Chapter 74: A Ten Percent Chance of Success

The two of them finished their transaction and left in a hurry.

They didn’t notice Tang Miaoling and her maid eavesdropping nearby.

“Your Highness, let’s go quickly…” Cuiping said fearfully.

Tang Miaoling shook her head. “That palace maid, I think I recognize her. She’s usually with Concubine Xue! You go and see if she’s going to Qionghua Garden.”

“What about Your Highness…?”

“I’ll follow that young eunuch. There aren’t many places in the entire palace worth Concubine Xue spending money to buy information… This matter must be big!” Tang Miaoling said, her eyes gradually brightening:

“Concubine Xue has been bullying my cousin again and again. If we can catch her red-handed, my cousin will be very happy!”

Since she had pledged her allegiance to her cousin, Tang Miaoling was willing to put in the effort!

Otherwise, if she just lay around and did nothing, she was afraid that her cousin would think she was useless.

“Yes, Your Highness, be careful!”

The two of them split up immediately.

Tang Miaoling followed secretly for a while and finally discovered that the eunuch had entered Qianxin Palace.

This was actually an eunuch who served the emperor!

A short while later, Cuiping returned to report. “That palace maid went to Qionghua Garden. The palace servants in Qionghua Garden were very polite to her. She’s Concubine Xue’s new head palace maid.”

“I told you she looked familiar… Let’s go find my cousin!” Tang Miaoling said excitedly.

…

Lingxue Pavilion, Flower Hall.

Tang Miaoling specifically said that she had confidential information to tell her, so Ning Wanyin dismissed the outsiders.

“I saw it with my own eyes. They exchanged money and letters! Concubine Xue is so audacious. She’s actually spying on the emperor’s secrets…” Tang Miaoling recounted what she had seen in the Imperial Garden and said:

“The Duke of Su’s Mansion is truly lawless!”

Ning Wanyin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “The Xue family has always been arrogant.”

“Cousin, they’re meeting again in seven days. Do you think we should quickly report it to the emperor and catch them red-handed? Then Concubine Xue will either die or be sent to the cold palace!” Tang Miaoling said excitedly.

But Ning Wanyin shook her head calmly. “No. You should pretend you don’t know anything about this.”

“Why?” Tang Miaoling was puzzled. “This is a rare opportunity. She sent someone to spy on His Majesty’s secrets from the previous dynasty. It’s useless to pin it on a palace maid. It will definitely implicate her!”

A palace maid spying on state affairs must have someone behind her.

Xue Jinyan and the Xue family would be held accountable.

“Because we don’t have a 100% chance of success. On the contrary, if something unexpected happens, the crime of false accusation will be a certainty.” Ning Wanyin said cautiously.

Tang Miaoling asked in confusion, “Isn’t this a case of catching them red-handed? Why wouldn’t we have a 100% chance of success?”

“Firstly, if something unexpected happens and they change the meeting time and place privately, where will we catch them? This risk accounts for 10%.”

“Then what about the other 90%?”

“Secondly, even if we catch them on the spot. But the letter is in their hands. The moment they see the guards charging at them, they can throw the letter into the lake next to them to destroy it, or swallow it. Then they can say they were just catching up, and there’s not enough evidence. What then? This risk accounts for 50%.”

“Oh…”

“Also, will this eunuch be able to find useful information within seven days? What if he fails and comes empty-handed next time? This risk accounts for 30%.”

Tang Miaoling was completely dumbfounded. “We only have a 10% chance of success…”

“Forget it…”

She had thought it would be a piece of cake, but after Ning Wanyin’s analysis, she suddenly felt like she was facing a life-or-death situation.

“Let’s forget it. I’ll pretend I don’t know anything.” Tang Miaoling quickly shook her head, but she still muttered regretfully:

“Such a good opportunity…”

Ning Wanyin said calmly, “It’s not a pity.”

There was one more important point that she hadn’t mentioned. It involved the emperor.

If someone really had been able to obtain information from the emperor’s presence, Helan Qi would have known about it nine times out of ten.

He didn’t do anything about it, which meant he had his own plan.

