Jiang Ruan walked to the person’s side and stopped. The surrounding shadow guards looked at each other in confusion. Jiang Ruan looked down at the person’s head and finally said indifferently: “Bai Zhi, don’t you dare look up at me?”

The shadow guards nearby were all startled. They were all familiar with the name Bai Zhi—she was the Young Madam’s dowry maid. Among Jiang Ruan’s four maids, except for Tianzhu who originally belonged to Xiao Shao, the other three were all favored people in Prince Jinying’s residence. Usually, Bai Zhi was the most composed and quiet among the several maids, born beautiful and charming. The guards often sent things over to curry favor with her. Bai Zhi was deeply trusted by Jiang Ruan and was an old hand who had grown up with Jiang Ruan since childhood. Today’s matter of catching the insider was arranged entirely by Jiang Ruan. Hearing Bai Zhi’s name, the shadow guards were all shocked.

The person on the ground showed no response for a long time. Jiang Ruan wasn’t anxious either, but stood calmly to one side waiting. After a long while, the person on the ground finally straightened her clothes and slowly stood up, revealing a familiar face.

Bai Zhi’s expression was as gentle and composed as usual, as if she had just finished handling a task Jiang Ruan had assigned. Her face showed not even a trace of panic at being caught. She only looked at Jiang Ruan and said: “Miss is clever—you still caught this servant.”

“This…” The surrounding shadow guards, seeing it really was Bai Zhi, were all somewhat puzzled, staring at Bai Zhi strangely to prevent her from doing anything harmful to Jiang Ruan. Just then, Lian Qiao and the others, having heard the news and rushed over from behind, caught up and saw Bai Zhi surrounded by shadow guards. They froze in place. Lu Zhu couldn’t contain herself and immediately said: “Sister Bai Zhi, how could it be you?”

Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi had grown up together, so their friendship was naturally deep. Seeing this scene, beyond shock, Lian Qiao’s first thought was that Bai Zhi had been wrongly accused. She said urgently: “What’s going on? Bai Zhi, could there be some misunderstanding? Miss is here—she’ll definitely clear your name. Speak quickly.”

She was very anxious, wholeheartedly wanting to help Bai Zhi clear her name. Because in Lian Qiao’s view, Bai Zhi really had no reason to frame Jiang Ruan, let alone be the insider the informant mentioned. However, Bai Zhi didn’t clarify as she hoped, only smiled and said: “It’s not a misunderstanding. I am the insider by Miss’s side. Miss has always been perceptive—this time she didn’t catch the wrong person either.” She glanced at Lian Qiao and said softly: “I’m sorry. I deceived you all.”

“How is this possible?” Lian Qiao couldn’t hold back and rushed forward to grab Bai Zhi’s sleeve. Her expression was somewhat agitated. Not caring that so many people were present, she spoke like beans pouring from a bamboo tube: “You and I have served Miss together since childhood. How you’ve treated Miss—everyone can see clearly. Back at the manor, you also wholeheartedly helped Miss navigate difficulties. All these years, what kind of person you are—I’m qualified to speak about. Bai Zhi, do you have some unspeakable difficulty? You and I have years of friendship, and Miss treats you as family. If you speak up, Miss will definitely help you. Did something happen to you?”

Bai Zhi paused slightly, but pulled Lian Qiao’s hand from her sleeve more forcefully: “I have nothing to say, nor any unspeakable difficulties. If you don’t trust me, don’t you trust Miss? When has she ever caught the wrong person?”

Lian Qiao was stunned by the determination in Bai Zhi’s eyes and couldn’t help stepping back two paces. Looking at the woman before her again, she felt completely strange—utterly different from the friend who had stayed by her side day and night in the past. She looked at Jiang Ruan somewhat uncomprehendingly. Jiang Ruan’s expression showed no visible change. She only said to the surrounding shadow guards: “You may withdraw. Just leave a few people guarding outside the courtyard.”

