As one ambled past Mingzhou Market,there was a rather serene and tranquil location evoking a sense of restfulness and quietude. There were a few scattered shops in the area that sold rare or special products that were uncommon in other parts of Mingzhou.
Wen Mingye was whining and complaining to Xue Yao as they strolled past Mingzhou Market in search of the shop that sold a rare kind of walnuts with a unique and satisfying earthy flavour.Xue Yao had come across this shop during one of his mystique adventurous trips when Wen Mingye started attending lectures.
Wen Mingye disliked carriages and now he was tired of walking after having walked from the palace to the Minister of Justice's residence ,walking again to Minister Jinxiu's residence and now he had to walk to an obscure shop in the middle of nowhere. It felt like an endless arduous journey.
They ultimately reached the shop. It was a small shop with a wooden nameplate engraved with the words 'Nut Gourmet' which was the shop's name.
"Nut Gourmet?"Wen Mingye read out aloud with a contemptuous look on his face.
"Your Highness,you can wait here I will buy them for you ,"Xue Yao said with an assuring look and went inside.
Wen Mingye stood outside stagnantly, staring around blankly .The temperatures were high due to hours of persistent sunlight shining. Unexpectedly,he felt a soothing breeze blow around him concentrating more at the nape of the neck creating a pleasurable sensation. Looking around,the trees were calm and had no signs or traces of wind blowing on them. So he could only deduce that the source of the soothing breeze was artificial. He turned around only to find Mizi Yue standing there holding an open hand fan still fanning.
"When did you get here?" Wen Mingye asked in surprise.
"For as long as you started enjoying the charm of my soothing breeze,"Mizi Yue spoke expressing a sense of subtlety and coquetry.
Mizi Yue was light-footed with undetectable footsteps so it was normal of how Wen Mingye couldn't sense or hear him approaching.
Wen Mingye took a few steps backwards and bowed slightly at Mizi Yue.
"Ei, your Highness you're a Royal how can you bow to commoner like me? That's totally unacceptable," Mizi Yue said with a playful smile,folded his fan and bowed deeply,"Greetings,Your Highness."
For a second,Wen Mingye was dumbfounded unsure of how to react to Mizi Yue's actions. Xue Yao who had been watching them unnoticeably ever since he stepped out of the shop ,finally approached them putting an end to their interaction.
"Your Highness,what is going on?" Xue Yao asked glancing curiously at the two,each at a time.
Mizi Yue ignored Xue Yao's question and immediately laid his eyes on the brown paper Xue Yao was carrying. He was sure the brown paper had nuts inside but he couldn't tell what kind of nuts they were so he decided to use the general term.
Mizi Yue smiled slyly before speaking,"Your Highness I didn't know you were into nuts."
"Are you questioning my preference for nuts?"Wen Mingye asked disdainfully taking advantage of his authority and nobility status as a Prince.
"I dare not Your Highness but it depends on the kind of nuts you prefer,"Mizi Yue bowed while responding in a lower voice but still confident enough to make bold subtle remarks.
Mizi Yue suddenly grasped Xue Yao's left wrist,his fingers clamping around Xue Yao's flesh. Mizi Yue placed his folded fan on Xue Yao's left palm and curled Xue Yao's fingers around it,the fan's weight settling into Xue Yao's grasp and let go of Xue Yao's wrist and verbally instructed,"Make sure you fan his Highness,lest he suffers from heat irritation."
Mizi Yue folded his hands behind his back and walked away regally leaving the two watching him in astonishment.
"This Mizi gongzi is so erratic,"Xue Yao commented.
Noticing Wen Mingye's passiveness,Xue Yao posed another question hoping to get a response.
"Your Highness,where do you think he's going?"
"MingXing Library,"Wen Mingye replied instinctively.
In the neighborhood,they could see a tall,vast ,serene and exquisite building which was MingXing Library. It was the largest and most famous book sanctuary in Southern Blossom Dynasty where most scholars and those with high affinity for knowledge and wisdom spent most of their time.
Unpredictable as he usually was ,Mizi Yue walked past the library,not showing the least bit interest in going in there but Wen Mingye wasn't suspicious enough to tail him and confirm if Mizi Yue's actual destination was MingXing Library.
Operating under the slogan,'Where the wind carries secrets we listen ' the Whispering Bamboo network was a mysterious agency that gathered information even the tiniest bits of discreet information and sold it to people. No matter what the information or who the information was about,the info couldn't escape their prying eyes. They watched everyone and everything like a lurking hawk .
The agency was encircled by a complex fence , intricately designed with interlocking patterns of Bamboo and stone, symbolizing the interconnected intelligence within. The complexity of the fence contrasted with the simplicity of the gate,which stood unadorned except for the agency's name engraved in elegant calligraphy .This gate served as a discreet yet clear marker of the agency's presence, inviting those who knew its significance while blending seamlessly into the background for the uninitiated.
At day time the gate wasn't locked so one needed to push the gate in and enter unrestrainedly. Throughout its seven years of operation,only a few people knew who the founder of the agency was. Mizi Yue pushed the gate creating an entrance just enough for his body to penetrate through ,shut the gate and walked in composure.
Inside the compound there were two pavilions, named Yinshi Pavilion and Miyu Pavilion which stood as medium-sized structures crafted from jadeite and lapis lazuli, their surfaces dulled by time to blend with the shadows. Intricate carvings of mythical creatures adorn their facades, hinting at the knowledge contained within.
The pavilions were connected by a network of concealed passageways, allowing silent movement and discreet gatherings. At the heart of the complex ,there was a serene courtyard, where an ancient tree, known as "Formless Tree" which stretched its gnarled branches towards the sky, its roots entwined with the very secrets it overshadowed. This tree served as both a symbol of the agency's longevity and a silent guardian of the clandestine activities that unfolded in its shade.
The architecture was a masterful blend of functionality and enigma, designed not only to house the agency's operations but also to protect its mysteries from prying eyes. The use of dull precious stones ensured that the pavilions remained unobtrusive, while their names evoked a sense of the arcane, befitting the agency's purpose. Hidden doors within the stone walls led to private chambers and archives, where the most sensitive information was stored and analyzed by the realm's most skilled intelligence gatherers.
Those who were familiar with the agency or were regular clients could easily manoeuver through the secret passageways and easily reach the reception.Mizi Yue was one of those who were familiar with the agency so he didn't have to stare around in confusion trying to locate the passageways. In a spur of moment he found himself at the reception which was inside Yinshu Pavilion .
The reception was an open space chamber with a polished wooden high-level counter. Behind the counter there was a cute ,slender guy seated on a high stool nibbling sweets like a bunny. His smiling face depicted he was a jovial person. Upon seeing Mizi Yue approaching the counter his slight smile widened into a genuine Duchenne smile displaying his adorable teeth. The guy was commonly addressed by his pseudonym Frostbite.
"Chief ,"Frostbite called out delightedly.
Since there was no client around,Mizi Yue leaned over the counter to have a chat with him. Mizi Yue patted Frostbite's head gently.
"Frostbite, did you miss me that much?"
"Chief , ever since you started going to the Imperial Palace you rarely come here," Frostbite said in a whiny manner.
"Here I am."
Before they got to chat as much as they wanted,a client arrived and Mizi Yue disappeared mysteriously through a hidden door without a trace.