Ji Zeyu looked back and cast a remote look. “This subject is clumsy and foolish to not be able to serve Your Highness well. This subject will look to the princess' servants to serve you well.” He nodded politely and strode off again.
Real panic finally struck Li Helan.
However cool Ji Zeyu had been to her before, he’d never been this polite or remote. It turned out that him being stand-offish wasn’t scary at all, since his personality was like this to begin with. Him suddenly becoming the definition of courteous was truly alarming.
They’d known each other for a while; he’d never stood on manners like this before with Li Helan.
Late in coming, realization smacked the princess across the face. Though they’d lived in separate quarters since their wedding night and had only consummated their marriage once, some tinges of relaxed casualness had still suffused Ji Zeyu’s indifference towards her.
Li Helan regretted her actions like no other. Why had she been so greedy in wanting to play around and chase some new thrills? Ji Zeyu had been chilly towards her to begin with, how were they supposed to get along in the future??
She chased the men a few steps, but burst into tears when she saw the black and white figures quickly walk off without a trace of care.
Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu walked side by side, not saying a word as they left the manor of the Marquis of Valiant Faith.
Pang Xiao was livid about the injustice done to his brother.
But he was also aware that since the moment Ji Zeyu had agreed to become a prince consort, the latter had made all sorts of mental preparations for various situations.
Gentle, kind, noble, and classy princesses abounded since time immemorial, but history was also marked with ones who formed their own harems like Madame Lu.
Besides, having a princess for a wife shifted the balance of power in the marriage to begin with. A princess was the master, and her prince consort specifically designated to serve the princess. He would travel to her manor only when she felt the need to, with the opportunity of intimacy available only then. If she didn’t summon him, not only could he not touch a single hair on her body, but he couldn’t even have a bedwarmer.
Such was the resignation lying in wait when serving the imperial family.
Considering Ji Zeyu’s talents and character, Pang Xiao truly felt that it was a great injustice for his brother to be a prince consort. However, he also understood that his brother’s merits were so eye-catching at the moment that they threatened to eclipse their liege. To be frank, their circumstances were equally difficult.
Ji Zeyu had likely turned over many, many considerations before agreeing to be Li Helan’s prince consort.
* * *
1. Lan is Ji Zeyu’s personal name.
Chapter 354.2: To Threaten
The two of them departed soundlessly through the manor doors. Their steeds pawing the snowy ground, the ground around the horses was a muddy mess. In a carriage nearby, Qin Yining happened to be lifting the window curtain and looking in their direction.
Delight flooded Pang Xiao’s heart to see his girl, and he expressed it with a cold snort. “What are you still doing here? Do you want to go back inside and join Madame Lu’s fun?”
Qin Yining took a look at Ji Zeyu and looked down, lowering her curtain without another word and had her groom flick the reins to set off.
As the clip-clop of hooves faded into the distance, the marquis asked with some resignation, “Don’t you like née Qin? Why are you so harsh to her? How will you make it up to her if you hurt her feelings?”
“What does it matter how much I like the daughter of my enemy?”
Ji Zeyu fell silent and then sighed softly. He clapped Pang Xiao’s shoulder. “Thank you for just now.”
“What need is there for thanks between brothers? Except, Ah Lan, you should talk to His Majesty about this.”
“So what if I do? His Majesty doesn’t have the time to spare for mundane matters like these. I’m supposed to serve the princess anyways. She can do whatever she likes. She can have her own harem, and I can only save myself for her.”
A man of few words normally, only in front of a brother would Ji Zeyu speak so freely and have no need to mince his words.
“Forget it, don’t think too much. Come, let’s go back to my place for a drink.” He grabbed his reins and adroitly jumped onto his horse.
Ji Zeyu also brought his horse over and tilted his head up at the prince. “I hear that your official mother’s come back. Is it still convenient for us to drink at your place?”
“The complex is so big, how can there not be a place for us to drink? Stop nattering already and let’s go!”
The Marquis of Northern Stability stopped asking and steered his horse in the direction of Pang Manor. The two brothers drank until the wee hours of the morning and fell asleep in a drunken stupor, sprawled over the heated platform of the outer study.
Meanwhile, Qin Yining didn’t find her father in a spare moment until dusk of the next day. She reiterated everything that had happened the day before and concluded on a worried note, “Father, can we really not afford to offend the Lu clan?”
Qin Huaiyuan nodded. “The Lus were a feared and revered name even back in the Northern Ji days. Their economic foundations run deep without visibility as to their actual depths. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they’re as wealthy as a nation. It was due to their loyalty to the emperor and supplying rations and money to the revolutionaries that Great Zhou could destroy Northern Ji. We can see from this just how powerful that clan must be now.
“Although Madame Lu is just from a side branch, even a family’s side branch must be treated with caution if they’re surnamed Lu in the Great Zhou capital.”
Qin Yining frowned thoughtfully and responded fretfully after a beat, “Father, my actions yesterday probably offended Madame Lu and the princess to no other. Do you think I’ve unintentionally made enemies out of the Lus? Have I doomed our family? I’m really afraid of bringing trouble to the family.”
She didn’t regret her actions, but she was worried about the Qins.
