Chapter 262 Tsukihime
After touring his room, Mr. Gao Huan nodded in satisfaction. After settling the guards and servants he had brought with him, he went to find Lin Changning.
After closing the window, Lin Changning sat down at the octagonal table and waited quietly for Mr. Gao Huan to come over.
They are going to see Tsukihime tonight, and they also need to gather information on recent events in the capital. There's quite a lot to do.
Mr. Gao Huan pushed open the door and walked straight over to Lin Changning after seeing him: "The arrangements have been made. Tonight they will take the not-so-fresh fruits from the cellar to the street to sell. We will stay here for the day tomorrow. The shopkeeper should go to the Jing'an Marquis's residence tomorrow to contact their manager. If those fruits and vegetables can be taken in, it will be easier to find out where our princess is being held."
Lin Changning nodded without answering. A moment later, the waiter knocked on the door: "Young master, the dishes are all prepared. Shall we serve them now?"
Lin Changning hummed in agreement: "Let's serve the food."
The waiter outside the door sighed, followed by five or six people, each carrying a food box. They filed in and placed plates and dishes of food on the octagonal table.
Changning glanced at it briefly, and the waiter, quite perceptive, served rice to Lin Changning and Mr. Gao Huan.
"Young master, wouldn't you like some musicians to entertain you? Yueji happens to have some free time right now."
Lin Changning glanced at Mr. Gao Huan and nodded casually: "Alright, let him come up."
The waiter chuckled and said, "Young master, just you wait and see. Yueji's pipa playing is unparalleled in the capital. So many people are queuing up but can't get a chance to hear it."
The waiter, sensing the situation, led the others out and closed the door tightly behind them.
Lin Changning was the first to pick up her chopsticks. The food on the table was really too tempting. She had been traveling all the way and hadn't eaten much. She was starving.
However, she still remembered her persona and tried her best to put on an elegant demeanor, stuffing food into her mouth one bite at a time. As soon as the food entered her mouth, Lin Changning's eyes lit up.
The pair of white jade chopsticks were almost constantly in use, the movements looked elegant, but in reality, the eating speed was not slow at all.
Lin Changning hadn't even finished eating when he heard a knock on the door.
A clear and melodious voice drifted from outside the door into Tingsong Pavilion.
"Young master, may I go in?"
Lin Changning gently wiped the corner of his mouth with the pad of his thumb: "Come in."
Yueji and her maid exchanged a glance and pushed the door open. Yueji stepped forward and bowed slightly to Lin Changning: "Young Master, may you be well. I will make a fool of myself tonight."
After closing the door, the maid moved a stool in front of the octagonal table.
Yueji and the maid exchanged a glance. Yueji handed the pipa in her hand to the maid, who nodded slightly and sat down on the stool.
Yueji stepped forward and looked Lin Changning up and down. After looking him up and down, she saw Mr. Gao Huan curtsy again.
Suddenly, the sound of a pipa being tuned came from behind. The little maid's hands plucked the pipa strings, and a tinkling melody poured out from her hands.
The sound grew louder and louder, and the melody became more and more urgent.
Yueji sat down at the octagonal table, her cold and aloof face glancing at Mr. Gao Huan before lowering her voice and speaking rapidly: "Time is short, so I'll get straight to the point. The princess is currently in a side courtyard of the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion, guarded by servants outside, with about 20 spies around. Every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the guards inside the mansion and the secret guards take turns. The princess is currently trapped in the courtyard and cannot even leave the mansion. Bringing her out of the mansion is practically a pipe dream."
Lin Changning asked, "Are there any banquets in the capital where all the women of the household are required to attend?"
Yueji thought for a while and said, "Aside from the grand banquet in the palace every year, there are only a few birthday banquets of the Wang clan members that I have to attend. The closest one is the birthday banquet of the eldest princess."
Yueji hesitated again at this point: "However, the princess was unable to attend the eldest princess's birthday banquet last year. At the time, it was said that the young lady was seriously ill, but in reality, she was beaten by the heir of the Marquis of Jing'an and was covered in injuries that made her unable to show her face."
At this point, Yueji gritted her teeth and said, "Although I play the zither well, I am of lowly status and probably cannot enter the Princess's residence. Do you two have any better ideas?"
Lin Changning lowered his head and began to ponder. Mr. Gao Huan was also in a difficult situation. If the person didn't come out, where would they go to rescue him?
The sound of the pipa gradually faded, and Yueji lowered her voice: "Please, both of you, act quickly. Last month, the young lady had a high fever in the Marquis's mansion and almost lost her life. The princess carried the young lady through several doors in the middle of the night, which is how the Marquis's mansion managed to bring a doctor and save the young lady's life. However, after that day, we lost all contact with the princess. We could still contact her before, but now there is no news at all."
Lin Changning and Mr. Gao Huan exchanged a glance and saw caution in each other's eyes. There was no news at all, which meant that the princess must have paid a price to save her daughter that day. The most likely explanation was that the last person who could communicate with the outside world was eliminated.
No wonder the prince was so anxious; his words implied that his daughter was in danger. Thinking about it, it certainly is. The princess's current situation must be...
After the song ended, Yueji took back her pipa and said softly, "Thank you for the gift, young master. I will take my leave now."
After Yueji left, Mr. Gao Huan frowned, while Lin Changning pondered all the key information carefully.
The two remained silent for a long time.
There are spies outside and servants inside. At this point, we can only determine the princess's location, but it's a pipe dream for the few people they brought to snatch her from the Marquis's mansion.
Mr. Gao Huan's brain cells were almost all dead. He had considered various possible solutions, but none of them were quite perfect.
At this moment, Lin Changning suddenly spoke up: "Sir, do you have any paints, paper, or pens here?"
Mr. Gao Huan looked at Lin Changning with some surprise: "Of course I have some. I'll have someone fetch it for you."
Mr. Gao Huan went out and called a waiter to fetch the items. He then returned to Lin Changning's side and tentatively asked, "Does the young master already have a plan?"
Lin Changning hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "I have some ideas, but I still need your cooperation, sir."
Mr. Gao Huan pondered for a moment and said, "If you have a solution, please tell me, and I will do my best to get people to cooperate."
Lin Changning nodded: "Let's talk about it when the things arrive. I need to draw a diagram."
The waiter knocked on the door: "Young master, I have brought you the paper, brushes, and paints you requested. They are all of the finest quality. I will now collect the rest of the items in the room for you."
After Mr. Gao opened the door and took the items, he placed them on the desk.
Lin Changning watched as the waiter deftly collected the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from the desk and replaced them with a better set. He nodded, waved his hand, and said, "Alright, we don't need you here anymore. Go out."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
