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Zhang Qing, following closely behind, took over the conversation with a smile, "Let’s have a look first, old brother. Is business good today?"

He had made arrangements; a Young Eunuch was at the very front, he was to the side, and another followed to the rear, keeping the crowd at bay. His heart was racing, fearful that somebody might bump into His Majesty.

However, strangely enough, wherever His Majesty went, people in the crowd automatically made way, saving him a lot of trouble.

The Emperor didn’t look up, letting Zhang Qing handle the interactions. He picked up a clay figurine and examined it. Though well-made, it wasn’t as adorable as those crafted by Little Concubine, rather commonplace.

When faced with Zhang Qing, the old man relaxed quite a bit, joyously saying, "Good indeed, very good! I even arrived late and didn’t get a good spot. The business at the intersection ahead is even better. The fellow next to me has already sold two loads of goods."

"Oh, is business this good every day?"

"Not at all, only today, all thanks to that Top Scholar. Sigh, I really wish the Top Scholar would have exams outside every day, so everyone would go to see him, and our business would be this good," sighed the old man deeply.

The Emperor looked up, "Top Scholar?"

In front of him, the old man became slightly flustered, avoiding eye contact as he replied, "That’s the Jieyuan Gong at the examination outside the Imperial Academy.

I don’t understand it myself. My wife went to have a peek and came back saying that the man looked like a top scholar, so isn’t he the Top Scholar then? "

The noble aura exuding from this Noble Young Master was truly too intimidating for him to look directly at him.

The Emperor nodded in understanding, no longer speaking. He put down the clay figurine he was holding and looked around, noticing a figurine shaped like a baby with a chicken perched atop its head, which seemed rather interesting.

Zhang Qing took over the conversation again, chatting with the old man.

The Emperor picked up the baby figurine and looked to the side. There were eleven other figurines left, each accompanied by a different animal. It turned out to be a complete set of the Chinese zodiac.

His Little Concubine would definitely like such novel toys; buying them to make her happy seemed like a good idea.

His expression softened, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. He put down the figurine in his hand and said to Zhang Qing, "Take this whole set."

With that, he turned and walked toward the direction of the Imperial Academy.

"Yes." Zhang Qing responded, quickly inquiring about the price from the old man, and laid down a silver ingot, telling the old man to keep the change.

He then instructed another Young Eunuch to pick up the items and hurriedly followed the person ahead.

The old man couldn’t stop smiling; the Noble Young Master made a move unlike any other.

He had barely displayed the set of clay figurines when they were all bought in a glance.

Not only did the Noble Young Master not haggle, but the silver he gave was enough to buy out his entire stall. Truly a grand gesture.

As the items were packed up and given away, the old man couldn’t help but boast to the vendors nearby, who all looked on enviously, regretting that they hadn’t been bold enough to approach and secure business for themselves.

As the Emperor strolled along, he observed what goods the commoners had to offer, occasionally inquiring about prices and asking about things he didn’t understand.

Every vendor along the way patiently answered his questions, and even if a purchase wasn’t made, having a Noble Young Master inquire about their goods lifted their spirits.

By the end of his circuit, the Emperor had a clear understanding in his mind, matching up the information he had gathered with some of the ledgers reported to him by the court officials and the Li Family Firm.

Although the Li Family Firm had a dedicated manager, to prevent becoming insulated and ignorant, the Emperor regularly reviewed prices of various commodities concerning the livelihood of the people. Therefore, it was difficult for subordinates to deceive him in this regard.

Throughout the walk, almost every person he passed took a few more glances at the Emperor, with some turning their heads as they walked away.

Even more so, numerous young women sneakily cast shy looks, blushing and bashful. When his gaze unintentionally swept over them, their cheeks reddened, and they couldn’t help but send furtive glances his way, their hearts pounding like drums.

The Emperor’s expression was calm and detached, his stride composed; he didn’t take any notice unless the gaze held hostility. He only cared about the matters he wished to, and the rest didn’t warrant his scrutiny.

He had seen such gazes from court officials during their first audience with him. If those were to be investigated, not ten heads would be enough for the chopping block.

Different from the gaze of court officials, the common folk’s looks were more straightforward and naked, manageable once understood and unworthy of concern.

Poor Zhang Qing, with so many eyes on His Majesty, felt tense, nervous through and through.

He thought to himself, His Majesty truly attracts admirers effortlessly, yet he remains unaware, and these young ladies might just waste their tender affections on him.

Yet, with the Emperor’s temperament, even if he was aware, he wouldn’t bother.

Before Lian Hua came along, there were many beautiful concubines in the palace, and when the Emperor had just ascended the throne, there were also a few who brazenly tried to catch his eye in passing. But the Emperor never truly reciprocated with a glance.

If his gaze lingered, it spelled disaster for the concubine, as she would surely be sent to the Hetai Temple to recite prayers and blessings—a few concubines who harbored hopes of favor met their fate this way—hence, it was best to pray that the Emperor’s gaze never settled on them.

After the Emperor took such actions in the harem, the concubines learned to be sensible and quiet, no longer daring to mimic the previous harem’s antics.

These young ladies were bound to flirt in vain; the Emperor, who was once oblivious to romance, now reserved his affection for Lian Hua alone, leaving no room for others in his eyes.

There were two young ladies who had been following behind, whispering to each other and stealing glances at the Emperor from time to time. They had been trailing him for a short distance—a bold move.

The Emperor had a keen sense of awareness; without looking back, he sensed someone had been following.

As he reached the crossroads and came upon a stall selling Autumn Pear Paste, he finally confirmed his suspicion without turning around, frowning slightly and gesturing for Zhang Qing to come closer.

Zhang Qing quickly approached a few steps.

The Emperor whispered a few instructions to him.

Zhang Qing was alarmed; he had been paying attention and had deliberately kept a distance, yet His Majesty had noticed too.

He looked back, reassuring his assumption, and then repeatedly gestured with his hands and explained in a low voice.

The Emperor frowned, "Like this, why behave like thieves?"

Zhang Qing swallowed nervously and had to explain more bluntly, "Everyone has a desire for beauty, Your Majesty. It seems they’ve just been following you to catch a glimpse due to that. It’s not what you think. Besides, if it were so, we would still have Hu... Hu Miaomiao watching over."

With that, he gestured subtly, indicating that the place was surrounded by people, and Hu Miaomiao was also nearby.

The Emperor turned to look and caught sight of the round figure of Hu Miaomiao hiding among the crowd, quite conspicuous.

Turning back, he saw the two young ladies startle as he looked their way; their faces flushed with embarrassment, they hurriedly covered their faces with their fans.

This time, the Emperor clearly saw they meant no harm.

He indifferently turned his face away and walked on, but couldn’t help but think of his Little Concubine and wondered if she would be jealous at the scene.

Hmm... hard to say, it was more likely that she’d laugh at him—if she knew others watched him like a performing monkey, she would no doubt tease him about it.

Better not to let her know at all.