When Linglong was helping Taoti bathe, she saw the bruises and redness on her knees, elbows and ankles, and tears welled up in her eyes several times.

Tao Ti told her that she fell down by herself, but Linglong didn't believe it. She just thought that the Crown Princess had suffered a lot outside and was using these words to coax them.

Seeing that the situation was getting worse, Tao Ti was too lazy to explain any further.

She took a nice bath, changed into a silky, light snow-covered nightgown, and smeared perfume from her hair to her toes. She turned back into the fragrant, soft and exquisite princess.

Just as Linglong was about to apply medicine to Tao Ti, a eunuch's announcement came from outside the hall, saying that Pei Yan had arrived.

Linglong quickly stood up and stepped aside to salute.

Pei Yan also washed and bathed. He no longer wore the gray cotton robe at the beginning, but a black brocade robe. His long jet-black hair was casually tied with a purple headband, which set off his cold, fair and elegant face, like a beautiful jade, adding a bit of casualness and elegance.

"Your Highness, are you done with your work? Have you had dinner?" Tao Ti greeted him and picked up the ointment to apply on her knees.

"I've used it." Pei Yan said calmly, and walked to the bedside. He saw her bend her legs, roll up her light-colored pants, revealing her small knees and a section of her snow-white, slender calves. Her knees were purple, and in contrast to the surrounding white skin, they looked particularly terrifying.

Pei Yan frowned and whispered, "Did you do this last time?"

Tao Ti nodded embarrassedly, "It just bumped a little bit. It looks scary, but it doesn't hurt that much."

Pei Yan only knew that she had sprained her ankle, but he didn't expect that her knee was also injured. His dark pupils were shrouded in a layer of darkness. In a moment, he sat down beside her and took the ointment from her hand, "Gu Lai."

Tao Ti was slightly stunned, then looked up and saw his drooping eyelashes. His profile was serious and his expression was focused.

Seeing this, Linglong, who was standing aside, pursed her lips and smiled secretly, then quickly retreated with a group of palace servants.

Fu Xirui, who was standing at the door, was a little surprised to see Linglong and the others leave so quickly, "Your Highness and the Crown Princess have settled down so early today?"

"It hasn't been settled yet." Linglong said with a smile, "But the masters are in love, and we can't stand there and watch..."

Fu Xirui frowned slightly, and then he heard Linglong sigh, "Although His Highness and the Crown Princess suffered a lot while living in the countryside, they also gained a lot. As the old saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Now I see that this is really true! They seem to be much closer than before."

Fu Xirui was also happy when he heard this. He glanced at the brightly lit hall and hoped that the two masters would continue to be so kind to him.

Inside the hall, Pei Yan's slender fingers were dipped in milky white ointment and he gently rubbed it on Tao Ti's knees.

His movements were very slow, fearing to hurt her, and he kept asking, "Does it hurt? Can you be gentler? If it hurts, tell me, don't bear it..."

After wiping his knees, he asked, "Where else did you get bumped?"

Under his deep gaze, Tao Ti also became honest and took the initiative to roll up her sleeves, exposing her elbows, "Well, here."

Pei Yan took a glance and saw it was also a dark blue patch.

While he was wiping her blood, he kept a straight face and gently taught her, "If you get bumped or bruised anywhere in the future, don't hide it from me, okay?"

Tao Ti pursed her lips and whispered, "It's actually not a big deal... and it was bumped like that, it's kind of embarrassing."

Pei Yan laughed helplessly, "Who doesn't fall down in life? Even I have fallen down before."

"Ah?" Tao Ti raised her bright eyes and looked at him. Seeing how handsome he looked, it was hard to imagine what he would look like if he fell.

"Yeah, I fell before when I was a kid, but it happened less often when I grew up," he said calmly.

After applying the medicine, Pei Yan let down her sleeves and his eyes fell on her ankles again. That area was completely swollen, with a high lump. The small foot was swollen like a pig's hoof.

"Where is the plaster that Mr. Xu gave me before he left? I'll apply it on you."

