Chapter 159: Preparing to Depart

After being thrashed, some of the petty thieves grew wise. They hurriedly turned up their collars to hide their tattoos, thereby escaping a similar fate. Though they managed to avoid punishment, they harbored a deep grudge against Liu Ling'er. Many were inwardly plotting, thinking, "Your golden plaque is out in the open while we are in the shadows. With the right tactics, one day we will steal that plaque and leave you weeping."

After hiding out at the Riverside Pavilion all day, Liu Ling'er could no longer delay and finally headed home. To avoid unwanted attention, she took the servant's entrance to the Prince's estate, keeping as low a profile as possible.

Yet, fate did not grant her wish. After all that dodging, just as she was about to reach her quarters, she ran into Baili Xian, who was approaching from another path.

Liu Ling'er felt like vomiting blood in frustration. Had she known that no matter how she tried to avoid him, she would end up bumping into him anyway, she would have just walked home openly. Now, she felt like someone caught in the act of an illicit affair—neither able to laugh nor cry.

Forcing a smile, she didn't need a mirror to know it must have looked worse than a grimace. "It is so late, Your Highness, why have you come here?"

Baili Xian himself didn't know why. He had simply felt restless and wandered aimlessly through the estate, only realizing once he arrived that he had no reason to be there. Just as he was about to turn back, Liu Ling'er appeared.

Hearing her question, he didn't know how to respond. His instinct was to say, "I missed you and came to see you," but he swallowed the words. "Tie Wula told me you recruited a subordinate, and that he is quite extraordinary."

Liu Ling'er gave an absent-minded hum, her mind busy wondering why he hadn't left yet. Didn't he realize how awkward it was for both of them?

"Is that man trustworthy?" Baili Xian asked with concern.

Liu Ling'er nodded. "I saved his life; he would never harm me. The thieves who came to steal the plaque yesterday were all caught by him. Not a single one escaped."

Not waiting for Baili Xian to continue, she found an excuse to cut him off. "Your Highness, I am feeling unwell today and would like to rest."

Knowing that Liu Ling'er was on her period and truly needed rest, Baili Xian said softly, "Go and rest, then. I will not disturb you further."

Liu Ling'er hurried into her room as if fleeing for her life and slammed the door shut. She leaned against it, catching her breath for a long time before she finally calmed down.

The next morning, Liu Ling'er skipped breakfast at the estate and went straight to the Riverside Pavilion. She was determined to avoid Baili Xian for as long as she possibly could.

The moment she stepped into the pavilion, she saw Chu Sheng sitting in the center of the hall. There were people tied up in the room again, though only about thirty percent of the number from the previous day. Still, it was a fair amount, and Liu Ling'er spotted a few familiar faces at a glance.

Seeing Liu Ling'er, Chu Sheng simply greeted her and went off to sleep. He was only responsible for catching them; what happened to them afterward was none of his business.

"Oh my, brother, why are you here again? Don't you sleep at night? You came back to help my pavilion catch thieves?" Liu Ling'er walked up to the thief who had offered the absurd excuse the day before and pulled down his collar.

Sure enough, the words "Petty Thief" were tattooed on his neck. She looked at him with a playful, malicious glint in her eyes. Perhaps knowing he was in the wrong, the thief kept his head low, almost burying his face in his chest.

Shopkeeper Hua ran over, pointing at the thieves. "Princess Xian, how should we handle these? Most of them were here yesterday."

Liu Ling'er sighed. "Since they refuse to mend their ways, I have nothing more to say. I gave them a chance; if they won't seize it, then I have no choice. Go call the tattoo artist. I need his help again today."

A while later, the tattoo artist arrived. Seeing his haggard expression, Liu Ling'er asked with concern what was wrong. Upon hearing that he hadn't been able to sleep because of the thieves harassing him at night, she was incensed.

Indeed, these thieves should have been beaten to a pulp and handed over to the authorities once and for all; to think they had dragged this innocent craftsman into their mess.

After expressing her apologies, Liu Ling'er summoned two of the pavilion's guards and ordered them to provide personal protection for the artist. The man was immensely grateful. After all, he was just a craftsman; he preferred not to offend people if he didn't have to. With Liu Ling'er handling his worries, he could finally work with peace of mind.

That day, there was another row of people on the bridge of the Riverside Pavilion. Of course, they were not greeters, but shirtless men. That wasn't the strange part; what was truly bizarre was that they all bore the tattoo "I am a petty thief." A row of thieves—it was a rare sight indeed.

Before long, the Riverside Pavilion was packed to the rafters. Most people weren't there to eat, but to gawk at the thieves. The fact that the Riverside Pavilion had tattooed dozens of thieves over two days became the talk of the capital. Over tea and meals, people stopped discussing family, state, or world affairs, and instead asked, "Have you seen the tattooed thieves today?"

After this, no one dared to attempt to steal the golden plaque again. A saying spread among the thief gangs: "No matter how skilled your thievery is, if you can steal the golden plaque from the Riverside Pavilion, you are the number one master thief in the capital." Even more exaggerated was the claim that one could steal the Imperial Seal from the palace, but the Riverside Pavilion's plaque was not to be touched.

Regardless of the rumors, Liu Ling'er was quite amused. As long as you don't provoke me, all is well. But if you insist on crossing me, be prepared for my retaliation.

Time passed quickly. Liu Ling'er managed to avoid Baili Xian until, half a month later, he came to the Riverside Pavilion and cornered her.

After the half-month buffer, she no longer felt awkward. She calmly poured him a cup of tea. "What brings Your Highness here? Could it be that you saw I've earned a small profit recently and want to reclaim the pavilion?"

Knowing she was joking—he wouldn't care for such a small asset—Baili Xian took a slow sip of tea and set the cup down. "The time has come to head to the Zhongtong Kingdom. His Majesty has ordered us to prepare for departure."

With that one sentence, the smile vanished from Liu Ling'er's face. While a diplomatic mission might sound prestigious, if things went wrong, she could very well lose her life. Baili Xian appeared calm on the surface, but Liu Ling'er read volumes into his words.