What to do if you receive the wrong package?

Gu Yan never expected that she would have to move again.

However, this time it wasn't a move from one room to another, but rather a move from the small courtyard where they were currently living to the Chu King's mansion.

My goodness, she'll get to live in the royal palace for free and enjoy royal treatment in her lifetime. How wonderful!

However, moving is not an easy task. Even if the Prince's Mansion has everything it needs, it only needs to bring some clothes, accessories and daily necessities.

Gu Yan also packed two large bags of things. Of course, this did not include the things for the two little ones.

It must be said that before you can move into a prince's mansion, you have to go through a lot of trouble.

After entering the Prince's Mansion, Gu Yan, Shen Mujin, and the two little ones stayed with Zhou Yuran in the courtyard she was currently in, while Jiang Si, Xuan Yi, and Yu Bai stayed in a smaller courtyard not far away.

After everything was tidied up, Gu Yan was so tired that she could barely lift her arms. She had intended to take a short rest before dinner, but as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep.

When Gu Yan woke up, it was already the morning of the next day. After a full night's sleep, Gu Yan felt refreshed and his body had regained some strength.

After a quick wash and tidying up, I opened the door and was greeted by a refreshing breeze. Yesterday I was busy packing, but today I finally had time to properly explore the small courtyard where I was staying.

It must be said that the Prince's Mansion was incredibly wealthy. This single courtyard alone contained seven or eight empty rooms, and there was even a waterside pavilion and flower terrace within the courtyard.

Indeed, poverty limited my imagination.

Being unfamiliar with the place, Gu Yan didn't dare to wander around. He could only sit in the courtyard, enjoying the slightly cool morning breeze, while waiting for the others to get up.

Fortunately, after a while, everyone gradually got up. Just then, the guards from the Prince's Mansion walked in through the courtyard gate and led everyone to the small hall for breakfast.

Upon entering the room, Gu Yan discovered that besides Prince Chu, Duan Chenke, there was another stranger present. This stranger bore a striking resemblance to the Prince of Chu, possessing a handsome face and an extraordinary air that inspired awe.

He wore a dark brocade robe, with silver openwork hibiscus flowers peeking out from the inside. A jade belt cinched his waist, and he held an ivory folding fan. He exuded an air of nobility. Gu Yan secretly nudged Zhou Yuran, asking her with his divine eyes, but Zhou Yuran shook her head with a puzzled look on her face.

Who exactly is this stranger?

Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, Duan Chenke smiled and said, "This is my elder brother, His Highness Prince Ning, Duan Chaoxu."

Gu Yan was startled, never expecting that the person in front of her was Prince Ning, and so handsome and outstanding at that. Suddenly, she seemed to understand why Lin Bihua had been so relentlessly pursuing Prince Ning.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Ning."

Gu Yan followed behind the others, bowing his head in greeting.

"No need for formalities. You are all friends of Ake, which means you are my friends as well. Please have a seat."

Duan Chaoxu smiled faintly at everyone and said politely.

"Everyone, don't be nervous. My brother is one of us. Besides, I've come here today to discuss some things with you all."

After hearing Duan Chenke's words, everyone became less reserved and sat down to eat and chat.

Xuan Yi knew that Prince Ning was in charge of investigating the Anping Marquis's residence. Now that Prince Ning had something to discuss with them, it was most likely related to the Anping Marquis's residence.

"Now that you've descended to Xuanyi, what is it that His Highness Prince Ning wishes to tell us?"

"Oh? You are Xuan Yi, the Palace Master of Weiyang Palace?" Prince Ning looked at Xuan Yi's rather young face. "Indeed, heroes emerge from among the young."

"You flatter me, Prince Ning. I am truly incompetent; otherwise, others would not have taken advantage of the situation and brought Weiyang Palace to such a state."

"Palace Master, please do not be anxious. I believe that the matter of the Marquis of Anping's residence has nothing to do with Weiyang Palace. Moreover, after my investigation over the past few days, I have indeed discovered some clues."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions tightened, and they looked at Duan Chaoxu with a rather serious expression.

"Do you remember the girl who beat the drum to appeal for justice? Although she escaped the calamity because she didn't return home all night, according to my investigation, she left her friend's house by carriage at dawn. There was nearly an hour and a half between dawn and the discovery of the massacre of the Marquis's family. What exactly happened during that time is still unclear."

Xuan Yi pressed further, "Have you investigated the carriage and the driver?"

"The driver has disappeared. We've posted notices in the market and other places, but we haven't received any news yet."

“It’s not easy to find someone who has gone missing. It would be difficult to hide such a large carriage. Why not start with the carriage? We can also increase the reward. Money makes the world go round,” Zhou Yuran suggested.

Prince Ning nodded in agreement and continued, "There are also many suspicious points about this young lady herself. After the guards who were responsible for picking her up at the Drum of Grievance regained their composure, they felt that the young lady's words and actions were somewhat abnormal. Her movements were stiff and slow, her voice was hoarse and unpleasant, and even the sentences she uttered were incoherent and disordered."

"Hiss, this girl seems to be possessed."

