Chapter 15 The Nanyue Spy

Chapter 15: The Spy from Southern Moon

At that moment, a eunuch staggered hurriedly into the hall, knelt before the emperor, and said, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty, a calamity! The Fourth Prince, he... he has been attacked!"

Jiang Shuning had been taking a sip of tea, expecting the eunuch to announce, 'He has fallen into the water!'—after all, just moments ago, she had personally pushed Xiao Lingchuan into the lotus pond.

But to her surprise, the eunuch's next words crashed like a thunderbolt: "The Fourth Prince has been wounded by an assassin!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall erupted in an uproar.

Jiang Shuning nearly dropped her teacup, her face betraying utter astonishment.

Her plan had been perfect: after Xiao Lingchuan fell into the water, he would have an excuse to leave the banquet and return to his residence for treatment, and the aphrodisiac incident would never come to light.

But now, he had been wounded by an assassin?

What on earth was going on?

Hearing this, the emperor's face clouded with fury. "Has the assassin been apprehended?"

The eunuch lowered his head and kowtowed. "Your Majesty, he has been captured! It was a Southern Moon spy who infiltrated the palace. But... but the Fourth Prince was stabbed in the chest while apprehending the traitor. He's losing blood fast and is now in critical condition!"

"What?" The emperor's eyes narrowed, his tone unable to conceal his anxiety. "Summon Imperial Physician Liu at once! No matter what, we must save the Fourth Prince's life!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The eunuch hurriedly rose and scrambled backward out of the hall.

Jiang Shuning's mind was in chaos, her ears ringing.

Xiao Lingchuan had merely fallen into the water. Where did an assassin come from?

After a moment of silence in the hall, the Daye Emperor slowly straightened up. His gaze swept over the assembled guests. Though his voice was steady, it carried a hint of weariness and suppressed anger. "Tonight is the Moon God Festival. I had hoped to enjoy the moon's beauty with my loyal ministers and share in the harmony between ruler and ruled. Who would have thought such calamity would befall the palace? A Southern Moon spy dared to infiltrate, and my fourth son was gravely wounded while apprehending the traitor. My heart is heavy with concern for my son's safety. The banquet is concluded for the evening. You are all dismissed."

Upon hearing this, the guests rose one after another, bowing their heads respectfully and saying in unison, "We bid Your Majesty farewell!"

Their voices were uniform, yet they could not hide the shock and whispered speculation in each person's heart.

Jiang Shuning stood up with the others, maintaining a calm expression on her face, but her mind was reeling.

The matter of Xiao Lingchuan's assassination attempt reeked of suspicion.

In the carriage on the way back to the residence, Chancellor Jiang remarked gravely, "The Southern Moon spies are truly brazen, daring to infiltrate the palace to assassinate and even wound the Fourth Prince."

Madam Jiang chimed in, "Indeed. And of all people, it had to be the Fourth Prince. His birth mother..."

Before she could finish, Chancellor Jiang shot her a sharp glance, and she immediately fell silent.

The carriage was instantly plunged into dead silence.

Jiang Shuning lowered her gaze, thinking, knowing what Madam Jiang had left unsaid—Xiao Lingchuan's birth mother was from Southern Moon.

That was precisely why she found this assassination attempt so suspicious.

Southern Moon and Daye had a deep-seated enmity. The Emperor had never favored this Fourth Prince of mixed Southern Moon heritage. Yet tonight, he was suddenly wounded by a Southern Moon spy.

Could it be a ploy he staged himself?

As soon as the thought arose, she dismissed it with self-mockery.

Xiao Lingchuan was barely twenty. Where would he get such profound cunning?

Chancellor Jiang suddenly spoke, interrupting her thoughts. "Ning, the Fourth Prince did save your life after all. Tomorrow, you should visit him in the palace."

"Yes, Father," Jiang Shuning replied obediently.

Jiang Yaozhen, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly interjected, unable to conceal her jealousy. "Father, Mother, didn't you hear what the Third Prince said tonight? He said he was set on marrying Sister. If Sister visits the Fourth Prince, won't the Third Prince take offense?"

Before Chancellor Jiang could answer, Jiang Shuning let out a light laugh, her tone icy. "Who I visit has nothing to do with the Third Prince. Have you forgotten that I have the Empress Dowager's imperial edict, giving me the final say in my own marriage? Even if I reject the Third Prince's proposal, he can't say a word about it. As for you, you should have been trying to catch the Third Prince's eye tonight. Instead, you focused your efforts elsewhere, scheming and plotting, only to miss your chance. If you don't get this marriage, it's entirely your own fault!"

