Wei Zhenfeng gave the order decisively, but Shen Buci did not move at all. He always obeyed the orders of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Shen Buci looked at His Highness with his peripheral vision, and when he saw His Highness nodded, he said, "Okay."
Zhao Mian really didn't like to attack innocent people, but the young man in white in front of him was obviously not an innocent character.
As for Wei Zhenfeng's saying that the young man was Wan Hua Meng, was it a bold guess or had he already confirmed it
Judging from his height, the boy indeed fits Wan Hua Meng's characteristics, being quite short. It is understandable for a boy of fifteen or sixteen to be this tall, but Wan Hua Meng is of the same generation as his father, so he should be nearly forty years old.
If the boy is really Wan Hua Meng, all doubts seem to be explained, except for one thing - why does Wan Hua Meng have red lines on his wrist, symbolizing the male and female Gu? Who gave him this Gu
Besides, Wan Huameng was in his own territory, so how could he be led by them so easily
The young man was so frightened that he kept shaking his head, tears welling up in his eyes: "Don't... don't kill me! I didn't lie to you, I really just came here to steal the antidote, if you don't believe me, just look!" As he said that, he once again impatiently raised the porcelain bottle in his hand.
The boy looked flustered and pitiful. Bai Yu had seen Wan Hua Meng twice, and she couldn't connect the boy in front of her with the strange grandmaster. She couldn't help but feel some sympathy and said, "Sir, why don't you let me see the antidote first?"
After getting Zhao Mian's permission, Shen Buci took the porcelain bottle from the boy's hand, and after making sure that there was no hidden weapon inside, he handed the porcelain bottle to Bai Yu.
Bai Yu poured out the pills, leaned in to smell them, and his expression became extremely subtle.
What the young man gave them was indeed the antidote to the male and female poisons.
And in the porcelain bottle, there was indeed only one antidote for the male and female poisons left.
The male and female Gu are Wan Huameng's masterpiece. The antidote is extremely difficult to prepare. Even if you know the formula and find all the herbs, it will take at least three months to prepare it. It will definitely be too late to start refining the antidote again.
Two people, one antidote... Although she felt very sorry for the little prince, shouldn't she take this opportunity to let His Highness take the antidote first
Zhao Mian asked: "How?"
Bai Yu had no choice but to tell the truth: "He didn't lie, sir."
The young man continued pitifully: "You have seen it, can you please let me go? I won't tell anyone. You can knock me out, but don't kill me..."
"You are such a good pretender. I am ashamed of myself." Wei Zhenfeng curled his lips, "Knock you out so that you can watch it all on the spot? You have too many strange hobbies, Master Imperial Master."
The young man was anxious: "I'm really not a national teacher!"
Wei Zhenfeng laughed: "You are so short, who else could it be if not Wan Huameng?"
As soon as the word "short" came out, the boy's face suddenly changed, and the chill rose all over his body. His face, which was originally as pure as a little white flower, instantly turned cold, and his eyes were as cold as a swimming snake. Not sure if it was an illusion, Zhao Mian vaguely heard the hissing sound of a snake.
In an instant, a black shadow attacked Wei Zhenfeng like lightning. Fortunately, Wei Zhenfeng's reaction was fast enough, and he dodged the attack by leaning sideways. There was only a dull thud, and a scratch on the tree trunk behind Wei Zhenfeng that was almost broken, resembling the shape of a snake's tail.
The boy's true identity was now clear, and the four of them looked alert, as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and each of them gripped their weapons tightly.
The young man was not stingy with his praise: "You are so young, but you are so skilled and brave." He slowly smiled, "I'm so curious, when did you see through it?"
Wei Zhenfeng said succinctly: "Just now."
The young man exclaimed, and his anger seemed to have faded away: "Not bad." He turned his gaze to Zhao Mian and pointed at him, "I picked this beauty especially for you. Do you like him? He is very handsome. You two are a perfect match. The most perfect couple I have ever seen."
Wei Zhenfeng had just said the word "I" when Zhao Mian interrupted him with a cold face: "Why do you do this?"
