Chapter 75

Changning recognized that it was Fan Changyu crying and immediately started toward the tent on her short little legs.

Before she could get far, Gongsun Yin caught her by the back of her collar.

Confused, she looked up and saw him place a finger to his lips.

“Shh.”

Only after leading her several steps away did Gongsun Yin crouch down and say,

“Let your sister and your brother-in-law have some time to talk.”

Changning obediently nodded.

The baby fat on her cheeks had thinned considerably, making her already large eyes seem even bigger. She rarely spoke around strangers, and Gongsun Yin still belonged firmly in the category of “stranger.”

Remembering Xie Zheng’s intentions, Gongsun Yin asked,

“Little girl, do you remember how your brother-in-law rescued you?”

The moment she recalled that night of slaughter in the storm, her small face turned pale.

Everything had happened in darkness. She had been terrified out of her mind, and her memories were fragmented and confused.

After thinking hard for a moment, she answered,

“The bad men wanted to kill Ningniang. Brother-in-law fought the bad men…”

Gongsun Yin sighed softly.

A child so young had been dragged onto a battlefield. It was remarkable enough that she hadn’t been frightened into losing her senses. How could she possibly remember all the details?

He patted the top of her head.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s all over now. Your brother-in-law caught the bad men.”

Only then did Changning’s expression improve.

She nodded vigorously.

“Mhm.”

Then she looked up nervously while clutching the corner of her clothes.

“Will Brother-in-law die?”

Gongsun Yin burst out laughing.

“Little girl, do you know the saying, ‘A scourge lives for a thousand years’?”

Changning shook her head.

Covering his smile with his fan, Gongsun Yin said,

“In other people’s eyes, your brother-in-law is probably that kind of scourge. His life is tougher than iron. He won’t die so easily.”

Once she heard that Xie Zheng wouldn’t die, Changning relaxed.

She immediately turned back toward the tent, staring eagerly at the curtain.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gongsun Yin asked,

“Your sister and your brother-in-law are very close, aren’t they?”

After thinking for a moment, Changning nodded.

Completely unashamed of coaxing information out of a child, Gongsun Yin continued,

“How close?”

Blinking her large black-and-white eyes, Changning said,

“After Father and Mother died, when Ningniang feels wronged, she cries in front of Sister. But Sister only cries in front of Brother-in-law.”

Those words caught Gongsun Yin completely off guard.

Changning continued counting on her fingers.

“When hooligans came to make trouble at home, Brother-in-law broke their legs and chased them away.”

“When Sister earned money from selling pork, she bought Brother-in-law new clothes and hair ribbons.”

“When Brother-in-law drank medicine and thought it was bitter, Sister bought him candy…”

The expression on Gongsun Yin’s face became increasingly strange.

So that old man in Lucheng had actually been telling the truth.

Xie Jiuheng really had become a live-in son-in-law.

And he was genuinely living off his wife’s support!

Just as Gongsun Yin was about to ask another question, a chill suddenly crept up his spine even through the thick tent curtain.

He decisively said,

“Little girl, wait here by yourself for your sister to come out. I have something to do.”

With that, he immediately stood up and prepared to leave.

Inside the tent.

After releasing all the emotions she had accumulated over the past weeks through a good cry, Fan Changyu finally straightened up and wiped her eyes.

“I think I heard Changning’s voice.”

Xie Zheng had heard the commotion outside long ago.

Retracting his cold gaze from the tent entrance, he replied,

“She’s outside. I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier. While you were at the kitchen camp, I asked someone to bring her here.”

Fan Changyu froze.

Without waiting to ask any questions, she hurriedly lifted the tent flap and looked outside.

Sure enough, she saw Changning crouching nearby with her chin propped on her hands, obediently staring toward the tent.

She also saw Gongsun Yin several steps away, looking suspiciously like someone trying to sneak off unnoticed.

“Changning!”

Fan Changyu cried out in delight.

The moment Changning saw her sister, her eyes lit up instantly.

She ran forward and crashed into Fan Changyu’s arms.

Wrapping her arms tightly around her sister’s waist, she called out in a muffled voice,

“Sister…”

The instant those words left her mouth, the tears she’d been holding back burst free.

They streamed down her face nonstop.

Fan Changyu asked,

“How did you end up here?”

But her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Gongsun Yin.

Since he’d already been caught, there was no point pretending otherwise.

He withdrew the foot he’d been halfway through stepping with and leisurely unfolded his fan.

Once again, he looked every bit the elegant strategist.

“This child unfortunately fell into enemy hands. After she was rescued, she was temporarily sheltered in the army. Upon learning that she was Young Brother Yan’s sister-in-law, I brought her here.”

Fan Changyu quickly thanked him.

Then she crouched down and wiped Changning’s tears away.

Seeing how much thinner her sister’s face had become, her heart ached.

“I’m sorry. Sister couldn’t find you sooner. You’ve suffered.”

Changning shook her head.

Resting against Fan Changyu’s shoulder, she cried so hard she hiccupped.

