Chapter 187 Deceptively Real
A strong sense of interest flashed in Chu Jichen's eyes.
Personally... bathe and clean him?
When did his little princess become... so sensible and understanding?
Shen Qingci had already turned around and personally went to the outer room to fetch two buckets of hot water that had been prepared beforehand. She skillfully poured the water into the bathtub and tested the water temperature.
Then, she turned around and gave the man in the wheelchair, who was watching her with great interest, a half-smile.
She stepped forward slowly and actually reached out her hand to untie the complicated buttons on Chu Jichen's body, one by one.
"This humble servant," her voice was alluring and seductive, carrying a deadly allure, "will attend to Your Highness's bath."
Fifteen minutes later.
Inside the bathtub, steam rose, and springtime charm stretched as far as the eye could see.
Chu Jichen's brows furrowed tightly. He stared intently at the culprit in front of him, who had only started the fire but had no intention of putting it out, and felt both angry and amused.
"Shen Qingci," he gritted his teeth, his voice filled with suppressed desire, "this... is this your new way of getting revenge on me, of torturing me?"
"They only light the fire, but they're not responsible for putting it out?"
Shen Qingci had already retreated to a completely safe distance. Her eyebrows curved into a smile, her face full of innocence and cunning: "It's getting late, Your Highness should... get some rest."
"This princess," she paused deliberately, "has some urgent matters to attend to."
Looking at Chu Jichen's restrained demeanor, she felt a surge of triumphant pleasure and turned to make her escape.
But to her surprise, Chu Jichen pulled out a black whip that had been hidden there at some point from the wheelchair beside him!
The long whip, like a serpent emerging from its hole, whistled sharply and wrapped around her slender waist with perfect precision the instant she cried out in surprise!
Shen Qingci felt a tightening around her waist, and she was uncontrollably dragged backward by a tremendous force!
In the blink of an eye, she had fallen heavily into a hot and firm embrace!
“Your Highness,” Chu Jichen’s eyes burned with fury, “running? Why… aren’t you running anymore?”
Shen Qingci remained silent for a long time before recovering from her shock. She looked at him incredulously: "You...you actually hid a whip in your wheelchair? And your whip skills...you're so good at it?"
"Chu Jichen! You've fouled!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Jichen chuckled softly, a husky and sensual laugh: "Your Highness has never asked me this before."
He leaned closer to her, his nose almost touching hers, his voice filled with triumphant laughter: "With the princess offering herself up so readily, wouldn't you say she's... walking right into a trap?"
“I must… thank you, Your Highness,” his gaze lingered unabashedly on her skin, already flushed from the steam, “for personally undressing me. Otherwise, it would have taken me… quite a bit of effort to do it myself…”
...
As night deepened, everything outside proceeded smoothly according to Shen Qingci and Chu Jichen's plan.
Two days later, all preparations were complete.
Shen Qingci sat in the study, holding the detailed information about the recent deaths in the capital that the fake "Wanqing" had just presented to him, and carefully selected each item.
“Your Highness,” Wanqing leaned forward, pointed to one of the pages, and whispered, “That young master from the Wang family in the west of the city not only has a similar build to the prince, but his age is also... almost the same. If we were to switch places with the prince, it would probably be... the best choice.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci slowly shook her head.
“What we can think of, that old fox Liu Wenyuan can naturally think of as well.”
She pulled out another page of information and handed it to "Wanqing".
"He's the one."
Wanqing was stunned. She took the book and looked at it, then couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Fifty...fifty-three years old?!"
“That’s right.” Shen Qingci nodded, her expression calm. “The fifty-three-year-old man is very different from the prince in both appearance and skin condition.”
“But,” a calculating glint flashed in her eyes, “that’s precisely why it’s so…unexpected.”
"As for those differences," she said casually, "we can only trouble Yunlan and the others to put in some extra effort to... give him a full-body disguise."
Wanqing's eyes darted around, and then she suddenly realized, "The Princess is right! This plan is brilliant!"
Shen Qingci lowered her eyes and slowly straightened her sleeves: "In a moment, I will have Yunlan lead the other skilled people in the manor to these households to disguise the corpses."
"Then arrange for secret guards to secretly carry the corpse I chose back to the manor under cover of night and switch it with the prince."
"After that, several funeral processions were immediately arranged to leave the city one after another from different city gates."
Upon hearing this, Wanqing immediately bowed in agreement.
Shen Qingci then turned around and went back to her bedroom.
As soon as she entered the room, she glanced at the bed.
Chu Jichen was no longer there. The person lying there now was a fake prince, disguised as a secret guard, who was unconscious.
She has to stay here and continue... to cover her tracks.
In the middle of the night, "Wanqing" indeed led Yunlan and a group of guards back silently.
Accompanying them was a corpse that had already been disguised as Chu Jichen...
The guards gently placed the body on the bed.
Shen Qingci stepped forward and examined it carefully for a moment. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Yunlan's craftsmanship is truly exquisite. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have guessed that this... is actually an old man over fifty years old."
Immediately afterwards, the guards carefully lifted the "Chu Jichen" figure, who was actually a guard in disguise, off the bed.
Shen Qingci quickly stepped forward, her face displaying just the right amount of tension and worry. She lowered her voice and carefully instructed everyone:
"Everyone... be careful! Whatever you do, don't bump around and disturb the Prince!"
She followed closely beside the guards carrying "Chu Jichen".
“Yuanbao, Yelan,” she repeatedly instructed the two leaders, “You must send plenty of men! Some will blend into the funeral procession as bodyguards. Others will remain hidden in the shadows, ready to provide support at any time! You must… you must ensure the Prince's safety!”
She frowned and said, "After you leave the city, go to Qingfeng Town, which is ten miles away. Rest temporarily in the dilapidated temple outside the town. Remember, do not disturb anyone."
"I, the princess, will come as soon as possible to join you."
Watching the guards carry the "unconscious" Chu Jichen and gradually disappear into the night, Shen Qingci remained standing there, motionless for a long time, her face full of lingering worry.
It wasn't until the fake "Wanqing" walked up to her that she seemed to wake up from a dream, turned around abruptly, and a resolute look flashed in her eyes!
"Let's go!" she ordered in a deep voice to "Wanqing," "They've already set off, we... should prepare to leave too!"
"Pack your things, and as soon as it's light, we'll set off in the name of the Regent's Palace. We'll prepare our ceremonial guards, bring a large entourage, and proceed in a grand and aboveboard manner... to seek medical treatment for the Prince!"
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