“My father merely wishes to provide assistance. He has no desire to publicize his contributions.”
Hearing this, the soldiers felt yet another surge of gratitude.
Even the easygoing Elite Tigers and Dragon Riders couldn’t help a swell of admiration toward the Faithful Prince of the First Rank and Master Qin. They understood why the two had no intention of touting their own contributions—all they wanted was to help the people, not steal glory from others and go looking for trouble.
Such humility rendered their actions all the more moving.
Pang Xiao led over a bay mare with a docile temperament, along with his own black steed. The mare nuzzled at Qin Yining, tickling a laugh out of her. She couldn’t resist combing her slender fingers through the bay’s mane, her skin appearing white as snow against glossy black locks.
Pang Xiao handed the mare's reins over to his wife. “Even though Thundercloud has taken a great shine to you, he has a terrible temper. It would be very dangerous if he suddenly took off in a fit of excitement with you on his back. This mare possesses both stamina and gentleness. She will be your ride.”
Qin Yining took the reins from Pang Xiao with a smile. “Alright, but you have nothing to worry about. My horsemanship is decent, and I rode wild horses when I lived outside. I even lived with a herd of them for a time.”
With that, she put on her veiled hat and stepped up into her stirrup, mounting her steed with practiced ease.
Today, she wore a cropped jacket paired with a multi-fold, long skirt. Her form was gracious and elegant, the pleats of her skirt fluttering like the wings of a butterfly in flight. Onlookers found themselves unable to look away, the sight of her sitting ramrod straight atop the mare the very picture of gallantry.
Pang Xiao’s eyes shone keenly. He patted Qin Yining’s hand, then hopped on Thundercloud in one swift motion.
Huzi helped Bingtang onto her horse. As he did, he couldn’t help but tease her.
“It's a good thing I taught you how to ride—how would you keep up with us otherwise?”
Bingtang rolled her eyes at him, quipping, “The one who taught me was the madame, not you.”
“Ai! Don’t go biting the hand that fed you.”
“I don’t recall feeding from your hand. Hya!” Bingtang flicked her reins and steered her horse to Qin Yining’s side.
Huzi was left to rub his nose in defeat before climbing onto his own horse.
Gong You, Consultant Lu, and four young soldiers were also mounted on horses as part of Pang Xiao’s entourage; the Elite Tigers and Silver Masks were to travel with the Dragon Riders.
The group left the old capital and set course for Yang County. If they rode without stopping, they would arrive in half a day.
However, that was when conditions were favorable. To get to Yang County, they needed to pass through the mountains. After the earthquake and the ensuing landslides, those trails were blocked off by boulders. The winding roads to Yang County were so twisted that their horses weren’t able to gallop freely.
They also had to lead their horses over boulders and crevices wherever the roads were completely blocked off.
Gong You held reservations at first—while it wasn’t unheard of for noblewomen to be well versed in equestrianism, not many could endure the mountainous journey they’d embarked upon.
When he voiced his concerns upon arrival, his goal had been to dissuade Pang Xiao from bringing the women with them. The prince had insisted they come along, though, so there was little else the prefect could say otherwise.
When they reached the mountain trails, Gong You, Consultant Lu, and the four soldiers found themselves thoroughly astonished. Qin Yining guided her mare with great dexterity, fearless and attentive.
…...
The group currently faced a boulder that had tumbled down the mountain. It was so large that the trail was blocked off almost entirely, save for a narrow passageway wide enough for one person to pass through at a time.
If the person lost their footing, a deep abyss awaited them down below. Even the horses wouldn’t press onward. Qin Yining, however, edged around the boulder to coax her frightened bay mare through.
The entire entourage was stunned with newfound respect for her.
Seeing how a woman was capable of such fortitude, even the most timid of them were able to summon enough courage to make their way across without further hesitation.
It was truly a long, arduous trek. What should have been half a day of travel had them arriving at their destination after sundown.
