Zhao Mian took a bath for more than half an hour. He only gave up reluctantly when Zhou Huairang thought something had happened to him and almost broke into the room despite Shen Buci's attempts to stop him.
Early the next morning, Zhao Mian, who had only slept for two hours the night before, ordered his troops to continue moving towards Dongling Kyoto.
There is less than half a month left before the poison of the male and female insects takes effect, and he doesn't have much time left to get the antidote on his own.
But he knew that there was someone who was definitely more anxious than him.
Before getting on the carriage, Zhao Mian noticed that the village seemed too lively.
The villagers gathered in groups of three or five, each carrying a rattan basket filled with all kinds of fruits and grains. Some were leading their own cattle and sheep, or carrying cages of chickens and ducks, and it seemed they were going to the market.
When the villagers saw Zhao Mian, they all hid far away. They wanted to take a closer look at this rare nobleman, but they were overwhelmed by his aura. Zhou Huai looked pleasing, without any arrogance or airs, and the villagers were happy to chat with him.
In Dongling, villagers usually go to market on the first and fifteenth day of every month. Today is not a traditional market day.
Zhao Mian sat in the carriage and thought for a while. He did not set off in a hurry, but ordered Zhou Huairang to inquire about the situation.
Not long after, Zhou Huairang came back to report: "Your Highness, Chenjia Village used to hold a market on the first and fifteenth day of every month. The last time they went to the county town, they met several big buyers. Not only did they sell out the things they brought quickly, but the prices they sold were also much higher than usual. As a result, the supply was still insufficient to meet the demand. The villagers made an appointment with the buyers to go again in a few days and deliver the remaining things at home to them."
Zhao Mian was suspicious: "There are no festivals these days, why is there a shortage of supplies?"
Zhou Huairang asked, "Maybe someone is going to have a banquet?"
"Even if it's for a banquet, there's no need to spend a lot of money to buy these things. Unless they need them urgently and don't need the money." Zhao Mian thought for a moment and looked at Zhou Huairang, "Tell me, what kind of person would do this?"
Zhou Huairang said "uh" for a long time, and then said, "A wealthy family that needs to hold a wedding or funeral at the last minute?"
Zhao Mian was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "You were very brave yesterday, so I won't call you stupid."
Shen Buci asked: "Your Highness, do you suspect that this incident is related to the missing Liu family?"
Earlier, Zhao Mian had learned that the entire Liu family had disappeared after Miss Liu hanged herself, so he sent people to investigate, but unfortunately no useful clues were found so far.
Everyone said that this was Wan Huameng's doing, intending to tell the people of Dongling the consequences of disobeying him, but Zhao Mian disagreed. With Wan Huameng's status and prestige in Dongling, there was no need to do this. Once the matter got out of hand, it would not be good for him or Dongling.
Moreover, more than a hundred people from the Liu Mansion disappeared silently. It did not seem like they were forcibly abducted after resisting, but rather left voluntarily.
They had only been missing for a few days, and they couldn't have walked far with their families, and were probably still in Dongling. The family must have spent a lot of money on food and clothing along the way, and the Liu family could afford it.
"No problem. Send people to the nearby villages to investigate." Zhao Mian changed his mind at the last minute. "No, you go and investigate yourself."
"Old Shen will go personally?" Zhou Huairang said worriedly, "What if that Li Er comes to assassinate you again? What will happen to your Highness' safety?"
"Li Er should be thinking about how to get the antidote to the male and female poison on his own. He has no time to bother us for now. The shadow guards are enough for him." Zhao Mian turned to Shen Buci, "You leave immediately. I will wait for you in Kyoto."
After Zhao Mian left Chenjia Village, he walked for another half a day and finally arrived at the capital of Dongling.
Nanjing, Beiyuan, Dongling, and the former Xixia, all had a common ancestor hundreds of years ago. Later, they were divided into three parts in repeated struggles and wars, and gradually developed their own unique culture and heritage, but the original writing and language are still common.
