Fifth Sister-in-law stared with wide eyes. Though looking at Qin Yining, her gaze fell into emptiness, tears continuously flowing from her eyes like an inexhaustible spring.
Seeing her like this, Duke Dingguo’s wife slowly approached, supporting her knees with both hands as she gradually sat on the bed’s edge, her voice weathered yet calm.
“Knowing you gave birth safely, he can go in peace. The dead are gone; the living must be even stronger. They can close their eyes and find it easy, but shouldn’t we who remain alive bear these responsibilities? Shuang’er, I know you were a young couple with deep affection. Listen to your grandmother – just think of him as having gone on a distant journey. There will eventually be a day when you can meet again.”
“Grandmother.” Fifth Sister-in-law choked out, holding the child with one hand while gripping Duke Dingguo’s wife’s hand with the other, as if she wanted to crush her fingers.
Everyone couldn’t help but shed tears again.
Faced with such great disaster, one either gets crushed by setbacks or holds one’s breath and straightens one’s bent spine.
The words Duke Dingguo had entrusted to his wife before departing were still fresh in memory.
Duke Dingguo’s wife lived up to her reputation. At this crucial moment, she – the most frail and elderly, who should have been the most heartbroken and collapsed – could calmly analyze everything and lead the panicked female family members to choose the right path forward.
Qin Yining looked at Duke Dingguo’s wife with admiration, yet felt heartache for her.
All she could do was take good care of Grandmother and the others, ensuring they lacked nothing in food, clothing, and daily necessities.
Just as Duke Dingguo’s tragic fate became known to everyone, the Great Zhou’s national proclamations once again swept through like a storm. This time, not only were they posted in prominent places on bulletin boards, but leaflets also scattered randomly through streets and alleys. Anyone literate who picked one up could see its contents.
Because of the Yan Emperor’s rash killing of twenty thousand prisoners, Great Zhou had lost another twenty thousand sons who would never see their parents again.
Yet their Yan Dynasty’s good emperor still lived in luxury with the wicked empress, sleeping peacefully without worry. To beg Great Zhou’s emperor for forgiveness, he actually forced Duke Dingguo’s heir to offer his brain matter. When refused, and merely being unreasonably scolded by Great Zhou people, he was so frightened that he killed all the male members of the Sun family, not even sparing a five-year-old child. After the killings, he immediately submitted a letter to Great Zhou court, begging Emperor Zhou’s forgiveness like a shameless dog.
With such a foolish, lustful, cowardly emperor who would harm loyal ministers, the people’s anger was insurmountable!!
As New Year approached, the capital was completely immersed in grief and anger. Even ordinary citizens, remembering past rumors and Imperial Uncle Cao’s arrogant street killing with the emperor’s indifference, felt chilled to the bone.
But someone whose heart was even colder than those common people was Sun Shi.
“Mother.” Sun Shi wore a treasure-blue jacket, silver ornaments in her hair, and a blue-black cloak. Upon entering, she threw herself at Duke Dingguo’s wife’s legs, crying: “Mother, that ungrateful Qin Meng has failed me, failed our family!”
Seeing her sobbing daughter, Duke Dingguo’s wife felt her head buzzing.
This daughter was truly ruined.
When faced with problems, she only knew to cry and blame heaven and earth. No wonder she had raised a daughter like Qin Huining.
“Get up and speak properly.” Duke Dingguo’s wife rubbed her forehead.
Nanny Bao, who had just been redeemed, helped Sun Shi sit on an embroidered stool. “Young Mistress, stop crying. You should at least consider Madam’s health.” With such a major incident at home, Nanny Bao hadn’t seen Sun Shi contribute much to her natal family, not even visiting once in the past two days. It was all Qin Yining running around busily. Nanny Bao already harbored considerable resentment toward Sun Shi.
Sun Shi sniffled and said aggrievedly, “Qin Meng – he’s taking that Cao family widow as a concubine. She’s being carried into our home today! No matter how I pleaded, it was useless. He even deceived me, saying the Emperor bestowed Miss Cao upon him. Mother, how can he treat me this way! If not for Father’s promotion back then, could he have achieved today’s status? Now that our family faces trouble, their family forgets gratitude to this extent – it truly chills one’s heart!”
Duke Dingguo’s wife looked up at Sun Shi’s pale face, bluish eye circles, and eyes swollen like walnuts from crying, sighing: “Han’er, you’re not a child anymore. Some things I could teach you, I taught long ago. You refused to take them to heart, refused to use your mind to manage your life, only thinking about your noble birth. Did you think you could spend your whole life sitting on your natal family’s achievements, looking down on your in-laws? I said this long ago. Now the Sun family has fallen; you have no support. In the future, when Mother isn’t by your side, you must use your brain more.”
Hearing this, Sun Shi’s tears burst forth again. “Mother, how could you not be by my side!”
Duke Dingguo’s wife touched her face, then turned to look at Qin Yining beside them: “This time, Yining has helped us greatly. We have no way to repay her.”
“Grandmother, don’t say that. These are things I should do. I’m also fulfilling filial piety for Mother.” Qin Yining said earnestly.
“I know you’re a perceptive child. Now I’ve decided on a destination and made proper arrangements. Today I’ll begin preparing to move away. From now on, serve your mother well, live well in the Qin family, and let’s have less contact.”
With these words, the room fell so quiet that breathing could be heard.
Sun Shi said in panic: “Mother, are you angry with me?! I… I only had nowhere to express my grievances, so I came to tell you. I know I shouldn’t have – please don’t be angry, don’t leave me!”
“It’s not directed at you.” Duke Dingguo’s wife sighed: “Han’er, from now on trust your husband’s words more, listen to Yining’s advice more. That Miss Cao must indeed be bestowed by the Emperor – her background is complicated. You must be careful when competing with her, don’t trust anyone’s words lightly. When facing problems, discuss with Yining thoroughly before acting. Yining sees things clearly.”
Hearing Duke Dingguo’s wife speak like she was giving final instructions, Sun Shi became even more panicked.
Qin Yining already understood Duke Dingguo’s wife’s meaning and frowned: “Grandmother truly needn’t worry. Zhaoyun Company renting people from the brothels isn’t my innovation – it’s an ancestral rule. My willingness to bring our family members here to support them is also Zhaoyun Company’s freedom. Can the Emperor’s hand reach this far?”
“Foolish girl.” Duke Dingguo’s wife said: “Do you think the Emperor is reasonable? If he were reasonable, our family wouldn’t be in this situation. Your father’s status and position are special – it’s inappropriate for us to remain. Besides, I have things to do.”
Duke Dingguo’s wife stood up at this point, patted Sun Shi’s head, then said lovingly to Qin Yining: “Though you’ve been home for a short time, I can see you’re an intelligent child. From now on, let’s have less contact. Each live our own lives – living peacefully to old age would be a blessing.”
Qin Yining listened with furrowed brows.
Bingtang, Song Lan, and Qiu Lu, who were attending nearby, all felt Duke Dingguo’s wife’s words were too cold-blooded.
Back then, their young miss had worked to rescue these female family members, to send messages into the Ministry of Justice prison so the men wouldn’t worry before death, to collect the Sun family men’s corpses, to help these masters find their loyal servants – she had spent not just silver, but how much worry and risk had she undertaken?
Now Duke Dingguo’s wife’s words “less contact, less communication” were equivalent to drawing a chasm between their relationships.