Zhao Ge wrapped her cloak tightly before going to lead the horse.
"Brother Zeyu, it's beautiful here. Can we walk slowly?"
Zhao Zong leaned over and hugged Li Can to get on the horse. Li Can put his hands on his neck and played coquettishly in his ears.
"Okay." Zhao Zhen's face was expressionless, and the tips of his ears turned red quietly.
Li Can sat down and waited for him to come up.
Zhao Ye told her: "Sit tight."
Li Can saw that he was holding the reins and had no intention of getting on the horse, so he suddenly became a little nervous: "Brother Zeyu, where are you going?"
Zhao Zhen said nothing and led the horse forward.
Li Can breathed a sigh of relief, it turned out that Zhao Zong was going to lead her horse!
She looked at his upright back and sighed slightly. In fact, Zhao Zong was very nice to her sometimes.
The shadows of the two people overlapped, stretched out by the afterglow of the setting sun, and slowly merged with the night, becoming indistinguishable from each other.
Li Can originally thought that half of the steamed bun would be our dinner today.
Unexpectedly, when he returned to the East Palace, Zhao Zhi still had dinner prepared and the blue egg taken away to be processed. The egg shell could be removed and the egg liquid could be preserved for a long time.
The wild duck eggs and waterfowl eggs were taken to the kitchen.
"I'm full." Li Can put down the bowl and chopsticks.
She didn't eat at noon, but ate a few bites of fish and some steamed buns in the afternoon. She was very hungry and ate much faster than usual.
"Stay here tonight and practice cutting tree branches tomorrow." Zhao Ge took a dagger and placed it in front of her.
"I don't want to." Li Can was reluctant and glanced at him quickly: "Can I go back to stay at night and come to the East Palace during the day?"
"Why?" Zhao Zhen asked.
"Hit me." Li Can lowered his eyes, pursed his lips and muttered softly.
She is still angry, and she wants to draw a clear line between herself and Zhao Zhen.
"From now on, as long as you don't waste your body or life, I won't hit your palms." Zhao Zhi raised his eyes and looked at her.
"Really?" Li Canfeng's eyes suddenly lit up, and she immediately restrained her joy: "Do you mean what you say?"
Don't be too arrogant, otherwise Zhao Zong is likely to take his words back.
"Yeah." Zhao Zhen nodded slightly.
"Then I will go out to play, go to the West Garden, go to the fences and tiles, and you won't care about me anymore?" Li Can looked at him closely, and he seemed to be pushing the envelope.
"You will be old this year, and you are no longer a child." Zhao Zong said lightly: "You should know that your words and deeds do not only represent yourself."
Li Can was silent.
She knew that her words and deeds outside were related to the reputation of the Marquis of Jing'an, as well as the face of her grandmother, uncle and aunt.
She is fifteen years old, and she really can no longer act like before.
"Keep your balance." Zhao Zhen stood up.
Without hesitation, he brought someone in to clear the table.
That night, Li Can stayed in the West Dormitory Hall alone.
The next day, Guangqiu began to teach her how to sharpen the branches.
The dagger Zhao Ji gave her can cut iron as well as clay, so it is easy to use it to cut branches.
However, Li Can was weak, so even with a weapon in his hand, it took him half a day of practice to cut a branch into a decent shape.
"How about this one?" She proudly showed the branch to Tangqiu.
"Girl, this one is well cut, it will definitely hit the fish." Tang Qiu praised with a smile.
"Let's go to the lotus pond and try." Li Can was ready to make a move.
"Girl, you want to prick the fish in the lotus pond?" Tang Qiu was stunned.
Hearing this, Tanggao and Tangtang gathered around and said, "Girl, the fish in the lotus pond are all koi and arowana worth thousands of gold. They can't be stabbed."
"I've cut the branches, I have to try my hand." Li Can ignored them and walked straight to the lotus pond.
Tangcai and the other maids followed worriedly.
"Don't be so sad." Tangqiu whispered: "The fish in the lotus pond are all old fish, and their scales are thick and hard, and they are just short of growing armor.
With the girl’s little strength, she can’t hit the fish with a branch.”
After hearing this, Tang Cake and Guang Guang breathed a sigh of relief.
The fish in the lotus pond are usually fed by the maids. As soon as they hear human words, they will flock to them, all gathered together, just waiting for the fish to stutter.