Ning Wanyin certainly wouldn’t expose this matter and disrupt his plans.

In short, if they did this, the risk would be extremely high.

If they didn’t, the emperor wasn’t an idiot. If information from his presence leaked out and he needed her to remind him, then he wouldn’t be far from death.

“You did a good job this time. Next time you encounter something like this, come and discuss it with me beforehand. Don’t act rashly.” Ning Wanyin looked at Tang Miaoling and reminded her.

Tang Miaoling nodded. “Of course…”

How dare she fight with Concubine Xue?

Without her cousin’s support, she would avoid Concubine Xue whenever she saw her.

“One more thing. Don’t follow them yourself next time. If you’re discovered, you might be silenced.” Ning Wanyin looked at Tang Miaoling and warned her seriously:

“Just remember their faces. I’ll send someone to investigate later.”

Tang Miaoling gasped and her face turned pale. Wow, there was that kind of risk?

Thank goodness she was lucky!

“Okay, I understand. Thank you, cousin, for reminding me!” Tang Miaoling nodded obediently like a little chick pecking at rice.

After Tang Miaoling and her maid left.

Lianrui couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, I don’t understand. Why did this plan seem so stable at first, but in the end, it only had a 10% chance of success?”

“Because we don’t have the evidence in our hands. If those two people make any mistakes, we’ll lose this game. There are too many variables, so it’s not reliable.” Ning Wanyin said calmly.

Lianrui suddenly realized. “Your Highness is truly insightful! You saw through the key to this situation at a glance.”

Your Highness is so amazing! She hadn’t even thought of any of the variables.

“Lianrui, we should be cautious in the palace. Think carefully before acting. Don’t act rashly unless you have a foolproof plan.” Ning Wanyin reminded her.

Lianrui accepted the order. “This servant will heed Your Highness’s instructions.”

At the same time, in Qianxin Palace…

Concubine Wen had already reported the matter in the Imperial Garden to the emperor.

Ever since she returned from Tingyu Xie last time, she had sent people to secretly watch Qionghua Garden.

She had noticed Zhusa, Concubine Xue’s head palace maid, acting suspiciously!

She was separated from Tang Miaoling by a wall of flowers and overheard everything clearly.

Seeing that Tang Miaoling had gone to Lingxue Pavilion, she was afraid that Ning Wanyin would steal her credit, so she came to Qianxin Palace to report it first.

The emperor on the dragon throne looked grim. “You said Concubine Xue is spying on information from my presence?”

His people hadn’t discovered anyone suspicious!

Had he overlooked something?

“It’s absolutely true! This concubine heard it with my own ears.” Concubine Wen said immediately.

The emperor pondered for a moment. “Don’t spread the word about this. I have my own arrangements.”

“Yes.” Concubine Wen nodded.

She was very happy. Didn’t Ning Wanyin rely on dealing with the Xue family to gain the emperor’s favor? She would soon replace Ning Wanyin!

…

Seven days later.

In the Imperial Garden, Zhusa had just met with a young eunuch when she was immediately caught by the Wei Linsi eunuchs who were hiding nearby.

Jin Zhong, the head eunuch, took the lead and subdued the young eunuch, snatching the envelope from his hand.

Another eunuch seized the money bag filled with silver from Zhusa’s hand.

Jin Zhong was about to take the two of them to report to the emperor.

Concubine Xue, who had been waiting in the nearby pavilion, immediately stopped them:

“Eunuch Jin Zhong, what are you doing? Where are you taking my palace maid?”

Jin Zhong said, “By His Majesty’s order, I’m arresting the palace maid who was privately transmitting information.”

“Your Highness, save me! I’m innocent!” Zhusa cried out in panic.

Concubine Xue smiled faintly. “I believe my palace maid wouldn’t do such a thing. There must be some misunderstanding. I wonder who said that my palace maid was privately transmitting information. What evidence do you have?”

“Caught red-handed, and you still want to argue!” Concubine Wen walked over from the bamboo forest on the other side.

She had naturally come to watch this good show, as she had set up this trap to catch them red-handed.

“Concubine Wen?” Concubine Xue was a little puzzled when she saw her.