Qin Yining’s words were truly treasonous, but the people before her were all her trusted confidants. Song Lan and Qiu Lu were utterly loyal to her, Bingtang bore a blood feud against the Empress, and Ji Yun was loyal to Pang Xiao and naturally detested Great Yan’s empress. Therefore, she could speak her inner thoughts without any concealment.

“Miss speaks correctly.” Bingtang nodded earnestly. “The Empress’s cruelty and absurdity exceed normal human imagination. Back then, if it weren’t for my father’s displeasure at seeing her bewitch the monarch and bring disaster to the country and people, he wouldn’t have allied with the upright officials. It’s just a pity that at the time we only poisoned that demon empress half to death. Later her health recovered, but it cost my entire family their lives.”

Everyone knew Bingtang’s tragic experience. Qiu Lu and Song Lan patted her shoulders from left and right, both sadly lowering their heads.

Bingtang sniffled and forced a smile: “I’m not saying this for any other reason, but to remind Miss to be extremely careful. If you don’t have confidence in a fatal strike, Miss must never act rashly. That demon empress acts completely without reason. If you truly fail to kill her in one attempt and give her a chance to retaliate, the consequences are not something Miss can bear. If things really develop to that degree, Miss would be better off enduring for now and secretly planning, rather than sacrificing the whole family—that would truly not be worth it.”

Qin Yining nodded and grasped Bingtang’s hand. “I understand everything you’re saying. Rest assured, I won’t break the precious vase while trying to hit the mouse, but I also won’t let her off.”

Bingtang nodded heavily: “If Miss ever has any need, just give this servant orders. This servant may not be capable of other things, but I do know how to make poisons.”

Qin Yining smiled and deliberately teased her: “My Bingtang has such great abilities—I’ll surely need to rely on you in the future. You mustn’t cry yourself stupid, or when the time comes you won’t know how to make poison anymore. What would I use to kill that demon empress then?”

“Where would crying make me stupid?” Bingtang shot Qin Yining a look and broke into laughter through her tears.

Seeing her finally smile, Qin Yining changed the topic: “Third Sister’s wedding is next month. I was thinking of sending her a set of ‘Beauty Workshop’ rouge and face powder. Third Sister usually keeps to herself and treats me very well, so I’d like to ask you to specially prepare a rose-scented set for her.”

Third Miss Qin Jianing usually loved the fragrance of roses and had once mentioned enviously during idle chat about Beauty Workshop’s rose-scented cream. Outsiders didn’t know that “Beauty Workshop” was her investment, and she naturally wouldn’t publicize it everywhere, but when family sisters mentioned things they liked, she wouldn’t be stingy either.

Bingtang smiled: “That’s nothing at all. Third Miss is a kind person—I’ll definitely prepare it carefully with my own hands. I see that Miss’s jasmine flower cream is almost used up. I’ll prepare some more for Miss later. You have several more scars on your hands—Miss mustn’t do this again next time. A young lady’s skin is very delicate, and it’s not always possible to successfully remove scars. Next time you want to beat someone up, you can pick up a weapon.”

Qin Yining burst into laughter: “What are you saying? I don’t beat people up all the time.”

“That’s not necessarily true. When Miss truly gets angry, who could stop you?” Bingtang joked with a smile.

Song Lan, Qiu Lu, and Ji Yun all laughed along, and the atmosphere in the room became cheerful.

Looking at these flower-like, jade-beautiful girls who were utterly loyal to her, and thinking of the whole family, Qin Yining became even more determined that she must kill that demon empress. She absolutely could not sit passively waiting for death, waiting until someone held a knife to her throat before reacting.

Suffering such a loss once was enough!

Qin Huaiyuan was currently at the height of his glory—not only serving as Prime Minister and Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, but also enfeoffed as Marquis Anping for promoting the peace talks, and becoming Prince Zhongshun’s prospective father-in-law. He truly had the momentum of flowers blooming on brocade with raging fire cooking oil.

When the water rises, the boat floats higher. Besides having the status of Marquis Anping’s legitimate daughter, Qin Yining was also labeled with Prince Zhongshun’s mark, and was now the extremely noble person calculated by Tianji Zi to be able to ensure Great Yan’s peace. Even though no sons from high families dared to offend Prince Zhongshun by seeking her hand in marriage, her status among the capital’s young ladies was still a cut above the rest. Recently, not only were the Old Dowager and the sisters in the family polite to her, but even Sun Shi, who was not favored by the Old Dowager, now had a much more stable position in the manor.

On the contrary, Cao Yuqing had been quiet for quite a while because of the Empress torturing Noble Consort Shu and Imperial Concubine Xiang to death.

Marquis Anping’s manor could now be described as extremely popular in the capital city. Even Qin Jianing, a girl from the third branch, basked in her uncle’s glory.

On the twenty-eighth of the fifth month, Third Miss Qin Jianing had her grand wedding.

When Prime Minister Qin Huaiyuan’s niece held her wedding ceremony, with the in-laws being Earl Jian’an, both families were wealthy and distinguished. Since Marquis Anping usually kept a low profile and colleagues couldn’t even find opportunities to curry favor, seizing this chance, every person of standing in the capital attended without exception.

The entire Qin family was more lively and festive than ever before, delighting the Old Dowager so much she couldn’t stop smiling. Sun Shi, the Second Madam, and Third Lady were busy receiving guests, smiling until their faces nearly cramped.

Third Master was a concubine-born son and held no official position, yet marrying off a daughter had such grandeur that he was overjoyed and deeply grateful to his eldest brother. When the bridal sedan was carried out of Marquis Anping’s main gate that evening, Third Master went to socialize with a beaming face, while Third Lady quietly wiped tears under the corridor.

Eighth Miss Qin Baoning, Ninth Master Qin Xuan, and Tenth Master Qin Rong, seeing their legitimate mother sad, all gathered around to console her.

Sun Shi and the Second Madam also had to offer a few words of comfort.

After finally finishing all the busy work, Sun Shi took Qin Yining’s hand and sighed: “My Yining has also grown up. Next month you’ll have your coming-of-age ceremony. In the blink of an eye, you’re already a grown young lady who can marry, yet the days you’ve spent by mother’s side have been so few.”

Having helped send off Third Miss today, Sun Shi thought of her own wedding day, of her natal family’s decline, of her mother and sisters-in-law far away in other places, and then thought of how Qin Yining would one day fly far away like a grown swallow. She couldn’t help but feel sorrowful, with tears filling her eyes.

Qin Yining took Sun Shi’s arm and coaxed: “Mother, don’t be sad. Although daughter hasn’t spent much time by your side, the future days are still long.”

“Yes, the days are still long.” Sun Shi patted the back of Qin Yining’s hand consolingly.

Having restrained her sharp edges and seen many realities clearly, the current Sun Shi was completely different from her former domineering self.

On the day of the third-day return visit, Qin Yining met Third Sister’s husband, Second Master Li from Earl Jian’an’s manor. She acknowledged the relationship, received a red envelope, and seeing that Third Miss, now dressed as a married woman, always wore a faint smile, finally felt at ease.

Among families like theirs, where could there be marriages that didn’t involve politics and interests?

Third Sister seemed to be doing well, so Qin Yining felt relieved.

After everything was finished and the manor returned to its usual quiet state, late summer had nearly passed.

The major business that Qin Yining had arranged for Shopkeeper Zhong to manage was also showing initial success.

“Boss, your method is quite good. Now many people confidently mortgage their houses to us for loans. We collect three percent interest, and with our Zhaoyun Company’s reputation, we’ve taken away much of the loan shark business outside. I never knew before that Miss would think of using lending as a method to make money.”