Jiu Yue made a trip to Prince Ping's Mansion.
She had gone specifically to see the Mute Girl.
With the news of Prince Ping's return to the capital, the mansion was now heavily guarded, and Jiu Yue had to put in some effort to sneak in unnoticed.
It was nearly evening, and under the glow of the orange sunset, even the weeds in the courtyard seemed pleasing to the eye.
As Jiu Yue vaulted over the wall and landed inside, she saw the Mute Girl standing by the door, her expression betraying a hint of anticipation.
Hearing the noise behind her, the Mute Girl turned and was visibly surprised to see Jiu Yue.
"You weren’t waiting for Prince Ping, were you?" Jiu Yue asked while eagerly drawing her blade.
The Mute Girl: "…"
She silently shook her head.
Jiu Yue sheathed her sword again and, looking up, noticed the Mute Girl gesturing something. After puzzling over it for a while, she finally understood. "You’re waiting for Xue’er?"
The Mute Girl nodded.
"Xue’er is back from the palace?" Jiu Yue raised an eyebrow.
The Mute Girl nodded, then shook her head.
Jiu Yue stroked her chin and rephrased, "Xue’er returned from the palace today but has to go back later?"
The Mute Girl nodded three times.
A memory of what Si Shui had said last time flashed through Jiu Yue’s mind, and her mood grew complicated. She pulled the Mute Girl to a water vat under the eaves and couldn’t help but ask, "Xue’er keeps calling me ‘Mother’ whenever she sees me. Why is that?"
The Mute Girl suddenly became agitated. She gripped Jiu Yue’s sleeve tightly, her fingers turning white with the force, as if she desperately wanted to speak. But her lips only moved soundlessly, producing nothing but faint, incoherent sounds.
Jiu Yue tried to soothe her. "Take your time. Write it down—I’m not in a hurry."
The Mute Girl hastily dipped her finger in water and wrote: 【Xue’er has been raised by the two of us since she was little. She’s especially attached to you.】
Jiu Yue abruptly asked, "Has she seen my real face before?"
The Mute Girl nodded.
Jiu Yue: "…"
This was too confusing. Her head itched from the strain.
Even Prince Ping had never seen her original face, yet the Mute Girl and Xue’er had… Could it be that she was actually working for Princess Muling???
Jiu Yue scratched her hair and pressed on, "Then… do I know the princess?"
The Mute Girl shook her head and wrote: 【The princess has never met you. You were sent by Prince Ping.】
Jiu Yue: "…Sent to protect you?"
The Mute Girl wrote: 【To spy on us.】
Jiu Yue: "…"
Perfect. Now it was a complete mess. She decided to stop thinking about it for now.
After rubbing her temples for a moment, Jiu Yue recalled another key figure and hesitantly asked, "That Consort Xue in the palace… does she have any connection to Xue’er?"
But the Mute Girl’s face was blank with genuine confusion, her eyes silently asking: Who?
Jiu Yue: "…"
She began doubting herself.
Wait, the Mute Girl didn’t even know about Consort Xue? But she had fragments of memories in her mind—what the hell was going on?!
Jiu Yue was internally screaming. She closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and sighed.
"Alright, I should go. Take care of yourself." She patted the Mute Girl’s shoulder wearily and, under her worried gaze, leaped back over the wall.
Dazed, Jiu Yue returned to the regent’s mansion, still unable to untangle the web of secrets.
Prince Ping had sent her original self to spy on the princess, yet the original self had an unusually high level of trust in the princess and her companions—even though the princess had never met her before.
Later, the princess was killed by Prince Ping, and she herself was hunted down by him.
Could it be… that the original self had no real ties to Prince Ping? Maybe she was being chased because she’d tried to avenge the princess?
It wasn’t impossible.
But given the deep resentment her body harbored toward Prince Ping, Jiu Yue’s instincts told her it wasn’t that simple.
Either the original self had some history with Prince Ping…
Or she had some history with the princess.
But in the end, one thing was certain: Prince Ping had to die.
Her eyes burned with murderous intent, and her resolve hardened. Absentmindedly pressing a hand to her chest to steady herself, she caught a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision.
Out of professional habit, Jiu Yue immediately gave chase and saw a figure lurking in the shadows beneath the wall, mimicking bird calls.
Soon, a gray pigeon fluttered down. The man swiftly tied a note to its leg and released it again.
As the pigeon flew away, Jiu Yue watched—only for it to be shot down moments later, landing just beyond the wall.
Damn it.
The man cursed under his breath and turned to flee, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder, and a sharp kick to the back of his knee forced him to the ground.
"What a coincidence." Jiu Yue held him in place with one hand while twirling a delicate little crossbow in the other. Smiling down at his stunned and fearful expression, she said, "A little gift from Qiu Dongfang yesterday. Never thought I’d use it so soon."
Noticing his futile attempts to struggle, she didn’t waste words—just slapped him dizzy before dislocating his limbs and jaw.
When she let go, he collapsed like a sack of mud, utterly helpless.
Jiu Yue then hopped over the wall to retrieve the dead pigeon.
Unfolding the note, her heart sank with every word she read.
【The regent has brought Xiao Wuyou back. He’s grown suspicious. Cease all communication for now. Also, the new expert by his side is also named Jiu Yue.】
Damn it! What kind of spy was this guy?! His target was the regent, so why drag her into it?!
Grumbling, Jiu Yue tore off the latter half of the note, climbed back over the wall, and slapped the man twice more for good measure.
