Ji Yun and Bingtang both gasped in unison, their hair practically standing on end.

“Princess Consort, this is no joking matter.” Ji Yun said in a low, breathless voice. “Why would His Majesty do such a thing for no reason?”

“When things are abnormal, there must be something sinister behind them. My entering the palace and my father going to reward troops are both very unusual, combined with the situation in the south… His Majesty very likely wants to force the prince into rebellion!”

At these words, both maids gasped in shock.

Qin Yining continued, “There are currently no major domestic affairs, and the southern foreign threats can be temporarily ignored. This is the perfect time to eliminate the prince, while both armies have just defeated the Tatars with high morale—they could take down the prince in one decisive strike. His Majesty could then sleep peacefully from then on.”

Ji Yun and Bingtang were not stupid people. Hearing Qin Yining explain it this way, they thought carefully and understood. Both felt waves of cold fear coursing through their bodies.

“This… what can we do? Princess Consort, tell us what we should do? Whatever you say, this servant will certainly obey.” Ji Yun said in panicked, low tones. “How about… how about this servant finds a way to take you and escape!”

“That won’t work.” Qin Yining shook her head. “If I disappear from the palace without reason, His Majesty would have even more justification to thoroughly search the mansion. Then he could randomly assign any crime—how could anyone in the prince’s mansion survive?”

“Then… then what do we do!” Bingtang’s eyes were already red.

Qin Yining bit her lip, her teeth tearing off a piece of skin, causing blood to seep from her lip.

After a moment, Qin Yining slowly said, “First, we must find a way to save my father. His Majesty sent my father to reward troops outside Tianyu Pass—he must be planning to arrange an accidental death for my father, and he can’t act within the pass.”

“Why… why… why?” Bingtang asked in a hoarse, stuttering voice.

“Silly girl, my father is a court official. If His Majesty wants to kill him, would he dare use other ministers to do it? Wouldn’t that tell other ministers that even those loyal to His Majesty can’t expect a good end? How could His Majesty employ people in the future?

“So His Majesty will definitely pin the blame on the Tatars. After all, if something happens outside Tianyu Pass, His Majesty’s reach is limited—it would all be the Tatars acting excessively and going back on their word.”

“What the princess consort says is true. Then what do we do? Guard Cao went south with madam, and besides the few elite Tiger Guards the prince left behind and his lordship’s own few guards, there probably aren’t many capable people around the old master.” Ji Yun said with a pale face.

What to do?

Qin Yining didn’t know what to do either.

The four northern passes—Tianyu, Tianlang, Tianshu, and Tianmen—with Tianyu Pass closest to the Tatar front lines, were truly too far from the capital.

Even if she were free now, she would probably be powerless to help, let alone being detained in the palace where she couldn’t do anything as she wished!

She believed father was intelligent.

But no matter how intelligent, father was just a weak scholar. In the face of absolute military force, what could he do?

Qin Yining bit her nails, biting the left hand then the right, saying nothing with vacant eyes as she tried to think of solutions.

Bingtang and Ji Yun were both racking their brains. After a moment, Ji Yun said quietly, “Princess Consort, what if we ask Earl Zhongyi for help? Earl Zhongyi once said he would arrange people in the palace…”

“That’s not appropriate.” Qin Yining shook her head. “This matter is of great importance. First, we can’t implicate innocent people. Second, no one can guarantee that Earl Zhongyi won’t leak the information.”

“But Earl Zhongyi previously said…”

“I know what you mean.” Qin Yining pursed her lips somewhat unnaturally. “I can also vaguely guess his feelings. Why would a man treat me so well for no reason?

“But his feelings are directed at me, not at my father and the prince. He might even want to kill the prince quickly. With the situation so complex now, how can I fully trust him?”

Bingtang and Ji Yun fell silent, having to admit Qin Yining was right.

If Lu Heng harbored thoughts that killing Pang Xiao would win the princess consort’s heart, then what would they do? If they turned to him for help, they might make things worse.

But if this path wouldn’t work, and Qin Huaiyuan had been transferred from the capital, what should they do? They truly couldn’t think of any solutions.

All three had extremely pale faces.

Qin Yining sat dazed in place, her hands and feet ice cold. When palace servants brought food boxes for lunch, Qin Yining only ate two bites before setting down her chopsticks.

She couldn’t help thinking of everything she had experienced since returning to the Qin mansion, her mood gradually changing from anxiety to calm.

“It’ll be fine. This time will definitely be fine too.” Qin Yining closed her eyes and murmured softly.

Ji Yun and Bingtang had followed Qin Yining for so long and deeply understood her various difficulties—how could they not understand the pain in her heart?

This feeling of knowing the knife was hanging overhead ready to fall but not falling, with the handle grasped in someone else’s hand while they were completely helpless, was truly too torturous.

The two wanted to comfort Qin Yining but couldn’t find the words. Because Qin Yining was clearer than anyone, much smarter than them—their pale words only circled in their minds and seemed useless before they could even speak them.

