“Your—Your Majesty?” She stood dumbly where she was, looking at the freshly returned Weichi Yan and had absolutely no idea what to say.
Li-mama’s tug on her hand reminded the empress to kneel in greeting. “This subject greets Your Majesty.”
Weichi Yan stood with his hands behind his back and didn’t tell his wife to rise. “What are you doing here?”
Pain twisted Li Yanyan’s heart when she heard this, but she smoothed a gentle and docile expression over her face. “In response to Your Majesty, I heard there were great happenings today at the residence and came here specifically to see how younger sister Qin would pray to the heavens.”
“Mm. Then what have you seen?” Weichi Yan looked down coldly at her.
“Your Majesty, I’m slow and dense. I only came to visit younger sister Qin.”
“Your supposed visit is to blockade someone at their door, question her ability, and doubt Our judgement? It looks like the Duke of An hasn’t spent enough effort educating his daughter.”
Li Yanyan plunged into an icy abyss. She raised her head to look incredulously at Weichi Yan. This kind of censure was even more humiliating than being slapped!
By the side room, Qin Yining and Jiyun had been kneeling for a long time. Weichi Yan looked over with a frown and reached out to help her up, but Qin Yining scooted backwards on the ground. “Your Majesty, please allow this subject to live!”
* * *
Chapter 256: Returning Home (I)
Chapter 256: Returning Home (I)
Weichi Yan’s outstretched hand froze in mid air. He was stooped over, looking down at the top of the girl’s head in front of him. His heart was especially heavy as he gazed at her inky black locks. It was even heavier than when he’d learned of his father hiding the tax grain and national silver.
He’d finally thought of a solution that neatly resolved everything and placed her where he could easily see her. Were all his efforts to be rendered useless in the end?
When he’d left with Qin Huaiyuan and the Duke of An, visions of her communing with the gods had repeated endlessly in his mind. He couldn’t wait for some alone time with her, so he sent the two men away with a random excuse halfway through and swung back around.
Who knew that he’d run into one of the imperial guards carrying a message before he made it back to the residence?
His heart sank after understanding the ins and outs of the situation. However, his primary concern wasn’t how to punish the interfering empress; it was a frantic brainstorm how to calm Qin Yining down and convince her to stay.
But her reaction like a bird startled by the merest twang of a bow truly did send him into disarray.
“What are you doing, Yi’er? Who’s not letting you live? You…”
“Your Majesty!” Qin Yining backed up once again and kowtowed. “If Your Majesty refuses to allow me to live, then please bestow a bolt of white silk for me to hang myself with.”
“What kind of talk is this? Do get up first.” Weichi Yan stubbornly wanted to help Qin Yining up.
The girl scooted backwards again and remained planted into the ground. “Your Majesty, I am very grateful to receive Xuan Su Temple. I am also exceedingly happy to be able to do something for my country. However, long term residence here will only give rise to certain speculations.”
“Who does speculate about you? Who dares pass around wild rumors? We will have their head! Don’t be like this. Stand up first, alright?” Weichi Yan stooped down to the girl’s level when he saw that he was unable to convince her to stand.
But the Qin fourth miss still refused to look at him and kept to her kneeling position. “Your Majesty, please allow this subject to return home to further walk the path of dao. Your subject was once a candidate for empress. There will certainly be those who think that we have an unspeakable relationship. This was once a royal residence, after all. It’s very close to the palace.
“Though we are completely innocent with nothing between us, there will be those who say that Your Majesty has done all this to make it easier to reach me. If Your Majesty’s character is gossiped about, then even my death ten thousand times over wouldn’t be enough to wash clean of that crime!”
Anguished, Weichi Yan’s gaze flitted past Qin Yining and alighted on Jiyun, who was kneeling behind her mistress. The maid was sniffling and her cheek red and swollen. The sight stoked the fires of anger again.
