Qin Huaiyuan raised his cup together with Second Master and Third Master: “It’s rare that our family can gather together like this. We three brothers together toast Mother and the two elders.”

The Old Dowager’s hair was completely silver-white, wearing a tea-gold jacket with gray squirrel fur collar that gave her face a healthier color.

The Old Dowager smiled with narrowed eyes, nodding repeatedly: “Good, good.” She raised her cup to toast with Yao Chenggu and Ma Shi.

After the elders drank together, Qin Yu, Qin Han, and other Qin family men began taking turns toasting, while the women were even more lively in toasting each other.

The scene became festive.

Yao Shi sat next to Sun Shi, surrounded by Qin family women. She was still feeling wronged, making her expression quite unpleasant.

Qin Yining smiled and rose to toast Yao Shi.

“Old Madam, your daughter-in-law toasts you.”

Yao Shi looked up and saw Qin Yining’s smiling face, feeling stifled in her heart. Her face was swollen from being slapped, and this wench was surely here to watch her humiliation.

Thinking this, Yao Shi didn’t pick up her wine cup.

Qin Yining’s eyes darkened slightly. Under Yao Chenggu’s theatrical gaze, she smiled and joked: “Old Madam wouldn’t still be angry with your daughter-in-law, would you? Look, my cloak and dress were both ruined – consider that punishment enough. As the saying goes, there’s no tongue that doesn’t touch teeth. Your daughter-in-law is young and ignorant. Old Madam has crossed more bridges than I’ve walked roads – please be magnanimous and forgive this small person.”

Her tone was coquettish, like a little girl acting cute with an elder, making those nearby who didn’t know the full situation laugh despite themselves.

Yao Shi was about to curse back when she noticed someone glaring at her. Looking up, she met Yao Chenggu’s warning gaze from across the table.

Remembering what Yao Chenggu had said earlier about truly planning to leave her behind, her anger was again replaced by fear. She unconsciously picked up her wine cup and drank with Qin Yining.

Seeing Yao Shi finally behave, Yao Chenggu quietly sighed in relief. With some anxiety, he looked toward Qin Huaiyuan and proactively raised a toast.

His intention to apologize was too obvious. Qin Huaiyuan raised his cup with both hands, touching Yao Chenggu’s cup from below while smiling: “Old Master Yao, as Sister Yi just said, tongues always touch teeth – no matter what, we’re all family.”

Yao Chenggu nodded repeatedly with a smile.

Qin Huaiyuan then stood up, holding his wine cup: “Today, our family can gather here together. Behind this reunion lie countless twists and hardships that I’m sure everyone has an account of in their hearts. Here, I propose that our entire family drink together.”

“Big Brother, I toast you.”

“Uncle, your nephew toasts you.”

Second Master, Third Master, Qin Han, Qin Yu and others, along with Sun Shi, Second Madam, Han’s Second Grandmother, Qin Huining and other women all stood up and drank together.

Qin Huaiyuan was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion.

“All of us Qin family members gathered here today have experienced life-and-death situations. When this place was still under Great Yan, the court was full of treacherous schemes, and the Qin residence became a target several times. That bloody incident cost us many relatives.”

Qin Huaiyuan turned to Yao Chenggu and Ma Shi: “In-law Old Master, Madam, you two may not know – back then our Qin family was implicated in court affairs and lost most of our relatives. The blood that flowed that day gathered into streams, staining the entire Qin residence ground red. The Qin residence was half-burned by fire! The Qin residence we’re in now was privately renovated by Sister Yi with her own money.”

Both Yao Chenggu and Ma Shi felt heavy-hearted listening.

The Qin residence had gotten into such trouble back then, resulting in bloodshed throughout the household.

But who could say that the Qin residence’s tragic fate back then wouldn’t be their own prince’s household’s future path?

If they stayed here, sooner or later they would follow the same old road as the Qin residence.

Never before had Yao Chenggu treasured the opportunity to accompany the Qin family to Xiyu more than now.

Qin Huaiyuan continued: “After that, the Qin family moved to the capital and experienced another round of hardships. Because of my mistakes, the Qin residence was targeted again. I narrowly escaped death in the north – the hardships are indescribable. If Sister Yi hadn’t timely arranged for rescue, I would have died long ago. Not only would I have lost my life, but I would have implicated my family in guilt.

“Later, when our Qin household could safely leave the capital, Sister Yi stayed behind to cover our retreat, secretly smuggling out everyone sitting here…”

At this point, Qin Huaiyuan’s voice became choked with emotion, his eyes seeming to glisten with tears as he looked at Qin Yining.

“Sister Yi, you are a good child. When I wasn’t there, you helped your second and third uncles considerably, and supported many family matters yourself. You protected our family for me, risking your own life repeatedly. You’ve sacrificed so much – both money and energy – quietly doing so many things… I’m grateful to you in my heart, and I feel I’ve wronged you.”

