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

The towering palace city seemed no different from the day Qi Xiao left, even the sky above, cut off by the palace wall, and the cloud hooked on the corner of the eaves seemed exactly the same. Qi Xiao looked at it, as if he were in another world.

The Qiyun Palace where Concubine Lin lived was not the palace where Qi Xiao grew up. Concubine Lin was weak and would be sick for longer than others if she caught a cold. It seemed that she needed to take medicine half of the time throughout the year. As time went by, she became less and less favored by His Majesty. The Queen asked Concubine Lin to rest, but was afraid that her illness would harm His Majesty's health, so she moved Concubine Lin to the Qiyun Palace, which was farther and farther away from Chengming Palace.

Qiyun Palace is located in a remote area and has not had any visitors for a long time. Although it is quiet, it is also as quiet as a cold palace.

Qi Xiao stood at the gate of Qiyun Palace, feeling as if his heart had been hit by a heavy hammer, painful and depressed.

Knowing that Qi Xiao was going to enter the palace, Concubine Lin specially chose a dress of bright and festive colors, and instructed her maid to dress up well to cover up her sick appearance.

Qi Xiao took a deep breath and stepped into the threshold of Qiyun Palace. As soon as he entered the inner courtyard, he saw Concubine Lin standing at the door, supported by her maid, waiting for Qi Xiao.

Concubine Lin was extremely beautiful when she was young, and His Majesty had chosen her at first sight during the selection. Now she is only in her early thirties, and the beautiful face in Qi Xiao's memory is still there, but it has become haggard.

Qi Xiao quickly walked up to Concubine Lin and held her up with his hand. All the words he had said in the past six years were suddenly stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.

Concubine Lin looked at Qi Xiao with tears in her eyes and smiled. She raised her hand and gently stroked Qi Xiao's cheek, as if he was still that child.

"Xiao'er."

When Concubine Lin called out softly, Qi Xiao couldn't stop crying. He lowered his head, leaned over, and knelt down to kowtow to Concubine Lin: "Mother! I am an unfilial son."

Concubine Lin had endured everything in the deep palace for twenty years, but the moment Qi Xiao knelt down, she could no longer bear it. She threw herself on Qi Xiao, hugged her son whom she had not seen for several years, and burst into tears.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the imperial physician has advised you not to worry or get excited." The maidservant beside her wiped her tears and advised.

Qi Xiao nodded and helped Concubine Lin into the house.

Mother and son were reunited, and the palace maids who served them all withdrew, leaving no one inside the house or in the courtyard. Concubine Lin wanted to have a good talk with her son. But when they actually saw him, they looked at each other without saying a word, wanting only to look at each other.

Qi Xiao has grown up and no longer looks like a child. Although his mother can recognize him at a glance, she still can't help but look at him again and again, looking at him carefully, as if looking at him twice more can make up for everything she hasn't seen in the past six years.

"Look at me, I forgot to prepare some snacks for you, all of which you used to like."

Qi Xiao saw the plates of dim sum on the table early in the morning. The aroma reminded him of his memory, and he knew it was made by Concubine Lin herself. When he was young, Concubine Lin taught him not to show his likes and dislikes, and to restrain himself whether he liked it or not. The only thing he could do was to secretly eat a few more bites of the dim sum made by Concubine Lin herself. This was the only way Concubine Lin could dote on him.

Qi Xiao nodded, took a bite of the snack, and chewed it slowly. The sweeter the mouth was, the more bitter his heart was. He endured it and didn't dare to cry anymore, for fear that if he cried, Concubine Lin would not be able to stop.

Concubine Lin looked at Qi Xiao with a smile on her face. Her son had grown up, and was tall and handsome, with an elegant demeanor. He was no worse than the ones His Majesty had raised. He was even better than them, much better.

