“Sage nephew Lu, We’re sure you already know of the imperial edict of marriage between the Pangs and the Qins, no?”
Lu Heng smiled faintly to see the emperor address him with such cautious courtesy. He responded with equal politeness.
“In response to Your Majesty, this subject does indeed already know.”
Likewise assuaged to see Lu Heng display very circumspect manners, Li Qitian flashed a smile.
“We decreed marriage between the two families out of consideration for national affairs. The entire world knows of the feud of patricide between Qin Huaiyuan and Pang Xiao. One of them is a meritorious noble, and the other a surrendered official. They can be viewed as Our right hand men. We don’t wish for internal conflict to develop and more violent results to occur.
“Marriage has ever been the most effective way to tie two clans together, since the days of old. Out of consideration for the stability of court, the two families have to united in wedlock.”
Li Qitian waxed eloquent with logic. Though he retained the self-honorific and dignity of the son of heaven, it still put him greatly ill at ease to have to explain himself to an aristocratic scion.
Lu Heng merely smiled with equanimity and ignored the emperor’s expression. “Can Your Majesty really be certain that the two of them are really at odds with each other?”
The emperor’s heart skipped a beat. This response happened to jab at his deepest worries.
A strange feeling floated to the fore whenever he thought back to the process of bestowing marriage at court earlier today. But he couldn’t put his finger on just what exactly it was.
He did want to tie the two families together so that no casualties developed. Losing either Qin Huaiyuan or Pang Xiao would affect his dynasty.
However, whether this shackling was his own idea or the results of another’s scheming were two wholly different notions.
Seeing Li Qitian remain head lowered with his forehead furrowed tightly, Lu Heng looked down with a secret smile.
Chapter 399: Coming-of-Age
To be frank, he’d made his speculations completely without basis. It was entirely fabricated to put Li Qitian in a bad mood.
Seeing even that wily old fox change expressions, Lu Heng’s unhappiness at not being able to wed Qin Yining abated ever so slightly.
The emperor knew full well what had occurred in the Palace of Benevolent Piety, but he’d chosen to favor Pang Xiao and bestow the Qin fourth miss to that brute! The Lu second master had been both irate and regretful to the point where he lost sleep.
He’d never once thought that a vaunted, direct descendent of the Lu clan would have something they weren’t able to obtain!
Honestly speaking, he didn’t know why he cared so much about Qin Yining either. The girl didn’t treat him that warmly, and had in fact previously schemed against him.
But her intelligence made him look at her in a new light, made him admire and respect her, made him feel the thrill of something new and exciting.
Such extraordinary looks and uncommon intelligence wasn’t something easily found in a woman. If he merely wanted to find a random beauty to carry on the family name, he wouldn’t need to make a big production of it at all. There were plenty of families in town willing to offer their daughters to him.
And yet, he cared for none of them, while the only one who moved his heart was to marry someone else.
Lu Heng’s dejection grew even deeper when he glanced at the ferociously frowning emperor. The Lu second master won two bouts of checkers in a row before working off some of his ill temper and surreptitiously threw the third game.
Li Qitian had been bummed enough at not being able to get a full handle on Qin Huaiyuan and Pang Xiao’s motives; being trounced two games in a row put him in an even more sour mood.
Thankfully he won in the end, easing much of his bad mood.
And so the two each nursed their own machinations. When playing checkers grew tiring, Lu Heng took his leave.
As he left the palace, he bumped into the Princess of Anyang, Li Helan.
The princess wore today a brocade robe of scarlet fabric, and had chosen a hairstyle of locks piled up high on her head. A golden tassel hairpin with a phoenix body sparkled vigorously beneath the warm sunshine, echoing her red palace outfit. The color combination was rather garish to the eye, and in fact, irritating on this mild-weather day.
Particularly hard on the eyes was the princess’ expression and her two, puffy eyes.
Lu Heng bowed to Li Helan.