Among the capitals of the Three Kingdoms, in terms of territory, Shengjing in Beiyuan was the largest, Shangjing in Nanjing was the second largest, and Jingdu in Dongling was the smallest. But no matter how small it was, Jingdu was still at the feet of the emperor, with horses galloping in the market, pedestrians thronging, and the hawking of street vendors continuing in an endless stream.
It was the first time for both Zhao Mian and Zhou Huairang to come to Kyoto. They walked on the bustling streets, speaking ill of Dong Ling as they went.
Zhou Huairang: "The roads in Kyoto are too narrow. If there are a few more carriages, it will be jammed."
Zhao Mian: "Indeed, it is a world of difference from Shangjing."
Zhao Mian: "Along the way, I saw at least ten beggars living on the streets."
Zhou Huairang: "Really, the people of Kyoto must be living in dire straits."
Zhou Huairang: "Young Master, look, in the middle of the day, there are people gathering to fight!"
Zhao Mian: "Oh, such immoral things will never happen in Shangjing City."
While visiting Kyoto, the two of them did not forget to praise Shangjing at the same time, singing the same tune and enjoying it very much.
The king and his minister had not had such a pleasant conversation for a long time.
Afterwards, the two stayed in a private residence in the west of the city to rest.
This house belongs to a merchant named Zhu Guangshen. On the surface, Zhu Guangshen is a native of Dongling, doing business in Kyoto to buy and sell medicinal materials. In fact, he is a genuine Nanjing person, without any blood from other countries.
Fifteen years ago, the Prime Minister intended to expand the intelligence network in Nanping, and personally selected a group of secret agents from the Qianji Academy and sent them to Dongling, Xixia and other places. Zhu Guangshen was one of them.
The person chosen by the prime minister, Zhao Mian, was naturally trustworthy, and he sent someone to inform him early in the morning that he would stay in Kyoto temporarily. Zhu Guangshen did not dare to neglect it, and was ready to receive him at any time after receiving the news.
Zhao Mian accepted Zhu Guangshen's gift and said straight to the point: "No need for other false formalities. I want to ask you, where is Bai Yu and why didn't he come to greet me. Also, is there anything unusual in Kyoto recently?"
The secret agents from Qianjiyuan all have their own strengths. Their intelligence is not top-notch, but at least it is not at Zhou Huairang's level. Facing the question from His Royal Highness, Zhu Guangshen was calm and spoke in a methodical manner: "Divine Doctor Bai said that she has not found what Your Highness wants, but she has some clues. She needs to stay in Nangong for a few more days and cannot meet Your Highness for the time being. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
"It's okay," Zhao Mian said, "as long as there is some progress."
The best outcome would be for Bai Yu to obtain the antidote to the male and female poisons by himself without alerting other forces. He still has the patience to wait for a few days.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Zhu Guangshen thanked on behalf of Bai Yu. "As for the matter in Kyoto that Your Highness asked about... I wonder if Your Highness knows about the disappearance of the entire Liu family in Chongzhou?"
Zhao Mian nodded: "I know."
The whole thing is not complicated.
In Dongling, the national teacher Wan Huameng was powerful and second only to the emperor. He acted recklessly and looked down upon the civil and military officials in the court because he was the empress dowager's fellow disciple. This had long aroused resentment from many of Dongling's powerful people, but they dared not speak out because of his power.
The Liu Mansion case was just a fuse. The imperial tutor's strange hobby of matchmaking forced a famous lady from a scholarly family to hang herself, and then he took his anger out on the entire Liu Mansion and wiped out the entire Liu family.
Even if Miss Liu "disobeyed the imperial order", it would not be a crime of this magnitude. The Imperial Master's actions were to sacrifice public power for personal gain and disregard human ethics. If the Queen Mother continued to stand by and let him do whatever he wanted, it was unknown what Wan Huameng's erratic and unpredictable character would do to harm the country.
"After the Liu Mansion tragedy, the Dongling Censorate jointly submitted a memorial to impeach Wan Huameng, and begged the Queen Mother to examine the case in detail and impose severe punishment on the Imperial Master to appease the people's resentment and calm the anger of the officials." Zhu Guangshen said, "I heard that not only these censors, but also several old military generals such as the Duke of Yingguo were dissatisfied with Wan Huameng. They complained in front of the Queen Mother. One time, they even shouted that they wanted to lead troops to encircle and suppress Nangong, but they gave up after being severely reprimanded by the Queen Mother."
