"I've never seen His Highness before, so how would I know if he can stand or not?" Jiu Yue found it amusing.
But Fu Yu didn’t.
Fu Yu vaguely sensed something was off. He gave Jiu Yue—who was lounging with her legs crossed and eyes half-lidded—a deep look before leaping off the rooftop.
Before long, Mo Jin came looking for her again.
He had already questioned the other assassins and knew full well that Jiu Yue had gone around asking where the dining hall was… Now, staring at her relaxed expression, Mo Jin found himself uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
A dark thought even crossed his mind: What if Jiu Yue was using the dining hall as a pretext to map out the positions of all the assassins in the estate, planning to counter their arrangements later?
But then again… if she could sneak up on those hidden assassins without a sound, why not just slit their throats if she really wanted to deal with them?
Mo Jin fell silent.
Jiu Yue, however, grew puzzled. "What’s going on, Mo Jin? Is today some kind of 'silent day'? Why aren’t you talking either?"
Mo Jin: "…"
Jiu Yue sat up and asked, "Since we’ll be working together from now on, why don’t you tell me in advance—what other activities do you all have?"
Mo Jin couldn’t take it anymore. "Do you think the prince’s estate is some kind of school? Did His Highness hire you to join in on 'activities'?"
Jiu Yue rubbed her nose. "Just joking. Why so serious? So, does this mean I’ll become one of those forty-something people hiding in the shadows, watching the estate all day?"
Mo Jin scoffed. "What else?"
"You and Fu Yu don’t have to hide, though." Jiu Yue studied him curiously. "What makes the two of you different from the other forty?"
Mo Jin was about to brush it off when he suddenly froze. A moment later, he turned to her stiffly, disbelief in his voice. "What did you just say? Other… forty?"
"Yep." Jiu Yue nodded, even sounding impressed. "Forty people, and not a single one talks."
Mo Jin: "…"
With a sharp "whoosh," Mo Jin sprang to his feet and vanished in a flash.
Jiu Yue: "?"
Hey, he still hadn’t told her how to become an assassin who didn’t have to lurk in the shadows!
Study.
Thanks to Jiu Yue’s "outstanding" performance, Sima Qing decided to let her off—and himself, too—for now. As long as she stayed within sight and didn’t run off, that was enough.
Taking advantage of the fine weather, Sima Qing was leisurely spreading out a sheet of paper to paint when Fu Yu barged in with a loud "bang!"
"Your Highness! You can stand again!" Fu Yu exclaimed, first delighted, then grave. "Your Highness, I think there’s something wrong with Jiu Yue’s head."
Sima Qing: "…"
Silently retracting his hand, Sima Qing looked up at Fu Yu with an inscrutable gaze. "Who told you about me standing?"
Fu Yu replied, "Jiu Yue told me. She also said not to spread it around… Your Highness, why keep your leg injury recovery a secret?"
The whole capital knew that the regent had been injured in an assassination attempt, forcing him to recuperate at home and refuse visitors. Since his recovery was inevitable, Fu Yu didn’t understand why His Highness would hide it.
Sima Qing: "…"
Recalling how someone had sworn up and down not to breathe a word, Sima Qing’s lips twitched.
What a master of secrecy.
"No need to keep it secret." He massaged his temple, his tone laced with dry approval. "Also, your instincts are correct."
Fu Yu blinked as his lord continued, "Her head… might genuinely have some issues."
This wasn’t an insult—just an objective conclusion based on the facts.
—She didn’t even remember the wound she herself had inflicted.
Fu Yu was stunned. "So Jiu Yue really came here by accident?"
Sima Qing pondered for a moment. "Very likely… Everyone in the capital knows about my injury, yet she doesn’t. Either she’s an exceptional actor, or… she’s genuinely clueless. She must have arrived in the capital recently."
When the rumors were swirling outside, she hadn’t been around to hear them.
The two exchanged a glance and fell into silence.
After a long pause, Sima Qing finally spoke. "Keep an eye on her. Test her as much as possible to see if she slips up."
Fu Yu bowed. "Understood. And in the future…?"
Sima Qing said, "Have her work with you. Also, recall Qiu Dongfang."
Mo Jin and Fu Yu weren’t as skilled as Jiu Yue. To keep her in check, they’d need Qiu Dongfang’s help.
Fu Yu accepted the order and was about to leave when the door slammed open again with another "bang!"
Both turned to see Mo Jin rushing in, flustered.
"Your Highness!" Mo Jin swallowed hard before blurting out, "There’s a spy among us!"
Jiu Yue had the day off. After meeting Sima Qing in the morning and asking her colleagues about the dining hall, she spent the rest of her time lounging on the rooftop. Before long, Mo Jin and Fu Yu found her and informed her that starting tomorrow, she’d be working with them.
Staking out hidden posts in the estate required immense patience—something Jiu Yue, with her restless nature, sorely lacked. So when she heard she’d been assigned to Mo Jin’s team, which often went on missions outside, she was thrilled.
"Today doesn’t count as your shift. His Highness has matters to attend to and will speak with you in detail tonight," Mo Jin said. "You’re free to do as you please until then."
Jiu Yue understood—tonight was the contract signing, and tomorrow was her first official day on the job.
That left the afternoon for her to enjoy.
So Jiu Yue went out to explore the city.
From restaurants to jewelry shops, she got a rough idea of the average wages: commoners earned three to five taels of silver a month, while those with better-paying jobs made seven or eight. Of course, merchants and innkeepers were a different story.
Casually stepping into a teahouse, Jiu Yue was pondering how to gauge the pay scale in her line of work when she heard a storyteller’s voice—one that sounded oddly familiar.
She looked up… and sure enough, there was that unmistakable face.
It was "Vegetable Tooth."
Jiu Yue raised a brow and took a seat near the entrance. By the time she’d finished half a pot of tea, the storyteller—now wiping his face—plopped down across from her.
"Well, well, fancy tea like this? Thanks for treating me," he said, pouring himself a cup. "Been talking all day—I’m parched."
Jiu Yue asked curiously, "Vegetable Tooth, I thought you sold storybooks. Why are you performing too?"
"...It’s Nan Xun! Stop calling me Vegetable Tooth!" Nan Xun rolled his eyes. "What do you know? This is called marketing! My books don’t sell, so I took up storytelling. I slip in bits of my own work to pique interest—once they’re hooked, they’ll buy my books."
Jiu Yue was impressed. "How much do you make a month?"
Nan Xun replied modestly, "More than ten taels."
"That much money?" Jiu Yue exclaimed in surprise, then added excitedly, "I passed the Regent's probation period! Tell me, what's the going rate in our line of work?"
Nan Xun raised an eyebrow, casually offering a "congratulations" before pausing to think. "If it's the Regent, you can earn at least this much."
He held up a single finger.
Jiu Yue was content. "Ten taels of silver!"
Nan Xun scoffed. "Silly, who would risk their life for just ten taels? I meant a hundred taels per month."
Jiu Yue: "!!!"
That much?!
