Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

"No," Pei Dingxuan shook his head.

After leaving Yunshui Residence, he had gone through all the details of the house in his mind several times.

"He's not some living god; he just uses unorthodox methods and sets up elaborate schemes."

He raised his hand and gently tapped his knee, beginning to disassemble it.

"As soon as I entered the room, I was caught in the formation he had set up."

"The room is elegantly furnished, but in fact, it is full of calculations. The spiral pattern on the bottom of the teacup can easily make people lose their minds if they look at it for a long time."

The wind chimes by the window have a clear and melodious sound, and listening to them for a while will make people subconsciously relax their guard.

And then there's the room filled with datura and night-blooming jasmine; the fragrance of flowers is inherently mesmerizing, and when combined with the incense he burns, it must contain hypnotic ingredients, layer upon layer, first disturbing the mind.

"The most crucial thing is that cup of Heart-Revealing Tea. The tea itself is not poisonous, but it is drugged to lower one's guard and make one completely at his mercy."

Coupled with his guiding words, this intricately linked narrative subtly lulled the listener into a dream.

The attendants felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this.

"Such insidious methods exist, but no matter how cunning the scheme, it can always be seen through and exposed by the master."

Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he exclaimed in surprise, "King Kangyou used to come here often. Could it be that he was poisoned by the Illusionist and died?"

"The coroner examined the body and found no signs of poisoning."

The attendant frowned. "What else could it be? Could it really be suicide by hanging?"

Yes and no.

"What do you mean by that, sir?"

"If a person is exposed to hallucinogenic drugs for a long time, coupled with mental stress, they are more likely to gradually lose their mind and experience hallucinations."

As for the illusionist and his followers, they must have a way of cultivating flowers like datura.

King Kangyou was completely unaware of the truth and believed he had found a living deity who could relieve his worries.

Little did they know that his long-term exposure to hallucinogenic drugs had blurred the lines between reality and illusion.

He treated reality as a dream, believing that he could find liberation in the dream.

The pain in his body and his will to survive forced him to wake up. He struggled to live, leaving behind messy marks.

But by then he had already lost all his strength, and no matter how much he struggled, it was to no avail; he was ultimately doomed to die.

"...The illusionist's methods are even more subtle than direct poisoning."

After listening to Pei Dingxuan's reasoning, the attendant broke out in a cold sweat.

"So that's how it is... That illusionist's methods are truly ruthless."

"Return to the Ministry of Justice and immediately gather manpower to arrest the illusionist. Bring back anyone who has had contact with him for questioning."

"yes!"

The carriage sped towards the Ministry of Justice.

As Pei Dingxuan passed by the west gate of the Duke's mansion, he inadvertently glanced out the window.

As the rain gradually subsided, someone walked past with an umbrella at the entrance of the bluestone alley, their blue skirt sweeping across the damp ground, leaving shallow watermarks.

She turned slightly to speak to the gatekeeper, the edge of her umbrella lifting to reveal her face.

Her eyes and brows remained as gentle and composed as ever, a stark contrast to the alluring, tearful, and pleading woman in her dream.

In an instant, the images from both dreams resurfaced in my mind.

Wet clothes clung together in the bathroom, tears forced to their breaking point behind the artificial rock...

The carriage has passed through the side gate.

"My lord?" The attendant noticed something amiss.

"It's nothing." Pei Dingxuan closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

The wheels rolled on, leaving that green figure behind.

But the ripples on the lake of the heart spread out clearly in circles.

……

The oil-paper umbrella was folded up and tapped on the steps, causing water droplets to fall to the ground.

Liu Wenying folded her umbrella, still holding the mugwort and calamus she had bought from the street in her arms, with a bamboo basket hooked around her arm.

In the basket was the kite she bought for Luo Luo, shaped like a swallow, with vermilion wings and an inky black tail.

With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, it is customary for every household to fly kites for their children, a practice also known as "releasing misfortune," which is said to ward off bad luck.

