The Sui Prince had put considerable effort into trapping Cui Xingzhou. However, he never imagined that the Huaiyang Prince, having just broken free, would launch such a counterattack!
Although his relationship with the Sui Princess Consort was far from ideal, if news of her abduction spread, where could he, a legitimate royal prince, hide his face?
After escaping the island siege, Cui Xingzhou received news of Zhenzhou’s fall. He led a small elite force by water, breaking through checkpoints and fighting his way back to Zhenzhou.
The main army, being slower, remained behind, helping to maintain the illusion that the Huaiyang Prince hadn’t returned.
Throughout the journey, Cui Xingzhou wished he had wings, cutting down all obstacles in his path, be they Buddha or demon.
But when he finally reached his mansion after this relentless journey, he found only fire-scorched ruins of the once-grand walls and scattered corpses.
Seeing the devastation in his mansion, Cui Xingzhou’s heart clenched. He leaped forward, frantically searching for the bodies of Mian Tang and his mother.
His frenzied state terrified his guards, who quickly joined the search.
After a thorough check revealed no sign of any of the mansion’s masters, Cui Xingzhou finally relaxed slightly, collapsing exhaustedly into a pool of blood.
The troubles in Dongzhou had just been quelled, only for his home to go up in flames.
Zhenzhou was in chaos, overrun not just by bandits but also by opportunistic ruffians. However, Cui Xingzhou knew that those who dared to openly destroy his mansion were not mere local rabble.
They were hidden enemies, waiting for the chance to strike at him.
Such a cunning old fox could only be Liu Pei, the Sui Prince!
As for his purpose… After some investigation, Cui Xingzhou learned that people had been searching extensively for two noble ladies, whose descriptions matched his mother and Mian Tang.
It seemed the Sui Prince intended to use his weaknesses against him.
Many people had been arrested and carted away, and it was unclear if Mian Tang and his mother were among them.
The Zhenzhou uprising wasn’t difficult to investigate. Cui Xingzhou captured some bandits who hadn’t retreated in time. Under torture, they revealed they were former troops of General Shi from Qingzhou, temporarily assigned this task with hefty payment.
Although General Shi’s name was used as a cover, Cui Xingzhou was certain the Sui Prince was behind it all. Whether or not Mian Tang and his mother were in their hands, he needed to strike at the Sui Prince’s weak point.
So Cui Xingzhou commandeered fast boats and launched a night raid to pursue the Sui Prince’s wife and child. Such rapid deployments were routine for him, and after some maneuvering, he successfully captured the Sui Princess Consort and the young heir.
The Sui Prince had now lost both his wife and his troops, failing to capture useful hostages and unable to negotiate an exchange with the Huaiyang Prince.
Worst of all, neither side’s actions were above board, so he couldn’t directly petition the emperor to denounce Cui Xingzhou for kidnapping his wife and child.
The only option now was to quickly withdraw his troops, leaving no evidence, and send envoys to negotiate, claiming it was all a misunderstanding. He would deny ever having captured the Imperial Consort and Huisang County Princess, and ask Cui Xingzhou to release his family.
Leaving aside the clash between the two princes, let’s return to Liu Mian Tang.
After several more days in the wilderness without any sign of a search party, she sent guards to scout. They discovered that the bandits had gradually withdrawn, and the Huaiyang Prince’s army had returned.
Upon hearing this news, the Chu Imperial Consort burst into tears. Two muddy rivulets streaked down her unwashed face, all traces of her former elegance gone.
Mian Tang consoled her, saying their fortunes were about to change. She instructed Fangxie to help the Imperial Consort freshen up by the stream, to maintain some dignity when they returned. Meanwhile, she would take Bicao to gather information and plan their next move.
In truth, Mian Tang had her agenda. After sending a guard down the mountain to contact the Huaiyang Prince’s troops and report their whereabouts, she took Bicao directly to the thatched shop at the foot of the mountain.
For days, she had avoided the shifty Lu Quan, pondering the revelation that she was Lu Wen.
For the 19-year-old Mian Tang, this identity was terrifying. How young and naive must she have been, how infatuated with Young Master Ziyu, to engage in such a life-threatening business?
Yet, upon reflection, since Liu Yu now sat on the throne, the activities on Yangshan could be seen as historic contributions to helping a worthy emperor ascend to his rightful position.
So what if she, Liu Mian Tang, was Lu Wen? At least her family wouldn’t be implicated now. As for Cui Xingzhou’s reaction if he found out… Mian Tang preferred not to dwell on it. She’d take things one step at a time. After all, she hadn’t intentionally deceived him; she truly had forgotten that part of her life.
Now, with the Zhenzhou uprising nearly quelled, Mian Tang couldn’t resist the urge to see those who claimed to be her loyal servants again, to learn more about her hidden past.
