Shen Buqi, as a guard of the Crown Prince’s palace in Nanjing might not be a match for the Imperial Advisor of Dongling, but he was more than capable of dealing with a fishmonger.

At Zhao Mian’s command, a stick of incense later, Li Er was unexpectedly ambushed on his way home, a sack thrown over his head, and then dragged to Zhao Mian’s room.

Zhao Mian sat behind a landscape screen, sipping freshly brewed tea. This tea, specially brought from Nanjing was called “Dian Chun Zhi,” a single cup was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

While traveling, their food, clothing, lodging, and transportation naturally couldn’t compare to that in the Crown Prince’s palace, but Zhou Huairang and Shen Buqi were still doing their best to maintain His Highness the Crown Prince’s noble standard of living. Take this Dian Chunzhi tea, for example; its aftertaste is excellent, and drinking it feels like bathing in a spring breeze. It was unique to Nanjing’s capital, and even the wealthiest and most influential families struggled to acquire the finest grade. The best could only be found in the imperial palace.

The room was filled with the fragrance of tea, permeating the lungs, as if it were a boundless spring, a peaceful and beautiful time – if it weren’t for that thing struggling and moaning in a burlap sack outside the screen.

Shen Buqi said, “Young Master, the person has been brought.”

Zhao Mian asked, “In your opinion, does this person have any martial arts skills?”

The fishmonger: “Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh…”

Shen Buqi said, “No.”

Zhao Mian asked again, “Truly none, or does it just seem like none?”

Shen Buqi carefully recalled the scene at that time. He followed behind Li Er, and according to His Highness’s instructions, deliberately made a bit of noise. Only when Li Er turned around to check, like a normal person would, did he take action.

His movements were neither fast nor slow, giving enough time for an adult man to resist. Li Er did resist, but he only had brute strength, lacking any technique, not like someone with martial arts knowledge.

Shen Buqi said, “It should truly be none.”

The fishmonger: “Ugh, ugh, ugh…!”

Because his mouth was stuffed with a cloth, the fish butcher couldn’t make himself understood for a long time. Zhao Mian was annoyed by the noise and raised his hand to signal Shen Buqi to remove the burlap sack and cloth from Li Er.

As soon as Li Er’s mouth was freed, he recklessly shouted, “Help! Murder! Kidnapping! Someone, help!”

Zhao Mian didn’t want to talk to the fishmonger and gave Zhou Huairang a look.

Zhou Huairang walked to Li Er’s side and squatted down, the unpleasant fishy smell assaulting his nostrils. He stared at Li Er, stared for a long time. Li Er felt his whole body go numb under his gaze, but he still tried to call for help, “Help?”

Zhou Huairang wanted to find something extraordinary on Li Er’s face, but unfortunately, he couldn’t find anything after searching for a long time. He sighed and looked up at Shen Buqi, who was suppressing Li Er, “Let me see his hand.”

Shen Buqi grabbed Li Er’s arm and forcibly stretched out his hand.

Zhou Huairang widened his eyes, using the focus he had when he played “spot the difference” with His Highness as a child, and carefully observed Li Er’s wrist.

He frowned deeper and deeper, his eyes drawing closer and closer to Li Er’s wrist, yet he still saw nothing but dark skin.

Zhou Huairang refused to give up easily: “Old Shen, let’s move to the lamp– I refuse to believe it!

The sound of teacups clinking came from behind the screen. Zhou Huairang knew that His Highness was getting impatient, so he opened his eyes even wider. His eye sockets aching as if he were about to cry.

Under His Highness’s pressure and his own tireless efforts, he finally saw a red line on Li Er’s wrist that was exactly the same as the one on His Highness’s wrist.

“Found it! There really is a red line.” Zhou Huairang shouted, “My lord, it’s him!”

Behind the screen, silence reigned for a few moments before a barely discernible “Mm” was uttered.

Zhou Huairang asked Li Er, “Brother, are you called Li Er?”

Li Er shook his head repeatedly: “I’m not! I’m not! You’ve got the wrong person.”

“Your reaction proves that it’s you. Li Er, I know you’re anxious, but don’t be. Just listen to me slowly.” Zhou Huairang said patiently, “We know you were chosen by the Imperial Advisor. You have a red thread on your wrist and a Gu poison inside you. Our young master is the same as you… Do you understand what I mean?”

Li Er suddenly realized, “Oh, you’re here to force me into marriage.”

Zhou Huairang was a bit confused, “Force what?”

“I don’t want to, I won’t marry! I won’t marry! I don’t want to!” Li Er was agitated. If Shen Buqi wasn’t holding him down, he would have jumped up. “Please, let me go! I’ll do anything as long as I don’t have to get married—”

Zhou Huairang was even more confused, “You don’t want to? If you don’t want to, why did you go to the Qinghui Inn?”

“To ask you to cancel the engagement!”

Shen Buqi and Zhou Huairang exchanged glances. After looking at each other, Zhou Huairang asked, “Do you know who you’re trying to cancel the engagement with?”

