Qin Yining’s mind buzzed with noise, the dagger in her hand feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Looking back at Cao Yuqing lying unconscious on the ground, how easy it would be to kill an unconscious woman—even easier than hunting in the mountains before—but could she really kill her?

Qin Yining wasn’t afraid of killing, and she was also angry about what had befallen her grandfather’s family’s men. She despised the foolish emperor and demon empress for their various persecutions of the Sun family and their manipulation of father and mother.

In essence, she very much supported the existence of the Azure Sky Alliance.

But her mind, which had never been simple, now thought of many possibilities.

Gripping the dagger, she took the Duchess of Dingguo’s hand and said, “Grandmother, shall we speak outside?”

Upon hearing this, the smile at the corners of the Duchess of Dingguo’s lips dropped, her eyes flashing with sharp light as she looked at Qin Yining, as if scrutinizing her.

Qin Yining felt very uncomfortable under the Duchess of Dingguo’s gaze and asked, “Grandmother, can’t we speak outside? Your granddaughter has a few words to say to you privately.”

The Duchess of Dingguo hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Come then.”

As she turned around, two Azure Sky Alliance members immediately opened the woodshed door for the Duchess of Dingguo.

Qin Yining followed the Duchess of Dingguo to the courtyard. She discovered this place backed against green mountains with fields on three sides, with several scattered households not far away, each separated by large expanses of farmland. As it was early spring, looking closely at the distant mountains and nearby forests, there was already some hint of green, though the cold wind was even more bone-piercing than in winter.

Qin Yining followed the Duchess of Dingguo to the middle of the courtyard, where they were far enough from the alliance members guarding the perimeter that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard. Moreover, for the Duchess of Dingguo, safety was also ensured—if Qin Yining meant her harm, the Azure Sky Alliance people could arrive immediately.

Seeing the position where the Duchess of Dingguo had brought her to talk, Qin Yining felt her heart grow even colder.

It seemed that for the sake of revenge, grandmother not only wanted to drag her into this, but fundamentally didn’t trust her either.

“Grandmother, are the people I brought with me alright?”

“Naturally they’re unharmed. Would I harm innocent little girls?” The Duchess of Dingguo smiled mockingly. “You’re quite concerned about your servants. Why don’t you ask how your sister-in-law and cousins are doing?”

“Grandmother is exceptionally capable, naturally you can take good care of the Sun family’s women.” Qin Yining’s tone was unhurried, not taking up the Duchess of Dingguo’s pointed words, instead saying, “What grandmother spoke of today, please forgive your granddaughter for being unable to do. That grandmother is the Azure Sky Alliance leader—granddaughter won’t spread this around, nor will I reveal your whereabouts, but if you want granddaughter to follow you in your endeavors, granddaughter cannot agree.”

The Duchess of Dingguo’s lips pressed together in displeasure, her face expressionless as she said, “Don’t you want to possess your own power? Do you know how many more useful people you’d have under your command if you were the Azure Sky Alliance leader?”

“Granddaughter is merely an ordinary boudoir woman—what would I need so much power for?”

“Others may not see through you, but can’t I?” The Duchess of Dingguo sneered coldly. “You’re clever enough and have ambition. If I didn’t understand you, I wouldn’t offer you the position of Azure Sky Alliance leader.”

“Would the alliance members truly be convinced by a girl who hasn’t even reached the hairpin ceremony as their leader, just because grandmother had me kill the Cao woman to establish merit for the Azure Sky Alliance? Since grandmother says I’m clever, why treat me like a fool to be deceived? What the alliance members would serve isn’t me, but my identity. My father is Grand Tutor Qin, Marquis Anping!”

Speaking to this point, Qin Yining said with some sadness, “I understand grandmother’s pain, I also comprehend grandmother’s hatred, but I am still the Qin family’s daughter after all. I cannot drag the entire Qin family to the eye of the storm for personal gain—I have no right to decide the fate of everyone in the Qin family.”

“And grandmother, when you kidnapped granddaughter today and forced granddaughter to kill the Cao woman—did you truly never think of any of this?” Qin Yining raised her eyes to look at the Duchess of Dingguo, tears gradually gathering in her eyes. “Grandmother’s affection and protection toward granddaughter—granddaughter will never forget for a lifetime. But grandmother shouldn’t use me as a small flag for taking sides, nor should you use me as a blade.”

Hearing this, the Duchess of Dingguo’s expression had already changed several times.

What Qin Yining said made sense in every sentence, and her considerations were not wrong either.

But she hated!

She couldn’t let the Sun family die in vain! She wanted to use every useful resource for revenge!

Today’s kidnapping plan was precisely her move to use this incident to bind the Azure Sky Alliance with Qin Huaiyuan, taking the opportunity to eliminate the demon empress’s sister while also somewhat venting her hatred.

“Yining, do you still remember your grandfather’s face? Do you still remember what your eldest cousin and fifth cousin looked like?” The Duchess of Dingguo’s voice was full of desolation.

Qin Yining closed her eyes, tears spinning in her eye sockets.

“I remember, I’ll never forget for my entire life.”

“Then why don’t you want to avenge them?!” The Duchess of Dingguo’s voice suddenly became sharp.

Qin Yining said in a low voice, “I want to, but I know I cannot. I cannot drag the entire Qin family to be buried with them. Moreover, I cannot make my father’s every step difficult and subject to others’ constraints!”

The Duchess of Dingguo looked at Qin Yining, her gaze complex and helpless, all emotions gradually condensing into tears in her eyes. But she didn’t cry, instead suddenly smiled:

“Yining, if you refuse to kill Cao Yuqing, the alliance members will kill you and your maid, and I won’t be able to intervene.”

“Grandmother, you…”

Qin Yining suddenly raised her head to look at the Duchess of Dingguo, staring in disbelief at this elder who had continuously given her warmth and protection since she returned to her ancestral roots.

The grandmother who had once been willing to speak a fair word for her, the grandmother who had given her Zhaoyun as a gift, the grandmother who had been shrewd yet fair and reasonable—had she now been blinded by hatred to the point of disowning even family?

“Grandmother, you want to kill me?”

“It’s not me killing you, but them. If you don’t agree to be their leader and yet know so many secrets, will they spare your life?” The Duchess of Dingguo looked at Qin Yining and continued, “Cao Yuqing deserves to die. Killing her worthless life would earn you the love and respect of all the Azure Sky Alliance people—isn’t that enough for you?”

Qin Yining sighed softly, looking up at the azure sky. “I don’t care about material possessions, nor do I care whether I’m respected or loved by others. What I want has always been simple—I only hope my family can all be safe and sound. Though I’m foolish and can’t do much for the family, I at least know what I cannot do. Grandmother, please forgive granddaughter for being unable to agree to this matter.”

The Duchess of Dingguo stared fixedly at Qin Yining, her hands alternately clenching into fists and opening, as if forcibly restraining her anger.

Thinking of the Duchess of Dingguo’s hatred and difficulties, Qin Yining’s heart also softened. She cautiously stepped forward, just about to offer persuasion, when she suddenly heard a scream from behind.

The man’s scream was even more chilling than a woman’s would have been.

A man quickly arrived before the Duchess of Dingguo, pointing toward the distant woodshed door, gasping as he said, “This is bad! The Cao woman has escaped, and two of our brothers guarding the door are dead!”

“Escaped?” The Duchess of Dingguo was stunned.

Her hands and feet had clearly been tightly bound, and there were still two brothers guarding in front of the woodshed door. Just who could be so ruthless and skilled as to silently kill two people and rescue the prisoner?

The Duchess of Dingguo looked suspiciously at Qin Yining.