The emperor was deeply shrewd and liked to keep his cards close to his chest. He’d been forced to show some clues and hints this time and had lost face. How would he possibly tolerate Zuo Jinwei after all that?
Even if Zuo Jinwei was an unparalleled talent, the emperor’s suspicion of him spelled the end of his future.
Pang Xiao was both gratified and delighted to see that his darling wasn’t surprised at all. He rubbed her nose with his index finger and said fondly, “Your calm reaction gives me no satisfaction of achievement at all. When I left the study just now, Sirs Xu and Xie hailed you as a demigod who can predict anything that’s to happen. I was so proud to hear them say that, but I couldn’t very well strut around in front of them. I kept it to myself with great difficulty, but you don’t even give me a chance to preen in front of you!”
“Well, that’s strange. We knew it would happen, so what’s to be happy about with that?”
Pang Xiao waved a hand to dismiss Xianyun and the others. He pressed down on Qin Yining’s shoulders and had her take a seat on the heated platform next to the window. He bent down to peer at her radiant face, happily placing a kiss on her forehead.
“Anyways, I’m very happy. Not just because of the Valiant Tigers—I’m still their commander to them, but more because my darling is so wonderful. You don’t know how highly they praise you now. I just knew that my dearest had the ability to conquer them all. You’re so wonderful that even if someone is biased against you, they’ll like you after spending some more time with you.”
Qin Yining’s cheeks burned from the compliment and she pushed lightly on his shoulders.
“Alright, alright. They’ll laugh at you for being so proud.”
“Laugh? They’ll be too busy being jealous and envious!” Pang Xiao sat down next to her.
“So that’s one piece of news, didn’t you say there was another?”
“Mm,” the prince responded. “His Majesty has sent men to collect the scattered Great Yan entourage. They’ll be in the city tomorrow morning.”
“So they’ve found my father and mother!” Qin Yining rose with surprised delight.
However, Pang Xiao wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her down again. He comforted, “This is what I wanted to talk to you about. Everyone in your family has been located, but there’s no sign of your father, mother, or auntie in the group.”
It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck Qin Yining. She stared off blankly, all of the suppressed worries over the past few days rushing through, like waters through a broken dam. The onslaught made her dizzy and confused.
“How can that be? How can my parents not be with them? Our family was to the rear of the entourage that day and Auntie Cao knows martial arts. There are also guards and followers with my father, so how could they have not found them?”
“Don’t panic, my darling, don’t panic.” Pang Xiao’s hand around her shoulder, he patted her cheek. “You just said so yourself that the Marquis of Anping has guards with him and née Cao. He’s safe without a doubt, but held up by something. Be at ease, I’ve already sent people out to search for him. They’ll start from the ambush site and work their way forward. They’ll find your parents.”
Qin Yining closed her eyes, still recovering from the news that all of her family sans her parents had been found.
Pang Xiao had his arm around her slender waist while she leaned dazedly into his embrace. She rubbed her head against his shoulder, like a kitten showing affection. His heart overflowed with so much pity and sympathy that it wanted to melt.
“Good girl, don’t worry. Your body has yet to make a full recovery for the longest time. You didn’t fully heal from your previous injury before suffering through a famine. Then you had to go on the run and jump right back into scheming. Even someone made of metal wouldn’t be able to withstand all that. Worrying is the last thing you should do now. Just take care of yourself and leave the rest to me, alright?”
“Mm.” Qin Yining nodded docilely, closed her eyes, and leaned back on him with peace of mind.
“And, I sent out men to investigate in secret. Apparently your old dowager, second and third elder master found the convoy when it was close to the capital. They’d been swept apart from the group and it looked like all of their valuables were robbed.
“Their clothes were torn and ragged in these harsh winter conditions. It was quite a stroke of good fortune that they ended up together after being separated. My scouts said that there seemed to be something off about them. You should brace yourself and be mentally prepared.”
