Née Yao and Yao Chenggu listened with heavy expressions. They were the type to think deeply to begin with, so they’d already guessed at a thing or two.
“This is really… ai! What is all this!?” Née Ma wanted to beat her chest with anguish.
She finally had a perfectly fine granddaughter-in-law with an outstanding appearance and character. More importantly, the girl was smart and filial. Née Ma loved everything about her, but who would’ve thought that this would occur!
“Yining is a good girl to think of her family.” After a moment, née Yao rubbed Pang Xiao’s chafed shoulders and arms. “Don’t be too sad, there’s nothing we can do about this. She has her difficulties and you need to think of the greater picture. Dafu, some things are meant to be let go of.”
Though he knew his mother meant well, suffocating panic still overwhelmed Pang Xiao when he heard these words.
“Mom, things won’t be over between us like this,” he responded firmly.
“Don’t be stubborn,” née Yao rebuked, abashed. “With Yining’s looks and personality, she’ll absolutely be chosen if she participates. If the emperor likes her, will you charge into battle like a hot-headed youth over a girl? You’ll be throwing your life away!”
Yao Chenggu had thought of this as well and was thoroughly put off his smoking session.
“If you really had the guts to do so, then at least you’d be a real man!” declared née Ma.
“Mom!”
“Mother of my children!”
Yao Chenggu and née Yao were both flabbergasted and raised their voices in unison.
Née Ma looked at Pang Xiao, then at the shrewd father-daughter duo. She sighed. “You two think too much and plot way too much. You’re so concerned about this and that. We should live our lives carefree and unrestrained. If I’d plotted as much as you two, would I have decided to spend the rest of my life with an unambitious, dirt poor guy like you? Even a single coin would rattle around in your pockets!”
Yao Chenggu rubbed his nose and grumbled, “Wasn't it because you liked my cooking?”
Née Ma slammed the table so hard that the cups and saucers shook. “If I’d followed some noble or rich guy, I would have all the fine food that I’d want!”
She grabbed Pang Xiao’s collar. “Don’t you ever imitate them—constrained by this, thinking of that. What would you ever be able to do when hobbled at the hand and feet like that?”
A firm grip on the prince’s collar, she hauled him to sit by the fireplace. “Do you think a life is a very long time?” the matriarch started earnestly. “It’s over in the blink of an eye! Take advantage of your current heart and strength to fight for something if you like it! Try your hardest in whatever you want to do!
“Don’t worry about me and your grandfather, and even less about your mom. We come from the dirt anyways. If worst comes to worst, we’ll just go back to the simple and easy life in the fields. That’s still a way of life! But just remember, the best hunters know how to make the best use of perfect timing. You can’t just use brute force, understand?”
Pang Xiao was indeed touched by née Ma’s words. It wasn’t like he didn't understand the life lessons behind them, but the smarter the person, the more multi-faceted their considerations. They would often be limited by extraneous conditions and could hardly live as dashing and unrestrained like née Ma.
Ever since conquering the world with Li Qitian, the prince had learned to don whatever mask appropriate for the occasion. He spoke what others wanted to hear and did as best befit the situation. In order to keep climbing higher and to protect himself, each and every single one of his actions was committed to only after meticulous pondering. This was how he’d gotten to where he was today.
For someone who’d always self-regulated strictly and kept himself under lock and key, he lacked precisely née Ma’s debonair forthrightness.
Eyes sparkling, Pang Xiao nodded emphatically. “Grandma, I understand what you mean. Actually, darling Yi purposefully left us like this in order to solve the imperial selection problem.”
“Oh? What can one girl do by herself?”
“Because of my relationship with the emperor, I can’t really insert myself into this. I have to keep silent, so that means darling Yi’s going to have to be the one to jump out.” Pang Xiao shook his head with a sigh. “Anyways, no matter what you hear tomorrow, don't worry about it. Our relationship is perfectly fine. Everything we’re doing now is so that we can be together in the future.”
