The first annual celebration after the new emperor ascended the throne was an exceptionally grand event. If one wanted to keep the official hat securely on, anyone who was still able to breathe had to hurry there.
Zhang Yong slapped his thigh and said, "If it doesn't work, I'll just have to deal with the bandits on the way to Beijing and get seriously injured!"
This is not a peaceful time. We just have to get through this year. Once the Yellow River bursts its banks next year, civil unrest will surely break out. Who would have the time to care about the fact that a county governor at the border didn't come to pay tribute?
Besides, they will not be at the mercy of others by then.
"If it really doesn't work, we can indeed use this method, but it's a very bad idea." The speaker was Ji Huan.
There were six people in the huge outer study. Wei Jing was sitting in the main seat behind the wide nanmu desk, with Shao Qing beside him, and Han Xi, Ji Huan, Zhang Yong and Chen Qi sitting below him. Such top secret cannot be known to Zhuang Yan, Kou Xuan and others.
When Ji Huan saw Zhang Yong opening his mouth to ask, he raised his hand and said, "Gong Shu, please listen to me."
"To go to the capital to pay tribute, we must first gather in Gucheng, and then go to the capital with He Yun. This He Yun has met our lord. Therefore, if we use the injury strategy, we must implement it before arriving in Gucheng."
"In this case, we are too close to Gucheng."
It only takes five days for Gao Ling to travel from Gucheng by express horse, so there is no need to worry that He Yun will come to meet him in person. However, since he is absent from the court celebration, it is necessary for the other party to send his confidants to check on him.
Regardless of whether it is an injury or an illness, it cannot be fake. It must be able to stand the test, and the injury must be so serious that the patient cannot move.
It is of course impossible to let Wei Jing hurt himself. It is not impossible to let his confidant impersonate him, but there is also the risk of being exposed because He Hong will definitely send people to investigate.
The person who came to check might not be the one who saw Wei Jing in person last time.
This is very troublesome. We have to deal with He Hong’s people first to prevent them from arriving smoothly.
It is possible, but it will inevitably arouse suspicion. Moreover, many people went to Beijing, except Wei Jing, so it was inevitable that Anyang County would show up in advance. Therefore, Ji Huan said this was the worst option.
Wei Jing nodded: "Bo Yan is right."
So at the beginning, he also said this to Shao Qing.
"Hiss, if we don't have to use the method of absence due to injury, then disguise is probably the only way." Chen Qi, who had been listening with a frown, took over the conversation. He used the method of elimination.
"If my husband comes to congratulate me, I'm afraid it won't be safe to disguise myself, right?"
Shao Qing glanced at Wei Jing. What attracted people's attention was not just his face. The aura, voice, body shape, manners and gait, etc., if it were an acquaintance, one would probably become suspicious at first sight.
The capital is not their territory, and once they fall into a passive situation, it will be very difficult.
And there is also the problem of disguise that needs to be overcome.
Shao Qing shook his head. If Wei Jing were to change his appearance, it would be a worse option than to resort to the worst option of getting injured.
Just as she was thinking this, an idea suddenly occurred to her: "Huh? Can we replace him with someone else?"
Anyway, I have changed my appearance and found a new confidant, so there will be no problem with the voice, figure, aura and behavior.
Wei Jing's eyes flickered slightly: "This strategy is negotiable."
He had never thought of going to the court to congratulate himself. How could he be taught to kneel down and kowtow to his enemy? Secondly, if he entered the palace, he would meet too many old acquaintances, which, as Shao Qing said, was too risky.
It's a good idea to use a trusted person to replace someone else.
Wei Jing was very clear about Chao He's position. As a prefect of a remote province like Yizhou, he could only stand at the back and be submerged in the crowd. Moreover, neither He Yun and other Yizhou officials nor the people in the capital knew this newly emerged "Yang Ze", and they just dealt with the congratulations in a mediocre manner.
The only two things that need to be solved are the art of disguise and He Hong.
