There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 435 is the troublemaker.

She also secretly arranged for Anlan to make contact with several children near the post station who frequently begged and whose eyes still held a spark of intelligence.

In exchange for candy and food, they obtained bits and pieces of gossip from the streets:

Which nobleman has snatched whose daughter this time?

Which "Golden Camel" manager assaulted someone in the market again?

She carefully recorded this information, which became the material for perfecting the "story".

The seeds of public opinion are sown silently, waiting only for the right wind and rain to sprout.

Princess Changning perfectly portrayed a "foreign noblewoman who was slighted and became angry".

She no longer kept a low profile, but instead flaunted herself daily in Suleiman's most bustling streets with her two maids, Pearl and Emerald.

today

She happened to be passing by the largest shop in the Golden Camel store, and she was extremely picky about the colored gemstones on display. Her voice was so loud that it could be heard halfway down the street.

"This fire opal isn't even as clear as our Zixing glass! This tourmaline is cut so crookedly, yet you dare to put it up for sale at such a high price? Tsk tsk, no wonder you made a fool of yourself at the appraisal event!"

The shop manager turned pale, but dared not lash out at the "VIP".

tomorrow

She heard that the Prince of Bazaar was betting on horses at the East City Racecourse, so she went to watch out of curiosity.

When the market saw her, his eyes lit up, and he came over to strike up a conversation.

Princess Changning, however, merely pointed lazily with her riding whip at the newly acquired, spirited black steed in the market.

"This horse looks alright, but the rider isn't up to the task. I heard the prince had a fine horse a few years ago, what was it called again? Oh, right, 'Black Cloud Treading Snow,' but I heard it died of illness not long after. What a pity."

Every word she said hit the market where it hurt, yet her expression remained innocent, as if she were just chatting casually.

The market vendor was so angry his forehead veins were throbbing, but he couldn't lay a hand on the female guest in public. He was seething with rage, and his horse racing performance suffered, resulting in a huge loss.

The day after tomorrow

She even got lost and wandered into the vicinity of a spice warehouse owned by Azim, where she bossed the guards around and questioned why the smell was so suspicious and whether there were contraband hidden there.

This caused quite a commotion. Although officials who rushed to the scene politely persuaded them to leave, it successfully made Azim's already tense nerves even more agitated and also attracted considerable attention from the royal palace.

Li Shuchen privately told Liang Yuying, with a mix of amusement and exasperation,

"Changning's cover was really well done... it was just a bit too much for the prince and his ministers' blood pressure."

Liang Yuying, however, showed a rare hint of a smile.

"Changning handled things well, creating trouble without giving anyone a handle to use against her, leaving room for maneuver. Moreover, she attracted the main attention, which greatly reduced the pressure on Princess Zoya."

Ye Bingli's room became a temporary disguise workshop.

She bought the most common beeswax, vegetable oils, and various mineral powders from the market (under the guise of researching pigments), and combined them with a small amount of Central Plains makeup powder she had brought with her, and surprisingly, she actually managed to create several creams with unique effects.

One type, when applied, can temporarily make the skin appear rough and dull; another can subtly alter the contours of the eyebrows and eyes.

Another type involves adding specific spices to simulate the body odor of the elderly or infirm.

She had Zoya and Li Shuchen try it, and the results were surprisingly good.

Zoya disguised herself as a sick shepherdess, and even Umur was taken aback when he first saw her.

Li Shuchen then tried to portray a weathered camel caravan worker, and did so remarkably well.

"But remember," Ye Bingli coldly instructed, "these ointments are water-sensitive and easily come off when sweating or exposed to water. Also, their effect should not exceed four hours. You must act quickly, and afterwards, use a special ointment to remove them to avoid damaging your skin."

Besides disguising herself, Ye Bingli was also preparing her "musical language".

She locked herself in her room, repeatedly tuning her violin and playing seemingly ordinary passages that actually contained subtle rhythmic variations.

She explained to Li Shuchen and Zoya

"In urgent situations where simple signals such as 'danger,' 'cancel,' or 'success' need to be conveyed, I can play a pre-arranged melody on specific occasions. You must carefully discern the subtle differences in its transitions."

She even designed to use overtones of different frequencies to represent different meanings, a feat of ingenuity that is truly admirable.

At the same time, she was also using her profound understanding of clothing to design several outfits for Zoya that could perfectly conceal her identity while conforming to the customs of women from all walks of life in Boyu Kingdom. She even considered the way to tie a headscarf and the matching of jewelry to ensure that Zoya would appear "natural" and without giving herself away under any disguise.

Li Shuchen's tasks were the most varied and also the most dangerous.

She is Zoya's shadow bodyguard, an emergency messenger of intelligence, and a "cleaner" for special operations.

With her extraordinary agility, she moved like a true ghost in Suleiman's shadow.

On one occasion, Zoya met with a border officer at an abandoned pottery kiln when nearby dogs suddenly barked wildly, attracting the attention of a patrol.

Li Shuchen instantly flicked several small stones coated with potent hypnotic powder from his hiding place, precisely putting the dog and the first two patrol members to the ground into a deep sleep, buying precious time for Zoya and the officer to escape.

On another occasion, she needed to obtain evidence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's secret dealings with the "Golden Camel" (Zoya obtained the clue from an old nanny in the palace).

She lurked outside the residence of the finance minister's favorite concubine for two nights, figuring out her routine. She then used sleeping powder to incapacitate the night watchwoman and sneaked into the study.

With the system's brief infrared vision assistance, the crucial ledger was found in the hidden compartment.

He quickly photocopied a few pages using a special solution, then put the original back exactly as it was. The whole process was clean, efficient, and completely unnoticed.

She also took the time to "visit" another of Azim's warehouses where valuable furs were stored, cleverly sabotaging the ventilation shafts.

An unexpected sandstorm swept in, destroying a batch of valuable goods and reinforcing the impression of "Golden Camel's" bad luck in the coming year.

Her core mission was to plan that "miracle" with Zoya.

During yet another late-night private conversation, Li Shuchen laid out his ideas.

"The Kingdom of Boyu worships the gods of the stars and the desert. We need a phenomenon that can both undermine the prestige of the king and his son and connect you, Zoya, to them."

"What do you want to do?" Zoya asked.

"On the last 'clear starry night' before the great sandstorm season, according to tradition, the king would lead the nobles to pray for blessings at the observatory."

A sly glint flashed in Li Shuchen's eyes. "What if a 'miracle' suddenly appeared near the observatory at that time? For example, a 'meteor' fell in a specific direction, illuminating an ancient riverbed that had long since dried up but was said to have once had a divine spring? Or, strange, totem-like lights and shadows appeared in the sky?"

Zoya pondered, "That's difficult to do, and easily seen as an illusion or a trick."