At the mention of the Duke Dingguo’s wife, a smile involuntarily climbed to the corners of Qin Yining’s eyes and brows, and even her gaze became gentle.

“We haven’t actually been in contact during this period. But when Grandmother handed the Azure Sky Alliance to me and led the entire family south, she once told me her plans. She didn’t leave the old capital without people either. She said if I encountered any difficulties, I could contact them.”

Manager Zhong listened with deep emotion, saying with admiration: “The Duke Dingguo’s wife has far-sighted vision and has always been skilled at planning. She’s truly admirable.”

Qin Yining nodded in agreement: “Grandmother not only has brains, but also courage. I wish I could be like her.”

Qin Yining would never forget the tragic state of the Sun family when Duke Dingguo’s manor was confiscated. When all the women had lost hope, the Duke Dingguo’s wife not only became their backbone, leading the womenfolk to survive, but even joined the Azure Sky Alliance, became its leader, and avenged all the Sun family men.

Naturally, Qin Yining didn’t want anything to happen to the Pang family.

But Pang Xiao’s current position was truly no different from the Sun family’s surface prosperity and momentary glory back then.

Qin Yining was very worried—afraid something would happen to the family, afraid something would happen to Pang Xiao, and even more afraid she wouldn’t have the courage and perseverance to support the entire inner household.

So the Duke Dingguo’s wife had always been Qin Yining’s role model.

Manager Zhong smiled: “Why must the Princess be so modest? Aren’t you just like the Duke Dingguo’s wife now?”

“I’m still far behind. My heart isn’t as strong as Grandmother’s.”

“But you’re only sixteen years old. The Duke Dingguo’s wife at your age might not have had your capabilities.”

Qin Yining smiled and waved her hand, feeling unworthy of Manager Zhong’s praise.

Clearly, Qin Yining didn’t have such strong confidence in herself.

“There’s something that requires you to make a personal trip.”

“Princess, just give your orders.”

Qin Yining leaned close to Manager Zhong and whispered instructions: “Go and search—see if there’s a Zheng Family Cloth Shop in the old capital. If you find it, go in and find the manager. Tell them that Master Zheng’s granddaughter wants to find her grandmother, that there are matters to discuss.”

Manager Zhong immediately understood that the Duke Dingguo’s wife’s maiden name was Zheng.

“Yes, I’ll go out right away.”

Qin Yining smiled and nodded: “You can take trusted people with you. Be careful to change your appearance—don’t let anyone discover you.”

Manager Zhong nodded understandingly: “Yes, I understand.”

When Manager Zhong went out to look for the Zheng Family Cloth Shop, Qin Yining returned to the inner chamber to nurse the children.

Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er had different temperaments.

Zhao Ge’er was quieter, didn’t fuss often, and slept more than Han Ge’er. Even when awake, he would just open his eyes wide to curiously survey his surroundings. When he saw Qin Yining, he would grab her long hair hanging at her chest to play with, the small red mole between his brows making his little face as cute as a New Year painting doll.

Han Ge’er was more lively and loved acting spoiled. Even though wet nurses stayed by his side constantly, he would continuously make “yi yi ya ya” sounds to attract the attention of those around him. When he saw Qin Yining, he would even grin, drooling with laughter, and was very clingy—once in Qin Yining’s arms, he wouldn’t want to come down.

Both children were like carved jade and sculpted powder. Qin Yining leaned against the soft couch, playing with first one then the other. She extended one hand, and one child grasped her finger refusing to let go, while the other grabbed her light blue brocade sleeve and wouldn’t release it.

Qin Yining turned back and smiled at Bingtang: “Look at them.”

Bingtang handed Qin Yining the warm cloth in her hands, then supported herself on the bed frame to look at the two children in their swaddling clothes.

Qin Yining gently wiped the children’s small hands, sighing softly.

“Princess, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just that the Prince likes daughters. Next time I should try to give Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er a little sister to make it complete.”

Bingtang fell silent for a moment, her lips moving before finally just nodding: “There will be. The future days are still long.”

“Yes, still long.” Qin Yining handed the cloth back to Bingtang and continued lying prone on the couch playing with the two children: “Does Zhao Ge’er like little sisters? What about Han Ge’er?”

Bingtang took the cooling cloth and withdrew, standing in the corridor and taking a deep breath of the cold air, holding it for a moment before exhaling slowly.

The Princess didn’t know yet that the Prince had already decided never to have children again.

Bingtang touched the porcelain bottle in her sleeve pocket, her fingers gradually tightening.

The medicine Pang Xiao wanted had already been prepared. If this medicine was taken, she didn’t know if they would ever have another chance to have children.

In Bingtang’s view, sterilizing a man was as cruel as depriving a woman of her reproductive rights.

Perhaps she could weaken the medicine’s potency and research it further, making it into a temporary sterilization drug. This way, when the Princess was older, more physically mature, and stronger, while the Prince was still in his prime, if they wanted another daughter, it would still be possible.

Thinking of this, Bingtang immediately made up her mind and planned to remix the formula.

Thinking of how Pang Xiao would rather eliminate the “hidden danger” from his own body without external help because he worried about Qin Yining suffering during childbirth, even refusing concubine children—such deep affection moved even her, the only knowing observer.

For Pang Xiao’s health and their future as husband and wife, Bingtang decided to try again.

