The Prince of Jin did not come over again that night.
This time, he had Song Jingyang tell him in advance that he was going to a manor on the outskirts of Beijing and might not be back for a day or two.
Unfortunately, Song Jingyang didn't explain it clearly before he hurriedly went to catch up with Prince of Jin.
Xiu'er asked Tang Zhuyun, "Your Highness, do you know what the Prince went to do?"
Tang Zhuyun rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment, "Shouldn't it be to see Nanny Rong?"
I wonder if the Prince of Jin will find any clues on his trip.
However, Nanny Rong isn't that important anymore.
Prince of Jin already harbored doubts, and those doubts about the past would only deepen... It was only a matter of time before the truth was revealed, and it wasn't just Nanny Rong was on his side.
Tang Zhuyun can now even understand some of Nanny Rong's dilemma.
--It is true that Prince of Jin is Xiao Wu's flesh and blood, but what if there were other people with similar bloodlines?
Or even, what if it's their former master?
The last one is Tang Zhuyun's own guess.
But she thought that even if the Prince of Jin didn't say it, he must have thought about it.
Xiu'er said, "Nanny Rong treated you well in the past, but she changed later. Later, she even wanted to kill you, so you must not be soft-hearted."
She gave an example.
"... Once an egg is spoiled, it can never be made good again. People may be different, but once they've gone bad, there's no guarantee they won't go bad again."
Tang Zhuyun nodded. "I know."
Resentment has been formed in my heart, and there's no going back to the way things were.
Even if Nanny Rong really had her reasons, she was still an innocent victim.
If things are really as she thinks, then find Nanny Rong a quiet house away from the Prince's mansion, and find her a few maids to serve her until the end of her life.
If the Prince of Jin still can't let it go, he can visit occasionally; Tang Zhuyun won't interfere.
But she herself will not go again.
Despite saying that, Tang Zhuyun was still extremely shocked when she heard from Prince of Jin the next morning that Nanny Rong had been assassinated.
Nanny Rong, are you still not going to let me go?
The Prince of Jin had deep, unfathomable eyes; if one looked closely, one could see the weariness and emptiness within them.
He sat blankly in front of Tang Zhuyun, his voice low and deep, "The six assassins were all captured by the Golden Scale Guard. But Granny seized a knife in the chaos, intending to commit suicide, but I took it from her. But A-Yun, if someone truly wants to die, you can't stop them..."
Tang Zhuyun felt an indescribable bitterness in her heart, feeling sorry for Prince of Jin and also feeling sorry for Nanny Rong.
How did things escalate to this point?
Prince of Jin said, "Nanny Rong won't allow it; she says only death can bring her relief."
Nanny Rong admitted that she had been faking her madness.
Some words, once spoken, would be a betrayal of her former master.
"Did your nanny say something to you?" Tang Zhuyun grasped his large hand resting on the armrest of the chair, wishing she could offer him some warmth.
"Nanny Rong said, let me go, let me take you away from the capital, and fly far away."
"Anything else?"
"There is none left."
No matter how much the Prince of Jin pressed her for answers, Nanny Rong kept her eyes tightly shut and remained silent.
"Have you gotten any results from the interrogation of those six assassins?"
"They're all suicide squad members; if you catch them, they'll commit suicide."
Tang Zhuyun felt a chill run down her spine.
It wasn't because they were afraid of assassins, but because such assassins were simply too powerful to be kept around.
They've provoked a very powerful opponent.
It is highly likely that this is a third force besides those vying for the throne.
If this force gets involved, the Prince of Jin may find himself attacked from both sides.
For a brief moment, she felt a desire to back down.
How she longed to elope with Prince of Jin, just as Nanny Rong had said!
But that won't work.
She still has ties to hold her back, and the thought of retreating like this makes her feel pathetic.
A person can choose to be a "salted fish" (a person who is lazy and unambitious) in their life, but even if you choose to be a "salted fish," you should do so voluntarily, not be beaten into it by others.
"Don't worry," she said to Prince of Jin. "If all else fails, there's still the Emperor."
Overall, while the Emperor wasn't particularly lenient with Prince of Jin, he wouldn't have let Prince of Jin suffer such a fate.
"His Majesty even had someone bestow gifts upon me just two days ago!" Tang Zhuyun said.
Although she knew it was because she had treated the emperor's illness.
She hasn't been going to the palace much lately, but Director Li of the Imperial Medical Academy —who is probably the emperor's confidant—often comes to her for advice.
Director Li is about the same age as the Emperor, and to have reached this position, he must have been highly accomplished.
Moreover, he was a humble person, and Tang Zhuyun was quite willing to deal with him.
She learned a lot from Director Li.
Director Li humbly sought his advice, and Tang Zhuyun generously shared her knowledge with him, especially regarding the Emperor's illness, with whom the two discussed extensively.
The Prince of Jin asked, "How many times has Director Li come?"
Tang Zhuyun thought for a moment and then said, "They've come four or five times? They said they're coming again tomorrow."
"Sharing with you how to cure my father's heart ailment?"
"Um."
The Prince of Jin seemed to be deep in thought, and after a moment he said, "Are you holding something back?"
"How could that be?" Tang Zhuyun said, "It was my father's decision to treat the Emperor back then. Now, with your connection to the family, how could I not do my best?"
The Emperor is now her father-in-law.
Even among family members, there might be some disagreements, but could she be ambiguous about something as serious as this, a matter of life and death?
The Prince of Jin said nothing more.
"Don't think too much about it." Tang Zhuyun rubbed his temples a few times. "Qiao Qiao has already taken the bait. Let's see how your uncle reacts, and then we'll know if your guess is accurate."
As for Nanny Rong, just pretend she's dead.
However, Prince of Jin would be saddened by her death, as she had been a companion for many years and was like family to him; therefore, Tang Zhuyun felt that it was enough for Nanny Rong to live, even if she lived far away.
The Prince of Jin's face was ashen.
Two days later, Xiu'er brought Qiao Qiao into the Prince's mansion.
Although Qiao Qiao had made plans, she still couldn't help feeling nervous when the moment actually arrived.
She kept her head down and followed closely behind Xiu'er.
Xiu'er entered the Prince's mansion with a rather arrogant air.
The maids and servants around her greeted her, but she remained aloof and cold.
Qiao Qiao thought to herself, "She really is Xiu'er."
Even though the princess has been sent back to her parents' home, Xiu'er still maintains such dignity in the palace.
Sure enough, no one dares to offend someone who's so outspoken and argumentative.
Qiao Qiao felt that her two thousand taels were well spent.
Xiu'er led her to a courtyard, entered a room, and said, "Take off your clothes."
Qiao Qiao froze, remaining motionless for a moment.
Xiu'er said impatiently, "You who climb into bed, do you expect the prince to undress you?"
Qiao Qiao gritted her teeth and began to undress herself, while unable to resist asking, "Where's my cousin?"
"What are you dawdling for? Taking your clothes off might not even help, and you're still pretending to be high and mighty! If I didn't drug the prince, would he sleep with you? Look at yourself, you're practically flat-chested..."
Qiao Qiao secretly wished she could devour Xiu'er alive.