After Prince FengEr left the room, TanTan returned to check on FangFang one more time.
She gently wiped the sweat from the little girl's forehead and held her hand. Suddenly, FangFang grabbed her hand tightly.
"Mmm... Mommy... Mommy, don't go..."
FangFang murmured in her sleep.
The words touched TanTan's heart. She gently patted FangFang's chest.
"Don't worry, FangFang... Mommy is here. Just sleep well for now..."
TanTan began humming a soft lullaby, one her own mother used to sing to her when she was little. It was inspired by the familiar nursery rhyme Rain, Rain, Go Away, but her mother had made up her own lyrics.
"Bad dreams, go away...
Don't come back again...
My little girl wants to sleep...
Bad dreams, go away..."
It seemed to work. FangFang gradually loosened her grip and fell peacefully asleep again.
Poor FangFang... I remember she lost her parents when she was so young. I wish I could do something more for her.
TanTan looked at the doll lying beside FangFang on the inner side of the bed. It was XiaoMei, which she had given to the little girl.
But for now, I think I should return to my room and prepare the drawing of the dagger.
She gently adjusted the doll beside FangFang.
"Here, let XiaoMei keep you company for a while, okay? I'll come back to check on you later."
TanTan gave FangFang a little kiss on the forehead before leaving the room. She closed the door softly behind her.
Meanwhile, a few hours earlier, in Prince Li's room...
Prince Li was lying on his bed, his face uneasy as he dreamed.
Flames surrounded the little Prince Li. Fire was everywhere. He screamed and cried until he was nearly unconscious.
Just before he completely lost consciousness, he saw the figure of a man dressed as a general. The man forcefully broke down the door and rushed toward him.
"Prince Li, you're going to be all right..."
Little Prince Li slowly closed his eyes, and the dream ended.
Prince Li's eyes opened gradually. He stared at the ceiling before recognizing that he was back in his own room.
Ah... Right. I've already returned. How strange... It's been so many years since I last dreamed about that incident.
It was a memory from his childhood.
Because of jealousy and hatred, the First Prince and his allies had once plotted to get rid of him by setting fire to his room in the palace. Fortunately, a general had discovered their plan and rescued him just in time.
Now I remember... The general who rescued me was Hua MuTan's father, General Hua.
Prince Li wondered whether the dream was a bad omen or perhaps the opposite.
Then he turned his head and was startled to see ShuangAi sleeping beside his bed.
For a moment, he simply enjoyed the sight of her. He looked at her tenderly and smiled.
His beloved ShuangAi was right beside him. Knowing that she had stayed up all night taking care of him made his heart flutter with happiness.
Prince Li slowly raised his hand, intending to stroke her hair. But just then, Aunt Tong entered the room. He immediately lowered his hand, hiding his intention.
"Prince Li! You've awakened! Thank the gods!"
Aunt Tong's voice also woke ShuangAi.
She opened her eyes, saw that Prince Li was awake, and immediately looked relieved. Without wasting any time, she took his left hand to check his pulse.
"Li Ge, you're awake! Let me check your pulse... Hmm... Your body is still weak. I think there are still some traces of poison in your blood, but it shouldn't be dangerous as long as you avoid using too much strength for a while."
It's quite a strong poison... Luckily, I was the one who got stabbed. If Hua MuTan had been the one, she might not have survived...
Prince Li looked back at ShuangAi.
"...How is Hua MuTan? Is... Is she all right?"
Both ShuangAi and Aunt Tong were slightly surprised by his question.
"MuTan Jie is fine. She's resting in her room," ShuangAi replied.
She was glad that Prince Li was showing at least a little concern for Hua MuTan.
But Aunt Tong gave an unpleasant look.
"Don't waste your energy thinking about her. She's nothing but bad luck!"
"Aunt Tong, that's not a nice thing to say..." ShuangAi politely reminded her.
"I'm only telling the truth! She hasn't even been back in this residence for long, and she's already brought disaster upon Prince Li!"
Aunt Tong spoke so passionately that some water spilled from the basin she had just brought into the room.
