The list of people to spend the summer at the imperial palace has been finalized, and the Ninth Prince is indeed not on the list.
Two years ago, the Empress was concerned about her young son, so she did not go to the Summer Palace with the Emperor. In the Summer Palace, the Consort became the one in charge of the harem. There were many things involved and a lot of entanglements. In order to prevent the Consort from becoming too greedy, and seeing that the Ninth Prince's health had improved, the Empress had to go this time.
The list of attendants included the favored concubines and princes, such as the Imperial Concubine and the Seventh Prince. However, the Fifth Prince and some concubines who were usually ignored by the emperor would not be on the list, as he would not even remember their existence.
This long trip lasted for several months, leaving the young child alone in the palace. The Empress was very worried and couldn't put her mind at ease. The palace staff, both inside and outside the palace, were on high alert these days and received extra training.
According to the Empress, she originally intended to entrust the Ninth Prince to the Crown Prince, who was staying in the capital to oversee the country. However, the Crown Prince was diligent in his duties and was so busy with state affairs that he was barely able to keep his feet on the ground. He himself was living a rough life. As for the Crown Princess, the imperial grandson was only a year old this year and was in very weak health. The Crown Princess was also a new mother and was constantly busy and exhausted.
In short, it's better to stay in Fengyi Palace.
The Empress had arranged everything and called Qi Qi over several times to give him instructions, repeatedly emphasizing the need to take good care of the Ninth Prince. Only after resolving these matters did she finally leave with the rest of the entourage.
When they left, the procession was grand and imposing. Qi Qi followed the Ninth Prince to see them off, and following behind him, he finally met the Emperor of Great Xia.
He was quite tall, an old man who looked rather old, with thinning hair and a lot of wrinkles. His appearance was average, but his demeanor was greasy yet dignified. Just standing there, he exuded an aura of authority without even trying.
Indeed, the Empress and the Imperial Concubine have truly excellent genes. If they had inherited them from the Emperor, none of the princes would be as handsome as them…
The emperor left, and so did most of the palace's masters, including the eunuchs and maids. Defu's godfather, as the head of the palace, also had to stay behind, and he sent his deputy to guard the palace.
Therefore, Qi Qi was quite happy. All the people he knew were in the palace, and it seemed no different from before.
I still need to go to the Imperial Study, but almost all the students have left, leaving less than ten behind.
The new teacher was very relaxed during class, at least more relaxed than the first few junior scholars, because he taught fewer students and had less pressure. Apart from the Ninth Prince, who was a poor student, the remaining students were several members of the imperial family and the Fifth Prince. Everyone was doing very well in their studies.
The Ninth Prince had it easier. At first, he was patient and would only study for two classes before stopping. He would then move to the back desk to sleep, or he would drag Qi Qi out to play.
Poor Qi Qi had miscalculated. The Ninth Prince had indeed fallen in love with walking the dog, taking Lai Fu to and from school every day, and everywhere else. What was infuriating was that he not only walked the dog himself, but also Qi Qi. It was impossible not to walk him. Qi Qi, a perfectly healthy little chubby boy, had lost more and more flesh on his arms and legs in less than two months... Didn't he see that Lai Fu didn't even want to move? Qi Qi suspected that the Ninth Prince had seen through his scheme and wanted to walk him instead!
The Ninth Prince also disliked attending afternoon classes. Qi Qi tried to persuade him, and finally managed to maintain a frequency of once every two or three days. Only when the Ninth Prince was learning to ride a horse could Qi Qi take the opportunity to say a few words to Gu Siyan and bring him some snacks.
God knows how much willpower Qi Qi has to expend every day, including attending classes and learning horse stance and running from a martial arts instructor after school. He almost gives up every day.
That wretched Gu Siyan! Qi Qi struggled for a long time to finally maintain a relationship with him that was at least able to talk but not very close.
In fact, if Qi Qi hadn't inadvertently caught a glimpse of the murderous intent in his eyes when he looked at the princes, he almost would have tried to introduce him to the Ninth Prince...
Gu Siyan suffered the calamity of his clan's extermination at a young age and was precocious. To prevent the world from collapsing, Qi Qi could not kill him. To prevent Qi Defu's death, Qi Qi would never offend Gu Siyan for the sake of others. This is the simplest way to pass the game.
However, being with the Ninth Prince day and night couldn't stop Qi Qi from watching him continue like this. The Ninth Prince was very smart; he just needed a motivation to work hard. Even if the Great Xia was later conquered by Gu Siyan's army, he would still have the ability to protect himself if he escaped outside.
Finally, February passed, and as the weather grew hotter and the palace servants' faces grew increasingly grim, Qi Qi decided to do something.
"Your Highness, can you please study properly?"
At that moment, the Ninth Prince had just finished taking his medicine and was lying calmly on the mat, letting his mind wander. Upon hearing this, he raised his hand and touched Qi Qi's forehead: "You have a fever?"
Qi Qi got up and said seriously, "Your Highness, you should study hard! Really, you..."
The Ninth Prince was already used to Qi Qi's sudden outburst: "What's wrong?"
Qi Qi grasped his hand, unsure of where to begin. After a long pause, he finally said, "Your Highness, would you like to leave the palace and take a look?"
The Ninth Prince sat up and touched Qi Qi's forehead again to make sure he didn't have a fever. Without asking why, he simply asked, "Do you really want to go?"
Qi Qi nodded.
"All right."
The two secretly discussed their plan, but before they were ready, they were discovered by the Ninth Prince's brother, the Crown Prince.
Qi Qi and the Ninth Prince stared in astonishment at the beam.
You, Dark Eleven, never say a word all day long. I thought you were really good at keeping secrets!
Dark Eleven: ...
The Dark Guard has been corrupted over five hundred years; he's now the Empress's man! Could he just stand by and watch the Ninth Prince leave the palace? Absolutely not!
Qi Qi was almost punished by the Crown Prince, but fortunately he was protected by the Ninth Prince and thus escaped punishment.
The Crown Prince remained gentle, though he still seemed somewhat pretentious. When facing the eunuch Qi Qi, he was a dignified heir apparent, but when facing his own younger brother, he chose to use the motherly approach of educating him.
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