Shen Buqi lived up to his reputation as a man who trained in the Imperial Kitchen of Nanjing. His cooking skills were excellent. In just half an hour, he presented Zhao Mian and the others with five dishes and a soup, all with excellent color, aroma, and taste.

Everyone took their seats. Zhao Mian took the head seat first, with Bai Yu seated to his left, followed by Zhou Huairang and Shen Buqi.

Wei Zhenfeng asked casually, “Can I eat?”

Zhao Mian said, “No.” He didn’t invite him to eat fish yesterday, and now he wants to eat the dishes Shen Buqi made today? He’s dreaming.

Wei Zhenfeng shrugged: “Then I’ll just wait here for you all to finish eating.”

The Crown Prince’s extremely oppressive aura made everyone at the table feel like they were sitting on pins and needles, especially with an outsider standing there watching them eat, the atmosphere was very tense.

To ease the atmosphere, Bai Yu praised Shen Buqi’s cooking skills: “Little Shen’s skills are almost catching up to the head chef.”

Shen Buqi: “You flatter me.”

Bai Yu: “…”

She made a fool of herself. Why did she talk to Shen Buqi? If she wanted to ease the atmosphere, she should have talked to Zhou Huairang.

Suddenly, Zhao Mian slammed his chopsticks down with a “clack,” startling everyone. They all stopped eating and looked at him. Zhao Mian looked up at Wei Zhenfeng, his disgust overflowing: “How much longer are you going to use that face?”

Wei Zhenfeng raised an eyebrow: “Why are you suddenly asking that? A lot of effort went into making this face. I can’t find the potion to dissolve the disguise anytime soon. You’ll just have to endure it for a few more days.”

Zhao Mian couldn’t help but ask: “Are you really that dark in real life?”

Wei Zhenfeng replied, “At least I’m not as pale as you.”

Zhao Mian’s expression worsened.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Being outdoors all year round, constantly exposed to wind and sun. Even if he was born fair-skinned, he would have been tanned dark by now.

He really disliked dark skin.

Zhao Mian closed his eyes, slowly exhaling the turbid air from his chest.

Don’t get angry. It doesn’t matter. He wouldn’t be reduced to relying on Wei Zhenfeng to remove the Gu. Whether Wei Zhenfeng was dark or fair was irrelevant.

Zhao Mian suddenly opened his eyes under everyone’s gaze, his tone more firm and resolute than ever before: “We must use everything we can, regardless of the cost, to obtain the antidote for the male and female Gu worms. Even if it means sacrificing our lives, we won’t hesitate!”

The others, filled with righteous fervor, responded in unison, “Yes, Young Master!”

“Sacrificing our lives?” Wei Zhenfeng stroked his chin, sounding a little put off, and said, “Where did this sudden, overwhelming determination come from?”

“And you.” Zhao Mian turned to Wei Zhenfeng, his voice cold, “Are your injured subordinates still lying around? Bring them to Bai Yu quickly to have them looked at. Once they’re healed, they can get back to work.”

Wei Zhenfeng: “…Okay.”

Before half a day had passed, Yun Yong and Hua Ju were brought over.

These two had recently trespassed into the Nangong Palace, hoping to try their luck and scout the area. They disguised themselves as female servants responsible for purchasing supplies and infiltrated the palace, thinking their disguise was flawless. Little did they know that they were exposed almost as soon as they entered, before they could even explore a single route.

The two fought their way out with all their might. Although they managed to escape by luck, they were injured by some unknown miasma, and their condition hadn’t improved after several days of rest.

When their master brought them over and they saw the doctor who was about to treat them, both were stunned.

Yun Yong’s eyes widened slightly: “It’s you…?”

Hua Ju was so excited she couldn’t control herself, pointing at Bai Yu and saying, “Master, it was her! She was the one who led the people to capture us at the Nangong Palace! She’s with Wan Huameng!”

Wei Zhenfeng nodded: “I know.”

Hua Ju was dumbfounded: “You know?”

Bai Yu smiled gently, exuding grace and generosity: “We each serve our masters, acting under orders. I hope the two younger sisters won’t take it to heart.”

Yun Yong and Hua Ju were dumbfounded, completely lost.

