He rose and stalked off to the inner room as Huzi pulled another funny face. And you say you don’t like her? Look how out of character you’re acting! His master used to be someone who spoke bluntly to girls, but now he was shamelessly forcing a girl to come see him! If the old madame and dowager madame learned of this, they’d be utterly delighted! Praise Buddha! Their precious son and grandson didn’t just love violence!
……
By this time in the capital, news of Great Zhou wanting to parley, the emperor sending Grand Preceptor Qin, and his command to have the grand preceptor offer his daughter had spread everywhere. No one knew who’d started the rumor mill, but the main gossip was that Great Zhou’s Minister of Military Affairs, Lian Shengjie, was a lascivious brute who liked to torture others. The rumor went on to suggest that the number of pretty, young girls he’d tortured to death was near countless.
Several versions of the rumors started spreading from there, and with every retelling, the contents grew ever scarier. Any family with a daughter worried for Grand Preceptor Qin’s daughter when they heard the gossip.
Any soldier, general, civilian, scholar, and official with the slightest inkling of conscience had already been mourning the death of the loyal Suns, a family who had always fought for the nation. Now that Duke of Ding’s granddaughter was being gifted to an old lecher. Not only would her chastity be in danger, but even her life was forfeit if this happened! This roused everyone to new heights of anger and dissatisfaction.
People started to surreptitiously speak of this in taverns, restaurants, and bars. They viciously cursed the dog emperor, forcing the emperor to send guards and soldiers on street patrols, arresting any bold traitor who dared criticize the emperor. For a span of time, the capital was captured by a resentful, ill atmosphere.
Qin Yining had also received the news at home. She didn’t faint like née Sun, nor did she cry til her eyes were swollen like Bingtang and Songlan. She was very calm and collected, and was even able to get a good night’s sleep.
The next day, she’d just risen when a maid outside called to her. “Fourth Miss, the lord’s body servant has been waiting outside since before the sun rose. He says that the lord wishes to take breakfast with you in the outer manor.”
Qin Yining rose and had Bingtang, Songlan help her wash and dress. She decided on a plain, ivory-white sleeveless vest paired with a turquoise eight-panel skirt. Her hair was swept back, cleanly divided into a series of large knots on top of each other, held in place by a solitary mahogany hairpin. A sky-blue, brocade cape rounded off the look. Maids trailed her as they left the Venerable Study Hall.
The Venerable Study Hall was exceedingly close to Garden of Loving Piety. They’d only just set out when they bumped into Qin Huining and the sixth miss.
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Chapter 102: A Daughter’s Forgiveness
Chapter 102: A Daughter’s Forgiveness
Qin Yining still greeted the old dowager every morning and evening as part of her daily schedule. She just didn’t go as eagerly or early as Qin Huining and the sixth miss. When the two saw her walking sedately towards them, they thought her scared after learning she would be part of the parley group and had come to ask the old dowager for help.
Contempt filled Qin Huining’s eyes, a stark difference from the fear that’d resided in them the day before. She crossed her arms and snorted with laughter, circling around Qin Yining.
“It’s a little too late for Little Creek to be seeking salvation as the last minute. If you’d been a proper granddaughter from the beginning, the old dowager might have treasured you a little more and thought to speak a few words in your defense. Who knows, that might have been enough to avert your destiny of serving that old lecher. But what did you do instead? Instead of learning how to be filial, you always make the old dowager mad. Who cares whether you live or die now?”
“That’s right.” The sixth miss smirked coldly. “You and your looks. What gives you the confidence to be so cocky every day? Let me tell you something, the old dowager will send your body to that old lecher even if you kill yourself. She doesn’t want to see our family end up like your maternal relations.”
Qin Yining looked at the splendidly dressed pair and listened silently to their disgusting words of venomous hate. She stared evenly at them without saying a word in return.
