Return of the Swallow c1-644

by Edited by Deyna up to chapter ~100.

  He wanted to defend himself, but couldn’t find a single word to say. They were in Great Zhou territory. He was just a commandery prince now, while the one strutting around in front of him was a much higher ranked imperial prince—even if a common born one. Pang Xiao had joined the Grand Secretariat on account of his own battle merits and would participate in the grand affairs of policy making in the future.

  Yuchi Yan felt complete and utter shame in comparison.

  Qin Yining was both amused and annoyed that her beloved was being so harsh and obviously picking a fight. Likely only one third of this was for a show, the rest of it was because he was jealous.

  A big, grown-up man like him being jealous? She hadn’t done anything out of bounds and Yuchi Yan had only asked her a question. With his current identity, there was no way he could get up to anything. Yet her beloved had taken it to heart like a child whose candy had been stolen.

  She looked primly at Pang Xiao, but her eyes brimmed with laughter, which made the imperial prince flush.

  Maybe I’m going a bit overboard… He flung a strong glare back at the girl in return. If it hadn’t been for him running into this today, he wouldn’t have known just how popular his darling was!

  When Great Yan was being attacked, Yuchi Yan had done all that he could to pursue Qin Yining, even to the point of forcing her to enter the palace so that she would be his.

  If it hadn’t been for Pang Xiao’s plot, she would’ve long become part of Yuchi Yan’s harem! So how does that silly girl have the good temper to smile at that fop now??

  Though irritated thoughts ran madly through his mind, the imperial prince’s anger was mostly assuaged by the gentle look in her eyes. He coughed and stared coldly at Qin Yining.

  “What, found another future path after leaving this prince’s manor? Don’t worry, if someone really doesn't mind your past and is willing to wed you, this prince will add a great present to your dowry. We knew each other for a while, after all. But you can’t go be a concubine, can you? One of this prince’s women settling for anything but the lady of the household? Isn't that just wallowing in degeneration?”

  “You, you go too far!” Yuchi Yan could finally no longer hold it in upon seeing Pang Xiao humiliate the girl this way. “I wonder how His Majesty will judge if I send in a petition censuring you!”

  “That would be later in the future, and absolutely nothing to do with you!” jeered Pang Xiao.

  Yuchi Yan’s complexion was turning an alarming shade of red. Just as he was about to really dive into things, Lu-gonggong reported that Qin Huaiyuan and the others had walked out into the yard.

  “What might the Faithful Prince of the First Rank need, having graced us with your honorable presence?” Qin Huaiyuan smiled faintly and spoke gently.

  The imperial prince arched a brow. “Nothing much, just taking a spin around and checking in on an old friend.”

  His attitude was extremely arrogant and at disparate odds with how he treated Qin Huaiyuan before.

  The Qin patriarch narrowed his eyes, filtering through numerous possibilities in his mind. Behind him were née Sun, the second elder master and madame, and third elder master. They were very put out by Pang Xiao’s contemptuous attitude, especially née Sun.

  Back in Great Yan, Pang Xiao had sought to shorten the distance between them and called her mother-in-law. He’d done everything possible in the realm of flattery for Qin Yining’s sake.

  And look just how long it’d been? He changed his mind as easily as flipping the pages of a book!

  They’d heard of a few rumors between the prince and their fourth miss upon their return, but née Sun hadn’t thought much of them at all. So it turned out that she’d been too optimistic?

  Cheeks crimson with anger, née Sun held a firm grip on her temper and didn’t say anything.

  Qin Huaiyuan remained as elegantly refined as ever. “I see. I had no idea that the Faithful Prince of the First Rank and Commandery Prince of Yan were friends. Is this a new way to greet friends? Or is this a custom of the Great Zhou capital? I’m afraid I have little talent and even less learning. It’s my first time experiencing this.”

  Father-in-law really has airtight logic! Life would be horribly difficult if I’d ever become enemies with someone like him.

  Even so, Pang Xiao kept a sneer plastered to his face. “Oh, Sir Qin will have plenty of opportunities to experience this in the future.”

