Chapter 7: The Emperor's Incognito Visit (2), Section 23

  Xiao Da and Xiao Er saw Liu Xie fleeing to the front again, and the two of them chased after him once more. Liu Xie grabbed onto Empress Fu and finally squeezed into the crowd at the end of the street, where they were met with cheers and applause. After much difficulty, the two of them managed to push their way to the very front, only to discover that it was a pair of siblings performing on the street. The brother had a purple birthmark on his face, was tall and slender, and appeared to be in his early twenties. The sister was sixteen or seventeen years old, petite and delicate, with dark eyes and rosy cheeks, looking quite pretty. She wore a tight-fitting outfit that accentuated her developing figure, showcasing every curve and contour of her body. Liu Xie looked around and saw that the crowd consisted entirely of young men in their prime, all of whom were drooling at the sight before them. This was clearly not a gathering to watch a performance.

  Liu Xie originally thought that at the very least, they would perform some fire-spewing or jar-balancing acts. After all, in his time, acrobatic performances were all about these kinds of stunts. But to his surprise, the two people on stage were actually engaging in a fierce duel, with the man wielding an iron spear and the woman brandishing a pair of swords. They exchanged blows with ease, their movements perfectly choreographed. Liu Xie couldn't help but shake his head - weren't these actions just well-rehearsed? As soon as he thought this, his interest began to wane.

  At this time, Xiao Da and Xiao Er also squeezed to the front, seeing that the battle was fierce, Xiao Er murmured: "The spear is like a dragon, flowing like clouds and water, like the Milky Way pouring down, what a great gun technique!" Xiao Da also said: "The sword is like a spiritual snake, like a meteor flying by, and even lighter than a falling wild goose, it's not ordinary!"

  The two of them were praising each other, but Liu Xie overheard it clearly. Is this really the kind of talent that hides in the world? If so, then it's true what they say: "the greatest hiding is hiding in plain sight." He couldn't help but think about recruiting them, but then he suddenly came to his senses and remembered that he was the emperor. All he had to do was issue an imperial decree summoning them to the palace for a performance, and it would be perfectly reasonable. Thinking this, he felt pleased with himself and pulled Empress Fu out of the crowd.

  A group of five strolled along the street, and Liu Xie suddenly discovered that Empress Fu was a shopping addict. She wanted everything she saw, leaving Xiao Da and Xiao Er busy and flustered. Li Chen was only responsible for paying, and as he watched the gradually exposed blue fabric of the money bag, he couldn't help but whisper to Liu Xie: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid we don't have enough money!"

  Liu Xie was taken aback. An emperor traveling incognito would not normally carry much money, yet he had run into this situation. He turned around and asked, "How much money did we bring out in total?"

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