Xu Lanyin said thoughtfully, "I think that Wang Yi's chance encounter with Mother, and the subsequent fight for the red card, might have been orchestrated by Chai Zhengguan and that old woman. Mother would have been heartbroken by such a despicable person. Those two old bastards never wanted Mother to marry off in order to keep her dowry in the Chai family."

Qin nodded and said, "Your father and I analyzed it the same way. They found the shameful Wang Yi, which meant they found the reason why I died in the Chai family. And because Princess Beiyang was in the middle of that marriage, my uncle and Princess Nanyang couldn't interfere. Later, I heard from your father when he came back from the capital that the Chai family said that Chai Qingyan was so ashamed and angry because Wang Yi had done such a shameful thing that she committed suicide by jumping into the river on the way back to the capital from Niangniang Temple. Even her body was never found. She also said that many people saw the second daughter of the Chai family jumping into the river... The Chai family must have let a maid who was about the same size as me wear my clothes and jump into the river, or someone pushed her into the river... Later, Chai Zhengguan and Shen went to the Princess Beiyang Mansion in tears to argue. The Princess Beiyang Mansion felt guilty and didn't even take back the betrothal gift of more than 30,000 taels of silver. So it seems that even if I didn't run away, I would have been pushed into the river, and my "suicide" would have been seen by more people."

Xu Lan was so angry that she cursed a few times and said, "After Mother's death, Chai Zhengguan and Shen Shi not only took all of Mother's dowry, but also got the betrothal gifts from the Beiyang Princess's Mansion. They are so bold that they even dared to plot against the Beiyang Princess's Mansion. However, to plot against the Beinan Princess's Mansion, they must have certain channels to understand the people and affairs of their family. Does Mother know who they are close to in the Beiyang Princess's Mansion?"

Qin shook her head and said, "Mom was surrounded by people from the Shen family at that time, so she didn't know the real situation in the outside world. After she married you, your father worked that kind of job, so there were some things she wanted to investigate but she didn't have the time or identity to do it herself."

She sighed deeply again and said slowly, "Those things are as far away as those in the past life. Don't think about them. I am Qin Yan in this life. Since I followed your father, it feels like I have lived a new life. Although we live in the countryside, with simple clothes and plain meals, your father only comes home once every two years and stays for only a month each time. The time we have spent together is only a few months in total, but I think it is worth it... When your father is not around, I miss him and the happy times we spent together. I have always felt that even though the two encounters between your father and I were extremely embarrassing, the impression we left on each other was extremely beautiful. We had a beautiful meeting, a beautiful union, and a beautiful daughter, so I named you 'Lan Yin'. But your father died and never came back... Sometimes I think, Lan Yin - Xuguo, shouldn't this name be given to you..."

Qin spoke softly about her and Xu Qingyan's story, without a trace of embarrassment. When she mentioned Xu Lanyin's name, she covered her mouth with her handkerchief and burst into tears again.

Xu Lanyin hugged her and tried to persuade her, "Mom, please don't think like that. I really like this name. Every beautiful marriage and event has a beautiful cause, which leads to a beautiful process and a beautiful result. Lanyin corresponds not only to Xuguo, but also to Languo, Meiguo... all beautiful results. Dad's death was an accident and has nothing to do with this name."

Qin smiled again with tears in her eyes. "You two siblings are now successful, and I am satisfied. However, I cannot bring trouble to my uncle's family. Regardless of whether Qin Che is my cousin Qin Wanbao or not, I cannot go to him. The Chai family dared to bully my aunt and me because the Qin family is a merchant. Even if Qin Che became the Tongzhi of Ningzhou Prefecture, he is only a fifth-rank official. He cannot deal with the Chai family, let alone the Beiyang Princess's Mansion. Why bother to embarrass him? Knowing that they are living a good life, I am very happy."

Xu Lanyin nodded. It was indeed not a good idea to let Qin and Qin Che recognize each other now, not to mention that she didn't know whether Qin Che was willing to be involved in this trouble of her family.

Seeing Qin's red eyes, Xu Lanyin felt pity for her. She had lived with this secret for so many years, and the only man she relied on had died in mysterious circumstances. Now she was afraid to recognize her relatives...

Xu Lanyin rested his head on her shoulder and said, "Mom, my brother and I will honor you and make your life smooth and happy."

"Yes, mother believes it." Qin patted her hands and said, smiling, with tears in her eyes.

Xu Lanyin asked again, "Mom, do you know who my father was working as a secret guard for when he was alive?"

Qin said, "Mother rarely left the house during the years she was in the capital. That trip to the Zhou Mansion, it might have been because my sisters wanted to punish me. I only met that young master that one time, but I didn't know who he was. I asked your father about it later, but he didn't say anything, only that he was a secret guard for a powerful family, responsible for protecting the noble's safety when they traveled. He also said that it would be best if I didn't ask about his affairs, as it would bring trouble."

Noble person!

Xu Lanyin had previously suspected Xu Qingyan of being a secret guard for the late Crown Prince, the current Crown Prince, or the Third Prince, and even suspected him of being a assassin for the Yiju Restaurant. Now, it seemed that the Yiju Restaurant had definitely been ruled out. Qin was fifteen when she met him, and the young man was eight or nine. He should be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight now. It seems the late Crown Prince is twenty-seven this year, so the age fits. The current Crown Prince and the Third Prince are both twenty-four, making them just five back then.

The Zhou family of the Duke of Huguo's mansion was also the late Crown Prince's maternal family. It was perfectly normal for the late Crown Prince to appear in their family.

So, Xu Qingyan was a secret guard employed by the Zhou family, responsible for the safety of the late crown prince outside the palace. The late crown prince had the Imperial Guards and the secret guards in the palace, but the Zhou family was still worried.

Xu Qingyan disappeared after the assassination of the late Crown Prince, presumably dead. If a secret guard dies, their family should receive compensation, but why hasn't there been any explanation? Perhaps he was disabled because he failed to protect the late Crown Prince, and the late Crown Prince was displeased. A guard would have been punished if he were alive, so how could there be any compensation for his death?

Suddenly, Xu Lanyin remembered that Zhao Xingchen's original name was Chai Zixiao, and Qin's attitude towards him was so different. She asked again, "Mother, could Xiao Xingchen be the offspring of Chai Zhengguan and that old woman?"

If that were the case, she would have unknowingly repaid evil with kindness. Her heart was in a state of panic, and she silently prayed that this must not happen.

Qin said, "Little Xingxing is most likely a descendant of the Chai family, but not of Chai Zhengguan. He is a descendant of Prince Consort Chai and Princess Nanyang. I can see that he looks a bit like Princess Nanyang. Princess Nanyang has only one son, Chai Rong, who is my eldest cousin, five years older than me. My eldest cousin has a son named Chai Jun. When I left the Chai Mansion, Chai Jun was just six years old. Little Xingxing is very likely his son. As for Chai Zhengguan, he had two sons when I left, one was nineteen years old and the other was twelve years old. Those two didn't even have sons, so it's impossible for them to have such a big grandson. A son is possible, but Little Xingxing said he had a great-grandfather. If he is their son, there can't be a great-grandfather. Chai Zhengguan also has a younger brother, and his son is even younger."