Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Fuzhou is surrounded by water on three sides and backed by the Chang Mountains. The moat bridge outside the city gate spans a river fifty-four feet wide.

Fang Zhihe and his party had traveled for nearly seven days and finally arrived at the city gate at dusk on the seventh day. Lu Wuyou lifted the carriage curtain and glanced outside, saying, "We're here."

Fang Zhihe was leaning in the corner holding a soft pillow. He responded, "Let Yunzheng and the others go to the Fuzhou prefectural office. I... have other arrangements with you."

Lu Wuyou frowned slightly but said nothing. He only sent someone to inform Yunzheng at the front of the convoy. After entering the city, Lu Wuyou opened the carriage door, told the coachman to follow Yunzheng's convoy, and took the reins himself to drive the carriage.

Fang Zhihe's voice came muffled from inside the carriage, "There's a 'Huiji Pastry Shop' ahead. There's an alley entrance next to it. Turn right into the alley, and there's a place called 'Laike Ke'. Stop right across from it."

Lu Wuyou drove the carriage, leaning against the door, and asked, "What kind of place is that?"

Fang Zhihe said, "A farmhouse courtyard."

Lu Wuyou raised an eyebrow in confusion but said nothing more.

He drove according to Fang Zhihe's instructions and soon reached the destination—a very quaint courtyard. Beside the gate was a fence overgrown with rose vines, and the plaque on the gate bore two gilded characters: 'Yun Yuan'.

Lu Wuyou stared at the characters on the plaque in a daze. Fang Zhihe, carrying his small bundle, supported himself on the railing and got off the carriage.

Seeing Lu Wuyou staring intently at those two characters, Fang Zhihe said calmly, "It's a courtyard I bought years ago. I have someone maintain it every year." Then he lifted the hem of his robe and pushed open the gate to enter.

Lu Wuyou watched his back as he carried the blue floral-print bundle and suddenly felt a strange sense of amusement.

He turned to stable the carriage, took out all the luggage, and glanced at the wall full of rosebuds—each a vivid red, contrasting with a few timid pale pink flowers.

How could he feel that these aggressive red roses were so much like Fang Zhihe?

Lu Wuyou shook his head and quickly entered the courtyard.

Fang Zhihe untied his bundle. Lu Wuyou put the things into the house. Fang Zhihe pulled out a cloth doll in a floral skirt from his bundle. Lu Wuyou tilted his head and glanced at him. Then he pulled out two books: *The Swordsman Travels West* and *A Few Matters of the Current Emperor*.

He continued to pull out things. Lu Wuyou looked at him with confusion several times, "What are all these things?"

Fang Zhihe nonchalantly carried the doll and books into the room, saying as he walked, "The doll is from Xiaoyuan. The books are to pass the time."

Lu Wuyou was speechless. While Fang Zhihe was in the room, he reached into the floral bundle and rummaged through it. It was full of bottles and jars. He simply spread the bundle open, and all the medicine bottles were labeled with white paper and black characters.

Fang Zhihe came out of the room, glanced at Lu Wuyou, silently pulled the bundle together, and carried it into the room.

When Fang Zhihe came out again, Lu Wuyou had already taken out the tea set from the cabinet and was boiling water to make tea in the courtyard.

"Yunzheng will discuss flood control with the Prefect of Fuzhou today and tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll go to the riverbank to have a look, not with them, okay?" Fang Zhihe approached and asked softly.

Lu Wuyou glanced back at him, "Mm."

Fang Zhihe smiled with curved eyebrows. The courtyard was not large but had everything needed. Behind the rose wall were two elm trees. Under the trees was a stone table. Lu Wuyou stood boiling water at a wooden table, with a cane chair on each side. There were countless flowers and plants around, not messy but neatly arranged, the scattered colors showing a hint of Jiangnan spring.

Fang Zhihe sat on the left cane chair, leaning slightly, his gaze involuntarily moving to the top of the right elm tree—he remembered that when he was a child, Lu Wuyou wasn't so disgusted with him. He often took his hand to pick elm seeds in the yard of Lord Wu next door, then went home to make him a bowl of smooth and delicious elm seed noodles.

