On the day of the Autumn Equinox, the osmanthus flowers in the Capital were in full bloom. Lu Jingyuan, dressed in dark navy riding attire, crouched with his guard Afu in the alley behind Xinglong Drapery in West City, watching a man in grey clothes behaving suspiciously across the way. Every few moments, the man would turn to look back; a jade pendant hanging from his waist caught the moonlight, revealing a chrysanthemum pattern.
"Heir Lu, that is Steward Wang’s personal manservant," Afu whispered. "Yesterday, he went to a secret outpost of the Prince of Zhennan's Mansion."
Lu Jingyuan narrowed his eyes as he watched the man duck into an apothecary. He signaled for Afu to guard the front entrance while he climbed over the wall. In the apothecary’s backyard, a faint light glimmered from the mouth of a cellar. He approached, holding his breath, and heard voices arguing inside.
Chapter 129