At the Emperor's command, the Jinyiwei escorted the women of the Ning family back to their residence. The manor was placed under heavy guard, and no one was permitted to enter or leave without an imperial decree.
At the same time, Imperial Physicians were summoned to treat the Ning women's injuries and ensure their well-being.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, the Dingyuan Marquis watched the direction in which the Ning family had departed, his expression unreadable and complex.
The Dingyuan Marquis’s rival, the Minister of Works, approached him. "Dingyuan Marquis, which branch of the Ning family does this Fifth Miss Ning who suddenly appeared belong to? Why have I never heard of her?"
Though he asked, his expression was meaningful, as if he had long since seen through everything.
The Dingyuan Marquis inwardly cursed him as an old fox and coolly retorted, "How should I know?"
The Minister of Works chuckled and said in a strange, mocking tone, "Weren't you once related by marriage? You should know each other's roots. To be honest, I quite admire the Ning family for having such a descendant—courageous, resourceful, loyal, and filial. Rare, truly rare."
The Dingyuan Marquis's face darkened further. The Minister of Rites appeared out of nowhere and added, "A pity she is a girl."
The group fell into a collective silence. If she were a son, the Ning family would have a successor, and their prosperity could have lasted another three generations.
What a pity. Now that the adult males of the Ning family were all dead, what great things could a group of women achieve? The Ning family no longer had a future to speak of.
It was lamentable that a clan that had been prominent for a century would see its curtain fall in such a manner.
The General’s Mansion was vast, a seven-entry courtyard house with pavilions, terraces, upturned eaves, green tiles, and carved beams—a scene of immense wealth.
After the house was searched and seized, valuable items had been looted, and damaged goods were strewn everywhere.
Cixin Hall was Lady Ning’s residence. The storage doors had been smashed, the contents emptied, and the plants and flowers trampled into a chaotic mess.
In the east wing, only a large bed remained in the empty room. A pale young girl lay upon it; the wound on her back had been treated, but blood still seeped through slightly. She lay there unable to move, her face pale and her breath weak.
The Imperial Physician held the girl’s thin arm to check her pulse, his brow furrowed deeply.
"The Fifth Miss’s constitution is weak, and the injury has damaged her foundation. She must be nursed carefully. She must not harbor any suppressed anger, or it will affect her lifespan."
He spoke subtly, but everyone understood his meaning.
The Ning family members looked as if they were mourning their own parents, their expressions solemn, and some even had red eyes.
In contrast, Ning Zhiwei was very composed. "Life and death have their reasons; wealth and honor are in the hands of Heaven."
The Imperial Physician sighed silently; this girl was far too detached.
He wrote a prescription, left some Golden Sore Medicine, and gave detailed instructions before being escorted out by Madam Ning the Elder.
Once everyone had left, Ning Zhiwei could no longer hold on. She let out a yawn and quietly drifted off to sleep.
Lady Ning watched her for a long while before instructing Shaoyao to keep a close watch. She then gave a look to Ning Xiaolong, who was guarding the door, and he silently followed her out.
Ning Xiaolong did not hide anything and recounted the experiences of the past few days. When he reached the most painful parts, he was filled with self-reproach.
"It is my incompetence; I failed to save the generals."
the last shred of hope within everyone was completely shattered, and they could not help but burst into tears.
Thinking of how her only biological son had been killed by an arrow through the throat, forever separated from her by death, Lady Ning was overcome with grief.
"I cannot blame you. In that situation, even a god would have found it difficult to save them."
With a calculated scheme against the unsuspecting, there was no way to escape. If anyone was to blame, it was…
Amidst the sound of weeping, Ning Xiaolong hesitated for a moment. "The head-of-house token was passed to the Fifth Miss."
However, because the matter of the military tally was of such great importance, he kept it hidden. Now, Ning Zhiwei was the master to whom they owed their undying loyalty.
Everyone fell silent. Although it was unconventional, the Ning family had no better candidate.
After a long time, Lady Ning asked, "What kind of person is she?"
