Chapter Thirty-Five: A Hidden Paradise

As the poem says: A hero pours a cup of wine to the moon over the river, but the hardest thing to bear is the kindness of a beautiful woman.

With slightly tipsy eyes, Li Peixuan's mind raced, but his expression remained impassive. This beauty was so amorous; her intentions were likely far from simple. Using the woman's delicate hand, Li Peixuan readily drank the hangover soup. The woman was very close, her cool, fragrant scent swirling around him, layer upon layer, wafting gently, making his heart flutter.

Suddenly, Li Peixuan gripped the woman's wrist tightly, his eyes widening in disbelief. A smile flashed in the woman's eyes as she plucked each of his fingers, then placed her slender hand on his forehead, causing him to fall to the ground, unwilling and helpless. But in that instant of falling, he struggled to tear off the woman's red veil.

Her hair danced in the wind, her face was as beautiful as jade, just like that night.

With a sigh, Mu Lian picked up the torn veil and took the jade-colored scroll from Li Peixuan's sleeve. Knowing the man before her was wary, she hadn't tampered with the hangover soup, only applying a little rosemary balm to her body. This balm had a delicate scent, similar to a woman's natural fragrance, difficult for ordinary people to distinguish, yet only a small amount was enough to incapacitate an opponent without them noticing; it was one of the secret medicines of the Judicial Office.

She pulled a black hairpin from her hair, twisted the end, and poured out a specially made silver needle. Using the needle, she picked out the secret letter from the jade-colored scroll, unfolded it, and held it up to the candle burning beside the table. The wax sealing the letter melted slightly in the fire, gradually revealing the writing.

Gazing at the contents of the letter, Mu Lian frowned slightly. This Prince Ruyang was indeed cunning and shrewd; there was no hidden plot in this letter. Her slender, pale hand picked up a silver needle, glanced at the letter again, and swiftly pierced the four corners of it. After piercing, she carefully examined the color of the needle tip, a slight smile appearing on Mu Lian's lips.

I see.

Mu Lian spread the secret letter out on the table, took out a porcelain bottle from her bosom, poured the white powder inside onto the letter, and then used a silver needle to spread the powder horizontally. After a short while, she lifted the letter, shook off the white powder, inserted the silver needle into the edge of the letter, and then gently lifted it, peeling off the deceptive layer covering the letter.

Beneath the veneer lay the true face of the secret letter, handwritten by the Prince of Ruyang. Mu Lian quickly scanned it, inwardly alarmed. She had known the Prince of Ruyang harbored rebellious intentions, but she hadn't expected him to be so audacious as to plot a rebellion with Liu Zhang. However, this secret letter alone was insufficient evidence of treason, especially since both the Prince of Ruyang and Liu Zhang had cultivated their power bases for many years; it was unwise to alert them at this juncture.

The fake leather was gently heated over a candle flame, then reattached to the secret letter. A ring of silver needles was then used to carefully prick the leather around the letter, ensuring it was firmly sealed. White medicinal powder was then poured on top, evenly filling the needle marks. After a short while, the excess powder was brushed away, and the letter was restored to its original state, showing no signs of tampering.

Put the secret letter back into the jade-colored letter tube and into Li Peixuan's sleeve. Mu Lian then took out a red pill and put it into the man's mouth. The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth and quickly dissolved in Li Peixuan's lips and teeth.

Having done all this, Mu Lian fastened her red veil again, and gracefully left the room carrying the tray. Behind her, the white medicinal powder scattered around the table gradually became transparent, dissolving into the wood grain until it was completely invisible.

In the courtyard, the moonlight was bright and clear. Lanterns hung high on the covered walkway, and gauze curtains fluttered. Rippling water below reflected the moonlight, creating a scene as beautiful as a poem or a painting.

Looking up at the sky, Mu Lian gracefully headed towards the dancers' quarters. As expected, Meng Yuan should be waiting for her there. Originally, her plan to secretly infiltrate Liu Zhang's private residence was to find evidence of Liu Zhang's disloyalty. Now that the Prince of Ruyang had conveniently come to her, she decided to hold back for now and wait for a bigger opportunity.