"There are so many, I don't even need to go into the water, just look at me!"
Li Can squatted by the water and plunged a branch into a three-flowered koi carp.
"Gudong——"
The fish splashed in the water and fled away.
Li Can lifted up the empty branch and took a look, then looked into the water, feeling a little reluctant.
She raised the branch again, aimed at a big yellow arowana, and plunged it in.
In the end, nothing was hit.
Li Can looked at the branch in his hand in annoyance. It shouldn't have been done. It was obvious that Zhao Ji had pricked it like this. What went wrong?
Tanggao and the others couldn't help but laugh quietly. The girl looked too cute.
"Is it because I'm standing in the wrong place?" Li Can wondered for a moment, and then came to the conclusion: "I was on the shore, and the branches were stuck at an angle, so I couldn't use any strength, and the fish ran away.
If I stand in the water and plunge straight down, I can hit it."
She remembered that Zhao Zhen also stood in the water and plunged into it, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.
"Where's my chair?" she asked.
Immediately a maid brought up the armchair.
Li Can sat on it and raised his feet: "Take off your shoes for me, I want to get into the water."
Tanggao and the others who were still laughing just now stopped laughing.
"Girl, it's still cold here, so you can't go into the water!" Tang Cake was the first to speak.
"Girl, you are weak and you will get cold if you go into the water!" Candy also hurriedly tried to persuade her.
"Hurry up." Li Can didn't care about that: "I'll go down and tie a knot and come up. Everything will be fine in a while."
"Girl, you must not!"
Tanggao knelt down first. His Highness would definitely blame him if he failed to take good care of the girl. Moreover, seeing the girl sick made her feel distressed.
When the other maids saw this, they all knelt down immediately.
"Girl, the reason why you can't catch fish is because you are weak. It's not because you are standing on the shore. You don't have to go into the water."
Among the maids, only Tang Guan was still standing and explained to her the reason.
"Really?" Li Can handed the branch to her: "You must be strong, then you can prick one and let me see."
If the candy ball sticks up, she will believe it.
"I don't dare!" Tang Qiu was so frightened that he knelt down.
These fish are all so valuable that they can't even cost her her life. How could she dare to take them?
"Li Can." Zhao Zong stood not far away with his hands behind his back.
"Brother Zeyu, you are back." Li Can greeted him and raised the branch in his hand to show him, with a little pride on his face: "Look, I cut the branch."
Zhao Ye glanced at it without saying a word.
"I sharpened it very sharply, but I still couldn't hit the fish." Li Can naturally grabbed his arm and was very distressed: "I asked if it was because I was standing on the shore, but Tangqiu said it was because I was weak.
Brother Zeyu, can I go into the water and try it?"
Zhao Xie took the branch from her hand and plunged it into the water at will. Then he raised his hand and saw a big and lively big koi carp stuck on the other end of the branch.
"The branch is cut well, but it's really not strong enough." Zhao Ji put down the branch.
Wu Zai, Tang Gao and the other servants were secretly stunned. In order to prove to the girl that she was not strong enough, you, the old man, stabbed such a big koi to death casually?
Li Can sighed: "Then I'm afraid I won't be able to catch fish."
Zhao Zhen took her back to the bedroom.
In front of the dormitory hall, there are four large blue and white water tanks. The water in them is full all year round. In summer, lotus flowers bloom. They seem to be for viewing, but in fact they are for easy access when walking.
Zhao Ye led her to the big water tank.
"Huh?" Li Can saw that there were many small fish in the water tank: "Did you bring them back?"
"Yeah." Zhao Zhen nodded.
"Do you want me to practice here first?" Li Can put his little hand into the water, and the little fish sank to the bottom.
"Yeah." Zhao Zhen nodded again.
"I want to try it now." Li Can eagerly picked up a nearby branch to peel.
Zhao Ji walked up the jade-white stone staircase and stood on the corridor watching her busy with interest.
Wu Zai watched with pleasure from behind. His Highness must have a solution. This can not only improve the body, but also give the girl an extra ability to protect herself. It can also give the girl something to do. It really serves multiple purposes.
.
Li Can was busy for two days and never caught a fish.
The maids all thought that after playing for a few days, she would get bored and stop playing.
Unexpectedly, for seven or eight days, Li Can had no intention of giving up, but she was much more conscious than when Zhao Zong forced her to practice.
