Chapter 90: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 90: 

 

Prince Sui had invested a great deal of effort to trap Cui Xingzhou, but he never expected that, after barely escaping encirclement, Prince Huaiyang would retaliate with such a devastating counterattack!

Though his relationship with the Princess Consort wasn’t anything close to a fairy-tale marriage, if news of her abduction spread, how could he, a legitimate royal prince, maintain his dignity?

It turned out that after breaking free from the siege on the island, Cui Xingzhou received news of Zhenzhou’s fall. He immediately led a small group of elite soldiers by water, breaking through the checkpoints and returning straight to Zhenzhou Prefecture.

The main force, moving slower, was left behind, which served to create the illusion that Prince Huaiyang had not returned.

Driven by urgency, he pushed forward day and night, cutting down everything in his path.

But upon arriving at his manor, the once-grand walls had been reduced to charred ruins, with corpses scattered across the grounds.

Seeing the devastation in his manor, Cui Xingzhou’s heart tightened with fear as he rushed through the wreckage, frantically searching to see if Mian Tang or his mother were among the dead.

Cui Xingzhou's frenzied behavior left his guards trembling in fear as they hurried to help him search. After his men combed through the area and found no trace of any of the royal household, Cui Xingzhou finally let out a slight breath of relief and collapsed, exhausted, into the pool of blood.

The chaos in Dongzhou had just been quelled, but now his own backyard was ablaze.

Zhenzhou Prefecture was in utter turmoil—not only were there bandits, but also a mob of opportunistic ruffians looting in the chaos. However, after making his way here, Cui Xingzhou knew all too well that the people who had dared to brazenly destroy his manor were not just local Zhenzhou peasants.

These were enemies lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike him down.

Thus, Cui Xingzhou swiftly commandeered a fast boat and launched a night raid to pursue Prince Sui's wife and child. Such rapid maneuvers were second nature to Cui Xingzhou, so after some effort, he managed to capture Prince Sui's wife and young heir.

This time, Prince Sui suffered a double loss—his attempt to capture suitable hostages failed, and now he had no way to exchange them with Prince Huaiyang.

The worst part was that neither side had engaged in anything honorable, making it impossible to bring the matter before the imperial court and accuse Cui Xingzhou of such despicable actions as kidnapping his wife and child.

With no other option, Prince Sui had to hastily withdraw his troops to avoid leaving any incriminating evidence. He sent envoys to negotiate, claiming the whole incident was a misunderstanding, that Prince Sui had never captured the Old Princess Consort or the Princess, and asked Cui Xingzhou to release his captives.

While the two princes continued their conflict...

Meanwhile, Liu Mian Tang remained hidden in the mountains for several more days. No one came to search the area, so she sent out scouts to investigate. It turned out that the bandit forces had already withdrawn, while Prince Huaiyang's army had begun its return.

Upon hearing this news, the Old Princess Consort Chu wept, tears carving paths through the dirt on her face that had not been washed for days. Her former grace and elegance were long gone.

Mian Tang comforted the Old Princess Consort, reassuring her that their hardships would soon come to an end. She then instructed Fang Xie to help the Old Princess Consort freshen up at the nearby stream, so they wouldn't lose face when they returned to Prince Huaiyang's manor. Mian Tang, along with Bi Cao, went outside to gather information and plan their next steps.

In truth, Mian Tang had arranged this on purpose. After sending a guard down the mountain to locate the Prince of Huaiyang's soldiers and report their whereabouts, she took only Bi Cao with her and headed directly to the overgrown inn at the foot of the mountain.

For the past few days, she had avoided the sneaky Lu Quan, all the while pondering the shocking revelation that she was actually Lu Wen. 

For the nineteen-year-old Mian Tang, this identity was utterly terrifying. Back then, she had been naïve and reckless, blindly devoted to Young Master Zi Yu. That was why she had involved herself in such life-threatening affairs.

However, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that, with Liu Dan now claiming the throne, the activities on Mount Yangshan could be seen as part of a grand mission to help the rightful emperor ascend to power.

What did it matter if she, Liu Mian Tang, was Lu Wen? After all, it no longer endangered her family. As for what Cui Xingzhou might think if he ever found out... Mian Tang preferred not to dwell on that. In the end, she would take things one step at a time. It wasn't as if she had deliberately hidden this from him; she had genuinely forgotten about that part of her life.

Now that the chaos in Zhenzhou was subsiding, Mian Tang could no longer suppress her curiosity. She wanted to meet the people who claimed to be her loyal followers and learn more about the hidden truths.

That was why she had sent away everyone else today and made her way alone to the inn.

Before she even reached the bottom of the mountain, she could see from a distance the two men she had encountered at the inn the other day standing upright outside, along with another man who was being supported by several subordinates as they waited.

It seemed that Lu Quan, hiding in the shadows, had spotted her approaching and had called over the "Zhong, Yi, Liang" trio he had mentioned, who were now waiting outside for her.