According to the guard, the empress and Qin Yining had clashed with each other just now. If it hadn’t been for the maid loyally protecting her mistress, wouldn’t it be Qin Yining who’d been slapped?
The emperor glared resentfully at Li Yanyan.
Meanwhile, Qin Yining was still speaking. “I was struck with disaster when young and have just reunited with my family. But since I’ve come home, we’ve been hit with trouble after trouble. I spend more time apart from my parents than with them. Being unable to perform my filial duties by their side is my greatest distress and difficulty. Your Majesty, you know best just how much actual ability this subject has. I’ve never hidden anything from you, so please show mercy and allow me to return home to practice.”
Absolute pain gripped Weichi Yan’s heart when he thought of Qin Yining’s circumstances, but he really couldn’t bear to let her go. Once she went home, it would be easier for him to touch the skies than for the two to meet again, and it would be absolutely impossible for the two to meet privately like this.
But when he looked at the swollen cheek of the maid next to her, thought of her high birth and dignity, and what’d happened in her childhood, Weichi Yan really didn’t have the heart to subject her to such wild rumors on top of everything.
As someone by his side, even the empress suspected that Qin Yining was his illicit mistress. What about those who didn’t know him at all? Would they think that relations between the two of them were even more sordid?
Weichi Yan felt knives stab his heart. “You…”
“Please approve my request, Your Majesty.” Qin Yining kowtowed.
Weichi Yan pursed his lips and closed his eyes. He thought through much in that split second. He thought of Qin Huaiyuan’s stratagems, Qin Yining’s intelligence, the accomplishments that the Qins had made for the government, and how resolute Qin Yining’s rejection had been that day in the palace.
In terms of open and aboveboard avenues, there was no hope for anything to develop between the two of them. His heart had then turned to cherishing a dream that she’d change her mind and give him a chance to pursue her.
But now it looked like even this simple wish would never come true, and it was his new empress that’d made things this way.
“Forget it, forget it.” Weichi Yan sat down dejectedly. “Don’t be sad. We permit you to return home. Be a layman Taoist at home. Xuan Su Temple will remain yours — the fires of worship here will burn ever brighter. If you want, you can come back for a stay anytime. We… we will no longer compel you.”
Qin Yining’s heart could finally settle back down.
She hadn’t wanted to do all this, but Li Yanyan had come with ill intentions that were impossible to reconcile. When faced with someone hostile to her, the Qin fourth miss felt no guilt at all in making a mountain out of a molehill.
When she’d seen the empress increasingly lose her temper, Qin Yining had furthered things along with provocative words. This way, Weichi Yan would finally let her go amidst a mixture of guilt and anger.
As for how the emperor would punish his new wife, well, he wouldn’t do anything to her if he had the slightest bit of a brain left. With the Prince of Ning heavily injured, the only one who could lead the armies against Great Zhou was Li Yanyan’s father, the Duke of An.
It wasn’t the thing to do to ask the duke fight the war, but punish his daughter.
Seeing that the emperor had finally softened his stance and voiced the ambiguous “will no longer compel you”, Qin Yining gave a proper kowtow. “This subject thanks Your Majesty’s kindness.”
Weichi Yan felt his heart bleed. He could be kind and allow Qin Yining’s request, but who could show him the same kindness?
He whipped his head back furiously to glare at the culprit of this situation. He really wanted to choke Li Yanyan to death!
With Eunuch Lu helping him up, Weichi Yan was about to speak when someone hurriedly ran in from outside. Thumping to their knees, the servant kowtowed with tears streaming down his face. “Your Majesty! The Prince of Ning! He’s… he’s… no more!”
“What?!” The room dimmed before Weichi Yan’s eyes as he stumbled backwards. It was thanks to Lu-gonggong’s quick reaction prevented his master from crashing to the ground.
Deep grief settled in after incomprehensible shock, given Weichi Yan’s deep relationship with the prince. Tears streamed down his face.
“Royal uncle, royal uncle, it’s all my fault!”
