After a long while, Zhenzhu finally stopped crying. Her eyes were red as she looked at Feng Jin, her voice slightly hoarse. "Madam, this jade pendant, it was Cui'er... Cui'er gave it to you, didn't she?"
Without concealment, Feng Jin nodded in affirmation. "It was indeed given to me by her. What is your relationship with her?"
Zhenzhu was silent for a moment. She took out another half of the jade pendant from her embrace and admitted her identity. "This servant is Cui'er's elder sister, Zhenzhu."
Feng Jin was slightly surprised. She hadn't expected her to be Cui'er's sister.
She had been worrying about how to find someone, but unexpectedly, fate had favored her, and the opportunity had come without effort.
"Madam, before Cui'er died, did she say anything to you?"
The reason she confessed her identity was to know if Cui'er had said anything before her death.
"This is not a place to talk. Come with me first, and I will tell you in detail."
In the past, Zhenzhu would have hesitated, but now she followed Feng Jin's footsteps without hesitation.
Feng Jin instructed Ling Mohan to take good care of the two children, and then returned to her room with Zhenzhu.
Upon reaching the room, she arranged for Cai Qing to guard the door. Feng Jin then turned her gaze to Zhenzhu. "Cui'er is your biological sister."
"This half of the jade pendant is the token of love between us sisters."
Feng Jin took Zhenzhu's half of the jade pendant, and it perfectly matched the half that Cui'er had left for her. It was indeed one jade pendant, and it seemed she was the sister Cui'er had mentioned.
"Madam, please tell this servant what my sister told you before she died."
"Cui'er is not dead."
Feng Jin's words were like a bomb that exploded in Zhenzhu's mind. Shock and joy flickered across her face.
Tears welled up in her eyes. At that moment, Zhenzhu didn't know whether to be surprised or happy. Her excited emotions could not calm down for a long time.
"Madam, I... my sister is truly not dead?"
Even now, Zhenzhu had not fully grasped that Cui'er was not dead. She asked Feng Jin.
"Cui'er and the other two are not dead. They should have found a secluded place by now and are living the peaceful lives you all dream of."
Hearing this, Zhenzhu's eyes narrowed sharply, but she found it hard to believe. "How... how is that possible? I clearly saw the bodies of Cui'er and the other two being cremated. How could they still be alive? This is impossible..."
She had seen Cui'er's body cremated that day. How could she still be alive? All of this was too unbelievable. How could someone who had died come back to life?
"That is because they were never dead. I had long suspected that Granny Sun wanted to kill the three of them, so I gave them a false death potion and found three corpses to disguise them as Cui'er and the other two. I let Granny Sun witness their bodies being burned, so that Granny Sun could be at ease."
"They have long since left this place, living normal lives under assumed identities. Before Cui'er left, she was most worried about her sister. She gave me the token of love between you, hoping that I could save you. With this jade pendant, are you still unwilling to believe what I say?"
Zhenzhu's heart began to waver. She couldn't help but recall the conversation she had overheard earlier between Granny Sun and the mysterious person. Her heart became even more convinced that Granny Sun had intended to kill Cui'er.
"You should recognize this handkerchief."
Feng Jin took out a handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms from her embrace. Zhenzhu immediately recognized it as the handkerchief she had given to Cui'er. Her heart instantly became certain of Feng Jin's words.
"This handkerchief was given to Cui'er by me. She cherished it dearly and always kept it close to her."
"You recognize it, then. Cui'er wrote your sisters' names on the handkerchief. She did this because she knew that if you continued to follow Granny Sun and assist in her evil deeds, you would only meet a terrible end. She wanted to save you. She exchanged all her merits for your life, asking me to promise not to kill you, no matter what mistakes you made."
The tears that Zhenzhu had suppressed could no longer be held back. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. She had truly made a mistake... she had been wrong...
It was she who had blindly believed Granny Sun's words and continuously obstructed Cui'er's escape. It was all her fault, and she had let Cui'er down.
But in the end, Cui'er's thoughts were still of her, and she had tried her best to save her.
"Sister was wrong, sister is sorry for you... Sister was wrong!"
Zhenzhu's heart was wracked with pain, filled with guilt towards Cui'er.
"I have told you everything I needed to. If you still wish to continue assisting in evil deeds, I cannot stop you."
Zhenzhu was different from Cui'er. Granny Sun's teachings were deeply ingrained in her mind. It would not be easy to make Zhenzhu willingly turn back to the right path.
After a moment's pause, Zhenzhu wiped the tears from her face. With a 'plop,' she knelt before Feng Jin and kowtowed three times.
"This servant thanks Madam for saving my sister's life! This servant wishes to ask Madam, now that Madam knows we are all spies from Xiliang, what are your plans?"
A country detested spies the most. Since their identities were known, they would not be easily spared.
She could already imagine their end.
"Life or death rests on your single thought."
"What does Madam mean?"
Zhenzhu was a smart person and immediately understood Feng Jin's meaning. However, she would only feel completely at ease after hearing Feng Jin say it herself.
"It depends on whether you want to live or die. If you remain stubborn, there is only a dead end. Turning back leads to a bright future, it all depends on your own choice."
The opportunity had been given. How to choose was her own business.
"I want to live."
She had to live. She still wanted to see Cui'er. She had to live and live freely.
"You are a smart person. Your lives are all in Granny Sun's hands. If you want to live, only when Granny Sun dies can you live."
"But, besides Granny Sun, there is another person who knows our identities. Even if Granny Sun dies, that person will not let us go as long as they are alive."
Zhenzhu couldn't help but shudder as she recalled the conversation she had just overheard between Granny Sun and that person.
She had never seen that mysterious person, but seeing how obedient Granny Sun was to him, she could guess that person's authority was even greater than Granny Sun's.
All of this was not as simple as she had imagined, and everything was becoming more complicated.
"If that is the case, then kill the person. Anyone who dares to block the way should be killed."