Chapter 29. My husband, I want to eat fish.

He truly was the most successful puppeteer, capable of thinking independently without the aid of a puppeteer. Shi Mi's envy of him was undisguised. She said to Gu Jingguan, "Senior brother, please teach me again when you have time! My skills are not yet perfected. I'm in a hurry to go down the mountain, and I've encountered some obstacles that I can't overcome, and I have no one to ask for help."

Gu Jingguan smiled and said, "Yanren are like children. As they grow older, they will naturally understand more. Your Yanren is not stupid; it's just that the time hasn't come yet."

That being said, there is still a big difference between starting from a high point and starting from a low point.

She beckoned to Fifth Sea, "Come here, let your martial uncle take a good look."

Fifth Hai felt a little awkward. He glanced at his master and saw that he was smiling and did not stop him. He had no choice but to reluctantly walk up to the young lady who called herself his senior uncle.

Shi Mi took his hand, examined it from all angles, and then pinched the tenon of his shoulder blade, clicking her tongue in admiration: "Flawless, truly flawless!"

She caressed him all over, and Fifth Sea couldn't bear this excessive affection. He muttered, "The water tank is empty. I'll go fill it up." Then he made an excuse and fled.

Shi Mi said, "Look, he even knows how to be shy, how clever! If we changed his face and replaced it with Lu Min..."

Gu Jingguan dissuaded her from the idea, "Although he understands human nature, he can only draw human skin masks. Lu Min is the Grand Tutor, and the things he is proficient in are completely unknown to Fifth Hai. Even if he changes his face, it will be useless, and he will be exposed soon."

Shi Mi was disappointed, but she also understood the principle that those in high positions of power are not so easily replaced. In fact, when she saw the Fifth Sea, an even bolder idea popped into her head: replacing Lu Min was not thorough enough; if she could directly replace the Holy Yuan Emperor, that would be the ultimate satisfaction.

Gu Jingguan, of course, had no idea what she was planning. He had been away from his sect for many years, and he had always been deeply concerned about his master. "How is Master doing?"

Shimi said, “My master is in good health and often likes to walk around in the mountains. He walks fast, and sometimes I can’t keep up with him. But I have been down the mountain for two years and have been busy making puppets. I haven’t been able to go back to visit him. Actually, I don’t dare to. I’m afraid that my master will be dissatisfied with what I have done and that he will blame me and expel me from the sect.”

When the two talked about their master, they both felt a deep sense of longing and guilt.

Master Wei only accepted four disciples in his lifetime. Two were useless and best left unmentioned. The other two did enter the sect and inherit the art of mechanisms, but unfortunately, they both left Lingyin Mountain for various reasons. Now he has no direct disciples by his side, and thinking about it, he really feels sorry for him.

“Once I have fulfilled my long-cherished wish, let’s return to Lingyin Mountain together,” Shimi said. “Master probably doesn’t know that Miaoruo has been gone for a long time. No matter how much she resented you back then, after so many years, she must have let go of it.”

Gu Jingguan nodded. "Before I came down the mountain, I always felt that the outside world was bizarre and interesting, much more so than the mountain. Now that I'm in the world, I realize how chaotic it is, and I think it's better to go back."

In any case, meeting a fellow disciple is a joyous occasion. In this lonely world, warmth has finally arrived; even though we've never met, an innate closeness remains.

The next step is to find a way back to Chong'an City. We can't stay here any longer. Who knows if the disappearance of the assassins will soon attract Lu Min's attention?

Shi Mi revived the three fools, erased their post-war memories, and told them that Gu Jingguan was the puppet master.

The Yan people's love and respect for Yanshi came from the bottom of their hearts. When they first saw Yanshi's true face, they were more excited than the common people when they saw the emperor. They said bluntly, "Yanshi, stop wearing the cloak. It's too hot in the summer and you'll get prickly heat."

Shi Mi couldn't help but facepalm, but Gu Jingguan laughed, "Indeed, she has a natural talent."

In fact, the temperament of the puppets largely comes from the people who created them. The puppeteers who are calm and quiet tend to create mostly secluded and serene puppets, while those who are lively and outgoing create naturally vibrant and dynamic ones.

As for how to get back to Zhongdu, although it was located in the wilderness, it didn't pose a problem for them. The carriages and horses made of mechanical art were much faster than those pulled by mules. The folded springs were thrown onto an open ground, and they could travel a thousand miles a day without any difficulty. They arrived outside Chong'an City at dawn, then put away the mechanisms. As soon as the city gates opened, the group of six walked into the city, blending into the bustling crowd. Shi Mi took Gu Jingguan and Wu Hai back to Lirenfang to settle them in. He checked the time and realized it was time to return to Jiuzhang Prefecture.