"And I really can't understand why my Prince Li insisted on bringing her back here!"
She glared at Prince Li as though scolding her own son for making such a terrible decision without asking her permission first.
Prince Li had always treated Aunt Tong like a mother, so her words made him feel rather uncomfortable.
"Of course Li Ge had to bring her back. She's his wife, after all... Right, Li Ge?"
ShuangAi looked at him, expecting him to agree.
Actually, I do regret bringing Hua MuTan back. My life would be much more peaceful without her presence.
Prince Li sighed. He felt a little sad seeing how eagerly ShuangAi was trying to push him closer to Hua MuTan.
"I... only need her to stay alive so I can uncover this mystery. It's clear that someone was desperate to kill Hua MuTan last night. I want to find out who those people are."
He hoped his explanation would calm Aunt Tong and reassure ShuangAi that there was nothing romantic between him and Hua MuTan.
"But that's her own problem! Besides, I heard she has more than one enemy. She's offended too many people. I think it would be better if she didn't stay here at all..."
"All right, Aunt Tong. Please don't be so noisy. Li Ge has just woken up. I think he needs some peace and quiet."
ShuangAi gently guided Aunt Tong toward the door.
But even as she was leaving, Aunt Tong continued grumbling.
"You'll regret it if you let her stay here any longer!"
ShuangAi finally closed the door and sighed.
When she turned around, she saw Prince Li trying to get out of bed. He was still too weak to stand properly, so she immediately offered him her hand.
Prince Li accepted her help. With ShuangAi standing so close to him, he couldn't resist teasing her.
"It's all right. Thank you, ShuangMei. Well, now I need to put on my clothes... Perhaps you'd like to help me with that too?"
He smiled mischievously.
ShuangAi immediately withdrew her hand and stepped away.
"Don't be silly, Li Ge! That's something you should ask MuTan Jie to help you with, not me!"
As a young lady, she knew her manners. She turned her back to give Prince Li some privacy while he changed.
"Hua MuTan? I doubt she could help. She probably doesn't even know how to dress herself. She's always been served by her servants..."
Prince Li smirked at his own remark.
"You never know, Li Ge! You've been married to MuTan Jie for almost half a year, and I heard you've never even allowed her to share your room, have you? That's not a healthy marriage if you keep doing that..."
Prince Li sighed.
ShuangAi was right. From their very first night as husband and wife until now, he had done everything he could to avoid sharing a bed with Hua MuTan.
Sleep with Hua MuTan? Hah! Not in a million years!
Especially after that incident when Hua MuTan had tried to drug his drink with an aphrodisiac. Fortunately, Aunt Tong had deliberately knocked the glass out of his hand, causing Hua MuTan's plan to fail.
Since that day, Prince Li had openly sworn to Hua MuTan that he would never share a bed with her.
After finishing dressing, Prince Li looked at ShuangAi with a sad expression.
ShuangAi... Why do you want me to be with Hua MuTan so badly...?
He slowly approached her until he was standing behind her. Then he spoke softly.
"ShuangMei... You know that from the very beginning, I've never had any feelings for Hua MuTan..."
Surprised by his sudden closeness, ShuangAi turned around. Prince Li was looking at her intensely.
"You know, ShuangMei, I..."
But ShuangAi felt uncomfortable. She knew she didn't want to hear what he was about to say, so she quickly interrupted him.
"Ah, Li Ge... You should get more rest. I'll go and check on MuTan Jie first..."
She gently pushed him away and walked toward the door.
But just as she reached it, Princess XiXi suddenly barged into the room, nearly bumping into her.
"QI WANG GE! YOU MUST ARREST HUA MU TAN RIGHT NOW!"
Her words left everyone in the room confused.
"XiMei, what are you talking about?" Prince Li asked.
ShuangAi stepped aside, allowing Princess XiXi to approach Prince Li.
"She tried to poison FangFang!"
"What?!"
ShuangAi and Prince Li exchanged confused looks.
"Are you sure about that, Princess XiXi?" ShuangAi asked.
