Hearing the Emperor’s words, what little warm blood remained in Qin Huaiyuan’s heart instantly turned cold.
This was the sovereign he had served faithfully his entire life.
Incompetent, foolish, weak, selfish—he didn’t regard his ministers as human beings at all. Qin Huaiyuan had truly struck it lucky to assist such an emperor, wasting half his lifetime on him.
For a moment, Qin Huaiyuan was overwhelmed with grief. Though men don’t shed tears lightly, his eyes heated up instantly, and he lowered his head in embarrassment.
Seeing Qin Huaiyuan’s expression, the Emperor felt somewhat reluctant and guilty.
But thinking it over, if Qin Huaiyuan refused to follow his instructions and angered Great Zhou, accelerating their offensive pace, what would happen to his plans?
With this thought, the Emperor steeled his heart, cast aside his guilt, and said sternly: “What’s this, Qin Meng? Do you intend to defy the imperial edict?”
Qin Huaiyuan steadied himself: “This minister dare not. Whatever Your Majesty commands, this minister will naturally obey.”
“That’s right.” The Emperor’s expression softened slightly. “In that case, you may return. Tomorrow is the funeral day, correct?”
“Yes.” Qin Huaiyuan bowed his head.
“Mm. You should also restrain your grief and take good care of yourself. In the future, I’ll still depend on you to serve the country loyally.” The Emperor laughed heartily and patted Qin Huaiyuan’s shoulder.
Qin Huaiyuan expressed his gratitude repeatedly, as if deeply honored.
The Emperor was very satisfied with Qin Huaiyuan’s performance. After consoling him a few more times, he dismissed him.
When Qin Huaiyuan returned home, Qin Yining, Second Master, Third Master, Qin Yu, and Qin Han had been waiting in the study for some time.
Seeing his expression as he entered, Qin Yining said: “His Majesty was indeed as we predicted?”
Qin Huaiyuan nodded.
Qin Yining leaned against the armrest of her round chair, closed her eyes, and remained silent for a long while.
Third Master sneered: “Indeed so. Then whatever we choose to do, we need no longer consider his feelings.”
Third Master held no official position, so his feelings toward the Emperor were naturally different from his two brothers.
At this moment, only Second Master could truly understand Qin Huaiyuan’s feelings.
Second Master patted Qin Huaiyuan’s arm: “Fortunately, Yining’s plan has contingencies. Whether the death by a thousand cuts succeeds or not doesn’t matter much—the news has already spread throughout the city.”
Qin Huaiyuan smiled bitterly and wiped his face: “I know. It’s just that in my heart… perhaps I was never truly a loyal minister after all.”
“Why must Father force himself to be a sage?” Qin Yining consoled. “We’re only mortals—it’s enough to do what mortals can do.”
“Yes, elder brother.” Third Master also advised. “Elder brother’s conscience is clear—that’s enough.”
Qin Huaiyuan nodded and managed a forced smile. Looking at his daughter’s deathly pale face as she struggled to stay strong, his already firm resolve became even more determined.
Yining was right—why should he demand sagehood of himself? Being able to properly act as a mortal was already sufficient.
The Qin family funeral caused a sensation throughout the city.
Such a tragic massacre, such a vast funeral procession—it couldn’t help but cause a sensation.
The Old Dowager was advanced in years, and since Qin Huaiyuan and the others still had serious business to attend to, all the female family members and children were left at home and didn’t follow.
Qin Huaiyuan, Second Master, Third Master, First Master Qin Yu, Second Master Qin Han, Fifth Master Qin Xian, and Qin Yining, leading a funeral procession with over thirty coffins, proceeded majestically toward Cuiyun Mountain in the capital’s outskirts.
Originally, the Qin family ancestral graves weren’t located here. But with armies besieging the city, they couldn’t leave the capital. Acting according to urgent circumstances, they could only choose a mountain peak in the outer suburbs to bury all the masters and servants who died in this disaster together, planning to relocate the graves when opportunity arose.
The journey was bumpy, and Qin Yining felt quite dizzy leaning in the carriage. Fortunately, Ji Yun had brought some sweet and sour crabapple preserves. After eating one, Qin Yining suppressed the nauseous feeling of motion sickness.
Qin Huaiyuan, worried something might happen to Qin Yining, shared the same carriage with her. Seeing this, he sighed: “Your constitution has suffered too greatly this time. If it’s like this while you’re young, won’t you develop chronic ailments when older? Once this matter is resolved, you must listen more to Miss Tang and focus on recuperation.”
Qin Yining smiled slightly, her cheek bulging with a crabapple preserve, looking quite adorable.
“Father, don’t worry. This daughter’s life was bought with others’ lives. If I don’t cherish it, how could I face those who died?”
“Sigh!” Qin Huaiyuan patted Qin Yining’s head with a sigh.
He knew this incident had greatly impacted Qin Yining. How many young girls could witness such carnage and remain unmoved? Not to mention others—just looking at the surviving Eighth Miss and Qin Huining, or even Third Miss who had married out and didn’t experience this but was terrified just hearing about it. That Qin Yining could steady her mind and devise revenge strategies was truly admirable.
“Marquis.”
Outside the carriage, Qi Tai rode his horse closer and reported quietly: “A message just arrived—His Majesty has appointed Prince Ning as Grand Marshal of the 350,000 troops, granting him the marshal’s seal and tiger tally with authority to act as circumstances require. Troop deployments need not go through the Emperor—full authority is handed to Prince Ning.”
“Understood.” Qin Huaiyuan’s expression remained composed.
But Qin Yining was quite surprised.
The Emperor was actually willing to give Prince Ning such great power? But thinking carefully, with Prince Ning as marshal, their chances of victory would be greater. At least Prince Ning was skilled at leading troops in battle.
But she couldn’t quite understand why the Emperor would agree to let Prince Ning command.
Could it be related to Prince Ning’s initiative to reconcile with the Cao family that day?
If so, there was nothing to be angry or particular about. At least with military power in Prince Ning’s hands, there would be more room to maneuver—much better than letting Imperial Uncle Cao become marshal.
They traveled without incident and soon reached Cuiyun Mountain.
The procession slowly stopped. The upper area wasn’t suitable for carriages, so sturdy men carried the thirty-plus coffins up the mountain. The guards and others arranged beforehand brought the three captured assassins, bound and led up the mountain.
In the mountain forest, a black-clothed masked man personally witnessed the procession ascending the mountain. Spotting Qin Yining in a palanquin among the crowd, he didn’t dare alert them and quietly found the main force.
“Boss, I saw them—that group came, and that woman is with them!”
The man called boss was drinking water and eating dry rations. Hearing this, he grunted: “Got it. Let these people feel proud for now. We’ll also wait for news from Fifth Brother’s side.”
“Damn unlucky. We should have charged up that day instead of being blocked out of Marquis Anping’s mansion by a rabble. Just thinking about it is infuriating.”
Hearing this, those around all looked indignant. They had later been frightened into fleeing by the shouting and killing sounds, only to discover after running that few of those people had good martial arts—killing the Qin family members from among them would have been effortless.
Yet they had missed such a good opportunity!
A full hundred people had come to execute this mission, divided into two groups. The group that attacked the palace had been captured, leaving only about thirty from their group.
If they couldn’t complete this task properly, they had no way to report back.
“Those three idiots too—with their high martial arts skills, they couldn’t eliminate Fourth Miss Qin with such a good opportunity.”
“Yes, who would have thought those three would be captured alive and now shamefully bound and taken up the mountain for death by a thousand cuts.”