Did the Seventh Prince attend court today?

After boarding the carriage, the group headed to the Xiangyang City Government Office.

The yamen's carriage led the way, with Lu and others following closely behind.

The rain was still falling. Along the way from the ferry, one could see ragged disaster victims everywhere. Tents had been set up at the city gate and inside the city, and many people were queuing to receive relief food. The long queues seemed to have no end in sight.

The eldest prince lowered the curtain of the carriage window and said with great concern, "It seems that the disaster in Xiangyang is more serious than expected."

Lu reassured, "Since there are soup kitchens and temporary accommodations, it seems the local government is taking action."

"Yes, the disaster relief funds have arrived, and I believe the disaster will be quelled soon." The eldest prince breathed a sigh of relief.

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

[Boss, I'm back!]

Before the beast arrived, its roar preceded it. The Pixiu passed through the carriage wall and entered, shaking its fur as it said, "I took a stroll around the city and heard some news."

A deer raised an eyebrow, "Tell me about it."

I've heard that the magistrate of Xiangyang County is a good official. He is not only diligent in his duties and loves the people, but also skilled in flood control. He has also given away all his wealth to provide porridge and relief to the people. The disaster victims all praise him.

In contrast, the prefect of Xiangyang was rather obscure. He had neither any notable achievements nor a good reputation; he could only be described as mediocre.

"Am I mediocre?" You Lu pondered, resting his chin on his hand, recalling what he had seen and heard at the ferry crossing.

Although he only glanced at him briefly, he had some impression of Song Zhiyao, the prefect of Xiangyang. Judging from his somewhat disheveled appearance, he did not seem like someone who was inactive.

When they arrived at the government office in Xiangyang, it was already sunset. In front of everyone, Song Zhiyao opened the silver seal, counted the silver, and after confirming that everything was correct, he registered the silver into the treasury. Only then was the escort mission completely completed.

Recalling what he had seen on the way, the eldest prince hurriedly grabbed Song Zhiyao and said, "I am new here, could you please explain the current situation to Prefect Song?"

He rushed along the way, using expedited routes, and even so, it still took more than ten days. It would be a lie to say he wasn't tired, but the physical fatigue was nothing compared to the mental urgency. He just wanted to get involved in the disaster relief as soon as possible.

Seeing his enthusiasm, Song Zhiyao felt a mix of joy and worry. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "It's getting late and it's raining. Your Highnesses and the Duke of Zhenguo must be tired from your journey. Why don't you go to the backyard to rest first, and we can discuss the disaster relief tomorrow?"

The magistrate of Xiangyang County chimed in, "Indeed, disaster relief is not urgent. You have all had a long journey. The Prefect has specially prepared a welcome banquet. We hope that His Highnesses, the Duke of Zhenguo, and Commander Gu will do us the honor of attending."

Upon hearing this, Youlu paid special attention to the magistrate of Xiangyang. He was clean and tidy, with a round face and big ears, and a friendly smile. He did seem more approachable than the burly, square-faced prefect. However, you can only know a person's face, not their heart.

[This Zhang Rui is one of the Third Prince's men, you know what I mean?] Youlu raised an eyebrow at Pixiu.

The Pixiu frowned. [Damn it, I almost got misled! Rumors really can't be trusted!]

You Lu then turned her gaze to Song Zhiyao, her pupils gleaming slightly white.

Seeing this, the Pixiu asked, "So, is this prefect a good person?"

"Yes, but he's in big trouble." Youlu frowned, looking troubled.

Song Zhiyao was a good official, but a bit dim-witted. Xiangyang Prefecture governed six counties and one sub-prefecture, with the prefecture and county governments sharing the same city. Because of their frequent interactions and their past as classmates, he became very close to Zhang Rui and trusted him implicitly.

[Zhang Rui said he wanted to establish authority, so he always kept a stern face and didn't get close to the officials and common people below him. Zhang Rui said he wasn't good with words, so he usually had Zhang Rui relay all his decisions and good ideas. Over time, the people of Xiangyang only knew Magistrate Zhang and not Prefect Song.]

