The tall red walls and golden glazed tiles all demonstrated nobility and elegance.
Caiyu was stunned for a moment.
She seemed to have visited this prince's mansion once when she was a child...
But perhaps she was too young at that time, so she couldn't remember clearly.
Standing at the door to greet everyone was actually Ji Ming, who had been sent out to inspect the prince's properties for several months!
Ji Ming stepped forward and interrupted Caiyu's absent - minded thoughts. "Miss Caiyu, long time no see."
It was really pleasant for Caiyu to meet an acquaintance in the capital. She threw the vague memories to the back of her mind and said with a beaming smile,
"Long time no see, Chief Steward Ji. How have you been these days?"
"It's naturally good to relieve my master's worries." Ji Ming looked at Caiyu, with a hint of complaint in his eyes.
At first, he didn't understand why the prince had sent him to inspect every property under the Yan Prince's Mansion for no reason.
It wasn't until one day when he was corresponding with Han Fen that Han Fen accidentally let out some information that he found out the reason.
His master was jealous...
He was just an innocent scapegoat.
So, adhering to the faith of a loyal servant, he deliberately slowed down the inspection process.
The inspection that was originally scheduled for three months was actually dragged on for half a year.
All just to avoid disturbing the time his master spent with Miss Caiyu.
Ji Ming truly deserved to be the chief steward of the prince's mansion. He was very capable. Since receiving the letter from Song Yinghuai saying that he was coming to the capital, in just one month, he had tidied up the long - unoccupied Yan Prince's Mansion in the capital and made it look brand - new.
Caiyu, Han Fen and the others entered the mansion. As they walked deeper, Caiyu felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Pavilions, towers, upturned eaves, rockeries and ponds...
Her eyes stopped on the nearby lotus pond.
Just then, it started to drizzle. The huge pond was filled with mist, looking hazy in the rain. The phoenixes carved on the dark wooden railings loomed in the mist, as if treading on clouds.
Suddenly, Caiyu was in a daze. It seemed that she saw a thin young boy sitting on the carved railing, staring blankly at the vast expanse of the pond.
The boy was about fourteen or fifteen years old. His face was still a bit childish, and his skin was as white as jade. He was wearing a brocade robe with a colorful silk ribbon around his waist, looking extremely noble.
Although he was still young, Caiyu recognized him at a glance.
Wasn't this the young Song Yinghuai!
It turned out that even as a young boy, Song Yinghuai was so good - looking.
But the young Song Yinghuai didn't have the current nobility and domineering aura. Instead, there was a hint of melancholy on his face.
Caiyu opened her mouth, about to ask Song Yinghuai what he was looking at, when a little girl popped out from behind the nearby rockery.
Caiyu immediately closed her mouth and stared in astonishment.
Wasn't this... herself at the age of six!
Little Caiyu held out the lotus in her hand to Song Yinghuai. "Fourth brother, here."
Hearing this, Song Yinghuai slowly turned his head and looked at the lotus in the little girl's hand.
The lotus must have been laboriously picked by the little girl wading in the mud by the pond. So the petals had been first grabbed by the little girl's short arms, and several petals had been torn off. Only a few sparse petals were left hanging outside the stamen. It looked so desolate.
Song Yinghuai glanced at her indifferently. "Who are you?"
Little Caiyu wiped the mud off her face and said with a childish smile, "My name is Lan Jinshu, the third daughter of Marquis Yongchang. I'm here to visit Fourth Brother's mansion today."
She gently shook the lotus in her hand. "It's Fourth Brother's fourteenth birthday today. This is my birthday gift for you."
So she was the third daughter of Lan Yuanyi, the founding marquis of Yongchang!
Song Yinghuai had been sent to the Beijing Camp's Four Guards to train since he was eight years old. As a fellow soldier, he naturally respected Lan Yuanyi very much.
Hearing this, his usually cold face became gentle. He took the lotus from little Caiyu's hand and said with a gentle smile,
"Thank you, Third Sister."
"Fourth Brother, it's your happy birthday, but you're hiding here in a daze. Is it because the Crown Prince suggested to the Emperor yesterday that the princes should leave the capital?"
Although Caiyu was young, she was very smart.
