Chapter 9: What? The Warlord’s Estate is empty?!

“Seizing the family and exiling them?!”

“How is that possible? Our lord has always acted justly; how could he collude with enemies and betray the country?!”

The Warlord’s Estate erupted in chaos. Some servants, knowing Xiao Huaishuo’s character, couldn’t help but speak up for him; others, realizing they would soon be sold, cried uncontrollably.

Eunuch Fu signaled to the commander of the Imperial Guards beside him. Immediately, a squad of guards stepped forward, surrounding the hundreds of Xiao family members in a corner. The commander led a team inside to seize the family.

At that moment, the crown prince arrived. He scanned the crowd with a sinister gaze, his eyes filled with undisguised pride.

Xiao Huaishuo was exceptional in both literary and martial skills, overshadowing him since they were young!

He had long been displeased with Xiao Huaishuo. Seeing that his father was finally going to seize the Warlord’s Estate, he hurried over without even checking on the old emperor, who was fainted from rage, leaving the palace without returning home.

He was eager to witness the fall of the so-called favored one and to present the treasures seized from the Warlord’s Estate to his father, so he wouldn’t think of turning his attention to him when money ran low.

Of course, if he had first returned to the East Palace and discovered that his own family had also been seized, he might not be smiling now.

Xiao Huaishuo’s mother, Zhang Qinxue, along with her sisters-in-law, had just received news of her husband’s disappearance at the border, and now suddenly learned that their entire family would be seized and exiled.

They were momentarily unable to accept it, swaying unsteadily and relying on the support of nearby maidservants to maintain their balance.

Grandmother Liu Qing, despite her strong will and having seen many grand events in her youth, was now elderly and frail. Hearing the bad news made her breath quicken and her chest feel tight, as if a heavy stone were pressing down on her heart.

Seeing Liu Qing in distress, Su Qingning hurried over, shielding her with her sleeve and slipping a heart-preserving pill into her mouth. She then handed her a water pouch filled with spiritual spring water, signaling her to take the medicine with the water.

Liu Qing saw that her granddaughter-in-law had clear and determined eyes, which warmed her heart. Without hesitation, she took a few sips from the water pouch.

To her surprise, within an instant, the feeling of tightness and breathlessness eased significantly, and her mind felt clearer.

What was even more astonishing! She felt that her speech and actions seemed to have more strength than before!!

Liu Qing was immensely shocked. She hadn’t expected that the new daughter-in-law of the third son would possess such remarkable medical skills; the medicine she provided was even more effective than what the imperial physician prescribed!

Seeing Su Qingning remain calm and composed in the face of disaster, Liu Qing regarded her with even greater respect.

Gratefully, Liu Qing squeezed Su Qingning’s hand, signaling that she was fine now. She gently said:

“Come here, all of you; I have something to say.”

Xiao Huaishuo had just caught sight of his grandmother through the crowd and was anxious upon seeing her old ailment acting up again.

From a distance, he noticed that Su Qingning seemed to have done something for his grandmother, as her condition not only stabilized but appeared even more vigorous than before.

He quickly cast a grateful glance at Su Qingning and maneuvered his wheelchair closer to them.

Liu Qing looked at her daughter-in-law Zhang Qinxue and her three granddaughters-in-law surrounding her, tears welling in her eyes, yet her voice remained strong and powerful.

“My Xiao family has served the country loyally for generations, without any treachery. I also believe in Huaishuo’s character; he has always been an upright person and would never commit such treasonous acts that would bring eternal disgrace.”

“Ultimately, it’s just that the Xiao family’s contributions have been too great, causing fear among those above, leading to our current fate. You all see that the Xiao family will soon be exiled entirely; the journey ahead is likely to be fraught with danger. I will now write a divorce letter on behalf of your husbands; you all should leave!”

Eldest sister-in-law Li Xuanyi was the pampered daughter of the Anyuan Marquis family, having never experienced hardship in her life.

Now, faced with such a great change, she was already in tears. Yet she held Liu Qing’s hand tightly, her gaze resolute as she said:

“Grandmother, I won’t leave. My mother taught me since childhood that when marrying a chicken, one follows the chicken; when marrying a dog, one follows the dog. A husband and wife are one body, sharing blessings and facing difficulties together. Now that my elder brother’s life is uncertain at the border and the Warlord’s Estate is in such dire straits, how can I turn my back and leave alone?!”

Second sister-in-law Jiang Xinyue was much calmer than her. Originally a rural girl, her family had been killed by beasts in the mountains. It was by chance that the second son, Xiao Huaiyi, passed by and saved her life.

The two fell in love at first sight and promised each other a lifetime. The Warlord’s Estate was not a family that cared about social status, so when they saw the second son liked Jiang Xinyue, they happily brought her into the family.

Having endured much hardship in the mountains since childhood, Jiang Xinyue was able to weather the storm. She firmly stated:

“Grandmother, I also won’t leave. When I married into the family, I promised the second master that I would ‘hold your hand and grow old together.’ I want to wait for him to return with all of you!”

After saying this, she turned her intense gaze toward Su Qingning.

“Now, third sister-in-law, you came here to take on the disaster for Su Qingyin. If the court investigates, it can only fall on Su Qingyin, who has a marriage contract with the third brother. It would be better to find an opportunity to leave later.”

Xiao Huaishuo also looked seriously at Su Qingning and said softly:

“I still have some influence that hasn’t been withdrawn from the capital. If you want to go out, I can have them come to assist you. The old emperor only wants my life; it shouldn’t be difficult for you to escape.”

Watching the Xiao family members pushing and caring for each other, Su Qingning felt a softness in her heart; she was beginning to really like this family.

Although she had lived two lives, both of her original families were very cold. This was the first time she had seen such a united and loving family. With a determined expression, she said:

“I won’t leave. Since we have already held the wedding ceremony, I am also a member of the Xiao family; how could I abandon you in a time of crisis? Moreover, who knows if a setback is actually a blessing? As long as we stand united and look out for each other, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome.”

In fact, Su Qingning thought that with her handsome husband and his intelligence, wouldn’t it be great for this family to prosper together?

Running away to do her own thing would be meaningless!

Unexpectedly, her powerful and confident words lifted the spirits of the Xiao family members, making them feel that the future didn’t seem so bleak after all.

Grandmother Liu Qing excitedly patted her hand, praising her:

“Good! This is the spirit that my Xiao family should have. I recognize you as my granddaughter-in-law!”

Looking at Su Qingning’s confident and determined expression, Xiao Huaishuo felt as if his heart, which had been frozen for ages, was gradually melting, filled with indescribable softness.

He tightly grasped Su Qingning’s hand and said slowly:

“Alright, we will walk through this together.”

As they discussed quietly here, the commander of the Imperial Guards had already finished searching the entire Warlord’s Estate. Aside from some worthless junk, they found nothing.

The crown prince’s previously smug expression instantly froze on his face, his voice rising by eight degrees in shock.

“What? You say the Warlord’s Estate is completely empty?!”