The next morning, TanTan was ready to go into town with ShuangAi and XiaoRue.
At first, she had thought Prince Li would once again forbid her from leaving the mansion. But honestly, she didn't care anymore. Whether he gave her permission or not, she was going out anyway.
As it turned out, Prince Li had left early that morning to attend to some business at the government office. So this time, TanTan could leave the mansion without any trouble.
ShuangAi took her to a large shop in town, perhaps the biggest one there. Its luxurious decorations and the appearance of its customers suggested that it catered mainly to wealthy and distinguished clients.
What made TanTan feel strange, however, was the way the shop workers reacted when they saw her. They immediately treated her with excessive politeness, but their expressions looked nervous and frightened. It was as though she were some extraordinarily important VIP whom they had to handle with extreme care.
"It's a great honour to have you here, Miss Hua! Please... please, come this way!"
"What kind of fabric would you like this time, Miss Hua? We'll begin making your outfit immediately. As usual, please allow us one week, and I assure you it will be finished to your satisfaction. Please choose whichever material you like. Quickly, bring out the finest fabrics we have!"
They even seemed to ignore ShuangAi, who had obviously come with her. ShuangAi simply stood nearby, waiting patiently.
TanTan didn't like the way they were treating her friend, so she called ShuangAi over.
"ShuangAi Mei, what do you think of this silk?"
The moment TanTan casually called ShuangAi over and asked for her opinion, everyone in the shop was startled.
Hua MuTan is being friendly to ShuangAi? Aren't they supposed to be enemies?
Is this another one of Hua MuTan's evil tricks to humiliate ShuangAi?
Are we going to witness another dramatic scene today?
Their expressions seemed to reveal exactly what they were thinking. But TanTan didn't care.
She had simply come to buy some fabric with her friend. What was the big deal?
Just then, a familiar voice called out to her, though it was far from friendly.
"Hua MuTan! Why are you forcing my ShuangAi Jie to come here with you, huh? Are you planning something evil against her? Come here, ShuangAi Jie! It's dangerous to stay near her. You're much safer with me!"
"Princess XiXi... that's not what you think..." ShuangAi tried to explain, but Princess XiXi had already pulled her away from TanTan.
"Don't think I don't know your evil tricks, Hua MuTan! Aren't you trying to humiliate ShuangAi Jie by showing off how much wealthier you are than her? Don't worry, ShuangAi Jie. Just choose whatever fabric you like. I'll buy it for you!"
"No... no... I'm not the one buying anything. MuTan Jie is..." ShuangAi tried again.
But Princess XiXi quickly interrupted her.
"So you're showing off your ability to buy expensive fabrics in front of ShuangAi Jie, huh? Do you think you can attract Qi WangGe by dressing yourself in beautiful clothes? Stop dreaming! No matter how beautifully you dress, Qi WangGe will never fall for you! He already has ShuangAi Jie, who is ten times more beautiful than you and has a much kinder heart!"
"No... Princess XiXi, please stop! You're misunderstanding everything!" ShuangAi became increasingly anxious. She couldn't seem to stop the princess from insulting TanTan.
TanTan simply rolled her eyes.
What an annoying princess! She jumps to conclusions so quickly without even checking what is actually happening.
People around them began whispering to one another. TanTan glanced at them angrily, and they immediately fell silent, pretending not to have heard anything.
They were afraid of being punished by TanTan—or rather, by the Hua MuTan they remembered.
"Princess XiXi, I came here simply to buy some fabric. I'm not here to cause trouble. ShuangAi Mei is helping me choose the material, and I didn't force her to come with me. Please let her finish explaining before you make any accusations!"
Princess XiXi was about to argue, but ShuangAi quickly stepped in and explained everything.
"Princess XiXi, what MuTan Jie said is true. I was the one who brought her here so I could help her choose an outfit for the performance."
Princess XiXi immediately caught on to the last word.
"Performance? What performance?"
ShuangAi felt she might as well explain everything. After all, it wasn't a secret.
"MuTan Jie will be performing with her guzheng, accompanied by Prince Li's flute, at Queen Grandmother's birthday banquet. That's why she needs a new outfit."
"What?!"
Princess XiXi widened her eyes.
"I haven't heard anything about this! You must have forced Qi WangGe to perform with you! Are you threatening him again by using Queen Grandmother's decree?"
"What? Of course not..." TanTan was about to deny the accusation when another familiar voice interrupted them.
"What's going on here?"