“I won’t marry anyone.”

Zhou Huairang secretly glanced at the screen, and speaking almost in a whisper, “Even if he… is a rare and breathtaking beauty?”

“I won’t marry. No matter how beautiful can compare to my girl Zhao.” Li Er muttered to himself, “I’ve worked so hard to keep my virginity for thirty-two years for my girl Zhao, how can I just casually give it away because of the Gu poison? Heaven has no eyes!”

Zhou Huairang couldn’t help but ask, “Who is this Zhao girl?”

“She’s the daughter of the tofu seller next door. We were betrothed as children. Although she’s already…” Li Er closed his eyes in pain, “Brothers, let me go. Forced melons are never sweet!”

Zhou Huairang didn’t expect the fishmonger to be so devoted. He reminded him, “If you don’t marry, you’ll die if you can’t find the antidote.”

The fishmonger opened his eyes, filled with righteous indignation, “A great man would rather die than submit! I, Li Er, would rather die than marry! Come on, beat me to death!”

Zhou Huairang was stunned. Was it his imagination, or did Li Er seem even more humiliated by being forced into the red thread than his young master?

“If you insist on forcing the marriage, I’ll die right now!” Li Er looked around, clearly determined. “I’ll smash my head against the wall, hang myself from the beam, I’ll stew myself to death in an iron pot!”

Zhou Huairang didn’t know what to say. He went back behind the screen, studying the young master’s expression: “Your Highness, what do you think…”

The Crown Prince preferred light, pale orange and yellow hues. Today he was wearing a pine-blossom colored robe dusted in golden powder which highlighted his noble countenance, making it appear as precious as jade from a secluded mountain and as radiant as a bright pearl.”

At this moment, the Crown Prince, who was usually the center of attention, seemed a little stunned, his tone tinged with disbelief and incredulity: “He… Does he dislike me?”

Zhou Huairang scratched his head: “This…”

As the “Friend of the Crown Prince” personally appointed by the Emperor, Zhou Huairang believed that no one among his peers understood the Crown Prince better than he did.

The Crown Prince was born into nobility and with such a beautiful face even without revealing his identity, he could attract the admiration of countless men and women. It was always the Crown Prince who looked down on others, how could it be the other way around?

Speaking of the red string, it was of course a real humiliation for the Crown Prince, but for Li Er, shouldn’t it be a joyous event of a beautiful person falling from the sky?

“Young Master, please calm down.” Zhou Huairang whispered, “The fishmonger hasn’t seen you yet. Once he has the good fortune to witness your true beauty, he will definitely…”

Zhao Mian looked at Zhou Huairang as if he was a fool: “We haven’t even figured out his true identity yet and I’m supposed to let him see my true appearance? Am I stupid?”

He stood up and walked to the screen. Li Er also noticed the movement behind it. The two faced each other across the screen. Zhao Mian only saw a large patch of black. He had intended to look down on the other person, but he found that the fishmonger was a good half a head taller than him.

Li Er looked at the blurry figure behind the screen, then lowered his head, seeing a pair of golden boots through the gap in the screen.

He asked, “You’re the… ‘Young Master’?”

“I am.”

Li Er was stunned for a moment, then mumbled to himself, emphasizing, “A nice voice is useless.”

Zhao Mian said coldly, “I haven’t even started disliking you, and you’re already disliking me. What, are you so wronged to be tied with the red string to me?”

Li Er told the truth: “If you’re going to ask me that, then I am a little wronged.”

Zhao Mian was about to lash out when he heard Li Er say, “But I also want to ask you, do you dislike me?”

“What do you think?” Zhao Mian took a step forward, speaking sincerely and from the bottom of his heart, “I’m almost disgusted to death.”

Li Er breathed a huge sigh of relief: “So I don’t have to marry you?”

Zhao Mian was even more infuriated by these words. How could a fish butcher really say such a thing to him? But then he thought about his own status and realized there was absolutely no need to lower himself to this person’s level.

That was, assuming this person was really just a fishmonger.

Zhao Mian said, “I won’t force you to marry me.”

The surprise of escaping disaster came too suddenly, and Li Er couldn’t believe it: “Really?”

Zhao Mian said, “A gentleman’s word.”

Li Er was so moved that he repeatedly thanked the screen: “Young Master, you are truly a great person, you will surely live to a ripe old age and have many children and grandchildren.” He looked at Shen Buqi, then at Zhou Huairang, “And you too.”

Zhou Huairang’s mouth twitched: “Thank you.”

“You can leave,” Zhao Mian said sternly, “Go back and wait for death.”

Li Er’s gaze returned to the screen, and he said in a difficult tone, “Although I’m not afraid of death, I actually still don’t want to die. You definitely don’t want to die either, right?”

Zhao Mian ignored him, quietly watching what tricks the dark-skinned fishmonger was still trying to play.

Li Er seemed to take his silence as agreement: “So, we’ve reached a consensus?”

