This person is Xue'er.
At eleven years old, she entered the palace and was assigned as a maid to sweep and clean around the prince.
Xue'er and Bing'er are sisters; Xue'er is the elder, so after the prince's death, she was released from the palace along with a group of other maids.
She wasn't very familiar with them, after all, she was not home for many years, and they were just unremarkable maids around the prince. Unexpectedly, they were the ones who knew the details of the prince's death.
Although they didn't witness the prince's murder, they knew he didn't die of illness. They indirectly informed her of another important eyewitness, the man cured by Miss Jun was still alive.
Since the man was alive, her father should be alive too. This was conclusive evidence of the prince being murdered.
She had died, luckily revived, but Bing'er was dead, and Xue'er had disappeared. It seemed hopeless until she unexpectedly appeared on such a quiet night in the depth of the Duke of Chengguo's residence, in the Duke of Chengguo's heir's room.
Miss Jun was slightly panicked and bewildered.
This was not the reaction of someone suddenly seeing the person they had long been searching for appearing before them.
She should have been thrilled, overwhelmed with joy.
However, at this moment, she was at a loss.
Apparently, so was Xue'er, who was also shocked. When she spoke, her facial expression subtly changed.
"Miss, what did you say?" she said with a surprised look, "Who are you looking for?"
A palace maid who had stayed in the palace wouldn't be so easily startled, no matter how unremarkable she was.
She was concealing her identity, masking her initial reaction.
Miss Jun immediately understood.
The situation was a bit too sudden, so much so that she didn't quite know how to react.
"Who is Miss looking for?" The other maidservants also regained their composure and asked.
Miss Jun looked at them; their expressions were equally surprised and confused, but their surprise and confusion were not feigned.
It seemed that these maidservants didn't know Xue'er's identity.
"Go fetch Lord Heir," Miss Jun said, pointing at one of the maidservants.
That maidservant responded without hesitation and turned to leave.
Xue'er's expression looked slightly relieved as she exchanged a glance with another maidservant holding a wooden bucket and lowered her head to exit.
"Wait a moment," Miss Jun called them back.
Xue'er's body visibly tensed.
"Clean this place again," Miss Jun pointed to the castration room.
It had already been cleaned. One of the maidservants wanted to say this, but another maidservant stopped her.
"Yes," she said, giving Xue'er and the other maidservant holding the wooden bucket a meaningful look.
The two of them returned under the weight of the buckets.
Miss Jun nonchalantly walked out.
Miss Jun sat down, wanting to pour a cup of tea, but her trembling hand caused the teacup to clink softly, which was particularly loud in the quiet room.
She steadied her mind, drank the hot tea, and took the chance before Zhu Zan arrived to think things over.
Bing'er initially said that Xue'er lived in the Guan Temple.
The first time she came to the capital she visited, she didn't see her, but she met Zhu Zan at the Guan Temple.
Later, when she visited the Guan Temple again, she asked Xue'er's neighbors, confirming that Xue'er had indeed stayed there until her recent departure.
Someone who was living well suddenly leaving without notice must have encountered an unexpected event.
She did not have the means to investigate further.
Xue'er was too important, even the slightest misstep could lead to a fate like Bing'er's—an unknown death.
She had thought Xue'er was taken away, thought that Bing'er died while Xue'er remained at the Guan Temple, possibly as bait, but never imagined Xue'er would actually be in the Duke of Chengguo's residence.
Could it be that meeting Zhu Zan at the Guan Temple was not a coincidence?
Miss Jun gripped the teacup and sat up straight.
Could Zhu Zan also be after Xue'er?
Moreover, from what the neighbors said, Xue'er was still living at home then.
Was it Zhu Zan who took Xue'er away?
How did he know Xue'er? What else does he know?
"What's going on?"
Zhu Zan's impatient voice came from the door as it was pushed open.
Miss Jun looked up at him.
"What do you want me here for in the middle of the night?" Zhu Zan asked again.
Miss Jun gestured to the seat in front of her.
"Have a seat," she said.
Zhu Zan looked at her and took a step back.
"What's your purpose? Why does your face look so strange?" he asked, appearing wary, "Are you planning to poison me?"
Despite the turmoil in her heart, Miss Jun was amused by his words.
"I don't have time for that," she said, "My poisons are quite expensive."
Zhu Zan gave her a suspicious look.
Just as Miss Jun was about to speak again, a few maidservants emerged from the castration room.
"Miss, it's all cleaned," they said.
Zhu Zan scoffed.
"What's with all this cleaning? It's enough that I don't mind you," he said, "Did you call me here just to see this?"
He waved the maidservants away.
"Go, go, go."
The maidservants quickly bowed their heads and hurried out.
"Xue'er, wait a moment," Miss Jun put down the teacup and said.
Her voice was as gentle as usual, and when she placed the teacup on the table, there was not a sound, but the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed, seeming to freeze in an instant.
The only ones frozen were Zhu Zan and Xue'er, while the other maidservants were puzzled.
Who was Xue'er?
Xue'er held the wooden bucket tightly, staring at the ground.
"Sujuan stays, the rest of you can leave," Zhu Zan said.
His voice was also calm as usual.
Xue'er responded, and the other maidservants couldn't help but glance at her before quickly bowing their heads and leaving.
"What's going on?"
"Does Miss recognize Sujuan?"
"Could Sujuan have something with the Princely Heir?"
"Don't speak nonsense..."
The departing maidservants stopped whispering, as discussing the master's affairs was a major taboo for servants.
Silence fell outside, and the room was also quiet.
Miss Jun did not speak; she was contemplating what to say.
Footsteps sounded as Zhu Zan walked a few steps inside the room.
"So, this was the reason you called me here," he said with a hand gesture.
Miss Jun looked at him, just about to speak, but then saw Zhu Zan suddenly straighten his body, moving with a cold air directly towards her.
It happened in the blink of an eye; the thought flashed through her mind as she was already being strangled by Zhu Zan, lifted straight from her chair.
Xue'er let out a shriek, immediately covering her mouth, trembling on the side.
Miss Jun almost suffocated, seemingly transported back to the scene in Runan.
At that time, she had cried out Zhu Zan's name, and he had similarly moved to kill her.
Zhu Zan's eyes were dark, his breath brushing against her close-quartered face.
Her arms were pinned behind her by one of his hands, her legs also braced so she couldn't move.
He was guarding against the hidden poisons and weapons she always had on her.
"You better give me a reason not to kill you," he said, emphasizing each word in a low voice, "The matter of saving my parents' lives is settled, it was just part of your schemes."
There was a slight gap around her neck, allowing her to gasp for breath and steady herself.
"Do I need a reason to recognize her, just as I recognized you?" she looked at Zhu Zan, her eyes calm, "Because, I am Princess Jiuli."
Before Zhu Zan could react, she suddenly leaned in, staring into his eyes.
"Zhu Zan, look at me, you can see it."
"I am, Chu Jiuling."
Those eyes were deep and dark, her voice hoarse as if from the depths of hell, the breath close and warm, but it sent shivers down Zhu Zan's spine instantly.
Chu Jiuling.
.....
.....
(Gotcha, kidding, but really it's over now, go to sleep, go to sleep, mwah mwah)