In the capital of Dongling, there is a large residence called “Xuyuan Garden.” At this moment, everyone within the garden is busily preparing for a wedding ceremony to be held in half a month.

Interestingly, the couple soon to be married are not local to the capital, but rather the Sun family, blacksmiths from Chongzhou, and the Liu family, a lineage of scholars. 

These two families are vastly different in terms of status and family background, making their union a strange event in itself. Even more puzzling is that “Xuyuan” is neither the Sun family’s residence nor the Liu family’s property. 

So, why are the Sun and Liu families holding their wedding in an outer residence far away in the capital that didn’t belong to either of them?

However, those with doubts are mostly outsiders; the people of Dongling have long become accustomed to these peculiar circumstances.

Liu Zhun, the most senior steward of the Liu family, takes care of all the affairs. Everything, big or small, is handled by him. Because a distinguished guest is arriving today, Liu Zhun has temporarily put aside the wedding preparations and is currently making tea while explaining to the guest, “This is a unique custom of Dongling. On the fifteenth of every month, the Xuyuan Garden in the capital will host a wedding, as a way to express gratitude to the esteemed Imperial Advisor for his great benevolence in protecting Dongling.”

The honored guest, upon hearing this, seemed intrigued. “How so?”

This guest possessed a rare and exquisite beauty, adorned in a loose, cinched-waist robe of ginkgo yellow, exuding an air of pride and nobility in every word and gesture.

Several days prior, Madam Liu went to a temple outside the city to burn incense and pray for blessings. On the way, she was targeted by bandits and nearly lost both her wealth and her life. Fortunately, this honored guest came to her rescue, allowing her to escape unscathed. To express their gratitude, the Liu family sincerely invited their benefactor to stay at their residence, with Liu Zhun personally hosting and attending to their needs.

Being able to exchange a few more words with such an extraordinary young gentleman, Liu Zhun felt honored beyond measure.

“My benefactor, did you know that our Dongling’s Imperial Advisor has a rather peculiar hobby, which is…” Liu Zhun sighed, “…playing matchmaker for people.”

Surprise flickered across the honored guest’s face. “Really?”

To put it nicely, the Dongling’s Imperial Advisor’s hobby is matchmaking; to be blunt, it’s randomly pairing people together. Every month, the Imperial Advisor arbitrarily selects two people and personally ties them together with a “red string.”

The Imperial Advisor of Dongling is skilled in refining gu and using poison. The “red string” is his masterpiece. It is made from a pair of female and male Gu worms. Those infected will have a thin red line appear on their wrists, hence the name.

The male and female gu worms are a pair by nature. They die if separated. Those infected with the Gu must consummate their marriage on the night of the full moon every month, or they will be fatally poisoned.

Therefore, the two people selected by the Imperial Advisor, regardless of gender, age, or marital status, must marry each other if they don’t want to die. And the wedding must take place at Xuyuan Garden in the capital.

No one knows the purpose of the Imperial Advisor’s actions. He seems to randomly select two people to stage a wedding at Xuyuan Garden based solely on his mood. Like a god high above, overlooking humanity, he recklessly manipulates the destinies and marriages of mortals.

This month, the blacksmith’s son and the Liu family’s daughter were chosen.

“Our poor young mistress, with her flower-like beauty and mastery of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she should have married into a wealthy and powerful family and enjoyed a lifetime of prosperity and luxury. But the Imperial Advisor has assigned her to a poor family that has been blacksmiths for generations. The Liu family is a hundred times unwilling, and the Madam and the young mistress cry all day long. But in this Dongling, who dares to defy the Imperial Advisor’s orders…” As Liu Zhun spoke, his eyes couldn’t help but redden.

After listening to the whole story, the honored guest kindly offered Liu Zhun some words of comfort. Liu Zhun, realizing he had lost his composure, said in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry to have made a fool of myself in front of you, benefactor.”

“It’s alright, I understand.” The honored guest waited for Liu Zhun to wipe away his tears and then asked, “Will the Imperial Advisor be present on the wedding day?”

Liu Zhun nodded. “The Imperial Advisor personally attends the ceremony in Xuyuan Garden every fifteenth of the month.”

