Peerless Heiress - Chapter 66
I remained silent, watching him quietly, waiting for his answer.
I knew about these things long ago, but I never asked. Because I didn't care, and I didn't care about any relationship, because at that time, Jin Ling was just an outsider.
I'm always quick-witted with outsiders; I'm the one who bullies others, and no matter how cunning they are, they're just the ones I scheme against. But with my family and friends, while I might still bully them, it's never a big deal. I'm never on guard, so if someone close to me hurts me, it hurts deeply. That's why I always make sure to ask about things concerning those close to me when it involves them.
And now, that's the time.
Xiao Zheng has gone missing, Jin Ling is coming and going from the royal family, and mysterious forces are entering and leaving the palace. I need to figure out the situation. Although Xiao Zheng's origins are strange and suspicious, I can't abandon someone who sweetly calls me "sister" while clinging to my arm.
"Jin Ling, I'm waiting for your answer," I said calmly.
Chapter 137: Selfish Motives
Jin Ling took a breath and finally spoke, a strange, bitter smile of vicissitude appearing on his usually childlike face. "Master, it's not that I don't want to talk about it, it's just that I don't know where to begin. Besides, this is something I don't want to mention. However, Master is the closest person to me besides Uncle Xu, so since you asked, I'll tell you... Jin Ling isn't actually an orphan. I have a grandmother, a cousin, an uncle... a whole bunch of relatives, but they're all reluctant to admit it..."
It turns out that Jin Ling's mother was the biological daughter of the current Empress Dowager and the elder sister of the current Emperor. When Jin Ling's mother was born, the current Empress Dowager was an unfavored concubine. In order to attract the Emperor's attention, she sent her biological daughter out of the palace and replaced her with a baby boy. The baby boy later died, but fortunately, the Emperor's attention finally gave her the opportunity to give birth to a second child. This one was a real boy, who is now the Emperor.
The late emperor died young, and the current emperor ascended the throne. The Empress Dowager missed the daughter she had abandoned years ago. After many twists and turns, she finally found her, only to discover that her daughter had already married someone else. Moreover, her daughter's husband was a court official who had committed the heinous crime of treason.
The Empress Dowager remained silent.
In the end, she couldn't bear it. She gave the guilty official a cup of poison to his death, but spared her daughter and grandson from being implicated. She secretly brought her daughter into the palace to recuperate, but dared not openly recognize her as her goddaughter again. She had a lingering resentment in her heart and could not truly be as close as a mother and daughter, even though they were originally mother and daughter.
A year later, the daughter died of depression.
My grandson grew up alone at home, and as he grew older, he was protected by guards. His wishes were always fulfilled, but he never wanted to see me again, not even now.
After Jin Ling finished speaking, he paused for a while before laughing and letting out a sigh of relief. "Finally, I have someone to talk to. That's good. I was almost exhausted carrying this secret all by myself. Now that I've told Master, it'll be like I've forgotten about it. Things will be easier from now on. Hehe."
I nodded. "That's from the previous generation, let's forget about it."
"Master, Jin Ling is saying all this with ulterior motives, you know," Jin Ling suddenly said with a grin, leaning closer.
"Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Jin Ling has been a businessman for so many years, so he has a good eye for people. Jin Ling saw it coming. If Jin Ling didn't answer Master's question today, although Master wouldn't say anything, from now on, Jin Ling would be Jin Ling, and Master would be Master. But if Jin Ling answered, Master would truly treat Jin Ling as a disciple. So, Jin Ling has really come out on top." Jin Ling said, his eyebrows dancing with joy.
I chuckled and gave him a sharp flick on the head. "Yes, you're just being vain, little apprentice."
Jin Ling let out a scream, clutching his head and looking miserable.
How did you know about the secret passages in the palace?
"It was left behind by my mother. My mother and the Empress Dowager were once close. To make amends, the Empress Dowager also told my mother about the secret passages in the palace. However, a rift eventually developed between them, and what the Empress Dowager told her was only a few insignificant details. My mother was also worried that Jin Ling might need it in the future, so she secretly made a record. Later, my mother passed away, and the study in the house suddenly caught fire, destroying all the notes. Uncle Xu found a fragment of the secret passage, secretly hid it, and then gave it to me."
How many secret passages do you know in total?
Jin Ling's face fell. "This incomplete book was left by my mother. I miss her and often look through it, so I've memorized it. However, many of the records are incomplete. Although there are many secret passages, I can't distinguish which one is which, and I don't even know where the activation mechanism is. I can only try my luck when I get there. The secret passage in the Imperial Kitchen that my master and I went through was only discovered eight years ago by chance. However, if we go to a place that matches the description of the secret passage, I will definitely know where it is."
Oh, is that so?
I frowned, rested my chin on my hand, and fell into thought.
what to do?
"Jin Ling, do you dare to go to the palace with me again?"
"Of course I dare," Jin Ling grinned. "I've been wanting to explore other secret passages for a long time. Going with Master, I won't be afraid of anything. Hehe."
"Boss, you're not planning to enter the palace, are you?" Jin San asked worriedly. "There are many guards in the palace. If you get caught, trespassing is a serious crime punishable by death. Boss, you must not take such a risk."
"But I must know if Xiao Zheng is in the palace," I said calmly.
"How about I take some men and go with Jin Ling?" Jin San suggested again.
I smiled slightly, my tone full of confidence, and said, "I'll go."
Not yet, there are places I dare not go!
Chapter 138: Token
The night was deep, and countless guards moved to and fro among the pavilions and towers of the Forbidden City. No one noticed that two people were peeking out from the shadows.
"Master, over here."
Jin Ling was secretly making hand gestures from ahead.
I hurried after him.
As we ventured deeper into the inner palace, we passed through several secret passages. Although we remained undiscovered, we gradually lost our way. Jin Ling and I stood in the dense, forest-like imperial garden, unable to see a single palace in sight, and figuring out how to get out became a problem.
"Don't you often go to the palace to make clothes for the concubines? How come you got lost?" I was speechless.
They actually transported me to this godforsaken place?!
"Master, it's not my fault. If I had followed the palace path, I certainly wouldn't have gotten lost. But once I entered these secret passages, I lost my way..." Jin Ling said with a bitter face, wiping the cold sweat from his face in embarrassment.
"What do we do now?" Jin Ling asked me.
I rolled my eyes.
Half an hour later.
After finally finding our way to the edge of the Imperial Garden, we caught a glimpse of a corner of the palace when we inadvertently revealed ourselves and ran head-on into a squad of Imperial Guards on night duty. Jin Ling and I were so frightened that we turned and ran.
"Halt! Who goes there?!"
A row of imperial guards surrounded us. The young man at the head, dressed as a commander, glanced at us silently, then waved to his men, "Take them to the dungeon. After dawn, send them to the Imperial Clan Court for a thorough investigation to see what happened and how they dared to break into the inner palace in the middle of the night."