Zhao Jinghuan finally nodded, tidied himself up, and walked out, and Li Gonggong hurried to catch up, but he raised his hand to stop him and said, "You don't need to come."
Li Gonggong was surprised and advised, "Your Highness, you are not often in the mansion, so you are not familiar with the layout...."
Zhao Jinghuan ignored him and said, "I won't go far, just walk around nearby."
Li Gonggong still worried, but Zhao Jinghuan waved his hand, "You don't need to follow."
Looking again, the prince was walking away rapidly, disappearing.
Li Gonggong: "..."
Su Mo'er was still unaware that her diet plan had been completely cut off from the roots. She was now eagerly waiting outside, but her mind was racing, thinking about how to bring up the topic of the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival later on.
Zhao Jinghuan's figure had already approached, and Su Mo'er, noticing that Li Gonggong and others had not followed, asked, "Your Highness, why didn't Li Gonggong come?"
Zhao Jinghuan fell silent for a moment, looked at her, and asked, "Are you close to Li Lu?"
Su Mo'er was a bit puzzled but nodded, "When I arrived at the mansion, I received special care from the eunuch...."
"You don't need to wait for him." Before she could finish, Zhao Jinghuan coldly interrupted her, "It's just the two of us."
Su Mo'er couldn't help but exclaim, "Li Gonggong didn't come..."
Immediately realizing that she had overreacted, she quickly adjusted her expression and softly probed, "Then... where does Your Highness want to go? Shall I accompany you?"
But Zhao Jinghuan waved his hand, "No need, let's just walk near Dixi Tower."
As he finished speaking, he walked ahead in large strides, looking as if he was leading the way.
Seeing this, Su Mo'er subconsciously thought of their first meeting in the garden and felt a little nervous.
But then she comforted herself, thinking that she had misunderstood last time; after all, the prince was new to the mansion and had no one to show him around, so he might have been confused.
Now that the prince had been in the mansion for quite some time, she reassured herself that such a situation wouldn't occur again.
Thinking this, she felt more at ease and hastened to follow him.
Zhao Jinghuan, tall and usually walking fast, had slowed down today, perhaps to accommodate Su Mo'er walking beside him at a moderate pace.
Under the sinking sun, rolling clouds in the sky, countless rays of light shining through, occasionally a gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves on both sides, and the flowing water accompanied by the chirping of insects gradually rose, making it exceptionally pleasant.
Su Mo'er looked at the rolling clouds in the sky, her eyes reflecting the colorful clouds, her charming face touched with a different charm.
She smiled as if suddenly remembering something, "Speaking of which, I haven't congratulated Your Highness yet. I heard that Your Highness's assistance in disaster relief was outstanding, so it's likely that the southern disaster will soon be relieved."
Her smile was like the opening of a beautiful flower, one after another, interweaving into an dazzling brilliance.
Zhao Jinghuan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, the earlier gloom dissipated, leaving only an inexplicable surge of emotion, like the sweetness of honey lingering in his heart.
He heard this, although he did not smile, his eyebrows relaxed, and there was a hint of relaxation in his expression: "It's still far from pacifying, but as long as there is progress, it will be beneficial for the people to suffer less for a day."
Su Mo'er said she would certainly do it: "This maiden wishes His Highness success in disaster relief, and blessings be upon the people."
Only then did Zhao Jinghuan smile and stare at her, "I hope this day will come sooner. Speaking of this, I should thank you first. It was your words last time that gave me the idea for this new strategy for disaster relief. If the disaster can be truly pacified, Miss Su, you should take the credit. All the people in the world should also remember your kindness."
He said this because he had memories of his past life and knew how much impact this disaster would have on the future of the entire Dazheng.
Su Mo'er didn't understand the deeper meaning behind this, and for her, these words were significant.
Although she wanted to take credit, she didn't dare to take such a big credit. She hurriedly waved her hand in fear, "Your Highness, don't overexert this maiden. This maiden is just a humble girl. How can she take such credit? If it gets out, won't it be very embarrassing?"
Zhao Jinghuan disagreed with her words, "Being a human being, why should there be a gender distinction? There are nine ranks for all people, and there are heroines among women as well."
This statement greatly changed Su Mo'er's understanding, and she couldn't help but look at the other person again.
She saw him with a calm expression, but his resolute and unique aura set him apart from the common people.
But ultimately, the education that Su Mo'er had received made her have to suppress the emotions surging in her heart, blushing and humbly said, "Even if there are heroines among women, it wouldn't be someone like me. How could I have any strategies? It was just a fluke. If it really works, it should be due to Your Highness and the efforts of the lords."