Lan Yuanyi had come back from court yesterday and talked with his wife about the current situation in the court. Caiyu had been playing with a jump rope beside them and happened to overhear.
It turned out that the Crown Prince was jealous of Song Yinghuai's outstanding performance and the frequent praise from the court officials. Especially that Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, Lu. Although he was the teacher of the Crown Prince in literature, because Song Yinghuai also studied with the Crown Prince, he always praised Song Yinghuai highly. In addition, the generals in the Beijing Camp had also repeatedly praised Song Yinghuai.
The Crown Prince couldn't bear it any longer. Finally, under the advice of his retainers, he proposed that the princes should leave the capital.
The Crown Prince said, "There are so many princes in the capital. They receive countless salaries, but they have made no contributions to the country and the people. It would be better to send them back to their fiefs, let them develop the people's livelihood, pay tribute to the court, and contribute to the country."
"Especially the Fourth Imperial Brother. He has been training in the Beijing Camp for many years. Now that the Tatars are invading and the situation in Yan is critical, it would be better to let the Fourth Brother leave the capital first, lead the Yan army to resist the Tatars, and recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!"
Back then, Huo Qubing, the Marquis of Guanjun, was already eighteen when he first fought against the Xiongnu. But the Crown Prince suggested that Song Yinghuai, who was only fourteen years old, should guard the Yan area and lead the army to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.
Even if Caiyu was ignorant, she knew that this trip was full of dangers.
But the Emperor actually agreed.
Song Yinghuai's fingertips tightened around the stem of the lotus in his hand.
The fragile stem was almost broken by him. A blank smile flashed across his face, and he whispered, "Yes, it's really because of this..."
"Is Fourth Brother afraid of death?" little Caiyu asked.
Afraid of death?
Song Yinghuai's eyes were calm.
Who wasn't afraid of death?
He was only fourteen years old and was a noble prince. Although he had suffered a lot during his training in the Beijing Camp, and the pressure from his father, the Emperor, was one after another.
But after all, he had seen those soldiers from poor families in the army.
He knew that there were many people in this world who were suffering more than him and struggling to survive.
They still had to live hard to fight for a shelter for their parents, wives and children. As a member of the royal family, he naturally had more things to be attached to.
Song Yinghuai nodded frankly. "Yes, I'm naturally afraid. But..."
He paused, and his face became more and more calm. "Since ancient times, who has never died? I'll keep my loyal heart shining in the history. I'm not worried about life and death, but about my elder brother and father..."
He didn't know how to explain it to the little girl in front of him.
He had also heard of the children of the Lan family. Lan Yuanyi's love for his children was well - known in Daye.
This time, Lan Yuanyi had returned to the capital from the Jin area to report on his duties, and he had also brought his wife and third daughter to see the scenery of different places.
With such a loving father - daughter relationship, how could this little girl understand the cold - bloodedness of the royal family towards their children?
If he said it, he would only defile this little girl's heart in vain.
So Song Yinghuai stopped talking.
But little Caiyu seemed to understand something.
Fourth Brother was sad because the Crown Prince had pushed him into a desperate situation!
Father had said that it was common for the royal brothers to fight against each other since ancient times, but Caiyu didn't understand.
She got along very well with her brothers and sisters at home, without any gaps. So seeing Song Yinghuai like this, she felt very sad.
But because she was young, it took her a long time to come up with a sentence that she thought made sense:
"I once went to Mount Tai to listen to the Buddhist scriptures. It was said that those who hurt you are actually here to help you through difficulties. The Buddha said that greed, anger, ignorance, hatred, love, aversion and desire are the seven deadly sins. The hatred that the Crown Prince gives you is a test for you. If you can let go, once you let go of your attachments, your life will be full of freedom."
"Fourth Brother, maybe your trip to the Yan area is a test from the Buddha. Maybe after you get through this disaster, your life will be as you wish."
Song Yinghuai looked deeply at this little girl.
Other six - year - old girls had just started their enlightenment, but she was already very eloquent and could talk about more profound principles than him.
Song Yinghuai couldn't help but smile. The melancholy in his heart was swept away.
He reached out and wiped the mud off her tender cheek. His eyes were like the lake behind him, and there was a doting look in his moist eyes:
"Your name is Lan Jinshu, right... I'll remember you."