Before saying those words, Xie Rang hadn't thought about it at all. He only thought that this was the fastest way to refuse, but he didn't consider how he would face Yun Qing's questioning after saying that.

"Okay, explain."

The dominant position seemed to have been reversed all of a sudden. Yun Qing, holding the flowers, looked at Xie Rang with a leisurely air, seemingly really wanting to hear how he would explain himself.

Xie Rang became somewhat embarrassed. The person following behind him, realizing he hadn't participated in the conflict, kept looking at the sky and the ground but not at his two masters in front of him. He couldn't get any hints, so he could only grit his teeth and bear it—

"The teacher previously said that she had no intention of getting married, and I was afraid you would find it difficult to refuse..."

Yun Qing teased, "So you rejected it for me first?"

[How could they still remember something I said so long ago...?]

Xie Rang nodded hastily, stealing a glance at the Grand Tutor. Seeing no sign of anger, he quickly replied, "Yes. Is the teacher blaming me?"

"How could I possibly blame you?" Yun Qing glanced at him sarcastically. "Alright, let's go. The performance is about to start if we don't go soon."

[You petty little tyrant, if I really blame you, you'll bring this up a hundred times over. I'm scared of you.]

Xie Rang dared not speak; this was indeed something he was capable of doing.

The Grand Tutor understood him well; he saw right through even these little schemes.

Xie Rang smiled ingratiatingly, eagerly taking the flowers that Yun Qing had been holding for a long time, his voice unconsciously lowering: "Teacher, give them to me."

Yun Qing remained silent, but inwardly she was already grumbling.

Why wasn't she so well-behaved before?

With people following behind her, Yun Qing didn't dwell on the matter for the sake of the Emperor's face and turned to leave.

While they were strolling around, some people had already booked seats in advance. The view was quite good, overlooking the entire stage, so they wouldn't miss any of the exciting parts.

The performances here were indeed much more exciting. They weren't just monotonous dances; there were also folk troupes performing acrobatics on stage, creating an amazing effect. Yun Qing suddenly had the illusion that she was in the modern era, and her usual calm demeanor was revealed.

"It's pretty good."

When the audience applauded and cheered, Yun Qing also clapped twice. Because she was a little excited, her eyes had an unusually bright look, which almost made Xie Rang stare in a daze.

It was only when Lin Chen unconsciously made some small movements behind his back that his attention was drawn back.

Xie Rang picked up his tea, took a sip, and replied, "If you like it, teacher, you can invite some people to perform in the capital later."

"That's ridiculous." Yun Qing refused without even thinking. "Qi An, you can't let frivolous pursuits distract you from your studies."

"Know."

Rejection was entirely expected. Xie Rang sometimes even felt that the Grand Tutor was more cautious than he was. He wondered how he could change things a little.

Xie Rang blinked, looking a little aggrieved: "Teacher, you can relax and have fun while you're out. Let's talk about the lectures when we get back."

Yun Qing noticed that since the trip, the little tyrant seemed to be acting cute more often, but she still fell for it. Speechless for a moment, she finally gave in and said, "Sorry, I'm used to it."

Yun Qing didn't really feel much about this position at first, since she was still a student before she transmigrated, at most working as a teaching assistant.

But as time went on, she gradually got used to it.

Yun Qing took a sip of tea to calm her nerves, then lowered her eyes to avoid Xie Rang's gaze, which held a hint of grievance.

Habits are truly a terrible thing.

...

Although the emperor's trip to the south was not carried out with great fanfare, it was hardly a secret.

From the moment they disembarked, their journey slowed down as they traveled along without making a conscious effort to inform the local officials.

The carriage moved slowly. Yun Qing thought for a moment and still couldn't put her mind at ease: "Qi An, should we change our route and go check on the canal repairs?"

Natural disasters are unavoidable, but they can be prevented. Yunqing has taken targeted preventative measures against some historically famous disasters, such as the famine a few years ago, which was ultimately resolved quite well.

The Jiangnan region has both advantages and disadvantages. Although it has always been prosperous, it is also known for its frequent floods due to its numerous waterways. After Xie Rang basically stabilized the situation in the court, Yun Qing couldn't wait to submit a memorial requesting the repair of the waterways in the Jiangnan region, and Xie Rang granted it.

Back then, they specifically chose an honest person to take the position, but I don't know how things have turned out over the years.

Although the situation seemed fine when we arrived, let's check it out just to be on the safe side.

“If the Grand Tutor wishes to go, then so be it.” Xie Rang knew the importance of this matter, and he said, “You can leave some people behind to continue to the government office, while the Grand Tutor and I will take another group and change our route.”

Yun Qing raised an eyebrow: "Shedding one's skin like a cicada?"

"But all's fair in war." Xie Rang's gaze was calm, and the emperor's majesty was immediately apparent. "If they do a good job, they won't be afraid of surprise inspections. It's easy to be deceived when it's done in person."

As the saying goes, the emperor is far away and it's difficult for Xie Rang to know the true situation in the local area. This kind of thing often happened a few years ago.

If it weren't for Yun Qing's thorough knowledge of history, which allowed him to catch them every time, who knows how long it would have taken to catch them.

However, even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't die easily; after the cleanup, no one can be sure whether any future problems have been left behind.

Yun Qing clapped his hands: "Your Majesty's suggestion is excellent, let's do it that way."

Separating halfway would be too conspicuous, so they specifically sought out a secluded mountain range before parting ways. Mr. Yu was undoubtedly going to follow, while the Imperial Guards mostly stayed behind, taking with them only some secret guards and assassins who rarely appeared in the open.

Now there were far fewer people around him, but Xie Rang didn't seem particularly happy. With the two bodyguards by the Grand Tutor's side, he was easily watched no matter what he did!

However, since the Grand Tutor is a woman, especially Qinglan, it is impossible not to bring her along.

Whenever he thought of this, Xie Rang's anger subsided somewhat.

He couldn't make things difficult for the Grand Tutor.

As it turns out, all emotions can be suppressed in front of someone you like. Xie Rang groaned silently for a while, then took a quick glance at Yun Qing under the cover of night and finally stopped worrying about these trivial matters.

He tore off a piece of roasted chicken leg and handed it to Yun Qing: "Grand Tutor, please have this."

Yun Qing did not refuse his kindness.

Free-range chickens raised in pristine, unpolluted environments in ancient times are indeed delicious.

Yunqing ate very fine food when she was in the capital. In the past, when she went out to meet deadlines, she mostly ate dry rations. She rarely ate wild game, so the experience was quite good.

Xie Rang lowered his eyebrows slightly, all his worries vanishing.

His tutor was extremely well-mannered, always calm and composed, even in the wilderness, his every move was very elegant. Facing such a gentle person, I felt that my own thoughts were somewhat unbearable.

However, giving up is not an option.

If we proceed gradually, he will succeed one day.