Princess XiXi sat down on a chair and slammed her hand against the table to express her anger.
"Of course I'm sure, ShuangAi Jie! She used a poisoned dagger to hurt FangFang! Luckily, I saw the dagger myself, so her plan failed!"
"A poisoned dagger?"
Prince Li began thinking.
Could it be the same dagger that stabbed me? Why was Hua MuTan keeping it?
"How is FangFang now?" he asked.
"FangFang is fine. Thank the gods, my brother was there and saved her. But that's not the point! The most important thing is that YOU MUST ARREST HUA MU TAN RIGHT NOW, Qi Wang Ge!"
Prince Li sighed. He wasn't sure whether he should believe Princess XiXi.
If they were talking about the Hua MuTan of the past, he would have gladly arrested her immediately.
But the Hua MuTan he had encountered the previous night had made him hesitate.
Besides, a poisoned dagger? There was a possibility that she had kept it to investigate the assassins. Or perhaps she was trying to hide evidence related to them.
Either way, he couldn't find a reasonable explanation for why she would use that dagger to poison FangFang.
ShuangAi was also finding it difficult to believe the accusation, but her first concern was FangFang's safety.
"Perhaps we should go and check on FangFang first."
"Yes, you're right. Let's go... Urgh!"
Prince Li tried to stand up quickly, but his body was still too weak. He suddenly felt dizzy.
"Li Ge, just wait here! I'll check on FangFang and let you know."
"All right..."
ShuangAi hurried out of the room while Prince Li returned to his chair to rest.
However, Princess XiXi was accustomed to getting whatever she wanted. She had little patience when her demands weren't fulfilled immediately.
"Well? What are you waiting for, Qi Wang Ge? Send your guards to arrest her right now!"
"We need to investigate first, XiMei."
"But what else is there to investigate? I can be the main witness, and so can my brother! You must hurry, Qi Wang Ge! Otherwise, that evil woman might get rid of all the evidence, including the dagger!"
Princess XiXi continued pressuring Prince Li to arrest Hua MuTan. Her constant shouting only made his headache worse.
"Come on, Qi Wang Ge! You must arrest her! It's for FangFang's safety too!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH, XiXi!"
Prince FengEr entered the room and scolded his younger sister once again.
"You can't keep coming here and disturbing Qi WangDi with your nonsense! Look! You're making his condition worse!"
Seeing Prince FengEr, Prince Li tried to stand up and greet him politely.
"Your younger brother, Li ZhouWei, greets Third Brother."
"That's all right, Wei Di. You don't need to stand. You're still too weak. Come, sit down."
Prince FengEr immediately helped Prince Li back into his chair.
"Thank you, San WangGe."
"I'm still angry with you, San WangGe! You defended that evil woman! Qi WangGe, you must believe me!"
"All right, that's enough. You can't stay here any longer. Wait outside! Your San WangGe needs to speak privately with Qi WangGe, understand?"
Prince FengEr gently guided Princess XiXi out of the room and closed the door behind her, making sure she couldn't enter again.
From outside, Princess XiXi continued shouting angrily.
"Let me in! San Wang Geeeee!"
Prince FengEr ignored her completely.
Princess XiXi knew better than to keep arguing with her Third Brother. Realizing he wouldn't let her back inside, she finally gave up and issued one last warning.
"Fine! If neither of you lets me in, I'll report this to Fu Wang! I'm leaving!"
She stormed away in anger.
Inside the room, Prince FengEr calmly poured himself some tea. Prince Li, however, still looked concerned about his sister's threat.
"Is it really all right to let XiMei leave like that? She seems quite angry."
"It's fine. Let her be! She won't dare do anything. That silly girl doesn't even know what she's talking about. Don't listen to her nonsense!"
Prince Li felt more at ease after hearing his Third Brother's words. He sat down and accepted the cup of tea Prince FengEr had poured for him.
Prince FengEr looked at him as he took a sip.
"So, do you intend to arrest Hua MuTan?"
"If San WangGe is talking about Hua MuTan poisoning FangFang, I don't think that's true either..."
