Chapter 1278: Chapter 1278

Lin Xingyi paused for a moment, rendered speechless by her words.

From another perspective, his actions were indeed somewhat excessive. But what choice did he have? His loyalty lay with the Emperor; as a subject, bestowed with the ruler’s grace, shouldn’t he shoulder the ruler’s burdens?

Had she ever considered him, or spared a thought for this country?

If the Beiping Army continued to oppose the Imperial Court, they’d merely become the next King of Xining.

And the ones who would suffer would still be the commoners.

Lin Xingyi said flatly, "Fine, I won’t force you. Take your time and think carefully about whether to go to war. If we truly must fight the Beiping Army, I, Lin Xingyi, will be the first to volunteer for the battlefield."

He swept out of the room, his sleeves flicking gracefully behind him. Madam Lin lay alone on the bed, her heart heavy with sorrow. Before long, she broke out into sobs.

"How did things escalate to this point?"

Overnight, her family had been torn apart. Lin Xingyi, a mere scholar, was clamoring to march to war — what kind of battle could he fight? If he died, who would protect Qianqing?

Once Qianqing was sent back to her maternal family, wouldn’t she be tormented to death by the women in the rear courtyard?

No, she couldn’t allow herself to stay ill this way. Even less could she take the easy way out and end her life. She was a mother, and her children depended on her protection.

Jin Fengzhao, holding the Brocade Book gifted by the Emperor, finally tracked down that family. They had settled in a small town, living there as landlords with several acres of fertile farmland, enjoying a comfortable life.

They had concealed their names for thirty years, fully integrating into the fabric of life in this quaint town.

The carriage arranged by Eunuch Wan was naturally exceedingly luxurious. It came to a halt before the gate of the He family.

The servant guarding the entrance, someone fairly worldly by local standards, had never seen such an extravagant carriage before. He approached haltingly, his knees almost buckling with nervousness.

"May I ask whom you are seeking?"

A maid stepped forward and spoke to the servant, "My lady is a distant relative of your master, passing through this town and stopping by for a visit."

Distant relative — upon hearing this, the servant lit up with excitement.

He knew his master was a wealthy merchant who had relocated to this town. Naturally, before settling here, wealthy merchants tended to have many affluent relatives.

"Please wait here, Miss. I’ll inform my master immediately."

The servant bolted into the courtyard, where a fifty-something stout man was frolicking with a scantily-clad young and beautiful woman. The scene had a certain illicit allure, but the servant found it utterly repellent.

He quickly said, "Master, there’s a young lady outside requesting to see you, claiming she’s a distant relative."

The stout man pushed the young woman aside and stood up, thinking to himself: Where would someone like me have distant relatives? After the incident all those years ago, he had fled with his wife and Silver Coin without alerting anyone. All connections with distant relatives had naturally been severed — how could there be any left?

He asked, "What does she look like?"

The servant replied, "She’s a young lady... hmm, appears to be a young woman, though her attendants address her as ’Miss.’ She seems very wealthy, with dozens of attendants. Her carriage is a large one, pulled by two horses."

Upon hearing this description, the stout man felt puzzlement rise within him.

He froze for a moment before suddenly being struck by a realization, his face showing utter shock.

"Does the Miss look about thirty years of age?"

The servant replied, "Yes, roughly thirty."

The stout man understood now — he had guessed who had come.

All kinds of emotions swelled within him at that instant.

It was because of that daughter that he had achieved the wealth and prestige he enjoyed today.