If it really was the emperor of the Jin Kingdom, or so prince who had instructed her to do all this, it wouldn’t be long before the iron cavalry of Great Yan would trample every inch of the Jin Kingdom’s land.
Nanny Xiang, with a layer of green herbal dicine covering her eyes, was so shocked by Xi Que’s words that she sat up from her bed: “What? Are you saying that the one who hard us is Noble Consort Ye?”
Xi Que nodded vigorously: “You didn’t expect it either, did you, Nanny? Shuang Jiang and I were both terrified. It turns out Her Majesty was right—the person who changed their face was right among us.”
Wet Nurse Lu also sighed deeply.
She had suffered the most severe injuries this ti. Since one’s body, hair, and skin are gifts from one’s parents, it was heartbreaking for her to lose half of her hair in the fire.
A large scar ran from her wrist up to two inches above her elbow. Imperial Physician Yan said it would definitely leave a permanent mark.
After going through these life-and-death situations, Wet Nurse Lu had already tendered her resignation to Jiang Xinyue.
Others who beca wet nurses to the crown prince would cling to the position for life, hoping to stay by his side until old age, when their status might even rival that of the empress dowager.
But her situation was different. She had seven daughters being cared for by Auntie Li, and she didn’t know if her good-for-nothing ex-husband had co to cause trouble.
Although Auntie Li had hired a few guards, Wet Nurse Lu was always worried, as she couldn’t be with her daughters herself.
When Her Majesty urgently needed a wet nurse, Wet Nurse Lu had made it clear from the start that she would only nurse the prince until he was weaned and then return ho.
Now that the crown prince was three years old and no longer needed breast milk, she had stayed longer to help because Her Majesty had given birth to twins and was short on hands.
But after this incident, she no longer dared to stay in the palace.
Every ti she protected the young princes, she put her own life on the line, but afterward, she often regretted it.
She couldn’t imagine what would happen to her own children if she died. Who would protect them?
Auntie Li was, after all, an outsider. If Wet Nurse Lu died, Auntie Li would have no right to care for her daughters. If their father went off the rails and needed money, he might sell them all.
Every ti danger struck, the urgency of the situation left her no ti to think, and she instinctively put her life on the line.
But afterward, she was filled with dread. This kind of life was truly torturous.
Everyone has different aspirations.
Wet Nurse Lu felt that the rewards Her Majesty had bestowed upon her were enough for her and her seven daughters to live comfortably, so she no longer coveted anything else.
Fortunately, Her Majesty was understanding. Being a mother herself, she empathized with Wet Nurse Lu’s longing for her children and had already granted her permission to return ho once her injuries healed.
The crown prince was older now and had the fourth prince as a companion. With Eunuch Qian Sheng by his side, whom the crown prince liked very much, there would be no mishaps.
Besides, the crown prince was now attending classes in the library, so Wet Nurse Lu rarely saw him except at night when she put him to bed.
The crown prince’s favorite was still Her Majesty, and he wasn’t particularly attached to Wet Nurse Lu, so her departure wouldn’t be a big deal.
The two young princes had Nanny Xiang and Shuang Jiang, while Her Majesty had Jiang Chuan and Xiao Xiangzi, as well as the four maids—Chun, Xia, Qiu, and Dong. There was no shortage of hands.
She had considered all these factors before making her decision.
In the main hall of Kunning Palace—
The emperor had gone to his study to review morials, leaving only Xi Que, Jiang Chuan, and a few guards in the parlor.
Jiang Xinyue had changed into comfortable clothes and was sitting on the couch, enjoying sweet pastries and warm milk tea.
This was torture for Ye Qiang'er, who was starving.
“What is your real na?”
Most people from the Jin Kingdom had compound surnas, and very few had single-character surnas, let alone a surna like Ye, which was common among the people of Great Yan.
Ye Qiang'er glanced at her, then sat up from the floor and casually took a seat in a nearby chair.
Her hands were tied behind her back, so she couldn’t use any force, and Jiang Xinyue wasn’t afraid of her attempting a sneak attack.
Finding a comfortable position, Ye Qiang'er said, “I’m an orphan. My parents abandoned when I was young. My teacher picked up, gave the na Wuma Jianli, and had study at the Shuliu Pavilion. After I grew up, he sent to Great Yan to replace a selected maiden and infiltrate the palace, waiting for the right mont to destroy Great Yan.”
“Who is your teacher?”
“I don’t know who he is. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of people like in the Shuliu Pavilion. Only two or three of us graduate, while the rest beco playthings or slaves, dying at the hands of the powerful. You don’t need to waste your ti investigating . I’ll tell you everything you want to know. I have no identity in the Jin Kingdom. We are people who live in the shadows, unseen by the light. If my mission fails, you can kill or cut to pieces. The Jin Kingdom will never acknowledge my existence.”
She was telling the truth, but deep in her eyes, there was a hint of fear. What was she afraid of?
A spy who wasn’t afraid of death—what could she fear?
The Jin Kingdom had been cold and indifferent to her. Soone abandoned by their parents from a young age would likely feel the sa indifference toward the Jin Kingdom. Only by being detached could she avoid being hurt again.
She wasn’t doing this for the Jin Kingdom.
If her mission failed, death was the worst outco.
She wasn’t afraid of death, but she was afraid that Jiang Xinyue would investigate her in the Jin Kingdom after her failure.
So, she feared disappointing certain people if she failed and would rather die quietly.
She had ntioned her teacher earlier.
Jiang Xinyue, having watched plenty of lodramatic TV shows and read many novels in her past life, knew that female assassins often had emotional ties with their adoptive fathers or masters who raised them.
Watching a lot of dramas gave her a decent understanding of such plotlines—or at least she could guess most of it.
Jiang Xinyue pulled out a portrait from a nearby porcelain vase and unfolded it: “Is this your teacher?”
The man in the portrait had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, an imposing presence, and was dressed in a purple robe embroidered with dragons, his gaze teasing. It was the man she rembered.
But her teacher had never worn such luxurious clothing. He always dressed in simple attire, claiming to be a wandering swordsman who wanted to cultivate talent for the Jin Kingdom and achieve his grand ambitions.
The mont Jiang Xinyue saw her shocked expression, she knew she had guessed correctly: “He is the Southern Prince of the Jin Kingdom. He didn’t raise you to cultivate talent. He’s not that noble. He did it for his own ambition.”
Wuma Jianli’s eyes were filled with disbelief as she stared at the portrait, examining it over and over. The mole under the teacher’s eye was identical to the one in the painting.
He had lied to her… he had deceived her…
“I… I have a younger brother nad Wuma Fengche. He failed his assessnt and was sent to the Eastern Prince to be… to be a bed warr. My teacher said… he said the Shuliu Pavilion was secretly established by the emperor, and he was rely managing it on his behalf. The Eastern Prince took a liking to my brother, and there was nothing he could do. He promised he would help kill the Eastern Prince.”
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