I have a method

The next morning, while the air was still fresh with the scent of rain-soaked earth, the sun eagerly peeked out, its golden rays bathing the land.

Gu Jinning woke up early and ordered Chu Lang to find Xiao Heng'an, saying that Ji Lin had been awakened by the thunder last night.

Xiao Heng'an remained unmoved after hearing this, only instructing her to take good care of Ji Lin, and said nothing more, clearly distancing herself from Ji Lin.

This won't do. How can she carry out her plan if Xiao Heng'an doesn't show up? She has no choice but to take the initiative.

Ji Lin has a wasp waist and slender back, and her face is like an oval.

Gu Jinning then used a strip of cloth to tighten her waist to its thinnest extent, and then meticulously groomed herself in front of the bronze mirror, ensuring that every single eyelash resembled Ji Lin's appearance before she was satisfied.

"Let's go, let's get to work."

Gu Jinning summoned Chu Lang, then gracefully stepped out the door with elegant, lotus-like steps.

As Gu Jinning walked through the garden, she heard a series of powerful, resounding footsteps that shook the ground. Looking up, she saw dozens of armored soldiers lined up in neat, orderly rows.

Chu Lang whispered, "They entered the manor this morning. There were about a hundred people coming and going. It was quite a grand affair."

Gu Jinning guessed that the guards were transferred by Xiao Heng'an to protect the Prince's residence. However, emperors were generally wary of princes and ministers keeping their own personal guards, and the number of guards used in each place was rationed.

A hundred or so people is really too many.

Did Xiao Heng'an not know this?

As Gu Jinning thought this, she arrived at Xiao Heng'an's courtyard. The courtyard was named Yunshu, a name she came up with on a whim, and she was also the one who hung the plaque.

When Xiao Heng'an went to war, she promised to guard the house for him, so she strolled around the Prince of Jin's mansion as if it were her back garden.

Chu Lang was admitted to the hospital first.

A short while later, Song Hui came to invite them. He was a cheerful young man with a smiling face and a friendly demeanor. It was he and Song Ming who had picked up Ji Lin the day before.

Gu Jinning followed him nervously to the door of the study, where she saw Xiao Heng'an sitting by the window, talking to his deputy, Yang Yu.

Bathed in the bright sunlight, Gu Jinning examined Xiao Heng'an's face. It was wider and darker than before, with the marks of time etched on his features, sharp and defined, exuding an air of nobility.

Even though Yang Yu, who was standing next to him, was equally handsome and had an extraordinary temperament, he was still overshadowed by him.

"Your Highness, Miss Biao has arrived."

At Song Hui's call, Gu Jinning snapped out of her reverie and smiled faintly, "Cousin."

She cupped her hands into an orchid shape, lifted her skirt, and lightly stepped across the threshold. With her eyes lowered, she bowed to Xiao Heng'an and said, "Greetings, cousin."

Xiao Heng'an turned his head to look at him and said bluntly, "The Ji family suffered a calamity, which is unfortunate, but they reaped what they sowed, so it is not unjust. Now that you have been fortunate enough to be released from prison, you can live a peaceful life from now on and do not need to think too much."

His tone was cold and indifferent, like a magistrate reprimanding someone in court.

Gu Jinning nodded slightly, her affectionate eyes half-lowered and half-raised, her gaze filled with melancholy and a hint of sorrow.

She softened her voice and replied, "Yes, Lin'er understands. Lin'er will follow your instructions, cousin."

Her tender and gentle demeanor was enough to make anyone's heart ache. Chu Lang, standing outside the door, was completely mesmerized, secretly filled with admiration for Gu Jin Ning.

Unfortunately, Xiao Heng'an was oblivious to romance and replied, "Alright, then you should go back to the Ji family's ancestral home."

"???"

Gu Jinning was terrified. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief to cover her face and pretended to sob sadly. "Cousin, the Ji family's land and houses have all been confiscated. Where am I supposed to go?"

Xiao Heng'an said, "There is also an ancestral home. Since it was a gift from the Empress Dowager to my maternal grandmother, it is not included in the confiscation. Although it is a bit old, after renovation, it will be able to provide shelter from the wind and rain without any problem."

Gu Jinning knew that Xiao Heng'an was determined to send Ji Lin away, so she pretended to agree first.

