“Your Grace claims to desire me for your consort, but for some reason cannot accept my family. I don’t think I can accept such an attitude either.” As she finished speaking, she turned around, showing Zhou Meng her back.
However, this elegant and graceful back was sufficient to tickle Zhou Meng’s heartstrings. He wished dearly that he could press her against the couch and have his way with her right now.
Chapter 532: Refugees (I)
One couldn’t bear to hit or scold such a stunning beauty. Instead, soft coaxing was the only way forward. Besides, he couldn’t keep her cousin locked up forever, could he?
As for whether there was something vile going on between her and her cousin or not, he didn’t really care, even though it was a little vexing. There was nothing bad about her already having some experience in bed—maybe that’d spice things up some!
When his thoughts traveled here, Zhou Meng beamed broadly. “Alright, alright, my beauty. There’s no need to get angry, this prince will listen to you.”
Qin Yining still didn’t agree to turn around, electing to take a seat on the wooden stool at the side.
Zhou Meng rubbed his hands, a foolish grin spreading across his face as he paced behind Qin Yining’s back. He wanted to reach out and pull her towards him a few times, but ultimately repressed the urge.
No rush, no rush, there’s plenty of time. If he angered her now, wouldn’t things be very boring later?
After a round of cautioning himself, Zhou Meng refrained from any forceful moves and strategically chooschoseing to chat with her instead.
“Beauty, where does your family live? How did you come here with so much grain?”
Qin Yining turned her head with a sneer. “Aren’t I a goddess?”
Zhou Meng’s whole body turned soft and pliable when he was pierced by the charming and flirtatious look in her eyes, despite her sharp words. He stood there in a daze, taking in a few deep breaths as he suppressed the agitation in his heart.
“Ai, with the way you arrived surrounded in grain, it’s only natural that you’re a goddess. However, even if you are a goddess, you were born in the mortal world and should have a birthplace, right?
Qin Yining glanced at him coolly, not saying a word. Her first impression of him had been that of a steady, cold, and authoritative man. But now, it seemed he’d only projected that because he’d been trying quite hard to hide his true self.
She knew that the more she spoke, the likelier the chances of making a mistake. Before proper countermeasures were in place, the less she revealed about herself, the better. Thus, she propped her chin up on her hand and closed her eyes, completely ignoring the person behind her.
Zhou Meng put his hands behind his back as he looked at Qin Yining, his lips pursed. The ardent look in his eyes burned so hot that it was almost as if he could see through her clothes, peeking at what was available beneath. Although he looked upright and proper, in reality, it made Qin Yining feel like there were ants crawling all over her back.
Before long, a voice sounded outside the door, “Your Grace, we’ve brought the people you wished to see.”
“Let them enter.” Zhou Meng turned to the door and saw a maid lead a group of people into the spacious inner hall.
“Beau—Miss Pang, the people you want are here.” Calling her ‘Beauty’ in front of outsiders would seem too vulgar, calling her ‘Goddess’ would elevate her to overly grand heights, so he could only address her as such.
Qin Yining stood up. “My thanks. Your Grace must be tired by now and is surely very busy. You should go about your business, there’s no need to feel obligated to attend to me further.”
Zhou Meng wasn’t mad at all after being asked to leave. Instead, he just gave her a generous smile. The warmth in the smile seemed like it could melt ice as he spoke in pampering tones, “Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you. I’ll take my leave.”
After that, he glanced wistfully at Qin Yining a few more times. When he saw she had no intention of urging him to stay, he could only depart with resignation.
After watching him leave, Qin Yining waved to the maids, “You are also dismissed.”
The maids glanced at each other and ultimately listened to the order, retreating with a curtsey.
Once she was sure they were the only ones left in the hall, Qin Yining quickly walked towards Lu Heng and the rest. Although she hadn’t fully recovered and was struck with a dizzy spell when she walked too quickly, the joy at meeting her companions again made her smile.
“Is everyone alright?”
“Fine, we’re all fine. Chief, thank goodness you’ve recovered!” Uncle Alham said happily.
Qin Yining nodded with a smile, “I’m much better. Thank you for not abandoning me.”
She also smiled at Lu Heng with specific gratitude. “And many thanks to you. I saw you before I fell asleep.”
Lu Heng smiled as well when he’d noticed the princess consort had recovered much of her energy and no longer appeared as weak and helpless as before. “I’m glad you’ve recovered. I didn’t trust the skill of the doctors here at first, but clearly, I was wrong.”
Qin Yining urged them to sit before speaking in a low voice. “Is everyone else okay? Has anything happened to the tribe? How did we end up here?”
“On the fourth day after you’d fallen into a delirious sleep, our group glimpsed this oasis,” explained Lu Heng. “At first, we thought it was just a mirage, but when we got closer, we were encircled by a group of soldiers in rattan armour.
“When they saw our wagons filled with rations, then you sleeping in the cart, they started saying that a goddess had come. They made such a fuss that we didn’t know what to do.”
Qin Yining could imagine the scene and felt awkward just thinking about it.
