Chapter 966 Difficult Problem
Lin Yuesha could understand Hongchou's predicament. The plan was made in a hurry, and if it weren't for the arrival of Luo Wang and Xu Da in Yingcheng, she would have had difficulty succeeding on her own without any help.
The Prince of Zhenbei is a threat to them if he lives; it would be better to kill him sooner to rid the people of this scourge.
Hongchou led the way, quietly pointing out to Lin Yuesha that the large kitchen in the front yard was a key point in the Wangfu villa, with access to all directions.
As darkness fell, Lin Yuesha could only determine her direction by the lanterns hanging in the trees and memorize the landmarks.
This was probably the only time the two of them scouted the location. Even though Hongchou brought Lin Yuesha out, they still took a great risk.
Fortunately, Lin Yuesha was lucky. She met Wu Bailu right after being arrested, and Wu Bailu helped cover for her in the courtyard.
Along the way, Hongchou and Lin Yuesha encountered several groups of guards on night patrol, each group consisting of at least a dozen people.
"It was a small villa, but it had nearly a thousand guards."
The guards around the Prince of Zhenbei work in two shifts, which means there are about five hundred people patrolling.
With layers upon layers of men in both the outer and inner courtyards, killing the Prince of Zhenbei and escaping would be extremely difficult.
These were just the guards inside the villa. Not far outside the villa, another group of the Prince of Zhenbei's troops were stationed, and the entire city of Yingcheng was under his control.
"No wonder the Wei family is so humble and trying to curry favor with the Prince of Zhenbei. It's not certain who will call the shots in Yingcheng."
Moreover, the Prince of Zhenbei brought tens of thousands of troops to Yingcheng but did not express his opinion, which is probably to intimidate the Wei family and try to negotiate terms with them, but no agreement has been reached yet.
Lin Yuesha's heart was in turmoil. She couldn't see the end, so she could only avoid the clouds and move forward little by little. The Prince of Zhenbei was the biggest obstacle at present.
"What are you doing wandering around so late at night instead of staying in your room?"
Several groups of guards walked by, ignoring Hongchou and Lin Yuesha. The two were almost at the main kitchen when another group of men arrived. The leader of the group stopped them and questioned them.
Throughout the journey, Lin Yuesha was on tenterhooks, constantly worried that she would be stopped. Now that she was actually being questioned, her nervousness suddenly disappeared.
She remembered that she had also served as a maid under the watchful eye of the Prince of Zhenbei, and immediately replied fluently, "Granny Xiao has not been feeling well lately. I noticed that she did not have dinner tonight, so I thought I would go to the main kitchen to cook some porridge and send it to her."
"ah."
The foreman waved his hand and urged, "Then hurry up and go."
After a brief conversation, Lin Yuesha and Hongchou were allowed to pass.
Lin Yuesha was surprised that it was passed so easily. Hongchou explained to her, "After all, Xiao Mama was the prince's wet nurse. If Xiao Mama hadn't insisted on staying, she should be enjoying her retirement at her age."
Granny Xiao advised Prince Zhenbei to restrain himself, which greatly displeased him, and he was punished with several strokes of the cane, something that had never happened before.
Granny Xiao was not young, and coupled with her heartbreak and internal heat, she became unwell and confused.
Xiao Su couldn't bring himself to visit, but he instructed his men to take good care of the child.
Hongchou was really nervous when the leader stood in front of Lin Yuesha.
Unexpectedly, Lin Yuesha astutely found the right point, and the two passed the test with ease.
"Granny Xiao lives in a small courtyard next to the main courtyard. We'll go there later."
To enter the Prince of Zhenbei's courtyard, one inevitably has to pass by Granny Xiao's residence, and visiting Granny Xiao is the best excuse.
The two arrived at the main kitchen, where, as Hongchou had said, the maid who tended the fire was already fast asleep on a simple wooden bed in the woodshed.
The red silk was used to start a fire, and Lin Yuesha washed the rice and cooked porridge. She planned to make a vegetable and shredded pork porridge.
While Granny Xiao was taking her medicine and couldn't eat spicy side dishes, Lin Yuesha made thin pancakes with fine cornmeal and eggs.
Just now, she had a somewhat immature idea.
"If the villa had been in chaos that day, wouldn't our chances of escape have been much greater?"
Taking advantage of the chaos, Lin Yuesha felt even more confident.
"You mean set a fire?"
Hongchou considered this possibility, but finally shook her head; it was not feasible.
“The Prince of Zhenbei’s mansion and its detached courtyards were all flooded. From then on, Xiao Su built water storage ponds in each courtyard to store water.”
With so many guards in the manor, if there's a fire, it will surely be discovered very quickly.
This would only create temporary chaos and would alert the guards, thus hindering the escape.
“I know that. I’m not thinking about setting fires, I’m thinking about releasing people.”
Lin Yuesha touched her chin, thinking about her original intention.
Those innocent women, robbed or tricked, were locked up in a small courtyard and several cellars.
Lin Yuesha felt extremely depressed after spending less than a day in the courtyard. How innocent those girls were!
If the girls were released and scattered on the night of the assassination, and the guards went to capture them separately, the chances of escaping at that critical moment would be much greater.
It's easier said than done, and you also need to grasp the connection.
"Before this, Sister Hongliu and another maid in the manor delivered meals to the girls, and it was never my turn."
Hongchou was well hidden because she was strong and occasionally did odd jobs in the kitchen, becoming quite familiar with the cook.
After receiving the news, she devised a plan to have the maid who delivered the food fall down and be bedridden due to a broken bone, so that Hongchou could take over the job.
"The key has always been in Sister Hongliu's hands. I only have the key to the courtyard. Sister Hongliu gave it to me today when I went to collect the food boxes."
Hongliu is a meticulous person. If Hongchou hadn't used the excuse of burning paper money for Hongtao, she wouldn't have been able to take over the key at all.
"Sister Hongliu is indeed quite meticulous."
Lin Yuesha agreed, and Hongchou was also a clever person who had won people's hearts.
Convincing Hongliu is a tricky problem.
Hongliu was a servant born into the Zhenbei Prince's household. Although she did not agree with Xiao Su's actions, her concept of being a servant was already deeply ingrained.
Hongtao died tragically, and Hongliu secretly wiped away her tears. She couldn't bring herself to betray Xiao Su.
Whether to persuade Hongliu to join or to try to get the key, rescue the girl, create chaos, and escape is a difficult question.
"We don't have much time left."
Hongchou followed Lin Yuesha's instructions, but she didn't have any good ideas.
Lin Yuesha was inclined to persuade Hongliu to help, as having an accomplice would make things more secure and provide cover for her.
If Hongliu discovers the key is missing and makes a fuss, it will alert the enemy and hinder their actions.
Lin Yuesha touched her face. She had a relationship with Hongliu, but it wasn't strong enough for Hongliu to help her.
Helping her would be tantamount to betraying the Prince of Zhenbei. Even if Hongliu was willing, she had to consider the safety of her family.
"It's getting late. Let's familiarize ourselves with the terrain first, and then go visit Granny Xiao."
Lin Yuesha shook her head, deciding to take it one step at a time. With limited manpower, this was the only option.
Qi Heng always planned meticulously, with each step linked to the next. But Lin Yuesha's actions were entirely dependent on fate. However, she was no less capable and had already made preparations, waiting to exploit any loopholes.
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