"Dongfang Heng, I've met Consort Shu, Ye Qianmei's mother!" As the carriage entered the main road, Shen Lixue got back to the main story and recounted what had happened at Changxin Palace the previous night. Finally, she asked Dongfang Heng, "Do you think Consort Shu knows me?"
“Last night, Consort Shu’s secret guards returned to the Duke of Mu’s mansion. Half an hour later, the Duke of Mu’s mansion secretly dispatched two groups of people. One group went to Yingzhou, and the other took a shortcut to the border. If I’m not mistaken, their destination is Qingyan Capital!” Dongfang Heng’s gaze deepened as he answered a question that seemed unrelated to the one he was asking.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened: "Are you saying that Consort Shu suspects me and is investigating me?"
"Consort Shu knows you, or more precisely, she knows your mother, Lin Qingzhu!" Consort Shu is thirty-six years old, and if Lin Qingzhu hadn't passed away, she would be thirty-two. The two are quite similar in age, and Shen Lixue is growing more and more like Lin Qingzhu. Consort Shu's surprise upon seeing her makes this explanation quite reasonable.
“My mother only lived in the capital and Qingzhou!” Qingzhou was a poor and remote place, and Mu Zixin, as a noble consort, would not deign to go there. That left only the capital. Sixteen years ago, Lin Qingzhu was a talented woman who was famous throughout the capital: “The consort has been to Qingyan.”
Dongfang Heng's obsidian-like eyes were unfathomable: "I have definitely been there!" The Holy Princess Consort appeared in the hands of the concubines of Xiliang in Huasheng, which was lost in Qingyan. The Consort Shu, who had lived in the deep palace for a long time, knew Lin Qingzhu from the capital of Qingyan. Over the years, many people from Xiliang had gone to Qingyan.
"Have we alerted her?" Consort Shu knew that Shen Lixue was Lin Qingzhu's daughter, so she could guess her purpose in coming to Xiliang and would definitely increase her vigilance.
“Not yet!” Dongfang Heng shook his head, his gaze serious. “Everyone in Qingyan knows that you are Lin Qingzhu’s daughter. If Consort Shu also knew, she would immediately confirm your identity and would not send anyone to Qingyan to investigate. She is probably just suspicious right now.”
Shen Lixue blinked: "Everyone in Qingyan Capital knows we're married. If Consort Shu's guards report my identity, she'll definitely know that you've also come to Xiliang. Our purpose will be pretty much exposed." Investigating Huasheng's affairs will become even more difficult.
Dongfang Heng took a sip of tea, his gaze unfathomable: "From the capital of Xiliang to the capital of Qingyan, a round trip would take a month even with the fastest horses, without sleep or rest. That's enough time for us to get a lot done!"
Shen Lixue's eyes flickered, and she sighed helplessly, "Yingzhou is not too far from here. If they travel at full speed and use carrier pigeons, it won't take more than a few days!" Consort Shu will soon find out that there is no one named Shen Li in Yingzhou.
Dongfang Heng gently embraced Shen Lixue, a mysterious smile playing on his lips: "Don't worry, I've arranged everything!"
"What are you planning to do?" Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow at Dongfang Heng.
"You'll know by the day after tomorrow at the latest!" Dongfang Heng said mysteriously, his sexy thin lips gently kissing Shen Lixue's soft cherry lips, while his jade-like fingers also mischievously tugged at the belt around Shen Lixue's waist.
"Dongfang Heng, this is in the car!" Shen Lixue pinched Dongfang Heng's handsome face, protesting in dissatisfaction.
Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue traveled all the way from Qingyan to Xiliang, riding at breakneck speed, focused on investigating the truth about Huasheng. They rarely rested, let alone had any intimate moments.
On their first night in Xiliang, Shen Lixue went to the palace to find out about Huasheng, while Dongfang Heng slept in a separate courtyard.
Consort Shu is the key person to uncovering Huasheng's secret. Without her taking action, Dongfang Heng cannot make a move. Now that she is doing something, there is no worry about not finding a breakthrough. Dongfang Heng is in a good mood and knows that he has been neglecting his new wife. He decides to make it up to her.
"Then let's go back to the room!" Dongfang Heng gave Shen Lixue a light kiss, then lifted the curtain and got off the carriage with her in his arms.
Shen Lixue glanced to the side and saw that the carriage had arrived at the gate of the villa at some point. Raising an eyebrow, she saw Dongfang Heng carrying her into the bedroom.
"I want to take a bath!" After traveling for so long, covered in dust, Shen Lixue had been wanting to take a hot bath to wash away her fatigue. However, she had been unable to bathe last night after entering the palace. Now that she was back, she was determined to take a proper bath.
"Together!" Dongfang Heng did not object, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He followed her wishes and carried her behind the screen.
Shen Lixue was startled, recalling their passionate night in Qingyan. A blush rose to her face. If they bathed together again tonight, he certainly wouldn't let her off easily. She blinked and looked at Dongfang Heng: "We can bathe together, but first tell me what you did to Consort Shu's people."
