Lu Zhuo found nothing on the two assassins that could prove their identities.

From Wei Rao’s attitude, she seemed to have no intention of investigating the assassins’ identities, or perhaps she clearly knew who the mastermind behind them was.

Lu Zhuo had no interest in delving into other families’ grudges. After finding a cliff to dispose of the two men, he retraced his steps and soon arrived at the stone stairway leading to the main peak of Yunwu Mountain.

This path was built with government funds specifically for tourists and pilgrims. The stone steps were flat and uniform, each eight feet wide. Having just experienced a snowfall, the steps had been washed clean by melted snow water. As pedestrians climbed up, they could gaze into the distance and see beautiful spring scenery everywhere. Occasionally, the melodious sound of temple bells would drift over, making one feel refreshed and temporarily forget worldly troubles.

The horses were left at the foot of the mountain. Lu Zhuo strolled, in no hurry to reunite with his family.

At a spot roughly midway up the mountain path, Wang Shi and her daughter Zhou Huizhen were positioned in a peach blossom grove near the mountain road. Zhou Huizhen stood deeper inside, as if intently admiring the flowers, while Wang Shi sat on a large rock closer to the outer edge, pretending to rest. In reality, her eyes kept glancing down at the mountain path below. Whenever a distinguished young gentleman in fine robes appeared, Wang Shi would call to her daughter, preparing for an “accidental encounter.”

Nanny Liu from Shou’an Jun’s household had also come along, sitting under a peach tree with an expressionless face, watching this mother-daughter pair.

Having followed the mother and daughter up Yunwu Mountain for several days, Nanny Liu was physically and mentally exhausted. She hoped even more than Wang Shi for a wealthy son-in-law willing to marry Zhou Huizhen to appear quickly, so she could be freed from this assignment. However, Nanny Liu knew better—how could any man who met Wang Shi’s criteria for a wealthy son-in-law possibly marry Zhou Huizhen?

Setting aside reputation, the Zhou family’s social standing was nothing to boast about.

Her master, Shou’an Jun, had initially been merely the wife of a ninth-rank minor capital official. Their household was impoverished when the palace happened to be selecting wet nurses. Shou’an Jun met all the requirements to be a wet nurse and entered the palace, becoming one of the candidate wet nurses for the yet-to-be-born Emperor Yuanjia.

After Emperor Yuanjia was born, the Empress Dowager, who was focused on competing for favor, naturally would not personally nurse her son. The Empress Dowager’s most favored wet nurse had problematic milk—it was fine for raising her children, but Emperor Yuanjia would break out in rashes after drinking it. This is how Shou’an Jun got the position. As they say, the fate between people is mysterious—little Emperor Yuanjia had no problems at all drinking Shou’an Jun’s milk and was particularly attached to her.

Thus, Shou’an Jun became a wet nurse in the palace. At that time, the Empress Dowager had another older biological prince, so Emperor Yuanjia held no special position with the Empress Dowager and was even more unremarkable among the princes. Shou’an Jun, at that time, was just an ordinary wet nurse among many in the palace, and Magistrate Zhou, her ninth-rank official husband, gained no benefits from Shou’an Jun’s position.

When Emperor Yuanjia was eleven years old, the Empress Dowager made a mistake—the kind that could have landed her in the cold palace. At the critical moment, the Empress Dowager deliberately arranged for Shou’an Jun, whom she had carefully hidden for years, to appear before the Late Emperor.

Shou’an Jun, at that time, was just over thirty, having recently returned to the palace after taking half a year’s leave following Xiao Zhou Shi’s birth. She was stunningly beautiful with mature charm that couldn’t be concealed—a type of beauty the Late Emperor, despite possessing countless women in his harem, had never encountered.

With Shou’an Jun’s appearance, the Late Emperor not only ceased punishing the Empress Dowager but also began summoning Emperor Yuanjia more frequently. Simultaneously, the Late Emperor deliberately transferred Magistrate Zhou to serve in a distant region. Poor Magistrate Zhou, bearing the world’s criticism of his wife and people’s mockery of him, died young in that foreign land due to his inability to adapt to the local climate.

Shou’an Jun became a widow with three children and also became the Zhou family’s pillar of support.

While the Late Emperor was alive, the Empress Dowager deliberately used Shou’an Jun for her benefit, causing Shou’an Jun’s reputation to be ruined and her family destroyed. After the Late Emperor died and Emperor Yuanjia ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager knew that Shou’an Jun had never succumbed to the Late Emperor, yet out of jealousy toward Shou’an Jun earning Emperor Yuanjia’s respect, she deliberately allowed rumors to fester, making Zhou family daughters even more despised. If not for Emperor Yuanjia’s insistence on sending gifts to Shou’an Jun annually, where would Shou’an Jun’s family have any place to shelter in the capital?

