"Sister, did you come to Narcissus Village this time because the imperial decree to reward Brother Zhao has arrived, and you came ahead of time to deliver the good news?" Li Guang asked.
"You only guessed half right. The imperial edict bestowing a reward upon Brother Zhao did indeed arrive shortly after. There's another matter you didn't guess. The main reason I rushed over here this time is because of this matter."
"What else is there? Is it more important than the imperial decree bestowing a reward upon Brother Zhao?" Li Guang asked, somewhat puzzled.
"This time, the imperial decree was delivered by the Crown Prince Li Hui, who also accompanied the messenger. According to the Emperor's arrangement, the Crown Prince will stay in Shuixian Village for a few days."
"Ah!" Li Guang was shocked and his hand loosened, causing Yu Hong, who was still comfortably lying in his arms, to fall to the ground.
The little fox Yu Hong let out a scream and jumped to the side, looking nervously at Li Guang.
Yu Hong's scream immediately alerted Xiao Hei. It stood up instantly, its fur standing on end, and roared as it nervously surveyed its surroundings. At this moment, Xiao Hei was in a state of combat readiness.
"Don't be afraid, it's alright," Li Guang said calmly, and the two little ones immediately quieted down.
"Sister, why did Li Hui come to Narcissus Village? Did he discover something?"
Li Guang quickly calmed down, and after calling out to the little fox, it jumped back into his arms.
"I heard from my father that he was very disappointed with the eldest prince's performance when he was sent on a mission to Yuanxi to escort silver and prisoners back to the capital."
This time, the Emperor ordered the Ministry of Water Resources to undertake water conservancy projects, and he was tasked with supervising the nationwide water conservancy construction efforts alongside other officials of the Ministry of Water Resources to gain experience.
In the emperor's eyes, the registrar possessed great wisdom. If the eldest prince accompanied the imperial messenger to Narcissus Village and met the registrar, it would broaden the eldest prince's horizons.
"I understand. My sister came here mainly to prevent me from contacting the First Prince and being framed by him again."
"Yes, that's exactly it. I won't let the Crown Prince harm you again. Internal strife within the royal family is detrimental to the foundation of the country. You don't currently have the strength to contend with the Crown Prince, so you have no choice but to avoid him."
“It seems you’ve come up with a solution, sister. Why don’t you tell me?” Li Guang said.
"In recent years, I have only been to the border areas and the Gobi Desert. I have rarely been to the prosperous south. This time I want to go to the south and travel for a while."
You know the South very well and are familiar with its customs and culture. I'd like you to be my guide, what do you say?
Li Guang lowered his head, considered for a moment, and nodded.
"It seems that this is the only way. For now, I can only choose to hide. If my elder brother finds out that I am still alive, he will do everything he can to hunt me down."
I am no longer the little prince I used to be, and besides, this is not the palace, so I am not afraid of him at all.
But for the sake of the Great Northern Dynasty's rule, I will avoid him. Perhaps one day, we will no longer be brothers.
Looking at Li Guang, Li Xue felt a pang of sorrow. The eldest prince's vision was too narrow. If only he had half of Li Guang's magnanimity.
"Li Guang, don't worry, I will never let anyone hurt you," Li Xue said firmly.
Suddenly, Li Guang became excited and said:
"Brother Zhao rented a thousand acres of land, two hundred acres of which are lakes. He wants to build a row of pavilions and towers by the lake for leisure purposes, but he doesn't know how to design them."
This time we can visit the water towns of Jiangnan to see their architectural styles and use them as a reference.
"I didn't know you had lakes. Take me to see them later, and I can give you some advice," Li Xue said excitedly.
"Okay, then it's settled. Let's go back for lunch first, and then go to the lake this afternoon."
Li Xue didn't go back at noon; she had lunch at the farm instead.
After the meal, Li Guang took Li Xue to the lakeside to survey the terrain.
"The lake water is so clear, you can even see small fish swimming at the bottom."
Seeing small fish swimming in the lake, Li Xue immediately became excited.
"Yes, not only is the lake water clear, but the surrounding scenery is also very beautiful. If a row of pavilions and towers were built along the lake, this would definitely be a great place to relax."
"Li Guang, what do you plan to plant in the lake? A pool of clear water looks too monotonous."
"I want to plant some lotus flowers. With lotus leaves and flowers, we can attract birds to come and roost, and then the lake will be even more beautiful."
Li Xue loves lotus flowers very much. If there were a lot of lotus flowers here, water birds playing on the lake, pavilions and towers on the shore, and throngs of tourists, what a wonderful scene that would be.
“The village market has already taken shape and attracted a lot of people. Building a row of pavilions and towers by the lake would provide a great place to rest and enjoy the flowers, making it a wonderful leisure spot,” Li Xue said.
"Therefore, the pavilions and towers to be built this time must be distinctive."
At this moment, Li Xue noticed some aquatic plants growing underwater and began to examine them closely.
These are clearly lotus leaves. Because they are so small and haven't yet emerged from the water, they are almost invisible to the naked eye.
"Li Guang, are those lotus leaves underwater? When did you plant them?" Li Xue asked.
“I didn’t plant any,” Li Guang said, while carefully examining the bottom of the lake.
Indeed, slender lotus leaves and stems are growing out of the mud, and the lotus leaves in the water have not yet unfolded, only showing their pointed tips.
"My God, it really is lotus leaves. Upon closer inspection, there are quite a few in the water. Could it be that Brother Zhao planted them?"
"That doesn't make sense. Brother Zhao only came once, and I didn't see him plant lotus in the water. Could it have grown naturally?" Li Guang found it unbelievable.
"They might be wild, or perhaps there were lotus flowers in the lake before. That would be even better, and we might be able to enjoy the lotus flowers this summer. It seems we need to hurry up and build the pavilions."
During dinner, Li Xue looked at Zhao Xian and said:
"Sir, there is something I would like to discuss with you."
"You're too kind, Princess. Please feel free to ask if you need anything."
"I'm planning a trip to Jiangnan. I want to see what it's like there. I'd like to borrow someone from you to accompany me."
Zhao Xian was startled. Could it be that the princess had taken a liking to him and wanted him to accompany her to Jiangnan?
Seeing Zhao Xian's expression, Li Xue couldn't help but laugh.
"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I know you have many affairs to attend to and are busy with business. Moreover, you also have to receive the imperial edict. I will not take up your time."
You lend me Li Guang, and I will return him to you unharmed when I return.
Zhao Xian breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that if Li Xue wanted to borrow someone from him, it would have to be Li Guang.
"Your family's Li Guang is knowledgeable, cares about the world, and is very familiar with the local customs and traditions. The main reason for taking him with me this time is to have him as my guide."
In addition, I heard him say that the Registrar plans to build some pavilions and towers for leisure by the lake. Li Guang can take this opportunity to visit the water towns of Jiangnan and see the architectural style there.
"This trip to Jiangnan may take more than twenty days. It's currently the busy farming season, so it might have some impact on agricultural work," Li Xue said.
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