Zhao Mian raised an eyebrow: “Consensus?”

Under these circumstances, Li Er actually let out a laugh: “It means we’re not fighting anymore. Let’s go to the Imperial Advisor and steal the antidote together!”

This laugh suddenly made Zhao Mian feel that something was wrong.

Steal? Was this person really from Dongling?

The current Emperor of Dongling was just a puppet, the Empress Dowager was the one in control of the government. The Imperial Advisor was the Empress Dowager’s junior fellow disciple, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe him as being second only to one and above everyone else.

The Empress Dowager of Dongling was very indulgent towards this shidi. As long as the shidi didn’t do anything that would cause Dongling to perish, she would let him do as he pleased. However, the Imperial Advisor of Dongling was an elusive and sinister character. The common people of Dongling all knew what the consequences would be for disobeying the Imperial Advisor. At best, they would suffer a fate worse than death. At worst, their entire family would be exterminated. 

If Li Er was a native-born Dongling person, just hearing the words “Imperial Advisor” should have filled him with reverence. How could he dare to go against him?

“If we don’t marry, our only options are to wait for death or find the antidote. There’s no other way,” Li Er said seemed to guess what Zhao Mian was thinking. “Anyway, I’m just a lonely old bachelor. My family died long ago, so what the hell do I have to be afraid of?”

Zhao Mian sneered, “If we need to find the antidote, we can find it ourselves. What use is there bringing you along? Are you very powerful?”

Li Er thought for a moment and asked, “Do you like eating fish?”

Damn it, he actually quite liked eating fish. 

Zhao Mian said, “Then you kill a fish for me right now. If you do a good job, I might consider bringing you along.”

Li Er was full of confidence. “Alright, bring on the fish.”

Zhao Mian said, “Kill it wearing a sack over your head.”

Li Er: “Kill it with what over my head?”

Zhao Mian chuckled, “Practice makes perfect. You’ve been killing fish for ten years. Can’t you do it with your eyes closed?”

“This…” Li Er looked troubled, “I’ll try, I’ll try.”

Before long, Zhou Huairang prepared the fish, cutting board, and cleaver needed for the fish-killing demonstration.

Li Er was led to the table, still wearing a sack over his head. He picked up the cleaver, twirling it around in his hand with a flourish, laughing, “Feels good.”

The fish butcher took a deep breath, grabbed the still-wriggling fish, and stunned it with a whack of the cleaver’s handle. Then he scaled it, cut open the belly, and removed the innards – the whole process was smooth and skillful.

When finished, Li Er asked expectantly, “How was it? Did I do a good job?”

Zhou Huairang whispered in Zhao Mian’s ear, “Young Master, he really seems to be a fishmonger.”

Zhao Mian was silent for a moment, then commanded Shen Buqi, “Take him away.”

“Huh? Where are you taking me now? Are you going to take me with you to find the antidote or not?” Li Er shouted and yelled unhappily as he was dragged away, “At least give me a straight answer!”

“Remember to give him a bath,” Zhao Mian wrinkled his nose in disgust, “He stinks.”

Li Er: “…”

After the fishmonger was taken away, Zhou Huairang asked, “Your Highness, didn’t you say that if we couldn’t get any information out of him, we would torture him? Why didn’t we?”

“No rush. If the fishmonger really has another identity, he’ll slip up sooner or later.” Zhao Mian paused, and then added, “Besides, Father Emperor dislikes the practice of torture.”

Zhou Huairang smiled, “Your Highness still doesn’t want to do things that His Majesty dislikes.”

Recently, unexpected things had been happening one after another, causing him much mental and physical strain. Zhao Mian rubbed his temples wearily and asked, “Any news from Bai Yu?”

Shen Buqi said, “Divine Physician Bai has learned that Your Highness has been afflicted with Gu. She suggests that Your Highness goes to the capital of Dongling because the rare herbs needed to prepare the antidote can only be found in the residence of Wan Huameng – the Nangong Palace. She will also arrive in the capital ahead of time to await Your Highness.”

Zhao Mian’s mood improved somewhat, “So she does have a way to remove the Gu. She’s not just eating for free in the palace after all.” As he said this, he glanced at Shen Buqi. 

Shen Buqi: “…”

Zhao Mian said, “Pack up, we’ll set off tomorrow.”

Zhou Huairang asked, “Your Highness, should we bring Li Er along?”

Zhao Mian didn’t hesitate, “Yes. Before we leave the city, investigate this Li Er thoroughly again.”

Just now, he had pressed and tested him. Although the fishmonger appeared passive and was spouting nonsense, in reality he had a clear purpose. He was neither arrogant nor humble. Almost as if he had came prepared.

Could an ordinary fishmonger be capable of this? If he believed that, he didn’t deserve the Zhao surname.

The author has something to say:

Li Er: I won’t accept being forced to marry anyone. Not even a great beauty.

Zhou Huairang: Not even if it’s Mianmian?

Li Er: Mianmian is acceptable.