“This is already very good. I’m grateful for your thoughtfulness.” Qin Yining looked at Shopkeeper Zhong with gratitude, her almond-shaped eyes clear and transparent, allowing people to see her sincerity at a glance.
Though Qin Yining was the master, Shopkeeper Zhong regarded her as a cherished junior in his heart. With such a major incident befalling the Qin family, Shopkeeper Zhong had already cried in private, beating his chest and stamping his feet in hatred that he lacked the ability to help much. Now he felt even more heartache for his master and quickly bowed respectfully: “Not at all. Being able to help is good. This old man doesn’t have much capability – Princess Consort, whatever you need, just give orders.”
As the Qin family walked toward the mansion, hearing Shopkeeper Zhong’s words, they couldn’t help but feel moved.
This was truly what they meant by adversity revealing true character.
Third Master and Second Master thanked Shopkeeper Zhong again.
The group entered through the side gate. Qin Yining didn’t have extra energy to attend to inner residence affairs at this time. Fortunately, Second Madam was steady-minded. Seeing Qin Yining so emaciated and pale, unable even to speak audibly, she pitied how young she was to lose her father. So she took on all the inner residence matters – settling family members, serving the Old Dowager, managing internal affairs and servants – completely sparing Qin Yining any trouble.
Qin Yining stayed in front with Second Master and Third Master, working with the servants to arrange the mourning hall.
Shopkeeper Zhong sent someone to deliver a message to Qiao Shangfei, the Azure Sky Alliance hall master remaining in the capital.
Qiao Shangfei had been a metropolitan examination graduate during the Great Yan Dynasty. Though physically weak, his strategic wisdom was exceptional and he held high prestige in the alliance. Upon hearing that the Qin family had suffered misfortune, he immediately brought over a dozen men.
Qin Yining dragged her exhausted body to meet them.
“Alliance Leader, whatever instructions you have, just say them.” Qiao Shangfei said sincerely, then added: “Your complexion is very poor. Since what’s happened has happened, please accept our condolences. What’s important is your health.”
“Thank you, Hall Master Qiao. I’ll pay more attention.” Qin Yining said: “Our move here was completely unprepared. I must ask Hall Master Qiao to lead the brothers in helping out. After all, there are so many people in the mansion – security still needs to be considered.”
“Alliance Leader, rest assured. Leave these matters to the brothers.”
The alliance members had long decided to follow Qin Yining. During the palace coup, the Azure Sky Alliance had contributed effort, and even the Emperor now acknowledged their existence. Because of Qin Yining’s decisive action, they had shed the label of rebel faction. Moreover, they were all men of honor – they would certainly not refuse at this time.
Qin Yining gratefully thanked them and had people arrange lodging for the Azure Sky Alliance members.
Second Master went to the inner residence to find some of Qin Huaiyuan’s everyday clothes and laid them in the bottom of the coffin.
The memorial tablet was also erected as quickly as possible, incense and candles lit, and offerings arranged.
Qin Yining, wearing sackcloth and mourning bands, knelt before the altar and lit the first stick of incense.
Father, have you really already gone?
She closed her eyes and tears fell steadily. Behind her, the maids also sobbed as they burned paper money in basins. The air filled with the smell of burning paper, and paper ash swirled upward in spirals.
The Qin family quickly settled in and set up the mourning hall.
At the prince’s mansion, Yao Shi and Yao Chenggu set out a table that evening and prepared several favorite dishes, feasting in celebration of the mansion’s return to quiet.
The Elite Tiger Guards left by Qin Yining explained the situation in detail and sent the message south by carrier pigeon.
At the same time, Qin Yining also found an express messenger, paid extra silver for urgency, and had him ride without stopping to her maternal grandmother’s family in South Yan to report the death to the Sun family.
However, carrier pigeons were still much faster than express messengers.
After Pang Xiao received the letter, he stared at the contents for a long time without speaking.
Huzi stood nearby, reading his expression and knowing the Prince must be in an extremely bad mood.
Though Pang Xiao wasn’t in the capital, he had arranged informants there. Qin Yining’s dangerous experiences in the palace had already made him break out in cold sweat. Now that she had barely escaped danger and he hadn’t yet had time to breathe easier, Qin Huaiyuan had had an accident.
Pang Xiao knew about the hardships Qin Yining had endured in her maiden days, so he naturally understood how important Qin Huaiyuan was to her. Suddenly losing her father was already a huge blow to Qin Yining, but who could have imagined that their family would also be forced out of the prince’s mansion!
Pang Xiao clenched his fists tightly. He knew Yao Shi and Yao Chenggu’s personalities – they had some petty cleverness and were indeed selfish, but he couldn’t imagine they would do such shameless things. To say they found it inauspicious – they completely didn’t care whether his wife was heartbroken or not!
Forcing people away in such circumstances – was this something humans would do?
“No wonder Yi Jie’er hasn’t been writing to me lately.” Pang Xiao lowered his head, his brow tightly furrowed, reading the words on the paper again before angrily throwing it into the fire basin to burn.
His relatives, without his knowledge, had repeatedly made things difficult for his wife. His wife didn’t complain to him – could he then take her understanding for granted?
Pang Xiao returned to his desk and wrote a concise letter in one breath.
This letter was delivered to Yao Shi as quickly as possible.
