Chapter 4：Yin Family

Duke Yin manor.

When the gatekeeper saw Yin Hua Lei, he almost forgot to speak. Since when did the imperial daughter voluntarily visit her home?

Still, he didn't forget proper manners and went forward to greet.

Yin Hua Lei saw the gatekeeper being flustered upon seeing the eldest miss of his house and her heart went bitter. But she had no one to blame aside herself.

She only went past the gatekeeper and proceeded to walk to the front yard.

The newer servants upon seeing her wanted to stop her and lead her to the side pathway which went straight to the rear court as only men were allowed to pass through the front court.

But the old gatekeeper hurried to stop them from speaking. Who among the long-term servants didn't know their dignified eldest miss' true temper?

If she wanted to walk on the front yard, just let her be! Who were they to stop her?

Yin Hua Lei's old home was just as she remembered. Nothing changed much but her chest felt stuffy.

She was only thinking of pursuing that ninth prince over these years. If she continued on this path, she had seen the horrible effects firsthand.

Arriving at the main hall, all the servants lined up to pay respects to her.

"These servants greet the eldest miss!"

Only in this manor, her imperial daughter title seemed nonexistent. She was simply 'eldest miss'.

Yin Fang Qi heard the servants loud and clear. He felt his wife look at him and Nuo shi[1] immediately stood up.

Sure enough, Yin Hua Lei entered, followed by her two personal maids.

Every time Fang Qi saw this daughter, black lines immediately formed on his forehead. Especially now that he recalled the news of what happened yesterday.

"What fortune has befallen this fu to have your honored presence here?" Fang Qi snorted which earned a glare from his wife.

Nuo shi walked towards her only daughter but who knew that Yin Hua Lei would suddenly kneel before she even got near.

"Daughter is unfilial all these years. Asking Father to hand out punishment."

Everyone in the room drew a deep breath of horror.

Imperial daughter Gao Le was the fairy unreachable by ordinary citizens and received all kinds of worship and praises.

But of course, her family knew of her true incorrigible nature. Their family's eldest miss was proud and was used to having everything go her way. Her parents especially knew her hatred of Bai Chen Rong and how she thought that the ninth prince was hers.

All things might die but her feelings for Xia Yu Heng would certainly not and she was able to do evil deeds just for her cause.

This was the reason she chose to live in her own imperial daughter's manor. She could do everything as she pleased.

The reason why she grew distant even from her own family who disagreed with her obsession over a man.

What kind of wind blew on the capital today to make Yin Hua Lei, this extremely lofty girl, to kneel in front of her elders?

Nuo shi couldn't stand seeing her daughter like this. She was also a woman who knew just how heartbroken her daughter was to hear the news of the decree.

"Darling little Lei[2], stand up. Mother doesn't blame you. Hurry, Mother rarely sees you these days. Why pull such a long face?"

But Yin Hua Lei resolutely kneeled in the hall.

A voice boomed, Yin Hua Lei knew it was her father. "Let her kneel if she knows what's good for her! How could such a child with a vile heart be born in my Yin family? Everyone outside this estate might not know, but this father of yours kept track of all the things you did to the women attracted to the ninth prince! If you weren't my flesh and blood, I'd have handed you to the governor myself!"

The anger and disappointment Fang Qi felt over the years erupted. What sin did he commit to have a daughter with a malicious heart?

Nuo shi knew her husband had a point. They tried disciplining this daughter many times but she had a mind of her own and refused to listen. So she stopped trying to make her daughter stand and silently shed tears.

It was Yin Han, Duke Yin's youngest son, who couldn't stand seeing his precious niece kneel.

Yin Han was offended that a standard third rank official family's miss would be wangfei instead of his niece. This rank might be considered high enough but not against their Yin family.

Yin Hua Lei's scholarly uncle evidently dotes on her the most. He treated her as his daughter as he's yet to have a family even though he's already in his early thirties.

Fang Qi furrowed his brows even further. "Then tell, old third, blindly scheming against someone's beloved and not admitting her obvious loss. Is this still normal?"

Yin Han's tongue got tied on this remark. He looked at his niece apologetically and slowly shook his head.

The stalemate lasted merely a second because the second master Ming spoke.

"Little Lei, your father is not really angry with you, he's only angry at your actions. You know that our Yin family can cover the skies for you. We're definitely not pushovers and can shed blood for you but you must understand that Chang wang has another in his heart."

Yin Ming's wife also advised: "Loving someone is noble but seeing that the other has another, learning to admit loss and moving forward is nobler."

Seeing her family understand her, Yin Hua Lei was moved but her face was reserved.

"Hua Lei's elders don't lack in giving lessons. It's only me who's stubborn and refused to listen. Hua Lei now realized the severity of my actions. Hua Lei will receive punishment without regrets."

But a voice suddenly roared, "Who'll dare punish this duke's granddaughter?!"

