Instead of waiting for death, it was better to risk a desperate struggle. If they could find a way to survive, it would be a testament to heaven's mercy. If they failed, they would have no regrets.
After discussing among themselves, the women decided to pawn all their valuables first to get some money. Once an opportunity arose, they would find a way to escape.
From then on, they would live under assumed identities, leading ordinary lives.
However, their escape plan was discovered before they could even begin.
Feng Jin tapped her fingers on the table, each beat echoing in Cui'er's heart. Her breathing grew heavy, her entire being tense, waiting for Feng Jin's final verdict.
"Why is it that even in Eastern Chu, it's a dead end for you? You are dowry palace maids, not condemned prisoners on the execution grounds."
Taking a sip of clear tea, Feng Jin directly asked the most crucial question.
Cui'er's heart skipped a beat. She tightly pressed her lips together, her palms sweating with nervousness. Her voice trembled as she said, "A palace maid's life is not worth much, merely like blades of grass..."
"Is that so?"
Who would believe such a statement? It lacked any credibility.
"Are you lying?"
"Your servant... your servant is not..."
Cui'er insisted, "Your servant is not lying. I am telling the truth. I beg madam to spare your servant."
Feng Jin ignored Cui'er, paused for a moment, then stood up and walked to Cui'er's side. She leaned down slightly to meet Cui'er's gaze.
"Everything you said just now was a lie. If you don't speak the truth, there's no point in me helping you. If you want help, you must show sincerity."
She wasn't a living Buddha; she wouldn't do anything without value. What was the use of toiling endlessly with no benefit?
Undertaking such a risky endeavor must have had other reasons, not just these trivial matters.
She needed to see if Cui'er would tell the truth. If she did, Feng Jin might consider saving them.
"Madam..."
"Speak the truth, and I will find a way to save you. If you don't, you only have a dead end. Life or death is entirely up to your choice."
With her words delivered, Feng Jin stood up directly and sat back in her chair, waiting to see Cui'er's choice.
After a full quarter of an hour, Cui'er finally spoke, "Madam, if I tell you, will you truly be able to save us?"
"Naturally."
Cui'er glanced around, her expression hesitant.
"We are all one of us, speak freely," Feng Jin said with a light tone, noticing her worry.
"We are not... not ordinary palace maids. We were selected from a young age and secretly trained to be embedded within various countries as spies, to steal intelligence."
Feng Jin and Lu Shi, who was present, were stunned. Feng Jin suppressed her inner impulse, feigning composure. "How many people came to Eastern Chu this time, and what is your mission?"
"I don't know the exact number of people. All I know is that there are three of us sisters. Our mission is to pose as palace maids and enter Eastern Chu. As for what happens next, we only need to follow the arrangements of Granny Sun and the Princess."
Granny Sun... it was this Granny Sun again. Feng Jin was curious about Granny Sun's true identity; she was truly omnipresent.
"How much do you know about Granny Sun?"
"We were all trained by Granny Sun. As for Granny Sun's true identity, we don't know. We only know that we must strictly obey Granny Sun's orders. However, those who trained us before also had to obey Granny Sun's commands."
She truly didn't know Granny Sun's identity, only that she had to strictly obey her orders. Disobeying meant certain death.
"Then why were you trying to escape this time?"
Were secret agents, trained in secrecy, not supposed to be utterly loyal? Yet, they were planning to escape. This was truly beyond her expectations.
"What good end awaits someone who works as a spy? I don't want to die like this. I want to live, to live like an ordinary person."
Too many of her sisters had met their end after their identities were exposed. She didn't want to die like that; she just wanted to live.
From the moment she was chosen to be a spy, the first word she learned was 'death', and the first thing she learned was how to commit suicide.
"If you want to live, you must strive with all your might to survive."
At this moment, Feng Jin found herself somewhat admiring Cui'er. She was a person with her own opinions, not someone who couldn't think things through.
"Madam, I've told you everything I know. I implore you, madam, to give me a way to live."
Cui'er's tone was firm. She directly knelt before Feng Jin and kowtowed.
"Get up first."
Feng Jin reached out and helped Cui'er up. After a pause, she said, "To live, you must first embrace death."
"Madam..." Cui'er's eyes widened, as if she understood something. "Madam, you mean..."
"Only by dying can you completely shed this identity and live on with a new one."
Cui'er staggered, taking a small step back, her gaze fixed on Feng Jin with doubt.
"I will give you a fake death potion. After taking the potion, you will enter a state of simulated death for three hours, which will allow you to deceive them. Granny Sun will believe you are truly dead, and at that time, I will have someone send you to a safe place."
"But... but Granny Sun is very cunning. If she doesn't see us die with her own eyes, she might not be fooled."
She understood Granny Sun too well. Such small tricks would hardly fool her.
"I will let Granny Sun see your bodies burned. If even the remains are gone, will anyone suspect you are still alive?"
She had already considered this. They only needed to find a few corpses of similar build, alter their appearances with disguise, and then burn the bodies. No one would suspect anything.
"Madam's plan is meticulous. I was too worried."
Cui'er now felt a sense of admiration for Feng Jin. Such a thorough plan was something she could never have conceived.
Fortunately, she had come to her senses early. If she were to be an opponent to someone as formidable as this, she might not even know how she died.
"Granny Sun has sharp eyes. The fact that you were brought to see me today should not escape her notice. If I'm not mistaken, Granny Sun will send someone to kill you tonight..."
Regardless of whether Cui'er said anything to her today, given Granny Sun's nature, she would not let them go, especially since Cui'er knew their identity and too many secrets. If this information were to leak, all of Western Liang's plans would be ruined. Therefore, whether Cui'er spoke or not, Granny Sun would eliminate them as a precaution.