Chapter 171 A Secret That Could Save Her Life

Xiao Yongjing paced back and forth outside the door, watching the movements inside with unease.

After an unknown amount of time, the sounds inside the door gradually quieted down. Still worried, he spoke up:

"Yiqiu? Would you like me to come in?"

Shen Yiqiu steadied her voice and said to the outside world:

"It's alright, Your Highness. Please wait a moment, I will be right away."

Inside the room, Zhao Jieyu listened to the two's natural conversation, her eyes darting around, and a smug smile appeared on her face:

"Originally, I wasn't sure if this news would really tempt you... But now, I'm 300% sure, it's worth my life."

Shen Yiqiu looked at her coldly: "What exactly do you want?"

Zhao Jieyu examined the nail guards closely:

"I don't care about the lives of those fools in the Song family. My only request is to leave the Song residence safely today and return to the palace."

"Furthermore, you must swear in the name of your late grandmother, Marquis Shen Zhaohua of Yongjia, that you will never again bring up this matter on your own initiative, nor will you hold me accountable for what I said today."

"As long as I return to the palace safely, I will tell you the whereabouts of that person through specific channels when the time is right. Otherwise, this secret will be buried with me forever."

"As for the truth about the bandits you want to know, you can ask your father. He is the key to this plan."

The blade in Shen Yiqiu's hand was pressed tightly against Zhao Jieyu's neck. Although she was shocked, she was not easily intimidated by her.

"Why should I believe you? The Crown Prince has been searching for him for so many years without any news. How could you, a mere concubine in the deep palace, possibly know his whereabouts? You think you can exchange your life for nothing, Consort Zhao? Your scheme is too cunning."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jieyu was not alarmed at all; instead, she chuckled softly.

"I knew you'd say that."

She struggled to move her restrained arm and carefully groped for something in her bosom.

It was an exquisitely crafted but dark-colored silver safety lock, engraved with luxurious patterns reserved for royalty, and with several lines of small characters engraved on the back.

Zhao Jieyu held the safety lock in her palm, presented it to Shen Yiqiu's eyes, and quickly waved it for a moment:

"See this? This is no ordinary object. When I first entered the palace, I was just a lowly maid responsible for sweeping in the Imperial Noble Consort's palace. That night..."

"Amidst the storm, the Imperial Noble Consort suddenly fell seriously ill, causing widespread panic within the palace. It was I who, under orders, wrapped the newborn infant, barely a month old, in ordinary swaddling clothes and, under cover of night, smuggled him out of the palace through a side gate..."

She stared at Shen Yiqiu's ever-changing face, feeling extremely pleased.

“Though I am of lowly status, I am not stupid. Before sending the child away, I secretly removed this safety lock from his neck. It is engraved with his childhood name and birth date... This is the only irrefutable proof of his true identity! I kept it only to leave myself a way out, but I never expected that it would become my life-saving talisman today.”

She gripped the safety lock tightly back into her hand:

“Shen Yiqiu, do you understand now? Those involved back then have probably been mostly eliminated. In this world, I am probably the only one who truly knows where that child was ultimately sent, and whether he is alive or dead! Even the Imperial Noble Consort herself would probably find it like searching for a needle in a haystack, with no way to begin.”

"Only I know where that child is. If I die here today, this secret, and the child's whereabouts, will be lost forever! As long as that child lives, your husband will never be able to sit securely in his position."

"Falling from heaven to hell is just a matter of my thought, and also a matter of your thought, Chen Yiqiu."

Shen Yiqiu stared intently at the safety lock, and seeing Zhao Jieyu's confident demeanor, she felt that this matter did not seem to be a lie.

She let go of his hand and asked casually:

"The Imperial Noble Consort must have had a reason for sending him away. Aren't you afraid that she will find out about this betrayal and be furious, causing you to die without a burial place?"

Zhao Jieyu gave a strange smile:

"Afraid? Haha... Shen Yiqiu, do you think I'm still living solely on the Imperial Noble Consort's favor? I know so much more than just this one thing..."

"But based on what I know, she wouldn't dare touch me! If I'm alive, she might still have a sliver of hope of finding her own child, but if I die..."

"She'll never find her real son! She knows exactly what she's doing. So, not only does she not dare to blame me, she has to do everything she can to protect me."

"So, Shen Yiqiu... how about making a deal with me? If you kill me, the Imperial Noble Consort won't let you off the hook either. Don't forget, she's now His Highness the Crown Prince's nominal mother."

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Shen Yiqiu finally understood the source of Zhao Jieyu's confidence.

After quickly weighing the pros and cons, a decision flashed in Shen Yiqiu's eyes.

He slowly withdrew the knife from Zhao Jieyu's neck and spoke coldly:

"Alright. I promise you. I swear in the name of the late Marquis Yongjia that this matter ends here. You may return to the palace safely. But remember, if you ever go back on your word or dare to use this to cause trouble, I, Chen Yiqiu, have plenty of ways to make you suffer worse than death."

After saying that, she didn't look at Zhao Jieyu again, turned around and pushed open the door to leave.

Zhao Jieyu let out a long sigh of relief and carefully put the safety lock back into her bosom.

"Rest assured, Marquis Yongjia, we... will have a long future ahead of us."

Stepping outside, Consort Zhao immediately reverted to her haughty demeanor as a palace concubine and raised her voice:

"Prepare the carriage and return to the palace!"

In a panic, Song Sangyu lunged forward and grabbed Zhao Jieyu's sleeve:

"Auntie, aren't you going to abandon us? You can't leave!"

Consort Zhao abruptly shook her off, dusted off her sleeves, leaned against the sedan chair, and spoke:

"Miss Song, please have some self-respect! I am a palace concubine, how could I be the kind of person who would bend the law for personal gain? Today's matter is a private feud between Marquis Yongjia and your Song family, and I am not in a position to interfere!"

After saying that, he left without looking back, surrounded by his guards.

This swift change of attitude left the Song family looking ashen-faced.

Xiao Yongjing walked to Shen Yiqiu's side and asked in a low voice, somewhat puzzled:

"Why let her go? If we let her leave today, it won't be so easy for us to cause her trouble again in the future."

He keenly noticed that Shen Yiqiu's expression was unusual.

"Did she say something? You must not believe what she says; women in the palace are always good at lying."

Shen Yiqiu was still immersed in the conversation from earlier, and gave a perfunctory reply:

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will remember Aunt Yun's grudge. The secret she holds is of even greater importance... Right now, let's deal with the Song family first."

Her thoughts had already drifted far away.

Seeing her biggest backer leave, Song Sangyu immediately turned to Fu Langxing, whose face was contorted with emotion.

With teary eyes, she grabbed Fu Langxing's arm:

"Brother Langxing, please take me back to the Prince's residence. I'm so scared here..."