Return of the Swallow c1-644

by Edited by Deyna up to chapter ~100.

  Li Qitian pursed his lips as he stared at Qin Huaiyuan. "Minister Qin," he inquired in a low voice, "do you know the reason for Our visit?"

  Qin Huaiyuan knelt with impeccable posture, but his eyes went cloudy with confusion. After thinking a moment, he replied, "This humble subject guesses His Majesty has personally visited as an indication of empathy for his subject’s efforts. To be so graced His Majesty's favor..."

  "Silence!" Li Qitian furiously slammed his hand on the table, then leaned forward with bared teeth. "You wish to play games in Our presence? You know exactly why We are here, yet you continue to play dumb! Minister Qin, We have always valued your talents and have never embarrassed you despite your position as a surrendered citizen. Yet this is how you show your gratitude, hmm?"

  Qin Huaiyuan paled and hurried to kotow. "Please quell your anger, Your Majesty! This humble subject truly knows not what Your Majesty means by this. If Your Majesty has any orders for this subject, he need only say the word and I will do everything in my power to carry out your command. This subject has always been well aware of how Your Majesty recognizes my worth, and I have always fulfilled my duties with utmost diligence and care. This subject would not dare to go against Your Majesty's wishes!"

  "Run your mouth all you want. We ask you this: do you know that Pang Zhixi has left the capital?" Li Qitian stared unwaveringly at Qin Huaiyuan's face, not wanting to miss any change in his facial expression.

  However, the minister’s eyes went round with astonishment. "Your Majesty means to say that the Faithful Prince of the First Rank has left the capital?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Your Majesty didn’t order him to run any errands, yet he..."

  Li Qitian refrained from responding, instead continuing to stare at Qin Huaiyuan as if wanting to frighten the old man into spilling the truth.

  Chapter 526.1: Battle Tactics

  Utter shock continued to paint Qin Huaiyuan’s face. Dumbstruck and at an utter loss for words, he seemed to not even notice Li Qitian's fury. He knelt on the ground for a moment before straightening to ask, "What did His Highness leave the capital for? Did he leave alone, or is he with company? What of his family? Are they still at home?"

  Li Qitian stared at Qin Huaiyuan suspiciously.

  The look of astonishment and helplessness was no act, nor was the bewilderment and shock in his eyes. The emperor had never seen Qin Huaiyuan in such a state. Not even when members of the court deliberately picked on him and shunned him when he first arrived as a surrendered enemy minister—not once had he been as frantic as he was now.

  Perhaps he was panicking because he also knew that Pang Zhixi's departure meant all crimes and pressures would fall on his shoulders as the father-in-law?

  The doubts lurking in Li Qitian's heart lessened. However, he still couldn't bring himself to trust Qin Huaiyuan.

  "The servants of the prince's manor said that before the prince left with his soldiers, his mother and his maternal family packed up their bags saying they were going to visit relatives. As far as We know, all of their relatives died long ago save for the Qins. We ask you this: did they not come to your residence?"

  "Your Majesty, this subject dares not deceive his liege. I have remained at home as it is my day off today, so I most certainly did not see the family come to my complex. His Majesty can ask any of my servants personally or have your subordinates investigate. This subject will have no objections at all." He kowtowed heavily after his emotional display of loyalty.

  Seeing Qin Huaiyuan's sincerity, Li Qitian's doubts lessened even more.

  Only by a slight degree, however.

  "Since beloved subject Qin is being so sincere, how can We not give you a chance to prove your innocence? If We do not order men to investigate your residence, others will say something is afoot with the Qins. How about We personally oversee a cursory search and say no more of this afterward, what say you?"

  "This subject cannot thank His Majesty enough for his benevolence." Qin Huaiyuan continued kowtowing.

  Li Qitian gave a bark of soft laughter, then looked toward Li Guanwen who promptly turned to give the command to the royal guards. Soon, the modestly-sized yard grew clamorous.

  Because the eunuch stressed that His Majesty wasn’t looking to search and confiscate since he still wished to keep Minister Qin in a position of importance, the investigating guards didn't dare get ahead of themselves; they didn’t damage the Qin family's possessions, nor did they dare shove the women around.

