Return of the Swallow c1-644

by Edited by Deyna up to chapter ~100.

  Pang Xiao nodded slightly in agreement and tightened his grasp around Qin Yining.

  The two leaned silently against each other, then whispered for a long time before the prince quietly stole away.

  Over the next period of time, the entire capital bathed in the joy of the impending new year.

  For Great Zhou, peace reigned beneath the heavens, the country was prosperous, and her people lived in safety. The Tartars were too busy with civil unrest to conduct their usual harassment, making for prolonged tranquility on the northern border. Most of Great Yan had been merged into Great Zhou territory, so calm reigned in the south as well.

  There had only been good news for Great Zhou this year, so Li Qitian flew high on the crest of success and was in the finest of spirits.

  But for former Great Yan citizens, this was their hardest new year yet. It was the first after their homeland had fallen; they no longer had any foundations from henceforth. Just like they were living under someone else’s roof at the moment, they would still be drifting duckweed in the future even if they were given a position and bought a manor.

  The Qins had discussed whether they should ring in the new year with the commandery prince couple, Sir Li, and Sir Gu. But after careful analysis, they felt that Yuchi Yan would only ever be a sparrow in a gilded cage in Great Zhou and never take flight. Li Qitian wouldn’t give him any real power even when completely drunk.

  Not only did the commandery prince not have a future ahead of him, but getting too close with him might bring down trouble on the entire family.

  Therefore, deathly silence prevailed in the entire building, broken only by the occasional firecracker.

  The Qins were gathered in a small residence to partake their new year’s eve meal.

  A dazzling array of dishes were on display—Li Qitian had paid special attention to the surrendered officials. The chefs had gone all out for the traditional family reunion meals on new year’s eve. Though they hadn’t gone to the effort of preparing southern cuisine, it was still a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

  But the Qins didn’t have much of an appetite.

  It was supposed to be a family reunion meal, but the family wasn’t together.

  The old dowager looked at everyone sitting together and sighed. “Just think of us last year at this time and now. Who would’ve thought this would be how we’re spending the new year this year?”

  The second madame was holding her mother-in-law’s hand and patted it comfortingly. “Take care of yourself, Old Dowager. Don’t think of these unhappy things.”

  “And how can I be happy? Who knows how Meng’er is faring these days, if he’s even still alive… Our family has finally made it through natural and manmade disaster and arrived at Great Zhou. Just when we thought our future would be smooth and safe, Meng’er was taken from us. I wanted to agree to the kidnapper’s demands, but granddaughter Yi can’t enter the palace…”

  Grief struck the old dowager the more she talked and she covered her face to cry.

  Sorrow shone through the faces of the family when they saw this and the eighth miss and Qin Huining also teared up as well.

  Qin Yining frowned. “Don’t cry, Old Dowager. It’s new year’s eve and a day of great joy. We can’t cry.”

  “You cold-hearted wench! The whereabouts of your parents are unknown and you don’t allow me to cry? I say you have no heart and conscience and aren’t willing to worry about your father and mother!” The old dowager slapped the table with her hand through her sobs. “Why is my life so hard! Why has this befallen me!”

  The Qin matriarch’s wails grew louder and louder, causing the second madame, second wife, and a bunch of serving girls to weep as well.

  Frowning, Qin Yining looked at the elder masters. “Uncles, are we not afraid of angering His Majesty when crying so loudly at this time? So many pairs of eyes are fixed on us. Those in the know understand the old dowager is worried about her son, but those who don’t will think we’re diehard loyalists of Great Yan who are grieving the fall of our nation! Are we to have a single day of peace in Great Zhou ever again??”

  Though she spoke to the second elder master, she hadn’t bothered to keep her voice down and indirectly lectured the entire house of womenfolk.

  The old dowager’s sobs immediately died down when she heard it would offend the imperial household. The remaining womenfolk were also apprehensive and didn’t dare cry too loudly.

  To be honest, the second elder master was also very irritated by the old dowager’s act. He was even nostalgic with admiration of how his big brother used to coax their mother with just a word or two.

