Chapter 163 Chu Jichen?
After pondering for a long time, Ye Lan finally shook his head in confusion.
Such a blatant scheme is almost impossible to counter; aside from constant vigilance, he couldn't think of a better way.
Shen Qingci's lips slowly curled up, her smile filled with confident arrogance.
“If I were Liu Wenyuan,” she said slowly, emphasizing each word, “I would immediately… slip away unnoticed.”
"Find a double with a similar build to yourself, put on a human skin mask, and have him take your place in the Prime Minister's residence, handling daily chores, and also... dealing with my ever-present assassinations."
"The real Liu Wenyuan, however, will remain hidden in the shadows, observing the situation quietly."
Upon hearing this, Ye Lan frowned, his eyes filled with worry: "Your Highness, I am foolish. If Liu Wenyuan has indeed, as you predicted, slipped away and found a substitute... wouldn't that be even more disadvantageous for us?"
"He puts his double in the open while he himself remains hidden in the shadows. Wouldn't it be even more difficult for us to take action against him now?"
Ye Lan looked at Shen Qingci with some confusion. He really couldn't understand why the princess thought this was a good thing.
Shen Qingci looked at his confused expression, but it seemed as if she had known he would ask this question. She simply curled the corners of her mouth and smiled slowly.
“In that case,” her voice was full of strategic confidence, “dealing with Liu Wenyuan will only be… simpler.”
"Even...simpler?"
“That’s right.” Shen Qingci’s voice was extremely low, like a ghostly whisper. “Liu Wenyuan thought that with a substitute, he could shield himself from all the open and hidden attacks and live a carefree life. But he doesn’t know that this substitute is the best weapon we can use to deal with him!”
“He can hide his true identity and avoid seeing court officials, guests, or anyone else. But there is one person,” a cold glint flashed in her eyes, “whom he will definitely see and must frequently contact.”
"That was... his double!"
"At that time, all we need to do is administer those truly deadly, colorless, and odorless poisons to that substitute. Whether it's his clothes, incense, or... his skin. As long as Liu Wenyuan comes into contact with him, it will be tantamount to... committing suicide!"
Ye Lan looked up in shock, her eyes filled with boundless admiration and awe as she gazed at Shen Qingci!
This plan is truly... ruthless to the extreme, yet flawless!
"Understood!" He clasped his hands emphatically. "I'll get on it right away!"
...
When Wanqing returned, Shen Qingci was sitting under the lamp, quietly flipping through the account books.
She pretended not to know anything and simply asked gently, "Is everything taken care of?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Yes, you've worked hard. It's late, you should go and get some rest too."
After lying down, Shen Qingci immediately blew out the candle.
In the darkness, she silently blew a wisp of specially made incense through the gap in the bed curtains toward the outer side room.
After confirming that the fake "Wanqing" had completely fallen into a deep sleep, Yuanbao's figure reappeared in her bedroom.
"Your Highness, everything has been investigated!" His voice carried a hint of barely suppressed excitement. "The fake 'Wanqing' beside you spoke a few words with the steward in charge of pruning the flowers and plants after delivering the letter."
“Our people immediately kept a close eye on the steward in charge of pruning the flowers and plants. Sure enough, the steward left the palace under the pretext of ‘purchasing flowers and plants for the princess’s birthday banquet.’”
"After leaving the mansion, he wandered around and entered a gambling den called 'Good Fortune'. In a private room in the backyard, he met the manager of the gambling den."
"Not long after, the shopkeeper sent his trusted confidant, who carefully made his way straight to... the Prime Minister's residence!"
Shen Qingci nodded, her eyes filled with icy coldness.
Sure enough, it was Liu Wenyuan again.
"Make a detailed record of everyone involved in this matter along the way!" she ordered coldly. "Send men to keep a close watch on them for twelve hours!"
Then she asked, "Wanqing... is she alright?"
Yuanbao nodded hurriedly: "Your Highness, Miss Wanqing has already woken up and is unharmed. I have followed your instructions and sent her out of the palace and settled her in a secret hideout in the west of our city. Your Highness... would you like to see her now?"
Shen Qingci shook her head, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes: "No need."
“There’s a traitor in the manor now. Although the fake ‘Wanqing’ has been exposed, there’s no guarantee that there aren’t other spies. If I leave the manor now, I might just alert them.”
"Please pass on a message to Wanqing for me," her voice softened slightly, "tell her not to worry. Since someone has already taken her place in the manor, she can stay outside the manor with peace of mind. It's a good opportunity for her to secretly handle some matters that are inconvenient to do within the manor."
Yuanbao withdrew immediately.
Shen Qingci then felt a wave of fatigue wash over her. She slowly lay back down on the bed, and just as she was about to close her eyes, she suddenly realized—
There was another person on the other side of the bed!
That aura... it was so familiar!
Shen Qingci was startled, abruptly opened her eyes, and called out sharply, "Chu Jichen?"
Behind him, a hoarse voice filled with laughter immediately came from behind.
"It's me."
A warm, large hand wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her tightly into a broad and warm embrace.
"I'm so sleepy," he whispered in her ear, as if he were being affectionate. "I can only fall asleep when I'm holding Qingqing."
Shen Qingci's heart was instantly thrown into chaos by this sudden intimacy!
She struggled to turn around, meeting his astonishingly bright eyes in the dim light, her voice filled with disbelief:
"How...how did you get here? Aren't there so many people watching you day and night? How did you get back?"
"If Liu Wenyuan finds out, he might accuse you of fleeing from justice. Wouldn't that be a bad deal?"
Seeing her surprised and anxious expression, Chu Jichen couldn't help but chuckle softly.
He leaned forward and lightly pecked her lips, his voice tinged with a hint of smugness and teasing:
"It's late at night, and even though I'm being watched by them, I still need to sleep."
"I need to sleep, the officials guarding me need to sleep, and Liu Wenyuan needs to sleep even more."
"They all know how to use tricks like 'shedding one's skin' and 'disguising oneself,' so why can't I?"
"This was not difficult for me."
“Besides,” he pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head, and sighed contentedly, “Qingqing has already replaced all the eunuchs serving me with my own people, hasn’t she? With your arrangement, everything… will naturally be much easier.”
"Qingqing, don't worry, I just want to get some sleep, I'm sleepy."
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