Such was the Lu scion’s innate bearing that, even upon greeting others, he didn’t project lower status. Rather, one received the impression that he bowed despite his high position because he understood displaying manners and showing respect.
A bit discomfited, Li Helan prayed that no one would notice her puffy eyes. She responded indifferently, “You may rise.”
Lu Heng smiled, “Did Your Highness not have a restful night? Your eyes are swollen. You should take better care of yourself.”
The princess’ muscles locked up as she fixed her eyes on Lu Heng for a long while before confirming that he meant no sarcasm.
“This seat knows.” Li Helan waved a hand that was paired with a dark expression before leaving quickly with her servants.
The sight greatly amused Lu Heng. Brother and sister are royals raised from the dirt, alright. They probably don’t even know what a real imperial clan should look like!
The Lus had supported them out of consideration for clan stability and future prospects. But the imperial family seemed to be getting out of hand these days, refusing to dance to the Lu tune and even showing signs of backstabbing.
As a direct, lineal descendent of the house, Lu Heng naturally had to take this into account.
“Forget it.” His mind was as confused as a tangled skein. A disheartening weight bore down on his chest whenever he recalled that Qin Yining was to wed Pang Xiao. He didn’t have much thought to spare for actual clan business.
Qin Yining had no idea at all that a singular imperial edict would elicit so many reactions.
Currently, the family was preparing for her coming-of-age ceremony.
“For the guest of honor, the lord has said that he’s already invited the old madame of the Marquis of Anchang. The old madame has a daughter and a son. She and the old marquis are deeply in love, and both are hale and hearty. This is an old madame with great fortune and virtue.” Née Sun basked in shared glory when she spoke of this.
They had only just arrived in town, after all, but was being accorded so much respect at court. It wasn’t just anyone’s daughter who could afford to have the old marquis’ wife come be the guest of honor.
“As for the host and assistant, we happen to have two girls at home. Daughter Hui can be the host, and the eighth niece as the assistant. How about it?”
“That’s naturally for the best.” The eighth miss nodded with a smile.
Qin Huaiyuan also squeezed out a smile. “That would be our honor.”
She’d accepted her lot in life now. Comparisons were impossible. Her erstwhile rival was to be a princess consort now, but there was yet to be an inkling of a hint of her own future. Qin Huining absolutely lacked the self-assurance to fight the fourth miss.
Seeing that everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion and that there was no place for her to interject, Qin Yining decided to not say much and sit quietly off to the side.
She watched her mother take care of everything for her; the feeling of being able to rely on one’s mother was an exceedingly satisfying one. It was also something completely unthinkable a year ago.
Née Sun hadn’t even wanted to see her then, but now they enjoyed a close and intimate relationship.
She was to be married next month! With such a rushed timeline, the fourth miss was already starting to miss her family.
The coming-of-age ceremony was held the next day.
As low profile as ever, Qin Huaiyuan didn’t invite too man
y to attend. However, Yuchi Yan showed up with Li Yanyan and Gu Chang, gifting Qin Yining a jade hairpin sparkling with a phoenix made of gold filigree.
The commandery prince had lost some more weight and further white lightened his temples. When he saw Qin Yining’s hair coiled up into a bun and a hairpin placed into it, the look in his eyes deepened and grew far.
He didn’t stay long at the Qins, taking his leave after observing the ceremony. Qin Huaiyuan personally saw his former liege out.
Before setting foot out of the front doors, Yuchi Yan looked back into the yard, happening to meet Qin Yining turning her head back as well.
Her inky black locks gleamed in the sunlight, and the hairpin in her hair was the one he’d just gifted her.
Their eyes met, she offered a slight smile. Her dimples hovered on the edge of existence; her entire being as beautiful as a painting.
Yuchi Yan’s eyes burned hotly and the corners of his mouth trembled. He looked stiffly away and walked off with large strides, so bedraggled that it seemed someone was chasing him.
His wife and concubine looked at his forlorn figure, anguish wracking their hearts.
