Ji Su entered Qingning Hall, followed by Prime Minister Gu, Gu Yunhe. This Grand Secretariat elder was not yet forty. He saw the mountain of memorials piled on the desk in Qingning Hall and Ji Su's cold expression. Knowing full well what kind of memorials were presented today, he still teased, "The Emperor has worked hard today."

Ji Su glanced at him indifferently and said lightly, "The Grand Secretariat is derelict in its duty."

Prime Minister Gu smiled and didn't reply. Although so many memorials requesting the establishment of an Empress had reached the Emperor's eyes, which was indeed a dereliction of duty by the Grand Secretariat, this time the news had been leaked from the Prince of Rui's side. The Emperor and the Prince of Rui were full-blooded brothers. If it wasn't the Emperor's intention, it was the Empress Dowager's. Who would dare to stop it? Even he had thought the Emperor had come around and was planning to establish an Empress.

He said, "This subject has a memorial to present."

After washing his hands, Ji Su sat down. With a slight shift of his gaze, Eunuch Qingxi came forward and deftly moved the memorials away. He said, "Speak."

"News has come from Qingzhou Prefecture. The False King made a move yesterday." Prime Minister Gu finished his concise report and looked at Your Majesty, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "It seems the news of His Highness the Prince of Rui leaving the capital has spread quickly."

Ji Weiqiu had been out of the capital for only three days, and even a carrier pigeon from Yanjing to Qingzhou Prefecture would take a full two days to fly... Some people couldn't hold back and have finally surfaced. Prime Minister Gu continued, "Whether to spare or to kill, I ask for Your Majesty's judgment."

Ji Su removed the Mutton-fat Jade Dragon Incense Ball from his belt. It was unclear how he manipulated it, but with a 'click', the intricate mechanism completely loosened, revealing the half-remaining incense pill inside. Eunuch Qingxi presented a box of incense spices. Soon, fragrant smoke curled up, casting Ji Su in flickering shadows, making him appear like a divine being.

He said calmly, "No rush."

Prime Minister Gu lowered his eyes and said, "This subject is foolish, but if this matter is delayed further, I fear the implications will be too widespread."

"Prime Minister Gu." Ji Su raised a hand slightly. "Sit."

At these words, Prime Minister Gu couldn't help but give a couple of wry smiles. It seemed this one was determined to take this opportunity for a major purge. He had his doubts about this matter from the start. The Prince of Rui was the Late Emperor's legitimate second son. The Emperor had no heir, and the Prince of Rui could be said to have been raised by the Emperor himself. If the Emperor had no intention of adopting an heir, the Prince of Rui would be the Crown Prince. It was backed by etiquette, supported by law, and perfectly justified.

Furthermore, when the Prince of Rui left the capital, he took the third young master of the Imperial Clan Prince's Manor with him. The imperial clan was dwindling. If the Emperor intended to adopt an heir, he could only choose from the Imperial Clan Prince's Manor or the Prince of Rui's Manor. This third young master was not without the possibility of becoming the successor... This was not something he had figured out, but rather something the Emperor had blatantly displayed before the world.

The two of them left the capital together. Although on the surface it was to pray for the Empress Dowager's blessings, who didn't have their own suspicions? But with today's news of 'filling the harem', many would probably think that the Emperor's beloved was in Jiangnan, and he was using this matter to justifiably instate her as the Empress. In this way, it would be logical for the Prince of Rui and the imperial relative to go to Jiangnan to personally welcome the Empress.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat." Prime Minister Gu sat down on the right side and cupped his hands again. "The False King has made his move. As for the Prince of Rui's side..."

"We have Our own arrangements. No need for Prime Minister Gu to worry." Ji Su's two slender fingers held a silver pick, stirring the silver, snow-like incense ash with an air of leisurely calm.

This meant he could not continue to ask.

Prime Minister Gu smiled faintly. Half a year... Perhaps by sending the Prince of Rui out of Yanjing this time, the Emperor intended to protect him.

......