Qin Huining and the sixth miss were now firmly convinced that Qin Yining didn’t dare act as brazenly as before, given her current predicament. They finally had a chance to strike back after being bullied so relentlessly before. Of course they would make full use of this opportunity! However, it was more than a bit eerie that Qin Yining wasn’t snapping back, or attempting to beat them up. She’d confined herself to a glare that made their hair stand on end. It took them a great deal of effort to keep from stumbling backwards and focus on glaring back hatefully instead.
“You’re just a barbarian!” The sixth miss found more courage deep within her and started cursing. “Letting you strut around the Qin Manor for so many days is already a favor from the heavens! If you really do come back alive from serving the old lecher, don’t worry. We can still afford to keep a broken and dirty woman like you!”
Qin Yining’s lashes suddenly fluttered, and she lowered her gaze. Those words had seemingly struck a chord. Her plain outfit already made her stand out from the girls clad in auspicious red. And now she was being forced to such an end by fate. There was no way she could decline an imperial decree, and now she had to endure such insults from her cousins! Flinging words like “serving an old lecher” and “a broken and dirty woman” at her, even a full grown woman might not be able to take such humiliation, much less a young, unmarried girl.
When the sixth miss and Qin Huining looked at her aggrieved figure, they felt only the sweet thrill of revenge. The sixth miss grew even bolder. “Aren’t you something normally? Isn’t there no one who can win a fight or argument against you? Try fighting with the old dowager now and see if she helps you! Don’t think you…”
“Are these the manners that second sister-in-law teaches? It seems that I’ve learned something new today.” A low male voice, clearly suppressing anger, sounded from behind Qin Huining and the sixth miss.
The two girls shuddered violently, their eyes widening instantly in disbelief. They turned slowly, and found Qin Huaiyuan in a gray, fur collar cloak standing not too far away with his arms crossed. Next to him, Second Elder Master Qin Xiuyuan was livid, glaring at the sixth miss.
An explosion went off inside the sixth miss’ brain as her knees weakened and she fell to the group with a thump. Qin Huining was also scared out of her wits. No wonder Qin Yining hadn’t said or done anything just now! She’d seen Qin Huaiyuan and Qin Xiuyuan coming from a mile away! Not only had she not prevented them from speaking further, she’d even goaded them onto further efforts!
And I was wondering why that wench wasn’t talking back today! She was waiting for disaster to fall on our heads!
Qin Huaiyuan was looking at Qin Huining and the sixth miss with a dark expression. He hadn’t said a word yet, but his aura was terrifying to behold.
“Don’t be angry, brother. I’ll teach sixth daughter well.” Qin Xiuyuan hastily declared.
Qin Huaiyuan nodded and made straight for Qin Yining. The other two girls were so frightened that all color had drained from their faces. They scuttled to the side to let him pass. When he reached his daughter, he took a good look at her and rubbed her head, then lovingly adjusted her cloak. “Come, eat breakfast with your father in the outer residence.”
“Alright.” Qin Yining touched her forehead, right next to where Qin Huaiyuan had just patted her and smiled contentedly. She dutifully followed by her father’s side to the outer residence. She didn’t spare the two girls even a single glance. Minor characters weren’t at all worthy of her attention or fear. Someone else would take care of them wit
hout another word from her.
Qin Yining brought Bingtang and Songlan with her to the outer residence. “Didn’t father send someone to get me? Why didn’t you wait for me to leave the inner residence?”
“Mm.” Qin Huaiyuan was distracted by his thoughts. Qin Yining knew that her father was wholeheartedly concentrating on other matters when he was like this and didn’t speak again.
The two arrived at the outer study and Qin Huaiyuan led his daughter to a side hall for breakfast. Six small dishes of tantalizing food, fragrant thick porridge, a large platter of steaming buns, and two plates of gleaming, stir-fried vegetables sat on the table. They would normally be quite appetite inducing, but neither father or daughter had much appetite right then. After a few mouthfuls for the sake of courtesy, they both set aside their chopsticks.
“I’m sure you know of everything.” Qin Huaiyuan sighed.
