Return of the Swallow c1-644

by Edited by Deyna up to chapter ~100.

  Oh heavens, these words are so hysterical! The second consort was much more shrewd than the third consort; her real implications were that the Xiyue prince only granted her special attention due to the sacred texts, not because he really cared about her.

  The eldest consort adjusted her gold hairpins and chuckled gently, “The second princess consort is right.”

  She slowly walked up to Qin Yining and extended fair, lily-white hands like she wanted to stroke the lady’s face. “Tsk tsk, your skin looks so luminous. It sure is nice to be young.”

  Her frivolous words made Qin Yining frown and she moved her face, avoiding the hand. “Is something the matter for you all to have come here?”

  Hand left hanging in the air, the eldest consort frowned with annoyance.

  At the side, the third consort covered her mouth and laughed. “Aiya, I told you to not bother trying to cozy up to her. She’s a goddess, how can she bear to be touched by ordinary mortals like us? Haven’t you seen how enchanted our prince is by her?”

  The eldest consort ignored the provocation and spoke only to Qin Yining. “Although you’re a goddess, you’ll soon be one of our lord’s consorts. You’ll be the fifth consort and as we’re all the lord’s women, we’ll be sisters. We’ll be spending a long time together, so shouldn’t we all get to know each other?”

  As she said that, she sat down intimately by Qin Yining’s side and poured a cup of tea for herself. “Come, tell me, where did you come from? Are you really the goddess who is mentioned in the sacred texts? When do you plan to consummate your marriage to the prince?”

  Qin Yining had to choke back giggles burbling deep within herself. It looked like the Xiyue princess consorts were just the same as their prince—overinflated senses of self worth mixed in with a heavy sprinkling of hubris.

  Qin Yining couldn’t be bothered with a reply and looked at Biyu. “I’m tired, help me rest.” She stood up, indicating for Biyu to lead the way to her inner chambers for sleep.

  The eldest consort’s expression changed drastically. She wouldn’t stand for being slighted by a feral brat that’d just dropped out of nowhere! There was no such thing as a goddess in this world! Other people might believe it, but not her!

  The prince had just fallen for another woman. Usually, that was fine, but if he wanted to get a beauty’s favor, why couldn’t he have just made up some other excuse? Why’d he have to say she was some goddess and even plan on making her the official wife!

  Simply preposterous!

  The eldest consort had borne three sons and two daughters to the prince. In the future, the position of crown prince had to belong to her son! She would never tolerate a random brat appearing at this juncture and lording it over her!

  She could feel her position being shaken. After all, she was no longer young and there were plenty of young, beautiful girls in the palace just begging for the prince’s favor. However, if it was just the usual pretty girls, she wouldn’t really care. It wasn’t that she was confident in herself, but because she knew that the prince was one who easily grew bored with new toys. Even if they gained his favor, it wouldn’t be for long.

  But when she saw Qin Yining with her own eyes, she was no longer as self assured. She even had a feeling that if this so-called goddess really married the prince, none of the other women would have a good ending.

  As she watched Qin Yining’s back retreat into the inner chambers, a crazy idea suddenly flourished in her mind. Everything would be perfect if this woman disappeared now!

  She gnashed her teeth and glanced at the maid in gray and blue beside her.

  Understanding her mistress’ hint, the maid hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth and dashing up to push Qin Yining.

  “How can you be so rude! Don’t you hear the princess consort talking to you?!”

  Qin Yining hastily evaded the oncoming movement when she sensed someone behind her, but the force the maid used was too great and Biyu wasn’t so lucky. The maid crashed into the wooden cabinet in the corner, opening up a gash on her head and splashing blood everywhere.

  Chapter 536.1: Picked On

  “Biyu!” Qin Yining quickly rushed over to help the maid up. She hadn’t thought her evasion would cause Biyu to be injured. Heart prickling with guilt, she asked, “Are you alright?”