Née Ma nodded, much comforted now that she’d been assured her granddaughter-in-law wouldn’t change.
A multitude of thoughts had run through Yao Chenggu and née Yao’s mind during this time. But they didn’t say anything after seeing the prince’s expression.
Both of them felt that this wouldn’t be over so easily. Qin Yining would have to do something big if she didn’t want to serve the emperor and to legitimately decline the imperial selection without giving offense.
Things progressed precisely how they expected.
In the afternoon of the next day, when née Yao was keeping née Ma company, a serving girl stationed at the inner door breathlessly ran in with a message. “Grand-madame, old madame, things are very bad!”
“What is it? Don’t run around frantically like this.” Née Yao frowned.
The little girl garbled out, “The Qin miss, she ran off to the central yamen to sue the prince! Because it’s a very important issue and because of the prince’s high status, the yamen didn’t accept the case for processing. So, the Qin miss ran off to pound the imperial drum for justice!”
“What??” Née Ma’s mouth dropped open. Even though her grandson had told her yesterday not to worry about anything she heard, this matter was drawing the attention of the emperor! It wasn’t a small case anymore.
“What is the lass thinking? Our Dafu has just joined the council and improved his situation a tiny bit. We can’t avoid trouble fast enough, so why create more?”
Née Yao was much calmer than her mother and wrapped her hands around the older woman’s arm. “Don’t fret just yet, mom.”
She turned to the maids. “Go see where the grand-lord is. Have him return as soon as possible. Is the prince at home at the moment? If so, have him come too. Hurry.”
“Understood.” They all knew the importance of the matter and scattered to go look for their people.
Yao Chenggu arrived shortly thereafter, but Pang Xiao wasn’t at home. He’d just been summoned into the palace!”
“Have Sirs Xu and Xie come, hurry.” Née Yao was panicking now as well.
Yao Chenggu however, was perfectly at ease and smoking his pipe. “Both of you should calm down. Everything will be fine.”
“You damned old fool! How you are still smoking at a time like this? Puff puff puff! That smoke will be the death of me!” Née Ma didn’t like Yao Chenggu lighting up his pipe normally, but she never forbade him from doing so. In her agitation today, she seized the brass pipe and tobacco bag in an emotionally charged moment and dunked the newly lit tobacco in a teacup.
“Aiyo! You! Ai!” Yao Chenggu wasn’t able to save his pipe in time. Staring forlornly at the doused tobacco in the tea, he didn't dare revisit the scene of the crime.
“Well then tell me, what’s going on here? I’m so confused. Lass Yi is suing our Dafu, while Dafu said so confidently last night that the lass is doing everything for their future. Isn't this sticking our faces out for the emperor to slap?”
Yao Chenggu answered dejectedly, “Can you not figure even this out? Let me ask you, how did the girl come to us?”
“Dafu brought her back that day… well, no, he ‘carried her off’ to us.”
“That’s it then. Dafu forcefully took the girl. Though both of them are as innocent as the day they were born, it doesn’t look that way to outsiders. Lass Yi is using this point. How can a girl who enters the imperial selection have a stain on her honor? That’s being disloyal to the emperor.”
“Eh?” Née Ma was highly taken aback. “But, in that case, lass Yi’s reputation will be…”
Yao Chenggu calmly rescued his pipe from the tea and dried it off lovingly with a piece of cloth.
“Her reputation was nonexistent the moment she was brought back by Dafu after arriving at the capital. The way I look at it, it’s a good thing that she’s accusing Dafu in front of the emperor. Not only will that give her a more legitimate position, it will show the emperor that we don’t get along with the Qins. It will further give the emperor an enormous fault of Dafu’s to be taken advantage of. He’ll be more comfortable making use of either Dafu or the Qins.”
“The grand-lord speaks very truly.” With née Yao’s closest maid leading the way, Xu Weizhi and Xie Yue happened to catch Yao Chenggu’s analysis. They concurred with great respect. “That’s precisely the notion.”