“Young Madam,” one shadow guard said worriedly: “Young Madam’s safety is important.”

“An unarmed woman—why worry? Having Tianzhu here is enough.” Jiang Ruan said indifferently. The surrounding shadow guards, seeing her firm attitude and knowing Jiang Ruan wasn’t someone easily swayed, had to retreat outside the courtyard.

Only Lian Qiao, Lu Zhu, Tianzhu, Jiang Ruan, and Bai Zhi, who was lost in thought, remained in the courtyard.

“Miss has treated you well. Why would you do this?” Lu Zhu was the first to lose her composure. She had a clear sense of love and hate and had always loved and protected Jiang Ruan like family from the bottom of her heart. Suddenly discovering that Bai Zhi was the one secretly plotting against Jiang Ruan, her anger was understandable. If before there had been some doubt that Bai Zhi was wrongly accused, now seeing Bai Zhi’s attitude and Jiang Ruan’s certainty, Lu Zhu could see the truth and felt only righteous indignation toward Bai Zhi.

Bai Zhi didn’t answer Lu Zhu’s question, only looked at Jiang Ruan: “Did Miss set up this trap today just to catch me? Did Miss already know I was the one who induced the poison?”

“Yes.” Jiang Ruan said indifferently: “What I said before about finding the person behind this and setting up a trap in the palace was deliberately said for you to hear. I knew you would find a way to send a message out, so I deliberately had people wait in the residence to catch the ghost.”

“Miss has always been clever—nothing can escape your eyes.” Bai Zhi smiled, her expression surprisingly calm: “When did Miss discover that this servant was the spy?”

A strange emotion flashed through Jiang Ruan’s beautiful eyes. Her red lips curved slightly, but her smile was somewhat cold: “Bai Zhi, if possible, you would be the last person I’d want to suspect.” She spoke indifferently, seemingly without any emotion: “You were the maid Mother gave me, always staying by my side. You’ve been with me too long. I always believed that those who could stay with me to the end would never betray me. If there aren’t many people I trust in this world, Bai Zhi, you could count as one of them.”

Bai Zhi was startled, seemingly not expecting Jiang Ruan to say such words. Her lips moved, but ultimately she remained silent.

“All my food in the residence passed through Steward Lin’s hands. The residence manages these matters very strictly—I don’t suspect any mistakes there. If there was a place where poison was induced, it must have been outside. I thought it was in the palace, or that Jiang Dan had done something, until later I remembered that on the day Xiao Shao and I married, while waiting in the bridal chamber, Lu Zhu feared I was hungry and gave me pastries, while you served me a cup of tea.”

Lu Zhu seemed to recall: “Yes, because I feared Miss would choke just eating pastries, Sister Bai Zhi brought tea. Could there have been a problem with that tea?”

“Based on one cup of tea, how could Miss determine it was this servant’s doing?” Bai Zhi smiled.

“One cup of tea indeed proves nothing—perhaps someone else put something in it. But you know I’ve never been able to tolerate very sweet things. That day the pastries were already very sweet, yet you still brought me lotus leaf honey water to drink. This might seem like nothing, but for you, Bai Zhi, you’ve followed me for over ten years—no one knows my eating habits better than you. You’re my first-class maid, always steady in your work, and wouldn’t make such mistakes. You did this only because in your panic, you didn’t notice these details. Overly sweet pastries and overly sweet tea—Bai Zhi, the normal you wouldn’t do this.”

Lian Qiao paused as well, looking up at Bai Zhi. Having served Jiang Ruan together with Bai Zhi for so many years, she naturally understood that what Jiang Ruan said was correct. Bai Zhi had always been meticulous regarding Jiang Ruan’s daily life. Her nature was cautious—she wouldn’t make such mistakes.

After a long while, Bai Zhi laughed softly: “Miss is truly observant. I didn’t expect such small details would give this servant away. This servant accepts defeat completely.”

