“Princess, this is truly inappropriate!” Bingtang spoke sternly. “In your current physical condition, even traveling by carriage would be unbearable. No matter how anxious you are, you must prioritize yourself. This is not only for the child in your womb, but for your own safety as well.”

“Yes, Princess!” Qian Yun also urged anxiously. “The prince is highly capable and has superb martial arts skills. If he sees something amiss, he will surely find a way. You’re not as agile as before. If you go and encounter danger, the prince would have to protect you instead, which would go against your original intentions.”

Qin Yining pressed her lips together, her complexion very pale.

She had never been someone who could only hide behind others when trouble arose, especially when it concerned Pang Xiao. At this critical juncture, she was unfortunately pregnant and unable to move freely.

Qin Yining supported her waist and slowly sat down. After taking several deep breaths, she said, “Very well, I’ll wait for news from Huzi for now. When Huzi acts, he’ll certainly mobilize the Tiger Guards, so Father should know about this soon. I’ll listen to what Father has to say before making a decision.”

Seeing Qin Yining willing to sit down, Bingtang and Qian Yun both breathed sighs of relief. Ji Yun and Lian Xiaozhou quickly brought warm water for her to drink.

After drinking half a cup of warm water, Qin Yining’s mood relaxed slightly. She kept comforting herself. The distance from the capital to Chong Mountain Imperial Mausoleum could be covered in just three incense sticks’ time at full gallop. Huzi was experienced in handling affairs for Pang Xiao and would surely leave someone to relay messages. Even if that failed, Father was still there, and Father would help her think of solutions.

Qin Yining closed her eyes, forcing herself not to be afraid. She had to think of the two children in her womb.

At this moment, she could finally understand Pang Xiao’s feelings when he had defied thirty-three imperial edicts. Just the thought of Pang Xiao facing danger made her feel as if the sky was about to collapse…

“Princess, you… please don’t cry. The prince has Heaven’s protection and will surely be fine,” Ji Yun’s voice trembled slightly.

Qin Yining came to her senses and opened her eyes, only then realizing her face felt cool. When she wiped it with the back of her hand, it came away wet.

Qian Yun brought a handkerchief to wipe Qin Yining’s tears.

Lian Xiaozhou watched from the side, her mouth pouting as she nearly began crying too.

Just then, sounds of a maid greeting someone came from the courtyard.

Bingtang hurried to lift the Hunan bamboo door curtain. Seeing it was Qin Huaiyuan, she immediately said with great joy, “Master, you’ve come.”

“Mm.” Qin Huaiyuan entered and, seeing Qin Yining, first smiled, “Yining.”

“Father.” Qin Yining stood up, unable to suppress the soreness in her nose, though she forced herself to hold back.

Qin Huaiyuan approached and smiled soothingly, “There now, don’t be anxious first. Father knows about everything. This matter cannot be rushed—Father will find a way.”

Qin Yining nodded, her heart settling somewhat.

This was the benefit of being with parents and family.

She was not like when she was in Tatar territory or Xi Yue, with no one to depend on. Now she had parents and relatives by her side, trustworthy friends—she was not isolated and helpless.

“Father, do others in the family know about this matter?”

“Don’t worry, Father hasn’t made it public. However, you lost your composure earlier and probably frightened the in-law Grand Madam. How will you explain this to the elderly lady later?”

Qin Yining felt her face heat up. Earlier she had even cried in her anxiety, which Father had apparently witnessed. She rarely showed her vulnerable side in front of others, and seldom showed weakness even before Qin Huaiyuan and Sun Shi. Now, having lost her composure over Pang Xiao’s affairs, she inevitably felt embarrassed.

Seeing his daughter like this, Qin Huaiyuan sighed and patted her shoulder.

“My child, you had no fortune to be by Father’s side since childhood. When you encountered any troubles outside, didn’t you have to bear them all yourself? This is what shaped your unyielding, uncompromising character.

“Father sees how independent and strong you are, so different from most women of today. You don’t live with a man as your entire world, which comforts Father greatly. At least if you encountered a heartless man, you wouldn’t be unable to live like other women—you could live independently.”

Qin Huaiyuan’s tone shifted as he lovingly touched her head, “But seeing you like this, shouldering everything yourself, only eighteen years old yet with a mind more mature than most adults, Father’s heart cannot be happy at all. It’s precisely because of your parents’ negligence that you were forced to become strong.”

“Father, please don’t say that.” Qin Yining touched her forehead somewhat uncomfortably. “Fate was simply thus. I believe when Father used the alienation strategy against the Northern Ji Kingdom, it must have been out of necessity. Though it invited retaliation, it ultimately preserved the family. Moreover, during those years, Hui Jie’er attended to our parents in my place, so our parents’ lives never lacked a daughter’s presence. When my existence was suddenly discovered, the family didn’t lose anything either. I think this is already a very good outcome.”

Qin Huaiyuan felt waves of shame and heartache upon hearing this.

His daughter was a good child with a broad perspective. What she considered first was the clan, then herself. She considered the gains and losses of the entire family, as well as her parents’ feelings. Indeed, as she said, when her existence was discovered and she was investigated and brought back, Qin Huaiyuan and the Qin family experienced only brief surprise and heartache. However, what she endured outside was fourteen years of hardship and loneliness.

When Hui Jie’er was eight, she was a precious young lady of gold and jade.

But from when Yining was eight, she had to hide alone in the mountains to avoid warfare, surviving by hunting and gathering medicinal herbs and wild vegetables to trade for grain in town.