  “Niece Yi is right,” agreed he. “We need to be careful of our every word and action. Besides, she just told me secretly just now that she has a piece of good news to tell everyone tonight.”

  The old dowager wiped her tears away and look at the girl with annoyance. “What good news do you have for us?”

  That old fox! He threw the ball right back to me!

  “I do have good news. Old Dowager and everyone else doesn’t need to worry about my father. I think he’ll return within the first month of the new year.”

  Chapter 346: Return

  “Do you mean that??” The old dowager surged to her feet and grabbed Qin Yining’s hand. “Has your father sent word?” Without waiting for a response, she grumbled, “He really has no heart! Why didn’t he write to me! He didn’t even tell me that he’s safe, does he not care about his mother anymore?”

  The old dowager’s tears spilled forth again and Qin-mama hastily fished out a handkerchief for her mistress.

  Qin Yining looked helplessly at her second uncle, then quickly looked away.

  The second elder master knew that it would look bad if he didn’t speak up now. “What kind of words are these, mother? You know big brother the best. If there had been a letter, he would’ve asked about you first.”

  “No letter?” The old dowager blinked and forgot to keep crying. She exclaimed, “Did granddaughter Yi hear it from somewhere then? Is your father well? Where is he now?”

  “I don’t know where my father is either, but I trust that with his intelligence, he’s doing very well.”

  “What do you mean by that? What is going on here??”

  Sensing that the old dowager was about to kick up another tantrum in her urgency for information, Qin Yining quickly went over the capital evaluations. But when the only response was blank looks, she looked to her second uncle for help.

  With the absence of Qin Huaiyuan, the second elder master was the pillar of the family and hence, his words carried more weight. Joy bloomed on their faces after they listened to his breakdown of the situation.

  “Do you, do you really mean this?” The old dowager laughed and pointed at her second son, her face shining with happiness.

  He smiled back wryly. “Of course I mean it. Would I try to pull the wool over your eyes?”

  “Wonderful, wonderful! Something good is finally coming out of the new year!” The Qin matriarch smiled through her tears and exhaled heavily with pleasure.

  The atmosphere immediately warmed up. Their matriarch loved Qin Huaiyuan to bits and the rest only felt truly on stable footing when their head of the household was home.

  The second elder master however, had mixed feelings. He’d done his best during this period of time—doing this and that and everything for the family. Everyone had the habit of coming to him for help with whatever issue, no matter how small. But just the news of Qin Huaiyuan’s imminent return was greeted with more enthusiasm than him actually leading and advising the family.

  Still, he was quite relieved and content that his big brother was about to return. His brother conducted himself properly and possessed equal servings of talent and virtue. He wasn’t biased towards anyone and never singled any member out for oppression. He always helped whenever someone was in trouble. It was a very comforting thing to have such a good elder brother.

  Just as an amiable at
mosphere wrapped itself around the Qins, their neighbor Yuchi Yan was standing in an empty yard, a cloak with a black sable fur collar around his shoulders. He had his head tilted up to the brilliant fireworks blossoming in the night sky.

  Translucent crystals of snow drifted through the air, coalescing into a thin layer of radiance on his shoulders.

  The twinkling bits of white snow on his black collar echoed the hoarfrost color of the hair on his temples.

  He was a young man not yet twenty five, but the ends of his hair were already greying. The deep grooves between his brows had deepened significantly, like a dead knot that couldn’t be undone.

  A paper umbrella appeared over his head, shielding him from the light snowfall, but also blocking his view.

  He turned back to see Li Yanyan, clad in a white fox fur coat, smiling back at him. Next to her stood Gu Chang, dressed in a downy-pink silk jacket.

  “Your Highness, it’s cold in the yard. Won’t you please come back inside? It’ll be no fun to fall sick with a cold.” Li Yanyan’s voice was warm and soft, measured and logical. It sounded a lot like someone else who liked to wear white fox fur.

  Gu Chang piped in, “You didn’t have much of dinner. Would you like to come back and have some more?”