The night was cool and still. Mu Lian wrapped her gauze robe tighter around herself and quickened her pace. Passing through the courtyard, the peacocks that had proudly displayed their plumage during the day were now lying with their necks outstretched, seemingly indifferent to the human voices, as if they disdained to compete with her. Turning a corner of the corridor, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps, sometimes light and sometimes heavy. Mu Lian paused and slipped behind a pillar in the corridor.

Ye Yiqing clutched half of her veil, on the verge of tears. Who could have imagined that the once-powerful Director of the Cauldrons would fall to such a state of disgrace?

The corridor meandered around the pillars, when suddenly a hand carrying a cool fragrance grabbed Ye Yuqing, startling him so much that he almost screamed.

"Don't be afraid, it's me..." A clear yet familiar voice sounded from behind, like listening to celestial music.

"Mu, is it Lord Mu?" The woman's unique, cool fragrance wafted from her side, and Ye Yuqing's tense emotions gradually subsided.

"This is not the place to talk. Follow me..." Mu Lian handed the tray to Ye Yuqing to cover herself, and then led her people away.

In the courtyard, the proud peacock, a heavy sleeper, blinked one eye and turned its head to sleep again. What an ugly, strange creature! Not even remotely as beautiful as the goddess this prince admires. Not worth bothering with, hmph.

Upon entering the room, Mu Lian closed the door before looking at Ye Yuqing. Ye Yuqing's appearance was truly comical and disheveled. Having tumbled down the mountain cave, his hair and undergarments were covered in withered branches and leaves, and he had numerous scrapes on his face and arms. The maid's uniform he had hastily put on was crooked and ill-fitting, revealing his bare feet. If it weren't for the darkness, he would likely have been recognized at a glance.

A quick glance revealed Mu Lian's surprise. She cleared her throat and asked in a calm voice, "Why is Lord Ye here?"

Ye Yiqing glanced at the woman, who was still veiled, with a hint of grievance, and replied irrelevantly, "Is there any tea here?" He hadn't had a chance to drink any water during the long and bumpy journey, and his throat was practically parched.

Glancing at Ye Yuqing, Mu Lian picked up the teacup, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to the man. Gently blowing away the steam from the teacup, Ye Yuqing drank three sips before feeling slightly better.

"It's a long story..." Ye Tanhua sighed. It truly is a matter too complex to explain in a few words.

It turned out that security had been heightened at the post station ever since Mu Lian and Meng Yuan secretly left. Unexpectedly, Liu Zhang's spies were already lurking there. Upon learning of the absence of the head of the Judicial Office, they immediately spread the news. Liu Zhang was overjoyed and sent assassins to the post station that very night, but they were repeatedly thwarted. After wave after wave of attacks, the Imperial Guards and members of the Judicial Office suffered heavy casualties, including Commander Sun Bin and his attendant Ye Xun.

Seeing the dire situation, everyone instructed Ye Yiqing to disguise herself and travel. However, they encountered another group of men in black on the way. These men were of unknown origin, each possessing exceptional martial arts skills, and they attacked anyone they encountered. In the critical moment, Ye Xun risked his life to protect Ye Yiqing, who jumped out of the carriage and rode away on horseback.

But to his surprise, the horse seemed to have been tampered with as well, collapsing halfway down the road, drooling. Left with no other option, Ye Yuqing ran towards the woods beside the road, only to slip and tumble down the slope. This tumble, however, led him into a cave. After resting in the cave for half a day, Ye Yuqing was exhausted and hungry, and dared not leave easily, so he staggered towards the other side of the cave. Based on his years of accumulated knowledge of astronomy and geography, he suspected this cave might hold a hidden world.

really.

Following the winding stone steps upwards, and pushing open the stone door of the passageway imbued with the five elements, Ye Yiqing emerged from within a rockery. The moment he glimpsed the light of day, he was overjoyed. It was a magnificent and imposing mansion.

The sky is high and the clouds are light, with colorful clouds filling the sky. In the courtyard, a proud and beautiful peacock is displaying its beauty.