Qin Huaiyuan sometimes wondered: if his subordinates hadn’t coincidentally encountered Qin Yining back then, or if Qin Yining hadn’t survived to fourteen, would Qin Huaiyuan have never known that the child he raised wasn’t his biological daughter?

As long as no one exposed it, he could have continued living carelessly. Only this child would have been the sole sufferer.

Qin Huaiyuan’s expression was so grief-stricken that Qin Yining felt sad just watching him. She quickly tugged at his sleeve, saying, “Father, don’t think too much about the past. Look, aren’t we living very well now?”

Hearing this, Qin Huaiyuan smiled and nodded.

Ji Yun, Bingtang, and the others nearby saw how Qin Huaiyuan had diverted Qin Yining’s attention with just a few words, temporarily stopping her from worrying about Pang Xiao. Qin Yining’s complexion had even become more rosy, and they couldn’t help but admire him. He truly was a wise and handsome man—any matter seemed like no problem before him. He could solve everything, and with Qin Huaiyuan present, they all seemed to have a backbone.

Qin Huaiyuan sat down to talk with Qin Yining.

Though Qin Yining was still worried about the Chong Mountain affair, having Father beside her made her feel somewhat at ease, and she didn’t feel the passage of time.

Until an hour later, when urgent footsteps came from the courtyard.

“Princess!”

“Huzi?” Qin Yining stood up, and everyone went to the door.

Huzi’s face bore injuries, his nose bridge was bruised and dark, and his hair was disheveled—he had clearly fought with someone.

Qin Yining asked, “How did you end up like this? Did you deliver the message?”

Bingtang went to examine his injuries, but Huzi gently pushed her hand away.

“Princess, the message wasn’t delivered! I took two brothers and rushed to Chong Mountain, showing the prince’s mansion token, but the entire perimeter of Chong Mountain is guarded by people the Emperor arranged from the Capital Garrison. Our brothers aren’t familiar with them, and they’ve received imperial orders: ‘Not even a fly is to be let through.’ No matter how I pleaded, they wouldn’t believe us. They even insisted the prince’s mansion must have ulterior motives, not only refusing to let us in to deliver the message but also refusing to help relay it.

“When words failed, the brothers got into a fight. But good tigers can’t fend off a pack of wolves. Without the prince’s orders, those two brothers couldn’t kill anyone for fear of ruining things, so they were inevitably restrained. They were caught off guard and captured. I was quick-witted and escaped while they weren’t paying attention to bring back news.”

Qin Yining pressed her lips together and asked anxiously, “Did you mention the gunpowder?”

“I did. But they didn’t believe it! They even slandered the prince for wanting to cause trouble, saying the Emperor’s decree states that anyone who approaches the imperial mausoleum’s underground palace without permission will be charged with treason. They want to wait until the Emperor finds the treasure, then report this matter to the Emperor and have him punish those spreading rumors.”

Qin Yining felt a wave of helplessness.

Li Qitian was already suspicious by nature. Tianji Zi had arranged everything in an interconnected web, and Li Qitian desperately needed the Great Yan treasure to deal with the Tatar provocation, naturally viewing this money as even more important.

Tianji Zi had seized upon Li Qitian’s psychology to successfully trap him, leading Li Qitian to bring all of Da Zhou’s nobles, pillars of state, and capable ministers to Chong Mountain in one fell swoop.

Once the gunpowder at Chong Mountain exploded, wouldn’t Da Zhou’s capable ministers be wiped out entirely? When the Tatars then raised troops, they could march directly to the capital without effort!

The Tatar people were fierce and warlike, having long lived in barren lands. Upon suddenly seeing Da Zhou’s prosperity, how could they resist plundering? If the atrocities the Tatars had committed at the borders—rape, murder, and pillaging—occurred in the capital, the horror would be unimaginable.

Qin Yining looked at Qin Huaiyuan beside her. “Father, what should we do now? If we can’t deliver the message, the consequences will be unthinkable.”

Qin Huaiyuan pondered, “All the prominent figures have been taken to the imperial mausoleum. Father is now a commoner, so I’m afraid trying to break through the encirclement based on status alone won’t be possible.”

Qin Yining said, “Father, how about I go personally? Seeing that I’m six months pregnant and am the Princess Consort of Prince Zhongshun, they should believe me somewhat.”

Qin Huaiyuan frowned, “What if they don’t believe you?”

“Then I’ll have no choice but to order a forced breakthrough. If I can stop them in time, the Emperor shouldn’t blame me.”

“The problem is, no one can confirm for certain whether there really is gunpowder in the underground palace. If you force your way through and there’s no gunpowder in the underground palace, what then?”

Qin Yining was momentarily stunned by Qin Huaiyuan’s question, then shook her head with a smile, “If it truly turns out to be a false alarm, wouldn’t that be even better? Father, rest assured, I won’t easily reveal Xiao Zhou’s involvement. Regarding the gunpowder, I’ll only say I guessed it.”

Hearing this, Qin Huaiyuan couldn’t help but hesitate, “Your condition really isn’t suitable for the rigors of travel. I fear you might be in danger.”

“If we pad the carriage thickly, it should be fine. Besides, Bingtang will be there, and I trust her medical skills. If we encounter roads unsuitable for carriages, we can switch to a sedan chair.”

Qin Huaiyuan pressed his lips together and turned to look at Huzi, “If the Princess doesn’t go personally, how confident are you of getting someone to sneak into the imperial mausoleum to deliver the message?”