Yang County wasn’t faring particularly better than the old capital. The only upside to their situation was that there weren’t as many storied buildings. The damage to the architecture didn’t appear to be as devastating as that of the old capital, either.
Still, the streets were filled with refugees. They watched as the impressive group entered the city and noticed the soldiers among the newcomers. Overwhelmed by their imposing presence, the citizens tripped over each other to make themselves scarce.
Gong You led their entourage to the county yamen.
Half of the building’s walls had collapsed. Tents packed with refugees had been crudely set up in a courtyard outside.
Entrusting his horse to a soldier, Gong You led Pang Xiao, Qin Yining and a few of their guards through the maze of tents to the front of the office.
“Where is Magistrate Li?”
“Eh? You’re Prefect Gong! What brings you here in person? The magistrate just went inside. I'll let him know you’re here!” Having greeted Gong You, a man dashed off in a hurry.
Gong You turned to Pang Xiao to explain. “That was one of Magistrate Li’s followers.”
Pang Xiao nodded and continued standing in the courtyard, waiting. Meanwhile, Qin Yining observed the tents.
The citizens living in them were mostly those whose dwellings had been destroyed. Some were occupied by an entire family; others were allocated so that either men or women with children shared the same tent.
At least it seemed Yang County took care of their people.
And yet, Qin Yining had her doubts regarding why the treasure had been transported here. She suspected Li Qitian’s scouts had made some sort of mistake. The mountain road leading here was too treacherous to navigate.
The way through the mountain closest to Yang County had proved tremendously difficult; the roads were blocked off by boulders, forcing her to edge around them with her horse, her heart in her throat. How could a procession of horse-drawn carriages have possibly made it through with the treasure?
Unless they had taken a different route to get here, that is.
Lost in thought, Magistrate Li briskly strode outside with his follower in tow. Seeing Gong You, he didn’t even bother with pleasantries and cut straight to the chase. “Sir Gong! Where are the provisions? Has His Majesty’s rice arrived yet?”
Magistrate Li was a pale, clean-shaven man with fine features and thick brows on the cusp of his thirties. One could tell he was a no-nonsense sort of person from a single glance.
Gong You coughed. “Let’s talk inside.”
It was then the magistrate noticed the prefect hadn’t come alone. Rubbing his nose awkwardly, he pivoted, “Forgive my rudeness. I’ve been so high-strung as of late that I've forgotten my manners. Let us confer inside.”
Pang Xiao smiled and waved a hand to indicate he took no offense. He, Qin Yining, and their servants entered the building.
Gong You then began the introductions. “Magistrate Li, this is the disaster relief ambassador appointed by His Majesty: the Faithful Prince of the First Rank, Grand Secretary Pang of the Hall of Military Glory.”
It was quite a thorough introduction, albeit slightly incongruous.
But Magistrate Li’s eyes lit up instantly at the words. He hastily bowed at Pang Xiao. “Your Highness! Apologies, how very unbecoming of me.”
Pang Xiao smiled and bowed in return. “I noticed there are many refugees in the courtyard?
“That’s right. Their houses were destroyed. I didn’t want them getting near the rubble and catching disease, so I’m keeping them where I can see them. I have to ask, though, has the rice His Majesty sent arrived yet? I’ve dipped into our granary storages, but even if we make the most watery porridge possible, we won’t be able to hold out much longer.”
“I understand. However, this prince was only just appointed not long ago as well. His Majesty’s disaster relief funds and provisions will have to wait.”
As soon as Pang Xiao finished, Magistrate Li furrowed his brows in thinly veiled displeasure.
It was Gong You who pulled the magistrate aside and briefed him on what Pang Xiao had done for the relief efforts, as well as how much the prince had personally donated.
Chapter 450: In the Shadows
Magistrate Li was just the same as Gong You—nursing some misunderstandings of Pang Xiao due to the prince’s infamy.
