The man gave them both a deep bow, and the woman also curtsied in greeting. They thanked them for the rescue.

Tie Ci’s external cover identity was Ye Ci, a merchant traveling to Xi Zhou. Her entire outfit was like that of a nouveau riche young master, with gemstones flashing wildly on her fingers. She waved her hand in golden splendor, laughing that it was merely a small effort not worth mentioning.

She had heard from Chi Xue before that this man was named Chi Qingbo, whose family had originally been a prominent clan in Qian Zhou’s Provincial Administration Office, from a branch of that family line. Later the family fortunes declined, but they could still get by.

She invited the couple to sit and chatted casually. When Chi Qingbo sat down, he carefully helped support his wife, reminding her to watch for water underfoot. When Tie Ci offered the guests refreshments, he smiled and thanked her, first taking a piece to eat. After a while, he took another piece, unhurriedly sampling all the refreshments himself first.

Tie Ci watched with amusement, giving him a low score in her heart.

Only after Chi Qingbo had tasted all the refreshments did he take a piece of walnut pastry and hand it to his wife, saying, “This walnut pastry is made best – not too oily, mildly sweet. You need lighter refreshments now in your condition. This is just right.”

Tie Ci was surprised and looked toward the young woman. The woman’s expression was very natural as she took the pastry and smiled, “I understand. Husband, you eat too. Don’t just tend to me or Young Master Ye will laugh at us.”

She was poised and generous, speaking rather quickly – clearly an impatient person by nature, yet her expression toward her husband was tender.

At a glance, they were clearly a young couple deeply in love.

Tie Ci smiled and asked Chi Qingbo, “Sir seems to understand medical principles?”

“I dare not claim so.” Chi Qingbo slightly lowered his eyes. “This humble one has great interest in learning medical arts, but regrettably has not met a worthy teacher. I only have crude understanding.”

His wife then laughed and interjected, “He can’t manage proper medical arts. But because of his family background, he’s learned many unorthodox techniques.” After speaking, she looked at him with a smile.

Chi Qingbo then smiled and said, “Without knowing these unorthodox techniques, how could I have married you?”

The woman’s face reddened, but she wasn’t coy. Seeing Tie Ci display a curious expression, she told Tie Ci about her encounter with her husband. She said she was originally the daughter of Qian Zhou’s Anfang Tusi, called A’li Teng, which meant “golden radiance” in their Anfang language. Her father married her to another tribe’s tusi to consolidate position and power, and had given her Nine-Day Grass. Those affected would be weak and unable to move for nine days and nights. Because she was prepared and ate little, on the wedding night she struggled to escape. When being pursued, she met Chi Qingbo. He cured her of the Nine-Day Grass, she helped him escape pursuit, and afterwards this marriage came about.

A’li Teng said Chi Qingbo had loved researching such things since childhood. Qian Zhou, Yannan and other places naturally had many rare flowers, strange plants, unusual arts and extraordinary people. He was obsessed with these things, spending much of the family wealth to collect and search for such materials and information, determined to compile a “Chronicle of Strange Arts of Southern Qian.” He had already written three volumes, but printing was too expensive…

She spoke volubly while Chi Qingbo just smiled faintly, his gaze falling on distant places. He was born elegant, refined and dignified, giving people a sense of peace and comfort, yet with a subtle sense of distance.

Only when money was mentioned did he gently but firmly interrupt his wife’s words, passing her a cup of hot water and saying, “The wind is strong on deck. Don’t catch cold.”

A’li Teng immediately stopped talking and obediently drank water.

Listening to this, Tie Ci became interested. Qian Zhou, Yannan and other places indeed had insufficient connection with the Da Qian court due to terrain and ethnic issues. Court officials sent there faced continuous mountains and found it difficult to govern and educate the people. Moreover, these two regions had many mountain tribes that were nearly autonomous. Large and small tusi were numerous as cattle, each occupying territory, constantly at war, each with their own customs and secret arts – extremely unfavorable for local stability.

This was also an important issue to consider after Yannan’s recovery. Yannan similarly had fierce folk customs and currently only recognized the You family royal clan that had guarded this land for generations. Many matters wouldn’t be resolved just by dealing with the You family.

If Chi Qingbo truly excelled in these areas and could produce scholarly works, he would truly be talent she urgently needed.

