Cypress Boat Floating

When Lu Ciqiu learned the news of his mother's death and his brother's accident, he was heartbroken. Over the years, he has been thinking about how to change the fate of the two of them. He originally thought that by replacing his brother and coming to Beiguan, he could ensure that he would be safe from harm and go to Shu in the best condition. He never thought that it would go against his wishes. All that he thought was for his own good led to a greater tragedy.

If Lu Zhixing had gone to Beiguan in person instead of staying in the capital, would he not have been framed and accused of poisoning the emperor? Then he would not have been imprisoned for two whole years, and after being released from prison, he would have lost his right-hand man and his former charm would have been gone. Perhaps because of this, he resolutely went to Shu to provide disaster relief and eventually got into trouble.

That night, Lu Ci Qiu was alone in the tent, silently praying for Lu Zhixing, his heart filled with endless sorrow and worry. At this moment, a sudden pain pierced his mind like a needle, making him dizzy and his vision blurred. Then everything went black in front of his eyes, and his body collapsed to the ground involuntarily, and he was completely unaware of everything that happened afterwards.

When he slowly opened his eyes, what he saw was not the tent top that he had become accustomed to seeing in recent years; nor was the deafening shouting during past training sessions heard. There was neither dry and hot turbid air nor dusty tables and chairs. Looking around, he saw that everything was exceptionally clean, simply to the extreme.

Lu Ci Qiu propped himself up with his hands and tried to sit up. However, before he could sit still, he caught a glimpse of a familiar and slightly fat figure struggling to squeeze in from the doorway - this person was Huai Xi, who had been with him for more than ten years. Huai Xi smiled and said, "Your Highness, you are finally awake! You have been too tired to take care of Miss Ye recently. I have just prepared some hot water and will help you wash and wipe yourself."

Huai Xi's attitude at this moment was too natural, as if Lu Ci Qiu had never left. Lu Ci Qiu was suspicious and stared at the person in front of him with uncertainty, while also carefully scanning the surrounding environment. This room was exactly the same as the bedroom in his palace!

Seeing Huai Xi approaching him with a mouthwash cup in hand, Lu Ci Qiu was startled and hurriedly shouted, "Stop! Don't move! Just stand there!" Huai Xi was stunned when he heard it. He stood there holding the mouthwash cup, his face full of confusion, and muttered to himself, "Prince, what's wrong? Are you confused by sleep?"

"Who are you? How dare you pretend to be Huai Xi! Tell me, what is your intention in disguising yourself like this? Besides, how do you know what my residence in the capital looks like? What do you want to do?" Lu Ci Qiu's eyes were as sharp as a hawk, staring at the "Huai Xi" in front of him, secretly on guard. At this moment, the weapons he usually used were nowhere to be seen, and he had no choice but to grab a chair beside him for self-defense.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? This old servant is really Huai Xi! This is the palace of the prince without a doubt!" Huai Xi's face was full of worry, and the concern in his eyes was definitely not a disguise. However, Lu Ci Qiu was skeptical about what he said. After all, he had been guarding Beiguan for many years, and he had fought against the desert army several times, during which time he encountered many desert spies and lobbyists. These people were ruthless, insidious and cunning, and often took advantage of the trust of others to launch surprise attacks.

"Well, since you said you are Huai Xi, and Huai Xi never lies to me, tell me, where are we now?" Lu Ci Qiu asked in a cold tone.

"The capital city, the Prince Xian's mansion." Huaixi had tears in her eyes, and she was obviously worried about the prince's condition.

Lu Ci Qiu frowned and thought to himself: This person is so shameless, his identity has been exposed, but he still insists that this is the Prince Xian's Palace.

"Don't talk nonsense. I am clearly in Beiguan City. How could I return to the capital overnight? Tell me the truth. Where is this place?"

"Your Highness, what are you talking about? What Beiguan City? You have never been out of the capital."

Hearing this, Lu Ci Qiu stood there in shock as if struck by lightning. What kind of nonsense was this person talking about? What did he mean by "I have never stepped out of the capital"? He had clearly left the capital several years ago and went to Beiguan to guard the border!

Lu Ci Qiu stared at the man in front of him with eyes wide open, in disbelief, trying to find a flaw in him. However, no matter how hard he looked, every detail of this man was exactly the same as the Huai Xi he knew. But at this moment, Huai Xi should be in the capital, not following him to Beiguan.

A strange and abrupt thought suddenly came to his mind, causing Lu Ci Qiu to tremble all over. Could it be... that he was reborn again?

Lu Ciqiu's face turned pale as paper in an instant, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and asked with a slightly trembling voice: "What year and month is it now?"

"July of the 61st year of Da'an." Huaixi answered without hesitation.

After getting the answer, Lu Ciqiu's heart sank. Sure enough, it seemed that he had really been reborn and returned to the past. He slowly lowered his head and looked at his hands, which should have been covered with scars, but found that they were now so smooth and intact, without any trace of injury. Then, he walked to the bed and used the bed to measure his height. The result shocked him - he had turned back into the young boy of fourteen or fifteen years old.

"Where's Qing'er?" Lu Ci Qiu rolled his throat, swallowed hard, tried to suppress his inner uneasiness and anxiety, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice. He knew that he had been reborn, but according to common sense, Ye Jianqing should have been reborn with him! After all, in the countless rebirth experiences before, the two of them were always closely connected and faced together. But why is he the only one left now?

"Miss Ye is in the room." Huai Xi was confused by Lu Ci Qiu's question and muttered to himself, the prince was just a little tired and went back to the room to rest, how could he have forgotten where the girl was?

"I'll go see her." Lu Ci Qiu took a deep breath, trying to calm his restless mind, then gently put down the chair in his hand and walked towards the courtyard where Ye Jianqing was. After the thrilling incident in the morning, Huai Xi was afraid and didn't dare to say anything easily, so he could only follow quietly.

However, when he was about to reach Ye Jianqing's gate, Lu Ci Qiu stopped without warning and asked abruptly, "What year was it that you just said?"

Huai Xi hesitated for a moment, then responded, "July of the 61st year of Da'an." July... Could it be that this time point was exactly when Ye Jianqing fell into a coma? Thinking of this, Lu Ci Qiu's heart tightened.

Lu Ci Qiu frowned and asked Huai Xi suspiciously, "Is Qing'er still not awake?"

Huaixi nodded gently and replied, "Yes, Miss Ye has been sleeping for more than a month."

Sure enough, it was during this period! Lu Ci Qiu pondered secretly, and a feeling of annoyance surged in his heart. Why was it such a coincidence that he was reborn at such a critical moment? He couldn't help but start to worry, if Qing'er was really reborn, would she be able to wake up smoothly.

Lu Ci Qiu became increasingly anxious, but when he thought that Ye Jianqing was still unconscious and could only rely on himself, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. After all, he had no choice now. No matter how difficult it was, he had to shoulder the responsibility and protect Ye Jianqing who was sleeping soundly.

After he calmed down, he stepped into Ye Jianqing's boudoir with a firm step. He saw Yuqin guarding Ye Jianqing's bedside, taking good care of her. Yuqin held a hot towel and gently wiped Ye Jianqing's face, as if she was protecting an invaluable treasure.

However, when Lu Ci Qiu saw that peaceful face again, his calm mood was instantly disturbed. An indescribable sadness surged in his heart, and his eyes gradually became wet. Ye Jianqing in front of him was sleeping quietly, lifeless, which made him feel unbearable pain.