  Qin Huaiyuan was even more certain something was wrong with Pang Xiao’s attitude after witnessing it for himself and hearing the prince’s tone.

  Even if one had had a change of heart, they wouldn’t have had such a drastic change in such a short period of time. The Qin patriarch then considered his daughter. He naturally knew of the feelings between the two, and her sorrow wasn’t reaching the depths of her eyes, even with how antagonistic Pang Xiao was being.

  What are these two plotting now?

  Qin Huaiyuan affirmed his speculations and shook his head from the humor of the situation. Playing along, he retorted angrily, “The Faithful Prince of the First Rank has an infinite number of things to do because of his noble self. This old man won’t keep you any longer. Please do as you wish.” He raised a cupped hand salute and called out to Qin Yining. “Daughter Yi, we’re going back in.”

  Her head lowered and shoulders hunched, Qin Yining assented and followed behind her family. Her forlorn figure made Yuchi Yan feel like someone had stuck a hand into his chest and was churning around randomly, almost digging his heart and lungs out.

  He’d never craved power as he did now.

  If he had the utmost of power, how would he ever let Pang Xiao run rampant like this? He wouldn’t be blatantly humiliated as he had today, unable to even step forward in defense of Qin Yining when she was being debased.

  With the Qins having returned to the house, Pang Xiao and Yuchi Yan couldn’t remain further in the yard.

  The imperial prince leered at Yuchi Yan and sneered softly, “What, got something to say?”

  The commandery prince ground his teeth and couldn’t be bothered to rise to the bait.

  “Do you know there’s a thing called karma in this world? Everything you’re suffering today is reaping the seeds of what your father has sown.

  “What did you do when your father indulged your mother in wanting to eat the Qin fourth miss? What did you do when you held the reins of power? Don’t you disgust yourself in putting on this devoted, lovesick act?”

  Yuchi Yan was the stereotypical gentle and frail-looking scholar. Those who’d approached him before had been refined folks with kind intentions. It was the first time that someone was pointing their finger at his nose in denunciation—and unfortunately, all of the insults were true.

  Pang Xiao smirked again when she received no response. “Ah yes, there’s another bit of news. Seeing that you were once the emperor of Great Yan and that it’s related to your old nation, I’ll tell you since I’m such a good person.”

  Yuchi Yan jerked his head up violently.

  “Do you know where your emperor emeritus stashed the silver from his private purse and national treasury, as well as the tax grain that he sold off?”

  Eyes widened abruptly when Yuchi Yan heard this.

  A dark chuckle answered his shock. “Don’t you worry, His Majesty has already sent out troops in several directions. On behalf of His Majesty, this prince thanks your selfless contribution. I’m sure we’ll find the treasure shortly. I’ll host a banquet then to thank you properly.”

  Thinking back to his royal father’s actions, Yuchi Yan shook like he'd fallen into an icy cavern. So much silver had been hidden, not to build up the nation’s strength, but so that his father could one day turn the tables and come roaring back!

  Why had he been cursed with such a father?!

  The emperor emeritus had refused to use the wealth on the people or on the country, instead earmarking it for his own greed. Now Great Zhou was looking for it everywhere. Didn’t that mean
Great Yan’s silver was soon to fall into enemy hands?

  Yuchi Yan’s wan complexion flushed a deep red, then turned purple. A tangy, sweet taste welled up at the back of his throat and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

  Having toyed enough with his victim, Pang Xiao looked at the house with his hands behind his back. He walked off merrily, secure in his unparalleled arrogance and humming a happy ditty.

  Countless voices posturing and yelling insults in his mind, Yuchi Yan kept a firm grip on his discomfort as he watched the imperial prince saunter off. Eunuch Lu quickly helped his master back to their own yard.

  Vomit burbled out of the commandery prince as soon as they crossed the door. There was even blood mixed in with the unsavory ejection. Shocked, Li Yanyan and Gu Chang hastily ordered servants to go find a doctor.

