The document is clear to the world

Chapter 91

Granny Jing was taken aback. "Your Majesty."

I waved her off, my heart filled with uncertainty. This child is from the Rong family; if things continue like this, it'll eventually reach the Emperor's ears. Then, will Yin'er still be able to stay peacefully by my side as she is now? I don't know, and I dare not think about it…

I have already lost a child... I can no longer bear the heartache of this entanglement.

She reached out and removed the pearl hairpin from her hair bun, and her gorgeous robes fell to her feet. Dressed in plain clothes with her hair down, she stood in front of the mirror.

Liu Shang pushed the door open and came in. "Master, everything is ready."

I walked out of the main hall and looked at the night scene in the courtyard, and at Zhi'er being led by her nanny under the opposite window.

“Tell your father,” I said softly, “It’s over. I’m not playing anymore.”

Horse-drawn carriage in the outskirts of Beijing.

Yin'er opened her eyes in my arms, blinked her bright eyes, and then sat up abruptly. "Mother, is it too late?"

I laughed and pressed him back down. "You don't need to go to the South Study today. You can sleep as long as you want."

Yin'er sat up abruptly. I lifted the curtain and looked at the dust flying outside the carriage. After driving all night, we should be about twenty or thirty miles from the capital by now.

Where are we?

"Go home." I smiled. This wasn't running away from home. I left a letter and gave instructions to Siliang and Liushang. I left openly and honestly, except that I sneaked out the back door at night with Yin'er in my arms.

Lifting the outer curtain, I handed water to Man Shun, who was busy rushing to catch the carriage. Man Shun turned around and smiled, his bright forehead glistening with sweat.

Back on the carpeted spot, I pulled Yin'er over to fix his hair. Yin'er was particularly interested in the trip, but still asked me, puzzled, "Why didn't my younger sister and brother come along?"

"It's too small, it's inconvenient."

Yin'er nodded, "Mother, when are we coming back? Grandfather also said that there will be a lotus banquet in a few days."

I didn't answer, but just stroked his little head and patted it affectionately, "There are lotus flowers at home too..."

Chapter Ten of the Main Text: Nalan Manor

The weather in the south is always much more humid and hot than in the capital. In April, the willows are in full bloom, peonies and roses are vying for attention, and the lotus pond is bright and beautiful. I stand among the flowers, carefully pruning the plants, while my sister Rong Xiyue watches me from the side with a basket.

"You're in such a hurry to go to Yangzhou?" My sister sighed behind me. "We've only had two days of fun together, and you're already leaving so soon. I'll be all alone in this empty palace."

I took out a handkerchief and wiped my hands. "If it weren't for the fact that people in Yangzhou kept looking for me as soon as they heard I was out, I would have liked to spend a few more days with you."

The older sister shook her head. "You've never had an easy life, no less so than us, you've always been destined to be stressed out."

I laughed, "Sister, find a man. You'll never be lonely with a child by your side."

"Only you could say such depraved things. I'm a woman who's been divorced once, what more can I ask for?"

I was taken aback. "You still can't find Zi Mo?"

Seeing my sister shake her head helplessly, I sighed inwardly. That was my eldest brother's only bloodline.

The older sister looked at Yin'er, who was playing with the servants by the pond, and said, "You must take good care of this child. He is the only heir of the Rong family."

I looked up and saw my sister's smile suddenly appear after her initial sadness. Puzzled, I followed the direction she was looking and saw a graceful, beautiful figure walking towards us in the distance, trailing a long skirt.

I chuckled and shook my head. "This girl really did find us."

Beside the stone table, Yin'er nestled into the woman's arms and sweetly called out, "Godmother—"

Xiaoyu's eyes crinkled with laughter. She spun around in her arms, carrying Yin'er, until she was dizzy before finally sitting down. She took the tea I offered and let out a big sigh. "I knew you'd hide here. You're so unfair! Running away from home without taking me with you."

I chuckled a few times. "I'll ask Madam Hua of Fifth Master's mansion for help."

"If we can't get them to come, we'll escape." Xiaoyu said with a mischievous smile.

"You escaped, after all."

"Fifth Master granted me a leave of absence. Do you really think that Prince's mansion is easy to escape from?" Xiaoyu smiled. "It's mainly because your servant is bothering Fifth Master all the time. Fifth Master can't take it anymore."

I almost choked. "When did my daughter become so close to Fifth Master?"

"That goes back to the family banquet a few days ago. Fifth Master made a palace lantern for your Zhi'er, which made your little flower-obsessed girl drool. Since then, she has been running over to our place all the time, making a lot of noise. She wants to recognize Fifth Master as her godfather and praised Fifth Master's smile in front of Seventh Master, which really angered Seventh Master."

I smiled and said, "This girl is indeed extremely spoiled, and there's really nothing I can do about it."

Xiaoyu sighed, "There's one more thing I need to tell you. This capital city is about to be turned upside down by a certain prince, and he won't be able to find Huainan for long."

"So, you see," I said, looking at her with a faint smile, "I was just about to move, and you just happened to arrive at the right time."