"Yes, cousin, your thinking is very thoughtful, and Lin'er is extremely grateful. However, cousin has only recently returned to the capital, and there is a shortage of manpower in the mansion. Please understand my desire to repay your kindness and allow me to stay for a few more days, even if it's just to do some rough work. I will leave once the old house is repaired."

Xiao Heng'an relented, "That's fine too. There's no need for rough work; you can rest and recuperate. We'll be adding some guards to the manor soon, so please bear with us if there's any disturbance."

Gu Jinning replied, "They seem very well-behaved; they won't bother me. But, do all of them have to enter the manor?"

Xiao Heng'an countered, "What's the problem?"

Gu Jinning said, "The Ministry of Personnel stipulates that no more than fifty-four guards can enter a prince's residence to protect him. That's too many, I'm afraid..."

Gu Jinning stopped there.

Xiao Heng'an finally looked up and stared at her directly, his eyes cold yet filled with a hint of inquiry.

"They followed me into battle and have long since become orphans. Now they have traveled thousands of miles to come to the capital with me. Are we to abandon them?"

Yes, the military camps inside and outside the capital are in the hands of the Crown Prince, the Prince of Qin, and a few others. Xiao Heng'an is new to the city and doesn't even have a camp.

Moreover, the officials and soldiers in the capital are extremely entrenched in their own groups and are very resistant to outsiders, so it would be inappropriate to place them anywhere.

At this moment, Song Hui jumped out and shouted, "They are all brothers who have gone through thick and thin together. The prince is their family. We must stick together. We can't let the people in the capital bully us."

Judging from his tone, they've probably already had a showdown.

Gu Jinning pondered that if she helped resolve this matter, Xiao Heng'an would definitely look at Ji Lin differently, and wouldn't he be less in a hurry to kick her out?

After thinking it over, Gu Jinning spoke up, "Actually, I have a humble opinion, but I don't know..."

Xiao Heng'an became interested. "Tell me about it."

Gu Jinning said, "The rules for guarding the Prince's mansion are ironclad and cannot be changed, but the rules for servants in the Prince's mansion are flexible and not fixed. Why not divide the soldiers into two groups? Fifty men will form a guard team to be responsible for patrolling the mansion and its security. The rest can be scattered throughout the mansion and registered in the servant roster."

"In this way, there will be no problem of having too many personal guards, and even if the Ministry of War comes to investigate, they will not be able to find any fault. It's just that the servants will have to do rough work every day."

"However, since they have taken up the servant positions, it is not advisable for them to recruit more maids and servants. Firstly, it would attract attention, and secondly, it would increase expenses, which is not cost-effective."

After Gu Jinning finished speaking slowly, she noticed that everyone in the room was looking at her.

Gu Jinning added, "Of course, cousin needs to be careful around people. We can hire a few skilled maids to serve him personally. As for other things, we can all learn together, so it won't be a problem for us to get started."

Song Hui was thrilled and clapped his hands in praise: "Miss Biao is right, isn't that the arrangement? We're a bunch of grown men, what haven't we done on the border? A little rough work is nothing, consider it training. Your Highness, I think this is a good idea."

Xiao Heng'an faced the table, his eyes half-lowered, as if he was thinking.

After a moment, he pulled out a list filled with names. "The method is good. Let's allocate them according to your method."

Song Ming took the list and presented it to Gu Jinning.

Gu Jinning was extremely surprised. "Me?" Does this mean she's being put in charge of people?

Xiao Heng'an explained, "The people around me are all warriors, uneducated and incapable of literary pursuits. The Ji family used to be a large and prestigious family. You've lived in the backyard for a long time, so you know a bit about it. Consider this a favor."

Xiao Heng'an dismissed someone one minute and then put her in charge of the inner quarters the next, which was truly baffling.

Gu Jinning tried to find something in Xiao Heng'an's eyes. But Xiao Heng'an remained indifferent, revealing no clue.

This was a good opportunity to gain a foothold in the Prince of Jin's mansion, so Gu Jinning boldly accepted it.

"Thank you for your kind offer, cousin. I'll give it a try. If I don't do well, please forgive me."

After exchanging pleasantries, Gu Jinning realized that Xiao Heng'an did not invite her to sit down, and knowing that he did not want to talk any longer, she had no choice but to excuse herself and leave.

Xiao Heng'an waved his hand in agreement, then turned to look at the books on the table, letting Gu Jinning leave without saying another word.

After the others had gone, Xiao Heng'an asked Yang Yu, "How was it?"

Yang Yu's eagle eyes watched Gu Jinning disappear into the distance, sharp as an eagle catching its prey.

