After a long while, Zhenzhu stopped crying, her eyes red as she looked at Feng Jin, her voice hoarse. "Madam, this jade pendant, it was Cui'er... Cui'er gave it to you, didn't she?"
Without concealment, Feng Jin nodded in affirmation. "Indeed, she gave it to me. What is your relationship with her?"
Zhenzhu was silent for a moment, then took out another half of the jade pendant from her embrace, admitting her identity. "Your servant is Cui'er's elder sister, Zhenzhu."
Feng Jin was slightly surprised, not expecting her to be Cui'er's sister.
She had been fretting about how to find someone, but unexpectedly, providence favored her, and it came without effort.
"Madam, did Cui'er say anything to you before she died?"
The reason she confessed her identity was to know if Cui'er had said anything before her death.
"This is not a place to talk. You follow me, and I will explain it to you in detail."
In the past, Zhenzhu would have hesitated, but now she followed Feng Jin's steps without reservation.
Feng Jin instructed Ling Mo Han to take good care of the two children, then returned to her room with Zhenzhu.
Upon reaching the room, she arranged for Cai Qing to guard the door, and then Feng Jin turned her gaze to Zhenzhu. "Cui'er is your biological sister."
"This half of the jade pendant is the token of remembrance between our sisters."
Feng Jin took Zhenzhu's half of the jade pendant and it fit perfectly with the half Cui'er had left her. It was indeed one jade pendant, and it seemed she was the sister Cui'er had mentioned.
"Madam, please tell me, what did my sister say to you before her death?"
"Cui'er is not dead."
Feng Jin's words were like a bomb exploding in Zhenzhu's mind, shock and joy warring on her face.
Tears brimmed in her eyes. At this moment, Zhenzhu didn't know whether to be astonished or happy, her emotions too stirred to calm down.
"Madam, I... my sister is truly not dead?"
Even now, Zhenzhu couldn't quite grasp that Cui'er was alive, and she asked Feng Jin.
"Cui'er and the other two are not dead. They should have found a secluded place by now, living the peaceful life you all dreamed of."
Hearing this, Zhenzhu's eyes narrowed sharply, yet she found it unbelievable. "How... how is this possible? I clearly saw the bodies of Cui'er and the other two cremated. How could they still be alive? This is impossible..."
She had seen with her own eyes that day that Cui'er's body was cremated. How could she still be alive? All of this was too incredible. How could someone who was dead come back to life?
"That is because they were never dead. I had already detected that Granny Sun intended to kill the three of them. So, I gave them a fake death potion and found three corpses to disguise as Cui'er and the other two. I let Granny Sun witness their bodies being burned, so that Granny Sun would be at ease."
"They have long since left this place, living normal lives under assumed identities. When Cui'er left, her greatest concern was her sister. She gave me the token between you, hoping I could save you. With this jade pendant, you still refuse to believe what I'm saying."
Zhenzhu's heart began to waver. She couldn't help but recall the conversation she had just overheard between Granny Sun and the mysterious person, which further confirmed her belief that Granny Sun intended to kill Cui'er.
"You should recognize this handkerchief."
Feng Jin took out a handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms from her embrace. Zhenzhu recognized it instantly as the handkerchief she had given to Cui'er, and her heart immediately convinced her of Feng Jin's words.
"This handkerchief was given by me to Cui'er. She treasured it greatly and always kept it close."
"You recognize it. Cui'er wrote your sisters' names on the handkerchief. She did this because she knew that if you continued to follow Granny Sun and aid her in wickedness, you would only meet your death. She wanted to save you. She exchanged all her merit for your life, asking me to promise not to kill you, no matter what wrong you committed."
The tears that Zhenzhu had suppressed could no longer be held back. Her shoulders convulsed with suppressed sobs. She had truly made a mistake... she was wrong...
It was her blind faith in Granny Sun's words that had continuously prevented Cui'er from escaping. It was all her fault. She had failed Cui'er.
But in the end, Cui'er's thoughts were still of her, and she had tried her best to save her.
"It is I, your sister, who was wrong. I am sorry, Cui'er... I was wrong!"
Zhenzhu's heart was pierced with pain, filled with guilt towards Cui'er.
"I have told you everything I needed to say. If you still wish to continue aiding in wickedness, I cannot stop you."
Zhenzhu was different from Cui'er. Granny Sun's teachings were deeply ingrained in her mind. To make Zhenzhu willingly turn over a new leaf would likely not be simple.
After a pause, Zhenzhu wiped the tears from her face and, with a 'thump,' knelt before Feng Jin, kowtowing three times.
"Your servant thanks Madam for saving my sister's life! Your servant wishes to ask Madam, now that Madam knows we are all spies from Xiliang, what are your plans?"
A country hates spies the most. Since their identities were known, they would naturally not be let off easily.
She could already imagine their fate.
"Life or death rests in your hearts."
"What does Madam mean?"
Zhenzhu was an intelligent person and instantly understood Feng Jin's words. However, only hearing Feng Jin say it herself would truly put her mind at ease.
"That depends on whether you wish to live or die. If you remain deluded, there is only death. Turning back now will lead to a new vista, entirely dependent on your own choice."
The opportunity had been given to her; how she chose was up to her.
"I want to live."
She had to live. She still wanted to see Cui'er. She had to live, to live freely.
"You are a smart person. Your lives are all in Granny Sun's hands. If you want to live, only when Granny Sun is dead can you live."
"However, besides Granny Sun, there is also someone else who knows our identities. Even if Granny Sun dies, that person will not let us go as long as they live."
Zhenzhu couldn't help but shiver as she remembered the conversation she had just heard between Granny Sun and that person.
She had never met that mysterious person. However, seeing Granny Sun obey his every word, she could guess that his authority was even greater than Granny Sun's.
All of this was far more complicated than she had imagined.
"If that is the case, then kill that person. Whoever dares to block the way, kill them."