Zhao Mian did not have a comfortable sleep. He felt hot and cold, and his dreams were bizarre, with memories and illusions intertwined. Countless familiar voices echoed in his ears.
He could vaguely see someone walking around in front of him. He tried hard to wake up, but his eyes seemed to be weighed down by a heavy object and he couldn't open them.
Until a voice came out: "Huh? It seems someone is here to pick us up."
Zhao Mian's chaotic dream was instantly split by a bolt of lightning, and his clear consciousness returned at the same moment.
The only person who could enter this bamboo forest was Wan Hua Meng himself, but the voice said that someone was coming to "pick up" them. The most likely scenario was that Wan Hua Meng, or Lu Wang, could not withstand the pressure and had to give in and let them go.
Therefore, the only people who would come to pick them up would be from Nanjing or Beiyuan.
Zhao Mian suddenly opened his eyes, sat up straight, and said calmly, "Tie my hair and change my clothes."
Zhao Mian's sudden "improvement" stunned Wei Zhenfeng who was standing by and asked, "Are you okay?"
Zhao Mian glanced at Wei Zhenfeng, knowing full well that this was something he could not count on.
He got out of bed quickly, not like someone who was still running a fever. His own clothes were no longer wearable, but luckily there were still some clothes from the previous owner in the house. Although they were all low-key plain colors, the quality was acceptable and he could barely accept them.
Zhao Mian picked out a green long gown, then sat down in front of the mirror and combed and tied her hair carefully.
After getting dressed, Zhao Mian adjusted his collar and asked, "How do I look?"
Wei Zhenfeng vaguely understood what Zhao Mian was concerned about. He smiled and said, "You look extremely noble, Your Highness."
This was not a compliment. The prince who was about to meet someone had a proud look in his eyes and eyebrows, and he was completely different from the young man who trembled in his arms last night and said he could eat. The color of blue, which symbolizes integrity, made him look more noble.
Zhao Mian nodded with satisfaction: "Let's go."
Zhao Mian walked to the door and thought of something. He turned around and glanced at Wei Zhenfeng from head to toe. He couldn't find anything to mock him, so he could only mock him in a general way: "You're going out to meet people like this?"
Wei Zhenfeng said "hmm" lazily.
Zhao Mian didn't say much.
If Wei Zhenfeng wanted to embarrass himself, it would be the people of Beiyuan, so what did it have to do with him
Besides, how could he be embarrassed by his looks
Zhao Mian's inference was correct. The people who came to pick them up were indeed Shen Buci, Zhou Huairang, Yun Yonghuaju and others.
After Zhao Mian and Wei Zhenfeng were trapped in the bamboo forest, envoys from Nanjing and Beiyuan arrived in Kyoto one after another and put strong pressure on Dongling, forcing Lu Wang to hand over the antidote and release them.
At that time, Dongling was facing internal and external troubles. Internally, Jia Huai led hundreds of officials to remonstrate with Wanhua Meng, and externally, the two countries in the north and the south were aggressive. Empress Dowager Lu did not seem to be overwhelmed at all. Since both things were caused by the imperial teacher, why not call the imperial teacher and everyone can get together to talk it out.
There is no need to elaborate on the details. The final result of the pressure from the North and South countries was that Lu Wang agreed to lead the search of Nangong Mountain in person. But whether they could find the antidote and the person they were looking for depended on their own ability.
You know, Nangong Mountain is a secret place in Dongling, equivalent to Qianjiyuan in Nanjing, Fuxuelou in Beiyuan and Huangchengsi in Xixia. It is undoubtedly a great shame and humiliation for Nangong Mountain to open its doors to other countries, and its degree of shame is no less than cutting off the sun and the moon, ceding land and paying compensation.
It is said that Jia Huai and other old ministers saw with their own eyes that the Queen Mother compromised with the envoys from the two northern and southern countries, and they all looked up to the sky and cried, with tears streaming down their faces. If the inner court guards had not stopped them, two or three of them would have banged their heads against the pillars and died.
Facing the officials who were seeking death, Lu Wang just sighed and said, "I am also concerned about the overall situation. At least Dongling has not yet been destroyed like Xixia, right?"