“Alright, I understand.” Qin Yining closed her eyes wearily and didn’t want to move at all.
She just wanted to empty her mind of everything right now. She didn’t want to fret about where her parents were or speculate what had happened to the old dowager and others. She even less wanted to think about where to settle the Qins after they arrived in the city proper.
She just wanted to sleep and throw all these cares away—to think about absolutely nothing at all.
Pang Xiao patted her back gently, finding that she was sinking further into his arms until her whole weight was on his body. He sighed softly, kissed her temple, and carefully picked her up to place her on the heated platform. The prince carefully tucked the blankets in around her.
She must be really worried, isn’t she? So worried that she was using sleep to escape from reality.
Pang Xiao caressed her face with heartache and took a seat next to her. While admiring her sleeping form, he turned over the current situation at court in his mind.
At this time, a soft summons came from outside the door.
“Your Highness.”
Pang Xiao immediately rose when he heard and tiptoed outside. Only after closing the room door softly did he whisper, “What is it?”
Xianyun made her greeting and whispered back, “The servants outside say that the Marquis of Northern Stability has sent an invitation. Please go take a look.”
The prince blinked when he heard the words ‘Marquis of Northern Stability’. He gave orders for Xianyun to look after Qin Yining well and strode outside.
Ji Zeyu was inviting Pang Xiao to go for a ride tomorrow and have a drink together.
Subsequent to Ji Zeyu’s return to the capital to admit to his guilt, and ‘request’ to wed the Princess of Anyang, the emperor had suggested that he stay in the capital for now to hold the wedding. The Tatars were busily caught in internal conflict, and all was calm on the other borders.
This finally gave Ji Zeyu an opportunity to stay in the city and seek out Pang Xiao like in old times. The unemployed prince could come out for a night of drinking.
Pang Xiao sent a messenger to respond that he would absolutely be on time tomorrow.
After giving the matter some thought, he went back to the outer study and summoned his strategists for a meeting.
The next morning, Pang Xiao left with Huzi and a few other guards.
After a night of sound sleep, Qin Yining’s heart had calmed down. She’d thought things through. With how everything was, they’d just handle things as they came up. To worry about things that hadn’t happened yet was to entertain imaginary fears, and to worry what had already happened was a pointless exercise. It was more productive to focus well on the here and now
She called out for Lian Xiaozhou and smiled. “Let’s take advantage of this quiet period to teach you a few more words.”
At the same time, an opulent carriage slowly rolled to a halt in front of the Pang Manor.
Several pale-faced, young eunuchs lifted the door curtain to allow head maid Hexiang to carefully escort the princess down.
Li Helan raised her eyes to the signboard over the door, the words ‘Faithful Prince of the First Rank’ gilded in gold. She smiled and ordered, “Knock on the door.”
The young eunuch assented and trotted up to knock.
The doorman answered shortly afterwards and opened the door to look at the visitors. He quickly c
ame forward to bow politely, “This humble one greets the eldest princess.”
Li Helan lifted her chin slightly and lifted her long and narrow eyes. Still looking at the signboard over the door, she declared softly, “Send word to your prince that this seat is here.”
The doorman bowed again. “In response to Your Highness, our prince isn’t at home.”
Chapter 318: A Keen Edge
“Not at home?” Li Helan’s voice was measured, the emotions within impossible to discern, but her stately bearing impossible to ignore.
The doorman knelt on the ground with a lowered head. “His Highness has gone to keep an appointment and left early this morning.”
“An appointment? With who?” Li Helan glanced at the servant.
“This lowly one wouldn’t know.”
A slight upturn graced Li Helan’s lips. “Then this seat will visit the grand-madame and old madame.” She headed straight inside after speaking.
The doorman didn’t dare bar her way at all. He chased frantically after her, complaining silently all the while.
Xu Weizhi had received word of their visitor by now. After some thought, he decided to come out and greet Li Helan. “Greetings to Your Highness.”