I haven't figured out how to handle things when I get back. I'll just take it one step at a time.

Gu Jingguan was somewhat worried and urged Shi Miqie to be careful.

Shi Mi was very confident. "Lu Min can't do anything to me for now. Don't worry, I have my own way of dealing with him."

As for how to deal with him, she simply gave him a few perfunctory replies. If he persisted, she could only lie down and pretend to be dead.

So he took Ali Dao and Er Dian back to the Du Lou, and the Internal Affairs Officer immediately relayed the news to the council hall.

At that time, Lu Min was busy with official duties. There were bandits in the Xuecheng area, and he ordered the Pinglu Guard to go and wipe them out. He had only spoken halfway when he was interrupted by the advisor who came in.

Although the counselor was unaware beforehand that the Grand Tutor's wife had returned to her parents' home, now that the problem in the Grand Tutor's household had been resolved, it was worthwhile to report the good news. So he relayed the message to the Grand Tutor word for word: "The lady has returned, chatting and laughing, appearing completely at ease."

Lu Min's face darkened. "Are you newly appointed? How dare you report something like this to the council chamber!"

The counselor was startled and quickly bowed his head in apology. It seemed that the news had not improved the Grand Tutor's mood. The changes in Xuecheng still displeased him. After mobilizing the troops, he reprimanded the commander stationed in Xuecheng, saying, "He is a licentious official who does nothing. If he is incompetent, then select someone more capable to take his place."

No one dared to speak in the council hall, and the Grand Princess, who had been missing for many days, was no longer mentioned.

Lu Min didn't return to the inner palace until nearly noon. When he found his new wife in the courtyard, she was lying motionless on the bed, seemingly dead.

He knew she was awake and asked in a cool voice, "What were you doing at the Never-Sleeping City? Did you find the answers you were looking for there?"

Shi Mi gritted his teeth, not even blinking.

"None of the men I sent to you have returned to report. Where did they go?" he asked patiently again. After waiting for a long time without any response, he used his trump card, "What's in the box you brought? I plan to send someone to open it and check. Anything useless will be burned."

She suddenly opened her eyes. "These are my things. I hope you won't touch them. If you break them, even if you give me your entire salary, you still won't be able to afford to pay for them."

Lu Min chuckled. "The young lady has finally spoken. Are you prepared to answer my questions truthfully?"

Shi Mi hesitated for a moment, then said, "There's a ghost market underwater in Luhai, you've probably heard of it. I wanted to go there to see if there was any medicine that could grind people to dust, but unfortunately I didn't find it. I can't solve this case, so I've given up."

That's just how she is; she always knows how to avoid the important issues. He sighed, lowered his sleeves, and asked, "What about the ten assassins?"

Shimi was still feeling guilty. He covered his eyes and said, "I'm sorry, they're all dead. I was being targeted in the ghost market, and to protect me, not a single one of them survived."

This was truly devastating news. He suppressed his anger, remained silent for a moment, and then asked her, "Not a single one is left. Where are the bodies?"

Shimi said, "As you know, we are best at disposing of corpses. We just dig a hole and bury them. If you want to retrieve the body, we can dig it up again. I'm willing to show you the way, anytime."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at his expression. It seemed that it only took a moment for her to go from being angry to being relieved. His tone became indifferent again, "Never mind, this is the fate of assassins. It's just a pity about all these years of training."

So this matter was just swept under the rug? Shi Mi wasn't sure how much he actually knew. This man was always calm and collected; who knew what he was plotting behind the scenes?

"The Grand Princess's body still hasn't been found?" she asked, sitting up. "Won't that be difficult to explain to Marquis Jihu?"

Perhaps because he had witnessed too many matters of life and death, human life itself was commonplace to him. "If we really can't find it, the filial sons and grandsons can just build a cenotaph. I can't very well ask Yan Shi to make a fake and return it to the Marquis of Ji Hu."

He spoke, but his eyes were fixed on her, as if trying to read her expression.

Fortunately, Shimi remained calm and composed. "A puppeteer isn't someone who sells marionettes on the street; you can't just do things on a whim. But the Grand Tutor has seemed very tired these past two days. Could it be because I wasn't around, causing you to be restless and unable to eat or sleep?"

He was used to her occasional teasing, and turned away, saying, "I'm busy with official duties, it has nothing to do with you. I don't plan to investigate the truth about the Grand Princess's fall at the moment, nor do I want to know if she's real or not. In five days it will be the Emperor's birthday, and I need to rush to Baiyujing to offer my congratulations. If I can't explain myself to His Majesty, he might send an imperial censor to investigate. At that time, you all stay obediently in Jiuzhang Prefecture, don't go out casually, and don't cause me any trouble."

