Both the red and white teams were immensely grateful to Bai Sheng, calling her a hidden master.
The other passersby, after hearing Bai Sheng's speech, felt as if they had received a full-body massage. Their blood flowed freely, and they felt completely refreshed.
Someone asked for Bai Sheng's name. She patted her already slightly protruding chest and, enduring the discomfort, announced loudly, "This young lady has no surname to change and no name to alter. I am Bai Sheng of Tianshui Town!"
Emma, when did this chest grow?
Bai Sheng lowered her head and glanced at her front. Only then did she realize that her chest had developed to a point that she herself found astonishing.
"Bai Sheng?" In a beautiful carriage, the handsome Prince Yu leaned back on the soft couch inside, a faint smile on his lips, and lazily uttered, "This name, truly... very... misleading. Heh, interesting, quite interesting."
At this moment, Ah Qiu, successfully won over by the remarkable Bai Sheng, was still immersed in the thrilling speech from earlier.
He looked at his master with utmost benevolence. Although his master's words and actions were inconsistent and his mouth was venomous, his master had never mistreated him. For so many years, he had eaten his fill, worn warm clothes, and remained alive.
Ah, how wonderful life was, how beautiful the world!
A trace of resentment in Ah Qiu's heart disappeared.
"I never expected that the impoverished Tianshui Town would have such a talented and remarkable person," Prince Yu said, picking up a beautiful grape with his jade-like hand and putting it into his mouth.
Ah Qiu immediately seconded, "Miss Bai Sheng is indeed remarkable, a true heroine among women!"
"Alas, she is just too ugly," Prince Yu sighed softly.
Who was it that said earlier one shouldn't judge by appearances?
Ah Qiu looked at his master with a face full of melancholy, utterly unwilling to hear his master call his idol "too ugly." But he was powerless to resist. Thinking of what Miss Bai Sheng had said, "Paths are dead, but people are alive," he skillfully changed the subject, "Master, did you gain any insights from investigating Tianshui Town that day?"
Prince Yu sighed, "They do indeed have a secret mine, but I don't know what kind of mineral they are digging."
Ah Qiu immediately suppressed his smile and said sternly, "Your subordinate will surely send people to investigate thoroughly."
"En, but under no circumstances must we alert the enemy," Prince Yu's gaze drifted. The other party kept the mine strictly guarded. To investigate thoroughly, someone would have to infiltrate the inside.
"Your subordinate obeys," Ah Qiu nodded.
After spitting the grape seeds into the maid's palm, Prince Yu exclaimed, "Ah Qiu, do you think I'm acting a bit unusually today?"
Ah Qiu blinked his eyes and replied respectfully, "Your subordinate's eyesight is poor; I can't see where Master is... un... unusually."
Prince Yu scoffed and pointed at the grape in his own mouth, "Today, I saw such an ugly girl, and I could still eat grapes! You, don't you find this very unusual?"
A bead of helpless sweat trickled down Ah Qiu's forehead, "Unusual, truly too unusual!"
"A certain prince" touched his forehead, "Could it be that I'm ill? No, I must have Imperial Physician Lin examine me carefully when we return."
"Let's see, we must see," Ah Qiu wiped the sweat from his face.
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Tashajun County was indeed a county town, much more prosperous than the desolate Tianshui Town.
There was even sparse greenery in the city. Although the plants looked wilted, fortunately, they were all still alive.
Most passersby looked malnourished, but the continuous stream of people, shoulder to shoulder, still created a rather lively atmosphere.
Various shops and taverns lined the streets, and the calls of small merchants and vendors were incessant.
Intermingling with the crowds were not only subjects of the Great Xia Kingdom but also people from foreign lands with distinct attire and appearances from the Great Xia. They were likely from Beiqiang Kingdom.
The burly uncle in the carriage had said that Tashajun County was adjacent to Beiqiang Kingdom, so the appearance of Beiqiang people was normal.
However, Bai Sheng also saw a third type of attire and appearance completely different from both the Great Xia and Beiqiang Kingdoms.
Regardless of gender, their hair was loose at the back, with a parting in the middle. The hair on both sides of their temples was braided and tied to the back of their heads with red string. Their smooth foreheads were adorned with a red floral pattern, much like the Imperial Chrysanthemum of modern times.
Could these be the people of the extinguished Qinghuang Kingdom?
For some inexplicable reason, Bai Sheng felt an indescribable sense of familiarity towards them. This feeling was likely a remnant from the original host.
Bai Sheng felt embarrassed to keep staring at them. After stealing a few glances, she continued on her way.
With her tattered clothes, she looked like a dusty country bumpkin among the city folk. Coupled with the two dark spots on her face, she garnered an unusually high number of second glances.
Bai Sheng, however, showed no signs of shyness. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her posture straighter than anyone else's, her neck held high.
Possessing the aura of a spatial being, she, Bai Sheng, had never known what self-pity was.
It was already noon, and Bai Sheng was so hungry her front was sticking to her back. She casually found a steamed bun stall, bought two meat buns, and drank a bowl of thin congee.
She planned to first buy a set of better quality clothes, then find an inn to stay, take a bath, and groom herself.
People tended to judge by appearances. If she, looking like a beggar, walked into a high-end jewelry store, she would surely be thrown out, and it would be difficult for buyers to trust her.
You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. The owner of the bun stall said that the most luxurious clothing store in the county town was called "Cloud Attire." So, she would go to "Cloud Attire"!
When she walked into "Cloud Attire," she was, without exception, looked down upon from head to toe by the shopkeeper again.
Especially when she picked out that red smoke gauze dress, the shopkeeper, with a cold face, directly stated that the dress was very expensive and she couldn't afford it.
Bai Sheng was stunned for a moment by such direct disdain. She snorted, then took out several ingots of glistening silver from her bag, flashed them before the shopkeeper's eyes, and smiled, "Can I afford it?"
The shopkeeper's expression immediately changed. His eyes lit up, he pursed his lips, nodded, and smiled, "You can afford it, you can afford it."
"But I refuse to buy from you!" Bai Sheng smiled slyly. "This madam detests snobbish and contemptuous people the most!"
"You—" the shopkeeper's face twitched several times, his teeth almost grinding.
"Let's go, I'm going to spend my silver at another shop," Bai Sheng walked out of the store with a swagger.
Bai Sheng changed to a clothing store that looked more pleasing. The store had both men's and women's clothing. She glanced at the men's wear hanging nearby and a thought suddenly struck her.
Why not dress as a man? It would be both convenient and hassle-free.
Bai Sheng bought a set of men's red waist-tied tight-fitting attire, and then found an inn called "Hao Ke Lai" (Literally: Good Guest Comes).
After booking a room and securing all doors and windows, Bai Sheng immediately entered her spatial realm.
"Humph humph, quickly make all the creatures retreat, this young master wants to bathe!" Bai Sheng shouted at Heng Heng, and then walked towards the stone pond.
Heng Heng immediately issued a warning, and the other three creatures scrambled away, keeping their distance.
After hiding, the minds of the three creatures were still replaying their master's phrase, "this young master."
What did it mean? Did their master no longer want to be a woman?