As soon as the day breaks, the three of them started their journey, Emperor Yin Renshu, Princess Yin Xiulan, and Prince Yin Wenyan fly their way back to the palace mounting their swords.
A few meters away from the imperial gates, they noticed that the guards on duty doubled. They lowered themselves, leveling on the tree to hide their presence.
It seems they are very tight with the security. However, what's worse here is that the men in charge are Lieutenant General Song's subordinates. From the looks of it, any of the three of them isn't allowed to step inside the imperial palace again.
"This is clearly a message from the grand empress dowager to us." The emperor said while hiding on top of the tree. "She forbids us to enter the imperial palace."
"The grand empress dowager very much anticipated our return." Princess Yin Xiulan commented.
Emperor Yin Renshu, "What should we do now? Should we force ourselves in?"
His majesty's suggestion made her highness' eyebrow raised. "Don't be ridiculous! That would be a suicide mission. Do you even have an idea how many soldiers does the imperial army has?"
"Aren't they loyal to you?" The emperor also raised his eyebrows at the princess. "Right. You were so strict with them. It wouldn't surprise me if they won't listen to you anymore."
Princess Yin Xiulan can't deny the fact that she's indeed strict when it comes to their training, even in their everyday exercises. "That's not the point! What I'm saying is that the grand empress dowager is most probably in charge of it now, so they can't take my orders!" Deep inside, she began to feel guilty for it. She doesn't think she won the loyalty of everyone in the imperial army. And now that they need their support, they can't expect these soldiers to cooperate.
"Xiulan has a point." The prince said. "We can't just barge in there."
"So we're going to sneak in?" Emperor Yin Renshu said in a sarcastic tone. To his surprise, his brother agrees with a nod.
"That's right. Sneak in, make our way to the grand empress dowager's hall, and make her our hostage." The prince wears a serious expression on his face as he speaks. "We're committing coup d'état. "
It's funny how the current emperor is planning to seize his throne back to him with his siblings through coup d'état. This complicated situation they are in puts them into irony.
The emperor whistled, looking quite impressed. "So... how are we going to sneak in?"
The prince thinks for a while until he remembers something. He snapped. "Aren't there some deliveries every morning?"
"There is?" The clueless emperor and princess asked in unison.
"Mn. I approve the entrance and exit of everyone in the imperial palace. There's indeed a delivery of fresh goods intended to the imperial kitchen from the market." Prince Yin Wenyan looks at his siblings with determined eyes. "We're going into the carriage."
The two don't seem to have any problems with it.
Princess Yin Xiulan asks, "When will it arrive at the imperial palace?"
The prince immediately answers, "Sooner or later. The wagon of goods is probably on the way now." He hops into the nearby branch, heading to the East. Prince Yin Wenyan turns his head behind him before hopping to the next branch. "Let's go. The market is this way."
His siblings didn't waste any time and follow his brother. If they continue going to the East, they'll most probably come across with the carriage pulled by the laborers.
And Prince Yin Wenyan is right. Not too long after that, they saw the men pulling the carriage of fresh goods towards the imperial palace.
"That's the delivery."
However, upon seeing it, the prince is hesitant to come down. It's strange that the wooden wagon is bigger than usual. Despite his suspicions he still goes down, making an appearance in front of the laborers. His siblings follow him.
"Good day, my fellow countrymen." Prince Yin Wenyan greets them with full smiles.
Truth to be told, he doesn't know which smile of his is true and not. However, he's certain about one thing. He's genuinely smiling whenever Xu Zhengming is around.
The laborers halted, staring at this strange man and his company who appeared out of nowhere. Judging from their expensive-looking clothing, these commoners instantly knew that they are noblemen of high status.
The eighth-generation emperor of the dynasty rarely makes a public appearance. Because of this fact, Prince Yin Wenyan assumed that they don't know them, and confidently makes an exposure.
Prince Yin Wenyan continues, "We would like to offer you a favor. We'll do the trouble of transporting this carriage into the imperial palace."
The laborers look at each other. They're confused as to why these wealthy-looking persons volunteered to trouble themselves to do the work of others. They are afraid of conflicts that may arise from this so they declined at first.
"We appreciate the help, my lord." One of the laborers said. "However, our job includes delivering this into the imperial palace."
His highness expected this probability, and so he made a backup plan beforehand. He withdraws something from his sleeves. It's a money purse. He opens it and took some coins from it. "Let us do the work and I'll pay you fifteen gold coins. How does it sound?"
The laborers once again look at each other and seem to be very convinced.
The commoner that spoke earlier speaks again, "If you insist, my lord."
Well, fifteen gold coins are much more than their combined salary. For laborers like them, this offer is hard to resist.
The laborers then distanced themselves from the carriage, and the prince gave the fifteen gold coins as compensation. The agreement is settled. They are very grateful to the prince. Thanks to the gold coins, they don't have to work for two or three days.
"And oh, one more thing..." The laborers are about to leave but Prince Yin Wenyan calls them again. "Let's exchange clothes."
Of course! It would be unusual if a laborer wears robes made of the finest brocade ever made, right?