  Clapping a hand on her forehead, blood seeped out through Biyu’s fingers. Her voice shook in fear as she mumbled over and over, “Thank you, Goddess. This servant is alright, it’s alright.”

  Qin Yining handed Biyu over to the nearby Xinyu. “Dress her wounds first, we’ll find the imperial physician later.”

  Biyu and Xinyu both shook their heads as they repeated, “This servant doesn’t dare.”

  Well, since I haven’t recovered yet, that prince will definitely arrange for the physician to visit me again. I suppose he can look at us both then.

  Qin Yining turned to the offending maid. “What is your name?”

  The terribly sharp, icy light in Qin Yining’s eyes cowed the maid into lowering her head. “This, this servant...”

  Her mistress stepped in and pulled her maid aside. Raising her chin, the princess consort demanded, “What, are you going to put on airs like you’re an actual goddess? It’s you who disrespected me first, my maid only wanted to protect her mistress. It’s not like you were injured, so we’ll just let it all go.”

  Qin Yining laughed from anger, dimples deepening on her cheeks as her eyes turned even frostier. She spoke in a measured, even pace, “You ordered your maid to assault me and just because it didn’t succeed, you want to act like nothing happened?”

  “Wh-what do you want to do about it?” Qin Yining both scared and dazzled the foremost princess consort.

  Scared, because the look in the foreigner’s eyes was so sharp. When one met her gaze, one couldn’t help but want to avert their eyes.

  Dazzled, because her current mood set her face alight in a vivacious manner. It was as if a black and white picture scroll had suddenly been splashed with an array of colors. Although it was fiercely intimidating, one also couldn’t help but want to stare more at this bright and mesmerizing face.

  With such stunning beauty, it’d be a disaster if she joined the imperial harem!

  However, the foremost princess consort had occupied her position for many years. How would she possibly put herself down at this critical juncture?

  She furiously strode up to Qin Yining, their noses almost touching as she spat out her words through clenched teeth. “Don’t think that just because His Grace cares about you now means you can do whatever you want! You’ll need to live with us after you enter the harem, and the days ahead are long!

  “If you have any brains about you, you’ll let the events of today slide. If you never mention it again, when the day comes and you lose favor, I’ll spare you and ensure you have a bite to eat for your obedience. If you don’t possess any good sense, then don’t blame us sisters for being merciless! The prince may be master of the palace, but he won’t be with you during every waking hour!”

  Qin Yining couldn’t help a grin when she looked into the contorted expression on the princess consort’s face.

  “It looks like one really will think themselves special after sitting at the bottom of a well for so long, and only seeing the skies from that tiny vantage point,” her red lips enunciated softly.

  “You!” The princess consort’s eyes widened as she shouted angrily, “Speak clearly, what do you mean by that?!”

  “I’m insulting you, don’t you understand? Do you need me to break even that down and explain it bit by bit to you?” Qin Yining sneered, “You are a mind to harm me. Whether or not you succeeded last night does not change this fact. And today, you injured my maid. A fitting explanation best be forthcoming.”

  “How dare a little girl like you run your mouth like this! This is the palace! You’re just to be a concubine, how dare you be so uppity! What can you do to me if I don’t give you an explanation!”

>   Qin Yining called out to the imperial guards, now hovering by the doors as they’d noticed the commotion. “Send for the imperial physician, my maid is injured. I will also have to trouble you to take me back to my people.”

  Sending for the imperial physician was fine and dandy. After all, the goddess hadn’t made a full recovery yet and needed the physician’s attention. But leaving the palace? The guards didn’t have the authority to decide that!

  But she was the goddess who’d brought a large quantity of supplies to Xiyue! If they offended her, she might well decide to withhold the supplies from the tribe!

  Flustered and panicked, one messenger was sent to fetch the imperial physician, while another was dispatched to the prince.

  Qin Yining paid no more attention to the foremost princess consort as she pulled Biyu to the side for a seat, gently dabbing at the blood seeping from the maid’s wounds with a clean handkerchief.

