Mian Tang worried that the Prince of Huaiyang might not eat at the government office, and sent someone to deliver a food box there.

When the food box was placed before Cui Xingzhou, a fragrant aroma wafted out as the lid was lifted. Inside were all of Cui Xingzhou’s favorite dishes: tender garlic-flavored lamb, slightly opened steamed buns stuffed with cured meat, and a plate of spicy stir-fried shrimp. The vibrant red color of the shrimp suggested Mian Tang had cooked it herself.

Cui Xingzhou stared at the shrimp dish with a gloomy expression, slowly picking up one with his chopsticks and chewing it. After being married for so long, Liu Mian Tang naturally knew his taste preferences. The saltiness was just right, with a perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness – delicious as always.

Now, she knew his tastes, understood his likes, and even carried his child. Yet he didn’t truly know who she was!

Could Mian Tang be Lu Wen? Such an absurd idea – even when he had pulled that battered, frail woman from the water, he might not have easily believed it. Now, with the Prince of Sui’s confident assertion that she was Lu Wen, Cui Xingzhou found himself partially convinced.

In his view, Liu Mian Tang’s cunning far surpassed that of Liu Yu, who sat in the imperial palace relying on his father-in-law’s influence and the support of a group of old ministers.

When he had initially believed Liu Yu to be Lu Wen, Cui Xingzhou had even privately scorned himself for being troubled for so long by such a weak man! But what if Lu Wen wasn’t Liu Yu? Recalling how the Yangshan people had suddenly become powerless as if their spirit had been drained, didn’t that coincide with his rescue of Mian Tang?

The dishes before him, barely touched, gradually cooled.

Cui Xingzhou summoned his undercover informant in the capital, coldly instructing, “Order a thorough investigation into the backgrounds of those new workers the Princess has hired. Also, send people to find some of Yangshan’s old subordinates and investigate who Lu Wen is!”

Discovering Lu Wen’s true identity should have been simple, but he had been too careless before. Just because Yangshan had surrendered, he had overlooked this crucial detail, never imagining that the person he had been so intent on capturing had been by his side all along…

He had engaged in several life-and-death struggles with Lu Wen, only to find himself trapped in her deception when he thought he was setting the final trap…

Mo Ru, standing guard outside, didn’t understand what was wrong with the Prince today. He saw the Prince of Huaiyang sitting motionless with a gloomy expression, showing no signs of returning to the manor.

What was going on today? Hadn’t the Prince triumphed in court? Why did he now look as dejected as if he had been betrayed?

Mo Ru cautiously peeked in and said, “When the Princess sent food earlier, she also asked when Your Highness would return…”

Cui Xingzhou’s jaw tightened, and after a long while, he coldly replied, “Tell her I’m busy with official matters and won’t be returning today.”

Mo Ru heard this and went to inform the manor servants to report back.

When the message reached Mian Tang, she was disappointed but not surprised, as Cui Xingzhou had warned her that morning that he might be busy in the coming days.

So Mian Tang instructed the servants to pack the Prince’s change of clothes and his usual bamboo salt mouthwash tea, to be sent over early the next morning, allowing him to freshen up at the office after a night of work.

Late at night, lying alone in the now-spacious bed felt much colder. Sometimes, half-asleep, she would reach out to embrace the person beside her, only to find emptiness. She could only touch her belly, grateful for the little one keeping her company. Mian Tang affectionately nuzzled the empty pillow next to her before slowly drifting off to sleep…

Little did Mian Tang know that Cui Xingzhou wouldn’t return for the next two days.

However, the entrance to the Prince’s manor gradually became busier.

The old case at the Ministry of War implicated many officials. Those involved, having witnessed the Prince of Huaiyang’s formidable counterattack, regretted offending him so deeply. They scrambled to find connections and excuses to visit the manor and express their loyalty.

Mian Tang, standing in the outer courtyard listening to the bustling sounds outside, thought to herself: No wonder he hasn’t returned; he’s avoiding this crowd.

Since the Prince wasn’t home, these people had to be turned away. Soon, a guard came out with a stern face and announced, “The Princess is experiencing unstable pregnancy symptoms. Your clamor is disturbing her rest. Please return to your homes with your gifts. The Prince is not in the manor, so waiting here is futile!”

The Princess’s unstable pregnancy was a serious matter, and no one dared to risk being associated with such an offense. Moreover, the Prince of Huaiyang was indeed not seen returning to the manor, so they all dispersed.

Seeing them leave, Mian Tang thought about going out herself.

In a few days, Lu Zhong, the eldest of the four Loyalty Brothers, was to be married. He was marrying a young widow he had met in Lingquan Town.

The couple had fallen in love without the help of a matchmaker. When Lu Zhong followed the boss to the capital, the young widow came along too.

Although it was her second marriage, it was Lu Zhong’s first, so the wedding couldn’t be too simple. Mian Tang had arranged a small house for them in the suburbs of the capital, chosen an auspicious date, and completed the proper matchmaking and betrothal gifts.

For seven consecutive days, Cui Xingzhou hadn’t returned to the manor, and tomorrow was Lu Zhong’s wedding day. Mian Tang came to check on things personally and to deliver her wedding gift in advance.

