Chapter 152: Why Is He Here?

Even though Tan Qingjiu knew very well that the steward had already guessed she was awake, she still remained completely silent. Soon, the steward's voice softened and gradually faded away.

Lying on the bed and listening to the movements outside, Tan Qingjiu could not help narrowing her eyes slightly.

Not a single person in this Prince Duan's Mansion was simple.

There shouldn't be any other matters, right?

Just as Tan Qingjiu was pondering this, Qingdai hurried into the room.

"My lord." Qingdai glanced behind her a couple of times before hurriedly walking up to the bedside.

Seeing Qingdai's instinctive reaction of being frightened by Shen Yingjue, Tan Qingjiu could not help rubbing her temples. "There is no one behind you."

Only then did Qingdai give a light cough. "I was just looking around."

Qingdai walked over to the bed and spoke in a breathy voice, "My lord, the Fourth Master and the Fifth Master have sent word that they wish to see you."

"See me?"

"Yes, the Fourth and Fifth Masters said they have urgent matters to discuss with you."

Tan Qingjiu gave a low acknowledgment, then suddenly raised her voice, "I am feeling a bit tired. Help me change my clothes and attend to me as I sleep."

Qingdai blinked, her face filled with bewilderment.

Tan Qingjiu merely mouthed the words: "There are hidden guards."

Qingdai's eyes widened in realization, and she quickly went along with Tan Qingjiu's words. "Very well, this servant will help you change."

Qingdai raised her hands as if to untie Tan Qingjiu's garments, but Tan Qingjiu seemed to suddenly remember something and quickly pressed down on the lapels. "There shouldn't be any other matters now. You may withdraw first. I wish to sleep for a while, or you can keep watch elsewhere in the courtyard to ensure no one sneaks in. Then I will be safe."

Knowing these words were intended for the hidden guard, Qingdai cooperated smoothly, "What are you saying, My lord? Are you talking about me? But I haven't helped you change yet."

Tan Qingjiu smiled. "Then help me change first before withdrawing."

Tan Qingjiu stretched out her arms while closing her eyes, sensing the breathing and air currents around her.

No one was left.

After confirming it several times over, Tan Qingjiu lowered her voice again and said to Qingdai, "Come, let us swap identities and disguise ourselves."

"Understood."

Qingdai agreed without hesitation and skillfully produced a human-skin mask...

A quarter of an hour later, Tan Qingjiu, disguised as Qingdai, stepped out of the main courtyard.

The steward was keeping watch just outside the main courtyard. Tan Qingjiu gave a light cough and said, "I suddenly remembered that my master still has some belongings left at the Tan residence. I will make a trip out of the estate to retrieve them for my master."

The steward had already guessed that Tan Qingjiu had not truly fainted, and his earlier performance outside had simply been an act put on for her benefit.

Hearing Qingdai (disguised by Tan Qingjiu) say this now, the steward assumed that Tan Qingjiu had overheard his previous words and was using the excuse of returning to the Tan residence for belongings to go back, communicate with Tan Yun, and make her stance clear. Thus, he readily agreed.

"Very well, go ahead. Do you need me to arrange a carriage for you? After all, you are the Princess Consort's person..."

Tan Qingjiu quickly waved her hand. "The steward jests. As a mere servant, what would I need a carriage for? I shall simply walk there. Besides, along the way, I can pick up a few things for my master."

"Some of my master's supplies have run out and need to be replenished."

"That is fine too." The steward nodded. "Go and return swiftly."

Tan Qingjiu successfully left Prince Duan's Mansion and walked into an apothecary. "Please summon your proprietor; I need to purchase a considerable amount of medicinal herbs."

Tan Qingjiu drew a list from her sleeve. "This is the list of herbs I need to purchase this time."

The apothecary apprentice took the list, examined it carefully from top to bottom, and then quickly said, "Ah, an esteemed guest indeed! Please come inside, right this way..."

Once Tan Qingjiu entered the inner courtyard, the proprietor came out to meet her. The proprietor was also a woman, and upon seeing Tan Qingjiu, she promptly bowed. "My lord."

"Mmm." Tan Qingjiu acknowledged her. "Disguise yourself as me, then make a trip to the Yunsong Courtyard of the Tan residence and fetch some of the herbs I previously stored in the warehouse there. If Tan Yun wishes to see you and asks about my condition, you are to say..."

After giving detailed instructions, Tan Qingjiu disguised herself and the proprietor. The two of them parted ways—the proprietor went to the front pharmacy, while Tan Qingjiu slipped out through the back door of the inner courtyard and headed straight for the Mingyu Pavilion, where her fourth and fifth masters were staying.

During the daytime, the Mingyu Pavilion was exceptionally tranquil.

Entering through the back door of the Mingyu Pavilion, Tan Qingjiu spotted a charming and voluptuous middle-aged woman gracefully swaying a feather fan as she walked over.

The woman's appearance was completely unfamiliar to Tan Qingjiu. Squinting, Tan Qingjiu appraised her for quite a moment before speaking, "Fifth Master?"

"Tsk, I was just making a wager with your Fourth Master, betting on how long it would take you to recognize me. Alas, it seems your Fourth Master has won. Little Qingjiu, why are you like this? Even if you recognized me, you should have pretended not to, otherwise it always makes me feel as though my disguise skills are slipping."

Tan Qingjiu gave a faint smile. Her fifth master was named Bo Wan, widely known as the Thousand-Faced Widow. She was a master of disguise whose techniques defied the imagination. Both Tan Qingjiu and Xingqi had learned the true essence of the art of disguise directly from Bo Wan.

"To be honest with Fifth Master, I truly failed to recognize you at first glance. However, Qingdai mentioned to me earlier that Fifth Master is currently acting as the madam of this Mingyu Pavilion. The moment I walked in and observed the demeanor and bearing of the person approaching, it strongly resembled that of a brothel madam."

"Moreover, since Fifth Master was the one who sent someone to summon me, you naturally knew I was coming. Knowing I was coming, Fifth Master would certainly not allow irrelevant people to appear before me. Therefore, after weighing all these factors, I concluded that you must be Fifth Master."

"Thus, recognizing Fifth Master was not due to seeing through your disguise, but rather because I cheated."

Bo Wan covered her smile with her feather fan, looking utterly captivating. "My little Qingjiu is still as adept at pleasing others as ever."

"Why did Fifth Master have me summoned here?"

Bo Wan raised a hand and pointed toward the centermost room on the upper floor. "In there. Go on up."

Tan Qingjiu raised an eyebrow. It seemed the person looking for her was not Bo Wan after all.

If not Bo Wan, could it be her fourth master, Chu Xin?

"Very well."

Tan Qingjiu ascended the stairs and stopped outside the private room Bo Wan had indicated. The faint, flowing sound of a zither drifted from within. Raising an eyebrow, Tan Qingjiu pushed open the door of the private room.

However, her fourth master was not inside. Behind the white gauze curtain stirred by the breeze, a figure sat upright. Though seated and separated by the semi-transparent gauze, Tan Qingjiu quickly recognized from the indistinct silhouette that it was a man, not Chu Xin.

Who could it be?

Narrowing her eyes, Tan Qingjiu closed the door of the private room behind her.

Without the cross-breeze, the gauze curtain suddenly dropped, revealing the person seated squarely behind the zither table.

"Sixth Master?"

It was Li Xiao.

Tan Qingjiu looked somewhat surprised. "Why is Sixth Master here?"

The previously fluid melody of the zither abruptly ceased. Li Xiao pressed his fingers against the strings, raised his head, and looked directly at Tan Qingjiu. "Why am I here? Naturally, to see you."