Pang Xiao had swallowed the orange by now and dusted the pith off his hands. “Grandmother, mom, don’t trouble yourselves. I just gave orders for Snowtrace Garden to be cleaned up. Things are complicated at court, it’s better that darling Yi stays here. I have a lot of things that she can help me with as well.”
Née Ma nodded understandingly. “Although I don’t involve myself in outside affairs, I know a bit of what’s going on. Yining is a good girl, you must treat her well. If the ten in your inner residence aren’t good enough, just send them all to the country manor.”
Pang Xiao wanted to fall to his knees when he heard this! Even though he had nothing to do with those ten, it sure sounded like he did!
Née Yao found her son’s expression amusing, but also heaved an inner sigh. It would seem that her son was indeed completely in love with Qin Yining. She took the girl’s hand. “Don’t think too much, Yining. The grand-madame is talking about the ten concubines that the emperor bestowed on Dafu a while ago.”
“I do know about this, aunt,” Qin Yining answered understandingly. “Since they were an imperial appointment, they can’t be refused, nor can they be mistreated.” She turned to née Ma. “Grand-Madame, let’s just have them live however they were living before?”
She hadn’t joined the family yet, but née Ma was already thinking on her behalf. Qin Yining was very grateful, but also knew that even if she became Pang Xiao’s wife, she wouldn’t be able to say much when it came to concubines.
Née Ma smiled with gratification. “You are such a wonderful child.”
“Mom, I’ll take Yining to settle in at Snowtrace Garden.” Née Yao rose. “I’ll bring her back when it’s time to eat.”
Née Ma understood that her daughter wanted to talk to the Qin girl and nodded. “Go on then, have Dafu stay and keep me company.”
Chapter 307: A Tactful Clash
Pang Xiao rose with a bit of worry and caught up to Qin Yining and née Yao. He grinned merrily. “How about I keep the two of you company? It’ll be too boring with just you two.”
Née Yao turned back to glare at her spineless son. “What are you listening in on womenfolk for?”
The Pang matriarch was in an enormously good mood when she saw how lovestruck her usually cool and aloof grandson was. She laughed heartily. “Dafu, come here. Come chat with grandma. Let your mother chat with the lass. Don’t go sticking your nose into things.”
Née Ma adroitly hopped down from the heated platform and pulled Pang Xiao down to sit with her.
Resigned, since he couldn’t push his grandmother aside, he cast a grin at the two leaving—the absolute epitome of a foolish grin.
Finding it ludicrously funny, née Yao glared at her son once more and tucked Qin Yining’s hand into her arm, walking into the outer room.
Maids immediately brought their cloaks forward and offered bronze hand braziers at the perfect temperature. Servants followed them out to the covered hallway, whereupon née Yao waved a hand. “You’re all dismissed.”
“Understood.” Maids and granny servants retreated to the sides after curtseying respectfully.
Née Yao and Qin Yining strolled slowly along the covered hallway that connected the flower-hung gate to the rest of the residence. The Yao madame didn’t say a word, and neither did the Qin fourth miss blurt out questions. She remained half a step behind née Yao.
After one full circuit of the hallway, the madame nodded to herself when she saw that the girl was still the picture of solid dependability.
“Dafu is often out in the battlefield.” She started the conversation softly. “When he turned sixteen, the grand-lord and grand-madame wanted to rustle up a wife for him, so that there would be someone at home for him. But he said he wasn’t guaranteed to even live out another day in the battlefield, so he didn’t want to detain a good girl.”
Qin Yining smiled wordlessly.
“Then they fought to conquer all and the war grew tense. I hadn’t been in favor of Dafu hastily marrying someone, but also encouraged him a few times later on so that he might pass on the family name. He wouldn’t listen to me—just saying that he got along well with his brothers in the military camp, and that a wife would only crimp his style. Listen to that, what kind of words were those?”
An involuntary smile spread across Qin Yining’s face. The image of a young, hot-blooded Pang Xiao came to life in her mind.