  Despite their precautions, the old dowager and the other womenfolk were beside themselves with fright. They watched the royal guards conduct their search as the few servants they had attended to them.

  Though they didn't know what was happening, the women of the Qin family had gone through so much in Great Zhou that they felt as if they’d returned to the time when their family had to abandon their home to escape slaughter.

  The old dowager dabbed at her eyes and sobbed, "Oh heavens, heavens above! What sins have we committed to merit something like this yet again?!"

  The eighth miss and Qin Huining supported the old dowager from both sides.

  The second wife hid among the crowd while clutching her child. Seeing the royal guards come out of the house without taking any of their family possessions, it didn’t appear that they were here to take the opportunity to ransack their home.

  Upon observing this, she summoned the courage to ask, "What are you looking for? Tell us and we may be able to help."

  Née Sun, the second madame, and the old dowager all turned their heads to glare viciously at her. Was she worried these ruthless men wouldn't take notice of the women?!

  Wilting beneath their glares, the second wife promptly nudged at her husband Qin Han from behind.

  Qin Han, Qin Yu, and Qin Xian stepped forward and shielded the womenfolk with their bodies.

  Since the royal guards had special orders from Li Guanwen, they had no wish to make things difficult for the Qins. As such, they inquired, "Have you seen the Faithful Grand-Lord, Old Madame, and the Grand-Madame of the First Rank?"

  Stunned, the old dowager responded, "You are here to search for our in-laws?"

  "Of course we’ve seen them before, but it has been a long time since then," said the second madame.

  The guards spoke no more with the women and moved to the front hall to await further instruction. Seeing the outsiders exit in a single file line, the family let out sighs of relief.

  Qin Han quietly scolded his wife. "Don't run your mouth in the future. You might find it easy to chatter on since you're a married woman, but does that mean the girls are the same?"

  The second wife flushed all the way to her ears and lowered her head, not daring to say anything more.

  Seeing that Qin Han had already disciplined his wife, the old dowager didn’t put in her own comments. She turned and quietly addressed Qin-mama, "Go quietly and take a look. What can possibly have happened? Why come to our home in search of the in-laws and make a fuss about it, like they’ve come to confiscate our belongings?"

  "Understood." Qin-mama replied, then carefully made her way to the second door.

  Meanwhile in the front hall, the guards reported back to Li Qitian how those left at the Qin manor reacted more or less the same. The emperor’s doubts lessened considerably, though he still had his suspicions since Qin Huaiyuan would certainly try to cover for his son-in-law. But he presently didn’t have any concrete proof, so it was difficult to convict the minister with any sort of crime.

  Chapter 526.2: Battle Tactics

  What with the tumultuous state of court, the aristocracy and old officials of Northern Ji were currently waiting on the sidelines for further developments, after witnessing what became of Patriarch Lu. Though the second son of the Lu family supported the old patriarch, his authority and ability were quite limited.

  The nobles of court, on the other hand, had their eyes on Pang Zhixi and Li Zeyu. If the emperor were to take action against these two, then the nobles had to be on the
ir guard. That outcome made it all the more difficult for Li Qitian to determine his next moves.

  Furthermore, the faction of surrendered Yan officials followed Qin Huaiyuan's lead, and ever since Yuchi Yan and Gu Shixiong had been sent off to the royal dungeons, those officials were growing restless. If anything else happened to Qin Huaiyuan, it was possible that they would erupt in an uproar.

  On top of all that, the Tatars were eyeing them covetously like tigers, hoping to declare war.

  Li Qitian was long at his wits’ end. Weeks of pressure had weighed on his heart, and now Pang Xiao had gone off with his soldiers without so much as a word to anyone. Li Qitian’s temper was flaring out of control.

  However, seeing Qin Huaiyuan kneeling on the floor with his head down in compliance with imperial orders had him reconsidering the pros and cons of punishing the old minister. In the end, Li Qitian sighed and personally helped Qin Huaiyuan to his feet with a pleasant expression.