Newly armed with the prefect’s explanation and hearing how Pang Xiao’s family and Minister Qin had sold off family business to donate as aid relief, the magistrate’s eyes reddened with gratitude. Their benefactors didn’t even want word to spread of their good deeds!
No one swimming in the murk of politics was a fool. Everyone had a steelyard balance in their hearts. Pang Xiao had made an actual donation, but didn’t make a big deal of it and had no intention of publicizing his deed to the world.
Yang County was so close to the old capital, yet the magistrate wouldn’t have had the faintest inkling had Prefect Gong not enlightened him. How would the emperor, off in the distant capital, know of this at all?
This meant that the prince really just wanted to do something for the people at this time, and he didn’t want to toot his own horn for it. He’d rather stay in the shadows and quietly do what he could.
Such actions were a thousand times better than those who proclaimed with great fanfare that they would deliver aid, but never followed up those words with action—and million times better than the nonexistent imperial rice!
Who in the world would be so willing to give help at their own expense? Those present were well aware why the prince did all this mutely.
Magistrate Li sniffled loudly, a bit more gravity in his expression when he next faced the married couple.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness, this official promises you that every copper coin will be used where it’s most needed, so that more of the people will survive!” His voice boomed sonorously, evidence of his resolve.
Infected by the high emotions, Pang Xiao nodded with immense gratification. “I’m sure that with our joint efforts, more of the people will live on!”
Blood boiled in the prefect and magistrate’s veins; they nodded heavily. “They will!”
The group rested in the county yamen as the night grew long.
Bugs and mosquitoes abounded, worrying Pang Xiao that his wife would once again be bit by a venomous insect. He didn’t sleep much all night, getting up every now and then to shoo away mosquitoes.
He was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as usual the next morning, nothing out of the ordinary to be gleaned from his bearing. After Qin Yining helped him dress, she joined him in surveying the county.
Possibly because it wasn’t the epicenter of the quake, the situation in Yang was slightly better compared to the old capital. A lack of multi-storied or brick buildings meant that there were far fewer injuries and fatalities.
When patrolling the city, the group discovered several large residences showing evidence of recent repairs. One complex had even made their walls higher.
Such actions simply protested one’s innocence too much. It was an easy guess that there must be provisions stored within that residence.
“Are the Dings and Peis still demanding that price for their grain?” asked the magistrate.
Gong You nodded painfully. “Not only are they unwilling to lower their price, they even seemed inclined to raise it after being asked a few more times!”
Magistrate Li cursed through grit teeth. “Those rich bastards without a heart! This was how they fleeced the people back in Great Yan, and now they want to sup on the people’s blood and flesh!”
“I say that they’re just looking to profiteer from the government in these times of distress!” Pang Xiao’s low voice burned with rage, a throbbing forehead tendon testament of his fury. “If the officials don’t accept the price they want, they’ll have reason to say that His Majesty isn’t feeding the citizens!”
“Your Highness’ analysis is right. These people are the heartless rich and aren’t worthy of being people at all! We should teach them a harsh lesson!” Being younger, Magistrate Li had a more impulsive personality.
Pang Xiao was a domineering, straightforward sort, and his thoughts happened to coincide with the magistrate’s. “Don’t rush, I’ll go visit them for a chat.”
Used to sweeping across the battlefield, all he needed was one sharp look to intimidate someone if he set his mind to it.
The magistrate and prefect were reassured by the prince’s attitude. If he was truly willing to put his mind to the task, surely the issue of feeding the people would be resolved. The two suddenly felt that their pillar of support had materialized with the arrival of Pang Xiao.
As the men made their survey, Qin Yining headed off on her own with her people. She searched for any clues that Azure Justice may have left in the city.
Since the emperor said the treasure might be in Yang County, then it would be in the hands of alliance if the Silver Masks hadn’t swallowed it whole.
