Looking at the hidden bandit hideout, the Mayor of the Capital yanked Boss Ying by the collar with a cold smile.
"No wonder you managed to evade all the people I sent after you! So this is where you’ve been hiding all along!"
"Truly a place easy to defend but hard to attack, one man can hold a pass against ten thousand!"
Boss Ying, battered and bruised in prison, was completely defeated.
"Your Excellency, it’s all the fault of this humble one..."
Just as he was about to flatter him, the Mayor glared fiercely.
"Of course, it’s all your fault!"
"If it weren’t for you, would I have faced so many impeachments?"
"Especially those old fellows in the Ministry of Revenue, they impeach me every day as soon as court starts! It’s all because of you!"
He was almost at the age to retire and return home.
If this continued, his reputation in his old age would definitely not be preserved.
The Emperor had only refrained from stripping him of his black gauze cap due to his lifetime of loyalty and dedication to the Imperial Court.
Otherwise... the consequences would be unimaginable.
Boss Ying dared not speak further.
In truth...
He had started off as just a ruffian, with no background, and wasn’t particularly bold either.
He hadn’t been in the Capital for long, and his guise as a local tyrant was just a way to make some money.
This was also why when he robbed, he never dared to ask for much, the most he’d demand was a few dozen taels.
Those foreign merchants were scared of him.
They feared he had connections, feared he was a local tyrant who could cut off their trade routes.
But in truth... ha ha!
The Mayor glared at him fiercely and pointed at the rows of boxes on the ground.
"Is this all? Is there nothing else?"
Boss Ying was nearly in tears.
"Your Excellency, I’ve not done well, everything together adds up to only this!"
The Mayor was somewhat skeptical, dragging him away while directing his subordinates.
"Search again!"
"Yes!"
His subordinates responded decisively.
And so.
The pseudo-local tyrant that had been harassing the outskirts of the Capital was completely obliterated by an unexpectedly outgoing Fourth Princess.
From then on, the residents of the Capital, especially the merchants, were finally rid of a great concern.
The public was full of praise for the Fourth Princess’ actions.
"The Fourth Princess truly does not yield to men!"
"Indeed, it’s a blessing for our Great Chu, a blessing for the state!"
"This is truly a Heavenly Daughter!"
"That Eldest Princess despised by the Prince Consort’s family cannot compare to the Fourth Princess at all!"
"Truly a heroic woman, born of nobility, the Fourth Princess is rapid and decisive!"
...
The Mayor, knowing better, dared not compete with the Fourth Princess for credit.
So he wrote extensively about the Fourth Princess’ bravery in fighting bandits in his memorial to the court.
He described the expressions and movements during the fight so vividly as if he had witnessed it himself.
In fact, Zhao Junyao had known about this matter from the start but had not paid attention.
After all, Yue Er had left with so many people, defeating a few bandits wasn’t much. Perhaps she didn’t even get involved, and it was just those people making a fuss.
But when Zhao Junyao saw the memorial presented by the Mayor of the Capital,
He read it over three or four times, up and down, inside and out.
His heart swelled with a sense of joy, excitement, and a pride in seeing his daughter mature.
"Not bad at all!"
"So it was truly that girl who took action! Those Hidden Guards only saved her life in the nick of time!"
Truly, she did not disgrace him, having been a beloved Princess he had doted on since childhood, and personally taught.
Though Yue Er was a girl.
He always considered her the most like him over the years.
"Ha ha!"
Zhao Junyao read it again and laughed with the memorial in his hands.
Li Shengan was startled.
’What has happened to the Emperor?’
He curiously glanced over at the memorial.
It seemed to be from the Mayor of the Capital.
Not a victory in battle, nor a bumper harvest, nor any major issues being resolved.
It was just a memorial from the Mayor of the Capital!
"Ha ha ha..."
Zhao Junyao laughed aloud again.
Li Shengan hurriedly withdrew his gaze, standing quietly with his head bowed.
His heart was anxious and restless, wondering what it could be about?
Reflecting on October, nothing major had happened in the Capital, had it?
(The memorial had reached the Emperor’s desk by the end of October, more than a month after the event had occurred.)
What did the Mayor of the Capital actually say?
Of course, some things should not be asked, and curiosity about them could not be indulged under any circumstances.
Therefore, Li Shengan, despite his intense internal struggle, maintained a composed exterior, like a statue.
...
After the onset of winter, the Capital remained peaceful.