  "This is a mere misunderstanding. We ask beloved subject Qin to not take it to heart."

  Qin Huaiyuan looked deeply moved and shook his head rapidly.

  "Your Majesty bends your mind to overseeing a myriad of affairs on a daily basis. Matters of the nation are complex, but this subject is not competent enough to help His Majesty share that burden. I understand that His Majesty has a reason in all that you do. I only regret that I am a useless scholar who cannot ease His Majesty's worries. The Tatar dilemma is perplexing indeed, yet this subject cannot alleviate the pressure."

  Qin Huaiyuan's words struck right at Li Qitian's heart.

  It was indeed lonely at the top; as the emperor, his greatest wish was to be understood, not to be simply feared. Qin Huaiyuan's worrisome son-in-law aside, the emperor still found this person rather agreeable.

  "Never mind that." Li Qitian gave a long sigh. "He has truly irked Us. It seems that Pang Zhixi anticipated that We would ask you about his plans, so he daren't tell you about them, never mind where he hid the family. You have always proved to be wise, so analyze this: what is Pang Zhixi's purpose for bringing his soldiers out of the city? Can he possibly be on his way to contact the Dragon Riders?"

  Unfazed, Qin Huaiyuan thought deeply for a moment before responding, "This subject thinks His Highness does not seem to be the sort of person to do something like this without reason. I suppose such is the vigor of youth."

  At that, Qin Huaiyuan's expression took on a bashful note.

  "Oh?" Li Qitian quirked a brow.

  "Heroes can hardly ignore a beautiful damsel in distress. His Highness is an emotional person at his core. He has always followed His Majesty's orders to the letter, only stepping out of line where matters of the heart are concerned. It is my fault for not teaching my daughter better." Qin Huaiyuan made a move to kneel again.

  "There is no need for that." Li Qitian lightly held onto Qin Huaiyuan and ordered him to sit down.

  Only then did Qin Huaiyuan tearfully give thanks for imperial kindness before sitting down with his body turned halfway on the chair, his head lowered as he awaited orders.

  By now, Li Qitian's ill mood had dissipated somewhat. Thinking back on things, he realized Pang Xiao's insubordination had always stemmed from beautiful women, including the time when he disobeyed more than thirty royal decrees.

  In other words, Pang Xiao was no longer the flawless, impervious person he once was. Now, he had a fatal weakness that anyone could jab at. For Li Qitian, this was a very good thing. He could use this against Pang Xiao, improving his grasp over his tool.

  Li Qitian sighed, "He truly is reckless. Considering the situation with Tatar, what use would his soldiers be? Does he truly think his soldiers to be sent from the heavens above? What we should be doing is figuring out how to make peace instead."

  "His Majesty speaks truly." Qin Huayuan bowed. "The Tatars are clearly using this as an excuse to invade our borders. If we go to war, the people will be thrown into a hellish pit of fire and suffering. Assuming we have the funds to support this war, we would be better off using the silver to better the lives of the people by repairing bridges and roads, building dams, or even lowering taxes. That would be better than any waste of the silver in the national treasury."

  Li Qitian nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, yet the Tatars do not think the same."

  Qin Huaiyuan and Li Qitian then delved into a discussion regarding governance.

  Qin-mama peeped at them from afar, then returned to report to the old dowager. "The visitor appears to be a colleague of the lord. He seemed frazzled and domineering when he came, but after he realized nothing was wrong with our household, he began discussing important matters with the lord."

  Only then were the old dowager's worries assuaged. However, upon further contemplation, she still felt there was something off about the situation.

  "Have someone take another look at the in-laws' manor and see if you can find out where they have gone. The soldiers were looking for them. Has something big happened?"

  Qin-mama immediately made herself scarce to carry out her orders.

  Not long after Li Qitian left, a frightened old dowager sent for her son and took him aside as soon as he returned to the inner quarters. Holding Qin Huaiyuan’s hand, she instructed, "Under no circumstances can you pay any mind to the Pangs. Whether they live or die has nothing to do with the Qins. His Majesty is searching for them, so if we interfere, our family may be dragged down with them."

