Chapter 52: Let Your Husband Teach You a Trick

Inside the room, the candle flames flickered.

Dongfang Yibai sat upright in the master seat, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically against the tabletop, creating a steady sound.

Ji Ci leaned against his side, her hands restlessly toying with the gold-inlaid dagger Dongfang Yibai had given her that morning. She adored this dagger; a single glance told her it was extremely valuable!

Her sharp gaze remained fixed on Xue Jing, ready to strike him down instantly should he utter a single wrong word.

Looking at the couple, Xue Jing felt a sense of defeat for the very first time.

He also envied Dongfang Yibai for having such incredible luck that this extraordinary woman was actually willing to risk her life for him.

Had things been different... had he been the one to cross paths with her first, would she have been willing to risk her life for him as well?

A person's life still required a certain amount of destiny. He had not been born from the Empress's womb, nor had he become the legitimate eldest son, nor had he encountered Ji Ci first.

Though his outward appearance was as bright and clear as the moon in a breeze, he had lost as miserably as a stray dog.

"Fourth Imperial Prince, have you stared enough at my wife?" Dongfang Yibai suddenly increased the pressure of his knuckles, causing the desk to emit a dull tremor.

Xue Jing hastily averted his gaze, only to meet Ji Ci's apricot-shaped eyes, which were congealed with frost and snow.

"General, what is it you wish to discuss with me? I am now left with nothing to my name, and I truly cannot imagine what the General could possibly want from someone like me."

Xue Jing laughed bitterly. He was currently like a useless cripple; apart from being able to speak with his mouth, he was practically paralyzed in bed.

Dongfang Yibai's tone was calm and light: "I heard that the Fourth Imperial Prince's birth mother is merely a low-ranking Attendant. Now that the Emperor is gravely ill, the death of a single Attendant should not attract much notice."

Xue Jing's pupils constricted slightly, his hands gripping tightly as he fell silent for a moment. "General, what you desire is not merely the Yanmen Pass, but the entire realm, is it not?"

The corners of Dongfang Yibai's lips curved upward. "The Fourth Imperial Prince is indeed astute. No wonder the Emperor sent you to investigate the wealthy merchants of Jiangnan."

Xue Jing's heart skipped another beat. He had thought his actions were entirely covert, yet unbeknownst to him, everything was under Dongfang Yibai's control.

His meticulous caution felt nothing more than a joke.

"I can help you." Xue Jing looked straight into Dongfang Yibai's eyes. "But I have one condition—spare the lives of my mother and myself."

Ji Ci let out a cold snort. "Why should we trust you? You are nothing more than an ingrate! I saved you last time, and you repaid kindness with enmity by kidnapping me!!"

Xue Jing smiled bitterly. "At that time, my mind was temporarily clouded, but I now recognize my mistake..."

He turned to Dongfang Yibai. "The General should know that although I am an imperial prince, I was never truly valued by my Imperial Father. Surviving all these years has relied entirely upon—"

"Upon the ability to imitate others," Dongfang Yibai abruptly interrupted, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "I hear that the Fourth Imperial Prince is most skilled at mimicking the habits of others, and can even forge the late Emperor's handwriting with breathtaking precision."

Xue Jing's pupils shrank, but he quickly regained his composure and replied candidly, "That is correct. Therefore, my value lies right here—I can help you cultivate a 'puppet Xue Jing'."

Ji Ci frowned in confusion.

The two men spoke as if they were using a secret code, and her small brain could no longer keep up.

Dongfang Yibai caught her small hand, rubbing it between his palms with a smile at the corner of his mouth. "I will select someone, and you will instruct him. From then on, he will be you."

"Very well," Xue Jing nodded. "I trust the General will keep his promise."

"Naturally."

Dongfang Yibai agreed readily.

Speaking with intelligent people was effortless; within mere moments, the two had reached a consensus.

Xue Jing wanted to stay alive, while Dongfang Yibai needed a puppet.

Presently, the entire imperial court believed the Fourth Imperial Prince had fallen off a cliff and gone missing.

If a "resurrected" Fourth Imperial Prince were to suddenly appear and stand on the General's side, the court would inevitably be thrown into turmoil, and they might even send another delegation to investigate.

