Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

"Dad, did the Emperor mention peace talks and trade with the State of Chen today?"

Tang Yan looked at Tang Ling and asked, "Yes, what's wrong?"

"Dad, I have an idea and I want to ask you what you think."

Tang Yan finally couldn't help but sigh: "Alas, if you are not in good health, don't worry about these things."

Tang Ling lowered her head slightly: "...That's what I want to do."

"tell me the story."

"I would like to advise the emperor to dig a canal from northeast to southwest, connecting the Taihua River and the Liu River, and opening up a trade route for Chen and Zhou."

Tang He stroked his beard and pondered for a moment. "Hmm... that's a good idea. Right now, there are many refugees from the Three States and Five Commanderies, and there are tens of thousands of Qi prisoners of war. They all need to be properly resettled. While digging a canal would be costly, it would bring long-term benefits. For centuries, trade between Qi and Zhou has been frequent, but the Taihua River separates Chen and Zhou, and Fenglin Mountain lies between Chen and Qi, making trade difficult. A canal connecting the Taihua River and the Liu River would make traveling south from Chen a thousand times easier than crossing Fenglin Mountain. Furthermore, this canal lies within the territory of our Great Zhou, so the benefits are obvious."

"Once the canal is completed and trade between Chen and Zhou is revitalized, peace and tranquility can prevail between the two nations. Your Majesty of Chen will not destroy the people's livelihood and the country for the sake of his ambition to unify the world. We control the confluence of the two rivers. Even if Chen attacks Great Zhou, we can respond."

Tang He had led the army for many years and deeply agreed with this. Now that the State of Chen had seized most of the territory of Qi, if His Majesty the State of Chen really had the ambition to send troops to the Great Zhou again in the future, there would be two ways: one is to cross the Taihua River, and the other is to cross the Liu River.

The Taihua River is vast and turbulent, and it would take months for the land forces to cross it. However, the Liu River is much easier to cross. Once a war breaks out, it will be much faster to mobilize troops by water than by land. What's more, the Shenzhao Camp is very good at water battles, so the State of Chen will definitely not suffer.

"This matter cannot be brought up by my Tang family. Let me think of a solution."

"Thank you dad."

"Why thank me? If policies that benefit the country and the people can be implemented, it's naturally good. It's just the duty of a minister. But you just woke up, why did you suddenly think of this?"

Tang Ling drank the porridge slowly and said, "When I first entered Chen and took the Qinjiang waterway north to Yuanjing, I thought that if Chen and Zhou could trade, perhaps there would be no need for war." Only by tying the interests of the two countries together, with huge interests, can there be peace. This is true for the coalition forces attacking Qi and for trade as well.

"Good boy, drink the porridge quickly, it's almost cold." Tang He looked at his son and couldn't help but wonder, how much of Tang Ling's efforts were for the interests of the Great Zhou, and how much was for the newly appointed prince of the State of Chen?

After Tang Yan left, Tang Ling leaned against the headboard, silently watching the twilight filter through the window as the sky gradually darkened. He held the silver hairpin in his hand, his eyes tinged with hurt yet also with joy.

The silver hairpin is called Qinian. What Qi Xiao gave him was the best time. Perhaps such beauty can never come back, but it is enough for him to treasure it in his heart forever.

Tang Ling fell asleep, trapped in a thick fog. With no future or way back, and no Qi Xiao, he was lost and lost. When everything became empty, unable to hold on, unable to obtain, he felt as if he were already dead. It would be better to die, perhaps he would no longer suffer. It was all his fault. He had never imagined another ending, an ending that could have lasted forever with Qi Xiao, because he had repeatedly avoided and perfunctorily dealt with it. He had been unable to hold on to the love between him and Qi Xiao. He had betrayed him, and it was all his fault.

But Tang Ling was unwilling to give up. He had promised to wait for Qi Xiao. At least he could wait. Even if there was no way forward or backward in the vast fog, he was willing to stay there, to be alone. At least he wanted to keep this promise. He wanted to work harder for it. He would build a small courtyard, like the one in Bashan, plant epiphyllums, and wait diligently.

