Chapter 11
Hiding for Nothing
“This wine…”
“Princess Consort, Wangye definitely cares about you,” Hong Zhuo and Fen Xing said excitedly while secretly smiling at Fu Zhao Ning. “This is Yun Nian Rare Brew. Even with ten thousand taels, one jar is impossible to buy, yet Wangye still remembered to send you a small pot.”
Fu Zhao Ning accepted the wine. She first took a small sip, then drank the entire cup in one go.
The two maids froze for a moment seeing how boldly she drank.
“This is medicinal wine,” Fu Zhao Ning said as she carefully tasted the flavor.
“Yes. Yun Nian Rare Brew is not only rich and fragrant, smooth and refreshing when swallowed, with an endless aftertaste, but it also contains nine medicinal herbs. Over the years, many people have tried studying the wine. They already discovered seven of the herbs, but no one has ever identified the final two. That is why nobody can recreate the same flavor.”
Hong Zhuo inhaled the wine fragrance again before continuing,
“That is why this wine is sold at such a high price. Even then, it is still difficult to buy.”
“Princess Consort, this wine is very nourishing. The aftereffects are mild too, and it will not cause headaches. You can drink a few more cups,” Fen Xing said.
“Do you two want some?” Fu Zhao Ning asked.
“We would not dare,” Hong Zhuo and Fen Xing hurriedly waved their hands. “Wangye specially sent this for you. We cannot drink it.”
“Princess Consort, servants are not allowed to drink right now.”
Seeing how nervous they were, Fu Zhao Ning did not force them. Prince Jun’s residence surely had many rules.
Fu Zhao Ning drank the second cup in one gulp again, and suddenly her eyes lit up.
She had already figured it out.
She knew exactly what the nine medicinal herbs inside the wine were!
She could probably brew Yun Nian Rare Brew herself!
That meant she already knew how she would earn her first fortune.
But first, she needed to find those nine herbs. Perfect timing—she could search for them during the next three days on Luo Yue Mountain. Now, even without the Late Emperor’s condition, she still planned to go there herself.
The wedding banquet became extremely lively because of the Yun Nian Rare Brew.
Especially after Prince Jun left.
While he was there, everyone still felt restrained and pressured. But once he left, everyone temporarily forgot everything else and focused on tasting the wine first.
Prince Jun, Xiao Lan Yuan, returned to the study. Qing Yi followed behind him and hesitated before asking,
“Master, where will you rest tonight?”
This wedding had been arranged far too suddenly. By the time the message reached the residence, there was not enough time to explain things clearly. The steward had made the decision himself and decorated Prince Jun’s own courtyard as the bridal chamber. Now Fu Zhao Ning, this awkwardly positioned bride, was already staying there.
Could they really drive her out now?
Prince Jun frowned and removed his mask.
Although the scar on his face had already existed for a long time, wearing the mask for even a short while caused itching and pain. If he scratched it, the wound could easily rot and become infected again.
He had also been thinking about this problem.
“Have someone prepare another courtyard for her,” Xiao Lan Yuan said. He had no intention of truly living together with Fu Zhao Ning, nor did he intend to spend the wedding night with her.
“Yes. But I’m afraid there is no time today.” Qing Yi glanced at the darkening sky.
The residence had been busy the entire day. The banquet was only just ending. The servants still needed to handle the guests, and after sending them away there would still be much cleaning to do. Preparing another courtyard for Fu Zhao Ning would have to wait until night.
Xiao Lan Yuan glanced at him.
“Did you send people to investigate the Fu family?”
This Fu Zhao Ning was completely different from the Miss Fu they had heard about before.
“We already sent people.”
While Xiao Lan Yuan handled matters in the study, Fu Zhao Ning waited a long time without seeing him arrive.
Night had already fallen. Two more red wedding candles were lit inside the bridal chamber. Hong Zhuo and Fen Xing had gone outside to check several times. The guests had already started leaving one after another, yet Prince Jun still had not appeared.
Fu Zhao Ning finally lost patience.
“Is your Wangye still in the front hall?”
Fen Xing shook her head.
“This servant checked earlier. Wangye already left the banquet long ago.”
“I thought so. With his condition, how could he possibly keep drinking with everyone?” Fu Zhao Ning stood up. “Then where is he?”
Could the Princess Consort be planning to urge Wangye to come drink the wedding wine together?
“This… this servant does not know.”
They did not dare ask about Wangye’s whereabouts either.
Fu Zhao Ning looked at the sky and decided she could not keep waiting any longer. She directly opened the door and walked out.
“Princess Consort!”
Fen Xing and Hong Zhuo hurriedly chased after her.
Earlier, Fu Zhao Ning had entered this courtyard while wearing the red veil, so she had not seen clearly. Only now did she realize how large the courtyard truly was.
Flower gardens decorated the area beautifully. Bluestone paths stretched through the courtyard. Bamboo and banana trees clustered everywhere.
A pavilion could be seen in one corner, connected by long corridors leading toward the side rooms.
Red lanterns hung throughout the courtyard, and festive red silk ribbons were tied everywhere, yet the place strangely lacked warmth and life.
Fu Zhao Ning had originally thought Prince Jun’s residence would casually prepare some random courtyard as the bridal chamber. But now it looked like this was originally Prince Jun’s own sleeping courtyard.
Only after leaving the courtyard did she notice people.
Or rather, she noticed the guards hiding in the shadows.
The two guards were responsible for protecting Prince Jun’s sleeping courtyard. They had hidden themselves perfectly. Other than Wangye and Qing Yi, nobody had ever discovered them before.
Yet they watched in shock as Fu Zhao Ning walked directly toward their hiding place.
Guard A: “…”
“This guard brother,” Fu Zhao Ning said while pushing aside a cluster of banana leaves blocking his figure, “do you know where Prince Jun is?”
Guard A was completely stunned and did not know how to answer for a moment.
Besides, Fu Zhao Ning was already extremely beautiful. Dressed as a bride, she looked even more stunning, her face bright as peach blossoms.
Having such a dazzling face suddenly appear in front of him felt like a direct attack.
Seeing no response, Fu Zhao Ning thought he probably did not know where Prince Jun was either. She sighed helplessly and pointed toward Guard B.
“If you don’t know, I’ll ask that guard brother instead.”
Guard B, whose hiding place had also been accurately exposed: “…”
Please do not come over here!
But Fu Zhao Ning had already walked toward him.
She raised her head. Guard B was half-crouching on top of an artificial rock. His clothes blended perfectly with the stone, and he could remain motionless for hours. Many servants had walked past countless times without ever noticing him.
Yet Fu Zhao Ning spotted him instantly without even searching.
Guard B lowered his head and looked at Fu Zhao Ning, whose face was tilted upward toward him. His face immediately turned red.
They had followed Prince Jun on You Qing Peak for years. They rarely even saw female mosquitoes there, so they were still extremely innocent.
“Do you know where Prince Jun is? I really have urgent business with him.”
At that moment, the steward happened to arrive and saw the scene. His heart jumped in alarm, and he quickly walked over.
“Princess Consort!”
“You are the steward, right?” Fu Zhao Ning recognized his voice immediately. “Perfect timing. Where is Prince Jun?”
The steward remembered Prince Jun’s instructions.
“Wangye still has official matters to handle tonight…”
The moment she heard that, Fu Zhao Ning understood immediately.
Prince Jun did not want to see her.
“He can handle his own business, but I want to return to the Fu family residence for a while. Could the steward arrange a carriage for me?”
Fu Zhao Ning did not insist on meeting Prince Jun.
