Pavilion Master

It was just dawn, and the dim morning light shone through the window curtains into the room, outlining the sleeping face of the girl on the couch.

She clutched the quilt tightly and curled up at the head of the bed, her eyes tightly closed and her eyebrows squeezed together, as if she was trapped in a strange dream.

Suddenly, she cried out softly and woke up suddenly, her eyes filled with lingering fear.

She let go of the crumpled quilt in her hands, slowly sat up, leaned her back against the pillow, took a few deep breaths, and gradually calmed down.

She seldom had nightmares before. The last time she had one was when she was in the Marquis' Mansion. It was a dream that seemed like a prophecy.

She slowly lowered her eyes, still feeling a lingering fear.

In the dream, she was wearing a bright red phoenix dress with gold thread wavy patterns on the hem, and she was sitting on the wedding bed with full of expectation.

She waited for a long time, until her eyes became increasingly heavy, before she finally heard the sound of unhurried footsteps approaching.

Her heart was pounding, the joy of marrying her lover spread in her heart, and their slender fingers could not help but entwine tightly together.

The next moment, the veil was gently lifted by a wedding scale, and Gu Huaizhi's handsome face came into her sight.

He used to like wearing red, and the wedding clothes he was wearing now made him look even more noble.

He chuckled and called her, "Madam."

She felt a little embarrassed by the burning gaze, and her cheeks were flushed red.

She opened her mouth to respond, but noticed that his peach blossom eyes were not amber, but silver-gray.

Just as she was beginning to feel a little doubtful and frowned slightly, he suddenly pressed her down under him.

Her body stiffened, her face became even redder, and she stopped thinking about it.

The young man's lips slowly moved closer to hers, but in a moment a scar of neither too long nor too short appeared on his right eye, making his features look a little cold.

Her heart skipped a beat and she came to her senses immediately.

He is not Gu Huaizhi!

Gu Huaizhi would definitely not look at her with such tender eyes.

She struggled to get up, but the man smiled and said, "Madam, what are you doing? It's time to consummate your marriage."

In a moment of desperation, she grabbed the pillow by her side and kept hitting him, but he still refused to let her go.

Just when she was desperate and had nowhere else to go, she finally woke up from her dream.

Thinking of this, her eyes were filled with complicated emotions, and a chill ran up her spine, like a cold poisonous snake slowly climbing up.

Why did she have a nightmare again?

Could it be because of Gu Huaizhi’s sudden visit last night?

This dream, like the nightmare she had in the Marquis' Mansion that day, was too real, as if it was telling her step by step the direction of her fate.

She frowned slightly, remembering that Mu Wan'er had said in her heart more than once that she wanted to save her. Could it be because of these things?

She felt vaguely uneasy and didn't dare to think about it too much.

She looked out the carved window and saw the faint glow of dawn emerging in the east.

She just felt depressed, so she just got up and dressed.

Glancing at the prescription on the table, she remembered that she was going to go with Baoqin to pick some Chuanxiong for Gu Huaizhi to use as medicine today.

*

Knee-high bushes and weeds swayed in the breeze, the rustling sound mixed with the continuous chirping of insects and the clear and melodious chirping of birds echoing in the air.

The humid air is mixed with the fragrance of wild flowers, refreshing.

Mu An Ning took a deep breath of fresh air and felt much more relaxed.

She walked deeper into the forest that the doctor had mentioned yesterday, but before she had gone far, she spotted Chuanxiong hidden in the weeds.

She had read in a book that this type of plant has a strong fragrance, and its rhizome is upright like a jade pen with distinct vertical lines. The upper part has many branches and dense stems, while the lower stem nodes are enlarged and disc-shaped nodules, making it easy to identify.

Seeing that there was no one around, she squatted down, put the bamboo basket on her back on the ground, and began to pick the fruits carefully.

This was her first time collecting herbs, but it was not as difficult as she had imagined. It was just that some mud got on her hands, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

However, thinking of Gu Huaizhi's fragile look last night, she continued with her actions.

When she plucked a dozen chuanxiong plants and placed them on the fine cloth inside the basket and was about to leave, she heard voices approaching from a distance.

