Chapter 109 Our Own People

Xie Sangning put down his teacup.

"Alright."

Xie Sangning's gaze swept over Desheng, who was pressing down on Decai and looked utterly dejected, before settling on Decai, who was on the verge of suffocation and whose eyes were filled with the injustice of Dou E.

"Eunuch Desheng is commendably loyal."

However…

Her voice carried a hint of amusement.

Is there any possibility...?

"You two..."

"Are they all my people?"

The words fell.

Dead silence.

Absolute silence.

All that could be heard was Desheng's panting from extreme shock.

De Cai finally managed to pry open a crack, and screamed at the top of his lungs, his face covered in tears and snot: "Waaah... Master! Can you hear me! We're all on the same side! We're all on the same side! Please get up! Your disciple is about to be crushed into a meat patty!!"

That pitiful tone made her sound just like a wronged wife being bullied by a bully.

They're all...one of us?

He, De Cai, this dim-witted, clueless apprentice who follows her around all day, only knowing how to pour tea and grind ink, and occasionally making stupid mistakes... is he also the young lady's person?!

That's impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

Desheng abruptly turned his head, his beady eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at the composed woman in the main seat, his voice cracking: "Miss...you mean...this brat...he's also...?!"

He pointed to Decai, who was suffocating beneath him, his fingers trembling.

Desheng seemed to have been burned, letting out a "whoop" and bouncing away from Decai as if electrocuted, his movements so agile that he didn't look like a fat man at all.

He stood there, looking at his apprentice who was scrambling to his feet, then at Xie Sangning who remained calm. His fat face turned pale and then red, his expression shifting unpredictably. His mind was filled with the frustration of "How could I, a man of such wisdom, have been so blind?"

"no…"

Desheng scratched his sparsely haired scalp, his eyebrows furrowed, and looked at Xie Sangning, his tone filled with intense confusion, "Miss...you...why did you have to find someone else? Why...why did you choose someone like this...um..."

He tried hard to find a less hurtful word, and after a long pause, he finally managed to say, "...Such an honest kid?!"

"Pfft!"

Xie Sangning finally couldn't help but chuckle.

Ru Xia, behind her, also pursed her lips, her shoulders twitching suspiciously.

De Cai had just gotten up and was brushing the dust off his body when he heard this, and he almost lay back down.

He stiffened his neck, his face flushed red, and he shouted defiantly, "Master! What are you saying! How...how am I honest?! I have my merits too! I've also done my part and shed my sweat for the young lady, okay?!"

He tried to puff out his small chest, attempting to salvage some dignity.

Xie Sangning smiled and nodded, then added fuel to the fire with a leisurely tone, "Yes, virtue and talent are advantages..."

She paused deliberately, admiring De Cai's instantly tense and expectant little eyes.

“…He’s just incredibly good at hiding it.” Xie Sangning’s smile deepened. “He’s so good at hiding it that even your master, who’s with you day and night and is so cunning and shrewd… ah, so calculating, couldn’t see through it at all. This skill is truly… a gift.”

Upon hearing this, De Cai's newly ignited flame of hope was instantly extinguished.

He hung his head dejectedly, like a defeated rooster.

Waaaaah... Miss... praising someone is worse than not praising them at all...

Upon hearing this, Desheng felt strangely relieved of his unease.

Yeah! This kid is a bit stupid, but his ability to play dumb and lie low is a real talent!

Even this old fox who had been immersed in the court for decades and boasted of his discerning eyes was fooled!

Thinking about it this way... it seems... perhaps... that it makes sense for the young lady to use him?

Desheng suddenly remembered something, his beady eyes fixed on Decai: "You're the one who leaked the news about the last talent show?!"

Upon hearing this, De Cai instantly forgot his earlier grievances, puffed out his little chest again, raised his chin, and his little eyes were full of smugness, as if saying, "Praise me, praise me!" "Of course! While you, Master, are busy flattering the Emperor, I, your disciple, have been keeping a close eye on everything! As soon as His Majesty had a thought, I seized the opportunity and sent the message!"

That expression was exactly like that of a puppy that had done something great and was waiting for its owner to pat its head.

Desheng: "..."

He was so angry he almost choked! You little brat! So it was you!

He wasn't busy flattering the emperor!

The emperor couldn't be without someone by his side, so he didn't even have time to send messages! For those few days, he was constantly trying to guess who his accomplices were, and he even lost several strands of hair from all the worry!

Xie Sangning watched the two lovable masters and disciples glare at each other, then tapped the table at the right moment to bring the conversation back to the point: "Alright, let's get down to business."

The atmosphere instantly became solemn.

“Desheng,” Xie Sangning’s gaze fell on him, “Consort Ru has just entered the palace and her foundation is still shallow. I want her courtyard to be an impregnable fortress. The people sweeping, guarding, serving tea and water... from top to bottom, must all be our own people. I’m entrusting this matter to you.”

Before Desheng could even wipe the smugness off his face, he was stunned by the task that came his way.

He rubbed his hands together awkwardly, a bitter smile forcing a smile across his chubby face: "Miss... of course I want to handle this matter perfectly for you! But... the palace is a treacherous place, with people from all over the palace deeply entrenched in their own networks. Although I manage some personnel arrangements, I... I really have no idea how many of our own people we've buried, or who we've buried... What if we accidentally plant the wrong person..."

The consequences are terrifying to even think about.

"No idea?" Xie Sangning raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. "It's alright, I have an idea."

She gave Ru Dong a look.

Ru Dong immediately took out a thin gray envelope from her sleeve and respectfully handed it to Desheng.

Desheng took the envelope, and it felt heavy in his hand.

He looked at Xie Sangning with a puzzled expression.

"Open it and take a look." Xie Sangning picked up the teacup and gently blew on it.

Desheng carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and saw—

Hiss!!

He gasped, his beady eyes widening instantly! His hand holding the paper began to tremble!

The paper was covered with names!

Eunuch Liu, the manager of the Purchasing Office of the Imperial Household Department!

Zhao Tou'er, the old gardener in charge of pruning peonies in the Imperial Garden!

Zhang Mama, who was in charge of storing the clothing materials for nobles in the Imperial Clothing Bureau!

Even... there was Wang Pozi, an inconspicuous old woman in the laundry department who specialized in washing the clothes of low-ranking palace maids and eunuchs!

There were more than twenty people in total!

Behind each name is a note indicating the palace or position they currently occupy!

Several of them held high-ranking positions and were objects of flattery for the masters in the palace!

And then there are those who seem insignificant, even somewhat humble, on ordinary days, but who would have thought... they're all nails?!

This...this is practically a dark web map buried deep within the palace!

Desheng broke out in a cold sweat instantly!

Miss... your reach is... far too deep and too far!

"Young...Young Miss...this...this list..."