He replied, "There's a problem."

Xiao Heng'an asked, "What's the problem?"

Yang Yu said, "The words 'soldier' ​​and 'official' are used very accurately."

Xiao Heng'an nodded in agreement, folded up the personnel transfer list he had prepared on the table, put it aside, and took out a new sheet of paper, writing a name on it.

"Let's explore it then."

As soon as Gu Jinning returned to the courtyard, she ran into the house in a few steps, slammed the door shut, and started to pull at the cloth belt around her waist.

"Oh my god, I'm about to suffocate."

As she left, she noticed a strange gaze fixed on her, making her too afraid to breathe and causing her to walk with extreme caution. The tight cloth strap further restricted her breathing, making it difficult for her to catch her breath.

After untying the cloth strip, Gu Jinning collapsed onto the bed, exclaiming, "That felt so good!"

"Master! Master!"

Chu Lang was jumping and running around outside.

"Come in."

At Gu Jinning's call, Chu Lang rushed in and asked impatiently, leaning close to the bedside, "Master, are you really going to take this job?"

Gu Jinning pulled out the roster and threw it into Chu Lang's arms. "I've brought the roster, what do you say?"

Chu Lang scratched his head, "These hundred or so are all soldiers. How can a little girl like you handle them? His Highness is obviously setting you up."

Gu Jinning chuckled, "Who said I'd go myself? You're here, aren't you?"

Chu Lang was so frightened that he took a few steps back and waved his hands repeatedly.

"No, no, soldiers are rude and unreasonable. If we make them serve others, they'll beat me up first."

Gu Jinning propped herself up on the bed with both arms, crossed her legs, and swayed leisurely.

"You're not a scholar, why are you being so rigid? Use your brain and say things they want to hear."

Chu Lang muttered, "Who knows what they like to hear?"

Gu Jinning clicked her tongue twice, and said meaningfully, "My disciple, do you know the essence of the face-changing technique?"

Chu Lang replied hesitantly, "Disguise?"

Gu Jinning waved her index finger repeatedly, "No, no, no, it's about changing people. You don't understand all kinds of people, you can't know everyone inside and out, so even the most perfect disguise is useless."

Chu Lang listened, completely bewildered.

Gu Jinning continued to deceive, "You are naturally good at socializing. By using your own strengths to improve your ability to judge people, you can achieve twice the result with half the effort by disguising yourself."

"Really?" Chu Lang was skeptical, hesitated for a while, and finally chose to believe Gu Jinning. "Okay, I'll do it."

"That's right, I need it tomorrow. Remember, it's about each person's characteristics."

Chu Lang realized he had been tricked. "Master, you've tricked me. More than a hundred people, one day isn't enough time."

"Figure it out yourself, I'm in a tighter time."

Gu Jinning walked towards him, smiled mischievously, forcefully pushed him out the door, then slammed the door shut and fell fast asleep.

The rain from last night had completely disappeared after a day of scorching sun. After the sun set, the weather became even hotter, and the cicadas chirped incessantly, their calls growing louder.

Gu Jinning woke up from the heat and felt extremely hungry. She called Chu Lang several times but received no response, so she went out to find something to eat.

Unfortunately, the mansion was not yet properly equipped, and there was no one on duty anywhere. The kitchen was empty and devoid of anything.

Gu Jinning simply changed back to her original appearance and climbed over the wall to go out for some fresh air.

Considering that the famous princess was still in prison, Gu Jinning didn't want to make a scene, so she wandered off to a secluded spot and unknowingly ended up at a locked tea garden.

She leaped over the wall, passed through the tea bushes, and called out to the half-open door behind her, "Guests have arrived! Aren't you going to come out and greet them?"

After a short while, the door moved at the sound and slowly opened, and a young man in white robes walked out gracefully, his black hair hanging down and fluttering in the wind.

The wind blew away the stray hairs on her forehead, revealing an extremely beautiful face with a pair of warm, jade-like eyes that sparkled brightly.

He had fair skin, red lips and white teeth, a tall and slender figure that was not effeminate, and a smile that was like a gentle breeze, exuding a gentlemanly demeanor.

"What brings you here today?" He greeted her, looked her up and down, and smiled knowingly. "Down on your luck again?"

Gu Jinning leaned back on the bench in the pavilion and shrugged, "I guess so. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here to beg for food and take a nap. It's just too hot at Xiao Heng'an's place."