Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

On the day the group left Nanzhang, the people of Nanzhang came to see them off, and the roads from the county government office to the city gate were packed with people. The people also spontaneously made "Ten Thousand People Umbrellas" to praise and commend the Crown Prince's merits, creating a magnificent scene.

The eldest prince was so moved that he kept wiping away tears in the carriage, which attracted the attention of his companion, Jian Dan.

Having no other choice, Youlu lifted the carriage curtain and called out to Cang Shuyue, who was riding outside, "Quickly, take care of our eldest brother! The carriage is about to be flooded!"

Cang Shuyue rode up to the carriage, and when no one was looking, he leaned down and kissed the corner of his lips, saying, "Let him cry. He'll behave when his eyes are swollen."

Youlu: "...You're such a good uncle."

He only cared about his own pleasure and didn't care about his nephew's life or death.

He glared at the man who looked like he'd just gotten away with something, then lowered the curtain.

As Cang Shuyue said, the eldest prince indeed became obedient after crying until his eyes were swollen.

He had red, swollen eyes and a bright red nose, looking quite pitiful. Youlu couldn't bear it, so she wet a handkerchief and applied a cold compress to him.

The cool handkerchief effectively relieved the swelling and burning sensation in his eyes. The eldest prince sniffed and said embarrassedly, "Thank you for your trouble, Seventh Brother."

Youlu smiled without saying a word, but inwardly she was furious: [It's all because of your uncle! If he had fulfilled his responsibilities as an uncle, I wouldn't have to worry about this, acting as both brother and aunt!]

Pixiu burst out laughing: [Boss, you're so self-aware! You got into character so fast!]

"Sometimes I'm also troubled by my own extraordinary capacity for acceptance," Youlu sighed dramatically.

The carriage wall was knocked twice, making a thumping sound. Youlu lifted the curtain and looked at Cang Shuyue in confusion.

Cang Shuyue withdrew his hand, coughed lightly, covered his mouth, and smiled, saying, "Is it alright for an unhelpful uncle to want to kiss a worried aunt?"

Youlu glared at him, "Want a reward without doing any work? Dream on!"

After saying that, she lowered the curtain and ignored him.

Cang Shuyue wasn't angry at being scolded. Instead, he seemed to be drunk and rode away unsteadily on his horse.

Only one phrase came to mind: "Eyes like autumn waves, eyebrows like distant mountains."

With nothing to do, Deer held the Jade Box and chatted with Little Melon.

These days he's been busy with disaster relief efforts, and he only has a little time to connect with Xiao Gua each day when feeding him and before bed. Sometimes, even when he's feeding him, it's still the Pixiu that takes care of things.

A month has passed and the little melon has grown quite a bit. At this rate, the Cold Jade Box is becoming insufficient.

We need to find a way to get more cold jade and get a bigger box.

He pondered it.

Little Gua hadn't been able to get close to its owner for a long time, and when its owner finally had time to spend with it, it excitedly kept squawking as if it had endless things to say.

After this period of soaking in medicine and feeding with fresh blood, Xiao Gua has undergone significant changes, most notably in her skin.

Her originally snow-white skin has now become faintly translucent, with faint golden veins on her back, shimmering and more dazzling than gemstones.

Some speculate that it's because Xiaogua absorbed the blood of a divine beast, thus transcending its mortal form. Moreover, given its intelligence, it's not impossible for it to cultivate and attain enlightenment in the future.

The little melon's chirping attracted Simple's attention.

Upon seeing the ice toad in the box, Jian Dan's eyes widened in surprise, and she took the initiative to strike up a conversation with You Lu: "You actually have an ice toad! Its toad venom is a rare and top-grade medicinal material!"

Youlu pulled Xiaogua closer to her, and asked warily, "What are you doing? Are you trying to make a move on our Xiaogua?"

"Quack~Quack~~" Little Melon understood his words and thought someone was trying to take it away, so it cried out pitifully.

Little Melon doesn't want to be separated from its owner and Pixiu brother!

Jian Dan, looking embarrassed, said, "I just want a little bit of toad venom, just a tiny bit."

Youlu's eyes darted around, and an idea came to him. "I can give it to you, but you have to do something for me."

"Okay!" He readily agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Youlu was both amused and exasperated. He hadn't expected Jian Dan to be such a medical fanatic, agreeing to the medicine so readily without even asking a single question.

He was just wondering how to get Jian Dan to help keep an eye on Gu Cheng, but unexpectedly, Jian Dan delivered herself to his door.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's simple. You go with Gu Cheng to Xiangyang County and keep an eye on him. I suspect he's up to no good."

It's not a doubt, it's a certainty, but this can't be said to Jian Chuan.

Jian Dan looked at him with some skepticism, then nodded and said, "Okay."

He paused, then asked, "Do you need me to pass on a message to you?"

Youlu waved her hand, "No need, just watch him. Don't risk stopping him. You're too small to stop him from doing bad things. I just need you to be a witness."

Since Jian Dan isn't one of their people, Gu Cheng will definitely not suspect anything and will be more confident and bold in his actions. Moreover, Jian Dan's testimony afterward will be more credible.

Besides, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down. Once the Fourth Prince gets hold of the Third Prince's weakness, he will definitely spare no effort to attack the Third Prince, and then they can save some effort.

It can be described as having the best of both worlds.

It's simple, not stupid. With a little thought, you can guess the purpose of the deer.

The Seventh Prince intended to use him to stab the Third Prince in the back, or more precisely, he intended to use the Fourth Prince to deal with the Third Prince.

It's likely that the Seventh Prince had already guessed whose man he was, and even knew the purpose of his coming here. The reason he kept him around was simply to use him as a tool to kill someone.

After thinking it through, he felt neither disgusted nor angry. He had experienced this kind of exploitation far too many times, and each time it was done by someone he cared about, someone he admired, or a friend he valued.

In comparison, the Seventh Prince was even more considerate, not only giving him payment but also showing concern for his safety. The Fourth Prince, who had brought him along for disaster relief with the intention of poisoning him, completely disregarded his life or death. Even the Sixth Prince, who had asked him to look after the Duke of Zhenguo, never once thanked him.

For a moment, Jian Dan felt a pang of sadness.

That's how people are; once they've experienced warmth, they realize how much they suffered before.

Seeing that his eyes suddenly reddened, Youlu asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you crying tears of joy? Just because you got the medicinal herbs? You're too easily satisfied, aren't you?"

"Mind your own business!" Jian Dan puffed out her cheeks and glared at him before turning her head away and burying her face in her arms.

A deer grumbled unhappily, "It's like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a kind heart."

"Perhaps you touched upon his sensitive young heart." The Pixiu circled above Jian Dan's head.

Lu nodded in agreement. "Children from single-parent families are often more sensitive and lack love, which explains his affection for the Fourth Prince. Perhaps he sees a reflection of himself in the Fourth Prince and tries to compensate for his own shortcomings by being kind to him."

[Why doesn't he just treat himself well directly? Why go through the trouble of using a middleman to make a profit?] The Pixiu couldn't understand human thinking. [Besides, the middleman he used was a shrewd businessman who only took in and never gave out.]

[Um...] Youlu paused for a moment, then gave a thumbs-up in praise: [Baby, you're a genius at using analogies! I've got it!]

The Pixiu didn't understand, but it still proudly puffed out its chest.