Chapter Twenty-Three: Royal Secrets

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Following behind Dayin into her room, Kaiming was still lost in a haze, utterly confused. After Dayin proposed that she become her secret agent, she led her through twists and turns to her own chambers, passing by pavilions and corridors, the endless beauty of the scenery leaving Kaiming silently in awe. This lady general must be truly wealthy! She thought to herself, one day, if she could become an official and build a grand house like this to live in, her life would not be in vain.

Just as she was lost in her musings, Dayin triggered some hidden mechanism, and the thick wall before her suddenly split in two with a click, revealing a dark and eerie passageway. She peered inside, discovering a staircase descending into the shadows. Hastily, she stepped back a few paces and offered a sycophantic smile, "After you, General."

Dayin snorted coldly, lit the oil lamp on the table, and strode inside. Kaiming followed closely, the wall sealing shut behind them.

She did not know how long they walked, unconsciously clinging tightly to Dayin’s sleeve as she glanced nervously into the darkness around them. Thoughts of terrifying films she both loved and feared flickered in her mind, as if ghosts or monsters might leap out from the shadows at any moment. The air was stale and oppressive, the passage narrow—why would Dayin create such a secret tunnel within her chambers?

Unexpectedly, her nose bumped into Dayin’s back, and she quickly apologized, "Sorry, sorry!"

Dayin sighed, "I truly wonder what your courage is made of." She pushed open a stone door. "We're here."

As she spoke, light spilled from the opening. Kaiming was astonished to see that this man-made underground chamber contained both table and stools, and neatly arranged books. The burning candle flickered with their sudden arrival, and her eyes immediately caught sight of the person sitting at the table.

A young man in a blue robe, wearing a square cap, his features well-formed though his complexion was rather pale. He held a brush in his hand, ink yet to touch the paper, and upon seeing Dayin bring a stranger, his face showed surprise.

"General?"

Dayin gestured for silence, set down the oil lamp, and turned to Kaiming, "Do you recognize him?"

Kaiming touched her nose as she scrutinized the man before her, frowning and shaking her head, "No."

"Truly don’t recognize him?" Dayin’s lips curled in mocking amusement. "Not only timid, but poor eyesight as well?"

Kaiming shot her a resentful glance. This Dayin never missed a chance to ridicule her.

"You have so many mysterious acquaintances—how could I possibly know them all..." As she spoke, a thought struck her. Why had Dayin brought her here? To hide a young man in a basement—surely not for an affair?

She examined his attire and features once more, her eyes widening. Of course! The man in the blue robe—the one pursued that night, the man on horseback! It was him! Did not Ao say he had once sneaked into the general’s mansion? Who would have guessed he was hidden in Dayin’s secret chamber!

"You!" Kaiming pointed at the man, then at Dayin, stammering, "What is going on…?"

"Have you not always wanted to find him? Curious about his identity?" Dayin smiled, "Today I've brought you here to solve the mystery."

"Don't tell me!" Kaiming covered her ears, "The more I know, the greater the danger!"

"Silly girl!" Dayin swiftly pulled down her hands, laughing prettily, "Now you’re on the same boat as me—do you think you can escape?"

Her smile was alluring, yet her jade-like face exuded a chilling murderous intent. Kaiming felt a coldness envelop her, knowing she was now inescapably trapped.

The man in blue, observing their exchange, set aside his brush and rose to his feet.

"Kaiming, do you know what the current palace emperor looks like?" Dayin suddenly asked.

"No," she replied, startled. She was neither a close courtier nor a concubine, where would she have seen the emperor’s face?

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"Unrivaled in beauty, the most handsome man in the imperial palace," Dayin sighed.

Kaiming responded absentmindedly. Well, rich, powerful, and handsome—a golden man indeed.

"But even with such beauty, he cannot compare to a tenth of the previous palace emperor Tianji. Imagine how charming Tianji must have been then."

Kaiming looked at her curiously—why discuss the looks of handsome men? Did Dayin have the gossiping inclination of women?

"It was this beautiful and charming Tianji Emperor who, on a disguised excursion, fell in love with a common woman. Their secret union bore fruit, and a dragon child was born in secret," Dayin finally revealed the point.

Kaiming grasped half the story. The emperor’s illegitimate child—such matters could be trivial or immense. In palace dramas, if such a secret fell into the hands of a treacherous minister, it would mark the beginning of rebellion.

Rebellion? The word flashed in her mind, and suddenly she understood something, shivering.

Dayin, seeing her reaction, smiled with satisfaction. "I thought you were always muddle-headed, but it seems you’ve finally caught on."

Ignoring her sarcasm, Kaiming pointed at the man before her, her teeth chattering, "Then, then, he, he…"

"Indeed," Dayin nodded, "this is the previous palace emperor’s illegitimate son among the people—Tianlang."

Kaiming’s jaw dropped in shock, staring wide-eyed at this figure of legendary origin. She thought, everyone said Tianji Emperor was unmatched in beauty, but this man was rather plain; perhaps the genes had mutated?

