Quick Wear: Oh no, the lady is running away with the ball again

Qi Heyao has been appointed as the crown prince since he was fifteen years old. From then until today, he has been calculating and cautious every day. He has no one to rely on, and he knows it.

These days, he always has dreams, dreams about things that... have never happened.

Yes, how could it be...it happened.

He clearly had not been an emperor yet, he clearly... But every day when he woke up from his sleep, he would break out in a cold sweat, and he felt more and more that these things seemed... as if they had happened before.

At this moment, in Lan City, thousands of miles away from the royal capital, the disaster has been roughly dealt with.

Standing on the streets of Lancheng, Qi Heyao's eyes swept over the devastated scene around him, his face revealing a look of fatigue and pain. Although the disaster in Lancheng had been properly addressed, the city's appearance had not yet completely changed.

The streets were no longer filled with starving people, and now people were wrapped in tattered linen clothes, holding thin porridge in their hands. The people's lives were still difficult, and the figures in mourning and the dilapidated houses on the streets made Qi Heyao feel so heavy that he could hardly bear it.

He saw it, and a trace of unbearable pity flashed across his eyes. He was anxious to return to the capital to explain to Yun Qian. Although he was confident that Yun Qian would forgive him, there was always a sense of emptiness in his heart, as if it was being eaten away by ants, grabbing at him and making him feel uneasy.

But he also knew that things here were not yet completely done.

The Yellow River's bursting was always like a time bomb, threatening to swallow up the entire dynasty at any moment. Three months passed, and they tried version after version of the flood control plan before finally arriving at a final one. It was a massive undertaking.

Thinking of this, Qi Heyao frowned deeply, and his handsome face became a little painful. To change the course of the river is not just a matter of saying it. Throughout history, no matter how many times the river has been changed and the dikes have been built, the problem here has not been completely solved.

It was common for the people to reclaim wasteland, but the current situation was different. The population was increasing, and they needed more food, but there was not enough land. The people had no choice but to reclaim more land...

But if that happens, the silt and mud flooding problem here will become even more serious... Qi Heyao has an idea in mind. He wants to get the people living nearby to move away. In just ten years, his men will be able to transform this place into a new place. Once the sand is healed, there will be no need to worry about the Yellow River flooding again...

Qi Heyao knew that it was easier said than done. The people were attached to their land, and relocating them involved too many interests and power dynamics. Not only were many people unwilling to leave this land, but some forces had already taken root in the area and could not be moved.

Not to mention that he is only the crown prince now and does not have enough power. Besides... his position is not without its covets. He has several half-brothers in the royal capital, and then... there is the one in Qianqiu Temple.

Qi Heyao was dressed simply. His appearance had been damaged by the recent busy days, but he couldn't care less now. His once clear mind was in a state of chaos. Sometimes it was the dreams that had been intermittent every night, yet could be pieced together piecemeal. Sometimes it was the person in his heart, his fiancée back in the capital. Was she still angry with him?

Qi Heyao thought of this and suddenly smiled. There was a hint of bitterness in that smile, but more of it was a kind of nostalgic happiness. The servants around him suddenly saw His Royal Highness like this and talked about it in their hearts, but they didn't dare to show it on their faces.

In reality, Qi Heyao missed Yun Qian a little, but apart from her, he didn't miss anything in the capital. Sometimes he even thought that Lancheng was wonderful. The haze above was better than the sun in the capital. Even without the sun, it was still brighter and clearer than there.

Here, whatever he says is what counts, no one will criticize him every now and then, and no one will put pressure on him.

"Yun Qian..." Qi Heyao murmured softly, a complicated expression on his face. "Are you still waiting for me?"

Qi Heyao's smile was like a faint ray of morning light, fleeting and bitter, yet radiating an imperceptible warmth. It was the only solace he could find amidst the busyness and pressure, even if it came only from the memory of Yun Qian, or perhaps from the unfulfilled feelings he felt for her.

Will you still wait for me? Qi Heyao didn't know. He was eroded by those dreams and was a little overwhelmed. How could he... treat Yun Qian like that? Was that him? Yes, he knew.

Whether she would still wait for him, whether she could still accept him, everything hung in the balance. Qi Heyao held onto hope, thinking that by the time he returned, everything would be successfully resolved. Life would continue as before, and he would no longer waver. He would give Yun Qian a definite answer.

After figuring out the answer, he suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, and looked into the distance with a determined gaze. The capital was still out of reach, and the future was still full of uncertainty, but he had decided that no matter what, he would keep going until the day when he could arrange everything properly and Yun Qian's heart would be with him again.

------

"So, is that so?"

Yun Qian could hardly believe her ears. Unbelievable pain welled up in her eyes, but she forced herself to calm down, lowering her eyes. Thoughts raced through her mind, and she kept thinking of a solution - what on earth was going on?!

Qi Jueyu's biological mother had once been as close to Empress Yun as a sister. However, as Empress Yun rose to power, she became sensitive and suspicious, seeing everyone as a threat. Yun Qian had never witnessed the bloodshed in the palace, but now, thinking about it, that woman's death clearly bore traces of conspiracy—perhaps instigated, perhaps condoned.

Qi Jueyu's mother died with hatred in her heart, not even enjoying a peaceful death at her last moment, leaving behind an undignified death. Little Qi Jueyu witnessed it all with his own eyes... How could he not feel hatred in his heart?

"My cousin's death..." Yun Qian muttered to herself, recalling the news that Yun Hou had just revealed. If her cousin had indeed died from drowning, and Qi Jueyu had truly turned a blind eye, then his cold-bloodedness was not surprising—he was not a kind person to begin with.

But what if the truth is not so?

Yun Qian usually thinks of the worst and makes plans. Could it be... worse than this? Qi Jueyu didn't kill his cousin indirectly, but did it himself.

"At this point, I have no way out. I will not leave myself any more ways to retreat," Queen Yun said coldly, her tone as sharp as a knife. "He was the one standing by the pond in the Imperial Garden that day. There is no doubt about that."

Yun Qian raised her eyes, her heart full of questions and her eyes filled with grief, "Aunt, how did you confirm this?"