In the past, Liu Wenying wouldn't have believed it much, but now that she has someone to care about, there's nothing wrong with trying some things.

Back at her residence, she put away the things she had bought.

Xiaozhu and Luoluo had a great time playing together. She kissed her daughter's forehead, straightened her clothes, and headed towards Mingxi Hall.

When we returned home, it was still drizzling, but now the clouds have parted and the rain has stopped, and sunlight is peeking through the gaps in the clouds.

As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, Liu Wenying froze.

The maids and servants in the courtyard stood in neat rows, completely silent, not daring to utter a sound.

Liu Wenying didn't dare to delay and quietly moved to the back row.

She gently tugged at Ling'er's sleeve, "What's wrong?"

Ling'er turned around and saw it was her; her eyes lit up.

"Sister Liu, you've come at the perfect time. Granny Wu just relayed the message that the old lady is thinking about the Dragon Boat Festival and remembered the customs from when she lived at the villa. She's coming to Mingxi Hall to try them out too."

"What are the rules?"

Ling'er, keep it short and explain clearly.

It turns out that the old lady used to live in the villa and only returned to the mansion during the New Year.

Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, the old lady of the villa would have the servants embroider sachets, which would then be displayed and judged on the day of the festival.

The best embroidery will be rewarded, as a way to bring good luck for the Dragon Boat Festival.

The sachets aren't just embroidered for nothing; they're filled with aromatic herbs like patchouli, mint, and borneol, which is a Dragon Boat Festival custom.

Liu Wenying nodded in understanding.

The old lady had lived in the villa for a long time. After the old Duke passed away, although she enjoyed honor, she was inevitably confined to the house. She would hold some needlework competitions on every festival.

Firstly, it's about observing the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival for good luck; secondly, it's about finding some fun and cultivating one's interests—both are perfectly reasonable.

Just then, Xi Chun led two maids over, carrying a wooden tray.

Stacks of small cloth bags were laid out on the tray, and Xi Chun distributed them to people one by one.

The bag contained matching silk threads, silver needles, and soft cotton cloth—all embroidery materials prepared by the household.

The maids accepted the gifts one by one, thanking them quietly.

Liu Wenying waited quietly.

Seeing that the tray was almost empty, Xi Chun walked up to her and said, "Oh, what bad luck, it's all gone."

The maids who had just been talking about what silk thread materials they had been allocated suddenly fell silent and turned their gazes toward them.

"The materials were prepared beforehand, and that's all there is. You weren't here yet."

How could Liu Wenying not hear the deliberate intent in her words?

Mingxi Hall has been busy hiring staff lately, so how could they have overlooked her?

They probably felt they had gained face in front of the old lady and were deliberately making things difficult for her.

"It's alright, I'll just go to the street and buy some silk thread and fabric myself, it won't take long."

"That won't do."

Xi Chun immediately retorted, raising his voice, not only to Liu Wenying but also to everyone in the courtyard.

"Since the old lady has set the rules, we must abide by them. In order to ensure fairness, all materials used by everyone must be distributed by the manor."

"Want to buy it yourself? No way. Who knows if you'll end up buying some gold or silver thread to try and cheat?"

Ling'er frowned upon hearing this and couldn't help but speak up, "Even a clever cook can't cook without rice. If you don't provide the ingredients, does that mean Sister Liu won't cook?"

Upon hearing Ling'er's words, Xi Chun put on a fake smile.

"What are you saying? Nanny Liu is also a favorite of the old lady. Why would I deliberately make things difficult for her? It's just that the materials were prepared long ago, and I just didn't count them in."

She changed the subject abruptly, feigning generosity.

"I'll go to the storeroom later to get another copy and have someone deliver it to you. I promise I won't delay Nurse Liu from showing off her skills."

Liu Wenying understood perfectly, and nodded slightly, saying, "Then I'll trouble you."

…………