Zhao Mian was never sure about one thing, that is, whether Wan Huameng knew the true identities of him and Wei Zhenfeng. If he didn't know, things would be much simpler; if he knew, this would not be a matter between them, but a complete declaration of war by Dongling against the two countries of the north and the south.
Wei Zhenfeng whispered in Zhao Mian's ear: "If you ask him this, will he answer?"
Zhao Mian said: "Yes, my father said that people like Wan Huameng usually have a strong desire to express themselves."
To use his father's original words, villains die because they talk too much.
The young man looked disinterested and said with a world-weary face, "Because life is boring and uninteresting."
Wan Huameng looked dejected when he spoke, as if he was really just an unaccompanied and extremely bored teenager, and the words he uttered next made him sound like a mischievous child who would do whatever he wanted for a moment of pleasure.
"My senior brother asked me to find something that can make me happy, so I went to find it." The boy's eyes lit up. "I want to attend everyone's joyous wedding, so that I can see lots of guests, and also see the love-hate entanglements of many beauties, watching them quarrel, watching them show affection, it's all very interesting. Sometimes I can even..." The boy seemed to have thought of something, and his voice stopped abruptly.
The senior brother that Wan Huameng mentioned must be the Queen Mother Dongling.
Zhao Mian recalled the appearance of Miss Liu, which was so beautiful that it could shame the flowers and the moon, and even make the swallows jealous and the orioles ashamed. So this was Wan Huameng's standard for selecting people, only picking good-looking people
Wei Zhenfeng thought that Zhao Mian's father was right. Wan Huameng was really talking a lot. He then asked, "What's the matter with the red string on your hand?"
The boy was stunned for a moment, and the subconscious movement of holding his wrist did not seem to be deliberately pretended. He said softly: "This... Ah Meng can't say it."
Zhao Mian couldn't help but wonder if Wan Huameng was really in his thirties. Whether in terms of height, appearance, or behavior, he didn't look like an adult.
You can use someone else's face, but imitating someone else's demeanor requires a lot of talent. For example, Wei Zhenfeng, even if he used the face of a 32-year-old fishmonger, would still be betrayed by his 18-year-old nature.
The young man lowered his head and stared blankly for a while, then suddenly raised his head and looked at the four of them, his expression becoming sinister and ferocious: "My senior brother said that if anyone trespasses into Nangong, I should kill them."
Wei Zhenfeng said: "It should be."
Nangong is not only Wanhua Meng's residence, but also the secret key of Dongling, just like the Fuxue Tower in Beiyuan. If anyone dares to sneak in, he will definitely kill them.
In a flash, the boy's expression revealed a trace of confusion again: "But I have waited for many years, and no one dared to come. You are the first pair, it would be a pity to kill you."
"So," Zhao Mian said calmly, "how do you want to entertain us?"
"You betrayed my feelings. Not only did you not want to get married, but you also wanted to steal my antidote, even though I don't have enough for myself." The young man said with infinite regret, "Since you can't fall in love with each other, then you can play something else with me."
Zhao Mian asked: "Do you know who we are?"
The boy looked at him blankly: "I don't care."
Wei Zhenfeng's heart skipped a beat and his brows furrowed slightly.
Wan Huameng said these four simple words so casually and naturally, without any disguise.
What Wan Huameng didn't seem to care about was not only their identities, but also all the consequences that his actions would bring to himself and Dongling.
He didn't care even if he died or even if Dongling was destroyed.
After all this time, it turns out that Master Dongling is really a complete lunatic.
In front of a madman, any conspiracy or plot loses its meaning.
Wan Huameng was good at using poison and poison, and might not be able to defeat the four of them in terms of real swords and guns. But even if they joined forces to kill Wan Huameng, they might not be able to get the remaining antidote.
Wei Zhenfeng lowered his voice and said to Zhao Mian: "The situation is not right, retreat first."
Zhao Mian also sensed something was wrong and made a prompt decision: "Let's go."
As soon as Zhao Mian gave the order, Shen Buci did not retreat but advanced, holding his sword and attacking Wan Huameng like lightning. He knew very well that his duty was to cover His Highness's retreat.
