https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-403-Visiting-the-Crown-Prince-s-Mansion/12973625/
Chapter 402: Unveiling the Imperial Proclamation
Chapter 402: Unveiling the Imperial Proclamation
Meng Qianqian proposed a seemingly reasonable condition.
Tan'er was her maid, yet her food, clothing, and expenses were no different from Bai Yuwei's, and she addressed her as 'older sister'. Shang Wuyou naturally understood that she treated Tan'er as a younger sister.
So, for Tan'er's sake, she might just do it.
However, was Tan'er's background truly as she claimed?
Never mind, regardless of what nefarious scheme she might be plotting, he had to return to the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion.
Tan'er was just a greedy little girl with exceptional martial arts skills, but she wasn't difficult to deal with.
As for why Tan'er was placed by his side instead of someone else, in Shang Wuyou's opinion, it was because Meng Qianqian had no other choice.
The others were too eye-catching and would immediately arouse suspicion.
Tan'er appeared harmless, and even if her intentions were questionable, no one would pay her any mind.
Shang Wuyou made up his mind and calmly looked at Meng Qianqian, "Fine, I'll take her to the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion to find her father."
"I hope you do it secretly and don't make it obvious."
Meng Qianqian's underlying meaning was clear—she didn't want the others in the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion to know.
Shang Wuyou furrowed his brows and asked, "Why?"
Meng Qianqian spoke with a light tone, "After so many years of not seeing each other, no one can guarantee that her father hasn't remarried. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it's best if only you know about this. With your status as the young master of the pavilion, secretly investigating a disciple shouldn't be difficult."
"Understood."
Shang Wuyou responded indifferently.
Meng Qianqian continued, "Go and inform Uncle Yu."
Shang Wuyou acted like a rebellious child, unwilling to follow any of Meng Qianqian's instructions.
But to prevent Meng Qianqian from changing her mind, he eventually went.
Uncle Yu was watering the flowers that his wife loved the most. These flowers were brought from their hometown, and they had to be carefully tended to, or they might wither away.
When he heard that Shang Wuyou was leaving, he couldn't help but ask, "So early, where are you going?"
"Home." Shang Wuyou replied.
Uncle Yu looked at Shang Wuyou, then at Tan'er, who was standing behind him with a bundle on her back, yawning constantly. "You... Are you from the Imperial City?"
Tan'er hugged her arms, "He is, but I'm not!"
Uncle Yu said, "I don't hear your accent either."
Tan'er pointed at Shang Wuyou and said to Uncle Yu, "Uncle Yu, his family just moved to the Imperial City too. Coincidentally, they didn't notify him either!"
Shang Wuyou muttered softly, "It's not like I had a choice after you guys captured me."
Uncle Yu scratched his head awkwardly, "Your father must have wanted to come."
"Tan'er, are you going too?" Uncle Yu asked.
The little maid loved red braised pork, and coincidentally, so did his wife. His wife would definitely like the little maid.
"Yes." Tan'er looked up at the sky and sighed, "Starting today, I'm his maid!"
As she spoke, she put on an exaggeratedly sad expression, then laughed at Uncle Yu, "Uncle Yu, please inform Uncle and Aunt Yu. I'll go out and play for a few days, and when I return, I'll greet her again!"
Uncle Yu chuckled, "I was afraid you wouldn't come back, you scared me. By the way, Young Master Shang, where is your home? I'll ask Lai Fu to send you there."
Before Shang Wuyou could respond, Tan'er said, "No need, we'll go ourselves!"
Shang Wuyou said indifferently, "How will we go? Don't tell me you'll walk there."
Tan'er grabbed Shang Wuyou's arm, "Let's go!"
Si She and Ji Li secretly escorted the two of them to the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion and watched as Shang Wuyou entered the main gate with Tan'er.
"We're off." Si She said.
Ji Li shook his folding fan, "Ah She, do you think this kid can do it? Will he cause any trouble?"
"I don't know." Si She turned around.
"Hey! Ah She!" Ji Li quickly caught up to him, "Ah She, I've noticed that ever since we avenged the Grand Marshal, your mood has been quite low. How should I put it? It's like you've lost your hope, and you don't know what to live for. Hey, do you want me to divine for you?"
Si She calmly said, "You should worry about yourself..."
"What do I have to worry about... Waaah—" Ji Li stepped on a stone slab and fell into a dry well.
"How did I end up... unlucky again..."
"Ah She... help me..."
Si She's steps halted.
Yes, Ji Li hadn't been unlucky for several months, and he once thought that after marrying the princess, his ill-fated life would change.
Si She looked down at him from above.
The dry well was too narrow, and Ji Li struggled to move: "Ah She, what are you looking at? Hurry up and pull me out of here!"
Si She: "Aren't you not unlucky anymore since you're with the princess?"
Ji Li: "Who said that? I'm still unlucky!"
It's just that Princess Wanping wouldn't be affected by his bad luck.
