As night falls, the crescent moon hangs high in the sky, its reflection reflected in the autumn waters.

General Xie's study in the General's residence.

General Xie sat behind his desk, looking at Xie Lingqin, who stood there with her head slightly bowed, calm and without any sharpness. After a long while, he sighed, his face filled with unconcealed sorrow.

“Lingqin, you are my daughter, the legitimate daughter of the General’s Mansion. If it weren’t for that fake Xie Lingyu saying it today, I would never have known that you have suffered so much bullying over the years.”

With each word uttered, General Xie raised his hand to his face, his expression filled with shame and regret. "Your mother passed away early, and all these years, I have failed you. I have been so busy with affairs all day long, and I was deceived by the hypocrisy of my second aunt. Now, you have suffered..."

Xie Lingqin took in every detail of General Xie's expression, her heart overflowing with unspeakable sarcasm, but on her face she maintained a perfectly composed demeanor, as if nothing had happened.

"Father, there's no need to be sad. Fortunately, I'm still alive, and I've finally woken up from Mother's dream. I should live a good life. Father, as a man, you're in charge of things, how could you possibly take care of things in the backyard?"

Upon hearing Xie Lingqin's words, General Xie lowered his hand, looked at her, and after a moment, a serious expression appeared in his eyes. "Now that the Emperor has granted you such great power, although you do not hold an official position, you are more powerful than if you were given one. You must act with caution."

Xie Lingqin understood General Xie's meaning, which was simply to tell her to be careful and not ruin the entire General's Mansion.

However, Xie Lingqin pretended not to understand and asked with a puzzled look, "Father, is there something you want to say?"

General Xie was very satisfied with Xie Lingqin's reaction. He rubbed his temples, sighed, and then walked out from behind the desk. He stood in front of Xie Lingqin with his hands behind his back. "Lingqin, you are a smart woman. You are the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion. Your life is tied to the General's Mansion. You should know the principle of sharing weal and woe, of sharing both glory and loss."

"Please tell me in detail, Father."

"Investigating the case is important, but don't be too domineering and cause trouble, which could bring bad consequences to the General's Mansion. Always leave room for maneuver. The General's Mansion is your best safe haven." General Xie's eyes were bright, his words a mix of advice and worry, and his last sentence clearly carried a warning.

Xie Lingqin felt even more sarcastic.

Even if General Xie were being hypocritical, he would still have told her to be careful with her life, but what happened...?

Or is it all just for the General's Mansion?

A safe haven?

What a huge joke.

This father is so selfish; she would feel she was doing herself a disservice if she didn't make the General's Mansion tremble.

"Father, now that I am awake, I will certainly act with caution. The Emperor's grace is boundless, and I will certainly not presume to be superior. Of course, I will not implicate the General's Mansion."

General Xie nodded, and after a moment, added, "By the way, this time, the Emperor even asked the Crown Prince to assist you. Although the Crown Prince is handsome and talented, you must not get too close to him, lest you offend the Emperor."

Xie Lingqin met General Xie's seemingly gentle but actually sharp gaze and nodded as if she understood, "Your daughter is awake."

"Okay, go down now."

General Xie looked at his daughter, whom he could completely control, and a look of satisfaction finally appeared in his eyes. He waved his hand.

"Yes, Father, rest assured. I will do my best to find my second sister," Xie Lingqin said as she left.

General Xie nodded.

Actually, I didn't have much hope. After all these years, even if I found it, what difference would it make?

Now, he only wants to use Xie Lingqin to restore the General's Mansion to its former glory, but at the same time, he must avoid letting her implicate the General's Mansion.

After waiting for so many years, a chance has finally come for the General's Mansion to turn its fortunes around.

The moonlight is gentle, and the wind rustles through the flowers and leaves.

After leaving General Xie's study, Xie Lingqin walked slowly, exuding a cold and austere aura.

"Purple River".

A moment later, Xie Lingqin called out.

Zihe quickly responded, "Miss, what's wrong?"

"You tell me, my mother was such a brilliant and talented woman back then, able to command the three armies, summon 50,000 divine soldiers, repel the barbarian enemies, and make the world take a serious look at her. She must have had discerning eyes."

Zihe nodded, of course understanding the meaning behind Xie Lingqin's words. His usually composed face showed a rare hint of confusion. "Yes."

"But why did I choose Xie Zhengshan, such a selfish and self-serving man? Is it just because he's good-looking? Can good looks put food on the table?"

The more Xie Lingqin spoke, the more ironic and ridiculous she found it.

“The Crown Prince is also handsome, but he doesn’t look like this,” Zihe hurriedly said.

Xie Lingqin glanced at her, her expression softening instantly. "Of course, my mother has bad taste. Fortunately, I didn't inherit that trait."

As Xie Lingqin spoke, she glanced again in the direction of General Xie's study behind her.

When she entered the study just now, she noticed that it seemed that more guards had been added around the study at some point. Could it be because of the secret passage in the study?

To prevent the secret passage from being discovered, General Xie kicked out Xie Danling, his own son, without saying a word last time.

Speaking of Xie Danling...

It's true what they say, "Think of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears."

As soon as Xie Lingqin turned around, Xie Danling turned around from the path ahead and stood a few steps away from Xie Lingqin.

The young man, dressed in fine robes, had a complex and dark expression, and a pair of bright eyes that were remarkably similar to hers were staring at her.

"Oh!"

Xie Lingqin straightened her sleeves and chuckled lightly, "What, is this another one? Let me tell you, your sister is in a very bad mood today, and I certainly won't be lenient with anyone who comes to me to get a lesson."

"You've received the Emperor's decree, so you're already putting on airs?" Xie Danling pursed her lips, raised her head, and looked somewhat uncomfortable.

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