Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

A few days later, the snow finally stopped falling. The sky gradually cleared up, and the sun shone through the clouds onto the silver earth. The icicles under the eaves reflected the morning light.

The number of pedestrians on the streets gradually increased, shops reopened, and the city returned to its former hustle and bustle.

Dongling Palace, Imperial Study.

Emperor Yingtian sat upright in front of the imperial desk, holding a memorial in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes serious, as if he was lost in thought.

Eunuch Deshun stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Old Master Yao requests an audience."

Emperor Yingtian was slightly startled, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Shortly after Qin'er's death, Old Master Yao voluntarily resigned from his official position and lived in seclusion, not setting foot in the imperial palace for many years. Why would he suddenly enter the palace today? He suppressed his doubts and said calmly, "Announce."

A moment later, the palace door slowly opened, and a hunched figure stepped into the imperial study. His hair and beard were all white. He limped to the imperial desk and slowly knelt. He placed his hands on the ground and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, this old minister... pays his respects."

Emperor Yingtian's gaze fell on Old Master Yao, his brow furrowing even deeper. The man before him was as old as a candle in the wind, a stark contrast to the stern, dignified Master Yao he remembered. In the blink of an eye, Qin'er had been gone for so many years.

He collected his thoughts and said gently, "Stand up." He turned and ordered, "Deshun, please take a seat!"

Deshun quickly agreed, ordered the young eunuch to bring a carved wooden chair, and carefully helped Old Master Yao sit on the chair.

"Old Grand Tutor," Emperor Yingtian said slowly, "It has been many years since we last met. Is there anything that brings you to the palace today?"

Old Master Yao raised his head slightly, his cloudy eyes filled with complex emotions. He whispered, "This old minister... has a favor to ask of you, Your Majesty. I have come to ask for your permission."

Emperor Yingtian's eyes froze, and he leaned forward slightly, saying in a gentle voice, "Old Grand Tutor, if you have anything to say, please feel free to speak."

Old Master Yao lowered his head, his voice hoarse and low, "I have recently felt my health failing, and I have begun to feel sentimental, especially missing Qin'er. Perhaps it was because I was thinking about her every day, because a few days ago, I dreamed of her. She looked sad, and she wept, saying that her soul was restless in the other world."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingtian's pupils suddenly contracted, and his knuckles unconsciously clenched the armrests of the dragon throne. He pursed his lips tightly, but said nothing. He simply stared at Old Master Yao, his eyes as deep as ink.

Old Master Yao took a deep breath and continued, "When I woke from my dream, I initially thought it was just overthinking and didn't take it seriously. But for three consecutive days, I dreamed of the same scene every night."

"Qin'er's cries of grief in the dream tore my heart apart. Unable to bear the pain, I asked her if she had any solution. She said... I needed to find a woman with a very Yin fate, both wealthy and noble. I should pray sincerely for her for seven days, and then obtain a soul-soothing talisman. I would then burn it at her grave, and only then would her soul rest in peace. I then asked her where to find such a woman, and she replied that she didn't need to look far, as her friend Jiang Muxue had just such a fate."

"I dared not delay even a moment, and the next day I sent someone to respectfully invite the Marquis of Jing'an to my residence to discuss matters. Upon hearing this, despite the raging snow, she immediately set out for Hongfu Temple outside the city to pray sincerely for Qin'er. Now that the seventh day had arrived, the Marquis of Jing'an not only obtained the soul-soothing talisman personally bestowed by Master Huijue, but also personally copied a copy of the Diamond Sutra."

Old Master Yao stood up tremblingly, knelt on the ground, and pleaded, "I, your humble servant, beg Your Majesty to show mercy and allow the Marquis of Jing'an to enter the imperial mausoleum. I will burn these gifts for Qin'er to comfort her soul in heaven."

