A woman who had entered the palace decades ago, outlived the previous emperor and a group of consorts, and firmly held the position of Empress Dowager – to go before the Emperor she had raised and claim this Empress Dowager was an impostor wasn’t just courting death, it was courting catastrophe!

Yu Jin rubbed his teacup, his tone somber: “More importantly, we can’t find a breakthrough through the Empress Dowager’s family.”

Compared to telling Emperor Jingming that the Empress Dowager was fake, telling her family would be even more absurd.

The Empress Dowager’s parents had long since passed away. If even her parents hadn’t noticed anything amiss back then, how could others? Even if her parents had noticed their daughter had been replaced, they would have kept quiet for the sake of family interests.

A firmly established Crown Princess, real or fake, would certainly be considered real by the Empress Dowager’s family.

At present, the Empress Dowager’s family was enjoying her favor. Unless they were mad, they wouldn’t come forward.

“The breakthrough for this matter still lies with the Wumiao,” Yu Jin said.

Jiang Si’s gaze turned southward as she murmured, “The Grand Elder once said that many years ago, Asang’s maternal grandmother brought back a baby girl, who became Asang’s mother. Asang’s grandmother never left the Wumiao again until her death.”

Asang’s maternal grandmother was also her grandmother.

“Apart from Asang’s grandmother, I fear only the Wumiao Grand Elder knows the truth. But how could the Wumiao admit to replacing the Great Zhou Empress Dowager? If they did, even Father Emperor’s good temper wouldn’t prevent him from becoming irreconcilable with the Wumiao,” Jiang Si analyzed, then bit her lip. “Regardless, we must try.”

At this point, it was no longer just about their safety but concerned the fate of Great Zhou’s centuries-old dynasty.

Jiang Si retrieved a small token from a hidden compartment – the Wumiao Holy Maiden’s token.

She handed it to Aman with hushed instructions.

Aman left to carry out her orders.

Within half a day, an ordinary-looking old woman entered through a side gate of Prince Yan’s mansion.

“Greetings, Holy Maiden,” the old woman hurriedly bowed upon meeting Jiang Si.

Jiang Si looked her over and smiled slightly, “Elder Hua, it’s been a while since we last met.”

Elder Hua straightened her slightly bent back and smiled, “I thought I wouldn’t have the chance to see you for some time.”

After Jiang Si left the Wumiao, Elder Hua was sent to the capital again by the Grand Elder’s order, staying with a new appearance and identity to facilitate communication with Jiang Si.

For the Wumiao, Jiang Si’s importance was self-evident.

Jiang Si replied, “I thought so too.”

Although she now knew she had a trace of Wumiao blood, to her, she was still a person of Great Zhou.

“Holy Maiden, you summoned me. What can I do for you?”

Jiang Si handed over the Holy Maiden token and, while Elder Hua was still stunned, got straight to the point: “I want to know if the Empress Dowager is a Wumiao person.”

Elder Hua’s pupils suddenly constricted, her face twitching involuntarily.

Jiang Si noticed Elder Hua’s instinctive reaction and thought to herself that her and Yu Jin’s speculation was indeed correct.

Well, in Ajin’s words, this wasn’t speculation, it was deduction.

Regardless, it seemed certain that the Empress Dowager was a Wumiao person.

“Elder Hua?”

Elder Hua came to her senses, her eyes shifting, “Your words shock me, Holy Maiden. How could the Great Zhou Empress Dowager possibly be a Wumiao person?”

“Shocked?” Jiang Si smiled, “Elder Hua, if you continue to be so dishonest with me, I’ll quit being the Holy Maiden.”

Elder Hua’s expression changed drastically, “Holy Maiden, how could you say such a thing—”

Is the Holy Maiden a shop assistant who can quit at will? What position does this put the Wumiao in?

Jiang Si’s face darkened, and she spoke bluntly, “If the true Wumiao Holy Maiden were standing before Elder Hua, would you still equivocate and speak insincerely?”

Elder Hua was struck speechless.

Jiang Si sneered, “If the Wumiao doesn’t treat me with sincerity, why should I continue as this flavorless Holy Maiden?”

Seeing Elder Hua’s temple throbbing with veins, Jiang Si scoffed, “This is the capital of Great Zhou, Prince Yan’s mansion. If I truly don’t want to continue, could Elder Hua possibly abduct me back to the Wumiao? Don’t forget, the Wumiao no longer has my brother now.”

“Does the Holy Maiden wish to break the agreement?” Elder Hua’s face was extremely unpleasant.

Jiang Si’s expression remained calm, “The prerequisite for keeping an agreement is honesty. I’ll ask Elder Hua once more, is the Empress Dowager impersonated by a Wumiao person?”

Elder Hua moved her lips, clearly conflicted.

Jiang Si coldly reminded her, “Elder Hua, don’t try to fob me off by saying you don’t know the tribe’s secrets. The Grand Elder is advanced in years, and you are currently the only one besides Alan who knows the truth about the Holy Maiden. Now that you’ve been sent to the capital to maintain contact with me, the Grand Elder must have revealed something to you. Otherwise, I’m still an outsider to the Wumiao, and Alan is just a small maid who can’t shoulder such responsibility. If something were to happen to the Grand Elder, would he take all the Wumiao secrets to the grave, leaving the tribe in confusion?”

Elder Hua couldn’t bear it anymore and said, “How can the Holy Maiden curse the Grand Elder like this?”

Jiang Si gave Elder Hua a cool glance, “The moon waxes and wanes, fortune and misfortune come to all. How is this a curse? If everything could develop according to one’s wishes, the Wumiao wouldn’t be worrying about a Holy Maiden, would they?”

Elder Hua was left speechless.

Jiang Si poured a cup of tea and handed it over, regaining her smile, “So, Elder Hua, you might as well explain everything to me. That way, I can also work for the Wumiao with peace of mind.”

Elder Hua remained silent for a long time, the steam rising from the hot tea blurring her ordinary face.

Jiang Si had the urge to wipe away the disguise on Elder Hua’s face with a handkerchief.

Perhaps because each instance of disguise was accompanied by unpleasant experiences, she was very reluctant to see a false face in her own home.

Of course, reason made her silently endure.

Elder Hua finally spoke, “Why do you suspect your country’s Empress Dowager?”

Jiang Si took a sip of tea and said, “Because I recently learned about my background.”

To pry the secret from Elder Hua’s mouth, she needed to be open about something – a give and take.

“Background?” Elder Hua was startled.

Jiang Si casually put down her teacup and said unhurriedly, “I just found out that my maternal grandmother was a Wumiao person, and Asang and I were cousins.”

Elder Hua looked incredulous, “Impossible. Asang’s grandmother only brought back one baby girl when she returned to the tribe, and never left the Wumiao again after that. How could Asang have a cousin?”

“She left another baby girl in Great Zhou, who became my mother, Lady Su.”

Elder Hua’s lips trembled, and after a long while, she uttered, “You… you are the true Holy Maiden!”

For the Wumiao people, the focus was always on the Holy Maiden.

The Great Zhou Crown Princess before her had Wumiao blood and had mastered insect control. She was the Holy Maiden, not Asang.

Even though Asang’s Wumiao bloodline was purer than Jiang Si’s.

Jiang Si felt Elder Hua’s gaze change.

This was also why she had been honest – a true Holy Maiden held a different status in Elder Hua’s heart.

“Can Elder Hua speak now?”