Ascending, Do Not Disturb!

Chapter 1: Miracle

The second time had been after the coronation of the new emperor. He had sealed her, the daughter of the previous dynasty’s emperor, as Princess Pingning, and had taken her, with great fanfare, to a ceremony to worship the heavens. More than half of Jing had praised His Majesty for his benevolence. Through the silver window coverings, she had seen the unconcerned curiosity on the faces of the passersby. She was like the lion being kept in the Garden of Animals, and the citizens were the people admiring the animals.

Today was the third time. The most favored daughter of the emperor had returned to Jing and ordered the noble womenfolk to welcome her outside the city.

Kong Hou was extremely happy. She wanted the new emperor to have more married daughters. This way, each time they returned, she would have an opportunity to leave the palace. Hearing the stall owner’s question, Kong Hou pointed at the immortal goddess stepping on the moon, and said, “I want this one.”

“All right.” The stall owner used a spoon to pour out the boiled syrup and quickly drew on the wood plank. His movements were practiced, his expression focused as though he was doing a great matter.

Kong Hou stared, not daring to blink. She was afraid she would miss this wondrous process. The snowflakes fell onto her face, causing her face to turn red from the cold. The stall owner couldn’t help but speak up. “Sir Soldier, the snow is heavy today. The noble person is young—do not let her get cold.”

The soldier finally reacted and waved a hand for the palace servant to hold an umbrella for Kong Hou. At this time, he finally realized what wasn’t right. This old person did not seem to fear them; he didn’t seem like an ordinary citizen.

The stall owner winked at Kong Hou. Kong Hou covered her mouth and didn’t make a sound, her eyes curling in a smile. The sugar painting was quickly finished. The stall owner was extremely skilled, and the sugar painting of the goddess was as clear as crystal. The flying immortal carried a mysterious aura.

“So beautiful—this is the prettiest sugar painting I’ve ever seen.” Even though this was the only sugar painting she had ever seen.

“Princess Pingning.” A female official dressed in blue winter robes came over and said expressionlessly, “You should leave.”

Not far from where the female official stood were some noblewomen standing next to their carriages. Their heads were bent as they whispered, clearly laughing at Kong Hou. Once an extremely noble princess was now just so. Laughing at Kong Hou secretly could give them a special kind of satisfaction.

But Kong Hou’s reactions would frequently dampen their satisfaction because she would not respond to this kind of scorn. No hurt, no fury, and even no wretchedness. She would stare at them with large eyes as though they were being unreasonable.

This time, Kong Hou reacted similarly. She took out a silver peanut from her pouch and gave it to the stall owner. Ignoring the cold expression of the female official, she said to the stall owner, “Your sugar painting is beautiful, just like in the storybooks.”

The stall owner’s hair and beard were all white, his robes torn and worn. She thought that his days were not easy, coming out in such cold weather to sell sugar paintings. Kong Hou thought that he might be happier if she complimented him.

The lives of commoners were not easy. While she did not understand, she had read about it in the stories.

“Your Highness!” The expression of the female official turned frozen. She said in an icy voice, “Where is your etiquette?”