The three remained silent until sunset, when the hall was gradually shrouded in darkness.

Outside the hall door, palace servants lit palace lanterns. Warm lamplight shone in from outside, casting clear shadows of the lattice screens on the ground.

Bingtang and Ji Yun lit lamps, and the hall was illuminated by orange-red light. The air carried the faint scent of burning candles and the aroma of food.

“Princess Consort, dinner has been brought. You barely ate at noon—please eat something now.” Ji Yun urged worriedly. “If you keep going like this, before you figure things out, you’ll wear yourself down first. You need to take care of yourself to think of solutions.”

“Yes, if you keep acting like this, Consort Shun might notice something different about you, and if word reaches His Majesty’s ears, it won’t be good.” Bingtang quietly reminded.

Qin Yining knew they were right, but how could emotions be controlled just by saying so?

At this moment, Qin Yining truly wished Pang Xiao were by her side. Then she could rest assured in his embrace, leaving all the difficult problems for him to handle while she just waited confidently for good results.

But from childhood to now, she had never had such fortune. She always had to rack her brains to do things and make plans just to obtain the stability that others got naturally.

She felt somewhat deflated but had to grit her teeth and persevere. She had no time to complain, much less blame fate.

After forcing down a bowl of porridge, Qin Yining felt less cold.

This empty, lonely palace, this solitary orange-red candlelight, reminded her of the days when she was imprisoned in Xihua.

Xihua…

Suddenly, Qin Yining shot up and grabbed Ji Yun’s hand. “Ji Yun, I want you to help me send a message to Manager Zhong.”

Ji Yun quickly nodded. “Princess Consort, please instruct me.”

Qin Yining thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No, you can’t risk it. Leaving the palace yourself would be too difficult. Like this—before I entered the palace, father told me there’s an attendant named Jiang Yuan who serves tea in the imperial study, someone he and the prince cultivated. You should quietly find him and have him help deliver a letter to Manager Zhong.”

Ji Yun hesitated. “Princess Consort, can that person be trusted? If he leaks the letter’s contents, it would be very bad for you. It’s better if this servant finds a way to leave the palace and tell Manager Zhong directly.”

“No, I only brought you and Bingtang with me. If one person suddenly disappears from my side, outsiders will definitely become suspicious. Besides, do you think the imperial palace is somewhere you can just leave at will? You should listen to me. As for the letter, I’ll write it more subtly. Moreover, His Majesty already has murderous intent toward me—it doesn’t matter what I write. Even if I continue following rules, he still has ways to find fault with me.”

Qin Yining found eyebrow ink for drawing eyebrows and wrote what she wanted to tell Manager Zhong on her handkerchief. This handkerchief she had used for a long time—Manager Zhong should recognize it. In content, she didn’t write very specifically—just a few brief strokes that outsiders probably wouldn’t understand.

She asked Manager Zhong to find Liao Zhibing, have Liao Zhibing lead people using tracking poison to find the Mino tribe members, and ask the Mino people to go outside Tianyu Pass to rescue someone.

This was the only method Qin Yining could think of now.

Though Xihua was in the desert, with tracking poison and sufficient water and provisions, there shouldn’t be much danger. Moreover, they were closer to Qin Huaiyuan—even much closer than if Pang Xiao went directly to provide aid.

She didn’t know if all this would be in time…

Qin Yining folded the handkerchief and gave it to Ji Yun. “If discovered, immediately destroy the handkerchief. Don’t take risks—safety first.”

Ji Yun nodded and solemnly put away the handkerchief. “Princess Consort, rest assured. Though climbing over palace walls isn’t easy, finding a person or two without being seen is something this servant can manage. Please don’t worry.”

Qin Yining gently patted Ji Yun’s shoulder. “Then I’ll claim to feel unwell and retire early. I believe Consort Shun doesn’t have the leisure to trouble me either.” During the day, Consort Shun hadn’t come, and at night she might be summoned for imperial favor, making her even less likely to have that leisure.

Qin Yining undressed and lay down early. To avoid appearing unusual, Bingtang simply stayed motionlessly by Qin Yining’s side, not going out since no one came looking.

In her heart, Qin Yining prayed repeatedly, hoping Ji Yun could succeed smoothly and absolutely not be discovered. She also prayed that the Mino tribe people would be as loyal as they had said before and would be willing to help rescue Qin Huaiyuan, and further prayed they could make it in time.

With her thoughts churning and emotions fluctuating between hope and fear, Qin Yining unknowingly fell into a drowsy sleep. Perhaps from thinking too much during the day and being shocked and frightened, she didn’t sleep peacefully. In her dreams were scenes of father being killed by pursuing soldiers on the road, or people secretly poisoning father.

Even in sleep she was terrified and restless, cold sweat streaming down her forehead. Bingtang felt heartbroken just watching.

If the prince were here and saw the princess consort frightened like this, who knew how heartbroken he would be? He might even want to personally tear apart the culprit.