Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

As night fell, warm yellow lights lit up one after another on both banks, casting their glow on the water's surface and being broken into fragmented spots of light by the ripples spreading outwards.

The river view at night offers a completely different experience.

When the painted boat docked, Eunuch Kang was already waiting at the pier, with a spacious and comfortable carriage behind him.

The boatman tied up the ropes, lowered the footboard, and the group disembarked one by one. When it was Youlu's turn, he jumped directly off the side of the boat, startling Grandpa Kang below.

Seeing that he was unharmed, Eunuch Kang finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiping away a cold sweat, and said helplessly, "My little darling, you can't scare people late at night."

Youlu laughed heartily, but Emperor Wulong chased after him and gave him a sharp rap on the head.

After saying goodbye, Emperor Wulong, along with the Empress and Youlu, returned to the palace by carriage, while Cang Shuyue and the other two boarded carriages sent by their respective residences.

After playing outside all day, Youlu started to feel sleepy as soon as he got into the swaying carriage. By the time the carriage arrived at the palace gate, he was already lying on the Queen's lap, snoring softly.

The carriage was stopped at the palace gate, but when Eunuch Kang said, "Your Majesty is returning to the palace," the guards immediately opened the gate and let him pass.

The journey proceeded smoothly to Tianhe Gate, beyond which lay the Inner Court, where carriages were not permitted.

Eunuch Kang alighted first, bowing his head and saying, "The sedan chair is waiting inside Tianhe Gate. This servant will go and fetch it right away."

Emperor Wulong waved his hand, "No need for a big fuss, I'll carry this kid inside."

After saying that, he jumped off the carriage, bent down slightly with his back to the carriage, and the empress picked up the sleeping boy and put him on his back.

"Your Majesty, please slow down." Eunuch Kang lent a hand to help the man steady himself.

After putting him on his back, Emperor Wulong bounced the person on his back and scoffed, "How come you're as light as a little chick?"

The Empress smiled and said, "It's still a bit of a distance from here to Yixin Palace, so why don't I go instead?"

Emperor Wulong glared defiantly, "Don't underestimate me! I could carry this kid around the palace in a flash and not even break a sweat!"

"Alright, alright, you're the best." The Empress smiled, took his hand, and said, "Let's go."

Like any ordinary couple, they walked hand in hand under the soft moonlight, talking softly. Occasionally, the sound of them smacking their lips could be heard from behind, which made them smile at each other.

Grandpa Kang led his honor guard, trailing far behind.

To prove his competence, Emperor Wulong carried the deer all the way to the side hall of Yixin Palace. After settling the boy in, he and the Empress quietly returned to the main hall to rest.

The moonlight was serene, spilling across the windowpane.

Pixiu took the box of insects from the windowsill, lay down by the bedside and fed Xiaogua, whispering a warning as he fed him: "The eldest brother is asleep, don't disturb him. We younger brothers should understand and take care of our eldest brother."

The little melon understood its words, let out a tiny croak, obediently ate the worm that was fed to its mouth, and even rubbed against its furry paws.

The Pixiu was shocked: "You can actually hear me and see me!"

Little Melon tilted its head: "Quack?"

The Pixiu cupped its heart in its paws, exclaiming, "I can't take it! You're so cute! No wonder the boss likes you. You're such a good boy. Come on, eat more. From now on, you're my little brother!"

The little melon squinted its eyes and croaked, "Quack~~"

Finally, there was a creature besides the boss who could see it, and the Pixiu was overjoyed. It grabbed the little melon, put it on its head, and ran around the hall like crazy until the little melon was so hot that it stuck out its tongue.

After putting the little melon back into the cold jade box, the Pixiu prepared the medicine and poured it into the jade bowl. It then counted its claws and realized that today was the day to drip blood onto the little melon.

[The eldest is afraid of pain; he was weak all night after the last time we did the bloodletting for the baby, so I'll do it this time.]