"Girl, why don't you take a break?" Tang Cake saw that she was sweating profusely and felt very distressed: "If it doesn't work, just stop learning. Girls don't necessarily have to catch fish. Learning to fish is the same."
"I don't." Li Can picked up the tea cup and took a few sips.
If Zhao Ye can do it, so can she. As long as Zhao Ye teaches her, she can learn it.
Candy was busy holding the handkerchief to wipe her sweat.
"Girl, the Ninth Princess is here." Wuhuang came running to report the news.
"Ask her to wait for me in the side hall." Li Can was overjoyed when he heard this and walked towards the bedroom: "Let me take a bath and change clothes."
She hadn't seen Zhao Yinhuan for a few days and missed her.
However, you can't go to see her dirty, it would be too rude.
"Zhao Yinhuan!"
Li Can packed up and ran into the side hall.
"Cancan, why did it take you so long to come out?" Zhao Yinhuan stood up and went to meet her, holding her hand.
"My bathing was delayed." Li Can took her hand and shook it: "Why don't you come out for so many days? I miss you so much."
"I miss you too, but there's nothing I can do about it. Queen Mother is watching me closely." Zhao Yinhuan pulled her out and said, "Come on, come with me to see Ah Yao."
"Huh?" Li Can was startled.
During these days, she deliberately did not think of Xia Jieyao and never visited him, so she lived a comfortable life.
"I just used the excuse of seeing Ah Yao to leave the palace. It would be shameful not to go and see Ah Yao." Xia Jie Yao thought about it and asked her: "By the way, I heard that the Sixth Emperor slapped you on the palm again.
Already?"
"Yeah." Li Can felt that this was a bit embarrassing and couldn't help lowering his eyes.
"Then why did you come back to the East Palace?" Zhao Yinhuan was worried and angry.
Li Can held the hem of his clothes with his little hands, not knowing how to explain it for a moment.
"You can't escape his grasp." Zhao Yinhuan poked her forehead.
"Next time, if he hits me again, I will really leave." Li Can said firmly.
"Okay, okay." Zhao Yinhuan asked her: "Let me ask you, what did you give Ah Yao?"
"Brother Zeyu sent it as a gift, I don't know." Li Can replied honestly.
"Then what do you think I should give you?" Zhao Yinhuan was not surprised that it was not uncommon for Zhao Ji to give gifts to Li Can.
"Isn't that up to you?" Li Can said thoughtfully, "Go and have a look at the market?"
"Okay." Zhao Yinhuan agreed.
The two went to the market together. Zhao Yinhuan prepared gifts, and Li Can also bought some fruit snacks and asked the maids to carry them. Since they were going to visit, it was natural not to go empty-handed.
＊
Even though Xia Jieyao was bedridden, she was neatly dressed and reclining on the couch. She could only see a bit of illness from her pale face.
"Sister Ah Yao, how are you?" Li Can asked as he sat down on the small stool in front of the couch.
"It's much better." Xia Jieyao looked at her with a smile: "Sister Can, I haven't seen you for a few days, and I'm still thinking about how I offended you, and you don't even want to come see me."
As she spoke, she raised her right hand that had shielded Li Can from the dagger, and straightened the hem of Li Can's clothes.
Li Can saw the shocking scars and deformed hands on her hands, and the guilt in her heart surged out like a tide.
"Cancan has been sick for a few days and been beaten again, so he didn't have time to see Ah Yao, right?" Zhao Yinhuan put her hand on Li Can's shoulder and said.
"Are you sick? Are you okay? Why were you beaten again?" Xia Jieyao couldn't help but be concerned.
"I'm fine." Li Can explained casually.
"By the way, I've had a bad appetite these days. Mother prepared maltose for me. Go and get it quickly." Xia Jieyao looked at Li Can with a dignified smile on her face: "Sister Can should like it.
, I heard that His Royal Highness the Prince personally made maltose for Sister Can, and when my mother came with the candy, I thought that I must leave it for Sister Can to eat."
When Li Can heard this, his body stiffened slightly, and the sweet smile on his face froze for a moment.
How did Xia Jieyao know that Zhao Zong made maltose for her? No one else knew about it.
Could it be Zhao Gao who told Xia Jieyao?
Are the two of them in this good condition now?
Could it be that without her knowing it, Zhao Zong had quietly come to see Xia Jie Yuyao many times?