Lin Zhongyuan ran quite fast, but a question lingered in his mind.
If those people say it's a fun place, why won't they tell us its name?
Otherwise, he could have taken his younger siblings along to play.
He was too embarrassed to tell his family about this question, since he didn't know where the place was. What if his younger siblings insisted on going with him?
The next day, when Qi Yuanxuan sent Lin Zhongyuan to accompany him in his studies, he took the opportunity to ask, "Your Majesty, you should have a complete map here, right? I really don't know what place they're talking about. If it's really fun, I'd like to take Wanwan and the others with me."
"Pfft—" Qi Yuan was taking a sip of tea when he almost choked to death.
Liu Gonggong hurriedly went over to pat Qi Yuan on the back, his old face flushed red, but faced with Lin Zhongyuan's innocent appearance, he couldn't bring himself to say anything to criticize him, and could only force himself to swallow his words.
Qi Yuan coughed for a while before finally calming down. With a smug smile on his face, he said to the still confused Lin Zhongyuan, "Don't worry about where they're going. It's not going to be anything good anyway. Otherwise, why wouldn't they dare to say the name? They're just trying to trick you into going there!"
"Your Majesty, have you been there?" Lin Zhongyuan asked.
"No, no! You can't say things like that... Just remember what I said, they're not good people, so try to avoid contact with them in the future." Qi Yuan thought that if he didn't make things clear to him, Lin Zhongyuan might be deceived in the future.
"Hmm..." Qi Yuan gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the burning sensation on his face, and explained, "Although I've never been there, I know a thing or two about it. My second brother used to love going to those brothels. Once, when he was only sixteen, he even contracted venereal disease. Although he was cured by the imperial physician, that kind of disease is not a good thing."
It was because the Second Prince Qi Rong had contracted syphilis that Consort Ye was both angry and anxious, so she found him a very strong and capable daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice to be her imperial consort.
However, even with Consort Ye's ingenious plan, the Second Prince's wife still couldn't control Qi Rong.
Lin Zhongyuan's expression remained unchanged after hearing this, and he nodded.
"By the way," Qi Yuan said in a low voice, "if you really have that kind of interest, you don't need to go to such a dirty place. Just pick a few from the palace, and I'll give you whichever one you like!"
Qi Yuan acted very generously.
"..." But Lin Zhongyuan looked at this and hesitated for a while before refusing, "That won't be necessary. When I grow up, my mother will find me a wife."
He just hadn't expected that Qi Yuan, who was so much younger than him, would already know these things.
The two chatted about the contents of the book for a while longer, but Qi Yuan still felt his face burning.
“The weather is getting hotter and hotter these days, and it’s not good for your health to always use ice. I heard that the white lotus flowers in the White Lotus Pond in the Imperial Garden have also bloomed. Why don’t Your Majesty and Young Master Lin go to the pavilion by the White Lotus Pond to read for a while? The wind there carries moisture and a hint of lotus fragrance, which is much more comfortable than being cooped up in the house,” said Eunuch Liu.
Qi Yuan and Lin Zhongyuan both thought it was good, so they took a few of the books that the Grand Tutor had told them to read and brought them with them.
Unexpectedly, they ran into the eldest prince, Yuan Xiao, on the way there.
Qi Xiao saw the emperor first and stood by the roadside, waiting for Qi Yuan to pass by before bowing to him with great respect.
"Brother, what brings you to the palace today?" Qi Yuan and Qi Xiao had a fairly good relationship, and they exchanged a few casual greetings.
“I heard that Mother suffers from the summer heat and has a poor appetite, so I specially asked someone to make some chilled cakes and send them over so that Mother could try them and eat more,” Yuan Xiao explained.
Eunuch Liu chuckled and praised, "The eldest prince is indeed extremely filial and considerate to Consort Xiao. I'm afraid all the other consorts in Chunqiu Pavilion must be envious of him."
The group chatted briefly. Qi Xiao glanced at Lin Zhongyuan, who was standing next to Qi Yuan. Lin Zhongyuan was holding several books and seemed to be lost in thought, but Qi Xiao didn't pay much attention to him.
After leaving, Qi Yuan said to Eunuch Liu, "You and my elder brother have a good relationship?"
"Your Majesty, you're wronging me! I was just saying a few good words for you, I didn't mean it that way at all," Eunuch Liu quickly explained.
Qi Yuan didn't doubt Eunuch Liu's intentions, but still asked with a smile, "Then what did you mean just now?"
Eunuch Liu spat in the direction Qi Xiao had left and said, "This servant thinks he's just putting on an act. When His Majesty was unwell and stayed in Taihe Palace, this servant never saw him come into the palace so frequently! Now he's putting on this act of filial piety, it's really hypocritical."
"Oh..." Qi Yuan was amused by Eunuch Liu's obsequious manner, and a layer of doubt arose in his heart. He said to Lin Zhongyuan beside him, "Speaking of which, it is really true. Ever since Wanwan exorcised the demon in the harem and my health improved a lot, my elder brother has been coming to the harem more and more often."
After he finished speaking, he didn't receive a response for a long time. Then he turned his head and saw Lin Zhongyuan holding a book with his eyes fixed on it. Seeing this, he knew that Lin Zhongyuan hadn't heard him at all.
"..." Qi Yuan's heart skipped a beat. They hadn't even reached the vicinity of the White Lotus Pond yet, and this kid had already started secretly reading a book!
Moreover, his lips moved slightly, indicating that he was reciting silently!
No, this is involution!
The heartbreaking competition!
Qi Yuan was starting to feel sorry for Lin Zhongyuan's classmate. Encountering such a king of involution was simply terrifying.
Qi Yuan quickly comforted himself, thankfully he didn't have to take the imperial examination.
The group arrived at the White Lotus Pond together, and just as Eunuch Liu had said, the scenery was pleasant, and the breeze carrying some moisture was quite refreshing.
Even Lin Zhongyuan, who was usually engrossed in reading, became even more absorbed when reading here.
It wasn't until he was escorted out of the palace that evening that Lin Zhongyuan finally managed to lift his gaze from his book, feeling a slight headache.
After the meal, Lin Zhongyuan felt his headache getting worse.
That night, unusually, he didn't continue studying late into the night. Instead, he told Master Cui and went to bed early.
Seeing that his face was pale, Master Cui was a little worried. "Zhongyuan, are you alright? Should I call Old Hu over to take a look at you?"
"No need..." Lin Zhongyuan shook his head with difficulty and refused, "I'm just a little dizzy, probably from the wind this afternoon. I'll feel better after a nap and sweating it out."
“That’s fine.” Master Cui didn’t insist. He took a book and stayed by Lin Zhongyuan’s bedside.
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