  Qin Huaiyuan had already anticipated the old dowager's reaction. Not wanting her to think too much of the situation, he gently agreed.

  The old dowager then launched into a discussion about the marriage prospects of the two remaining girls in the family.

  Though Qin Yining had been married for some time, there was not even a whisper about her producing children. The old dowager still wished to send the eighth miss to the Faithful Prince of the First Rank as a concubine. Considering their current situation, however, she feared Qin Huaiyuan would not approve.

  Chapter 527.1: Chastisement

  "Mother." Qin Huaiyuan lowered his voice, displeased. "Daughter Yi is my only daughter and your granddaughter! She has been kidnapped and we know not whether she is alive or dead, but you’re not worried about her well-being at all. Instead, you brood over how to arrange for our family to marry into her husband's family? Is this something a grandmother should do??"

  The only thing on Qin Huaiyuan's mind was his daughter's safety. He’d just managed to maneuver out of a rough patch, and he didn't know if His Majesty would dwell on recent events and come up with further suspicions. Even more worrying was whether anyone would discover where he had hidden his three in-laws.

  These problems already had his mind in a whirl. Though the Tatars losing their supply lines had temporarily put a stop to impending war, who was to say for certain that Tatar wouldn't still declare war regardless?

  If Siqin thought the same and intended upon quick skirmishes on horseback, they wouldn’t require excessive equipment. All they had to do was attack wherever food was stored and pillage their way through Great Zhou. Wouldn’t that mean certain suffering for their citizens who lived on the border?

  Grappling with these thorny problems already left him mentally and physically exhausted, yet his mother decided to bring this nonsense up after a battle of wits earlier with his liege. No matter how much patience he had, her selfish words completely destroyed it all.

  Having been chastised by her son, she cried in disbelief, "Meng'er, what is the meaning of this? How is this unbecoming of a grandmother? Do I not act in the interests of the entire family?

  "You’re not wrong to say that daughter Yi is my granddaughter, but she’s not the only one. She’s not even the most filial of them all, might I add. Should I not plan out the futures of the other Qin daughters?

  "Furthermore, if this granddaughter can’t secure her position as princess consort, isn’t this precisely the moment that we should be sending another to them? What are you being so stubborn for?"

&
nbsp; Qin Huaiyuan listened with a neutral expression, calm as still water, his years of serving at court having taught him to suppress his anger while slowly letting it seep from his aura.

  Though the old dowager spoke with self-righteous conviction, the icy look in Qin Huaiyuan's eyes struck fear within her. However, she saw no fault in her actions; he’d just thrown his lot in with outsiders. Now that he had a wife and a daughter, he saw no need to care for his mother!

  The old dowager felt so wronged that she began to cry. Pounding the cushion across her lap, she sobbed, "Oh, woe is me! Is this how your father taught you to be? The way I see it, you have forgotten all of his teachings! Again and again, you continue to talk back to me. You think you’re ready to leave the nest now as the master of the house, so you’re no longer obligated to fulfill your filial duty to your mother!"

  In the past, this would’ve been the point where her son would gently comfort and speak agreeably to placate her. However, this time, Qin Huaiyuan merely stood in place without a word and looked at her with a distant look of a stranger.

  Seeing that no consolation was forthcoming as expected, the old dowager felt even more wronged and broke out bawling.

  "Such sinfulness! I don't want to live anymore, I don't want to live anymore! Oh my heart, my good intentions completely squandered! You all despise me!"

  She wailed as she pounded her chest and stomped her feet. Burying her face in a handkerchief, her jade hairpin slid halfway out of place from her exertions. Her round bun loosed, sending peppery hair messily scattering across her shoulders as if she had been assaulted.

  The second elder master, second madame, and third elder master silently watched from the sidelines as the old dowager threw a tantrum.

  The second madame had been about to step up to say a word or two; their family already had enough problems to deal with. It was unsightly for the elderly to throw a tantrum over something so unreasonable like she did.