But Tie Ci showed no interest in that book or this person. She didn’t even mention it, acting like an ordinary merchant, eating, drinking and chatting idly. Before long, the couple took their leave and returned to their cabin.

Before returning to the cabin, Chi Qingbo lowered his eyes and glanced at Murong Yi’s robes.

A’li Teng’s gaze constantly followed her husband closely. Seeing this, she also looked over, but Chi Qingbo quietly squeezed her palm, so she turned her gaze away.

These two’s small movements were extremely quick – if Tie Ci hadn’t happened to turn her head, she wouldn’t have seen them.

Tie Ci still smiled as she watched the two leave, then chased Murong Yi off to sleep while she also returned to her cabin.

Before returning to her cabin, she glanced at Chi Xue.

The all-knowing chief steward nodded in understanding.

After a while, Chi Xue had already silently appeared outside Chi Qingbo and his wife’s cabin door.

The cabin’s side facing the deck seemed to have only a door with no windows, yet Chi Xue lightly touched an inconspicuous spot above the door, and what seemed like a seamless cabin wall showed slight cracks.

Sounds drifted out from inside. Chi Xue leaned against the doorway listening to delicate, soft, slight panting, thin moaning…

Chi Xue initially didn’t understand what sounds these were, listening with slight puzzlement and wondering if they were still unwell.

Then she realized, and the composed palace maid’s face burned bright red.

She never expected to overhear such a scene.

Chi Xue, who had weathered many storms, naturally maintained wariness toward this couple, first suspecting whether they were truly husband and wife.

But if they were fake spouses, this acting was far too dedicated…

Chi Xue couldn’t help feeling confused, thinking with a red face that she should leave. What was she doing eavesdropping on a couple’s intimate moments?

Just as she was about to leave, she heard low conversation mixed with the soft panting.

“Husband… what were you looking at just now?”

“I saw what seemed like traces left by Euphoria Butterfly eggs on that Young Master Mu’s collar…”

“Really?! Then why didn’t you warn them?”

“Those traces didn’t look fresh. If it truly is the Euphoria Butterfly, that Young Master Mu has probably already been affected. But you know this thing’s onset has no fixed pattern. Meeting them by chance like this, rashly bringing up such matters – I fear they not only wouldn’t believe us but would suspect us…”

“But if truly infected with Euphoria Butterfly eggs, it would affect many people…”

“Yes, I’m also hesitating about this matter. They are our life-savers after all. If I concealed this to avoid trouble, it would wrong them. Should I go find them now?”

“Don’t rush, husband. What you said before also makes sense. What if they don’t believe us? What if they think we poisoned them? I heard southerners are cunning and martial arts people especially suspicious.”

Inside, they fell into conflicted discussion. Through the crack, Chi Xue saw the two with heads together seriously discussing.

“How about this – today you already mentioned that I’m skilled at curing various strange poisons. When we disembark at Wuling, I’ll leave ways to find me. If they truly have an outbreak, they’ll naturally remember this matter and come seek me. Then I’ll do my utmost to help.”

“Mm, husband’s method is good. It’s just a pity about that Young Master Mu’s fine appearance…”

Inside, Chi Qingbo said wistfully, “So A Teng likes such beautiful men…”

A’li Teng giggled and rolled into his embrace, saying softly, “What I like most, most, most is still a beauty like A Bo…”

The man chuckled low, and spring filled the room.

Chi Xue could listen no longer and returned to her own cabin.

She told Tie Ci about this matter. Tie Ci asked if the two showed any abnormalities. Chi Xue blushed slightly and said softly, “In private, they truly seem like an affectionate married couple.”

Tie Ci nodded. Truly loving people couldn’t hide the way they gazed at each other and various small details of their interactions.

Chi Xue said she would return to her cabin to look through the medical books she brought, as she seemed to have heard the name “Euphoria Butterfly” before.

Tie Ci went to see Murong Yi. It wasn’t troublesome – she didn’t even need to leave her room. Turning around, she pushed on the wall behind her, and the entire wall surface rotated to reveal an identical bedroom on the other side.

Someone had claimed to sleep at her door or on the mast, but had actually long ago used his position for personal gain to create a room within a room, living back-to-back with her.

