Zhao Mian temporarily gained the upper hand in the open and secret struggles between him and the young prince of Beiyuan, and returned to the Zhu Mansion happily. Unexpectedly, something even happier was waiting for him.
Zhu Guangshen told him: "Your Highness, two secret edicts for the capital have just arrived half an hour ago. I have placed them on the desk in your study."
Zhao Mian was stunned, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise up, revealing a smile that could be described as brilliant.
Even the knowledgeable Zhu Guangshen was stunned when he saw this smile.
On ordinary days, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is so dignified, reserved and aloof that one would always forget that he is just a teenager.
Zhao Mian walked quickly towards the study, almost jogging for the last few steps.
There were two secret letters on the table, one from his father and the other from the prime minister. Zhao Mian couldn't wait to open the one from his father first.
My father's handwriting is still as childish as ever. He is nearly 40 years old, but his handwriting has not changed for decades. It is no different from that of a young child who has just started to learn to write.
My father wrote five pages full of words, all about trivial, daily things.
"A new chef from Beiyuan has come to the Shangshi Bureau. He cooks standard Shengjing dishes. I have tried them and they are so authentic that they taste terrible."
"The Prime Minister has been very busy these days, working day and night, but he still squeezed out time to accompany me. Your grandmother and your brother spent the Mid-Autumn Festival together, but it was a pity that you were not there. Your grandmother always loves to miss you and asked you to come back before the end of the year."
"Your brother has grown taller again."
Finally, his father reminded him in the letter that he must be very careful in Dongling.
"A place like Dongling, which likes to research biochemical weapons, is too dangerous and too insidious. I don't know how many heroes and capable generals have capsized in the gutter. Mianmian, you must not follow in their footsteps!"
Rather than being a secret decree from the emperor to the prince, it is more like a family letter from a father to his child.
It seems that my father still doesn't know that he was chosen by Wan Hua Meng to put a curse on him. Perhaps the Prime Minister didn't want to make my father worry, so he didn't tell him.
He agreed with the Prime Minister's approach. If his father knew about this, he might do something irrational out of worry, and might even go on an expedition to the east without caring about anything.
All in all, he had been away from home for half a year and had missed the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Zhao Mian read it over and over again, and his chest felt warm. Through the ink-scented letter, he seemed to see his father talking to him with a smile.
Zhao Mian reluctantly put down his father's letter, picked up the prime minister's letter, restrained his smile, and read it attentively.
The Prime Minister's handwriting was vigorous and powerful, and the content of the letter was concise and to the point. The thin piece of paper mainly talked about the fact that he was infected with two male and female poisons.
The Prime Minister agreed to let him try to solve the problem of being poisoned by himself first, and at the same time, the Prime Minister also emphasized:
"If you can't, don't try to force yourself. I have a plan to get the antidote."
"I hope Your Highness will take care of yourself first in everything."
It was like the tone of a prime minister and a crown prince speaking to each other, except for the last sentence of the letter:
"Come back soon, your father misses you very much."
After reading the letter, Zhao Mian felt as if he had taken a reassurance pill and completely calmed down.
With the Prime Minister as his final guarantee, he has nothing to fear.
After nightfall, autumn rain began to fall in Kyoto, adding a bit of coolness. In another half month, Kyoto should be entering winter.
The night rain was drizzling, the banana leaves were rustling, and the teapot was burning. A bright lamp was lit in the study, emitting a hazy glow in the dark night, like a star guiding a wanderer home.
After writing the last word, the boy put down his pen. Bathed in the candlelight, he raised his head, stared at the almanac on the table, listened to the rain hitting the banana leaves, and fell into a daze.
He circled the fifteenth day of this month on the lunar calendar with a pen.
There were only ten days left until the wedding day that Wan Huameng had arranged for him and Wei Zhenfeng, and he didn't have much time left. Since Wei Zhenfeng had already surrendered to him, there was no need for him to waste time on Wei Zhenfeng.
The most urgent task is to get rid of Wan Hua Meng first. Wei Zhenfeng and the Fuxue Tower behind him will obviously be a good helper for him.
As long as Wei Zhenfeng and Fu Xuelou were obedient, he could reluctantly put aside the past grudges and discuss major plans with them.
The next day, Zhao Mian came to "Waishi Hutong" again. He came at the same time as yesterday, but Wei Zhenfeng was not grilling fish leisurely in the yard like yesterday, but eating plain noodles with bland soup without interest, with drooping eyes and a listless look, as if he had not slept well the night before and had a poor appetite.
It really is a case of karma.
At that time, he was forced to kneel down by Wei Zhenfeng, and he did not sleep all night, and he was angry, furious, and exhausted. He also used up all his strength in the bath, and the red marks left did not disappear for several days.
Now seeing Wei Zhenfeng looking almost as miserable as he was, he felt relieved.
Seeing Zhao Mian coming uninvited, Wei Zhenfeng jokingly said, "You come here every day, aren't you afraid that others will think you are the weirdo with the strange habit of keeping me as his concubine?"