Née Yao smiled as well and patted the back of Qin Yining’s hand. “The days passed one by one. All of his brothers got married and we urged him to as well. But as he refused again and again, there was nothing we could do about it. The band of brothers that’d fought by his side are all married with children, apart from him and Ji Lan. As a mother, I can only look on enviously at other families’ grandchildren. Don’t laugh, but Dafu’s grandmother once said that we’re already lucky he didn’t bring his sword or battle horse back as a wife!”
Qin Yining chuckled as she carefully turned over née Yao’s words in her mind.
“When he learned that you were in danger, he immediately charged out with his men. His grandfather said that the child finally won’t bring a sword or battle horse back home, which delighted his grandmother. I also think that it’s a good thing for someone to have tamed his wild heart and have him spend more time and effort on his own life. We’re all very happy that you’re here in the capital.”
A sinking feeling visited Qin Yining’s stomach. It looked like her future mother-in-law didn’t have a good first impression of her.
Née Yao was showing courtesy only because Pang Xiao liked her. The prince’s mother had said so much, but the last brimmed with the most meaning.
Née Yao and Yao Chenggu were actually highly dissatisfied that Pang Xiao had charged off without paying heed to anything else when she was in danger. Née Yao in particular, felt that her son valued Qin Yining too much. It wasn’t necessarily a good thing for him to have such a tie at the moment.
As elders, they wanted most to see Pang Xiao safe and sound, and to pass on the family name. They didn’t actually care who it was passed on with. After all, they’d just mentioned that the emperor had bestowed ten concubines onto the prince.
But née Yao was a very self-restrained person. She was the sort to tactfully express her opinions, as opposed to openly denounce someone. Someone rough around the edges would probably completely miss her meaning.
Qin Yining sighed to herself.
Back in the Duke of Ding’s manor, she’d once heard her maternal grandmother chat with her two aunts about one of her cousin’s marriage. Her grandmother had been against her cousin marrying a certain scholar.
Her grandmother’s reasoning had been that since the scholar was very smart, so must be his mother. The scholar was highly filial, and if the household culture wasn’t an upright one, Qin Yining’s cousin would face a highly intelligent mother-in-law and a husband who only knew to listen to his mother. The girl wouldn’t have easy days ahead of her with that.
For some reason, Qin Yining was reminded of her grandmother’s words today. She really didn’t know who Pang Xiao would choose if it came down to her and née Yao.
But she wasn’t some sheltered or coddled noble girl. She’d always known that she had to work hard for what she wanted. Who said that people had to like her as soon as they met her? Even her own mother had hated her at first. It’d taken a long period of living together before they’d grown closer.
Since she liked Pang Xiao, she would play her part well and not have her beloved caught between her and his mother. There was also no possibility of her backing down.
All these thoughts flitted through Qin Yining’s mind in the span of a single breath.
“Many thanks, aunt. The situation outside is complicated, and as a little girl, I don’t understand much. I’m afraid I’ll have to impose on the family over the next couple of days. I will leave when my father and family arrives at the capital, and will return with my parents to express our thanks.”
Née Yao arched a brow. So not only does the girl have unforgettable looks, she has an exceedingly smart mind and a core of inner steel belying her outward gentleness.
The Qin fourth miss was subtly indicating that she didn’t need to rely on Pang Xiao for survival. She had her own family and her own foundations.
Though Qin Huaiyuan was a surrendered official, it could be seen from the big picture that the Qins would be entrusted with important positions. Compared to Pang Xiao, a prince in title with no power or authority, the Qins had an unlimited future ahead. In fact, it might be the prince who needed help from a strong father-in-law.
Not only had the girl understood née Yao’s masked complaints, she had even more quietly offered a rebuttal!
Née Yao couldn’t find it within herself to dislike the girl. In fact, she was rather gratified that Pang Xiao liked a girl with this kind of personality. With his state and current situation, it was a good thing for the family if he had an intelligent wife at home helping him.