“Yes,” Qin Yining answered. “The news is everywhere. It’s rather difficult for me not to know.”
Qin Huaiyuan frowned as he stared at the steaming hot dishes in front of him, silent for the longest time. When she saw how conflicted her father was, Qin Yining smiled.
“Father, the imperial decree has been announced. You can’t defy it or disregard the lives of the family. I’ll make this trip with you.”
The lord of the household jerked his head up violently, looking deeply into Qin Yining’s unconcerned, smiling face. “Daughter Yi, aren’t you afraid? Do you not resent this?”
To say nothing for her chastity or life, her reputation alone would be utterly ruined after such a matter. Any other girl would’ve tried to hang herself by now, or throw themselves into the closest river. But here was Qin Yining, living her life in tranquility. She wasn’t even thinking of running away! Qin Huaiyuan already felt her behavior to be a display of great maturity, but she had enough presence of mind to comfort him with smiles instead! But she’s the one who’s being hurt here!
Emotions assailed him as his eyes grew hot. For once, Qin Huaiyuan’s titanic self control was of no use to him.
When Qin Yining saw the black circles beneath her father’s eyes and how he seemed to want to say something, how could she not understand his thoughts?
“With what happened to the Duke of Ding still fresh in our minds, my death or attempt at running away in this crucial moment will only result in complete disaster to the family. The only thing I can do now is quietly set off for Xihua in nine days and broker peace at whatever cost. I can’t let this sacrifice go to waste. It’s enough that our family stays safe and sound and I remain alive. I’m not thinking too much about chastity and reputation. You shouldn’t either, father.”
“Daughter Yi…” Qin Huaiyuan never thought that Qin Yining would be so unruffled at such a critical juncture. Shouldn’t she be the most pitied and innocent one at this moment?
“Don’t be sad, father. I’ve seen too much of death and parting in the outside world. There, one’s life and death is the result of merest chance. Children of poor families die from accidents, or are run over by carriages, or are dragged off by wild wolves or dogs, or even drown after slipping into water. Life is precious, but lives can also be the cheapest of commodities. When enemies raze a city or a natural disaster claims food stores, the poor will sell off a perfectly healthy girl for half a bag of flour…
“Father, in my view, hope exists as long as we stay alive. Aren’t I hope to you? I once thought I would have to hunt and pick herbs in the mountains for the rest of my life. But father found me! Every life contains trials. Those who live through them, smiling to the end, have the best lot in life. As for what we endure in between, well, I don’t care about that... and neither should you, father. I’m not one of those weak, teary noble daughters. I’m not afraid of this. Any of it.”
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Chapter 103: Eager Expectancy
Chapter 103: Eager Expectancy
Qin Huaiyuan looked silently at his own daughter. He felt like he had never truly known his daughter until now. She was a flower seed who’d been ripped away from a comfortable greenhouse and struggled to survive in the cracks of the boulders.
With nothing but sheer stubborn will, she had withstood the battering of the elements and blossomed into the most beautiful of flowers. Despite himself, he always found himself surprised by the depths he could find in her. Always learning, always improving, whenever he felt delighted with a new side of her, it wouldn’t be long before she displayed another stunningly polished side of herself to him.
Compared to the typical noble daughters brought up in the inner residences, her wisdom, courage, abilities, and methods left them in the dust. She even had a strength of mind that many noble sons couldn’t measure up to. She had simultaneously become his greatest source of pride and his greatest source of guilt.
How much pain did a girl who’d yet to come of age have to endure to possess the mental fortitude to stare down calamity of this scale with utter equanimity? How much of her life had been so cruel and seemingly inevitable to so unflinchingly accept her fate?
How is this child so mature and so likeable? Qin Huaiyuan reached out across the square table to tousle Qin Yining’s hair roughly. His voice was a bit raspy. “This is my fault.”
