Chang Yu sat to one side, looking equally grim.
This was his first ti leaving the mountain stronghold in over a decade, returning to the capital, and he hadn’t expected to witness such a scene.
Though he hadn’t had the chance to experience the outside world before, he had heard many tales from Lin Kun and the others, and could roughly guess that the strange fragrance, the soldiers’ odd behavior earlier, and the detoxification pills Zhu Yu had them take, as well as the sachets hanging on them, all pointed to one thing — poison.
Due to its climate and environnt, Lan Country was rich in various dyes and spices, with deep expertise in perfury and fabric dyeing, but it wasn’t particularly adept with poisons and dicines.
So clearly, the weird fragrance perating the capital, capable of bewildering minds, must be related to their neighbor, Bhutan, known for its voodoo practices.
At that mont, Chang Yu also realized why Lu Qing, as a condition of the exchange, had insisted that Lin Kun and the others must, at any cost, guard the border pass between Lan Country and Bhutan once their mission was complete.
After a brief rest to ensure the soldier’s condition had returned to normal, they imdiately continued toward the Prince Lan Mansion.
The Prince Lan Mansion appeared far more grand than Zhu Cheng’s Prince Shuo Mansion.
Zhu Yu had never been to Jie Country, so she wasn’t sure what the Jie King’s residence looked like, but she was familiar with Shuo Country, and she and Lu Qing had visited Fan Country’s mansion, none of which looked as splendid as the Prince Lan Mansion before them.
Not only her, but even Chang Yu and Lin Kun beside her were visibly stunned.
Chang Yu was young when he left here, so he couldn’t rember very clearly, but the opulence of the mansion before him was startling.
Lin Kun, however, was utterly dumbfounded.
"When we left back then... it wasn’t like this!" He tried to lower his voice, but there was a hint of anger in it.
Zhu Yu could understand his anger.
Over the years, the Prince Lan hadn’t done anything proper, and he had managed to drive Lan Country into a state of extre distress.
Yet during all this, he had renovated the mansion to be so splendidly luxurious, instantly apparent to anyone’s eyes.
Wasn’t this clearly ant to incite anger and resentnt toward Prince Lan from outsiders?
They arrived at the mansion entrance, and as they got closer, the guards outside stepped forward, crossing their spears to block their path.
"What do you want?! Get away, don’t loiter in front of the mansion!" The guard appeared young, only in his early twenties, evidently having joined the mansion after Lin Kun and the others had left.
Nonetheless, to be safe, Lin Kun and Chang Yu remained at the back, watching silently without speaking.
"Brother, we’re spice rchants from afar, seeking an audience with Prince Lan." Lu Qing stepped forward, courteously clasping his hand to the guard.
The guard looked at Lu Qing from the corner of his eye, sizing him up from head to toe, then glanced at the others behind him, laughing derisively.
In his view, they looked ordinary and their attire was overly drab, not at all appearing to be people of status.
"Go on, go! Don’t cause trouble here! Do you think the Prince Mansion is a place for just anyone to seek an audience with the Prince?!" The guard impatiently waved them off, "Get away quickly! Don’t force us to drive you away, and if this spear sohow injures soone, it’s not our fault!"
"Brother, don’t be in a hurry." Zhu Yu stepped out from beside Lu Qing, face full of smiles, holding two small brocade pouches, and first slipped one into the guard’s hand, "We’ve co from afar with sincerity to seek an audience with the Prince.
We have a very rare spice that we wish to present to the Prince, hoping it might catch his interest.
Could you do us a favor, considering our long journey, and pass on the ssage?
If, after seeing our spice, the Prince still refuses to et us, even if you drive us out with sticks, we won’t complain."
As she spoke, she handed the other pouch over, but as the guard’s hand reached out to take it, she pulled back slightly, "This spice is extrely rare, and we’ve brought only a little this ti, so please be careful with it, or the Prince will be upset!"
The guard wasn’t pleased with Zhu Yu’s advice, but upon rubbing the pouch in his hand and feeling the shape of the silver ingot inside, he suppressed his displeasure and nodded.
Only then did Zhu Yu hand him the other pouch.
The guard weighed the lightweight pouch, scowling as he motioned them to stay back and wait, then signaled to soone nearby and turned to enter through the gate.
Chang Yu didn’t know what spice Zhu Yu had given the guard that could ensure they’d sway the impostor in the mansion, allowing them entry. He was filled with curiosity but couldn’t ask openly, so he restrained his curiosity, keeping his eyes downcast, anxiously awaiting the guard’s return.
In about fifteen minutes, the guard who had just strolled in now rushed out, quickly opening the gate and stepping aside.
Behind him was a steward-looking person, standing at the gate, appraising Lu Qing and the others, concealing his curiosity as he courteously clasped his hands to them, saying, "The Prince is hosting guests in the mansion, having heard that there are visitors from afar, he welcos you to join the banquet.
Please follow inside to the banquet, honored guests."
Lu Qing smiled and nodded, returning the gesture with thanks, and he and Zhu Yu led the way, followed by the eight others in single file, entering through the gates of the Prince Lan Mansion.
The Prince Lan Mansion wasn’t just grand on the outside; it was equally lavish inside.
Lu Qing and Zhu Yu, being accustod to grand scenes, glanced about nonchalantly before averting their gaze.
Lin Kun walked behind, discreetly surveying the surroundings, noting changes in the mansion’s layout compared to the past.
After winding through nurous twists and turns, the steward finally led them to the inner courtyard of the mansion.
In the spacious courtyard, banquets were set up, creating a lively scene; despite it being just before noon, it seed as if revelries had been ongoing for quite so ti.
Guests of varying ages were clinking glasses and indulging at the tables, while musicians played beside them.
At the hall entrance facing the courtyard, a main seat was arranged, occupied by a thin and frail old man in extravagant attire, whose gaze was now directed at them.
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