The honored guest seemed to have asked what he wanted to know and said politely, “The Liu family wedding is imminent, and Steward Liu must have important matters to attend to.”

Liu Zhun naturally understood the esteemed guest’s hint to leave. “Then I will take my leave. If the benefactor has any other requests, just tell the servants.”

Liu Zhun respectfully withdrew. Little did he know that as soon as the door closed, the warm smile on the lips of his honored guest, Zhao Mian, vanished completely.

“Dongling, such a small country, sure knows how to put on a show,” Zhao Mian sneered. “So fond of matchmaking, why even bother being a Imperial Advisor? Wan Huameng might as well open a shop and be a matchmaker for life.”

Wan Huameng was the name of the Imperial Advisor of Dongling. In Dongling, the only person who dared call him by his given name was probably the Empress Dowager.

“But Your Highness, I heard that Wan Huameng is a ruthless and insidious person. If he wants, he can poison anyone silently, and no one will be able to detect it.” The speaker was Zhou Huairang, Zhao Mian’s childhood study companion.

“Are you really planning to meet him at Xuyuan just like that? With your status, Your Highness, you really shouldn’t put yourself at risk.”

Zhao Mian didn’t take it to heart and said calmly, “This is what Father Emperor wants.”

After the fall of Western Xia, the world was divided into three: Nanjing, Beiyuan, and Dongling, forming a three-way balance where each nation checked and balanced the others.

Zhao Mian was the current Crown Prince of Nanjing.

Half a year ago, after Zhao Mian celebrated his eighteenth birthday, his father, the Emperor, said to him, “Mianmian, you are eighteen years old today, an adult now. So I can pack up and prepare to abdicate and let a worthy successor take over. However, once you become Emperor, you will likely have few opportunities to leave the capital, or even the palace. 

So, while you are still the Crown Prince, you should go out more often and see different scenery and meet different people.”

Zhao Mian replied, “Please don’t call me ‘Mianmian’ anymore, Father.”

So, Zhao Mian set off with a few trusted followers, heading east from the capital of Nanjing, crossing the border between Nanjing and Dongling, and setting foot on the territory of Dongling.

After arriving in Dongling, Zhao Mian decided to meet the “world-renowned” Imperial Advisor of Dongling, hoping to acquire something from him that would benefit Nanjing. Zhao Mian had already thoroughly investigated Wan Huameng’s strange hobbies, which was why Madam Liu encountered danger when leaving the city.

He was the “bandit,” and he was also the “benefactor.” Otherwise, how would he be treated as a distinguished guest by the Liu family and naturally invited to Xuyuan Garden to attend the ceremony?

At this moment, a knock came from outside the door, followed by a low male voice, “It’s me.”

The person who entered was dressed in a black, fitted attire with a sword at his waist. He walked steadily and had handsome features – it was Shen Buqi, a guard from the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace.

Shen Buqi walked up to Zhao Mian without looking away, “Your Highness, Miss Liu has hanged herself.”

Zhao Mian frowned slightly: “When did this happen?”

Shen Buqi replied, “Just now.”

Zhao Mian stood up: “Let’s go take a look.”

After the Liu family’s daughter found out she was to marry a blacksmith, she refused to eat or drink, and was completely despondent. Today, she took advantage of the servants’ momentary inattention and hanged herself from a beam in an abandoned woodshed.

When Zhao Mian arrived, the Liu family was in a chaotic state of wailing. Liu Zhun was weeping bitterly, and Madam Liu had even fainted from crying. Shouts of “Miss” and “Madam” were mixed with sobs. The loudest crying came from a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl who judging by her attire was probably Miss Liu’s personal maid. The girl was kneeling on the ground, hugging Miss Liu’s dangling legs, and her cries drowned out everyone else’s.

Zhao Mian and the others were outsiders and could not approach, so they could only watch from the periphery.

The girl was crying so miserably that Zhou Huairang couldn’t help but be moved and said, “Wan Huameng is so wicked, and the Emperor and Empress Dowager aren’t doing anything about it!”

Amidst the chaos, someone shouted, “The Holy Maiden is here!”

The Holy Maiden was clearly one of Wan Huameng’s people. She must have learned of Miss Liu’s death and came to investigate.

