Qin Huaiyuan and his two brothers had just entered the main hall when they saw Sun Shi hurrying out from inside.

“Master, has Yi Jie’er returned? When I went out on the streets today, I heard everyone discussing this matter!”

Qin Huaiyuan smiled and nodded, “By the Emperor’s great grace, Yi Jie’er and the Prince have been arranged to stay at an imperial manor outside the capital.”

Sun Shi said, “But aren’t they coming home? Yi Jie’er married last June, and it’s been nearly a year since I’ve seen her. I miss her terribly. I don’t know if she suffered in Tatar territory, or whether the Prince still trusts and cherishes her as he did before.”

Seeing Sun Shi’s brow furrow with worry as she spoke, Qin Huaiyuan smiled, “Don’t worry. The Prince is a subject favored by the Emperor—how could he be someone who abandons the old for the new? I’m sure Yi Jie’er will be able to come home soon.”

At this point, Sun Shi also detected that Qin Huaiyuan’s tone was different from usual. She immediately became alert and stiffly nodded, “Yes, what Master says is right. The Emperor is a wise ruler, the Prince is a loyal subject, and Yi Jie’er is not an unvirtuous daughter-in-law. There should be no problems.”

Qin Huaiyuan nodded, and the family went to the back to pay respects to the Old Madam.

The Old Madam had fallen ill again recently and wasn’t in good spirits. Moreover, she was so disappointed with Qin Huaiyuan that she no longer showed him a good face when she saw him, instead favoring her second son.

After the group paid their respects, the Old Madam said, “You’ve returned. Xiu Ge’er, come sit by mother where it’s warm.”

The Second Master smiled and nodded, sitting next to the Old Madam. The Second Madam personally served hot tea to everyone.

The Old Madam didn’t even look at her eldest son and daughter-in-law, and completely ignored the Third Master, chatting animatedly with the Second Master. Finally, she brought up the matter of Prince Zhongshun’s return to the capital.

“I just heard them talking about this—is it true?”

The Second Master’s expression immediately tensed.

Who had been so talkative as to tell the Old Madam about outside affairs?

The Old Madam was unwell now. She needed quiet rest, for one thing, but most importantly, now that Pang Xiao had returned to the capital and been sent to an imperial manor, uninformed people all said the Emperor cherished his subjects, but those in the know understood this was essentially house arrest, and who knew what punishment would follow.

In such a situation, they didn’t know whether it would implicate the Qin family.

So around the Qin family now, there must be many eyes watching.

The Second Master worried greatly that the Old Madam might say something inappropriate that, if it reached the Emperor’s ears, would cause trouble. He immediately looked to Qin Huaiyuan for help.

Previously, big brother had been more experienced in handling such matters, but now he couldn’t think of how to respond.

Receiving the Second Master’s gaze, Qin Huaiyuan said, “Mother should focus on recovering from illness. You can’t interfere in outside matters anyway, and asking about them only wastes mental energy.”

Hearing this, the Old Madam immediately became angry, “What, I don’t even have the right to ask? You’ve taken away my authority to manage household affairs, and now you want me to be blind, deaf, and mute? You unfilial son!”

Qin Huaiyuan said helplessly, “Mother, please calm down. Don’t get angry—be careful not to harm your health.”

The Old Madam said, “If you spoke less, I might live a few more years! Besides, I was talking to Xiu Ge’er—why are you interrupting?”

The Old Madam then said earnestly to the Second Master, “There are many rumors outside. They all say that scourge Pang Zhixi has failed the Emperor’s good intentions and actually betrayed the country and surrendered to the Tatars for a woman. Now that he’s returned, who knows how the Emperor will deal with him.

“Our family is unlucky to have become in-laws with the Pang family. It’s all that troublesome Yi Jie’er who brought disaster into our home. Now, looking at the Emperor’s attitude, he might be about to convict the Pang family. Fortunately, we only have one Yi Jie’er married to them. I was wise not to betroth Eighth Miss to the Pangs as well, or wouldn’t that have been a disaster?

“My point is, you all need to behave yourselves and distance yourselves from the Pangs. Don’t let them drag us down. The Qin family has experienced so many storms, and we’ve finally achieved stable days. We can’t let this matter cause more problems at home—I couldn’t bear it.”

As the Old Madam spoke, she shook her head with the air of someone wronged by heaven but still benevolent.

Sun Shi listened with rising anger. If this old woman weren’t Qin Huaiyuan’s birth mother, she would have slapped her long ago!

Ungrateful and despicable described exactly this type of person!

Sun Shi was too lazy to argue with this old woman, and felt it wouldn’t be worth bearing infamy if she accidentally angered this person to death. So she immediately stood up and left.

The Old Madam watched Sun Shi’s retreating figure with several cold laughs, spitting, “Can’t teach her own daughter properly, and now she’s putting on airs with me.”

The Second Master, Third Master, and Second Madam all felt very awkward, especially seeing Qin Huaiyuan’s expression growing increasingly unpleasant. The Third Master tried to smooth things over, “Big brother, don’t take it to heart. Mother is advanced in years and somewhat confused.”

Hearing this, the Old Madam immediately threw her pillow at him, “You bastard born of a concubine, is it your turn to speak about me! Get out!”

