On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2269 The birthday party begins

The mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, with red lanterns lining the vermilion pillars all the way to the street corner. The laughter and chatter of the guests could be heard clearly from half a street away.

Those coming and going were all well-dressed business tycoons, their faces beaming with congratulatory smiles, bowing to Manager Yu, who stood in the center of the mansion gate, to offer their congratulations.

"Manager Yu, congratulations! May you have boundless happiness and longevity!"

Manager Yu quickly returned the greeting with a bow, his face beaming with a perfectly measured smile: "Master Li, you're too kind. Please come in; the food and wine are all ready."

His gaze swept over the entourage behind Li Dongjia, and then he glanced at the intersection without making a sound.

Today's birthday banquet, though ostensibly a celebration, is in reality a scheme he arranged with the Prince of Zhennan's mansion.

After dealing with a few more familiar merchants, I heard a low murmur of praise. Then, a clear, refreshing orchid fragrance quietly wafted out, standing out amidst the noisy crowd.

Manager Yu felt reassured and turned around following everyone's gaze. He saw a carriage slowly approaching, with small silver bells hanging from the eaves, making a soft and pleasant sound.

The coachman stepped down nimbly, lifted the curtain, and a pale white hand reached out first. Miaoqin, dressed in a moon-white long dress embroidered with dark patterns, stepped down from the carriage.

Her hair was styled in a high bun, adorned only with a single jade hairpin. Her makeup was simple yet elegant, which could not conceal her beautiful features. Standing there, she was like a gentle breeze, making the surrounding noise seem to fade away.

"This must be Miss Miaoqin! She truly lives up to her reputation!"

"Manager Yu must have quite the influence to be able to invite Miss Miaoqin to perform!"

"Miss Miaoqin's musical skills are unparalleled in Youcheng. We are fortunate to hear her play today!"

Manager Yu stepped forward, his smile deepening: "Miss Miaoqin's presence is an honor to my humble abode."

Miaoqin nodded slightly, her voice clear and melodious like a zither: "It is my honor to be invited to Manager Yu's birthday celebration."

"You're too kind, young lady," Manager Yu said, stepping aside to lead the way. "Please come inside. I've prepared a quiet room for you to rest for a while."

Miaoqin nodded in agreement and followed Manager Yu inside.

Manager Yu led her to a side room in the west courtyard, instructed the maid to serve her well, and then turned back to the front courtyard to entertain guests.

As they reached the corner of the corridor, Manager Yu gave his servant a wink, and the servant immediately turned around to deliver the message.

Today, people come and go, and the people arranged by Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu have already transformed into various servants and are among the crowd.

"Master Sun," the servant hurried up to Sun Qing and lowered his voice, "Miss Miaoqin has arrived. The manager has arranged for her to rest in a room in the west wing. She will demonstrate her musical skills shortly."

Sun Qing's eyes flickered: "Understood."

He watched the servant leave, then turned and went around to the back of the artificial hill, making a hand gesture towards the shadows.

Two men dressed in short clothes, who looked like servants, immediately appeared and bowed to receive orders.

"Go and inform the Prince and Princess immediately that Miaoqin has arrived. Proceed according to plan."

"Yes!"

At this moment, inside the Zhennan Prince's Mansion, Yan Ruyu was adjusting her clothes in front of a bronze mirror.

She changed into a lake-blue brocade dress with lotus patterns and wore an eight-treasure hairpin in her hair.

Changhe was wearing a dark blue robe and his face was painted dark.

The two of them together really looked like a pair of wealthy merchants who had been traveling around for years.

Huo Changhe looked at her with a hint of warmth in his eyes: "Yu'er looks like the wife of a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan."

He raised his hand to straighten his clothes: "We should have news from Sun Qing by now."

No sooner had the words been spoken than hurried footsteps came from outside the door. A guard bowed and reported, "Your Highness, Your Highness, Sun Qing has sent word that Miaoqin has arrived at the Yu residence. Manager Yu has settled her in a wing room in the west courtyard, and she will perform shortly."

“Alright,” Huo Changhe nodded, “Let’s go.”

The carriage traveled smoothly, and Yan Ruyu said softly, "Manager Yu has a deep foundation in the business world of Youcheng. If Miaoqin wants to expand her influence, she will naturally want to win him over."

Huo Changhe's gaze was deep: "She has quite the ambition."

The carriage soon arrived at the gate of the mansion, where guests gathered in twos and threes to drink and chat.

Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu got out of the car, pretending to be an ordinary merchant couple, and slowly walked towards the gate of the mansion.

Manager Yu had been keeping an eye on the entrance. When he saw the two approaching, he immediately went to greet them with a polite smile: "Sir, Madam, please come in!"

He leaned closer to the two of them, lowered his voice, and said in a volume that only the three of them could hear, "Your Highness, Your Highness, I have arranged for Miaoqin to rest in the west wing room as you instructed."

Yan Ruyu nodded slightly, her tone calm: "Very good, thank you for your trouble, Manager Yu."

Her gaze swept across the guests in the front hall, seemingly casually, but in reality, she was observing whether there were any suspicious people.

Huo Changhe said calmly, "Proceed according to the original plan."

"Your Highness, rest assured," Manager Yu bowed and replied, "I have already arranged the seating in the front hall. Please follow me."

He led the two through the crowd to a table on the west side of the front hall, where they could see what was happening in the front hall without attracting attention.

After settling Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu in, Manager Yu turned to attend to the other guests.

Meanwhile, in the west wing room, Miaoqin was standing in the room, her eyes quickly scanning her surroundings.

The room was elegantly furnished, with a zither table against the wall, a carved round table and chairs beside it, and a bronze incense burner in the corner, burning incense and emitting a faint fragrance.

"Miss, please have a seat and some tea?" The maidservant brought in a cup of tea and said respectfully.

Miaoqin did not take the teacup. Her gaze fell on the incense burner in the corner, and she said in a flat tone, "Please take the incense burner out."

The maid was taken aback for a moment, then quickly explained, "Miss, this is the finest incense. Manager Yu specially prepared it for you, saying it can calm your mind and help you perform your musical skills."

“No need,” Miaoqin shook her head slightly. “I never burn incense before playing the zither. The strong fragrance will disturb my thoughts and affect my state of mind.”

The maid looked troubled: "This... Miss, Manager Yu specifically instructed us to serve you well, this incense..."

"Just do as I say." Miaoqin's tone remained gentle, but she didn't back down in the slightest. "If Manager Yu asks, just say it was my idea."

Seeing her resolute attitude, the maid had no choice but to nod and say, "Yes."

She stepped forward, carefully picked up the incense burner, turned and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

The moment the door closed, a faint smile appeared on Miaoqin's lips.

She navigates the world of all sorts of people year-round, and caution is fundamental to her survival.

When she was outside, she would never easily touch any food or burning spices.

Caution is the boat.

She looked around the room again. The tables and chairs were clean, a landscape painting hung on the wall, and there were no other extra items in the corner. She also found nothing unusual.

Once she was sure there was nothing in the room that could pose a threat to her, Miaoqin finally felt relieved and sat down at the zither table.