A woman in red walked through the crowd, heading towards Miss Liu’s body. When the crowd saw her, they stopped crying one after another, consciously making way for her. Their expressions showed awe, vigilance, or resentment, but no one dared to utter a sound.

The Holy Maiden seemed only to be confirming Miss Liu’s death. She merely glanced at the corpse, then turned around and rebuked, “Why did you let her die?”

The girl cried out, “Our young lady would rather die than marry! What more do you want?! What more do you want?!”

A woman next to her quickly covered the girl’s mouth and scolded in a low voice, “Shut up! If you want to die, don’t bring trouble to the Liu family!”

The girl made muffled whimpering sounds, her eyes filled with tears. The Holy Maiden glanced at her expressionlessly, without further pursuing the matter, and simply said, “Since she’s dead, she naturally cannot marry. The Imperial Advisor will select a new bride for next month’s wedding. Tomorrow morning, whoever has a red thread appear on their wrist will be the one chosen by the Imperial Advisor and must go to the Xuyuan Garden in the capital next month on the fifteenth to complete the wedding ceremony.”

“Reselect?!” Zhou Huairang’s expression changed from grief and indignation to anxiety, “How do they choose? Do they really choose randomly?”

A joyous occasion turned into a funeral, red silk replaced by white cloth, and the Liu residence was in complete chaos. Liu Zhun suddenly looked ten years older, unable to even force a smile in front of the esteemed guests: “How could our young lady be so foolish? With her gone, how can Madam possibly go on living…”

Zhao Mian asked, “What are your plans for the future?”

Liu Zhun shed tears of despair, “That’s the Imperial Advisor. He’s already being merciful by not pursuing the matter of Miss disobeying his orders and letting the Liu family off. We are already grateful for that, what other plans can we have?”

Zhao Mian nodded and said, “Please accept my condolences.”

With Miss Liu’s death, Zhao Mian’s plan to see Wan Huameng through the Liu family also failed. The Liu family had lost its value, and he had no reason to stay. He left the Liu residence with Zhou Huairang and Shen Buqi and stayed at an inn called Qinghui Inn in the city.

That night, Shen Buqi stood guard at the door of the guest room with his sword in his arms, constantly paying attention for any movements to ensure his master’s safety.

Inside the room, Zhao Mian was planning what he needed to do in Dongling next, unable to fall asleep for a long time. Fortunately, Zhou Huairang was also awake, so he ordered Zhou Huairang to play chess with him to calm his mind.

Zhou Huairang’s mind was clearly not on the game. He kept looking at his wrist from time to time, and then stealing glances at Zhao Mian’s wrist. So distracted, he was naturally utterly defeated by Zhao Mian.

Such a lopsided game was simply a waste of time.

“If you don’t want to play, then don’t,” Zhao Mian threw the chess piece in his hand into the chess box, “No one is forcing you.”

“It’s not that, Your Highness. I am worried,” Zhou Huairang said anxiously, “Do you think I’ll be so unlucky as to be chosen by Wan Huameng and have a red string tied to me, will I?”

Zhao Mian looked at Zhou Huairang and said, “Wouldn’t it be good to be chosen? You have reached the age for marriage and are not engaged. If Wan Huameng finds you a beautiful bride, that would be a joyous occasion, and you could even bring her back to Nanjing.”

Zhou Huairang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Your Highness, please don’t make fun of me. Marriage is decided by parents and matchmakers, how could this one get married outside without a word? Besides, I have no interest in the girls of Dongling at all!”

Zhao Mian raised an eyebrow, “So, you prefer the ones from Beiyuan?”

Zhou Huairang said loudly, “This subject only likes the girls of our Nanjing!”

Zhao Mian, having teased him enough to lighten his mood, said, “Don’t worry, only two are chosen out of tens of thousands. It won’t be you. Besides, do you think Shen Buqi eats free meals in the palace?” He looked towards the door, “With him around, Wan Huameng won’t get his way easily.”

Although Shen Buqi wasn’t old, his demeanor was extremely steady and his martial arts skills were among the best of Nanjing’s younger generation. With him guarding outside, Wan Huameng shouldn’t be more capable of flying than a mosquito.

Hearing his master say this, Zhou Huairang felt a bit relieved. Zhao Mian dismissed him and then went to bed as usual.