Zhao Mian sneered. It was exactly as he expected. "In that case, the chaos in Kyoto right now is exactly what some people want."
Zhou Huairang couldn't help but ask, "Did the Queen Mother Dongling take care of this matter in the end?"
Zhu Guangshen said: "I only know that the Queen Mother summoned the Imperial Master for a secret talk. I cannot find out the content of the secret talk no matter how hard I try. But until now, the Imperial Master and Nangong are still doing well. No one dares to interrogate him, and no one dares to do anything to Nangong. Next month, the two people chosen by the Imperial Master must still get married in Xuyuan according to his will..."
Hearing this, Zhou Huairang coughed violently twice and signaled to Zhu Guangshen with his eyes: Okay, okay, you don’t have to say anything.
Zhu Guangshen didn't quite understand, but he tactfully shut his mouth.
Zhao Mian, the victim of Wan Huameng's special fetish, sipped his tea as if nothing had happened and asked about another matter: "Speaking of which, how is Bai Yu's situation in Nangong. She is from Nanjing, and Wan Huameng may not trust her."
"Your Highness is wise." Zhu Guangshen smiled bitterly, "I heard from Divine Doctor Bai that Wan Huameng is indifferent to all living things. No matter what their background or status, they are all ants in his eyes. But the Queen Mother Dongling has reminded him several times to be careful of the people around him. I wonder if Wan Huameng took the Queen Mother's words to heart."
Zhao Mianyu played with the teacup in his hand, thinking for a long time, and said: "Send someone to tell Bai Yu a message for me. Someone may try to sneak into Nangong in the near future to find the same thing as her. Let her be careful and watch out. It would be best if she can catch the person and interrogate him thoroughly. Maybe there will be an unexpected surprise - just think of it as a gift from her to Wan Huameng to show her loyalty."
Zhao Mian had traveled all the way from Chongzhou to Kyoto, and he did not go anywhere for the next two days, so he stayed in Zhu's house to rest. He was not idle either, and took this opportunity to take Zhou Huairang to re-examine Nan Jing's intelligence network in Dongling, and gained a lot.
Among them, the two focused on reading the secret scrolls about Nangong Wanhua's dream, and Zhao Mian gained a further understanding of this national teacher of the neighboring country.
For example, Wan Huameng is a short man who hates others talking about his height. If you accidentally say the word "short" in front of him and he happens to be in a bad mood, your family will go to your grave to weed it one year later.
Another example is Wan Huameng's art of making poisonous insects and refining medicines. From normal poisonous insects that harm people and good medicines for curing diseases, to slightly abnormal secret medicines for giving birth to children and the art of disguise, to the outrageous male and female insects and plague insects... His "masterpieces" are countless.
Zhao Mian's gaze lingered on the words "secret medicine for having a child" for a long time, and he felt an indescribable strange feeling in his heart.
From a certain perspective, if there had been no Wanhua Dream, he would not have come into this world.
Zhao Mian shook his head and told himself not to think too much. He called Zhu Guangshen and asked, "Is there a solution to this disguise technique?"
Zhu Guangshen was engaged in the medicinal materials business in Kyoto, and happened to have studied these Nangong secret techniques: "Your Highness, different disguise techniques have different solutions, and the subordinates who commonly use several can prepare potions to solve the problems."
"Then prepare it first," Zhao Mian said, "it may be useful in the future."
Zhu Guangshen said, "Yes. Your Highness, it's time for you to have your meal."
Zhu Guangshen was worried that His Highness would not be able to get used to Dongling's food, so he asked the chefs in Nanjing to prepare authentic hometown dishes every day. Both the production and the taste were almost exactly the same as those in Shangjing.
After eating a few meals, Zhou Huairang suggested to His Highness: "Your Highness, should we find an opportunity to comment on the food in Kyoto?"