Still not satisfied, she clenched her jaw and proceeded to kick him relentlessly until she finally calmed down.
The situation wasn’t completely dire.
At least it meant this spy hadn’t reported anything about "Jiu Yue" to Prince Ping before now.
Her gaze icy, she exhaled slowly and quietly made up her mind.
Sima Qing was listening to Mo Jin’s report.
"We’ve uncovered two traitors so far," Mo Jin said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "Both were brothers sent from the camp…"
One of them had even been highly recommended by Old Tao, who’d claimed he’d surely earn the regent’s favor.
Sima Qing glanced up, his reaction indifferent.
"Brothers in the camp, but not necessarily outside of it," he said simply. "Any others?"
Mo Jin shook his head. "Initial assessment suggests no more for now."
The moment the words left his mouth, the study door was kicked open with a bang.
The commotion alone told them exactly who it was.
Mo Jin turned and, sure enough, saw Jiu Yue storming in, dragging a barely recognizable figure behind her.
He stared for a moment… then realized it was someone he’d seen just yesterday—a fellow brother.
Meanwhile, Jiu Yue was already slamming her hands on Sima Qing’s desk in outrage.
"Your Highness! Look at this!" She thrust the note at him, her agitation palpable. "I was just returning when I spotted this guy skulking around. I followed him, and guess what? He was sending messages outside the mansion! A traitor, plain and simple!"
She proceeded to deliver an impassioned account of the man’s crimes.
The eyelid of Mo Jin beside him twitched. Meeting Sima Qing's deep, unreadable gaze, he felt a sting on his face: "...The initial judgment was incorrect. This subordinate will continue apprehending the target."
Sima Qing withdrew his gaze and looked down at the note in front of him. Then, he raised his head and cast a thoughtful glance at Jiu Yue.
Jiu Yue wore an expression of righteous indignation as she pointed at the man on the ground and declared, "Your Highness, execute him!"
Hearing this, the man on the floor couldn’t help but attempt to beg for mercy.
After all, he had come from the training camp. A sliver of hope lingered in his heart—he had only delivered messages twice. He hadn’t done anything truly unforgivable. Surely, he didn’t deserve death?
With this thought, he began making incoherent, pleading noises.
Mo Jin fell silent for a moment before hesitantly asking Sima Qing, "Should we let him speak?"
"No!"
"Unnecessary."
The two answered simultaneously.
Jiu Yue froze.
She was afraid that if the man spoke, he might expose her secrets... But why didn’t Sima Qing want him to talk either?
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Sima Qing, only to hear him calmly order, "If he had the courage to betray, he must not fear death. Mo Jin, drag him away."
Drag him away?
But would he be killed or not?
Jiu Yue’s fingers itched with impatience. She regretted not beating him half to death—just enough to keep him alive until he saw Sima Qing before dropping dead.
"Your Highness, no need to trouble yourself. Let me handle it for you," she said, her hand twitching toward her blade.
Mo Jin’s eyelid twitched again.
But Sima Qing suddenly shifted his tone, turning to Jiu Yue with an amused smirk. "You’re being unusually considerate today. What, are you worried I might show mercy and spare him?"
After a brief stare-down, Jiu Yue averted her gaze and smiled nonchalantly.
"I just don’t want Your Highness to be deceived... But then again, given Your Highness’s unparalleled wisdom and discernment, I’m sure you won’t be fooled." As she spoke, she loosened her grip on her weapon.
"Naturally," Sima Qing replied, seemingly pleased. He then glanced at Mo Jin, who hastily dragged the man out.
Jiu Yue tried to follow, intending to discreetly silence the man for good, but Sima Qing called her back before she could leave.
He raised a hand, signaling her to close the door, and asked, "Have you given any thought to the last mission I mentioned?"
The mission—infiltrating Prince Ping’s inner circle as a spy.
Jiu Yue pivoted on her heel, shut the door, and returned to her seat.
"To be frank, Your Highness, I have considered it," Jiu Yue said bluntly, clicking her tongue. "But according to your plan, Prince Ping believes his trusted aide is currently missing. How do I plausibly reappear by his side? I can’t just stroll back and say, ‘I’m back,’ can I?"
The mental image was absurd.
She could practically see Prince Ping cheerfully inviting her to dine the moment she showed up.
Jiu Yue rubbed her arms, her expression twisting slightly.
Sima Qing’s lips twitched. "Naturally, it would be along the way... preferably near the last known location of the missing aide."
Jiu Yue pressed further, "But I know nothing about this aide—her habits, her duties around Prince Ping. How am I supposed to impersonate her?"
Sima Qing suddenly chuckled.
Jiu Yue frowned. "Your Highness, I’m not joking."
Sima Qing covered his mouth, waving off her concern before schooling his expression back to seriousness. "What do you think would be the best way to handle this?"
Jiu Yue: "..."
She deadpanned, "I don’t care what I think. I care what you think."
Sima Qing seemed in unusually good spirits, forgoing his usual teasing in favor of a straightforward answer: "Simple. If someone goes missing, it’s only natural they’d endure hardships, no? Injuries, memory loss—perfectly reasonable, wouldn’t you say?"
"...Memory loss?" Jiu Yue turned the idea over in her mind, skeptical. "Would that really work?"
Sima Qing smiled meaningfully. "It will. Trust me."
Jiu Yue: "..."
For a moment, she could almost see the fox tail flickering behind Sima Qing’s back.