“No, not just this.” Jiang Ruan looked at the burning torch, its bright flame illuminating everything without hiding anything. Her features held a lethal beauty. She said: “Also, when I returned, Lian Qiao and the others all surrounded me. They were happy because my poison was neutralized—only you alone were sad.”

Bai Zhi asked puzzledly: “This servant was sad from worrying about Miss. What’s wrong with that?”

“Yes, you should worry about me. As a personal maid, worrying about your master’s injuries is natural. But a normal person would first feel fortunate that someone survived a great disaster. Bai Zhi, from the moment you saw me, you never showed happiness. This itself was unusual—as if you weren’t happy about my recovery at all, but worried and sad because of it. What were you sad about? Because you failed?” she asked.

Bai Zhi paused, looking at Jiang Ruan somewhat dazedly: “So here I also revealed myself…”

“Not only that. After I returned to the residence and saw the room in complete disarray, as if no one had cleaned it, you said it was because everyone was worried about my injuries and had no mind for cleaning.” Jiang Ruan shook her head: “This explanation fits Lian Qiao and Lu Zhu, because they’re quick-tempered and can’t hide things in their hearts. Once something happened to me, they’d have no other thoughts. But you’re different, Bai Zhi. You’ve followed me so many years—your nature is most steady. Even when I fell into the water and didn’t wake up at Zhang Lan’s manor, you still managed all trivial matters perfectly, because you’re someone with strong opinions who won’t change due to external changes. Would you have no mood to work because of my injuries? No. You were just worried because you had something on your mind—you couldn’t calm down.”

The final suspicion of Bai Zhi perhaps also came from the warning in that dream of her previous life. In her previous life, Lian Qiao died under Jiang Quan’s beating, but Bai Zhi stayed until the end to accompany her into the palace. At the time, she thought it was because Bai Zhi was gentle and Xia Yan had a moment of mercy. Now it seemed that regardless of what kind of person Bai Zhi was, with Xia Yan’s cautious nature, how could she let her bring one of her own trusted people into the palace?

Bai Zhi looked at Jiang Ruan and suddenly stepped forward. Tianzhu alertly blocked Jiang Ruan’s path. Having arrived latest, Tianzhu didn’t have deep friendship with Bai Zhi like Lian Qiao. Now that Bai Zhi’s identity as a spy was confirmed, as Jinyiwei most hated traitors, in Tianzhu’s eyes, Bai Zhi was just an enemy.

As soon as Tianzhu moved, Bai Zhi stopped. She looked at Jiang Ruan, thought for a while, then smiled bitterly: “Miss is completely right. Having followed Miss so many years, Miss knows me inside and out. Moreover, Miss is naturally good at reading people’s hearts. This servant’s small tricks really can’t compare before Miss—they just add to the jokes.”

“No,” Jiang Ruan said indifferently: “I didn’t know about your abnormalities because I understood you, nor did I know you were a spy because I’m good at reading hearts. I could understand your identity only because you deliberately revealed it to me.” She stepped past Tianzhu, slowly walking to Bai Zhi’s side, calmly meeting her gaze, stating a fact: “These clues were all deliberately shown to me by you. You didn’t want to hide your identity anymore—you hoped I would discover it. Rather than saying I arranged this ghost-catching, it’s better to say you used my hands to arrange it.”

Bai Zhi was startled, then smiled: “Miss is joking. I’m not stupid—why would I actively put evidence in people’s hands for them to catch me? Why would I do this?”

“Yes,” Jiang Ruan sighed, staring intently at her eyes: “I very much want to know why you would do this.”

Those upturned charming eyes held a piercing gaze, as if wanting to strip away all pretense. All thoughts seemed to have nowhere to hide before these bright eyes. Bai Zhi felt somewhat unsettled under this direct stare. She bit her teeth and persisted in looking at Jiang Ruan.

