AUBTN -Chapter 199 Substituting One Thing for Another

“Miss Linglong… from Spring River, Flower, Moonlit Night.”

The moment those words fell, an eerie, suffocating silence engulfed the study.

The three of them stared at the powerful Director of the Eastern Depot with indescribable, extremely peculiar expressions, sizing him up from head to toe.

Su Hewan’s eye twitched violently.

【Spring River, Flower, Moonlit Night? That name alone doesn’t sound like anything respectable!】

【Miss Linglong? Good grief, isn’t that the title of a top courtesan in a brothel?!】

Anyone could tell—it was a pleasure house!

Before Shen Jue could even explain, Lu Yan cut him off.

He let out a mocking chuckle, crossing his arms, his tone dripping with undisguised sarcasm.

“Well, well. Who would’ve thought?”

“So the dignified Director Shen of the Eastern Depot—so pure and ascetic on the surface—actually has this kind of taste behind the scenes?”

Yu Qing was even more dramatic. She first widened her eyes in shock, then suddenly burst into thunderous laughter.

“Hahahahaha! I can’t—I’m dying!”

Pointing at Shen Jue, tears nearly streaming from her eyes, she went on:

“Shen Jue, don’t you claim to be a eunuch in public?”

“What are you doing visiting a courtesan? Chatting innocently under the covers?”

“How much sorrow can one hold? Like a bunch of eunuchs strolling through a brothel!”

“Oh my god, that image is just perfect!”

When Lu Yan heard the line “eunuchs visiting a brothel,” even his usually stern lips curled uncontrollably upward, almost breaking into laughter.

Meanwhile, Su Hewan’s expression had gone far beyond mere displeasure.

Her face had taken on a faint greenish hue.

She stared coldly at Shen Jue, the corners of her lips lifting into a chilling, fake smile.

“Director Shen, I never would’ve guessed—your confidantes are spread all across the capital.”

“I wonder, what extraordinary abilities does this Miss Linglong possess, for you to still be thinking of her at a time like this?”

Shen Jue felt a chill run down his spine, a powerful survival instinct surging up within him.

These two so-called teammates were practically trying to get him killed!

“That’s not what you think!”

He hurried to Su Hewan’s side, grabbing her wrist as he explained anxiously,

“Wanwan, listen to me!”

“That ‘Spring River, Flower, Moonlit Night’ is an intelligence outpost secretly established by the Eastern Depot!”

“All kinds of people pass through there—officials, merchants, all walks of life. After a few drinks, they’re the most likely to spill secrets. It’s a core hub for gathering intelligence in the capital!”

Seeing Su Hewan’s face grow even darker, he wished he could sew Yu Qing’s mouth shut.

“As for Linglong…”

“She’s not some courtesan either—she’s the leader of my undercover agents. She’s one of my subordinates!”

But Yu Qing refused to believe him. She pulled Su Hewan away from Shen Jue, shielding her protectively like a mother hen.

“Wanwan, don’t listen to his excuses!”

“A man’s mouth is a lying ghost!”

“Who knows if that ‘intelligence outpost’ isn’t just an excuse for keeping a beauty hidden away? When men go to places like that, how many of them stay clean?”

Shen Jue was so furious his lungs felt like they might explode, his handsome face now as dark as the bottom of a pot.

He snapped his folding fan against Yu Qing’s head and ground out through clenched teeth:

“You little brat—say one more word stirring trouble, and believe it or not, I’ll throw you out the window right now!”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Lu Yan immediately stepped forward, shielding Yu Qing behind him.

“Shen Jue, try laying a finger on her!”

“Oh? I will. What are you going to do about it? Draw your sword?”

“You think I won’t?”

The scene instantly spiraled into utter chaos.

The once formidable heads of the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guards—men who had shaken the court and struck fear into countless hearts—now looked like two grade-school boys fighting over a toy, faces flushed and necks stiff as they prepared to come to blows.

Watching the three of them descend into such childish chaos, Su Hewan let out a deep sigh.

She felt both helpless and amused. She had only meant to tease Shen Jue a little, never expecting things to spiral so completely out of control.

Raising a hand, she pinched the bridge of her nose, which had begun to throb faintly. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Enough!”

Her soft reprimand wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

“At a time like this, you’re still busy creating internal conflict?”

“The Empress Dowager’s blade is already hanging over our heads, and you still have the leisure to draw swords over a few jokes?”

Her sharp gaze swept over the two men.

The three of them instantly fell silent, like students being scolded by a strict disciplinarian, obediently shutting their mouths.

The atmosphere froze in an instant.

Seeing that Su Hewan was truly angry, Shen Jue immediately moved closer like a wronged young wife.

Gone was his earlier murderous aura. His long arm naturally wrapped around Su Hewan’s arm.

He even rested his chin lightly on her shoulder, his narrow eyes filled with grievance.

“Wanwan, don’t be angry.”

He muttered softly, shooting a glare at Lu Yan and Yu Qing.

“They’re the unreasonable ones, always twisting things. I really only have you.”

This extremely uncomfortable display of affection made Lu Yan and Yu Qing shudder in unison, goosebumps rising all over their bodies.

Su Hewan was even more helpless. With half her body stiff from being held, she could only sigh and pat the back of his hand.

“Alright, stop it.”

Composing herself, she steered the conversation back on track.

“Go on with the important matter.”

“What exactly is so special about this Miss Linglong that she can help us break this seemingly fatal situation?”

Only then did Shen Jue reluctantly sit up straight.

“Linglong possesses a peerless skill unrivaled in the world.”

He looked at them and said each word deliberately.

“The girls under her command are not only proficient in all kinds of tricks, but are also the finest masters of disguise in the world!”

The moment he said this, Su Hewan’s eyes lit up.

Shen Jue lowered his voice and continued explaining.

“They can use lifelike masks and bone-structure techniques to alter a person’s appearance flawlessly.”

“From a young age, they’ve trained in ventriloquism, able to perfectly imitate anyone’s voice—even their breathing patterns and walking posture can be copied with ninety-nine percent accuracy!”

Yu Qing gasped sharply, her mouth hanging open in shock.

“You mean…”

“Exactly.”

A sly, fox-like smile curled at Shen Jue’s lips, his eyes gleaming with a hint of madness.

“Since the Empress Dowager wants to keep you as hostages, why don’t we play along—and substitute one for another?”

“Find two girls with similar builds to yours, have Linglong disguise them, and let them enter the palace in your place.”

The four of them exchanged glances, each seeing both shock and excitement in the others’ eyes.

It was an incredibly bold plan—yet one that perfectly fit their desperate situation.

Fight magic with magic. Use fake hostages to deceive the old fox.

“It does sound like a good plan.”

After the brief excitement, Lu Yan’s usually cold and stern brows furrowed once more.

He raised a critical concern.

“But the Empress Dowager is naturally suspicious and deeply cunning.”

“Cining Palace is filled with her spies and seasoned attendants.”

“Even if their appearance and voices can fool others, the slightest discrepancy in habits or temperament will give them away.”

His sharp gaze locked onto Shen Jue.

“If the Empress Dowager discovers that the ones left in the palace are impostors, that would be the crime of deceiving the sovereign—punishable by the extermination of entire clans.”

“At that point, we’d be attacked from both front and back. What would we do then?”