Ning Wanwan simply pulled out a stack of silver notes and handed them to the servant. The servant was visibly shocked by Ning Wanwan’s generosity but looked conflicted, saying, “This… our manager doesn’t entertain clients.”
Before coming, she heard from Zhan Xiang’s brother that Lumen Pavilion’s manager was named Mi Yue, a 26-year-old beautiful and charming woman, but aloof and difficult to approach. It was rare for ordinary customers to see her.
Ning Wanwan was surprised that she could reach Mi Yue through the establishment’s staff, who seemed well-trained and not easily swayed by money.
She put away the silver notes and took out a folded square piece of paper with the cicada and moon palace print. “Please deliver this to her and ask if she would meet me,” she instructed the servant. If Lumen Pavilion was an intelligence-gathering organization, they would surely recognize the significance of the print.
The servant took the paper, glanced at it, and then refolded it, smiling politely at Ning Wanwan. “Please wait here for a moment.” He quickly ran upstairs.
After half a tea’s time, the servant returned, bowing. “Sir, please come to the top floor.”
The top floor of Lumen Pavilion was a hidden marvel. While it appeared ordinary from the outside, inside was a different world entirely.
It was enclosed on all sides, with a central terrace featuring a small bridge, flowing water, and exotic plants. Rockeries and waterfalls surrounded the area, with mist creating an ethereal atmosphere.
In the center of the terrace stood a hexagonal pavilion surrounded by soft peach-colored gauze. Behind it, a graceful woman was delicately playing a musical instrument.
The servant announced, “Sister Mi Yue, the guests have arrived.”
Mi Yue gave a light “hmm,” and the servant retreated. Ning Wanwan stood still, waiting for Mi Yue to speak first.
After a moment, Mi Yue stopped playing and raised her head, looking through the gauze at them. “I hear the guests wish to see me?” Her voice was like a nightingale’s, refined and distant from worldly pleasures.
“Indeed.”
The gauze was lifted, revealing a woman in a purple dress, exuding charm.
“What do the guests want from me?” Mi Yue approached Ning Wanwan, her phoenix eyes boldly examining her.
Ning Wanwan felt uneasy under Mi Yue’s gaze. She lifted her chin, attempting to appear more imposing, and said in a rough voice, “I want to inquire about someone from the proprietress.”
“Oh?” Mi Yue gently placed her hand on Ning Wanwan’s shoulder, circling her once before asking, “Who does the guest wish to inquire about?”
“Poison Saint Gui Wudu,” Ning Wanwan felt the fingers on her shoulder press slightly.
Mi Yue withdrew her hand, her expression becoming reserved, and said flatly, “Never heard of him.”
Ning Wanwan replied, “Then please help me find this person’s whereabouts. The reward is at the proprietress’s discretion.”
Mi Yue laughed lightly, “Doesn’t the guest realize she’s entered the wrong place? Our establishment only deals in pleasure trade.”
Ning Wanwan stared into Miyue’s eyes and countered, “If you only deal in pleasure trade, why agree to meet me?”
Miyue giggled, pointing at Ning Wanwan’s face, “You’re quite amusing. The person who spent a fortune wanting to see me is you.”
Ning Wanwan was momentarily speechless. She knew it was impossible to force Miyue to admit her identity directly; finding her again would be even more difficult. She was taking a gamble, but it seemed she had lost.
Realizing money couldn’t sway Miyue, it appeared Lumen Pavilion wasn’t serving a master for mere monetary gain. Could she be Si Zhan’s person?
Miyue seemed to lose interest, turning to walk away while coldly issuing a dismissal, “I’ve met you and we’ve spoken. If there’s nothing else, I’ll see you out.”
Just as Ning Wanwan was about to give up, her gaze fell on the two jade hairpins in Miyue’s bun – jade cicada pins with spread wings. Remembering Lumen Pavilion’s emblem of a cicada above the moon palace, she formed a subtle hypothesis.
