"Coincidentally, I have some excellent ginseng that's over a thousand years old. It can help Miss Tang recuperate," Rong Jiangyu said politely. He handed her a red brocade box. The ginseng inside looked extremely precious.
Ye Yue didn't even bother to look. Their mistress could have as much of this stuff as she wanted. They didn't need a stranger like him to offer it.
"No need. My mistress has her own personal physicians. You'd better take this back for yourself. I won't see you out."
The smile at the corner of Rong Jiangyu's eyes deepened, but to Ye Yue, it looked more sinister. This man really made her feel uncomfortable all over.
"What are you doing standing here at the gate?"
Tang Youyou had planned to visit Tang Jun. As soon as she reached the gate, she saw Ye Yue standing straight in the middle, looking like the mistress of the house.
Seeing her coming, Ye Yue quickly grabbed her and stopped her from going forward. "Nothing. Mistress, you'd better go back to your room and rest."
Tang Youyou had already seen the man standing at the gate. Just thinking of the gruesome scene this morning made her stomach churn.
She endured the discomfort and walked to the gate, greeting him politely. "Is this for me? It's really kind of Your Highness."
The square brocade box was indeed a fine item, but the ginseng inside was not very valuable.
Rong Jiangyu looked calm and composed. The moment he saw her, his face beamed with joy.
"Miss Tang is too kind. This is just a small token of my appreciation. If it's convenient, could you please allow me to come in and have a chat?"
Tang Youyou's smile froze for a second. She didn't want the little one in her belly to be exposed to the smell of blood, but she was also afraid that this man might do something even more outrageous.
"Of course. Please come in," Tang Youyou said, not knowing how she managed to utter these words. "Ye Yue, go and pour some tea for the King of the Western Regions."
Ye Yue would never leave Tang Youyou's side. So she ordered the servants to pour the tea and kept a close eye on this man, not daring to relax for a moment.
"May I ask what brings Your Highness here today? You didn't come just to see me, did you?"
Tang Youyou sat on the upper seat, keeping a certain distance from him.
This obvious alienation was hard to miss, but Rong Jiangyu didn't seem to mind. Instead, he raised the corner of his mouth.
"I'm hosting a moon-viewing banquet at my mansion tonight. I'd like to invite you to join me. Would you do me the honor?"
This invitation was a bit unexpected. She didn't know what this man was up to. She was about to decline, but then she thought of what happened this morning and changed her mind.
"Yes, but..."
The man continued, "But what?"
"My maid must come with me. If Your Highness doesn't allow it, then forget it."
Rong Jiangyu smiled. "Of course. Please remember to attend the banquet tonight, Miss Tang."
After seeing this evil man off, Tang Youyou felt a little scared. She quickly poured herself a glass of water to calm her nerves.
"I said, mistress, why do you have to do this? You could have just refused directly."
Ye Yue wanted to interrupt just now, but was glared back by a look from her.
"You saw what happened this morning, didn't you? Don't we know what kind of person he is? If we go against his wishes, we might end up like those people."
Tang Youyou didn't doubt Ye Yue's strength, but when it came to cruelty, Rong Jiangyu was even more ruthless.
Hearing this, Ye Yue was a bit unhappy. He wondered what punishment the master would give him if he knew about this.
Moreover, calculating the time, the master should arrive around dawn. If he were to meet this man, it would surely be a bloodbath. Just thinking about it was terrifying.
Before setting off, Tang Youyou changed her outfit. She put on loose clothes, which just covered her slightly bulging belly. If you didn't look closely, it was hard to tell that she was more than three months pregnant.
The streets outside had already been cleaned up. There wasn't even a trace of blood. However, the once bustling streets were now half empty. Maybe everyone was really frightened by what happened this morning.
She arrived at Yanyuezhai, which was the mansion that Rong Jiangyu had bought in Dashuiwan. It looked much more luxurious than the one she lived in. Everywhere there were glazed tiles and red sandalwood, exuding an air of nobility.
There were no guards at the gate. She walked straight in and found that the mansion was not as lively as a banquet should be. Instead, it was quite deserted.
There were some fruits and flowers in the yard, but she didn't know where all the guests were.
Tang Youyou walked around for a few times but didn't see anyone. She began to feel worried and wanted to go back.
"Miss Tang."
She had only taken a few steps when she heard a voice from behind. She was so startled that she almost tripped over a pebble.
Seeing this, Rong Jiangyu quickly stepped forward to help her, but Ye Yue got there first.
"Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle?"
"I'm fine."
She was just a bit scared. Moreover, this banquet tonight was really strange, which made her even more restless.
Rong Jiangyu withdrew his outstretched hand and apologized. "I didn't expect to scare you. As an apology, please come to the backyard. I've found some excellent tea recently. I'd like you to taste it with me."
Tang Youyou thought to herself, no way. She couldn't even touch a drop of alcohol now. Moreover, this yard always gave her a very strange feeling.
Ye Yue also felt that something was wrong with this place. It was supposed to be a banquet, but it was incredibly quiet. There wasn't even the slightest sound, and there wasn't a single servant in this huge yard. It just didn't seem right.
Zhuifeng, who had been hiding in the dark, also followed. Although Tang Youyou had told her to stay at home before, she still didn't feel at ease.
She had a naturally sensitive sense of smell. As soon as she entered the door, she smelled a faint smell of blood.
Following the source of the smell, Zhuifeng came to a pond in the backyard.
The night sky tonight was not as bright as usual. It was much dimmer. Coupled with the few lights in the yard, it was a bit hard to see clearly.
When she took two steps forward, she saw a body floating on the edge of the pond. She frowned and lit a match. Only then did she discover that the pond in front of her had already become a mass grave.
It was still early spring, and the cold air and ice water had covered most of the blood. She didn't know what the murderer had added to the pond, but the smell of blood wasn't that strong. Ordinary people wouldn't notice it if they weren't careful.
Zhuifeng immediately rushed towards the front yard, but unexpectedly, someone hit her hard on the back.
If it were someone else, they might have already fainted, but she was no ordinary person.
Zhuifeng endured the urge to faint, drew her knife, and quickly cut the man in half at the waist. Then she made a cut on her own arm to keep herself awake.
When she reached the front yard, she found that the yard was already empty. There was no sign of Ye Yue or Tang Youyou.
"This is bad."
She saw some marks on the ground, a series of mysterious characters. Judging from the handwriting, it should have been left by Ye Yue.