Return of the Swallow c1-644

by Edited by Deyna up to chapter ~100.

  Seeing the princess consort’s face twist with pain, Lu Heng knew that her wounds must be giving her difficult. Hovering helpfully as she made her way to a bed of dry grass on the ground, he looked on worriedly while Qin Yining lowered herself to old bedsheets. “Are you alright? Are you running a fever?”

  Trembling from cold, the princess consort hugged her bundle to herself and curled up in a chilly corner. She squeezed out a smile, “I’m fine, the wound’s infected, so a fever is normal. I’m in good health to begin with, so I’ll be fine after some rest.”

  “I’ll go ask them for some more firewood and build a fire here. I’ll heat some water for you.” Lu Heng made to rush out of the room. However, Qin Yining quickly tugged on his hem. “Don’t bother, Anari tormented the Minuo tribe to no end—they’re barely hanging on. Didn’t you see the three dozen people huddled around one firepit in the front hall? Firewood and kindling seem to be in short supply for them.”

  “But this won’t do either, you’re gravely injured and running a fever. We can’t treat this lightly. You’ve got to at least have clean hot water to drink. We finally made our escape after all this time, it won’t be worth it at all if you lost your life for this minor detail.”

  Qin Yining could no longer control her shaking and chattering teeth; even her fingers were so cold that she balled them into a fist for warmth.

  Seeing her grow weaker, Lu Heng rushed out to discuss with Caganbhara and Harbhara.

  The two teenagers shook their heads woefully when they heard that the late khan had whipped their savior. “We don’t have any medicine here. All of our men were killed and the rest taken to serve that witch as slaves. We’re insulted and beaten for any reason possible. A lot of people have died from wound infections and other illnesses… I’ll find a way to get more firewood for you. But we don’t have a doctor here and no way to hire any.”

  Their faces were scrunched up from worry.

  “It’ll already be a great help if she can have some hot water. There are soldiers outside looking for us because we killed the khan. Hiring a doctor would be too conspicuous anyway,” reassured Lu Heng.

  The two boys nodded and grabbed a handful of firestuffs, built a fire in the room, and erected a stand with a broken porcelain jug to boil water.

  Qin Yining was delirious at this point, trying to curl herself into an ever tighter ball in the corner. Employing the light of the fire, Lu Heng noted the cold sweat on her forehead, unnaturally flushed cheeks, and pale lips. Greatly anxious, he put all thoughts of decorum outside his mind and reached out to feel her forehead.

  It’s so hot!

  Qin Yining had hastily packed her wounds just now; she hadn’t had time to properly apply her medicine. The wounds also needed to be cleaned and redressed. When his thoughts traveled here, Lu Heng once again sought help. Thankfully it was all women, children, and the elderly here. Some grannies with experience handling injuries volunteered to help.

  Lu Heng stayed outside while the grannies did their work in the room. Caganbhara sidled up to him and whispered, “I thought you were a couple with that fairy-like lady. I can tell you like her a lot, so why don’t you take advantage of this opportunity to take care of her? You can get closer this way and have her be grateful to you.”

  The Lu scion shook his head with a wry grin. “She’s actually married and only here because Anari and Siqin captured her. Though I like her, she is a noble and virtuous lady, completely loyal to her husband. I also don’t want to take advantage of someone’s difficulties and nor do I want to force her. If I stayed to take care of her, she would indeed be grateful, but she’d also pull away from me.”

  Caganbhara chuckled at the explanation. “You guys sure have a lot of rules! If it was in the tribe, anyone can pursue a girl or warrior they like. If two people aren’t happy together, they can ask the chief to separate them. They’re free as a bird after separation and can seek someone else. I hear that girls in your country have to commit suicide if someone even touches them?”

  “Well, it’s not that severe. There are common women who work and do business as their means of livelihood. We’ve just emerged from the fires of war ourselves and have barely known two years of peace. Those kinds of high and mighty rules are for the high and mighty. Us common folk can’t be tied down by them, so we place greater importance on ethics and morals.”

  “Morals, that’s right. Only those of us suffering at the bottom think like this. High and mighty people like the female khan never think about ethics or morals when they do stuff. They only care if they’re happy or not.”

  “That’s right, thankfully the witch is dead.”

