C7

The 'Lin Zhai' was built in a corner of the palace. Although it only occupied a corner, because Lady Jiang liked plants and flowers, the courtyard occupied quite a bit of space.

The courtyard was very quiet. Other than the few personal attendants who served Madame Jiang and the housekeeper that came to report every month, there were very few people who visited.

One of the few times when the Lin Zhai could be more lively was when the Four Golden Flowers came together to complain.

From Jiang Liancheng's "Warm Winter Summer Pavilion" to Madame Jiang's "Lin Zhai", they had to pass through the garden of Wang Mansion. Walking on the cobblestone path, this was the first time that Jiang Liancheng felt that the mansion was deserted. In the past, when he was young, he caused the Wang Mansion to be in chaos. Even though his mother would sometimes complain about him making a ruckus, she would always laugh when she despised him.

Later on, he grew up and became much calmer after going out a few times. However, in order to not let his mother be bored, he would occasionally bring along his "Four Golden Flowers" to make a ruckus in the mansion.

He could see the shade of the courtyard from far away, and the closer he got to the courtyard, the cooler it felt to be isolated from the outside world.

When the big girl, Cui Zhu, who was cutting branches for the plants at the entrance saw that Jiang Liancheng had arrived, she hurriedly wiped her hands and greeted the young prince with a 'blessings'.

"Sister Cuizhu, quickly get up. I just want to talk to mother. Every time I come, you always greet me respectfully. Aren't you being too polite to me?" Jiang Liancheng helped Cui Zhu up as he spoke.

Only then did Cui Zhu stand up and smile towards Jiang Liancheng, "Why are you being so courteous? This young prince has come at the right time. This lady has just prepared to have lunch, would young prince like to eat together?"

"Alright, it's true that I haven't eaten with my mother in a while. Big Sister Cui Zhu, thank you for your hard work in getting me a pair of chopsticks."

Cui Zhu joked, "The young prince is the one who is truly polite." He then turned around and headed to the kitchen.

Jiang Lian City walked straight ahead. On the right side of the path was the "Lin Zhai" side room, where the two maidservants, Cui Zhu and Shi Lan, usually lived. On the left side was a field of neatly arranged flowers and plants.

She heard that many of the praises and poems written by Madame Jiang previously came from when she was admiring her garden. Although it had been a long time since she wrote anything, her love for flowers and plants had never decreased.

Jiang Liancheng also knew his mother's preference, so he often brought back rare flowers when travelling around the world.

When they were almost to the door, Jiang Liancheng took light steps and held onto the door frame as he listened to his mother and Shi Lan chat inside.

"It has been some time since Lian City returned back home." Madame Jiang asked.

"Yes, the prince came back in early April. It's already the middle of May." Shi Lan said as she served the food to Madame Jiang.

"Actually, Madam doesn't even need to remember how long the prince has been at home. Just think about how many young masters and young ladies have invited the young prince out to play since his return and you will know roughly how long he has been back." Shi Lan teased him with a smile.

Madam Jiang nodded with a smile and said, "Indeed."

Hearing this, Jiang Liancheng walked in while waving his fan, "How am I going out often? When others come to find me, I have to say that I want to be with my mother."

When Madame Jiang saw Jiang Liancheng suddenly walk in, she was stunned for a moment and then scolded with a smile: "You are filial! "Even if you came, you didn't say anything. You even said something suddenly, and only you, your mother, would come here often. Otherwise, you would definitely be frightened."

Jiang Liancheng hurriedly walked over and sat next to Madame Jiang. He held Madame Jiang's hand and said: "Didn't I forget? It was always Sister Cui Zhu who sent the message when she saw me. Just now, she asked me if I had eaten. I said she hadn't, then she went to get the chopsticks for me."

"There are no rules every day." Madam Jiang pretended to exert herself and patted Jiang Liancheng's hand a few times.

Just then, Cui Zhu took out a bowl and chopsticks, and their son and mother ate lunch together.

After the meal, the two girls cleaned up the dishes, served up two bowls of the Silver Eared Lotus Seed Soup, which had been frozen in cold water, and then left.

"Mother, did you know that today, Royal Brother issued a decree to recruit soldiers?" While eating dessert, Jiang Liancheng chatted with Madame Jiang.

"Yes, I heard that the training location is Liangzhou, and it was led by the General Wei." Madame Jiang scooped up a lotus seed and placed it in her mouth.

"Is it Wei Qing, Uncle Wei?" Jiang Liancheng asked. Madam Jiang nodded.

Wei Qing was the left deputy general of General Jiang before he died. He had been with General Jiang for many years, so they had a good relationship. After General Jiang had personally brought the body back to the capital from the border, and later led troops to exterminate a few small rebel countries, Wei Qing was promoted to the rank of general by the emperor.

"A knowledgeable child should not be like a mother. Seeing Jiang Liancheng lowering his head and thinking of something, Madam Jiang extended her hand and held onto Jiang Liancheng's hand that was continuously stirring with a spoon." Do you want to go to Liangzhou? If you want to go, go. It just so happens that General Wei is there, so mother can feel more at ease if you go to other places. "

Jiang Liancheng raised his head and looked at his mother's supportive eyes. Without the usual mischievous smile on his face, he asked like a child that had not grown up: "Mother, if I search the entire Southern Dynasty or can't find the person in my dreams, what should I do?"

"I've heard you describe this woman's clothes before. She truly does not seem to be from the Southern Dynasty. If you are determined to look for hard work, you can travel around the world when there is no war. "

"Mother, I'm already so old, and yet I still cause you so much trouble every day. It's this child's fault." Jiang Liancheng stood up and walked to the side of Madame Jiang. Just like when he was young, he sat on the ground and hugged Madame Jiang's leg.

Looking at Jiang Liancheng trying his best to curl himself into a ball, she could not help but laugh: "Look at you, you're just a small child, how can you have the aura of a 'tyrant in the capital'? If those young masters who have been bullied by you knew your appearance, they would probably burst out laughing."

"Mother didn't say they wouldn't know, and even if they did, I'll see who dares to say it!"

That afternoon, Jiang Liancheng rode on a luxurious palanquin specially made by the King's Mansion to the palace with ice cubes.

When he arrived at the imperial palace, Jiang Lian went straight to the imperial harem. The eunuchs accompanying him weren't surprised at all. After all, the young prince had mostly come to the imperial palace to look for the empress dowager.

When they passed by the Imperial Gardens, many of the palace maids saw Jiang Liancheng from afar and quickly knelt down. After Jiang Liancheng left, they became a bit annoyed that they didn't kneel down later and dressed up more beautifully.

Although this young prince was famous for his moody mood, not only did he have a good family background, more importantly, there was no one in his backyard. Even if he took a fancy to this young prince, he would still be a rich man for life.

However, when he did not feel any regret for the palace maids, the young prince walked quickly. He did not even glance at the people around him and directly headed for his destination — the Palace of Tzu Ning.