The laborers kind of hesitated. These noblemen's robes look very expensive. Meanwhile, theirs are just a step superior to rags. They thought that this is very strange. They worry that these noblemen would frame them up for stealing, or harassment.
Prince Yin Wenyan sees through their hesitations. He smiled at them and convinced them even more. "Or would you like me to pay you another fifteen gold coins for it?" He opens his money purse again, took fifteen gold coins, and handed it over to one of the laborers.
"Right away, my lord!"
Prince Yin Wenyan can't help but draw a slight smile on his lips. Fifteen gold coins always work. May it be to other people or Xu Zhengming.
Fifteen gold coins and another fifteen gold coins. It gives a total of thirty gold coins! And an additional of high-quality brocades on top of that.
The laborers immediately took off their outer robes and handed them over to Prince Yin Wenyan. The royal siblings also did the same and exchanged their outer robes with theirs. The three immediately wear the cheap robes. They don't mind wearing these kinds of clothes. After all, they wore worse than this in the past before their Lin-dage saved them from child traffickers.
"My lord, I know I am in no position to ask favor of you..." The laborer said in a low voice as he pleas, afraid of a third party to hear. "But I am hoping that you won't tell anyone about this. We're poor and have a family to feed. We do not want to involve ourselves in disputes."
"Oh, that's not a problem! We're a distant relative to the deceased emperor and just want to see him for the last time. However, the security won't let us in."
Hearing this, Emperor Yin Renshu can't help but react. He whispered to his sister, "I died?"
Princess Yin Xiulan, on the other hand, knitted her eyebrows. "I think Song Li told everyone that we're dead."
Emperor Yin Renshu could only grit his teeth. "That scumbag..."
The laborer answered the prince, "Ah, yes. It's because the rebels are the ones who killed the emperor. They're afraid that those bandits would attack the imperial army next so they tightened up the security."
"Bandits, huh?" It sounds ironic to him. It's the biggest joke he has heard so far. So, the imperial soldiers under Song Li's command are now bandits? Is the grand empress dowager afraid that she might get attacked by these "bandits" then?  But then again, this move is very her. She's so good at pretending, and acting all innocent.
The prince then changed the direction of the conversation. "Anyway, It seems the imperial palace brought more than usual. If you don't mind me asking, do you know why?"
The laborer scratches his head. It's clear that he and his company doesn't know as well. "Yes. We noticed that too. However, I do not know the details about it. But I think it's more likely for the preparations for the coronation of a new emperor. I heard the coronation is in four days from now."
"They're coronating another one?!" Emperor Yin Renshu can't hold himself any longer and jumps into the conversation. "Aren't they rushing things? Is there even a crowned prince? Who would they put into the throne?!"
"That... I am as clueless as you." The laborer responds. "Well, the empire needs an emperor after all."
"I see." The prince just smiles at the poor laborer. "Thank you for the information, as well as for our deal."
"We are grateful to you, and your company as well, my lord." He replied. The laborers didn't stay for too long and left the place.
The prince, the emperor, and the princess, on the other hand, prepared for their undercover mission.
"Xiulan, I think it's better if you hide in the carriage. The guards might find it strange that a woman does the labor."
"Alright." The princess agrees. She looks at the carriage but there's no room for her. "Where should I hide then?"
The prince looks at the carriage. It is indeed full. "Wait." He took all the cabbage out of its wooden box. It's rectangular in shape and not too narrow. "Hide here. Lay down."
Princess Yin Xiulan did so as his brother instructed. She fits in the box! However, the position she is in makes her uncomfortable. "Why does it seem like I'm in a coffin?"
"Nah. It's not true." Prince Yin Wenyan denied it. He puts back to the cabbages, covering his sister.
Now, this gets worse. It feels like flowers are thrown at her as she's lying in the rectangular box. Instead of fresh flowers, she got fresh cabbages. But now that she thinks about it, if she really dies, would her soul and Liu Chen's meet? If they do would they be able to recognize each other?
After putting all the cabbages back to its wooden chest, the prince closes the wooden box again. The next thing she knows is that the carriage starts moving.
No one speaks all throughout the walk. They're all feeling anxious, angry, and wronged. If there's one thing that their thoughts have in common, it's the urge to serve justice.
It didn't take them too long to reach the palace gates.
The guards didn't open up the gate yet and observe the carriage. The truth is, Prince Yin Wenyan is a little anxious. He wonders if he hid his sister well. He could only hope that the guards won't notice her. Emperor Yin Renshu feels the same too. Their anxiousness worsens when they start to open all the boxed in the carriage.
Meanwhile, Princess Yin Xiulan is debating with herself whether she should blow these annoying minions of Lieutenant Song Li or just hide silently.
"Xiulan, you're a cabbage." She tries to convince herself. "A good cabbage. Cabbages don't talk. Cabbages don't move. Cabbages don't pick a fight with scums."
Fortunately, the guards didn't notice her presence, making the three of them sigh out of relief.
Just like that, the three of them finally set their feet back inside the imperial palace.