When they reached a farmhouse, Mo Yao stopped. She tidied up her clothes and hair before raising her hand to knock on the door. Since the door faced this direction, when the man came to open it, Wei San quickly hid his figure behind the wall so as not to be seen by the person opening the door.
As a result, he didn't get a look at the man who opened the door.
He waited outside for nearly an hour, but the people inside still hadn't come out.
He was starting to lose his patience. Leaning against the wall with one foot propped up on it, he looked rather lazy.
After another quarter of an hour or so, Mo Yao came out. Wei San immediately became alert. He secretly poked his head out a little and looked towards the door.
The man tightened his belt and handed something to Mo Yao, seemingly a purse.
Mo Yao then happily returned to the General Ningyuan's Mansion, completely oblivious to the person following behind.
After she returned to the General Ningyuan's Mansion, Wei San sat at a tea stall near the gate for half a day.
He didn't head to the Regent's Mansion until it was getting dark.
Mo Qinghuan was leaning against the door frame, looking at the ink - like night sky. A look of worry involuntarily crossed her face.
Dan'er and Shuang'er didn't know what was bothering her. They made the bed and called her to go and rest.
She responded. Just as she was about to turn around and go into the room, she heard Wei San's voice behind her.
"Your humble servant, Wei San, pays respects to the Princess."
Hearing this, she turned around and looked at Wei San. "Come in and talk."
Wei San then followed her into the main hall.
Mo Qinghuan sat at the table, with one hand resting on it. Dan'er poured her a cup of tea, but she didn't drink it. Her jade - like fingers gently traced the patterns on the teacup, and the tips of her fingers immediately turned red.
Wei San told Mo Qinghuan about Mo Yao's itinerary for the day and the man's action of tightening his belt.
As Mo Qinghuan listened, her fingers gently tapped on the table.
Wei San's heart skipped a beat with each tap.
After he finished speaking, he stood there hunched over. Mo Qinghuan looked up at him faintly, with no trace of real smile in her eyes.
"Good. You've worked hard. Keep an eye on her tomorrow. Remember not to be discovered. Go and rest early." As she said this, she looked at Dan'er, who immediately understood her meaning. She took out a heavy purse and handed it to Wei San.
Wei San declined, but then remembered a suspicious detail.
"By the way, Princess. Your humble servant guesses that the tea stall outside the back gate of the General Ningyuan's Mansion might belong to the General's Mansion, or there might be someone from the General's Mansion working there."
Seeing his quick - wittedness, Mo Qinghuan stood up, took the purse from Dan'er's hand, and gave it to Wei San. This time, Wei San didn't dare to decline.
He said with a smile, "It's a blessing for your humble servant to serve the Princess. How could I accept the Princess's reward?"
"This is what you deserve. You've worked hard these days. I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on her for a few more days. If you find out that she does something unfaithful to General Ningyuan, expose it immediately. The more onlookers, the better."
Wei San knew that when doing things for his master, he shouldn't ask why. He just needed to follow the master's orders.
"Princess, if people ask who your humble servant is at that time, what should I say?"
Mo Qinghuan was even more reassured by Wei San's intelligence. "Just tell the truth, but don't say that you were deliberately following her. Say that you discovered it by accident. I'll talk to the Prince later and say that I once took you to the General Ningyuan's Mansion and you remembered her appearance. So when you saw what happened, you felt indignant for the upright General Ningyuan and that's why you exposed the matter."
Wei San nodded and then withdrew.
It was already very late. The moon hung on the treetop, as if casting a silver glow over the entire Regent's Mansion, adding a touch of mystery.
Mu Yanming still hadn't returned. These days, he seemed to be getting busier and busier.
Dan'er served Mo Qinghuan to bed. After putting down the gauze curtain, she went outside to stand guard.
It was almost midnight when Mu Yanming finally returned.
His back was as straight as a bamboo, and his whole body exuded an intimidating aura. But when he walked to the bed and lifted the gauze curtain, seeing Mo Qinghuan sleeping on the bed, he put away his icy coldness and was filled with tenderness.
He sat on the edge of the bed, raised his hand, and gently stroked Mo Qinghuan's face. The rough tip of his finger brushing against her skin made her feel a little itchy. She raised her hand and grabbed Mu Yanming's hand.
She murmured, "Why did you come back so late?"
Mu Yanming felt a tickle in his throat. A strange look flashed across his eyes quickly. A hint of annoyance rose in his heart but was quickly suppressed.
"I still had some things to take care of. Go back to sleep." Mu Yanming leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, then stepped out of the room.
Mo Qinghuan opened her eyes slightly. In front of her were the hazy candlelight and his receding back. Then she fell asleep again.
In the study, Bai Ke handed Mu Yanming a letter sent by carrier pigeon from the secret guard who had gone to track Mu Shengze.
"Your Highness, the target is still heading east and shows no sign of stopping. Do you think Prince Rui doesn't plan to return to the capital? Maybe he intends to end his life like this!"
After Mu Yanming finished reading the letter, he lit a corner of it with a burning red candle and then threw it into the brazier.
His expression was as solemn as a thick fog. "You don't understand Prince Rui. He's not the kind of person who can live out his life in peace. He's not showing up now just because his identity is too sensitive. When the Princess of Rui gives birth to a prince, he will definitely come back. And during this period, there's no guarantee that he won't take any action. So, we still need to keep a close eye on him."
Seeing Mu Yanming's solemn expression, the smoke from the incense burner rose into the air, obscuring Mu Yanming's face and making it hard for Bai Ke to see clearly.
"Your Highness, it's getting late. You should go and rest early. By the way, the Princess today..."
Mu Yanming paused in mid - step, then turned to look at Bai Ke. Bai Ke looked into his deep, unfathomable eyes and regretted his hastiness. The matter of the Princess was undoubtedly a soft spot for the Prince. If he said it now, the Prince might not be able to sleep all night. But he had already started the topic.
Mu Yanming frowned suddenly, his face looking grim. His tone was as cold as the wind in the coldest winter. "Why are you stuttering? Can't you even speak properly now?"
Bai Ke immediately obediently told Mu Yanming about the matter of Mo Qinghuan looking for a handsome young servant a few days ago.
Hearing this, Mu Yanming's eyes immediately turned cold. He uttered a simple "Humph", but the tone was extremely heavy.
Bai Ke knew he had said the wrong thing. The moment Mu Yanming turned around, he slapped his mouth lightly, thinking to himself that he mustn't be so hasty next time.