Lady Li’s faint was half pretense, half real. Strictly speaking, she was unconscious for only a few seconds before she came to.
After all, she was the daughter of an official family. She was overbearing and willful, but not completely foolish. If only her parents' attitudes weren’t enough proof, her uncle had actually spoken aloud about someone “dying suddenly.” No matter how she tried to convince herself, she couldn’t believe this time things would be smoothed over again with minimal trouble. She decided to pretend to faint, hoping to overhear what her uncle and parents would say.
But such a petty trick could fool no one present. In fact, it only made her look more clumsy.
Lord Li and his wife, with flapping fans and kicking feet, genuinely wanted to make their daughter look pitiful so it would be easier to beg for mercy later. Yet their daughter refused to understand their intentions. She lacked all sense of responsibility and simply pretended to faint herself.
Minister of War, Lord Guo, hadn’t even sat down before he added sincerely, “My sister has spoiled this child rotten.”
Madam Guo said nothing in reply.
As for Yan Jun, the other party involved, he didn’t feel any satisfaction either. His wife’s bravado, in the end, was just borrowing power.
He glanced at his father and received a look of approval. Unhurried, he spoke up. “She deliberately targeted me, not just because I messed up and spoiled her time with her lover.”
At these words, not only did Lord and Lady Li freeze, but even Lady Li, who was pretending to be unconscious, suddenly lifted her head.
Ling Jing covered her mouth with a laugh. “Seems someone’s still not telling the truth. Lord Li, Madam Li, perhaps you should have another honest talk with your daughter.” She looked at Qin Jingzhou. “Marquess, please find them a room where they can speak in private.”
Qin Jingzhou instructed the waiting Grand Steward, “See to it.”
Soon, Lord Li, Madam Guo, Lord Guo, and Lady Li left the study and followed the steward along the corridor. He led them into a neatly prepared eastern wing.
After the servant girls brought in tea, the Grand Steward excused himself, taking the attendants stationed outside farther away as well.
Madam Guo took a deep breath and slapped her daughter across the face. “Speak! If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll wash my hands of you!”
All the servant girls and older maids by her daughter’s side had been personally selected by Madam Guo. If her daughter wouldn’t come clean, she didn’t believe the servants would be able to keep silent either.
That was why she’d never planned on denying everything from the start—she could judge for herself, and the Grand Marshal had plenty of clever people at hand. There was no point in trying.
Lady Li was truly afraid now, especially with her uncle staring at her coldly. She couldn’t hold out any longer and confessed, “He… he said killing or crippling Yan Jun was His Majesty’s will. And if I got rid of Yan Jun, my uncle would thank me and protect me, so that he and I could be husband and wife without further trouble.”
Madam Guo was speechless in disbelief. The daughter she’d raised with such care was actually this stupid. “And you believed him?”
Lady Li lowered her head.
Lord Guo was so furious, he laughed. “I thought you were just vicious, but it looks like I was wrong. You’re not just vicious—you’re stupid too. His Majesty and my brother want to deal with the Marquess Jingwen, so what use would it be to poison his eldest son? The Marquess isn’t even fifty yet!” It wasn’t as if he couldn’t have more children.
Lord Li closed his eyes in pain for his foolish daughter. “And where is that so-called lover of yours?”
Now fully deflated, Lady Li buried her face and began to sob.
Back in the study, Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing heard every word coming from the east wing.
Ling Jing mused, “In the plot I know, Yan Jingzhou was assassinated on the battlefield, and within a year his eldest son Yan Jun was killed by Emperor Yongning. The Emperor even tried to wipe out the entire Yan family, including Yan Duan, but Noble Consort Guo pleaded with him. She argued that having the three of them die in ‘accidents’ all at once would harm the Emperor’s reputation, so he stopped. Of course, Noble Consort Guo was far from selfless. After Yan Duan learned she’d saved her life, she became even more devoted to her. Anyway, I’m sure that up to now, it wasn’t Emperor Yongning who truly wanted Yan Jun’s life.”
Qin Jingzhou said, “Nor was it Duke Anguo.”
Ling Jing shook her head. “That only leaves Empress Wang’s family. Lady Li’s lover is from the Guo family but willingly works for the Wang family, and in the plot, there’s that Guo family disciple who was first to open the city gates to the rebels. The Guo family... with such a large clan, it’s no wonder all kinds of people turn up.”
The two of them communicated with voice transmission, but to Yan Jun and Yan Duan, it looked like their father and stepmother were openly flirting with each other.
In their memory, their strict father had never been so gentle to their mother. Both of their feelings were hard to describe.
After exchanging a few glances, they fell silent as Lord and Madam Guo returned, pale-faced, along with their daughter.
Lord Li made a straightforward apology. “We’ve wronged you, Marquess. We’ll take this unfilial girl home right away. The letter breaking off the engagement and her tokens will be returned within the next two days.”
Ling Jing spoke in place of Qin Jingzhou, “And that’s it?”
Madam Guo said bluntly, “She needs to calm her mind in front of Buddha for a while.”
Qin Jingzhou turned to his eldest son. “What do you say, Ah Jun?”
Yan Jun considered that now was not the time to fall out with the Li or Guo families, so he nodded slightly. “Let’s part on peaceful terms.”
Qin Jingzhou tapped the armrest with her finger. “Very well. Since Ah Jun wishes to end things peacefully, I can’t be bothered to pursue this any further.” She looked at the trembling Lady Li. “Here’s how it’ll go. Everything you tricked my son into eating, you’ll eat yourself. Then, just as your mother said, you’ll go to a nunnery in the countryside and reflect before Buddha.”
Lord Guo saw his sister was unwilling and about to plead for the foolish girl. He cut in at once. “That’s settled! The Marquess is generous and will surely be rewarded.”