Wei Jing glanced at Shao Qing and asked, "Didn't you think about the art of disguise before? How did it go?"
Speaking of lifelike disguise, the first person he thought of was his wife. On the way from Hexiang to Pingtao, he had seen with his own eyes how she used makeup powder to disguise herself as a completely unfamiliar yellow-faced boy.
If it weren't for the Adam's apple and the trace of feminine posture that remained when she walked, it would be said to be perfect.
Now the replacement confidant must be a man, so the above problem will no longer exist.
Because of this experience, Shao Qing sincerely believes that makeup is a good skill, except that it is not waterproof. After arriving in Pingtao, she had studied it painstakingly, and Wei Jing knew everything from what she muttered.
"Well, there's still a little bit left. I have some idea of the ingredients for mixing the makeup powder, but I haven't tried it yet."
Shao Qing was inspired by liquid foundation and wondered if he could mix suitable liquid materials into makeup powder to make it waterproof. She tried for a long time and failed every time. Later, Kou Yue was comforting her and was heard by Yan Ming. He laughed at her and mentioned several kinds of plant juices, saying that they could keep out water after being applied.
Shao Qing was naturally overjoyed, but at that time the siege of the Pu tribe was about to begin and she was extremely busy, so she put it aside until now.
"I'll try it later."
When Wei Jing asked, she hurriedly said, "I have seen those kinds of plant juices. Well, the success rate should be more than 50%."
"Okay, then you try it first. If it succeeds, we'll discuss the next step."
…
Wei Jing asked Shao Qing to try it immediately.
Shao Qing naturally had no choice but to respond. She hurried back to the backyard, took out the several kinds of tree sap that she had asked Yan Ming to process, then took the makeup powder from the dressing table, picked out a little and tried to mix it evenly.
"Husband, do you want to go to the capital too?"
Wei Jing also followed closely and was staring at her movements. He was paying close attention to this matter, and Shao Qing felt that he also wanted to take the opportunity to go to the capital.
"Um."
Wei Jing nodded, "This is a good opportunity. It is very suitable for finding out the current situation in the capital. In addition, I want to contact my old spies."
Many foreign ministers and princes came to congratulate, and the bustling capital was perfect for fishing in troubled waters. Although Wei Jing had sent his confidants to the capital to gather information, seeing is believing, and there are some political acumen that spies do not possess.
The second point is the most crucial. Wei Jing wants to contact the spies he had planted in the past.
As a prince, although he is stationed in the northern border, it is essential to place spies everywhere. These people used to be his loyal confidants, and there must be quite a few of them who are still loyal. But there must have been rebellion. After all, the new emperor had been on the throne for almost a year, and the news of his "death" had been circulating for a long time.
This requires one-by-one identification before contacting each other.
The news that he is still alive is so important that Wei Jing will feel relieved only after he has personally checked it.
This court visit was a good opportunity. If his disguise was successful, he could disguise himself as an entourage member, be inconspicuous, and enter the capital openly.
Shao Qing nodded, his expression tense and more serious.
She tried the juices one by one. Well, two of them were good. They mixed well with makeup powder. She tested the color with the back of her hand and it was also very even.
The most important thing is that it has a good waterproof effect.
It's a bit thin, it would be better if it could be thicker.
She glanced at the other types that had just been eliminated because they were too thick, and an idea suddenly occurred to her: why not try mixing them?
Shao Qing's idea was correct. She tried twenty or thirty proportions and finally came up with a juice with just the right consistency, excellent blending degree and the best waterproof effect.
This mixed juice is not only good for mixing makeup powder, but also for blending the bronze ink for drawing eyebrows, rouge for lips, etc.
Shao Qing carefully examined the sample on the back of his hand, then immersed his hand in a copper basin. After a cup of tea, the sample did not show any sign of fading. She poured another brown sap provided by Yan Ming into the water. After a while, she took her hand out and wiped it, and the sample spread out.
