This cannot be blamed on her ruthlessness; who knew those few girls were so restless? Her actions were for His Majesty's great cause.
To die for His Majesty's great cause could be considered their fitting end, loyal to the emperor and serving the country.
"The wet nurse speaks the truth; only the dead can keep secrets forever."
Granny Sun sighed, "Ultimately, they were children I watched grow up. Doing this… I still feel some reluctance, but… but they…"
"They were already bearing the mark of their crimes. It was His Majesty's benevolence that spared their lives and meticulously educated them. They failed to repay this kindness, daring to escape. Such traitors to the nation deserve to die."
Hate-filled voices filled the entire room, the man's eyes brimming with murderous intent.
"But they were still children I watched grow up. Who would have thought I would be the one to end their lives with my own hands? How ironic. Lord Zhang, do you think there will be others who want to escape like them?"
"Anyone who flees, who dares to betray Xiliang, will have only death awaiting them."
They had planned for so long, and success was imminent. Not the slightest error could be permitted, not even a sliver.
If anyone dared to show even a hint of turning back, death was their only fate.
"Granny Sun, keep a close watch on the girls under your charge these days. If anything similar happens again, they won't be the only ones to die; you won't escape accountability either."
"Yes, this old servant understands. My lord, rest assured, this will not happen again. If there is a next time, this old servant will commit suicide to atone."
Zhang Ji lowered his eyes and glanced at Granny Sun kneeling on the ground. "We are about to reach the capital. We must be extremely cautious. I cannot linger here; I shall return now."
They were currently in the land of Dongchu. Every word and action must be weighed with utmost care. Xiliang's grand ambition of many years was about to be realized; not a single oversight was permissible.
"We respectfully see off the lord."
After Zhang Ji departed, Granny Sun's expression abruptly turned grim. She walked slowly and sat down heavily in a chair, her mind in turmoil. After a moment, she rose and went out.
She walked to a room and lingered for a moment before pushing the door open and entering.
The palace maids, who were changing clothes and preparing to rest, were startled frozen upon seeing Granny Sun enter. They quickly stepped forward and knelt down.
"Greetings, Granny."
They all spoke in unison.
Granny Sun walked up to them, her gaze sweeping over each of them.
"Cui'er, Yan'er, and Liuli, the three of them are dead."
Upon hearing this, everyone froze. They all lowered their heads in unison, not daring to ask any questions.
"They attempted to escape and were discovered and captured by the people of Dongchu. For everyone's safety, we had no choice but to let the three of them die. I have come today to tell you that if anyone dares to harbor other intentions, your fate will be the same as theirs. Do you understand?"
"We understand…" Fearful voices echoed in the room.
Granny Sun nodded with satisfaction. "Zhenzhu."
"Your servant is here." Zhenzhu stepped out from the crowd and knelt before Granny Sun.
"Zhenzhu, you are the eldest among them and the most sensible. I am entrusting them to your care. If anything like Cui'er's situation happens again, I will kill you first."
"Your servant understands."
"Alright, you may rest now." Granny Sun finished speaking and got up to leave.
She came here late at night specifically to give them a warning, to deter them from futile struggles, as only death awaited them in the end.
After Granny Sun left, Zhenzhu slumped to the ground, tears falling from her cheeks.
"Sister Zhenzhu, are you alright?" A young girl stepped forward and helped Zhenzhu up.
"I'm fine. You should go to sleep."
"Xiao Wu, you're really trying to suck up to her. Zhenzhu is a favorite of Granny Sun. You need to be careful, lest you end up like Cui'er and the others, not even knowing how you died."
The maid who spoke shot Zhenzhu a fierce glare, then snorted and walked away with clear disdain.
"Sister Zhenzhu, I'm going to sleep now." Xiao Wu subtly withdrew her hand and turned to leave.
No one noticed the turmoil hidden beneath Zhenzhu's calm and collected expression. The hand hidden in her sleeve was clenched tightly. When she released it, her palm was filled with blinding red.
Deep in the night, silence enveloped the surroundings. A figure stealthily emerged from a room.
Zhenzhu sat on the steps and took down half a jade pendant from around her neck.
This jade pendant was originally a whole piece, split into two. One half was on her, and the other half was on Cui'er.
No one knew that she and Cui'er were sisters. Years ago, their family had suffered a sudden disaster, and their father was falsely accused of rebellion and imprisoned.
All the male members of their family were executed, and she and her sister were punished by being sent to the palace as servants.
When selecting and training spies among those with criminal records, she stepped forward to protect her sister. When they parted, she split a jade pendant in two as a token for them to meet again.
She had thought that by becoming a spy, her sister would have a peaceful life, but three years later, her sister was also taken in as a spy.
The two sisters were destined to meet again. As soon as they were chosen to become spies for Dongchu, Cui'er had wanted to escape.
She had witnessed firsthand the captured and returned sisters, whose fates were worse than death. She dared not… she was afraid of escape and tried to stop Cui'er from escaping.
In the end, she still could not save Cui'er and could only watch her die.
Zhenzhu clutched the half jade pendant in her hand, her face full of tears, grieving for Cui'er and worrying about her own future.
…
After the false death medicine took effect on Cui'er and the other two, and they lost their breath, Lu Shi, according to the agreed-upon plan, made a commotion about the three having died.
Within moments, Granny Sun, upon hearing the news, rushed over.
After personally confirming that Cui'er and the other two were indeed dead, Granny Sun was finally completely relieved. Knowing the true cause of death, Granny Sun, being quite astute, did not escalate the matter, merely stating that their cause of death was poisoning and suicide.
Knowing that making a big fuss would bring no benefit to her, she believed that downplaying the incident was the best course of action.
After all, they were just three useless spies who had died; they were of no importance to her.
When Feng Jin arrived, she happened to see Granny Sun feigning tears, her demeanor appearing somewhat sorrowful.
"What's going on? Why did they die so suddenly?" Feng Jin asked Lu Shi, feigning ignorance.
"It seems they died of poisoning."
"Poisoning? How could they have been poisoned?" Feng Jin exclaimed in surprise.
"Silly girls, why would you think of such a thing? If I had known you would do this, I would have found a way to save you, to prevent you from…" Granny Sun's wailing instantly amplified.