Maybe one day, the flowers will bloom and the person he is waiting for will come.

***

Bai Xiqiao pushed the door open and came in: "Your Highness the Crown Prince..."

"roll!"

"Hey, why are you mad at me? His Majesty's decree has been issued, and everyone in the world knows about it. Do you think nothing will happen just because you stay here and don't go out or see anyone?"

The stench of alcohol in the room was overwhelming, and Bai Xiqiao couldn't bear it any longer. He quickly opened all the doors and windows, snatched the wine jar from Qi Xiao, and sternly said, "Drink, drink, drink! Drink until you die! If anyone dares to bring you wine again, I will punish you by military law."

"Get lost!" Qi Xiao was very drunk, feeling dizzy and light-headed. He wanted to grab the wine from Bai Xiqiao, but he couldn't even grab Bai Xiqiao's sleeve. "Give it to me!"

"It's enough!"

"Give me!"

Qi Xiao felt dizzy and fell towards Bai Xiqiao. Bai Xiqiao took a step back and Qi Xiao fell to the ground.

Bai Xiqiao was also furious. Ever since returning to Bashan, Qi Xiao hadn't left the courtyard and had begun drinking to himself. Within two days, the imperial edict appointing the crown prince arrived, and he'd retreated to his room, drinking even harder. Knowing he was feeling distressed, Bai Xiqiao simply told others he was ill and needed rest, tolerating his drunken stupor for days. But Qi Xiao became increasingly self-destructive, looking as if he wished he could drink himself to death.

Bai Xiqiao threw the wine jar to the ground, grabbed Qi Xiao's collar and lifted him up, dragged him out of the room, dragged him to the big water tank in the yard, and threw Qi Xiao directly in.

"Wake up! What are you talking about!"

"Cough cough cough cough..." Qi Xiao was suddenly thrown into the water tank. He was already very drunk, and he choked on a few mouthfuls of water after feeling dizzy. He leaned on the edge of the water tank and coughed continuously, and he immediately sobered up a little.

Zong Sheng heard the commotion in the courtyard and rushed over. He quickly pulled Qi Xiao out of the water tank, carried him on his shoulders and helped him back into the house, cursing Bai Xiqiao: "What are you crazy about?!"

"Am I crazy or is he?! Your grandfather is about to drink himself to death, and you just let him do it?!"

Zong Sheng was too lazy to argue with Bai Xiqiao, so he helped Qi Xiao back to the house. However, he stopped at the door. The smell of alcohol in the house was so terrible that even Zong Sheng frowned. Fortunately, there were two empty houses in the yard. Zong Sheng took everyone into the next room, helped Qi Xiao sit down, and turned around to find some clean clothes to change into.

Bai Xiqiao leaned against the doorway and stopped Zong Sheng: "Ignore him, let him wake up."

Zong Sheng pushed Bai Xiqiao away and ignored him.

Bai Xiqiao sighed, sat down next to Qi Xiao, and asked, "Are you awake?"

Qi Xiao had a splitting headache. He stroked his forehead and tilted his head to the other side: "Brother, don't worry about me."

"If I don't take care of you, who will? Okay, I know you're upset, but drinking won't solve the problem. His Majesty has ordered you to return to Yuanjing. You can delay it for a while, but not forever."

"Why should I go back? The case of the general and my master was settled by His Majesty with a decree to deal with Qin. But my mother is no longer with us, so why should I go back?" The reason why he went north to Yuanjing City was gone, so why should he go back?

"You won't avenge Concubine Lin?"

"Oh! Revenge? Even if I ascend the throne, I can't just execute anyone I want, let alone Concubine Zhao." Qi Xiao laughed in anger, "Or do you want me to become like them, killing whoever I want to fight for power?"

"That was not what I meant."