  While everything was a chaotic mess on Yuchi Yan’s side, Qin Yining arrived in the backyard for a stroll with Qin Huaiyuan.

  It was an open and airy space. Father and daughter could admire the snowy view and would be able to quickly discover anyone who approached and wanted to eavesdrop.

  "Did the Faithful Prince of the First Rank come to specifically stir up trouble today?”

  Qin Yining nodded with a smile. “Not just this time, but carrying me off after I entered the capital and me lodging an imperial lawsuit was all part of the plan.” She looked at her father a bit apprehensively. “Father, my relationship with Pang Zhixi isn’t as awful as it appears on the surface. Are you mad at me?”

  His hands behind his back, Qin Huaiyuan’s eyes were lowered in grave thought. “I’m not mad at you.” He thought for a few moments more and remarked with emotion, “Life is just a few short decades. We need to live it to our fullest and seize every moment. I was too concerned with too many things in the first couple of decades of my life, resulting in me being hobbled at every turn. I don’t want you to be tied down like me. If you think Pang Zhixi is good, then don’t give up on him and don’t think too much. I’ll take care of anything that happens, understood?”

  Chapter 350: Attending A Banquet

  When Qin Yining had decided to be with Pang Xiao, long before she followed Xie Yue to the Great Zhou capital, she’d wondered how her father would take the decision. He might advise her to keep the prince at an arm’s-length, or tacitly remind her that the family was more important. The only possibility she hadn’t thought of was his actual reaction.

  As the patriarch of a large clan, shouldn’t he be wholeheartedly dedicated to the family to maximize profit for the Qins, even to the detriment of his children’s desires?

  Someone as materialistic and profit-seeking as the old dowager, who based all of her decisions on family and personal gain, was the norm.

  But her father was putting her happiness and desires first!

  Warmth filled Qin Yining’s heart and her nose twinged. She took in a few deep breaths to suppress the urge to cry.

  “I knew that father would back me up, so I was never afraid when facing Pang Zhixi.” She smiled back up at Qin Huaiyuan. “I knew that even if I chose wrong or failed, I would still have a home to come back to.”

  “That’s right, that’s the only thing you need to remember.” Qin Huaiyuan clapped his daughter’s shoulder. “You suffered since young because of me and never once experienced the life of a noble daughter. Finally living through your fill of pain and misery in the outside world, you still shouldered the family’s suffering after returning home.

  “Nothing that you’ve experienced is what an ordinary noble daughter should’ve gone through. As you’ve never enjoyed the luxuries of being a noble daughter, how can I be so shamefaced as to restrain you with the rules for a noble daughter? That’s simply too unfair to you.”

  Qin Huaiyuan plodded forward as he spoke, his daughter following slowly as well. They crunched through the yard, leaving a set of large and small footprints.

  “Thankfully I have a bit of ability to my name. I’m sure the Zhou emperor will want to use me in the overall picture of things if he wants the situation at court to stabilize. I have enough capital to protect you. I know you’re a smart child. You know what can be and can’t be done. I won’t nag, but just one reminder: learn how to protect yourself well, whether in terms of physically, emotionally, or your life in general. You have to protect all aspects of yourself, do you understand?”

  Touched, Qin Yining nodded firmly. “I understand, father. I’ll keep the boundaries well in mind and won’t hurt myself. I know that there’s a lot of important things in life, that romantic love isn’t everything.”

  Qin Huaiyuan stopped and looked at his daughter with a smile. “You being able to think this way already makes you very different from a lot of girls your age.”

  “Maybe it’s because I saw more than my fair share of things in the city when I was young.” Qin Yining smiled. “True human nature is most easily revealed in front of hunger and poverty, and even more so when faced with life and death. The city of Liang was close to the border and often affected by the war. You get used to it when you see those scenes often.”

  Qin Huaiyuan sighed, huffing white mist in front of him.

  “Oh right, father,” chuckled the girl. “The old dowager lost all of the family valuables on the way here. We really have been scraping by in recent times. I secretly asked Pang Zhixi to find a good manor for us, and had Steward Zhong purchase it under someone else’s name once he arrived in the capital. It’s been renovated and is move-in ready now.”

