Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 274 Employing a Sidekick

It's a pity that he noticed some unusual activity from the Rong and Di tribes in the western border a while ago and sent Shadow to investigate. Otherwise, even with the heavy guards in the palace, it wouldn't have been impossible to send Shadow in with some effort.

In this case, we can only rely on the spies in the palace to do our best to search. In any case, once we have identified the candidate, the difficulty will be reduced.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The side room of the Gu residence.

When Shen Li arrived, Bai Wuyou was meditating. Upon hearing that it was Shen Li, he simply put on a large Taoist robe. The robe was open, and his bright red silk undergarment could be seen at a glance.

This outfit seems mismatched no matter how you look at it, but it has to be said that Bai Wuyou is very suitable for wearing red; it makes her look flamboyant and alluring.

"Is there something you need me to do?" Bai Wuyou poured her tea himself, observing Shen Li's expression.

Shen Li nodded slightly: "Is your injury fully healed?"

"It's all fine now, just say it." Bai Wuyou sat at the bottom of the hall.

"How good are your stealth skills? I need someone with good agility to enter the palace and help me investigate something," Shen Li said directly.

Bai Wuyou blinked upon hearing this, waiting for her to continue, and only asked after she finished speaking, "That's it?"

"Isn't it difficult enough?" Shen Li didn't understand where his relaxed expression came from.

“Aside from the emperor himself, who's a bit difficult to kill, secrets are hard to keep hidden in the capital, and I don't need to personally intervene.” Bai Wuyou said, then asked, “Tell me, who are you investigating?”

“The Crown Prince’s concubine, Zhou Qianqian,” Shen Li began. “Investigate what secrets she possesses.”

Bai Wuyou thought for a moment and then asked, "Use it urgently?"

Shen Li nodded: "The sooner the better. If necessary, I can help to alert the enemy."

"Alright, I'll give the instructions now."

"You have subordinates?" Shen Li asked.

Bai Wuyou raised an eyebrow: "Girl, you're looking down on me. Surely I, the Holy Son of the Red Lotus Sect, don't lack even a single trusted confidant in a branch?"

"You want to contact the branch?" Shen Li keenly sensed this.

Now that the Red Lotus Sect is controlled by the so-called Grand Elder, knowing that he is still alive is a death sentence, and her Gu family may not be able to be saved either.

"Yes, but you can rest assured. The Kyoto branch is staffed by my trusted confidants, and I can have Chaoyang Mingyue contact them. I won't show myself." Bai Wuyou had no choice but to accept her nervousness.

It seems that in this girl's eyes, my idea is not mature enough.

“No, this line of communication cannot be used. Even if the branch leader is your man, there is no guarantee that there isn’t a spy in the branch. Once the Grand Elder finds out that you are still here and that you are investigating things in the palace, he can quickly pinpoint me.” Shen Li flatly rejected the idea.

She was the only person from the imperial court who had contact with the Holy Son of the Red Lotus, and also the only person who was surviving in the dilapidated temple. It was also the person who said that the Holy Son of the Red Lotus was dead.

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Bai Wuyou followed Shen Li's train of thought, but for a moment she didn't realize the danger.

“Yes, and you can’t contact other branches either. You need to make the Red Lotus Cult completely believe you’re dead. That way, the rebels will lower their guard and not rush to purge your old followers. Otherwise, they’ll be in great danger,” Shen Li said, revealing the key point.

Bai Wuyou's expression gradually became serious.

“If you die, the rebels will want to swallow the Red Lotus Sect in a dignified manner. If they are pushed too far, your former subordinates and the Holy Maiden will surely be slaughtered.”

When Bai Wuyou looked up at Shen Li again, her face was a little pale, but her tone was very serious: "You tell me, I'll listen to you."

"You must not contact me privately without my permission." Seeing that he was a little nervous and obviously had taken it to heart, Shen Li reassured him, "Don't worry, now that you have submitted to me, the Red Lotus Sect is mine, and I will definitely take it back."

Bai Wuyou nodded twice, feeling much more at ease. In his opinion, the Grand Elder was no match for this girl.

"Then how can I help you?" he asked again.

"Enter the palace," Shen Li said. "His Majesty believes in immortality and enjoys elixirs. You can use the excuse of presenting elixirs to enter the palace. His Majesty will surely keep you for a while, and then you will have your chance."

Bai Wuyou neither said it was good nor bad, but just glanced at her and smiled helplessly: "So you've thought of everything for me, no wonder you asked me about the art of concealment."

“You are a direct disciple of Wudang Mountain, more valuable than those Taoist priests in the palace. His Majesty has not been in the mood for these things lately, otherwise you would have been summoned to the palace long ago.”

"It's better to be proactive than passive." Shen Li looked at him: "What do you think?"

"I agree. First, I'll gain his trust. Once we've reorganized the Red Lotus Sect, I'll assassinate him when the time is right, and you can seize the imperial city and become emperor," Bai Wuyou planned.

"..." Shen Li pinched her brow with one hand.

"In short, do not act rashly without my order."

"Don't worry, how could I possibly handle something this big myself? Besides, wouldn't it just benefit those princes if I did it now?" Bai Wuyou said with a knowing look on his face.

Hearing this, Shen Li was indeed somewhat relieved: "The most important thing now is how well you are cultivating your Dao? Have you mastered the art of alchemy?"

"My identity is real, and I've received my master's true teachings, so naturally I know a bit about everything. That's enough to fool him," Bai Wuyou said with great confidence.

Shen Li nodded, then instructed him to keep his identity hidden before leaving late at night.

Back in her room, she felt both excited and worried. Placing such a person next to the emperor would definitely benefit her future, but at the same time, it also carried a risk.

Indeed, one must take on more responsibilities to achieve great things. Fortunately, Bai Wuyou's identity was genuine, and no matter how the emperor or others investigated, they could not find any loopholes.

Even so, she thought it over again and again, planning to discuss it with Gu Chang'an again tomorrow to come up with a more rigorous approach.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The following morning at court, it was decided that Grand Secretary Wu Yong would preside over the Zhou Zhen case in place of Prince Yi, and the Crown Prince's case would also be incorporated into it, still with the assistance of the Three Departments and the Flying Fish Guard.

Shen Li was still in bed when she learned the news early in the morning, because she had been thinking about it for a long time the day before and had gone to bed later.

In her view, it makes no difference whether it is Wu Yong or Yi Wang. Wu Yong is not a member of the Crown Prince Party either, and because of this, he has been suppressed by the former Grand Secretary Zhou Zhen. Now that he is presiding over the case, he will probably be even more ruthless.

The servant also brought back a message that Gu Chang'an had gone to the Ministry of Revenue to handle some important matters and would return to the mansion for breakfast.

“Perfect, I’ll wait for him to come along.” Shen Li, who had been listless, suddenly perked up.

She wanted to ask Li Heng how he was doing.

Sure enough, Gu Chang'an returned shortly afterward. Shen Li noticed that his eyes were slightly bluish, probably because he hadn't slept well.

"My husband must be tired." She stepped forward to take his hat, but he stretched out his arm and handed it to the maid behind her. When he pulled his arm back, he had already pulled her into his arms.

The maids sensibly withdrew.