Qin Huaiyuan was the same as always, showing utmost courtesy to Yuchi Yan and even following the carriage out to the street corner.
Once Qin Yining completed her coming-of-age, the house elders began to discuss the particulars of the wedding with those of the Faithful Prince of the First Rank.
Meanwhile, the bride-to-be was cooped up in her room, working on her embroidery.
Three days later, when preparations were hotly underway, an unexpected visitor showed up at the Qins.
“Master Qin!” Yuchi Yan’s trusted bodyservant, the eunuch Little Lu, thumped to his knees as soon as he saw the minister. He kowtowed multiple times. “Please help, Master Qin! Please save His Highness! This humble one begs of you!”
“Lu-gonggong, please rise. What’s going on?” Qin Huaiyuan helped the eunuch up with both hands.
Little Lu sported puffy eyes as he sniffled, “Master Qin, the emperor summoned the prince and his household to the palace three days ago and forbade any servants from accompanying them. There hasn’t been any news since, no one knows if he’s dead or alive!”
Chapter 400: A Decision
“Please rise first, Lu-gonggong.” The Qin patriarch politely helped the young eunuch up and had him sit down on a nearby round chair. He himself took a seat across from the servant. He looked down, a steady expression on his face and no hint of emotion on his face.
Little Lu fidgeted anxiously, unable to keep still at all. Sweat beaded his forehead before long and he stood.
“Master Qin, you’re milord’s teacher and the one he trusts the most. Out of those of us from Great Yan, only you have the highest status. The emperor will have to show you some face if you say even a word. Only you can save His Highness.”
Qin Huaiyuan smiled but didn’t deny Little Lu’s words.
“Tell me precisely what happened. There may be no danger to the commandery prince even after entering the palace. There might be a mission for the prince and princess consort, which is why they’ve been kept behind.”
Even more speculations than that flew furiously around in Qin Huaiyuan’s mind. He suspected that this had something to do with the Great Yan treasure.
When Li Qitian had investigated Yuchi Yan before, the emperor had sent people to keep an eye on Yuchi Yan. Inviting the commandery prince to the palace this time surely meant that important clues had emerged.
Though Yuchi Yan was the ruler of a dead nation, he was also her last emperor. Li Qitian was bound to hold the conviction that Yuchi Yan knew something that others did not.
However glorious Great Zhou might appear on the surface, the nation’s coffers were almost dry.
Though Qin Huaiyuan wasn’t in charge of the Ministry of Revenue or Office of the Paymaster, he could tell that Great Zhou was extremely short on funds. Preeminent aristocratic houses such as the Lus might shore up finances, but there was no free lunch in the world. Accepting Lu wealth meant ceding something equally important in return.
Therefore, Li Qitian had to get his hands on the treasure left by the Great Yan emperor emeritus.
With that kind of mindset, the future would grow dicey if seeds of suspicion about Yuchi Yan flourished in his mind.
The Qin patriarch’s quick mind flitted through all of this within the span of a breath.
“Little Lu, I understand what’s gone on here. I’ll do my best to save the commandery prince. Go back first and wait for news.”
The eunuch looked apprehensively at Qin Huaiyuan. He was truly afraid that the minister was just fobbing him off, wanting to send him away out of concern that he would refuse to leave.
However, he was just a lowly eunuch. He’d long lost the right to say anything in this nation, and had no self-confidence to question anyone.
There was no other recourse to him now other than trusting Qin Huaiyuan.
“Then I leave everything in Your Grace’s hands.” Little Lu knelt on the ground and respectfully kowtowed thrice. “Good things happen to those who do good works. Master Qin hasn’t forgotten the commandery prince nor turned your back on loyalty. Your family will undoubtedly see visitations of good fortune.”
Amused by the well wishes, Qin Huaiyuan smiled. “I understand your feelings. Go back now.”
“Understood, this servant will take his leave.” Little Lu bowed again before leaving reluctantly.