The two walked up to bow. Yao Chenggu and née Ma didn’t put on any airs and politely invited the strategists to take a seat after servants set up chairs and tea.
Née Ma sighed. “I’m making a fool of myself to the two gentlemen. I’m just worried about the prince’s safety. Matters are court are complicated and I don’t fully understand all of them. We requested your presence to ask if the prince will be alright this time?”
Xu Weizhi rose to cup his hands. “In response to the grand-madame, the outcome of the matter this time depends entirely on how Miss Qin performs in front of His Majesty. If she does well, not only will the prince be completely fine, but His Majesty will also relax his guard a great deal. Though it’ll be a farce to outsiders, it will absolutely have no downsides to the prince.”
“Is that so?” Née Ma started worrying about Qin Yining now. “The lass is still young, I wonder if she’ll be able to keep her calm.”
As the family worried, Qin Yining was being led into the palace by head eunuch Li Guanwen.
This was her first visit to the Great Zhou palace. It was a renovation of the old Northern Ji palace. Beneath its magnificent austerity was the opulence and dignity of an imperial family.
Qin Yining kept her head down and her eyes fixed on the eunuch's footsteps. They arrived at the imperial study before long.
Chapter 337: Confrontation In Person (I)
Li Guanwen kept his eyes strictly ahead as they walked, but was inwardly assessing the girl next to him. He came to a few conclusions and judgments during the short trip.
It was no wonder that when the empress heard that née Qin had beaten the drums for imperial justice, she’d set aside the anxiety of her father being imprisoned and had ordered her most trusted, dowry mama to come investigate.
If this girl entered the palace, she would rise to the top of the harem by virtue of her looks alone. If there was a single calculating bone in her body, that would make for an unparalleled future.
Li Guanwen cautiously ever-adjusted his attitude towards the girl. As a eunuch who’d been bullied when young, he had a deep understanding of the saying ‘never torment someone simply because of their youth”.
As they climbed the gradual slope in front of the hall, he reminded the Qin fourth miss, “Please wait outside the hall, Miss Qin. This one will report to His Majesty.”
“Understood, many thanks to the gonggong.” Qin Yining responded with a polite smile.
The eunuch noted that she was neither servile nor supercilious, and polite without losing her bearing. And she was here to lodge an imperial lawsuit against that god of violence, the Faithful Prince of the First Rank!
This was no ordinary girl. I have to treat her with even more respect.
Moments after Li Guanwen entered the study, he came back out to invite the girl in. Qin Yining looked peaceful on the surface, but her nerves were highly strung.
Li Qitian was vastly different from his Great Yan counterpart. He was highly calculating and shrewd at manipulation. Any emperor who could make the particularly intelligent Pang Xiao not dare to make a move was no pushover.
To be honest, she was all a-flustered uncertainty.
But since they’d chosen this path, there was no turning back.
The very spacious imperial study had lustrous black marble tile inlaid onto the floor. Curio shelves held not valuables, but books instead. Behind the black, enormous table were bookshelves that were divided into the classics, history, philosophy, and collections of belles letres.
Li Qitian was sitting primly behind the table, dressed in a brand new, golden outfit for everyday wear. A jade ring that adorned his index finger tapped the table surface. The sound echoed crisply in the empty room.
“This subject greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty have ten thousand years of peace and fortune.”
“You may rise.” Li Qitian’s voice was surprisingly warm.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Qin Yining curtsied again and stood with her head down, her hands by her side.
She’d learned all of her manners from Zhan-mama, ones that had sculpted an elegant and refined manner into her. She was actually a sight more pleasing than the real princess, Li Helan.
Li Qitian remained seated, surreptitiously assessing the girl. Even heroes fall prey to beauties, alright! No wonder Pang Zhixi both loved and hated the girl, and found it impossible to forget about her.
The emperor’s voice became even more benevolent.
