It was not yet noon, and the sun lacked the scorching heat of midsummer. Traffic streamed through the streets of West City, with men and women out strolling everywhere.
Perfected Person Xuanji opened a small parasol and held it over the Empress Dowager's head. Given their outfits, they looked very much like a scholarly young lady accompanying the mistress of the household on a shopping trip.
Following behind them, Ye Jingtang was well dressed and carried himself impressively, but with boxes of all sizes in both hands and a saber at his waist, he certainly looked the part of a personal guard.
The three had set out from Prince Jing's Manor for the Imperial Fist Academy. Since the crime had happened several days ago and was hardly a fire singeing their eyebrows, they were in no particular hurry.
The Empress Dowager rarely left the palace. She probably only experienced the freedom of a shopping trip like this a few times a year. However hard she tried to restrain herself and focus on business first, the dazzling array of goods along the street still drew her attention.
Perfected Person Xuanji was very considerate of her. Without waiting for her to speak, she would run off to buy a hairpin here or a box of rouge there. In the end, it all wound up in Ye Jingtang's hands.
From observing the Empress Dowager, Ye Jingtang could tell that these purchases would most likely end up gathering dust in the palace. She would be hard-pressed even to remember them, let alone use them.
But shopping was about the experience of buying, buying, and buying some more. Seeing how much she enjoyed herself, Ye Jingtang showed no sign of hurrying her along. Occasionally, he even helped her assess an item and offered a few