Cypress Boat Floating

After packing up simply, Ye Jianqing changed into the clothes that Lu Ci Qiu had prepared for her. She wanted to go out for a walk by herself, but she didn't expect to meet Huai Xi as soon as she walked out the door.

"Miss Ye, your highness has gone to pay his respects to the Emperor. Let this old servant take you to familiarize yourself with the environment." Huaixi's voice was a little sharp and a bit harsh, so he always lowered his head and lowered his voice out of habit to make his voice sound less harsh.

Ye Jianqing, who was already very familiar with this courtyard, didn't need to bother him to take him to familiarize himself with the environment. However, he thought that he had to pretend that it was his first time here, so he still had to go through the necessary procedures. So he smiled, bowed slightly to Huaixi, and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Grandpa Huaixi."

The two started walking from the door of Ye Jianqing's room. There was a courtyard outside her room, with a pond in the middle. The pond was not very big, but there was a pavilion in the middle of the pond. On the other side of the pond was a small courtyard, a courtyard without a door, from which you could see the room. It was just an arch, but you could still see inside if you looked closely.

"This courtyard is the 'Listening to the Rain Pavilion', and your highness lives in the small courtyard opposite. Your highness planted a gardenia in this courtyard himself. Unfortunately, it has not yet grown any flowers. Your highness takes good care of it every day, but it still won't grow." Huai Xi sighed, his words full of regret for his master.

Gardenia.

Ye Jianqing's heart skipped a beat. This was her favorite flower.

"There are two rooms in the courtyard, one is His Highness' bedroom, and the other is his study. I will take you there to have a look, so that you will not go wrong when you serve him in the future."

Huai Xi said this and led Ye Jianqing through the corridor to the gate of the courtyard on this side.

Walking into the archway, one room is larger and the other is smaller.

Ye Jianqing looked at the larger room and felt itchy in her heart and wanted to go in and take a look. She knew that this was Lu Ci Qiu's room and she had often been in and out of here before. She didn't know whether Lu Ci Qiu's room in this life was the same as in the previous life.

Huaixi pointed to the larger room and said, "This is His Highness's study. Because His Highness has a lot of stuff, he swapped the room with the study. He moved to the study and used this room as his study."

After hearing Huaixi's introduction, Ye Jianqing was a little stunned. How... did it change again?

"I usually spend most of my time in the study. If you want to find me, just come to the study and find me." Just as Huai Xi was about to continue the introduction, a voice suddenly came from behind them.

Huaixi turned around, called out "Your Highness", and then stood behind him consciously.

"Are you getting familiar with the environment?" Lu Ci Qiu asked.

"Yes. Eunuch Huaixi is taking me to familiarize myself with the environment." Ye Jianqing smiled at him.

"It's your first time here, so you have to familiarize yourself with the place so you don't get lost later. But this yard is just like this, not very big, and not complicated." Lu Ci Qiu said.

"Yes, but I still need to know the location of each area. Otherwise, when Your Highness needs something, I will still be looking for it everywhere, which will delay Your Highness' time."

Lu Ci Qiu glanced at her, nodded, and said nothing. Ye Jianqing didn't know what his nod meant.

There was a large open space in front of the study, with plum blossom stakes, human-shaped stakes and other stakes placed on one side, and a row of weapon racks against the wall. On the other side, a small plot of land was planted with gardenias.

However, this season is the season for gardenias, but these plants are dying, with only green leaves and not even a single flower bud.

Ye Jianqing walked over, squatted down, and touched it with regret.

"I have been growing these flowers for two years, but they have never survived. I don't know why." Lu Ci Qiu walked over and squatted, looking at the flowers with heartache.

"The soil for planting flowers is not right. It's too hard. I need to add more fertilizer and loosen the soil a little." Ye Jianqing fiddled with the flowers, her eyes suddenly a little vague. Before she traveled through time, she liked gardenia the most. Her father specially planted several pots for her. Every time she went home, her room was filled with the fragrance of gardenia.

"What's wrong?" Seeing her stunned, Lu Ci Qiu asked, "Don't you like this flower?"

"No, I just suddenly remembered that an old friend of mine also likes gardenias very much."

"Old friend?"

"Well, she likes gardenias very much."

Looking at Ye Jianqing, Lu Ci Qiu seemed to be thinking about something. He didn't remember any old friend of hers who liked gardenias. Wasn't it always herself who liked gardenias?

Lu Ci Qiu looked at her with an ambiguous look in his eyes.