That’s why she had sent the others away and come to the thatched shop alone today.
Before she even reached the bottom of the mountain, she saw two of the men she had encountered at the shop standing straight outside, with a third supported by several subordinates.
It seemed Lu Quan, hiding nearby, had seen her approach and called the other three—whom he referred to as “Loyalty and Righteousness”—to wait for her outside.
The leader, presumably the eldest brother Lu Zhong, respectfully approached and said, “Knowing the Big Boss would come here, we’ve been waiting outside the shop for your instructions.”
Seeing Mian Tang’s hesitation and reluctance to come closer, Lu Quan, familiar with the routine, ordered, “Quick, show your tattoos for the Big Boss to verify your identities!”
Without hesitation, the other three exposed their shoulders, once again dazzling onlookers with the squiggly “Loyalty and Righteousness Complete” tattoos.
Mian Tang, unable to face the absurd remnants of her youthful past, turned her head away and said, “That’s not necessary. Please put your clothes back on…”
The injured one was the second brother, Lu Yi, who appeared quite refined and handsome. His eyes were red with emotion as he looked at Mian Tang, clearly struggling to contain himself.
However, his injury seemed severe, with fresh blood constantly seeping from his chest.
The barefoot doctor, hardened by the harsh northwest winds, was ready to make a comeback.
Mian Tang was quite skilled with such external injuries. After examining Lu Yi’s wound, she found it wasn’t too bad and showed no signs of infection. The flesh was merely everted, making it difficult to heal. She had Bicao bring her sewing kit, sterilized the needle and thread with heated medicinal wine from her small leather pouch, and personally began to suture the wound.
The brothers noticed that their Big Boss seemed to have acquired a new skill, her suturing technique smooth and impressive.
This was Mian Tang’s first time suturing a wound; she had only observed Zhao Quan do it once or twice before.
Fortunately, she still retained some skill from her days of sewing shoe soles with the neighborhood women on North Street. After a few clumsy initial stitches, she soon got the hang of it.
Although Lu Yi looked delicate, he was a true man. Without any anesthesia, he endured the pain without a sound, allowing the Big Boss to concentrate on the suturing.
Mian Tang’s loose hair fell around her face, and a faint, elusive fragrance seemed to emanate from her, causing Lu Yi’s cheeks to flush even more. Being so close to the Big Boss, he didn’t know where to look…
After finishing the sutures, Mian Tang applied the remaining medicinal wine to disinfect the wound, then spread on some ointment and bandaged it. She wiped the sweat from her brow and let out a slow sigh of relief.
Lu Quan, observing his second brother’s neatly sutured wound, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Big Boss, you’re truly amazing! Such fine, dense stitches—ordinary people couldn’t do that!”
Bicao rolled her eyes at these words. She thoroughly disliked Lu Quan, especially after his earlier suggestion to throw her off a cliff to silence her.
Although servants should always support their masters’ actions, the level of fawning this boy displayed was enough to make one want to vomit!
Lu Yi, who had been enduring the pain, finally relaxed after his wound was bandaged, looking as if he’d been pulled from the water.
Seeing that Lu Yi could now speak, Mian Tang took the opportunity to ask about their rebellion and battles against the Huaiyang Prince.
Lu Yi seemed well-educated, answering systematically. He recounted his carefully laid plans that had nearly captured the Huaiyang Prince and cut off his reinforcements.
Mian Tang listened with a pounding heart, not out of concern for the brothers, but rather feeling anxious for Cui Xingzhou.
Even though she now knew she had once been Lu Wen, without those memories, it was hard to feel any sense of connection.
If possible, she would prefer to simply be Liu Mian Tang, allowing her to face her future husband without any guilt…
Lu Yi noticed Mian Tang’s cold demeanor towards the brothers, so different from her former trust and reliance. The initial excitement in his eyes gradually cooled.
When he had a chance, he asked Mian Tang, “Big Boss, where are you staying now?”
Mian Tang considered for a moment, deciding there was no need to lie or conceal anything. It would be better to tell them not to harbor resentment towards the Huaiyang Prince.
So she answered honestly, “I… I’m staying at the Huaiyang Prince’s mansion…”
As soon as she said this, Lu Quan slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “Big Boss, what courage! Why didn’t we think of infiltrating the Huaiyang Prince’s mansion?”
Liu Mian Tang shifted uncomfortably in her seat, deciding to press on: “In a few days, I’m going to marry the Huaiyang Prince…”
These words exploded in the brothers’ minds. They all stared at Liu Mian Tang in disbelief.
Then, all four brothers fell to their knees: “Big Boss! This cannot be! The Huaiyang Prince’s mansion is heavily guarded. Even if you’ve managed to bewitch that lecher with your schemes, attempting an assassination on your wedding night would make it impossible for you to escape the mansion!”