In the Shendu Camp, Xiao Man sat in the tent, perusing official documents. Ying Xue entered the tent with a soldier, a common occurrence that would raise no suspicion.
"Commander, the person is here," Ying Xue said.
Xiao Man looked up at the inconspicuous middle-aged man beside Ying Xue and then looked to the side. "You are Jiang An."
The man nodded. "Thank you, Princess Yongning, for saving my life."
"On the eighth day of the first lunar month, did you arrange to meet the Prince of Qin at Nanluo Mountain Villa?" Xiao Man asked directly.
Jiang An's expression shifted slightly. He hesitated, unsure whether to tell the truth.
"I can bring you out of the National Teacher's mansion, and I can send you to the Prince of Qin's residence. Whether you fall into the hands of the National Teacher or the Prince of Qin, you will have no way out. Think carefully before you answer. You have the right to choose. Will you answer my questions obediently, or shall I send you back, or send you away?"
"I want to live," Jiang An stepped forward. "Princess Yongning, can you send me out of the city?"
"Not only can I send you out of the city, but I can also prepare new identification documents for you and help you hide so that no one can find you, and you will live a life without worry for the rest of your days."
Jiang An was quite moved. He feared death and had been hiding from place to place for years. When he was found, he had no choice but to obey orders. Whether the task assigned to him was good or bad, he had no right to refuse, or he would only face death. But now, he had a choice.
"On the eighth day of the first lunar month, someone asked me to write a letter to the Prince of Qin, inviting him to meet at Nanluo Mountain Villa to discuss the matter of Consort Xue's murder," Jiang An said. "Consort Xue was the saintess of Wuyue Kingdom and had the sacred蛊 (gu) in her body. However, when she gave birth to His Highness the Prince of Qin, the sacred蛊 transferred to His Highness the Prince of Qin. Although Consort Xue was weak, she would not have died within a few years. Consort Xue was murdered, and His Highness the Prince of Qin wants to know who murdered Consort Xue."
"Did you go to Nanluo Mountain Villa?"
"No," Jiang An gritted his teeth. "I was intercepted when I was leaving the city."
"Were the people who intercepted you from the National Teacher's faction?"
"Yes."
Xiao Man was a little confused. If the people who intercepted Jiang An were from the National Teacher's faction, then who forced Jiang An to write the letter to the Prince of Qin?
"Who forced you to write the letter to the Prince of Qin?" Xiao Man inquired. Feng Tianlan must have been involved in this matter. Was she mistaken? Was Feng Tianlan not the mastermind, but merely a participant in one part of it?
"The person wore a mask on their face and I couldn't see it. However, I heard his subordinates call him Right Emissary."
"Yaoyue Tower," Xiao Man gritted her teeth. This Yaoyue Tower was like an unkillable cockroach. No matter how many times she sent people to exterminate them, they would reappear after a while, as if they could never be wiped out.
"Yes, it's Yaoyue Tower!"
Xiao Man's expression remained unchanged. She had always suspected that Feng Tianlan was the owner of Yaoyue Tower but had never found evidence. However, Feng Tianlan's connection to Yaoyue Tower was undeniable.
"Who murdered Consort Xue?"
Jiang An hesitated. He worried that once he revealed all his secrets, he would lose his value and Xiao Man would kill him to silence him.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you," Xiao Man placed paper and a brush in front of Jiang An. "I need something to persuade the Prince of Qin to stop searching for you. You should know the Prince of Qin's personality. If he doesn't get the truth, even if I hide you at the ends of the earth, he will find a way to dig you out!"
Jiang An gritted his teeth and sat down at the table. Xiao Man was right. If he wanted to live the rest of his life in peace, he had to reveal the secrets. Some secrets were meant to be taken to the grave, but some secrets, once leaked, had to be revealed, or he would never find peace.
"The person who murdered Consort Xue was the Empress Dowager," Jiang An said as he wrote. "The Empress Dowager had no sons and wanted to choose a prince to support her. The Crown Prince was definitely not an option, as he was backed by the Empress and the Xue family, and she dared not touch him. Prince Chu was poisoned and weak, and it was uncertain how long he would live. Therefore, the Prince of Qin became the most suitable candidate."
"The Prince of Qin was young, and the Thirteenth Prince had not yet been born. Speaking of which, the Prince of Qin was indeed the most suitable candidate. His birth mother was a saintess from the Western Regions, with no maternal clan support in Yusheng and no foundation whatsoever. She was an excellent candidate for a puppet."
"Consort Xue was weak after giving birth to the Prince of Qin and needed good care. The Empress Dowager heard this and ordered people to send many tonics. However, as a saintess, Consort Xue had some medical knowledge and did not consume the items sent by the Empress Dowager."
"Then how exactly did Consort Xue die?"
"She committed suicide."
"Nonsense. Why would she commit suicide out of the blue?"
Seeing Xiao Man's agitated reaction, Jiang An quickly said, "Because the Prince of Qin was poisoned, and she couldn't cure him. The one who poisoned him was the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager wanted the Prince of Qin, she couldn't let Consort Xue live and interfere with him. Consort Xue, in order to save His Highness the Prince of Qin's life, had to commit suicide."
Xiao Man slowly sat back. She vaguely remembered Nangong Yu saying that his birth mother was indifferent to everything, even to him, and treated everything with a cold detachment. It was likely that Consort Xue had already decided to sacrifice herself to give the Prince of Qin a chance to live.
The Empress Dowager, this woman was truly ambitious. She forced Consort Xue to her death, took away Consort Xue's son, was entangled with Jin Xiao, and conceived a child. After giving birth to her own child, she swapped it with Consort De's child. While using the Prince of Qin as a shield in front, she secretly plotted for Prince Qi. Did this person have any genuine affection for the Prince of Qin? Sudan Novel Network.
"My lord, I have finished writing," Jiang An handed the written account of the events to Xiao Man. "When can you send me away?"
"Put your handprint on it," Xiao Man pointed to the place for his signature.
Jiang An immediately pressed his handprint. "Is that okay?"
"It's fine," Xiao Man said slowly. "If I take you away, the National Teacher will surely have people guarding the four city gates. You will be discovered as soon as you show yourself, so you cannot leave the city now."
"Then when can I leave the city?"
"Tomorrow," Xiao Man looked at Jiang An. "Tomorrow, the guards of the Shendu Camp will go to the royal hunting grounds to clear the area and prepare for the spring hunt. At that time, you will blend in with the soldiers and leave the city with them. Someone will be waiting to receive you outside the city."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Before that, maintain your current appearance and stay behind Ying Xue, following orders," Xiao Man said slowly. "There are also spies from the National Teacher's mansion in this Shendu Camp. Any slip-up you make could be discovered by the spies from the National Teacher's mansion, especially since this Shendu Camp is a重点 (key point) of their investigation."
Jiang An swallowed. "Your subordinate understands."
"Alright, you may go," Xiao Man waved her hand, signaling Ying Xue to escort Jiang An away.