"Your Highness, you sent for this humble woman?" Xue Zi Ning asked, bowing as she entered the room and saw An Ping.
A soft cooing sound arose, and she instinctively looked towards the source. An Ping was stroking a white pigeon in her hand.
Xue Zi Ning's heart gave a slight tremor. This was the pigeon she had intended to use yesterday to send a message to Han Xi Xia.
How did it end up with An Ping?
Seeing Xue Zi Ning looking at the pigeon in her hand, An Ping let out a low, disingenuous chuckle, her smile not reaching her eyes.
Xue Zi Ning's gaze deepened. She stopped looking at the pigeon and bowed, asking, "Your Highness, you did not summon this humble woman just to look at a pigeon, did you?"
An Ping chuckled lightly at her words. "Naturally not. Madam Shen, do you find this pigeon familiar?"
Without even glancing at the pigeon, Xue Zi Ning replied indifferently, "This humble woman does not understand what Your Highness means."
An Ping stroked the pigeon and clicked her tongue twice. "Look, after you finished delivering a message for them, they have turned around and no longer recognize you."
"Your Highness, please speak plainly. This humble woman truly does not understand."
An Ping walked up to Xue Zi Ning and brought the pigeon close to her face. "You don't recognize it?"
"No," Xue Zi Ning stated.
An Ping smiled. "You don't recognize it, but it certainly recognizes you."
Xue Zi Ning narrowed her eyes and said, "Your Highness, this humble woman truly does not understand. I beg Your Highness to tell me."
"It seems Madam Shen will not shed tears until she sees the coffin. Guards..." An Ping called out.
Soon, a servant entered. "Your Highness, you summoned me."
"Bring the servant who saw Madam Shen yesterday."
After about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the person was brought in. Upon seeing the newcomer, Xue Zi Ning was slightly taken aback. This was none other than Su Ru, the sister of Su Qin, whom she had rescued that day.
Su Ru was also startled to see her and lowered her gaze.
"Su Ru, is it? Madam Shen is here. Tell His Highness what Madam Shen did that day," An Ping asked.
Su Ru bit her lip and after a long pause, replied, "Replying to Your Highness, this servant saw Madam Shen... Madam Shen say... say... something about the Han Hall..." Xue Zi Ning's gaze darkened, and she looked at An Ping. "Your Highness, would you suspect this minister's wife based on just these two words?"
An Ping continued to question Su Ru. "What else?"
Su Ru replied, "Yesterday, Madam Shen took the pigeon out of her room. She wrote a note, but later she threw it away."
"Where is the note?" An Ping asked.
Su Ru took out a note from her sleeve. Xue Zi Ning's heart leaped with shock. She had never imagined that a moment of carelessness would lead to her discovery.
"Present it," An Ping said coldly.
Su Ru handed the note over. An Ping opened it, and her expression changed drastically, becoming extremely displeased.
Xue Zi Ning watched An Ping. After reading it, An Ping crumpled the note tightly in her hand.
Xue Zi Ning placed her hand on her waist, ready to strike and preempt any action the moment An Ping gave an order.
Suddenly, An Ping laughed and said to her, "It was all a misunderstanding."
Xue Zi Ning was momentarily stunned. An Ping then turned to Su Ru and said coldly, "Guards, take this servant who delivered false information away and have her beaten to death."
Su Ru trembled all over and quickly pleaded for mercy. "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! This servant truly did not deliver false information. I really didn't."
An Ping held the note out to Su Ru and said angrily, "Look for yourself."
Su Ru quickly opened the note. Inside were only three words: "Just kidding."
Su Ru's face turned ashen, and her body trembled. "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!"
An Ping raged, "You servant! You nearly ruined the relationship between His Highness and Madam Shen! You deserve death! Drag her out. I never want to see her again."
Su Ru kowtowed, begging for mercy. "Your Highness, spare me."
"Drag her out..." An Ping said with disdain.
Seeing this, Su Ru crawled towards Xue Zi Ning. "Madam, please save me! This servant did not do it intentionally. I truly did not mean to."
An Ping remarked, "Madam Shen, such a disloyal servant cannot be kept."
Xue Zi Ning pushed Su Ru's hand away and said indifferently, "If you betray me once, you can betray me a second time. I dare not employ someone like you. Go bid farewell to your sister!"
Su Ru collapsed onto the ground, allowing the servants to drag her away.
"Madam Shen, please do not be offended. Today's matter was my fault. I apologize to you." An Ping said, bowing to offer her apologies.
Xue Zi Ning quickly stepped forward to help An Ping up. "Your Highness is too kind. It is a trivial matter, hardly worth mentioning."
"Madam Shen is magnanimous. Henceforth, I shall trust no one again."
As Xue Zi Ning walked out of An Ping's room, she saw Su Qin in the courtyard, her eyes red. She must have been crying.
Seeing Xue Zi Ning, Su Qin quickly bowed. "Madam."
"Do you blame me?" Xue Zi Ning asked softly.
Su Qin shook her head. "Su Ru's fate is a consequence of her own actions."
"Su Qin, I will give you three days to properly handle Su Ru's affairs."
Su Qin was deeply grateful and quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowing. "Thank you, Madam."
Returning to Shen Yun Xiu's room, Shen Yun Xiu approached her and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"
Xue Zi Ning shook her head. "I am fine, I just find it a bit strange."
"What is strange?" Shen Yun Xiu asked.
Xue Zi Ning recounted what had happened in An Ping's room. Shen Yun Xiu listened and said slowly, "You mean, someone is helping you?"
"I don't know, but that note was not written by me," Xue Zi Ning replied.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to consider those matters for now. Your safety is the most important thing."
Xue Zi Ning nodded. "The gold will still be sent to the Han Hall as planned."
"Your Majesty, would Han Xi Chen not consider this?" Shen Yun Xiu asked, not understanding.
"The most dangerous place is often the safest," Xue Zi Ning said.
"You mean, even if Han Xi Chen thinks of the Han Hall, it's alright?"
Xue Zi Ning nodded. "It's fine. Even if he sends it in, he must have the life to retrieve it."
At this moment, An Ping looked at Han Xi Chen and asked in confusion, "The Han Hall?"
Han Xi Chen nodded. "After thinking it over, I believe the Han Hall is the safest place. Few people would enter it."
"Han Xi Chen, are you perhaps intending to keep it all for yourself?" An Ping was displeased.
"If Prince Chang Ping has a better place, then this prince does not want to send it to the Han Hall."
An Ping frowned. An Guo indeed did not have a place large enough to store the gold.
"It is decided then," Han Xi Chen said.
Although An Ping was unwilling, she had no other choice.
So much gold had to be stored in a secure place. For the sake of their great cause, she would make do.
The Han Hall was currently the best method for preserving the gold. Only the Han royal family could enter.
Besides the Han royal family, there was one other person who could enter, and that was Xue Zi Ning.
Thinking of Xue Zi Ning, Han Xi Chen's expression turned cold. His father had died because of her, and his great cause had been delayed because of her.
This time, his great cause would surely succeed.