Seeing that a more senior person was in her way and noting his polite, scholarly air, she guessed that this was a butler or someone similar.
A faint smile blossomed on Li Helan’s pretty face and she responded gently, “You can forgo the pleasantries. Apparently your prince isn’t at home? This seat has come twice but caught no sight of the man of the household. I’ll have to impose on the family elders today then.”
Xu Weizhi cast a surreptitious glance at the princess and swiftly lowered his eyes. “Indeed, it’s quite an unfortunate coincidence today that His Highness has a prior engagement with a friend. The grand-lord, grand-madame, and old madame have been very bored at home these days. They left the manor early this morning. None of the masters or mistresses are at home.”
This princess had come knocking twice ever since word got out about her engagement with Ji Zeyu. When one connected the dots with what had happened before and how she had feelings for Pang Xiao, it wasn’t a tough task to figure out just why she was here.
Since the prince was avoiding her, there was even less of a reason for her to see the family elders.
The princess had a lofty status—were the family elders to kowtow and listen to her admonishments when they saw her? Xu Weizhi wouldn’t dare put the prince’s family in such an awkward position, so it was much better not to have them meet at all.
The red of anger graced Li Helan’s cheeks when she heard this. “Not at home? All of them? Are they really not here, or are they just avoiding this princess?”
Xu Weizhi beamed politely and bowed. “Please forgive us, Your Highness. We really didn’t know you were coming today. They really aren’t at home.”
Of course he wasn’t implying that the princess didn’t even know how to send a calling card before a visit. Of course he wasn’t hinting that she was being insufferably rude to try to ambush someone like this. Of course not.
Humiliated and furious, Li Helan almost spun on her heel to leave. She was perfectly willing to send a calling card, but she knew Pang Xiao well. He’d stay even further away from her if she did. Trying to catch him unawares was the only way she could possibly see him!
Was he concerned about face? Had he chosen to forget about their past now that she was engaged to Ji Zeyu?
The more she analyzed Pang Xiao’s personality, the more likely Li Helan thought this was possible. But the more he avoided her, the more she wanted to see him! There was no reason that the honorable eldest princess like her should be repeatedly barred outside the front doors!
And if things really were like how she thought, then the grand-lord and grand-madame might very well be at home. They just didn’t want to see her.
Li Helan took a deep breath in to get ahold of her anger. Her tone still even and measured, she responded gently, “That’s true, my visit really is unexpected. Since none of the masters are home, I’ll have a look at the servants. I hear the girl that His Highness carried off is still at the manor? Summon her, this princess would like a look.”
She’d already moved slowly to the main hall as she spoke, obviously treating the residence like her own palace.
Xu Weizhi followed behind her with a lowered head, flicking his eyebrows upwards.
As the saying went, a thing could be done once or twice, but not a third time. The princess had received the cold shoulder twice, they really couldn’t turn her away this time.
And besides, she had failed to see the prince, grand-madame, or old-madame today. If she wasn’t allowed to see even Miss Qin, the princess would probably explode on the spot. Who knew what would happen then, and how everything would end? It’d also make for nasty rumors if word of this got out.
Confidence descended on Xu Weizhi when he thought of the wise and resourceful Miss Qin. With her smarts, she shouldn’t come off worse in the exchange.
Having thought up to this point, the strategist smiled. “Understood. This humble one will immediately request Miss Qin’s presence.”
Li Helan had taken the head seat, but her hand paused when accepting a cup of tea from the servants. She’d used ‘summon’, but this man had used ‘request’. Did the girl have a high position in the household?
Since these were Li Helan’s thoughts, that was her question as well.
Xu Weizhi quickly bowed. “In response to Your Highness, Miss Qin was grounded in Snowtrace Garden a few days ago. She’s not allowed to leave the residence, nor is anyone allowed to visit her. This humble one thinks that the prince has his own thoughts on the matter.”
Li Helan nodded understandingly, heartache welling up within her.
