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“Have all the items been buried? The Qin Wang Manor guards didn’t notice anything, right?”
Just as Sheng Yichen and Sheng Nanxi entered the rockery, the stone walls slowly closed behind them.
Although there was still a stone door separating them from the chamber where the voices came from, Sheng Yichen, with his profound inner strength, could faintly hear the conversation inside.
After the deep voice finished speaking, another voice, obsequious and flattering, responded:
“Would I ever let you down? Not long ago, we exerted tremendous effort to steal the security rotation plans of the main branch.”
“This morning, we took advantage of the guard change and sent a few men to sneak into the main courtyard. We buried the items you provided us in locations no one would ever suspect.”
“Now, we just have to wait for the investigators from the Qianqing Palace to search the manor and catch them completely off guard.”
Sheng Yichen tightened his hold around Sheng Nanxi protectively, his brows furrowing deeply.
That second, sycophantic voice… it belonged to none other than his second uncle. And the first deep voice? It sounded suspiciously like the Imperial Uncle.
Though Second Uncle also resided in Qin Wang Manor, he was born of a concubine and had never been on good terms with their side of the family.
Could they be plotting something to harm the main branch?
Sheng Yichen signaled for Sheng Nanxi to remain silent before pressing his ear even closer to the stone door.
Then, the Imperial Uncle’s voice rang out again:
“Rest assured! I have already reported this to His Majesty. Once the plan is carried out, Qin Wang Manor will be convicted and sentenced to exile. His Majesty has agreed that, in recognition of your meritorious service, your second branch will not only be pardoned but also promoted by one rank.”
“I will personally reward you with a thousand taels of gold and a grand estate!”
However, his tone suddenly grew heavy with concern:
“But I still have my doubts. Send more men to monitor the main courtyard. The sons of Qin Wang are all exceptional. His Majesty has tried multiple times over the years to eliminate them, yet they have always managed to escape. We cannot afford any mistakes this time.”
“Don’t worry.”
This time, a new male voice responded—one Sheng Yichen had never heard before. Unlike Second Uncle, this man didn’t show the slightest deference to the Imperial Uncle, implying that his status was exceedingly high.
Sheng Yichen was puzzled. He was well-versed in the power dynamics of the capital’s elites, yet he didn’t recognize this voice.
Since when did such a powerful figure appear in the capital?
Despite his curiosity, he quickly refocused and continued listening intently. The unknown man continued:
“You’ve already captured the severely injured Qin Wang and Sheng Tiance, haven’t you?”
“According to plan, tonight Qin Wang Manor will be convicted of practicing witchcraft and sentenced to exile. Qin Wang and Sheng Tiance, both gravely wounded, will be sent three hundred miles away to Liuyun County to join the exile convoy.”
“As long as you have Qin Wang and Sheng Tiance as hostages, do you really think the remaining Sheng family members in the capital will dare defy you?”
At this, the Imperial Uncle, Cao Yi, sounded noticeably more relaxed:
“All thanks to Mr. Qi’s brilliant strategy. If not for you, we wouldn’t have been able to turn Qin Wang’s trusted general against him and critically injure both Qin Wang and Sheng Tiance.”
“It’s a pity… With Qin Wang’s death, the entire Nanqi military, which follows his command, will lose morale. This might give foreign nations an opportunity to invade.”
“For now, our top priority is obtaining the Tiger Tally from Qin Wang Manor to stabilize the army. Once the situation is under control, we’ll wait for the perfect opportunity to stage an ‘accident’ and ensure that every last member of Qin Wang’s bloodline perishes on the road to exile…”
By this point, Sheng Yichen had pieced together the entire conspiracy, and any lingering hope in his heart was completely crushed.
His father had spent his life on the battlefield, tirelessly safeguarding the people of Nanqi and protecting the royal family who had once recognized his worth.
They had always known that a military leader with too much power would inevitably arouse the emperor’s suspicion.