Back then, Lu Wuyou never offered to make them for Changlin, and Fang Zhihe later often secretly rejoiced at that.

Sure enough, he was shameless, even jealous of his own brother. Fang Zhihe thought, turning his head to glance at Lu Wuyou, who was pouring tea. Today he wore a black fitted silk robe with a black-gold belt and that jade pendant hanging from it.

Lu Wuyou looked down at him, "Why are we suddenly acting separately for no reason?"

Fang Zhihe blinked and smiled, "Nothing much. I just wanted to show you this courtyard."

"..." Lu Wuyou frowned, "When will you ever stop this willful habit?"

Fang Zhihe shrugged and said teasingly, "But I am the Son of Heaven. If even I can't be willful, then who can?"

Lu Wuyou glared at him, "Is the Son of Heaven meant for you to be willful?"

Fang Zhihe chuckled softly, looking at the floating clouds in the sky, and said lazily, "How willful am I? Is your Changlin even more willful than me?"

He said it casually, without any targeted sarcasm, just lazily, his head soft and limp.

Lu Wuyou hated it most when he mentioned Fang Zhanglin. Hearing this, he pinched Fang Zhihe's face and said in a harsh tone, "If you want to get along with me in the coming days, don't mention Changlin, or I'll make sure you won't even dare to be willful from now on."

Fang Zhihe's soft heart was filled with something sour. He turned his back to Lu Wuyou and said sullenly, "I know."

Lu Wuyou snorted coldly, kicked his calf, and said, "Get up and take your medicine. Has your fever gone down?"

"Mm." Fang Zhihe sat up, took out a jade medicine bottle from his bosom, poured out a few red pills, and took the steaming hot tea Lu Wuyou handed him. He pursed his lips, looked at Lu Wuyou, and said softly, "Blow on it."

Lu Wuyou looked at him with disgust, said nothing, lowered his head, and blew on it twice. Fang Zhihe lowered his eyes and looked at him, "I want to eat elm seed noodles."

Lu Wuyou glared at him, "No."

Fang Zhihe sniffled, "There are so many elm seeds in the courtyard. I can help you pick them."

"It's cold! Drink it quickly!" Lu Wuyou ignored him and pushed the tea toward him.

Fang Zhihe swallowed the medicine with the tea. After drinking, he was dazed for a few seconds, then suddenly tugged at Lu Wuyou's jade pendant, startling Lu Wuyou, who took a big step back and glared at him fiercely, "What are you doing!"

Fang Zhihe found it inexplicably amusing. He put down his empty hand, shook his head, and sighed, "Grabbed wrong. Please, Lord Lu, I want to eat elm seed noodles."

Lu Wuyou stared at him ferociously, and after a long while, he blurted out, "I'm not making it."

Fang Zhihe stared straight at him, his dark, bright eyes gradually becoming misty. "Lord Lu, I'm hungry."

Lu Wuyou thought, *Is this madman having another fit?* But on his face, he looked awkwardly frowning, "Die of hunger first!"

Fang Zhihe sniffled, holding the teacup, thought for a moment, and shed two more tears. "I'm so pitiful."

"..."

"I'm the Son of Heaven, and I can't even get a bowl of noodles."

"..." Lu Wuyou glared at the tear stains on his pale face.

Fang Zhihe secretly glanced at his expression, endured the pain, pinched himself, and forced out two more tears. "Elm seed noodles. I'm hungry."

Lu Wuyou could no longer bear it. He felt a lump in his chest, fire on his head, but the fire was extinguished by Fang Zhihe's tears. He hesitated whether to reignite it, then looked at Fang Zhihe's feigned pitiful expression. The fire just wouldn't catch.

Forget it.

Lu Wuyou said expressionlessly, "You pick a bowl of elm seeds. I'll make it. After you eat, shut up, and tomorrow you'll come with me to inspect the water conditions."

Fang Zhihe quickly nodded, "Thank you, Lord Lu!"

Lu Wuyou's brow twitched, "...Shut up!"

Fang Zhihe couldn't help but smile, his eyes narrowing, and two tears slid down the corners of his eyes.

He didn't know if Lu Wuyou knew, watching him.

But Lu Wuyou knew he was happy.