It was one thing if Azure Justice had thoroughly betrayed her and didn’t care about frenzied revenge from Qin Yining and Pang Xiao; otherwise, they would definitely contact her.
Qin Yining’s group split up and finally located three marks that the alliance had left behind.
“Madame, look. The combination of these three marks means that you should go to the mountain in the north, the one we passed by yesterday.”
Qin Yining nodded. “Destroy them all. It’s enough that we know.”
“Understood.” Xiaoman surreptitiously erased all of the marks.
“Madame, are you planning on going?” asked Jiyun in a low voice.
“You probably shouldn’t,” Bingtang hastily advised. “They suddenly changed their minds and didn’t tell you where they moved the package. Now they’re popping up again and want you to take a torn and broken mountain path? They’re up to no good!”
“That’s right, madame, I also find this suspicious,” concurred Dahan. “Be careful and decide after discussing with the lord. Don’t go by yourself and fall into a trap.”
Qin Yining knew that they meant well. She also felt that this wasn’t something she could handle by herself.
After the day’s surveying, she returned to the yamen and hid in their room, whispering with Pang Xiao.
He put his arm around Qin Yining’s waist and pillowed his chin on her shoulder. “You really found secret symbols?”
“Yes, but I didn’t dare go alone.” Her head was tilted back as she whispered her response into his ear. “I fear that things aren’t as simple as they seem.”
“Thank goodness you didn’t go. I received a secret message from the capital today. Remember the men I left with father-in-law? He sent the note.” Pang Xiao lowered his voice even more and huffed right into Qin Yining’s ear. “The emperor’s secretly arrived in Yang County. All of our movements are under surveillance. He’ll immediately learn of any abnormalities, leaving us no room to defend ourselves.”
The princess consort stiffened, chills of horror running down her back.
Thank goodness she’d formed the habit of leaning on Pang Xiao and wanting to discuss everything with him first! If she’d struck out on her own like before, she would’ve played right into the enemy’s miserable hands, dragged down her husband, exposed Azure Justice, and even implicated the two families back
in the capital.
“Thank heavens I didn’t go.” Qin Yining heaved out a long sigh of relief.
“That’s right.” Pang Xiao kissed her forehead. “From now on, we focus our efforts on the mission. Ignore everything the alliance sends about the treasure and make sure we don’t give anything away. Our families will be in danger otherwise.”
Her back drenched with sweat, Qin Yining bobbed her head rapidly.
Chapter 451: Raising Prices
Fear gripped Qin Yining.
If she’d thrown caution to the wind after finding the marks, she very well could’ve drawn Li Qitian’s attention. Perhaps a report of them searching for something had already reached his ears.
It was easy for Pang Xiao to guess her thoughts when her brow remained firmly knitted together. He caressed her forehead placatingly. “Silly girl, where’s your mind run off to now? Your men are old hats, so I’m sure they didn’t expose themselves. Yang County terrain is circuitous to begin with, and there are a lot of mountain roads. It wasn’t easy to find a way through when the roads were fine, not to mention now that everything’s a mess after the earth dragon turned over.
“Besides, even if there are eyes and ears around, I would be the first target of surveillance. You come a distant second, and they probably didn’t even find you today.”
Qin Yining burst out laughing. “You know me best. You knew what I was thinking about even without me saying anything.”
“Naturally.” Pang Xiao pinched her cheeks proudly. “It takes only one glance for me to know what you want to do. For example, you’re thinking your husband is devilishly handsome and the image of charisma itself. You really want to kiss me, don’t you?”
“Thick-skinned!” The princess consort responded with a punch, which landed firmly in a large hand.
Pang Xiao moved her hand to his mouth for a soft kiss. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”
That line of ‘don’t worry’ put Qin Yining at ease. She buried her face into his chest and took in a deep breath of clean soap and his unique masculine aroma. She mumbled into his chest, “I know. I’m not afraid or worried.”
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