"Brother, it's not worth it at all... The general's lifelong loyalty to the emperor and the country is not worth it, the moral principles that Master upholds are not worth it, and my mother's compromise is even more unworthy! We fight on the battlefield and become his butchers. Is this what Master taught us?!"

The fact that Qin was secretly communicating with the Zhanshi Office had already been revealed when Qi Xiao was investigating the case at the Dali Temple. Li Sheng was taken away by the Tiance Camp. Although Chi Yue said nothing afterwards, His Majesty must have known everything he should know. However, there was no movement until Qi Xiao left Yuanjing and went to Yuanzhou Prefecture. Qi Xiao was thousands of miles away and had no idea how the case of military pay of the Ministry of War was finally investigated.

Until they took great pains to solve the mystery of that year from the secret letter of the Office of Occupation.

Back then, Bai Liu commanded the southwest military and garrisoned Fenglin Mountain, remaining aloof from factional disputes. The Gongsun clan firmly controlled the Ministry of War, and Qin's repeated attempts to win over Bai Liu failed, leading to early discord.

The reason why the Qin family could not tolerate Bai Liu was because of the Qin River flood that year. While stranded in Chuanyang, Bai Liu accidentally discovered that Chuanyang and the two surrounding states had embezzled disaster relief funds and river repair funds. These state governments and the Ministry of Works were all controlled by the Qin family.

At the time, Bai Liu had no direct evidence to present to His Majesty, so he could only keep it secret. After the flood, he asked his brothers from the Hanchen Sect to investigate secretly under the guise of Jianghu, but they unexpectedly alerted the Qin family. To make matters worse, the Qin family actually had someone from the Zhanshi Office hiding in their midst.

Qin set up a scheme, secretly diverting half of the military pay as it passed through Chuanyang. The Ministry of Revenue was known for its many shady dealings, making them difficult to detect. Later, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue clashed over military pay, providing Qin with a golden opportunity.

When the Gongsun family realized that the Qin family was going to deal with Bai Liu, they chose to stand by and watch. Since Bai Liu was someone they could not win over, it was better to sit on the sidelines and wait for the opportunity to seize the military power in the southwest.

"Brother, that person doesn't care at all. In the power struggle, the truth about the river repair funds, disaster relief funds, military pay, the general and Master, it doesn't matter!" Qi Xiao was shaking with anger. "It doesn't matter who is the crown prince! I'm just a pawn!"

Qi Xiao had understood all of this since childhood. He was born in that imperial city, where everything people did was driven by power. Only with power could one survive and live well. Perhaps because he had been away from Yuanjing for too long, he mistakenly believed that he could live his life as he pleased, do what he wanted, and love whoever he liked.

"Are you going to disobey my order?"

"He made you a general, and you're willing to work for him?!"

"Xiao'er..."

"The water in Yuanjing City is so dirty, you're going to push me in?!"

"How can you still blame me? Listen to what you're saying! Why did you drink so much? Was it for my father and master, or for someone else? Don't you know it yourself?! Why are you being so unreasonable?"

After Bai Xiqiao finished yelling, Qi Xiao held his forehead and remained silent.

Bai Xiqiao sighed. He knew exactly what Qi Xiao was resentful of. All they wanted was the truth, not this "result."

Bai Liu was only impeached but not convicted. Their masters Gu Shanmo and Han Chenzong were framed and hunted down, but they also killed those people. There was no possibility of "overturning the verdict".

Qi Xiao hadn't submitted the secret letter from the Office of the Occupation to His Majesty. It had been submitted by the Xuanji Battalion, which was their responsibility. Qi Xiao was furious, but he had nothing to say. Even if His Majesty used this incident to punish Qin, they couldn't control it, but Qi Xiao couldn't bear to be treated like a puppet.

But Qi Xiao had been a puppet since birth. He had never been able to make his own decisions. Whether it was the King of Chu or the Crown Prince, it wasn't his choice. He chose Tang Ling! He wanted Tang Ling!

Bai Xiqiao put a hand on Qi Xiao's shoulder and said, "Alright, cheer up. Think about what Tang Ling would say if she were here."

