Qin Yining sat quietly on a simple wooden stool, watching Ji Yun efficiently clean the entire room until it looked brand new, her eyes full of mirth.

Soon Bingtang returned carrying a tray, smiling: “Madam, this servant has prepared some simple food. Please eat some so you can take your medicine.”

Since they were staying with the Cui family, they naturally dared not use formal titles.

Qin Yining smiled and nodded, rising to walk to the square table made of nailed wooden boards, sitting down on the small square stool beside it.

“You should eat together too. The journey has been tiring, and if you don’t eat well, your bodies will easily break down.”

“Yes, Madam, please don’t worry. This servant has already prepared everything. Master Xie and the others will eat on their own later.”

Qin Yining nodded. The hot porridge warmed her entire body, making her sigh comfortably.

Though it was already May, after her injury Qin Yining’s constitution had become very sensitive to cold—a sign of weakness. Bingtang spent all day thinking about how to nourish Qin Yining’s health, never relaxing even while away from home.

After finishing the porridge, Qin Yining set down the clay bowl and sighed: “I wonder how Yun Jie’er and Xuan Ge’er are doing.”

“Madam, don’t worry. Both wet nurses are very attentive to the children, and besides, Steward Zhong is watching over the household. Everything will be fine.”

When Qin Yining left home, she naturally couldn’t bring the children and had made thorough preparations, even planning several escape routes in case of danger.

“I know that, of course, but I still worry. I’ve grown accustomed to being with them every day—this sudden separation still feels strange to me.”

It was just like when she had been separated from Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er. Now both children were over four years old. Qin Yining feared that when they saw her, they wouldn’t even recognize her as their mother, but such was reality—what could be done about it?

Thinking of this, Qin Yining lowered her gaze, but the expression in her eyes became increasingly determined.

To never be separated from her children again, she had to help Pang Xiao ascend to that position. She had finally seen through everything. Sometimes, a person’s fate wasn’t something they could control themselves. Heaven might have already destined their extraordinary path—even if they had no ambition, they would eventually be forced step by step into a corner.

The only solution was to stand at the summit.

Qin Yining’s melancholy lasted only a moment. The battle against the Tatars was nearing its end, and everyone had been used to their fullest extent. Li Qitian would surely move to eliminate Pang Xiao very soon.

She had to succeed this time.

Though she couldn’t help Pang Xiao at the front lines, Qin Yining knew how to act in ways most beneficial to him. Pang Xiao had never abandoned his public image, so she needed to gild that image with even more golden light. She had to make Li Qitian understand that the people weren’t tools to be manipulated at will—at crucial moments, ordinary citizens could become the key to his downfall.

“Madam, you’re tired. Please rest.”

Ji Yun took out a traveling cloak to spread over the bedding and arranged the pillow they had brought: “The Cui family’s original bedding is quite damp—sleeping on it would make you ill. Please make do with this for now. Once the bedding is properly dried, this servant will make the bed properly.”

Qin Yining naturally had no objections. Never mind lacking bedding—she had even slept on cold, muddy ground before. Back in the Ministry of Justice prison, no one had cared whether she was cold or tired.

Qin Yining lay down fully clothed for a while and gradually fell asleep. However, she didn’t sleep deeply, still vaguely hearing footsteps outside the window and the careful sounds Bingtang and Ji Yun made while moving about.

Jingzhe and the others had arranged shifts among themselves. Some specifically stood guard outside to avoid missing disciples from Tianji Gate, while the rest took turns secretly protecting Qin Yining’s safety.

Their luck was quite good, and Xie Yue had chosen well—this elderly Cui couple were kind, good people, not harboring any ill intentions. Staying in the Cui family’s courtyard was very convenient. When Bingtang prepared soups and broths and brought some to the elderly couple, it made Grandmother Cui endlessly grateful, and in return she gave Bingtang many fresh vegetables.

“This place is isolated with few outsiders coming through, yet the local villagers are all pure-hearted people. Just a little kindness can make them genuinely grateful from their hearts. Such simplicity and goodness mostly exists only among common people.” Bingtang sat on a small square stool sorting vegetables while chatting quietly with Ji Yun.

Ji Yun nodded, somewhat moved: “Actually, to be honest, among the nobility, there aren’t many people as kind and principled as our princess consort.”

“Yes, they say birds of a feather flock together. Looking at the people around our princess consort and those who are close to her, they’re all people who value relationships and loyalty.”

“Are you praising yourself, little minx?”

“Who’s praising themselves? I’m stating facts.”

“You are praising yourself—you just said people around our princess consort all value relationships and loyalty, and aren’t we the people around her who are close to her?”

Hearing this, Bingtang couldn’t help but giggle and shake her head while gently pushing Ji Yun.

Such leisurely life continued for three days. On this day, it began raining from early morning, so except for Jingzhe who went outside to wait for disciples from Tianji Gate, everyone else stayed indoors.

Around the hour of Si (9-11 AM), sudden footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard gate.

Xiao Xue, Xiao Man, and Da Han, who were waiting at home, immediately gathered in front of the door to Qin Yining’s room.

They heard the wooden gate creak open, and Jingzhe, who had been waiting at the front, brought three people back. Through the simple wooden fence separating the side courtyard, they could see that Jingzhe had brought back two men and one woman. Both men looked quite familiar—one seemed to be called Fang Hailing. The woman was unfamiliar, but when Ji Yun curiously poked her head out to look, she recognized her.

This was precisely Maidong, the servant girl Qin Yining had originally bought to serve Lian Xiaozhou.

“Madam, people from Tianji Gate have arrived,” Ji Yun hurried back into the room to report. “Maidong has come too.”

Qin Yining quickly rose and went out to meet them.

Fang Hailing and the others followed Jingzhe to the side courtyard and were very surprised to see Qin Yining there.

Fang Hailing pursed his lips: “Why have you come here?”

Qin Yining replied: “Passing through this area, I wanted to pay respects to the venerable Tianji Zi, and also to see my younger sister.”

Fang Hailing showed some resistance, his expression quite stern: “Tianji Valley does not permit outsiders to enter. Your kind intentions are appreciated, but the respects can be foregone.”

Qin Yining was first surprised, then somewhat disappointedly lowered her long lashes.

It seemed the people of Tianji Gate still harbored resentment over Tianji Zi’s death and were completely unwilling to forgive her.

Seeing this, Ji Yun quickly stepped forward with a smile to mediate: “Young Master Fang, we’ve traveled thousands of miles just to burn a stick of incense before the immortal’s spirit tablet. We truly have no ill intentions. Please show some flexibility.”

Fang Hailing’s expression showed no sign of being moved: “Tianji Gate has its rules—not just any outsider can set foot in Tianji Valley. If you wish to see that young lady staying in Tianji Valley, we cannot prevent that, but if you want to meet, you can simply take her away to meet elsewhere. Initially agreeing to let an outsider reside there already broke our rules—we absolutely cannot do so again now.”