Chapter 313: The Mid-Autumn Festival Draws Near

Chapter 313: The Mid-Autumn Festival Draws Near

Aunt Gui prepared offerings: pastries, fresh fruits, and a pot of wine. While the fresh fruits and plain wine were standard, the pastries were exquisitely crafted, showing the maker's care and effort.

Among the variety of pastries, Xin You noticed the butter abalone spirals, her mother's favorite. Milk was hard to preserve, so it was rarely enjoyed in the valley.

"Your Majesty, I’ve come to see you," Aunt Gui murmured, her forehead pressed to the ground.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, landing on the cold floor. Though it wasn’t yet winter, a chill had settled in her heart.

Xin You stood quietly beside her, her eyes welling up.

After some time, Aunt Gui rose and asked Xin You to accompany her to pay respects to the others.

Over a dozen black coffins were lined up in another hall. Guards were present, but the hall was unnervingly silent.

After paying her respects through tears, Aunt Gui clenched her fists repeatedly before gathering the courage to ask, "Young Master Xin, which coffin is Changxia’s? She was my younger sister."

Xin You paused for a long moment before whispering, "I can’t distinguish them."

During the disaster, she could only bury her mother, unable to give the other elders individual burials.

Aunt Gui had braced herself, but the coffins still gave her a flicker of hope. At Xin Mu’s words, her tears poured down.

With no other words of comfort, Xin You murmured, "I’m sorry."

"Young Master, don’t say that," Aunt Gui said, wiping her tears and forcing a smile. "It’s alright. Changxia loved company. She’d be happy to be with everyone."

Xin You instinctively reached out and held Aunt Gui’s hand.

Her once delicate hands were now rough with age, yet they still made the comforting flavors of home Xin You loved.

"Aunt Gui."

Aunt Gui shivered and exclaimed, "What did you call me, Young Master?"

"I heard Aunt Xia say she had an older sister. I should call you Aunt Gui."

"Did Changxia say that?" Aunt Gui’s tears returned.

Someone entered, and Xin You’s gaze shifted.

Aunt Gui turned her head following Xin You’s gaze and saw He Qingxiao.

"Lord Marquis, what brings you here today?"

"I came to pay my respects to Her Majesty, thinking Aunt Gui would be here," He Qingxiao said, looking at Xin You.

"Lord He."

"Lady Xin, my condolences. I’d like to discuss the aftermath of the ruined temple incident with you."

Hearing that they were about to discuss serious matters, Aunt Gui quickly excused herself and left.

He Qingxiao did not rush to speak with Xin You but instead respectfully lit three incense sticks for Aunt Xia and the others.

Xin You took him to the flower hall where she’d spoken with General Bai and sent the tea server away.

He Qingxiao left the tea in front of him untouched. After a moment of thought, he said, "Grand Secretary Deng has admitted his guilt."

"So quickly?"

He Qingxiao's lips curled slightly. "A man of his status, accustomed to a life of luxury, might keep his mouth shut under the interrogation of the Three Judicial Offices, but surviving three lashes in the Jinlin Guard would show his exceptional willpower."

Many think they can endure torture calmly, but in reality, very few can. That’s why those who refuse to yield are so rare and valuable, becoming famous or anonymous heroes.

"What did he say?"

"He said your presence would eventually destabilize the state, and only by removing you could the Great Xia remain stable for a long time."

Xin You sneered. "You’d think the Great Xia was his own."

He Qingxiao remained silent for a moment, then said, "If the Great Xia were his, he wouldn’t think that way."

"Then will the case be concluded soon?"

He Qingxiao shook his head. "On the contrary, this is just the beginning. His Majesty had previously tasked me with investigating certain senior ministers. Over the past decade, many have ties to these ministers. Now that Grand Secretary Deng has been arrested, it’s the ideal time for a comprehensive purge."

He Qingxiao spoke euphemistically, but in reality, Emperor Xingyuan had already hinted that he should handle those who could be handled—dismissing officials and executing the guilty.

Xin You, being extremely intelligent, fell into silence after hearing this.

Targeting those linked to Grand Secretary Deng would benefit her, but after the purge, the officials and nobles, unable to blame the emperor, would turn their anger on Lord He. In the future, history might note that the Jinlin Guard exploited the situation to frame and execute innocents.

Later, when that person and the officials reach an impasse, or to appease the ministers, or to make them compromise, Lord He might be sacrificed to break the deadlock.

The thought of his possible fate made Xin You’s heart ache.

"Maybe don’t drag too many people into this."

He Qingxiao immediately understood Xin You’s thoughts.

His heart also ached faintly, but more than that, he was filled with joy.

The future is too distant; he knew that the girl he loved was worried about him and cared for him at this moment, and that was enough.

"I will try my best not to let the innocent suffer."

He couldn’t promise anything more.

The number of people involved or killed was always decided by the wielder, not the knife.

"Lord He, you must also be cautious." As they parted, Xin You simply reminded him.

There was no need to say too much. When the time came, as long as she was alive, she would do her best to protect him.

In the following days, Empress Xin’s funeral proceeded as planned, while the Northern Pacification Office’s prison grew busier each day.

During court sessions, fewer spoke up with fervor; in the offices, chatter and laughter dwindled; on the streets, fewer young officials raced and frolicked.

A shadow hung over the capital’s noble families, leaving them uneasy.

Xin You, however, led an extremely peaceful life.

The imperial mausoleum, secluded from the city’s noise, nestled among mountains and ancient trees, felt timeless and serene.

"Miss!"

Xin You recognized Xiao Ba just by his footsteps, without needing to hear his voice.

Besides Qian Feng and Ping An, Xiao Ba had also followed Xin You to the imperial mausoleum. As for the Sixth Boss, he was currently busy with about two hundred bandits at the estate bestowed by the emperor, so busy that he barely had a moment to rest.

Xiao Ba approached Xin You with a string of oil-paper packages, smiling and saying, "Sixth Boss had someone deliver mooncakes to you."

Only then did Xin You remember that the next day was the fifteenth of August.

"Xiao Ba, you should head back to the farmstead today and return after the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Without a second thought, Xiao Ba refused, "I’m staying here with you, young master."

With two hundred brothers, he was the only one who could accompany the young master to the imperial mausoleum. He’d be crazy to go back.

He wanted to be the second most trusted person by the young master!

Seeing Xiao Ba’s determination, Xin You didn’t press further. She thought that tomorrow, a day for family reunions, would be just like any other day for her.

While things were calm for Xin You, the Shaoqing residence was bustling with activity.

Imperial Academy had given the students a day off for the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the fourteenth of August, after finishing his studies, Duan Yunlang returned home. After dinner, he abruptly announced, "Grandmother, Uncle, I have something to say."