As the wheelchair turned past the festooned gate, Xiao Yi saw Duoduo holding a small shovel, busily working in the flowerbed with Nanny Li and Lüdou.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Yi's tone carried a hint of anger.
Hearing Xiao Yi's voice, Duoduo immediately stood up and turned around.
Nanny Li and Lüdou also hurriedly stood up to bow to Xiao Yi.
"Father, why are you here?" Duoduo ran over cheerfully.
Xiao Yi furrowed his brows tightly. With a dark expression, he looked at Duoduo and Nanny Li.
"What are you doing here?"
Nanny Li hastily explained.
"Your Highness, after eating, the Princess said this place was too desolate and wanted to tidy it up."
"The Princess led us not only to clean the room but also to weed and loosen the soil for these flowers."
Xiao Yi's gaze swept across the clean and tidy courtyard.
This place and the front were two completely different worlds.
There were no dead leaves on the ground, no cobwebs, and certainly no mess.
It was as if time had overlapped with the past.
Xiao Yi's cold gaze swept over Duoduo's mud-covered hands, and Duoduo hurriedly hid her hands behind her back.
"Father, I won't touch the things here carelessly."
Nanny Li had told Duoduo a lot today.
Only then did Duoduo realize that this place held her father's childhood memories.
Therefore, her father was willing to let this place become a cold palace rather than allow anyone to move in.
Seeing a smudge of dirt on Duoduo's face, Xiao Yi's fingers twitched.
"If you don't take a nap at noon and doze off in class this afternoon, you will be punished!"
Xiao Yi's cold words, however, made Duoduo beam with joy.
"Don't worry, Father, I'll be done right away."
"I'll rest as soon as I finish, and I promise I won't doze off this afternoon."
Duoduo thought of the classmate next to her who had slept all morning while the teacher pretended not to see.
Xiao Yi said no more. He pushed his wheelchair and entered the room.
Duoduo stuck out her tongue, turned around, and continued working.
"Princess, why don't you let me do it and go rest?"
Lüdou tried to grab the small hoe from Duoduo's hand.
Earlier, the nanny and Lüdou had disagreed with Duoduo doing chores.
But Duoduo insisted it was to help digest her food after eating.
Nanny Li and Lüdou couldn't stop her. If they had known the Prince was coming, Lüdou wouldn't have let Duoduo touch a single thing, even if it cost her life.
Duoduo pulled her hand back. "Lüdou, go fetch some water."
Lüdou hesitated for a moment. "Yes, I will go right away."
Lüdou left, while Nanny Li followed Xiao Yi into the room.
Seeing that there was no one in the courtyard, Duoduo grabbed at the air with her hand.
Then, she placed her hand into the flowerbed.
In the flowerbed, there were a few peony plants that had withered long ago.
Earlier, Duoduo had suggested uprooting them, but Nanny Li hastily stopped her.
"These are the Empress's favorite ink-colored peonies, a very rare breed."
"It's just a pity that after Her Majesty passed away, these flowers withered too." Nanny Li's tone was full of regret.
"The Prince does not allow anyone to touch a single blade of grass or tree here. Princess, just loosening the soil is enough."
As Duoduo placed her hand on the flowers, a golden light enveloped the withered plants.
"Princess, the water is here."
Lüdou walked over, carrying a small bucket of water.
Duoduo withdrew her hand and personally took the water dipper to water the flowers.
Lüdou looked at the withered flowers in the flowerbed and blinked.
"Princess, why do I feel like these flowers have come back to life?"
Duoduo revealed a bright smile.
"Right! I think so too!"
"Lüdou, hurry, give them more water."
"Maybe in a few days, they will bloom!"
Hearing this, Lüdou immediately became interested. She cupped water in her hands and poured it over the peonies.
After watering, Lüdou hurriedly urged Duoduo to go rest.
Duoduo washed her hands clean, tidied up, and then entered the room.
Inside, Xiao Yi was lying on a soft couch, his eyes closed as if he had fallen asleep.
Duoduo tilted her head and thought for a moment. She took off her shoes and climbed onto the warm couch.
Nanny Li didn't even have a chance to stop her.
She could only watch helplessly as Duoduo got onto the couch and lay down in the Prince of Pingyang's embrace.
Nanny Li saw the Prince of Pingyang open his cold eyes and look at Duoduo.
Duoduo closed her eyes and pretended to sleep very skillfully.
Nanny Li's heart jumped to her throat.
She worried that the Princess would be thrown off by the Prince!
As a result, Xiao Yi just glanced at Duoduo and frowned.
Then, he closed his eyes again.
Nanny Li walked softly to the door and personally stood guard.
Seeing that it was almost time for afternoon classes, Nanny Li braced herself and walked into the room.
She walked softly to the bed and gently pushed Duoduo.
Duoduo opened her eyes at once.
Xiao Yi also opened his eyes.
Seeing both masters looking at her, Nanny Li swallowed hard.
"Princess, it is almost time for class."
Duoduo smiled brightly at Nanny Li, her eyes curving into crescents, and sat up.
"Father, sleep a little longer. I'm going to class first!"
Duoduo stood up, and Nanny Li hastily reached out to carry her down to the floor.
Lüdou came in and nimbly combed Duoduo's hair.
After everything was ready, Nanny Li took Duoduo and Lüdou and took a shortcut to the Imperial College.
Xiao Yi sat up and looked at the cold and desolate surroundings in the room.
The furnishings in the room were exactly the same as when he had left.
Even the unfinished painting his mother had left behind was still on the table.
Because it had been cleaned, the room was very tidy, without any hint of decay.
Xiao Yi sat in his wheelchair and pushed it around.
Yunxiao walked over and bowed.
"Your Highness, your subordinate has swept the fallen leaves outside clean."
Xiao Yi nodded slightly.
His gaze fell upon the flowerbed.
In the flowerbed, a new bud had sprouted from the withered peony plant.
In Xiao Yi's heart, it seemed as if something was also breaking out of its shell.
"Let's go. We need to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager at the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility."
Since he had entered the palace, he naturally had to go.
Yunxiao pushed Xiao Yi out the door of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
"Your Highness, there has been a tail following us the whole time," Yunxiao reported in a low voice.
"Mhm." Xiao Yi merely gave a sound of acknowledgment.
"Did you see the eunuch we are looking for today?" Xiao Yi asked.
"To answer Your Highness, no." Yunxiao looked ashamed.
The Prince of Pingyang was wandering around the palace just to catch the eunuch who was secretly meeting with the steward.
Yunxiao pushed Xiao Yi and soon arrived at the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.
However, the Empress Dowager was praying to Buddha, so Xiao Yi was invited inside to wait.
Xiao Yi slowly drank his tea, while Yunxiao excused himself to use the restroom and stepped out.
An hour later, the Empress Dowager finally walked out, smelling of sandalwood.
"Why are you still waiting? It's not like you don't know your grandmother takes a long time to pray."
Seeing Xiao Yi sitting alone and desolate in the parlor, the Empress Dowager felt a pang of heartache.
Xiao Yi revealed a faint, cold smile.
"It's alright. Your grandson has nothing to do even if I go back."
The Empress Dowager sighed.
"Do you want your grandmother to speak with your imperial father and arrange a position for you?"