Fang Qi tiredly sighed. Of course, if eldest miss went home, news of this would be heard in that old man's courtyard.

Duke Yin Guo entered the hall unceremoniously with his cane. He glared at Xin Tao and Xin Ling.

"Still not helping your young miss?" Did he raise his granddaughter to kneel like this?

The two maids hurriedly swept their mistress up. They might have little fear of their mistress' father but against the grandfather, they wouldn't dare.

"It's rare that our little Lei goes home and you'll still punish her by kneeling? What kind of father are you? Did I make you suffer like this when you're young?"

The old duke energetically scolded everyone in the room except his granddaughter.

Fang Qi wouldn't dare answer his old father. But he recalled his childhood and wanted to ask if his father really didn't make him suffer all those years of broken bones and torn skin?

"Come sit beside grandfather. Say, do you want to cripple that Bai miss? Maybe this old duke can also cripple her father." Duke Yin thought to another level. "Better yet, this old one will visit the palace to scold that ungrateful disciple of mine!"

Duke Yin pulled her to the platform reserved for him and seated her beside him.

Faced upon their elder, even Yin Hua Lei had a wry smile. That ungrateful disciple her grandfather referred to was none other than the Emperor. Only Duke Yin would think of such a thing.

"Father, think for a second and realize that my daughter is spoiled rotten by you! Xiao Lei is getting more daring by the day. If this continues, even I don't know what will happen to our Yin family!"

Fang Qi also started scolding his father.

With this reminder, Yin Hua Lei's back went cold.

Her father was absolutely right. Her nightmares even showed her the end of the Yin clan was because of her.

Blinded by jealousy, she sent shadow assassins to Chen Rong. They weren't successful at killing her but the child in her belly perished.

Xia Yu Heng investigated and traces all led to her. Killing an imperial seed, nine generations of the Yin clan had to pay for it. Even the Emperor who always favored them was angered beyond comparison.

Duke Yin saw his granddaughter freeze at his son's words so he glared at Fang Qi. His rosy complexion opposed his true age of over seventy.

"Oya, damn son of mine, you made this old one wait for a long time before giving me a grandchild. Even second Ming went three years ahead of you in giving me twin grandsons! This old man of yours fully supported you in courting my daughter-in-law there even if it was against our Yin clan's rules. What say you in spoiling my granddaughter?!"

Fang Qi wasn't alone in being flabbergasted. Duke Yin stated all matters of the past better than a loan shark.

"That year, your dear mother passed away. This old man should have died not long after, but it was because of little Lei being born that I found hope again. Even that disciple of mine dotes on your daughter and gave her a title from birth. Tell me, is it not only right for this old man to spoil and pamper my Yin family's first miss?"

In the end, Yin Hua Lei had to calm the duke.

"Grandfather shouldn't speak to such lengths. This granddaughter understands everything and knows that grandfather only thinks of me. Please calm your heart."

She poured him some green tea to moisten his throat. He downed the hot cup while still patting her rarely ungloved hands.

Her duke grandfather could fearlessly speak without a care for the world because of the Yin's special standing in court.

The Yin clan had always been a martial arts family. Since the foundation of Da Xia, Yin's men and women had been the Emperor's sword. They were elites among elites, that was why the first emperor of Da Xia allowed them to build an academy of martial arts in the name of the emperor.

Ever since, no matter who the Emperor was, this Yin clan always had close ties with the throne. Every Emperor always subtly favored them, that's why no other clan would want to get on their wrong side. This family was undoubtedly the most prominent aristocrats in Da Xia.

The people even had a saying, 'All clans will fall one day except the Yin.' They were second only to the royal family. In fact, common people associated the Yin clan with the royal family. They believed the Yin to be relatives of Xia, it was the only answer they could come up with, seeing Yin family's close relations with the Emperor.

Hidden from all and even from the main plot was the true reason. The Yin clan was the one leading the Emperor's shadow guards called the Xiu[3] group, the ones guarding the sovereign in the dark and also acted as the dragon's thousand eyes and ears.

The Yin had been guarding this secret for centuries. That's why it has strict rules of only marrying the side branch and other noble families could only drool at the power they held.

Being the Emperor's sword, its true meaning was to be the shadow of his Majesty.

Their centuries-long tradition would have been destroyed by Yin Hua Lei just because of her ambition to be Chang wangfei.

Yin Hua Lei couldn't be any happier now that she woke up from the far-fetched dream.

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[1]Shi- can be translated as madam

[2]Little Lei will be interchanged with Xiao Lei w/c means the same thing

[3]Xiu- literal meaning: shade, darkness

The matter of YHL fainting is kinda serious because she fainted directly after the herald announced an imperial decree on the streets. Even if it was unsaid, this likely meant she didn't agree to it w/c is like a sin coz hello? Emperor said it bish, you have no right to disagree.