Ji Weiqiu couldn't be bothered with the storms brewing in Yanjing. The group had been on the boat for several days and had grown tired of fishing. For the sake of their own lives, no matter how unreliable they were, they wouldn't suggest taking a couple of laps in the turbulent, surging canal. Just as the boat arrived at Quanzhou Prefecture, they couldn't sit still any longer and decided to dock for a few days to get their feet back on solid ground.

On the Qingxuan Guard's side, Zhou Qing naturally had no objections. This was something that had already been considered, and they had enough manpower. Besides, these young masters were quite sensible and considerate. His Highness had someone draw up a list the day before, detailing where to go and at approximately what time, all laid out neatly for them to set up defenses in advance. It wasn't much of a hardship.

When the time came, Ji Weiqiu led the three of them and a group of attendants and guards off the boat. This was the benefit of arranging things in advance. A carriage was waiting as soon as they disembarked. The carriage was custom-made, much wider, sturdier, and more stable than an ordinary one, so the four of them did not feel crowded inside.

Quanzhou City was naturally not as prosperous as Yanjing, but it wasn't too bad either. Zou San shook his head and said, "I heard the most famous restaurant in Quanzhou City is called Shuiyue Zhai, famous for its vegetarian cuisine. We've eaten so much fish on the boat that we're sick of it. How about we go have some vegetarian food for a change of pace?"

Zhang Er and Ji Liu had no objections. Ji Weiqiu lowered the carriage curtain and asked, "Don't you guys think you smell a little?"

Zhang Er instantly raised his sleeve and sniffed it carefully, saying in confusion, "No... What smell? Why can't I smell anything?"

He looked at the other two. Zou San also said there was nothing, but Ji Liu said, "The fishy smell of water, right? There's a little, but you get used to it."

Perhaps due to Ji Su's influence, Ji Weiqiu was also a bit of a clean freak and found the smell on his body unbearable. He said, "Let's go to the villa first."

Ji Liu paused. "You have a villa in Quanzhou City?"

Ji Weiqiu rested his chin on his hand, his eyes slightly closed, and said casually, "A family property."

Zhang Er and Zou San said, "Oh," and only after a few breaths did they come to their senses... Wait a minute! A private family property? Isn't that a Royal Villa?!

The two of them couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. 'Father, your son has made you proud! I'm staying in a Royal Villa!'

When the emperor and empress of this dynasty traveled, they mostly used temporary palaces. Although a temporary palace was still a palace, the accompanying ministers and their families also had places to stay, making it for public use. But a villa was different. It was built with funds from the Privy Purse for short stays. Usually, only the closest members of the imperial clan were qualified to use a Royal Villa, making it a genuine private property.

As for 'the closest members of the imperial clan' nowadays, that would only be Ji Weiqiu. Ji Liu could be considered one, but if he came to Quanzhou on his own, he would absolutely not come to the Royal Villa. 'To stay in this place, you had to get permission from the one in charge. Was there any difference where he stayed? Submitting a memorial to the Emperor for such a trivial matter? Did he have nothing better to do?!'

Seeing the two of them with their eyes wide, Ji Weiqiu couldn't help but scoff, "Is that all you've got!"

Before long, the carriage stopped in the villa. The courtyard was filled with attendants, all bowing in salute. Ji Weiqiu got off the carriage and saw the dense crowd, calling out, "Sister Yun Yin..."

The words had just left his mouth when Palace Attendant Yun said softly, "This servant will go and give the orders... Since it is the first time meeting you today, the etiquette is inevitably a bit grand. Your Highness, please do not blame them."

The Nanzhu imperial family could be called strict regarding etiquette, but His Little Highness was an exception. Ever since he was a child, he would cry whenever he saw palace servants performing the kowtow. When he learned to walk, he would run away. In his youth, he was even more flamboyant and carefree, causing a lot of trouble. Later, after a long period of strict discipline from Your Majesty, this habit improved somewhat. But seeing how the attendants in the Prince of Rui's Manor acted, they mostly avoided him, rarely performing the kneeling salute. It seemed His Little Highness was naturally impatient with these things.