Qin Huaiyuan’s easygoing expression vanished without a trace as soon as the young eunuch disappeared. He took a seat back on the round chair, the nail of his right index finger tapping lightly on the teacup lid. No brilliant plan was immediately forthcoming in how he should handle this.
This pensive sight was the first thing to greet Qin Yining when she walked in through the doors. She put down a bowl of wood ear mushrooms stewed with lotus seeds and said with a smile, “Father, why not rest for a bit?”
Coming back to himself, the man laughed when he looked at his daughter. “I’m just staring off into space. What rest is there to be had?”
“If father doesn’t want to speak about it, does that mean it’s a very sticky situation?”
Qin Huaiyuan knew that it wasn’t easy to pull the wool over his daughter’s eyes. Besides, this had to do with the family and her future. He carefully outlined how Yuchi Yan, Li Yanyan, and Gu Chang hadn’t reemerged after being invited to the palace.
“Daughter Yi, you’re about to marry soon. If I become involved in this, it might drag into other affairs. I might affect your wedding.”
Understanding dawned on the girl. “Father, in your eyes, should you care about the safety of the Commandery Prince of Yan?”
“He was my liege once, and I his teacher. I feel that there’s no reason for me to be so cold-hearted as to watch him head to his death.”
“Then that’s the long and short of it.” Qin Yining smiled. “Just do things according to your heart, father. Don’t think so much. My marriage to Pang Zhixi is an imperial edict, something carved in stone. I’m not afraid of trouble and fear facing it with you even less. What else is there to be hesitant about?”
Her father smiled with gratification. His daughter really did follow in his footsteps! She had a dashing and optimistic personality clean of dirty, petty-minded schemes. She was a good, aboveboard child.
Seeing that her father remained silent, Qin Yining thought that he was still struggling with what to do. “Just do whatever you need to do, father, like how you advised me last time. I trust you as well. You’re smart and know how to judge a situation. I’m sure you know the bounds of propriety in whatever you do.
“We’re all from Great Yan after all, and Yuchi Yan has always treated you with courtesy. If we still look on without lifting a finger after Little Lu’s come to our door, even outsiders will find us too fickle and ungrateful, much less your conscience.”
Her father finally smiled. “I see. I’ll take care
of this. You just relax and prepare for your wedding.”
“Understood. Any job is half done when father decides to take action!”
Qin Yining spoke a while longer before returning to her room and back to business at hand.
The next day, Qin Huaiyuan attended court as usual. The Qin fourth miss didn’t pay it any attention.
However, her father unexpectedly didn’t return home after the day’s session. His bodyservant reported back to the old dowager with a long face.
“His Majesty said he has urgent business to discuss with milord. Milord sent this humble one back to let the family know, and for Old Dowager not to worry.”
Qin Huaiyuan was an important official and often kept behind, so the family didn’t think too much of it when it happened again this time.
However, his absence stretched on for two more days. By now, the minister had spent two nights in the palace, but there was still no sign of him.
His bodyservant went back for news, but gleaned nothing at all.
“What to do, oh what do we do!” The old dowager cried anxiously. “What should we do if the emperor flies into a rage and hurts my son? Those in the palace have many ways of just silently killing someone!”
The rest of the womenfolk panicked as well when they saw their matriarch’s tears.
The second wife was already close to her delivery date; agitated emotions and fear pushed her to the brink. Seeking out shelter to birth her child, née Sun and the second madame entered her living quarter to help out.
The old dowager paced back and forth like ants on a hot pan, first worrying about her granddaughter-in-law, then more about her son. Qin Yining, the eighth miss, and Qin Huining stayed by their grandmother’s side in companionship.
At dawn of the next morning, the second wife gave birth to a boy of 3.6 kilograms. Qin Han bounded up in the air with joy when he heard.
But Qin Huaiyuan still didn’t come home.
Now it was Qin Yining’s turn to be truly worried. As she thought of possible plans in her room, Bingtang came in.
Return of the Swallow c1-644 Page 222