Née Yao smiled. “There’s no need for thanks, you’re not an outsider. I rarely involve myself in outside affairs, so you can just discuss them with Dafu.” Meaning that she wouldn’t intervene and all Qin Yining had to focus on was coordinating with Pang Xiao.
The Qin fourth miss relaxed when she noted that the madame’s smile was genuine, without a hint of unpleasantness. She nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, aunt. I will.”
Lunch was served in the upper yard. Yao Chenggu had personally stewed a fish for Pang Xiao and prepared a few signature dishes. There were fewer meal-time rules to observe in this household, but many more hints of familial warmth.
After eating, Pang Xiao declared, “I invited Sirs Xie and Xu. They should be waiting in the study with the other followers. Darling Yi and I will pay a visit there first.”
Yao Chenggu and née Yao started. Pang Xiao had many followers and resident experts. The shrewd Xu Wei and the decisive Xie Yue, adept at disguises, were his right-hand men. To think that Qin Yining would be introduced to them!
When the prince left with the girl, Yao Chenggu took a pull on his tobacco pipe before asking née Yao, “What do you think after talking to the Qin lass?”
Chapter 308: Heartfelt Emotion
Née Yao recollected the details of the conversation earlier and smiled. “Dad, you’ve probably thought too much.”
“Oh?” Yao Chenggu put down his pipe with a serious expression. “How so?”
“I think Miss Qin is a smart girl. She knows when to advance and retreat, and is well-mannered. She didn’t get angry when I put things in an uglier way, and in fact responded very prettily. She’s respectful to her elders and not an arrogant or petulant person. She also seems to have a good grasp of the current political situation.”
The more she spoke, the more satisfied she was with Qin Yining. Her smile deepened. “I hear that Master Qin has just this only child. Now that I’ve seen her speech and mannerisms, I can tell that Master Qin’s rearing is most excellent. Master Qin must be a smart and refined person as well. If we look at it just from the perspective of character and not politics, the Qins are a good choice for our in-laws.”
Off to the side, née Ma snorted. “You two always think too much and plot too much. In my opinion, our Dafu is a very smart child. Can someone he’s chosen be bad? But you two! The girl’s made such a long journey, but you test and probe her. Aren’t you afraid of wrecking things for Dafu?”
Née Ma’s voice climbed in volume until she was almost slapping the table in the end. Yao Chenggu just listened to the berating without a hint of irritation.
He responded gently when his wife was finished, “Don’t be angry. We need to keep an eye out for Dafu as well. If Yubing had been able to provoke Miss Qin with just a few words, that would only prove the girl isn’t suited for our Dafu.”
“That’s right, mom.” Née Yao nodded as well.
Née Ma harrumphed. “If the girl had gotten angry, that would also be because you two went too far. How can you blame her? So you can test her, but she can’t get angry?”
“That’s not what we mean, mom.” Née Yao explained gently. “Dafu’s position at court is very tricky these days. Although he’s a common-born prince and looks like his future is unlimited, His Majesty’s wariness, the hatred of the former Northern Ji officials, and the other aristocratic families means that Dafu is in a very tough predicament.
“His foundations are shallow and his standing awkward. If he doesn’t have a smart and dependable girl supporting him, not only would that harm Dafu and our family, but the Qins as well.”
“That’s right,” Yao Chenggu piped in. “We’re not making trouble for the Qin lass, but seeing if she’s suited to cross our doorstep at all. If her nature isn’t a good fit, it’ll only be a world of a suffering if she marries into the family. It’d be better to nip it in the bud. Just think about it. If Dafu’s wife doesn’t have the ability to hold down the fort, both families will suffer, not just Dafu.”
“You two always have a world of reasons.” Née Ma was no fool either; she just didn't think as much as the father-daughter pair. After listening to their analysis, she understood their intentions.
In the end, she remarked approvingly, “Your hearts are in the right place and those are good ideas, but the way you did it wasn’t good. Testing her once is fine. But Miss Qin comes from a respectable family and isn’t some good in the marketplace waiting to be priced. You guys can’t pick and prod at her again and again.”
