Chapter 95 Bringing the Dead Back to Life
Shen Qingci already had a plan in mind. She lowered her voice and said, "Wanqing, do you remember that Huo Yunting once had a trusted bodyguard who was always by his side?"
Wanqing pondered for a moment: "Miss, are you referring to Nanzhu? That should be the name."
"This servant knows. I heard that he was rescued from a pile of corpses by the Marquis. He has been by the Marquis's side for many years and is loyal to him and obeys his every word."
“That’s right, it’s Nan Zhu.” Shen Qingci’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’ve been married into the Huo family for almost a year, and I often see him by Huo Yunting’s side. But ever since… ever since Huo Yunzhan impersonated Huo Yunting to escort the coffin back to the capital, I haven’t seen him again.”
Wanqing raised her eyes: "What does Miss mean..."
"Nan Zhu, who is loyal only to Huo Yunting, is Huo Yunzhan's biggest obstacle in impersonating Huo Yunting."
"Based on my understanding of Huo Yunzhan, and given his character and methods, Nanzhu is probably... in grave danger."
A cold glint flashed in Shen Qingci's eyes: "But even if he dies, I can bring him back to life."
"Come back to life and speak out for Huo Yunting's death."
She made a decision immediately.
After thinking for a moment, she first went to borrow the kitchen and made some pastries.
She learned that from the cook when she was at the Shen family's house. Her parents and older brother had tried it and praised it highly.
Just as the pastries were finished, Wanqing came to report: "The Prince has returned."
Shen Qingci immediately served the pastries and returned to the main courtyard.
Her previous plans also involved asking Chu Jichen for help.
Since she needed Chu Jichen's help, she naturally had to appease him properly.
Chu Jichen was in his study when Shen Qingci entered, carrying pastries and smiling. "Your Highness, I've made some pastries. Would you like to try some?"
Chu Jichen was taken aback. His gaze fell on the pastries in Shen Qingci's hand, then slowly moved upwards, finally landing on Shen Qingci's face.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly: "You did this yourself?"
"Yes." Shen Qingci entered the room with a smile, placed the plate on the table, picked up a piece of pastry, and fed it directly to Chu Jichen's lips: "It's just that the taste may be average, not as good as the private chef of the Prince's Mansion."
Chu Jichen lowered his eyes, took a bite, and said, "It's delicious."
"That's good." Shen Qingci said with a smile, "I don't know what kind of pastries Your Highness likes to eat. I made three kinds. The one Your Highness just tasted is chestnut cake, this pink one is peach blossom pastry, and this white one is mille-feuille pastry."
Chu Jichen's eyes churned with emotion, but in the end he only repeated once: "It's delicious."
“I had actually heard General Shen mention it before.”
Shen Qingci raised an eyebrow. Her father?
“At that time, I had just become regent. Once, a war broke out, and I, General Shen, and several other generals discussed the war strategy. The discussion went on for a while, and I said I would arrange for the cook to make some wontons for a midnight snack. General Shen then took out a money bag from his waist, and from it he took out an oil paper package containing a few pieces of pastry.”
“At that time, some of us were also hungry, so we asked him for a piece to tide us over. General Shen refused, saying that he would have given it to us under normal circumstances, but this was something his daughter had learned to make for him, and we couldn’t share it.”
Shen Qingci's eyelashes trembled, and her nose tingled slightly.
Her father doted on her so much.
Unfortunately, she would never see her father again.
Of course, she had to get revenge.
Chu Jichen only mentioned it casually, then asked in a low voice, "You came to see me, is there something you need?"
"There is something I need to do." Shen Qingci took a deep breath: "I need to borrow that skilled person in disguise from the Prince's staff."
She got straight to the point and laid out her plan in its entirety.
Upon hearing this, a hint of approval and interest flashed in Chu Jichen's deep eyes.
He liked her strategic and proactive approach.
"The people are at your disposal." He said in a deep voice, "If you need anything, just tell the steward in the courtyard, and he will take care of everything for you."
“My people haven’t seen the person you mentioned named Nanmu. You’ll probably have to draw a portrait and arrange for someone who has seen Nanmu to adjust the finished human skin mask bit by bit.”
"But it may be impossible to make it exactly the same."
That's fine: "I had that in mind, which is why I specifically arranged for it to be done at night."
"It's not very clear at night anyway, so making it six or seven points or eight points similar is enough."
"Moreover, in my plan, Nanmu should have gone through countless chases, survived the tiger's mouth, and gone through all kinds of hardships to return to the capital. He certainly wouldn't be completely clean; he would have blood and wounds."
"In this situation, no one should care about that slight difference."
Moreover, she didn't think that Old Madam Huo would know so much about one of Huo Yunting's servants.
Having received Chu Jichen's promise, Shen Qingci immediately took action.
She first had Wanqing use the people she still had at the Huo residence to secretly steal several books with Huo Yunting's handwriting from the study of the Marquis's mansion.
After that, she locked herself in her study for a whole day, repeatedly studying and practicing those handwritings.
That night, the disguise expert sent by Chu Jichen arrived with a human skin mask that perfectly replicated Nan Zhu's appearance.
Shen Qingci had someone find a guard whose build resembled Nan Zhu's and had him put on a human skin mask.
Shen Qingci handed the guard a military diary she had painstakingly forged, and carefully instructed him: "Go straight in and head to the old lady. Make sure you look like you are seriously injured and on the verge of death."
"I will arrange for pursuers to pretend to chase and kill you. You don't have much time. When you see the old lady, just say a few words."
"After you finish speaking, my pursuers will arrive, and then you can run for your life!"
"Yes." The guard acknowledged the order and vanished into the night in a flash.
...
The Marquis's residence has been shrouded in gloom for the past two days.
Huo Yunzhan was taken away by Chu Jichen, and they searched through all their connections, but couldn't find any information. Fortunately, yesterday, someone from Prime Minister Liu's side came to say that His Majesty had seen Huo Yunzhan and that Huo Yunzhan was doing well, which put Old Madam Huo and Liu Ruolan at ease.
But it only made me slightly relieved.
Chu Jichen was utterly lawless in the court; even His Majesty and Prime Minister Liu couldn't touch him in the slightest.
They really didn't know what Chu Jichen wanted to do by taking Huo Yunzhan away.
It was already very late when Madam Huo finally put down her pen and placed the copied Buddhist scriptures before the incense burner.
The old woman helped her up, and just as they left the Buddhist hall, a dark figure covered in blood and staggering stumbled into the courtyard of Ci'an Hall.
"Madam! Madam, save me!"
A hoarse and urgent cry for help shattered the tranquility of the night.
The night watchwoman, Granny Wang, was terrified. She was about to shout for the guards when she saw the person's face and cried out in shock, "Nan...Nan Zhu?! You're not...you're not already..."
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