Shi Mi said, "Don't worry about us handling things. Do you need me to accompany you back to Baiyujing?"

He glanced at her and said, "What do you think?"

Shi Mi sighed, "Then I'll reluctantly go. After all, I've received a reward and should express my gratitude in person. Besides, this emperor seems to really enjoy bestowing beauties upon you. What if I don't show myself and you bring back two more for me?"

This answer seemed to meet Lu Min's requirements, so he didn't say anything more, simply stating "We'll leave tomorrow morning," and turned to leave. Shi Mi was left behind shouting, "My lord, sleep here tonight!"

But he walked faster and faster, and soon he was on the covered bridge. Shimi looked up at the people walking across the bridge, his smile gradually disappearing from his lips. He wondered to himself, is this matter really going to end like this?

She had to set off again early the next morning, so she had to make arrangements for the three men in advance, instructing them to guard the isolated building carefully. Before dawn, she slipped into Lu Min's bedroom with a pillow between her legs.

He didn't like to light lamps at night; only the lanterns under the eaves outside flickered, occasionally casting a little light in.

Using the remaining light to discern the furnishings in the room, Shi Mi finally found the bed and climbed up in the dark.

Given his quick wit, if he hadn't been sure who it was, he would have already delivered a chop to her neck. But he didn't; he didn't even ask who it was, and simply rolled over to make room for her.

They understood each other without saying a word and slept peacefully until dawn. In the morning, a maid came in to help her with her hair and makeup, and assisted her in dressing in her embroidered gown. The two stepped out of the gate of Jiuzhang Mansion and saw the carriage of the Six Guards General approaching in the distance. When it arrived, the ladies dismounted to greet her and inquire about her well-being. Seeing that Lady Hu Kui was in good spirits, Shi Mi politely asked, "Is everything alright, Madam? I was worried that you were preoccupied and couldn't let go of your worries."

Lady Hu Kui seemed somewhat confused. "What do you mean, Madam? You can't let go?"

Now it was the turn of the confused to understand. The other five wives of the guards also looked puzzled. The wife of the Silver Forest Guard said, "When the Grand Princess fell from the building, weren't you crying your eyes out and blaming yourself for not being able to stop her?"

Lady Hu Kui seemed to have a particularly hard time understanding these words. She touched her forehead and said, "I've been having nightmares lately, and it's been very upsetting. I met a sorcerer who claimed he could change the world, so I asked him to cure me. Now that I think about it, I don't think I actually saw the Grand Princess fall from the building. I only remember everyone drinking and enjoying the scenery, having a great time..."

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, realizing that yet another person had been possessed. Lady Shuanggong tried to smooth things over, saying, "It's better if they don't remember. It's not a good thing to hold a grudge all the time."

The caravan was about to depart, and the ladies returned to their respective carriages. Shimi climbed into the carriage and saw Lu Min calmly leaning against the armchair reading a book. She couldn't help but glance outside and asked, "The Six Guards Generals all ride horses, why are you riding in a carriage?"

The person opposite didn't even look up. "I'm not feeling well, I can't be exposed to the wind."

"Oh, you still have to pretend to be sick," Shi Mi said with a disdainful purse of her lips.

When she was bored, she told him about Lady Hu Kui's situation earlier. "I met someone in the ghost market who called himself a Nightmare Master..." Fearing he wouldn't understand, she quickly explained, "The 'nightmare' in 'nightmare' means the ability to confuse dreams with reality. It seems that the wife of General Hu Kui had dealings with him and forgot everything she didn't want to remember. Have you heard of this person before? Could the Grand Princess's fall from the building be related to him?"

Lu Min pondered for a moment and said, "I did hear about him in my early years. He traveled between the five kingdoms and made a living by unorthodox methods. But he disappeared for more than ten years. I thought he was dead. I never expected him to reappear in the Ghost Market."

Shimi noticed that he seemed completely unsurprised by the mention of the ghost market, so he leaned closer and asked, "Did you already know there was a ghost market under Deer Sea? If you knew, why didn't you investigate it?"

Or perhaps those in power all possess that air of superiority, and sorcery never catches their eye. He said calmly, "That place is teeming with charlatans, and nine out of ten of their tricks are lies. It all depends on whether you believe them or not. I know of the Ghost Market in Nightless City, and I have sent people to search for it, but unfortunately, there is no cure for the poison in my body, so I stopped pursuing it."

Shi Mi couldn't understand, "If you think the Ghost Market is full of swindlers, why not just eradicate the place altogether?"