“Your Majesty, please be mindful of your health!” Lu-gonggong spoke through his tears.
The adverse tidings had drained the color from Qin Yining’s face. When she thought of the hot-blooded man that was the Prince of Ning, grief welled up and she too started crying.
“Ready the horses, We go to Ning Manor immediately!” Weichi Yan paid no attention to Li Yanyan as he stumbled his way outside.
The empress was hot on his heels with Li-mama and Liu Bao’s support.
Qin Yining wiped at her eyes with her sleeves.
“Miss, do you want to Ning Manor as well?” Jiyun asked.
The Qin fourth miss pursed her lips and shook her head. “It’s not appropriate for me to go at this time. Those gathered at the manor are family and royal relatives. I need to follow father’s arrangements if I want to express my condolences.”
Jiyun nodded. Though she was from Great Zhou, she quite respected valiant heroes with moral integrity. As she watched her mistress wipe away tears, she thought of the fact that the prince had been harmed by Pang Xiao. The guard grew uneasy again, wanting to say something, but not sure what she could say.
Qin Yining sighed to see the guard thus. “War is war. There will be casualties as soon as it begins. Pang Zhixi and the Prince of Ning were on opposing sides, so I knew this day would come sooner or later. If it wasn’t the prince, it’d be Pang Zhixi. It was Pang Zhixi who came off better in the exchange this time. If he had…”
She tilted her head back in sucked in a deep breath. “I’m still selfish after all.”
“Don’t think so much, miss.” Qiulu comforted gently off to the side. “You’re just a girl at the end of the day. There was nothing you could’ve done here. Let men take care of their business.”
Qin Yining smiled wryly. “What else can I do other than that?”
* * *
Chapter 257: Meeting
Chapter 257: Meeting
Mistress and servants packed their scant belongings and left the royal residence. The Elite Tigers that Pang Xiao had sent were already waiting outside with Mu Jinghu. After they bid farewell to the imperial guards, the group departed via a side door and took a shortcut to the Qin Manor.
After an absence of a fortnight, not much looked different with the manor — other than some craftsman working on the charred remains of parts of the inner residence.
When Qin Yining’s carriage arrived at the main door, a runner quick on his feet sped into the inner residence to pass on the word.
On the way back, Jiyun had quietly advised Qin Yining that the four additional guards were actually Elite Tigers that Pang Xiao had sent specifically to protect her. The knowledge delighted the fourth miss, but she quickly berated herself when she thought of how their nations were at war and the Prince of Ning had just died.
However, life went on, and she had to consider her own happiness as well.
She’d adjusted her mood when she alighted from the carriage and turned back to smile at the Elite Tigers. “If you don’t mind, why don’t you return home with me and I’ll see to living quarters for you all?”
The leader of the four offered a cupped fist salute and murmured, “In response to the miss, we probably shouldn’t enter the manor with you. We’ll have more freedom outside and find it easier to go about our business.”
“I understand. You can go to the Cloudsoar Inn. I’ll tell Grand Steward Zhong to look after your room and board, as well as all other expenses during this period.”
The beautiful future princess consort’s ways greatly appealed to the four and they grew even more respectful towards Qin Yining.
“We thank the princess consort.”
A blush exploded onto Qin Yining’s face when she heard this, but she pretended to keep her calm. “You are dismissed.”
“Understood.” The four bowed and left with their horses.
Mu Jinghu was confused when he saw Qin Yining’s reddened face and neck. “That’s weird, they didn’t use the wrong title, so what are you blushing about?”
The man’s straightforward and socially awkward nature had long since been known, but Qin Yining still felt shy when she heard this. She ignored him and entered the manor.
Blinking confusedly, Mu Jinghu headed inside as well, for his room in the outer residence.
Née Sun was already standing outside in welcome along with Jin-mama, the eighth miss, and Qin Huining.
“My daughter!” Née Sun beamed delightedly when she saw Qin Yining. She rushed up to envelope the girl in her arms. “You’re finally back! Are you able to stay at home for good this time?”