  “Oh?” smiled Qin Huaiyuan. “You've thought of everything. I was thinking about how to resolve this problem on my way back, but you’ve already taken care of it.”

  “It’s all thanks to the little bit of money I still had left. Father should take care of the paperwork with its current nominal owner when you have time. Once the manor is under your name, our family will be able to move in. We can’t exactly stay at the inns indefinitely, after all.”

  The man arched a brow with a smile. “It looks like the Institute brought in quite a bit of revenue for you. For that we need to thank your maternal grandparents.”

  Qin Yining respectfully agreed, but decided to come clean to her father.

  “Actually, the Institute didn’t earn all that much. It’s from when a lot of Great Yan citizens were in a rush to flee when the Yan capital was surrounded. They sold their land, houses, and stores for cheap.

  “I felt that since there was no way I could get away—even if I had the Institute’s silver, it would be embezzled by the Great Zhou representatives. It seemed a better idea to give the money away so that people could run. Who knew that the anticipated raiding and looting didn’t happen? I accidentally profited off a national catastrophe.”

  Her father arched a brow with a smile. “Or in other words, you reaped positive karma from a good deed?”

  Qin Yining chuckled ruefully. “The amount of income I get from my properties now is roughly…”

  But Qin Huaiyuan waved her off before she could finish.

  “Daughter Yi, you’ve chosen a hard path in deciding to be with Pang Zhixi. You don't need to tell me how much silver, businesses, or networks you have. Just treat it as your personal wealth. The two of you might run into a great deal of trouble in the future. I’ll be more at ease if you have money and people around you.”

  Qin Yining blinked, a layer of mist slowly gathering in her eyes. She sniffled loudly before nodding. “Alright.”

  Her father tapped her nose cheerily. “I saw an unfamiliar little girl just now. I hear that she saved your life?”

  Her heart skipped a beat. It didn’t seem like the right thing to do, keeping Lian Xiaozhou’s secrets from her father. He was so good to her!

  But Xiaozhou’s identity as a Northern Ji princess was simply too extraordinary. The fewer who knew meant the safer she’d be. It might be a good thing if her father didn’t know either.

  Having made up her mind, she trotted out the same background story that she’d told others.

>   Qin Huaiyuan wasn’t the least bit suspicious. He sighed. “To think that this child would have such a similar background to you. The two of you meeting is your shared destiny. Since she has no family, you must take care of her well. It’s not just a function of thanking her for saving your life, do you understand?”

  “Yes, father, I do.” Qin Yining flashed a brilliant smile, which was answered by a slight one from her father.

  The two made countless circles of the yard, talking idly as they created rings upon rings of footprints.

  They returned back to the house after discussing everything there was to discuss as well as the particulars of moving.

  An imperial summons came the next day, declaring that Qin Huaiyuan was to enter the palace for an audience. News of him receiving imperial favor the day after his return quickly spread throughout the capital.

  Once the capital evaluations were over, the character flaws of the Minister of Rites, Lian Shengjie, came to light. He was publicly reprimanded and demoted three ranks from a principal second rank minister to a principal fifth rank vice director.

  Meanwhile, Qin Huaiyuan was made the newest Minister of Rites, principal second rank.

  When the news spread, the surrendered Great Yan officials were both jubilant and jealous.

  In Great Zhou, apart from exceptions with great deeds of valor like Pang Xiao that were personally promoted into the Grand Secretariat, any officials who wanted to join the council had a long journey ahead. They had to be first chosen as Hanlin Bachelors—graduates of the Hanlin Academy with exception literary promise. After a decade or two at court, they would only have a chance at entering the council whenever they made principal second rank of one of the six ministers.

  As the newest head of the Ministry of Rites, it was a general announcement that Qin Huaiyuan would be the next candidate to join the Grand Secretariat.

  In their new manor, the old dowager was taking tea in the flower hall of the main house in the rear residence. Her eyes creased into a pleased line when she heard the news from a newly-bought serving girl.