"Over there." Tao Ti pointed to the table.

There was a pack of dog-skin plasters there, given to her by Xu Wenhe. She changed a pack every two days, and after ten days, her ankle would be healed.

Pei Yan took a patch and put it on the fire to bake it until it was half melted. At this time, the temperature was just right, hot but not scalding, and it also exuded a faint herbal fragrance.

He lifted her snow-white feet with his broad hands and gently applied the plaster to her red and swollen ankles. After applying it, he did not let go immediately, but covered the plaster with his big palm to help her apply it tightly.

Tao Ti didn't think it was a big deal at first. It was Pei Yan who helped her apply the medicine for the past two days.

But today, he was quietly holding her ankle, and the surroundings were quiet, which made him feel awkward for no reason.

Tao Ti started to find a topic, first asking if there were any clues about the assassin, and then asking about Prince Mu's Mansion and Prefect Sun.

Pei Yan answered them one by one. At last, he raised his head and said, "Doctor Yu just examined my injuries and said that I need to rest for a few days and wait for the scabs to heal before returning to Chang'an to avoid the wounds getting infected on the way and being difficult to treat."

Tao Ti nodded, "Yes, what Doctor Yu said makes sense. Then you should listen to Doctor Yu and take care of yourself. Anyway, we are not in a hurry to go back."

Pei Yan's beautiful peach blossom eyes looked at her deeply with apology, "If this is the case, we won't be able to get to Chang'an before the Dragon Boat Festival, and I won't be able to take you to the Wei River to watch the dragon boat race."

Tao Ti was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect Pei Yan to remember this. If he hadn't mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten about it.

"It's okay. The Dragon Boat Festival comes every year. It's not too late to watch it next year."

Tao Ti paused for a moment and calculated in her mind that Pei Yan was born on October 8th, and he would be 22 in a few months. Qin Tianjian said that he would not live past the 23rd... which would be October 8th next year.

We can still watch a dragon boat race together...

Even though it might be the last one.

Thinking of this, her mood unconsciously became depressed.

Pei Yan noticed the change in her expression and frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

Tao Ti quickly adjusted herself, raised her head, and gave him a comforting smile, "It's okay, we can still have a lively festival in the palace. Your Highness, how about we make rice dumplings together?"

Pei Yan was amused and relieved by her mood, which came and went so quickly. He raised his lips and said, "Okay, let's make zongzi together."

If he knew what the little girl was worried about, he would definitely rub her head and tell her -

They will have more than one Dragon Boat Festival together. They will have decades of their remaining lives to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival together, watch dragon boat races, and make rice dumplings.

——

The Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is also known as the Yulanling Festival. In the Dayuan Dynasty, it was also a very grand festival. From the court to the common people, everyone took a five-day break to celebrate the festival together.

As soon as May comes, the festive atmosphere of the Dragon Boat Festival begins to fill the air. Peach branches, willow branches, sunflowers, calamus and mugwort can be seen everywhere in Luoyang. People carry all kinds of cakes, dumplings and drinks, and visit friends or go out for fun.

Inside the Luoyang Palace, there was also a festive atmosphere. The eunuchs changed into summer light blue robes, and the palace ladies also wore silk hairpins of pomegranate or peach flowers. They gathered together to hang mugwort leaves or weaved calamus into the shape of a tiger and hung them on the door to ward off evil spirits.

In the Jixian Hall, Tao Ti sat in front of the court, watching with interest as Linglong twisted five-color threads and five-color beads to weave a long life thread. As the old saying goes, if you tie your arms with colorful silk, it is called a soldier, and it will prevent people from getting sick.

Taoti asked, holding her chin, "Why do you use black silk thread? It won't look so bright if you weave it in."

Linglong smiled and said, "My Lady Crown Princess, these five colors, white, red, black, yellow, and green, represent the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. They also symbolize the five directions of east, west, south, north, and center. These five colors follow the Yin and Yang and the Five Elements."