Tie Ci discovered this on her first day moving in. At the time, she had teased him that if he traveled back to modern times, he would definitely be an unscrupulous small hotel owner installing mirrors in bathroom partitions and cameras.

The moment Tie Ci discovered it, she didn’t tell him but silently tampered with it. Then when Murong Yi waited for her to fall asleep at night and tried to push the wall to enter her room, he found his door mechanism was jammed.

Murong Yi could only touch his nose and pretend not to know.

But what he didn’t expect was that Tie Ci had kept the door mechanism on her side.

From Tie Ci’s direction, the entire wall surface opened silently. In the moonlight, Murong Yi slept quite… inelegantly.

Tie Ci had never seen such poor sleeping posture. Most of the blanket was on the floor, the pillow rolled in a corner, Murong Yi’s entire body nearly horizontal on the bed, upper body uncovered, lower body with a blanket twisted between his legs.

At first glance, it looked like some postmodern sculpture.

Tie Ci found it an eyesore.

Especially his desperate clinging posture with the blanket was even more speechless – she couldn’t even pretend to be virtuous and cover him properly with the blanket.

And it wasn’t even hot – why was he sleeping shirtless?

Was he trying to display his smooth skin, broad shoulders, elegant collarbones, eight-pack abs and mermaid lines?

She wasn’t the least bit interested in looking.

A quarter-hour later, Tie Ci realized the window was open. The night river wind was cool, so she went to close the window.

Then she searched here and there on the floor for Murong Yi’s outer robe.

She found one boot in a corner of the bed, the other under a flower stand.

She saw stinking socks in the water basin.

She saw his belt on the oil lamp.

She saw his wrinkled underrobe pressed beneath Murong Yi.

No sign of his outer robe.

Finally sighing toward the ceiling, she saw his robe hanging on the very ornate, allegedly imported coral-shaped shell crystal chandelier on the ceiling.

Tie Ci was amazed.

She took off her shoes and carefully stepped around Murong Yi’s sprawled limbs to stand on the bed and reach for that garish purple outer robe. In her mind, scenes flashed like a galloping horse.

Magnificent palace chambers, the newly appointed prince consort lying on her canopy bed, kicking both feet – one boot flying into the caisson ceiling, one boot flying into the canopy, outer robe flung onto the throne, underrobe hung on golden hooks, belt swung to hook around her waist, eyes seductive as silk: “Come here, my king—”

Tie Ci shuddered.

How terrifying.

Holding the outer robe, she held her breath and carefully searched the collar by the faint light from the window.

She had doubts in her heart. From Chi Qingbo’s tone, the traces of that Euphoria Butterfly weren’t fresh. Murong Yi changed clothes almost daily with dedicated people washing them – what kind of thing could remain on a robe for several days?

Speaking of which, since being with her, Murong Yi had become much more frugal. According to Mu Si, he used to never wear clothes twice when going out.

If he were still that extravagant now, no traces would be visible.

Then again, though Murong Yi seemed casual, he was actually extremely cautious. What person could place Euphoria Butterflies on him?

After searching once without finding anything, Tie Ci searched again more carefully, changing angles toward the window light. Suddenly her gaze focused.

Before she could look closely, her ankle suddenly tightened as someone grasped both her legs. Below, someone said leisurely, “Coming but not getting in bed, getting in bed but not sleeping. I waited so long, yet you’re there holding my robe and sniffing it. Don’t you know the real person is more aromatic and alive?”

Tie Ci kicked at him and said, “I thought you could keep pretending.”

Murong Yi flicked his finger very dissatisfiedly at her knee hollow. Tie Ci’s leg went weak and she toppled down, falling right into Murong Yi’s embrace.

He disdainfully tossed aside his own robe and hugged Tie Ci tightly, laughing low in her ear, “Since you’ve walked into the trap tonight, don’t think of escaping!”

Tie Ci wouldn’t lose face even if she lost the fight, chuckling, “Murong Qing, attend to bed!”

Murong Yi was overjoyed: “Yes, Your Majesty!”

Tie Ci smiled.

There were truly many oddities in this world – he wouldn’t be a prince consort but insisted on being a eunuch.