"I'm not afraid." Zhao Mian glanced at the veil that Zhou Huairang held for him. He had been wearing it before entering the room. "I'm not stupid. I'm covering my face."
Wei Zhenfeng was speechless for a moment.
Today the young master is wearing a gorgeous moon-orange crown and clothes, with a tight waist and wide sleeves. He looks like admiring the moon in the fog. He is something out of this world, pleasing to the eyes but also makes people hate him.
Zhao Mian sat upright in the main seat. Seeing Wei Zhenfeng staring at him with a slightly inquiring look, he said, "Don't you people in Beiyuan know how to entertain guests? What are you standing there for? Make some tea."
Wei Zhenfeng walked up to him, picked up the dragon-head teapot on the table, and said as he poured tea: "I know you are the most knowledgeable about etiquette. As the saying goes, courtesy is reciprocity. I have already introduced myself, shouldn't you also express your gratitude?"
Zhao Mian's mind moved. Wei Zhenfeng wanted to play, so it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to play with him. Maybe he could get some information he didn't know.
"Family background... You've been by my side for so long, you should have guessed it long ago." He took the teacup handed to him by Wei Zhenfeng, lowered his head and blew it gently, "Tell me, how did you guess it? I'm all ears."
Wei Zhenfeng stood in front of him, looking him up and down with a thoughtful expression.
Zhao Mian thought expressionlessly, Wei Zhenfeng also said that he liked to put on airs, but it was obvious that he put on more airs than he did.
Wei Zhenfeng pondered for a while, then suddenly snapped his fingers: "Got it."
Zhao Mian: "Speak."
Wei Zhenfeng said, "You are good-looking, and your subordinates are all good-looking. Nanjing has produced beauties since ancient times. I guess you are from Nanjing."
Zhao Mian was used to competing with Wei Zhenfeng. Every time Wei Zhenfeng praised him out of the blue, he felt a little uncomfortable: "Our relationship is not that good, so don't praise me all the time."
Wei Zhenfeng was puzzled: "Did I praise you?"
Zhao Mian turned his head away: "Go on."
Wei Zhenfeng paced leisurely in the room: "Besides their looks, their skills are also first-rate, especially the brother surnamed Shen. Ordinary small families cannot afford such guards. Moreover, the gorgeous clothes you are wearing are obviously worth a fortune. The jade belt around your waist alone is worth a fortune. So..."
Wei Zhenfeng stopped and asked Zhao Mian, "Nanjing's four most prestigious and powerful families, Xiao, He, Rong, and Li - which family are you from?"
Zhao Mian drank his tea leisurely without making any comment.
Wei Zhenfeng rested his hands on the armrests on both sides of the chair where Zhao Mian sat, leaned closer to him, lowered his eyes and said, "Or is it none of these? Is your last name... Zhao?"
Zhao Mian used the elbow of the hand holding the tea to push away the dark-skinned man in front of him, raised his eyelids and met his eyes.
At this moment, the two finally reached a tacit understanding - don't bother with you about certain things for now, everything should be done with removing the poison first, and the rest can be settled later.
"Have you had enough fun?" Zhao Mian said calmly, "If you've had enough fun, let's get down to business."
Wei Zhenfeng laughed, "That's enough." He sat down next to Zhao Mian and changed the subject, "Last time Yun Yong and Hua Ju broke into Nangong at night, although they ended up running away, they still gained something."
Zhao Mian asked: "What did you gain?"
Wei Zhenfeng said: "The Nangong is as big as a maze, full of traps and poisons. We can't attack by force, we can only take it by wits."
Zhao Mian frowned: "If you keep talking nonsense to me, I will shove the teapot into..."
"How about we take action on the twelfth of this month?"
Zhao Mian was stunned for a moment, then reacted very quickly: "Why is it the twelfth day of this month?"
"Because on this day, Jia Huai, the former Dongge Grand Secretary who has retired to his hometown in Dongling, will rush to the capital to meet the Queen Mother together with those Dongling officials who are dissatisfied with Wan Huameng. No matter how capable Wan Huameng is, he will be unable to split his attention when all the ministers make a joint remonstrance. At that time, Nangong will be perfectly positioned to take advantage of the situation."
When Wei Zhenfeng talked about serious matters, he seemed like a different person. His words were well-organized and his analysis was detailed. Looking at him, Zhao Mian actually had the idea that being dark-skinned wasn't so unbearable after all.
Zhao Mian had also heard of Jia Huai. A veteran of three dynasties and a great scholar, he was highly respected among the scholars of Dongling, and even the Queen Mother of Dongling had to give him some respect.
Zhao Mian asked, "Jia Huai was also your work?"
Wei Zhenfeng smiled and said, "Wan Huameng is asking for trouble. I just fanned the flames. In fact, it's not difficult to get into Nangong. The difficult part is that Nangong is so big. Where should we find the antidote? I was still worrying about this. Now that you are here, I should have nothing to worry about, right?"
Zhao Mian said "hmm".