Uncle Alham continued with a smile. “That’s right. Luckily, they do believe in a goddess here, which was what enabled us to take up peaceful residence. The tribe’s all made camp here and are protecting our supplies. I scouted out some information over the past couple of days and discovered that this Xiyue tribe probably came from your country of Great Zhou more than a hundred years ago. The imperial court then had wiped out a vassal state that’d colluded with a Xiyue sect. The remnants of that partnership fled here to escape punishment.
“I asked all sorts of people and heard a lot of stories. Basically, when their group first came here, they had nothing. Everything here was built from the ground up over the past hundred years. When the first arrived, the Xiyue followers were in a constant state of hunger. Fortunately, the religion they followed gave them hope, saying that one day, a goddess would come with wagons of food for everyone.
“The Xiyue attempted to leave a few times, but the groups they sent out never succeeded. Most of the time, they ended up lost in no man’s land and only rarely did a few manage to return. After several generations of hard work, although they’ve reached a state of self-sufficiency in the oasis, there’s still a shortage food.”
This was pretty much the same as what Qin Yining had analyzed of the situation earlier.
“What’s the population here? How many soldiers do they have?”
“I made a careful count and found that there are roughly five thousand people here, a thousand of which are soldiers,” answered Uncle Alham. “However, the soldiers here are all young’uns. These people haven’t fought for several generations. If these young, unblooded soldiers see an actual battlefield, they’d probably piss their pants from terror. They’re no match for our tribesmen, who are all skilled and seasoned warriors.”
Qin Yining and Lu Heng both nodded in approval.
Soldiers raised and carefully sheltered in a greenhouse wouldn’t even come close to soldiers who’d shed blood on a battlefield. Veterans would prove the worth of their experience in the end and save them all a lot of trouble.
So Qin Yining pondered this and came to a conclusion—if fighting actually ended up breaking out, the Minuo might not necessarily lose. They h
ad the strength to protect their supplies.
“So we still have control over the rations right now? The people here didn’t make reckless moves against them?”
“Right.” Uncle Alham nodded. “I believe they also don’t want to start a fight, thus their leader wants to marry you.”
Qin Yining nodded in understanding. Two tribes lost in the desert were likely to live together in this oasis for the rest of their lives. If one wasn’t to be forcefully absorbed by the other, the best option was for the two to assimilate as one through various marriages.
Chapter 533.1: Refugees (II)
"In other words, not only does that prince want to acquire the Minuo, he also wants to take our provisions without lifting a finger." What Lu Heng left unsaid was that Xiyue’s prince also wanted Qin Yining for himself!
He ground his teeth whenever he thought of how perversely Zhou Meng leered at Qin Yining everytime he laid eyes upon her. It was normal for one to sneak an extra glance or two at Qin Yining, considering her beauty, but Zhou Meng supposedly already had four consorts, more than thirty concubines, and a dozen sons. How dare someone of his age set his sights on such a young lady; the integrity of his character was questionable indeed!
"What do you plan to do? We should come up with a plan for all of us to stay together. I worry for your safety." Lu Heng's eyes were filled with concern.
Qin Yining's teeth also ached at the thought of Zhou Meng’s behavior.
"I will think of a way for everyone to stay." She pointed at the gathered individuals one by one. "You are my older cousin, the three of you are my bodyguards, and the two of you are my maids. He only let me see you because I told him that."
Uncle Alham laughed at that. "The one who summoned us said the same. We guessed that was what you told them, so we didn't correct them. They can't understand our language, anyway."
Qin Yining's spirits rose at this. "All the better, then. That will make it a little easier for you to communicate among yourselves. Have they restricted your movements these past few days?"
"Either because they want to show courtesy to those they deem beneath them, or because we’re guarding the supplies, but they have treated us with much respect. Many of their girls deliver water and food to our warriors and intentionally stay behind to strike up conversation, so that they can take a look at the provisions before leaving."
In that case, the Xiyue tribe's intentions were as clear as day.
They were evidently acting on their prince’s orders. If not, Zhou Meng must have already ordered his underlings to spread the word that he was about to take a goddess as a wife. Only these two possibilities would result in his subjects acting like this.
Qin Yining nodded. "I understand. I may have to circle around with him for a while. Once we figure out a clear escape path, we will adjust our plans accordingly."
With that, Lu Heng translated Qin Yining's words to the gathered people behind them. They all nodded to indicate that they understood.
"Let us first integrate ourselves into their daily lives and obtain a firm understanding of the terrain.” Qin Yining then lowered her voice to speak with Lu Heng. “We must also formulate a clear plan for when we decide to leave and not act blindly. It won’t be worth throwing innocent lives away.
“The way things are now, these people recognize us as those who have also escaped into the oasis. Though they throw the word ‘goddess’ around, I doubt their prince believes the words of their sacred texts that are meant to soothe the people. It’s more likely that they want to blackmail us. Let us first observe them and play things by ear as we go."
Lu Heng nodded, a note of resignation in his voice as he remarked, "We’re out of the wolf's den and into the tiger's mouth. It’s been no easy feat avoiding danger in the desert, yet we just had to encounter these people."