  “That’s right, and it’s all thanks to you two.”

  Lu Heng and the brothers smiled at each other.

  After suffering an agonizing night, Qin Yining’s fever finally broke at dawn of the next morning. Lu Heng finally heaved with relief to see her temperature ease.

  They remained in the Minuo house over the next couple of days. With the heavy guard presence in the streets, they didn’t dare walk around. Gradual probing for information was the only thing they could do.

  Capital of Great Zhou, Manor of Faithful Prince of the First Rank.

  Pang Xiao started shaking as he read the note in his hand. “Alive, she’s alive! Do you see that, she’s alive!”

  Chapter 498: Squabble (I)

  Pang Xiao was beside himself with joy—it was but a simple note from Mu Jinghu, yet he felt like he cradled a precious treasure in his hands. He spun ‘round and ‘round, elation written all over his stubbled face.

  Huzi, Xu Weizhi and Xie Yue rushed forward, ignoring all decorum as they packed in tightly together to read the note. They studied it twice over before shouting with joy. "It really is Her Highness! Who would’ve thought she’d be taken away to Tatar!"

  "Sir Mu's letter came at a most opportune time! If we keep going without a word about Her Highness's whereabouts, His Highness might’ve been driven insane!" Huzi teased with a laugh.

  Xu Weizhi and Xie Yue also wore smiles of relief on their faces, immense weights on their shoulders finally lifted.

  As Pang Xiao had lost much of his appetite and slept fitfully, he’d lost much weight, rendering his handsome features exceptionally angular. He looked abnormally unkempt, what with his messy hair and stubbled chin.

  After defying thirty odd royal decrees, his search still proved unfruitful, leaving him no choice but to return to the capital. Since then, Pang Xiao hadn’t had a day of peace—Li Qitian's paranoia had intensified to where he would openly humiliate the prince in court and angrily denounced him on more than one occasion.

  But Pang Xiao couldn’t care less. All he wanted was for Qin Yining to return.

  He despised his past self. Why had he let Qin Yining investigate the treasure's whereabouts alone? Though the treasure was important to them, how could it compare to the importance of Qin Yining's safety?

  Pang Xiao didn't have the faintest idea how he got on once he returned to the capital, much less how to face Qin Yining's parents. He grew violent, unable to control his temper. It got to the point where even seeing Li Qitian filled him with murderous rage.

  If he’d killed Li Qitian, would his darling have been spared from mishap? Would she have been spared from becoming a sacrifice in their power struggle?

  All of those negative emotions dissipated into the wind with this one note.

  "Prepare my horse at once!" Pang Xiao finally had the courage to see Qin Huaiyuan.

  Huzi’s affirmative grunt floated in the air; he’d already dashed out to prepare Pang Xiao's steed.

  Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi had an inkling of what Pang Xiao was about to do. "Your Highness," they inquired hastily, "do we inform the grand-lord, grand-madame and old madame?"

  Pang Xiao slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot. I shall leave it to the two of you to notify them, then. Tell them I have gone to discuss plans with my father-in-law."

  Née Yao hadn’t been particularly
ruffled by Qin Yining's accident. Instead née Ma and Yao Chenggu were the most anxious. They had once worried their rebellious, obstinate grandson would live out the rest of his days alone. Then, the heavens bestowed him with a good-natured wife whose beauty outshone flowers and precious jade. Never did they expect their joy to be short-lived—the newlyweds were forced to travel to the disaster zone, and only one returned.

  Née Ma had devoted her days to reciting Buddhist scriptures and even abstained from meat, entreating the bodhisattvas for Qin Yining's safety with sincere prayers. She immediately beamed from ear to ear as soon as Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi came with news of Qin Yining, and hurried to light incense to thank the gods.

  Yao Chenggu also heaved a sigh of relief. "It would be a great injustice for a good girl like her to lose her life. This is good news indeed. The heavens help the worthy at last."

  "As you say, Grand-Lord. Things are finally clearing up. Otherwise, His Highness will soon rip a layer of his own skin off!" Xie Yue laughed heartily.

  Xu Weizhi was a touch more attentive than Xie Yue. He remained quiet as he observed the reactions of Pang elders. He rested his gaze on née Yao, whose features were tinged with unease.