“What do you mean by this, father?” Qin Yining blinked her big, limpid eyes brightly at her father. “This isn’t your fault, father! Not at all! I know that you wouldn’t take me along if you had the slightest say. The imperial decree has descended, and father can’t defy it just to save me. You’re not only my father, but the patriarch of the entire Qin clan. What happened to the Duke of Ding and his household can’t happen to us.
“I am the grand preceptor’s daughter. As I enjoy the conveniences and benefits of that title, so must I also shoulder my share of the burden in times of crisis. What kind of family member would I be if I only shared in the joy and not the pain? If that really was the case, then I wouldn’t be worthy of being father’s daughter.”
“Good, very good!” Qin Huaiyuan’s eyes were moist. Having spent so many years at court, he’d thought that he’d long since been tempered into an old leather boot. But here he was today, nose twinging at the words from his daughter. He tilted his head back and blinked forcefully, letting his eyes cool off.
After a moment, he looked back down, his demeanor returning to a semblance of normalcy. He sighed. “Daughter Yi, no matter how open-minded you are about this all, I owe you a debt beyond words. Promise me this. No matter what happens in the future, you’ll live on bravely.”
He was most worried that an innocent girl like her would commit suicide after being humiliated.
“Of course! I love living and am most afraid of death.” Qin Yining knew of her father’s worries and smiled. “I’ve finally made it so far and gone through a lot of effort to keep this life. I don’t want it to all go to waste!”
“Good child.” Qin Huaiyuan could see her sincerity; she wasn’t just saying this to cheer him up. She really had accepted this with her customary tranquility. He finally felt his worries ease a little. Perhaps Qin Yining’s calm and collected attitude was infectious. Whatever it was, the tight knot in his heart that had kept him from clearly thinking all night finally loosened a little.
Qin Yining sat for a while longer before taking her leave and returning to Venerable Study Hall. Meanwhile, Qin Huaiyuan recalled what the sixth miss and Qin Huining had done and said earlier. He resolved to stand up for Qin Yining and vent this frustration on her behalf. He thought for a moment more and made for the old dowager at Garden of Loving Piety.
When Qin Yining finally returned to her residence, Bingtang and Songlan’s long suppressed tears finally started spilling over. Standing by in the outer room, they had clearly heard Qin Yining and Qin Huaiyuan’s conversation. The two were touched by the familial affection between the two and in awe of their mistress’ composure. But more than any of that, like a tidal wave out of the ocean, they felt furious and vengeful.
“Hasn’t the trash
emperor done enough to my family? Harming innocents wasn’t enough, now even you, miss!” Bingtang was choked with sobs as she roughly wiped her tears away. Her apple cheeks were rubbed raw with the force of her hands.
“Shh, the walls have ears here.” Qin Yining gently handed her a handkerchief.
“I’m not the only one who curses his name. That old monster should’ve died a long time ago!” Bingtang thought of everything Qin Yining had done for her and all of the effort her mistress had gone to on her behalf. Her mistress had never once demanded a portion of the sales of her ointments and powders, and had in fact done all she could to increase Bingtang’s revenue. Whenever the families of Clearist officials sent gifts, Qin Yining unhesitatingly turned them all over to her. Her mistress had always shown her deep care for Bingtang at every possible occasion.
Such an upright and kind person was now going to be a toy for an old lecher because of one word from that trash emperor! Why doesn’t he just choke on his food and water and die!?
Songlan, Qiulu, Liuya, and Zhu-mama all started crying sorrowfully. Qin Yining was affected by their mood as well. It would be lying to say that she wasn’t afraid, or that she didn’t find this utterly unfair.
It was just, she’d seen too much darkness in this world. When one spent enough time struggling at the bottom, they learned to accept their fate and fight with the flow of destiny. Since she couldn’t change this shift in the current of fate, it was pointless to remain fearful. What she needed to do now was figure out how to live through the negotiations and then the rest of her days.
When her servants saw their mistress so calm and composed in front of them, they wiped their tears away as well. It would be bad to keep making a fuss like this in front of her. Bingtang blew her nose and finally recalled an errand she’d been given. She pulled Qin Yining to the corner.
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