“You’re right, mom.” Née Yao nodded.
Yao Chenggu smiled as well. “As you wish.”
Née Ma sniffed. The idea of Pang Xiao having a girl he liked and the near possibility of great-grandchildren put her in an increasingly good mood.
……
At this moment, Qin Yining was slowly traveling down the small path that led to the outer study, her hand in Pang Xiao’s.
The stone tiles on the path were neatly arrayed fish scales that’d had all the accumulated snow swept off it. An occasional white stripe peeked out from between the tiles. Twinkling bits of precipitation blew off the thick snow on top of the walls when the wind blew, appearing all the more translucent and sparkling in the afternoon sun.
If they ignored the often bowing and curtseying servants along the way, Qin Yining was quite willing to walk hand-in-hand like this, forever.
“Didn’t you summon Sirs Xie and Xu? Shouldn’t we hurry on over?” The Qin fourth miss drew her hand back and looked nonchalantly off in another direction, purposefully ignoring the granny servant that’d been sizing her up curiously when curtseying.
Pang Xiao smiled. “There’s no rush. They can wait a while.” He gently traced her ear with a slightly callused finger. “Look at that, your ear’s red. Are you cold?”
This guy’s asking when he knows what the answer is! How wicked!
“Look at you being all handsy. People will laugh at you!”
“What’s there to laugh about? Who doesn’t know I nabbed you back home? People would find it weird if I treated you with all due respect.” Pang Xiao reached around and ensconced Qin Yining in his long arms as he spoke, murmuring next to her ear, “The more I am this way, the more realistic it is.”
The girl blinked and whispered back nervously, “Are there a lot of spies in your household?”
The prince smiled. “There are plants from all sides in all sorts of unimportant places. But don't worry, I know where they are.”
Qin Yining nodded. The Zhou emperor would likely be much more on his guard if the Pang Manor had airtight and watertight security. Allowing some spies to find their footing here meant that the prince could control what information got out.
Perhaps he could even use them for his own purposes at crucial times.
Seeing his beloved nod so acceptingly and refrain from any questions, and in fact wearing an understanding expression, Pang Xiao couldn’t help himself from pinching her cheek. “You understanding everything makes me feel
like there’s nothing for me to do.”
Qin Yining chuckled. “How is there nothing for you to do? You had to rush back for your ‘sickness’, pave the way for my father’s future, worry if the elders at home will dislike me, and think of ways to make me happy. You’re going way beyond multi-tasking. How is that the mark of a useless person?”
“You know everything?” Though Pang Xiao knew that his darling would be on the same page as him, it still made him happy to hear her actually say all this.
“How would I not know what you’ve done for me?” Qin Yining sighed softly and slowed down.
The prince also came to a halt and looked down at her, tucking a strand of hair behind an ear and tightening her collar against the elements.
The girl looked back up with eyes brimming with good humor.
Whenever this man faced her, he would retract all of the keen edge he showed to others and display only the most special of sides to her.
When he’d been notified that she was in danger, he’d flung himself into the pit of the Zhou emperor’s paranoia, despite not knowing if he could find her.
He’d disregarded his own reputation without a second of hesitation, just to make sure the Qins would have a solid future in Great Zhou. He hadn’t cared about public opinion at all when he put on the show of a highwayman kidnapping someone.
The Zhou emperor had accepted the surrendered officials because he wanted to balance the scales of power between the former Northern Ji aristocracy and the new, homegrown nobility. Qin Huaiyuan headed up the Yan contingent, so the Qins were sure to become core members at court once they settled in.
The emperor was already so wary of Pang Xiao, so how would he possibly allow the prince to have such powerful in-laws?
If Pang Xiao continued to express the same ardor to her as he had in Great Yan, then Qin Huaiyuan’s future, and the rest of the Qins as well, would be dead on arrival.
Qin Yining sighed and snuggled into his embrace, resting her cheek on his chest, and wrapping her arms around his lean waist.
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