Zhao Mian thought about it and realized that it had been a long time since he had said anything bad about Dong Ling. He said modestly, "Yes."
So, the two of them came to a famous restaurant in Kyoto under the secret protection of the shadow guards.
Zhou Huairang asked for a nice private room and ordered all the restaurant's signature dishes.
As soon as he entered the mouth, Zhao Mian felt something was wrong.
The taste and texture of this sea fish were surprisingly good, and he couldn't seem to find any fault with it.
hateful.
Zhou Huairang observed His Highness's reaction and asked, "Your Highness, how is it?"
Zhao Mian's reaction was indifferent: "It's still edible, you try it."
Zhou Huairang also picked up a small piece of sea fish and put it into his mouth to chew slowly. The more he chewed, the more subtle his expression became. After finishing the whole bite, he had no idea how to comment, so he could only follow His Highness and say, "Your Highness is right, I can still swallow it."
Then the king and his minister tacitly stopped talking and ate in silence.
Halfway through the meal, there was a sudden sound of a sword being unsheathed outside the private room. Zhao Mian paused and looked out the door.
Zhou Huairang was startled—he really jumped up: "Who!"
At this time, there was no movement outside the door, and it was unusually quiet.
Zhao Mian squinted his eyes and saw two figures through the window. One of them was holding a long knife, which was placed on the neck of the other.
The man holding the long knife was one of Zhao Mian's shadow guards: "Sir, it's Li Er."
Zhao Mian's grip on the spoon suddenly tightened. He tried to maintain his demeanor, retracted his gaze, and continued to drink his soup slowly.
"Li Er?!" Zhou Huairang couldn't believe it, his eyes widened like bells, "He dares to come back?!"
Li Er's voice came from outside the door: "I dare you." Even though the shadow guard had a knife on his neck, he still had a smile in his voice, "Little brother, please tell your son the fishmonger wants to see him."
Zhou Huairang said to Zhao Mian, "Sir, the fish butcher wants to see you."
Zhao Mian said calmly: "I can hear it."
“You tell me, should we…” Zhou Huairang made a gesture of wiping his neck.
Zhao Mian seemed calm, but in fact his fingertips were white from exerting too much force: "That would be too easy for him."
Li Er added: "Don't worry, I won't say any nonsense this time."
Zhou Huairang turned around and relayed, "Master, he also said that he would definitely not talk nonsense this time."
Zhao Mian: "... I can hear you if you tell me."
"But Your Highness, how did Li Er know we were here?" Zhou Huairang thought carefully and felt a chill down his spine. "Is he following us?"
"Since Shen Buci didn't say anything, it must be no. Li Er knew we would come to Kyoto, and this is the most expensive restaurant in Kyoto, so it's not surprising that he predicted I would come here." Zhao Mian wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief, "Since he has the courage to come to me, why not let him in
After receiving the order, the shadow guard pushed Li Er into the private room.
After not seeing each other for a few days, Li Er finally stopped wearing the fishmonger's clothes. He changed into a tight waist suit that was easy to move in. It was clean and neat, and it made him look broad-shouldered and long-legged, and tall and slender.
Zhao Mian was quite pleased to find that the broken skin at the corner of Li Er's mouth had not healed yet.
If you don't look at his face, Li Er has some advantages. But once you look at his face, everything is ruined.
Zhao Mian looked at him coldly and said, "Kneel down and talk."
Li Er raised his eyebrows: "Come again?"
The shadow guard's knife was an inch closer to Li Er's neck: "Young Master, I told you to kneel down."
Li Er could not resist, nor did he bother to resist, as his life was being held in the palm of his hand. He sighed, lifted his clothes, and knelt down in front of Zhao Mian again.
The anger that had been burning in Zhao Mian's heart for several days finally subsided a little, but he was still very angry.
If you say Li Er has a sense of pride, he can kneel so happily without showing any humiliation on his face. If you say he has no sense of pride, he will not show any mercy when he has the chance to take revenge.
Zhao Mian stood in front of Li Er and said condescendingly: "You are still alive."