Ji Weiqiu led the others inside to their respective quarters. After washing up, they met again in the flower hall. When everyone arrived, they saw Ji Weiqiu draped in a thin, cool robe, his long hair half-dry and unbound. Ji Liu immediately removed his coronet, loosened his scalp, and pointed at him, laughing, "You should have said so earlier! You called for us so urgently, I thought something was up! My hair was still damp, but I forced myself to wear my coronet!"

Ji Weiqiu blinked. "How was I supposed to know you all were so formal?"

He thought for a moment and added, "You're usually not this timid, are you?"

How could Zhang Er and Zou San accept that? They immediately called for their pageboys to bring cool robes, let down their hair, and cursed Ji Weiqiu for being a scoundrel. Ji Weiqiu roared with laughter and had food brought in. Seeing the table full of vegetarian dishes, the four of them were fine for the first couple of bites, but after a few more, they found it bland and tasteless. They hurriedly called for roasted meat to be brought, and only then did they eat to their heart's content.

After three rounds of drinks, Palace Attendant Yun came in to ask for instructions, "Your Highness, the Prefect of Quanzhou Prefecture, Qian Zhiwei, requests an audience."

Ji Weiqiu was clearly not in a state to receive guests, but since Yun Yin had come to report it, it meant she felt this was someone he needed to see. He said, "I'll go change my clothes."

Yun Yin acknowledged and withdrew. Ji Weiqiu walked back, supported by an attendant. He hadn't drunk much, but he was a lightweight, so he was a bit tipsy. The flowers and trees here were lush, and the rockeries were scattered about; a fall would be no small matter. As he was walking, Ji Weiqiu suddenly heard a gust of wind. He subconsciously turned to look, and the Qingxuan Guard following behind him abruptly rushed forward, his gleaming long saber unsheathing with a hum as he roared, "Who goes there—!"

Another Qingxuan Guard immediately drew his saber, but with his other hand, he deftly snatched Ji Weiqiu from the terrified attendant's grasp and protected him from behind, saying, "Only one person. Xuan San can handle it with ease. Your Highness need not worry."

Ji Weiqiu tightly gripped the Qingxuan Guard's arm, but his gaze fell on the vegetation. He wasn't really nervous, probably because of the alcohol. He asked with some curiosity, "You can detect even that?"

The Qingxuan Guard protecting him said, "Reporting to Your Highness, judging from the footsteps, the person's steps are heavy. They should have no martial arts skills."

Ji Weiqiu thought to himself: 'It's probably just an attendant slacking off here, and I happened to stumble upon him. Should I shout 'leave him alive'? To lose one's life just for slacking off for a bit would be too unfair, after all, he's not receiving the generous monthly salary of the imperial palace, is he?'

Before he could say anything, he heard a clang. A kitchen knife flew out from the bushes, skimming the ground. This was followed by a sky-piercing scream as a large-eared, fat-headed man was twisted and brought out. And on the Qingxuan Guard's face was a stark, dark bruise.

Ji Weiqiu looked at the dark bruise, then turned back to look at the Qingxuan Guard protecting him.

This was the so-called... handling it with ease?

Xuan San was expressionless, but Ji Weiqiu could still see some discomposure. He said flatly, "This person possesses great strength. A momentary lapse in attention wasted some time. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Ji Weiqiu squinted at the man. From his clothes, it was easy to tell he was a cook. He sat down under the corridor and smoothed his robes. "Why were you hiding in the bushes for no reason?"

Ji Weiqiu had it all planned out. The cook would admit his mistake, he would reprimand him, the cook would beg for mercy, and he would let him off lightly, and the matter would be settled.

Who would have thought that the cook would open his mouth and say, "Pah! I'm here to kill you!"

Ji Weiqiu's expression didn't change, but the eyes of the Qingxuan Guard beside him suddenly turned cold and sharp. Xuan San was about to gag him, but the cook indeed had immense strength. It looked like even Xuan San was struggling, allowing him to shout out the next sentence:

"—Qian Zhiwei! You dog official! May you die a horrible death!"

Ji Weiqiu: "..."

Qingxuan Guard: "..."

The author has something to say:

Ji Weiqiu: ...Is it possible that my surname is Ji?