Chapter 463: Let’s Have Some Fun with His Majesty
The thick regret in his tone and the suggestive glance he cast her way made Shen Xihe instantly understand what was on his mind.
She merely gave him a faint look and asked, "Your Highness has been going out every night these past few days. What is the reason?"
Xiao Huayong was about to answer instinctively when a mischievous glint suddenly flashed in his eyes. "Is Youyou asking for my whereabouts?"
Shen Xihe frowned slightly, sensing that he was about to say something flirtatious. Just as she was about to cut him off, he seized the opportunity and spoke first, "Youyou sounds just like a newlywed wife questioning her husband."
Shen Xihe: "..."
She wanted to retort and ask how she resembled a newlywed. But when she met his playful gaze, where even the small mole at the corner of his eye seemed to exude charm, she chose to remain silent. If she continued to argue, who knew how many more frivolous remarks he would have waiting for her.
Seeing that she had fallen silent as expected, Xiao Huayong had already prepared his next words: "Strike while the iron is hot—I’m probing the Invincible Army’s secrets."
Xiao Huayong had captured His Majesty’s men, so it was only natural to extract useful information from them.
Shen Xihe understood and nodded silently.
She didn’t ask what he had uncovered, which surprised Xiao Huayong. Thinking she might be upset by his earlier teasing, he cautiously studied her expression. "Are... are you angry with me?"
Shen Xihe was equally surprised. "Why would Your Highness say that?"
"You’re curious about the Invincible Army, yet you didn’t ask me."
To some extent, the Invincible Army existed to counter the Northwestern Army. No one would be more eager than Shen Xihe to understand what the Invincible Army truly was.
Over time, they had developed a relationship built on trust and ease. If Shen Xihe wanted to know something, she would ask directly without hesitation.
Shen Xihe smiled, her obsidian-like eyes sparkling as she looked at him. "Your Highness, if I wish to know something, I will find out eventually. You and I complement each other, aiding and benefiting one another, but I will never simply take from you without giving."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Huayong pressed his lips together in a smile, his eyes filled with tenderness.
Upon reflection, this was indeed her way. When he treated her well, she reciprocated with sincerity. Perhaps, to her, it was merely a matter of not wanting to owe anyone, but to him, this back-and-forth was a sign of mutual affection and closeness.
"It seems Youyou already has a plan in mind," Xiao Huayong murmured, a low chuckle escaping his lips.
If that weren’t the case, Shen Xihe could simply have asked him for the information and repaid him later through other means.
"Does the Crown Prince know much about Xun Wang?" Shen Xihe got straight to the point.
Xun Wang had long been Xiao Changfeng. Not long after his father faked his death, he inherited the title.
The Hidden Guard Shen Xihe had sent, disguised as the wandering warrior Lu Bing, had already met with Xiao Changfeng. Not long ago, during the chaos following Xiao Huayong’s disappearance at the resort, Xiao Changfeng encountered Lu Bing in Huangzhou.
At the time, Xiao Changfeng had just finished relocating and reburying his parents’ remains together. Heavy rains in Huangzhou caused a landslide that nearly buried him alive, but Lu Bing pulled him out of the mud.
After rescuing him, Lu Bing noticed others approaching. He handed Xiao Changfeng over to his subordinates and left without a word. Seizing this heaven-sent opportunity, Shen Xihe arranged for Lu Bing to be targeted by martial arts rivals, leaving him with no way out. When he crossed paths with Xiao Changfeng again, Xiao Changfeng would surely take him in. After a probationary period, he would entrust Lu Bing with important tasks."Youyou plans to start with your cousin?" Xiao Huayong raised an eyebrow. "My cousin's character..."
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Huayong continued: "He's taciturn, possesses profound martial arts skills, commands troops with divine strategy, is deeply shrewd, inherently suspicious, and difficult to approach."
After Xiao Changfeng inherited the peerage, he was personally raised by the Youning Emperor. Whether to appease his father or to prepare Xiao Changfeng for great responsibilities, His Majesty invested genuine effort—Xiao Changfeng is by no means an ordinary man.
Xiao Huayong also knew that given the Emperor's high regard for Xiao Changfeng and his trust in the Xun Wang residence, the Invincible Army would most likely be inherited by Xiao Changfeng following his father's footsteps. He had long considered sending someone to get close to Xiao Changfeng, but none of the people he dispatched managed to gain Xiao Changfeng's confidence or reliance.
Xiao Changfeng was naturally inclined to operate alone—perhaps to reassure the Emperor—making it impossible for anyone to get close to him.
Shen Xihe smiled faintly. "Even if Your Highness's men are completely clean, they still need an identity. With an identity comes traceable origins. If their capabilities match their identity too perfectly, it becomes suspicious. Since Xun Wang is inherently suspicious, he wouldn't easily form connections. To make him lower his guard, this person must have a thoroughly verifiable background, someone Xun Wang would admire for their talent yet feel secure enough to rely on."
"How is that easy?" Xiao Huayong laughed. "My cousin values martial prowess and only favors those with exceptional skills. But any martial arts display reveals one's lineage. My cousin is deeply knowledgeable about various martial arts styles—it's extremely difficult to escape his detection."
"Actually, it's not that difficult." Shen Xihe's eyes gleamed with mystery.
Xiao Huayong grew interested. "Since Youyou says this, you must have already devised a plan. Please enlighten me."
Just days ago she had been seeking his advice, and now Xiao Huayong was turning to her for guidance, even mimicking her manner from that day. Shen Xihe shot him a glance but didn't withhold the information. "It begins with bone restructuring technique..."
Shen Xihe then candidly explained Sui Axi's signature skill to Xiao Huayong, along with the scheme she had set in motion and the results achieved after a year.
Xiao Huayong felt as if honey had been spread over his heart—she was opening her heart to him.
If she didn't trust him, how could she reveal such an unimaginable skill?
After Shen Xihe finished speaking, she noticed Xiao Huayong smiling somewhat foolishly, as if lost in thought. "Your Highness, were you listening to me?"
"Of course I was." Xiao Huayong immediately snapped back to attention, speaking with conviction before revealing a bitter smile. "I never imagined I was showing off my meager skills before an expert."
He had exhausted considerable effort to capture members of the Invincible Army. Through repeated severe interrogations, he had extracted some useful information, but these were only low-ranking soldiers with limited knowledge. He had merely scratched the surface of the Invincible Army, while Shen Xihe was already approaching its core.
And he had been proudly boasting before her—thinking back now, he felt somewhat embarrassed.
"Your Highness's planning—the Invincible Army is just one piece. Breaking His Majesty's scheme and securing the name of Jiachen Crown Prince is the greatest benefit," Shen Xihe said. "Moreover, we don't know when Lu Bing will make contact with the Invincible Army. At least Your Highness now has preliminary understanding of the army—there's no need for undue modesty."
Normally, such praise from Shen Xihe would have made Xiao Huayong ecstatic, but now he was thinking of something else. "Is the bone restructuring technique truly so miraculous?"
He excelled at disguise and impersonation—though he had reached perfection, it could only sustain brief interactions, not prolonged contact."Selecting individuals with similar facial features, particularly those with matching eyes, can produce an identical replica." Shen Xihe still felt a sense of awe recalling the bone-shifting Lu Bing she had encountered.
Xiao Huayong suddenly clapped his hands: "Youyou, why don't we try replicating His Majesty for fun?"
Shen Xihe: "..."
That's all for today. Even Yunnan can experience major earthquakes. Back during the Wenchuan earthquake, I was in Chongqing and didn't feel a thing. Today was the first time I've ever experienced an earthquake, though it was just a slight tremor.
(End of Chapter)
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