The Octagonal Pavilion stood at the crossroads of Qionghua Ward, Qimeng Ward, Baohuo Ward, and Shengping Street.
It was renowned as the premier pavilion in the capital.
Behind a latticed window on the third floor, the fool Chu Moyuan held a jade cup in his hand, drinking with a man dressed in white seated opposite him.
“You have a good eye for people. The purpose of this Octagonal Pavilion is already yielding remarkable results.”
“Your Highness wishes to know the world’s affairs through a single pavilion; naturally, I must fulfill your desire.” The man in white chatted and laughed with an elegant, graceful air, a faint medicinal fragrance clinging to his person. “I only wonder how much longer Your Highness must feign this idiocy.”
“Until the Noble Consort slips up.” Chu Moyuan swallowed the wine in his cup.
The faint aroma bloomed freely in his mouth. “Good wine.”
At the age of twelve, he had volunteered to go to the State of Wei as a political hostage.
The Emperor had promised that once he returned to the State of Chu, he would be crowned Crown Prince.
In his second year in the State of Wei, he was poisoned with a toxin that induced idiocy. Although the one who administered it was a native of Wei, he knew the mastermind behind it was the Noble Consort of the State of Chu—Jiang Min.
Thus, he pretended to have succumbed to the poison, feigning foolishness in the State of Wei for five years until this very day…
Though he had now returned to Chu, the Noble Consort held absolute sway over the inner palace and had planted countless pawns in the imperial court.
On top of that, she was deeply favored by the Emperor.
To make her expose herself, he had to keep playing the fool, and then… strike a fatal blow!
“The Third Imperial Prince, born of the Noble Consort, is already fifteen. In another year, he will be eligible to enter the Imperial Study to deliberate on state affairs. Is Your Highness not worried that by waiting any longer, there will no longer be a place for you in His Majesty’s heart?”
“A place?” Chu Moyuan sneered. “Does Yanzhi think I returned to the State of Chu by relying on a place in Imperial Father’s heart?”
During his six years as a political hostage in the State of Wei, eighty-two members of the death squads had sacrificed themselves one after another to rescue him.
At last, they succeeded once.
From the Wei capital to the Chu-Wei border, his hands had been soaked in blood the entire way.
He could no longer remember how many pursuers he had slain with his own blade.
Had he not been utterly exhausted, he would never have lost his way in the mountains, only to be forced by that… that person to recite words day in and day out!
Recalling that young woman who appeared bright and captivating but was, in truth, shameless and cunning, his gaze gradually darkened—
Just wait until she returns to the capital!
“But isn’t Your Highness afraid of slipping up first?” the man asked with a chuckle, interrupting his train of thought.
Chu Moyuan narrowed his eyes, his long eyelashes veiling a hint of self-mockery. “Having pretended for five years, I fear this foolishness has already seeped into my very marrow.”
“If Your Highness says that, aren’t you blaming me for my incompetence?” The man chuckled, placing his fingertips on Chu Moyuan’s wrist. “Let me see if the poison in Your Highness’s body has truly reached the marrow.”
“I shall trouble you, Yanzhi.” Chu Moyuan did not stand on ceremony.
After all, the man before him was the Deputy Director of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, Shen Yanzhi.
“Barely half a tenth of the poison remains in Your Highness’s body. In another six months, you will be fully recovered.” Just as Shen Yanzhi was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his brows suddenly furrowed—
Why had His Highness’s heartbeat suddenly quickened?
Puzzled, he looked up.
Chu Moyuan’s gaze was drifting out the window, a cold sneer playing upon his lips. “She’s here.”
“Who?”
A flash of red drew closer and closer, stopping right before the Octagonal Pavilion.
“A debt-collecting… benefactor.” Chu Moyuan narrowed his long eyes, his tone laced with deep meaning.
Yet, why would she come here?
…
“Young lady, the private room is occupied. Please proceed to the next—” The guard at the door attempted to stop her.
“Occupied is good! The more, the merrier!”
The next instant, the door to the private room was abruptly shoved open.
When Meng Yao appeared carrying a cloth bag, Chu Moyuan had just knocked over a portion of Rice-wine Peach Blossom Pastry.
Crumbs were scattered all over his face and clothes.
The scent of rice wine drifted through the air.
He stared with a pair of wet, dark eyes at the red-robed young woman who had suddenly burst into the room, looking utterly frightened.
Meng Yao: “…”
The guard: “…”
Without a word, Meng Yao pulled the door shut, shutting the guard out.
The guard again: “…”
Step by step, Meng Yao walked toward Chu Moyuan.
Under the woman’s advancing steps, the grown man cowered backward. “I… I didn’t do it on purpose.”
