The sudden truth that hit her head-on left Qin Yining caught off guard. Vaguely, she had the feeling that she had been deceived. But looking at the cute girl with an apple-shaped face and big eyes before her, Qin Yining also felt relieved.

Fortunately, Tang Meng was safe.

Fortunately, things weren’t as she had imagined them to be.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Qin Yining solemnly gave Prince Ning a deep bow. “Then I shall take Miss Tang with me now.”

Prince Ning sat calmly in the chief seat, waving his hand at Qin Yining.

Qin Yining smiled at Tang Meng and said, “Miss Tang, please come with me.”

“Miss, please don’t be so polite. Just call me by my name. From now on, you are the master and I am the servant. I will never forget your righteous rescue today for the rest of my life.” Tang Meng blinked her round, big eyes and spoke very earnestly.

Qin Yining smiled bitterly: “How did I rescue you? It seems this time I was being unnecessarily meddlesome.”

Tang Meng shook her head repeatedly. “Miss, ever since my father had me take the family’s hereditary ‘Medical Classics’ and become a nun, I knew the Tang family would encounter trouble sooner or later. Sure enough, later things went wrong…”

“Though I became a person outside the secular world, because of the Tang family’s affairs, I’ve seen the coldness and warmth of human relationships. The pleasure quarters captured me and tried to force me back to secular life. When I refused, they mistreated me in every way. Later, Zhaoyun Company rented me out, and I was brought back by Your Highness, finally having a few days of peace.”

Tears were already welling in Tang Meng’s eyes: “Miss, apart from Your Highness, you are the only person who has actively extended a helping hand since my family’s downfall. We met by chance with no prior relationship, yet you, a young lady from a noble family, could brave the pressure of rumors and gossip to come to the prince’s mansion to save me. I understand all the risks involved! This kindness is something I can never repay in my lifetime.”

Her words moved Qin Yining, Manager Zhong, Rui Lan, and Qiu Lu.

Qin Yining’s rescue had originally been just to prevent a good girl from ruining the rest of her life, and to prevent Manager Zhong’s family from suffering collateral damage. She had never thought about receiving any gratitude or rewards. Now hearing Tang Meng speak this way, she was the first to blush with embarrassment. Taking Tang Meng’s hand, she bowed to Prince Ning once more in farewell, then led everyone away quickly.

Prince Ning remained seated in the chief position, taking everything in. Suddenly he smiled with amusement: “Who would have thought that old fox Qin Meng could raise such a warm-hearted and chivalrous daughter.”

“Indeed.” A person slowly emerged from behind the standing screen—it was the young man Qin Yining had encountered earlier.

Prince Ning casually cupped his hands toward the young man: “Did Your Highness hear what she said just now?”

The young man nodded, with a trace of worry in his expression. “She was right. These stubborn old fools in the capital who think themselves invincible are nothing but frogs in a well. Even now, they still have the leisure to wrangle over whether to fight or make peace.”

“This prince has long seen through them. These people are all useless. When the city truly falls in the future, it would be no disgrace if they don’t all wet themselves in fear, hahaha!” Prince Ning laughed heartily.

Hearing this, the young man also chuckled. He stood with his hands behind his back beside Prince Ning, looking at the “Eight Steeds Painting” for a long time, his face gradually flushing slightly.

Prince Ning understood clearly but didn’t point it out, instead asking: “Has Your Highness truly decided?”

The young man was startled, then said: “What, is Imperial Uncle unwilling and wants to retreat?”

Prince Ning looked into the young man’s eyes, his gaze sharp and his voice mocking: “Would this prince retreat? This prince just didn’t expect Your Highness to actively propose impeaching Grand Tutor Cao. You know, this prince always thought Your Highness was only a master of calligraphy and painting, with no interest in politics.”

The young man smiled bitterly: “Is Imperial Uncle mocking me for my years without achievements?”

