Return of the Swallow c1-644

by Edited by Deyna up to chapter ~100.

  “If you’re ranked second when it comes to weak arguments and irrational logic, no one would dare say they’re first.” Qin Yining sneered mockingly. “Did I hoard any food for myself and keep it from you? Aren’t you afraid that you’ll chill the hearts of listeners with your words? Did you or second sister-in-law ask me beforehand? Taking without permission is stealing! What justification does a thief have?”

  “You! Your father is such a filial person, how could he have raised such an unfilial daughter like you!”

  Qin Yining’s expression chilled. “Whether I’m filial or not isn’t determined by you alone! Everyone saw clearly how I treated you when disaster struck. Not just our family, but the refugees in Ning Park too! And how did you treat me? The old dowager is being so aggressively overbearing — do you want to lay this out before others and have them judge who is right or wrong??”

  The matriarch’s expression froze completely when the idea was floated of having others weigh-in on the matter.

  Qin Yining had spent her days with the Faithful Prince of the First Rank. If it came to passing judgement, they’d naturally look to the prince. Though they still had the signboard of ‘marquis’ over their doors, ‘Marquis of Anping’ had been bestowed by the emperor of the former dynasty. Who knew what their days would look like once they moved to Great Zhou?

  Their prospects ahead were murky, but this granddaughter of hers was destined to become the prince’s woman. No matter if she was a bedwarmer or a concubine, she was in for a lifetime of fortune and glory.

  She only needed to whisper some quick words when sharing the prince’s bed, if she wanted to cut short their lives.

  When her thoughts travelled here, the old dowager’s unbridled aura faded away. She wanted to say something nice to smooth over the situation, but couldn’t bring herself to do so. She stood there awkwardly, unable to retreat or advance.

  Standing off to the side, Qin-mama had always been most attentive to what her mistress desired. The granny servant immediately sank to her knees when she saw that the old dowager was caught in a difficult spot.

  “Please don’t be angry, Fourth Miss. That day’s matters were all this servant’s idea. It was my own selfishness. Please forgive me.”

  Qin Yining’s gaze softened. She had tremendous respect for Qin-mama. Not only was the granny servant staunchly loyal to the old dowager, but Qin-mama always kept the greater picture in mind. Plus, the girl often recalled that the servant had once reached out a helping hand to her.

  Her expression easing, she reached down with both hands to help the granny servant up. “Don’t be like this, Qin-mama. I hadn’t planned on pursuing this any further to begin with.” She cast a detached look at her grandmother. “We’ll each walk our own paths in the future and be responsible for our own dignity.”

  The old dowager glowered, but it was a relief that Qin Yining was no longer pursuing the matter. Still, it felt like a loss of face all the same.

  The girl refused to pay attention to the old dowager and equally ignored Qin Huining. She nodded only at the eighth miss and wrapped her hands around née Sun’s arm. They returned to Qin Yining’s room to carefully discuss what had happened in the manor over the past couple of days.

  Née Sun only said that all was as usual before taking her daughter’s hand and asking in a low voice. “Daughter Yi, you and the prince… …have you made up your mind to follow him in the future?”

  The fourth miss’ face was so red that blood could be squeezed out of it. She naturally knew what her mother was asking, and coughed a few times before she felt less awkward.

  “Don’t think too much, mother. Me and him… there’s nothing. But everyone’s long since viewed us as a couple. It doesn’t seem like public opinion will stand for us not being together.”

  Née Sun well understood things. “I don’t mean anything by it. I’m just concerned about your happiness. Our family’s status isn’t like it was before. You two used to be well-matched, of equal standing, but now Great Yan is no more and your father is about to report to Great Zhou. We don’t even know if we’ll become prisoners. I’m just worried that you’ll get the short end of the stick.”

  The girl quietly laid her head on the madame’s shoulder with a smile. “I know you’re worried about me, mother, but don’t be. The Great Zhou emperor is an exceedingly shrewd person. His current situation at court doesn’t give him leeway to treat any surrendered official harshly. Not only will our family keep our heads, but father may even have greater room to stretch and flex his talents in.”

