Chapter Thirty-Four: Secret Letter in a Jade Tube
The autumn night was slightly cool, and the courtyard was deep and secluded. The sounds of string and wind instruments and dancing music filled the air.
Out of the corner of his eye, Liu Zhang caught a glimpse of Li Peixuan's expression, and a smile crept onto his lips. Young men are often enamored, and gentlemen have always been known for their romantic nature. As long as one is willing to fall for a beauty, that's enough; having weaknesses allows one to find the right approach. After all, a beautiful and virtuous woman is always the object of a gentleman's affections.
She winked at Liu, the advisor beside her, who understood. As the music ended, Liu stroked his magnificent beard and gestured with his feather fan to Mu Lian and the others, indicating they should step forward to serve the distinguished guests wine. Mu Lian was taken aback, exchanging a glance with Meng Yuan, and could see the helplessness in Meng Yuan's bright eyes, as if she were being forced into this situation.
She closed her eyes briefly, sighed softly, and gracefully walked to Li Peixuan's side. Adopting a faint smile and deliberately softening her voice, Mu Lian filled a wine cup with her delicate hand and said affectedly, "Your Highness, please drink this cup to the brim..."
Hmm? Li Peixuan's hand, which was about to take the wine cup, trembled slightly. He looked at Mu Lian beside him, somewhat surprised. This...this demeanor...it doesn't seem like the person he met that night?
Ignoring Li Peixuan's reaction, Mu Lian continued in a low voice, "Your Highness, please drink this cup to the brim..."
"Alright." Li Peixuan coughed softly, took the wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp. If that person wants it this way, then so be it. Seeing Li Peixuan's acquiescence, Mu Lian took the opportunity to fill a second cup, but her eyes remained fixed on Liu Zhang's side.
The hall was filled with the sounds of birdsong. Liu Zhang laughed heartily and waved his hand, immediately ordering servants to bring out more fine wine. The newly tributed Western Region wine was served in intricately carved enamel goblets gleaming under the candlelight, evoking the poetic imagery of "Lanling wine, fragrant as tulips, served in jade bowls, its light like amber." With the wine in hand and beautiful women in his embrace, several officials nearby began to behave somewhat improperly.
With a quick glance, Mu Lian sighed inwardly. Indeed, the old scoundrel Liu Zhang had risen to his current position not only through ruthless methods but also through his skill in manipulating the weaknesses of his subordinates. In the officialdom of Luoyang, it wasn't a lack of talent that was feared, but rather an unwillingness to compromise one's principles.
To control the officials of Luocheng, Liu Zhang employed a tailored strategy for each individual, catering to their every whim. Those with talent were won over with gifts of gold, silver, fine wine, and beautiful women; those who couldn't be won over were dealt with ruthlessly, better to kill the innocent than let them go. As for the incompetent, their loyalty and obedience were tested. Those who were both obedient and loyal, even if they only knew how to flatter, could be given opportunities for promotion, like the Luocheng magistrate, Yin Wenbin; those who were disobedient were made an example of early on. If they dared to harbor disloyalty, their entire families would be executed, often silently and without warning.
It is said that in the seventh year of the Chunxi era, the family of the former magistrate of Luocheng were attacked by bandits while returning to their hometown. More than a dozen members of the family were brutally murdered, and the real culprit has never been caught, making it a long-standing unsolved case. This combination of kindness and severity, along with an iron-fisted approach, has made Luocheng as impenetrable as an iron barrel. As a result, all the soldiers that Mu Lian had sent to Henan Province to gather information were killed, and their remains could not be found. Now, only A-Liu and A-Jiu remain.
Having considered this, Mu Lian quietly climbed onto Li Peixuan's shoulder. Although she didn't know what the Prince of Ruyang's sudden appearance was for, her intuition told her that she absolutely could not allow the prince to have a smooth conversation with Liu Zhang.
A woman's pale hand gently brushed against the man's shoulder, her unique, cool fragrance lingering faintly. Li Peixuan's hand, holding the wine cup, paused slightly, and he unconsciously swallowed, feeling his heart beat a little faster. The next second, the woman's lips parted slightly, her breath sweet and fragrant, her soft voice ringing in the man's ear: "Your Highness, are you drunk?"
Drunk? Li Peixuan shook his slightly dizzy head, thinking to himself, he might not have been drunk before, but now he really was. Before the man could react further, the woman's slender white hand picked up a cherry and brought it to his lips: "Then have some fruit to sober up..."
With such a beautiful woman being so attentive, what man could resist? And Lee Bae-hyun didn't want to waste this romantic encounter, even though he knew it might just be an act.
The slightly chilled cherries were juicy and sweet, bursting with juice when bitten into. Before he knew it, dark red juice spilled from the corner of the man's lips, like a drop of blood. The man unconsciously raised his hand, but was stopped by the beautiful woman beside him.
A pale hand took up a silk handkerchief and gently wiped the man's face, her movements soft and elegant. At this moment, the distance was so close that, though separated by a red veil, Li Peixuan could still clearly see the woman's complexion beneath—cool yet radiant, pure yet alluring, possessing a distance that inspired both desire and a reluctance to easily seduce. His heart seemed to beat faster, but Li Peixuan showed no sign. He simply enjoyed the beauty's service, a scene that evoked envy in all who witnessed it.
Mu Lian quietly touched the item she had just taken from Li Peixuan's sleeve pocket. Her faint smile deepened, and her voice softened: "Your Highness, please slow down, there's still fruit..."
Meanwhile, the official Meng Yuan was serving seemed to be intoxicated, and his behavior became somewhat inappropriate. Meng Yuan smiled and quietly slipped away, secretly pressing the man's pressure points, causing him to sway and collapse onto the table.
With a fleeting glance, Meng Yuan understood and took the opportunity of getting up to change her clothes to pass behind Li Peixuan. With a flick of her sleeve, she quietly accepted the item handed to her by Mu Lian.
Stepping out of the main hall, Meng Yuan slipped into a side room and pulled out a scroll containing a secret letter. Time was of the essence, so Meng Yuan quickly used a concealed tool to extract the letter from the jade-colored scroll. She discovered that the letter was written on unusual colored paper, making it difficult to discern its deeper meaning. However, the words "To be opened by the Military Governor" on the envelope were clearly visible.
With a sigh of relief, Meng Yuan quickly replaced the jade-colored letter tube, straightened her clothes, and returned to the hall. As she gracefully passed Li Peixuan, she repeated the process, and the letter tube was back in Mu Lian's hands. Seeing Meng Yuan's gesture, Mu Lian knew that the contents of this secret letter were crucial.
Without making a sound, the woman placed the letter tube back into the man's sleeve pocket, and quietly took out the few cherries that had been used as the letter tube. This entire sequence of actions was so swift and seamless that Li Peixuan remained completely unaware.
As night deepened, seeing that everyone was tipsy and drowsy, Liu Zhang waved his hand, and the officials, supported by dancers and servants, left. Li Peixuan, on the other hand, was respectfully escorted to his lodgings by Liu's advisors, who gave him a thorough explanation and instructions.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mu Lian caught a glimpse of Liu, the advisor, seemingly glancing at her. A slight chill ran through her, but when she turned to look again, she saw Liu calmly walking away. Somewhat strange, but Mu Lian instinctively felt the man meant no harm. Never mind, she thought, she'd deal with that later; investigating the secret letter was more important.
Thinking of this, Mu Lian turned around and took the hangover soup brought by the maid, carefully carrying it into Li Peixuan's room.
"Your Highness, please have a bowl of hangover soup..." A woman's soft, delicate voice came from beside the carved rosewood canopy bed.
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