  Yuchi Yan shook his head and brushed away the paper umbrella, looking back up at the sky again.

  The fireworks were gone. There were just a few tendrils of smoke drifting through the pitch black sky.

  He’d wanted to watch the beautiful light show, but hadn’t had his fill. That was just like his destiny, always having the wrong timing because of this and that…

  And so what of it all? He was just a commandery prince now and would never have real power for the rest of his life, to say nothing of his freedom. If he wanted to live, he had to play nice beneath Li Qitian’s watchful eye. He could never overstep himself or give cause for Li Qitian to suspect him. He would only ever be a sparrow in a cage, and freedom wouldn’t be waiting for him when his master finally got bored.

  Driven to distraction with dejection, Yuchi Yan’s white hairs were particularly on display beneath the hue of the lanterns.

  Li Yanyan’s nose twinged and tears almost fell.

  No matter what her father had once done against the imperial family, all of that was in the past now that Great Yan had fallen.

  She would stay by Yuchi Yan’s side for the rest of his life. They would be a regular, ordinary couple. She would serve him like any family’s official wife. It would be enough to bear his children and keep the inner residence in order.

  As for the other imperial consorts and concubines, they had all been lost on the journey here. Only Gu Chang was left, demoted from consort to concubine. Any children she birthed would only be lower status concubine-born ones.

  So what if Li Yanyan was no longer empress? She was satisfied just with peaceful days.

  Having endured so much loss and separation, she felt that she had a new perspective on life. As long as her husband was alright and her family fine, what else did she want for?

  “Don't be sad, Your Highness. We’ll live our life well when everything settles down. We’ll have children and live out the rest of our lives peacefully. Won’t that be lovely?” Li Yanyan comforted with a smile.

  “Indeed. This concubine has heard that the Qin fourth miss’ reputation has been destroyed by the Faithful Prince of the First Rank. The prince carried her off and humiliated her in a million ways. That Miss Qin is a pitiful thing as well. When our situation stabilizes, you could go to the Qins to ask for her hand in marriage. She can be an honored concubine in our household. I’m sure the Qins will agree given that you don’t think less of her and are willing to give her a future. Us sisters will have another companion then.”

  Gu Chang was a stunning beauty and had a delightful smile. Her words were perfectly reasonable, shining a few rays of hope in Yuchi Yan’s bleak and desolate heart.

  Li Yanyan frowned and ground her teeth at Gu Chang, but didn’t dare show her emotions. Whether she was the empress or an ordinary official wife, she could only nod in acceptance when her husband wanted to take a concubine. She’d be committing the vice of jealousy otherwise.

  Gu Chang arched her brow proudly. She’d already fallen from an imperial consort to being just a concubine, what else did she have to lose? Yuchi Yan had always been cool towards her. As opposed to letting Li Yanyan strut around, she might as well get Qin Yining into the household too so that no one would have good days ahead.

  “Let’s go inside,” remarked an aloof Yuchi Yan as he turned.

  The two ladies looked at each other and bestowed a contemptuous smile upon the other before following their husband inside.

  All families peacefully saw through new year’s eve.

  On new year’s day, Huzi secretly delivered three big red envelopes to Qin Yining, saying they were from the grand-lord, grand-madame, and old madame. When the girl asked about Pang Xiao’s official mother, the guard only smiled and said everything was alright.

  The yamen resumed business on the fifth day of the new year, and the capital evaluations were underway in full swing.

  On the fifteenth day of the new year, Qin Yining happened to be teaching Xiaozhou how to read when a shout travelled through the yard.

  “He’s back! Milord is back, milord is back!”

  Qin Yining surged to her feet and almost knocked over the porcelain water container for washing brushes. She sprinted for the door.

  The sight of Qin Huaiyuan, clad in a cloak with a gray mouse fur collar, striding into the yard greeted her as soon she arrived.

  “Father!”