Even though she didn't speak clearly, Zhao Jinghuan was well aware of her thoughts.
Understanding that further discussion would not be beneficial, he didn't bother to say anymore, but he would still be concerned about this matter in his heart.
Seeing that he didn't continue, Su Mo'er couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She was afraid that if the crown prince continued to talk to her about these national matters, she would not be able to cope.
She was just a small dancing girl serving people. How could she flatter and deceive people? She could handle everything, but when it came to matters of politics, she would be at a loss.
As she calmed down, she looked around, feeling a bit absent-minded, then whispered to the crown prince, "We seem to have taken the wrong path?"
Wrong path? Zhao Jinghuan was taken aback, subconsciously looked around, and seeing Su Mo'er staring at him, he gradually lowered his face.
What was he doing? He didn't know the way...
In the end, it was Su Mo'er who managed to bring the crown prince back to the vicinity of Dingxi Building by taking a roundabout route.
She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, thinking to herself: I can't let the crown prince lead the way in the future...
God knows how much effort she had to put in to subtly guide the crown prince back.
Seeing the crown prince returning to Dingxi Building, Su Mo'er became anxious again. She hadn't found an opportunity to talk to him about the lantern festival. As the two walked forward, they suddenly heard whispers coming from a side rockery.
They said it was a whisper, but it made both of them listen intently.
One of the maidservants whispered, "Hey, do you know? I heard that Miss Su Mo'er from Yan Shuige, the one favored by His Highness, had a lover before entering the mansion."
This news surprised the onlookers, "This... is not possible, right? If so, how could she have entered the mansion?"
The maid's tone conveyed disdain, "Who knows, these charming women can always find a way. If there's a chance to climb to a higher position by entering the mansion, who would give it up? She probably abandoned her former lover and used some means to get in."
"Oh my goodness... this Miss Su, is she too audacious? If His Highness learns of this, wouldn't it..."
The words of the two maidservants were not missed by Su Mo'er and Zhao Jinghuan.
Su Mo'er's face suddenly turned pale, her lips trembling slightly, but she didn't dare to show any sign.
If she spoke out in her current situation, she could defend herself if she was wronged, but if someone twisted her words, what would she do?
Feeling anxious and angry, she knew that such a thing couldn't have happened to be heard by them on their way back with the crown prince, and it must be just a coincidence.
She quickly realized that Liufen had been waiting for this opportunity. If this news were to be heard by the crown prince, it would leave a knot in his heart, no matter what!
Her thoughts raced at lightning speed, and then she saw the crown prince's face suddenly darken. He kicked a nearby potted plant with force, shattering it into pieces with a clatter, and soil and fragments scattered all over the ground.
It was easy to guess how much force he had used, not to mention the anger he had accumulated after hearing such words.
Su Mo'er just the thought of it made her dizzy, but she didn't hesitate. Kneeling on the ground, she said in horror, "Your Highness, please calm down!"
The maids who were gossiping were also shocked and scrambling to crawl out, repeatedly kowtowing, "Your Highness, forgive us! Your Highness, forgive us! We didn't mean it! Your Highness, forgive us!"
Zhao Jinghuan's eyes were dark and full of chilling intent. He bent down, lifting Su Mo'er's chin, forcing her to raise her small, delicate face, "Is what they said true?"
Su Mo'er, who had been in a precarious situation previously, didn't shed a tear, but at this moment, after hearing him say this, her eyes instantly filled with teardrops. However, she forced herself to hold them back.
But eventually, the resentment in her heart became too much to bear, and tears welled up in her eyes, the drops falling like broken beads down her cheeks. She bit her rosy lips, staring at the man in front of her with tear-filled eyes, "Does Your Highness believe what they said?"
She could have denied it, could have defended herself, but when she saw the calm face and the deep, unfathomable coldness in his eyes, she instinctively didn't want to argue.
It seemed as if, by opening her mouth, she would admit defeat.
After all, he must not believe her, right? Otherwise, how could such a thing be explained? Actions speak louder than words. If he truly believed her, he wouldn't need to do this.
The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she became. The tears welled up in her eyes, and they shimmered with a hint of sorrow.
Zhao Jinghuan's gaze was tightly fixed on her face, and a heavy feeling, like a stone pressing on his heart, made his hand behind his back unconsciously clench into a fist.
Speaking again, though his tone remained unchanged, even a bit cold, it subconsciously softened, "Don't cry."
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Later——
Su Mo'er: Your Highness doesn't trust me??? Crying so miserably!
The Prince moved his kneeling knee on the washboard, feeling a headache, and coaxed softly, "I trust you, from the beginning to the end, I trust you, don't cry, good girl~"