I have been farming since I crossed over.

After Lu Jintang sent Yang Mingxi back, he returned to the courtyard and found Tang Jiahang already sitting in the study, along with a boy called Xiaojiu and a young man of similar age.

Lu Jintang sat down, and the three boys couldn't help but sit up straight.

"Buyan is back?" Lu Jintang asked as he sat down.

Hu Buyan quickly stood up, bowed, and said, "Yes, Uncle Yao, I rushed back after receiving the news from Brother Hang. At that time, my grandfathers still had twenty days to travel to get here."

"Sit down! There aren't so many rules here." Lu Jintang pointed to a seat and asked Hu Buyan to sit down. Then he continued, "According to this calculation, they will arrive in at most half a month. Did they have a smooth journey?"

Hu Buyan glanced at his uncle. Didn't he send a lot of people to follow? Although it was a caravan, some left and some joined later, but he had been following them and had discovered some clues. How could so many kind-hearted people be willing to help a family that was almost exiled? Normal people would stay as far away as possible.

Hu Buyan took a sip of tea and said, "It was a bit difficult when we first left the capital! It got better and better afterwards, but..."

"Cough, cough, cough." Tang Jiahang coughed a few times, interrupting Hu Buyan's speech.

Lu Jintang sat up straight, glanced at Tang Jiahang and said, "Hanghang is sick? Have you seen a doctor? Don't wait until it gets worse."

Tang Jiahang put his hand to his nose and coughed a few times. "I just caught a cold, but it's nothing serious. Let's continue."

Hu Buyan thought for a moment and said, "Things got better and better later on. It's just that my great-grandfather asked everyone to be self-reliant, so they suffered a little. But otherwise, everything is fine. I've left some people here, and I'll go to meet them when they're about three days away."

Lu Jintang glanced at Tang Jiahang. This guy, what was there to hide about that kind of thing? His people had already reported the news that his grandmother was not in good health and had suffered a lot along the way.

Lu Jintang said: "Okay, I won't go here when the time comes. I will wait for you in Qingshui County."

Tang Jiahang said, "I won't go either. My uncle and I will wait for you in Qingshui County."

"I'll wait for you at Qianhuang Mountain! I'll go find the village girl who will help with cooking tonight and make a delicious meal to welcome you." Xiaojiu said weakly.

"Swish" three pairs of eyes swept towards Xiaojiu who had just finished speaking. Xiaojiu wanted to say something, but was so scared that he stopped talking and looked at everyone present.

Although he is a prince, his great-grandfather said that in the palace, he is the honorable ninth prince; in the Lu family, he is the grandson of the Lu family, and they have to pay attention to seniority. It just so happens that here, he is the youngest, and there is an elder?

Lu Jintang asked, "Who are you calling a little village girl? You even asked her to cook for you. Why? Because you're the Ninth Prince?"

Tang Jiahang asked, "Who is it? I made delicious food for you. Why is there no portion for us?"

Hu Buyan said, "Little village girl, you just arrived and you already know her. You are still young, don't bother with decent women."

Xiao Jiu looked at the people firing at him, holding his forehead and complaining in his heart: "I am still a prince? But I am nothing in front of you."

Lu Jintang said, "Here, put away all your arrogance as the Ninth Prince. You are now just Lin Dong, the ninth prince."

Tang Jiahang and Hu Buyan looked at each other, knowing something was fishy.

Hu Buyan mumbled something, and Tang Jiahang's eyes lit up. He thought, "Uncle, is that okay? Could it be that the girl agreed? He's really an old cow eating young grass."

Lu Jintang looked at his nephews who were constantly making small movements, took a sip of tea, cleared his throat and said, "I called you here to talk about Xiaojiu, to gather information I arranged, and to plant about 20,000 mu of rice here, and I grow it three times a year. I need to sell it, so I can set up some bases and keep an eye on the situation outside. This is just my plan. I'll listen to my grandfather's arrangements when he comes back."

The three nodded without saying anything.

Lu Jintang said: "Xiaojiu, from now on you will be called Lin Dong, not Xiaojiu anymore. Tell me how you got here!"

