Qin Yining nodded and asked again, “Then why did you offend the Empress and His Majesty that day?”
Sun Shi was startled by the question and said in surprise, “When did I ever offend His Majesty and the Empress?”
Seeing Sun Shi’s expression, Qin Yining’s doubts grew even stronger.
The fact that Sun Shi was sitting perfectly fine before her had already aroused her suspicions.
Sun Shi was not a bold person. Having just nearly been executed, she should be frightened and weak right now. How could she appear to be perfectly fine?
“Mother didn’t offend His Majesty and the Empress? But I heard from outside that the Empress wanted to bestow two of His Majesty’s palace concubines to Father as concubines. You disagreed and argued with the Empress in court, insulting her, which led to your initial death sentence. Later when the Emperor came to mediate, you called the Emperor a foolish ruler, and His Majesty in his rage sentenced you to public beheading.”
Sun Shi’s face turned deathly pale upon hearing this, and she shook her head repeatedly, “Do you think I’m insane! Even with the greatest hatred, I know the gravity of situations. How much courage would I need to call His Majesty a foolish ruler? If you say I argued because of the Empress bestowing concubines, that’s even more impossible. I’m not that kind of jealous woman… Well, although I don’t like your father taking concubines, I certainly wouldn’t forbid it. Why would I openly confront the Empress?”
“So you did none of these things? Then how were you sent to the execution ground?”
Sun Shi shook her head, “I’m puzzled too. I was resting well in the palace when a nanny called me out. That nanny only said it wasn’t really to kill me, gave no explanation, then gagged my mouth, bound me, and escorted me to the Meridian Gate.”
Just as Sun Shi finished speaking, they heard the creak of a door opening.
Qin Huaiyuan slowly walked in.
Qin Yining looked at Qin Huaiyuan with confusion.
Qin Yining believed Sun Shi’s words. Sun Shi was not a very scheming person and wouldn’t lie about such matters.
Then how could palace servants dare to drag a legitimate wife of an official from her bed, gag her mouth, and escort her to the execution ground?
Though the imperial family was indeed august, if such a thing were done without any explanation to Father, how could Father have no complaints at all? His Majesty could indeed raise his hand and destroy the Qin family, but Qin Yining also believed her father was definitely not the kind of soft persimmon who could be kneaded and shaped at will.
So there was only one conclusion.
Father knew about this matter.
“Father?” Qin Yining asked with confusion, “Do you know what really happened in all this?”
Qin Huaiyuan sat in the round chair by the window, lowering his eyes to fiddle with the covered teacup in his hands, sighing, “I don’t know the specific situation. His Majesty kept me in the imperial study, saying he wanted to chat idly with me, and wouldn’t let me return. As for the matters at the execution ground, I only learned of them when I arrived there.”
“So the so-called palace banquet never took place either?”
Qin Huaiyuan shook his head, keeping his eyes lowered and avoiding Qin Yining’s gaze.
Qin Yining frowned in thought.
The Emperor had used their Qin family to set up a scheme.
But what was His Majesty’s purpose?
Out of nowhere, he had bound her mother to be escorted to the execution ground, claiming she would be publicly beheaded. This clearly looked like a large trap, as if to test someone.
Thinking of this, Qin Yining was suddenly alarmed.
The Emperor wasn’t really going to kill her mother. If the people she had arranged had really gone to rescue her from the execution ground, what would have happened?
The Emperor must have secretly deployed additional forces. She had only found four people—whether they could even successfully escape was questionable. If these four people were captured and the Emperor’s men interrogated them to discover the mastermind was actually her, then the entire Qin family might…
Qin Yining broke out in a cold sweat down her spine.
At this moment she was infinitely grateful that Pang Xiao had arrived in time and disrupted this scheme. Otherwise, her impulsive actions this time might really have brought great disaster upon the Qin family!
And Father…
Qin Yining looked at her father in terror, murmuring, “Father, after this round of peace negotiations, has His Majesty’s attitude toward you changed? Should we be keeping a lower profile now?”
The Emperor’s actions this time might also have been to test Qin Huaiyuan. Perhaps he suspected Qin Huaiyuan of having treasonous intentions?
Qin Huaiyuan looked at Qin Yining with complex emotions.
There were some things he couldn’t tell her and Sun Shi, so he could only let Qin Yining speculate wildly on her own.
Qin Huaiyuan felt he was wronging Qin Yining and Sun Shi, but some matters, if spoken of, might invite even greater disaster.
He could only sigh softly and say, “Yi’er need not worry. Your father will handle these matters well. Now that you’re awake, we haven’t returned home since coming back to the capital. Why don’t we pack up and set out for home?”
Qin Yining knew Qin Huaiyuan must have his difficulties, so she didn’t press further.
Thinking of the Old Dowager’s expression, Qin Yining shook her head, “Father can return to the residence first. But I won’t return with Mother so easily.”
Qin Huaiyuan was startled and asked in confusion, “Yi’er, what do you mean by this?”
Qin Yining smiled, but that smile looked worse than crying.
“Father, I don’t want to speak of the rights and wrongs of my elders. After Father returns to the residence, you’ll know what happened with a single inquiry. Yi’er is not unfilial, but for the sake of Mother and me being able to live better in the residence in the future, please understand your daughter’s actions at this time.”