He slowly turned the pages, lowering his eyes as he said, "The reason why Nightless City can attract so many wealthy merchants is largely due to the Ghost Market. After the great war, the people need to recuperate, and the national treasury relies heavily on tax revenue. With this money tree, why not take advantage of it? Besides, it's better to offend a gentleman than a petty person. Although those sorcerers are insignificant, they are numerous. If they are determined to make trouble for you, it will be quite troublesome." He paused, then muttered to himself, "Since the Nightmare Master has reappeared in the world, we can bring him in for questioning. I will arrange this matter myself; you don't need to worry about it. These next few days, be a good wife to your Grand Tutor and deal with the Emperor's birthday first."

This requirement was not difficult for Shi Mi. She leaned back and asked him to rest assured, "I am loyal to the emperor because I eat his food. If the emperor wants me to be dignified, I will be dignified. I will be so dignified that you cannot find any fault with me."

He finally looked up from the book, completely disbelieving her words. "Really?"

She nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes."

However, no sooner had she finished speaking of dignified conduct than she fell asleep again. She didn't know how long she slept, but just as she was enjoying a deep sleep, she felt him nudging her. Perhaps he hadn't woken her after a while, because he seemed a little impatient. She opened her eyes and saw that world-weary face, and immediately felt annoyed. "What? We're here so quickly?"

He withdrew his hand and said, "Get up, change the waterway."

Shimi mumbled sleepily, "By water? You said last time that there was no navigable route from Zhongdu to Shangdu, and that it was inconvenient to travel by water."

He reached out and took his book, saying calmly, "The axle is broken. I can't wait to have someone fix it. It's more convenient to take the waterway." As he spoke, he got up and walked out, but after taking half a step, he turned back and instructed, "You need to change how you address me. Don't address me too formally in front of others, lest it arouse suspicion."

Looking at his appearance, Shi Mi was quite confused about who was relying on whom to prolong their lives.

"Fine, fine, let's indulge the man's fragile pride." She slowly alighted from the carriage, looking around. This was a place called Langya Ferry, with a fairly large dock, and it was very close to Never Sleeps. A ready-made painted boat was moored in front of the waterside pavilion, very characteristic of Never Sleeps, with carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent in gold and jade.

The ladies hadn't been back to Baiyujing for a long time, and they were delighted to be on a boat trip. Since this trip was to attend Emperor Shengyuan's birthday celebration, not to report on official business, they didn't have to worry. They pulled their husbands along to watch the fishermen coming and going on the river, and the water birds that occasionally skimmed across the surface, chattering happily.

Shimi and Lu Min stood at the bow of the boat, both staring intently at the water, expressionless and silent. The ladies watched and laughed, "Our presence is making the newlyweds uncomfortable."

The two then realized that this wasn't how real marriages were supposed to be. Shimi turned to look at Lu Min and, in a belated attempt to salvage the situation, said, "Husband, I want to eat fish."

Lu Min looked at her intently for a moment, then said, "Okay."

So they prepared a feast of fresh river delicacies, with one fish prepared in several ways, along with snails and clams, piling the plates high. The men sipped their drinks, while the ladies chatted idly. Lady Yinlinwei joked, "We've been married for a few days now, but we still seem like we don't know each other very well."

Despite Lu Min's carefree and irreverent attitude, Shi Mi displayed remarkable ladylike manners in front of these ladies, smiling shyly, "The matter concerning the Grand Princess made us feel very guilty, and we argued about it, so we're not very happy."

The generals' wives said, "The case is mysterious, but there's no need to let it damage our relationship. If we can find the body, great; if not, we'll just assume it was taken away by the gods in heaven. Even if the palace asks, we'll give the same answer."

Just then, freshly steamed shrimp were served. The ladies, being considerate of their husbands, did not rely on the maids to do it. Seeing them placing shrimp meat into her husband's bowl and plate one after another, Shimi had no choice but to peel one as well, and reluctantly placed it on Lu Min's chopsticks.

Lu Min tilted his head and said, "I don't like shrimp, thank you, my wife."

Whether he genuinely didn't want to eat it or simply didn't want to eat what she peeled, Shimi decided to stop trying to be attentive.

"Are you really not going to eat?" she asked again.

He hummed in agreement, "No, I won't eat."

"Have you finished your drink?"

His alcohol tolerance was still developing, and he hadn't planned to drink much in the first place, so he pushed his glass away again, saying, "I'm done."

Since that's the case, Shimi tenderly pushed her shrimp in front of him, "If these were all shelled, I can't even imagine what a delicacy they would be..." As she spoke, she winked and smiled at him, "Husband, don't you think so?"