“Ever since the establishment of the Public Petitioner’s Drum, today was the first that it has been beaten. What’s even more surprising is that the one with the courage to pound on it is a young girl such as you. Née Qin, what colossal injustice do you bear? If it’s an insignificant matter, We will have to punish you for making a mountain out of a molehill and wasting Our time, hmm?”
Though Li Qitian’s attitude was mild, the meaning behind his words was anything but. Add to that the Qin fourth miss already being familiar with a bit of the emperor’s personality—there was a sense of pressure so overpowering that it almost took on physical form as constricting vines.
She took a deep breath in and started evenly, “In response to Your Majesty, this subject wouldn’t dare be facetious. This subject has truly suffered from a colossal injustice.
“I followed my father in traversing thousands of miles for succor under Your Majesty’s banner. Your Majesty is the definitive ruler of this age and all roads lead to Great Zhou. The entire family was delighted to think that here, there would finally be a use for father! All of our hearts clung to reaching Great Zhou so that father would have a wise liege to serve and that we could settle down in the prosperous capital.
“But we were robbed and kidnapped on our way here, my parents lost to the winds, and this subject was carried off by a villain as soon as I set foot into the city!”
Tears glistened settle in Qin Yining’s eyes at this point, but she valiantly refused to let them fall. She continued with dogged fury and humiliation. “The Faithful Prince of the First Rank cared not whether this subject was willing. He carried me off into his manor and had dishonorable… dishonorable intentions. This subject was woefully alone and had no other recourse. Last night, the prince said he’d gotten bored of me and threw me out of the manor…”
Tears finally streaked down her cheeks as she knelt and kowtowed. “How dare the Faithful Prince of the First Rank commit such lawless and godless actions at the feet of the Son of Heaven! Your Majesty, please extend the wings of justice and harshly punish the evil!”
Listening to the girl’s tearful accusation, Li Qitian arched a surprised brow.
The entire city knew that she’d been carried off back to the Pang Manor, and he knew some more details than most.
He’d once suspected the truth behind Pang Xiao and Qin Yining’s relationship, but from the spy’s reports, it seemed that the prince had a love-hate relationship with the girl. Pang Zhixi was just as likely to torment her as to treat her kindly.
Who would’ve thought that someone as highly self-regulated as him would do something so emotional, like throw the girl out in the middle of the
night?
Very amused by the entertainment, Li Qitian was in a very relaxed mood. However, the same stately expression remained on his face.
“To think something like this has happened?” He shot to his feet in surprise and paced with his hands behind his back. “We had no idea this was going on.”
“This subject was locked in the Pang Manor and suffered day and night. If it wasn’t for the thought of the lifeline that was Your Majesty, I would’ve dashed my head against a wall a long time ago. There was finally a chance to make it out of the lair of the tiger! This subject wholeheartedly begs Your Majesty for justice, to right this wrong!” Qin Yining kowtowed repeatedly.
In exceedingly good spirits, Li Qitian responded gravely, “Just your side alone isn’t enough for credibility. How about this, We will summon the prince so that the two of you can confront each other in person. If this matter is verified, We will enact punishment on your behalf. How does that sound?”
The Qin fourth miss instantly understood the emperor’s intentions.
Li Qitian wanted to see with his own eyes how Pang Xiao would make a fool out of himself!
What a thoroughly disgusting person…
Though Qin Yining was furious, she had to admit that she’d reached her goal.
“This subject speaks only the truth and fears not confrontation! I am willing to face that villain!” she responded heatedly.
Li Qitian nodded and with a smile, had Li Guanwen summon Pang Xiao into the palace. He then had young eunuchs bring over a chair, tea, and snacks for Qin Yining.
The Qin fourth miss took a reserved, sideways seat on the chair, her head down as she fretted with anxiety.
Not long thereafter, Pang Xiao arrived on the back of a fast horse. He was striding into the study, following Li Guanwen, when he happened to meet Qin Yining’s eyes. The girl had jerked her head up at the sound of his footsteps.
Surprised disbelief flashed through the prince’s face, quickly replaced by fury and embarrassment.
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