  Chapter 347: Reunion (I)

  Qin Huaiyuan was much thinner and his bearded cheeks had sunken in. However, his aura was even more self-possessed and sharper than before. The edge between his brows was impossible to ignore, even when he was in a merry mood.

  Qin Yining knew that her father must’ve experienced a great deal in the outside world during this period of time.

  A smile softened the face of the former marquis when he saw his daughter run out, hem in hand. He clapped his beloved child’s shoulder with a grin. “I knew you’d be safe and sound!”

  Qin Yining beamed back at him. “Father, have you been well? How about my mother?”

  “Your mother’s right behind me.” Qin Huaiyuan smiled.

  The old dowager came speeding over, flanked by the second madame and Qin-mama.

  “Meng’er! Oh my Meng’er! You’ve finally come back! Why did you vanish without a word? You’re going to be the death of your poor mother!” The Qin matriarch pounced with a wail and hugged Qin Huaiyuan tightly, sobbing without stop and bringing tears to the eyes of onlookers.

  He immediately knelt in front of the old dowager and responded in a slightly shaking voice. “Mother, it’s all your unfilial son’s fault. I made you worry. You can hit me or curse at me, but please don’t hurt yourself with crying too much.”

  The old dowager shook her head repeatedly, beside herself with weeping. She was hugging her son so tightly that she couldn’t say a single word.

  A faint smile crossed Qin Yining’s face to see the scene of reunion. She quickly turned around when she thought of née Sun.

  Stepping just outside the small yard brought to her the sight of née Sun wrapped in a thick cloak with a large collar. She was walking side-by-side with Cao Yuqing, followed by Jin-mama and two unfamiliar maids. All of them were carrying large bundles.

  “Mother!” The girl yelled and charged up to the madame for a bear hug. “Mother! You’re back!”

  Née Sun ardently returned the hug, her voice choked up as well. “I’m back, I’m back. I’ve been worried about you all this time, but your father said that with your smarts, you were sure to land on your feet. He hasn’t lied to me alright! You’re hale and hearty.”

  “What could’ve happened to me, mother?? I was worried about you!” Qin Yining pulled on née Sun’s arm for a close once-over, scrutiniz
ing her incredibly carefully to see if even a hair had been lost.

  That sent Jin-mama into chuckles. “Don’t worry, fourth miss, the madame’s been very well these days.”

  Qin Yining nodded and then turned to Cao Yuqing. She flashed a dazzling smile. “Thank you so much, Auntie Cao!”

  Cao Yuqing had been quietly standing off to the side, watching mother and daughter be reunited. Some traces of loneliness and dismalness had stolen into her heart, so she was flattered by the attention when the Qin fourth miss addressed her in thanks.

  “You don’t need to thank me, fourth miss. I was just doing what I was supposed to.” Cao Yuqing smiled gently, her beauty eclipsing everything in her radius.

  The girl shook her head at that response. “No matter what your reasons were, you gave everything you had that day to save my mother and father. I saw it all. If it wasn’t for you, my parents would’ve ended up in grave peril.”

  Her cheeks pink, Cao Yuqing shook her head. “You praise me too highly, fourth miss.”

  Née Sun interjected at this time. “You’re worthy of these thanks. If it hadn’t been for you and your men during this time, we wouldn’t have remained safe at all.”

  Cao Yuqing smiled happily. “The madame is treating me like an outsider by saying this.”

  Qin Yining breathed in relief to see that née Sun didn’t bear as much hostility to Cao Yuqing as before, and that the concubine was also very respectful to the madame.

  Father will never cast Cao Yuqing aside. Ignoring the concubine’s feelings for the lord of the house, she had saved him multiple times already. The debt from this was insurmountable, to say nothing of how the Silver Masks were in Qin Huaiyuan’s employ now.

  There were hundreds and thousands of tendrils tying to the two together. It wouldn’t be a simple and easy stroke to cut them apart.

  Since life demanded that they associate with each other, it was preferable to spend the days together amiably than in hot anger or cutting sarcasm. They weren’t in Great Yan anymore. A family had to stick together so that unsavory sorts wouldn’t have an opening.