After Jianxiu Gave The Villain In The Book A Wedding To Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 11

The fact that Liaowu had visited did not escape Ning Bumo’s notice, and Mu Wan had no intention of hiding it from him.

“What did he say to you?”

“It is fine if you do not want to tell me, as this is your secret,” Ning Bumo said, pretending to be indifferent while maintaining a flat tone.

“I promised him I would not tell anyone else,” Mu Wan replied. When he finished, a look of gloom instantly appeared on the face before him. Mu Wan paused and took out the silk pouch. “However, I did not say I could not show you what is inside.”

Ning Bumo immediately leaned in, but Mu Wan decided to tease him. Holding the drawstring of the pouch with both hands, he asked deliberately, “Did you not say you were indifferent to this?”

This blocked Ning Bumo’s response, leaving him unsure of how to reply.

How could he not care? He was dying of curiosity. Who knew if that monk had any malicious intentions? He could not believe Mu Wan trusted someone of unknown origin so easily.

While sourness bubbled up in his heart, Ning Bumo’s mouth seemed glued shut. It was only after Mu Wan had sufficiently enjoyed his flustered appearance that he smiled and opened the drawstring. “Fine, I will show you.”

The opened pouch contained only two items.

“A talisman and a longevity lock.” Ning Bumo held the talisman, turning it over and over, unable to see anything special about it. He began to disparage it, “What is a monk doing with a Taoist talisman?”

“This is no ordinary talisman.” Mu Wan took back the item, which emitted a faint trace of spiritual energy, his expression serious. “In the hands of an ordinary person, this talisman serves to ward off evil and invite fortune. It is a rare treasure.”

It was only because Ning Bumo lacked the eye for such things that he disparaged it; had it not been for Mu Wan, the talisman would have been highly beneficial in the cold, chilling atmosphere of his estate.

Yet, precisely because the item was so precious, Liaowu’s behavior became all the more strange. They were total strangers, so why would he give him such a treasure?

Mu Wan played with the longevity lock, which was engraved with a kylin, a mythical creature. Unfortunately, there were no marks on the lock, and Mu Wan could not discern its origin, but he could feel that Liaowu harbored no malice toward him.

“Do not go looking for trouble with him,” Mu Wan said, recalling Ning Bumo’s strange behavior earlier that day. “However, there is a place we can investigate.”

The Qian family’s medicine shop.

There had to be a reason Liaowu mentioned that specific place; perhaps there were relevant clues to be found there.

Another matter also deeply concerned Mu Wan: How did Liaowu know there were problems within the Prince of Jing’s estate?

Since they were to see the exiles off the next morning, Mu Wan and Ning Bumo did not waste too much time on Liaowu’s affairs, deciding to deal with it once they returned to the estate.

Early the next morning, Mu Wan and Ning Bumo hurried to the Qiancao Pavilion.

This was the main road leading out of the capital, and the exiles being escorted out would pass through here to rest. Ning Bumo had already made prior arrangements, ensuring they would have half an hour to meet.

When the day finally arrived, Ning Bumo was in low spirits. He did not even tease Mu Wan for rising early, a rare occurrence, and instead apologized, saying, “I have disturbed your rest. We can return to the estate and sleep after we meet them.”

This demeanor was strangely softening. Mu Wan thought about it but ultimately said nothing.

At this moment, no amount of comfort would be useful for Ning Bumo; it was better to see if he could be of help later.

It was late autumn, and there was little greenery left around the Qiancao Pavilion. The transplanted willow trees had turned a golden hue, but against the backdrop of the raggedly dressed exiles, the scene did not feel festive; rather, it appeared desolate.

“Your Highness, the men have been brought here,” the escorting official said, bowing after bringing Du Heguang and the others before Ning Bumo. He then turned and left.

There were three main soldiers brought over. Du Heguang, the leader, was about thirty years old, and the other two were slightly younger. Seeing Ning Bumo sitting in a wheelchair, unable to move his legs, the three suffering men were the first to have their eyes redden.

“Your Highness, your legs!”

“Did the palace not send anyone to treat you?”

The three spoke in succession, looking even angrier than Ning Bumo himself.

“I am fine. The palace has already sent people to treat me. The legs are not urgent; there will naturally be ways to fix them later,” Ning Bumo comforted them. When his gaze fell upon the visible wounds on the three men, he could not suppress his anger. “Those people tortured you.”

“No, it was just for show. With your help, they did not go too far. This is nothing; being able to keep our lives is enough,” Du Heguang replied with a forced grin, rubbing the back of his head in an attempt to keep him from worrying. However, as he laughed, he fell silent, looked at Ning Bumo with guilt, and hesitated. “Your Highness, before we left last night, Wei Yuan came to see us.”

With the failure in Lingzhou, the imperial court naturally would not sit idly by, and Wei Yuan was the newly appointed Commissioner.