  Teary with gratitude, Biyu anxiously shook her head and cast meaningful looks at Qin Yining. She murmured, “Goddess, please don’t be angry. This servant is fine. Even if this servant died, it would be nothing. You mustn’t be angry.”

  “The wound on your head is no small matter. I dragged you into this, so of course I should make sure you are well. Don’t be afraid, and don’t say anything like your death not being anything. Whose life is worth more than another’s? We’re just all sacks of skin in the end.”

  Her words were straightforward and another jab at the three princess consorts behind them.

  They were just concubines of the local tyrant, dressed in cotton dresses embroidered with flowers, ruling over a populace of less than five thousand. Yet they really took themselves as some sort of superior personage?

  What a joke!

  Chapter 536.2: Picked On

  In her young life, Qin Yining had already experienced some of the most tremendous suffering the world had to offer, as well as luxuriated in peak fortune, riches, and the finest clothes. Such empty glories no longer moved her, but these croaking frogs at the bottom of a well clung onto their trappings with every last bit of strength. They even had the gall to jump out and antagonize her!

  They were simply impervious to reason, and she couldn’t be bothered to quarrel with people like that. She wasn’t interested in being some ‘fifth princess consort’ in either case. But at the same time, that didn’t mean she’d take any maltreatment lying down. Qin Yining hadn’t been afraid of Great Yan’s trampress and her decrepit father, so how would she fear trash like these princess consorts?

  Qin Yining’s noble and lofty attitude only made her seem all the more displeasing to the three princess consorts. The second and third princess consorts were well enough, but their leader itched to scratch Qin Yining’s beautiful face to shreds.

  “Stop it with that act! You’re just a bunch of refugees who found your way here and now want to leech off of us to survive! Leaving? Where will you go? Leave the palace? As if you’d really bear to do so! I’ve seen my share of sluts like you! You’ll do anything possible to climb up the ladder. This ruse you’ve been putting on is just an act to get the prince to act on your behalf. Leave if you have the ability to! Don’t even think of using your wicked looks to harm our kindhearted prince!”

  The senior princess consort flew into a fury, stomping her foot and unleashing a torrent of malicious invective. The more she screamed, the more sense her words made. This vixen was simply too conniving!

  Qin Yining couldn’t care less about arguing with someone like her. It’d only lower herself to the level of this shrieking shrew. She calmly watched Xinyu clean up Biyu’s face. If possible, she wanted to take the two maids with her so they wouldn’t bear the brunt of the princess consort’s ire when she left.

  While she was lost in thought, a flurry of footsteps sounded outside and an imperial guard saluted at the door. “Goddess, the imperial physician has arrived.”

  “Send him in.”

  It was the same Imperial Physician Wang from earlier. He hurried in with his medicine box and hastily bowed when he saw the three princess consorts were also present.

  The second and third princess consorts both nodded at him, while their leader snorted.

  “Have the imperial physician take a look at that little bitch of yours. If he finds something wrong, you’ll finally have an excuse to go to the prince and complain about me, hmm?!”

  One had no choice but to bow one’s head when under the roof of another. With Qin Yining’s temper, if she’d had her trusted people about her, this princess consort would’ve been thrown out onto the streets long ago.

  She ignored the harlot’s shrieking for now. “I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble the imperial physician to check my maid’s injury.”

  Imperial Physician Wang bowed, startled and flattered by the courtesy. He quickly responded in the affirmative before approaching to inspect Biyu’s wound.

  After a careful onceover, the physician reported, “This is a result of blunt trauma to the head. After dressing the wound, some medicines will be needed for recovery. If dizziness appears, further rest will need to be taken.”

  “I shall have to trouble Imperial Physician Wang to prescribe some medicine for her.”

  “That can’t be done, Goddess, that can’t be done! I really am fine!”

  In Xiyue, medicine was scarce and treasured, servants like them didn’t have the right to make use of it. In ordinary households, they didn’t receive medicine even if they were ill. Whether they lived or died was up to heavens’ will.