Seeing that he had been silent for a long time, Ye Jianqing turned his head and found that he was staring at him in a trance. He couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness?"

Lu Ci Qiu was brought back to his senses by Ye Jianqing from his trance and concealed his confusion.

"Nothing, let's go eat first."

When they arrived at the side hall, the servants had already prepared dinner. Even as they sat down, Lu Ci Qiu was still thinking about what Ye Jianqing had just said, "old friend."

Since he didn't move his chopsticks, naturally no one dared to do so. Huai Xi, who was standing by and serving, had no choice but to remind him, "Your Highness, it's time to eat."

Lu Ci Qiu nodded and started to use his chopsticks. Ye Jianqing glanced at him, wondering if she had just said something wrong. She carefully recalled everything she had just said, but her empty stomach prevented her from thinking carefully, so she decided to solve her stomach problem first.

The meal was really boring, and both of them were thinking about their own things. For a while, the side hall became quiet, with only the sound of the two people eating quietly.

"Your Highness, what are your plans for the future?" Ye Jianqing asked suddenly. She still wanted to know his plan, so that she could confirm what she could achieve in the next period of time.

"I set up a government at the age of sixteen. After that, there are many things I can do." Lu Ci Qiu put down his bowl and chopsticks and said seriously.

"Sixteen years old? But a prince must be at least twenty years old to set up a household. Are you sure you can set up a household when you are sixteen?" Ye Jianqing blurted out. When she reacted, she realized that she seemed to have overstepped her boundaries, and she quickly stood up to apologize to Lu Ci Qiu.

"Indeed, a prince must be at least 16 years old to set up a palace, but there are cases in history where people set up a palace at the age of , but they are relatively rare. As long as I can get the first place in the academy every year, I can set up a palace when I turn ."

"I want to get first place in every exam every year?"

Ye Jianqing secretly calculated in his mind that there were at least four examinations a year, and he was fifteen years old now, which meant that he only needed to get first place in every examination in this year, and then he could establish his own government after the New Year.

It seems that it is not very difficult.

"So, as long as you get first place in every exam this year, you can establish your own government?" Ye Jianqing asked.

"It's not that simple, Miss Ye. Our prince has always been the top scorer in the academic examinations since he was ten years old. As long as he gets through this year, he can set up his own house in the spring of next year." Seeing that Ye Jianqing didn't take the matter seriously, Huai Xi couldn't help but want to defend his little prince.

"Ten years old!!! Every year, he always gets the first place in every academic examination!!!" Ye Jianqing was shocked. This incident really surprised her.

This guy......

In his previous life, Lu Ci Qiu was forced to study by his second brother. He didn't even like to read the Three Character Classic, let alone the Four Books and Five Classics. But he was willing to read some military books. He always wanted to wear armor and lead a general on the battlefield. Unfortunately...

In his previous life, he died too early. Otherwise, he might have had the opportunity to study in the army. Maybe he could have become a general.

Now he takes the initiative to learn, and can even win first place. And not just once, but every time in the five years since he was ten years old.

Something is wrong, it still feels wrong!

Lu Ci Qiu put a piece of meat in her bowl, sighed, and said, "This palace is complicated and simple at the same time. It's just a bunch of bored women scheming against each other for a little benefit and a man. There are so many rules and the people are so complicated.

It is better to set up a residence and move out as soon as possible than to stay here. Although it is difficult to win the first place every year, I have come this far, right? So if I work harder this year, I will be able to get out soon. "

Looking at this transparent man, Ye Jianqing felt for the first time that he didn't know him very well. In his previous life, he had honestly followed the arrangement to set up a residence at the age of 20, and before that he was eager to stay with his mother for one more day.

Why, now...

"Since you want to take the first place and establish your own palace as soon as possible, Your Highness, please work harder. If there is anything you need me to do, please feel free to tell me." Ye Jianqing stood up and saluted him.

Since what he wants to do now is to be the top of the academy and establish his own government, I will do my best to help him.

"You don't have to be so nervous. I usually spend more time in the academy and less time in the courtyard. Just do whatever you want to do. Don't worry too much. If you need anything, Huaixi is here."

Lu Ci Qiu smiled, picked up the chopsticks and picked up some more of her favorite dishes for her.

Qin Palace

Lu Zhixing was sitting in the study, holding a book in his hand, but there was no sign of turning the pages. He was waiting for a piece of news, a piece of news that was very important to him.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Lu Zhixing responded, put down the book in his hand, leaned back in his chair, and waited for the person to report.

"Master." It was the man who was ordered to investigate Ye Jianqing during the day.