Shen Buci's sword was extremely fast. Just as Wei Zhenfeng guessed, Wan Huameng was not good at fighting head-on. His body was too thin and weak, and it seemed that he couldn't even hold a spear, but he was light and agile enough to pass by Shen Buci's sword again and again, until Wei Zhenfeng suddenly attacked.
Only fools fight alone when they can attack in groups.
The sharp blade smoothly cut across Wan Huameng's arm, and Shengxue's white clothes were instantly stained red with blood. The cut was so deep that the bone was almost visible, but Wan Huameng didn't seem to feel any pain. He just stopped and looked down at the blood flowing to the ground, as if he didn't quite understand what was happening.
Wan Huameng ignored his wounds, letting the blood flow without raising his hand to cover them. He looked at Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng and said, "You really want the antidote, right? Don't kill me. I can give it to you. I will give you what I need to eat for the next month." Wan Huameng smiled brightly, "But I can only give you one."
Wei Zhenfeng urged: "Ignore him, go quickly."
"You guys go have fun." Wan Huameng's voice suddenly became amplified, filling the entire Yanyue Residence, rushing towards them from all directions like a tide, "I'll come to see you when the moon becomes very round."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Mian stepped on empty air. Before he knew what happened, he heard Bai Yu and Shen Buci calling him "Young Master".
The feeling of falling was terrifying, and he couldn't help wanting to scream out, but when he thought that it would affect his dignity as a prince, he forced himself to hold it in.
When he lands later, he must try to behave in an elegant manner.
Zhao Mian was just daydreaming when a hand neatly wrapped around his waist, helping him to steady himself. The speed of his descent gradually slowed down, and only the noisy sound of the wind could be heard in his ears.
After a green afterimage flashed before his eyes, Wei Zhenfeng brought him to the ground steadily.
Also falling down with them was a porcelain bottle containing only one antidote.
Before Zhao Mian could react, the hand let go of his waist, and Wei Zhenfeng's voice came from above his head: "Are you okay?"
An autumn breeze blew by, and Zhao Mian came back to his senses. He felt the solid ground under his feet, and his reason gradually returned. He found himself and Wei Zhenfeng in another paradise, while Wan Huameng, Bai Yu and Shen Buci were all gone.
Zhao Mian looked around.
They were in a dense bamboo forest with the sound of insects chirping incessantly. The autumn sun could be seen through the bamboos. It should be noon now. A path extended from under their feet into the depths of the bamboo forest and disappeared at the end of their sight.
"Where is this place?" Zhao Mian asked.
Wei Zhenfeng bent down and picked up the porcelain bottle on the ground: "I don't know, but we are definitely still inside Nangong Mountain." When he saw the map of Nangong, he felt a little strange. Yanyueju was the residence of Wanhua Meng, but there was only a tiny bit that was not normal. There must be another world inside.
Zhao Mian saw Wei Zhenfeng putting away the antidote, and felt a strange sense of uneasiness in his heart. He suppressed this uneasiness and said calmly: "How do we get out?"
Wei Zhenfeng said pessimistically: "Wan Huameng sent us here on purpose, I'm afraid it won't be that easy to get out. But..." Wei Zhenfeng squinted and looked forward, "Since we are here, let's take it easy. Let's walk along this road first."
The path seemed to have no end in sight, and Zhao Mian had a bad feeling.
This was the first time he was alone with outsiders since leaving the palace. There was no Shen Buci, no Zhou Huairang, no Bai Yu, and no shadow guard protecting him in secret. There was only Wei Zhenfeng.
Zhao Mian became alert: "You go ahead."
Wei Zhenfeng said: "Okay, okay."
The two walked on the path, one in front of the other. The branches of the vine gently brushed against their clothes. The bamboo leaves were refreshing, and there was a cool feeling even without wind. If it were summer, walking in the bamboo forest would be a kind of enjoyment. But now it is late autumn, which only makes people feel colder and their hands and feet are cold.
Zhao Mian discovered that these towering bamboo forests looked almost exactly the same, and it was difficult to tell the difference with the naked eye, which meant that they would get lost in them if they were not careful. Without this path, they would not be able to find their way at all.
