Chen Renjie, living in a farmhouse courtyard, had no idea that people were plotting against him. Whenever he had the means, he would instruct the hidden guards in the courtyard to go to the capital to buy medicinal herbs, some for making medicine and others for improving his health. Although he still couldn't practice martial arts in this life, his physical condition had improved significantly compared to his previous two lives, which delighted him.
Thus, he would give himself a medicinal bath every day. The hidden guards, smelling the pungent medicinal scent from the courtyard, thought he was ill and looked at him with concern, asking if he needed a doctor. Each time, Chen Renjie would tell them, half-truthfully and half-falsely, that he was a doctor himself.
The hidden guards were unsure and reported the matter to Wu Caiwei. After understanding the situation, Wu Caiwei told them to mind their own business and just follow his instructions.
Under his careful treatment, his health improved considerably. However, his health had not been good since he was in his mother's womb, so even with treatment, he couldn't become as healthy as a normal person.
Recently, the hidden guards had noticed people inquiring about them from time to time, something that had never happened before, which made them vigilant. At first, they thought it was the Emperor sending people to apprehend Chen Renjie. After observing for a while, they realized that the Emperor had recently refocused his attention on the court and had strengthened the control around the capital. Anyone suspicious appearing would be investigated repeatedly.
They had done their best to imitate the life of the surrounding villagers. On the surface, they looked somewhat similar, but upon closer inspection, their demeanor and living habits were clearly not those of commoners. The hidden guards knew they couldn't withstand their scrutiny and quickly reported this situation to Yang Hanye.
When the commander of the Imperial Guards arrived at the small courtyard, he found the gate closed and knocked loudly. After waiting for a while without anyone opening it, he kicked the door open. To his surprise, the place was empty, and they had long since fled. He stomped his foot in frustration, regretting their swift escape.
The surrounding villagers said that this small courtyard had been in the deep mountains for nearly ten years. No one knew what they had been doing during these ten years. If they were unsure at first, their guilty conscience upon being searched by him indicated they were likely rebels. He quickly led his men to search the surroundings, but found no traces, nor did anyone see them leave. It seemed they had been operating there for a long time and were very familiar with the terrain of the mountains, making it nearly impossible to capture them. In the end, they had to give up.
The hidden guards hid in the mountains for two nights. Only after discovering that the people outside had left did they secretly send someone to contact the young prince to see what to do next.
Yang Hanye pondered for a moment and sent for Wu Caiwei. "I believe he has already told you about what happened at the small courtyard in the mountains on his way here. I want to bring Chen Renjie to live in the manor, but I fear it might expose us. Do you have any good ideas?"
Wu Caiwei understood that given the current situation, bringing Chen Renjie to the manor carried a certain risk. If his identity were exposed, the Prince of Yang would be in trouble.
However, she was also worried about sending him to another place. After thinking for a moment, she nodded. "Young Prince, you may not know this, but I am also skilled in disguise. Changing a person's appearance is an easy task for me."
Who doesn't have a few tricks up their sleeve? Yang Hanye seemed very respectful and trusting of them now, but the human heart was something she couldn't fathom and was most worried about. If he were to turn against them later and harm them, she might be able to use her disguise skills to escape.
If it hadn't been for the anomaly at that small courtyard, she wouldn't have revealed her trump card today. However, she was always an optimistic person. She would deal with future problems in the future and first overcome the current difficulties.
"Oh?" Yang Hanye looked at her with pleasant surprise, not expecting her to have such a skill. He wanted to witness it.
Since Wu Caiwei had said so, Yang Hanye was relieved. Having spent so much time with her, he knew she wasn't one to boast. If she said she knew a little, it meant she was highly skilled. He quickly sent word to have Chen Renjie brought to the manor.
To silence the gossip, the next day at noon, a sedan chair was carried in through the back door. The others were curious about who was inside, but unfortunately, the person emerged still wearing a veiled hat. No one served them in the courtyard, which struck them as very strange. In just an hour, several groups of people had come to gather information. Sudoku Novel Network.
Chen Renjie, led by a young servant, entered the main house of the courtyard. As soon as he entered, he quickly removed his veiled hat and saw Wu Caiwei and a young man. Recognizing him as the rumored Young Prince of Yang, he quickly bowed to him. Yang Hanye, who had long wanted to befriend him and see if he was as excellent as Wu Caiwei described, quickly stepped forward to help him up. With one eager to befriend and the other eager to win over, the two quickly became inseparable friends.
Meanwhile, Wu Caiwei pushed him to sit before the dressing table. With a few strokes of rouge and powder, she easily altered his facial features. Then, she took out a medicinal solution she had prepared earlier and applied it to his face. A surprising phenomenon occurred: even washing with water couldn't remove it.
The rouge and powder were prepared by Yang Hanye's order, and he believed they were no different from those used outside. The key was the medicinal solution Wu Caiwei produced. He never expected that makeup could be used in such a way.
He was completely at ease. To see someone's appearance change before his eyes was something no one would believe. Moreover, even if someone suspected his identity, there were countless people who looked similar in the world, and truly identical people were nonexistent. Those who knew him well would only exclaim at the resemblance between the two, not connect them.
Although Yang Hanye was unmarried, he had several concubines. The ladies heard that someone had been carried into the courtyard through the back door, and their face had been completely covered by a hat, making their features indistinguishable. They couldn't help but twist the handkerchiefs in their hands, feeling that their young prince was too philandering, always taking in new people shortly after having another. Their hearts churned with jealousy.
Therefore, they all dressed up in their finest attire, bringing maids and servants to the courtyard where Chen Renjie resided. The hidden guards couldn't help but frown upon seeing them dressed like this. These ladies held higher status within the manor, and they couldn't offend them. Moreover, the young prince had instructed them to take good care of the young master inside. This put them in a difficult position.
However, the manor still only obeyed the young prince's commands. A hidden guard quickly stepped forward to advise them, "Ladies, you are gracing us with your presence. May I ask what brings you here? The young prince instructed us to guard here and ensure the safety of the courtyard's owner when he left. This is not a place for ladies to be. Please do not make things difficult for me."