After listening, Gu Yan muttered a few words under her breath. Unexpectedly, when she looked up, she found everyone staring at her, so she could only give an awkward smile.

"This young lady may speak frankly about her thoughts," Prince Ning asked with a smile.

"Well, I just feel like this girl might be possessed..." Gu Yan's voice trailed off as he spoke, since the topic of possession had already risen to the level of supernatural superstition.

Zhou Yuran shook her head and retorted, "The possibility of possession is unlikely; she might be being controlled."

Shen Mujin, who was standing to the side, nodded and joined the discussion: "It's possible. Maybe they were bewitched. Weren't those men in black that Xuan Yi and the others encountered on Qixia Mountain controlled by bewitching?"

After hearing Shen Mujin's words, Xuan Yi and Jiang Si quickly exchanged a glance. If this girl was really being controlled by a Gu curse, then the person behind it must be after the Seven Star Stone.

"Oh? Using poison. Could you all explain in detail?" Prince Ning was surprised that this group could actually analyze other information, and he immediately became interested.

"Your Highness, back in Qixia Mountain in Wuzhou, Jiang Si and I encountered a group of men in black. These people had all been poisoned by the secret Gu poison technique of the Southern Frontier—Blood Fiend. After being corrupted by the Gu worms, these people lost all five senses, were neither alive nor dead, and could only unconditionally obey the Gu King's orders. They were no longer even considered human."

Prince Ning frowned slightly after hearing this; he hadn't expected the poison techniques of the Southern Frontier to possess such terrifying power. After a moment of silence, Prince Ning asked:

"Do you know who performed this Blood Fiend Technique?"

"The one who used the Gu poison was an exiled person from the Southern Frontier, referred to as the Great Shaman by the men in black. As for who is behind the Great Shaman, we don't know."

Prince Ning's expression was grave. He hadn't expected the massacre of the Marquis of Anping's family to involve so many issues, all of which were extremely troublesome for both the martial arts world and the imperial court. A slight misstep could lead to an unimaginable disaster.

After breakfast, Prince Ning said he had something to do and would be leaving soon. The others then escorted him to the door.

Gu Yan stood to one side, his attention completely drawn to the magnificent and luxurious carriage in front of him.

"Yueya, have you ever ridden in such a fine carriage when you went out with His Highness Prince Chu?"

"I've never sat in one this big before, but it's quite luxurious in a way."

"Sure, I really hope I can ride it sometime," Gu Yan muttered enviously in a low voice.

"Forget it, no matter how luxurious it is, it's still a carriage. You get carsick and you'll throw up all over the carriage. Let's just forget about it."

Gu Yan pursed her lips and silently moved a few steps to the side, deciding to temporarily distance herself from the person who was pouring cold water on her.

However, she seemed to see a familiar face not far away.

Gu Yan tiptoed and squinted at the willow tree not far away. A woman in green was hiding behind the tree trunk, cautiously peeking into the direction of the Chu Prince's mansion.

"Miss Lin?" Gu Yan was somewhat surprised. He didn't bother to explain to Zhou Yuran and turned to walk towards Lin Bihua. He didn't even notice Lin Bihua until he was right next to her.

"Sister Lin?" Gu Yan patted the person in front of him on the shoulder and called out softly.

"Huh? Who!" Lin Bihua was startled and quickly turned around to see that it was a familiar-looking girl.

Lin Bihua looked Gu Yan up and down, and after a moment of thought, she remembered, "It's you, the girl who helped me pick up the hairpin."

"Yes, it's me. Sister Lin, what are you doing here?" She didn't say the rest aloud, silently wondering to herself.

Gu Yan and Lin Bihua's greetings immediately attracted the attention of everyone at the entrance of the Prince's mansion. They felt all eyes on them, even Prince Ning himself looked over.

At this moment, Lin Bihua's face flushed slightly. Her eyes darted around, and her hands kept twisting the handkerchief.

Gu Yan watched Lin Bihua's actions and her heart skipped a beat. She knew that this was a sign of Lin Bihua's nervousness. Gu Yan smiled gently, reached out and patted her shoulder lightly, and took the initiative to introduce her to everyone: "This is Miss Lin. Last time we went to Shaolin Temple, it was Miss Lin who kindly escorted me and Shengsheng back."

After being introduced by Gu Yan, Lin Bihua bowed slightly to everyone and then stood quietly to one side without saying another word.

Prince Ning's gaze swept back and forth between Gu Yan and Lin Bihua, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he was somewhat displeased with their acquaintance.

"Miss Bai, it's best to keep your distance from some people. You can know a person's face but not their heart." Prince Ning's voice was cold and deep, and he didn't seem to have a very friendly attitude towards Lin Bihua.

Lin Bihua felt Ning Wang's gaze and her heart skipped a beat. She knew Ning Wang disliked her. She tried her best to control her emotions, not letting Ning Wang see her nervousness and unease, and minimizing her presence as much as possible.

Gu Yan was surprised that Prince Ning knew Lin Bihua and was quite hostile towards her. No wonder Lin Bihua had to hide to the side just now.

Gu Yan, who had meant well but had done something wrong, looked at Lin Bihua apologetically and even silently stepped forward to shield her behind him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I will be careful."

