Because of the series of incidents, the guards in the palace were strengthened considerably, with guards almost every five steps and sentries every ten steps. The Imperial Guards were replaced with three shifts, leaving almost no loopholes.
Xue Shen disguised himself as a eunuch and mingled in the procession heading to Wenhe Hall to deliver meals. If you were to ask where the atmosphere was most peaceful, it would only be Wenhe Hall, where he was temporarily staying.
Xue Shen trailed at the very back of the line with his head down, but he was caught off guard when the line in front of him suddenly stopped. He hunched over slightly and used the people in front of him as cover to look at what was happening ahead. He discovered that the Imperial Guards were leading a eunuch supervisor, identifying people one by one. Anyone who was an unfamiliar face, or anyone the eunuch supervisor hesitated to admit, was taken away to verify their identity.
Zhang Qian's interrogation was more thorough than he had anticipated.
Xue Shen frowned and looked for a moment. As the procession passed through an alley, he quietly slipped into it.
At the front of the line, the commander of the Imperial Guards in charge of the checks looked at the last eunuch and realized that the number didn't match what the leader had said: "Why is one missing?"
"That's impossible, there are exactly twelve people."
The leader hurriedly started counting, but when he reached the end, he found that one was indeed missing. He questioned the little eunuch standing at the very end, "Where's the one behind you?"
The young eunuch then realized someone was missing behind him and frantically shook his head, "They were just here..."
The commander of the Imperial Guards immediately realized something was wrong: "It's most likely an assassin who infiltrated. Do you remember his figure and appearance?"
But no one paid any special attention to the little eunuch who delivered the meals, and he always kept his head down timidly, so no one could see his face.
Seeing this, the commander of the Imperial Guards had no choice but to send more men to search in all directions like plowing a field.
Xue Shenyin, hidden in the shadows, watched as the number of imperial guards near the main hall of Wenhe Hall increased. Knowing that it would be difficult to sneak in now, he was not in a hurry. He wandered through the alleys, bypassing the searching imperial guards, and casually entered a palace, intending to lay low for a while.
But once inside, they discovered they had chosen the wrong spot; there were people inside.
He frowned slightly and was about to leave when he heard a familiar voice: "Danzhu, what's going on outside?"
Shen Youying was awakened by the commotion outside. She had been staying in the side hall for the past two days, and because of her overly intimate encounter with the Prince of Qin yesterday, she felt embarrassed to see him again. Therefore, she had not yet gone to the main hall and was unaware of what was happening outside.
Danzhu pushed open the window and looked outside, only to see a huge, intimidating array of imperial guards: "I don't know. I'll go out and take a look."
She didn't go inside; instead, she went to the outer hall to inquire about the situation.
Xue Shen sneaked in at this time.
He did not want to show himself, so he hid in the corner formed by the mahogany wardrobe and the wall, waiting for the Imperial Guards to search another place before leaving.
Shen Youying was unaware that someone had entered the room. Seeing that it was getting late, she decided not to stay in bed any longer and got up to wash and dress.
Instead of immediately calling Bailuo to bring water, she sat in front of her dressing table and looked at the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror, then pursed her lips in annoyance.
Actually, she didn't sleep well last night because the King of Qin's sudden intimacy made her toss and turn in her dreams, unable to sleep soundly.
She was somewhat annoyed and was hesitating whether to go to the main hall to see Xue Shen later when she noticed a dark figure reflected in the edge of the bronze mirror out of the corner of her eye.
Judging from the blurry shape, it looked like a man, hiding in the corner between the cabinet and the wall on the side of the bed. Unfortunately, there was a lamp next to the cabinet, which just happened to illuminate the man's shadow, which then fell into the bronze mirror.
Shen Youying's heart pounded as she thought of the sudden increase in the number of imperial guards outside.
She didn't know how long the other person had been hiding there or what their intentions were, so she didn't dare to act rashly. She could only pretend not to have noticed them, pull the bell, and call Bai Luo in.
However, there was no movement outside, and it was unclear whether Bailuo was busy nearby.
Shen Youying's heart pounded. She quickly glanced at the bronze mirror, only to find that her reflection was gone. Startled, she opened her mouth to call for help, but a hand reached out from behind and covered her mouth.
The person behind him gave a soft "shh" sound, their voice low and hoarse: "Don't shout."
Shen Youying trembled slightly and closed her eyes tightly. Unable to make a sound, she could only nod to indicate that she would cooperate.
Xue Shen looked at her from behind and saw that her face was pale and her eyelashes were filled with tears. He frowned slightly. He didn't want to scare her on purpose, but Shen Youying's eyes were too sharp. There was nowhere suitable to hide in this room. He couldn't let Shen Youying really call for help, so he had no choice but to show himself.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Danzhu's voice: "Miss, I've found out. It seems there are assassins in the palace and the Imperial Guards are searching for them." Her tone seemed somewhat worried: "Should we tell Chief Secretary Wang to send a few more guards over?"
"Tell her you know, and that you want to sleep a little longer," Xue Shen whispered, his lips close to her earlobe.
Shen Youying felt something cold and hard pressed against her waist. She swallowed and tried her best to remain calm, saying, "I understand. Go and arrange for more people. I'll sleep a little longer."
Seeing that she was still somewhat talkative, Xue Shen was slightly satisfied and said, "Go to the couch."
Shen Youying felt a pang of panic, wondering if the assassin was lusting after her and wanted to do something else. But she dared not refuse, so she secretly held a hairpin in her hand, concealing it under her sleeve, and followed the assassin's instructions to the bed.
"Lie down, you sleep outside," Xue Shen said.
Shen Youying's body stiffened, and she didn't move.
His face had an unusual pale color.
Xue Shen raised an eyebrow, finally guessing her thoughts, and threatened again, "Don't even think about calling for help. If you behave, I won't touch you. But if you dare—"
He didn't finish his sentence, but the threat was obvious.
Shen Youying's eyelashes trembled, and she could only lie down on the outer side of the bed as instructed, gripping the hairpin even tighter with her right hand.
Seeing this, Xue Shen went to the inside of the bed. With the curtains and bedding in place, no one could tell that someone was hiding silently inside the bed.
Danzhu has already gone to ask Wang Deshun to transfer people. Wang Deshun knows that the Imperial Guards are searching for assassins, and he will definitely take the opportunity to send his trusted men to find a way to help him.
And Shen Youying's place is never without people.
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