large courtyard. From outside, faint sounds could be heard coming from within.
“That’s how you walk. Little Yun, your steps are too wide—pull them in a bit more.”
“Don’t wave your hands haphazardly. Appear dignified.”
“Don’t let your expression be too stiff, and don’t smile inexplicably, either. You need to present a very comfortable countenance.”
“Watch me closely and follow along.”