It bit its finger and dripped a drop of golden blood onto the little melon.

Xiao Gua seemed to be scalded while soaking in the medicine, but quickly calmed down. Once the blood on her back disappeared, a faint shimmering light appeared on Xiao Gua's snow-white skin.

The Pixiu touched the little melon's head with its paw, saying, "Grow up quickly!"

Little Melon: "Quack~"

After doing all this, the Pixiu closed the box, snuggled into the deer's arms, and fell peacefully asleep.

The next two days passed peacefully, and as Emperor Wulong had predicted, the results of the flood assessment were delivered to Shengjing two days later.

On that day, officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works urgently calculated the amount of silver needed for disaster relief, river dredging, and dike construction, which amounted to approximately 300,000 taels. Emperor Wulong directly approved the request and issued an edict announcing the list of disaster relief teams.

The eldest prince is the escort officer for this disaster relief mission, in charge of all disaster relief matters. Gu Cheng is the deputy escort officer, assisting the eldest prince in disaster relief. Cang Shuyue is the escort officer, providing security.

As for Youlu, his name was not mentioned in the imperial edict. After all, he had not yet officially returned to the royal family and was still a commoner, so it was not appropriate for him to openly steal credit.

Therefore, he did not accompany the group on this trip under the guise of disaster relief, but rather under the guise of sightseeing.

As for whether it conforms to the rules, that's up to the emperor.

As soon as the news broke, many officials went to the palace to remonstrate, but they were all suppressed by Emperor Wulong with force. What was originally a minor matter turned into a huge uproar, and everyone inside and outside the palace knew about it.

The disaster relief team will depart early tomorrow morning.

That night, the Empress herself came to pack Youlu's luggage. She packed only a few clothes, but a whole box of snacks made by Granny Cen, fearing that the child would go hungry outside.

Youlu was in charge of packing Xiaogua's luggage, including all the bottles and jars containing the medicine powder.

Emperor Wulong earnestly advised from the side, "The outside world is not like home. When you are out, you must restrain your temper and not shout for violence at the drop of a hat. If you hit someone in the palace, your father can mediate for you, but once you are out, it will be too late to help you."

"You mean the mediation you're talking about? You mean scolding my third brother for bumping his nose into me?" Youlu chuckled, gave him a reassuring look, and patted his chest proudly, saying, "Although I'm fragile, my agility is top-notch, and others can't easily hurt me."

Emperor Wulong rolled his eyes. "Am I afraid you'll get beaten up? I'm afraid you'll beat someone up too badly and no one will cover for you! Do you even think your eldest brother is cut out for this?"

Youlu pouted, "What? So you weren't worried about me after all."

The Queen patted his head. "Even unconventional worries are still worries."

Because they had to travel early the next morning, and to ensure the child was well-rested, the Empress and Emperor Wulong packed their bags and left together.

No sooner had the two left than Youlu remembered that he hadn't fed Xiaogua that night. As usual, he took the box from the windowsill, carried it back to the inner room.

"Little melon, time to eat~~" He sat on the edge of the bed and opened the box.

The accident happened in an instant.

The moment the box was opened, a jet-black scorpion darted out, its sharp, gleaming stinger pointing directly at You Lu's wrist.

"Be careful, boss!" The Pixiu, who was squatting in the cage stealing snacks, sensed the danger and rushed over with a shout.

You Lu frowned slightly, bringing his index and middle fingers together.

He was about to make a move when Xiao Gua beat him to it.

With a kick, Xiao Gua stuck out its tongue, piercing the scorpion that had just crawled out of the box. The scorpion fell off the bed with a big hole in its body, completely dead.

Youlu: "..."

brave troops:【!!!】

The little melon sat obediently in the jade bowl, its bright blue eyes half-closed, and croaked.

Youlu recalled the saying: the more beautiful a woman is, the less trustworthy she is.

But nobody told him that even cute little creatures can't be trusted!