  "Old Madame, is something on your mind?" Xu Weizhi smiled with his hands raised in a cupped fist.

  Née Yao blinked, she hadn't expected Xu Weizhi to single her out. Xu Weizhi and Xie Yue were considerably aged— enough to be Pang Xiao's elders—so she saw no need to hide her thoughts from him.

  "To be honest, I am thinking about those barbaric Tatars. Despite all the years Prince Consort Ji spent in Tatar, he didn’t emerge victorious over them. All returning soldiers speak of how dauntless and ferocious the Tatars are. Née Qin is a beauty with the countenance of flowers and the moon itself—I can hardly imagine how much she must have suffered after being spirited away by the Tatar khan's consort."

  Her words were obscure indeed. As Qin Yining's mother-in-law, one could interpret née Yao's worries as heartache over Qin Yining's suffering.

  Someone who could read née Yao as well as Xu Weizhi, however, detected her true concerns. What could those "dauntless and ferocious" Tatars do to her "beautiful as flowers and the moon" of a daughter-in-law—namely, Qin Yining's chastity.

  Xu Weizhi was at a loss for words. He considered Qin Yining's quick wit, her understanding of the prince, and the ways she’d helped him. Pang Xiao had been so ashamed of his failure to bring Qin Yining back that he hadn’t dared face Qin Huaiyuan, yet the prime minister remained understanding through it all without breathing down Pang Xiao's neck.

  The Qins were far too forgiving, both father and daughter. Xu Weizhi greatly admired that about the two of them. He had no love for née Yao's pettiness.

  "It is just as the old madame says. Though if I may say something unpleasant," he couldn't help retorting, "someone with the status of Minister Qin's daughter could’ve easily lived a peaceful life. Who would’ve thought that she’d encounter such misfortunes shortly after marrying His Highness? She may still be alive, but her situation doesn’t look particularly optimistic."

  Xu Weizhi's words were equally vague—at a glance, it would appear that he agreed with née Yao’s pity for Qin Yining. In truth, however, he meant to say: if Minister Qin's daughter hadn't married your son, she wouldn't have had to suffer like this. Yet you—her mother-in-law—only care about nonsense trivialities. You evidently have no love for anyone who is not of your own blood if you’re only concerned about Qin Yining's chastity.

  Though née Yao and Xu Weizhi didn't speak so plainly, neither of them were fools.

  Yao Chenggu was the first to understand. He shot his daughter a frowning glance before taking out his pipe to fill it with tobacco.

  Née Ma had to think for a moment before she understood the underlying exchange. Her eyes widened immediately, but it wasn’t her place to chastise her own daughter in front of Pang Xiao's strategists. She held her tongue, hands shaking as she forced a smile.

  Seeing that the atmosphere had been shattered, the astute Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi took that as their cue to excuse themselves. Out in the courtyard, they shared a look and couldn't help sighing as they made themselves scare with hurried steps.

  Once née Ma deemed the two far enough away, she slammed a hand on the stove. "You stupid girl, what are you thinking? Have you no conscience?"

  "Mom! What are you saying?" Indignant, Née Yao rose to her feet and looked back at née Ma.

  "Do you think I didn't understand what you were saying?" demanded née Ma. "Even if I’m fool enough to not understand, did you think your implications would escape the notice of people as intelligent as Sirs Xu and Xie? You really are… how do I even describe you? Do you not care whether lass Yi lives or dies because she is not your child?"

  "Who says I don’t care? I’ve also been so worried that I can hardly eat and sleep. How can I not be concerned, especially seeing how distraught Dafu has been?"

  "Yet when you find out lass Yi is alive, you express no guilt over how that brat of yours has dragged Minister Qin's wonderful daughter into his troubles. Not only did you neglect to ask how she is, your primary concern is her chastity!"

  Chapter 499.1: Squabble (II)

  "Are my worries unfounded? She and Dafu only had a few days to consummate their marriage before she was whisked away to Tatar. Do you know what kind of people those Tatars are? I don’t believe someone with née Qin's looks is able to preserve her chastity there! How am I wrong for worrying that someone is enjoying my son’s woman!"