Qin Yining, however, laughed confidently. "This is nothing. As long as we are still alive, there is hope. We lack not for food or water now, and don’t have to worry about being buried alive after a sandstorm. It’s just a battle of wits, something you and I are old hands at. What is there to be afraid of?”
Having just recovered from illness, her voice still seemed slightly feeble as she spoke, as if she was out of breath. Her face wasn’t as full of vitality as it’d been when they’d first met—she was too thin. Sunken cheeks and a sickly pale face only as wide as a palm imparted one with a feeling of frailness. However, her eyes were the same as ever: bright, lively, and full of confidence.
This person seemed to glow from within with her own light, her radiance filling those who laid their eyes on her with hope for the future.
"As you say. When it comes to battles of the wit, we need only to keep calm and think things through." Lu Heng couldn't help smiling.
Qin Yining dimpled as well and nodded. She patted Lu Heng on the shoulder. "Many thanks."
All this time, she’d wished to thank Lu Heng for saving her life, keeping her company and never giving up on her, not even when she fell ill.
Instantly understanding Qin Yining's intentions, Lu Heng couldn't help a smile. "What are you thanking me for? When I fell ill, not only did you not abandon me, you took care of me in every possible way. When I was kidnapped, I heard from Uncle Alham that I was rescued because you insisted on tracking me down. It is I who should thank you. However, there’s no point in us constantly thanking one another. We are partners, and the Minuo is our family. What is the point in such words of gratitude?"
Uncle Alham nodded his head furiously as he listened from the sidelines. "Yes. We're a family, so no need for thanks."
Qin Yining's brows and eyes curved with mirth. She nodded. "Very well, then we shall speak no more of such things. There is no need for formalities between partners."
Lu Heng also nodded with a smile. Mentally, he took great pride in his contentment.
Chapter 533.2: Refugees (II)
His adeptness at concealing his emotions meant that no one knew his true feelings, and he certainly never expressed them in front of Qin Yining. It was because he never put any sort of pressure on her that he was able to remain by her side as her friend and companion.
Perhaps that was enough.
Since Pang Xiao was the only one in Qin Yining's heart, him forcing things that could not be would not only result in nothing at all, but also mean damaging his friendship with her. He was better off burying those feelings that could never be returned, shoving them deep inside his heart as his own personal keepsake.
He couldn’t quite keep an open mind about everything yet; he frequently lamented at the thought of how Qin Yining would never be his. However, if his silence was the price to pay to stay by her side as a friend for the rest of his days, such a trade-off was the best outcome for him.
Lu Heng couldn't help laughing at himself as he considered this.
At the end of the day, he was still a merchant who constantly sought to maximize the benefits of his every action. If he were truer to his own heart or a person who felt more intensely, he would’ve rather died honorably as a fractured piece of jade than live disgracefully as a broken tile—such was the heroic thing to do. However, all he did was calculate his gains and losses.
As he dwelled upon this, the sounds of people conversing outside traveled into the room.
He recognized their accent to be that of the south. If they’d spoken any more quickly, he wouldn't have been able to discern what they were saying. Therefore, someone like Uncle Alham who was only passable in the language of Great Zhou, wouldn't understand them at all.
Qin Yining, however, found the dialect they spoke to be similar to that of the tongue of Great Yan, so she had no trouble comprehending them.
"The Prince of Xiyue has brought people here." Qin Yining murmured before hurrying to take a seat off to the side. The others moved to their own places and acted as if they’d just been idly chatting away.
Qin Yining even went so far as to ask those outside about the local customs. "How are the sights around here?
Is this winter in this oasis, or is it summer? How is it that I feel that it is colder here than in the desert?"
Zhou Meng's voice drew nearer—perhaps drawn by the sound of Qin Yining speaking—his words tinged with mirth as he replied, "To be honest, Xiyue tends to be quite a bit colder than it is outside. It is also much windier here, but we have the Xiyue Lake to thank for feeding the entire oasis and watering the trees, flora and greenery that keep the sandstorms in Xiyue small."
It seemed that the tribe had claimed the oasis as their own after they came across the place.
Qin Yining stood and continued, "It is rather warm in the palace, yet my guards seem to be dressed for colder weather."
Zhou Meng laughed heartily. "That is because the palace incorporated heated walls and brick beds when it was built. Since Miss Pang is still recovering from your illness, of course we must choose the warmest quarters for you."
"Many thanks to Your Grace, then." Qin Yining nodded.
Zhou Meng clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes shining as he stared at Qin Yining. Seeing that color had returned to her face after seeing her own people, he found himself feeling content.
It seemed that to please beautiful women, one had to do as they wished. When pretty women were in good spirits, their smiles were also pretty, which pleased him all the more.
Where was the harm in coddling a delicate lady as beautiful as she?
Having made up his mind, Zhou Meng leaned down a bit closer with his hands behind his back. "I have arranged for your guards to visit you every day. Is that to your liking?" he asked with a smile.
Qin Yining elected to serve him tea at this moment, her body conveniently angling away from Zhou Meng's advances.
"Wonderful tea!" Zhou Meng looked at the tea she served him, the glee in his smile growing as he took it for a sip. This green tea—which he usually found to be bland and tasteless—seemed full of sweetness.
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