He believed that Bai Yu would not let him down.
Coincidentally, just as Zhao Mian finished discussing with Wei Zhenfeng, Bai Yu came back to report to him.
Bai Yu is the daughter of the imperial physician of the Nanjing inner court. She has been learning medicine since she was young and is as good as any other child in the family. However, because she is a girl, she can only be confined in a deep courtyard despite her miraculous hands in rejuvenating the body, and is forced to spend her days doing needlework.
When the emperor heard about this, he summoned her to the palace in the name of the queen mother, and asked her with a smile if she was willing to learn from a few old doctors for a few more years, and then go to the East Palace to serve the crown prince: "The crown prince currently has two trusted men, one civil and one military, both younger than you. If you go to the East Palace, you will be their oldest sister."
Bai Yu was overjoyed and readily agreed.
She entered the palace at the age of 16 and entered the Eastern Palace at the age of 20. She has been with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for eight years now.
The Crown Prince was influenced by His Majesty, and was very kind to the maids in the Eastern Palace, not to mention her. His Majesty occasionally scolded Zhou Huairang for being stupid and accused Shen Buci of being too quiet, but he never said anything to her.
During this trip to the east, she was supposed to follow His Highness and take care of him. When passing through Chongzhou, His Highness heard that there was a hermit doctor in the mountains, whose medical skills were known to be the best in Dongling and could bring the dead back to life. His Highness asked her to visit him and find a good medicine for his sickly teacher.
Unexpectedly, she had only been away for a few days when His Highness was accidentally bewitched by Wan Hua Meng. If he could not find the antidote, he would have to sleep with such a strange person. It was really outrageous.
After learning the news, she wanted to rush back to His Highness immediately, but she knew very well that if it was really the poison cast by Wanhua Meng, it would be useless even if she went back. It would be better for her to sneak into Nangong first and look for clues to the antidote for His Highness.
"Sir." Bai Yu bowed hastily when he saw Zhao Mian. Before Zhao Mian could say "no thanks", he walked up to him and said, "Show me your hands."
After discovering that he was poisoned, Zhao Mian did not seek treatment from famous doctors in Dongling in order not to expose himself as an unlucky person. He did not trust others and would rather delay for some time to wait for Bai Yu to come back.
Zhao Mian lifted his sleeves and extended his hand to Bai Yu: "You came back in a hurry. Can you have a meal?"
"I'm not hungry." Bai Yu saw the red line on Zhao Mian's wrist, which was as bright as blood. His eyes seemed to be hurt, his brows furrowed, and he hurriedly put his fingers on it.
"Then it's useless." Zhao Mian called Shen Buci, "Go and make some simple food."
Shen Buci nodded and turned to go to the kitchen to cook.
After checking the pulse, Bai Yu looked solemn and said, "This is indeed the work of Wan Huameng."
Zhao Mian snorted coldly: "Who else could it be?"
"Sir, are you feeling unwell now?"
Zhao Mian shook his head: "No." He thought for a moment and added: "However, I have recently been experiencing chest tightness, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, and I can't control my temper. I don't know if it's the poison in my body that's causing it."
Bai Yu hesitated for a moment and asked, "Master, is it possible that someone has pissed you off?"
Suddenly, an arm appeared in front of Bai Yu: "Miss, please take a look for me too."
Bai Yu then realized that there was a man standing next to His Highness whom she had never seen before. He had an ordinary appearance but an unexpectedly outstanding temperament. "Who are you?"
The man said politely, "I am the unlucky guy who got poisoned along with your young master."
Bai Yu was stunned for a moment, looking at the two people in black and white, and almost couldn't breathe.
Seeing this, Zhou Huairang quickly handed tea to the elder sister of the East Palace who had watched them grow up: "Doctor Bai, hold on!"
Bai Yu drank two full cups of tea before he calmed down a little, and he hesitated to talk to Zhao Mian.
Zhao Mian said: "Just say what you want to say."
Bai Yu sighed and said, "Young Master, you should know that the male and female Gu are not spring."
Zhao Mian frowned: "What do you mean?"
Of course he knew that a male and female Gu was not spring. Spring would not kill people, but a pair of Gu would.
Bai Yu explained: "What I mean is that the poison has no aphrodisiac effect."
Zhao Mian still didn't quite understand, but he couldn't ask any more questions, otherwise it would seem that he wasn't very smart: "Go on."
"The poison will not make you lose your mind, nor will it cause any... reaction in you. The person who is poisoned must be sober and rely on his own strength to do that thing."
For the first time, Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng showed the same expression at the same moment.
That indescribable, complicated, and somewhat murderous expression.
Zhao Mian didn't want to talk anymore. Wei Zhenfeng was better than him. He coughed twice and asked, "According to what you said, what if... I mean what if, the people who were poisoned were all men and they had no feelings for each other."
Bai Yu opened her red lips and said, "If there is no antidote, you will either die or die."
Wei Zhenfeng: “…”
Zhao Mian: “…”
(End of this chapter)