After walking for about half an hour, Zhao Mian heard the sound of flowing water. As he was looking around for the source of the sound, he suddenly bumped into Wei Zhenfeng's back.
Zhao Mian touched the tip of his nose in dissatisfaction and asked, "What's wrong again?"
"Look."
Zhao Mian looked ahead and a small bamboo hut suddenly appeared before them.
This cottage is built with a unique charm, like a secluded place for a hermit.
A bamboo fence surrounded a small courtyard, in which many different kinds of chrysanthemums were planted. They were in full bloom in late autumn, and it was obvious that someone was taking good care of them. When I looked up after the care, I saw the mountains standing among the clouds, which was a beautiful sight.
Zhao Mian couldn't help but say: "'Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely seeing the southern mountains'."
Wei Zhenfeng was confused: "Oh, you still have the leisure to recite poetry, you are worthy of being the Prince of Nanjing."
Zhao Mian retorted: "Don't mind your own business with the prince."
There was a clear spring behind the cottage, with steam rising from the water surface. One could smell the scent of herbs when approaching. Wei Zhenfeng guessed that this was the place for medicinal baths.
Zhao Mian walked over to the hot spring and took a closer look. The hot spring was quite large, and one could even swim around in it. It was surrounded by stones, and spring water kept flowing in from the bottom.
Zhao Mian lifted his sleeves and reached out towards the spring.
Wei Zhenfeng grabbed his wrist and said like an elder brother teaching his younger brother a lesson: "You're going to cause trouble if I don't pay attention, right? What do you want to do?"
Zhao Mian was puzzled: "Try the weirdness of this hot spring."
Wei Zhenfeng laughed at him: "Then you can't try it with your hands, silly."
Wei Zhenfeng let go of his hand, plucked a bamboo leaf from the side and put it into the pond. The two of them stared at the bamboo leaf spinning slowly in the water, and then - nothing happened.
Zhao Mian chuckled, "May I ask, Your Majesty, what did you find out?"
"Anyway, we'd better not touch Wanhua Meng's things." Wei Zhenfeng tried to save his face, "Let's go inside the house and take a look."
The room was spacious and bright. Sunlight shone through the bamboo window onto the desk, creating a series of shadows. On the desk were neatly placed inkstones, rice paper for painting, and purple hair brushes of different sizes and lengths.
The owner of the bamboo house seems to like painting very much.
Zhao Mian thought of the painting he gave to Wan Huameng. Could it be that this place was also related to Gu Ruzhang
The furnishings in the house were simple, except for the desk, which contained the necessities of life. Zhao Mian searched around but didn't find any paintings left by the owner.
Wei Zhenfeng also searched around but found no useful clues. The sun was setting and it would be dark in half an hour. The two decided not to waste time investigating and first try to find a way out.
After leaving the hut, they were once again trapped in the bamboo forest. Wei Zhenfeng made a mark on a bamboo: "While the sun is still there, let's go west first."
In Wanhuameng's territory, the two did not dare to neglect and followed the sunset carefully all the way, leaving marks as they walked. However, half an hour later, they returned to the starting point in front of the hut and looked at each other in bewilderment at the marks they had carved with their own hands, with no expression on their faces.
Wei Zhenfeng scratched his eyelids and suggested: "Try again?"
Zhao Mian agreed: "Okay, but this time I will be the one making the mark."
Zhao Mian sneered disdainfully: "Of course."
Wei Zhenfeng's so-called mark was just an arrow, which had no aesthetic appeal at all. How could it be compared with the secret codes he carefully designed? Each different secret code represented a different direction and information.
Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful the markings were, they were still stuck in a maze. After going around in circles, the two of them came back again.
Wei Zhenfeng happily chose to give up: "It seems that we can't get out just by walking. We must think of other ways."
"I don't want to think about it," Zhao Mian said with a gloomy look, "I'm hungry."
He had not eaten for a whole day and a whole night since he left Xuyuan last night.
Wei Zhenfeng sighed: "Me too."
Zhao Mian: “…”
As both are masters with extraordinary skills, the gap between Wei Zhenfeng and Shen Buci is really huge.
