Qin Yining didn’t understand why the old loyal servant who had accompanied father for over twenty years would suddenly develop thoughts of betrayal. The phrase Qi Tai had just said about sacrificing her “for the country’s stability” now surfaced in her mind.

She really wanted to know what Qi Tai was trying to do.

“Miss, let’s go quickly.” Ji Yun pulled Qin Yining with one hand and dragged the terrified Bingtang with the other, rapidly leading them toward the back courtyard.

Those men were both surprised and angry to see that the maid beside Qin Yining was actually a martial artist. They hurriedly swung their fists in pursuit, shouting threats and intimidation as they chased.

If this had been the former Qin Yining who had never experienced such things, she would probably have been truly frightened.

But despite her young age, Qin Yining could be said to have rich experience – negotiations, assassination attempts, nearly being devoured by the empress – all these had trained her to become even calmer when encountering danger.

Those people carried no knives and were all dressed as common people. Though masked, they couldn’t hide their southern accents, which showed that those trying to kidnap her this time were Great Yan people.

What worried her most now wasn’t herself, but father’s safety.

With a master secretly protecting her, she probably wouldn’t be in mortal danger. As for father’s side, she hoped Cao Yuqing could do her best.

Many thoughts flashed through Qin Yining’s mind, but externally it was only the space of a breath. They turned around the alley and indeed saw that no one was guarding outside the back courtyard’s bamboo fence.

Ji Yun stepped forward and kicked open the courtyard gate. Qin Yining and Bingtang hurried to follow, and the three ran toward a quiet alley to one side.

The dozen or so men behind them rushed to catch up.

However, the alley had many branching paths, with twists and turns that conveniently allowed the three to hide.

Mu Jinghu took advantage of when no one was around to catch up with Qin Yining: “Why won’t you let me act?”

“This matter is suspicious. Young Master Mu, just follow secretly. As long as my life isn’t in danger, don’t come out.”

Mu Jinghu looked at Qin Yining’s eyes, which appeared extremely bright in the night, and couldn’t help but think of a hunting beast. The hair on his back stood up as he thought to himself that this person was indeed of the same type as that fox Pang. He said, “Alright, then I’ll listen to you.”

With that, he turned and disappeared into the shadows nearby.

At this moment, the sound of orderly, thunderous footsteps and horse hooves suddenly came from outside the alley, mixed with the sound of armor friction.

Qin Yining’s heart jumped as she exchanged an incredulous look with Ji Yun and Bingtang.

“It’s the army! Any army that could appear here must be our army!”

Bingtang stared in stunned amazement: “Are they crazy! Why would our army want to capture us!”

“Maybe they came to arrest those kidnappers.” Ji Yun protected Qin Yining and Bingtang behind her, pressing against the wall as she quietly looked outside.

This look shocked her to the core.

The men who had been chasing them were now approaching the military officers who had surrounded the alley, reporting something to them. The two groups clearly knew each other!

“Miss, this is bad. Those people are all in this together!”

“What should we do?” Bingtang’s voice trembled slightly.

Qin Yining pressed her lips together and thought rapidly, then said: “I have a plan, but it will trouble Bingtang.”

Upon hearing this, Bingtang swallowed and nodded without hesitation: “Miss, just tell me. I’ll listen to whatever you say.”

“Ji Yun, take my token now and find a way to see your prince.” As Qin Yining spoke, she removed the red bean bracelet from her wrist. A small, delicate red plum charm had been newly added to the bracelet – the one that had previously hung from Er’Bai’s neck.

Ji Yun took the bracelet, somewhat puzzled: “Does Miss want the prince to come rescue you?”

“No, you don’t need to say anything. Just tell him about the unusual things that happened around me today. I feel this matter isn’t simple and isn’t simply targeting me. Otherwise, why wouldn’t these people try to kill me? Moreover, involving military deployment, my father couldn’t possibly be unaware. He’s probably being held up by something right now.

“Rather than trying to see my father to report this, it would be simpler to see Pang Zhixi. Besides, Qi Tai is my father’s confidant and should understand my affairs well. He knows better than anyone that among people related to me, besides my family, there’s Pang Zhixi! So their kidnapping me this time is either to threaten my father, my family, or Pang Zhixi. Regardless, you should first let Pang Zhixi be mentally prepared.”

“I don’t understand…”

“There’s no time to explain in detail. Go quickly. With this token, he’ll naturally believe you completely. Tell him not to worry about my safety – I have Young Master Mu secretly protecting me, so my life isn’t in danger. I’m staying here to see what the other side actually wants to do. Just have Pang Zhixi help watch over my father’s and my family’s safety.”

“Alright. Since Miss says so, this servant will do as you instruct.” Knowing that Mu Jinghu was nearby and hearing that Qin Yining seemed to already have a complete plan, Ji Yun carefully tucked away the bracelet and quickly departed in another direction.

Qin Yining then took Bingtang’s hand: “I’m sorry to trouble you – you’ll have to share hardships with me. If I had known today would be like this, I wouldn’t have brought you out.”

Bingtang shook her head. Though very nervous, she still gripped Qin Yining’s hand in return and shook it: “This is nothing.”

Qin Yining then led Bingtang, crouching as they hid here and there.

The full five hundred Great Yan soldiers outside the alley searched each alley systematically, gradually tightening the encirclement.

After hiding for a full incense stick’s worth of time, Qin Yining and Bingtang were crouched behind a woodpile, stretching their necks to look outside, when Qin Yining suddenly felt something heavy strike her neck. Under severe pain, her vision went black and she lost consciousness.

In her daze, Qin Yining seemed to return to when she was seven years old. Her adoptive mother had fallen seriously ill, and the mountain herbs she gathered and took haphazardly weren’t helping at all. Every day she chopped wood and worked, but the copper coins she earned couldn’t support two people.

When she went to the medicine shop to ask for credit, they refused. The shopkeeper ordered a sixteen or seventeen-year-old apprentice to grab her by the collar and throw her out of the shop. She and her basket fell to the ground together, and the firewood and wild vegetables she’d gathered scattered everywhere.

She picked up her things and used the few remaining copper coins on her to buy two meat buns.

Those buns smelled so good!

She held them all the way home, pressing her nose deep against the white, plump meat buns and taking several deep breaths.

The distinctive alkaline fragrance of white flour bun skin mixed with meat and faint scallion aromas, making her mouth water. The soup and oil seeping from the bun filling had soaked through the skin in two places. She carefully pinched off a piece of bun skin the size of a pinky nail and held it in her mouth. It was truly fragrant – that fragrance penetrated deep into her memory!

A slight swaying motion – where had the buns gone?

Qin Yining groggily regained consciousness and heard the sound of turning wheels.

She fully awakened, remembering what had happened earlier, and realized she was now in a carriage.

She didn’t immediately open her eyes.

Because she heard two unfamiliar, aged male voices talking beside her.