"Hmm, Amu, you didn't get to finish your sentence today—"
Before the word 'tired' could be said, the well mouth collapsed, and Ji Li, the Si She, fell expressionlessly into the well.
Yu Family.
Meng Qianqian saw Yu Furen.
Yesterday, when she saw Yu Daddy, Meng Qianqian felt that Yu Zichuan was quite similar to him. Today, upon seeing Yu Furen, she realized that Yu Zichuan resembled her the most.
No wonder Yu Zichuan was so youthful and handsome; Yu Furen was also a rare beauty.
Her eyes were clear and bright, without a trace of fatigue or weariness. After many years of marriage, she still retained the liveliness she had before leaving her family home.
This must be what it's like to marry the right person.
Yu Furen held Meng Qianqian's hand and sat down on a chair, then turned to give Yu Zichuan a reproachful look, "Son, you brought guests home, but you didn't even wake your mother?"
Yu Zichuan replied with a hint of resentment, "Father won't let me call out, and he even chased me out of my own room."
Yu Furen glared at Yu Daddy, who was standing at the door, "That's where you went wrong."
"Yes, yes, I was wrong!"
Yu Daddy bowed in apology outside.
Yu Furen forgave him, then turned to her son, "Don't blame your father, you're indeed quite noisy."
Yu Zichuan took a deep breath, he was indeed an unexpected person.
Meng Qianqian had accumulated a lot of experience dealing with the wives in the capital, and she possessed a maturity and eloquence beyond her years. When she met Yu Furen, it felt like they were old acquaintances.
Upon learning that Yu Furen was one of the renowned Twelve Divine Maidens, Meng Qianqian couldn't help but favor her even more.
"Mrs. Lu, Xiao Chuan has caused you a lot of trouble, hasn't he? This child doesn't even know who he follows. Clearly, neither my father nor I are stubborn people."
Meng Qianqian smiled politely, "Aunt Yu, if you don't mind, please call me Xiao Jiu."
Yu Furen smiled, "Then I'll call you that from now on!"
"Mhm."
Meng Qianqian nodded and began to chat with Yu Furen about Yu Zichuan's experiences in the capital.
In fact, although she had only known Yu Zichuan for a little over a year, she had heard many stories from Lu Yuan. For example, Yu Zichuan loved eating osmanthus cakes from Zhou Ji, or how he learned archery by following a group of sword-wielding Jin Yuwei, or how he always insisted on bathing three times.
The first time Lu Yuan scrubbed his back, Yu Zichuan wouldn't let anyone else touch him. Lu Yuan had complained about it.
Upon hearing this, Yu Furen knew that her son had been doing well in the Duke's Mansion these past years.
If it weren't going well, he wouldn't have refused to come home every year.
He had grown taller, no longer the frail and weak youth he once was. Now, he was a dashing young man.
Yu Furen suddenly teared up.
Meng Qianqian quickly held her wrist, "Aunt Yu, what's wrong? Did I say too much earlier?"
Yu Furen choked up, "It's not... I just feel like crying... After getting pregnant... I cry every day..."
...
An hour later, Meng Qianqian came out of Yu Furen's room.
After they finished their heart-to-heart talk, Yu Zichuan and his father left.
His father went to greet the guests, while he sat outside sharpening his bow.
Yu Zichuan looked up and walked towards Meng Qianqian, "You chatted with my mother for so long?"
His mother and he hadn't chatted for that long.
Meng Qianqian smiled, "Your mother cares about you and wants to know if you're doing well in the capital."
"Oh."
Yu Zichuan seemed to have anticipated his mother's concern, but he wasn't worried that Meng Qianqian's response would cause his mother any anxiety.
Perhaps this was a form of unspoken trust and understanding.
"How is my mother doing?"
He asked, "They say that getting pregnant at her age can be challenging, but she's doing well. Her pulse is very stable."
Meng Qianqian replied, "It can be challenging, but thankfully your mother's pulse is stable. She's three months along now."
Yu Zichuan asked, "How big is the baby?"
Meng Qianqian extended her index finger and compared it to her belly, "About this big."
Yu Zichuan was stunned, "This small?"
Meng Qianqian's surprised expression made him laugh.
She couldn't help but think of Wang Furen, who was far away in the capital. She should have given birth by now, and she hoped that she and the baby were doing well.
"By the way, where's Lu Yuan?"
Meng Qianqian pointed outside, "He's chatting with your father. Chen Long just went out, but he didn't say where he was going."
Meng Qianqian assured her, "Don't worry, since he's made a plan, he'll stick to it."
She guessed that he was probably off to gather information related to the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion.
When the two entered the main hall, Yu Daddy was sighing with a troubled expression, not knowing what the two had discussed.
Meng Qianqian looked at Lu Yuan with questioning eyes.
Lu Yuan gestured for her to sit.
"Dad, what are you doing?"
Yu Zichuan asked.
"Ah, Xiao Jiu, come sit down."
Yu Daddy welcomed Meng Qianqian to sit.
Yu Zichuan, who had been ignored by his father, said, "At home, and I still need to be invited to sit?"