She felt strange because this forest should be deserted.

She looked up and saw two men in black walking towards her.

She was startled and stood up subconsciously, hiding behind the willow tree with swaying branches beside her.

Fortunately, she was wearing a light green dress today, and with the tall weeds as a shield, she was not very conspicuous.

"Master, I have already done it." A low and respectful voice sounded clearly.

"You did a good job on this." The man called the Pavilion Master smiled grimly and spoke word by word, "It's time to let Qiu Yueying know that we don't need her to rule the Great Chu."

Great Chu?

Mu An Ning, who was standing behind the tree, narrowed his eyes slightly, and a hint of doubt arose in his heart.

How could people from Chu be in their Liang State?

From the royal family to the common people, everyone knows that although Liang and Chu are peaceful on the surface, there are undercurrents inside.

The two countries have been at war since their founding. If it weren't for the fact that Prince Anqing led his troops to defeat the State of Chu ten years ago, there wouldn't even be a semblance of peace.

As she frowned and thought, the leading man's voice came: "The Dali Temple will send someone to investigate the case today. Remember not to leave any clues."

The guard bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, Master."

When Mu An Ning heard the word "Dali Temple", he suddenly remembered the murder case that happened in Furong City recently, and his fingers touching the tree trunk couldn't help but tighten.

These two people are definitely not from simple backgrounds.

She pursed her lips and leaned her head out slightly.

The man standing in front had an extremely sinister black and gold mask on his face, revealing only a pair of narrow silver-gray eyes.

Her pupils suddenly shrank, and the dream that woke her up in the early morning flashed through her mind.

In a moment of distraction, she accidentally stepped on a branch.

A sharp rustling sound was heard, and the subordinate immediately drew his sword and walked towards her with a vigilant look in his eyes: "Who is it?"

She held her breath and remained calm, while her slender hand quietly reached into her sleeve and touched the powder she used for self-defense.

She made this powder step by step according to medical books, using the juice of the mandshurica flower, and it has the effect of bewitching the mind.

If one does not have enough internal strength, he will probably fall unconscious in an instant, and even someone with strong internal strength will feel dizzy.

She has been interested in pharmacology since she was a child, but as the daughter of a marquis, she could only follow the three obediences and four virtues besides playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting.

When she was a child, she tactfully expressed to her adoptive father her wish to study medicine, but was severely reprimanded. So she could only occasionally read some medical books secretly.

The mid-spring breeze was gentle but not dry, but the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer made her body tremble involuntarily, like a fragile petal swaying helplessly in the wind.

She closed her eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and decided to give it a try.

However, the leader suddenly laughed strangely and stopped his men: "Wait a minute."

His narrow eyes narrowed slightly, and he glanced at a piece of green clothing at the edge of the bush. He licked his lips under the mask and said with a playful look: "I guess... it's a naughty bird."

The subordinate glanced at the bushes suspiciously, but did not dare to disobey the order of the master, so he put away his sword.

The voices of the two gradually disappeared, and Mu An Ning's hands loosened slightly in his sleeves, but he always felt as if he had heard that mocking voice somewhere.

*

When Mu An Ning pushed the door open and entered the house, he happened to meet Baoqin coming towards him.

"Miss, you're finally back!" Her pretty face was filled with anxiety: "I thought you were kidnapped and was about to report it to the police."

Seeing the worry in her eyes, Mu An Ning explained with some regret: "I just went out for a walk and picked some herbs." She took off the bamboo basket on her back and took Baoqin in her hand.

"Miss, don't go out alone next time." Baoqin looked at the herbs in the basket with lingering fear, and suddenly understood: "Are these herbs for the prince to recuperate from his injuries?"

Seeing Mu An Ning nodded lightly, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart. Her young lady really cared so much about the prince that she went to the forest alone to collect herbs without fear of any danger.

Mu An Ning asked Bao Qin to boil the medicine for her first, while she went to wash her hands and face.

About half an hour later, she walked heavily with the medicine in her hand and knocked on the door of the west chamber gently: "Prince?"

A day and a night had passed, and Gu Huaizhi should have woken up by now.