“Mother.” Qin Yining rested her cheek on née Sun’s shoulder and nuzzled the older woman’s neck. “The emperor’s allowed me to return to practice at home. The days must’ve been hard for you?”
There had been plenty of fights and arguments between née Sun and the old dowager during this period of time. Though it seemed that the Qins were much more unified after a great disaster, the old dowager had reverted to her usual self after time washed away grief and peace filled the days again. Née Sun was once again irritation itself.
Add to that her support of Qin Yining being the emperor’s mistress, née Sun had lost further hope in her mother-in-law’s character. The two bared teeth and exchanged verbal barbs whenever they met. The Qin matriarch was growing ever oppressive, punishing née Sun for this and that everyday.
With her daughter absent from home, née Sun’s forbearance grew by leaps and bounds. The thought of not wanting others to look down on her kept her going through the days. But now that her daughter had returned, née Sun teared up when hearing such sweet words.
“Not at all, not at all. It’s a great fortune that our entire family is together and well. What hardships can there be?”
It was easy enough for Qin Yining to imagine how her mother had suffered through the days. She snuggled cutely into the woman’s embrace.
Off to the side, the eighth miss looked at them with a slight smile. Though she dearly missed the departed official wife of her family branch and her own mother, and quite envied that Qin Yining still had a mother that she could hold, she wished both of them well from the bottom of her heart.
Qin Huining however, had a wooden expression on her face.
That embrace had once been hers, and that mother had been hers too. But now she had nothing, and Qin Yining had everything.
Qin Yining hadn’t even glanced at her after walking through the doors.
The fourth miss was now renowned through the lands. She was in a completely different world from Qin Huining. The foster girl didn’t even have the right to be Qin Yining’s opponent, because opponents had to at least be on equal footing.
Was it possible for her to ever be on the same level as Qin Yining again?
She was treading on thin ice in the family because of what’d happened with the sixth miss. Yes, she’d pushed the sixth miss to take the blade in that moment of life and death, but there was no way that Qin Huining believed she was the only person who’d ever do something like that.
If the others had been in her position a
nd surroundings, surely they too would’ve tried to do something for themselves!
Who knew how much they celebrated or gloated over living through that catastrophe? And here they were, faulting her!
As these thoughts swirled through the foster girl’s mind, the others were already headed for the Garden of Loving Piety. Qin Yining was holding née Sun’s arm and chatting with the eighth miss on her other side.
Having been ignored and left behind, Qin Huining could only bite her lower lip and catch up to the group.
“This granddaughter greets Old Dowager.” Qin Yining knelt docilely when she saw the matriarch.
The old dowager looked back merrily at her. “Hurry and rise. It’s good that you’re back.”
“The days have been harder at home given my absence. Thank you to Old Dowager and second aunt.” Qin Yining rose and greeted the second madame.
The second madame had always liked Qin Yining’s steadiness and understanding of the greater picture. The girl was the most promising of the Qin daughters, thus the older woman took the girl’s hand and inquired carefully about her recent days.
The family relaxed a bit at the Garden of Loving Piety before the old dowager gave orders for lunch to be prepared.
When the third elder master, Qin Han, and Qin Yu returned for the noon meal, they were thrilled to see Qin Yining. They were highly curious why the emperor had suddenly allowed her to come home, but she didn’t mention the clash between her and the empress, out of concern that she’d made the womenfolk worry. She only mentioned that it was the emperor’s orders.
……
The Prince of Ning’s funeral was a portentous event that swept the capital. Qin Yining went to express her condolences with the rest of the Qin womenfolk and spent some time comforting the princess consort.
The death of person was akin to the extinguishment of a lamp. Even the fiercest leave the world one day. The departure of a hero was one that filled everyone with deep sadness.
Once the Prince of Ning was buried, the matters of auctioning off various positions for grain started up in earnest.
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