It is An Shangyu, the ten-year-old ninth young lady of Marquis Anping, who is celebrating her birthday today.
"Who are you? Let go of me." Before An Shangyu could brush Xie Lingqin's hand away, a man and a woman chased after him.
Their clothes fluttered, and the two looked extremely anxious. When they saw that it was Xie Lingqin who was holding An Shangyu, their expressions became complicated.
"Sister Lingqin." An Shangning stepped forward, her hair slightly disheveled and sweat still clinging to her forehead.
"Swish." A long sword gleaming with a chilling light was suddenly placed against Xie Lingqin's neck.
"What do you want to do?" Zihe simultaneously raised her fingertip and struck the sword.
With a clang, the sword was unexpectedly deflected slightly, but not completely.
An Shangyi, the second young master of the Marquis of Anping's mansion, glanced at Zihe, clearly startled. When he looked at Xie Lingqin again, in addition to his previous resentment and displeasure, he now had a more complex coldness in his eyes. "Who sent you?"
"Do you believe that someone wants to harm me and led me here?"
Xie Lingqin countered with a question.
An Shangning's expression changed slightly as she looked at An Shangyi, "Second Brother..."
"I just came out for some fresh air when I heard the imperial decree from the front ordering the arrest of everyone in the Marquis of Anping's residence. I reckon someone will find their way here soon. If I were you, I wouldn't be pointing a sword at me and questioning me, but would be taking the Fourth Miss and the Ninth Miss and leaving immediately. If we're too late, we'll die." Xie Lingqin continued, each word quick and deliberate, yet firm and resolute.
An Shangyi frowned, his sword-wielding motion froze, and his gaze towards Xie Lingqin became noticeably different. "You..."
"Second brother, Sister Lingqin wouldn't harm us." An Shangning also stepped forward anxiously to persuade her.
"You, you let me go!" An Shangyu, who was being held by Xie Lingqin, struggled desperately.
"You all leave now, I didn't see anything." Then, Xie Lingqin released her hand and pushed An Shangning towards An Shangyi.
An Shangyu, who had been struggling intensely just moments before, suddenly fell silent. She looked at An Shangning, then at An Shangyi, and finally stared at Xie Lingqin with almost fear in her small eyes.
An Shangyi gritted his teeth, staring intently at Xie Lingqin, "You... why should I..."
"Second Young Master, the past is the past. Now we have all grown up. Marquis Anping and his wife must have known all along that they could not escape today, which is why they gathered the three of you together in order to preserve the bloodline of the Marquis Anping family." Xie Lingqin knew what An Shangyi was going to say, so she interrupted him coldly.
His words, though cold and ruthless, hit the nail on the head.
An Shangyi's handsome brows furrowed, and after a long while, he said, "Now that everyone is in the front yard, aren't you afraid that people will become suspicious if you're here?"
"I was set up, but what can a woman like me, who is powerless to even kill a chicken, do?" Xie Lingqin remained calm.
So weak that you can't even kill a chicken?
An Shangyi frowned. The calmness with which he pointed a sword at his brow and the skillful way he grabbed An Shangyu showed that he was not weak.
Who exactly are you?
"I am Xie Lingqin, you should leave now," Xie Lingqin urged calmly.
Zihe, however, had a stern expression.
If Miss hands over the Second Young Master, the Fourth Young Master, and the Ninth Young Master...
Zihe tightened her grip, about to make a move, but Xie Lingqin's cold glance made her stop, and she could only sigh inwardly.
An Shangyi didn't notice Zihe and his movements; he was only looking at Xie Lingqin, his starry eyes flashing with surprise and astonishment.
In a split second, without saying a word, he turned to look at An Shangning and said, "Take Ninth Sister and leave as I just told you."
"Second brother, what about you?" At this critical moment, An Shangning had no time to ask Xie Lingqin, but looked at An Shangyi nervously.
An Shangyi slowly sheathed his sword. "I'm going to save my father and mother."
“We’re already surrounded. You can tell how many people there are just by listening to the noise. If you escape with them now, you might still make it in time. But there’s no hope of saving anyone,” Xie Lingqin analyzed.
His tone was calm, yet as cold as shattered snow.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered that the people of the Marquis of Anping's residence must not be allowed to escape. Search them quickly."
In the distance, voices and footsteps drew closer.
"Go quickly." An Shangyi only said this one sentence before rushing out.
Fortunately, Xie Lingqin and Zihe were quick and each pulled one away.
"Shang Ning." Xie Lingqin patted her shoulder, "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn."
“Sister Lingqin, my father and mother have served the Beirong for generations and would never collude with barbarians.” An Shangning shook her head desperately, her eyes red and swollen.
Xie Lingqin's hand landed on her face, her gaze resolute. "Whether you have it or not, can you defy the imperial decree? Besides, you must remember that when Bei Rong was founded, the Marquis of Anping's mansion was loyal to the previous monarch."
These words jolted An Shangning awake from her daze. She was a young lady from a sheltered family, but not a rigid one. Looking at Xie Lingqin, her eyes widened in surprise, "Sister Lingqin..."
"Let's go," Xie Lingqin pushed her. "As long as we're alive, we can always rebuild."
"I won't go, I won't go, I want to see my father and mother." An Shangyu, who was being held back by Zihe, was restless.
Xie Lingqin frowned and was about to raise her hand when she was stopped by a masked man in black who suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Xie Lingqin instinctively took a step back, but the man looked at An Shangning and said, "I'm here to save you. Come with me." The man's voice was serious. Without waiting for An Shangning to speak, he grabbed one of them with each hand and glanced at Xie Lingqin. In that instant, there was a clear murderous intent in his eyes.
"Please don't hurt Sister Lingqin, she's a good person," An Shangning pleaded, tugging at the sleeve of the man in black.
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