The new emperor's first decree upon ascending the throne was to forcibly take his cousin as his

Xie Chengyan and his party arrived in Hanzhou two months after leaving the capital, and entered the city at dawn.

After days of traveling, even the usually composed and upright Crown Prince looked exhausted.

The Imperial Guard commander Lu Shao said, "Your Highness should rest first. There's no rush, so don't overwork yourself."

Xie Chengyan sighed, but ultimately did not refuse.

I was clearly exhausted, but I couldn't fall asleep while lying in bed.

I wonder what his beloved is doing right now?

He left Beijing this time without having a chance to say goodbye to her. Will he be angry?

Do you miss him?

Remembering what his mother had said before he left about taking a concubine, he became even more unable to sleep.

Their main purpose in coming here was to check the missing tax silver. They did not make a fuss, but soon a commotion could be heard outside.

The prefect of Hanzhou arrived with his men to pay their respects, surrounding the entire inn with great fanfare.

Xie Chengyan glanced downstairs and sneered, "Prefect Yu, you've got quite the grand entourage."

Prefect Yu immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am late in welcoming Your Majesty. Please forgive me."

"Your Majesty, I have prepared a temporary palace for you. Please make your move."

Xie Chengyan stared at him for a moment, making Prefect Yu's back soaked with cold sweat.

He had heard that the Crown Prince was always tolerant of his subordinates and was a benevolent and gentle heir.

Yet, this is the kind of person who can send chills down your spine with just a glance.

The man upstairs suddenly laughed out loud; his voice was light, gentle, and warm.

"Prefect Yu has worked hard. In that case, please continue on your journey."

Once inside the residence, Prefect Yu arranged everything perfectly.

"This place is not like the palace; Your Highness has been wronged."

Xie Chengyan remained dignified and refined, saying, "It's alright, Prefect Yu did a very good job."

Prefect Yu remained calm in the face of both honor and disgrace. Even when praised by His Highness the Crown Prince, he was only momentarily flattered before quickly regaining his composure.

"Your Highness has prepared the meal. Please give the order whenever you require it."

Lu Shao smiled and said, "Prefect Yu is too kind. Your Highness needs to rest, you may leave now."

Prefect Yu bowed and then withdrew.

After the person left, Lu Shao quickly instructed his servants to prepare water.

After leaving the bathhouse, we ate and rested for a while.

Xie Chengyan slept for two hours and woke up feeling unusually refreshed. He went straight to his study.

Cao Shen and Lu Shao could tell from His Highness's expression that he had rested well.

Finally, they got down to business, and he asked Lu Shao, "Have the prefectural government's account books been delivered?"

"Your Highness, Prefect Yu just delivered all the items, and I will have them carried in immediately."

"Your Highness, is there anything wrong with this Prefect Yu?"

"If something happens in Hanzhou, he, as the prefect, is to blame, regardless of whether there are any problems with him or not."

Kyoto at this time.

Shen Qinghe skipped over to Ruan Xianrong, but his older brother grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him away. Ruan Zhaolin was quite satisfied.

He turned to remind his younger sister, "Remember to stay away from that Shen Qinghe in the future."

Why?

"Even if you don't marry the Crown Prince, you can't choose Shen Qinghe."

"His frail body looks weaker than yours. He can't even shield you from the wind and rain. If he's in danger, you'll have to save him."

Ruan Xianrong chuckled: "Brother, what are you talking about? He's still a child."

She's a minor. No matter how ruthless she is, she shouldn't have laid a hand on Shen Qinghe.

Ruan Zhaolin sighed helplessly. This younger sister was usually quite smart, so why did she act so foolishly at a time like this?

If a man is nice to a woman, he doesn't believe it's just because they have a good relationship and he has ulterior motives.

The way that kid looked at his sister was clearly wrong.

Seeing that her younger sister looked calm, she was relieved.

The pleasure boat has two decks. The first deck is mostly staffed with maids and servants, while the second deck is for sightseeing. Famous singers from Kyoto were also invited to perform.

Besides the second and third princes, there was also Prince Yong and Zhao Xuelan, the daughter of the Duke of Zhao.

Ruan Zhaolin had a good relationship with the princes. After exchanging greetings, he naturally sat down. Soon after, Shen Qinglian and his brother also arrived.

Shen Qinghe glanced at her from time to time, which made Zhao Xuelan roll her eyes.

She had never seen such a shameless woman, flirting with a man in public. How could such a person be worthy of the Crown Prince?

She hasn't settled the score with her yet for causing her to be punished last time.

He glared at her resentfully, his teeth practically grinding to powder.

Ruan Xianrong sat next to her elder brother, feeling the commotion of music and singing upstairs. She lowered her head and silently counted the embroidery on her skirt. When she had a moment, she slipped down to the first deck to look for Miaoyin.

Miaoyin was leaning against the railing watching the water birds when she saw Ruan come down. She quickly straightened up and asked, "Miss Ruan, why did you come down?"

"Let's get some fresh air," Ruan Xianrong said, walking to the railing as well.

The breeze on the water was cool and made me feel much more awake.

Miaoyin was a clever person. Seeing this, she didn't ask any questions. She just took out a small paper packet from her sleeve: "These are candied plums that I just grabbed from the kitchen. Would you like to try them, miss? They're sweet and sour, and very refreshing."

Ruan Xianrong picked one up and put it in her mouth. The sour taste made her frown slightly. "Thank you."

"You're too kind, young lady. I had His Highness Prince Yong deliver the invitation today, and I thought you would like it," Miaoyin said.

"I know, it's not that I don't like it, it's just that I don't know what to say."

"I thought the girl was unhappy."

"How could that be? I'm so glad you treated me." With that, she ate another one.

The two sat at the bow of the boat. Miaoyin lowered her voice and said, "That Miss Zhao... she kept glancing at you from upstairs."

Ruan Xianrong nodded. "It's normal that we've never gotten along. Just ignore her."

As they were talking, a shadow fell from behind.