Preparation
Preparation
"Not even the slightest bit of help?"
"No."
Shi Yan sighed dejectedly and walked out of the kitchen. He still needed to rest and planned his move tomorrow.
Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian and pointed at the bowl. "Let me wash it then we're going to rest."
"Alright."
Watching Wei Liuying kept her curiosity, Yang Xian felt that she hid it very well. If one didn't know her better, just from her expression and attitude, it would look as if she never had any interest in the conversation between Yang Xian and Shi Yan just now.
'She always surprise me.' Yang Xian watched as Wei Liuying walked back after she had finished. 'But in a good way.'
"I'm done, Strategist Yang."
"I'm going to teach you some more about the palace's rules tomorrow before we depart. In addition, you might need to disguise yourself so that you will look different from how you look like now."
Wei Liuying nodded. "I understand."
"Now, go to sleep. You wouldn't want to lack sleep when you're facing those foxes."
Foxes?
The word that Yang Xian picked was truly suitable. Thinking of those people as foxes were very suitable. In fact, they were often even more daring and cruel compared to foxes. No matter what, they would work their hardest to reach their goal.
"Yes."
…
The next day.
"You also don't have to speak anything when you're there. Leave all the speaking to me except when His Highness introduce you," Yang Xian still continued his lesson. He wanted to make sure that Wei Liuying would not make any mistake when she was facing those officials.
Just a little mistake might be more than enough to make them pay the ultimate price. Women were not the only one who needed to scheme. The men were also scheming, but their field was completely different.
Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "How about my face?"
"How many people know your real faces? I mean, those who had seen you without your veil," Yang Xian quickly added when he saw Wei Liuying's cold glare. He knew that she had been wearing veil most of the time because it was the proper custom for unmarried young ladies.
"Only my family members. I still wear veil even during New Year Celebration," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.
Yang Xian rubbed his chin. "Princess Ji Xiaoli invited all the noble women in the capital city to attend her birthday party, so Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Zilin will certainly be included. However, Prince Ji Sheng should be staying in the male area, so the one you should be worried about is only Wei Hong and Wei Yijun."
"There's only a separation of a thin layer between the two," Wei Liuying added. At this period of time, they were still very reserved and talking between men and women couldn't be done openly.
Well, if they were married people, it would be completely different.
"I don't think there's anyone brazen enough to bypass the layer unless they want to get in bad side of many other nobles. I'm sure you already know that the rules are quite strict when it's talking about manners."
"It still doesn't help me."
"Do you think the officials will recognize you?"
"No."
In the first place, Wei Liuying had never met directly with any officials during her time in Wei Family Residence. They were all her father's guests and not for the young and unmarried young ladies to visit.
There was no reason for her to visit them either.
"Then…"
"His Highness the Fourth Prince."
The name caused the temperature to drop. Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying carefully as if wondering why she said his name. However, light flashed within his eyes as he came to realization in the next split second.
Prince Ji Shu had seen Wei Liuying even when she was not wearing veil. Back in Wei Family Residence, she didn't wear any veil during the incident where Xiao Yu was accused, which resulted in Wei Liuying being grounded while wounded. She continued to act sick from that day on, and never met with him anymore.
However, who could say for certain that Prince Ji Shu had forgotten how she looked like? If he recognized her during the party, it would be very catastrophic.
"Can you use makeup?"
Wei Liuying frowned. "I can, but there's not many that I can change with powder and so on."
"All you need to do is making your face look a bit darker and draw lines on your eyebrows to make it a bit thicker," Yang Xian said after a while. "It won't be perfect, but altering some of your features might work."
Even though she was quite skeptical, Wei Liuying did as Yang Xian said. There was enough make up properties that they prepared here. It was to the point she wondered if there were women living in this residence considering how complete it was.
"I'm done."
"Let me see."
Yang Xian lifted Wei Liuying's chin to make her look at him. Her features were still similar to before, but it was more defined after she had used makeup and darkened her own skin. Males usually practiced for hours under the glaring sun, so their skin was naturally darker compared to women.
Normally, Wei Liuying didn't bother to put on any makeup because Wei Hong Zheng's skin color and feature were close to her real self. There was never any need for her to give additional makeup or something like that because they were already very similar to each other.
Now, she looked different from him. At least, a bit.
"You don't look bad," Yang Xian concluded. He released Wei Liuying's chin and pondered for a while. "If I tell others that you're my child, would they believe me?"
"…Strategist Yang, you're only 18 years old."
"I'll be 19 in a few weeks," Yang Xian corrected Wei Liuying. He shook his head. "Forget it, you'll just be my little brother that I picked up."
Picked up?
Wei Liuying furrowed her brows, but then she recalled that her built was smaller than average. Besides, 14 years old was still considered as a child for boys. They were only said as an adult when they reached 20 years of age, which was still a long way to go for Wei Liuying.
"Strategist Yang, is it fine for me to speak of my real age?"
Yang Xian tilted his head. There was certainly no other young man at the same age with Wei Liuying that went by the name Liu Ying. However, what they would need to worry about was if someone made connection between Wei Liuying and Liu Ying.
On the second thought, there was no need for them to worry that much.
"It's fine."
Wei Liuying's eyes flickered and nodded. "It'll be as you said, Strategist Yang."
Using her real age had the advantage and disadvantage. The knowledge and wits that she had at her current age was not completely illogical and still possible. Besides, with her appearance, people might even mistake her for being younger considering how small she was.
In addition, what Yang Xian wanted was for those old foxes to underestimate Wei Liuying. The best weapon to make them underestimate her would be her young age because most boys at that age lacked in experience. They would surely take advantage of her while trying to get close to Prince Ji Sheng.
But at that time, they would be falling to the trap that Yang Xian had set up. The battles that women had to face in the noble family's residence was not in any way lacking compared to men's battle. There were already a lot of experience Wei Liuying had from her suffering inside her residence.
That old foxes wouldn't be able to take advantage of her.
As for those who might know that she was Wei Liuying, they would have no other choice but to shut up.
If words spread out that the third young miss from Wei Family had to act as a boy to survive, how would the Wei Family stay in this kingdom? They would lose all face and might even be forced to step out of the palace's duties.
The men might not be responsible for their children's education, but there were still some things that were not allowed to happen. Lying to the Imperial Family was obviously included among them.
The two of them understood that, so Wei Liuying didn't have to worry about hiding her real age too.
"However…." Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying up and down. "You might want to learn how to act a bit childish."
Hearing that, Wei Liuying's mind turned blank for a moment. For the first time in her life, she was facing a very difficult request.