Chapter 353: Master of Painting

The heavy palace door slowly closed with a creak behind him, blocking out the last ray of sunlight.

The hall fell into silence in an instant, with only the occasional crackling of candlelight making the silence even more solemn.

"Where is Zhou Chong himself?" Su Muyang asked in a low voice as he quickly walked towards the inconspicuous rosewood cabinet in the corner.

He deftly opened the secret compartment behind the cabinet door, making a slight "click" sound.

"He is still arranging follow-up matters to ensure that everything goes well."

Zhang Sicheng also lowered his voice, speaking quickly and clearly:

"At the hour of You, he will come over as usual, holding the concubine's green card and asking you to turn it over. Then, I will take his place and return to the Jingshifang, and then..."

He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Our men will start a huge fire in the side hall. The chaos will be the perfect opportunity for him to escape from the tunnel."

Zhou Chong is a man of meticulous mind and shrewd actions. He has been operating in the Nanzhao palace for decades and has a solid foundation. He is well aware of the geography of Nanzhao's mountains and rivers, the defense of the cities, and even the secret passages in the palace.

What is even more rare is that he has cultivated a lot of power inside and outside the palace.

It would be most appropriate for him to lead his men deep into the heart of Nanzhao and destroy the two core sources of poison, the Ten Thousand Poison Blood Pool and the Poisonous Miasma Mountain.

Su Muyang nodded after hearing this, and then asked, "Where is the tunnel?"

Zhang Sicheng lowered his voice even more. "It's right under the most secluded rockery in the southwest corner of the Imperial Garden. The entrance is extremely hidden. I sneaked into the palace through that tunnel."

Su Muyang nodded in understanding. Not many people went there, and it was shaded by trees. It was indeed an excellent secret exit.

He quickly took out a flat ebony box from the secret compartment of the cabinet and opened the lid. Inside were neatly arranged several specially made masks that were as thin as a cicada's wing and the same color as real human skin.

There are also various ointments, fine brushes, small bottles of medicine, etc.

"Come here, time is running out."

Su Muyang asked Zhang Sicheng to sit on the low stool in front of the dressing mirror, while he quickly washed his hands. His eyes instantly became extremely focused, like a master painter who was about to complete a masterpiece that would be passed down through the ages.

He first took out a bottle of strange potion with a strong and pungent smell, a mixture of sulfur and herbs, and carefully applied it to Zhang Sicheng's rough and dark face, neck and hands with a cotton cloth.

Wherever the potion passed, the color of the skin became lighter and finer at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if it had been repeatedly rinsed, temporarily covering up the traces of wind and frost left by the border.

"Bear with it, this medicine will cause a slight burning sensation." He reminded in a low voice.

The muscles under Zhang Sicheng's face twitched slightly, and then returned to normal.

This little bit of physical pain is nothing compared to the wind and sand, swords and knives I have endured in the past few months.

Then, Su Muyang picked up a mask that best fit Zhou Chong's facial contours, and carefully applied it to Zhang Sicheng's treated face with a specially made transparent sticky ointment.

He held his breath and concentrated, pressing and smoothing his fingertips along the hairline, jawline, and behind the ears, using just the right amount of pressure to eliminate all the tiny wrinkles and bubbles.

The nearly transparent ointment perfectly "sewed" the edge of the mask into Zhang Siben's already delicate skin, and to the naked eye, it looked like a whole.

This is followed by critical facial detail correction.

Su Muyang used a small brush, dipped it in a specially made paint that blended with his skin color, and meticulously carved on the mask.

The deep lines between Zhou Chong's eyebrows, formed from years of flattering smiles, the slightly drooping arch at the end of his eyebrows, which made him look particularly shrewd, the deep grooves in his nasolabial folds deepened with age, and even the small, easily overlooked brown mole the size of a sesame seed under his left eye...

Su Muyang compared every feature of Zhou Chong's feminine face in his mind, trying to make it exactly the same.

Zhang Sicheng closed his eyes, pretending to be a sculpture, and let him paint on his face.

Finally, a layer of cool, unique-smelling potion was evenly sprayed on the mask.

This potion solidifies as soon as it comes into contact with the skin, instantly combining perfectly with the skin and mask to form a tough "film".

Even if you sweat or wash with water, this carefully crafted facial skin will never become blurry or fall off.

After a while, Su Muyang took a step back and examined his work intently.

The reflection in the mirror was a middle-aged eunuch with a fair face, a somewhat feminine and rigid look. It was undoubtedly Zhou Chong.

"The face part is done, next is the body shape and voice."

He scanned Zhang Sicheng's figure with a sharp gaze and said:

"Zhou Chong is more than three fingers shorter than you, skinny, and constantly bent over, with a servile nature. You need to keep your chest and abdomen tucked in, shoulders slightly hunched, steps broken and quick, toes pointed inward, and never let out a shred of your usual military aura."

Zhang Sicheng took a deep breath and adjusted as instructed.

He tried to pull his burly body inward, his shoulders slumped, his back slightly hunched, and he deliberately made his steps light and slow, trying to take the kind of quick steps that were unique to eunuchs, as if he was afraid of disturbing the nobles.

Although the movements are still stiff, the deliberately created feminine and humble attitude has begun to take shape.

Then came the sound.

Zhang Sicheng cleared his throat, rolled his Adam's apple, and deliberately squeezed his vocal cords into a shrill tone, with a drawn-out ending that carried a flattering feeling that gave people goosebumps.

He practiced a few times, his imitation becoming more and more realistic: "Your Majesty... I will arrange it right away..."

"very good!"

Su Muyang praised it, and then pointed out the shortcomings:

"Your tone should be a little softer, and your eyes should be lowered, looking at the ground and your toes. But when you occasionally look up at someone, a glint of brilliance should flash across your eyes. That's the look Zhou Chong gives when he's sizing someone up and trying to figure out his boss's intentions."

He said as he demonstrated a look himself.

Zhang Sicheng nodded, feeling secretly moved.

The money that Minister Su and his wife spent on Su Muyang was not wasted at all.

Although this gentleman usually looks like a cynical playboy, he was forced by his parents to learn a variety of skills since he was a child - disguise, ventriloquism, and even various strange and tricky skills.

Now it has become the life-saving talisman and trump card for this deep and dangerous place.

I think it was because he was disciplined too harshly when he was young that Su Muyang avoided the idea of ​​getting married.

After all, before getting married, I was taken care of by both my father and mother. Once I get married, I will have another daughter-in-law to take care of me...

Just thinking about that day makes Su Muyang's scalp tingle, and he has refused to give in all these years.

Mrs. Su regretted this matter so much.

The two waited for a while, and it was already the middle of the You hour.

Familiar footsteps and respectful announcements were heard outside the hall on time.

Zhou Chong walked in with his head bowed, holding the vermilion lacquer tray containing the concubines' green-head cards steadily in his hands, his posture as respectful as usual.

"Your Majesty, the time has come. Please turn over the card." His voice was sharp and thin.

Su Muyang glanced lazily, and his fingertips touched the sign of "Lipin" as expected.

Zhou Chong put on a perfect, understanding smile on his face.

He deliberately raised his voice: "I understand, I will ask Concubine Li to prepare it."

Concubine Li has been favored for many days, and the palace people have long been accustomed to it.