Wei Zhenfeng briefly explained the current situation to them, instructing them to simply follow orders. Although they were still wary of Zhao Mian and the others, they obeyed their master and allowed Bai Yu to treat them. To their surprise, the discomfort caused by the miasma actually lessened, and they would fully recover after a couple more days of rest.

It was the tenth day of the tenth month, leaving only five days until the male and female Gu would take effect. Bai Yu had been busy for a long time and finally completed a detailed map of the Nangong Palace.

The Nangong Palace was a mansion specially bestowed upon the Imperial Advisor by the Empress Dowager of Dongling. It was built against mountains and by water, with pavilions and terraces arranged in neat rows. Among them, there were countless paths of all sizes, including hidden secret passages. Even the maids of the Nangong Palace could easily get lost if they weren’t careful.

With this clear and detailed map, the problem of getting lost was solved.

Bai Yu pointed to an inconspicuous corner on the map and said, “This place is called ‘Moonshade Residence.’ The antidote we’re looking for is there. On the fifteenth of each month, Wan Huameng will go to Xuyuan Garden to observe the wedding ceremony, and after returning, he will stay in Moonshade Residence for a few days. The male-female Gu and its antidote are both personally formulated and stored there by him.”

Bai Yu was from Nanjing. Her status in the Nangong Palace was at most that of a student seeking knowledge. Even if she had once been appreciated by Wan Huameng, she could only be considered an “outsider.” Fortunately, she had been credited for exposing Yun Yong and Hua Ju last time, gaining the trust of some inner disciples, and thus had the opportunity to delve deeper into the Nangong Palace, uncovering and confirming these clues.

She had thought about stealing the antidote directly and handing it over to His Highness. Unfortunately, Wan Huameng seemed to value Moonshade Residence very much. Even when he wasn’t staying there, he would usually send heavily armed guards to protect it. Bai Yu tried to sneak in several times without success, and once she almost exposed herself, so she had to give up.

Wei Zhenfeng stared at the black dot on the map representing Moonshade Residence, lost in thought: “This place…”

Zhao Mian: “Speak.”

Wei Zhenfeng pondered for a moment, then smiled: “It’s nothing, let’s survive until we reach Moonshade Residence before talking about anything else.” He passed the map around for everyone to memorize, and said to Zhao Mian, “Before we act, there’s still one place we need to go.”

Zhao Mian nodded in agreement: “Xuyuan Garden.”

Wan Huameng was the matchmaker, and he specially chose the people getting married. The wedding location had to be in Xuyuan Garden, as he designated. If they didn’t show up at Xuyuan Garden, it would definitely attract Nangong’s attention.

Furthermore, Xuyuan Garden was bound to hold some clues about Wan Huameng’s strange habits.

Zhao Mian needed to pay attention to three things when going to Xuyuan: be discreet, be discreet, and be discreet.

He needed to act like an ordinary Dongling commoner “bestowed a marriage” by the Imperial Advisor. He couldn’t bring too many servants to avoid arousing suspicion and causing unexpected trouble.

Zhou Huairang volunteered to accompany His Highness to Xuyuan Garden, but Bai Yu politely informed him, “You’re not suitable.” Zhao Mian chose Bai Yu to accompany him, firstly because she understood Nangong the best among them, and secondly because she was the most meticulous.

Before setting off, Bai Yu specifically reminded Zhao Mian not to wear the colors he usually liked, otherwise people would immediately recognize him as a young master from a wealthy family. Zhao Mian then put on a plain white robe, but Bai Yu was still not satisfied..

“Your Highness,” Bai Yu opened her palm in front of him, amused and helpless, “Your jade pendant.”

He couldn’t even wear his jade pendant? Then he really would be no different from a commoner. This was a gift from his teacher.

Zhao Mian sullenly took off the jade pendant and placed it in Bai Yu’s hand.

“Your Highness, please bear with it for now. Once this is over, Your Highness can wear ten jade pendants if you wish,” Bai Yu patiently coaxed. “Shall I give Your Highness a simple disguise?”

Bai Yu fussed around for a long time before making the Crown Prince lose that imposing and beautiful appearance, making him look like just an ordinary handsome young man, not too eye-catching.