However, this man had always been at odds with the Wolf Cavalry and had frequently agreed with critics in court who argued that it was unreasonable for Ning Bumo to command such an army. Ning Bumo’s power, however, stemmed from the special permission of Emperor Wen, and his military successes and prestige among the people were immense.

Thus, the Empress Dowager and the current Emperor had not been able to find a way to strip Ning Bumo of his command until the Battle of Lingzhou gave them the opportunity. With Ning Bumo forced to recuperate at home due to his injury, the court had appointed Wei Yuan as the Commissioner to oversee the local troops.

Wei Yuan’s visit had been to ask Du Heguang and the others about their experience in dealing with the Hu people, especially the Tieshan tribe. Ning Bumo had fought them frequently, and his experience far surpassed that of Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan was shameless; despite having frequently antagonized Ning Bumo and the Wolf Cavalry, he asked his questions without a hint of embarrassment.

“But I told him,” Du Heguang said, lowering his head, unable to hide his guilt.

They all felt there was something deeply wrong with the failure at Lingzhou, especially given the injustice Ning Bumo had suffered. But they could not gamble with the safety of the frontier soldiers and the common people.

Regardless of how much treachery was involved in the battle and why the real culprits had not been caught, and despite Wei Yuan’s constant mockery of them as crude, foolish, and greedy for glory, they could not sacrifice the people they protected.

Therefore, Du Heguang did not regret his choice. Yet, he still felt he had failed Ning Bumo.

In reality, they possessed a distinct advantage in fighting these foreign enemies due to their unique training methods, which had secured them victory after victory. If Wei Yuan followed Du Heguang’s instructions without any foul play, he would certainly achieve good results.

But this meant the court’s wish to weaken Ning Bumo would be completely fulfilled.

“So, you cannot even lift your head because of this?” A familiar voice rang out. Du Heguang, who had been scolded many times in the past, subconsciously straightened his back. He saw Ning Bumo smiling as boldly as ever. “What if you told him? Even if Ning Yu came to ask me himself, I would not have hidden it from him.”

“Or do you think that if I could stand, I would be suppressed by a nobody like Wei Yuan?”

Even if he could not stand, it was a good thing to inform Wei Yuan. As long as Wei Yuan was not a complete fool, he could at least ensure the safety of the border region.

Seeing that he remained the same, uncrushed by the events, Du Heguang and the soldiers felt their eyes grow warm.

“Yes, yes, this subordinate understands.”

How could they have forgotten? The Prince cared most about the people and would certainly have thought the same way.

Time was short. As they were about to leave after sharing a small meal, Mu Wan, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. “Take this.”

He handed a bottle of pills to Du Heguang.

The three soldiers were stunned.

They had suspected something when they first saw Mu Wan. Even in prison, news of the Prince of Jing’s marriage, a major event, had reached them. They were outraged, believing the Emperor was insulting the Prince.

Today, seeing Mu Wan accompanying Ning Bumo, they saw a face they did not recognize. He did not look simple-minded at all, and they dared not make any assumptions. Suddenly being gifted a bottle of medicine left them perplexed.

Seeing them standing there blankly, Ning Bumo urged them, “What are you waiting for? Keep the items the Princess Consort gave you on your person!”

He was excited. Although he had guessed Mu Wan was making pills the previous day, he had not expected them to be for Du Heguang and the others.

Was it because Mu Wan had heard him worrying about the miasma in Lingnan that he had crafted these pills?

If Mu Wan had a way to treat his legs, perhaps he could also help Du Heguang’s group resist the miasma.

His expectant gaze landed on Mu Wan.

Mu Wan then said, “You can take these when you are nearing Lingnan.”

He was indeed the Princess Consort, yet he looked nothing like a simpleton. With Ning Bumo urging them on, Du Heguang and his men dared not delay and quickly took the bottle.

The Prince would never deceive them.

This time, Du Heguang and his group truly left. Watching their backs gradually fade, Ning Bumo sighed. “Let’s go. We should return, too.”

However, inside the carriage, Ning Bumo stared at Mu Wan in silence, his eyes filled with a warmth like melting spring snow.

“Even if you are very touched, I will not allow you to hug me and cry,” Mu Wan joked.

The swell of emotion in Ning Bumo’s heart instantly evaporated like bubbles, yet those bubbles kept rising, their presence in his heart too loud, reminding Ning Bumo of feelings he had not fully grasped yet.

But until they returned to the Prince’s estate, Ning Bumo could not figure out what he had been thinking at that moment.

However, the piles of boxes being carried into the courtyard caught their attention.

“Did you send people out to shop today?” Ning Bumo asked, wiping his hands with a handkerchief.

“Yes. Winter is approaching, so I had people buy everything we need. While at it, I also had them organize the items bestowed by the palace in the storehouse.”

Ning Bumo was about to nod when he suddenly sniffed the air and looked toward the incense burner in the room. “Did you change the incense today?”