The argument between Princess XiXi and Hua MuTan had attracted the attention of almost everyone in the shop. Among those who had noticed the commotion was Prince FengEr, who had also come there on business.
He was pleased to see Hua MuTan again. However, after taking in the situation, he turned to Princess XiXi with a sharp look.
"Xi Mei, are you troubling MuTan Mei again?"
"No, San WangGe! Listen! Did you know that Hua MuTan has forced Qi WangGe to perform with her at Queen Grandmother's birthday banquet? You have to save Qi WangGe from this!"
"Hm... I'm afraid I can't do that, Xi Mei."
"But why? Aren't you the one responsible for arranging the banquet?"
"Indeed, I am. And I'm also the one who asked them to perform. Besides, it was Queen Grandmother's own wish."
TanTan was relieved that Prince FengEr had arrived to explain the situation. Perhaps Princess XiXi would finally listen to someone else.
After hearing his explanation, Princess XiXi's face turned red with embarrassment. She immediately directed her anger at her brother.
"I hate you, San WangGe! You're always taking her side! Just you wait, Hua MuTan! I hope your performance goes terribly wrong so Queen Grandmother will punish you! Come on, ShuangAi Jie! I don't want you to be influenced by this woman!"
"But I..." ShuangAi looked at TanTan apologetically.
TanTan nodded, letting her know that she understood if ShuangAi wanted to accompany Princess XiXi. She knew ShuangAi was only trying to calm the princess down. It was simply part of her kind nature.
So ShuangAi followed Princess XiXi away, leaving TanTan with Prince FengEr. XiaoRue remained beside TanTan, looking a little nervous.
"It seems I must apologise once again for my sister's unpleasant behaviour, MuTan Mei. She's actually quite friendly once you get to know her better."
Prince FengEr smiled apologetically.
"It's all right. I won't take her words to heart. Princess XiXi always seems to misunderstand me. But perhaps it's because I treated her badly in the past? I really can't remember..."
"To be honest, you are... quite different from the person you used to be, MuTan Mei. But I think it's a good change. Xi Mei simply hasn't realised that yet."
One of the shop workers, who seemed to be the manager, finally dared to interrupt them. After all, business still had to continue.
"Um... excuse me, Miss Hua. Which material would you like us to use for your performance outfit? Perhaps this golden phoenix silk, or this beautiful purple silk with golden embroidery?"
In her modern life, TanTan had never paid much attention to choosing colours. She preferred simple clothes and usually cared more about comfort and price than appearance.
So choosing between these luxurious fabrics was rather difficult for her.
"Choose the purple one. I think it suits you better," Prince FengEr suggested.
TanTan looked at him, as if asking for confirmation.
Prince FengEr smiled.
"You'll look even more beautiful in that colour. Trust me."
"All right, I'll take the purple one. XiaoRue, could you handle the rest of the arrangements with the shop? I want to get some fresh air for a while. Let's meet back at the mansion later."
TanTan gestured towards the shop worker, indicating that XiaoRue could discuss the remaining details with him.
"But XiaoJie, it's dangerous for you to go alone. Please let XiaoRue accompany you after we've finished arranging the order."
Actually, TanTan wanted to use the opportunity to explore the town and look for clues. She would be able to move more freely if she went alone.
But before she could think of a way to persuade XiaoRue, Prince FengEr offered a better solution.
"Don't worry, XiaoRue. I'll accompany your XiaoJie and make sure she returns to the mansion safely. Besides, I've finished my business here. What do you think, MuTan Mei?"
Having him accompany me isn't a bad idea. Besides, wasn't he the one who promised to help investigate the assassins? He also had the antidote. I can keep an eye on him while looking for clues. For now, I'll trust my instincts and consider him an ally.
TanTan decided to accept his offer.
"Very well. It's an honour to have the Third Prince accompany me."
"It's my pleasure."
Being a gentleman, Prince FengEr gestured for her to go ahead. The two of them left the shop together.
XiaoRue watched them go with some concern, but she had no choice but to focus on completing the clothing order with the shop manager.
Once they were outside, TanTan began looking around for a blacksmith's shop.
Prince FengEr noticed her searching gaze and grew curious.
"Are you looking for something, MuTan Mei?"
TanTan turned to him and sighed.
"To tell you the truth, I want to investigate the dagger. I was hoping to find a blacksmith who might know something about it. Do you know where I should start?"
"The dagger? Ah, that dagger..." Prince FengEr raised an eyebrow. "I thought you could leave that matter to me and relax, MuTan Mei."
"Well, I can't relax as long as I haven't investigated it myself. You'll still help me, won't you?"