However, in the eyes of the envoys from the north and the south, the fact that Lu Wang was so generous in allowing them to search the mountain actually proved that there must be something fishy going on.
First, Nangong Mountain is as big as a maze. It would take at least several months for the envoys to search all the mountains. If they wanted to speed up, they could only gather trustworthy people near Kyoto. In this way, as long as Dongling conducted a little investigation on these people, they would be able to find many spies hidden in Kyoto by Beiyuan Nanjing.
Whether the person they are looking for is more important, or the secret agents that Qianjiyuan and Fuxuelou have worked so hard to train are more important, it depends on their own choice.
Secondly, Lu Wang seemed to have anticipated the other country's search of the mountain and had already transferred the country's secrets to a safe place. At most, they found out some insignificant little secrets, such as which court official had a mistress, or the young master of so-and-so's family had an affair with his concubine... Even if these things were known by the two countries in the north and the south, it would not harm the foundation of the country.
Third, Wan Huameng has become the target of public criticism, and the Nangong Mountain he led can no longer be used. This time, he can borrow the help of other countries to completely abandon Nangong Mountain. After this matter is settled, it will be no problem for him to rebuild several Nangong Mountains.
Lu Wang was able to turn the tables under heavy pressure, which shows his talent, wisdom and strategy. Compared with some false reputation that may bring disgrace to the country, he cares more about practical benefits.
The envoys from the two countries were all outstanding people, so they could see what Empress Dowager Lu was up to. However, time was running out, and the people they were looking for were more important than each other, so no one dared to neglect them.
Both sides gathered as many people as possible, and the two countries formed a temporary alliance and came to Nangong Mountain together to look for people and medicine. What was puzzling was that Wan Huameng generously told them how to get to the bamboo forest, allowing them to quickly find the whereabouts of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Prince.
As for the antidote for the male and female poisons, no one could find it anywhere in Nangong Mountain.
Wan Huameng did not lie, the one he gave to Wei Zhenfeng and Zhao Mian was indeed the only one left in the world. At this moment, even if Beiyuan and Nanjing wanted to destroy Dongling, he could not take out the second one.
Zhou Huairang followed the large group through the bamboo forest and arrived in front of the hut. He was eager to go into the house to find His Highness, but Bai Yu stopped him: "Let me knock on the door first."
The night of the full moon has passed. If something really happened last night, based on her understanding of His Highness, He would definitely not want them to suddenly appear in front of him and see something they shouldn't see.
While Zhou Huairang and others were waiting anxiously, the door was opened from the inside and two young men walked out one after the other.
The leader was naturally his Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who looked as wealthy and impressive as ever, but his complexion did not look very good. He had lost a lot of weight in just two days, and there was no color on his lips.
But that expression of contempt for everyone was enough to prove that His Highness was fine.
Zhou Huairang felt relieved and almost cried for joy: "Master, we finally found you!"
Zhao Mian said "hmm" lightly.
Then, Zhou Huairang turned his gaze to the people around His Highness, and was stunned.
Excuse me, who are you, young man
Wei Zhenfeng didn't dress up deliberately even though he knew he was going to meet someone. He was still wearing his simple waist-binding suit, with just a coat thrown over it. His long hair was hanging naturally, as if he had just woken up from a nap. Standing next to their highness without any decoration, he actually seemed to be quite pleasing to the eye
Zhou Huairang turned to Shen Buci in a daze, with a few big words written in his eyes: Old Shen, I seem to be blind.
Shen Buci: “…”
Hua Ju, who had an eye disease and was reprimanded by Zhao Mian for speaking for her own prince, felt as if she had been vindicated: She had said that they were a perfect match based on appearance alone! No one believed her, no one believed her!
Zhou Huairang was not the only one who was surprised, but also Zhao Mian, because he found that in addition to the three people from the East Palace, there were also two important officials, one civil and one military, who came from the capital to pick him up.
Wu is the Marquis of Anyuan, who almost frightened the little prince to tears, and Wen is—
Zhao Mian immediately put away the arrogance and world-weariness on his face: "Lord Rong?"