Ning Xiaolong opened his mouth, with countless things he wanted to say, but only one sentence came out: "She is no ordinary person."
The women and children of the Ning family had always lived in comfort. Having experienced the pain of losing their kin, suffered through hunger and torment in the Imperial Prison, and then endured the floggings, they were both physically and mentally traumatized. Upon returning to the mansion, many fell ill.
Several of the children even ran persistent high fevers.
The Chief Steward was so frightened that he knocked on the main gates late at night, asking the Jinyiwei guarding the mansion to pass word to the palace. Upon hearing the news, the Emperor dispatched two Imperial Physicians to stay at the Ning residence until everyone had recovered.
Ning Zhiwei’s injuries were the most severe. The Imperial Physicians watched her twenty-four hours a day, and Shaoyao personally brewed her medicine, staying by her side at all times, not daring to leave the task to anyone else.
Inside the mansion, they recovered in peace; outside, a storm was brewing.
The sky was azure, white clouds drifted by, and the sunlight was bright.
Outside the window, the begonias were in full bloom, their branches heavy with flowers. The petals were as vivid as a sunset, and a delicate fragrance lingered in the air.
Ning Zhiwei, dressed in white, reclined on a daybed by the window, carelessly flipping through a book on military strategy.
Ning Xiaolong cleared his throat outside. Ning Zhiwei looked up. "Come in."
Ning Xiaolong handed over several thick booklets. "Miss, these are the records the Lady Ning had someone send over. They contain information on the inner palace, the officials in the capital, and the situations of the various noble houses."
The inner palace and the imperial court were inextricably linked; a single move could affect the entire body.
The intricate web of relationships among the officials and nobles in the capital was deeply rooted; a single misstep could lead to total ruin.
These were essential studies. Only by knowing them by heart could she plan every step and seize the initiative.
Ning Zhiwei first picked up the booklet on the inner palace. The current Emperor had five sons and three daughters. There was the Eldest Prince, born of a palace maid; as the eldest, he received considerable attention both inside and outside the court.
The Crown Prince was the second eldest, the legitimate son of the original Empress. His status was exceptionally noble, and he had been created Crown Prince at birth, receiving the most attention.
The Third Prince had died young. The Fourth Prince and the Eldest Princess were born of Consort Li. Consort Li was a legendary beauty and deeply favored by the Emperor.
The Fifth Prince was born of Consort Xian. Consort Xian was the niece of the Empress Dowager, though the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were not biological mother and son.
The Sixth Prince and the Third Princess were the legitimate children of the Successor Empress. Their nobility was only slightly inferior to that of the Crown Prince.
As for the Second Princess, she was born of Consort Ye. Consort Ye and the Emperor were childhood sweethearts, and their bond was far from ordinary.
And Consort Ye was the biological younger sister of the Dingyuan Marquis.
Ning Zhiwei circled the names of Consort Ye and the Dingyuan Marquis, her finger tapping the table thoughtfully.
Now that the various princes were grown, the Struggle for the Succession was intensifying, and various factions were beginning to take the stage.
She gave a mocking smile. The Emperor was in his prime, yet these people were already impatient to pick a side. Wealth and power truly blinded the eyes.
The Merit of Following the Dragon was enough for a clan to stake everything. If they won, they would rise even higher, and their glory and riches could continue for another dynasty.
If they lost, the clan would be overturned.
But they should never have used the hundred thousand soldiers of the Ning Family Army and the hundreds of thousands of civilians at the border as cannon fodder.
What did they do wrong?
The Ning family had guarded the border for a century, never interfering in the succession. They were loyal only to the Emperor and to the protection of the border people. But the Emperor did not necessarily trust the loyal, hot-blooded Ning Family Army.
The Chief Steward ran in hurriedly, drenched in sweat. "Miss, the Dingyuan Marquis and the Chief Minister of the Dali Temple wish to see you. They say they are here to investigate the case by imperial decree."
The Dingyuan Marquis? Speak of the devil. Ning Zhiwei’s eyes narrowed dangerously. In this life, how will you perform?