PFC Chapter 404 His Highness Makes a Move
Chapter 404 His Highness Makes a Move
Inside the cave, the tenth prince stood at the entrance, his brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a mosquito.
He was dressed in brocade casual clothes, the silver thread embroidery on the collar and cuffs still conspicuous in the dim light, though it was now covered in dust.
The sixteen-year-old prince surveyed the cave with the same look he had on the head chef of the imperial kitchen when he saw a moldy cornbread.
"So," he began slowly, his voice clear but tinged with dissatisfaction, "we're staying here tonight?"
Liang Yuying stepped forward and bowed: "Your Highness, the terrain of Wushi Mountain is complex. For safety reasons..."
“Safety, safety,” the tenth prince interrupted her, tapping the ground with his toe. “The ground is so damp, there’s not even a decent blanket. Where am I supposed to sit? Where am I supposed to lie down? Do you expect me to sleep on a rock?”
He pulled a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, placed it on a slightly flat rock, and then sat down with dignified composure.
He only sat on about a third of his buttocks, his body ramrod straight, as if attending a court assembly.
The crowd exchanged glances, and just as Princess Changning was about to say something, Li Shuchen had already approached her with a beaming smile.
"Your Highness truly has an excellent eye!" Li Shuchen clapped his hands and pulled the Tenth Prince aside. "This cave is indeed unsuitable; it's hardly worthy of you. Please wait, I'll renovate it for you."
The tenth prince looked at her suspiciously: "How to modify her?"
Li Shuchen had already turned around and started working.
Step 1: The Chair Problem
She found two relatively flat large stones, put them together, and then took out a thick cloak from her bundle.
The lining of the cloak was made of soft lamb's wool; she bought it for the New Year.
"Your Highness, please look," Li Shuchen said, spreading the cloak on the stone with the fleece side facing up, and patting it carefully. "This is the 'Mountain Throne.' Try it on; the feel of this lambskin is not much different from the brocade cushions in the palace. The key is that it's grounded. Only by being grounded can we receive the protection of the mountain gods and ensure our safe journey."
The tenth prince sat down with some skepticism, shifted slightly, and his expression softened: "It's alright, just missing a backrest."
"A backrest?" Li Shuchen's eyes darted around, and he winked at Zhen Congming. "Commander Zhen, may I borrow your sword sheath to use as a backrest?"
Commander Zhen handed over the sword sheath with a look of delight.
We've at least shown our faces to the Tenth Prince.
Li Shuchen propped the sword sheath up behind the rock, then took an outer robe from Ruan Jingshang and draped it over the stone to make a makeshift backrest.
"This is a 'protective shield.' Swords are used to ward off evil spirits. With it behind you, demons and monsters won't dare to approach," Li Shuchen said, spouting nonsense with a straight face.
The tenth prince leaned closer, and surprisingly, he did look somewhat presentable. He nodded, "It'll do."
Step Two: Bed Making
"Your Highness, don't rush, the bed is the main event," Li Shuchen said enthusiastically, directing two guards, "Go outside and find some dry grass, the softest kind, and gather plenty."
After gathering the hay, she spread a thick layer on the ground, covered it with her own blanket, and finally used two bundles stuffed with clothes as pillows.
It was obtained from Ruan Jingshang
"This is called the 'Mountain Dragon Bed Youth Edition'," Li Shuchen explained. "Don't let its simplicity fool you; there's a lot of science behind it. The dry grass keeps out moisture, the blankets provide warmth, and the pillow height was precisely calculated by the local women to conform to ergonomics... well, to put it in terms of what makes a person most comfortable when lying down."
The tenth prince walked over, pressed his finger against the "bed," and then smelled it: "Is this grass... clean?"
"Absolutely clean, I've checked it myself, not a single bug," Li Shuchen assured him. "And think about it, all the herbs on this mountain are medicinal. Sleeping on it is like having a medicinal fumigation treatment all night long. Your skin will be three times better when you return to the palace."
The tenth prince was rendered speechless by this fallacy.
Step 3: Environmental Issues
The cave was indeed cold and damp, with water droplets seeping from the stone walls.
Li Shuchen had his soldiers light a fire at the cave entrance; the location had been carefully calculated.
It can both light up the cave and allow heat to drift in without causing smoke to fumes.
“This is the ‘Imperial Bright Heating System’,” she continued, “Look at this firelight, isn’t it warm? And let me tell you, the fires in the wild are different from the charcoal fires in the palace. This fire has ‘yang energy,’ doubling its effect in dispelling the cold. Ordinary people can’t enjoy this.”
The most ingenious thing was that she threw a handful of grass into the fire, and immediately a fragrant aroma filled the air.
"This fragrance..." The Tenth Prince sniffed.
"The calming incense, I specially blended it," Li Shuchen said without batting an eye.
It's just ordinary mugwort, I just bought it from the auspicious system.
The tenth prince finally settled down on the "mountain throne," his posture much more relaxed, and looked at Li Shuchen sincerely, saying...
"Thank you very much"
For a moment, everyone in the cave fell silent.
The tenth prince, who only knows how to kill, would actually say thank you?
The tenth prince's ears turned slightly red as he explained with a stern face.
"These conditions are already quite good. My father instructed me that this mission is not for leisure," he paused, then added, "If we can find mint tomorrow, throwing it into the fire will be better than using mugwort; it's more invigorating."
"No problem," Li Shuchen readily agreed.
Princess Changning pulled Li Shuchen away and whispered, "The Tenth Prince's character is actually quite good."
“Yes,” Li Shuchen laughed, “He’s definitely spoiled, but he’s also incredibly reasonable. People like that are actually quite easy to get along with, as long as you can handle his tactics.”
Princess Changning nodded, "Only you can handle it."
As night fell, the group rested in the cave.
Outside the cave, the misty mountain night was exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional calls of wild animals and the sound of the wind.
Unable to sleep, Li Shuchen quietly went to the cave entrance and found Liang Yuying still keeping watch there.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.
Liang Yuying didn't turn around: "I'm thinking, this mission is much more difficult than expected. Mudslides, bandits... and I always feel that there might be some connection between that Yifeng County magistrate and these bandits, and that one-armed guard..."
Li Shuchen sat down next to her: "You suspect the magistrate of colluding with bandits?"
“It’s not impossible,” Liang Yuying said. “He mixed sand into our food supplies and then let us go so readily… it was as if he wanted us to die on the mountain.”
"And that one-armed guard, do you think he might have some connection with the bandits? Otherwise, why did he disappear? And that Zhen Congming, he lied about the number of people, could he also have some purpose?"
The two remained silent for a while...
“However,” Li Shuchen suddenly laughed, “at least we’re still alive, and we’ve experienced a real adventure. We can brag about it when we get back to the capital.”
Liang Yuying finally smiled: "You're quite optimistic."
“What else can we do? Crying won’t help,” Li Shuchen stretched. “Go to sleep. We still have to travel tomorrow. We need to find a safe place before dark, otherwise…”
Her words came to an abrupt halt as a strange sound suddenly came from outside the cave.
It sounded like the footsteps of many people, or perhaps...