"I have a question for the Imperial Master."

Helian Chi stood with his hands behind his back, staring at Helian Yu who was flying a kite. His clothes fluttered in the wind, and the golden cloud patterns rose and fell like waves under the floating light.

"Your Highness, please."

Helian Chi glanced at Xie Rangchen who was standing still, "I want to know if the fate can be changed."

"Sure." Xie Rangchen answered without hesitation, his eyes still on Helian Yu in the distance.

"Can the fate of a country be changed?"

“It’s still possible.”

Helian Chi laughed, his eyes filled with a complexity that he himself was not aware of: "Is it that simple?"

Xie Rangchen retracted his gaze, pulled a chair from somewhere, leaned on it, straightened his black robe, and answered nonchalantly: "It's just a choice."

Helian Chi placed his hands on the armrests of the chair, leaned forward, and approached with an aggressive and particularly presumptuous attitude: "A few days ago, my second brother asked the Imperial Master to read his fortune, why didn't the Imperial Master agree?"

Xie Rangchen raised his eyes, his eyes were clear and bright, even clearer than the lake not far away.

"Your Highness is questioning me?"

Helian Chi bowed from a high position, looking down at Xie Rangchen with sharp eyes, dressed in brocade clothes.

Xie Rangchen had a blank expression on his face. Although he was looking up, the solemnity and pressure he exuded faintly overshadowed Helian Chi.

The atmosphere between the two was heavy and tense.

“Master!”

The childish voice was like a long sword, severing the confrontation between the two.

Xie Rangchen withdrew his gaze and looked towards Helian Yu. Seeing her running towards him holding the kite string, he stood up.

Helian Yu ran over and bumped into Xie Rangchen's arms, smiling playfully, and pointed to the southwest: "Master, there's something fun over there, let's go there!"

Xie Rangchen raised his eyes and glanced at him, seemingly helpless: "Want to eat rice cakes?"

"Uh-huh!"

"I remember you ate half a pound of chestnuts and two pieces of glutinous rice cakes on the way."

"I was flying a kite just now, and I was so tired!" Helian Yu grabbed Xie Rangchen's hand and put it on her stomach, "Now your stomach is empty."

"Master~buy it~"

Xie Rangchen's eyes fell on the ink-colored bamboo-patterned dew-receiving bag on his waist and he took it off: "Only..."

"Thank you, Master!"

Helian Yu grabbed the purse and ran away.

Xie Rangchen: “…”

Helian Chi said in an ambiguous tone: "The Imperial Master loves Zhaoyang."

"Fourth Prince, don't you want to come over and have something to eat? Most young men your age also like to eat sweet cakes." Xie Rangchen seemed to be concerned, but his tone was so casual that it sounded like sarcasm.

Helian Chi remained silent. He looked at Helian Yu who was holding a copper coin to buy rice cakes, and did not answer.

Helian Yu counted out three copper coins and the rice cake shop owner cut a long strip for her.

She turned around holding the rice cake and bumped into the visitor's legs. The rice cake also hit the visitor's skirt, leaving a stain.

Just as Helian Yu was about to raise his head, he was kicked out.

She sat down on the ground, her silk skirt was stained with mud and grass, and the newly grown grass was sharp and prickly. She raised her eyes and looked up, and saw a girl with elegant appearance in a green shirt, followed by two servants holding zithers.

The girl in green shirt drooped her eyelids, her eyebrows and eyes were delicate and beautiful, but she looked down on the man and was disdainful of him.

"Where are your parents? Ask them to come and compensate Miss for her clothes."

"Here it comes."

Helian Yu simply didn't get up. He sat cross-legged on the ground and waved to the people who came over.

The girl in green turned her head and looked over. The harshness on her face disappeared completely. She bowed to them slowly and timidly, saying, "Qiong Lan greets the gentlemen."

Qionglan's face stiffened slightly, and she glanced at Helianyu with a threatening look, and said softly: "Look at the young master's luxurious clothes, he must be from a wealthy family. I think the young lady must have some connection with him. Qionglan is rude."

Helian Yu: “???”

Xie Rangchen raised his foot and picked up Helian Yu. She was still cross-legged, and she was suspended in the air.

Xie Rangchen picked her up skillfully, straightened her legs, and put her on the ground: "If you are wronged in the future, don't say anything. I taught you martial arts, so you should use it more."

Helian Yu blinked his dark eyes: "Fighting is bad, isn't it?"

"I hope you're not hurt."

"Wow~ Master, I'm so good~ I want to be your disciple for life! I will never betray you!"

Xie Rangchen did not respond and asked, "Can this matter be resolved by yourself?"

"sure!"

Qionglan listened to their conversation, feeling uneasy, fearing that the other party was a son of an official, holding power: "Sir, the young lady bumped into me just now, and I was flustered and didn't pay attention, so I accidentally hurt the young lady."

Qionglan knelt and bowed: "I hope you will be magnanimous and forgive me once."

Helian Yu tugged at Xie Rangchen's black robe, wondering, "Why didn't she apologize to me? Instead, she apologized to you?"

Qionglan quickly added: "It was my fault that I offended the young lady. Please forgive me."

Helian Yu curled her lips, took out a silver ingot from her purse and stuffed it into Qionglan's hand. Under Qionglan's puzzled gaze, she stretched out her hands and pushed Qionglan to the ground.

Qionglan cried out in pain, her eyes filled with tears as she looked towards Xie Rangchen.

Helian Yu clapped his hands, ran back to Xie Rangchen, and snorted at Qiong Lan, "It's even."

Xie Rangchen touched the top of Helianyu's head and asked, "Are you happy?"

"Uh-huh!"

“Pay it back tenfold or a hundredfold next time.” Xie Rangchen lowered his eyes and instructed, his demeanor restrained and sharp.

Helian Yu muttered softly: "That's just bullying..."

Xie Rangchen did not answer her question and asked again: "Buy another piece of rice cake?"

"good!"

Helian Yu agreed readily and happily pulled Xie Rangchen towards the stall.

Helian Chi and Chang Zuo were left behind. Chang Zuo glanced at Qiong Lan and asked Helian Chi, "Sir, do you want me to kill her?"

Helian Chi closed his eyes and exhaled softly: "He asked you to buy a piece of rice cake."

Chang Zuo clasped his fists and said "Oh", then caught up with Xie Rangchen and Helian Yu.

Helian Chi looked at Qionglan, and Qionglan was also trying her best to show the most beautiful manners.

"The girl from Wanhua Tower?"

Qionglan looked shy, but her manners were very graceful: "Sir, have you met me?"

"No." Helian Chi's eyes fell on the red string around her waist, "It's just that all the women in the Flower Realm wear red strings around their waists, which makes them very easy to identify. Although there are women who wear red strings around their waists to express admiration nowadays, but looking at the girl... it doesn't look like that."

The actual insult made Qionglan look embarrassed.

Helian Chi passed Qionglan and went to look for Helian Yu and his companions.

Qionglan gnashed her teeth, tugged at the clothes of the servant holding the zither beside her, and spat, "Go and ask the master to come over and tell him that someone is bullying me and wants to force me to accompany him."

The servant hesitated: "Miss, the master is drinking with the second prince on the pleasure boat, I'm afraid..."

"Second Prince?" Qiong Lan's eyes gleamed, "Isn't that better?"

"But……"

"But what buts? I am the master's woman, the most beautiful woman in the building. If you bully me, you are slapping him in the face!"

(End of this chapter)