There was no way around it – with her current status as the Princess of Huaiyang, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to attend the wedding banquet with a group of workers. The best she could do was to offer her congratulations and gifts in advance.

Once these brothers and the other former subordinates had settled down with wives and children, she would feel that she had fulfilled her responsibility, guiding a group of brothers she had originally led astray back onto the right path.

As Mian Tang’s carriage approached the courtyard, she saw from afar that it was in disarray. Lu Zhong’s fiancée, Huang Sanniang, was sitting at the gate, weeping bitterly.

Seeing Mian Tang peeking out from the carriage, she stumbled to her feet and rushed over, sobbing, “Princess, thank goodness you’re here! A group of soldiers came earlier and took Lu Zhong and his three brothers away without explanation, forcing them into a carriage.”

Mian Tang was stunned. In the capital, soldiers wouldn’t dare arrest people arbitrarily. If they did, they and their superiors would risk losing their heads to impeachment by the censors.

There must have been some reason for arresting Lu Zhong and the others.

Mian Tang asked Huang Sanniang if the four brothers had done anything recently. Huang Sanniang cried, “We’re about to get married! Lu Zhong has been busy preparing for the wedding, even putting the escort business on hold. Heaven knows when or how we offended someone to bring about this trouble. Princess, you have connections. Can you find out what crime they’re accused of?”

The soldiers in the capital came from different camps, with different embroidery on their uniforms. First, they needed to know which camp had arrested Lu Zhong and the others. Mian Tang asked about the details of the soldiers’ uniforms and discovered they belonged to the Ministry of War. She thought for a moment, then turned her carriage towards the Ministry.

Mian Tang realized it had been a while since she had seen the Prince. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to visit, but she knew Cui Xingzhou was busy with official matters and purging corrupt officials. She didn’t want to disturb his important work by checking on him frequently. However, today she had to come and clarify the situation for the sake of the four brothers.

It was noon, and the Prince was having lunch in his office at the Ministry. He watched as Mian Tang approached, her forehead dotted with fine sweat, her fair cheeks slightly flushed.

After not seeing her for days, it seemed her belly had grown a bit larger, yet she still walked so quickly…

Cui Xingzhou remained silent for a moment, then frowned as he stood up and walked over to her. Taking her delicate hand, he helped her sit down and said, “With such a big belly, why are you walking so hastily? Don’t you know to take it easy? Has the sky fallen or something?”

Mian Tang, who had been anxious about the news of the four brothers’ arrest, fearing her cover might have been blown, now saw that Cui Xingzhou’s expression was normal, not like someone who had discovered a secret. She cautiously said, “You haven’t returned to the manor for days. I missed you and came especially to see you, so naturally, I walked quickly.”

In the past, Cui Xingzhou would have smiled uncontrollably at such words. But today, although he smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. His expression remained unchanged as he raised an eyebrow and said, “My beloved wife is so thoughtful. I should truly be moved.”

Hearing this, Mian Tang couldn’t help but look at him deeply. Cui Xingzhou poured her a cup of tea and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Mian Tang didn’t dare say that the Prince seemed strange today, so she went straight to the point: “It seems that a few workers from my escort agency were just taken away by people from the Ministry of War. Their relatives at home were crying in panic, and I happened to come across them. They begged me to come and inquire about what crime they’ve committed.”

Cui Xingzhou looked at Mian Tang as if examining a stranger.

Although the beauty was pregnant, her face was still fair and delicate, her shoulders slender and graceful, her figure as lithe as a willow. To say she was once the leader of fierce bandits was so unbelievable that even with a knife to one’s throat, it would be hard to accept.

But the bits and pieces of Yangshan’s past that had been uncovered over the past few days gradually formed a pattern, taking shape. No matter how unwilling Cui Xingzhou was to believe it, he had to admit that after a lifetime of playing with hawks, he had been pecked in the eye by one, rendered completely blind.

The person sharing his pillow was none other than Lu Wen, the fierce bandit of Yangshan.

At this moment, he really should have clasped his hands and exclaimed, “Chief Lu, what impressive skills to have hidden by my side for so long!”

Previously, he had tried to convince himself that Mian Tang had injured her head and completely forgotten her past.

But those four brothers were clearly once her right-hand men in Yangshan. If she had truly forgotten her past, why would she so desperately protect these four bandits?

Over the past few days, Cui Xingzhou’s heart had alternated between being scorched on a volcano and sinking in a glacier. The anger of being deceived filled his chest to the point where he couldn’t even return to his residence.

She was still carrying his child. He feared he might lose control and strangle this woman full of lies.

Even now, looking at that slender white neck, Cui Xingzhou truly wanted to grab it and ask if she felt proud of deceiving him so thoroughly.

Now, hearing Mian Tang inquire about the situation of those four Yangshan bandits, Cui Xingzhou did his best to suppress his anger and slowly said, “Oh, is that so? Mo Ru, go downstairs and ask what this is all about.”

Mo Ru was completely bewildered, thinking to himself: Didn’t the Prince personally oversee their interrogation in the room next to the torture chamber? Why is he now pretending not to know?

However, he didn’t dare say anything. Since the Prince had ordered it, he went through the motions. After dawdling outside for a while, he returned to report, “Your Highness, someone has reported that these four brothers were once in league with bandits!”