The person headed by the Nanjing envoys was Zhao Mian’s teacher, the Prince’s Tutor, Rong Tang.
In Nanjing, where there are so many beauties, Rong Tang's appearance may not be among the best, but his temperament is definitely one of the most outstanding.
But he was dressed in white, pure and elegant, and his every move was full of the natural pride of a scholar. Unfortunately, he was weak and sickly, and had to be in a wheelchair all year round before he was forty. Bai Yu had left temporarily before, also on the orders of Zhao Mian, to find a cure for Rong Tang.
"Young Master." Rong Tang stared at Zhao Mian for a long time, and after confirming that Zhao Mian had no visible injuries, he told Bai Yu, "Put on the veil hat for you."
It is not a glorious thing for a crown prince to sneak into Dongling and be trapped in Nangong Mountain. If he is not careful, it will give Dongling a handle and damage the reputation of the Nanjing royal family. The identity of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can be hidden from as many people as possible.
Zhao Mian was a little surprised. He didn't expect that the Prime Minister would send his teacher to pick him up. These two people have never gotten along well.
After Zhao Mian put on his veiled hat, Rong Tang and An Yuanhou wanted to salute him, but he stopped them with his hand: "No need to be polite, both of you."
When he raised his hand, Zhao Mian felt dizzy and almost lost his balance. He pinched his palm with his fingertips to let the pain keep him awake.
In addition to their own people from Nanjing, there were also spectators from Dongling and envoys from Beiyuan. He must not show the attitude of a weak person.
By the way, Rong Tang and An Yuanhou have come to Nanjing, but what about Beiyuan
Zhao Mian looked at Wei Zhenfeng and saw that Wei Zhenfeng was talking to an old official in Beiyuan official uniform. The old official was named Yi Qian, the director of Beiyuan Waifanyuan. Beiyuan Waifanyuan was equivalent to Nanjing's Honglu Temple, in charge of foreign guests and court ceremonies.
The envoys from Beiyuan had visited Nanjing several times, and Yi Qian was the most important leader in each visit. Zhao Mian had also dealt with him several times. The fact that Emperor Yuan sent him to pick up Wei Zhenfeng showed how much he valued this second son.
On the other side of Beiyuan, Yun Yong saw that Zhao Mian had covered his face. While helping Wei Zhenfeng straighten his loose coat, he said, "Master, do you want to change your face too?"
Their little prince is so easy to recognize by his iconic teardrop mole.
Wei Zhenfeng thought for a moment and said, "No need, he has already been exposed. Besides, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still ill, let him eat a few more bowls of rice."
Yunyong:
The retainers have arrived, and Crown Prince Nanjing and Young Prince Beiyuan, who have been "dependent on each other" for two days, have to temporarily part ways.
Wei Zhenfeng walked up to Zhao Mian and nodded slightly: "Then, farewell, Your Highness."
In front of so many people, Wei Zhenfeng's manners and etiquette were impeccable.
Zhao Mian called him: "Your Majesty, please stay."
Wei Zhenfeng said politely, "Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?"
Zhao Mian glanced at Yi Qian who was standing behind Wei Zhenfeng and asked, "What is the prince's back-up plan?"
Wei Zhenfeng thought about it for a while and thought it would be okay to tell Zhao Mian. Even if he didn't tell Zhao Mian now, Zhao Mian would be able to find out if he looked into it in detail.
"A hostage left by Dongling in Beiyuan Shengjing, nominally Lu Wang's nephew, but in reality most likely his illegitimate son." Wei Zhenfeng asked politely, "What about your highness?"
Zhao Mian did not answer. He said to Rong Tang, "Let's go."
Wei Zhenfeng: “…”
Can.
Wei Zhenfeng watched Zhao Mian leave, then turned around and left.
No matter what he and Zhao Mian had planned, it had no effect on the madman Wan Huameng. But now that things had come to this point, there was no point in saying more. The next account to be settled was the most important thing.
If nothing unexpected happens, he and Zhao Mian should meet again soon.