“You chose this method precisely to tell me the truth, didn’t you?” Jiang Ruan’s voice was gentle, seemingly containing a kind of guidance and persuasion that made people involuntarily speak their hearts: “Bai Zhi, if you have any difficulties, you can tell me. This is not only an explanation to me, but also to yourself. Being betrayed by a maid who followed me for over ten years—you should at least give me an explanation. Otherwise, I’ll think I’m such a master who can’t keep people loyal.”

Lu Zhu and Lian Qiao both looked at Bai Zhi. As sisters who lived together day and night, becoming enemies overnight was truly unacceptable. Lian Qiao said: “Bai Zhi, you should at least tell us why.”

Under such gazes, Bai Zhi finally lowered her head. When she raised her eyes again, her gaze was very calm, as if she had made some major decision. She said: “Miss guessed correctly—it’s not that Miss can’t keep people. The reason Bai Zhi became the poison inducer is simply because Bai Zhi originally belonged to the Grand Madam.”

“How is that possible?” Lu Zhu said in surprise: “The Grand Madam died long ago. How could she make you poison Miss again?”

“Initially, this servant and Lian Qiao were chosen together by the former madam for Miss, but this servant differed from Lian Qiao. Lian Qiao’s background was clean—she was a house-born child of the Minister’s residence. But this servant’s family lived on an estate under the Minister’s residence. This servant’s brother worked under the Grand Madam’s steward. The Grand Madam wanted this servant to come care for Miss, but held my family’s indenture contracts in her hands.”

Lian Qiao hadn’t expected this twist. She had always thought Bai Zhi, like her, was personally selected by Zhao Mei to serve Jiang Ruan, so her background should naturally be clean and clear. Who knew Bai Zhi’s purpose in coming was impure from the start?

“Though the Grand Madam wanted this servant to stay by Miss’s side, she never asked this servant to do anything specific, only occasionally inquiring about Miss’s situation. This servant didn’t dare refuse. Later, when Miss went to the manor, this servant’s family was fortunately freed from bondage. This servant continued following Miss, and without threats, wanted to serve Miss wholeheartedly as compensation for previous years.” She paused and smiled: “Before, Miss was gentle and often bullied. Later, at the manor, somehow her nature completely changed. This servant was truly happy for Miss. Later, the Grand Madam also died. This servant thought the past was forever gone—we could just continue this way with Miss. Who knew that recently, someone brought my mother’s token to me. Someone had found this servant’s family and wanted this servant to give Miss a medicine, or this servant’s family’s lives would be in danger.”

“So to protect your family, you used poison on Miss?” Lian Qiao said in surprise. This might be understandable, but as a servant, one must never betray one’s master. So this behavior of Bai Zhi’s, in Lian Qiao’s eyes, was still very disapproved of. She immediately said: “Even so, when you did this, did you think of Miss? Setting aside past matters, even now, you could have told Miss about this. Miss is so clever—she would definitely find a way to solve it for you!”

“You don’t understand!” Bai Zhi shouted: “Lian Qiao, your family is clean and clear—you can be a loyal servant before your master. But I originally belonged to the Grand Madam. If this matter comes to light, even if I hadn’t done anything to Miss, when past matters are revealed, how could Miss not have reservations about me in the future? Once this is said, I can never return to the past. Moreover, no matter how capable Miss is, I absolutely dare not gamble with my family’s lives. I still have elder and younger brothers—I can’t put them in danger because of myself alone.”

“You’re simply stubborn!” Lian Qiao said angrily.

“Whether you criticize or blame me, I don’t care.” Bai Zhi smiled miserably: “In any case, I’ve committed this monstrous crime. However Miss punishes me, I have no complaints.”

“Then who exactly is the person who made you induce poison for Miss?” Lu Zhu asked urgently.

“I don’t know.” Bai Zhi shook her head: “He communicated with me by tying notes to throwing daggers. I don’t know who that person is—separated by walls, I don’t know what he looks like either.”