They’d only just found their footing in Great Zhou—how could they possibly afford to be enemies with such a ponderous clan as the Lus?
Qin Huaiyuan burst out laughing to catch his daughter in a rare moment of sheepishness.
“You silly girl, what are you thinking about now? Did you forget what your father just told you? You don’t have to spend your time worrying about this or that, just do what you think is right. I’ll take care of anything that happens. We’re not here on this world to spend our time suffering through life. As mighty as the Lus may be, what can they do?”
Her father’s merry expression prompted a soft chuckle out of Qin Yining.
“You’re right, father. I’m getting too bogged down in everything. No matter how strong the enemy might be, we can’t shrink back. Plus, I believe that with father’s talent, becoming a renowned official of our age is just a matter of time.”
The two had a delightful conversation, just like the ones they had back in Great Yan.
Qin Huaiyuan had no son and just this one daughter. She was naturally the apple of his eye.
Qin Yining wasn’t the sort to become puffed up with pride. She had a maturity and open-mindedness beyond her years. No matter what political affairs Qin Huaiyuan talked about, she could always offer some thoughts of her own. They really did have a lot in common, which further made Qin Huaiyuan want to treat his daughter even better. A painful childhood had to be made up for.
Some rumors flared up two days later.
Apparently Madame Lu didn’t see eye to eye with the Qin fourth miss and they’d had a few run-ins with each other. Upon learning that the Qins’ current residence was a rental, Madame Lu was now declaring to anyone who would listen that she was going to buy the complex. She’d rather leave it empty than rent it to the Qins! She wanted the Qins to learn of her might, that some people weren’t to be offended in th
e capital.
Qin Yining chuckled delightfully when she heard the news.
“Well, this is interesting. Madame Lu is fun. My days in the capital won’t be as boring with her around.”
Bingtang frowned in mock anger when she heard this. “Miss, you’re being too relaxed about all of this. You offended Madame Lu to the point where she wants to turn the entire family out on the streets. Do you think the old dowager, madame, and lord will show you a friendly face when they know this? Instead of thinking what to do about it, you’re sitting here complimenting Madame Lu!”
Chapter 355: Communication Gap Between Generations
“Think about what to do? What can my family do to me, no matter what happens? Mother and father won’t change their minds about me. As for the old dowager, she won’t like me even if nothing happens. Besides, Madame Lu absolutely can’t find anything to do—that’s why she’s making such a fuss. It’ll blow over after a while.”
Utterly composed, Qin Yining couldn’t think less of the madame’s provocation.
She was well aware that having maintained dominance and prosperity for so long, the wielder of power in the Lu clan could be no blockhead. Madame Lu’s high profile, overbearing, and brash style was undoubtedly a source of trouble and chaos for the family. It was impossible for her to be a core figure.
What the Lus wanted wasn’t clear yet. It was too early for the Qin fourth miss to panic.
The only one making a mess at the moment was a minor character who would have no bearing on the Lu clan strategy. There was no need to pay it any heed at all.
“You’re certainly broadminded about everything.” Bingtang sighed. “I thought we’d be able to live carefree lives after leaving the trash emperor and trampress behind in Great Yan. But after arriving here, I’ve discovered that it’s impossible to live a free and easy life.”
The lamentation teased a chuckle out of Qin Yining. “Says who? We’re living quite free and easy at the moment.”
“Free and easy? Don’t you think that the most you can do now is to be trapped in the manor and make morning and evening greetings to the old dowager? Her impression of you wasn’t good to begin with, now she jeers and taunts you at every opportunity. This sucks!”
Qin Yining waved a hand with a smile. “Silly girl, do I look like an ordinary noble daughter to you?”
Bingtang blinked blankly.
Xianyun, braiding Xiaozhou’s hair off to the side, smiled. “You’re no ordinary person, miss, so you naturally don’t care about what ordinary people do.”
“No matter what I do, I’m living a free and easy life as long as the bigger picture is moving in the direction I want.”
“So this means that what’s happening now is what you want?” asked Bingtang.
Qin Yining arched a noncommittal brow. “Some things need to be blown up in order to be handled in an easier manner.” She rose. “Let’s put on thicker clothes and walk around in the yard.”
Weather in Great Zhou dipped heavily into cold and frost. It was already the second month of the year, but the nippy wind outside still bit deeply into bones.
Qin Yining wore a heavy winter coat and carried a hand warmer, chatting and strolling with her maids in the yard.
The Qin manor now didn’t boast the extensive acreage that the former family manor had. It was just a simple complex—two houses deep, with each family branch assigned to different houses. Therefore, the entire family could see what Qin Yining was doing if they cared to.
The old dowager closed the window after putting down the window rod, sitting down primly with a dismissive snort.
“That girl is having a ball of a time.”
Qin-mama amiably brought over a bowl of cheese. “Have a snack, Old Dowager. The kitchen just sent this over. It’s still warm.”
However, her mistress waved her off. “Just look at our manor now. Though it’s nice to have a place to live, it’s a bit small. I can see everything those chits are doing when I open the windows, and I can hear everything they say if they speak loudly. I don’t know what’s going on either, but I’m irritated by the merest sight of the slippery fourth lass. Her devious self is so annoying to look at.”
