Chapter 491: Philanthropist Wen of the Charity Hall

Chapter 491: Philanthropist Wen of the Charity Hall

They all claimed not to fear death, yet in the end, they met their end because of their own lust.

“Could this be connected to that man from earlier? Did he really crush his own wife to death?”

Thus, even before Xiao Yin arrived at the Imperial City, legends had already begun circulating.

One tall, one small—they made their way into the Imperial City together.

“It really is different now!” Standing on the streets of the Imperial City and looking around, Little Ruo Xi let out a small sigh.

Passersby found the pair quite amusing—one tall and one small, standing in the same posture, both dressed in gray robes. One was handsome, though sporting a large beard, while the other was tiny and adorably plump.

“This little one looks somewhat familiar!”

“He’s a boy. If he were a girl, she’d resemble our Little Princess somewhat!”

“Our Little Princess is still too young—she wouldn’t be this tall yet. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I last saw the Little Princess!”

“Exactly! The Little Princess must be one year, nine months, and three days old now, right? I remember clearly. She couldn’t possibly be this tall… Pity, this one’s just a boy!”

“Of course, if His Majesty were to return, it wouldn’t be like this. The court officials would surely come out to welcome him!”

The onlookers shifted from curiosity to resigned understanding, shaking their heads—no, definitely not.

Little Ruo Xi just grinned, not bothering to argue with them.

“Jiujiu, I’m hungry!” Ruo Xi said, eyeing a nearby restaurant.

“Let’s go to Zuixiang Lou!” Xiao Yin extended his hand, and Ruo Xi took it as the pair walked into the restaurant.

“Great!” Ruo Xi was overjoyed.

Zuixiang Lou was renowned in the Imperial City; its chefs were on par with the palace’s own. Back when she was just a baby, that food-obsessed Ci Xin had brought her here, but at the time, he only ordered roasted chicken. Being too young to eat much, she’d only gotten to taste a hint of it.

Now, she could finally indulge in all the delicious dishes.

Seeing his little niece’s excitement, Xiao Yin shook his head in amusement.

“Xier, what if you grow up to be nothing but a foodie? What then? What if you end up round as a dumpling?” On the second floor of the restaurant, Xiao Yin lifted the little girl onto a chair and teased.

“Round is happy!” Ruo Xi patted her tiny belly. “As long as I’m full!”

She didn’t care about her figure. In her past life, she had been stunning, yet she spent her days wearing a mask, sleeping under stone bridges—even staying in inns brought no peace, for danger could strike at any moment.

In this lifetime, though she still followed her uncle through battles and faced many dangers, she was no longer alone.

With so many people doting on her and loving her, Xier’s heart was filled with joy and an overwhelming sense of security.

Thus, this lifetime’s little mischief-maker wasn’t worried about herself at all. She wanted nothing more than to help her uncle stabilize the realm, then live out her days as a well-fed, lazy housecat—that would be the best life.

“Go on, pick what you want. Uncle will make sure you’re full!” Xiao Yin smiled, placing the menu sticks on the table before Ruo Xi.

A nearby waiter found the scene amusing. “My lord, you spoil your young charge terribly! At his age, how would he know characters?”

“Just let her pick randomly. Whatever she grabs, you’ll prepare,” Xiao Yin replied before sitting down.

Ruo Xi calmly selected a few sticks and handed them to the waiter, who chuckled upon seeing them. “Did someone teach you these? The young lord has a connoisseur’s palate! These are all our most sought-after dishes!”

"So, you think our child is some pushover?" Xiaoyin chuckled lightly, then picked up two more bamboo sticks and said, "Bring us another round of wine and fruit jam!"

"You got it! I was just gonna recommend our fruit jam to the young master. The fruit jam at Zuixiang Tower is truly delightful—loved by both the elderly and children, and it even has beautifying effects!" The waiter wiped the table once more before taking the bamboo sticks downstairs.

"Here, we’re facing West Street. Ci Xin brought you here before—what do you think of West Street?" Xiaoyin asked.

"So fun!" Baby Ruo Xi nodded.

Previously, Ci Xin had taken her out of the palace to play on West Street, which was filled with gambling dens and brothels. That time, Ci Xin was chewed out by Xiaoyue for bringing her there.

After that, even if the baby wanted to go out, Ci Xin never took her again.

"The owner of the tailor shop earlier said their base is on West Street," Xiaoyin remarked.

"Have the Imperial Tutor send men!" Baby Ruo Xi suggested.

"Heh, you little schemer—didn’t even mention asking your second brother to send people!" Xiaoyin laughed.

Normally, people would’ve pushed to notify Xiaoyu Heng first, letting him dispatch men, or perhaps Consort Li, since she was in the palace.

But now, if he contacted the Imperial Tutor directly and left everything to his discretion, he could still oversee things from behind the scenes—much better.

Soon, the dishes arrived, filling the entire table.

"Can the two of you finish all this?" The waiter worried aloud again.

"Nope, not a chance!" Baby Ruo Xi shook her head.

"If you can’t finish, we have an almshouse here where the food can be given to those in need," the waiter explained.

"An almshouse? For those in need?" Xiaoyin eyed the waiter and asked, "Who are these 'needy' people? And who established this almshouse? Why don’t I know about this?"

As the ruler of the Imperial City, the emperor of Great Wei, he was completely unaware of such a thing.

"Well, if we’re talking about that, it’s all thanks to Philanthropist Wen—y’know, Imperial Doctor Wen. I don’t know why he’s been imprisoned by the Empress Dowager and her faction now. Back when His Majesty ruled, he turned a blind eye and treated Imperial Doctor Wen quite well. But then, a month ago, Consort Li suddenly returned to the palace and started making a power grab for the Phoenix Seal. In the end, the Empress Dowager was likely put under house arrest!" The waiter seemed eager to share the gossip, speaking with great enthusiasm.

"The Empress Dowager under house arrest? Consort Li wasn’t originally from Ten Thousand Flowers City—I’ve never heard of them plotting rebellion. How could she be so bold?" Xiaoyin questioned.

"Ah, master, you’ve got no idea. In any case, the matters between the Empress Dowager and Imperial Doctor Wen... we commoners shouldn’t speak of them. If we do, we’d be risking our necks! I mean, could His Majesty tolerate his own mother, at her age, suddenly..." The waiter trailed off as he noticed the guest’s expression darkening. Frightened, he immediately clamped his mouth shut.