Is Yan Zheng truly the child of the Grand General and the Princess?
The moment this thought arose, the two exchanged swift glances. Old Xu said coldly, "The Grand General cherished Lady Xie deeply—how could he have had an affair with the Princess?"
The words sounded full of holes, but to Granny Sun’s ears, they only seemed like the Princess’s way of warning her.
She hurriedly pressed her forehead to the ground. "Lady Yu Hui, rest assured, this old servant knows what to say… It’s true the Grand General adored Lady Xie, but once at a palace banquet, drunk, he mistook the Princess for Lady Xie in the dark. And the Princess, in turn, thought he was Imperial Son-in-law Cao. A twist of fate led to the birth of the Marquis of Anning!"
Chu Ruoyan’s gaze turned icy.
This explanation, like Granny Sun’s earlier tale of swapping the infants, was clearly rehearsed.
What they had come to hear tonight was not this…
Her lips moved slightly as she silently signaled Old Xu, who nodded and said, "Hmph, you remember these excuses for outsiders well enough. But the Princess wishes to ask—how much do you recall of the truth?"
At this, Granny Sun’s face paled in horror, and she began knocking her head against the ground.
"Princess, spare me! Princess, spare me! This old servant remembers nothing… dares remember nothing…"
"Speak!"
Granny Sun trembled like a sieve, stammering, "It… it was the Princess’s order… to bring the Third Young Master and swap him with the Marquis of Anning…"
Breaths froze. But before they could hear more, Sun Cai—Granny Sun’s son—suddenly shouted, "Wait! She’s not Lady Yu Hui!"
With that, he lunged forward, his movements agile—nothing like the frail man lying sick in bed that day.
Old Xu immediately shielded Chu Ruoyan.
Sun Cai’s eyes gleamed sharply. "It’s you? How bold, impersonating the Princess’s people to fish for secrets!" He pulled out a dagger from nowhere and stabbed toward them.
Old Xu was quick with words but had no skill in combat.
In desperation, Chu Ruoyan shoved him aside. "Watch out!"
Old Xu stumbled away, but the dagger grazed her arm, drawing blood.
Wincing, Chu Ruoyan ignored Doctor Wen’s warnings and prepared to fight back.
But before she could act, a flash of steel struck first—and the next moment, Sun Cai clutched his throat.
Blood gushed from his neck, a thin, precise slash across his windpipe.
He collapsed without another word…
"Sun Cai!" Granny Sun wailed, scrambling toward him in terror.
Old Xu limped forward, dismayed. "Shadow! Couldn’t you have asked before killing him?!"
The lethal strike left no room for negotiation.
Now, with Granny Sun’s only son dead, extracting the truth from her would be near impossible.
The shadowy young man stood frozen, visibly lost.
Chu Ruoyan softened her voice. "Enough, don’t blame him. Shadow acted to save me…"
Her gaze lingered on Sun Cai’s corpse, a nagging suspicion growing.
If he was this skilled, why had he pretended to be half-dead earlier?
Just then, Meng Yang wheeled Yan Zheng into the room.
Granny Sun’s face went blank as she slowly scanned them. "So it’s you… Marquis of Anning. The Princess underestimated you."
Chu Ruoyan’s brow twitched—Granny Sun’s reaction didn’t match that of a grieving mother.
Yan Zheng’s voice was low. "Now that you know it’s me, why not confess the truth?"
Granny Sun sneered and shut her eyes, feigning indifference.
Chu Ruoyan suddenly said, "Was he really your son?"
"What?" Granny Sun’s eyes flew open in panic.
Chu Ruoyan knew she’d guessed right. Calmly, she continued, "This morning, he was on death’s door. Tonight, he’s leaping about, nearly killing us… Granny Sun, this man wasn’t your son, was he? Just the Princess’s spy, keeping watch over you."
Granny Sun clenched her jaw, as if struck mute.
Yan Zheng’s brow arched. "Ah. Your real son is in her grasp, so you took the blame willingly. Tell us the truth, and I’ll rescue him for you. How’s that?"
Granny Sun wavered but shook her head. "You… you can’t defeat the Princess…"
That woman was more terrifying than a viper!
She could end lives without staining her hands, all while playing the saint.
The thought alone made Granny Sun tremble—a fear etched into her bones.
Yan Zheng didn’t waste words. "Old Xu."
This was his specialty. Old Xu stepped forward with a smile, helping Granny Sun up. "Granny Sun, you may not know my lord’s methods, but surely you’ve heard of the Marquis of Pingjing? The Emperor’s own cousin—decapitated by my lord’s sword. And Prince Bao, the Emperor’s only uncle? He too met his end by my lord’s hand."
Granny Sun clearly recognized the names, especially the latter. "Prince Bao was you…?"
She fell silent, studying Yan Zheng uncertainly.
Rumors claimed Prince Bao died in the arms of women—yet here was the truth. A man who killed without leaving traces… perhaps a match for the Princess.
Old Xu pressed on, "But Granny Sun, my lord’s patience is thin. Refuse today, and he’ll return you to the Princess. Now, with your fake ‘son’ dead and my lord delivering you personally… do you think she’ll believe you stayed loyal?"
His voice was a serpent’s whisper. Granny Sun’s eyes bulged with terror. "You—you…"
"The Princess’s ways with traitors… need I elaborate?"
Under the moonlight, Old Xu smiled leisurely.
Chu Ruoyan marveled silently. This carrot-and-stick approach would sway anyone—let alone Granny Sun.
Sure enough, after a long, shuddering struggle, Granny Sun whispered, "You’ll really save my Cai’er?"
Old Xu remained silent.
Granny Sun gritted her teeth. "Fine. I’ll talk!"
The group tensed. Old Xu demanded, "What happened? Who’s behind it?"
Granny Sun spat out, "The Princess! She orchestrated everything!"