Prince FengEr was slightly surprised by his answer.
"Oh? So you believe Hua MuTan is innocent? That's unexpected. I thought you hated her."
"Oh, I do. I still can't forgive her for what she's done. But this time, it doesn't seem right to accuse her of deliberately poisoning FangFang, especially when she herself was almost killed by the same dagger..."
"Hmm... Is that so?"
Prince FengEr poured another cup of tea. This time, however, he quickly slipped the antidote into the cup before handing it to Prince Li.
"Or perhaps you've finally opened your heart to her?"
Prince Li didn't notice anything unusual. He simply took the cup and drank the tea.
Prince FengEr's words distracted him.
"Of course not! San WangGe, haven't you forgotten what happened to me? She was the one who forced me into this marriage. She was also the one who drove ShuangAi away from me. She hurt my family and threatened me with the Queen Grandmother's authority. All these years, she has done everything she can to control me! That evil woman, Hua MuTan!"
In his anger, he placed the teacup down forcefully.
Recalling all those memories brought back his hatred for the old Hua MuTan.
Prince FengEr simply listened, feeling sorry for his Seventh Brother.
Does he realize that this Hua MuTan is different now? Perhaps it's better if he doesn't notice the change just yet...
Neither of them realized that TanTan had arrived outside Prince Li's room and could hear every word.
She had been about to knock on the door, but her hand stopped when she heard Prince Li's words.
So he hates Hua MuTan that much... I don't know why, but it hurts to hear him describe her like that. I know he's not talking about me...
TanTan sighed before finally knocking.
The sound interrupted their conversation.
"Come in!"
Prince Li assumed it was ShuangAi returning to tell them about FangFang.
But he was surprised when Hua MuTan entered the room instead.
"Why are you here?" Prince Li asked coldly.
He felt uneasy, realizing that Hua MuTan might have heard what he had just said.
"I came to give this to Prince FengEr."
TanTan took out a piece of paper and handed it to Prince FengEr.
He unfolded it and saw the drawing of the dagger she had made earlier.
"Wow, MuTan Mei! You're very good at drawing!"
Prince Li moved closer to take a look as well.
Is that the poisoned dagger that stabbed me?
He looked at TanTan in confusion.
"Why are you giving that drawing of the dagger to Prince FengEr?"
"Because, unlike some people, Prince FengEr kindly offered to help me investigate the assassins."
TanTan's answer somehow irritated Prince Li.
"But I'm the one who was wounded by that dagger while saving you! Have you forgotten?"
Prince Li and TanTan stared at each other angrily.
Prince FengEr smiled, trying to ease the tension.
"All right, all right. We can investigate this mystery together. You don't mind if I help, do you, Wei Di?"
Prince Li glanced at his Third Brother.
"I'm sorry to trouble you with my problem, San WangGe. I know you're busy with the royal duties assigned by Fu Wang."
"It's all right. In fact, I need your help with one of my own assignments."
"Really? What can I help you with?"
TanTan felt that it wasn't her place to listen to their private matters.
"Well, I don't want to disturb you both. If you'll excuse me..."
"No, don't go, MuTan Mei. This matter concerns you too!"
"Me?"
"Her?"
TanTan and Prince Li responded at the same time. They looked at each other in confusion.
"Yes, both of you. Here's the situation. Fu Wang has assigned me to prepare the grand banquet at the palace for Queen Grandmother's birthday, which will take place in a few months. I want to make sure everything is perfect and that Queen Grandmother is pleased with the celebration. You both know how difficult she can be to please, don't you?"
As the least favored grandson, Prince Li didn't think he could be of much help to Prince FengEr.
"I don't think I can help you with that, San WangGe. You know how Queen Grandmother treats me..."
He glanced at TanTan.
Thanks to this woman, I'm nothing but a useless piece of wood in Queen Grandmother's eyes.
"Quite the opposite, my brother. You will be one of the highlights of the banquet... together with MuTan Mei."
"Me? But what can I do?" TanTan asked, equally confused.
