"Miao'er" and "Xuan'er"

After arriving at the residence, Zhu Youning first met with Wang Shifan, then sent someone to summon Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian.

At that moment, Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian were both dressed as maidservants. They were bound tightly, unable to move at all except to walk.

When they came before Zhu Youning, both looked panicked and timid, like ordinary people who had suddenly come face-to-face with a high-ranking official.

"What are your names?"

Miaocheng Tian answered timidly, "Your Highness, this servant is called Miao'er."

Xuanjing Tian also replied nervously, "This servant is called Xuan'er."

"Miao'er" and "Xuan'er" stared at him with their big, watery eyes, their faces full of fear and helplessness.

Zhu Youning carefully studied the two holy maidens dressed as maids. If I didn't already know who they really were, I might actually have been fooled by their acting.

Life was a play, and it all came down to acting.

"Miao'er and Xuan'er, is that right?" Zhu Youning surveyed them and said coldly, "Your origins are unknown, and your identities are suspect. I suspect you either have some other agenda or you're assassins."

"Your Highness, please see the truth!" Miaocheng Tian cried out in alarm. "This servant truly has no ulterior motives at all. I was born into poverty and have never even held a kitchen knife. How could I have anything to do with assassins? Your Highness, I've been falsely accused!"

"This servant has depended on her elder sister since childhood. We only came to Luoyang half a year ago to escape the famine. We ask for nothing more than one filling meal a day. How could we have any ulterior motives?"

Xuanjing Tian also fell to her knees in alarm, her brows knitted and lips pressed together, looking touchingly forlorn.

Xuanjing Tian's acting is a little lacking, Zhu Youning thought after seeing her performance. He walked up to her, lifted her chin, stared into her eyes, and said in a low voice, "Miss Xuan'er, you say you came to Luoyang half a year ago?"

As if frightened senseless, Xuanjing Tian burst into tears and answered in a trembling voice, "Yes. This servant is just an ordinary woman. I came to Luoyang to flee the famine. All I want is enough to eat."

"Then it seems I've wrongly accused you."

Zhu Youning finally let go and smiled. "How about this? I'll give you both the chance to live in comfort. From now on, stay by my side and serve me."

"Yes."

After Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian slowly withdrew, as frail as willow branches in the breeze, Zhu Youning pondered briefly, then spoke quietly to Wang Shifan beside him. "General Wang, what do you think?"

Wang Shifan hesitated before replying, "Your Highness, I still think their identities are quite suspicious. They may well be people from—"

"People from Huan Yin Workshop, right? We think alike." Zhu Youning spoke slowly. "But I intend to keep them here. If I say they're innocent, then they're innocent. What do you think, General Wang?"

Wang Shifan was startled, but could only cup his hands and reply, "Your Highness speaks wisely."

Of course, he knew what sort of place Huan Yin Workshop was.

On the surface, Huan Yin Workshop was a place of graceful songs and dances, where fragrant breezes stirred beneath flowing sleeves. In secret, however, it was Qi State's assassination organization.

Only if these two women were beyond suspicion could his Wang clan clear its name of colluding with Huan Yin Workshop and avoid the crime of exterminating nine generations of his family. Zhu Youning's words were giving Wang Shifan a way out!

Of course, Wang Shifan also knew full well that the way out came at a price.

Zhu Youning's move was also a warning shot, and his aim was nothing more than to secure the Wang clan's allegiance.

If he still refused to declare his position, Zhu Youning might point the finger at him, and Wang Shifan would once again be sent to the execution ground on charges of colluding with Qi State's Huan Yin Workshop.

This Zhu Youning was no pushover!

At that thought, Wang Shifan immediately bowed to Zhu Youning. "I am a defeated general, yet I have received your great kindness and have no way to repay it. I am willing to serve Your Highness, braving fire and water!"

Hearing this, Zhu Youning smiled inwardly and immediately helped Wang Shifan to his feet.

"General Wang, please rise."

After helping Wang Shifan up, Zhu Youning said happily, "General Wang is a man of talent. But that is precisely why you have attracted pursuit from various forces in Qi, Jin, and other states. Luoyang's waters run too deep; I'm afraid you won't be able to navigate them. Now that you're free of official duties, you should pack up and prepare to return to Qingzhou."

That day, Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian had a very difficult time.

For one thing, Zhu Youning's soldiers were constantly patrolling all around them. Even if they wanted to leave, they had no way of getting away.

For another, Miaocheng Tian's Innate Severed Meridians had happened to flare up. Xuanjing Tian had no choice but to use all the internal energy in her body to ease Miaocheng Tian's pain.

In a room at the official post station in Luoyang, Xuanjing Tian sat cross-legged and finally finished treating Miaocheng Tian with her internal energy.

"Sis, how are you feeling?"

Miaocheng Tian's face and lips had turned pale, but she still forced a smile. "It's an old problem. I'm fine. I'm used to it. I'll be all right after resting for a while."

Xuanjing Tian looked rueful and helpless, and sighed. "It's a shame my cultivation isn't strong enough. I can only ease your pain for a while; I can't cure the root of your illness."

"Silly girl, I was born with severed meridians. Even the Empress said there was no cure. Why blame yourself?" Miaocheng Tian shook her head and spoke gently to Xuanjing Tian. "You should save your internal energy in case enemies come. That Zhu Youning doesn't seem like a good man."

Xuanjing Tian looked worried. "But, Sis, our weapons are still hidden in Wang Shifan's residence. If we can't get them, then even if our strength recovers completely, we'll still have a hard time escaping these Liang Soldiers."

Miaocheng Tian considered this. "That's true. What I fear most is that Zhu Youning has already guessed who we are. If he knows we're from Huan Yin Workshop, we sisters will be in danger!"

"I don't think he knows. He just wants an excuse to keep us here." Xuanjing Tian laughed dismissively. "Men, after all, all like pretty women. It's always the same handful of motives."

"If we want to get away, the best method is to take Zhu Youning hostage. At the very least, we have to kill him!"

Miaocheng Tian furrowed her brows slightly. "But Zhu Youning probably won't be easy to deal with. We mustn't let our guard down, no matter what. Zhu Youning managed to escape Li Cunxiao's pursuit unscathed, so he's definitely no ordinary man."

"Sis, aren't you worrying too much?" Xuanjing Tian said. "Li Cunxiao may be a formidable fighter, hailed as the fiercest man under heaven, but he isn't very bright. As long as we avoid fighting him head-on, we might still be able to escape. The fact that Zhu Youning got away from Li Cunxiao doesn't prove anything."

Miaocheng Tian looked uneasy and hesitant as she pondered. "But you're forgetting Li Cunzhong. With Li Cunzhong's cunning and Li Cunxiao's ferocity, even if our Huan Yin Workshop sent out all six holy maidens, we might not be able to win. So I think we have to report our situation to the Empress and let her decide—"

Miaocheng Tian was about to continue when she suddenly fell silent.

Footsteps were slowly approaching.