Zhou Huairang kept staring at Wei Zhenfeng. He couldn't associate such a handsome young man with the 32-year-old Li Er. When Wei Zhenfeng passed by him, he couldn't help but asked, "Excuse me, are you really the little prince of Beiyuan?"
Wei Zhenfengtou did not respond: "No, I am Li Er."
"Ah, but those two moles under your eyes...?"
"I just ordered whatever I wanted."
Zhou Huairang: “…” It’s over. Even the people of Beiyuan noticed that he was stupid.
Nan Jing's carriage had been waiting at the gate of Nangong for a long time. Zhao Mian got on the carriage with the help of Bai Yu. When Bai Yu touched his hand and felt the heat from his body, his face suddenly changed.
Just as Bai Yu was about to speak, she met His Highness' warning eyes. She had no choice but to swallow her words back and stayed by His Highness's side with a worried look on her face.
Zhao Mian, Anyuan Hou, and Rong Tang were riding in the same carriage. The first question he asked Rong Tang was whether his father knew about his experience in Dongling.
"Yes," Rong Tang said calmly, "Prime Minister Xiao did not hide it."
Zhao Mian's face turned paler and paler: "Father must be extremely worried and anxious."
"Of course not." An Yuanhou recalled the emperor's look at that time with lingering fear, "If it weren't for Prime Minister Xiao stopping him, the emperor would have sent the national team to Dongling."
Zhao Mian was stunned: "National team?"
An Yuan Hou explained: "It is the Xiao, Rong, He, and Li families, plus the emperor's own Zhao family - these are not what I said, but the emperor's own words."
Zhao Mian couldn't help but smile: "That's what my father would say."
Marquis Anyuan added, "It's a pity that the He and Li families, one has to guard the southern border, and the other cannot leave the northern border. Your Majesty, for the sake of the overall situation, sent this old man to escort Rong Taifu all the way east, and to take His Highness home by the way."
Zhao Mian's smile faded slightly, and he said slowly, "I'm afraid I won't be able to go back so soon."
He still has to slowly settle some accounts with Dong Ling and Bei Yuan.
Rong Tang was silent for a moment, then asked, "Your Highness, regarding the male and female Gu..."
Zhao Mian interrupted the conversation: "Teacher, let's discuss this matter later. I am a little tired."
Rong Tang looked at Zhao Mian quietly for a moment, and said calmly: "I hope Your Highness will take care of yourself."
Even without the antidote, he and Wei Zhenfeng were living in peace. He was so smart that he couldn't help but guess what happened last night and who the teacher was.
Thinking of this, Zhao Mian felt a surge of heat on his face, half because of his illness and half because of his shame. He couldn't help but lie to himself and said, "I'm lucky. I found the antidote in the bamboo forest. Teacher, don't worry."
This was so false that one glance at the red line on his wrist could reveal the lie.
Rong Tang just nodded and said, "Okay."
After returning to the temporary residence of the envoy from Nanjing, Zhao Mian dismissed everyone and only allowed Bai Yu to serve him personally.
As soon as the others left, Bai Yu couldn't wait to support Zhao Mian and said anxiously: "Your Highness, please lie down quickly! How can you have such a high fever..."
Zhao Mian had been holding on for so long that he had already reached his limit. He let Bai Yu help him onto the bed, but before his head even touched the pillow, he completely lost his strength.
After Bai Yu's diagnosis, she concluded that the prince had caught a cold, which caused the high fever. She soaked a handkerchief in cold water and placed it on the prince's forehead, saying, "Your Highness, I'll boil some medicine for you. You should get some sleep first."
Zhao Mian was in a daze due to the fever. He only remembered that his father had told him to tell the truth to the doctor if he was sick: "Because I didn't clean up... his things at that time."
His Highness's voice was too soft, and Bai Yu didn't hear it clearly for a moment, so he leaned in and asked, "What?"
Zhao Mian opened his eyes weakly, saw Bai Yu's face, and then remembered that she was a girl, so he changed his words and said, "Bai Yu."
"Your Highness?"
"Heal me as soon as possible, there are still many things to do."
(End of this chapter)