"You!" Jiang Yaozhen was so angry she covered her face and began to sob. "Father, Mother, listen to what she is saying!"

"Ning, what do you mean by 'scheming and plotting'? Explain yourself," Madam Jiang asked with a frown.

Jiang Shuning naturally wouldn't give Jiang Yaozhen the chance to play the victim. She decided to lay everything out plainly. "She knew I was giving the Fourth Prince almond cakes as a thank-you gift tonight. She laced the food box with an aphrodisiac and deliberately led the Fourth Prince and me to the side hall by the lotus pond, attempting to have the Fourth Prince ruin my virtue! If the Fourth Prince and I hadn't escaped through the window, by now I would already be bearing the stigma of deliberately seducing a prince, and our Jiang family would have become the laughingstock of the capital!"

"What?" Chancellor Jiang turned sharply, glaring furiously at Jiang Yaozhen. "Zhen, is what your sister said true?" A flicker of panic flashed in Jiang Yaozhen's eyes, and she quickly denied it. "It's not true at all! Father, don't listen to her slander!"

"Still denying it?" Jiang Shuning took out the food box she had retrieved from the Fifth Prince. "This box of almond cakes is the evidence! If Father doesn't believe me, have a physician examine them to see if they contain an aphrodisiac! Furthermore, tonight it was Qiu Yue who led me to the side hall and locked the door from the outside! Later, it was also Yaozhen who deliberately led the Third Prince and the others to the side hall to look for me! Father, she intended to completely destroy my reputation!"

"You unfilial daughter! Your sister even specially proposed elevating you to Secondary Legitimate Daughter, and yet you plotted against her with such malice!" Chancellor Jiang was furious. He raised his hand high and slapped Jiang Yaozhen hard across the face.

Jiang Yaozhen was slapped so hard that blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, and her cheek swelled up immediately.

Seeing this, Madam Jiang quickly stopped Chancellor Jiang. "Master, please calm your anger. It is your concubine's fault for not teaching Zhen properly. Direct your anger at me, but don't harm your health!"

Chancellor Jiang's anger had not yet subsided. He pointed at Jiang Yaozhen and scolded, "Did you think that by ruining your sister, you could smoothly marry the Third Prince and climb to a higher branch? You fool! Doing this would only bring shame upon the Jiang residence and cause us to be abandoned by the imperial family. In the end, forget about a prince, even families with modest means wouldn't dare take you!"

Jiang Yaozhen covered her face, tears streaming down as she whimpered softly, "Daughter knows she was wrong. She won't dare do it again..."

"Back to the residence!" Chancellor Jiang ordered coldly. "Confine her to her room under house arrest for one month! From now on, she is forbidden from attending any imperial banquets to avoid further disgracing the Jiang family!"

Madam Jiang bowed her head in response. "Yes, Master."

Upon returning to the Jiang residence, Chancellor Jiang immediately ordered Qiu Yue to be sold off and sent an old matron from the residence to strictly discipline Jiang Yaozhen.

On the surface, Jiang Yaozhen appeared pitiful and submissive, but when no one was looking, her gaze toward Jiang Shuning was filled with venom and resentment.

Having lived through a past life, Jiang Shuning was long accustomed to her sister's duplicity. She paid no mind to her hatred.

In her past life, she had never offended this sister, yet she was still schemed against. In this life, it was better to tear off the facade early and make her wary.

The next day, following Chancellor Jiang's instructions, she entered the palace to visit Xiao Lingchuan but was stopped by a eunuch at the palace gate, who informed her that the Fourth Prince was unconscious and not receiving visitors.

Jiang Shuning's heart clenched. "Is the Fourth Prince's injury truly that severe?"

The eunuch's face was full of worry as he whispered, "The dagger was plunged halfway into His Highness's chest. Although it has been removed, the wound is deep and difficult to heal. Even Imperial Physician Liu is at a loss."

Imperial Physician Liu was the imperial physician who attended to the emperor and was highly renowned in the Imperial Hospital.

If even he had no solution, it was clear that Xiao Lingchuan's injury was extraordinarily severe.

Jiang Shuning couldn't help but clench her fists, her voice trembling slightly. "Such a severe wound... was it inflicted by the spy at close range?"

The eunuch sighed and nodded. "Exactly. I heard His Highness had just climbed ashore from the lotus pond and was completely defenseless when he was ambushed."

These words stirred a pang of guilt in Jiang Shuning's heart—if she hadn't pushed him into the water, the assailant wouldn't have had this opportunity.

She bore undeniable responsibility for Xiao Lingchuan's attack this time.