  "Don't talk back to me, you heartless brat!" An agitated née Ma grabbed a shoe sole she’d just placed inside her sewing basket and began beating née Yao with it. The latter scrambled about frantically to dodge the blows.

  Née Ma, however, was well versed in martial arts—she wouldn’t let née Yao off the hook so easily. She cornered her daughter against the stove and beat her vigorously on the buttocks.

  "M-mom, stop! Stop hitting me! Stop!" Née Yao began to cry from the pain, despite the adult that she was.

  Née Ma angrily tossed the shoe sole aside, suddenly overcome with grief.

  "I shouldn't have let you experience the world! You gained experience and knowledge after joining a rich family, but you lost even the most basic of morals! We agreed on working for two years before returning home, and understanding how the world is would make it easier to find a proper match for you. But you climbed into your lord’s bed and came back with a child in your belly!

  “Fine, so parents can’t control the lives of their children, and thankfully Dafu is indeed a good child. We accepted responsibility that we failed to teach you properly, but just look at you now—is there even a shred of virtue left in you?! What have you learned in the Pang household?

  "You don't even care if your daughter-in-law is alive! All you care about is whether her chastity remains intact! You lack even the most basic of kindness—you’re just selfish! You worry only about yourself! How are you any different from that Madame Pang you speak of, huh? How is it that I’ve acted right and proper my entire life, only to raise such a damn crooked wench like you?!"

  Née Yao scrambled to her feet, her hair in disarray. Hairpins askew, her makeup was now a mottled mess from her tears. The way her mother dredged up the past stabbed into her heart and tears of sorrow trickled down her face.

  Yao Chenggu smacked his lips in between pulls on the pipe and watched as mother and daughter bickered and bawled. He gave a resigned sigh. "Yuping, you’re in the wrong here. You mustn’t let others know your true thoughts. If Sirs Xu and Xie were to pass them on to Dafu's ears, do you think you’d have any chance at getting closer to your son then?"

  That statement touched upon née Yao's deepest fear. Her previous conflicts with Qin Yining had already caused a rift between her and Pang Xiao. The past period of suffering her son had undergone only further deepened her resentment of Qin Yining. She knew how devoted he was to his wife—if he knew what née Yao truly thought of her, the distanc
e between mother and son would only grow.

  Yao Chenggu tapped his pipe against the ashtray on the stove. "Your concerns aren’t without reason. If you worry that the grandchildren will be tainted, you only need to bring in two untouched maidens from prestigious families as concubines. Why this ugly squabbling?"

  Enraged, née Ma flipped the stove-side table and jabbed a finger at Yao Chenggu.

  "You Yaos are born rotten when it comes to relationships!" she yelled. "Are your grandchildren the only ones who matter? Do the children of other families not count as people?"

  Yao Chenggu blinked, exasperated. "Do calm down. I didn't say that Dafu should divorce née Qin. Whether Dafu takes concubines or not is his decision. There were once so many women under our roof, but not once was he interested in any of them."

  "Is that so?!" Née Ma stuck her hands on her hips, absolutely livid. "Then I ask you this, Yao: what if you had a daughter whose husband dragged her to suffer in a disaster zone a few days after their wedding? An area with plague running through it? And she uses her own dowry to support your son-in-law? And doesn’t even come back because that son-in-law lost her?? How would you feel then?!"

  Tongue-tied, Yao Chenggu had to admit that the Qins had truly behaved with greatest magnanimity in this regard. Not once did they give Pang Xiao a hard time regarding née Qin.

  "That’s not even the worst of it!" née Ma continued. "Let’s assume it’s your daughter who went missing because of your son-in-law. But not only does his family show no guilt, they’re only concerned if anyone else has slept with her, if she’s clean, and if she’s still worthy of bearing children for their family. How would you react if you were the lass’s father? Don't fucking run your mouths with that high and mighty bullshit! You Yaos and your double standards! You’re all fucking selfish, that’s what all of you are!"

  With a hand on her hip and the other angrily punctuating her words, née Ma warned, "In all my time traveling the world, what I could never stand were those with no moral standards to speak of—in other words, the two of you. If you weren’t my own husband and daughter, I’d beat the two of you to death! I don't want to hear either of you say these things ever again. Otherwise, you can get the hell out of this house and stop calling me your wife or mom!"