  “Really?” Née Sun looked hopefully at her daughter.

  Qin Yining answered with a smile. “Of course. Great Zhou hasn’t been established for too long. Those prolonged years of war in the early days drained Northern Ji’s coffers, giving Great Zhou a complete mess to take over. The Tatars have continuously invaded their north in the past two years, and they’ve waged a war against us in the south. They’ve exhausted a lot of resources, and will need at least twenty years of peace to develop their economy, to rest and recover. They’ll need competent officials and talent to develop the country.

  “Besides, the Great Zhou emperor isn’t decrepit like our previous trash emperor. He won’t kill a chicken for its eggs. He’ll naturally want to make heavy use of someone skillful like my father. And, he needs the surrendered Great Yan officials to be a faction that balances the scales of power at court.”

  Née Sun wasn’t a fool. Though she may not think of these things on her own, understanding was quick to dawn when her daughter explained them to her.

  “What do you mean by balancing the scales of power?”

  “The art of ruling lies in balance. Great Zhou’s current political layout is made up of the emperor’s personal troops — the ones who followed him in conquering the world, and the surrendered Northern Ji officials. The emperor urgently needs a third faction to join in. Checks and balances from three parties will create the most stable situation. My father also happens to be the representative figure of the surrendered Great Yan officials, so don’t worry, mother. Not only will the emperor not maltreat us, but he’ll make heavy use of my father in the short term.”

  Née Sun was finally at ease after hearing her daughter analyze things so clearly. She was about to respond when they heard Qin Huaiyuan chuckle from outside the door. “It looks like daughter Yi has made more progress yet again.”

  “Father!” Qin Yining stood up with delight.

  The door swung open, admitting her smiling father. “To think that a rare visit to see you would catch you having a heart-to-heart with your mother.”

  “Please excuse my nonsense, father.” Qin Yining curtsied to her father. “Have you seen Lian Shengjie? Did he raise any ludicrous requests?”

  * * *

  Chapter 288: Ji Zeyu

  Chapter 288: Ji Zeyu

  Judging from this, Qin Huaiyuan understood with a chuckle that his daughter must’ve glimpsed Lian Shengjie back in the army camp. “He didn’t ask for anything ridiculous this time. But since the emperor is the one surrendering, his position is naturally lower than Great Zhou’s. There’s nothing we can do apart from listening to all of their demands.”

  “But with father’s wisdom, you won’t let the emperor come off too worse for the wear.” Qin Yining smiled.

  “That’s right.” An answering smile blossomed on Qin Huaiyuan’s lips. “I heard your analysis just now. Perhaps I really will have more opportunities to showcase my talents with our trip to Great Zhou.”

  “With father’s talents and sharp wits, none of that will be hard.”

  “You have quite some confidence in me.”

  “Naturally,” Qin Yining pronounced firmly. “Father will accomplish tremendous feats in Great Zhou.”

  Née Sun looked at the father-daughter duo chatting. Though she was unable to join in their conversation, she felt a heretofore unexperienced sense of satisfaction. In this moment, she felt quite content with life. There was no need to begru
dge or envy Cao Yuqing.

  So what if Cao Yuqing was young and beautiful? Née Sun was the mother of Qin Huaiyuan’s daughter, and she alone his wife. As stunning as Cao Yuqing was, she was only a concubine.

  During this period of time, née Sun had felt a tremendous boulder crushing her heart whenever she thought of Cao Yuqing standing guard by Qin Huaiyuan’s side. She’d found it hard to breathe, but all that was unravelled now that their family was together again.

  ……

  Over the next two days, many of the aristocratic houses in the city busied themselves with intense preparations for the upcoming journey.

  For the Qins, it was naturally the second and third elder master leading Qin Yu and Qin Han in taking care of things. Meanwhile, Qin Yining went to see Steward Zhang in private.

