There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 457 The Big Secret of Gossip

I quickly redeemed a [Basic Stealth Ball] from the system.

Exorbitantly expensive! My heart is bleeding!

When patted on the body, it feels like a thin layer of energy covers the entire body, minimizing the sense of presence and aura.

Li Shuchen imitated Hassan's actions, touched the brick, and pressed it down hard.

no response

"...Damn it, are you taking advantage of my lack of skill?"

She touched, pressed, and tapped, studying it for half a minute before discovering a tiny bump in the brick seam that she needed to pinch with her fingernail.

Success! The wall slid open, and Li Shuchen slipped inside like an eel, gently closing it behind him.

Inside was a narrow, downward-facing staircase, filled with dust, a musty smell, and a faint odor of blood and medicine.

Li Shuchen held his breath and tiptoed down the stairs. At the end of the stairs was a short passageway, leading to a half-open wooden door. Dim light and sounds of conversation emanated from inside.

She looked around and noticed that there seemed to be gaps in the beams and roof structure above her.

On a sudden inspiration, he used both hands and feet, enduring the dust, to silently climb up a thick beam at the top of the passageway. Carefully moving to a position close to the room, he peered down through the gaps in the tiles.

The room was small, with only an oil lamp lit.

On the simple bed, a person was half-leaning, his left arm wrapped in thick bandages, his face pale. It was none other than the missing deputy commander of the guards, Urke!

He wasn't wearing a mask at the moment, revealing his thin, sinister face, with his hooked nose particularly prominent.

Standing by the bed, taking out a medicine bottle and clean gauze from his bundle, was none other than the third prince, Hassan!

He appeared to be in his early twenties, thin and with an unhealthy pallor, but his eyes were not as weak and dazed as rumored; instead, they were remarkably calm, even possessing a composure that contradicted his frail appearance.

"Teacher Urke, how is your injury?"

Prince Hassan spoke, his voice low and somewhat weak, but clear. He actually addressed Urk as "teacher"?

Urke struggled to sit up straight: "Your Highness... why did you come in person? It was too dangerous!"

"It's alright, this place is very secluded. Your injuries were caused by me, how could I ignore them?"

Hassan gestured for him to stay still and personally examined the bandages. "The sword wound is deep, but fortunately it's not poisonous. I brought better wound medicine and herbs to prevent fever. You must rest and not use your left arm again."

“But Your Highness, Liang Yuying and the others have already set their sights on me! And that Li Shuchen, he’s incredibly cunning! If I’m exposed this time, it might implicate you…” Urke said anxiously.

Prince Hassan continued working with his hands, his tone calm.

"Exposure was inevitable. Azim is as stupid as a pig, Bazaar is tyrannical and brainless, and Father... is stubborn and self-willed. Our plan was already difficult. Your failure this time, although it alerted the enemy, has also made us realize that Zoya and those around her are more difficult to deal with than we expected, and... perhaps more valuable."

Urke asked in surprise, "What does Your Highness mean?"

"The Purple Star Mission is not entirely harmonious. That king's cooperation with us is nothing more than mutual exploitation. But General Liang and that Li Shuchen seem to genuinely want to help Zoya, and they are exceptionally capable."

Prince Hassan changed the dressing and re-bandaged the wound with practiced ease.

"Zoya... I underestimated her before. To achieve that level of success in the camel camp and win people's hearts, it's not just about having a kind heart. She might be... a variable in our plan, or perhaps an opportunity."

"Your Highness wants to win over Princess Zoya? But she is, after all,..."

"She is, after all, my sister, and she has the blood of the Savar family in her veins. Besides, she seems to genuinely want to do something for this country."

Prince Hassan coughed lightly twice. "This doesn't entirely conflict with my goal, provided, of course, that she doesn't get in my way, nor is she completely destroyed by the market or my father."

He tidied up the medicine bottles and looked at Urke.

"Teacher Urke, please don't go anywhere from here. Just stay here and recover. Leave everything else to me."

"I'll temporarily take over contact with King Zixing. As for Zoya... I'll find a way to make contact. Your current task is to survive and recover your strength. In the future... there will be many more opportunities to help you."

Urke's eyes revealed a mixture of emotion and deep worry: "Your Highness, your health is poor, yet you still have to take on such a dangerous task... I really..."

"I was given a second chance at life. If I don't do what I should do while I can still move, wouldn't I have lived in vain?"

Prince Hassan smiled, a pale smile that conveyed a resolute determination.

"Boyu Kingdom cannot continue like this. Father and Basha are only dragging it into the abyss. Someone has to... try to pull it out. You should rest well. I'll come to see you again in a couple of days."

After saying this, Prince Hassan carefully checked that no traces had been left behind, then picked up the empty medicine bag and quietly left the room.

Li Shuchen, on the rooftop, was completely dumbfounded, his back drenched in cold sweat.

Good heavens! Urk is actually working for Prince Hassan!

This sickly, low-key prince, almost forgotten by everyone, is actually the "master" hidden deep inside?

No, he just mentioned "King Purple Star," which means he has someone above him, but he clearly has his own plans and is not completely subservient to others!

The Jade Kingdom's royal family is really something else!

Father and son distrust each other, brothers fight amongst themselves, and a sickly prince is secretly plotting... Does Zoya know that she has such a cunning and unassuming brother?

Seeing Hassan leave and Urk close his eyes to rest, Li Shuchen dared not linger. He carefully returned the way he came, and once out of the secret passage, he ran as fast as he could towards the inn!

This is a huge matter; we must tell Yu-ying and Zo-ya immediately!

夜晚

Li Shuchen's room

In the halo of the shielding sphere

"What?! Urk is Hassan's man?! That sickly third prince?!"

After listening to Li Shuchen's breathless, gesturing-heavy explanation, Princess Changning was the first to jump up and exclaim in surprise.

"Shouldn't he be lying in bed coughing up blood and waiting to die? How could he be making such a big fuss behind the scenes?!"

Li Shuchen took a big gulp of water and wiped his mouth.

"Who says otherwise! I was clinging to the roof beam when I was there, and I was so scared I almost fell off! That Prince Hassan, he's so steady in his words and deeds! His technique for changing Urk's bandages was also professional, it was obvious that this wasn't his first time, and he even called Urk 'teacher'! Who knows, Urk's skills and ruthlessness might have been learned from him!"

Liang Yuying frowned. "Prince Hassan... there are almost no public records showing that he has any power. His mother died early, his maternal family is powerless, and he is frail and sickly. He is like an invisible man in the royal family. This is the most terrifying disguise."

She looked at Zoya, "Princess, how much do you know about this third brother?"