[It's like the story of Song Zhiyao giving away his entire fortune to help disaster victims. He actually provided the money, but he delegated the task to Zhang Rui, so the credit went to Zhang Rui.]

[Pah! Zhang Rui is a despicable man who deceives his superiors and takes credit for others' work!] Pixiu scoffed.

[This is the consequence of being isolated from the masses and closed off from information.] Youlu shook his head. [Not only that, Zhang Rui also said that the eldest prince has no experience in flood control and is only here to gain experience. He suggested that Song Zhiyao not let the eldest prince interfere in disaster relief, lest the eldest prince pretend to know what he's doing and give reckless orders. So Song Zhiyao really planned to treat the eldest prince well and keep him out of the disaster relief effort.]

He gestured towards the eldest prince with his lip, "See? Eldest brother has already realized that Song Zhiyao is deliberately obstructing and delaying."

Pixiu glanced at the eldest prince's expression and said, "You mean the impending disaster is because he wouldn't let the eldest prince participate in disaster relief, and the eldest prince misunderstood that he didn't care about the lives of the people and only wanted to flatter them, so he complained to the emperor?"

【Bingo, congratulations on getting it right.】 A deer patted its head in approval. 【Firstly, Zhang Rui wanted to sow discord between the two, delaying disaster relief; secondly, he wanted to use the eldest prince to get rid of Song Zhiyao. Once Song Zhiyao fell, he, as the beloved magistrate of Xiangyang, would become the next prefect.】

The Pixiu clutched its head and cried out: "I'm truly speechless! A good person wrongly accused and killed—it's so unfair!"

"Look, the eldest brother is about to lose his temper." A deer patted its head, signaling it to look up.

Pixiu looked up and saw the First Prince with his brows furrowed and anger burning in his eyes. Just as he was about to retort, Cang Shuyue spoke first: "Lead the way."

The eldest prince asked in surprise, "Uncle, you..."

"Don't be impatient." Cang Shuyue nodded to him.

The eldest prince had no choice but to back down.

"This way, everyone," Song Zhiyao gestured.

Song Zhiyao personally led the way, and the group headed to the side room.

Pixiu asked suspiciously, "Does Cang Shuyue know something? Otherwise, why would he stop the First Prince?"

"He's someone who single-handedly rivaled the Yi clan. If there are people from the Third Prince here, do you think there aren't any from him? Besides, he's so smart, how could he not notice those little details?" You Lu retorted, her eyes sparkling as she stared straight at Cang Shuyue.

Noticing his gaze, Cang Shuyue slowed her pace, leaned down slightly, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

"It's okay." Youlu shook her head, then hugged his arm affectionately, "I can't walk anymore, can you carry me?"

Cang Shuyue looked helpless. "Be good and don't act up."

"Okay then." Youlu pouted.

On the way to the side room, the eldest prince kept trying to subtly inquire about the disaster, but Song Zhiyao always evaded the question and refused to reveal anything.

Upon arriving at the back courtyard room, Song Zhiyao cupped his hands and said, "The maids and servants have all been arranged. Please rest for a while, and I will come to invite you to take your seats later."

The eldest prince's face was ashen.

After Song Zhiyao left, the eldest prince immediately grabbed Cang Shuyue and asked, "Uncle, Song Zhiyao's evasive behavior was clearly a deliberate attempt to obstruct disaster relief. Why didn't we expose him?"

Gu Cheng echoed, "I also think there's something wrong with Prefect Song. On the way here, I heard that the prefect of Xiangyang was neglecting his duties, and it seems that what he said is true."

Cang Shuyue glanced coldly at Gu Cheng, shook off the Crown Prince's hand, put her arm around You Lu's shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Let's go back to our room and rest."

They completely ignored the eldest prince and Gu Cheng.

Youlu, being led forward, glanced back at the distraught First Prince and sighed, "My eldest brother's observation skills are still lacking. I hope he can calm down and think things through."

"Yes, we must never be taken advantage of by villains," Pixiu sighed.