Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

When the deer mentioned playing the flute, the Pixiu quietly slipped away. It didn't even dare to stay on the cargo boat, running towards the distance to get as far away from the source of the sound as possible.

Others were not so lucky.

After the eldest prince escaped, Youlu, enraged, took Xiaogua to the deck and played music to express his displeasure in the sunset and river breeze.

The eerie flute music enveloped the entire cargo ship. Although it only lasted for a short while, everyone felt a sense of vicissitude that had lasted for thousands of years. Several guards who were listless due to seasickness became energetic as soon as they heard the flute music, as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and wished they could jump into the river and swim a few laps.

Yinwu, drenched in cold sweat, wiped the sweat from his forehead and said dejectedly, "I almost thought I was going to be sent away."

"I think I just saw my grandfather beckoning to me." The eldest prince, pale-faced, slumped into a chair.

Yinwu joked, "Your Highness, you should think about how to explain to the Seventh Prince why you deserted your post. It's too hurtful."

The eldest prince looked embarrassed.

Cang Shuyue, who was resting with his eyes closed and supporting his forehead, suddenly stood up upon hearing this.

Upon seeing this, the eldest prince asked in surprise, "Uncle, where are you going?"

Yinwu also became wary. "Where are you going, Master?"

Cang Shuyue ignored the two of them, opened the door and walked straight out.

The two exchanged a glance and followed.

As dusk fell, the setting sun was half in the sky and half on the water, and the magnificent sunset painted the river surface, shimmering with the rising and falling of the water.

The setting sun hangs round over the long river, the river waters merge with the vast sky.

Cang Shuyue immediately spotted the boy leaning on the railing, gazing into the distance. His slender figure appeared somewhat lonely and desolate in the setting sun.

He paused slightly, then slowly walked over, glanced at the boy's slightly lowered head, and said softly, "Life is full of disappointments. More important than other people's opinions is the beautiful scenery before you. Don't be discouraged by other people's lack of understanding."

"Huh?" Youlu looked up, her cheeks puffing out, and asked in confusion, "What are you talking about, Brother-in-law?"

Cang Shuyue: "..."

Her gaze fell on the crumbs of pastry on his lips, and there was nothing she didn't understand.

Cang Shuyue's fingers twitched helplessly. She closed her eyes and tried her best to make her tone sound casual. "It's nothing. It's almost dinner time. Eat less snacks."

"Oh." Youlu nodded, stuffed the remaining shortbread into his mouth and chewed it, then patted the crumbs off his hands.

Cang Shuyue shook her head helplessly, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and gently wiped his hand.

The eldest prince and Yinwu, hiding behind the cabin door, witnessed the entire scene. Yinwu, while anxiously pacing back and forth, was also completely absorbed in his meal, and couldn't help but sigh, "I never imagined my master had such a tender side."

The eldest prince nodded repeatedly, "My uncle may seem cold, but he is actually very gentle. When I was little, he often carried me to temple fairs, bought me lanterns, and took me to fly kites. My mother said that he was just not good at expressing himself, but he actually cared a lot about us younger generation."

Yinwu shook his head. "No, no, no, Your Highness, the master only cares about you, the youngest. He finds everyone else an eyesore."

The eldest prince added, "It seems that Uncle has accepted Seventh Brother. That's wonderful."

Yinwu looked at his joyful expression, hesitated to speak, and finally could only sigh helplessly in his heart.

I hope the eldest prince can smile this happily in the future.

After the sun sets, a thin veil of night mist rises from the river, blurring the outlines of passing merchant ships, obscuring the flickering fishing lights, and making the moonlight even more ethereal.

In summer, there are many mosquitoes, especially after nightfall. The cabin is filled with buzzing sounds. After dinner, the boatmen used mugwort and calamus to fumigate the cabin inside and out, but the effect was minimal.

This is where the little melon's usefulness becomes apparent.

Back in the room, Youlu opened the Jade Box, tapped Xiaogua's head, and said with a smile, "Dinner's ready!"

The little melon immediately jumped around excitedly in the box, its pink tongue sticking out and retracting so fast it was like a blur, and in no time it had devoured all the mosquitoes in the room.

"Croak~~" Little Melon burped contentedly.

"Great!" Youlu praised without reservation, taking out the porcelain bottle containing the medicine powder.

The little melon wilted immediately, jumped into the jade bowl, and lay there motionless.

The child's entire body screamed resistance, but Youlu couldn't help but chuckle. He picked it up, kissed it, and coaxed it softly, "Little melon, be good. After soaking in the medicine, you'll be able to take on ten at once. From now on, your brother Pixiu and I will be counting on you to protect us."

Little Gua's eyes lit up immediately, and it let out a very loud "Quack!"

Youlu nodded in satisfaction, "That's more like it."

After preparing a bath for Xiaogua, Youlu also got dressed and went to take a bath. However, just as she was halfway through her bath, there was a "knock knock knock" sound at the door.

"Seventh brother, are you asleep?"

The eldest prince's voice rang out from outside the door.

"Elder Brother, please wait a moment!"

Youlu quickly responded, got out of the bathtub, dried herself off, and then picked up the soft satin nightgown from the screen and put it on.

He casually tossed his loose, wet hair to one side, strode to the door, and as soon as the door opened, the First Prince's face, covered in several pimples, immediately came into view.

His gentle and refined image vanished instantly. Youlu barely suppressed a laugh and asked, "Why is Eldest Brother in such a sorry state?"

The eldest prince smiled wryly, "There are too many mosquitoes. Even the incense in the room didn't help, so it ended up like this."

He took out a small jar, about the size of his palm. "This is a cooling balm. It can reduce swelling and relieve itching. I got it from the army doctor. It works well. You can use this if you get bitten tonight."

The feeling of being constantly thought of warmed Youlu's heart, and he smiled brightly, "Thank you, Eldest Brother."

He took the small jar, turned around and went back into the room, then brought out the little melon.

"What's going on?" the eldest prince asked, puzzled.

A deer tugged at his hand and urged, "Come on, let's go to your room to catch mosquitoes!"

The eldest prince was delighted and quickly led the person to his room.

Once the sounds in the corridor subsided, Yinwu opened the door and peeked out, saying enviously, "The Seventh Prince is so thoughtful; he even knows to swat away mosquitoes for the First Prince. He doesn't even know about me..."

Before he could finish speaking, he keenly sensed a cold gaze sweeping over him from behind. A chill ran down his spine, and the words he was about to utter became, "I wonder if I can complete this arduous task and help Master get rid of the mosquitoes."

"Noisy." Cang Shuyue coldly uttered two words, his hand holding the scroll without turning to the next page.

Holding a palm-leaf fan, Yinwu pretended to swat away mosquitoes while tentatively asking, "There are too many mosquitoes. They just keep coming back. Should I ask the Seventh Prince to come and help?"

Cang Shuyue neither objected nor agreed. After a long while, he finally spoke softly, "If he wants to come, he will naturally come. Why bother to invite him?"

Yinwu waved his hand in front of his nose. Why does it smell sour?

Outside the window, water flowed gently, and inside, mosquitoes and flies buzzed. Unable to concentrate on a single word for a long time, Cang Shuyue grew increasingly irritable. He put down his book, stood up, and said, "Get out, I need to rest."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the door was kicked open with a bang, and Youlu rushed in excitedly, pulling the eldest prince along, and said with a smile, "Brother Imperial Uncle, let's sleep together!"

Cang Shuyue's pupils contracted slightly, and he froze on the spot.