"It's simple, MuTan Mei. I know you're good at playing the guzheng, and Wei Di is skilled at playing the flute. So I want the two of you to perform a musical duet for Queen Grandmother."
What?! The guzheng? No way!
"I think that's a bad idea..." Prince Li answered immediately.
At the same time, TanTan agreed.
"I think so too... I can't play!"
"Oh, nonsense! I'm afraid neither of you can refuse. The idea actually came from Queen Grandmother herself. You know that one of her greatest wishes is to see the two of you getting along, don't you?"
Prince FengEr looked seriously at Prince Li.
"And she specifically told me to make sure that Prince Li was willing to participate sincerely. You know what might happen if you refuse, Wei Di."
Prince Li sighed deeply.
It's an order, not a request!
He glanced at TanTan before turning back to Prince FengEr.
"Very well. If that's what Queen Grandmother wants, then I, Li ZhouWei, will do my best."
What?! He's accepting it? What about me?
Prince FengEr turned toward TanTan.
"How about you, MuTan Mei? Queen Grandmother even told me that she misses your performances."
"I... I can't..."
Before TanTan could finish, Prince Li interrupted her.
"Of course she'll join too. I promise that we will give Queen Grandmother a wonderful performance at the banquet."
"That's wonderful! Well, you can both use your time to practice from now on. And don't worry about the assassins. I'll help you investigate them as well. Now, I'll leave you two to rest and prepare for your performance."
"Thank you so much, San WangGe. Let me escort you out."
"There's no need. You should rest, Wei Di. How about MuTan Mei escorts me instead?"
"...V... Very well. This way, San WangGe."
TanTan moved nervously toward the door. In her haste, she almost stumbled and fell. Fortunately, Prince FengEr was standing beside her. He quickly held her shoulders and helped her regain her balance.
The two of them finally left the room.
Prince Li watched them go, feeling increasingly confused.
As far as I remember, Prince FengEr never spoke to Hua MuTan or even paid much attention to her in the past. Why does it seem that San WangGe is suddenly showing so much interest in her?
He couldn't explain the uneasy feeling growing in his heart.
Meanwhile, as TanTan escorted Prince FengEr out, she remained silent, lost in her own thoughts.
How can I tell him that I don't need to perform? I can't imagine what will happen if I have to play in front of everyone! I don't know how to play the guzheng at all!
"MuTan Mei...? MuTan Mei!"
His voice brought TanTan back to her senses. She realized they had already reached the main gate of Li Mansion.
"Then I'll take my leave. Thank you for escorting me, MuTan Mei."
"Ah, San WangGe! There's something I need to tell you before you go..."
"What is it?"
"Well... About the performance... The problem is that I've forgotten many things from my past, including how to play the guzheng. So I don't think I'll be able to perform. Could you find another musician instead?"
She's lost her memory? So that's why she's been acting so differently... Hmm... This is becoming even more interesting.
Prince FengEr pretended to look troubled by her request.
"Hmm... I'm afraid I can't do that! Well, there's still plenty of time. Just keep practicing. Who knows? Perhaps your memories will return once you start playing the guzheng, right?"
He smiled reassuringly.
TanTan smiled back, although her thoughts were quite different.
I seriously doubt that... Ha... ha... ha...
"Don't worry, MuTan Mei. Everything will work out eventually."
Prince FengEr mounted his horse and rode away.
TanTan let out a deep sigh.
When she returned inside the residence, she happened to meet ShuangAi.
"MuTan Jie, you look troubled. Are you worried about FangFang? I've already checked on her, and she's fine now. You know, Princess XiXi told us that you poisoned her, but I don't believe that. It was just an accident, right?"
TanTan realized that Princess XiXi must have already told everyone about the incident, although not quite truthfully.
"No... It was an accident. FangFang accidentally touched my poisoned dagger. But that's not important anymore..."
She paused, then looked at ShuangAi with sudden hope.
"ShuangAi, can you play the guzheng?"
"The guzheng? Yes, I can. Why?"
"Great! Then I need your help! Please teach me how to play the guzheng!"