Chapter Thirty-Three: Liu Zhang's Private Residence

Los Angeles.

Ever since he witnessed Mu Lian's stunning beauty that day, Li Peixuan had been unable to forget her. It was so similar, so incredibly similar! The more he thought about it, the more he felt it resembled the portrait of a beautiful woman hanging in the secret room of his father's study. Could there really be some connection between them?

Just as he was pondering this, a guard outside the door announced, "Your Highness, the military governor requests your presence."

After tidying his clothes and hair in front of the mirror, Li Peixuan strode out with his guards. He had come to Luocheng this time carrying a secret letter from the Prince of Ruyang. Previously, the Prince of Ruyang had been eager to have Li Peixuan adopted by the Empress as her godson, but the Empress had refused on the grounds that it was against moral principles. With this avenue blocked, the Prince of Ruyang harbored resentment and, to some extent, decided to rebel.

In the imperial court, knowing full well that the Empress had long favored the nobleman Zhang Songzhi, the court officials, in collusion with others, pressured her to hold a selection of sons on the grounds of her "lack of an heir." It should be noted that while the social atmosphere in the Daxing Dynasty was relatively open, this was the first time since the change of dynasty that an empress had ascended the throne, and the old conservatives in the court had long debated how many sons the Empress should take in. Fortunately, after so many years on the throne, the Empress only had Zhang Songzhi in her harem, who was more than a father figure to her, so those old men fell silent.

However, the Empress has been childless for many years, and the matter of adopting an heir has not yet been settled. Under the secret instigation of the Prince of Ruyang, those old men have brought up the matter again. During this period, they have been submitting memorials every few days, which has greatly annoyed the Empress. Outside the court, the Prince of Ruyang has long had dealings with Liu Zhang. This time, he personally sent his son, which shows his intention to win him over in every possible way.

As Li Peixuan traveled along, he saw towering buildings and majestic scenery, which secretly made him feel awe.

This is Liu Zhang's private residence, heavily guarded. Contrary to the image of a kind, frugal, and simple official he cultivated in front of the people, this residence reveals the owner's extravagance in every detail. Regardless of the opulent furnishings, the proud peacocks strutting about in the courtyard are clearly no ordinary birds; they must have been specially transported from Yunnan and are cared for by servants.

Reaching the covered walkway, Li Peixuan stopped. He took some feed from a tray held by a servant and scattered it down the walkway. Hearing the sound, the peacocks in the courtyard turned around, saw the richly dressed Li Peixuan, cried out, raised their heads, and spread their huge emerald tail feathers, as if to compete with him.

Li Peixuan laughed. When he was young, he traveled to southern Yunnan and was once pecked by a peacock, which made him cry for a long time. Now, seeing it again, he found it amusing.

As dusk fell, the setting sun cast its warm orange light upon the brocade cloud-patterned robes of the Kyoto nobleman, creating a beautiful glow. Truly, a dashing and elegant gentleman of this turbid world.

"Your Highness, this way please..." came the respectful voice of Liu Zhang's advisor from behind.

Li Peixuan turned around and continued walking with Liu Zhang's advisor. This advisor was one of Liu Zhang's confidants, from Liu Zhang's own clan, and no one knew his real name, only calling him Advisor Liu. This Advisor Liu was over forty years old, with a beautiful beard, and had a refined and scholarly demeanor, looking like a learned man.

Liu Zhang is indeed a man who values ​​talent. Li Peixuan pondered this, gripping the secret letter in his sleeve, and becoming even more alert.

Inside the hall, Liu Zhang sat in the main seat, with several Luo City officials seated below him. Upon seeing Li Peixuan enter, the Luo City officials all rose to pay their respects, while Liu Zhang merely raised his body slightly.

Li Peixuan's expression hardened slightly, a fleeting hint of displeasure crossing his eyes. Compared to his father, the Prince of Ruyang's, optimism about the talks, he had long known it wouldn't be so easy. However, this meeting was, after all, a personal visit on behalf of his father, demonstrating considerable sincerity, while Liu Zhang's attitude seemed far less enthusiastic.

After a moment's thought, Li Peixuan bowed and said, "Although I came to Luoyang this time at the behest of my father, I left the capital in secret. I have been traveling through wind and rain, so I was unable to pay my respects to the military governor immediately. I hope the military governor will forgive me..."

Hiding their tracks? Braving the elements along the way? So they secretly left the capital? It seems the Empress is already wary of the Prince of Ruyang. Thinking this, Liu Zhang's expression softened slightly. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.

"It's alright, it's alright. Your Highness has had a long journey. Tonight, let's treat this as a welcome feast to Your Highness..." After saying this, Liu Zhang clapped his hands, and a group of beautiful dancers gracefully arrived.

Unlike the last time at the Luoyang government office, this time the dancers were carefully selected and kept in private residences, rarely seen by outsiders. Therefore, they were more beautiful, and their figures and dances were more enchanting.

A fragrant breeze rose with the music, and two groups of red-clad dancers, their faces veiled and their arms draped with shawls, twirled and danced, their slender white legs and magnificent breasts appearing and disappearing, captivating the eyes of the officials present.

Mu Lian and Meng Yuan were also hiding among the dancers.

After rescuing Ah Liu that day, Mu Lian learned the location of Liu Zhang's private residence from Ah Liu, so she sneaked in early on. However, Liu Zhang's private residence was heavily guarded, and Mu Lian and Meng Yuan could not move freely, so they had to blend in with the dancers' troupe.

Fortunately, the private residence was very large, and each of the dancers had her own bedroom. They only gathered together when practicing, and all of them wore thin veils. Therefore, Mu Lian and Meng Yuan had managed to sneak in for several days without being noticed by anyone. In addition, the two had excellent memories. Although they could not dance, they learned to dance quite well after a few days of practice. Therefore, their debut performance in the hall today was flawless.

Li Peixuan also looked towards the dancers in the hall. The music played softly, the fragrance wafted in the air, and the atmosphere was intoxicating, even without wine.

Suddenly, his hand holding the wine glass stopped. Strange, why did one of the dancers look somewhat familiar? Especially, especially her eyes.

Li Peixuan closed his eyes briefly, then focused his gaze on the hall again. The dancer was tall and slender, her long, straight legs subtly revealed with each movement, utterly alluring. Though her eyes were cool and aloof, her dance possessed an inherent charm that stirred the imagination.

Li Peixuan's fingers tightened around the wine cup. Suddenly, he felt a tickle in his throat, and his lower abdominal muscles seemed to tense up. He remembered the indescribable dream he had that night. Could it be her?

A slightly burning gaze remained fixed on Mu Lian. Mu Lian frowned slightly and shrank back in the row. This shouldn't be; her and Meng Yuan's disguises had never been seen through.

Indeed. But Mu Lian doesn't understand men. If Li Peixuan hadn't been so obsessed with that fleeting glimpse of his face that day, she naturally wouldn't have had any doubts. But it was precisely because Li Peixuan had been repeatedly reliving the moment these past few days, tracing it in his mind, from his eyebrows and eyes to the corners of his lips, from his hair to his toes, that every line, every detail was etched into his mind, even captivating him in his dreams, that he could recognize him even through the veil.

It's her, it really is her!

A deep smile bloomed on Lee Bae-hyun's lips through the carved enamel gold wine cup.