Although Zhao Mian was spoiled, he was still an adult man after all, and he didn't have to rely on a little prince from a neighboring country to survive.
"Don't move here," Zhao Mian said, "I'll go find something to fill my stomach."
Who would have thought that he had only taken half a step when Wei Zhenfeng pulled him back by the collar. Wei Zhenfeng suppressed his laughter and said, "Forget it, wait here." He threw the fire starter he carried with him to Zhao Mian, "Do you know how to make a fire?"
Zhao Mian nodded: "Yes."
In addition to teaching him how to use the sword, ride and shoot, the master also taught him many skills of survival in the wild in case of emergency.
Zhao Mian found some dry bamboo tubes and leaves and started a fire in the yard. It was already completely dark, the night was deep and the dew was heavy. He was only wearing a thin white shirt, and his whole body was cold.
Wei Zhenfeng came back with a bag of bamboo shoots. Seeing that Zhao Mian looked unhappy, he asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhao Mian said: "Cold."
"Then make the fire bigger."
Zhao Mian folded his arms and moved towards the fire.
The two men took out pots and pans from the house, fetched a basin of water from the well, and cooked a pot of bamboo shoot soup that tasted very ordinary and was so hard to bite.
The bamboo shoots in late autumn were too old, and there was no seasoning, so Zhao Mian couldn't finish drinking half of it. He held the bowl of soup in his hands and felt his body gradually warming up.
The night was clear and dust-free, the moonlight was like water, illuminating an isolated courtyard, a bonfire, and two young men.
The night scene should have been a painting-like scene, but Zhao Mian had no mood to appreciate it. The string in his heart was getting tighter and tighter, and as time passed, it almost made him breathless.
He looked up at the bright moon in the sky and asked, "Is it past midnight?"
Wei Zhenfeng said: "It should be over. Today is October 13th."
Zhao Mian murmured, “Thirteen…” After midnight tomorrow, the male and female poisons in his body would break out.
Wei Zhenfeng also thought of this, his face was unusually solemn: "I don't know what the situation is like for Yun Yong Hua Ju and the others outside. I'm afraid they are also trying to find a way to come in and rescue us."
"Don't worry, I have a backup plan." Zhao Mian comforted himself, "It doesn't matter if we fail, someone will help me get the antidote."
He had already made arrangements. If the news of his success had not spread by the afternoon of the 14th, Zhou Huairang would notify the prime minister to take action.
Wei Zhenfeng shook his head, as if lamenting Zhao Mian's naivety: "Your Highness, have you ever thought about a question?"
"What?"
"That means there is really no antidote for Wan Hua Meng. Even if Wan Hua Meng is killed, even if the army attacks Dong Ling, even if Bei Yuan and Nanjing join forces to destroy Dong Ling, there is no antidote. He can't give birth."
Zhao Mian still couldn't understand, let alone accept it: "But why would he do this? Just for some fun, he would put his country and people in an irreparable situation?"
"Didn't you hear him? He doesn't care." Wei Zhenfeng said calmly, "He doesn't care who we are, nor does he care what will happen if he offends us. Dong Ling is nothing to him - he has nothing to worry about."
Once a person no longer cares about anyone or anything, he is afraid of nothing.
Not afraid of torture, not afraid of threats, and even less afraid of death.
Zhao Mian cursed him as a "madman", but then said unwillingly: "Wan Huameng may not care, but what about Lu Wang? He doesn't care about Dong Ling either?"
Lu Wang is the real name of the Queen Mother who currently holds power in Dongling, and she is also the true master of Dongling's vast territory.
Wei Zhenfeng chuckled: "I don't know about that."
Zhao Mian pursed his lips and said nothing. He did not agree with Wei Zhenfeng's words.
Wan Huameng is not a monster, he is a human being, and all humans have weaknesses.
Just like the Prime Minister, the seemingly impeccable official in Nanjing, once he encounters something involving his father, his weaknesses will naturally be exposed, and he will do things that only a "treacherous official" would do.
A few years ago, there was a talented man in the capital who was both handsome and talented. He passed the imperial examination with great difficulty and became the third place in the imperial examination chosen by the emperor. Later, just because he wrote a poem praising the emperor's beauty after drinking, he was stripped of his title by the prime minister and sent back to his hometown, never to be able to enter the officialdom in his life.
