Ye Qianning slid down, shoved her way through the legs in front of her, and darted forward.
As everyone watched, she stood on her tiptoes, her chubby little hand just managing to reach a corner. With a tug, the notice came loose and fell, draping right over her head.
After a moment of silence, the crowd burst into an uproar.
"Oh my god…"
"Whoa, a little kid just tore down the Prince Mansion's notice."
"Whose child is this, acting so brazenly?"
The Government Official was stunned by the sight. He strode forward and grabbed Ye Qianning by the scruff of her neck, but couldn't lift her at first. Putting his back into it, he finally managed to hoist her up and bellowed, "Whose child is this?"
Fourth Granny had thought she was just playing, never imagining she would actually run up and tear the notice down. The sudden uproar snapped her out of it, and she hastily pushed through the crowd to get to her.
"Officer, Officer, she's just a child, she doesn't know what she's doing…"
"Your child has some nerve, daring to tear down a notice from the Prince Mansion," the Government Official seethed.
Terrified, Fourth Granny dropped to her knees on the spot. "Officer, spare us! It's all my fault for not watching her closely. I beg you, Officer, please let her go…"
"Let you go? If everyone started doing this, where would the Prince Mansion's honor be? Guards—"
"Aren't notices posted by the Prince Mansion meant to be taken down?"
Before the Government Official could finish his angry tirade, Ye Qianning's voice piped up with a sweet, childish lilt. The sound of it, so soft and clear, stunned the crowd into silence again.
Ye Qianning gave a little tug, and the notice covering her head slid off, revealing a chubby, delicate face. Her clear eyes stared straight at the Government Official as she asked again, "Since a huge reward was posted, why are you afraid of people taking the notice? Or do you just not want the Commandery Princess to be cured?"
"You… That's nonsense."
"Who's talking nonsense? I took down the notice, but you didn't even ask if I could treat her. You just wanted to lock me and Fourth Granny up. You're being so unreasonable. When it comes down to it, you're the one who doesn't want the Commandery Princess to get better," Ye Qianning prattled on, her little lips pouted.
The official's face was already flushed from the strain of holding her up. Now, confronted with her words, he didn't know whether to be angry or ashamed, and his ears burned red.
"She may be a little girl, but she has a point."
"That's right. Look how fierce that official is. Even if someone could cure her, who would dare take down the notice and face that kind of trouble?"
"Exactly. Even a real doctor wouldn't dare."
The Government Official's face was flushed crimson. Listening to the crowd's murmurs, he knew that if word of this reached the Prince's ears, his career would be over.
Ye Qianning, still dangling in the air, didn't seem worried at all. When she saw the official look at her, she broke into a wide, mischievous grin.
This made the official even more awkward. He set her down, cleared his throat, and asked, "Can you cure her?"
The moment she was set down, Fourth Granny rushed over and swept Ye Qianning into her arms, blurting out, "We can cure her! We can!"
'Whether we can do it or not doesn't matter. Saying we can is the only way to save our lives right now!'
"Very well. You'll come with me." The Government Official gestured to his men.
The other Government Officials closed in, surrounding the two of them as if they were escorting dangerous criminals.
Fourth Granny pulled Ye Qianning to her feet. She had never been in a situation like this in her life, and her expression was ghastly.
"Fourth Granny, don't be scared. I'm here," Ye Qianning said, squeezing the old woman's large hand.
"You reckless girl, you're in way over your head. The Prince Mansion isn't a place for people like us," Fourth Granny scolded in a hushed voice.
"We don't have a choice now, do we? Fourth Granny, just act natural. When they question you, tell them about Er Bao's rash. But whatever you do, don't mention that Er Bao was allergic to shuttle grass," Ye Qianning whispered urgently.
"I know, I know."
Fourth Granny was a clever woman, after all. Without a certain amount of shrewdness and adaptability, a woman in her fifties could never have made it all the way to Beili with a child in tow.