According to the steward, the thief would come every five days, give Xu Shen a small porcelain bottle, and then leave.
I think I had some tasks to give them yesterday, so we chatted for a bit longer. But it didn't last more than fifteen minutes, and the butler didn't dare to go forward for fear of being discovered.
We could only stand far away and watch, and couldn't hear the sounds clearly.
I only heard a few words intermittently, and put them together to make what I thought was the correct judgment.
Xu Nian and Gu Zhan didn't say anything at the time, only asking him to keep an eye on things.
On the fifth day, it was another quiet night. However, the servants in the Princess's mansion seemed to have gone to bed earlier than usual, and the lights were extinguished well before dusk.
Apart from the chirping of insects, there was no other sound in the entire house.
Just as he thought it was time, Xu Shen's door opened again. He cautiously approached the wall and took the small porcelain bottle the man offered.
Xu Shen hurriedly took the medicine, and only after feeling the burning sensation in his heart subside did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"How did things go?"
His body stiffened slightly. How could he explain that not only had he made no progress, but he had also displeased Xu Nian?
Xu Shen was sweating profusely when a sudden thought struck him. "This... I really can't do this by myself. I'm a grown man, I can't just walk into their courtyard without a reason. Xu Nian might agree, but General Gu won't."
Perhaps finding his words reasonable, the man in black pondered for a moment. "Don't worry, someone will come to help you."
He didn't reveal who he was, simply uttering that one sentence before leaving the princess's residence. Unbeknownst to everyone, a person crouching in the bushes twitched their finger.
A spot of light landed on the man, and as he moved quickly, it drew a silver line in the air that was invisible to others.
Gu Zhan and the other waited until Xu Shen returned to the courtyard before getting up. "Should we chase after him?"
Xu Nian shook her head, took her husband's hand and returned to the courtyard. She ordered someone to bring a basin of clean water, and chanted, "The Tai Chi Bagua manifests its true form, so be it!"
The sword's finger swept across the calm water, creating ripples. Soon, the once crystal-clear water revealed a scene beyond their reflections.
The black background suggests that the man in black hasn't reached his master's location yet.
The couple waited for a while before they saw him enter through a side door and go to the study of a wealthy family.
A crimson hem came into view, followed by a gold-threaded belt and a jade pendant. The face bore a slight resemblance to the Crown Prince.
However, compared to his uprightness, there was a touch more sinister charm in him.
"The Fifth Prince?" Gu Zhan frowned, looking at the man leaning lazily in the armchair, finding it hard to connect him with the gentle and kind person from that day.
Xu Nian looked up in surprise, "Is this the Fifth Prince?"
Did they all think they were wrong before, that Xu Shen and Zhao Jinfeng were both sent by the Fifth Prince?
"Yes. I went to greet him that day and saw what he looked like in the palace. However, it might be different from what he looks like now."
The person who entered the palace that day was dressed in moon-white robes. Apart from the jade pendant, which was a valuable item, everything else on his person was completely incongruous with the status of a vassal king.
He was as timid as a squirrel, not daring to look directly at the emperor, and even the crown prince dared not utter a word.
This was different from the spirited Fifth Prince of the past, and even more so from the wicked and arrogant person before him.
[Perhaps the general has never heard of the term "darkening."]
This must be the ultimate villain described in novels; the innocent girl becomes the big bad wolf.
"Villain or not, he's staring at me. Does he think I have the martial arts manual he wants?" Xu Nian chuckled as she spoke to the comments section, shaking her head to dismiss the unrealistic idea.
The tracking spell's effect didn't last long; before they could hear anything they were saying, the water returned to calm.
She ordered everyone to remove the things and rubbed her temples. Gu Zhan felt very sorry for her, seeing how tired and worn she was all day, and carried her to the bedside.
“You don’t have to do that. No matter how they fight, I, their husband, will take care of everything. You just need to live a peaceful and happy life.”
He married Xu Nian because he truly loved and cherished her.
Now, seeing her doing things like scheming and hypocrisy for me, things she wasn't good at before, makes me feel very uncomfortable.
Xu Nian, however, disagreed, holding her husband's hand. "I'm fine. We're husband and wife, we should stand together through thick and thin. I just feel that the royal family are all brothers, yet they still fight each other and act independently. It's really unacceptable."
"Go to sleep. Don't you have to go to court tomorrow?"
Xu Shen didn't know if they were waiting for a letter from that person or if there had been any new developments on the other side. In any case, they waited for many days, but the person who came to steal their things never came.
Instead, they witnessed the grand wedding of the Second Prince and Princess Fukang.
The scene was naturally grand, slightly less grand than that of the Crown Prince and Su Wanting, but many times grander than that of the Third Prince.
Following the grand wedding, the first hunt of the year took place at the Nanshan Royal Villa, with the emperor's strong encouragement.
As the weather grew warmer, Jiang Yuanqing's cough returned, recurring day after day. His face was even paler than in winter, and he looked like a leaf in the wind, as if the slightest noise could blow him away.
The emperor appreciated his recent marriage but was still concerned about his health.
Without hesitation, the Fifth Prince approved Jiang Yuanqing's petition to withdraw from the court, but no one knew how he did it.
The person who was supposed to return to the capital to report on his duties and then go back to Anyang has actually stayed in the capital. He's even been able to attend court and participate in discussions. This has caused great anxiety among the Crown Prince's faction.
"After a few more days of recuperation, your body will be able to undergo the Gu removal procedure." Xu Nian calculated with her fingers, "It will be about five days from now. I will come over then."
These days, she has practiced her calligraphy very well. "These are the things you need. Have someone prepare them quietly."
Jiang Yuanqing reached out and took it. The hotter the weather, the worse his complexion became. The servant stood by his side, patting his back incessantly, his face filled with anxiety.
If it weren't for Xu Nian's care during the winter, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to speak a complete sentence now. "Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid my body wouldn't have made it through the year."
“What are you saying? We are friends, and besides, you are now Fukang’s husband, so she is also my friend. Of course, I will do my best.”
As she spoke, Xu Nian packed up her medical kit.
She had just taken half a step when she turned back. "By the way, absolutely no sexual intercourse for these five days. Otherwise, it will harm your health, and the recovery period will probably be longer."
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