Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 136 East Wing at Hai Hour
If the two hadn't been childhood friends and quite familiar with each other's ways, it would have been difficult to discern the hidden meaning in Zhou Wenzong's words. After leaving the clinic, Shen Tuzhuo gradually came to his senses.

Tan Huaike avoided seeing him. For the King of Qin to need to use such an cryptic method to convey his message shows that there are untrustworthy people around this "couple," and they must be very careful.

Fortunately, the trip wasn't a complete waste. Shen Tu Zhuo comforted himself, as he had finally made contact with them. His sister-in-law hadn't forgotten about him either. She went back to pack up and waited for their meeting at 9 PM.

At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), Shen Tu Zhuo specially wore a black robe. Although it was not conspicuous in the darkness, upon closer inspection, one could see subtle silver-thread cloud patterns. The fabric was smooth to the touch, and the stitches were straight and fine. This expensive and fashionable garment, which he had carefully selected, made him look dashing and was no less impressive than the high-ranking officials and nobles of Andu.

Reaching the small gate on the east side of the Prince of Qin's mansion, he secretly knocked on the door knocker when no one was around.

A moment later, the small door creaked open, and Pei'er welcomed him inside.

Shentu Zhuo straightened his clothes and asked, "Ah...is the Princess waiting for me in the east wing? Is the Prince also there?"

Pei'er led him to the artificial hill in the courtyard, handed him a small bundle and said, "Young Master Zhuo, your clothes are likely to cause misunderstandings. You should change your clothes here first before going."

Shen Tu Zhuo: "Do I... really have to change?" Wouldn't it be a waste to have bought this ridiculously expensive outfit?
Pei'er turned her back to him and insisted, "We need to change. The prince instructed us beforehand that you, Young Master Zhuo, will most likely be dressed in a flamboyant manner, as if you are here to have an affair with the princess. If you are discovered, where will the princess's reputation and his face be? So we must change into the clothes we have prepared so that we will not give others a reason to criticize us, and it will also be convenient to discuss important matters."

As Shen Tu Zhuo changed his clothes, he thought to himself, "I came here for a secret rendezvous. What do I care about reputation or face? If you're so capable, force me to change my clothes and ruin my romantic demeanor. If you're so capable, then don't steal someone else's sister-in-law."

After changing, he stretched out the rough hem of his linen clothes, feeling extremely angry.

Is this meant to make him dress up as a servant who vandalizes things?

You, Zhou Wencong, act like a high and mighty, immaculate prince, yet you insist on belittling Tan Huaike in front of him! Who would believe that this person doesn't have some selfish motives?
Shen Tu Zhuo followed behind Pei'er, and after walking a few steps, he saw a green hut, which was obviously used on the day of the wedding.

As rumored, the Third Prince had put considerable thought into this green-draped residence. The traditional blue curtains of the Great Xuan Dynasty were arranged in a staggered, layered fashion, with sheer veils cascading down the eaves. Golden bells and pearl chains, reminiscent of the Mohe style, adorned the space, making it magnificent yet tasteful. Shen Tu Zhuo, with his exceptional eyesight, noticed the Monroe totem painted on the curtains in the lantern's glow. This meticulous attention to detail revealed Zhou Wenzong's deep affection for the "princess sent for peace."

Growing increasingly angry, Shentu Zhuo said, "The wedding is already over, what's the point of keeping this bridal chamber?"

Pei'er shook her head: "His Highness instructed us not to take it apart. We servants don't know why. Perhaps it's because the Princess Consort likes it, so we're leaving it here for her to enjoy?"

We had arrived near the east wing and could smell the fragrance of medicine from afar.

Shen Tu Zhuo came to his senses. Zhou Wen Cong had used a code to arrange a meeting with him, but it was also the truth. Tan Huai Ke was not feeling well and often coughed at night, so he did need to take medicine to recuperate.

Pei'er pushed open the door, and a steady voice greeted her from inside: "You've arrived?"

Shen Tu Zhuo walked in and saw Zhou Wen Cong kneeling on a prayer mat, nodding to him. In the corner of the room, a maid dressed like Pei'er was fanning the fire in the stove where medicine was being boiled with a palm-leaf fan.