The two met Wei Zhenfeng in the front hall. Wei Zhenfeng raised an eyebrow when he saw the disguised Zhao Mian in his white robe. Just as he was about to say something, Zhao Mian snapped, “Shut up,” right in his face.

Xuyuan was located in the bustling downtown area of Jingdu, just two blocks away from the Imperial Palace of Dongling, truly under the Emperor’s feet.

The vermilion gate was hung with a plaque bearing the words “Xuyuan Garden,” and the surroundings were decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, with big red “Double Happiness” characters everywhere, making it look like a real wedding was about to happen.

The group reported their identities to the female servant, whose gaze immediately became wary: “Others, upon learning they have been chosen by the Imperial Advisor, will come to Xuyuan Garden to report within five days. Why are you only coming now?”

The disguised Bai Yu looked every bit the part of a headstrong older sister from a humble family: “My younger brother didn’t want to marry a fishmonger, and was determined to die at home. It took me a lot of effort to bring him here.”

The female servant looked at the two behind Bai Yu, one with skin as white as snow, the other with skin as black as charcoal. One beautiful, the other ordinary. The suspicion in her heart immediately dissipated by more than half.

Putting herself in their shoes, if she were that fair and beautiful young man, she wouldn’t want to marry a burly, dark-skinned man either.

The female servant said, “Let me see the red threads on your hands.”

The female servant checked the red threads of both of them, confirming they were correct, and asked, “What are your names?”

Zhao Mian said, “Xiao Jue.” This was the alias he was used to using when traveling outside.

Wei Zhenfeng glanced at Zhao Mian and said, “Li Er.”

The female servant sized Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng up and down, as if appraising two rabbits about to be slaughtered: “You’re so late. You’ll have a hard time later.”

Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng exchanged a glance, unsure of the female servant’s meaning.

The female servant said, “Follow me.”

After entering Xuyuan Garden, Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng were led in separate directions. Bai Yu, being the “older sister” of the newcomer, was allowed to stay by Zhao Mian’s side.

The female servant leading them, with a wooden expression recited the rules of the garden: “You must stay obediently in your own rooms, and are not allowed to leave unless summoned. Three meals a day will be delivered to your rooms. Starting tomorrow, matchmakers will instruct you on the wedding procedures and etiquette. You must memorize them thoroughly, and there must be no mistakes during the wedding.”

The white clothes Zhao Mian wore were made of ordinary cloth, which he was very unaccustomed to. He felt uncomfortable everywhere. He endured it all the way until he entered the room and the female servant left, before saying, “Bai…”

Bai Yu quickly shook her head at him, pointing towards the doors and windows, her eyes reminding him that the walls had ears.

Zhao Mian paused, then reluctantly changed his address, “Sister, these clothes are very uncomfortable.”

Bai Yu smiled gently, her eyebrows and eyes radiating warmth.

In her heart, she truly regarded the Crown Prince as her own little brother, although she would never, and dared not to express this sibling-like affection aloud.

The Crown Prince’s sister could only be a princess, and she was just a humble medical official.

She had heard Zhou Huairang say that when His Highness was five or six years old, he would call him “Xiao Rang.” Unfortunately, when she entered the palace of His Highness, he was already a ten-year-old boy, constantly mindful of being the heir to the throne. He wouldn’t call his childhood friend by his nickname, let alone call her “sister.” Missing that stage of His Highness’s life had always been her regret.

The Crown Prince’s calling her “sister” today, wasn’t it fulfilling a small dream of hers?

Bai Yu couldn’t hide the joy in her heart. Zhao Mian saw her reaction and couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile.

Bai Yu smiled and said, “I brought a few sets of clothes with me. Would you like to change into something else?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Zhao Mian raised his hand and loosened his collar. “I can endure it a little longer.” He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the furniture and furnishings in the room, and lowered his voice: “Don’t you feel that something is not right?”

Bai Yu looked around and immediately understood what His Highness meant. “It seems… too old?”

Whether it was the tables, chairs, window curtains, or teapots and cups in the room, they all looked like old objects that had been used for more than a decade. Wan Huameng was showered with favor and his family’s wealth must be unimaginable to ordinary people. Why was he unwilling to spend even a little to renovate Xu Garden?

