Upon hearing this, Xue Shen's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked at him with an inscrutable expression: "Minister Wang is indeed thinking of me."
Wang Yuanguang quickly replied, "To receive the emperor's bounty and bear his worries is what this humble subject should do."
Xue Shen thought for a while, then sighed deeply: "Well, staying in this deep palace for too long is indeed boring. Why not go out for a walk and relax? It's also a good opportunity to light a prayer lantern for the Empress. In this way, the Empress and I can celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together."
Wang Yuanguang was overjoyed to see that he had agreed and hurriedly said, "Then I will make the arrangements immediately."
Xue Shen waved his hand and said, "There's no need to make a fuss. Let Wang Deshun make the arrangements. Keep it low-key and don't let too many people know about it."
This was exactly what Wang Yuanguang wanted to hear. He was hoping that fewer people would know, so that no one would compete with his daughter on Mid-Autumn Festival.
After receiving Xue Shen's approval, Wang Yuanguang took his leave with satisfaction and hurried home to report the news to Wang Junting.
*
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xue Shen indeed went to Qingshui Manor incognito.
He didn't bring many people with him, only Wang Deshun and four guards. The group arrived at Qingshui Manor in a very low-key manner.
Qingshui Manor is located on the outskirts of the capital. Because of its proximity to the capital, it is a very prosperous and bustling manor.
The sky lantern releasing ceremony that Wang Yuanguang mentioned is an annual event in Qingshui Village.
On this day, the men and women of the village would dress up in their finest clothes, gather together, and release sky lanterns to pray for blessings.
Therefore, when Xue Shen arrived, he saw that all kinds of prayer lanterns were hung on both sides of the street in Qingshui Village, and the men and women walking on the road were all dressed up and beaming with joy.
He glanced around casually and said somewhat boredly, "Zhao Zhao will definitely like it here, it's just a pity we have to go fishing today, so we can't bring her."
Upon hearing this, Wang Deshun lowered his voice and replied, "This servant has inquired and found that the blessing ceremony at Qingshui Manor lasts for three days. It's not too late for His Majesty to bring the Empress over after we've finished our business."
Xue Shen nodded: "You're right, then we need to hurry. Let's just hope they don't dawdle too much."
Before they knew it, they had entered the inn.
Xue Shen stayed at the largest inn in Qingshui Manor. Since he was traveling incognito, the inn was not cleared out, but he booked a whole floor of guest rooms.
To everyone's surprise, the innkeeper apologized and said, "Please forgive me, sir. There are too many guests coming to Qingshui Manor to release sky lanterns during this festival. Several guests have already booked the VIP rooms on the third floor, so we can't book the whole room for you."
Upon hearing this, Xue Shen's lips curled slightly, and he casually said, "Never mind, it's just for a day or two, there's no need to occupy the entire floor of guest rooms."
After saying that, he instructed Wang Deshun to book a room as soon as possible, and then went up to the third floor first.
As he was going up the stairs, a woman wearing a white veil came down. As she passed by Xue Shen, she suddenly tripped and fell towards him. The white veil covering her face fell down, revealing a pitiful face.
Xue Shen instinctively looked away, but then his gaze paused when he saw the woman's face. He stared at her and asked in a deep voice, "What's your name?"
The woman seemed startled and did not answer. Instead, she hurriedly picked up the white veil that had fallen on the stairs, put it back on, and brushed past Xue Shen as if in shock, heading downstairs.
Xue Shen turned around and stared at her back, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Wang Deshun, having booked a room, came over and, following his gaze, called out, "Your Majesty?"
Xue Shen shook his head and continued walking upstairs.
Once inside the guest room, his expression changed, and he asked in a dark tone, "Whose house was that just now?"
Wang Deshun sensed his displeasure and bowed carefully as he replied, "She is the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Wang, and if I remember correctly, her name is Wang Junting."
Upon hearing the name, Xue Shen pondered for a while before remembering it, and said with a playful smile, "I've seen her before, but I don't recall her looking like this."
Wang Deshun remembered it clearly and said, "I heard that the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Wang is a talented woman with a very proud and aloof personality. I never expected that she would actually lower herself to put on such a cliché act."
Being by Xue Shen's side, he could immediately tell that Wang Yunting's clothing style, hairstyle, and even makeup were all modeled after Shen Youying.
However, she and Shen Youying do not look alike, and their temperaments are very different. At first glance, this outfit looks beautiful, but after looking at it for a while, it feels out of place.
Xue Shen said casually, "The first fish has already taken the bait."
*
After resting for a while at the inn, Xue Shen suggested going out for a stroll.
He changed his clothes and went downstairs. As soon as he reached the lobby, he heard Wang Deshun beside him say in a low voice, "The Guangyang Marquis's family has also arrived."
Xue Shen followed her gaze and indeed saw a woman sitting at the table. Her clothes and appearance were somewhat similar to Shen Youying's usual habits. When she noticed his gaze, she lowered her head shyly.
Xue Shen's expression turned slightly cold, and he asked Wang Deshun with a hint of sarcasm, "Is this how they see me?"
Wang Deshun looked embarrassed and naturally couldn't respond: "His Majesty's love for the Empress is as clear as day. Those people are just judging others by their own standards."
Xue Shen snorted and walked out without looking to the side.
Along the short stretch of road, Wang Deshun recognized the families of three or four officials from the imperial court.
Some of these people are pretending to bump into each other by chance, hoping to stage a hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scenario.
Some were bolder and pretended not to know Xue Shen's identity, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation.
Xue Shen naturally ignored it, and simply told Wang Deshun to write these people down in a book for future reckoning.
By the time they arrived at their destination, it was already evening.
A large crowd had already gathered in front of the prayer altar at Dajue Temple.
Almost everyone held a sky lantern in their hands, waiting for the abbot of Dajue Temple to come out and chant sutras to complete the blessing ceremony before releasing the sky lanterns together.
Xue Shen, finding the place too crowded, waited at a relatively quiet alley entrance and instructed Wang Deshun to buy a sky lantern.
Wang Deshun exclaimed "Hey!" and then darted into the crowd like a fish.
At the secluded alley entrance, only Xue Shen and four guards remained.
The person hidden in the shadows coldly stared at his profile, slowly raising their hand before slamming it down: "Make your move!"
The instant his voice fell, a dozen or so masked men in black moved like shadows to surround Xue Shen's location.
By the time Xue Shen realized it, all his and his four guards' escape routes had been blocked.
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