The more people they sent, the better; he would make sure none of them returned alive.

"Focus on recovering from your injuries."

Xue Jing called out to stop him, asking, "General, can I truly trust you?"

"Did we not just reach a cooperation?"

Xue Jing gave a bitter smile and lowered his head. "Since the General was willing to part with so much grain seed to relieve the commoners and even build houses for them, this time, we have lost."

Suddenly, Dongfang Yibai burst into hearty laughter, the sound causing the candle flames to flicker.

He looked at Xue Jing with a sharp gaze. "Tomorrow, I will send someone over. If he dares to play any tricks... you know my methods."

Dongfang Yibai took Ji Ci's hand and stepped out of the room, where a muffled roll of thunder suddenly rumbled across the eaves.

The hem of Ji Ci's sleeve fluttered in the wind. She stamped her foot, crushing a withered leaf, and crossed her arms with a pout.

She was upset!

She hadn't understood a single thing from the conversation just now!

Adults always spoke in half-truths, leaving the rest unsaid.

The adorable display of his wife's anger was far too obvious. Dongfang Yibai found it amusing, yet he suppressed his smile as he picked up Ji Ci and carried her into the study.

"Is there anything you don't understand? Ask your husband, and I will make sure to explain it clearly to my wife."

"There are too many things I don't understand," Ji Ci huffed softly.

Dongfang Yibai lowered his voice and leaned close to Ji Ci's ear. "I actually have a question I'd like to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Will you never turn back into a little fox from now on?"

Dongfang Yibai voiced the doubt lingering in his heart; he lacked a sense of security. The little fox would run off whenever she pleased, and a single day without seeing her left his heart feeling utterly empty.

Ji Ci nodded, wrapping her arms around Dongfang Yibai's neck. "Yes, I will stay by your side from now on. But as for my identity, you might find it difficult to explain."

"Your husband has his own arrangements."

Hearing the answer he wanted, Dongfang Yibai quickened his pace.

Inside the study, he gently placed Ji Ci onto the soft couch and began analyzing the current situation for her.

"We will now find a fake Xue Jing. When he returns to the capital, we only need to help him claim the throne, and he will act as our puppet. In this way, we achieve our goal without shedding blood, and the common people will not suffer."

"But what if that person betrays us?"

Doubt lingered in Ji Ci's eyes. Imperial power was supreme, and countless people fought tooth and nail just for the chance to become Emperor.

Once someone had actually ascended the throne, how could they ever willingly let it go?

Dongfang Yibai embraced Ji Ci, resting his head on her shoulder. "Naturally, your husband will find a trustworthy subordinate. By using the identity of the Imperial Prince to contact the Fourth Prince's former loyalists in the court, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble."

Silence suddenly fell over the study.

From outside the window came the barking of Ah Qing, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

Dongfang Yibai suddenly chuckled softly, gently massaging Ji Ci's waist. "Is my wife frightened?"

Ji Ci shook her nought. "I was just thinking: when the people rise, they suffer; when the people fall, they suffer."

He suddenly pulled Ji Ci into his embrace, whispering softly beside her ear: "My wife always takes the affairs of the world as her own responsibility. How is it that someone so young loves to worry so much?"

Just as Ji Ci opened her mouth to retort, Dongfang Yibai's lips pressed down upon hers.

His large hand brushed across her lips as he murmured in a low voice, "Let your husband teach my wife a trick called... the mantis stalking the cicada."

"I know this one! The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—the fake Xue Jing helps us draw the fire while we secretly cross the river, right?"

Ji Ci's eyes shone brightly, like a child waiting for praise.

Dongfang Yibai laughed out loud, holding her tightly as he spoke in a gentle tone, "My wife is truly wise."

Outside the window, Ah Qing suddenly began barking furiously at the moon.

Zhao Qiaofeng's scolding voice came from afar and drew closer: "Stupid dog! What are you barking at in the middle of the night!"

Ji Ci made to get up and check, but Dongfang Yibai held her back.

Under the candlelight, their figures intertwined, shifting and overlapping.

A dangerous game concerning identity and power had thus begun.