Even the Prime Minister is like this, let alone Wan Hua Meng.
Thinking about it carefully, I must have overlooked something.
An idea flashed in his mind, and Zhao Mian blurted out: "No, Wan Huameng has someone he cares about."
Wei Zhenfeng, who was playing with bamboo out of boredom, said: "Hmm?"
Wan Huameng was like them, and was infected with both male and female Gu. Double Gu, two people infected, who would be the other person who matched Wan Huameng? A name suddenly appeared in Zhao Mian's mind.
—Gu Ruzhang.
Gu Ruzhang and Wan Huameng both attended Zaixi's wedding held in Xuyuan one year, and they probably knew each other at that time. Then, for some unknown reason, the two were tied together by a red string, and Wan Huameng refused to hand over the antidote, so Gu Ruzhang had to go to Nangong Mountain and Wan Huameng once a month... Hmm.
The bamboo forest where they were might be where Gu Ruzhang stayed temporarily after visiting Nangong.
The Prime Minister of the fallen Western Xia and the Imperial Master of Dongling… ? So outrageous
However, he and the young prince of Beiyuan were forced to be together. Thinking about it this way, the affair between Wan Huameng and Gu Ruzhang is not so shocking.
Now that Xixia has perished, even if Gu Ruzhang is not dead, he is probably half dead. Without Gu Ruzhang, Wan Huameng can only take the antidote to get rid of the poison.
Wei Zhenfeng waved his hand in front of Zhao Mian twice: "What are you daydreaming about?"
Zhao Mian came back to his senses. Wei Zhenfeng was one of the culprits of the fall of the Western Xia Dynasty, and the first Beiyuan man to sit on the throne of the Western Xia Dynasty. He must know something about Gu Ruzhang's whereabouts that others didn't know.
But the matter of Gu Ruzhang involved the relics of Western Xia, and it would not be wise to ask Wei Zhenfeng.
Zhao Mian said calmly: "I was thinking that Wan Huameng should care about his senior brother."
"Lu Wang?" Wei Zhenfeng sneered, "I don't think so. As the saying goes, if Wan Huameng really cared about his senior brother Lu Wang, how could he let him fall into the dilemma of being forced to abdicate by the ministers? But now none of this matters." He threw the bamboo leaves in his hand into the fire with a dull look, and then stood up, "The most urgent thing is to leave this damn place first."
But they couldn't go out during the day, let alone at night, so they might as well rest early and fight again tomorrow.
There were two bamboo beds in the room, one for each of them, and they spent the night without disturbing each other, but no one slept well. They both had an hourglass in their hearts, and the moment the hourglass reached the bottom, it was the time for the male and female Gu to attack.
They watched the sand on the hourglass become less and less, but they could do nothing.
The next day, the two young men's mentality had changed significantly. Zhao Mian no longer "picked chrysanthemums under the eastern fence", Wei Zhenfeng no longer played with bamboo, and no longer talked nonsense. The two were no longer in the mood to bicker, and all their thoughts were focused on finding a way out.
The two turned the hut upside down and dug deep, but still found no useful clues. They had to try to walk out again, but no matter which direction they walked, they would eventually return to the same place.
This bamboo forest seemed to be a secluded "Peach Blossom Spring" that no one could enter or leave freely except its owner. The Nangong Mountain was right in front of them, but they were trapped here and couldn't find the direction at all.
The bamboo forest was dead, and the only "movement" was the spring water that flowed in from nowhere. They might find a way out by following the direction of the spring water, but if they wanted to find the spring, they would need to dig three feet deep, and they might not find it even after three days and three nights.
Besides, they don’t have three days and three nights to waste.
The two arrogant young men had to admit that Wan Hua Meng, one of the four great masters in the world, was indeed worthy of the title.
After returning to the original place again, Wei Zhenfeng sat down on the stone steps and said, "Okay, I won't bother with this anymore. I'll just wait for death."
Zhao Mian was also very upset, and the strong sense of frustration made it impossible for him to remain calm. He asked the question that the two had been deliberately avoiding: "How did you get to the point of waiting to die? Don't you still have an antidote?"