Lin Dong sat up straight and said, "As you all know, I have always been a transparent existence in the palace. Every day I just play with the palace maids and walk my bird. Only when I came to the Lu family, I could think normally and be a normal person."

Several important people in the Lu family knew about these things. His situation was somewhat similar to Lu Jintang's, so Lu Jintang had a lot of experience.

Lu Jintang said, "This is the responsibility you should bear. When you are weak, you should pretend to be stupid and foolish. The most important thing is to save your life first."

Lin Dong said, "I know, so sometimes, I really want to just lie down and forget about it, but when I see my mother being so humble in front of them, I can't bear it."

After taking a sip of water, Lin Dong continued, "After my grandfather's family was placed under house arrest, Mother's life became even more difficult. Empress Huo found fault with Mother every day, causing her to lose a child."

Lin Dong paused and continued, "That day I went to see Mother, lying on the bed, nearly dead, and I felt unworthy of being a son. Then my fourth sister happened to come and summon Mother to attend to the sick, saying the Queen was ill and wanted to eat the chicken soup Mother had made. She knew Mother had just had a miscarriage, but she...she...so I took action against my fourth sister."

Lin Dong took a deep breath and said, "In the end, I became a crazy demon and was locked up. But my third brother and his friends always bullied my third sister, saying that it was the brothers who disciplined their sisters. Why can't they do that to me? They are too bullying."

Lin Dong stopped talking, held his face with his hands, and sobbed.

Hu Buyan stood up and patted Lin Dong on the back, his expression also grim. While comforting Lin Dong, he stole a glance at his youngest uncle, who sat at the head of the table. In his mind, this youngest uncle was a bully in the capital, the kind with no real skills but a lot of chutzpah. In short, a hopeless case. Yet, his mother was fiercely protective of this younger brother.

Hu Buyan's thoughts wandered a little. He had thought that from the moment his uncle left the capital, he would find a way to find him and ask him for help. However, he never received any news in this regard. It was only occasionally that someone said that a young man was going to sell wild boars and sika deer, and the route seemed somewhat similar to the route to Qianhuang Mountain. Only then did he look up to his uncle.

I thought Brother Hang was the one taking the lead tonight, after all, he was always excellent, but I didn't expect Brother Hang to just sit down and listen. Hu Buyan was a little confused.

Tang Jiahang sat there without moving, his chin supported by one hand, wondering what he was thinking.

Lu Jintang remained silent, calming his inner turmoil. He said coldly, "Put away your tears. Crying will only make you weaker. You know what my eldest sister has sacrificed for you over the past sixteen years. You don't need to be told what we have sacrificed. You don't need to worry about the sacrifices of the rest of us. Just think about your mother."

Lin Dong wiped away a tear and continued, "When I was imprisoned, I didn't suffer any punishment. Aunt Qing brought a message, saying that my mother would find someone to send me out, and asked me to hide my identity and come to Qianhuang Mountain to find my grandfather, fulfill my filial duty on her behalf, and live a simple life. In the palace... there is a substitute in the palace, pretending to be me and being sick."

Lin Dong raised his head and looked straight at Lu Jintang, his eyes flickering with confusion. He slowly said, "Uncle, did you know? That substitute actually looked very similar to me! When the Imperial Master was helping me seal my inner strength, he quietly told me the reason. It turned out to be a soul from another world! The Imperial Master also told me to do what I believed was right. If it could benefit the people of the world, then my mother would be fine. Then... then I just felt dizzy and the scene in front of me gradually blurred. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that little village girl standing in front of me."

After saying this, Lin Dong seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He leaned heavily against the back of his chair, his body rising and falling with his breathing, and his eyes drooped.

Lu Jintang glanced at Lin Dong seriously. This idiot, it was obviously the eldest sister who came up with such a complicated plan to let him escape safely. However, in the strict imperial palace, the eldest sister was the only one left. Could she hold on?

Lu Jintang stood up and walked over to Lin Dong. He raised his hand and hit him, saying, "I'll beat you to death, you idiot! Your mother went through fire and water for you, and she wouldn't hesitate. What about you? You idiot, you actually managed to escape. How can you let your mother survive alone in that cold palace?"