Volume One, Chapter Nine: Thrown into the Mud

The carriage that came to pick up Lady Jiang was naturally a royal carriage. It attracted quite a crowd, with many speculating which prince had arrived. Though people stepped aside to avoid collision, the carriage slowed down just in case.

“Inside are Princess Anjing and the little princess—everyone, move aside quickly!” a guard shouted impatiently.

Before the shout, the crowd was dispersed, but once he called out, they immediately gathered, their expressions strange and suspicious. Among them, two shifty-looking men glanced up at the teahouse as if receiving a signal, then stepped forward.

“That child of Lady Jiang’s—isn’t that the harbinger of disaster?”

“Oh dear! The disaster star shouldn’t be out wandering; isn’t this just asking for trouble?”

Upon hearing this, the common folk’s faces turned cautious and fearful. “If Princess Anjing has matters to attend to, she better not bring that disaster star along. What if she brings misfortune upon us?”

“We’re just ordinary people; we can’t handle even a little calamity.”

“Exactly, exactly! Princess Anjing should hurry back!”

Lady Jiang frowned. She had never declared whether her child was a blessing or a curse, yet everyone seemed to know. It must have been leaked by Shen Qi’er and Lady Xia!

Holding the infant Xia Qianqian, she lifted the curtain. “I don’t know whose rumors you’ve believed, but my child is not a disaster star!”

The crowd refused to believe her, frightened and horrified at the mere mention of a disaster star.

“We all saw it at the ‘Hundred Birds Salute the Phoenix’ event. Miss Shen’s maid personally told us it was to celebrate the birth of Miss Xia Yangyang, so your child has to be the disaster star!”

“She’s the mother of this disaster star, of course she’ll protect her own child. But even if she does, she can’t just let her run about causing trouble for us commoners, right?”

Seeing the fire they’d kindled was about to blaze, the two men added fuel.

“Pah! Why waste words with her? Send that disaster star back!”

As the words fell, one of them threw a handful of mud at baby Xia Qianqian.

“Ah… splutter.” The infant’s mouth filled with mud.

The crowd followed suit, throwing rotten eggs and spoiled vegetables at the carriage.

Lady Jiang hurriedly closed the curtain, only to find the once-pristine bundle now filthy.

“I am useless. If I were capable, they wouldn’t dare treat you like this,” she said with reddened eyes. A tear dropped onto Xia Qianqian’s cheek.

The infant reached out, trying to wipe the tear away, but her body wouldn’t obey her will.

Frustrated and embarrassed, she clenched her tiny fists and waved them in the air.

Damn it all! Ya-ya, go find some brothers and feed them poop!

The crow that had been inside the carriage flew out.

***

At the teahouse, Xia Ziyi looked down at the chaos with a mocking glint in his eyes. “Just stepping outside and causing a disturbance—if the Emperor isn’t afraid, I don’t know who is.”

Once Mom takes her place as the main wife, he would be the legitimate son—no longer subject to strange, judgmental looks.

Why should children of concubines be discriminated against? This world is truly unfair.

Once he makes his mark in officialdom, his first order of business will be to abolish the hierarchy between concubines and the main wife.

All concubines and legitimate wives will be equal; even illegitimate sons will have the right to inherit family property and carry on the family business!

Everyone should be equal!

This reasoning came from a dream he had, where the Lucky Star told him so—he thought it made perfect sense!

Eunuch Pei sat in another carriage, hearing the noise, hurriedly poked his head out. “This is Princess Anjing! How dare you lay hands on her? Do you want to lose your heads?”

But his lone voice was drowned out by the angry crowd.

Some threw rotten eggs and vegetables in frustration, others picked up stones and hurled them. The guards guarding the carriage were hit on the head by several stones.

“These rabble! They won’t shed tears until they see the coffin!” Pei’s face darkened instantly as he signaled the guards.

The guards understood, fingers resting on their sword hilts, ready to make an example.

At that moment, a dark cloud spread overhead—a black mass, as if a storm was about to break.

“Ah—ah—” The crow’s hoarse, unpleasant cawing filled the air, adding an eerie tone.

The guards looked up in confusion.

What they saw wasn’t a cloud at all, but a flock of birds!

“This… this phenomenon is truly strange!” one guard’s pupils trembled. It was the first time he’d seen such an eerie sight. Could it be that Princess Anjing’s child really was a disaster star?

Inside the swaddling clothes, Xia Qianqian waved her chubby little hand.

Ya-ya led the flock of birds, darting like arrows toward the crowd.

Fluffy sparrows descended in swarms, relieving themselves on the heads of the people below.

Birds with sharp beaks fluttered their wings and pecked at eyes and noses.

The two men at the forefront had one of their eyeballs pecked out, screaming as they covered their faces and fled.

Strangely, these birds only attacked those who had just assaulted the carriage. Not a single drop of bird droppings fell on the carriage itself.

Even the guards on alert, swords drawn, were left untouched.

Instead, the panicked crowd inadvertently collided with the birds.

The guards exchanged glances, unsure if this was divine wrath or divine aid.

“That little sister of yours really is a disaster star!” Li Shaoqing trembled. Luckily, they weren’t outside, or they’d have been doomed too.

There was fear in Xia Ziyi’s eyes, but more so a sense of understanding. “Sure enough, she is the disaster star.”

***

Three years ago, before his mother was even pregnant, the Lucky Star had appeared in his dreams, telling him it would be reborn in her womb.

Now, witnessing this disaster-like scene confirmed the claim that Yangyang was the Lucky Star.

Today, hearing that the Emperor was to summon Lady Jiang and her daughter, he had already been waiting.

Humph!

Even if summoned by the Emperor, so what? After today, the Emperor wouldn’t dare summon them again! Lady Jiang would have no one left to rely on in the capital.

Just as he was pleased with himself, a sharp eagle cry exploded in his ears.

His face was slapped several times by wings, leaving him dizzy.

Before he could recover, sharp claws pierced both his arms, sending waves of pain.

A mighty eagle screeched, carrying him into the air.

“Brother Ziyi!” Li Shaoqing was terrified, watching helplessly as Xia Ziyi was carried away by two large eagles.

Xia Ziyi was tossed about midair like a rag doll.

His already unattractive face turned even uglier.

“Ah… help…!”

Inside the carriage, Xia Qianqian waved her chubby hands and laughed gleefully.

Lady Jiang sighed helplessly. “You’re still laughing—what if those birds decide to target us?”

Ya-ya flew back and shook his head.

Lady Jiang froze, then voiced an unlikely suspicion. “Did you call all these birds?”

Ya-ya nodded his small head.

Her heart skipped a beat, but then she recalled that Ya-ya had been there at the ‘Hundred Birds Salute the Phoenix’ event.

Could it be that he had summoned them then as well?

“You really have great power!”

Ya-ya ignored her, hopping over to Xia Qianqian, placing his head under her chubby hand as if seeking praise.

Lady Jiang doubted her eyes until Qianqian’s chubby hand gave a proper ruffle, after which the crow contentedly lifted his black head.

“Amazing…” she whispered. This bird was truly intelligent!