Chapter 171: The Prince Gets Jealous and Tramples on Horseback
The cunning princess, 171cm tall. The prince gets jealous and tramples her on horseback.
At midnight, under a dark and windy sky, Shen Lixue stood on the rooftop, watching as the guards, as if entering an empty house, silently infiltrated the storeroom of the Duke of Mu's mansion, carrying out chests filled with gold and silver jewels.
"Dongfang Heng, what are you planning to do?" They brought a million taels of silver notes with them on their trip to Xiliang. They were not short of money and did not need to find materials locally. Shen Lixue knew that Dongfang Heng had a special purpose in taking these gold and silver jewelry, but she could not guess what that special purpose was.
In the darkness, Dongfang Heng looked at the boxes, a cold glint flashing in his obsidian eyes: "Consort Shu suspected your identity and had the people of the Duke of Mu's mansion investigate you in secret. This shows that she has a very close relationship with her family. There is a high chance that her family gave her that Huasheng. The most powerful people in the Duke of Mu's mansion are the Duke of Mu and his two sons. If Huasheng really came from the Mu family, it should have been brought back by one of the three of them."
“Now, all three of them are at the border. Apart from the powerful guards, the Duke of Mu’s mansion is left with only the elderly, women and children. There is no way to investigate the matter. I took these gold and silver treasures to warn the Duke of Mu’s mansion that the security is not tight enough. One of the three of them, father and sons, will definitely come back to take charge!”
The Duke of Mu's mansion is their home, the foundation upon which they depend for survival. If the foundation is damaged, the entire Duke of Mu's mansion will crumble. How could they not return?
"That's true!" Shen Lixue nodded, looking at the large boxes scattered on the ground, and the corners of her mouth lifted. These gold and silver treasures were at least a third of the wealth of the Duke of Mu's mansion. Losing so much of their family fortune, the people of the Duke of Mu's mansion would definitely be furious and would quickly call back their powerful son at the border!
"Bang!" A powerful burst of internal force suddenly emanated from the dark warehouse, instantly sending several guards closest to the door flying.
What happened?
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened, and she looked down:
A tall figure slowly walked out of the warehouse, a wide black cloak draped over his body, obscuring his figure and appearance, making him even more mysterious and unpredictable.
In the darkness, he slowly raised his head, his sharp eyes coldly sweeping over every guard outside before landing on Dongfang Heng. His eyes, sharper than a hawk's, blinked with a cold light, as if he could see right through a person at a glance.
Dongfang Heng remained calm, his deep gaze meeting the cloaked figure directly. In an instant, their sharp eyes met in mid-air, and over a hundred moves were exchanged in the blink of an eye. The surrounding air froze instantly, and a suffocatingly powerful aura spread outwards.
Suddenly, the black cloak drew a graceful arc in the night and instantly appeared in front of Dongfang Heng, striking him in the chest with powerful internal energy.
Dongfang Heng's gaze was deep, neither dodging nor avoiding. He raised his hand and clashed with the cloaked figure. In an instant, black and white shadows intertwined, and the attacks were as fast as lightning, too fast for anyone to see clearly.
Ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves...
Shen Lixue counted the moves, watching the perilous fight, and was secretly shocked. Dongfang Heng's martial arts were among the best in Qingyan, and the same was true in Xiliang. The cloaked man had been fighting him for so long without being at a disadvantage, and was even getting stronger as the fight went on. When did the Duke of Mu's mansion get such a powerful treasury guard?
The fierce fighting on the rooftop was quite loud, alerting the guards of the Duke of Mu's mansion. They rushed over with torches in hand, shouting as they ran, "Quick, quick, the assassins are over there!"
"Move the boxes away first!" Shen Lixue glanced at the surging guards and calmly directed the secret guards.
The guards were highly skilled in martial arts and very strong. Each of them carried a box and quickly disappeared into the dark night.
Shen Lixue turned to look at the battle circle. The fight between Dongfang Heng and the cloaked man had reached a fever pitch, with white and black shadows intertwined, dazzling the eyes.
Dongfang Heng's martial arts skills were on par with the cloaked man's, and he couldn't shake him off for the time being. The guards were about to arrive, and he couldn't just sit and wait to be captured by them.
Shen Lixue's gaze darkened, and she took out a cyan whip with her fair hand. Just as she was about to step forward to help, there was a loud bang. Dongfang Heng's eyes were sharp, and he stood still. The cloaked man took three or four steps back before stopping, clutching his chest and breathing heavily.
"The assassins are over there! Hurry, don't let them get away!" the guards shouted as they rushed over.
The cloaked figure glanced at Dongfang Heng, then with a light step, his black silhouette instantly disappeared into the deep night.
Shen Lixue was taken aback. The cloaked man was not from the Duke of Mu's mansion, so how did he come out of the Duke of Mu's mansion's storeroom? Could it be that he, like them, came to take gold and silver jewelry?