She said to Wei Jingxi: "It's done!"
…
The disguise was successful, and the next step was to deal with the He Hong problem.
He Hong had seen Wei Jing's true appearance with his own eyes. Since he had to use his confidant to replace him, the fake "Yang Ze" could not meet him.
But he had once told Wei Jing that he was also one of the people accompanying him in the congratulations. He Hong's face was filled with joy and anticipation when he talked about it. Although he could not go to the palace to congratulate the new emperor for the first time upon his accession to the throne, he was also looking forward to this grand event very much.
"Hasn't He Xin been sending people to track down He Hong in order to kill him?" Wei Jing tapped the desk with his index finger: "We can start from here."
Get rid of them all before reaching Gucheng.
"Exactly, absolutely!"
Zhang Yong slapped his thigh and looked at Ji Huan and others. They all thought of the same thing.
Ji Huan hurriedly said, "My Lord, you must quickly write a letter to invite He Hong to go with you. Now is the right time to send it out."
He Hong was still inspecting the salt and iron industry in the southeast, but it was almost over and he was preparing to return. In fact, according to common sense, this person has some abilities, and He Xin probably can't find an opportunity to make a move, so he needs someone to give him a push.
Wei Jing did not intend to let He Hong lose his life or completely lose his competitiveness. After all, he was still useful. The most appropriate way is to invite the other party to join in, which can not only create a suitable loophole for He Xin, but also keep the extent of the accident under control.
Wei Jing picked up the pen and quickly wrote a letter, sealed it with a seal and added sealing wax, and handed it to Ji Huan.
Ji Huan took it and asked, "My Lord, who should we choose to go to the capital in disguise?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Han Xi, Zhang Yong and Chen Qi.
The reason why he had to change his appearance was probably because not everyone could impersonate "Yang Ze".
Loyalty is not to be mentioned. This person must also be familiar with the internal and external affairs of Anyang County, have a sense of the overall situation, and have a dabbling in official culture. Otherwise, there is a risk of being exposed.
In fact, the only three people who meet the requirements are Han, Zhang and Chen. Their martial arts skills are consistent with the deeds of "Yang Ze". They are familiar with Anyang and have served as senior military officers, so they have a deep understanding of official culture.
However, since he had been a military general of the Great Chu, even if he had never been to the capital, he still had to make the necessary preparations, and disguising himself was necessary.
Han Xi has stepped forward: "My lord, I am willing to go to the capital."
In comparison, he is indeed more suitable. He is tall and thin, with a restrained temperament, and can blend in with others more easily. Unlike Zhang Yong and Chen Qi, who have bulging muscles and rough manners, they look like military officers at first glance.
Han Xi was also aware of this, and he felt it was his duty to help his lord by sharing his worries.
Wei Jing nodded: "Yes."
…
The strategy is decided upon, which involves a series of intensive preparations.
The next step was to write a letter to invite He Hong to join him.
As expected, He Hong readily agreed. And when he received the letter, he was already preparing to return and would be there soon.
"My lord, He Hong and his party have entered Anyang County and will arrive at Gaoling tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
Han Xi cupped his hands and said, "Our people replied that the people following He Hong and his group not only did not leave, but also added two more people."
The follower had sent a message, and following the message, it turned out to be He Xin.
"It seems that He Xin is determined to kill He Hong." This is exactly what he wanted.
Wei Jing smiled faintly, his eyes not reaching his eyes: "Send an order, send more people to keep a close eye on He Xin, and sort out his abnormalities in recent days."
…
After a series of orders, it was already the beginning of the night when Han Xi took the orders and withdrew.
As the night deepened, Wei Jing left the study and returned to the backyard.
Shao Qing went back early. These days, she focused on mixing makeup powder.
The effect was remarkable. She had prepared a complete set of waterproof disguise materials of varying depths. Han Xi and Wei Jing had tried their makeup and were very satisfied with it. Now it was time for her to tidy herself up.
