Chapter 29: Each with Their Own Agenda

  "Who are you?"

  "What? Master doesn't recognize me?"

  "Who are you?"

  "It turns out that Master really can't remember after all!"

  "As you said, it seems like we know each other, but your tone is a bit too condescending, making me somewhat unable to bear it."

  "As a master, you should be at ease as a master. Since I call you that, it must be something you can handle."

  "What's your name? And sit down, I've got a crick in my neck from looking up." He sat down beside me.

  "Siman Nan."

  "What do you do?"

  "Lingyue Palace Master."

  "How did we meet."

  "On the night of the Prime Minister's family massacre, I saved my master."

  "Wait, why am I in the Prime Minister's residence?"

  "You are the eldest daughter of General Shen Heishan, Shen Yinyue, Princess Huayue."

  "Are you kidding me?"

  "I don't think so."

  "Although I've lost my memory, I still remember my parents very clearly, and it's not what you said, also my name is Shen Liu."

  "Deep willow."

  "Yes."

  "Does the master still remember 'the lotus root is broken but the threads are connected'?"

  "What is that? I know lotus root, a kind of food."

  "It's a technique, Master uses it to control my technique, the two lines on Master's left hand ring finger are the contract."

  "So those two lines were used for this purpose, but why did I control you?"

  "Listen to the master's instructions and do things for the master."

  "So you're saying that whatever I tell you to do, you'll have to do it."

  "Of course."

  "Is it all right to kill people and set fires, and also to catch adulterers and punish crimes?"

  "Of course."

  "Oh! Oh! And there's such a good thing, but don't worry, I definitely won't let you do anything bad."

  "Then shouldn't I thank you, Master?"

  "Haha, but I have two lines here? Are you controlling one person?"

  "Yes, I am General Wan of the Xiang Family Manor."

  "Wan Ri Cheng, is this contract with you the same as what we agreed on?"

  "Yes, why does milord ask this?"

  "Look at my hand, as you said, I controlled you and Wanday Cheng, the contract should be the same, but why is there one red line, while there are two green lines?" Sima Nan collected his smile, took my hand, and under the candlelight, stared intently at the three lines, seemingly deep in thought.

  "It seems I'll have to go and find out about this 'Wan Ri Xian'."

  "Unfortunately, I don't have any impression of Wang Ri Cheng in my mind, perhaps I really need to find him and ask him clearly."

  "I'll go find him then, Master, farewell." Sima Nan stood up and left.

  "Be careful all the way."

  Siman Nan quietly left, the house fell silent, and the candle had also completed its mission, slowly dimming down. The sky was still dark, so I might as well sleep for a while longer. Who would have thought that Siman Nan and I, a lonely man and woman, chatted for so long in the middle of the night, yet nothing happened? I really don't know if this is my good fortune or misfortune...

  "Ma'am, are you awake?"

  "Come on, get up, come in."

  "Madam, I'll help you get out of bed."

  "Uh, no need for a fancy hairstyle today, just a simple ponytail will do."

  "Okay." Yinghe's hands were very quick and she helped me put on my clothes, fixed my hair, and even considerately inserted a simple pearl pin as an ornament, which looked quite good.

  "I want to go out for a walk today."

  "That slave will go and prepare now."

  "Never mind, you attend to your own business, I think I'll just go out for a walk."

  "But..."

  "It's okay, I've already remembered the places I couldn't go."

  "Okay, then let's have dinner first, or else we won't be able to go for a walk on an empty stomach!"

  "Uh-huh."

  After finishing breakfast, I walked out of the yard under the piercing gaze of Yinghe Guan, following the path from memory, that was a place where the demon often stayed, the study.

  Why go? The reason is simple, I want to leave the palace, this step must be taken. Why do I want to leave, because I really dislike it here, I'd rather have amnesia and forget everything from before, maybe I'll be happy to revolve around the demon, but now, I keep telling myself, you've already lost your memory.

  In the courtyards of the Wang Mansion, every functional house has a yard, I don't know if it's the style here. Not only that, when people here speak, except for the lower class, no matter who it is, they all say "I" and "you", is this also a custom or is it just like that with me? I didn't find anything about it in the local records either.

  Finally, I arrived at the place, lifted my head, and there were no words carved on the moon gate. Walking into the courtyard, it really surprised me. Looking around, the whole yard was full of flowers and grasses. In the center, there was a stone path with a tall tree beside it, its branches dense and leaves lush. Next to it was a small pond. Had I remembered wrong? This should be the study, but why did it look like the "Four Seasons Pavilion"? I exited the courtyard and looked around again, but couldn't find any carved words anywhere.

  "Madam?" I looked up and a man came out of the moon gate, gentle and elegant.

  "Who are you?"

  Lin Zhanhe is the manager of this mansion.

  "It turned out to be Lin Guanjia."

  "How did you get back here, madam?"

  "I was walking around in the city and unknowingly walked here, what is this?"

  "This is the study in the mansion."

  "Study? Is the king in here?"

  "Yes."

  "I'll go and say hello to him then."

  "Madam, hmm... it's better not to go for now."

  "Why?"

  "It may be inconvenient."

  "Isn't it inconvenient? How can it be inconvenient in a study? It's not a bedroom, I've come and called out, so I'll leave."

  Disregarding Lin Zhanhe's opinion, he hesitated and I decided to take a look. Entering the Moon Gate, I slowed down my pace and walked along the stone path towards the study. The door was not fully closed, just right for me to slip in.

  As I entered the door, it was a small hall with only tables and chairs. On both sides were two rooms. A voice came from the room on the left side, I quietly approached, saying, why didn't I come in boldly.

  "Shu, what do you think of this?" Shu? I halted in my tracks, stopping where I was.

  "Hmm, this one is good. Qing'er's painting skills have indeed improved a lot. I didn't expect it to be so good." Such gentle words.

  "Xu, you're teasing me again, I'm going to get angry!"

  "It's really helpless, being angry looks so good, I think..."

  "Oh dear, you this... um... now... um... but... hmm... big... daytime." I think he prefers daytime.

  "I'm about to lose patience, what to do..."

  That's the rogue! So gentle, so good at flirting, so... I only feel a breath stuck in my chest, a little, a little painful, even my fingertips are slightly numb. Alas, what's wrong with me? I quietly retreat, out of the house, out of the courtyard, out of the moon gate.

  "Ma'am?"

  "Haven't you left?"

  "Just thought we should wait for madam here."

  "Want to see me make a fool of myself?"

  "Madam has misunderstood me."

  "You originally knew, but didn't explicitly say."

  "I've already told Madam."

  "Never mind, I'm not going to argue with you anymore, I'm leaving."

  "Be careful, madam."

  "Right, Lin Guanjia?"

  "Is there anything else, ma'am?"

  "Does the king love the fourth wife?"