This could not be blamed on her heartlessness; who knew those few maids were so restless? Her actions were for His Majesty's great cause.
To die for His Majesty's great cause was considered a worthy end, loyal service to the sovereign and country.
"Nanny is right, only the dead can keep secrets forever."
Granny Sun sighed, "In the end, they were children I watched grow up. Doing this, I still feel some reluctance, but... but they..."
"They were already condemned. It was His Majesty's benevolence that spared their lives and educated them well. They were ungrateful and dared to escape. Such traitors deserve to die."
Hateful voices filled the room, the man's eyes brimming with murderous intent.
"But after all, they were children I watched grow up. Who would have thought I would be the one to take their lives with my own hands? It's truly ironic. Lord Zhang, do you think anyone else will try to escape like them?"
"Anyone who dares to run, anyone who dares to betray Xi Liang, will only have one path: death."
They had schemed for so long, and success was at hand. Not a single mistake could be allowed, not even the slightest.
If anyone dared to show even a hint of retreat, they would only find death.
"Granny Sun, keep a close eye on the girls under your charge these days. If there's another incident like this, they won't be the only ones who die; you won't escape repercussions 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 stay here long, so I will take my leave."
They were currently in the lands of Dong Chu. Every word and deed had to be handled with utmost care. Xi Liang's decade-long ambition was about to be realized; no slip-ups could be allowed.
"We respectfully see off my lord."
After Granny Sun saw Zhang Ji off, her expression abruptly turned grim. She walked slowly and sat down in a chair, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. After a moment, she rose and went out.
She walked to a room and lingered for a moment before pushing the door open.
The palace maids, who were changing clothes and preparing to rest, were startled and froze when they saw Granny Sun enter. They quickly stood up and knelt down.
"Greetings, Nanny."
They all said in unison.
Granny Sun walked up to them, her gaze sweeping over each of them.
"Cui'er, Yan'er, and Liu Li, the three of them are dead."
Upon hearing this, everyone froze. They all lowered their heads simultaneously, not daring to ask any questions.
"They attempted to escape. They were discovered and captured by people from Dong Chu. For everyone's safety, they had to be executed. I am here today to tell you that if anyone dares to harbor other intentions, their fate will be the same as theirs. Do you understand?"
"Understood..." timid voices echoed in the room.
Granny Sun nodded with satisfaction. "Zhen Zhu."
"Your servant is here." Zhen Zhu stepped out from the crowd and knelt before Granny Sun.
"Zhen Zhu, you are the eldest among them and the most sensible. I entrust them to your care. If something like Cui'er's incident 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 precisely to give them a warning, to stop their futile struggles, as they would only lead to death.
After Granny Sun left, Zhen Zhu collapsed weakly onto the floor, tears streaming down her face.
"Sister Zhen Zhu, are you alright?" A young girl stepped forward to help Zhen Zhu up.
"I'm fine. You should go to sleep."
"Xiao Wu, you're really trying to curry favor. Zhen Zhu is a favorite of Granny Sun. Be careful, lest you end up like Cui'er and the others, not even knowing how you died."
The palace maid who spoke glared fiercely at Zhen Zhu, snorted, and walked away with a look of disdain.
"Sister Zhen Zhu, I'm going to sleep now." Xiao Wu subtly withdrew her hand and turned to leave.
No one noticed the turmoil hidden beneath Zhen Zhu's composed expression. Her hands, hanging by her sleeves, clenched tightly. When she released them, her palms were covered in a dazzling red.
Late at night, the surroundings were silent. A figure stealthily slipped out of the room.
Zhen Zhu sat on the steps and took a half-jade pendant from her neck.
This jade pendant was originally one piece, split in two. Half was with her, and the other half was with Cui'er.
No one knew that she and Cui'er were sisters. Years ago, their home had suffered a sudden disaster, and their father was framed for rebellion and imprisoned.
All the men in their family were executed, and she and her sister were relegated to servitude in the palace.
When they were selecting and training spies among those deemed guilty, she stepped forward to protect her sister. When they parted, she split a jade pendant in half as a token for future reunion.
She had thought that by becoming a spy, her sister would live a peaceful life. But three years later, her sister was also brought in as a spy.
The two sisters, fatefully, met again. As soon as they were chosen to be spies for Dong Chu, Cui'er wanted to escape.
She had personally witnessed sisters who attempted to escape being captured one after another, their fates worse than death. She dared not... she was afraid to escape and also tried to stop Cui'er from escaping.
In the end, she still could not save Cui'er and could only watch her die.
Zhen Zhu clutched the half-jade pendant in her hand, her face streaked with tears, not only from grieving for Cui'er but also from worrying about her own future.
...
After Cui'er and the other two's feigned death medicine took effect and their breathing ceased, Lu Shi, following the prearranged plan, reported their deaths.
Within moments, Granny Sun, upon hearing the news, rushed over.
After personally confirming that Cui'er and the other two were dead, Granny Sun finally felt completely at ease. Knowing the true cause of death, Granny Sun, being clever, did not make a fuss about it. Instead, she claimed their deaths were due to poisoning.
She knew that if the matter escalated, any investigation would not benefit her. It was best to downplay it.
After all, they were just three expendable spies who had died; they were of no importance to her.
When Feng Jin arrived, she happened to see Granny Sun feigning grief, her demeanor seeming somewhat sad.
"What happened? Why did they die so suddenly?" Feng Jin asked Lu Shi, pretending to be ignorant.
"It looks like they died from poisoning."
"Poisoning? How could they have been poisoned?" Feng Jin exclaimed in surprise.
"Three foolish children, why would they be so desperate? If I had known you felt this way, I would have found a way to save you, to prevent you from..." Granny Sun's wails suddenly amplified.