An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

The layout of the front and second courtyards of Prince Jing's Mansion is essentially the same as that of Prince Ping's Mansion. However, the backyard of Prince Jing's Mansion has a completely different style and layout. The backyard is composed of courtyards of varying sizes, arranged in a staggered pattern, forming a sharp contrast with the rigorous and majestic front yard.

This unique design seems to be another interpretation of life by the owner of the mansion, which combines solemn etiquette with flexible freedom.

Further back is the garden, the scale of which is astonishing. Between the garden and the backyard is a large lake, the water of which is crystal clear and shimmering.

Ling'er took Jing Chunxi's hand and came to the waterside pavilion, sitting by the railing. At this time, the sky had completely darkened and the surroundings were quiet.

The position they sat in just happened to allow them to take in the entire backyard of Prince Jing's mansion. From this angle, the architectural layout of the entire mansion seemed particularly ingenious, with the buildings rising step by step from low to high, presenting a pattern of high front and low back.

No wonder such a large lake has formed behind the mansion. This is undoubtedly the result of the ingenuity of the mansion designer.

At this moment, lanterns hung high in every courtyard of the house began to light up one after another. The soft and warm light reflected on the shimmering water, and the night sky above created a dreamlike scene.

This unique scenery makes people indulge in it, as if they are in a fairyland far away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Ling'er whispered, "This was originally the mansion where the retired emperor lived before he ascended the throne. It was later given to my grandfather, who lived here for less than fifty years." Jing Chunxi couldn't help but sigh in his heart that such a noble mansion and such beautiful scenery were probably unique in the capital.

The fact that the retired emperor personally bestowed this mansion, which was filled with memories of his first half of life, upon Prince Jing was enough to show that the relationship between the brothers was extraordinary.

"Is that being renovated? Why are there so many scaffolding?" Jing Chunxi's eyes were drawn to the courtyard by the water. It had a prime location; standing there, one could take in the beautiful scenery of the lake. Therefore, Jing Chunxi paid special attention to it, especially with the shimmering water reflecting off it, making the lakeside courtyard even more precious.

On the opposite bank facing the water, there are many bamboos and willows. One can imagine how refreshing and pleasant it would be to sit in such a courtyard on a summer afternoon with a cool breeze.

Anyone who can live in such a courtyard must be a direct descendant of the mansion.

Ling'er also looked across and said, "It's just a renovation, it's almost done."

"There are only two courtyards like this. The courtyard on the right is where we live in the main house, and Ling'er has only moved into her own small courtyard less than half a year ago.

The one on the left is under renovation. Grandfather said he left it to my third uncle. It has been unoccupied for over 20 years. I don’t know what Grandfather was thinking, but he suddenly said he wanted to renovate it.”

Ling'er spoke of this with a touch of sadness, and sighed softly. Then, she added, "Grandfather always mentioned Third Uncle, saying he was very smart when he was little. It's a pity I never got to see him." Her eyes were filled with regret.

"Is Third Uncle assigned to work as an official abroad?"

Jing Chunxi intuitively felt that this might be the case, so he couldn't help but ask questions.

In the imperial family, children generally didn't have to take the imperial examinations. As long as they were intelligent, many were sent abroad to serve as officials or gain military experience. It was common for them to serve as sixth or seventh-rank officials for a few years, gain some political achievements, and then return home with a reason, or even be promoted to fourth or fifth-rank officials.

Only officials sent abroad would not return home for many years, so it was no surprise that Ling'er didn't see him.

"No." Ling'er shook her head, the sadness in her eyes became even heavier, and she kept staring at the yard.

She continued, "Third Uncle was lost when he was a child. Second Aunt lost him when he took him out."

"Second Aunt took Third Uncle out and he got lost?" Jing Chunxi found this a little unbelievable and couldn't help but ask another question: "Then, is there a big age difference between your father and your second uncle and your third uncle?"

Second Aunt took Third Uncle out and lost him. So, Third Uncle either had a mental problem or was very young at the time, otherwise he wouldn't have been lost.

"Yes! Third Uncle is Grandfather's late-born son. Father said that Third Uncle looks most like Grandfather and is the most favored. In the past, whenever Grandfather went to the palace or went out to play, he would carry Third Uncle on his shoulders.

If it weren't for the excessive worry over the loss of Third Uncle, Grandmother wouldn't have cried herself blind so early. "Ling'er's voice choked with sobs as she spoke here. Jing Chunxi also felt a dull pain in his heart, but he didn't know how to comfort the depressed Ling'er.

Ling'er continued, "Second Aunt has been making a lot of noise lately, always saying she wants to renovate this courtyard. She uses the excuse that she can't let Third Uncle be without an heir. She actually wants to adopt Fourth Cousin to Third Uncle so that he can occupy this courtyard."

Ling'er's words made Jing Chunxi smell a conspiracy. For some reason, she always felt that the disappearance of her third uncle was closely related to the people in the mansion.

"Is Fourth Cousin your Second Aunt's son?" Jing Chunxi asked tentatively. Ling'er nodded, smiled bitterly, and whispered, "I also had two biological brothers, but they're both gone now."

Jing Chunxi was shocked, but he didn't dare to ask more questions for fear of touching Ling'er's sore spot.

"Did Prince Jing agree to the adoption? Is that why he renovated the courtyard?" Jing Chunxi suddenly felt a tinge of resentment towards Prince Jing. She felt that it was wrong to let her third uncle adopt someone else's child without knowing the reason. Perhaps her third uncle would come back in the future?

When Jing Chunxi asked this question, her tone was a little anxious, and even she herself felt a little strange. It was not her family's business, so was she too concerned?

"Grandfather didn't say anything, he just said that Uncle San's yard can't always be in such a dilapidated state, so it needs to be repaired." There was a hint of helplessness in Ling'er's voice, and her words were nasal.

Originally, it was such a beautiful night, with such a beautiful lake view in the garden, the two of them could have enjoyed themselves to their heart's content. However, due to the mention of Third Uncle's past, Jing Chunxi and Ling'er both lost interest in playing.

The two of them sat there quietly, staring at the lake in a daze. Only after they were bitten by mosquitoes several times did they jump up and make plans to go back.