The night passed without dreams.

The next day, Zhao Mian opened his eyes at the first glimmer of dawn.

At this hour, most commoners were still asleep, but the princes of Nanjing had already begun their studies. Even though he wasn’t in the palace now, Zhao Mian couldn’t shake his habit of waking up early.

He sat on the edge of the bed, watching Zhou Huairang, full of cheer, bring him breakfast, with Shen Buqi following closely behind.

Zhao Mian asked Zhou Huai Rang, “What made you so happy?”

Zhou Huairang said gleefully, “Reporting to Your Highness, I just checked, I don’t have a single red thread on my body – I wasn’t chosen!”

Zhao Mian said calmly, “Congratulations.”

“I’ve always been unlucky since I was a kid, and I’m most afraid of things that rely on luck like this.” Zhou Huairang was relieved. “I even wanted to check on Old Shen just now, but he wouldn’t let me.”

Shen Buqi said concisely, “I am not infected with the Gu.”

Zhao Mian said lazily, “If not, then come and help me change.”

Shen Buqi stepped forward as instructed, to help Zhao Mian change. Zhao Mian slightly raised his head, making it easier for him to fasten the knotted buttons.

Zhou Huairang stood to the side, watching the two of them. Shen Buqi was tall and robust, a whole head taller than his Highness, but even without looking at their clothes, anyone could tell at a glance who was the master and who was the servant.

Zhou Huairang couldn’t help but sigh, the Crown Prince’s nobility, built up through power and authority, was something they couldn’t fake.

When he saw his Highness raise his hand and let Shen Buqi tie the jade belt around his waist, Zhou Huairang seemed to see something red flash before his eyes.

Strange, let him take a closer look.

After seeing clearly what that red was, Zhou Huairang’s face changed drastically, his eyes widened, and he cried out, “Help!”

Zhao Mian really disliked Zhou Huairang’s jumpy nature, and said with considerable impatience, “What is it now?”

Zhou Huairang pointed at Zhao Mian’s left hand, so shocked that he stuttered, “Yo-yo-your Highness, your… your hand…”

Zhao Mian lowered his eyes to look and saw a thin red thread prominently on his left wrist.

Zhao Mian: “…?”

Zhao Mian was quiet for a moment, contemplating the meaning of this red thread, and then calmly said, “Zhou Huairang, did you draw this red thread? Are you joking with me?”

Zhou Huairang, relying on the fact that they had been childhood friends, had always been unreserved in his words and actions, and often made some unrefined jokes when they were young. Zhou Huairang was capable of doing this.

Zhou Huairang cried out in protest, “Your Highness, even if you gave me ten thousand guts, I wouldn’t dare to joke with you like this!”

Zhao Mian continued to maintain his composure, “Oh, so I’ve been infected with the Gu by Wan Huameng?”

Shen Buqis constantly expressionless face showed a trace of solemnity: “Last night, this subordinate guarded in front of Your Highness’s room all night and didn’t see anything unusual.”

Zhao Mian remained calm: “Very good.”

Wan Huameng was a legendary figure, more than a dozen years older than Shen Buqi. It was normal for Shen Buqi not to be his match. But Zhao Mian didn’t expect that Wan Huameng could attack him without alerting Shen Buqi at all.

Zhou Huairang was so frightened that he muttered to himself: “The one who got hit is actually Your Highness, oh my heavens…”

Shen Buqi probably had a guess: “This subordinate suspects that Wan Huameng already hid his identity and mingled in the crowd yesterday at the Liu residence.”

Zhao Mian didn’t want to lose his composure. He picked up a teacup and took a sip. He tried to suppress the humiliation and anger in his heart, but then he thought, there were no outsiders here. Who was he putting on the airs of a Crown Prince for?

He couldn’t stay calm.

Only a crisp sound was heard as the teacup shattered on the ground.

“Insolent!”

Shen Buqi decisively and quickly knelt down: “This subordinate deserves to die.”

“You do deserve to die.” Zhao Mian suddenly turned around, looked down at Shen Buqi, and said sternly, “To actually let Wan Huameng plant a Gu under your very nose, what use do I have for you? I even said yesterday that you weren’t eating for free in the palace. Are you worthy of the food of the palace. Are you worthy of me?!”

