Chapter 106: I Am From the Eastern Palace

Sang Yue's throat visibly bobbed up and down; this was a sign of nervousness, conflict, and hesitation.

Not knowing what she thought of, her gaze suddenly became resolute.

Seeing this, Nan Xueyin nimbly released her hand, clamped her mouth shut, reached her fingers inside, and fished out a black poison pill.

It was exactly the same as the pill Jiang Lian'er had attempted to swallow to commit suicide that day at the Baoci Palace during Empress Dowager Zong's birthday banquet.

Nan Xueyin furrowed her brows.

She had originally thought that the assassination of the Crown Prince was Jiang Lian'er acting under the secret instigation of Sang Yue.

But now, Sang Yue, as the Ninth Princess of the Loulan Kingdom, also needed to commit suicide to keep a secret.

Nan Xueyin keenly captured the despair in her eyes and suddenly realized that this matter was more complex than she had imagined; Sang Yue was not the source of everything, and there were more forces involved behind the scenes.

"Princess!"

A young man's voice came from not far away.

Nan Xueyin looked up and saw a man dressed as a Loulan envoy, looking toward this side with a worried expression.

Upon seeing him, Sang Yue's emotions clearly became even more agitated: "What are you doing here?!"

The man stood still in front of her and first asked Nan Xueyin: "This young lady, are you from the Eastern Palace? Today's events..."

"Shut your mouth!"

Sang Yue scolded.

The man sighed, but his expression toward her was very tolerant and gentle, "Princess, tell them; it is already..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Sang Yue viciously interrupted again: "What do you know? You don't know anything! I did these things... I did these things..."

Nan Xueyin covered Sang Yue's mouth with one hand.

She signaled to the man, "Continue."

The man glanced at Sang Yue, took a deep breath, and said to Nan Xueyin: "Holding that animal trainer uncle hostage, and then coercing his daughter, Miss Jiang, to assassinate the Crown Prince—these were all done by me."

Sang Yue struggled violently, as if she wanted to refute him.

But under Nan Xueyin's suppression, everything was merely in vain.

The man continued: "But I was also threatened by someone else. I am a guard in the inner court of the Loulan Kingdom's palace, and I have followed the Ninth Princess since I was a child, specifically tasked with protecting her. The Ninth Princess's birth mother has low status and has been in poor health in recent years. The Second Prince told me that as long as I could assassinate the Crown Prince, he could cure the Consort's illness and... betroth the Ninth Princess to me."

"The poison for suicide was all given by the Second Prince. He said that if the mission failed, I must take all the blame upon myself and commit suicide to keep the secret; I must not reveal even a fraction of anything related to him."

Nan Xueyin nodded slightly.

"I can tell you, young lady, where that animal trainer uncle is being held, but I hope you can promise me one thing."

Nan Xueyin raised an eyebrow, "It seems you don't have room for negotiation right now."

The man smiled: "I just thought that since you are from the Eastern Palace, and the Crown Prince is the most tolerant and kind, now that I have confessed my guilt and told you everything I know, I sincerely hope you can promise me one thing. For the Eastern Palace and for you, it is a very small matter, but for me and the Ninth Princess, it is truly important."

Nan Xueyin emphasized: "First, I am not from the Eastern Palace."

She added: "Second, you state your request first, then I can consider whether I can agree to it."

The man thought to himself, her heart is truly as hard as iron.

Helpless, he could only say: "Could you take an object belonging to the Crown Prince and give it to the Ninth Princess? With such an object, the Ninth Princess and the Consort will be safe."

Nan Xueyin pondered; this was indeed a small matter.

"Young lady, is it possible?"

"What you want is something of the Crown Prince's; I cannot make that decision. I must ask him first."

"Is that so..." The man lowered his eyes.

Nan Xueyin said decisively: "Now, take me to find that animal trainer uncle, that is, Jiang Lian'er's father."

The man looked at Sang Yue on the ground.

Nan Xueyin knew what he was thinking, and without waiting for him to speak, she released Sang Yue.

"Hu Ga, you idiot!"

Once Sang Yue regained her freedom, the first thing she did was curse him.

Seeing Hu Ga leading Nan Xueyin away, she scrambled up, intending to stop them.

At this moment, Shu Yu had dealt with everyone outside and was walking in.

Nan Xueyin said in time: "Shu Yu, watch her; I will be back shortly."

Shu Yu acknowledged and pressed down on Sang Yue's shoulders.

Nan Xueyin followed Hu Ga out the back door of the inn and walked quickly along the street.

She asked casually: "Your name is Hu Ga?"

"Yes, that is the name the Consort gave me."

"You just said that you wanted an object of the Crown Prince's to give to the Ninth Princess to save her life and the Consort's," Nan Xueyin glanced at him, "This does not include yourself. If I were the Second Prince and learned that the assassination mission had failed completely and not a single person had died, I would be very displeased. If nothing goes wrong, the person I would want to kill is definitely you."

Hu Ga smiled slightly: "I know."

He lowered his eyes, but his tone was very peaceful, "I like the Ninth Princess very much; I am willing to die for her."

Nan Xueyin was stunned for a moment, and for the first time ever, she asked a nosy question: "What do you think 'liking' is?"

Hu Ga seemed a bit surprised, but his temper was truly very good, and he did not ask anything further, only smiling: "Liking is when you always think of her from time to time—you think of her while walking, and you think of her while eating. You always feel she is wonderful, and even if she has shortcomings, you still like her; you like her excellent qualities, and you also like the parts of her that aren't so excellent. You always want to protect her and do many things for her, even if it means dying for her."

Nan Xueyin couldn't help but furrow her brows.

Would she think of Xiao Youlan from time to time?

How could that be.

That has never happened.

"Young lady, have you also come to like someone?" Hu Ga asked, "Could it be the Crown Prince?"

He quickly accepted it, "That is true, too. The Crown Prince is handsome, noble, upright, and honest; there is no one who does not like him."

Nan Xueyin's brows furrowed even tighter, and without thinking, she denied it, "How could that be!"

Hu Ga wore a smile and did not expose her.

Nan Xueyin suddenly felt shy and urged him in a harsh, aggressive tone: "Where is the person? Why haven't we arrived at the place yet?"

Hu Ga stopped in front of the gate of an ordinary small courtyard, "It is right here."

Inside the small courtyard, apart from three guards, there was only an old man with gray hair and beard, whose left arm was severed, looking extremely pale and haggard.

"This was accidentally cut off while he was struggling; it was not done on purpose." Seeing Nan Xueyin staring at the old man's severed hand, Hu Ga hurriedly explained.

Nan Xueyin asked straight out: "Old man, are you Jiang Lian'er's father?"

The old man had originally been sitting on a stool, listless and dejected, but upon hearing his daughter's name unexpectedly, he jerked his head up, "You... what are you going to do to my daughter?!"

"I'm not doing anything," Nan Xueyin said coldly, "Your daughter begged me to save you, and I agreed."

The old man was stunned.

"Follow me." Nan Xueyin was concise and to the point.

After speaking, she turned and walked away.

After walking two steps, she realized that the old man hadn't gotten up at all.

Nan Xueyin stopped and turned back.

The old man had already lowered his head again.

He did not believe her.

Nan Xueyin glanced at Hu Ga; it must be that these people from the Loulan Kingdom had bullied him so much that he was afraid to trust others easily.

Hu Ga showed an apologetic smile.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Youlan's handsome face flashed through Nan Xueyin's mind, and hardening her heart, she said: "I am a person from the Eastern Palace."