"Sister-in-law, what are you doing digging a large hidden compartment under the carriage?" The Fifth Prince looked at the square carriage panel and asked casually, but a cold glint flashed in his dark eyes.
Ordinary carriages have various hidden compartments on the sides, but the bottom is just a flat surface without any hidden compartments.
“I’m more sensitive to heat, so the hidden compartment is for storing ice in the summer.” Shen Lixue smiled radiantly, brighter than the warm sun in the sky. The Fifth Prince frowned slightly at her smile. Her expression was natural and open, without the panic and tension of being caught. Could it be that there was nothing wrong with the hidden compartment?
"Open the hidden compartment." The hidden compartment was in the center of the carriage, taking up almost half of it. It would be cool to put ice in during the summer and could also fit an adult. Regardless of whether there was a problem or not, he had to check it.
Turning around, seeing Shen Lixue's displeased gaze, the Fifth Prince smiled and explained, "Sister-in-law, don't misunderstand..."
“I understand. The Fifth Prince doesn’t doubt me. He’s just thinking about my safety, just in case.” Shen Lixue interrupted the Fifth Prince with a smile. Her clear voice carried a hint of sarcasm. If he really believed her, he would have let the carriage of the Holy Prince’s Mansion go back long ago. Why would he send so many guards to conduct such a thorough inspection?
The Fifth Prince chuckled awkwardly and looked into the hidden compartment inside the carriage.
The guards uncovered the blankets, grabbed the edge of the hidden compartment, and slowly lifted the ebony wooden board in the center.
The Fifth Prince's sharp eyes were fixed on the movement under the wooden board, while the guards all placed their hands on their sword hilts, on high alert, ready to strike at any moment.
The moment the ebony floorboards lifted off the ground, everyone immediately looked into the hidden compartment. The large compartment was half a meter deep, and inside were neatly arranged baskets of dried flowers, emitting a faint, refreshing fragrance. There was nothing else inside.
The guards secretly breathed a sigh of relief, lowered their arms from their sword hilts, and retreated imperceptibly.
The Fifth Prince's eyes flickered, and he smiled as he apologized to Shen Lixue, "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, sister-in-law."
"It's alright, the Fifth Prince is just doing his duty." Shen Lixue glanced at the guards who had laid out the wooden planks and blankets: "The carriage inspection is complete, may I leave now?"
"Of course, please, sister-in-law." The Fifth Prince smiled broadly, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Shen Lixue didn't mind, and helped Qiu He into the carriage, lowering the curtain.
The guards automatically made way for him, and Zi Mo, holding the reins, drove the carriage slowly forward, quickly passing the guards and onto the wide avenue.
The Fifth Prince looked at the well-connected streets with a sharp gaze. His men had surrounded the area, and the assassin had no chance of escaping. He must still be nearby: "Search every inch of the place. We absolutely cannot let that assassin get away."
"Yes!" The guards roared, gripping their swords, and dispersed in an orderly fashion.
A hundred meters away, on a magnificent carriage, the emblem of the Holy King's Mansion fluttered in the wind. Inside the carriage, a woman in a beige ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) sat quietly opposite Shen Lixue. Her exquisite cloud-shaped hair was loosely tied up with only a hairpin. She had beautiful peach blossom eyes that were captivating, a high and straight nose, and rosy lips like pink petals that aroused desire. Her skin was as delicate as porcelain and as white as jade.
The stunning beauty made Shen Lixue want to laugh: "Nangong Xiao, if you walked down the street dressed like that, many outstanding men would be captivated by you." Having such a devilishly handsome face has its advantages; it can save your life in a critical moment.
Nangong Xiao's face instantly turned as black as ink. He lifted the carriage curtain and looked back to make sure no guards were following. He then reached out and tore at his beautiful ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress): "Chen Lixue, what kind of terrible idea is this? You actually made me, the young master, pretend to be your maid!"
He, the dignified heir of the King of Yunnan, actually dressed in women's clothing and pretended to be a woman. How utterly shameful!
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow: "The Fifth Prince is so shrewd. He searched the carriage thoroughly, even finding the hidden compartment under the blanket. If you weren't disguised as a maid, he would have found you no matter where you hid." The assassin was a man, and the guards would search for men, not women.
As luck would have it, Shen Lixue wasn't feeling well and went to the palace banquet. She didn't plan to stay long and only brought Qiuhe with her, which gave Nangong Xiao the opportunity to impersonate her maid. Otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to help him through this difficult time.
Nangong Xiao frowned, took off his beige ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), changed into his own clothes, removed his hairpin, combed his hair back into his princely hairstyle, and muttered to Shen Lixue, "Thank you." Although he spoke toughly, he was still very grateful to Shen Lixue in his heart.
Shen Lixue leaned back against the cushion, looking at Nangong Xiao calmly: "What did you steal from Dongfang Che? Why were you chased so badly by him?"
