Chapter 1: Returning to the Prefecture

As the mild autumn moon arrived and winter had not yet set in, the weather gradually turned colder. Even the chrysanthemums, which were the favorite of the old lady in the prime minister's mansion, appeared somewhat withered along the corridor. With a major event happening in the mansion, the servants were too busy to tend to them, leaving the autumn chrysanthemums standing alone in the frost.

Qin Mama briskly entered the Cixiao Garden, passing through the hall and walking along the bluestone-paved corridor. Her hurried footsteps led her straight to the main house, her dark green cotton cloak fanning out behind her due to her urgency.

Upon reaching the veranda, a maid who had not yet bowed respectfully handed her a brass hand warmer of suitable temperature. "Qin Mama, you're back," she said.

"Mm," Qin Mama glanced at the maid with raised eyelids, and the maid immediately stepped back.

Just outside the main house, the emerald green embroidered warm curtain was lifted, and the senior maid, Jixiang, came forward to greet her.

Seeing Qin Mama, Jixiang quickly pulled her aside and whispered, "The old lady is feeling better now. The young ladies are keeping her company."

Qin Mama rubbed her cold hands against the hand warmer and asked in a low voice, "Is the madam in?"

Jixiang shook her head and pointed in the direction of Xingning Garden with her fair fingers, making a gesture of tears flowing, "The second madam and the third madam are in Xingning Garden consoling her." Then she asked with a serious expression, "Has the master brought someone back?"

Qin Mama nodded gravely.

Even Jixiang's expression became subtle at this news.

The two of them entered the house, placing the hand warmer on a round mahogany table in the outer room.

Qin Mama patted her stiff, cold face and forced a moderate smile before quickly walking past the black lacquer screen with the "Plum Blossoms in Joy" carving to the side hall.

Compared to the outdoors, the side hall where the old lady usually rested was as warm as spring at this time.

Sunlight filtered through the lattice windows covered with Korean paper, casting a soft glow on the exquisite redwood carvings and the pale green cloud brocade on the chairs. In the middle of the room, a brazier burned with high-quality silver thread charcoal, and two elegantly dressed young women were sitting by the brazier to keep warm. Five charming young girls were standing or sitting near the carved mahogany bed by the window.

The old lady was dressed in a tea-gold cloud brocade jacket with a matching forehead ornament adorned with jade, and a large hairpin with a gold and jade flower was diagonally inserted. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, leaning against a light green silk pillow, and talking affectionately to a delicate young girl in a light blue jacket, showing the same affection as always.

Qin Mama's heart sank. The fourth miss was indeed the most favored one. Despite the major incident, her status in the old lady's heart had not diminished in the slightest.

"Old lady," Qin Mama bowed.

The people in the room fell silent, each looking at her with different expressions.

The old lady's face darkened, and she said in a deep voice, "Has the person returned?"

Qin Mama bowed her head cautiously and replied, "Yes, when I was at the second gate, I heard the news that the master, the second master, the eldest young master, and the second young master had brought a new girl into the ceremonial gate. I hurried back to report to you."

The old lady's brows furrowed even more tightly. "Did you see what kind of person it was? How could they say that she is a girl from our mansion? We have raised Hui for fourteen years, cherishing her like a precious gem in the palm of our hands. How could she go from being my granddaughter to a fake granddaughter!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the young girl in the blue dress sitting next to the old lady began to sob.

The old lady sighed and comforted the girl, "Hui, don't cry. Your grandmother's heart is breaking when you cry."

Qin Hui Ning choked up and leaned closer to the old lady, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her bright almond eyes were already swollen from crying. "Grandmother, I have received your love for so many years. I feel guilty towards you and the Qin family... How could I be fake? How could I be fake..."

Her tearful plea brought a hush over the room, and the young ladies couldn't help shedding a few tears.

"Old lady, the master, the second master, the eldest young master, and the second young master have returned," the clear voice of the maid outside the door announced.

As the warm curtain was lifted, a cold draft swept in.

Everyone craned their necks to look outside and saw the master, the second master, the eldest young master, and the second young master entering one after another, followed by a tall and graceful young girl.

Upon seeing her, everyone's eyes lit up involuntarily.

The girl, thirteen or fourteen years old, was dressed in a brand-new goose-yellow plain makeup flower jacket, walking with a light and graceful step. Although she was slender, she exuded a certain grace and elegance. Her jet-black hair was tied into twin flat buns with only two goose-yellow ribbons, her face devoid of any powder, her cherry lips slightly pale, her willow eyebrows reaching her temples, and her almond-shaped eyes shining brightly, exuding extraordinary beauty.

Her appearance was surprisingly seven-tenths similar to that of the young master of the Qin family, Qin Huaiyuan!

Obviously, it was not common for the Qin family to make such a big fuss. At this moment, the girl slightly lowered her head, appearing calm and graceful, yet also somewhat timid and constrained, making her even more pitiable to look at.