Shen Buqi lowered his head: “I’m at Your Highness’s disposal.”

Zhou Huairang said anxiously: “Your Highness, Old Shen should be punished, but the most urgent thing is to think about what to do!”

“What to do?” Zhao Mian let out a cold laugh, “Simple. Go to the Imperial Palace of Dongling to meet their Empress Dowager and tell them to either offer the antidote with both hands, or face national subjugation.”

Shen Buqi said without hesitation: “This subordinate will go immediately.”

“…Come back.” Zhao Mian was frustrated, “Stupid, can’t you tell I was just talking in anger?”

Shen Buqi: “…”

For a moment, no one dared to speak again. In the silence, Zhao Mian took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

He was careless and underestimated the enemy. The Imperial Advisor of Dongling, who could even concoct the secret medicine for male-male pregnancies, was indeed a force to be reckoned with. Why did he think Shen Buqi could defend against him, and why did he hold on to the illusion that bad luck wouldn’t befall him?

But what was done was done, and regret was useless. He would remember this lesson and there wouldn’t be a next time.

He just didn’t know if Wan Huameng had chosen him by chance or if he had other intentions. Could his identity which he thought he had hidden so well have been exposed?

Zhao Mian quickly rejected this guess. Beiyuan had long coveted Dongling and could launch a military expedition at any time. For the current Dongling, angering another neighboring country, Nanjing, and becoming enemies on both sides would not be wise.

If Wan Huameng knew he was the Crown Prince of Nanjing, he would be even more afraid to attack him.

So… was it really just because he was unlucky? Was he really that unlucky, even unluckier than Zhou Huairang?

When Zhao Mian opened his eyes again, his face had regained its usual composure. Zhou Huairang and Shen Buqi exchanged glances, understanding in their hearts: Great, their Highness had finished venting his anger and was about to get down to business.

This was their Highness’s consistent style. He would vent his anger, but he would also get things done.

“Carry out three tasks immediately.” Zhao Mian said methodically, “First, summon Bai Yu back for me.”

Bai Yu was a divine physician who served the Crown Prince’s palace, renowned for her exceptional medical skills and miraculous cures. She had accompanied Zhao Mian on this trip east, but had to recently leave for a few days due to pressing matters.

Zhou Huairang woke up as if from a dream: “That’s right, there’s also Doctor Bai. Doctor Bai studied in Dongling for several years and was even appreciated by Wan Huameng herself. She can definitely cure His Highness!”

“She better be able to,” Zhao Mian paused, his tone extremely cold, “But just in case, we still need to find the other person who’s been poisoned by the Gu. That’s the second thing.”

“I wonder who the other person tied with the red will string be,” Zhou Huairang worried, “It would be fine if it’s a beautiful woman, but what if it’s another crude blacksmith, then…”

Zhao Mian’s eyes were icy cold. The reason Zhou Huairang dared to talk so much in front of him besides his inherent nature was another important reason.

One day when he was five years old, his father suddenly felt sorry for him not having friends to play with, and brought Zhou Huairang, who was the same age to him and said, “Mianmian, would you like to be friends with him?”

The young and ignorant him said yes, and asked his father how to treat friends. His father had said, “Treat sincerity with sincerity.”

He had to say, he somewhat regretted being friends with Zhou Huairang. If they were just ordinary lord and subject, how would Zhou Huairang dare to be so chatty.

Seeing that His Highness’s face was not right, Zhou Huairang quickly swallowed his words and asked, “What is the third thing Your Highness wants me to do?”

Zhao Mian decided not to argue with Zhou Huairang for now: “Prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. I need to write a letter to my father.”

It would be best to resolve the Gu poisoning issue by himself without exposing his identity. If not, Nanjing will always be his strongest backing.

The outspoken Zhou Huairang, even after being punished a thousand times by his master, still didn’t learn his lesson and blurted out, “Is Your Highness writing a letter to the Emperor to complain?” This reminded him of his childhood, when he would first run to his parents to complain whenever he was bullied.

Zhao Mian’s face turned even more unsightly, feeling as if he had been exposed, and he said unhappily: “Zhou Huairang.”

“Your subject is here!”

“Get out.”