“I’ll only ask you one thing,” Jiang Ruan said indifferently: “Over ten years ago, when Jiang Dan poisoned my mother, did you know?”

Lu Zhu and Lian Qiao were both startled—they didn’t know about Jiang Dan’s poisoning. They hadn’t known who the person behind Xia Yan was, but it turned out to be Jiang Dan?

Bai Zhi was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Jiang Ruan looked at her coldly. If her previous attitude toward Bai Zhi had been gentle without showing anger at betrayal, now she was cold enough to chill hearts. She said: “You’ve followed me so many years. As you said, you haven’t done anything to harm me. In the most difficult times, you and Lian Qiao stayed by my side. Though I don’t say it, as long as I’m safe in this world for one day, I’ll use all my power to protect you both. Bai Zhi, I won’t pursue your matter of inducing poison. You did these things for your family—if it were me, I might not do better than you. But you watched my mother be harmed by Jiang Dan’s poison with your own eyes. You could have revealed clues actively like today to remind me. You said nothing. Though serving different masters is understandable, this one point—I can never forgive you.”

Bai Zhi was shocked and suddenly looked up at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan’s nature was always rather cold, appearing not to care much about anything on the surface, so she was always very tolerant of servants’ mistakes. But only those close to her knew that she had extremely crazy obsessions about certain things. If before, Bai Zhi was certain Jiang Ruan would be disappointed in her because of this matter but wouldn’t truly blame her, now Jiang Ruan’s words clearly expressed that she and Bai Zhi were in opposing camps.

“Your poisoning me—I have nothing to say. Watching my mother and standing idly by—I cannot forgive. Bai Zhi, between you and me, the master-servant bond ends here and now, with no further connection.”

Word by word, resounding clearly, Jiang Ruan’s words brooked no argument. Lian Qiao, Lu Zhu, and Tianzhu stood silently to one side—no one spoke. Bai Zhi stood dumbfounded. Light snow fell on her body. The firelight burned silently in the snow, and she felt very lonely, as if heaven and earth had abandoned her.

After a moment, she suddenly laughed softly, then laughed louder and louder, almost to tears. She said: “I didn’t complete that person’s task—he won’t spare me either, fearing I’ll implicate him. There’s only one way left.” Before she finished speaking, she suddenly threw herself headfirst at the stone wall. She was already close to the stone wall, and Tianzhu, who had the best martial arts, was protecting Jiang Ruan—there was no time to save her. Bai Zhi used full force in this action, clearly seeking death wholeheartedly. With a dull thud, Lian Qiao cried out, and Bai Zhi collapsed softly, blood from her forehead shocking to see.

She gasped heavily, blood continuously flowing from her mouth, staining the snow beneath her a bright red. She panted, her voice like a broken bellows, barely managing broken words: “Sorry…”

The snowy ground fell silent again, without any sound. Large snowflakes fell, almost quickly covering the bloodstains on the ground. Jiang Ruan’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible: “Bury her.”

She turned to walk toward the courtyard exit, her long crimson dress trailing to blend with the blood on the ground. Her expression was cold, her back straight, walking coldly and resolutely, never looking back at the figure on the ground again. However, she walked faster and faster, almost running in the snow, finally stopping abruptly after rushing out of the courtyard. She supported herself against a nearby vermillion pillar, feeling extraordinarily cold throughout her body.

She pressed her lips tightly, her mouth corners stiff, but her eyes were slightly red.

A cold, clear figure emerged from behind her, standing behind her, slowly turning her shoulders to embrace her. The young man’s features were handsome, his tall figure seeming to contain infinite reassuring power, bringing warmth to this cold winter day.

“Xiao Shao, I’m very sad.” Jiang Ruan’s voice held an unusual fatigue. She reached out to embrace the lean waist of the young man before her, burying her head in his shoulder: “Don’t betray me.”