Chapter 65
The next morning.
The sun rose, and all things began to awaken.
Xiao Minghuang slowly opened her eyes, her thoughts clear.
Beside her, Ye and Lin nestled against her shoulders, their small faces adorned with serene smiles, as if they were having pleasant dreams.
Xiao Minghuang gently extricated herself from the embrace of Ye and Lin, carefully tucked them in, and quietly got out of bed.
She walked out of the room, closed the door behind her, and saw Eunuch Wang standing guard outside the courtyard gate, eyes closed.
Xiao Minghuang stepped forward.
Before she could get close, Wang Jin sensed her presence, opened his eyes, and clasped his hands in greeting.
“Your Highness!”
Xiao Minghuang nodded. Last night, she had instructed Wang Jin to interrogate General Li. A night had passed, and with the methods of this seasoned eunuch, she was sure he had extracted all the information possible.
“Did you get anything from interrogating General Li?”
Wang Jin slightly bent his body and replied respectfully:
“Your Highness is truly wise and far-sighted. General Li was indeed a subordinate of the Second Prince. He had been hiding in Beiyang City for many years, rising to the position of the city lord’s guard captain, and managed to deceive everyone.”
“Good. Lead the way. I want to question him myself.”
“Please follow me, Your Highness.”
Wang Jin gestured in a direction.
Xiao Minghuang took the lead and began walking.
Not long after.
The two arrived at a secret chamber.
In the hidden room, General Li was tightly bound to an iron pillar, his body covered in bloody marks and plastered with talismans that suppressed his spiritual power. A thick iron chain, as thick as an arm, bound him tightly, leaving him unable to move an inch.
Hearing their footsteps, General Li suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils filled with pain and despair, and he shouted:
“Please! Kill me! Kill me!”
Seeing this, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly and glanced at Wang Jin. The latter immediately bowed and said respectfully:
“This traitor’s mouth was quite stubborn. I had no choice but to resort to some methods I don’t usually use.”
“But rest assured, Your Highness, he has not lost his mind. He remembers everything he should know.”
Yesterday, during the beast tide, Wang Jin had failed to protect Xiao Minghuang properly and had accidentally killed the assassin with a single palm strike, committing two consecutive derelictions of duty.
Now, interrogating General Li was his chance to redeem himself, so how could he not put in his utmost effort?
Xiao Minghuang knew this and didn’t dwell on it. She relaxed her brows and said softly:
“I naturally trust Eunuch Wang’s work.”
Hearing this, Wang Jin secretly let out a sigh of relief, his anxious heart slightly eased, and he replied even more respectfully:
“Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. It is my honor to serve you!”
There was originally no emotional bond between him and the Ninth Princess. Although he was a strong cultivator at the Divine Sea Realm, his abilities paled in comparison to a prodigious talent like Xiao Minghuang.
Now, while Xiao Minghuang had yet to fully mature, he still had the ability to make an impression in front of her. But once the Ninth Princess truly grew into the Divine Sea Realm, or even the Spirit Seed Realm, she would most likely look down on a half-crippled man like him.
People strive for higher grounds, just as water flows to lower places.
Having long resided in the imperial palace, he was adept at observing situations and adapting to circumstances—this was only natural.
Xiao Minghuang paid no mind to Wang Jin’s thoughts.
With her talent, it wouldn’t be long before she matured.
By then, she would cultivate a reliable team loyal only to her.
After all, Wang Jin was a trusted confidant of the Emperor.
If Wang Jin proved useful, she would continue to employ him; if not, she would simply leave him in the cold.
A moment later.
Xiao Minghuang walked up to General Li.
As she approached, the fear in General Li’s pupils grew increasingly pronounced, yet he couldn’t even let out a single cry.
He was terrified to the extreme, almost losing his voice.
When Xiao Minghuang drew near, she stopped and asked softly:
“Answer my questions truthfully, and I’ll grant you a swift end.”
Hearing this, General Li’s scattered pupils gradually focused, regaining their clarity. His face showed gratitude as he replied in a hoarse voice:
“…Ask.”
Noticing the abnormality in General Li’s vocal cords, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly and ordered:
“Fetch some water for him to drink.”
“At once!”
Fetching water was naturally not a task for the chief eunuch Wang Jin. A nearby prison guard immediately ran out and returned with a pot of tea.
After drinking, General Li’s complexion improved slightly, and he regained his voice.
“Your Highness, please ask. I will hold nothing back.”
At this moment, General Li still harbored a glimmer of hope. If he showed enough sincerity, perhaps he could avoid death.
After all, the Ninth Princess Xiao Minghuang was just a fourteen-year-old girl.
Young girls were the most prone to soft-heartedness.
If he acted pitiful enough, sincere enough, and deeply repentant, perhaps he could escape the death penalty. Maybe he could even switch sides and pledge allegiance to the Ninth Princess?
As he pondered this, Xiao Minghuang spoke.
“Tell me everything you know, truthfully. If your words satisfy me, I might let you leave here.”
Hearing this, General Li was overjoyed, thinking that she was indeed a naive young girl. Seeing him beaten and bruised, she had forgotten her hatred for the assassination attempt and softened, intending to spare him.
“Your Highness’s great mercy, this humble one is eternally grateful…”
Next, General Li recounted the entire story from beginning to end.
…
After listening to General Li’s account, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly. The details of the assassination attempt were largely as she had guessed, though a few points still raised doubts.
“From the capital to Beiyang City, the journey spans thousands of miles, and not all of it passes through prosperous towns. Why didn’t the assassins strike earlier? Instead, they went to great lengths to incite a beast tide before making their move.”
General Li glanced at Wang Jin, who stood with his head bowed to the side. The old eunuch’s hair was graying, his body hunched, yet he exuded an aura as deep and vast as the ocean, impossible to ignore.
“According to the assassin who attempted to harm Your Highness, it was because Eunuch Wang was protecting you along the way that they had no opportunity to strike. The beast tide was also incited to distract Eunuch Wang, creating a chance to act.”
Having obtained the answer she sought, Xiao Minghuang’s expression showed understanding.
“So that’s how it was. We truly owe thanks to Eunuch Wang.”
“Not at all, this old servant merely fulfilled his duty,” Wang Jin replied with increasing humility.
At the same time, General Li seemed to remember something and added:
“There’s another detail I nearly forgot to tell Your Highness.”
“What detail?”
“The assassin who attempted to harm Your Highness received orders from Prince Wu’an: if they couldn’t find an opportunity to strike, they were to retreat; if the assassination attempt failed, they were also to retreat.”
“Originally, with Eunuch Wang protecting Your Highness, it was foolproof. The assassin intended to give up, but he accidentally obtained a Beast Taming Token, which led to that beast tide.”
Hearing this, Xiao Minghuang’s expression turned thoughtful as she pondered:
“General Li claims to be Second Prince’s man, while the assassin was sent by Prince Wu’an.”
She recalled the events of the previous day. The assassin had only struck once, without waiting to observe the outcome, and immediately fled. If not for Wang Jin’s swift action, he would have surely escaped.
According to General Li, Second Prince had ordered him to assassinate her at all costs.
Yet Prince Wu’an’s orders were to retreat immediately if the first strike failed…
“Could it be that Second Prince and Prince Wu’an are not as united as they seem?”
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Xiao Minghuang’s gaze deepened, lost in contemplation.
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu
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