However, he could tell from just his back view that it was Tan Huaike.
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In an instant, Shen Tu Zhuo's resentment vanished.

Tan Huaike disguised himself as a maid, so he should disguise himself as a servant; that would be a perfect match. And look at Zhou Wencong—oh, the newly appointed prince, the elegant young master—so what? He's completely out of place with them.

Pei'er closed the door to the east wing and stood guard outside alone. The three inside were finally able to have an open and honest conversation.

Shentu Zhuo asked, "Is everything going smoothly?"

Tan Huaike turned around, still holding the small palm-leaf fan in his hand, and smiled at him, "Don't worry, everything is going according to plan... cough cough, you've entered Andu so quickly, it seems your affairs are also going smoothly."

Shen Tu Zhuo glanced at Zhou Wen Cong: "I wanted to come and witness the wedding of the Prince of Qin and the Princess, but unfortunately I missed it. I haven't had a chance to congratulate Your Highness on the successful completion of the marriage alliance and the fulfillment of all your wishes."

Zhou Wenzong was a little embarrassed: "Um... let's get down to business first."

The three of them reminisced about what had happened since they last met.

Upon hearing that Tan Huaike had been poisoned in Louyang and then consulted with imperial physicians in Fengyi County, Shen Tuzhuo couldn't help but feel worried for her. It sounded easy, but if she made a single wrong step, Tan Huaike's life would likely be in danger.

He desperately wanted to end this situation as soon as possible, and asked, "There shouldn't be any danger after this, right? After a while, we can discuss with Aisha how to coordinate an attack from the inside and outside to make Princess Qin seriously ill and die, right? Have you thought of a way to escape?"

Zhou Wencong said, “Zhongqi, listen to me. Originally, I thought everything was going as expected, but ever since Tan Huaike was summoned by the Empress Dowager and mentioned the sorcerer who poisoned him, I felt that something was not quite right. So I became more cautious and went to the East Palace to see my elder brother, the Crown Prince. That’s when I realized that we had underestimated the danger in Andu.”

"How to say?"

“I never imagined that the Empress Dowager would want to harm my princess. She once gave Tan Huaike a bottle of antidote, saying it was made by a sorcerer and could cure the remaining poison in her body, but it turned out to be a trigger for the poison to take effect!” Zhou Wenzong said with lingering fear. “The Empress Dowager wanted to eliminate the threat forever. If my elder brother, the Crown Prince, hadn’t told me, I would still be in the dark.”

“Her Majesty the Empress knows our plan and is willing to cooperate, but she doesn’t want to leave me as a hidden danger, so that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin can be used against them by villains,” Tan Huai Ke said. “On my way back, I was stopped by the masked man who had saved us before. He told me that the antidote was actually a poison catalyst and that I must not take it. He also gave me a poison recipe that he had collected from a sorcerer’s house.”

When this matter was mentioned, Zhou Wenzong felt deeply helpless. Tan Huaike had brought back the prescription for Nirvana, and had kept the fact that the Empress had given him the bottle of poison catalyst a secret from him until he returned from the Eastern Palace and repeatedly questioned her, at which point she revealed the truth, explaining that she did not want to cause any discord between herself and the Empress Dowager because of her.

Ultimately, she still didn't believe he could protect her.

"What's the use of the poison formula? What about the antidote?" Shen Tu Zhuo asked urgently.

"It's alright. With the real poison formula, Fufeng will always be able to come up with an antidote," Tan Huaike comforted him. "Fufeng's research has been very effective these days. He has already made several prescriptions. We'll see which one is more effective."

Shen Tu Zhuo felt slightly relieved and finally had the energy to attend to other matters: "Wait, the masked man? Who exactly is that masked man? Is the prescription he gave you reliable?"

Tan Huaike shook his head: "I don't know."

Zhou Wencong said, "I don't know either, but my elder brother, the Crown Prince, said that he is trustworthy."

Shentu Zhuo pondered to himself, "Is he one of the Crown Prince's men?"
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Next chapter: That green hut will be kept for a reason.