Those prestigious families, giving face to Emperor Yuanjia, dared not bully them excessively, but they absolutely would not marry Zhou family daughters.

Even cousin Wei Rao’s marriage was difficult, let alone the Zhou Huizhen and Zhou Huizhu sisters.

What Nanny Liu and Shou’an Jun could see clearly, Wang Shi and her daughter stubbornly continued to dream about.

“Zhen’er, come quickly. We should go down the mountain,” Wang Shi, who had been craning her neck to look around, suddenly showed delight on her face and beckoned to Zhou Huizhen, who was putting on an act.

This was their signal, meaning a handsome young gentleman had appeared!

Zhou Huizhen touched the peach blossom she had just placed in her hair, suppressing the excitement in her heart, and walked to her mother’s side with the grace of a proper young lady.

Nanny Liu pinched her aching calves, supported herself against the tree trunk to stand up, and silently followed behind the mother-daughter pair.

“Mother, how about this one? Is there anyone with him?” Supporting her mother’s arm with one hand, Zhou Huizhen asked in a low voice.

Over these past days, she had “accidentally encountered” about twenty or thirty young gentlemen. Those men all looked at her with amazement, some even with such burning intensity that made her blush. However, when it came to exchanging greetings and introducing themselves, the female elders or sisters accompanying those men immediately became disdainful, making her extremely embarrassed.

Zhou Huizhen’s grand ambitions were nearly worn away. No matter how much she longed to marry into a powerful family, she still had her pride and couldn’t bear repeated contempt.

Wang Shi said joyfully, “How should I put it? He’s like an immortal descended from heaven. All the young gentlemen we’ve seen before combined couldn’t compare to him. Best of all, he doesn’t have a single person with him—it’s as if he came specifically to meet you.”

Zhou Huizhen felt her heart burning with excitement upon hearing this.

Nanny Liu deliberately dampened their spirits from behind: “Not even a servant boy? Could he be some poor boy who only looks the part, also planning to use his face to climb the social ladder by encountering a prestigious young lady?”

Due to the master-servant hierarchy, Nanny Liu usually gave Wang Shi plenty of face and would never mock so coldly. But after several days of mountain climbing, Nanny Liu’s patience with Wang Shi was completely exhausted. Moreover, her analysis was entirely possible—children of prestigious families were all pampered and liked to bring servant boys and maids wherever they went.

Wang Shi turned around and glared fiercely at Nanny Liu, warning: “Just follow along and don’t speak. If you ruin the young lady’s opportunity, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

Nanny Liu barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

Zhou Huizhen became somewhat worried by Nanny Liu’s words.

Wang Shi patted her hand, saying with complete confidence: “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Just by his bearing, I’d believe it if you told me he was a prince.”

After a pause, Wang Shi devised a plan: “Zhen’er, this person is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If this works out, we won’t need to keep running up this mountain anymore. In my opinion, let’s do something big later to give you two more time together.”

After speaking, Wang Shi leaned close to Zhou Huizhen’s ear and whispered a long string of words.

“What does Madam intend to do?” Nanny Liu asked with some warning in her tone.

Fearing her good scheme would be exposed by Nanny Liu, Wang Shi had no choice but to inform Nanny Liu first.

It was a foolish move that would be very embarrassing once exposed. Even if not exposed, the chance of success was only fifty percent, since Zhou Huizhen’s identity was the biggest obstacle to marrying into a wealthy family.

Nanny Liu looked around. At this moment on the mountain path, there were only them and that unfortunate immortal gentleman. Letting Wang Shi and her daughter try once to dash their hopes might be good.

“Madam, act convincingly and don’t give yourself away, otherwise the Old Madam will never let you and the young lady leave the house again.”

Wang Shi understood. Gritting her teeth, when they approached a corner ahead, Wang Shi stopped, slowly half-collapsed on the path, deliberately knocking her forehead against the edge of a stone step until it turned red. Wang Shi quickly gave her daughter a meaningful look, then closed her eyes and pretended to faint from heatstroke.

Zhou Huizhen hadn’t expected her mother to go to such lengths. She clutched her handkerchief and glanced down the mountain, then suddenly began crying: “Mother, what’s wrong? Mother, wake up! Don’t scare me!”

“Crying alone won’t work—you need tears.” Nanny Liu cooperated with the mother-daughter pair like never before, crouching beside Zhou Huizhen and giving her thigh a hard pinch.

