AUBTN -Chapter 21 Pretending to Be a Couple

Lu Yan remained silent for a moment, then slowly released his grip on the sword hilt. Clearly, he thought the same!

He considered himself no good, but these two strange individuals… could only be kept under his control!

After a long pause, he slowly exhaled a single word: “Agreed.”

Moments later, the study door was pushed open again.

Su Hewan entered with her usual composed demeanor, brows lowered, eyes downcast, walking in quietly.

Behind her, however, Yu Qing was taking one step forward, then glancing back repeatedly, her expression as if she were marching straight to the execution ground.

【Oh no, oh no! If this negotiation fails, do I hug Eunuch Shen’s thigh first or kneel to King Lu Yan first? Urgent advice needed!】

A vein throbbed at Lu Yan’s temple as he coldly shot her a glance. “Come here.”

Yu Qing shivered all over and zipped behind Lu Yan in an instant, behaving obediently like a little quail.

“May I ask, my lord, why we have been summoned?” Su Hewan inquired politely.

Shen Jue looked her over a few times, then suddenly smiled: “Miss Su, tell me—do you think we and Lord Lu could form an alliance to deal with Prince Ning?”

Yu Qing’s eyes widened. 【Does this mean it’s settled?】

Then another glare from Lu Yan immediately made her obedient again.

Su Hewan answered honestly: “I support any decision my lord makes, but if we are to form an alliance, we need to divide responsibilities.”

She knew that giving a prompt suggestion would demonstrate her value.

“Oh? How so?” Shen Jue asked casually, still appearing unconcerned.

“Given the current situation, we operate in the open while Prince Ning works in secret. His greatest flaw is that he doesn’t know what we’re investigating, and he has no idea about our hand. Master Shen and I will analyze Prince Ning’s strategies from historical records and hidden channels, formulating our tactics. Lord Lu, with your martial strength, you will handle execution and intimidation. As for Qingqing…”

Su Hewan paused, looking at her close friend.

“Me? I can’t do that! I’m just here to eat and wait for death!” Yu Qing shook her head like a rattle.

【Are you kidding? Send me to die? No way! Absolutely impossible!】

“You’ll just act as the mascot,” Su Hewan said.

Yu Qing nodded frantically. 【Sisters forever! From now on, I’m sticking with you!】

But Lu Yan’s cold voice cut in: “Yu Qing, you’re responsible for gathering intelligence.”

Yu Qing was about to protest when Lu Yan calmly added, “Especially the idle gossip of the concubines and the wives of officials. What seems like trivial gossip often hides crucial clues.”

Shen Jue scoffed, full of disdain. “So that’s all she’s good for.”

“Hey, why you talk like that…” Yu Qing bristled, but when she met Shen Jue’s dark, piercing gaze, she instantly shrank back, mumbling in a wronged, pitiful tone: “I’m just gathering, why so fierce?”

Her mind raced through all the messy information she had overheard at today’s banquet. Suddenly, she jolted, as if remembering something important.

“Oh, right!”

Yu Qing’s eyes widened as she said:

“When I was hiding behind the rockery… no, actually, just passing by it, I overheard some gossipy noblewomen chatting. They said that lately Princess Ning has changed her behavior—she no longer worships in the mansion, but instead goes out to the Ciyun Nunnery outside the city every few days. And each time she stays there for hours, not even allowing her personal maid to enter!”

“Ciyun Nunnery?”

At the mention of these words, Su Hewan’s expression changed.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Qing asked, puzzled.

The other two men also looked at her.

Su Hewan immediately explained, “That’s not an ordinary nunnery.”

“There’s a record in Supplementary Accounts of the Previous Dynasty—Ciyun Nunnery is located at the western mountain pass on the outskirts of the capital. The terrain is secluded. At the end of the previous dynasty, Emperor Yunlan constructed an enormous underground palace there. Officially, it was for prayers, but in reality, it was used to store the wealth seized from the people and… to train secret guards loyal only to the royal family!”

“I thought that was just rumor recorded in unofficial histories, and that it had long since fallen into ruin after the previous dynasty fell… I never expected…” Su Hewan looked at Shen Jue, her heart pounding.

If Princess Ning keeps going there, could it be that Prince Ning has activated that underground palace? Is he raising private troops?!

“Not ruined.”

Shen Jue’s long fingers clutched the nanmu prayer bead tightly, his knuckles turning white.

“That was the place the Shen family was responsible for supervising back then.”

Instantly, the study fell into a dead silence.

Everyone understood what this meant—

Prince Ning was not only plotting rebellion, but he was using the evidence that had once framed the entire Shen family as the foundation for his current treason!

It was as if someone had ground Shen Jue’s face into the dirt and then stabbed him brutally.

Through gritted teeth, Shen Jue forced out a few words: “Investigate it tonight.”

“Don’t rush in blindly,” Su Hewan immediately interrupted, her mind racing.

“Since it’s an underground palace, there must be numerous traps. The fact that Princess Ning dares to go means there is already a guard presence. If we alert them, Prince Ning could easily destroy all evidence.”

“What should we do then?” Yu Qing asked timidly.

Lu Yan paused for a moment, his gaze falling on Yu Qing’s timid yet undeniably striking face.

He glanced down at his own Feiyu uniform.

“Since Princess Ning is going to offer incense, we will also offer incense.”

Lu Yan raised his eyes, a glint of sharpness flashing in them.

“We’ll split into two teams: overt and covert. Tomorrow, Yu Qing and I will pose as a wealthy couple from out of town, donating incense at Ciyun Nunnery. We’ll draw attention in plain sight and survey the terrain.”

“Ah? Me and you? Pretend to be a couple?” Yu Qing pointed to her nose, her jaw practically dropping. Heavens! Pretending to be married to this iceberg? I’ll freeze to death! And we’re going straight into a wolf’s den!

“You don’t want to?” Lu Yan glanced at her coldly.

“I want to, I want to! A hundred times yes!” Yu Qing almost slid to her knees to show loyalty, plastering a professional fake smile on her face.

【For my life, I’d play mother and son if I had to!】

Shen Jue looked at this pair of lively fools, the darkness in his eyes lifting slightly, then turned to Su Hewan.

“Then my team will take the covert route with Miss Su.”

He stood, a note of pride and severity in his voice.

“The Eastern Depot has surviving fragments of the mechanical schematics left by the previous dynasty. Since the Shen family once supervised its construction, I want to see exactly how many unspeakable, dirty things are hidden in that underground palace.”

Su Hewan took a deep breath and nodded.

The next morning, the tranquility of Ciyun Nunnery’s mountain gate was shattered by a commotion.

“Oh my, Master, slow down! Why is this broken place all stone paths? My feet are killing me!”

Yu Qing was decked out in gold and silver, the golden hairpin in her hair heavy enough to snap her neck.

She hung on Lu Yan’s arm like a boneless snake.

Lu Yan’s whole body stiffened like iron, veins on his forehead twitching as he forced down the impulse to fling her off.

He had to maintain the ridiculous nouveau-riche persona, so he replied stiffly, “You’ve been inconvenienced, Madam. I’ll buy you a new pair later.”

“Master cares for me the most!” Yu Qing cooed, her voice saccharine enough to give Lu Yan goosebumps.

Inside the main hall, Master Jingxu, a senior nun, came forward to greet them.