Prince FengEr raised his eyebrows and smiled. As he observed her, a thought crossed his mind.
Hua MuTan is surprisingly independent. She doesn't seem willing to rely on my help at all. Interesting... I wonder how long she'll keep this up. Perhaps I should play along with her little investigation for a while.
"Of course. I'll help you, MuTan Mei. You have my word."
"Wonderful! So where should we start?"
"Hm... This town isn't really under my jurisdiction. Actually, it would be much faster if we asked Qi WangDi for help."
"No! Please don't!"
TanTan objected so quickly that Prince FengEr was slightly surprised.
"Why?"
Although he could guess the real reason, he pretended not to understand.
"Well... I just don't want to bother Prince Li for now. I saw how busy he was with his official duties this morning, so we'd better try to find something ourselves. I'll report everything to him later."
TanTan tried to sound convincing, but Prince FengEr noticed her nervousness. Nevertheless, he accepted her explanation.
"Hm... All right, then. Let's ask around at the main ironworking area in town. Perhaps we can find some clues there."
"Yes! That's a good idea. Let's go!"
TanTan hurried forward without paying attention to the road ahead. She failed to notice a horse-drawn carriage approaching her.
"Watch out!"
Prince FengEr quickly caught her by the waist and pulled her away from the carriage.
In the next moment, TanTan found herself held closely in his arms.
"Are you all right?"
TanTan froze. It wasn't the approaching carriage that startled her now, but the sudden closeness between them.
Prince FengEr's face was right in front of hers, and he looked surprisingly charming at such close range.
TanTan suddenly felt shy. She quickly freed herself from his embrace, while Prince FengEr also released his hold on her.
"O-oh... yes. I'm fine. Um... let's... let's keep walking, shall we?"
Feeling awkward, TanTan hurried ahead.
Prince FengEr laughed softly at her reaction before following her. He even had to correct her direction a few times when she started walking the wrong way.
Meanwhile, at the government office, Prince Li was dealing with a criminal who had been arrested with several unusual weapons.
The man was a burglar who had accidentally stolen some suspicious goods from a caravan travelling not far from BaoZhi Town.
The weapons he had stolen were particularly unusual. Their designs bore the characteristics of Han weapons, the weapons of their enemy. However, the material used to make them was similar to the special iron ore that could only be mined within their own kingdom.
This raised a serious question in Prince Li's mind.
Why are the Han people using this material to make their weapons? Unless... someone in our kingdom has been selling it to them?
The problem was that all the iron mines were owned and closely monitored by the kingdom. Ordinary people were forbidden from taking the ore freely, especially in large quantities for weapon production. The material was reserved exclusively for the kingdom's military.
There was a good reason for such strict regulations. The iron ore found in their kingdom was unusually strong, far superior to the common iron found in other countries. It was one of the kingdom's greatest military advantages against the Han people.
Therefore, selling this material outside the kingdom—especially to the Han—would be considered an act of treason.
"This is a serious matter. It may involve someone powerful within the palace! Don't let any information about this leak outside. Investigate everything carefully!"
Prince Li gave his officers a firm order. ManQi was also present, listening attentively.
"How much more do we know about the caravan the burglar stole from? Are they still nearby, or have they already left?" Prince Li asked ManQi.
"I checked last night with several officers. The caravan has disappeared. There are no traces left for us to follow. It seems they knew we were coming after them and deliberately covered their tracks."
"They must still be hiding somewhere in this town. Search everywhere, but don't attract too much attention. We must find that caravan and discover whether they were carrying more weapons like the ones this thief described!"
"Yes, Master."
The other officers left to carry out their orders. Prince Li, however, stopped ManQi before he could leave.
He led him into another room, which appeared to be used for storing important evidence.
ManQi carefully took out the poisoned dagger. Prince Li examined it closely.
On the blade was a small symbol resembling a simple clover flower.
"This dagger was also made from our kingdom's iron ore. But its design... it doesn't resemble either a Han weapon or one of ours. Still, the symbol looks familiar. I wonder where I've seen it before..."
He studied the dagger for a moment longer.
"Considering the circumstances, this dagger and the stolen weapons may be connected."
"If that's the case, Master... do you think Hua MuTan might somehow be involved in this matter?"
ManQi looked at Prince Li, confused.
"We don't know yet..."
Prince Li gestured for ManQi to put the dagger back into its safe place.
"We don't know..."
He repeated the words, his mind filled with questions.
Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that the answers might be found by investigating Hua MuTan more deeply.