"Alive." Li Er said, "But Yun Yong Hua Ju was seriously injured and needs to rest for a while. These two silly girls acted without my knowledge, it would be good for them to learn a lesson."
So only the two girls were injured, and Heipi was still here talking to him.
pity.
Zhao Mian asked calmly: "Oh? What did they do to get injured?"
Li Er laughed at him, "Don't pretend. You are the only one who knows what I want to do besides my own people. Yun Yong told me that Nangong had been prepared for a long time, as if waiting for them to fall into the trap. I didn't expect that you could actually reach into Nangong."
Zhao Mian sneered: "The loser eats dust, you have nothing to complain about."
"I'm not here to complain, I'm here to make peace." Li Er straightened his back and spoke in a serious tone. "Wan Huameng is our common enemy. If we want to get the antidote from him, we have the best chance of winning if we form an alliance. As I said before, if you kill me and can't find the antidote, you will die. Don't fight me, young master. Let's work together for the overall situation, okay?"
Zhao Mian just thought it was ridiculous: "You forgot how you humiliated me, and you actually have the guts to propose an alliance with me. If the Queen Mother knew that you are so fearless of death, she would make you a first-class Chaoyong Marquis."
I don't know what made Li Er laugh, he laughed, then realized that now was not the time to laugh. He put on a sincere look and said, "Even if you and I are not friends, we are not necessarily enemies. Why don't you talk to me openly and honestly?"
"Be open and honest? With you?" Zhao Mian did not hide his disdain and mockery. Li Er was full of mysteries, even his hair was fake. Talking openly with such a person would undoubtedly be a way to death. "I dare not, I won't talk, it's not good."
Li Er knelt on the ground, helpless and impatient: "When I was obedient, you looked down on me and didn't even bother to look at me. When I got ruthless, you thought I was humiliating you... You are hard to please."
Zhao Mian sneered: "You call this 'obedient'? I'm afraid you have some misunderstanding of these two words."
It was no use arguing like this. Li Er lost all patience and said, "Just give me a definite answer. If we can talk, then we can talk. If we can't, then forget it. Let's each find the antidote based on our own abilities and don't bother each other."
Zhao Mian knew what Li Er said. He admitted that Wan Hua Meng was very powerful, and Bai Yu alone might not be able to find the antidote in Nangong. However, Li Er did have the ability to be as good as him.
When facing a strong enemy, the best strategy is to turn the enemy into a friend.
But how could he swallow this
Zhao Mian stared at Li Er, trying to find a flaw in Li Er's eyes: "You just said that you wanted to talk to me openly."
"yes."
"Okay." Zhao Mian sat back at the table, as if he was interrogating a criminal, "Let me ask you, have we met before?"
Li Er didn't expect Zhao Mian to discuss this issue with him first. He was stunned for a moment and said slowly: "No."
Zhao Mian didn't believe it: "If not, why did you lose consciousness for so long when you saw me?"
Li Er said: "Because you look different from what I imagined, you are quite pretty."
Zhao Mian was slightly startled, and got stuck inexplicably.
Li Er answered without thinking, as if it was a matter of course, or he was praising him, this... there must be something fishy.
Zhao Mian reacted quickly and calmed down: "Nonsense! I'm not ready to see that point yet."
Li Er hesitated and said: "This..."
Zhou Huairang hesitated: "Sir..." Don't you have a clear understanding of your appearance
Zhao Mian added: "Besides, if you don't know me, why are you suddenly willing to make peace now? What were you doing before?"
Li Er said: "I didn't know you brought so many experts with you. Now that I know, of course I want to make the best use of them."
Although Li Er's answer was reasonable, Zhao Mian still didn't believe a word of it: "You want to continue to ally with me, fine, but you must listen to me in the future."
Li Er did not agree immediately: "That depends on what you want me to do."
Zhao Mian said: "Wash your face first."
Li Er was puzzled: "What is the connection between the two?"
"Yes," Zhao Mian said arrogantly, "I can't eat when I see Heipi."
The potion that Zhu Guangshen prepared for Zhao Mian to remove his disguise came in handy.
(End of this chapter)