  “…don’t worry, miss. I’ve already handled most of the things you’ve set out for me. I took careful stock of the land that we secretly bought. When added to the fertile fields and paddy fields that we have in the capital and the outskirts, we own more than sixty percent of the nearby farmland. Add to that the paddy fields and terrace fields we have elsewhere — that makes you the greatest landowner in Great Yan.”

  Qin Yining nodded. “None of it is under my name, correct?”

  “Don’t worry, the people I used were all trustworthy. None of it will be traced back to you.”

  “That’s good. Before we leave, let’s assign the refugees in Ning Park to the various farms we own. Now that the war is over, this is all part of Great Zhou territory. They’ll be able to rebuild their homes one day if they earn their own living.”

  “Understood,” Steward Zhong agreed with great admiration. “They owe you their lives, and now you’re giving them jobs to relieve the stress of an unknown future. They’ll only feel more gratitude to you for this.”

  Qin Yining shook her head with a smile. “I didn’t do all this for people to be grateful to me. That’s just an added bonus. As for you, have you really decided to go to Great Zhou?”

  “Naturally. Great Yan has fallen, and the Institute of Luminous Charm is now history. We don’t need to hire convicts for labor anymore. Besides, they’ll probably all be pardoned soon. Our taverns and inns will be just ordinary businesses in the future. I feel that when it comes to commerce, greater opportunities naturally lie within the more prosperous cities.”

  The fourth miss couldn’t help chucking when she saw the steward’s dashing confidence. “To be honest, I feel more at ease with you along as well. You don’t need to rush to set off with me. There’s going to be several batches of people moving to Great Zhou’s capital. Why don’t you stay here for now and make the relevant arrangements at your leisure? It’s not too late to head for the capital only after everything is taken care of. I’ll be on firm footing then as well. We’ll be able to pick up right where we left off.”

  “Everything will be as you say, miss.” The steward nodded rapidly.

  The two discussed the details for a while longer, departing only after they’d brainstormed responses to all problems and emergencies that they felt could possibly crop up.

  Pang Xiao had also left with a few guards, and it was the new Minister of Personnel and Rites, Lian Shengjie, who oversaw the ceremony of surrender.

  After a simple service, Weichi Yan offered up his declaration of submission. Accepted by a pompous Lian Shengjie, the minister in turn delivered the Great Zhou emperor’s decree of title conferment.

  “… the heretofore Yan emperor Weichi Yan will be known as the Commandery Prince of Yan, his wife née Li to be titled the Commandery Princess Consort of Yan. They are bestowed a commandery residence in the capital…”

  A string of rewards and presents were rattled off, but those were all verbal promises. Giving the rushed journey as the reason, Lian Shengjie had felt it improper to cart valuables across the entirety of Great Zhou territory to Great Yan. Therefore, all gifts were to be honored when the commandery prince made it to the Great Zhou capital.

  Weichi Yan accepted the imperial decree with utter humiliation. He’d been transformed from the ruler of a nation to a mere commandery prince. His rank and grade was even less than Pang Xiao’s!

  Yet such was the wheel of fortune. Things were now set in stone. There was nothing else Weichi Yan could do other than agree to whatever Great Zhou wanted to do to him.

  After the ceremony was over, Lian Shenjie delivered another verbal decree that those who were to move to the Zhou capital would leave in ten days. All families were to ready finish their preparations.

  ……

  Having taken only a dozen Elite Tigers and Huzi with him, Pang Xiao had made quick time and already traversed half of Great Zhou, arriving on the outskirts of the capital’s southern gate.

  Huzi led Pang Xiao’s horse with a chuckle. “We’re finally back. Traveling at double speed day and night has just about scattered my bones all over the ground.”

  An Elite Tiger next to him laughed. “You need to train more. See, His Highness hasn’t complained at all. Only your complaints were heard on the journey.”

  “Like you guys are made of metal!” Huzi retorted with a grin and suddenly looked in the direction of the southern gate. “Your Highness, I think I see the Marquis of Northern Stability!”

  Pang Xiao looked in the direction of Huzi’s finger to see a tall and muscular young man sitting primly on a large chestnut. He was dressed in snow-white fox fur and met Pang Xiao’s gaze expressionlessly.

