Over the past few days, the people of the capital have been extremely happy, and Tianxianglou's business has also improved considerably.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, a festive atmosphere is everywhere, and every household is putting up couplets and hanging lanterns.

As was the case with Tianxianglou, Zhou Wan also began to put up couplets and hang lanterns outside Tianxianglou.

She climbed the ladder, intending to reach the top of the pillar to hang the lantern, when suddenly she lost her balance.

"Ah..." Zhou Wan slid down, and in an instant, fear filled her heart. She closed her eyes.

But there was no pain as she had imagined. She slowly opened one eye and found that Tie Xiong was holding her firmly in his arms. Zhou Wan blushed instantly, not knowing whether it was from nervousness or shyness. Then she struggled to get up from Tie Xiong's arms.

"Zhou Wan, are you alright?" Tie Xiong's eyes hadn't left Zhou Wan, and upon seeing her condition, he quickly put her down.

"It's nothing, thank you..." Zhou Wan said, still a little embarrassed.

Hearing Zhou Wan's cry, San Niang hurriedly ran outside, fearing something had happened.

As soon as San Niang came out, she saw Tie Xiong holding Zhou Wan tightly in his arms, and she was also extremely excited.

"The New Year is almost here, what a wonderful time! Why don't you two get married instead?" Third Sister teased the two of them again.

Zhou Wan was already blushing, but after hearing what San Niang said, her face turned even redder.

Tie Xiong took Zhou Wan's hand and asked, "Zhou Wan, would you be willing to be my wife?" As he spoke, he took out the marriage certificate.

It turns out that Tie Xiong came here specifically to choose an auspicious day to propose marriage to Zhou Wan, and he plans to get married before the end of the year.

"I do." Zhou Wan was thrilled to hear Tie Xiong propose to her in front of San Niang, and she agreed without thinking.

"Good, that's wonderful." Seeing this scene, Third Sister was so moved that she almost cried. Perhaps it was because she was thinking of her own past, or perhaps it was because she was seeing her two children finally get married.

"I have to hurry and tell A-Yue the good news." San Niang said and ran inside. Zhou Wan and Tie Xiong also went in to find Xu Yuehuai.

"Ah Yue, Ah Yue, Tie Xiong proposed to Zhou Wan, and Zhou Wan agreed!" Third Sister ran into the backyard and started shouting. Xu Yuehuai was genuinely happy for the two of them the moment she heard it.

Xu Yuehuai got up and went out as well. When San Niang called out, all the servants in the courtyard heard it and came out to join in the fun, congratulating the two on their marriage.

"Manager Xu, I wish to propose marriage to you and ask for Zhou Wan to be my wife." Tie Xiong took the marriage certificate, then walked up to Xu Yuehuai, bowed respectfully, and handed over the certificate.

Xu Yuehuai was genuinely happy to see them. "Alright, I agree, Tiexiong."

"Thank you for your kindness, Mother." Tie Xiong immediately changed his words, while Zhou Wan, standing to the side, appeared somewhat shy.

The onlookers, including Third Sister, were instantly enlivened and started cheering, "Give him a kiss! Give him a kiss!"

Tie Xiong glanced at Zhou Wan, whose face was flushed, then walked over and gently kissed her cheek.

The atmosphere instantly became joyful, and Zhou Wan's face turned as red as if it were bleeding.

Although Xu Yuehuai was happy, seeing Zhou Wan's reaction, he said, "Alright, stop fooling around."

“I’ve seen it. The notice says it’s the 26th of the lunar year. There are only two days left. We need to get ready.” After Xu Yuehuai finished speaking, the men cheered and then discussed how to allocate tasks.

Everyone pitched in. Xu Yuehuai and San Niang went out to buy some wedding supplies, while the shop assistants were responsible for arranging and decorating. In just half a day, the place was already decorated with a festive atmosphere.

...

Since Qi Guze returned to the capital, he has been visiting Tianxianglou every day. Marquis Ningyuan was worried and hurriedly came to find Aqi.

Every time he entered the East Palace, he would see Ah Qi studying or practicing calligraphy, looking so calm and composed, which only made him angrier.

He slammed his hand on the table and began to berate him: "I told you to deal with Xu Yuehuai as soon as possible, but you kept thinking about our past relationship. You don't know that she already knows you are the fake crown prince. If you don't take action, you will only be at her mercy."

"What is the matter that has angered you so much today, Lord Marquis?" Ah Qi asked indifferently, clearly not angered by the matter.

He knew in his heart that if Xu Yuehuai really wanted to kill him, he would have already revealed his identity as the fake crown prince.

Marquis Ningyuan was short-tempered and easily angered, but he could only endure it in front of Ah Qi. He said, "Qi Guze goes in and out of Tianxiang Tower every day. Even if he doesn't actively try to climb up to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, he will probably have the opportunity to find him. You and I are outnumbered and weak. We haven't even found the whereabouts of the young prince yet. Tell me, how much of a chance do we have?"

Upon hearing this, a dark glint flashed in Ah Qi's eyes.

He has worked so hard to get to this point; if something goes wrong, he will lose everything.

He cannot lose.

"You kept saying that the Regent would never return to the capital, but you still miscalculated. So why are you making a scene here?" Ah Qi still avoided the main issue and immediately shifted all the blame onto Marquis Ningyuan.

However, after thinking about Xu Yuehuai's attitude towards him these days, he feared that the two of them would soon break off their relationship.

It seems this person can no longer be kept around.

He said calmly, "Kill Xu Yuehuai."

Marquis Ningyuan was about to get angry, but after hearing Aqi's words, he immediately became smug and even said with pride, "That's right. Only by getting rid of Xu Yuehuai can we have a better chance of winning."

"I saw someone who looked exactly like the young prince a few days ago, and I've already had him taken away. Around the end of the year, take the opportunity to leave the palace and go check on him. If he is, we won't have to worry about him exposing your true colors anymore." He now seemed to be beckoning her with power.

Just then, Ah Qi paused.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking: "How are your spies at Tianxiang Tower doing? Now is a critical moment. If you wait until the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and the Regent's Mansion become allies, it will be too late for you to make a move."

"Don't worry..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ah Qi interrupted him: "Maimaiti sent people over; perhaps they can be of use to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Ting came out of the inner room.

Marquis Ningyuan sized her up, his face full of disdain: "Who is this person?"

“When Qi Guze encountered danger in the Mingyue Kingdom, it was she who saved his life. Naturally, she is more likely to gain his trust than we are. If we can get her to infiltrate the Tianxiang Tower, it will naturally increase our chances of winning,” A Qi said calmly.