"Please, I’m begging you..." Mrs. Wang pleaded, as if she had fixated on her.

"I told you, begging me is useless."

"Pangtuan... we were wrong. Go plead with the General. He dotes on you the most. If you ask the General, he’ll definitely agree. Pangtuan... please, I beg you..."

Ye Qianning had to admire Mrs. Wang’s wild imagination. "The second branch wanted to kill me, yet you want me to plead your case? Do you take me for a fool?"

She was no do-gooder, nor was she a saint.

"I know it’s all our fault, but Si Yan and Zhenzhu are still young. They are... they are..." Mrs. Wang started to say something, but the words caught in her throat.

"If they were children of the Xiang family, I could plead for them. But they don’t have Xiang family blood. How am I supposed to plead for them?"

"I... I..."

"To be honest, I never intended to do anything to the children. As long as you behave, I can give the three of you enough money to leave the Capital City and live your lives in peace."

"No... I don’t want money..."

"Take her away."

’She won’t take money? That makes things difficult.’ Ye Qianning didn’t want to waste any more words.

Servants grabbed Mrs. Wang by each arm.

"Please, Pangtuan! Let the children stay at the General’s Manor..." Mrs. Wang cried out as she was dragged away.

Ye Qianning’s eyes darkened. ’Mrs. Wang is delusional. Even if my father never had a son and the General’s Manor was left to ruin, it would never fall into Si Yan’s hands. And he’s not even of the Xiang family’s bloodline. How dare she even make such a request.’

Gu Lao listened in astonishment. "Those two children from the second branch aren’t of the Xiang family?"

Ye Qianning just glanced at him and said nothing.

Gu Lao’s eyes widened in shock. It all made sense now—why the daughter-in-law of the Xiang family was so biased. If this were to be revealed, the Old Madam and the entire second branch would be sent to the headsman’s block.

’The fact that the young lady hadn’t exposed the secret was already a show of great leniency.’

A day passed, bringing the affair at the General’s Manor to a close. The common people, however, continued to gossip fervently. The Emperor’s decree was laden with deep implications, putting every official’s household on alert and prompting them to warn the women of their rear courts.

The evening wind was gentle, carrying a slight chill.

As Ye Qianning stepped out of Fourth Granny’s room, a dark shadow flitted past. She glanced down to see a yellow weasel standing beside a cluster of flowers, waving at her.

"What is it?" Ye Qianning asked, crouching down.

"Big news! Big news! My cousin just came from the Prime Minister’s manor! He said the Prime Minister has hired tons of people." The little weasel swung its paw in a big circle.

"Assassins?"

"I think so. My cousin said those people are really strong. He said they’re coming to the General’s Manor... My cousin didn’t hear what for, though. They spotted him and... and they killed another one of my relatives." As it finished, tears glistened in the little weasel’s eyes.

"I’m sorry for asking you to do such dangerous work. Don’t worry. If those people dare to come here, I will avenge your relative." Ye Qianning reached out and stroked the weasel’s head. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"My cousin said you should give us twenty chickens as compensation." The weasel rubbed its little paws together, looking somewhat embarrassed. "It wasn’t my idea."

"I know. I’ll have someone prepare them for you tomorrow."

"It really wasn’t my idea! It was my cousin. Gosh, he’s so annoying. He insisted that I ask you." The weasel turned its head and made a few sharp hissing sounds at the ground.

"I understand. You don’t need to be upset. I’m truly sorry about your relative. In the future, if you’re in danger, forget the news. Your safety is what’s most important, understand?"

In her past life, Ye Qianning had used her abilities constantly and spent most of her time dealing with animals. She knew their habits like the back of her hand.

’The fact that they were asking for twenty chickens as compensation meant that the weasel who died held a fairly high status in its clan.’