Tao Ti raised her eyebrows, "So that's how it is."

After thinking for a while, she also picked up the silk thread and said, "Linglong, please teach me. I also want to weave two."

Linglong asked with a smile, "Does the Crown Princess want to compile it for His Highness?"

Tao Ti blushed for some reason after hearing what she said. She hummed softly and then started to learn from her seriously.

Linglong taught well and Taoti also studied hard. Besides, this longevity thread is not difficult to weave. As long as you have patience, you can weave it.

About half an hour later, Tao Ti had braided two five-colored longevity ropes. To make them look more beautiful, she also hung two small colored beads underneath.

She thought happily that when Pei Yan came over in the afternoon, she could just give it to him. He would probably like it, right?

At this time, a eunuch came to the door to report that it was the wife of the Governor of Bianzhou, Mrs. Lu, who came to pay her respects.

Tao Ti was surprised. She knew that the Governor of Bianzhou was currently in charge of Luoyang Prefecture, but she did not expect that the Governor's wife would come to pay a visit.

After calming down, she said to the eunuch, "Please let her in."

Linglong helped Tao Ti back to the palace and told the palace maids to prepare refreshments.

Soon, a beautiful woman with a dignified temperament and a kind face walked in slowly, led by the eunuch.

She was dressed in a full set of court gown for a noble lady, with a flower crown on her head and moon-shaped earrings in her ears. She looked to be about the same age as Tao Ti's mother, Zhang, and looked very approachable.

"I, Lu, the wife of Bianzhou Governor Zheng Xuan, pay my respects to the Crown Princess. I wish the Crown Princess good health and longevity."

"Madam, please stand up." Tao Ti said gently, and motioned her to sit down.

Mrs. Lu sat upright at the bottom. When she looked up at Tao Ti who was sitting at the top, her eyes showed a kind of gentle love. "I heard that the Crown Princess had returned two days ago. I should have come to pay my respects to her then. But my master said that you were frightened and needed to rest. That's why I waited until today to come."

Seeing that Mrs. Lu spoke in a gentle and soft voice, neither humble nor arrogant, Tao Ti began to like her and said with a smile, "Madam, you are too polite."

Lu smiled and looked Tao Ti up and down, her smile deepening. "I'm glad that Crown Princess is alright. When your mother found out about your accident, she was extremely worried. She wrote me seven letters in a row, wishing she could grow wings and fly to Luoyang to look for you."

Tao Ti was stunned for a moment, "Madam, do you know my mother?"

Mrs. Lu smiled gently and said, "More than knowing each other, your mother and I played together when we were five years old. Later, she married your father, and I promised her that I would marry her. Then we separated as my parents went to work outside. But we always thought of each other, and we have been friends for more than 30 years now, even though we have exchanged letters."

Tao Ti also realized now that this governor's wife was Zhang's close friend.

She treated Mrs. Lu with more respect and said politely, "Then I have to call Madam Aunt."

Mrs. Lu was not unfamiliar and responded. The two of them chatted back and forth.

Lu looked at Tao Ti's face carefully and said with emotion, "When I saw you today, it was as if I saw your mother when she was young. You look alike. Not only do you look alike, but you also have the same spirit and playfulness in your eyes and eyebrows."

Tao Ti said, "My mother doesn't think I'm like her. She always says how could she, a stable and well-behaved person, raise a daughter like me."

Mrs. Lu was holding a teacup. When she heard this, she laughed. "She is a mother now. She is showing off her status in front of you and trying to scare you. She used to be the most noisy and had the most tricks among our three close friends."

Tao Ti became interested after hearing this, and suddenly realized the "three close friends" mentioned by Lu, and thought of her marriage with Pei Yan. She knew that this marriage was arranged because Zhang and Empress Gu were good friends.

Could it be——

She asked softly, "Aunt Lu, among the three close friends you mentioned, is the other one referring to the late empress?"

When Empress Gu was mentioned, the smile on Lu's face faded, and she uttered a low "hmm".