When Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao arrived at Songhe Garden, they were unaware that Xie Xun and Fengyu were there as well. They thought the old madam might be unwell and hurried over. Upon seeing Fengyu and Xie Xun, Su Yuejiao burst into tears of joy, holding Xie Xun tightly, her sobs wrenching the hearts of those around her. Fengyu could only stand by and watch helplessly. Listening to Su Yuejiao’s weeping, Fengyu felt a sour ache deep in her heart. After years of separation, her father and mother had aged significantly. Even Feng Changqing, a battle-hardened general, couldn’t help but tear up. Xie Xun, now inhabiting Fengyu’s body, tried to act like a daughter reunited with her family after three years apart—crying a little, comforting his distressed mother—but his emotions weren’t as intense as the real Fengyu’s. He could only offer gentle words of solace. Feng Changqing followed proper decorum and greeted Xie Xun with a bow. Fengyu quickly stepped forward to help him up. "General, no need for such formalities. Please rise." "I am no longer the National General," Feng Changqing said. These years in the Capital City had worn away his fighting spirit, leaving him a far cry from the triumphant man he once was. The generals of his era had either perished in battle or fallen to Yuwen Jing’s schemes. Later, Feng Shu was forcibly taken into the palace. Feng Changqing found it hard to face his old comrades, ashamed of what had become of him. Trapped within the Feng Mansion, even death felt like an unattainable luxury. He could neither follow his old lord, nor fight alongside his brothers against foreign enemies, nor rescue his suffering daughter. All he could do was drown his sorrows in drink, growing old in despair over the past three years. Fengyu was heartbroken to see him . She yearned to comfort her father and mother properly but, stuck in Xie Xun’s body, had to keep her emotions restrained. Xie Xun also played his role as the dutiful daughter diligently. Yet they all knew there was no time to linger; soon, they brought up the plan to escort them out of the city. Xie Xun said, "The collapse of Hanguang Tower is no trivial matter. Yuwen Jing’s surveillance of the Feng Mansion should be looser these days. We’ll find a way to get you out of the city. We’ll leave tomorrow night—better not to delay and risk complications." "The Jinyi Guard is conducting thorough searches across the city. You’re already hard-pressed to stay hidden. Is it really feasible to get us out safely?" Su Yuejiao voiced her concern, though in truth, she was more worried about Fengyu’s safety. When news of Fengyu’s death reached her some time ago, she had grieved bitterly at home. Her elder daughter was trapped in the Capital, deprived of her freedom, while her younger daughter had been sent away to safety—her survival and whereabouts unknown for years. Su Yuejiao hated Yuwen Jing with all her heart, wishing she could flay him alive and drink his blood. It was sheer resolve that had kept her going. Though their family hadn’t perished alongside the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion in that disaster years ago, their suffering had been endless ever since. "It can be done," Fengyu said. "Madam, rest assured, we’ve made thorough preparations. Tomorrow night, we’ll surely escort you out of the mansion. However, I worry there might be Yuwen Jing’s spies within the household. One day’s time may not be enough to gather essentials. Forget gold and silver; just pack the most vital belongings—travel light and leave swiftly." The Feng Family’s scattered members were the greatest challenge. Some were still in the Capital City, and Xie Xun wanted to help them all escape, but accomplishing that would be incredibly difficult. Nevertheless, he would try his best to arrange everything. The soldiers stationed at the North City gate tomorrow were former allies of the Marquis Zhenbei, so passing through would not pose a problem. "Leaving the city is too risky. If there’s a place to hide within the Capital, staying away from home and hiding with Ayu might be safer. There’s an old saying: the darkest place is under the lantern. The more dangerous a place seems, the safer it may actually be. If you remain hidden in the Capital, the Jinyi Guard will likely assume you’ve fled and focus their pursuit outside the city," the old madam argued against leaving. If the Jinyi Guard and Forbidden Army were to pursue them, with Fengyu and Xie Xun short on manpower, escape would be difficult. Staying in the Capital to hide might be a better option. "But there are so many of us. It’s hard to find a hiding place in the city." "Not many!" The old madam looked at Fengyu and said softly, "Just take them away." "Grandmother?" Fengyu was stunned, rising abruptly and forgetting she was in Xie Xun’s body. "You’re not coming with us?" Feng Changqing hesitated to speak. The old madam replied, "Two years ago, the Feng Family split apart. Your uncle and father established separate households, each minding their own affairs. The old madam is cared for by the main house. Since the family is split, your affairs don’t implicate the main house. Besides, Wanwan is the Princess Duan—that status assures the main house some level of protection. If it comes to disaster, it’s simply our family’s fate. You already have no allies in the Capital; you can’t lead a crowd to flee the city or dodge around hiding. A large group would be too conspicuous." With one simple mention of the family’s division, the old madam erased the years of turmoil caused by Feng Shu, Fengyu, and the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. It was apparent that the Feng Family had fractured internally because of these events. The old madam was concise with her words, but Fengyu could sense the hidden bitterness behind them. The Feng Mansion was a traditional Yanyang family, which would normally never split while the elders were alive. The old madam was still in good health, and her uncle and father would never have raised the topic of dividing the family on their own. Her uncle and father had always been deeply bonded as brothers, supporting each other through the years. While her parents were off fighting battles, she and her sisters had lived with the main house. Now that the family had been divided... there must have been irreconcilable conflicts. The one most hurt by it all was certainly Grandmother! "Grandmother, please come with us!" Fengyu refused to leave her grandmother alone in the Feng Mansion. Even if the family had split, leaving Grandmother with the main house made her vulnerable. If Yuwen Jing decided to act, no one would care about the division—her elder sister might not be able to protect the main house’s people. Su Yuejiao spoke softly, "Ayu, the Prince, your elder brother and sister-in-law are not united with us in purpose. If word leaks out, not only might we fail to escape, but you would also be exposed. They aren’t bad people and wouldn’t betray us, but with things so tense in the Capital and spies within the household, whether they stay or leave, any commotion could draw attention. Your father, grandmother, and I can remain at the Feng Mansion. You must prioritize your own safety and not take unnecessary risks to get us out of the city. We were meant to..." Content orıginally comes from 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁 They were meant to die three years ago. If not for Shu’er enduring humiliation and entering the palace, their entire family would have been slaughtered by Yuwen Jing. They lived now only on the foundation of their elder daughter’s suffering. Thinking of this always plunged Su Yuejiao into unbearable anguish. The old madam also refused to leave with Fengyu and Xie Xun—not because of stubbornness, but because she understood her own frailty. She was elderly, unfit for long journeys or strenuous exertion. With only a short time left to live, she didn’t want to burden Ayu and Xie Xun. Ayu and Xie Xun were already struggling to survive in the Capital. They couldn’t afford to worry over someone halfway into the grave. "Mother, Father, we will make foolproof preparations before sending you away. We won’t take risks. Please trust us." "But if we leave, what of Shu’er?" Su Yuejiao was deeply concerned about Feng Shu in the palace. She and Feng Changqing had clung to life solely for Shu’er’s sake. "If it were Sister-in-law, she would urge you to leave as well!" Xie Xun reasoned. Sister-in-law had endured humiliation for the sake of the family. Now, with Hanguang Tower collapsed and Yuwen Jing too preoccupied to attend to the palace, "I will retrieve Sister-in-law from the palace too—we’ll leave together tomorrow night!"