If Xuyuan Garden was truly an insignificant place to Wan Huameng, not even worth renovating, then why did Wan Huameng insist that the people he was forcing into marriage be wedded here?

It was all Wei Zhenfeng’s fault, wasting too much of his time him beforehand, so he didn’t have time to investigate many things in detail.

At dusk, someone delivered food as anticipated. Along with dinner, a set of Jingdu style wedding attire was also delivered.

Thus, it was time again for Zhao Mian to sneer at the tastes and aesthetic sense of the Dongling people.

When the people of Dongling marry, both the bride and groom wear colors of xuan and xun, that is, black and crimson intermingled, with large blocks of black and only the edges trimmed with light red. There is nothing festive about it; it is more solemn and dignified, making it seem less like a wedding and more like a sworn brotherhood of righteous heroes.

The maid who delivered the wedding clothes said to Zhao Mian, “You should try it on to see if it fits.”

Zhao Mian replied, “Later.”

The maid was unusually insistent: “No, try it on now.”

Zhao Mian really wanted to ask this maid who she thought she was ordering around, but he was already in Xuyuan and didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble over such a small matter. In any case, it was just Dongling wedding attire; he would just treat it as a rag he picked up and wore.

Zhao Mian changed into the wedding attire in the inner room. The clothes were a bit too big for him, loose around the waist and collar, but the length was just right.

Bai Yu watched the prince, dressed all in black, with a smile in her eyes. She was fortunate today to see the prince wearing the black and white colors he rarely wore.

The black was solemn, adding a touch of profound coldness to the prince. The white clothes he had been wearing earlier were light and elegant, with the air of a proud scholar. However, the colors that suited the prince best were still the flamboyant, dazzling, colors of supreme nobility.

“Your waist is too thin, you need to gain some weight,” the maid said. “From today onwards, your meals will be increased from three to five times a day, until these wedding clothes fit you perfectly.”

“This…” Bai Yu looked troubled. “My younger brother has never had a large appetite.”

The maid coldly interrupted, “That’s your problem. If you can’t eat it, you’ll have to force it down.”

Zhao Mian’s suspicions deepened.

It was always the clothes that were altered to fit the person, never the other way around. The monthly wedding banquets at Xuyuan were indeed strange in every way.

After the maid left, Zhao Mian began to take off the clothes without another word. Bai Yu stepped forward to help, but he took a step back and turned around, saying, “I can do it myself.”

Zhao Mian wasn’t used to being personally served by girls. In the Crown Prince’s palace, there were only palace maids responsible for sweeping, mending, and serving from afar. He took off his outer robe and handed it to Bai Yu: “Take a look.”

“This wedding attire is brand new, but the style is old,” Bai Yu said, picking up the hem of the robe and stroking it carefully, feeling the texture of the fabric.

“Over a decade ago, the nobles of Jingdu used this kind of fabric. But after they experienced the quality of the silk brocades from Nanjing and Jiang Nan, they could no longer stand their local linen.”

“This wedding attire is brand new, but the style is old,” Bai Yu said, picking up the hem and stroking it carefully, feeling the texture of the fabric. “Nobles in Jingdu used this kind of fabric over a decade ago. Later, after they experienced the quality of Nanjing’s Jiangnan silk, they could no longer stand their local hemp cloth.”

Zhao Mian asked, “You researched these things?”

Bai Yu smiled, “I used to be confined to my chambers, with no control over my life. What else was there to study? Luckily, things are different now.”

Zhao Mian thought of the Emperor, his father, who had made things different for Bai Yu, and the corners of his lips tilted upward slightly. “Mm.”

After nightfall, Zhao Mian slept alone in the room, while Bai Yu stayed next door to him.

The unfamiliar environment made it difficult for Zhao Mian to fall asleep for a long time. He lay in bed with his eyes open, watching the cold moonlight seeping through the window, organizing his thoughts on what he had seen and heard today.

The fifteenth was approaching, and the bright moon illuminated the room without the need for lamps. Suddenly, Zhao Mian saw a dark figure on the screen in front of his bed, a lean silhouette that looked very familiar.