It looked like what Hexiang had learned was true. This Miss Qin was as beautiful as a fairy and had thoroughly ensnared all of Pang Xiao’s senses. He wanted to bring her into his bedroom, but she was the daughter of his hated enemy. He liked her, but couldn’t get over the hurdle of his father’s killer, and neither could he bear to kill her. It was a love-hate relationship that was filled with both pampering and torture.
A complicated one indeed.
And the target of such strong and complex feelings wasn’t her.
Li Helan took a sip of tea and smiled faintly at the cup in her hand, fully poised for combat.
……
When Qin Yining learned that the Princess of Anyang had arrived and that Pang Xiao wasn’t home, and how the princess had pointedly requested her presence, she immediately ordered Xianyun, “Send servants to Pinecrane Hall to tell the grand-lord, grand-madame, and old madame to hide. Avoid coming out at all costs, so things won’t be awkward if they run into the princess.”
“Sir Xu already sent a runner to Pinecrane Hall. The hall’s doors are tightly shut, and even Salt and Pepper have been tied up.” Xianyun was quite admiring of Qin Yining’s foresight.
“That’s good.” The Qin fourth miss looked at the magnificent jade hairpin in her hair. “Thank goodness for the wise Sirs Xu and Xie in the manor. There’s still someone to hold down the fort when His Highness isn’t here.”
“Yes, but after you join the family, miss, it’ll be you holding down the fort.” Xianyun came over with a brush when she saw that the miss had undone her hair.
Qin Yining blushed hotly from the teasing. “Have them dig out the worn clothing I came in when I arrived at the capital. Put me up in a simpler hairstyle with no ornaments. I’ll use the cape that I came in as well.”
Xianyun was a sharp one, grasping that Qin Yining was afraid of appearing too flashy in front of the princess. She sent the servants on their mission.
Having redone her hair, Qin Yining put on a plain outfit and flung a cotton cape with a white fox-fur collar around her shoulders. Her hair was loosely piled up in a leaning tower on her head, and she was sans any jewelry at all. She left without dabbing powder or rouge on h
er face.
Xianyun made to follow her, but the Qin fourth miss objected after some thought. “I think it’d be better if you didn’t come, just in case someone recognizes you. Just have two loyal, tall, and strong granny servants follow me.”
“You’re most thorough, miss. It wouldn’t look like you were kept under lock and key otherwise.” Xianyun summoned two stocky women who were over forty years old. The two followed behind Qin Yining, accompanying her to the front hall like they were escorting a prisoner.
Li Helan had drained a bowl of tea by now and was intently watching the door. When she heard the patter of footsteps from outside, she unconsciously drew herself up and sat straight in the chair.
Someone lifted the cotton door curtains that were reinforced with bamboo slats. A granny servant wearing a reddish-brown jacket entered, turning sideways to continue lifting the heavy door curtains for those behind her.
A pale-green hem entered the princess’ eyes, followed by a beauty slowly walking in, wrapped in white fox-fur and completely without any makeup at all.
Li Helan’s pupils contracted violently.
She’d always thought herself beautiful, but she’d utterly lost today!
It was just as Hexiang had said, the base wench was exceedingly stunning. There might be prettier girls than her in the commoners, but there were none in the gatherings between nobles that Li Helan often participated in. If they counted even the men in the dynasty, perhaps Ji Zeyu could match the girl in terms of features only.
One couldn’t help but want to take a few more looks at her; one couldn’t bear to tear their eyes away. Her movements were gracious and elegant, but possessing a natural charm within.
Li Helan’s heart almost exploded with jealousy. She tightened her fists on the round chair’s armrests, but the smile on her face grew even more gently and friendly. Long eyelashes blinked rapidly, carrying three parts inquiry and seven parts amazement to Qin Yining. The princess maintained perfect control over her expression, setting one at ease.
Qin Yining drew close and kowtowed respectfully. “This humble girl greets the Princess of Anyang. May the princess enjoy great fortune.”
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