Murong Yi didn’t care whether he was prince consort or fake eunuch, as long as he could pin Tie Ci beneath him he was happy. With both hands he embraced and pressed her down. A pair of long legs flexibly entangled upward. He laughed softly in Tie Ci’s ear, hot breath from lips and teeth stirring her hair strands, slightly ticklish with faint masculine scent. Tie Ci’s body softened and her eyes rippled with emotion. Murong Yi immediately noticed, very happily leaning on her shoulder while his fingers deftly undid her fastenings, unbuttoning three in the blink of an eye.

That movement was smooth as flowing water, making Tie Ci suspect either he had practiced when he was a courtesan or he had practiced on some courtesan.

She laughed low, one hand embracing his lean, powerful, flexibly-lined waist, one hand groping around saying, “Don’t forget the sheath…”

“What sheath… you are my bewitching trap, my endless snare…” Murong Yi’s mouth spoke nonsense while his hands wished they could run wild through heaven and earth, groping through soft jade and warm fragrance, mountains rising and falling, clouds flying and water rippling. His fingertips seemed divinely blessed, the whole world soft and sweet as sugar.

Just as he was about to reach the most soul-stirring place, suddenly a bundle of cloth was stuffed in his hand. He thought it was Tie Ci’s undergarment and happily unfolded it to see – it was his own sock.

Tie Ci sat up, arranging herself faster than his fingers, smoothing everything down so even her hair was neat and tidy. She looked like she could go directly to court, if not for her slightly flushed cheeks betraying spring colors.

She stretched out her foot to block that beautiful pig-head who still wanted to climb onto the bed, saying seriously, “Enough. Let’s discuss serious matters.”

Murong Yi deflated and collapsed on the floor. “What happened to attending to bed!”

“Young Master, the palace hasn’t made your green headplate yet. What bed are you attending?” Tie Ci took up that robe again. With all the chaos just now, clothes had been disheveled and she had to search from the beginning.

Murong Yi sprawled on the floor in a large character shape, saying, “Can’t get up. At the crucial moment, giving up halfway – do you know how cruel that is to a man? I’m a big man about to become too much of a man.”

Tie Ci didn’t understand at first, then glanced down at a certain area.

Hehe, quite vivid indeed.

Seeing her look, Murong Yi became even more energetic, rolling over to stick to her back again, hugging her shoulders and biting her earlobe. “Didn’t you say I’m well-endowed and skilled? Just how big and skilled – want to try personally?”

Tie Ci: “…No thank you.”

“Just try, try it. Otherwise how can the dignified Crown Princess lie and deceive people?”

Tie Ci: …Doesn’t bother me – it’s not mine anyway.

She was silent for a while, then said sincerely, “Jumping in the sea for a while would help.”

Murong Yi angrily got up and left. Tie Ci didn’t care whether he really went to jump in the sea, finally finding that spot on the clothes.

The door opened and Murong Yi entered dripping wet, hair still dripping water. When he wasn’t smiling, he seemed like wind across highlands, everything frosted and snowy, his skin transparent as ice crystals.

Even his gaze was coldly menacing.

Tie Ci found it amusing and pulled him over to dry his hair. As his hair gradually dried, Murong Yi’s anger also gradually subsided. Only then did he say, “What were you doing holding my robe and sniffing it? Be careful not to fall for others’ tricks.”

Tie Ci knew he was extremely perceptive and had already guessed something, so she told him what Chi Xue had overheard and showed him the spot on the robe.

Naturally no insect eggs were visible on the robe, not even any traces. Only when Tie Ci changed angles did they see a barely perceptible faint colorful reflection.

This kind of luminescence was obviously not a stain.

Murong Yi said, “I’ve washed this robe.”

Having been washed yet still leaving such traces showed very strong adhesion.

“Did you feel anything unusual before? Is anything wrong with your body now?”

“Deliberately approaching me to strike would be unlikely, but on a ship this small with people coming and going, brushing past each other, something could easily be flicked onto one’s collar. This is really impossible to guard against. As for what’s wrong… there’s only one place on my body that’s a bit off right now.”

Tie Ci didn’t need to look to know this fellow was being a rogue again.

There was knocking at the door, rhythmic – two long, one short. Chi Xue had arrived.

Tie Ci called out and Chi Xue entered, holding a book.

She said, “This servant finally found it.”

As she explained in detail, Tie Ci’s eyebrows rose higher and higher.