Every time the prince opens his eyes, he sees

"No, if I let the handsome young General Gu marry into my family, the spit of the noble ladies in the capital would drown me."

……

A woman in green with a veil on her head saw that there was no one around, so she quickly pushed open a door and walked in.

After she closed the door, the man sitting at the table immediately stood up and said, "You're here."

The woman took off the curtain, but her face was not happy. "You useless guy, you can't even handle a woman."

"I never expected her to be skilled in martial arts."

The man hesitated for a moment, but still put his arms around the woman's waist, gently rested his head on her shoulder, and sniffed her fragrance in fascination.

"Wan'er, I miss you so much. Next time, I will definitely not fail."

The man was Li Wan'er's last resort, so even though she was angry, she didn't show it too obviously and didn't blame him anymore.

"Okay, let's just assume you were careless this time. Next time, you must succeed in killing her. I hope it will be as soon as possible. Once Lu Yaoyao marries Gu Huai, it will become much more difficult for you to kill her."

"I see."

The man kissed her ear softly and said in a hoarse, raspy voice, "Wan'er, can you stay a little longer and accompany me?"

Li Wan'er frowned, "No, if I stay outside for too long, the prince will become suspicious."

In fact, Xie Qingchen didn’t care where she would go at all, as long as she would return to the Prince’s Mansion every day.

But she was just using her relationship with the man. How could she be willing to stay longer except to deal with it out of necessity?

The man did not continue to pester her, but picked her up and placed her on the bed, then lowered the curtain.

……

After realizing that Lu Yaoyao's marriage to Gu Huai was a foregone conclusion, Concubine Shu wanted to build a good relationship with her, so she invited her into the palace again.

Concubine Shu had not woken up from her nap yet, so Lu Yaoyao was waiting outside.

She looked at an apricot tree with excellent fruits. After standing for a long time, her legs felt sore and weak, and her mouth was dry. She wanted to stretch her muscles and relieve her fatigue, so she jumped up and reached out to grab the apricots on the tree.

The first time, he failed. The second time, he just touched the apricot but failed to pick it.

Just as she was about to try again, a large hand reached out and took the bunch of apricots off her shoulders.

Lu Yaoyao looked up and was shocked to find that it was Xie Qingchen.

She subconsciously took a step back, "Your Highness..." There was a hint of surprise and restraint in Lu Yaoyao's voice.

Xie Qingchen looked down at her, his thin lips raised in sarcasm, with a hint of subtle disappointment. "Why, are you scared of me?"

"No, I just didn't expect to meet Your Highness here." Lu Yaoyao hurriedly explained, but she was secretly annoyed in her heart. Why did she always look a little embarrassed every time she met Xie Qingchen alone?

Xie Qingchen handed her the apricot in his hand and said, "Here, what you want."

Lu Yaoyao was stunned for a moment, then took the apricot and thanked him softly, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"My mother hasn't gotten up yet?" Just at this moment, the palace maid beside Concubine Shu came out, and Xie Qingchen asked in a deep voice.

The palace maid bowed gracefully and said with a smile, "The Concubine Shu has already gotten up and told me to invite His Highness and Miss Lu over!"

Seeing the dignified Concubine sitting, Xie Qingchen and Lu Yaoyao bowed at the same time.

"Meet the mother."

"See Concubine Shu."

"Get up." Concubine Shu had a pleasant smile on her face. "How come the prince has time to come here?"

"Your son has come to pay his respects to your mother."

"When did you become so well-behaved?"

When Concubine Shu told this playful joke, she glanced at Lu Yaoyao.

Lu Yaoyao looked puzzled. Why were you looking at me?

"Actually, I'm here to bid farewell to Mother. The floods in the Dian River have left thousands of families homeless and devastated. I've requested permission from my father to go there to help control the floods and rectify the corrupt officials who are enriching themselves."

"What? You want to go to Dianjiang?" Concubine Shu's face changed, and she was obviously surprised and worried about this decision.

Xie Qingchen nodded slightly, his expression firm, "Yes, as the crown prince, I should share the country's worries."

"Then you don't have to go in person. You don't know anything about flood control. Wouldn't it be better to send an official who is good at it? I think Huang Min is suitable."

Xie Qingchen did not refute her, nor did he say anything to please her. The hardness in his eyes said it all; he would not change his mind.

Concubine Shu sighed softly, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "Since you've made up your mind, I, your mother, will naturally support you. However, this journey is dangerous, so you must be extra careful."

"I understand, son." Xie Qingchen replied respectfully.

At this time, Concubine Shu's gaze fell on Lu Yaoyao again, and her tone was full of deep meaning, "Yaoyao, the prince is about to go on a long journey. Do you have anything to say to him?"

Ask her? What can she say?

Nothing more than...

Lu Yaoyao bowed and said respectfully, "Your Highness, the mountains are high and the road is long. I wish you a safe journey and a speedy return."

"Yeah." Xie Qingchen's expression was indifferent, and there was nothing wrong with his emotions.

Concubine Shu chatted with him and Lu Yaoyao about family matters and invited them to have lunch. Xie Qingchen left first, using the excuse that he had official business to attend to.

After he left, and because he would be away from the capital for two or three months, Concubine Shu had even less interest in keeping Lu Yaoyao to deepen their relationship.

She said listlessly, "Yaoyao, I'm a little tired, so I won't keep you any longer. You can stroll around the Imperial Gardens, or I can arrange for someone to take you back."

Lu Yaoyao declined, saying, "Your Highness, please don't bother me. My carriage is waiting at the palace gate. I can go back on my own."

"Well, then, please do as you please."

After leaving Concubine Shu's palace, Lu Yaoyao was still wondering why Xie Qingchen suddenly decided to go to the Dianjiang River to control the flood.

This looks like a hasty, spur-of-the-moment decision.

Originally, his physical condition was sufficient for him to go to a place with a harsh environment, but when he thought of the redness on his body, Lu Yaoyao was still a little worried.

What if I overwork myself there, the poison takes effect, and I can’t suppress my internal energy?

That kind of poison cannot be diagnosed by ordinary doctors.

Lu Yaoyao was really afraid that he would have an accident there. Although she was not targeting him now and did not need to worry about his physical condition, which would not affect her anyway, she still felt depressed and uncomfortable.

……

"Come in."

Someone was knocking on the study door. Xie Qingchen knew it was the breeze from the familiar rhythmic sound.

Qingfeng pushed the door open and walked in, placing a box of medicine on the table. "Your Highness, this is the medicine that Miss Lu asked me to bring you. I said one pill per month. As for its use, Your Highness will understand."

Xie Qingchen picked up the medicine box, opened it and took a look, then asked, "Where is she?"

"It's gone far."

A complex emotion flashed across Xie Qingchen's eyes. He was silent for a moment, and finally nodded lightly, "I understand. You can go down."

Qingfeng retreated in response, and the study returned to peace again.

Xie Qingchen stared at the medicine box in his hand. He naturally understood that this medicine was used to suppress the toxins in his body, which broke out once a month and were extremely painful. Lu Yaoyao knew that he was going to Dianjiang, so she specially prepared this medicine for him to prevent any accidents.