All three wore grave expressions, for a moment not even knowing what to say.

After quite a while, Third Master finally said in a hoarse voice: “Yi Jie’er, is all this information accurate? Are your speculations reliable?”

Qin Yining said heavily: “The facts are already before our eyes.”

“I understand.” Second Master sighed deeply. “With such a thing happening in our family, we must escort elder brother’s coffin back to our hometown. I’ll petition my superiors to retire from office. Then our whole family can find a way to return home.”

“This is exactly what I wanted to discuss with Second Uncle and Third Uncle.” Qin Yining nodded. “Previously when we were caught up in such turmoil, we wanted to escape, but the Emperor’s eyes were always on our family. We had no suitable reason to leave the capital. Now we can take advantage of this opportunity – our departure would be perfectly justified. The Emperor couldn’t very well prevent us from leaving in front of everyone.”

“Yes. Going to the south, our whole family can live quietly in seclusion and never again concern ourselves with court affairs.” Second Master shook his head disheartedly. “These official positions, fame and fortune – they’re all fleeting clouds. When a person is gone, nothing remains.

“I used to have ambitions for high office and advancement, but now I see through it all. If our whole family could just live together peacefully and safely, that would be enough to satisfy anyone.”

Qin Yining nodded: “Second Uncle speaks truly. Our family has enjoyed great wealth and experienced hardships and dangers. From now on, I only want our family to live simply. I’d rather be a landowner than drift in the treacherous waters of officialdom.”

Both Second Master and Third Master nodded in agreement.

Just then, a young maid suddenly came running in frantically: “Princess Consort, outside there’s…”

Before she could finish speaking, they saw a dusty figure actually flip over the wall directly.

Everyone turned to look and couldn’t help staring in shock.

The person had a delicate figure, but their face was covered in dust and grime, completely obscuring their features. Hair hung disheveled in strands, and clothes were covered in such a layer of dust that their original color was unrecognizable.

After looking carefully, Qin Yining murmured: “Aunt Cao…”

Cao Yuqing stood before the altar, staring blankly at the coffin and memorial tablet. Two streams of hot tears rolled down, washing two white tracks below her eyes.

“Qin Meng…” A hoarse, heart-wrenching sob escaped from her throat. Cao Yuqing no longer had the agility she’d shown while scaling walls – her legs buckled as she stumbled toward the altar. “Qin Meng!”

Her mournful voice was utterly heart-rending, moving everyone who heard it to grief.

“I never asked for status, never asked for your love. I didn’t even ask to be by your side day and night. I protected your wife, protected your daughter, protected your family. I only wanted us to live well together. Qin Meng, won’t you even grant me this!”

Cao Yuqing embraced the coffin, repeatedly striking her forehead heavily against the wooden surface.

Second Master and Third Master stood silent, deeply moved in their hearts.

Qin Yining stepped forward and put her arms around Cao Yuqing’s shoulders: “Aunt Cao, don’t do this. Father won’t rest peacefully seeing you like this.”

But Cao Yuqing gently pushed Qin Yining away and slowly turned to look at her. Her dark eyes showed no emotion whatsoever, like a soulless puppet.

“He’s already gone – why should I care about peace or unrest? When he was alive, I had to consider his feelings, not put him in a difficult position. Now that he’s dead, must I still worry about his feelings? Then what am I?”

Qin Yining had already known of her feelings since before Great Yan’s capital fell, when famine struck the city and Cao Yuqing followed by Qin Huaiyuan’s side to protect him.

For Cao Yuqing to appear like this, she had obviously rushed back upon hearing the news. Otherwise, such a refined beauty wouldn’t have made herself look this way.

Her deep affection for Qin Huaiyuan moved her as Sun Shi’s biological daughter. Ever since Qin Huaiyuan had clearly shown his rejection, Cao Yuqing had willingly become a bodyguard. Not only had she never harmed them, but every time danger arose, she would step forward to protect Sun Shi and protect her, risking her life for the Qin family and repeatedly saving her life regardless of her own safety, simply because she was the daughter of the man she loved.

Cao Yuqing had always been giving without ever receiving equal emotional return, yet she continued giving for the man she loved. All she sought was to receive some news about that person, to quietly reminisce alone in the depths of night.

But cruel reality had stripped away even this small comfort.

Qin Yining wept like rain, holding Cao Yuqing and sobbing as she tried to comfort her.

But Cao Yuqing continued staring blankly at the name on the memorial tablet, her dark eyes like deep pools seeming to burn with an inner fire.

Second Master and Third Master, remembering all of Qin Huaiyuan’s kindnesses, couldn’t help but cover their faces and weep again.

The entire courtyard was shrouded in an atmosphere of grief.

Just then, Qiao Shangfei suddenly walked in quickly. He nodded to Second Master and Third Master who looked up at him, then went straight to Qin Yining’s side and said quietly: “Alliance Leader, a group of people has arrived outside. Their leader appears to be around forty and looks like an official. He’s brought thirty-odd household guards and fighters, all carrying weapons, aggressively blocking our gate. Our men need to guard various entrances and exits around the residence, so we don’t have enough manpower at the gate. What do you think we should do?”

Qin Yining’s expression instantly became grave.

“Did you see clearly that their leader is an official?”

“I’m about eighty or ninety percent certain.” Seeing Qin Yining’s expression change, Qiao Shangfei became somewhat nervous too.

Qin Yining laughed coldly.

So many days had passed, and not one of Qin Huaiyuan’s former colleagues had dared come to pay respects. Now an official had come, bringing a crowd of fighters. This was quite interesting indeed. She wondered whether this person was acting on his own or following orders.

“Let’s go take a look.”

“Alliance Leader, you should just give me orders – let me go instead. Outside is dangerous after all. We don’t know what these people are thinking. What if they hurt you?”

Qin Yining shook her head: “Misfortune can’t be avoided. We’ll know once we see.”

Seeing this, Second Master and Third Master became worried. After asking about the situation, they went with Qin Yining to the gate.

But before the group had even rounded the spirit screen, they heard thunderous cursing from outside the courtyard.

“Qin Meng, you traitorous old bastard!”

“Giving the Emperor’s army provisions directly to the Tatars – why didn’t you die sooner!”

“The Qin family has no shame either – setting up a mourning hall for such a traitor! I say we brothers should charge in and smash that traitor’s mourning hall to vent our anger!”

“Right, smash the traitor’s mourning hall!”

…

The shouting outside grew more intense. Qin Yining, Second Master, Third Master and the others’ faces had turned iron-blue.

Qin Yining’s eyebrows rose in anger as she gritted her teeth: “Open the gate!”

“Princess Consort, if these people outside force their way in, won’t that be dangerous?” Qiao Shangfei advised.