“Why has Gonggong come here? Does Niang Niang have instructions for me?” Duan Mingxi asked, looking at Chen Fu.
Chen Fu bent slightly as he replied, “Young Miss, Niang Niang requests your immediate presence in the palace.”
“Now?” Mingxi was surprised. It was already dark—why summon her to the palace at this hour?
“Yes,” Chen Fu confirmed with a nod.
“Can you tell me why Niang Niang is summoning me at this moment Gonggong?” Mingxi asked. She had an inkling but chose not to voice it.
Chen Fu, following Niang Niang’s instructions, leaned in and lowered his voice. “The news of the fire at Longhu has reached the palace. The Empress and the Noble Consort have joined forces to accuse someone of plotting against the Crown Prince and Jin Wang before His Majesty.”
Duan Mingxi felt a surge of anger and couldn’t hold back a sneer. “What audacity! It’s like a thief crying ‘Stop thief!’”
Chen Fu normally disapproved of coarse language, but in this moment, he couldn’t agree more. Duan Mingxi’s words hit the mark.
“Young Lady, please be cautious with your words in the palace.”
Speaking out of turn before the Emperor would be like courting death.
Mingxi acknowledged his well-meaning reminder with a nod. “Thank you for the advice, Gonggong.”
“Shall we depart, Young Lady?” Chen Fu asked with a smile.
Duan Mingxi nodded, instructing someone to notify the household of her departure before following Chen Fu to the palace.
Neither Chen Fu nor Mingxi brought up changing her attire. Her disheveled appearance from the assassination attempt would be a perfect statement for the Emperor to see.
As Duan Mingxi left with Chen Fu, the Marquis residence quickly became a hub of activity. The Old Madam sent word to the Patriarch and summoned her sons.
Dingyuan Marquis had just received the news from Yang Yiniang and was about to leave when she grabbed his arm, her face full of concern. “My Lord, will the Young Miss be alright?”
“She’s so capable—what could happen to her?” Dingyuan Marquis replied instinctively. His daughter was tougher than any son. Even he, her father, felt a sense of guilt and intimidation in her presence.
Yang Yiniang lowered her gaze briefly to roll her eyes but quickly replaced her expression with one of worry. “My lord, even if she is strong, she’s still a young lady. Being summoned to the palace so abruptly must have frightened her. As her father, you must stand up for her.”
The Marquis glanced at Yang Yiniang. “Stand up for her?”
Was she joking?
Could he even shoulder that responsibility?
Realizing something was amiss, he asked, “Why was she summoned so suddenly?”
Yang Yiniang didn’t know the exact reason but was certain it wasn’t good.
“You should head to Rongan Hall and speak with the Old Madam. She’ll have the details. Whatever has happened, you must protect Eldest Miss. The Marquis’s manor owes everything to her. If something happens to her, what will become of us?”
The Marquis’s expression turned serious as he furrowed his brows. “I’ll go take a look.”
After he left, Yang Yiniang felt uneasy. She knew the Marquis and his wife lacked affection for Mingxi, but appealing to his sense of familial duty wouldn’t work. Instead, framing the issue as one of the manor’s future would surely weigh on his mind.
In this household, she and Miss Duan had to work harder than others to secure their place.
Marquis Dingyuan arrived at Rongan Hall to find that the old master and his second and third Master were already present—making him the last to show up, even as the girl’s father.
Feeling sheepish, the Marquis sat down and asked, “Father, Mother, why has Mingxi been summoned to the palace so late? What’s going on?”
The old master cast a disapproving glance at his useless son. Mingxi’s closeness to Duan Pingchang’s family wasn’t without reason.
“Tonight is the Qixi Festival. A massive fire broke out along Longhu’s street markets, and both the Crown Prince and Jin Wang were attacked. The Empress and the Noble Consort have already brought accusations to the emperor,” the old master explained gravely.
“Is that true? Where did this information come from?” The Marquis’s face turned pale. “Why summon Mingxi? What does this have to do with her?”
Second Master Duan, clearly fed up with his older sibling’s reaction, couldn’t hold back. “Older Brother, aren’t you at all concerned about Mingxi’s safety?”
Such a flurry of nonsensical questions at a time like this!
The Marquis froze, his words faltering under the rebuke. His expression shifted several times before he managed to stammer, “She’s my daughter—how could I not be worried?”
Worried? None of your words had reflected even a trace of concern so far.
Third Master Duan didn’t bother masking his displeasure. Turning to his older brother, he said curtly, “News just came in—Mingxi and Duan Wang were also ambushed.”
Marquis Dingyuan: …
For once, his usually indifferent fatherly heart was genuinely startled. “How could this happen? Is she alright?”
Second Master Duan lowered his gaze. “Fortunately, Mingxi trained in martial arts with Master Duan from a young age. Otherwise, tonight, we might have had to collect her body!”
Marquis Dingyuan clutched his chest, unable to speak for a long moment.
Third Master Duan, tired of looking at his flustered older brother, turned directly to their father. “Father, what do we do about this? We can’t just sit around waiting for news.”
At that moment, the weakness of the Dingyuan household was laid bare—they had no family members in the imperial court, making it extraordinarily difficult to gather inside information.
Third Master Duan, who had just started working at the Imperial Stables, had yet to establish himself and couldn’t easily obtain palace intelligence.
“That’s right, Father. We can’t just wait. Maybe I should go to Duan Wang’s residence. If I could meet Wangye, that would be ideal,” Second Master Duan said, rising to his feet.
“What’s the rush?” The Old Master coughed lightly. “The bigger the issue, the more composed we must remain.”
Dingyuan Marquis, well-versed in indulgent pleasures but utterly useless in serious matters, found his mind a chaotic mess. However, Yang Yiniang’s earlier words flashed through his head, and he blurted out instinctively, “Father, Mingxi can’t come to harm. Whatever you say, I’ll do.”
Though inept, he at least could follow his father’s lead.
The Old Master looked at his disappointing son, feeling slightly heartened that he could at least express concern.
“First, send word to Duan Wang’s residence. If he has any plans, he will surely reply. If there’s no response from the Wangye’s side, send Duan Yu to make inquiries. After all, he’s been at the Military Selection Department long enough to be of some use.”
“Alright, Father, I’ll do as you say,” Dingyuan Marquis agreed immediately. “Shall I personally visit the Wangye’s residence?”
The Old Master nodded slightly. “Go now.”
Afraid of being scolded, Dingyuan Marquis hurried off. Once he left, the Old Master turned to his second and third sons. “This matter is not simple. Mingxi hadn’t even set foot inside the house before being summoned away. It’s likely very dangerous.”
Then he looked at them sternly. “Old Second, go to Longhu and investigate the situation carefully. Old Third, your father-in-law holds a position in the military and likely has reliable information. Go see him immediately and find out what you can.”
Both brothers agreed without hesitation and rushed out of the house, wasting no time.
Meanwhile, Mingxi and Chen Fu were stopped outside Chongzheng Hall by Zhang Mingde, the head steward for the Empress.
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