Prince Ning laughed heartily, then said: “This prince originally only wanted to ally with that old thing Duke Dingguo, but that little fox Sun Yuanming refuses to take a stance. Now heaven helps us both—we’ve even pulled over Qin Meng. This makes impeaching that old thing Cao Bingzhong much easier.”

The young man was somewhat worried: “I’m afraid Prime Minister Qin won’t agree.”

“Whether he agrees or not, he must agree. His good daughter has made the decision for him! No matter what, Tang Meng is already his daughter’s maid and will be under the Qin mansion’s protection. The upright officials and those two-faced cowards, seeing this result, will definitely choose sides.”

Prince Ning patted the young man’s shoulder reassuringly: “Your Highness, rest assured. This matter will surely succeed! That lewd woman chatters nonsensically all day without doing proper business. She can’t bear a single child herself, yet wants to cut off Imperial Brother’s bloodline?! Simply wishful thinking! Even a little girl knows her fate, yet she herself can’t figure it out. How ridiculous! This time, this prince will pierce through her slutty facade! Let’s see what she can do without her father’s support!”

At this moment, Qin Yining had already boarded the carriage with Tang Meng. Manager Zhong, Rui Lan, and Qiu Lu were all following outside as they rushed toward Zhaoyun Company’s “Stepping on Clouds Inn.”

Qin Yining smiled and said: “You’ll stay at the inn first. In the next couple of days, I’ll find another opportunity to come out and take you to return to secular life. After you’ve returned to secular life, you can enter the mansion to stay with me. Together we can look out for each other.”

“Yes.” Tang Meng nodded with a smile. “Miss, you don’t need to be so polite with me. From now on, I’m your maid. You can just order me around as you please.”

Qin Yining nodded. She was somewhat surprised that Tang Meng could accept reality so calmly.

Perhaps after experiencing great storms and having no way to turn the tide or escape, people more easily recognize their position.

The group arrived at Stepping on Clouds Inn. Qin Yining instructed Manager Zhong to arrange a secluded courtyard and settle Tang Meng properly, then called Manager Zhong over and instructed: “Please take good care of Miss Tang, Manager Zhong. I’ll find a way to come out again in the next couple of days.”

Manager Zhong, having resolved the crisis, was now in high spirits. When he looked at Qin Yining again, it was with the eyes of looking at a lifesaver. With respect mixed with intimacy, he bowed and said: “Miss, rest assured. I will definitely handle this well.”

Hearing that his way of addressing her had changed, Qin Yining smiled: “Good. There will be many places I’ll need to rely on Manager Zhong in the future. It’s just that it’s getting late today, so reviewing the accounts will have to wait for another day.”

“Yes, Miss, rest assured. I’ve already reviewed the account books that were sent. When Miss has time, just look them over. If the old lady at the mansion asks, Miss can say that today you visited all the shops under Zhaoyun Company, conducted an inspection, and will come out again another day to check the accounts. We have three restaurants under our banner: ‘Returning to the Forest Tower,’ ‘Drunken Sky Tower,’ and ‘Jade Cup Tower.’ We have two inns—one is our current ‘Stepping on Clouds Inn,’ and there’s another ‘Joyful Ascension Inn’ on East Street.”

“Manager Zhong is clever. I’ll respond exactly this way.” Qin Yining looked at the sky and said: “It’s getting late. I should return as well.”

“Yes, I’ll have them escort Miss back. Miss’s life-saving grace this time—my whole family will definitely repay with our lives. Please accept my bow.” Manager Zhong knelt down and performed a great bow.

Qin Yining helped Manager Zhong to his feet and smiled: “Manager Zhong, there’s no need to be so polite. In the future, we’ll need to support each other even more to go further.”

Manager Zhong nodded with a smile: “Miss speaks truly.”

Qin Yining again instructed Manager Zhong to take good care of Tang Meng and arrange for her return to secular life, then left with Rui Lan and Qiu Lu, hurrying back to the Prime Minister’s mansion.