Watching Gu Yan and Lin Bihua's actions, Prince Ning's gaze deepened. Finally, he snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Gu Yan and Lin Bihua both breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing of Prince Ning's departure.

"Miss Lin, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you and His Highness Prince Ning..."

"It's alright, I'm used to it." Lin Bihua smiled slightly, seemingly unfazed by Prince Ning's cold attitude.

"I've disturbed you today, so I'll take my leave now."

"Ah, okay, if you need anything in the future, you can come to the Prince's Mansion to find me."

Gu Yan was curious about what was going on between the two, but he was too embarrassed to ask directly, so he could only watch Lin Bihua's departing figure with reluctance.

The others at the door were also puzzled by Prince Ning's sudden change in attitude. In particular, Zhou Yuran, watching Prince Ning's departing figure, leaned close to Duan Chenke and asked, "Your Highness, what's going on?"

Duan Chenke sighed somewhat helplessly, but seeing that everyone behind him was looking at him with expectant eyes, he could only wave his hand and say, "Let's go back to the manor first, and we'll talk about it in detail when we get back."

No one can resist gossip, especially gossip about Prince Ning.

Seeing that the group had already taken their seats and prepared their own tea and melon seeds, Duan Chenke had no choice but to briefly recount the story of Prince Ning and Lin Bihua.

Lin Bihua was not an ordinary commoner; she was the granddaughter of Marshal Lin Ye, the Grand Marshal of the Army. However, the girl's background was somewhat pitiful. Her parents died in battle when she was young, and she was raised by Marshal Lin himself.

When the Empress Dowager was alive, she doted on her and often invited her to the palace. Over time, she became very familiar with the princes and princesses.

“Since she was a child, Bihua has liked her older brother very much. She would always follow me and her older brother around. So at first, her older brother treated Bihua very well and genuinely treated her like a younger sister.”

"However... something happened later."

Hearing the girls exchange quick glances, the climax of the story was about to begin.

Prince Ning was a quiet person, and his favorite place was the library. It was in the library that he met the first person who made his heart flutter.

Prince Ning loved reading, but he gradually discovered that he wasn't the only one reading the books. He found other people's notes in them, sometimes small annotations, sometimes insights and reflections.

Prince Ning was very curious about this. Not only because of the man's unique insights, but also because his own thoughts were very similar to the man's.

Therefore, Prince Ning also began to leave some of his thoughts and insights in the book.

Gradually, the two began to have simple exchanges based on their insights from the book. Each clash of ideas and conversation between them fueled Prince Ning's intense curiosity about her. He developed a strong interest in this "stranger" and wanted to learn more about her.

Every day, Prince Ning would go to the library to chat with this "stranger" through words. As time went by, Prince Ning developed deeper feelings for this "stranger." He found his longing for her growing stronger, and he couldn't wait to go to the library every day to share with her, and even wanted to see her in person.

So, Prince Ning decided to wait and see, and finally discovered that the person he was "conversing with in the book" was actually a female official copying books.

The lady-in-waiting was quite excited, not expecting to be "talking" to Prince Ning. Upon hearing that Prince Ning wanted to bring her into his residence, she quickly nodded in agreement.

However, after the conversation shifted from "written" to face-to-face, Prince Ning found that the person in front of him seemed to have changed, and even had some ideas that were quite different from his own.

Although Prince Ning felt a little confused and conflicted, he was still immersed in the joy of finding the "real person".

"My elder brother is very fond of this female official. He even went to our father, the emperor, to ask him to marry her as his princess. However, our father has not yet expressed his opinion, but our grandmother has sent word that she wants to betroth Bihua to my elder brother."

"Ah? But it seems that Miss Lin has not married Prince Ning." Gu Yan thought of Miss Lin's clothes and hairstyle, and she still looked like an unmarried woman.

Duan Chenke hummed in agreement and continued, "My elder brother's heart was entirely focused on that female official, so how could he possibly marry Bihua? It was Bihua who saw through my elder brother's predicament and took the initiative to go to the Empress Dowager to plead with her to rescind the imperial decree."

"Then shouldn't Prince Ning be thanking Miss Lin? How could he... have such an unfriendly attitude?" Zhou Yuran was also confused by Duan Chenke's explanation.

"You two, stop interrupting and let His Highness finish speaking!" Shen Mujin, who was eager to watch the drama unfold, quickly pulled her two friends back to their feet.

"It's a pity that my grandmother's health was not good at the time. This incident caused her condition to deteriorate rapidly, and she passed away a few days later. After my grandmother's death, my eldest brother disliked Bihua even more. He believed that it was because of something Bihua said that my grandmother issued the decree for him to marry her. He thought that if it weren't for Bihua, none of this would have happened, and my grandmother would not have passed away due to her worsening condition."

"Although Bihua later explained that the matter of the Empress Dowager's decree had nothing to do with her, my elder brother was already deaf to it at the time."

"Of course, that's not the most crucial thing."

Gu Yan and the others were shocked... but that wasn't the key point...

Gu Yan silently wondered: Could it be that Miss Lin killed the lady-in-waiting that Prince Ning liked?