Wei Zhenfeng laughed: "You also said 'one'." He emphasized the word "one", "It's up to you to eat it, or for me to eat it."
Zhao Mian's heart was tense, and he asked casually, "Will you give it to me?"
Wei Zhenfeng asked back: "If I give it to you to eat, will you still care about me?"
Zhao Mian was speechless.
"The reality is, either we survive together, or one of us dies." Wei Zhenfeng looked at him, his tone hard to understand, "You know you can't beat me, Your Highness."
Zhao Mian did not answer. He glanced at Wei Zhenfeng's chest, where Wei Zhenfeng had placed the antidote.
"Or," Wei Zhenfeng said slowly, "do you want to give it a try?"
Zhao Mian's hand hidden in his sleeve touched something cold. It was the dagger that Wei Zhenfeng gave him when he took him to explore Xu Garden at night the day before yesterday.
"Don't try," Zhao Mian let go of his hand and said calmly, "I really can't beat you."
Wei Zhenfeng breathed a sigh of relief: "Just don't be so stubborn about this."
There was another silence.
Wei Zhenfeng hesitated to speak, and finally sorted out his words and asked, "Have you done this before?"
The eighteen-year-old crown prince is not like him, who has been running around all year round, so he is not without experience in this area.
As for his elder brother, the Crown Prince, when he was as old as Zhao Mian, he already had many wives and concubines and several children.
Zhao Mian didn't answer, but just looked at him coldly.
Wei Zhenfeng said slowly: "I don't know how to do it. If you have done it before, you can... teach me." When Wei Zhenfeng said the second half of the sentence, his tone became very hesitant and uncertain, as if he was trying to convince himself, "Save your life, right? As long as you have the green mountains, you will not be afraid of running out of firewood."
Wei Zhenfeng thought he had made a huge concession, but he didn't expect that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would not appreciate it at all.
"That's easy for you to say," Zhao Mian said coldly, "Do you think I will react to your face? I can't do it even if I turn off the lights and close my eyes."
Wei Zhenfeng smiled, with a hint of gloating: "Then there is nothing we can do. I am willing to let you do it, but you are the one who can't do it."
"Did you do this on purpose?" Zhao Mian was so angry that he couldn't help but say something. "You deliberately put on a dark face in front of me just to take the lead at the critical moment?!"
Wei Zhenfeng laughed: "Can you be reasonable? Am I a prophet? How could I know that things would develop to this point? Do you think I want to be disliked by you? You always say that I am ugly, don't I feel aggrieved? Oh, you are the only one with a bad temper, others don't? If it weren't for Nan Jing's face, I would have..."
When Wei Zhenfeng saw Zhao Mian's expression, he stopped talking.
Whenever he gets angry, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's cheeks turn particularly red, just like now, as if he is drunk. There is clearly anger in his eyes, but to others it looks like a little tipsy.
Wei Zhenfeng swallowed back the unpleasant words that followed: "Alright, alright, let's not quarrel anymore, Your Highness." He pressed his brows irritably, "If you have the energy to quarrel, why not think about what we should do next."
Zhao Mian said coldly: "What else can we do except wait."
Now he can only hope that the Prime Minister and Shen Buci will rescue him. Now the people arranged by the Prime Minister should have arrived in Dongling Kyoto and are trying to put strong pressure on Lu Wang.
Of course, there was one more thing he could do on his own.
He is not against love, it is human nature, even if he doesn't have it now, he will have it in the future.
What he hated was being forced to do this unwillingly with Wei Zhenfeng. If Wei Zhenfeng hadn't grown up in the past six years, he might...
One antidote and two people, this is the "game" that Wanhua Dreams plays with them.
If he had to choose between the two...
Realizing that malice was creeping into his heart uncontrollably, Zhao Mian suddenly closed his eyes.
Wei Zhenfeng, who was standing by, did not notice Zhao Mian's abnormality. He looked at his hand in confusion. He did not know when something strange happened on a small part of his right hand. The brown color faded, revealing a slender white fingertip.
(End of this chapter)