Qin Yining’s eyes immediately moistened. She quickly stood and shook her head: “Father, why are you saying this? We’re family – why mention such things?”

Qin Huaiyuan shook his head, walked to Qin Yining’s side with his wine cup, patted her shoulder, and turned to address everyone: “This time, the desert oasis we’re all moving to was discovered by Sister Yi during her escape after being kidnapped by Tatar Utekin Khan and barely managing to flee.

“When I was taken to the oasis by Sister Yi’s Azure Heaven Alliance hall master for a brief stay, I also heard about what happened in Xiyu back then. What Sister Yi experienced truly was a matter of life and death. But fortunately, all the results were good. Now Sister Yi has left people there to manage it, and the people there still believe Sister Yi is a goddess sent by heaven, while Zhixi is the true king there. So when our family moves there, we can live noble lives – all thanks to the karmic connections Sister Yi and Zhixi established back then.”

Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but look at Qin Yining with newfound curiosity and admiration.

What she had experienced far exceeded that of all the women. Her abilities were outstanding – even many men couldn’t match her.

Qin Huaiyuan patted Qin Yining’s shoulder again: “This time, all of us are moving away, leaving Sister Yi and Zhixi alone to face all the dangers, holding up the sky for the rest of us. And we get to live peacefully and quietly, still under the protection these two children established.

“I am incompetent as a father. I cannot protect my own child, instead repeatedly placing her in danger. Whether it was when Sister Yi almost got captured by the demon empress in Great Yan to be eaten, or when she was trapped in the palace in Great Zhou, locked in Ci’an Palace by the Empress Dowager without food or water, nearly starved to death…”

Qin Huaiyuan’s tone became too sorrowful, tears already falling. Everyone present couldn’t help but shed tears.

Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er were affected by the atmosphere, pursing their little mouths and starting to sob. Sun Shi and Second Madam each held one to comfort them, but their own tears fell even more fiercely than the children’s.

“My daughter has had a hard life. Just after birth, she was taken away and abandoned in the mountains. Kind people found and raised her, barely saving her little life. She suffered so much as a child, and at eight years old, having no relatives left and to escape war chaos, she went into the mountains alone.”

Qin Huaiyuan shook his head and closed his eyes: “An eight-year-old child! Only eight! She survived alone, came home, and was called a savage. I, as her father, was confused and didn’t protect her from the start! She was implicated by me, and now for everyone’s safety, she’s sacrificing herself again…”

Qin Huaiyuan’s face was streaming with tears, finally choking up and unable to form complete sentences.

The flower hall filled with crying.

Qin Yining wiped her tears and quickly supported Qin Huaiyuan’s arm: “Father, why say these things? It’s all in the past.”

“Yes, it’s all past. You have great fortune and survived all dangers. You’re magnanimous and have forgotten how much you suffered. But I, as your father, cannot forget.”

“You were taken away as a baby and later called a savage – I caused all this, but you bore the blame. Later you were kidnapped by A’na Ri Khan, that woman tried to kill you. You barely escaped back, but people still doubted your chastity.

“What did you do wrong? You did nothing wrong. You suffered so much, yet people still misunderstood and cursed you! All this was caused by my incompetence and negligence. My heart aches, and hearing people curse you makes my heart ache!”

Qin Huaiyuan was usually composed and rarely showed such emotional outbursts. All his worries were bottled up inside. Being extremely intelligent, he could always find the most appropriate solutions to difficulties. But precisely such people restrain and suppress themselves more, and when they finally erupt, such intense emotions can affect everyone.

All the Qin family members were shedding tears.

Even the iron-hearted Yao Chenggu had tears in his eyes.

The Old Dowager and Qin Huining were sobbing uncontrollably.

Qin Huining walked to Qin Yining’s side, actively taking her hand. Her lips moved for a long time before she hoarsely said: “I’m sorry.”

Qin Yining shook her head, smiling through her tears: “It’s alright, I don’t blame you.”

Looking at Qin Yining’s tearful eyes, Qin Huining couldn’t help but hug her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you that way back then. I’ve known for a long time that I was wrong.”

Qin Yining smiled and hugged Qin Huining back: “It’s alright, I stopped blaming you long ago. If I had been in your situation back then, I would have felt threatened too. Besides, knowing one’s mistakes and being able to change them is the greatest good. As long as you’re well in the future…”

“I will be. When bandits broke into our home, I…”

Qin Yining shook her head, not letting Qin Huining bring up the past again. It was enough that she felt guilt in her heart.

“Huining, though we’re not biological sisters, our fate isn’t shallow. During the fourteen years I was absent, you were the one showing filial piety to our parents. For the rest of our lives, I may very likely need to continue relying on you…”