In the carriage, Rui Lan and Qiu Lu’s originally excited and elated mood turned to worry after seeing Qin Yining’s expression.

They had successfully rescued the person—why didn’t Miss look happy?

Both had questions in their hearts. Rui Lan, being more thoughtful, didn’t immediately ask, but Qiu Lu, being straightforward, opened her mouth and asked: “Miss, why aren’t you happy?”

Qin Yining came back to her senses, sighing and murmuring: “This time, I’m afraid things have gone badly.”

“What?” Both Rui Lan and Qiu Lu’s hearts skipped a beat, nervously asking: “What do you mean? What’s gone badly?”

Qin Yining said in a low voice: “Think about what Prince Ning said today and his attitude, and you’ll understand. He clearly brought the person away to protect Miss Tang, yet deliberately acted as if he had abducted her. He didn’t explain to Zhaoyun Company and let the evil reputation of abduction spread throughout the capital. What was this for?”

Rui Lan and Qiu Lu were both confused.

“He did this merely to use the upright officials’ hands to pressure Zhaoyun Company. If Zhaoyun Company really went to demand the person back because they couldn’t withstand the pressure, I think they would have easily gotten the person back just like today.”

“Miss, you mean…” Rui Lan was beginning to understand, and her face turned pale.

“Everyone knows that Prince Ning abducted the person and refused to return her, but when Zhaoyun Company went to ask for her, Prince Ning actually returned her. I’m afraid everyone will think that Prince Ning and Zhaoyun Company have a good relationship and are in cahoots. Previously, Zhaoyun Company’s owner was my eldest cousin, and behind my eldest cousin was Duke Dingguo’s mansion. If things had developed according to the original situation, everyone would certainly see Duke Dingguo’s mansion and Prince Ning as one faction. But now, I was the one who took the lead. I’m both the Prime Minister’s daughter and Duke Dingguo’s granddaughter…”

By the time Qin Yining reached this point, her face was already very pale, and her hands and feet were cold as ice.

“This time, I’m afraid I’ve fallen into Prince Ning’s trap in place of my eldest cousin, inadvertently tying both Duke Dingguo’s mansion and the Prime Minister’s mansion under the label of Prince Ning’s faction. You’ll see—it won’t be long before news of my successfully bringing Miss Tang away spreads.”

Qiu Lu’s eyes reddened as she listened, stamping her foot: “This servant thought that Prince Ning had a chivalrous heart. Who would have thought he was so black-hearted! To ally with Duke Dingguo’s mansion, he actually used such methods!”

“Yes,” Rui Lan also said: “In that case, the Duke Dingguo’s wife’s arrangement…” Rui Lan suddenly realized her words sounded like sowing discord and quickly stopped.

Qin Yining said: “Grandmother may have had no ill intentions, just thinking that as a young woman, my only solution would be to let Manager Zhong take the blame, then I’d replace him with another manager. By not taking the bait, it wouldn’t matter. But neither Grandmother nor my father expected that I would go to demand the person…”

Rui Lan advised: “Miss, what’s done is done. You had good intentions. For now, we should think about how to explain to the Old Madam and the Prime Minister. What if they blame you?”

Qin Yining smiled bitterly. She had only been back home for a few days, yet she had already experienced so much human coldness and conspiracy.

She had originally thought that after returning home, life could be peaceful and tranquil. Noble families didn’t lack food or clothing, so at least they wouldn’t have the dark hearts of those struggling to survive at the bottom.

Who knew that these people in vermillion gates and jade households, for the sake of profit and power, could scheme and frame others no less than those fighting for survival in the marketplace.

Qin Yining took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She began to think about this matter’s impact on the Prime Minister’s mansion, Duke Dingguo’s mansion, and herself.

Since she had already fallen into the trap and time couldn’t be reversed, she could only think of solutions.