The Third Master was indeed a son born of a concubine, but in earlier years during the Great Yan dynasty, most of the Qin family’s expenses, apart from Qin Huaiyuan and the Second Master’s salaries, were covered by the third branch. The Third Master and the late Third Madam had contributed much to the Qin family.

Now the Old Madam had forgotten those kindnesses and was hurling insults. The Third Master could no longer bear it. He stood up and said coldly, “You talk about others not teaching their daughters properly—I’d like to know what kind of person could raise such a legitimate mother as you: heartless, merciless, ungrateful! You never remember what others have sacrificed for you, but the moment something doesn’t suit you, you turn your back on them. Someone like you actually deserves to be the matriarch of a family!”

“Rebellion, rebellion! Throw this scoundrel out!”

“No need for anyone to throw me out—I’m too lazy to look at you! Since you’ve never considered me your son, I don’t want this one-sided devotion either!”

The Third Master turned and left. At the door, he added, “Big brother and second brother have seen this too. It’s not that I’m unreasonable, but the Old Madam is truly detestable. You two are blood brothers, but be on guard too—don’t let the Old Madam’s instigation separate your hearts. If we three brothers aren’t united, the Qin family will fall apart.”

The Old Madam clutched her chest with one hand and pointed at the Third Master with the other, unable to stop coughing.

Only after the Third Master lifted the curtain and left did she spit viciously.

Now only Nanny Qin, Qin Huaiyuan, and the Second Master’s couple remained in the room.

Only then did Qin Huaiyuan say, “Mother is a clever person who knows how to assess situations, so I won’t say much more. I’m sure mother understands all these matters. Your son will take his leave first.”

Qin Huaiyuan stood up, bowed, and withdrew.

The Old Madam turned her head away, refusing to look at Qin Huaiyuan. But from the corner of her eye, she kept watching his departing figure. Seeing that he never once looked back made her even angrier.

After all, he had once been her favorite son, yet now because of his wife and children, he had grown distant from her, disregarding all her years of devotion.

The Old Madam was suddenly overcome with grief. She grabbed the Second Master and began crying, “My life is bitter! Marrying into the Qin family, I never had good days. Back when your father…”

The Second Master could only listen quietly, feeling very helpless. But since the Old Madam was his birth mother, when such things happened, he couldn’t hit or scold her—he could only endure.

The Second Madam had long grown callused ears from hearing the Old Madam’s complaints about these old grievances. Too lazy to deal with the increasingly unreasonable Old Madam, she also quietly withdrew.

Lifting the curtain to leave, she saw Qin Huaiyuan standing in the corridor with his hands behind his back.

The Second Madam sighed softly as she approached, “Elder brother-in-law, don’t be sad. Mother is getting on in years and is indeed somewhat confused. Sometimes her mind isn’t clear, so what she says should be unintentional.”

Qin Huaiyuan bowed to the Second Madam, maintaining a three-step distance, “Sister-in-law speaks truly. Whatever mother says, as children we can only listen.”

The Second Madam understood his implication. Anyway, family decisions weren’t made by the Old Madam. No matter what she thought, she could only lord it over the household behind closed doors.

The Second Madam then said worriedly, “Yi Jie’er should have reached the imperial manor with the Prince by now?”

“Yes.” Qin Huaiyuan smiled at the Second Madam, “The Emperor is benevolent—our family will soon be reunited.”

During their chat, Qin Huaiyuan repeatedly mentioned the Emperor’s benevolence. Alarm bells rang in the Second Madam’s mind, and she immediately nodded in agreement, “Yes, the Emperor has always been close to the Prince.”

At this moment, whether it was Qin Huaiyuan, the Second Master, the Third Master, or the Second Madam and Sun Shi, they all understood in their hearts that their in-laws were probably entirely under the Emperor’s surveillance now. Their every move would reach the Emperor’s ears.

If they were like this at home, how much more so for Pang Xiao’s family who had just returned to the capital?

Who knew what nets had been laid at that imperial manor? Presumably Qin Yining and Pang Xiao were now under strict surveillance, with no freedom whatsoever.

Being watched was one thing, but most importantly, none of them knew what the Emperor intended to do next.

The entire Qin family appeared to continue as usual, just living their noisy daily lives.

But Qin Huaiyuan didn’t sleep well all night. At this critical juncture, he didn’t dare communicate with his in-laws. He could only hope they were all clever people who wouldn’t suddenly be captured by the Emperor to serve as hostages threatening Pang Xiao.

When it came time for the next day’s grand court assembly, Qin Huaiyuan and the Second Master left early and headed toward the palace.

Their official sedan chairs had just reached the palace gates when they were blocked by a line of Capital Guards.

“Ministers, please wait a moment. Prince Zhongshun and the Princess’s carriages have arrived. Please enter after they do.”

Qin Huaiyuan, who had been sitting with closed eyes in meditation, suddenly opened them and immediately lifted the sedan curtain to step out.

Looking past the crowd before him, Qin Huaiyuan saw Pang Xiao’s party’s carriages slowly stopping not far away.

Pang Xiao first dismounted his horse nimbly, then walked to the magnificent carriage following behind. He personally lifted the brocade warm curtain and carefully helped the elaborately dressed Qin Yining down from the carriage.

Seeing that his daughter, though much thinner and somewhat pale, was still safe and sound, Qin Huaiyuan’s heart finally settled, and he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.