Chapter 422 Celebrating a Birthday on a Boat

It was already late autumn, with a crisp coolness in the mornings and evenings, but the daytime was still unbearably hot.

The cicadas' chirping in autumn is most unsettling, and to make matters worse, there's someone on the boat squatting in a horse stance with a book on their head.

Lan Su squatted in the shade of the boat, watching the Tenth Prince squatting in a horse stance under the blazing sun outside with annoyance, secretly complaining to herself.

I've never seen anyone so stupid. They can't even hold a horse stance properly. How can their lower body be so weak?

She started practicing horse stance on plum blossom stakes, which were covered with bamboo sticks. If she accidentally fell, she was sure to get several holes poked in her body.

She never fell down even once.

Even the delicate Daiyu, when she first learned to squat in a horse stance, was never so pretentious; she was very steady and methodical.

"You're swaying again, Tenth Prince. Your foundation is really not good enough. Why don't you go back to studying and writing? Martial arts really isn't suitable for you." Lan Su sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"I'm not rocking, the boat is rocking. I wanted to say this yesterday, we're not on land either, the boat has been rocking constantly, it's understandable that I can't stand steadily." The Tenth Prince didn't stop, gritting his teeth and persevering.

"I'm already ahead of everyone else from the start. Once we get to land, let's see if I'm still wobbly!"

"That's enough for today. I heard that the Emperor executed two more corrupt officials yesterday. What was the reason?" Lan Su had been spending a lot of time on the ship at the front these past few days. As soon as the ship docked, officials would come aboard. Some of them were immediately questioned, while the more serious ones were dragged out and beheaded.

The closer they got to their destination, the more intense it became. Lan Su now felt that the water in the canal was tinged with blood.

“Master Lan Su, I don’t understand matters of state either. My brother wouldn’t kill someone without reason; there must be something wrong with it. If you want to know the reason, you might as well ask Lord Yuan directly; she was there the whole time.”

"If she's willing to tell me, can I come and ask you?" Lan Su felt that Yuan Hongqu had changed, becoming more and more like a high-ranking official, and becoming more and more distant from the Yuan Hongqu who used to gently take them to see the stars, make snacks, and play with cats.

She used to respect Yuan Hongqu greatly, but now she both respects and fears her.

It seems that apart from Daiyu, no one else has seen what Yuan Hongqu looked like before.

"What does it smell like?" Lan Su sniffed hard, as if she smelled a familiar yet unfamiliar pastry.

"Lord Yuan, what secret desserts did you make? Save one for me!"

On the opposite ship, two people carried a large round cake and placed it on a table on the deck.

"Today is Xinlan's birthday, but unfortunately we're still on our way and can't have a big celebration. We worked with the kitchen to make this birthday cake. Would you like to come and have a taste?"

Before Daiyu could finish speaking, Lan Su had already skimmed across the water and flown over.

She had barely passed by when all the books that the Tenth Prince was carrying on his head fell to the ground, and he almost collapsed to the floor.

I simply couldn't hold on any longer.

After the Tenth Prince had recovered for a while, the eunuch next to him came over to help him, but he didn't let him. He struggled to get up on his own, walked to the side of the boat, and looked at the boat behind him while holding onto the railing.

Today, the girls were dressed as if they were holding some kind of grand event, unlike usual when he would casually glimpse them; they were all wearing their academy's uniforms and dressed very casually.

Although there weren't many people, they were all dressed in fine clothes, and the deck was decorated with many flowers and plants.

The Tenth Prince recognized them; they were the same kinds of goods that people were selling along the riverbank, and they had all sent their servants to buy them.

Xinlan? Which one is it?

The Tenth Prince strained his eyes to see who was celebrating their birthday on the boat, so he could have a gift prepared and perhaps even get a piece of cake later.

Unfortunately, after Lan Su boarded the other ship, it seemed to be moving slower than this ship, and the distance between the two ships grew further and further.

The Tenth Prince slumped down, his shoulders drooping.

He could hear the laughter from the boat behind him, the girls reciting poems, and praising the cake, but he just couldn't get a bite.

After a while, I suddenly felt a breeze blowing past my ear, followed by a sweet fragrance.

"Here, this is for you."

Lan Su held a plate with a snow-white pastry on it, which really looked like snow. It was decorated with large cherries and looked exceptionally sweet.

"Master, thank you for remembering your disciple." The Tenth Prince took the food, picked up the small fork next to him, and began to eat heartily.

The outside of this pastry looks like snow and melts in your mouth. The inside is soft and fluffy, which is quite ordinary. The big cherry on top is something I haven't seen sold anywhere along the way. Could it be Lord Yuan's private collection?

The Tenth Prince took a few bites, but when he looked up, he saw Lan Suzheng looking at him with a mocking expression.

"Master, is my face dirty?" He wiped his face with his sleeve.

"Who gave you permission to call me master?" Lan Su said coldly.

"Um, Master Lan Su, it's just missing a name, you won't mind, will you?" The Tenth Prince swallowed another bite of cake.

"If you call me by the wrong name again, I'll cut out your tongue!" Lan Su joked. "I won't take on any disciples. The word 'master' is too heavy. Don't try to pin it on me."

"Mmm, I understand." The Tenth Prince hadn't swallowed the cake in his mouth yet, but when he met Lan Su's cold gaze again, he quickly and vaguely replied, afraid that if he answered for even a second, his tongue would be ruined.

After finally swallowing the cake, the Tenth Prince suddenly felt that the cake was no longer as sweet as it had been before.

After Lan Su returned to the ship, she sat cross-legged on the mast. The mast swayed slightly in the wind, but Lan Su seemed glued to it, not moving at all.

"Sister Susu, come down. I have something for you." Daiyu called out to the mast with her hands cupped together.

Upon hearing the sound, Lan Su jumped straight off the mast, but since the people around her had seen it many times, they didn't find it strange.

"I know you worked so hard teaching the Tenth Prince martial arts today, so I made this especially for you." Daiyu opened a box in front of Lan Su as if showing off a treasure. Inside were rows and rows of cookies of various flavors, neatly arranged.

"These are all your favorite dishes, and I made them myself. Even the nanny didn't help me."

Lan Su didn't accept the offer; instead, she smiled.

"How rare! You actually made cookies for me. What have you got your eye on this time?"

"I'm not that kind of person at all," Daiyu chuckled.

"I really just wanted to treat you because you've been working so hard. Also..."

Lan Su had an "I knew it" look on her face, waiting for Lin Daiyu to continue.