The Qin family produced beauties, and Qin Huaiyuan was a standout among his peers. In his youth, he was listed as the leader of the "Four Gentlemen of the Capital," and many young ladies flocked to him. If he were to take a carriage ride around the city, it would surely be filled with flowers and fruits.

He was knowledgeable and had unparalleled strategies. At the age of twenty-three, he used a scheme to eliminate the guardian general of the enemy country, Pang Zhongzheng, which led to the chaos and eventual downfall of the Northern Ji Kingdom. From then on, his career soared, and he was eventually appointed as the prime minister of the Great Yan.

Although the Northern Ji Kingdom has now changed to the Great Zhou, the illegitimate son of the guardian general, Pang Zhongzheng, has almost reached the capital, but Qin Huaiyuan's talent and appearance are still well-known. For years, there has been a passage in the teahouse that reads, "The wisdom of Pan An and the clever plan to eliminate the treacherous general."

The appearance and character of the girl in front of them were exactly like the young "Pan An of Wisdom." There was no need to investigate further to confirm that she was definitely Qin Huaiyuan's biological daughter.

But if she was Qin Huaiyuan's legitimate daughter, then who was Qin Huining, who had been raised in the main house for fourteen years?

The gazes of the crowd couldn't help but shift back and forth between Qin Huining and the girl, causing Qin Huining's face to flush with embarrassment.

The old lady pursed her lips, comforting Qin Huining while scrutinizing the girl in front of her with a critical eye.

Although she was dressed appropriately, she didn't dare to lift her eyebrows, giving off a somewhat naive and unsophisticated air, as if she were a country bumpkin who had never seen the world. Apart from resembling her eldest son, she didn't display the demeanor expected of a legitimate daughter of a noble family.

It would be better to have her sister, who had been raised in front of her!

The old lady tightened her grip on Qin Huining's hand, giving her infinite comfort.

"Mother (the old lady), how are you?" Qin Huaiyuan, along with his second brother, Qin Xiuyuan, his elder brother, Qin Yu, and his second brother, Qin Han, all paid their respects to the old lady.

The old lady waved her hand indifferently. Her eyes were still fixed on the girl.

"Yi'er, why haven't you kowtowed to your grandmother yet?" Qin Huaiyuan said coldly.

"Yi'er?" The old lady raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, mother, she has only had a nickname for these years. I have given her a formal name, Yi'ning," he said, glaring disapprovingly at the still clueless girl.

After all, she had grown up in a rural mountain village, lacking knowledge and manners, like a block of wood.

The girl pursed her cherry lips and, recalling the etiquette taught to her by her second cousin, Qin Han, at the inn, obediently knelt down and paid her respects, saying in a voice as melodious as a warbler, "Granddaughter pays respects to grandmother."

The old lady glanced at her actions askance, barely passing judgment, and gave a light snort. "So now you're called Yi'ning? What were you called before?"

"Grandmother, I used to be called Xiaoxi."

"Why were you called such a name?"

"Because my foster mother picked me up by the stream when I was young, so she called me Xiaoxi."

The words elicited various reactions from the onlookers, some mocking, some sighing.

Qin Huining clenched her fists tightly, her face showing a pained expression.

Qin Han sighed with pity, feeling sorry for his cousin who had experienced so much hardship since childhood.

The old lady sneered, "You were picked up by the stream, so you were called Xiaoxi? If you were picked up from a dog's nest, would you be called a little dog? Ignorant peasants don't even know how to choose a name. I think you shouldn't be called Yi'ning anymore. You don't deserve to be called Yi'ning. You should continue to be called Xiaoxi."

Everyone fell silent.

Qin Yi'ning looked up at the old lady in surprise.

It seemed that this family was not welcoming to her, and this grandmother was particularly displeased with her.

It was understandable. It was said that the concubines of wealthy families in the city had been secretly competing for a small piece of goods for a long time during the winter. Now that she had been found by her biological father and returned to the mansion, she must have taken someone's place and offended someone's eyes...

In fact, she thought being called Xiaoxi was better.

But she was originally a daughter of the Qin family. What belonged to her, why should she give it up? Shouldn't she have the right to return home after surviving the difficulties and hardships?

Under her clear and bright almond eyes, the old lady inexplicably felt somewhat uncomfortable and coldly said, "I heard that you have been hiding alone in the deep mountains all these years?"

"Yes," Qin Yi'ning lowered her eyes again.

"Why did you think of going up the mountain?"

"Because of the war, the people in the city were living in dire straits, and many were making a fortune by trafficking people. After my foster mother died, I was afraid of being abducted and sold, so I went to the mountains alone."

Liangcheng was located on the border of two countries and had been embroiled in war for more than ten years without respite, resulting in many empty homes.

The old lady snorted coldly, "You are indeed clever to know to hide in the mountains."