"It's nothing particularly important, just a jade Guanyin statue." Nangong Xiao took out a jade Guanyin statue from his sleeve and tossed it to Shen Lixue.
The jade Guanyin was carved from the finest jade, its surface smooth and lustrous to the touch, crystal clear, and lifelike. It was extremely valuable. Shen Lixue examined it repeatedly but couldn't discern anything special about it: "You, the Prince of Yunnan, surely have plenty of money, right? You actually sneaked into the palace to steal the Fifth Prince's jade Guanyin."
The Fifth Prince, too, stabbed Nangong Xiao over a jade Guanyin statue and brought so many people to hunt him down. Something's not right: "Are you hiding something from me?"
Nangong Xiao held the teacup lightly with his white jade fingers, his pupils flickering in the rising steam: "I stole this jade Guanyin from a large mansion."
Shen Lixue frowned: "It's not surprising that Dongfang Che, as a prince of the royal family, has a large mansion."
The capital city is under the emperor's nose. Whether it's a noble family or a civil or military official, they all have shops and houses that bring them some income. For example, the crown prince and the Prince of Zhan have many shops, both openly and secretly. The Drunken Immortal Pavilion was opened by Dongfang Heng. Although it was mainly used to collect intelligence, it cannot be denied that it brings in a lot of gold and silver every year.
"The strange thing is that his mansion wasn't inhabited by maids or servants, but by highly skilled guards."
Nangong Xiao's meaningful smile made Shen Lixue's gaze sharpen: "How many?"
Nangong Xiao shook his head: "I didn't count carefully, but it's not a hundred, but it's at least ten."
"So many!" Shen Lixue's beautiful eyebrows furrowed tightly. Generally speaking, a house that is not occupied for a long time is either rented out to others to earn rent, or it is cleaned and guarded by a special person. The owner can move in at any time. No matter how big or luxurious the house is, if the owner is not there, there is no need to go to great lengths to send ten guards to guard it. This is really too many.
"How did you find the Fifth Prince's residence?" The guards of the Holy King's Mansion were well-informed, and Shen Lixue had never heard them mention that the Fifth Prince had a residence.
“Naturally, I followed him.” Nangong Xiao’s lips curled into a smug smile. “It was quite a coincidence. In the afternoon, the Crown Prince was leading his troops on a city patrol. He drank too much and was unconscious, so the Fifth Prince volunteered to take his place. I saw him sneaking into a small alley, so I quietly followed him. I never expected it to be his residence…”
Shen Lixue nodded in understanding. No wonder the Fifth Prince appeared with so many people before the welcoming banquet was over. It turned out he was there to inspect the city in place of the Crown Prince. He was really eager to show himself. Today he was inspecting the city for the Crown Prince, and tomorrow he might be the one to ascend the throne for the Crown Prince.
“He was very vigilant and cautious. The mansion was full of traps. I accidentally triggered one, and he discovered me and chased me here…” Nangong Xiao’s mouth was dry as he spoke. He picked up his teacup and took a big gulp.
Shen Lixue looked at the bloodstains on Nangong Xiao's arm: "Were you injured by a trap?"
"Of course, otherwise do you think those lousy guards could hurt me, the young master!" Nangong Xiao's voice was arrogant, and his devilish face was full of an annoying smile.
"And what's the story behind this jade Guanyin?" Shen Lixue knew that Nangong Xiao was highly skilled in martial arts, so she didn't argue with him. She raised the valuable jade Guanyin, but Nangong Xiao talked a lot without mentioning it.
Nangong Xiao said dismissively, "The Jade Guanyin was the mechanism, one link after another, brimming with murderous intent, trapping me tightly. Unable to find a way to break it, I impulsively removed it, and then the mechanism automatically stopped, allowing me to escape..."
Shen Lixue: "..."
The mechanisms were mostly fixed in the room, as steadfast as a rock, yet Nangong Xiao managed to remove them; that's truly impressive.
"You didn't reveal anything to the Fifth Prince, did you?" The Fifth Prince had been pretending for so many years that no one had noticed anything amiss. Just now, when facing Shen Lixue, he also acted very naturally. Shen Lixue couldn't tell what he was thinking, nor could she guess whether he had anyone he suspected.
"I was masked and only met the Fifth Prince from a distance. He shouldn't have recognized me." Even so, Nangong Xiao wasn't sure. He had been a hostage in the capital and had grown up with the Fifth Prince since childhood. He hadn't noticed that the Fifth Prince was pretending, which showed that the prince was very cunning and should know him quite well. Was it possible that he could recognize him by his appearance?
"Be careful. If the Fifth Prince's secret residence is discovered, he will not let it go easily."
Shen Lixue's kind reminder rang in his ears, but Nangong Xiao was preoccupied and mumbled, "I know."
Looking at Nangong Xiao's furrowed brows, Shen Lixue hesitated for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Nangong Xiao, I think this is a good opportunity for you."