The leader, who Mian Tang presumed was the eldest, Lu Zhong, greeted her respectfully, "We knew the Chief would come here, so we've been waiting outside for your instructions."

Seeing Mian Tang's hesitation and reluctance to approach, Lu Quan, familiar with the situation, ordered, "Quick, show her your tattoo to confirm your loyalty to the Chief!"

Without hesitation, the three men revealed their shoulders, where the twisted "Loyalty, Righteousness, and Unity" characters were crudely tattooed, almost blinding to behold.

Mian Tang, unable to face the absurdity of her wild and reckless youth, quickly turned her head away, trying not to look, and said, "There's no need for that, just put your clothes back on..."

The injured one was the second brother, Lu Yi. Despite his seemingly delicate and refined appearance, he was visibly emotional, his eyes reddening as he gazed at Mian Tang, though he tried his best to restrain his feelings.

However, his injury appeared severe, with fresh blood continually seeping from his chest.

Fortunately, Mian Tang's skills as an impromptu healer, honed in the harsh northwest winds, could be called upon once again.

When she examined Lu Yi's wound, she found that, although it had not festered, the flesh was torn open and difficult to heal. She had Bi Cao bring over her needle and thread kit. Using a small pouch of medicinal liquor for warmth, she sterilized the needle with the fire-ignited liquor, then personally took up the task, threading the needle and stitching Lu Yi's wound closed.

The brothers noticed that their Chief seemed to have picked up a new skill—her technique in stitching up the wound was as smooth as flowing water, full of practiced ease.

In reality, this was Liu Mian Tang’s first time stitching up a wound. She had only ever watched Zhao Quan perform the procedure once or twice before.

Fortunately, her skills in sewing shoe soles on the North Street with the neighbor ladies had left her with some muscle memory. Although her first few stitches were a bit rough, after that, her work began to look quite proper.

Lu Yi, despite his delicate appearance, was a tough man. Without the aid of any anesthetic, he bore the pain in silence, allowing the Chief to focus entirely on stitching him up.

However, as Liu Mian Tang’s loose hair fell over her shoulders, there was a faint, elusive fragrance about her that stirred something within Lu Yi, making his cheeks flush even more. Being so close to the Chief, he found it increasingly difficult to know where to rest his eyes...

Once the wound was stitched, Liu Mian Tang poured the remaining medicinal liquor over it for disinfecting, then applied healing salve and bandaged it carefully. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and let out a slow, relieved breath.

Lu Quan, watching from the side, couldn't help but marvel at his second brother's freshly stitched wound. He praised enthusiastically, "Chief, you're incredible! Such fine and delicate stitching—ordinary people could never sew like that!"

Bi Cao, listening to Lu Quan's flattery, rolled her eyes in disdain. Since Lu Quan had once suggested throwing her off a cliff to silence her, she had developed an intense dislike for him. While a servant should wholeheartedly support their master, this level of sycophancy from the boy was enough to make anyone want to gag!

Lu Yi had been gritting his teeth through the pain the whole time, and only after his wound was bandaged did he finally relax, his body practically limp from exhaustion.

Seeing that Lu Yi was now able to speak, Mian Tang decided it was time to ask them about their battles against Prince Huaiyang and how they had raised a flag to oppose him.

Lu Yi, who appeared to be somewhat educated, responded with remarkable clarity, recounting how he had carefully strategized several times, nearly capturing Prince Huaiyang and cutting off his reinforcements.

Mian Tang listened, her heart racing—not out of concern for the brothers, but out of anxiety for Cui Xingzhou. Even though she now knew she had once been Lu Wen, lacking that memory made it difficult for her to truly feel connected to her past.

If she could choose, she would prefer to remain the simple Liu Mian Tang. That way, when facing her future husband, she wouldn't have this lingering sense of guilt...

Seeing that Mian Tang treated them with a cold and distant demeanor, no longer showing the trust and reliance of the past, the excitement and warmth that had once filled Lu Yi's eyes began to slowly fade away.

Once there was a pause in the conversation, Lu Quan asked Mian Tang, “Big Boss, where are you staying now?”

Mian Tang pondered for a moment, feeling there was no need to lie or conceal the truth. It might even be better to reveal it, so that they could let go of their resentment toward Prince Huaiyang.

So, she answered frankly, “I… am staying at Prince Huaiyang’s residence…”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Lu Quan slapped his thigh in admiration. “Big Boss, such boldness! Why didn’t we think of infiltrating Prince Huaiyang’s residence?”

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Mian Tang shifted her posture and decided to continue pressing on, “In a few days, I will be marrying Prince Huaiyang…”

As soon as she said this, it completely blew the minds of the four brothers. They all stared at Liu Mian Tang in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock.

Immediately, the brothers dropped to their knees with a loud thud, “Big Boss! You can’t! Prince Huaiyang’s residence is heavily guarded. Even if you’ve managed to charm that lecherous man, if you attempt an assassination on your wedding night, there’s no way you’ll escape from the palace alive!”

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