  The young man was even more beautiful than a woman. His slender brows rose energetically, limpid eyes held an innate sense of flirtation, and possessed a high nose bridge with thin lips. He seemed to have walked straight out from a painting.

  If comparing the exquisiteness of features, even Pang Xiao would come up slightly short. If compared with Qin Yining, the girl would just barely manage a draw.

  However, this beautiful man, who could charm and entrance with every gesture and smile, had a frosty and solemn personality. He was eccentric, and smiles were rarely found on his uncommonly handsome face.

  He was a cold person of few words, and even more ruthless in decisive slaughter. There wasn’t much communication between him and Pang Xiao ordinarily, but this was a person who the prince had been willing to swear brotherhood with.

  Pang Xiao remained where he was, his eyebrows lifting slightly in a smile. “What brings you back to the capital as well?”

  Ji Zeyu steered his horse over and looked down loftily, responding without a flicker of change in his expression, “Reporting in on official orders. Did you take your revenge?”

  * * *

  Chapter 289: Massacre

  “I took most of it long ago.”

  Ji Zeyu jumped down from his horse with a dashingly smooth motion and threw the reins to a random attendant behind him. He proceeded on foot by Pang Xiao’s side.

  “Did you kill Qin?”

  “No.”

  The two passed through the city gates and strolled down the bustling streets, neither of them talking for the moment.

  Both were tall and handsome; one flaring a dominating aura in a black, sable fur cloak, the other cold as ice in a white, fox fur cape. The two of them side-by-side drew looks from many Great Zhou commoners.

  Many recognized that the one in black was the commander of the Valiant Tigers, Faithful Prince of the First Rank, Pang Xiao. The one in white was the commander of the Dragon Riders, Marquis of Northern Stability, Ji Zeyu.

  But because they were outside and no one knowing if the two military figures had important business to discuss, no one came up to greet them.

  As they walked along, Pang Xiao fretted over Qin Yining’s health. Great Zhou’s capital was in the north, terrain that she’d never ventured to before. She already found the winters of the south to be freezing, so how would she be able to endure the winters here? Not to mention her health was poor to begin with and she lacked sufficient qi in her body. She’d even still been coughing when he left.

 
Undisguised concern seeped into Pang Xiao’s expression, a detail completely captured by Ji Zeyu.

  After a long pause, so lengthy that the prince had forgotten what they were talking about, Ji Zeyu suddenly remarked, “Don’t worry about it.”

  The baffling statement out of nowhere confounded Pang Xiao.

  The marquis had already taken the reins back from his attendant. He flipped onto the back of his horse. “His Majesty has ordered me to set off, so I’ll be on my way.”

  “So quickly?” exclaimed a surprised Pang Xiao.

  “Mm. Until next time.” A rare upturn graced Ji Zeyu’s lips as he smiled faintly and lifted a cupped fist salute.

  The prince sighed softly. “Alright then, until next time.” He too raised a cupped fist salute.

  The smile vanished from the marquis’ face. He cast a frosty look over Pang Xiao’s group before he steered his horse away.

  Huzi shivered. “The Marquis of Northern Stability is as always, alright! He looks at you like he’s feuding with you.”

  Pang Xiao shook his head with a smile, and then sighed. “Forget it. since we’ve come back, let’s enter the palace to greet His Majesty.” Or else those lackadaisical sloths at court would seize on some imaginary offense and censure him for not respecting the emperor.

  Now that he was back in the capital, he needed to be at constant attention to handle whatever was happening around him.

  Waters were murky in the swamp at court. Though it’d all been for Great Zhou, all the villainy since the founding of the dynasty had been committed by Pang Xiao. Add to that torturing to death those who’d harmed his father — the surrendered Northern Ji officials all viewed him like he’d killed their fathers, to say nothing of his generally horrific reputation outside. It was almost impossible to guard against all of the overt and covert threats lobbed at him. He had to be constantly on his toes, and then some, to deal with it all.

  Furthermore, the one on the dragon throne had always borne an uneasy grudge towards him.