Yu Daddy hooked a stool with his foot and offered it to him.
Yuzichuan sat down with a sullen expression.
Meng Qianqian curved her lips and asked, "Uncle Yu, are you troubled about something?"
"Ahh," sighed Uncle Yu. "We've been in the capital for two months now, and I still haven't figured out what business to start."
"I heard from Yuzichuan that the Yu family used to run a winery," said Meng Qianqian.
Uncle Yu nodded, "Yes, the Yu family has a traditional recipe, and we've been brewing wine for many years. Unfortunately, our wine requires the local spring water to retain its unique flavor; otherwise, it loses its taste."
Meng Qianqian understood, "So that's the case."
Uncle Yu's expression turned troubled, "But aside from brewing wine, I don't know any other trade."
Meng Qianqian thought for a moment and asked softly, "Uncle Yu, have you considered making medicinal wine?"
"Medicinal wine?"
Uncle Yu stroked his chin in contemplation, "To compensate for the lost flavor with its medicinal benefits is a good idea, but I don't understand medicinal wine."
Meng Qianqian turned to Yuzichuan, "Do you have writing tools?"
"Yes."
Yuzichuan brought over the writing tools.
Meng Qianqian wrote down a recipe for medicinal wine, "Uncle Yu."
Lu Yuan's eyes questioned, 'Do you also understand medicinal wine?'
Meng Qianqian: 'My grandmother taught me.'
During their month in Wushan, Liu Muyan honed everyone's skills, and she learned many of Wushan's secret recipes.
Yuzichuan said, "Dad, this recipe is valuable. I advise you not to refuse."
Uncle Yu, who had no intention of refusing, responded, "..."
These days, even when trying to be polite, his son saw right through him.
Meng Qianqian smiled and said, "Uncle Yu, we brought some of this medicinal wine. There are two jars left in the carriage. Do you want to try the taste?"
Uncle Yu hurriedly said, "Oh, that's wonderful!"
Once again, Meng Qianqian successfully eased Uncle Yu's embarrassment, and he couldn't help but admire Meng Qianqian even more.
It was a pity that she was already married; otherwise, if she could be his daughter-in-law, he and his wife would be more than satisfied.
Yuzichuan went to fetch the medicinal wine.
The medicinal wine was prepared for Lu Yuan, with effects to warm the meridians, dispel cold, and aid sleep.
Even though Lu Yuan no longer had any cold symptoms, he still drank the medicinal wine.
After taking a small sip, Uncle Yu immediately felt a sense of relief, as if his blocked nose for several days had finally cleared.
"This medicinal wine is extraordinary. If I brew it, I can enhance its flavor. Little Nine, later I'll teach you how to brew it."
Yuzichuan poked his father's shoulder with his index finger, "Dad, isn't the art of brewing passed down to me?"
Uncle Yu gave him a sidelong glance, "Aren't you refusing to inherit the family business?"
Yuzichuan, left speechless, "..."
Uncle Yu handed the wine cup to his son.
Yuzichuan: "I'll fill it up for you."
Uncle Yu: "Fill it to the brim."
Yuzichuan: Another day of being unfavored.
Uncle Yu took a few more sips, "Warm and soothing, with a lingering aftertaste. It's not easy to brew medicinal wine like this."
Thinking of something, he said, "You mentioned earlier that how much of this medicinal wine is left?"
"Two jars."
Meng Qianqian said, "If Uncle Yu wants to try it..."
Uncle Yu waved his hands, "No, no, it's not that I want to try it. You newcomers to the capital might not know about the Imperial Decree."
Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan exchanged a glance.
Meng Qianqian said, "I'd like to hear more."
Uncle Yu explained, "The Crown Prince's Mansion is hosting a wedding banquet on the 26th of this month. It is said that the Grand Minister loves fine wine, and His Majesty has issued an Imperial Decree to search for the best wine in the realm. If selected, one can personally present the wine to the Grand Minister at the wedding banquet. This is like a golden opportunity to promote one's wine. The entire capital is abuzz with people eager to respond to the decree... I also wanted to participate, but the wine I brought broke halfway here."
Meng Qianqian was utterly astonished upon hearing this.
Imperial Decrees for searching for medicine or vaccines were common, but for wine?
Was the Emperor of Liang overly favoring the Grand Minister?
Just because he helped find the Emperor's grandson?
On the other hand, this was also an excellent opportunity to get close to Gongsun Yanming.
If they could personally present the wine, they would have a chance to assassinate Gongsun Yanming.
Even if they couldn't meet him, they could still poison the wine, confident that he wouldn't detect it.
"Should we respond to the decree?"
Meng Qianqian asked Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan looked at Uncle Yu, "Uncle Yu, where can we find the Imperial Decree?"
Uncle Yu replied, "I'll ask Lai Fu to take you there."
The rabies vaccine's aftereffects were intense. At home, Xiao Fangfangzi also received the vaccine. Last night, she woke up twice, complaining of pain and asking me to rub her. 555
(End of Chapter)
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