Naturally, Qin Yining didn’t know what Bingtang was doing outside. She was always generous with those around her. Bingtang, Ji Yun, Xian Yun, Qiu Lu, and Lian Xiaozhou all rotated shifts themselves. Bingtang often needed to immerse herself in medical research, so she never asked how they took turns.

Qin Yining spent a moment with the two children. Soon, hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and a maid reported: “Princess, Manager Zhong has returned.”

Qin Yining sat up straight in surprise: “So quickly?”

Walking quickly to the front hall, as soon as she lifted the pearl curtain hanging from the floor screen, she saw Manager Zhong standing in the center of the ground with an unusual expression.

The man who had left in high spirits with a smile on his face now had a ghastly pale complexion with slightly red-rimmed eyes.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t things go smoothly?” Qin Yining approached with concern.

Manager Zhong nodded, his throat so dry it seemed scraped by sandpaper. He forcibly swallowed some saliva to moisten it before saying with difficulty: “Princess, something has happened at the Zheng Family Cloth Shop.”

Qin Yining’s pupils contracted slightly: “What happened?”

“The cloth shop is draped in white mourning cloth with spirit banners hanging. The workers coming and going are all wearing hemp mourning clothes. When I went, their manager wasn’t there, so I don’t know exactly what happened. After careful inquiry, their workers were all tight-lipped and I couldn’t find out anything.

“Later I went around to the back courtyard of their shop, where spirit banners were also fluttering. After waiting for a long time, I finally encountered an old farmer delivering vegetables to them. He said their old proprietress had passed away.”

Qin Yining’s heart skipped a beat, her body swayed, and she grabbed the armrest of the nearby chair, forcing herself not to collapse while maintaining calm as she said: “You said their proprietress passed away? Which proprietress were they referring to?”

Manager Zhong’s complexion wasn’t much better than Qin Yining’s, his eyes looking at her with some terror as he shook his head: “Princess, I… I can’t be certain.”

Qin Yining slowly sat in the round chair behind her, her hands gripping the armrests so tightly that her knuckles gradually turned white. She stared unblinkingly at Manager Zhong and said in a deep voice: “It won’t be. It won’t be Grandmother. Although Grandmother is advanced in years, she’s sturdy and healthy. There shouldn’t be any problems, there won’t be any problems…”

Her voice grew softer and softer, finally fading at her lips like a mosquito’s buzz.

She refused to believe that someone as formidable as the Duke Dingguo’s wife could have any accident.

But when people aged, birth, aging, sickness, and death were natural law. No matter how capable Grandmother was, she wasn’t an immortal god. When such a great disaster befell Duke Dingguo’s manor, who could bear it? In one night, her husband, sons, and grandsons all died unnatural deaths, and she still had to carry the future of all the delicate women in the household on her shoulders. Even someone made of iron couldn’t withstand that, could they?

Qin Yining’s nose felt sour, and her eyes misted with moisture. She bit her lower lip to prevent tears from falling.

She couldn’t panic, couldn’t lose composure.

Right now Pang Xiao wasn’t by her side, and the entire household was waiting for her to take charge. If she lost her composure first, what would happen to the others? She still had two children to protect!

After several deep breaths, Qin Yining finally suppressed the surging tears.

With the current situation unclear, she absolutely had to investigate personally before she could feel at ease.

But she couldn’t let anyone discover her connection to the Zheng Family Cloth Shop.

Thinking of this, Qin Yining stood up: “Manager Zhong, please wait here for a moment while I change my disguise. Then we’ll go take a look together.”

“Yes.” Manager Zhong nodded heavily. Seeing that Qin Yining’s demeanor remained as steady as always without any sign of panic, still full of confidence, Manager Zhong also felt somewhat reassured.

No matter what, as long as she didn’t lose her composure, everything could be managed.

Qin Yining went to the inner chamber and instructed Xian Yun: “Prepare my men’s clothing.” She looked at Bingtang: “I’m going out for a trip. I entrust the two children to you.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry, Princess.”

Seeing Qin Yining so serious, everyone became tense as well, putting away their previous lighthearted joking mood and helping Qin Yining change and disguise herself together.

Binding her chest with white cloth, putting on a loose Taoist robe, draping a large cloak with a black sable fur collar, and dotting a mole at the corner of her left eye—with just slight modifications, Qin Yining transformed into a handsome young gentleman with delicate, feminine features. With half her face buried in the sable fur collar, unless someone very familiar stood before her, no one would likely recognize her.

Qin Yining only brought Jingzhe with her. Finding Manager Zhong, they left through the back door, took a carriage, and headed straight for the Zheng Family Cloth Shop.

The atmosphere in the carriage was extremely tense. Manager Zhong had known the Duke Dingguo’s wife for a long time, and their master-servant relationship had been good. Who knew such a thing would happen now? Thinking of all the past events, Manager Zhong felt very uncomfortable.

Qin Yining forced herself to remain calm but was actually extremely worried. She couldn’t show her fear too obviously and could only worry anxiously in her heart.

Jingzhe sensed the atmosphere inside and urged the driver to speed up.

Soon, following Manager Zhong’s directions, they arrived at a marketplace that wasn’t particularly prosperous and found the Zheng Family Cloth Shop in a corner with its main door tightly closed and shuttered.