Qin Jingzhou smiled but said nothing.
Once the Li family had been sent off, Qin Jingzhou comforted his eldest son. “Don’t worry, Ah Jun. There’s no point killing mere pawns.”
Yan Jun’s eyes sparkled.
Yan Duan, however, felt worried. Since the matter involved the Guo family—his beloved’s family—he couldn’t help wishing for a way where both sides could win. But when he tried to urge his father to repay evil with good, he found himself unable to say the words.
He didn’t know Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing noticed his inner struggle and planned to give him another chance to reveal his true feelings.
Meanwhile, just as Lord Guo returned home with a heavy heart, the steward of his paternal half-brother came rushing up: his elder brother was not doing well.
He hadn’t even changed clothes when he hurried to Yanguo Mansion. There, the old physician of the house looked grave as he informed him, “Master’s fall from the horse this time has injured him deeply. There may be consequences for his heirs…”
Lord Guo thought, at his brother’s age, what would it matter if he fathered no more children? His brother already had over ten legitimate and illegitimate sons and daughters, not even counting all the ones born out of wedlock and not officially recognized.
Duke Anguo, Guo Sida, reclined on his pillow, his face pale but his eyes bloodshot. He spoke to the only brother he could discuss serious matters with. “I am at irreconcilable odds with Yan Jingzhou!”
Lord Guo nodded silently.
His brother was plainly in no state to discuss big plans, and truthfully, he had never supported his brother’s idea of giving the triumphant Marquess Jingwen a slap in the face.
After watching his brother leave, Guo Sida couldn’t help cursing out loud. “Heartless wretch!” Even his own brother put self-preservation first. After suffering this loss, he really needed to plan ahead.
The throbbing pain from his wound made him even more irritable. Fortunately, the healing decoction was ready just in time. After taking it, he felt a bit calmer.
While his mind was still somewhat clear, he hurriedly wrote a family letter to the Noble Consort in the palace.
Once finished, he ordered his closest confidant to deliver it at once directly to the consort.
Currently, Empress Wang, Noble Consort Guo, and Virtuous Consort Yan had divided up Emperor Yongning’s harem almost equally.
Consort Yan Yun’s power was the weakest at present, but she still managed to learn, from a low-ranking eunuch who had defected to her side, that Duke Anguo had just sent a secret message to the palace.
Yan Yun snorted coldly before her confidants. “Guo Sida, hoisting a rock to crush his own feet! Since he couldn’t beat my father, now he wants his Noble Consort daughter to recover some ground for him. What a fighter he is!”
Just as she finished, a long-familiar but scarcely heard voice came from above her head, drawing tears instantly to Yan Yun’s eyes.
The roof of the Imperial Palace was more than just one layer of tiles. As he crouched there, he used a special sound-transmitting technique, and at the sound of his daughter’s weeping, he jumped down and revealed himself right in front of her eunuchs and bodyguards.
No matter how much the original host was feared by Emperor Yongning, he could always manage to swap in his own people around his daughter’s palace.
So when Qin Jingzhou, in the original host’s skin, appeared, the eunuchs and guards not only didn’t panic, but beamed with joy, eager to usher him right in.
His cheap daughter’s eyes were red as she dashed over, skidding to a halt just before him, grabbed his arm, and cried, “Father!” Her sobs were quite loud.
Qin Jingzhou could hardly be upset with a daughter like that. He patted her back. “Now, now. What are you crying for? See, Father is back, safe and sound.”
His daughter clung tightly to his arm. “That muddle-headed Emperor Yongning—if he tried it once, he’ll try again! Father, this fool of an emperor won’t give up easily!”
At this moment, Ling Jing was still up on the rooftop and sent a voice message. “This girl really sees the world clearly. No wonder, in the story, she would stop at nothing for vengeance and nearly caused the male and female leads to fall."
Qin Jingzhou replied, “No wonder the original host couldn’t rest easy about this daughter.” Responding, he lowered his voice near his daughter’s ear. “Father knows what to do. I specially came to the palace to see you. Do you want to become Empress Dowager, or would you rather be a princess?”
Yan Yun was startled, then burst into happy tears this time.
She was so overwhelmed she could barely speak, but finally managed, “I want to be a princess!”
Qin Jingzhou hadn’t yet answered, but Ling Jing burst out laughing and clapped her hands. “She really is my kind of girl! Boss, let’s just go for it.”
Qin Jingzhou laughed as well. “Absolutely.”
Yan Yun sobbed on her father’s arm for a long while before the people around her finally persuaded her to calm down a little.
The palace maids, nannies, and guards the original host had placed at his daughter’s side were all relatives of his loyal retainers. None of them owed allegiance to Emperor Yongning. They were only too eager for Marquess Jingwen to “move up,” because if he rose, perhaps they too could gain fortune and official status, and just maybe… a noble title.
Yan Yun accepted a tea cup from a maid and moistened her throat. “Father, your daughter can help you too.”
There was no way Qin Jingzhou would refuse. “Yes, I’ll write to you often, and I’ll have your mother come to the palace in a few days as well.”
Yan Yun paused as she dabbed at her lips with her handkerchief, then replied softly, “Oh.”
Qin Jingzhou said, smiling, “Your mother is an excellent person, in every respect. You’ll find out soon enough.” He teased deliberately, “What, do you want your father to spend more time here with you?”
Yan Yun’s eyes instantly lit up, just like her brother Yan Jun. “I can?”
Qin Jingzhou tapped her lightly on the forehead. “Of course.”
Yan Yun, so moved, once again grabbed her father’s arm and started to cry.
Qin Jingzhou: …
The system burst into laughter in his head. “Who would have guessed she’d be such a crybaby.”