Fan Changyu invited Gongsun Yin into the tent for a rest.

Gongsun Yin secretly thought that Xie Zheng already knew he’d been eavesdropping outside, so leaving now would only be awkward.

Using concern for the patient as an excuse, he followed them inside.

The moment Changning entered, she saw Xie Zheng reclining on the military bed, his chest wrapped in bloodstained bandages.

Her mouth immediately drooped.

“Brother-in-law…”

Then she wiped her tears and told Fan Changyu,

“Brother-in-law got hurt by the bad men while saving Ningniang.”

Fan Changyu turned toward Xie Zheng in surprise.

“You were injured because you were saving Changning?”

Xie Zheng wasn’t prepared to tell her everything yet.

His lips pressed together slightly as he struggled to find a response.

Even the silver-tongued Gongsun Yin found it difficult to fabricate a convincing lie.

Just as he was wondering what to say, Changning sniffled and continued,

“The bad men thought Ningniang was the daughter of some important official and kidnapped her.”

“They put Ningniang on a horse and took her to kill people.”

“It was so dark, and it was raining so hard. The thunder was loud too.”

“Ningniang was very scared.”

“Then I heard Brother-in-law’s voice.”

“So I called out to him.”

“When Brother-in-law came to save Ningniang, the bad man threw Ningniang into the air.”

“Brother-in-law tried to catch Ningniang, and the bad man stabbed him and made a huge bloody hole…”

Even recounting the events now filled her with fear.

Her little face turned pale.

Her hands gripped Fan Changyu’s clothes tightly, as though drawing strength from the only safe harbor she had left.

Fan Changyu had originally assumed Sui Yuanqing had kidnapped Changning merely to seek revenge against her.

She never imagined her sister had gone through so much.

Just hearing the story made her want to tear the “bad man” into pieces.

Patting Changning’s back gently, she comforted her.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s all over now.”

Yet inwardly she found it strange.

How had Changning suddenly been mistaken for the daughter of some important official?

Now that she was with her sister, Changning finally felt secure.

Remembering how Yu Bao’er had tried to protect her when she was taken away—clinging stubbornly to her clothes while the servants dragged him away, tearing several of his fingernails off in the process—her eyes reddened again.

“Bao’er was there too.”

She looked at Fan Changyu.

“Sister, can we save Bao’er and his mother?”

Fan Changyu blinked.

“You mean Shopkeeper Yu and Bao’er?”

Changning nodded.

“Aren’t they supposed to be in Jiangnan? Where did you see them?”

Still sniffling, Changning replied,

“Bao’er and his mother were locked up there too, just like Ningniang.”

Gongsun Yin had no idea who the mother and son were and looked puzzled.

Xie Zheng, however, knew that Changning had been in Sui Yuanqing’s custody during those missing days.

His expression deepened slightly.

Could that female shopkeeper have ties to Prince Changxin’s estate?

Fan Changyu, straightforward as always, wondered aloud,

“Could Shopkeeper Yu and Bao’er have been mistaken for the family members of some important official too?”

She turned toward Gongsun Yin.

“Sir, may I ask how my sister ended up being mistaken for an official’s daughter and kidnapped?”

Gongsun Yin glanced at Xie Zheng before smoothly deflecting the question.

“After Qingping County suffered its disaster, the inn where the Jizhou authorities temporarily housed refugees was actually an official government station. Such places usually accommodate visiting court officials. Most likely the rebels received faulty intelligence and mistakenly abducted your sister.”

The explanation sounded reasonable.

Yet Fan Changyu remembered the missing portrait from her home and still felt that something wasn’t quite right.

At that moment, Gongsun Yin said,

“The army is full of rough men who aren’t skilled at caring for children. We’ve arranged lodging next door for Miss Fan. You can take your younger sister there and settle in.”

Having just reunited with Changning, Fan Changyu naturally had countless things she wanted to ask.

She glanced toward Xie Zheng lying on the bed.

“Then get some rest. I’ll take Changning to wash up first.”

After her fever broke, Changning had remained under Gongsun Yin’s care.

Conditions on the mountain were harsh.

The personal guards were all rough soldiers with no talent whatsoever for looking after children.

They had simply done their best to coax her into eating.

She could wash her own face, but no one had helped with her hair.

The little bun atop her head had long since transformed into a complete bird’s nest.

As soon as Fan Changyu left, Xie Zheng turned to Gongsun Yin.

“Send a message to Yanzhou using a sea eagle. Have them investigate the Yu mother and son being held in Prince Changxin’s estate.”

Gongsun Yin frowned.

“They have some special background?”

“When I first met that child, I thought he resembled the person currently sitting on the Dragon Throne.”

Gongsun Yin’s eyes widened.

Then his brows knitted together.

“You suspect he’s of imperial blood?”

The current emperor was the youngest son of the late emperor.

He had ascended the throne at only eight years old.

His mother had been a lowly palace maid with no powerful maternal relatives.

The throne had fallen to him only because Wei Yan had chosen him as the perfect puppet emperor.