Xiaoyu raised her eyebrows and smiled knowingly, "You haven't been back to the manor for many years, have you?"

Upon arriving at Nalan Manor, I was startled by the scene before me. A few beggars were squatting at the entrance. When did my Nalan Manor become a beggar's guild?! I rushed forward, only to be blocked by a beggar. "You...who are you? Do you think you can just walk in like this?"

Xiaoyu tugged at me from behind, "We should inform them first."

I shook off the hand that was pulling me, and glared angrily at the beggar. "What are you? Get away from me!"

The beggar's eyes also turned red. "I'm an honored guest here... at least leave some money for the passageway."

Ignoring his attempts to stop me, I grabbed Xiaoyu and rushed inside. It was indeed a scene of utter chaos, a veritable cat and mouse mess… A figure was running towards me from afar—it was Jin Wulei.

"Taking advantage of the manor's lack of leadership, my uncle acted arrogantly and caused a great disturbance with his men, forcing us to appoint him as a hall master. When the Water Palace Master refused, he never had a moment's peace, stirring up trouble everywhere. Several palace masters, unable to bear the humiliation, spoke out in refusal, but he injured them. Because of his status, no one dared to fight back."

It turned out to be his uncle. Long ago, his maternal grandfather, disliking his unreliability, sent him out of the village and gave him silver to cultivate properly. Unexpectedly, after only a few years, he returned to cause trouble.

"Nonsense..." I gritted my teeth, seething with resentment. Ignoring everything else, I followed Jin Wulei straight behind.

As I walked to the front of the hall, a jade screen inlaid with three luminous pearls was thrown out and shattered at my feet. This was my grandfather's favorite piece of furniture.

“Uncle… the Alliance Leader is not here, you cannot just take the old Alliance Leader’s memorial tablet.” This was the voice of the Water Palace Master.

"What? You won't even let me see my father's memorial tablet?"

"Only with the leader's permission can one enter the ancestral hall."

"Fine... then I'll smash all my stuff, that's none of your business."

"Uncle..."

"Don't stop me..." I clenched my fist and finally spoke, then strode inside. "Smash it, not only smash it, but smash it so loudly I can hear it."

Everyone stared in disbelief as I appeared at the entrance to the hall. The man holding the Jingdezhen imperial porcelain vase trembled, staring at me blankly. My voice, though not angry, carried a chilling intensity, and no one in the room dared to move an inch. In the deathly silence, I took the seat of honor. The instant my body touched the rosewood chair, a loud, unified voice erupted from below, "Welcome, Master!" Accompanied by that voice, everyone knelt down. Only my uncle stood there, clutching the porcelain vase, frozen in place.

"Uncle, what kind of story are you telling now?" I softened my tone slightly, picked up the Biluochun tea in my hand, and smelled its enticing aroma.

“Nalan… now that you’ve become the head of the manor, you can’t forget how good your uncle was.” He gave an embarrassed smile.

“The silver you’ve been sent over in boxes, and all the trouble you’ve caused in the martial world has been taken care of. Even the women… every woman you’ve messed with has been settled for you. What else does Uncle need? Silver? Jewelry? Women?” I suppressed my anger and looked at him coldly.

His face was deathly pale. He kept glancing at a man in purple in the crowd. The man in purple nodded to him, and my uncle immediately looked at me. "I... what I lack is status in the manor. I am also from the Nalan family. Give me a status! Sending me to drift in the martial world, what is this? Shouldn't I be a hall master? Is the uncle of the dignified Nalan family so worthless? I am also a member of the manor."

I coldly raised the corners of my mouth and smiled disdainfully. "A member? Does your uncle count as a member too?"

His face suddenly flushed, and he abruptly drew his sword from his waist. "Little Nalan... what do you mean? Are you going to expel me from the manor, just like Father expelled my sister back then? What did my sister do wrong to be treated like that? I never imagined that you, my niece whom I've pampered since childhood, would be so heartless. Not only do you disown your mother, but even—"

"Shut up!" I slammed my hand on the shore, smashing the teacup and shards all over the floor. "Uncle, don't you know? Grandfather gave the order... Anyone in the village who speaks a single word about that sinner... will have their tongue cut out."

Everyone hurriedly knelt down again, saying, "Please calm down, Master."

My right hand, which had been gathering its full power, slowly loosened.

The uncle's lips trembled. "Go ahead and try. What a good daughter you are! Calling someone 'mother' is a sin. Without that sinner, where would you be... If it weren't for that sinner, where would you be today?"

“Alright…” I smiled suddenly, turned to the Water Palace Master and said, “Take Ouyang Zi away… and cut out her tongue.”

The man in purple among the crowd looked at me in panic, "Master... how could you..."

“My uncle has always been foolish. He can’t say such rebellious words, nor would he know how. Ouyang Zi, my maternal grandfather asked you to guide my uncle onto the right path back then, but I never expected you to be so impure, causing my uncle to sink deeper and deeper. This time you’ve even sent him back to the village to cause trouble. What are your intentions? This mouth of yours will only poison the world.”