For years, Qin Wang Manor had done everything possible to downplay its influence, yet they still couldn’t quell the emperor’s fears. In the end, their entire bloodline was to be wiped out!
Even their elderly grandparents and his innocent little sister were not to be spared!
Sheng Yichen’s fists clenched so tightly that veins bulged from his arms. Fury and grief surged through his chest like a raging storm, making him hold his little sister even tighter.
But now was not the time for sorrow.
Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed his overwhelming emotions and began rapidly formulating a plan.
What should I do now? Escape with the family before the plan is exposed?
Clearly, that wasn’t realistic.
The city gates were likely under strict surveillance by now—people could enter, but not leave.
Besides, Father and Fifth Brother were still held hostage. Grandmother was gravely ill, Mother was constantly sick with worry, and Eldest Brother had been paralyzed from poison years ago.
Among the remaining members of the Qin Wang Manor’s direct line, only Sheng Yichen himself was physically capable—except for his three-year-old little sister.
Even if he tried to flee, how far could he possibly get with his family in this condition?
For now, at least, the emperor still feared Qin Wang’s influence over Nanqi’s military, which was why he had chosen exile instead of immediate execution.
Perhaps their only option was to follow the exile convoy for the time being—then find a way to rescue Father and Fifth Brother before escaping.
But right now…
Though the adults couldn’t escape, maybe… just maybe, Xi’er could.
With this thought, Sheng Yichen quickly checked his surroundings. Once he was sure no one was near, he led Sheng Nanxi into a dense thicket and forced out a reassuring smile.
“Xi’er, be good. Grandmother’s condition has worsened, so we’re taking her to Yiquan Pass to recover. But I still have unfinished business here. I’ll have my shadow guards take you there first, and we’ll meet up later.”
But the next moment, he found himself staring into a pair of clear, knowing eyes.
The little girl before him suddenly felt… unfamiliar.
“Hmph! You’re lying! You’re trying to trick me!”
“You just don’t want me to suffer with you, so you’re planning to send me away with the shadow guards, even if it costs their lives!”
“Uh…”
Sheng Yichen was stunned. He hadn’t expected his three-year-old sister to speak so clearly and logically. He was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Xiao… Xiao Mei, you weren’t just here to get your wooden horse, were you? You knew they were plotting something and led me here on purpose?”
His voice trembled. The thought itself was absurd.
But faced with reality, it was the only explanation that made sense.
Time was short, and Sheng Nanxi had no interest in keeping up the act any longer. She confessed directly:
“Gege… I had a very long dream last night. In that dream, we were exiled and died on the journey.”
“So… I wanted to bring you here to see if the place from my dream really existed. And it turns out… it does.”
“Hiss—”
A simple statement was enough to make Sheng Yichen suck in a sharp breath, leaving him frozen in shock.
“Gege… the dream was too real. It felt like I actually lived through everything.”
“In my dream, I fell into the pond today and drowned. Then, I became a wandering ghost and witnessed everything that happened afterward. Decades later, a celestial elder sister took me as her disciple. She taught me a lot of knowledge and magic. And when I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day before our house was raided.”
“Since I woke up, everything has happened exactly as I remember it. So… I think I’ve been reborn.”
Of course, explaining the concept of transmigrating into a novel to someone from ancient times was too complicated, so Sheng Nanxi conveniently blamed everything on an imaginary celestial teacher.
She knew from reading the original story that her family genuinely loved the original owner, so she wasn’t too worried about revealing part of the truth to them.
After all, as the only one aware of the future, she would need to take many actions to change their fate.
Pretending to be a clueless child would only slow her down and make things inconvenient.
To make her words more convincing, Sheng Nanxi focused her mind, and a small flame suddenly appeared in her tiny, chubby hand.
“Gege, look! The celestial sister taught me this.”
Sheng Yichen’s pupils shrank, and he nearly dropped the little girl in his arms.
“M-Meimei… y-you’re really a celestial disciple?!”