But the child emperor had grown up.

With Grand Tutor Li and his faction supporting him, he naturally harbored ambitions of overthrowing Wei Yan, reclaiming imperial authority, and restoring proper governance.

However, anyone with eyes could see that even if the emperor succeeded in bringing down Wei Yan through Li’s support, the Li faction would simply become the next Wei faction.

The imperial authority of Great Yin had long since been hollowed out by powerful aristocratic clans.

Although the imperial examination system existed, officials from humble backgrounds held far too little influence in court.

Moreover, the emperor himself lacked the bearing of a true ruler.

He was timid before powerful ministers and irritable toward palace servants.

He was hardly fit to shoulder the burden of the empire.

Xie Zheng continued,

“That merchant surnamed Zhao claimed he was working for the imperial grandson who supposedly died in the Eastern Palace years ago.”

“When I was in Qingping County, I discovered that he owned a residence near the home of that female shopkeeper.”

“If the imperial grandson truly exists, then through the Yu mother and son, we may be able to uncover something.”

Gongsun Yin immediately stood.

“I’ll send the message right away.”

If the Yu mother and son were connected to the imperial grandson and were now trapped in Prince Changxin’s estate, perhaps Prince Changxin had captured them specifically to threaten him.

He was already at the tent entrance when he suddenly turned back.

Looking at Xie Zheng, he asked,

“Jiuheng, if the imperial grandson really is alive… are you planning to support Crown Prince Chengde’s bloodline?”

After learning that Xie Zheng had turned against Wei Yan, the emperor had already attempted to win him over by marrying a princess to him.

The only reason it hadn’t happened yet was because Xie Zheng remained in the northwest.

Yet imperial intentions were notoriously unpredictable.

The emperor had implied that once Wei Yan fell, Xie Zheng would inherit Wei Yan’s position.

But when that day truly arrived, who could say whether Xie Zheng wouldn’t become the emperor’s next target?

Furthermore, Grand Tutor Li already held the greatest influence at court.

In terms of legitimacy, no one in the current imperial family had a stronger claim to the throne than the descendants of Crown Prince Chengde.

And even setting legitimacy aside, Xie Zheng and the imperial grandson shared a common enemy because of the Battle of Jinzhou.

That alone made them natural allies.

Silence filled the tent for a long time.

At last, Xie Zheng spoke in a cold voice.

“How does the emperor treat Wei Yan?”

A single sentence was enough.

Gongsun Yin immediately understood.

Wei Yan had personally elevated the emperor to the throne.

Though he originally intended him as a puppet, there was no denying that Wei Yan had once been the emperor’s greatest supporter.

If Xie Zheng helped place the imperial grandson on the throne, the merit of that achievement would rival the favor Wei Yan once enjoyed.

But Xie Zheng already commanded military power.

If the imperial grandson became emperor, what reward could possibly exceed that?

Once rewards ran out, suspicion and fear would only continue to grow.

After considering the matter from Xie Zheng’s perspective, Gongsun Yin frowned.

“I’ve finally figured it out. No matter who ends up on the throne, they’ll all do everything possible to win you over beforehand.”

“But once everything is settled, you’ll be among the first people they want to get rid of.”

Xie Zheng remained silent.

With a frustrated sigh, Gongsun Yin walked back and sat opposite him.

“Just give me a straight answer. What exactly are you planning?”

“If you haven’t figured out a way out for yourself, I should start looking for a new patron now before you drag me down with you.”

Night had already fallen.

Looking at the lone lamp flickering inside the tent, Xie Zheng said,

“When the northwest descended into chaos, nine out of ten households were emptied. Countless good men were buried beneath the desert sands.”

“The Great Yin Empire has not yet reached the point where the country must be rebuilt from scratch.”

“Fighting the Northern Beidi is one thing.”

“But waging war against our own people for personal ambition…”

He let out a cold laugh.

“That would be an insult to the soldiers who deserved to die defending the frontier, not killing their own countrymen.”

His disdain for Prince Changxin’s actions was unmistakable.

Gongsun Yin raised an eyebrow.

“So you want to be a loyal minister?”

Xie Zheng casually lifted his gaze.

“Don’t you think someone like me is more suited to being called a powerful minister?”

Gongsun Yin choked on his own words.

Then he waved his hand dismissively.

“Whether you’re a loyal minister or a powerful minister, you should focus on solving the current crisis first.”

Xie Zheng asked,

“How long will today’s provisions last?”

Gongsun Yin answered,

“If everyone eats their fill, half a month.”

“If we stretch it by mixing wild vegetables into porridge, about a month.”

After thinking for a moment, Xie Zheng said,

“Sui Yuanqing is still in our hands. The mountain terrain is difficult. Prince Changxin is surrounding us instead of attacking because he wants to starve us out.”

His eyes darkened.

“If they run out of food as well, they won’t be able to keep this up.”

Gongsun Yin’s eyes widened.

“You’re planning to target Prince Changxin’s supply lines?”