"I was secretly ordered to investigate this matter, but it caught the attention of the Dai family, who sought to act before me. Thankfully, a secret report brought me here in time to ensure the prince’s safety."

Kaiming recalled that perilous night, reliving the scene, but couldn’t understand, "Dai family wanted to kill the prince? Wouldn’t it be better to use him?"

"Dai Huang had no intention to kill the prince, only to seize him from my secret agents. For this, I lost several capable spies," Dayin said regretfully.

Oh, so Dai Huang only wanted to capture the emperor’s illegitimate son. No wonder—how could he kill such a valuable pawn against the emperor? Kaiming nodded, thinking of Dayin’s spies, the one who risked their life to protect another, the loyalist who, even in death, delivered information to Ao. Her heart grew solemn, "The secret agents you mentioned—the ones you want me to become—are those?"

"Yes."

"Protecting strangers, risking one’s own life—like that?" She grimaced.

Dayin looked at her, "Are you afraid of death?"

Kaiming swallowed, "Is it possible to change the job description?"

"What?" Dayin was puzzled.

"I mean, instead of dying for no reason, maybe just passing notes, something like that. You know, my martial skills are lacking—I can’t protect anyone." Kaiming rubbed her hands, smiling ingratiatingly.

Dayin avoided the question, smiling slyly, "Under the training of Lord Yu Bing, you’ll become an excellent attendant."

She quickly waved her hands, probing, "Can I not be a spy, maybe do some other job…" But seeing Dayin’s face darken, she immediately shut her mouth. "Forget I said anything."

This woman changed her face faster than flipping a page.

Throughout their conversation, the so-called prince had not spoken a word, only stood quietly, watching them.

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"General, she is…"

"My newly recruited spy," Dayin glanced at Kaiming, ignoring her dejected expression, "The attendant personally requested by Lord Yu Bing—she will soon be close to the emperor."

The blue-robed man, Tianlang, looked at Kaiming with surprise; so far, he could not discern any excellence in this cowardly woman, yet she had been chosen by Lord Yu Bing.

Dayin seemed to sense his doubts and laughed mockingly, "She’s not particularly talented—but she knows too much."

Because of this double-edged remark, Kaiming broke into a cold sweat.

Dazedly leaving the tunnel, Dayin’s instructions went in one ear and out the other. Not until she boarded the swaying carriage did her soul return, and as she touched her forehead, she realized she was drenched in sweat.

She relaxed, leaning against the wall of the carriage, feeling her heart beat like a rabbit, leaping wildly.

Dayin said she must be her spy, infiltrate the core of the Dai family, and secretly relay information to her; if necessary, Dayin would even supply false intelligence for Kaiming to accidentally leak to Dai family. Wasn’t that espionage? Kaiming sighed—when did she develop the talent to become a spy?

Dayin protected this man—was it truly only under the emperor's secret orders? Had she no personal motives? Otherwise, why not transfer him to the palace? If Tianlang was the previous emperor’s illegitimate son, and if he were used by those with ulterior motives, it would surely threaten the current emperor’s throne. Why keep him hidden, instead of simply removing him?

Kaiming could not make sense of it all; the more she thought, the more her head hurt—was it the onset of a cold? She decided to stop thinking. Since she was already caught in the game, she could only take it one step at a time.

Half dreaming, half awake, the carriage finally stopped, and the driver called out, "Miss, we've arrived." Kaiming answered, grabbed the bundle Dayin had packed for her, and jumped down.

Her feet touched solid ground, but when she looked up, she was stunned by the sight before her. The carriage turned and departed.

Lush roadside woods, a secluded small gate—it was the back door of the training camp she had twice sneaked out of. Beside the gate, it seemed a cheerful young man still stood, beckoning to her, "Kaiming." Her eyes stung with emotion.

"Kaiming." Someone really called her. She quickly rubbed her eyes and looked up. The half-closed door slowly opened, revealing black boots, then a black robe, lined with simple white, hair tied neatly behind the head, long, cold eyes as icy as ever, stray strands brushing his lashes without causing them to flutter.

"You're late," he said coldly.

Kaiming nodded, "Lord Yu Bing." His attitude was only natural—if he greeted her warmly, she would suspect his motives.

"Young Master Dai has cleared your case, so you have the chance to return to the training camp," he said indifferently. "We believe you have potential, so we are promoting you to train with the attendants."

So, the reason she was imprisoned was their scheme—come and go as they pleased, truly powerful. She sneered inwardly, mimicking his expressionless demeanor, gaze lowered to her toes, replying, "Yes."

"In the attendant squad, you’ll eat and live in the back courtyard. Without orders, you’re not allowed to leave or interact with your former camp sisters. Do you understand?" His tone was stern.

It's no different from prison. Kaiming muttered internally, but replied obediently.

Ji gestured behind him, "Take her to her room."

A sharp-eyed male soldier replied, then looked at her, "Come."

She lowered her head, tiptoeing past Ji. Ji watched her departing figure, his expression rather complicated.