Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot

Meng Qianqian stared unblinkingly at Duan Mingyue.

Not just because of the transaction he proposed to her, but also because of the way he called Tan'er.

So familiar and so natural, as if they had known each other for a long time.

Yet Tan'er didn't know him.

Perhaps noticing Meng Qianqian's doubt, Duan Mingyue said openly, "Today I am asking for your help. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Meng Qianqian smiled lightly, "When did Fourth Master's information become so worthless?"

Duan Mingyue replied, "Xun Wu is very important to me. I must save him, whether for his person or his value, think what you will."

Meng Qianqian said, "I don't care how you view Xun Wu. I just want to know if you've dug a pit for me to jump into."

"Oh?"

Duan Mingyue smirked.

Meng Qianqian didn't mind him knowing her concerns. She came today with sincerity, and she believed dealing with smart people didn't require too much convoluted talk.

"When capturing the Black Armor Army, Tan'er and I inadvertently entered a Miasma Forest, where some events made me very curious about her ancestry. Just as the situation was settled, you used Tan'er's ancestry as a bargaining chip with me."

Duan Mingyue said, "Go on."

Meng Qianqian said, "There was another person in the Miasma Forest that day, who helped us solve many traps, and might have even stopped the unseen Zi Mouse."

Duan Mingyue asked, "Are you saying that person was sent by me?"

Meng Qianqian looked at him, "Even if not sent by you, he was related to you."

Lu Yuan frowned.

Duan Mingyue noticed Lu Yuan's expression and smiled playfully, "It seems you don't know, there are secrets even between your husband and wife."

Lu Yuan responded nonchalantly, "Such clumsy attempts to sow discord."

Duan Mingyue spread his hands, "Just kidding, no need to get angry, Third Brother."

Lu Yuan was no longer the adopted son of Prime Minister Xun, and Duan Mingyue never truly regarded Prime Minister Xun as a foster father, yet he liked to call him Third Brother, seemingly making their stances more interesting.

Lu Yuan couldn't be bothered with the title.

Duan Mingyue no longer forced the issue, instead saying to Meng Qianqian, "That person has nothing to do with me. I don't know what happened in the Miasma Forest, but I can be sure you're very curious about Tan'er's ancestry."

At this time, Duan Wenliang finished making tea and poured a cup for everyone.

Duan Mingyue said to Meng Qianqian, "It's the Dragon Well tea you love."

Lu Yuan boldly took Meng Qianqian's cup and drank it all in one gulp.

Duan Mingyue raised an eyebrow with a smile.

Meng Qianqian's lashes trembled.

She was pregnant and should not drink tea.

But such personal matters need not be explained to Duan Mingyue.

Duan Mingyue asked with a smile, "Well, Little Yin Hu, do you accept my proposal?"

Meng Qianqian did not immediately agree, but instead replied, "I know nothing about Tan'er. How can I be sure you're not fooling me? Or even if you're not intentionally fooling me, how do I know the information you control is correct?"

Duan Mingyue clapped his hands, "Indeed, the woman of the Grand Commander."

He looked at Lu Yuan, "Third Brother, what do you say?"

Lu Yuan said, "You speak first, if we're satisfied, we'll decide whether to give the medicine primer to you."

Duan Mingyue sighed, "Sigh, one is more devious than the other, not a single one is easy. Fine, the primer is in your hands now, I can't fool its way out, nor can I snatch it. I shall follow your words."

Duan Wenliang grumbled discontentedly, "Big Brother, our information is expensive!"

Duan Mingyue: "Shut up!"

Duan Wenliang glared at Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan: "Keep glaring, and I'll gouge your eyes out."

"Fourth Brother!"

Duan Wenliang looked at Duan Mingyue.

Duan Mingyue helplessly said, "He's serious, he really might gouge your eyes out."

Only Duan Wenliang had a wounded world view.

"Wenliang, stand outside, don't let anyone approach."

Duan Mingyue instructed.

Duan Wenliang mumbled a reluctant acknowledgment and went outside.

Inside, only three people were left.

Meng Qianqian said, "Sending your brother away, this secret seems significant."

Duan Mingyue laughed, "You must be very curious why I've repeatedly helped Tan'er?"

"Indeed."

Meng Qianqian admitted openly.

Duan Mingyue said, "I met her mother twice."

Meng Qianqian was surprised, "You've seen Tan'er's mother? When? Where?"

"A long time ago."

Duan Mingyue said, "I traveled to Liuli Island, back then, the West Night Imperial Family hadn't fallen, and I met the West Night Saintess."

Meng Qianqian paused, "The West Night Saintess, could it be—"

Duan Mingyue said, "Regarding the matters of the West Night Imperial Family, I cannot disclose much. Don't misunderstand, I'm not deliberately withholding information, but as you feared, I suspect the information I hold may not be accurate, so I would rather not mislead you unnecessarily. You have West Night Imperial Family members around you, if you truly wish to know, you can ask them."

Meng Qianqian murmured, "The West Night Imperial Family around me?"

Duan Mingyue laughed, "Xun Liu comes from Liuli Island."

"Si Snake!"

Meng Qianqian blurted out.

Both Si Snake and Xun Liu had blue eyes, and they clearly held some unknown connection.