The scent of fermented rice wine wafted from him, the faint alcoholic aroma mingling with the sweet richness of the peach blossom pastry, soft and delicate.
Meng Yao dropped the cloth bag in her hand.
Raising her riding whip, she tilted his chin up. “Who am I?”
Chu Moyuan averted his gaze, seemingly uneasy. “Meng Yao. Meng Yao is my benefactor. My benefactor is Meng Yao.”
Meng Yao smiled and withdrew her whip.
It seemed that the credit not being pinned onto Meng Rou this time truly had something to do with this fool’s incessant chanting.
“Mm, you fool… Your Highness has a wonderful memory!” she praised.
She almost called me a fool, didn’t she!
Chu Moyuan narrowed his eyes.
Yet the next moment, he saw Meng Yao squat down before him. Lowering her gaze, she took out a handkerchief and wiped away the crumbs from his head and face.
Her movements were remarkably gentle, tinged with… a maiden’s tenderness.
Her long eyelashes fluttered, curved and upturned like the flapping wings of a butterfly.
For a moment, Chu Moyuan was bewitched by her beauty.
Until the young woman spoke:
“Your Highness must never be this careless again. If such sweet, sticky things get on you, they will attract ants, cockroaches, centipedes…”
As Meng Yao spoke, she mimicked the crawling motion of insects with her fingertips, poking at Chu Moyuan bit by bit. “They will crawl onto Your Highness, right here, and here… and over here… nibbling and biting…”
A layer of goosebumps broke out across Chu Moyuan’s back!
He decisively retracted his previous sentiment: Where was there even a trace of maidenly tenderness? She was clearly a hooligan!
Unaware that he was cursing her in his heart, Meng Yao continued, “So, by wiping these crumbs clean for Your Highness, didn’t I just save your life once more? Haven’t I become Your Highness’s benefactor yet again?”
Chu Moyuan: “…”
He had never seen a person so utterly brazen!
“Does Your Highness wish to repay the kindness?” Meng Yao coaxed systematically.
Fine, fine, fine! That’s how you want to play it, is it!
Chu Moyuan felt so very tired.
He closed his eyes. “Meng Yao is benefactor. Moyuan must repay kindness.”
“I hear Your Highness’s manor has a stalk of Blood Ginseng. Would Your Highness like to use it to repay this kindness?”
Chu Moyuan did not want to speak.
Meng Yao leaned in closer.
The young woman’s scent suddenly filled Chu Moyuan’s world.
Feeling uncomfortable, the man shifted slightly.
Yet Meng Yao was completely oblivious, continuing her patient coaxing:
“Your Highness, repeat after me.”
“I-want-to-give-the-Blood-Ginseng-to-Meng-Yao.”
Chu Moyuan felt that he shouldn’t have pretended to be a fool; he should have… pretended to be mute.
Meng Yao, however, did not have that much patience.
After eleven consecutive days of hard traveling, she was exhausted to the bone.
If it weren’t… for the Blood Ginseng, why on earth would she have rushed here?!
Her patience spent, Meng Yao seized Chu Moyuan by the collar.
“If Your Highness refuses to learn, I will come to your manor every day to whip you, sprinkle sugar powder on your wounds, and let ants and centipedes bite you day after day!”
“Hurry up! Repeat after me…”
Half a quarter of an hour later, Meng Yao pulled the door open.
The guard stationed outside was called in.
Word for word, he listened to Chu Moyuan’s instruction: “I want to give the Blood Ginseng to Meng Yao. You, go back and fetch it.”
Though utterly bewildered, the guard dared not disobey his master’s order.
After all, the Blood Ginseng wasn’t his.
His Highness could give it to whomever he pleased!
“Yes, Your Highness.” The guard departed.
Meng Yao closed the door once more.
Remembering something, she picked up the cloth bag she had brought in earlier.
She slowly opened it before Chu Moyuan.
“Your Highness, I’m not taking yours for nothing.”
“You give me Blood Ginseng, and I give you Longevity Fruit… See, both are precious tonics!”
“Besides, Your Highness only gave me one stalk, while I gave you an entire bag.” Meng Yao leaned close to Chu Moyuan, her eyes curving like crescents. “Your Highness, you’ve struck a massive bargain!”
Chu Moyuan wanted nothing more than to go beat the Dengwen Drum to protest this injustice!
He roared in his heart: This is just a bag of peanuts! Peanuts!
Meng Yao, you trick a fool, you shameless wretch!
The shameless Meng Yao, on the other hand, beamed as she stuffed the peanuts into Chu Moyuan’s arms, then smoothed out the collar she had just crumpled. “Your Highness, no need to be polite!”
Chu Moyuan: “…”
Sooner or later, Meng Yao would infuriate him to the point of blowing his cover!