The next morning, the father and daughter woke up early for their shifts. Not only had they kept their grand ambitions from the previous night, but after dwelling on them all night, their confidence was practically overflowing.
Ye Qiong set off with high spirits, riding the very donkey that had once kicked her into amnesia. Before leaving, she didn't forget to look back and tell her father that they would meet at the peak of success.
With a twitching eyelid, Prince Duan watched his daughter ride that gaudily dressed donkey toward the east side of The Capital. "If I remember correctly," he said, "isn't that the same donkey that kicked Qiong'er?"
Steward Wang quickly explained, "Previously, you ordered me to bring back the beast that injured the Princess so we could slaughter it for revenge. However, when the Princess woke up, she insisted she shared a special fate with this donkey. So, it has now become her mount."
"What kind of fate could she possibly have with a mad donkey?" Whenever Prince Duan saw that animal, he was reminded of the sight of his daughter being carried back to the manor covered in blood. "That donkey can't stay. Who knows when it'll lose its mind again?"
Steward Wang hesitated before speaking. "But the Princess said the donkey must like her. After all, with so many people at the Royal Hunting Grounds, why did it only kick her and no one else?"
Prince Duan truly couldn't understand his daughter's logic. "And so she dressed it up like that? Is there any reason for a donkey to be wearing gold when it goes out?" Even the purebred Ferghana horse beneath him had never had gold hanging from its neck.
"The Princess said that gold is a symbol of wealth," Steward Wang replied. "She said she can't lose face while she's out and about."
"That spendthrift!" Prince Duan cursed, then huffed and rode his horse toward the west side of the city.
In the palace, the Emperor was extremely relieved to hear that those two troublemakers from Prince Duan's Manor were finally working. "It seems I should have given them proper work long ago. It keeps them from getting restless and causing so much nonsense!"
Eunuch Fu smiled as he replied, "In the past, Your Majesty was simply too protective of the Prince and the Princess. You were worried the work would exhaust them, so you were reluctant to give them assignments. Now, letting them work will not only build their skills but also help them settle down. Your Majesty's thoughtful intentions are truly rare."
The Emperor took a sip of tea, and the relief on his face deepened with a touch of expectation. "I only hope those two can truly focus and do their jobs quietly without causing any more disasters. That would make my arrangements worthwhile."
With a face full of smiles, Eunuch Fu continued to agree. "Please rest easy, Your Majesty. Just yesterday, I heard from the servants at Prince Duan's Manor that the father and daughter sat together during dinner and discussed how to be more ambitious and earn money. From the look of things this morning, they are full of grand goals!"
Upon hearing this, for some reason, the Emperor's heart suddenly throbbed. With an uncontrollable twitch in his eyelid, he felt a wave of unease. This was supposed to be good news, so why did he feel so anxious?
*Forget it,* he thought. *The fact that those two idiots want to be ambitious and earn money means they've finally grown up. It'll save me from having to bail them out financially every few days.*
On the streets of The Capital, Ye Qiong wandered around on her little donkey. After covering half a street, she started to feel like something wasn't right. She pulled on the reins and looked at Cheng Qi, a Brocade Guard with a straight and sturdy posture who was dressed in his official uniform.
"By the way, the Emperor appointed me as the Capital Inspector. What are my daily duties exactly?"
Thinking back to the Emperor's instructions from the day before, Cheng Qi cupped his hands and replied, "Princess, His Majesty said you only need to patrol the streets and alleys every day to maintain order and stability in The Capital."
"Patrolling? Maintaining order?" Ye Qiong frowned. This sounded exactly like being a glorified street warden. *Fine, a warden it is. At least it's an official title.*
She patted the donkey's back with an expectant look. "So, where are the subordinates the Emperor arranged for me? And where is my office?"
With a dazed expression, Cheng Qi replied, "Princess... His Majesty did not mention anything about staff or an office."
If he remembered correctly, the position of Capital Inspector was just an idle post the Emperor had made up on the spot. The whole point was just to give the two royals from Prince Duan's Manor something to do.
Ye Qiong ground her teeth. "So the Emperor expects me to just wander the streets alone like a drifter?"
With a confident chest, Cheng Qi stood taller. "His Majesty specifically sent me to protect you, Princess."
Ye Qiong looked him up and down, then glanced at the maids and guards she had brought from the manor. *Tsk.* As expected of a guard who protected the Emperor—he looked much more professional than the manor guards. She decided she'd have to go back to the palace and snatch a few more Brocade Guards later.
"Cheng Qi, when you go back later, ask your colleagues in the Brocade Guard if anyone else wants to join me. I'll lead them to greatness. Before long, our reputation will definitely surpass the Brocade Guard."
Cheng Qi's respectful expression almost crumbled. He was suffering inside. When the Emperor had ordered Commander Pei to pick someone from the Brocade Guard to follow the Princess, no one in the entire office wanted to touch that mess. He was just the unlucky one who lost the draw and the sparring match, which was why he was forced onto her team. Now the Princess wanted him to drag his colleagues into this? That was harder than climbing to heaven.
Suppressing his bitterness, he bowed. "Princess, His Majesty only appointed me to accompany you. If you need more people, perhaps you should apply to His Majesty. I... really shouldn't disturb my colleagues."
Ye Qiong imagined the scene of her going into the palace to ask for people, only to get scolded by the Emperor. She shook her head violently. *Forget it.* If the team was small, so be it. She could trick more people into joining later when she found the right candidates. For now, the priority was finding a place to work.
She rubbed her chin as she thought. A "Capital Inspector" was, in a broad sense, in charge of the whole city. It wasn't much different from the Capital Prefecture.
Ye Qiong made a snap decision. "Let's go. We're going to take a look around the Capital Prefecture."
The group arrived at the gates of the Capital Prefecture in a grand procession. However, Ye Qiong wasn't looking at the government office itself. Her eyes were fixed on a large residence right next to it. The estate took up a lot of space and sat in a prime location.
Pointing at the house, she turned to Ruyi. "Go ask who owns that place and if they're willing to sell."
Ruyi wondered if she had heard correctly. "Princess, you want to buy a house?"
Ye Qiong nodded. "Exactly. This is where we'll be working from now on. We'll renovate it so it looks even more grand than the Capital Prefecture. I want the whole city to know the name of our Capital Inspection Bureau."
Ruyi swallowed hard. "Princess, to buy a house like that... the funds in the manor's warehouse might not be enough to cover it."
Ye Qiong shot her a sidelong look. "We're doing the government's work. How could I use my own money? Naturally, the palace will reimburse us. Put all the expenses on the Emperor's tab."
"But..." Ruyi looked troubled. "Princess, even if we put it on the Emperor's tab, someone has to be brave enough to go into the palace and ask for the money."
"Good point." Ye Qiong thought for a moment and looked at Cheng Qi. "Who's in charge of the national treasury's money right now?"
"The Ministry of Revenue," Cheng Qi replied.
Ye Qiong nodded. "Then put it on the Minister of Revenue's tab!"
With a look of pure admiration, Jixiang watched her princess. "That's right! Princess, you're so smart. Since we're working for the court, the treasury should pay. The treasury is managed by the Minister of Revenue, so it only makes sense to put it on his tab!"
Seeing that Jixiang understood her, Ye Qiong gave her orders. "I see a yellow slip of paper on the door; it's probably for rent. Go ask whose property it is. If the owner is willing to sell, buy it and put it on the Minister of Revenue's tab."