The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 12 Impersonating a Jinyiwei

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Shen Lang was quite surprised that the princess herself would personally bring him a plate of snacks.

Therefore, what Manager Li Zhong said earlier must be true. Given the princess's personality, she certainly wouldn't mistreat her servants.

"Sit down, don't be shy, try it and see if it suits your taste."

Princess Jing'an smiled and placed the milk cake in front of Shen Lang.

"How are the defensive deployment arrangements going?"

"It's finished, Your Highness, please take a look."

Shen Lang spread the Xuan paper out flat on the table.

Princess Jing'an exclaimed in surprise, "So fast?"

"Working only four hours a day, of course we need to increase efficiency..." Shen Lang smiled and said.

"The previous plan was generally good, with some flaws, but not many. I just made some modifications based on it, which was not troublesome."

Princess Jing'an smiled and said happily, "That was arranged by top military experts at great expense."

"Hmph, it seems he wasn't lying to me after all."

Shen Lang nodded and said, "This person's thinking is correct, but it is a bit conservative. It is suitable for military campaigns, but it needs to be adjusted slightly for the defense of the Prince's Palace."

As he spoke, he pointed to the newly drawn layout: "For example, here."

"There are three main routes connecting the inner quarters and the garden. The original plan designated these three areas as key monitoring zones and assigned guards to protect them day and night."

"In this way, if a thief wants to sneak into the inner courtyard, he will definitely avoid these three places and choose to enter through the wall."

"But the area of ​​the wall is too large, and there will inevitably be loopholes. So I reduced the number of people near these three passages, deliberately leaving loopholes for the thieves."

"At the same time, a three-tiered guard system was set up in the inner quarters."

"Externally relaxed but internally tight, with mutual early warning and support."

"That way, even if someone sneaks in, the princess will not be harmed in the slightest."

The princess's beautiful eyes sparkled as she nodded repeatedly, "That sounds amazing."

She turned to the maids and asked, "What do you think?"

"Lord Shen is a man of extraordinary talent; this method is brilliant!"

"As expected of a commander from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he's truly formidable!"

"Your Highness, Commander Zhou didn't just give you a perfunctory reply; he sent his most capable guard to protect you!"

The maids immediately launched into a barrage of flattery, which delighted the princess even more, making her smile from ear to ear.

"I knew it! Everyone else has a whole squad of Imperial Guards, but here it's just one."

"So the most powerful one has arrived; one of them is worth an entire team!"

Maid: "Two teams!"

Maid: "Three teams!"

Shen Lang chuckled and shook his head, not offering his opinion on the topic, and continued explaining, "Look here again..."

After speaking for a while, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

At first, Princess Jing'an would respond with a few "uh-huhs" and "ah-ahs," but now she has fallen completely silent.

"Your Highness, is there a problem?" Shen Lang couldn't help but ask.

Princess Jing'an asked with a serious expression, "This drawing... did you just draw it?"

"That's right."

"Where did you learn this technique?"

Shen Lang was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I just figured it out by chance, Your Highness, please forgive my blunder."

His drawing ability was a bonus he received when his "Case Solving and Apprehending" skill reached level 10.

According to the system's assessment, he is currently a corporate slave, so his professional skill is naturally the sketching technique commonly used in modern criminal investigation, which people of this era have indeed never seen before.

"Self-taught?" The princess's almond-shaped eyes widened. "To be able to establish one's own school at such a young age is truly remarkable!"

"Your Highness is too kind. It is but a trivial matter, and I am unworthy of such praise."

"You can continue!"

Princess Jing'an moved closer, her gaze becoming even more earnest and focused.

Her greatest hobby is admiring her own beauty.

In order to paint the best portrait, she invited almost all the famous painters in Yujing, but she had never seen this style before.

The lines are stiff, the brushstrokes serious, and the style extremely realistic. If one were to use this technique to paint her portrait...

Wouldn't that perfectly capture her beauty?!

Princess Jing'an became more and more excited as she thought about it.

Seeing her like this, Shen Lang was a little confused and tentatively asked, "Is there something wrong with my arrangements?"

Princess Jing'an exclaimed "Ah!" as if waking from a dream: "Perfect, perfect, we'll do it your way."

"In short, I entrust the safety of the Prince's Mansion to you. I trust you!"

"In that case, let's proceed with this plan."

Shen Lang nodded, handed the Xuan paper to Li Zhong, and ordered him to arrange for guards.

Before he left, he added, "Remember, don't make a fuss, and keep a low profile."

"Especially the murder of the two servants, try to keep it a secret."

"Their outer garments and residence badges are gone, so the thief probably intended to use their identities to infiltrate the residence."

"In the next few days, pay close attention to the servants entering and leaving the Prince's residence and record their names."

"Understood, this old servant will make the arrangements immediately!" Li Zhong bowed and hurried away.

"Shen Lang!"

Princess Jing'an suddenly raised her chin, staring at Shen Lang with her almond-shaped eyes, her expression very solemn.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"You...make a painting for me, using the same technique you just used!"

Shen Lang was stunned, unsure of what to say.

The Prince's mansion is now on full alert, and the thief may have already infiltrated. How can she still be thinking about these things?

This princess is truly... insightful and doesn't suffer from internal strife at all!

Before Shen Lang could speak, a maidservant hurriedly said, "Your Highness, didn't you say you wanted to ask Lord Shen to fetch the Princess back to the manor?"

Princess Jing'an frowned slightly, then suddenly realized, "Oh right, there are still important matters to attend to."

She looked at Shen Lang: "Let's discuss the painting later."

"My daughter was unaware of the trouble at the Prince's residence and went out to visit friends early this morning. Now that it is getting late, I am worried that she may encounter danger."

"Please make the trip to the Marquis of Anyuan's residence and bring her back."

Shen Lang stood up and said, "It's my duty, Your Highness, please don't stand on ceremony. I'll depart now."

"Wait!" Princess Jing'an called out to him.

"I'll arrange for some guards to go with you!"

Shen Lang responded and went to the front hall to wait as instructed by Princess Jing'an.

Before long, a dozen or so tall and imposing guards appeared before him.

Shen Lang looked up and was immediately stunned.

These guards were dressed in a very uniform manner: cross-collar straight robes, black leather belts around their waists, short jackets with open fronts, black boots, and long swords hanging at their waists.

It was the official uniform of a captain in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and even the bronze plaque with cloud patterns tied around his waist was exactly the same as his!

What is the princess trying to achieve by making such a fuss?

Shen Lang asked, puzzled, "What's going on here?"

Princess Jing'an's personal maidservant approached and whispered:

"My lord, it was arranged in advance by the Princess. Please don't take offense."

Shen Lang thought for a moment and then suddenly realized, saying with a wry smile, "Impersonating a member of the Imperial Guard is a serious crime. Isn't Your Highness afraid of being reported to the authorities?"