“Proprietress Miyue, please wait.”
Miyue stopped but didn’t turn around. Ning Wanwan decided to take another chance. She retrieved the white jade gold-sprinkled cicada that Si Zhan had given her and asked, “Might this item persuade you to help me find Gui Wudu’s whereabouts?”
Miyue replied, “Don’t look at me with that kind of gaze.”
“I can confidently tell you that even if I were to use the ten most severe tortures on the Zhu Lian Bi He siblings, I couldn’t force half a word out of them.”
“Then who did?” Si Zhan asked, surprised.
Mi Yue smiled mysteriously and replied, “Last night, Princess Yun Xiang came to Lü Ming Pavilion to find me.”
Si Zhan’s hand holding the document trembled, his voice revealing urgency: “What did she want with my sister?”
Seeing his nervous expression, Mi Yue understood her guess was correct. She continued, “Princess Yun Xiang first used the Cicada on Moon Palace seal to meet me, then asked me to help her find someone.”
The Cicada on Moon Palace seal was an intelligence symbol of Lü Ming Pavilion, known only to its members. Although it operated in the pleasure quarters of Bian Du city, its true purpose was to facilitate intelligence transmission among the sisters embedded within the officials. The real Lü Ming Pavilion was hidden outside the city, potentially unknown even to the sisters in the web.
Si Zhan expressed his surprise: “She already knows?”
Mi Yue frowned and asked, “Didn’t you tell her?”
Si Zhan shook his head, saying, “Never.”
“But she has the Lü Ming Pavilion Golden Cicada Token,” Mi Yue replied.
“I sent the Golden Cicada Token, but I never revealed its purpose,” Si Zhan clarified.
Mi Yue remarked, “You gave her the token that commands the entire Lü Ming Pavilion intelligence network. You really like her.”
Thinking of Ning Wan Wan, Si Zhan’s lips lifted. He nodded and admitted, “Yes, I really like her.”
“But don’t forget, she is the Crown Prince’s fiancée,” Mi Yue cautioned.
“Not for long,” Si Zhan said coldly, closing the document box, his gaze darkening.
Mi Yue frowned, “A Zhan, think carefully. These are your only chances to bring down the Crown Prince. If you’re just exchanging a marriage contract…”
Si Zhan interrupted, “To me, she is more important than any power.”
After a moment of silence, Mi Yue laughed, “It seems you truly love Princess Yun Xiang.”
As the manager of Lü Ming Pavilion, she could easily discern Ning Wan Wan’s disguise but didn’t expect her to be Princess Yun Xiang, who had a prior marriage contract with the Crown Prince.
No wonder A Zhan asked her to bring out all the evidence collected over the years about Crown Prince Si Yi’s private dealings and selling of official positions. He must want to negotiate with Si Yi for Princess Yun Xiang’s marriage freedom.
She saw that Princess Yun Xiang was genuine. A Zhan was a pitiful child, and she hoped Princess Yun Xiang would not let down his sincere heart.
But she found one thing strange.
“A Zhan, if you didn’t tell Princess Yun Xiang about Lü Ming Pavilion, why did she come looking for me?”
Si Zhan replied, “I don’t know, but I trust Wan Wan. Even if she knows everything, she will keep it secret. Lü Ming Pavilion is safe.”
Mi Yue nodded, “Since you trust her, I’m at ease.” Then she sighed, “A Zhan has grown up. Your sister is happy. I believe our adoptive mother would be happy for you in the underworld.”
Si Zhan’s expression turned cold, “When has she ever cared about me?”
Mi Yue knew the pain in Si Zhan’s heart; he had always resented his mother for dying early, leaving him alone in the treacherous inner palace.
But their adoptive mother had no choice. If she could have survived, she would never have abandoned A Zhan.
“A Zhan, our adoptive mother actually cared about you. It’s just that you were too young…”