The young man in the room heard the girl's graceful voice and stopped short of pouring tea.

He put the teapot back on the table as if possessed by a ghost, then quickly lay back on the couch, cleared his throat, and said calmly, "Come in."

Mu An Ning pushed open the door and slowly walked in to the boy who was half lying on the bed.

Seeing that his face was no longer as pale as yesterday, she felt relieved, handed him the medicine bowl, and said gently, "Sir, drink this medicine while it's hot."

However, Gu Huaizhi did not reach out to take it. Instead, when he saw the mud on the girl's skirt and embroidered shoes, he frowned slightly and asked, "What have you been doing?"

Normally, she is always neatly dressed, and there is nothing wrong with her appearance. Why is she dressed like this today?

Mu An Ning lowered her eyes and looked at the hem of her skirt. Although she wanted to take a bath just now, she was still a little worried about Baoqin, so she decided to boil the medicine herself.

She sensed a hint of impatience in the boy's tone, and slowly took back the medicine bowl in her hand, turned around and put it on the table, and said sadly: "Collect herbs."

He really didn't like her, whether in the past when he was in Shangjing or now in Furong City.

Gu Huaizhi seemed to be stunned for a moment and didn't say anything for a while. After a while, he glanced at the bowl of black medicine and asked in an unclear tone: "Did you pick this?"

Mu An Ning pursed her lips and nodded, clenching her fingers slightly in her sleeves.

Forget it, if he doesn’t want to drink, then don’t drink. It’s not her who will get hurt anyway.

Seeing that the boy didn't respond, she took light steps, turned around and was about to leave.

But the next moment, he suddenly called her.

The ending tone was prolonged, and the voice that seemed to be smiling but not smiling reached her ears: "Mu An Ning, aren't you curious about why this prince came here?"

She turned her head to look at his peach blossom eyes that were staring at her, and her heart was filled with emotions.

She was naturally curious, but she didn't dare to ask, not wanting to extinguish the tiny bit of hope in her heart, even though she was already prepared.

Seeing the girl remained silent, he waved his hands and said, "Forget it, forget it. I'm too lazy to talk to you." He seemed to have a wound in his abdomen, coughed lightly, and then stretched out his bony, fair and well-proportioned hand and said, "Give me the medicine soup."

Anyway, nothing happened to her, and telling those things to a girl who hadn't even married yet might scare her.

Now the open and secret struggles between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are intensifying. He was assassinated just as he found out that there was something wrong with the Third Prince.

In the days ahead, I'm afraid not only he, but also the people around him will have to be more careful.

Mu An Ning's eyes flashed, and he turned around and picked up the medicine bowl.

He always acted on his own accord. One moment he didn't want to drink, but he changed his mind the next moment. However, she always obeyed him involuntarily.

She didn't like herself who liked him. This feeling came so inexplicably that she couldn't remember when it started.

Although she thought so, the next moment, her sinking heart couldn't help but rise and fall again when it touched the boy's fingertips like warm jade.

It seemed like the forehead she kissed accidentally last night was also so hot...

Gu Huaizhi felt a little uncomfortable under her radiant gaze, his Adam's apple secretly moving up and down, but his tone was very unfriendly: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

In the rising medicinal mist, he took the medicine bowl, his eyes inadvertently swept across the girl's slightly open scarlet lips, and he suddenly remembered the warm touch.

He just felt a strange annoyance rising in his heart, so he drove the person out.

*

Ming Wah Court.

"Our Furong City is very lively today. Even officials from the Dali Temple are here."

"Dali Temple? Could it be... for Zuiyue Tower?"

"That's right. You didn't see it. The Junior Official of the Dali Temple looked like he was just over twenty, but his complexion was like that of a Shura. It seems that he has been very busy these days."

"Oh, could it be that person?" Someone with sharp eyes saw a tall and a short figure hurriedly walking downstairs in the attic.

"See, it's true." The person who started the conversation also looked down and raised his eyebrows.

The man in the black robe is none other than the Dali Temple's Shaoqing, Mu Guiling.

Behind him was a follower who was much more handsome than an average man, but had a thick black beard above his philtrum.