Shao Qing had to go with him on this trip north. After all, no matter how waterproof the disguise is, it cannot be kept for two or three months at a time, and makeup techniques cannot be mastered in a short time, so she has to follow.
Wei Jing did not raise any objection. Firstly, he needed her to disguise himself; secondly, he was not at ease leaving his wife alone thousands of miles away for two or three months. The most important point is that although the capital city may seem to be full of dangers, the risk of this trip is actually very low.
The capital city had the most distinct hierarchies. The small group of people who had the opportunity to see the Princess of Qi in the past were basically in the circle of noble ladies, while the circle of foreign officials and their followers was so far away from them that they could not possibly intersect at all. Besides, she has disguised herself, so there is no chance of accident if she doesn't reveal her true face.
It was even okay for Shao Qing to present herself as a girl. It was actually quite normal for foreign officials to bring one or two concubines or maids with them when they went to the capital.
However, Wei Jing would definitely not be happy with her pretending to be someone else's concubine or maid, even if that person was Han Xi. Shao Qing also felt that it would be more convenient for him to move around as a man, so the two of them discussed it briefly and decided to present themselves as teenagers.
"Ah Qing?"
Wei Jing pushed open the door and saw no one outside, so he went straight into the inner room. Turning the screen, he saw a young man in a light blue robe sitting in front of the dressing table with his back to him, drawing in front of a bronze mirror.
"Is the Lord back?"
He called out, and the young man stood up, turned around and came forward, bowing solemnly: "I greet the Lord."
The young man in the blue robe had fair skin with a slight yellow tint, without any trace of the crystal-clear look of the past. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and looked delicate yet unfamiliar. His every move was quite generous, without any trace of femininity.
Wei Jing couldn't help but smile.
He pretended to be really good, even his Adam's apple was exposed, faintly visible behind his collar.
"How about it?"
He didn't speak for a long time. Shao Qing became anxious and came closer to him without lowering his voice. His voice returned to its usual clear and crisp tone.
"very nice."
Wei Jing's evaluation was sincere. The man in front of him was completely different from his wife. There was not the slightest resemblance. Even when he got closer, he could only smell the faint scent of grass, without any trace of the subtle fragrance from the past.
“That’s it!”
Shao Qing put a lot of effort into this outfit. Not only was the face, neck and hands flawless, but the clothes were also remade and the shoulder and waist pads were removable and easy to install. And the most important thing is that she learned from Qu Gan's lesson and imitated the boy's gait to learn from it, with quite good results.
And unlike summer, winter was different. She was now wearing a thick robe that reached her ankles and covered her tightly. The thin robe that only reached her calves in summer was completely incomparable.
Shao Qing had worked so hard to achieve perfection, and was so happy to receive such high praise from Wei Jing. She coughed twice, stood up straight, and walked a few steps steadily. She turned around and asked curiously, "What can I do for you, my lord?"
She was very proud of her skills, and pretended to be curious, and simply sang in an opera voice. This smug look made Wei Jing's heart itch. He also coughed lightly and replied: "I came to find my wife."
He also walked over in a serious tone, "It's getting late, I want to take my wife into the tent to rest."
Just take a rest, why do you have to record it in the account?
It’s easy to make people have wild thoughts, you know?
Wei Jing's lines were out of context, which made Shao Qing blush. Fortunately, she was wearing makeup so it was not noticeable. She glared at him and said, "I don't know where the wife of the Lord is. How about we go look for her?"
As she was about to jump away, Wei Jing grabbed her back. He smiled and put his arm around her waist: "Young Master, you are quite handsome. How about serving him first?"
Not a big deal!
Tsk tsk, that sounds so weird.
"Hey, why are you..." Why don't you follow the plot?
Shao Qing, who was in high spirits, protested vigorously, but Wei Jing thought that this was just the joy of the boudoir. He leaned over and the rest of his words disappeared between his lips.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com