Chapter 98
Xue Jin'an didn't deliberately lower his voice, so his words were naturally heard by the crowd. They were all stunned and looked at each other, unsure of the identity of the person in the carriage. They hesitated and didn't take any further action.
Just then, Xue Jin'an strode out of Zhaoyang Palace and stopped in front of the carriage. He lifted the curtain and met the eyes of the woman inside, who was dressed as a palace maid. Their similar peach blossom eyes reflected each other's appearance and figure.
Despite their unremarkable facial features, there was an inexplicable, chilling resemblance at this moment. If someone were to see them clearly now, they would certainly not doubt their blood relation. —Of course, Xue Jin'an's keen eyesight would naturally tell that this face was not Zhou Yushu's own.
However, unlike his perfect disguise as Chu Wenjing, which left no trace of his true identity, his disguise as a palace maid this time was somewhat "perfunctory." Xue Jin'an could see traces of powder on his face; in other words, he was wearing makeup.
It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and these two pairs of peach blossom eyes, whether in terms of eye shape or pupil color, seem to have been carved from the same template.
The difference lies in the fact that Xue Jin'an's pupils are dark and deep, like a dark abyss that swallows all light. At first glance, they give one a chilling feeling that everything is seen through, but if you look at them for a while, you will find that there is actually nothing in those eyes. On the other hand, the eyes of the person in the carriage carry the vicissitudes and resentment accumulated over the years, and contain a thousand unresolved thoughts. They are a pair of eyes filled with cold calculation, revealing the temperament of their owner.
"Zhou Yushu." Xue Jin'an murmured his name silently, then said aloud, "It really is you."
“...It’s me.” A flash of surprise crossed Zhou Yushu’s eyes. He pursed his lips and acknowledged his identity, his expression complex.
When Zhou Yushu was using Chu Wenjing's identity, he had seen the Seventh Prince more than once, but he had never carefully sketched his facial features like this, scrutinizing every detail.
Compared to the little girl in my memory, Xue Jin'an has grown up a lot, and her temperament has undergone a complete transformation. She is calm and dangerous, a completely different type from her sister, yet her face is becoming more and more similar to her sister's.
Zhou Yushu was actually unsure how to speak to Xue Jin'an. This was his sister's only bloodline, one of the few remaining ties his sister had in this world. But this person not only carried his sister's blood, but also the blood of the royal family, which he loathed. Yet it was this child who single-handedly killed Chu Wenwan, swiftly avenging his sister.
Zhou Yushu used to not care whose child he was. To him, this nephew he had only met a few times was just an appendage of his sister. His name and personality didn't matter. As long as he remembered that he was his sister's child, that was enough. But after his sister died, everything he hadn't cared about turned into a thorn in his heart, making him feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.
Even when he was using the identity of Chu Wenjing, he never felt that talking to the Seventh Prince was anything special.
Zhou Yushu lowered his eyes, concealing his emotions, and said in a calm tone, "Let's talk up here."
"Okay." Xue Jin'an obediently replied, and with a push of her hand, she sat directly on the carriage shaft.
In fact, Zhou Yushu originally only wanted to send his undercover agents to contact Xue Jin'an and find out about his situation. He thought it was not a difficult task. However, Xi Yun failed to bring back a single word in two days. The reason was that Zhaoyang Palace was heavily guarded and the people around Xue Jin'an were very sharp and quick-witted, so there was no chance to make contact.
Just as Zhou Yushu was doubting Xi Yun's abilities and loyalty, she brought back news: there were suspected spies from the Imperial Clothing Bureau in Zhaoyang Palace, and the Emperor was monitoring the Seventh Prince.
“I’ve met that Xia Zi before. He used to be a member of the Qian Yuan Palace. I’m sure of it.” Xi Yun frowned as she said this. “The Qian Yuan Palace carried out a purge earlier, and many spies died. I thought he was among them, but it turns out he faked his death. His true identity is actually the Emperor’s man.”
It's no wonder Xi Yun thought that way. With the chief eunuch Li Hechun leading the way, many of the eunuchs and maids in Qian Yuan Palace would secretly sell the concubines some harmless gossip about the emperor, such as what the emperor wanted to eat that day, whether he reviewed memorials or read leisure books before going to bed... In short, it was all trivial stuff.
Although Chu Wenwan spent her days chanting scriptures and praying to Buddha in Yihe Palace while she was alive, maintaining her image of not competing or fighting, she was not truly without ambition. Her subordinates still had dealings with the eunuchs and maids of Qianyuan Palace, and Xia Zi was one of them.
Xia Zi is relatively low-key and unremarkable. His appearance is also the type that blends into the crowd. He only had contact with the people from Yihe Palace once, so it's unlikely that anyone else would remember him.
Xi Yun was also a spy. The basic quality of a spy is to remember everyone they have met so that they can find them immediately if something happens. Even if they have only met once, she will not forget the other person's appearance and name.
Xi Yun, who was already under strict guard and had difficulty contacting anyone from Zhaoyang Palace, immediately chose to abandon the mission and hide herself when she saw Xia Zi, not wanting to expose her identity. She then informed Chu Wenjing of the matter.
Chu Wenjing immediately became restless. He was worried that the emperor might do something, so after thinking it over, he decided to come and see for himself, which led to this whole situation.