Zhao Mian sat up calmly, “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” Wei Zhenfeng came out from behind the screen, as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard. “Not asleep yet? Good, I wanted to talk to you.”

Zhao Mian glanced out the window. “Weren’t we told not to wander around?”

Wei Zhenfeng didn’t care, “Who could those people possibly stop?”

Zhao Mian watched Wei Zhenfeng walk towards the bed, thinking he was going to sit on it, and was about to shoo him away when Wei Zhenfeng walked straight past him, standing with his back against the bedpost, maintaining a polite distance, “Have you noticed anything strange about Xuyuan?”

Zhao Mian swallowed back the retort that was on the tip of his tongue. “You noticed it too?”

Wei Zhenfeng nodded, asking, “Have you ever wondered why Wan Huameng insists that the unlucky saps he picks must get married in Xuyuan?”

Zhao Mian had considered it, but he didn’t think it was something that needed to be understood, nor would it greatly help him find the antidote. But now it was clear that there was something going on in Xuyuan Garden.

Of course, he wouldn’t admit to Wei Zhenfeng that he’d overlooked this point. Not only would he not admit it, but he’d shift the blame onto Wei Zhenfeng entirely.

Reflect less on oneself, blame others more, acknowledge mistakes and correct them, but never admit to them – only in this way could he preserve his dignity as the Crown Prince.

“I thought about it, but haven’t had time to investigate,” Zhao Mian said casually. “You’ve wasted too much of my time.”

Wei Zhenfeng chuckled dryly. “How is this my fault? Who’s been putting on airs and refusing to reconcile with me?”

Zhao Mian glanced at him sideways, “Does it matter to talk about this now? Do you enjoy dredging up the past?”

Wei Zhenfeng was stunned by the little young master’s ability to turn the tables on him.

He looked down at Zhao Mian sitting on the bed, knowing that continuing to argue would only damage the fragile alliance they had barely built, as delicate as thin ice. It was better to take a step back and drop the matter for now.

“Anyway, I’ve found something.” Wei Zhenfeng said, “Sixteen years ago, Xuyuan wasn’t a property under Wan Huameng’s name, but the residence of the former Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, Jia Huai.”

Zhao Mian quickly shifted into business mode. “If that’s the case, how did Xuyuan end up in Wan Huameng’s hands?”

Zhao Mian quickly shifted into business mode: “In that case, how did Xuyuan fall into Wan Huameng’s hands?”

“Wan Huameng snatched it. To be precise, he took a fancy to Xuyuan and asked the Empress Dowager to bestow the already-owned Xuyuan upon him. Jia Huai had lived in Xuyuan for most of his life, and the residence was even bestowed upon him by the late Emperor. With just a few words from Wan Huameng, he had no choice but to move his entire family to a new residence five miles away in the south of the city, forcing him to wake up an hour earlier every day to attend court.” Wei Zhenfeng clicked his tongue in amazement, “Pitiful, how many hours of sleep has Old Jia lost over the years.”

Zhao Mian understood. “I see.”

No wonder Jia Huai was willing to risk his old bones to travel thousands of miles back to the capital to impeach Wan Huameng; it turned out there was also a private feuid about the seizing of his residence involved.

Wei Zhenfeng continued, “After that, I checked if Xuyuan had hosted any happy events before Wan Huameng owned it. I found a total of three weddings: in the eighth year of Tianwu, Old Jia’s eldest son married; in the tenth year of Tianwu, his second son married; and in the first year of Zaixi, his youngest son married.”

Zhao Mian pondered, “You suspect that Wan Huameng’s penchant for matchmaking is related to these weddings?”

“Yes.”

Zhao Mian asked, “Anything else?”

Wei Zhenfeng shrugged: “That’s it. Do you think I’m an all-knowing sage who knows everything?”

Zhao Mian frowned, displeased. “If you’re going to investigate, you should investigate thoroughly.”

“Well, what do you say, Young Master Xiao.” Wei Zhenfeng invited him with a smile, “How about we go investigate it thoroughly together right now?”

Zhao Mian was slightly surprised. “Now?”

Wei Zhenfeng said, “Now.”

The night was black, but the eyes of a young man were especially bright, filled with the excitement of exploring the unknown, gazing at him under the moonlight.

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