Emperor Yingtian's tense expression relaxed a little, and he said in a gentle voice: "It's such a small matter, why bother the old Grand Tutor to come here in person." He glanced at Deshun, who understood and hurried forward to help the old Grand Tutor Yao sit back in his chair.

Emperor Yingtian's eyes flickered, and his tone was filled with anxiety: "Qin'er... has she ever mentioned me?" He paused, his Adam's apple rolling, and his voice deepened: "Why is she so uneasy?"

Old Master Yao slowly shook his head, stood up and replied, "Your Majesty, Qin'er...she never mentioned Your Majesty, nor did she explain why she was so uneasy. Perhaps...perhaps she missed her family too much..."

Emperor Yingtian's eyes darkened, and his fingertips gently stroked the carvings on the armrests of the dragon throne. He lowered his eyes slightly, hiding the disappointment in his eyes, and a silent sigh surged in his heart: "Qin'er, why don't you enter my dreams? But...but you still blame me?"

The hall was completely silent; even the dripping sound of the copper clock could be clearly heard.

Old Master Yao lowered his head, cautiously observing Emperor Yingtian's expression from the corner of his eye. The emperor's expression was calm, yet it seemed even more unfathomable. He felt a surge of anxiety, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and even his breathing subconsciously slowed down.

A few days ago, he received a secret letter from his grandson Chu Yuncang, informing him that someone had been so audacious as to deceive the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an into leaving the palace under his name, causing her to disappear. Even more outrageous was the rumor that the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an had eloped.

Chu Yuncang was away from the capital, so he pleaded with Old Master Yao to mobilize the Yao family's resources to search for the missing person. He immediately contacted the Jiang family in secret, and to his relief, Old Madam Jiang personally replied, stating that the missing person had been found, but was struggling with how to dispel the rumors and return the missing person to the Marquis' residence in an honest and upright manner. The Jiang family's denial of the rumors would only make things worse.

It was then that he suddenly realized that this might be the perfect opportunity for the Yao family to surface. His grandson, Chu Yuncang, was growing stronger, and if the Yao family wanted to provide him with a solid backing, they could no longer remain dormant. Furthermore, the account of Qin'er's unjust death needed to be properly settled.

So, today, he deliberately entered the palace and fabricated the story of Qin'er's dream before the Emperor, every word and every expression carefully considered. He wanted to stir up the sand at the bottom of the river, allowing the truth, buried by time, to see the light of day. But the Emperor's mind was unpredictable. Had he made the right move?

Emperor Yingtian was silent for a long time, and finally came back to his senses from his memories. His eyes swept over Old Master Yao, who was like an old monk in meditation, and a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

"Deshun," he said calmly, a hint of fatigue in his voice, "You must go there in person and accompany the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an to the imperial mausoleum." He paused, "Bring some of Qin'er's favorite osmanthus wine and Ruyi cakes, and then burn those calligraphy and paintings hanging in my bedroom for her."

"Also," he added in a deeper voice, "get two Buddha statues from the warehouse to comfort the soul and send them along."

Deshun quickly agreed. He helped Old Master Yao up and walked out of the imperial study.

Emperor Yingtian suddenly looked up, his gaze following the hunched back of Old Master Yao, a deep glint in his eyes. He had naturally heard the rumors about Jiang Muxue eloping. Was Old Master Yao's actions today a lie, or... what did this old fox know about Qin'er's death?

Qin'er had been dead for so many years, had her soul truly not yet entered reincarnation? Once this thought arose, it grew wildly in his heart like weeds, disturbing Emperor Yingtian's mind. He suddenly stood up, his hands trembling slightly in his sleeves. He wanted to find that person to calculate and get to the bottom of it.

A moment later, Emperor Yingtian rode in a sedan chair, quietly passing through the winding paths of the Imperial Garden and heading towards the deepest part of the woods. There, a brand-new Taoist temple stood proudly, its vermilion-lacquered gate tightly closed, and bronze bells on the eaves rang crisply in the wind...