Actually, to be honest, his attempt to scam Cui Zui was somewhat of an accident. With the help of Xi Yun, his inside man, he successfully entered the palace and disguised himself as a palace maid. He even planned to enter Zhaoyang Palace through legitimate means. However, things didn't go as planned, and he encountered the Eldest Princess before he could even get started.
Princess Tai Le was with her, apparently there to explain the situation regarding the incident at the birthday banquet where the Third Prince beat up the Ninth Prince. The Ninth Prince woke up after being unconscious for a day and a night due to blood loss, and then filed a complaint with the Emperor, accusing the Third Princess, the Seventh Prince, the Third Prince, Princess Tai Le, and others.
Zhou Yushu didn't want to be seen by the mother and daughter, especially Xiao Taile. Back then, he had put in a lot of effort to solve that human trafficking case, and Taile had seen his real face.
Although the news about the princess's daughter was all negative, saying she was terrified after the incident, Zhou Yushu still felt something was amiss. The princess was a cunning person, and her daughter probably had some evil tendencies as well. In any case, to prevent his identity from being exposed, he hurriedly retreated, carefully protecting his face so that they wouldn't see it at all.
Fortunately, the princess only glanced at his back and didn't take it too seriously.
Zhou Yushu hadn't given up on trying to find a legitimate way to enter Zhaoyang Palace and meet with Xue Jin'an, but instead, he met with the Fourth Prince, who had been trying to block him recently.
Zhou Yushu: "..."
As the saying goes, "things don't happen more than three times," and Zhou Yushu's patience ran out. So he simply took the most direct approach, staged an accident with Cui Zui, and successfully achieved his goal.
But when it came time to meet him, Zhou Yushu became somewhat flustered. He didn't get off the carriage immediately and was still mentally preparing himself. Little did he know that Xue Jin'an had already guessed his identity and came directly to him.
“Walls have ears. You shouldn’t have come here so recklessly,” Zhou Yushu said coldly.
“There are spies everywhere in Zhaoyang Palace. The emperor will know about your appearance tomorrow,” Xue Jin’an said truthfully.
The Imperial Guards outside Zhaoyang Palace were all under the Emperor's command, and this particular unit was under the command of Commander Wei, the Emperor's confidant. When necessary, they would become the Emperor's eyes and ears, providing him with information.
Zhou Yushu frowned and immediately said, "Let's find a place where we can talk."
“There’s no need for that,” Xue Jin’an refused. “The palace is the emperor’s territory. The Imperial Guard can have as many spies as they want. Once I’m on the carriage, your identity will be exposed. Why not just show it to them openly?”
Since they're already here, anyone with eyes can see there's something wrong with the carriage. The more they try to hide it, the more the emperor suspects they're plotting something sinister. The more they secretly send people to spy on them, the more they'll just come openly and brazenly. Who knows, it might have a surprising effect, intimidating everyone and making them afraid to make any rash moves.
Zhou Yushu pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.
Then Xue Jin'an readily offered a friendly invitation: "Would you like to offer incense to Mother?"
“I…haven’t seen her in a long time either.” Zhou Yushu agreed, but before getting out of the car, he took out a special potion from his sleeve and applied it to his face, which immediately changed his appearance.
While his facial features hadn't changed drastically, some subtle alterations dramatically enhanced their refinement, transforming his otherwise ordinary face into a delicate and beautiful one. He was indeed quite handsome, bearing a six- or seven-tenths resemblance to the original owner's mother, though his facial lines were more defined. However, his pale complexion and almost bloodless lips gave him a gloomy and sickly air, making him appear quite fragile.
"Are you sick?" Xue Jin'an asked.
Zhou Yushu shook his head and said only, "I'm fine, let's go."
Zhou Yushu didn't intend to tell Xue Jin'an that his pale complexion was due to suppressing the Gu worm. Zhou Yushu had a type of Gu in his body. Those afflicted with Gu would experience a flare-up of poison every month, with a side effect that caused their bones to become completely soft—literally soft, so soft that they could be easily shaped and repositioned. He used this Gu worm to completely alter his appearance and impersonate Chu Wenjing.
A Gu that has such side effects is naturally not a good Gu. When the poison takes effect, all the bones in the body will hurt. If the bones are not adjusted for too long, they will grow deformed. When it is time to correct them, the bones will have to be broken. You can imagine the pain.
However, Zhou Yushu was already used to it. Because he had to always wear Chu Wenjing's mask, he had no intention of suppressing the Gu worms. This time, in order to see Xue Jin'an, he finally took the suppressant medicine. However, he didn't know if the medicine he had prepared two years ago had expired, or if he hadn't used the remedy for too long, causing the Gu worms to grow too strong. This time, he found it difficult to suppress the Gu worms' rampage, so he had to take two more doses of medicine.
The medicine worked quickly, and the Gu worms in his body went into hibernation. Zhou Yushu used professional techniques to massage his face, and his original appearance was restored. He was somewhat lost in thought when he looked at himself in the mirror, feeling that his face was strangely unfamiliar.
Every medicine has some degree of toxicity, and the medicine used to suppress such a malevolent creature as the Gu worm is naturally not an ordinary medicine. Zhou Yushu also suffered some pain.
In order to conceal his complexion and avoid drawing too much attention, he used traditional disguise techniques (makeup) to slightly alter his face.
"I didn't expect to end up using this face again. What a waste of my time." Since he was going to be open about it, Zhou Yushu simply showed his face so that the emperor's people could have a good look at it, and it would be best to inform the emperor and scare him to death.
Zhou Yushu had a wicked thought.
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