After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

The people in the room looked at each other in bewilderment.

Even Ji Qianshang, who is usually the most knowledgeable, looked over with swollen, red rabbit eyes.

Shen Jingque turned around and ran to the desk, grabbed a piece of Xuan paper, and drew a round thing on it.

"I had someone go to the slaughterhouse to buy dozens of fresh pig bladders, wash them, inflate them with air, fill them with the medicine powder, and then tie the openings tightly."

She tapped the ball on the paper with the tip of her pen, her eyes full of sly smiles.

"This thing is so light and thin that if it comes into contact with the edge of a sword or is thrown hard, the moment it breaks, the powder inside will explode like a thunderclap."

"When the time comes, our people just need to hide in the shadows and throw these spiked pig bladders over the heads of those thieves. They will instinctively raise their knives to block them, which will give them a good dose of the drug powder."

Ji Qianshang stared at her with his still somewhat red and swollen eyes, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence.

"How did you even get into this brain?"

Shen Jingque chuckled. It's a good thing there were no hydrogen balloons in ancient times, otherwise, they could have saved the need for people to help throw them and just remotely give them a spectacular display.

Xiao Changgeng solemnly said, "I will assign four of the most skilled Imperial Guards to disguise themselves as peddlers and set up surveillance around the designated alley in advance."

Then, staring intently at Shen Jingque, he emphasized again, "Remember, if anything unexpected happens, do not linger in battle, do you understand?"

Shen Jingque sighed, pinched the tips of her ears, and said, "I heard it, I heard it with both ears!"

Sometimes I really think Xiao Changgeng is quite like Tang Sanzang.

Looking at the carefree little girl, Xiao Mingyue gently placed her hand on the top of her head and sighed deeply.

……

The next morning, when it was broad daylight.

Shen Jingque specially dug out a primrose-colored gold-embroidered Xiang dress, which she usually disliked as being too flashy and had never worn before.

Today, the more flamboyant the better.

Then she had Lü'e style her hair into a cute double bun, and added two pearl-encrusted hairpins.

She looked at herself in the bronze mirror from left to right, and was extremely satisfied with her appearance.

She patted her skirt with satisfaction, then pushed open the door and went out.

"Tian Jiu, let's go."

The thin, dark figure was neither in the tree nor hanging down from the roof.

However, standing beside the pillar was an unfamiliar young man in blue robes, his slender frame wrapped in a worn-out pageboy's shirt, his face fair and his features gentle.

Shen Jingque stopped in her tracks, took a step back warily, and her hand had already reached for the paper package in her sleeve.

Who are you?

The young man in blue robes bowed to her expressionlessly.

"Young lady, it's me."

The completely unfamiliar face stunned Shen Jingque, and after a long while she gasped.

"Tian Jiu, you actually know how to disguise yourself."

Tian Jiu nodded and scratched his head.

Is disguise rare? The Heavenly Guards all have a special skill.

"The eldest young master said today's mission is special and requires a change of face."

Shen Jingque said "Oh," and instantly understood Xiao Changgeng's intention.

Those people had been following her for who knows how long. Tianjiu went to the academy with her every day, so it was hard to say that she hadn't been seen by others.

Change your appearance to lower the other person's guard.

So she led the newly transformed pageboy out of the main gate of the Princess's residence with great swagger.

The master and servant walked very slowly, strolling around like street wanderers.

Shen Jingque walked along the busiest street in the East Market, holding a string of candied hawthorns in her left hand and a clay figurine in her right.

She was a rich heiress who knew nothing of the dangers of the world.

Across the street, in front of a shop selling coarse cloth, stood three men dressed in short gray tunics.

The man in the lead had a mole on his chin and was pretending to hold a piece of cloth in his hand, but his gaze was fixed on that petite figure, passing through the bustling crowd.

"Brother, that girl didn't bring any guards today, she just took a skinny pageboy with her."

The scarred man next to him lowered his voice, his tone revealing barely suppressed greed.

Another gaunt assassin gripped the dagger in his pocket, his gaze beneath the brim of his hat as cold as a snake.

"The people from the Princess's residence wouldn't be so careless. Be careful, it might be a trap. Let's follow them and see what happens."

The three of them mingled in the crowd, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far, and followed Shen Jingque all the way through half of the East Market.

As noon approached, the streets gradually became less bustling than the morning market.

Shen Jingque seemed to be tired from walking around, and even ate all the candied hawthorns in her hand, leaving only a bare bamboo stick.

She looked around, casually tossed the bamboo skewer aside, and led Tianjiu into a quiet, narrow alley.

"Brother, that's a dead end. There's only an abandoned City God Temple at the end."

Scarface rubbed his hands together excitedly, and his pace quickened unconsciously.

The man with the mole gestured to the thin man, "There's only one page. Move in, capture him alive."

Three gray figures darted into the alley like arrows released from a bow.

Shen Jingque's originally leisurely pace immediately became chaotic the moment she heard the sound of wind breaking behind her.

She gasped in surprise, and Tianjiu pulled her along, stumbling and running deeper into the alley.

Her round little face was filled with panic, and even one of the pearl hairpins on her head fell off and lay alone on the bluestone slab.

"Trying to run away?"

Scarface grinned maliciously, then suddenly pushed off with his feet, crossing most of the alley in a few steps.

As the hem of that pale yellow skirt flashed past through the crack in the City God Temple's gate, the three of them rushed in without hesitation.

The temple was overgrown with weeds, and the courtyard was full of broken bricks and tiles. It was empty and there was no sign of the little girl and the pageboy.

The man with the mole's expression changed drastically. His intuition, honed from years of living on the edge, sent chills down his spine.

"No good, retreat!"

He shouted sharply and turned to rush outside.

However, the wooden door behind them made a dull thud as it was bolted shut from the outside.

The three reacted extremely quickly. Almost at the same time the door closed, they simultaneously touched the ground with their toes and were about to climb over the two-zhang-high earthen wall.

Just as they took off, several round objects suddenly fell from the tree canopy above them.

Those were several pig bladders, stretched to the point of being translucent, gleaming eerily in the sunlight, and they slammed down with perfect accuracy toward the three men's faces.

The gaunt man snorted coldly, flicked his wrist, and his long sword flashed with a snow-white light, mercilessly cleaving the incoming sphere in two.

A muffled "bang" was heard.

A large mass of grayish-white powder burst out of the split-open pig bladder.

Like smoke, it instantly enveloped the three of them.

The three of them covered their mouths and noses with their arms, held their breath, and took a few steps back.

"Using such a despicable sleeping potion, they're seriously underestimating us..."

He only got halfway through his sentence before his voice seemed to be stuck in his throat.

A strong, astringent sensation rushed into my nasal cavity, and my eyes felt as if they had been stuffed with a handful of quicklime.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.