It's just that Si Snake never mentioned his ancestry, so she never asked.

No, perhaps in the past life, Si Snake mentioned it.

After all, Si Snake said I once promised him to help him accomplish something.

It's me who has forgotten these.

Meng Qianqian looked at Duan Mingyue: "You told me so much just to tell me that Tan'er is from Liuli Island, her mother is the West Night Saintess, she is of the same clan as Si Snake, but why doesn't Tan'er have blue eyes?"

Duan Mingyue gazed out at the blue sky and white clouds, memories seemed to return to many years ago in an instant: "The West Night Saintess is not from Liuli Island; she comes from a distant and mysterious place where no one has ever been to."

Meng Qianqian listened quietly.

Duan Mingyue said: "One day, the West Night Saintess suddenly disappeared in a cave on Liuli Island; no one knew where she went or how she disappeared under the gaze of all."

Meng Qianqian remembered Tan'er's words; she said her mother left and would never return.

Duan Mingyue said: "But, I accidentally discovered something very interesting."

Meng Qianqian said: "Speak."

Duan Mingyue laughed: "The West Night Saintess never went to the Central Plains, yet she knows everything about it."

Speaking of this, he glanced at Meng Qianqian meaningfully, "She even knows about General Shang's Mansion and Prince Chu Mansion."

Meng Qianqian's heart shook.

Duan Mingyue took a brocade bag from his wide sleeve and placed it on the table in front of Meng Qianqian: "Inside is the handwritten note of the West Night Saintess; after you read it, decide whether or not to give me Xun Wu's medicine guide."

Meng Qianqian opened the brocade bag, and a yellowed note fell out.

She slowly unfolded it.

Without seeing the words, her heart was already fluctuating.

And when she saw the familiar yet scruffy handwriting, she was suddenly stunned.

-

Duan Wenliang waited outside, bored out of his mind, standing until tired, squatting until bored, pacing back and forth in the corridor, almost annoying himself to death.

Fourth Brother is always like this.

Whenever it involves that little girl, he makes him stay away.

What secret is hidden on that little girl's body?

Even he, the biological brother, cannot know?

Moreover, that little Yin Hu, at a glance, is as cunning as a fox, really worried about Fourth Brother being completely manipulated, giving away information but getting no medicine guide.

Worried to death!

Duan Wenliang hurriedly scratched his head.

"No, I have to go take a look! Those two scheming people, if they trick Fourth Brother, that wouldn't be good!"

Duan Wenliang charged in with his head down.

Just as he reached the door, with a creaking sound, the door was pushed open.

Duan Mingyue sat in a wheelchair, looking at him with a calm expression.

He was stunned: "Fourth Brother? Have you, have you finished talking?"

Duan Mingyue said: "Push me back to the room."

Duan Wenliang entered the room, moved behind the wheelchair, and stealthily glanced at Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan, then pushed the wheelchair out.

Until they returned to Duan Mingyue's private chamber, he finally couldn't help but ask: "Fourth Brother! How is it? Did you get the medicine guide? Did they lie to you?"

Duan Mingyue unfolded his wide sleeve, revealing a brocade box, and smiled: "Got it."

Duan Wenliang was dumbfounded.

"This, this, this…isn't this fake?"

"It's real."

Duan Mingyue said.

Duan Wenliang incredulously said: "How is that possible? We didn't tell them that today we would exchange for the medicine guide? Could they have anticipated it long ago?"

Duan Mingyue laughed: "That's why I said, my third brother, and that little Yin Hu, they're really impressive. They're much more interesting than you, much more interesting than Xun Wu."

Duan Wenliang's face darkened.

You feel uncomfortable if you don't poke fun at me for a day, right?

Whose brother are you anyway?

Duan Mingyue said with a complex expression: "It's time to rescue Xun Wu."

Duan Wenliang asked: "The matters of the Imperial City, are we just ignoring them?"

Duan Mingyue resumed smiling: "The journey to the Imperial City, the gain is greater than I imagined."

Duan Wenliang mumbled: "What did you gain? I see nothing except the medicine guide."

Duan Mingyue said with some lingering interest: "Interesting people, interesting things, my adopted father doesn't have a great conscience, but he has sharp eyes. The few adopted sons he gathered are quite to my liking."

Duan Wenliang said jealously: "Here it goes again, anyone but your real brother is cherished!"

Duan Mingyue laughed: "You're not entirely useless; at least you have self-awareness."

Duan Wenliang: "...!!"

-

On the way back to the Imperial Palace, Meng Qianqian remained silent, just holding the brocade bag containing the handwritten note tightly.

She wanted to hold the handwritten note, but she was afraid her palms were too warm and would damage the yellowed note.

Lu Yuan said: "The Imperial Physician told you not to let your feelings fluctuate."

Meng Qianqian took a deep breath, trying hard to remain calm: "I..."

Lu Yuan held her hand: "Pretend the Imperial Physician is talking nonsense."

She didn't speak.

He could also sense her shock.

It seems that the West Night Saintess not only relates to Tan'er's origins.

However, he has never liked forcing others.

Meng Qianqian felt the warmth of his palm, hesitated several times to speak but stopped.