The fourth miss and the lord are very similar. You just hate her because she’s a bit more objective in her ways.
Although Qin-mama also felt that the old dowager had been less than aboveboard in many things, she was loyal to her mistress in the end. The granny servant sighed. “Mistress only thinks this way because you’re angry.”
“Why did that damn girl go and offend the Lus!?” The Qin matriarch had questioned her sons yesterday before getting a full handle on the foundations of the Lu clan.
She couldn’t wrap her mind around it at all. Qin Yining had only gone to attend a banquet, how had she managed to offend such a prominent family??
“The Marquis of Valiant Faith’s household is no ordinary noble family. I heard that if General Mi hadn’t died, he’d be on the same level as Prince Consort Ji and the Faithful Prince of the First Rank by now. The marchioness is also an eminent Lu! What does the fourth lass use for brains, why didn’t she know that she had to get along with them!?”
The old dowager slammed her hand angrily on the square table, shaking porcelain tea cups with images of carp frolicking among the lotus flowers. “How will we afford the loss of face if we really lose our home!?”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and the more maddening the sound of girlish laughter from the yards became.
She was about to push open the window and shout at Qin Yining when a maid called out a report.
“Reporting to Old Dowager, a madame has come and is asking to see the fourth miss.”
Worries that she would have no place to live being first and foremost on her mind, the old dowager immediately thought of Madame Lu when she heard a ‘madame’ had come to visit.
“Quick, quick, get the damn girl here,” she urged Qin-mama. “I’m going to give her a piece of my mind before letting her see the guest. Otherwise, with our family’s shallow foundations, how is the future going to look if we fully offend someone!”
“Don’t be in a rush, mistress. We don’t know who’s come.” Qin-mama tried for some calm, but still set off to fetch Qin Yining.
Chapter 355.2: Communication Gap Between Generations
When she heard that a young madame was looking for her, Qin Yining instructed Jiyun and Bingtang to wait on their guest and serve tea. She would be there shortly after a change of clothing.
Just after entering the old dowager’s house, her grandmother declared angrily before the girl even drew near, “Just look at what you’ve done now, you vile spawn!”
The sudden reprimand was completely baffling. “What’s wrong, Old Dowager? Why are you so angry?”
The Qin matriarch was so angry that she picked up a teacup lid to smash. But upon having second thoughts, since the family wasn’t as well-off as before, she put it back down after a deep breath in. Tea wares were a set; smashing one lid meant that the rest would be useless as well.
“How dare you ask me?! I tell you, you will do your best to apologize and compensate with gifts today. Madame Lu must be appeased! If this really does affect the family, I’ll have your father hang you up and whip you! You may not want to abide by the rules and have an easy life, but don’t drag the family into your nonsense!”
The old dowager’s words were exceedingly ugly. If an unmarried girl really was whipped by her father, her reputation would be ruined. Though she knew that the old dowager was just frightening her, anger still rose from the bottom of Qin Yining’s heart.
“Don’t worry, Old Dowager, I won’t drag the family down. But having gained power and prosperity because of me, I haven’t seen you show me one iota of kindness. The harshness is coming right back into play at the first sign of trouble. If all grandmothers reprimanded their granddaughters like this without knowing right from wrong, noble girls everywhere would hang themselves!”
>
“You!” The old dowager smacked the table viciously. “You don’t understand that repentance should be forthcoming after a mistake! You’re a wild thing that grew up in the countryside alright! Having not been properly educated, you’re much less than a noble daughter from a good family!”
“Please consider your words carefully, Old Dowager. I didn’t have the fortune of growing up in the family, but was that really my choice?”
The affairs of yesteryear were Qin Huaiyuan and née Sun’s greatest pain point. Everyone in the family knew to avoid the topic. Though the old dowager refrained from bringing it up as well, it still made her happy to put down an intractable granddaughter. Her son and daughter-in-law weren’t here at the moment, anyway.
The Qin matriarch was harassing the girl so endlessly because she wanted Qin Yining to bend the knee to Madame Lu.
But the Qin fourth miss would never do so.
“Old Dowager.” Qin Yining reverted to seriousness. “I know that you’re saying all this only because you’re mad. With your wisdom, you’ll easily get to the heart of a matter with just a bit of thought. I’ll say just this: father has just arrived in Great Zhou and is unfamiliar with both people and terrain. The conflicts at court are so complicated, so what do you think we should do for father so that he has an easier time of things?”
Her granddaughter’s coaxing tone, like she was talking to a child, elicited another wave of annoyance from the old dowager.
When someone rubbed her the wrong way, everything that person did and said was displeasing in the Qin matriarch’s eyes.
Qin Yining didn’t hope for any real sort of response from her grandmother either. She continued onwards of her own volition. “With father holding a position at court, what he wants most to do is to stabilize his position in Great Zhou. Old Dowager naturally knows what father wishes to do, so your granddaughter won’t go over what’s already known. The Lus are indeed powerful, but can father back down in this? If he shrinks back this time, the next person will climb on top of our heads and take a dump!”
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