  People like Biyu who could serve in the palace were already favored by the gods, a tremendous stroke of good luck as it was! “I just hit my head, I’ll be fine after resting for a few days. There’s really no need for medicine.”

  Qin Yining shook her head with a smile, “Just take it. Your medicine will be charged to the bill for my illness, and I’ll pay it back with supplies later on. You did your utmost to serve me and was dragged into my troubles, even being injured for it. If you don’t accept this arrangement, then I’ll think that you’re blaming me for your injury.”

  “No, no, no. I don’t blame the goddess, truly!” Biyu protested anxiously.

  Qin Yining patted her arm in a comforting manner. “Don’t worry, I know. Just listen to me.”

  When the goddess faced her, her smile was as warm as the sun, at complete odds from the demeanor she’d displayed to the senior princess consort. Biyu’s heart flooded with emotion and she ducked her head.

  As Imperial Physician Wang applied medicine to Biyu’s wounds, the foremost princess consort crossed her arms with a cold sneer. “What a pretentious, fake act.”

  Still deaf to the incessant yapping, Qin Yining waited patiently for news from the outside.

  The Xiyue prince would never let her go, so she only wanted to see how he would punish the senior princess consort. Since she couldn’t leave for the time being, she had to establish her authority to ensure that the days ahead were as peaceful as they could possibly be. If she reacted weakly after being bullied and didn’t even dare talk back, the mistreatment would only increase in magnitude. Being ground down until nothing was left would be the only fate for her if she turned the other cheek.

  Although there weren’t many in the Xiyue tribe, the level of ruthlessness with which women fought couldn’t be underestimated.

  After the imperial physician treated Biyu’s wound, he took Qin Yining’s pulse and gave her another list of things to take note or be careful of. Having been ignored all this time, the three princess consorts shifted with impatience.

  Being a more mature and conscientious sort, the second princess consort appeared a little calmer. Meanwhile, the third princess consort continuously rolled her eyes, sending countless glares at Qin Yining.

  The senior princess consort felt caught between a rock and a hard place. She wouldn’t win anything if she kept arguing, but if she just turned and left now, others might think she was afraid of Qin Yining. In that case, where would her
authority in the palace go?

  As she hesitated, a mess of jumbled footsteps sounded outside.

  The Xiyue prince paced in with a flourish, surrounded by an entourage of guards, servants, and maids. He swept straight past the curtseying princess consorts to Qin Yining’s side. His voice was soft as he asked throbbingly, “Miss Pang, why do you wish to leave? Has your stay here been unsatisfactory?”

  Chapter 537.1: Success

  The senior princess consort’s eyes shot wide open in disbelief. Who was this gentle and careful man tiptoeing carefully in front of her? Was he really the high and mighty prince that she was familiar with?

  She had been at the prince’s side for seventeen years and had never seen him treat anyone with such tenderness and careful attention. Even when she’d been the youngest and most favored consort, the prince had always been a lofty and untouchable god that she didn’t even dare look at directly. Despite having borne him children and living together for so long, she still never dared hint at anything that might anger him.

  The second princess consort was just as startled, but only for a moment. She noticed the dazed expressions on the senior and third princess consorts’ faces with internal contempt and quietly took a few steps back.

  Qin Yining rose and used her greeting curtsey to prevent Zhou Meng from drawing too close.

  “Your Grace, what brings you personally here?” She paused. “I cannot thank Your Grace enough for saving me, but my health is far better now. I do not want to trouble Your Grace any further and it’d be much more convenient for me to stay with my people. As a gift of gratitude for saving me, I will—”

  “Where is this coming from?” The Xiyue prince anxiously interrupted Qin Yining before she could finish. “Wasn’t everything fine this afternoon? Weren’t you quite happy that I allowed your clansmen to visit you in the palace every day? Why are you regretting it now?”

  “Nothing’s happened.” Qin Yining smiled. “It’s just not quite seemly for me to be living in the imperial harem.”