A maidservant walked to the edge of the cliff and peered down.
The pouring rain cascaded down, the downpour obscuring the entire world. Below the cliff was a chilling darkness, but it was safe to assume that after falling from such a height, Nan Shiying, even with nine lives, would not survive.
The maidservant put away her dagger and turned to walk out of the bamboo forest.
...
Beneath the cliff, Nan Shiying looked at Ji Jinmo, who had embraced her, and blinked, asking in confusion, "Why is it you? Where is Xuanyi?"
Ji Jinmo circled Nan Shiying's waist and realized how slender it was, like a willow. Her rain-soaked clothes clung to her body, outlining her graceful figure. Ji Jinmo's eyes darkened. He deliberately shifted his gaze, lightly stepping on the protruding stones, and effortlessly leaped onto the cliff.
Thirteen, who had been waiting by the cliff edge, quickly held open an umbrella.
Before Nan Shiying could speak, Ji Jinmo released her and naturally took the umbrella from Thirteen. He then replied, "This Prince sent him out of the city ahead of schedule."
...
Nan Mansion, the study.
Nan Chaoyin threw sheet after sheet of paper into the brazier. The flames licked at the paper, and the faintly visible characters were devoured in an instant.
At the end of the last sheet, it seemed to read: To take his place!
...
The Prince's Mansion, the maidservant returned to the Xingyuan Pavilion. She sat before the bronze mirror and slowly peeled off the human skin mask from her face, revealing a strange and ordinary visage. She then took out a wooden box from her懷, opened it, and took out another mask. She placed the mask on her face while looking in the mirror. In the bronze mirror, Nan Shiying's face was clearly reflected.
The maidservant touched this face, a satisfied smile appearing on her lips.
...
Linyin Temple.
Nan Shiying changed into dry men's clothes. Ji Jinmo pushed a cup of hot tea towards her and said, "Warm yourself up."
Nan Shiying picked up the tea cup and drank it all in one gulp. She then let out a sigh of relief, smiling at Ji Jinmo, and asked with a raised eyebrow, "Your Highness, did I perform well in today's act?"
Ji Jinmo recalled the mournful cry, like that of a cuckoo bleeding from its throat, that he had heard as he stood on the precipice. The lowered lids of his eyes curved into a handsome arc, and he said faintly, "You acted very well."
Outside, the heavy rain continued unabated, raindrops hammering the ground like strings of pearls, their rumbling sound enveloping the entire world.
Ji Jinmo's voice was lost in the noise of the rain but carried an indescribable tenderness.
Nan Shiying, however, seemed not to have noticed. She laughed, her spirits soaring. She picked up the teapot and poured herself another cup of tea. As she picked up the teacup, she cautioned Ji Jinmo with concern, "My Lord, do not let that maidservant die before I return."
Ji Jinmo smiled and nodded.
Two days prior.
The Shadow Guards intercepted the message the maidservant was delivering to Nan Chaoyin. Ji Jinmo and Nan Shiying learned of Nan Chaoyin's plan. He intended to kill Nan Shiying and have the maidservant take her place through a substitution. Nan Shiying and Ji Jinmo decided to play along, staging a golden cicada shedding its shell. The maidservant would remain in the Prince's Mansion as Nan Shiying, while the real Nan Shiying would transform into Fengluan and head to Yuzhou.
Ji Jinmo could also use the fake Nan Shiying to lure out the spies hidden within the Prince's Mansion and, in turn, monitor Nan Chaoyin's movements.
One stone, three birds; three arrows, one goal.
A plan within a plan within a plan.
Nan Chaoyin at this moment was probably so happy he had lost his bearings.
Nan Shiying was truly impatient to see his expression when he discovered the truth.
It would surely be spectacular!
Truly, she looked forward to it!
It was just a shame about her previous plans; she could only say that plans could not keep up with changes. However, there was someone who could help her digest the food sent by Qin Yurou.
It was a form of making use of waste!
Nan Shiying set down her teacup and stood up. "Alright, it's time to meet Poison Elder."
...
In the early morning, a carriage drove out of the city gates, following the official road, heading straight for Yuzhou.
Xuanyi was driving the carriage, and two people were sitting inside.
Nan Shiying and Poison Elder.
On the small table in front of them, various medicinal herbs were piled up.
Poison Elder was pointing at the herbs, asking Nan Shiying to identify them one by one.
"Very good."
Nan Shiying was skilled in poisons but not in medicine, yet she recognized the herbs. Poison Elder nodded with satisfaction, then tossed a medical book at her. "Since you're going to pretend, you need to do it convincingly. Your task on this journey is to memorize this book for me."
Nan Shiying looked at Poison Elder, then at the book in her hand, and resignedly lowered her head.
The journey from the capital to Yuzhou passed through Bianliang, Yucheng, and Huidu, finally reaching Lin'an County before arriving at Yuzhou. The closer they got to Yuzhou, the more severe the surrounding environment became.
Lin'an County.
In the streets and alleys, there were everywhere refugees fleeing from Yuzhou.
In the open spaces outside the city, many makeshift tents were erected for sleeping and sheltering from the rain, but for the disaster victims, this was like a drop in the ocean.
Dozens of disaster victims were crammed into one tent, with only a thin quilt for warmth, and their daily meals consisted of watery congee.
The frail elderly and children were unlikely to survive the autumn.
Nan Shiying looked at the scene and frowned slightly.
"Where is Hongyi?" Is this how he acts as an imperial envoy for disaster relief?
"Master, perhaps we should enter the city first!" Xuanyi whispered.
Nan Shiying suppressed her anger and nodded. Xuanyi drove the carriage into the city, and the three of them found an inn to stay in.
While eating, Nan Shiying asked the waiter, "Young man, I heard that the court has already dispatched an imperial envoy to manage the flood, but why is it..."
"Alas, what do the high officials from the capital care about the lives of the common people?"
The waiter, carrying the teapot, sneered, "That imperial envoy only stayed in our Lin'an County for a few days. After mockingly setting up some tents, he departed for Yuzhou. As for whether the disaster victims left behind here live or die, he couldn't care less."
Nan Shiying could not help but frown.
"Did he not leave any disaster relief funds?"
The waiter glanced around and said in a low voice, "How would we common folk know if he left any? Perhaps he embezzled it, or perhaps the county magistrate did. In any case, the wealthy are these officials, and the unfortunate are us..." The waiter glanced at Nan Shiying and suddenly changed his words, "It's all of us common people."
Nan Shiying paid no mind to the waiter's change of words. She glanced at Xuanyi, who took out a piece of broken silver from his sleeve and threw it to the waiter.
The waiter's face lit up with joy, as if he had met the God of Wealth, and he served them even more attentively.
...
Outside the inn, a young woman circled the carriage a few times and then walked into the inn, sitting at a table not far from Nan Shiying.
Nan Shiying and Poison Elder looked up simultaneously.