When Qin Yining returned to the marquis manor, the family gate wasn’t tightly closed as usual. The main door was half-open, and the gatekeeper crouched dejectedly beside the stone lion at the entrance, his head hanging low like a quail about to shrink into itself.
Beside him stood two men dressed in Cao family guard uniforms, one on each side with cold faces, guarding the entrance as if this weren’t the Qin family home but the Cao family’s.
Qin Yining’s heart skipped a beat. She felt something was wrong and frowned tightly.
What trouble were the Cao family people stirring up now?
Manager Zhong also noticed that the Qin family’s situation was unusual and quickly instructed the driver, “Keep going, don’t stop yet.”
The driver was Manager Zhong’s trusted confidant and knew something about the disputes between the Qin and Cao families. Seeing the situation, he didn’t dare linger and quickly turned direction, heading into a side alley. He only stopped after finding a secluded spot.
“Master, there’s probably something happening at the manor. Don’t rush back yet. First send someone close to you to go in and assess the situation.”
Ji Yun said, “Miss, don’t worry. Just wait here for now. I’ll quietly go back to take a look without alerting anyone, then come back to give you news.”
“You must be careful.” Qin Yining worriedly grasped Ji Yun’s hand. “Keeping yourself safe is important. We don’t know what the situation is at the manor now. If you feel there are too many opponents or the situation is wrong, don’t take risks. There will always be other ways.”
Ji Yun nodded, somewhat moved. Qin Yining would never disregard the lives of those around her to achieve her own goals. If previously her heart had only held Pang Xiao as her master and she only admired Qin Yining, now she had already come to regard her as her mistress.
“Miss, rest assured. My lightness skills are quite good. I won’t confront people directly—gathering information should be easy. I’ll go and return quickly.”
Ji Yun smiled reassuringly at Qin Yining, then jumped down from the carriage and headed toward the marquis manor.
By this time, the sky had completely darkened. The alley was utterly quiet, and Manager Zhong hadn’t had the driver light any lamps. The carriage was pitch black inside. Bingtang soothingly grasped Qin Yining’s hand and whispered, “Miss, don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
“Mm. It’s fine. Let’s wait and see first.”
Although she said this and her tone was relatively calm, Qin Yining’s mind was unsettled.
In that brief period, she had already imagined many possibilities in her mind. After Father had been reproached by the emperor and ordered to reflect on his mistakes, he had remained secluded, declining all guest visits, only reading books and fishing by himself, as if he were no longer an official of the Great Yan Dynasty.
Although Qin Huaiyuan didn’t say it aloud, Qin Yining, who often accompanied him, knew that the melancholy and depression in his heart was something no one else could comprehend.
He was full of talent and strategic thinking, yet his pearls were cast before swine. She knew that Qin Huaiyuan was often torn between loyalty and ambition.
If he had only focused on his family’s prosperity and advancing his career for wealth, he would have had ten thousand ways to secure his position long ago.
But Qin Huaiyuan’s ambition was for peace under heaven and for people to live in stability. With a foolish emperor’s capabilities, Qin Huaiyuan would never be able to realize his aspirations. The foolish emperor would only treat his subordinate officials as tools to consolidate his own rule, then shamelessly do whatever he pleased, exploiting his subjects in the name of being monarch. He only knew how to enjoy himself and was incompetent and immoral when facing problems.
Just like now—to maintain his precarious position while preserving his face, the foolish emperor was ignoring the 350,000-strong army outside the city. While hesitating indecisively over who should hold the commander’s seal, he had the mind to restore someone he had long known was no good, to contact the Tatars for help.
The Tatars were far away across high mountains and distant roads. By the time those cavalry crossed mountains and ridges to attack Great Zhou, not to mention whether Great Zhou would be attacked from both sides, Great Yan would probably have already been taken by Pang Zhixi.
This made even Qin Yining, a woman of the inner chambers, feel it was extremely laughable and detestable.
What more of Qin Huaiyuan?
She believed that what she could figure out, Father had definitely already remonstrated with the emperor about.
But the current result was that Qin Huaiyuan had been ordered to reflect on his mistakes.
Qin Yining knew that Qin Huaiyuan no longer held any hope for the foolish emperor—it could even be said his heart was like dead ashes.
A loyal minister whose heart was like dead ashes, who had no desire to struggle anymore and only wanted to quietly fish and read books at home while waiting to perish together with the country—someone who had even lost his official position and held no real power—what could possibly interfere with the Cao family’s affairs?
Qin Yining’s thoughts churned as she unconsciously bit her lower lip with her teeth. After a long while, she slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
“Indeed, good people get bullied. My father’s intention to maintain peace in this corner is already so obvious, yet enemies won’t believe it, much less show understanding. They’ll only take advantage of our weakness to step on us. So I’ve always thought that if there’s a way, one must definitely become strong. Only then will there be capital for confidence. Otherwise, one can only let people step on one’s face.”
“Master speaks truly.” Manager Zhong nodded with deep understanding and sighed. “Master shouldn’t worry too much. The marquis’s reputation is still there after all. The Cao family probably won’t go too far.”
Qin Yining could only comfort herself this way for now.
But her heart was still extremely panicked. Despite the hot weather, her palms were breaking out in cold sweat.
Before long, Ji Yun returned.
“Miss, I quietly infiltrated the manor and discovered that Imperial Uncle Cao brought people to talk with the marquis and Second Master in the outer courtyard study. The inner residence is fine, though the Old Dowager seems frightened. The First Madam and Second Madam are all attending to her. The courtyard around the outer study is completely surrounded. I didn’t dare disturb these people and didn’t dare get close to listen carefully, so I hurried back to tell you. But from what I can see, the manor is temporarily unharmed. It’s probably Imperial Uncle Cao looking for the marquis about something.”
Hearing this, Qin Yining quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as it wasn’t Imperial Uncle Cao bringing people to raid their home. If he really had the audacity to do that, it would mean the emperor wanted to move against their family.
“Master, what do you do now?”
Qin Yining said, “I’ll return to the manor now. If anyone asks, say I went to Ning Garden to visit some sick refugees. You arrange this matter for me properly. Under no circumstances can Pang Zhixi’s whereabouts today be exposed.”
“Yes, Master, rest assured.”
After instructing Manager Zhong, Qin Yining took Ji Yun and Bingtang and returned to the manor by carriage.
The Cao family guards at the manor entrance only looked at Qin Yining a few more times but didn’t obstruct her.
Qin Yining followed her usual habit and went straight through the ceremonial gate, planning to enter through the second gate.
But just as she turned around a corner, she heard footsteps behind her, and a low, resonant voice said coldly, “…After all, the Ministry of Revenue matters were once handled through you. Although it was years ago, if you had the ability to embezzle, how can you be certain no one knows? Qin Meng, don’t think you did everything without leaving a trace. Since I can come to question you about this, it means I know you actually led your second brother in embezzlement! Think carefully during this period! The emperor has treated you well after all—don’t miscalculate and make mistake after mistake!”