"Speak." Lu Zhixing raised his eyes and glanced at him.

"Master, the maidservant beside the Eighth Prince today is called Ye Jianqing. She is from Liang Village in the suburbs of Beijing. She is a person of a different surname. According to the palace records, this girl took the initiative to enter the palace as a maid seven days ago. Because she is quite smart, she was seen by the Eighth Prince who was passing by and was taken directly back to the courtyard without going through the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Lu Zhixing glanced at him, twirled the ring on his finger, his eyes full of suspicion: "Did he take it back directly without going through the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"

"Yes, that's what's recorded in the palace records."

"You believe this? Have the people at the palace gate seen that woman? Even if Eighth Brother led the group away by himself, he still had to go through the Imperial Household Department. Has anyone in the Imperial Household Department seen this woman? Do you still need me to teach you these things?"

Lu Zhixing said it calmly, but he was not in a good mood. He did not believe that the people around him only had this much ability.

"Master, this is obvious, recorded evidence." The man was neither humble nor arrogant, and was not frightened by Lu Zhixing at all.

Lu Zhixing raised his eyebrows. He wanted to see if he had anything else to say.

"Master, the villagers of Liang Village in the suburbs of Beijing do not know when a woman named Ye appeared in their village. I have asked all the people on duty at the palace gate those days, and no one has seen the woman. The people in the Eighth Prince's Court have also never seen the woman. The Ministry of Internal Affairs only knows that Huai Xi asked them to remember this person."

The man paused, then continued, "Three days ago, a girl escaped from the camp. She was about thirteen years old, ranked eleventh, and was supposed to be the winner of the first prize to be shown to the master today. Ye Jianqing is exactly thirteen years old, and most importantly, the Eighth Prince did not bring a maid with him when he left the palace today."

"So what?" Lu Zhixing stared at him and asked.

"I have asked Lin Ming to draw the image of Eleven. Here is the portrait. Please take a look." The man pulled out a scroll of portrait from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Zhixing with both hands.

Lu Zhixing took the portrait and opened it.

"It's indeed her." Lu Zhixing snorted coldly.

Obviously the matter was clear and the people were identified, but Lu Zhixing was confused. Ye Jianqing escaped three days ago, but Lu Ci Qiu had prepared her household registration and palace registration seven days ago.

"Eighth brother knows Eleventh brother?" Lu Zhixing asked while looking at the portrait.

"No, the Eighth Prince has been staying in the palace. This was his first time going to the ruined temple today, and the Eleventh Prince has never left since entering the camp. The two have never met." The man replied.

Lu Zhixing was a little confused about what his brother was doing.

"Go away." Lu Zhixing waved his hand and asked people to go away.

"Yes." The man took the order and left.

Putting down the portrait, Lu Zhixing stood up and walked to the window, looking up at the sky in the distance.

Perhaps because it rained heavily today, when I looked up I could only see a hazy moon hanging alone in the sky, without even a single star around it.

"Eighth brother, what are you doing?" Lu Zhixing asked in a low voice, but he couldn't get an answer. He didn't dare to ask the person who could give him the answer, for he was afraid that the answer would make him sad.

He should believe Lu Ci Qiu, but Lu Ci Qiu's behavior in recent years made him doubt.

Ever since he woke up from falling into the water at the age of eight, he always felt that everything was different.

He used to dislike studying, but in recent years he has been able to get first place in the examinations every year.

The person who used to always pester him seemed to have less and less contact with him in recent years. Sometimes, he even felt that Lu Ci Qiu often looked at him with an adult's gaze.

He didn't know how to describe that look, but he just felt uncomfortable all over.

Moreover, he was concerned about everything about his mother. Although this was a good thing, he also asked about things in his previous dynasty, which was a bit worrying.

A man of only fifteen years old began to ask about the affairs of the court.

He was not afraid that his younger brother wanted to rise to power, to fight and to rob, but he did not want to stand on the opposite side of his younger brother. He needed a helper, and the helper he had always hoped for was Lu Ci Qiu.

After all, that was his younger brother whom he had always loved dearly since he was a child.

Although he was puzzled by Lu Ci Qiu's actions and he should have been on guard against him, sometimes he couldn't help but want to be nicer to him. Even if he just called him brother again and again and acted like a spoiled child in front of him, he would give him his precious treasure "Skylark".

Lu Zhixing sighed and shook his head gently.

"Forget it. If you really have a secret, then hide it and don't let me find out."

The sky suddenly darkened. It turned out that the moon had hidden itself in the clouds, hiding its light as well.