What if Tang Ling was here?

He would probably smile and say, "The Qi Xiao I know is not an indecisive person."

Qi Xiao lowered his head and took out a seal from his arms. It was something Tang Ling left for him. She didn't give it to him until they returned to Bashan and Bai Xiqiao brought him into this small courtyard.

The jade was not of particularly good quality, but it was made by Tang Ling herself, engraved with a half-bloomed Epiphyllum and a garden full of withered crabapple trees... Tang Ling hadn't written a single letter or spoken a single word to Qi Xiao during the four months she had been in Bashan, yet she left these behind after she left. What did she want him to think?

The weeping crabapple symbolizes homesickness. Is he waiting for him?

Qi Xiao held the seal in his hand. He must fulfill their agreement, and Tang Ling would definitely wait for him.

"Oh... pack up, it's time for us to go back. No matter what you think, His Majesty's order cannot be disobeyed." Bai Xiqiao didn't know what to say. Qi Xiao wouldn't listen anyway, but Bai Xiqiao was really worried that his willfulness would kill him.

Zong Sheng came in with clean clothes: "Master, please change your clothes first."

"You all get out."

Bai Xiqiao said nothing more and went out with Zong Sheng. When he reached the door, Zong Sheng glared at him.

"... Blame me, okay? It's all my fault! I really owed him in my previous life. I've been worrying about him for nothing in this life!" Bai Xiqiao was so angry that he turned around and left.

Zong Sheng didn't know how to persuade Qi Xiao, nor did he know how to persuade Bai Xiqiao. All he could do was clean up the room for Qi Xiao.

When he went in, Chi Yue was already cleaning up inside.

"……Let me do it."

Chi Yue smiled and stopped, watching Zong Sheng pack up. He said, "I've seen people fighting to the death for high positions, but I've never seen anyone so unhappy about being crowned Crown Prince. Is Your Highness so unhappy?"

His Majesty's decree arrived by express horse. In addition to the imperial edict to appoint the crown prince, there was also His Majesty's reward. Everyone was overjoyed, except Qi Xiao who suddenly fell ill.

Zong Sheng glanced at Chi Yue and didn't answer. No matter how he looked at him, he was unhappy.

Chi Yue sighed, and the smile on his face turned into worry in an instant: "If the person who takes that position in the future is not Your Highness but someone else, I will die a miserable death."

Zong Sheng was stunned for a moment: "What did you say?"

"Just kidding, it's not a matter of death. But if it's really someone else, I'm afraid I'll never see you again."

Zong Sheng was stunned. He had never thought that the Tiance Camp was His Majesty's secret department, and it would naturally be inherited by the new emperor when he ascended the throne. By that time, Chi Yue would no longer be able to follow Qi Xiao and let Qi Xiao drive him around. He would return to the darkness and disappear from sight.

Zong Sheng suddenly reached out and grabbed Chi Yue, squeezing his wrist tightly.

Chi Yue frowned. Zong Sheng's pinch hurt him, but he wanted to be held like this forever, even if it hurt.

"Can't we leave Tiance Camp?" That was not a good place to begin with.

Chi Yue smiled, his eyes bright: "It's not that there is no way, I will try. Wait for me to find you."

"...Okay." After getting Chi Yue's promise, Zong Sheng seemed to gradually feel relieved and slowly let go of his hand.

Chi Yue felt the force on his wrist slowly loosening, and he could not help but lower his head to look at Zong Sheng's hand. The smile on the corner of his mouth froze there, but his eyes darkened.

Chi Yue held Zong Sheng's hand with his backhand, raised his eyes to meet his, and said with a smile, "Not far from the Qi capital of Shaoyang, there's a small place called Luxi. You'll pass by it on your way to Shaoyang. There's a beautiful lotus pond there. Wait for me there."

"it is good."

Chi Yue pounced on Zong Sheng and kissed him, saying, "I'm sorry, I asked you to wait for me."