With a sudden wave of his hand, Jin Wulei led his men away. Soon after, Ouyang Zi's scream filled the entire hall.

I frowned slightly, then turned a cold look at my panicked uncle.

He was momentarily incoherent, "You... Nalan... you don't even respect me, your uncle? I am, after all,... the uncle of Nalan Manor."

"All these years, besides squandering money and spending time with women, what have you done? You keep saying you're part of the manor, so... eight years ago, when Nangong led his brothers in a three-day, three-night battle against the Xiaoyao Sect, with blood flowing like rivers in the south and north of the city, where were you, Uncle? You gambled away five thousand taels and bet yourself at the gambling den, didn't you? In the end, I sent people to redeem you overnight with cartloads of silver, didn't I? If it were anyone else, I certainly wouldn't have bothered with this, but because you are my uncle, how could I, as a junior, bear to see my uncle, who has always doted on me, gamble away so much that he had his arms and legs chopped off? Those cartloads of silver were for the brothers' medical treatment and for the families of the fallen brothers' families." "Son, after hearing the news from your uncle, none of the brothers were willing to take a single extra penny. How can you still say that the manor doesn't respect you? Doesn't that break the hearts of all the brothers? Where were you when your maternal grandfather passed away? You were indulging in a life of debauchery with women at Qingfeng Tower. You bullied the widow of the Yang family and were imprisoned. Palace Master Shui, afraid of being laughed at, even kept it from me. Despite his advanced age and status as Palace Master Shuixian, he personally went to the government office to redeem you. Don't you remember this kindness? But I've heard that you've offended several palace masters. Uncle, do you really think the manor belongs only to the Nalan family? The manor was bought with the blood and flesh of all the brothers. I can't let you break the hearts of the brothers and then forget about your coming to your senses!"

My uncle stared blankly at the ground, utterly dejected. Several palace masters had tears in their eyes, and Jin Wulei looked at me with a meaningful expression.

The storm has finally subsided.

After instructing everyone to leave, the Water Palace Master walked over steadily. Just as she was about to kneel down, I grabbed her and stopped her. "Uncle Water, what are you doing?"

"Etiquette is essential," said the Water Palace Master with a benevolent smile.

There was a commotion outside the door, and a little child was walking in from the outer room, leaning against the doorframe and waving his tiny fists. Seeing that small figure, I couldn't help but pause in surprise. The child was surrounded by a group of servants who were being very careful.

Without thinking, I walked forward and stood in front of him. He looked at me with a pair of clean and bright eyes. I was amazed by his clear and cool pupils. They were probably the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. I could even see my own smile in his clear eyes. I had an urge to hug him.

“Xi’er—” I nodded softly to him.

The young maid behind him pointed at me and whispered in his ear, "This is the Master!" He suddenly laughed, opened his arms, and snuggled into my embrace. I was almost shocked to hear him utter a muffled "Mother!"

This is the child who needs my motherly love, the child to whom I will then unload all my burdens.

The Water Palace Master quietly walked up behind me. "This is the child I secretly found. The Master of the Manor named him Nalan Xi."

I handed the child to the young nanny and glanced at her, a young woman who, despite her young age, exuded shrewdness and intelligence. "Were you the one who took care of the young master before?"

The young nanny quickly bent down and said, "My name is Mianye. I have always served the young master. My former mistress was the young master's birth mother. Her family fell into poverty, and our young master and mistress died of illness in the chaos. They only had one child left, who was kindly taken in by the Water Palace Master."

In what year was this child born?

March of the twenty-fifth year.

I smiled and said, “I have a son in my household who is a few months older than him and whose birthday is in the first month of the lunar calendar. From now on, you will report to me on the young master’s diet and daily life. Since this child has been adopted into my family, I will not care about his past background. Just remember that this child will henceforth be surnamed Nalan and is my youngest son. When word gets out, just say that he was born in the capital in the twenty-fifth year of my life.”

The maid answered tremblingly. I glanced at the little man who was looking at me intently, smiled, and said, "Since he is a child of the Nalan family, that is a fact that can never be changed. In the future, he will inherit everything in the manor. From today onwards, move him to my room. I will personally supervise him."

Mianye quickly knelt down, "This servant thanks the master for this kindness to our young master."

"Get up. This isn't the capital city where you have to kneel all the time. I'm tired of it. From now on, you don't need to kneel when you see me."

After saying that, he glanced at the child at his feet, then led Xiaoyu out.

"Girl, are you really going to keep this child with you?" Xiaoyu caught up a few steps.

I laughed, "This is no ordinary child; he's destined for greatness!"

"But he is different from you all; he does not have the blood of the Nalan family."

“I want to break this shackle of bloodline inheritance.” I smiled faintly. “From my generation onward, it will be the capable who do the work, not the bloodline that has been passed down for hundreds of years.”

Sitting at the table, watching Yin'er diligently copying the calligraphy, he occasionally offered her some pointers.

"The master is so good to the children." Mian Yexin looked at Yin'er with envy, then looked at me.