Zhou Huizhen covered her mouth with her handkerchief, unable to cry aloud. The pain naturally turned into tears. Her enchanting little face turned pale, and her watery phoenix eyes held two pools of tears, looking pitifully beautiful. Even Nanny Liu sighed inwardly at the sight. This young lady was indeed beautiful—marrying beneath her station would truly be a waste.

“Could it be heatstroke? Young lady, don’t cry. Let me press Madam’s pressure point.” After feeling regretful, Nanny Liu cradled Wang Shi’s head and shoulders on her lap and also pressed Wang Shi’s pressure point.

Wang Shi silently chanted “endure” six times in her heart and finally withstood this wave of pain.

Thus, when Lu Zhuo heard the commotion and quickened his pace to arrive, he saw Zhou Huizhen sitting on the steps covering her face and weeping softly, Wang Shi unconscious in Nanny Liu’s arms with her eyes tightly closed and a large nail mark on her pressure point, and Nanny Liu looking anxious and helpless about how to respond.

At first glance, Lu Zhuo truly didn’t suspect anything.

“What happened?” Lu Zhuo strode up several steps and crouched beside Wang Shi, his eyes focused only on her.

Nanny Liu was very absorbed in her acting. She had been keeping her head down and only looked up when someone crouched down beside them. Seeing Lu Zhuo’s face, Nanny Liu was greatly surprised. Good heavens, Wang Shi and her daughter had struck it lucky this time, encountering a truly godlike man.

Fortunately, Nanny Liu was composed enough. After being stunned for a moment, she immediately came to her senses and continued acting, saying anxiously, “My madam suddenly fainted just now, and pressing her pressure point doesn’t help.”

Lu Zhuo reached out to examine Wang Shi.

Nanny Liu took the opportunity to glance sideways and saw Zhou Huizhen with her handkerchief half-covering her face, her teary eyes staring unblinkingly at the immortal man, her soul nearly entranced!

How shameless!

“Young lady, don’t cry. Madam has always been robust—it should just be heatstroke.” Nanny Liu pretended to comfort her while reminding Zhou Huizhen.

Zhou Huizhen didn’t hear her, her eyes filled only with the immortal man so close at hand—his handsome eyebrows, pitch-black eyes, the perfectly proportioned double eyelids revealed by his lowered head, and his jade-like flawless face. If she could truly marry this man, even if his family was destitute, Zhou Huizhen would be willing.

Lu Zhuo sensed the gaze from beside him and simultaneously discovered that the woman on the ground had eyelids that kept twitching rapidly in small movements.

Truly unconscious people wouldn’t do this.

Why deceive him?

Just as confusion arose, a timid voice suddenly reached his ears: “Young master, how is my mother?”

Lu Zhuo looked up.

Zhou Huizhen had already lowered the handkerchief covering her face, deliberately revealing her beautiful, flower-like face to the immortal young master she admired.

Blood inheritance is a strange thing—sisters from the same mother might not resemble each other, while cousins sometimes could be similar.

Wei Rao and Zhou Huizhen, this pair of cousins, had both inherited Shou’an Jun’s beauty.

The moment Lu Zhuo met Zhou Huizhen’s gaze, he immediately thought of Wei Rao.

If not for Wei Rao’s more alluring phoenix eyes, fuller and more seductive vermillion lips, and sweeter voice; if not for him witnessing Wei Rao’s party descending the mountain; if not for him knowing Wei Rao’s mother was far away at Xishan Xing Palace—Lu Zhuo might have thought the person before him was Wei Rao dressed as a woman to toy with him.

Lu Zhuo’s impression of Wei Rao wasn’t good, and now, encountering a young lady with ulterior motives who was related to Wei Rao, Lu Zhuo let out a cold laugh and walked away with a flick of his sleeves.

“Young, young master?” Zhou Huizhen was completely stunned. She had only asked one question—why did the immortal young master leave?

Wang Shi endured the discomfort until the immortal young master’s footsteps disappeared, then scrambled up in panic: “What happened? Who gave us away?”

Nanny Liu felt the problem lay with Wang Shi. The immortal young master had a kind heart and hadn’t even glanced toward Zhou Huizhen when he came over.

“Madam’s eyelids were twitching too fast, and the young lady just kept staring at that young master without caring about Madam at all.”

Nanny Liu brushed the dust from her sleeves, saying with great regret.

With one sentence, she successfully provoked the mother and daughter to blame and complain about each other, thus ending today’s gold-digging expedition.