Qi Xiao had a lot to say, and Concubine Lin was the same. But when they met, they didn't need to say anything, as everything was implied. The two of them sat opposite each other quietly, drinking tea and eating snacks. Half an hour passed by in a hurry. The sun was setting and the sky was dark. Qi Xiao was keenly aware of the passage of time, like the six years that he could not get back. He felt a little sad and couldn't help but sigh silently.

Concubine Lin knew how he felt because she could feel it. She smiled at Qi Xiao and gently held his hand. She was glad that she was not too ill and could see her son again. She had nothing to ask for in her life, just to see him, that would be enough.

"Mom, please come back to Yongcheng with me."

Concubine Lin was stunned. Qi Xiao was not asking a question, but had already made the decision.

"I will go and ask His Majesty for permission."

Concubine Lin was still stunned, but Qi Xiao still called his father "Your Majesty", as if he had been like this since he was a child, and was particularly distant from that person.

"No, I'm fine. It's enough for you to come back and accompany me."

"Mother, come back with me. There's a precedent in our dynasty, and His Majesty will approve it."

Concubine Lin frowned and advised, "Don't get into trouble for me..." Qi Xiao's status in Yuanjing made it difficult, so it was better to avoid trouble than to worry about it.

Qi Xiao's eyes were firm. Concubine Lin looked at him and suddenly couldn't say what he wanted to say. After a long moment, she nodded slightly. She knew that her illness might not be cured, and she didn't want Qi Xiao to worry. He had been a well-behaved child. This time, Concubine Lin wanted to go along with her son, even if it was just perfunctory.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye, and Qi Xiao had to leave Qiyun Palace. Concubine Lin was a little tired after sitting for a long time, so she was supported by her maid and sent Qi Xiao off, watching him walk out of Qiyun Palace.

Qi Xiao left the harem along the same route he came, and was led by palace servants to the Qingxiang Palace for a night banquet. He walked from the time the lights were turned on until nightfall.

Qi Xiao remained silent the entire way, his expression grim. If Zong Sheng and Bai Xiqiao were present, they would surely have noticed his displeasure. Qiyun Palace was utterly desolate, its furnishings worn, a sign of neglect. Concubine Lin's life had been even more difficult than his own childhood; her serious illness must have been due to neglect. Qi Xiao was angry, angry at himself; if he had been favored, his mother would have enjoyed a better life thanks to her son's status. He was also angry at himself for not even having the opportunity to care for her for all these years, receiving only a few letters of greeting each year...

The lights in the Qingxiang Hall were bright and could be seen from afar. The twilight lights in front of Qi Xiao dissipated, and the sound of stringed instruments came faintly through the light. The noise made Qi Xiao even angrier, and he couldn't help but clench his fists.

***

Tang Ling, Huang Zexian and the Zhou envoys were accompanied by Ji Mingtang personally into the palace and took their seats, with Tang Ling sitting on the left.

On the right, several princes sat in order of seniority, headed by the eldest prince, followed by the fifth prince, the seventh prince, and the ninth prince Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao arrived at the table neither too early nor too late. The eldest prince had just arrived, while the fifth and seventh princes had not yet arrived. Qi Xiao greeted the eldest prince, exchanged a few polite words, and then sat down. Tang Ling saw all of this.

The eldest prince, already well over thirty, looked quite mature, and looked nothing like Qi Xiao. While the eldest prince was handsome, he wasn't particularly striking. Compared to him, Qi Xiao was infinitely more handsome, with eyebrows like mountains and eyes like stars, a look that was unforgettable at first sight. Tang Ling thought, perhaps Qi Xiao took after his mother.

Not long after, the fifth prince and the seventh prince arrived together. The four brothers finally sat at the same table, and the difference became even more obvious. Even though the seventh prince Qi Ting was of similar age to Qi Xiao and was also handsome with red lips and white teeth, he was far less eye-catching than Qi Xiao.

Tang Ling covered her mouth with the teacup to hide her smile. Qi Xiao probably had never been praised for her beauty.