After opening the letter, Yao Shi stared dumbfounded, then slammed the table and cursed: “Is this the son I raised? He must have been bewitched by that Qin woman, thinking only of outsiders! I raised him this big – was it all for nothing?”
Yao Chenggu took the letter to read carefully. The letter didn’t contain lengthy accusations, only saying: Marriage alliances are meant to unite two families in friendship, yet you’ve turned in-laws into enemies. Acting this way, aren’t you afraid of putting Pang Zhixi in the middle? Even selfishness should have limits. The Qin family has protected them so many times…
Yao Chenggu felt uncomfortable – there was anger, but it was the anger of embarrassment from having his petty calculations and their consequences laid bare, making his face burn with shame.
Yao Shi had already collapsed on the table crying.
“I gave birth to an ungrateful wretch! What’s the use of such a son! Only thinking of his wife, forgetting his mother after marrying! I drove the Qin family away – wasn’t it for his sake? If I wasn’t afraid of bad luck contaminating his prince’s mansion, would I need to be the villain?
“This little bastard is just ungrateful, doesn’t know how to appreciate it, doesn’t know to scold his wife a few words to vent my anger, but instead comes to blame me! What terrible luck must I have had for so many lifetimes to suffer like this!”
Yao Shi sobbed and cursed, making Yao Chenggu feel irritated.
Yao Chenggu’s gaze fell on the line in the letter saying the Qin family had protected them many times, and he couldn’t help falling into thought.
“It seems Dafu made some agreement with his father-in-law. During the time Dafu has been away, our in-law has helped us quite a bit.”
Yao Shi raised her head, her face wet with tears: “Father, what are you saying?”
Yao Chenggu said: “These things don’t matter much. This time we’ve probably been too clever for our own good and made Dafu unhappy. Actually, we didn’t do anything wrong, but we’re afraid of people gossiping about us. Wouldn’t that make us wrong both inside and out?”
“Then what should we do?” Yao Shi wiped her face: “You brought this matter up first before I acted on it. You must help me think of a solution.”
Yao Chenggu glared at Yao Shi: “When have I not taken care of you? Tomorrow we’ll find out where the Qin family moved, then go offer incense to our in-law and help out. With their family member gone, there will surely be people coming to pay respects. In front of those paying respects, we can casually mention the reason for their move, just saying it was Qin Shi who wanted to move herself. Then there won’t be any big problem.”
“That’s all we can do.”
Yao Shi nodded. Thinking of what Pang Xiao said in the letter – though it couldn’t be called a scolding, it expressed dissatisfaction with her and vaguely carried some sense of finality – this made Yao Shi panic and cry again.
But in fact, Yao Chenggu’s plan to speak about this matter in front of mourners was doomed to fail.
Because of Li Qitian’s non-committal stance, after Qin Huaiyuan’s mourning pavilion was set up, no one came to pay respects. Even those who usually got along well with Qin Huaiyuan didn’t respond after receiving death notices. These past few days, the Qin mansion’s gates could catch sparrows – only their own family members were keeping vigil.
Qin Yining’s voice had improved considerably over the past two days. She was now quietly discussing with Second Uncle and Third Uncle in the courtyard.
“Observing mourning for forty-nine days is necessary. But it’s been so many days, and not one person has come to pay respects. Only some small merchants who received favors from our family in the past dare to kowtow from afar at the gate. What exactly does the Emperor mean? Did elder brother die for nothing?”
“Keep your voice down.” Second Master scolded Third Master quietly: “Don’t speak without restraint and invite trouble without knowing it. Our family is already in such chaos – we can’t withstand even the slightest more disturbance.”
Third Master also realized he had spoken wrongly and sighed helplessly: “I’m just too angry. Elder brother was an excellent person his whole life, but now he has to end up like this…”
Looking at Qin Yining, he ultimately didn’t continue his words.
But Qin Yining paid no attention to Third Master’s words – she was analyzing Li Qitian’s thoughts.
By not publicly taking a stance like this, Li Qitian let everyone in court know that Qin Huaiyuan had likely angered the imperial authority. Anyone with sense wouldn’t dare approach the Qin family.
This was almost tantamount to breaking with the Qin family completely.
It seemed that after pacifying the north, Li Qitian was very confident indeed.
“No matter what, we must do what we should do. We can’t reduce the mourning period by even one day because of other factors. Additionally, I have another proposal I’d like to discuss with Second Uncle and Third Uncle.”
“Yi Jie’er, speak.” Both Second Master and Third Master looked at Qin Yining seriously.
Qin Yining thought for a moment, then quietly recounted her experiences in the palace and shared her speculations about Qin Huaiyuan’s situation.
Second Master and Third Master were already speechless with shock, unable to say a word for quite some time.
They had originally been disappointed with Li Qitian’s behavior. Now their hearts felt completely cold.
“So you’re saying the Emperor is determined to deal with our son-in-law?” Third Master swallowed and said in a hoarse voice: “Our family is caught in the whirlpool of struggle again?”
Qin Yining smiled bitterly: “We’ve always been in the whirlpool – it’s just that it wasn’t this severe before. Now the Emperor feels that with the north pacified, he has secured his throne. To dispose of loyal servants after they’ve outlived their usefulness requires proper justification, so he’s persecuting our family, trying to force the Prince to make some move so he can act righteously.”