The Qi Emperor thought An Jin was dead and that imprisoning his mother-in-law would give him control of the entire Secret Department, unaware this was arranged by An Jin. His goal was to confirm the Qi Emperor’s private forces and any dissent within the Secret Department. An Jin planned to send his family out of Yan Feng and reunite later. However, the Qi Emperor and Crown Prince imprisoned my family, and my father-in-law passed away, forcing me to marry the Crown Prince. It was evident that, even if An Jin died and the Secret Department returned to the royal family, they had no intention of sparing me and my family.
An Jin ultimately decided to send me and his family to Nan Rui for protection from the Nan Rui royal family while he set out for Xi Liang to make a final break with the Qi Emperor and Crown Prince, vowing to hold them accountable.
I stood dazed, surrounded by silence. “He – went to Xi Liang?” I murmured. “What else does he want to do?” His mother closed her eyes and gently massaged her forehead, as if relieving past excitement.
“I can no longer control what Jin’er wants to do,” she said wearily. “I knew the Secret Department and the royal family would eventually come to this, but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”
Could An Jin be planning to ally with Xi Liang against the Qi Emperor and Crown Prince? Would the Da Qi kingdom’s centuries of imperial foundation be destroyed by internal strife? Would An Jin truly bear the charge of treason?
His mother seemed to sense my shock and comforted me: “Don’t worry. The Da Qi kingdom’s throne will ultimately belong to the Xia family.”
The carriage jolted slightly and gradually stopped. Que’er looked outside and said, “Madam, they’ve arrived.”
“Go,” his mother said, smiling softly. “Take good care of yourself in Nan Rui. Although Hong Emperor is your maternal uncle and has been searching for you, he may not be as courteous as he appears. Be careful.” She hesitated before adding, “You and Jin will meet again. Don’t worry.”
I was stunned. “Mother-in-law, aren’t you coming with me?”
“No,” she smiled and shook her head. “I must stay in Qi country to do something for Jin’er. Your father-in-law is also here; I cannot leave him.”
My chest felt like it was being violently pulled in all directions.
The kind father-in-law, the mother-in-law who masked her tenderness with coldness, and the affectionate husband – this good family was finally falling apart. In parting, one realizes that each day spent dining together was a diminishing blessing.
“Go,” his mother said, nodding at me.
I gave her a final look before following Que’er off the carriage, standing on a small forest path outside Yan Feng city. The driver turned his horse around, the copper bells softly ringing as he disappeared into the misty night.
“Madam, they’re over there,” Que’er led me toward two soft, pale yellow light sources.
As we approached, two vermilion-doored carriages became visible, with several tall figures on horseback. Que’er strode forward, and one of the horsemen dismounted, greeted Que’er, and walked towards me.
“Madam, we must set off without delay,” he said.
This person was Tang Wei, whom I had met several times.
When his mother mentioned An Jin’s plan, I had anticipated the role the Tang family would play. The Tang family was An Jin’s final chess piece in Qi country, serving as a backup plan by the Secret Department. Nothing provided better cover than the Tang faction, trusted by the Qi Emperor despite being part of the jianghu.
Thus, An Jin arranged the Tang faction to escort me and my family out of Qi country.
Ultimately, strategy would always find a way. I understood why the founding emperor had entrusted the Secret Department to the An family; their meticulous approach seemed like a divine gift.
My parents, elder brother, Miao Yin, younger sister, Yuan Xiao, and even the previously escaped Xiao Huang were all with us. Disguised, we followed the Tang faction’s arrangements and traveled day and night. After more than ten days, we finally reached the border town between Da Qi and Nan Rui.
Returning to their homeland, my parents were emotional, never expecting their return would be for escape. They had begun to understand the An family’s true identity and sighed at the unpredictability of life. My younger sister, raised in Yan Feng, found the scenery fresh and interesting, seemingly unaware that we were fleeing.
However, Miao Yin’s situation was concerning. She was two months pregnant and had become noticeably weaker due to the turbulence. Despite preparing medicinal soup to stabilize her pregnancy, she was severely vomiting and unable to eat, experiencing strong reactions.
If it weren’t for me, she and my elder brother would have surely opened a tavern in Yanfeng, living comfortably together and avoiding hardships.
Feeling guilty about implicating my family, I was comforted by Miaoyin, who said that families should share both good and bad times.
Most of our relatives in the countryside had passed away, making it inconvenient to visit. However, Mother secretly took me to the town’s cemetery to pay respects to the old nanny.
After just one day in Yao Town, the Qi Emperor’s wanted notice appeared throughout the town. It included portraits of me and my family, along with Yuan Xiao’s, showing the Emperor’s fury. We had no choice but to continue moving towards the South Rui border, where we would be safer.
Unexpectedly, as we approached the border, Yuan Xiao had a quarrel with Xiao Huang, jumped out of the carriage to play, and was caught by the border guards.
The guard held up the portrait from the wanted notice and compared it to Yuan Xiao, his gaze suspiciously shifting towards our carriage.
I quickly lowered the curtain and instructed everyone to put on human skin masks and be cautious.
“Are all white dogs in the world going to look the same? Can they really tell?” My younger sister grumbled while putting on her thin-faced mask, which greatly displeased her.
The Tang Clan members chatted casually with the guards, familiar from their frequent cross-border dealings in escort and weapon businesses. Despite the guard’s suspicions about Yuan Xiao, he lifted the carriage curtain and let us pass.
An Jin’s arrangement to have the Tang Clan assist was clever. Although nothing went wrong, I still scolded Yuan Xiao and Xiao Huang, who hung their heads in submission.
The carriage successfully left the Qi Kingdom and entered South Rui territory. Our first stop was Lan City, where my biological mother, the Proclamation Emperor, had died during childbirth, and where I was born.
Lan City was small, with a somewhat damaged signboard at the city gate, but a solemn guard was stationed beneath it. The leading man was tall with handsome features. Xiao Huang flapped its wings and landed on his shoulder, excitedly shouting, “General! General!”
My younger sister rolled her eyes. “Him again?”
General Shen dismounted and calmly bowed to me.
“I was entrusted by His Majesty to meet your family here. He also has a message he specifically asked me to convey.” He paused, his expression softening. “Welcome home.”
My heart warmed. Despite my lingering caution about the South Rui journey, these words touched me.
Author’s Note: An An went to Xiliang. Soon, his news will arrive… Cough cough, being a husband is really not easy.
Chapter Fifty-Seven: South Rui’s Wind and Clouds
South Rui retrieved Princess Zhao Hua, celebrated for three days in Feng Zhu City, and issued a general pardon.
