Zhou Meng knitted his brows together tightly as he studied Qin Yining, then turned and looked around the room. His face darkened ominously to see one of the goddess’ maids now with a bandaged head and clothes stained with blood. Noting the imperial physician’s presence as well, his expression grew even more foreboding.
Everyone ducked their heads when his line of sight reached them, especially so for a maid standing in a corner, trembling so hard that it seemed as if the sky would cave in on her in the next second.
“You, come over here and explain what’s happened.” Zhou Meng growled as he pointed at the trembling maid, standing near the senior princess consort.
The maid’s heart skipped a beat as she dropped into a kowtow with an ashen face. “Your, Your Grace, please quell your anger. This maid didn’t do it on purpose. I just slipped and accidentally pushed the goddess’ servant. She wasn’t standing firmly in place, so she hurt her head. The goddess grew angry and quarrelled with my mistress. This, this maid was just eager to protect my mistress.”
A fine sheen of cold sweat covered her forehead. In the throes of desperation, she couldn’t pay heed to how much of her words were true or if her logic made any sense. Right now, the only thing on her mind was to absolve herself of all blame. She didn’t know if her mistress would protect her.
Hearing the incoherent order of her words and seeing the way her eyes darted around, Zhou Meng grew even more suspicious.
“A mere wretch of a maid having the guts to lie to this prince! You sure are brave, hmm?” He dragged the last word out, the threat clear.
A shuddering ball on the floor, the maid kowtowed madly. Tears she could no longer suppress mixed with the cold sweat dripping down her face. “This maid was, was, f-following orders…” she choked out.
“Shut up, bitch!” Seeing that the idiot was about to expose her, the senior princess consort charged up for a vicious stomp that landed right in the middle of the maid’s back, causing her to sprawl out on the floor with a cry of pain.
“Your Grace, don’t listen to her nonsense. She clearly pushed Miss Pang’s maid on purpose. Perhaps they have some enmity with each other.”
Zhou Meng sneered coldly as he pointed at his temples. “Who do you take this prince for?”
A lost expression floating onto her face, the senior princess consort didn’t understand the question. “Your Grace...”
“My head isn’t some empty shell! This is just a maid. Even if they hold a grudge against each other, she wouldn’t have the courage to take revenge right in front of her mistress! How would she dare do anything unless she was ordered to! It looks like neither of you two plan on speaking the truth!” He pointed at the second princess consort. “You, explain this!”
The second princess consort sighed to herself. It was one thing if this would dethrone the senior princess consort in one fell swoop. Otherwise, if she spoke the truth now, wouldn’t that just irritate this mad dog and have it all bite her in the rear end later?
Zhou Meng grew angrier still when the second princess consort remained silent. He was about to point at someone else when the third princess consort piped up.
“Your Prince, things happened like this. The senior princess consort told us today that Your Grace had taken a fancy to a girl and wanted to make her the fifth princess consort. Us sisters were all very curious and came to have a chat with our new fifth sister. But who would’ve known that she would have such a temper! She didn’t respect the senior princess consort in the slightest and mouthed off with hurtful insults as quick as you’d like. Big sister’s maid couldn’t just stand by and watch, so she wanted to protect her mistress’ honor. Then she, she…”
She slowly swallowed the last of her words under Zhou Meng’s glare.
“Is that what happened?” The prince turned to Qin Yining.
She flashed him a mocking smile. “It seems the prince treats his harem quite well.”
She meant that it was quite surprising that people here had the nerve to repeatedly try and fool their prince.
The first and third princess consorts lifted their heads incredulously. What was vicious and savage? This was vicious and savage! Just one sentence was enough to ruin them all!
Chapter 537.2: Success
Zhou Meng’s face grew red with shame. At first, he’d wanted to curry favour with the beauty and swoop in like a god when she was faced with trouble. She would overflow with gratitude and respect when he delivered justice to her, but who would’ve thought that all of these useless bitches would pull the rug from under his feet, one after another! Words couldn’t express the depths of his humiliation!
The prince’s face turned beet red as fury brewed in his eyes.
“All of you dare lie to this prince’s face now, hmm?!” his voice thundered in his rage. “Do you think this prince has no one to ask about what all of you have done and said today?! Asking you is to give face, but it seems you don’t know what’s good for you! Very well then, this prince will grant your wishes! Guards!”
The imperial guard outside the door answered, setting down his pike as he knelt on one knee. “Your Grace.”
“Tell this prince what happened here earlier!”
The imperial guards looked at each other. They’d all been outside the hall, so how could they have known what had happened?
The guard captain could only brace himself and reply, “In response to Your Grace, we were outside and only vaguely heard the sounds of a dispute. We were too far away to hear what specifically happened, so we aren’t sure.”
Zhou Meng almost fainted from anger.
Qin Yining lowered her head, the derision in her heart growing even stronger. It seemed that not only was this Xiyue prince led by his lust, he was also short-sighted and arrogant without any real ability.
If such a thing had happened in her prince’s manor, a single glance from Pang Zhixi would’ve scared everyone witless and spilling the truth. There would be nothing like this, where people had to be prodded into answering just the question at hand and nothing else.
The more of what she saw, the more Qin Yining missed Pang Xiao. Her mood, originally unaffected by today’s incidents, took a downward turn as an impatient frown formed on her face.
Noticing the beauty’s displeasure, Zhou Meng thought it a mark of dissatisfaction with his performance today. Face scalding, he’d felt like he’d lost all face. The lofty and imposing image he’d created for himself might just have all been destroyed this one evening.
In the throes of rage and humiliation, all he could think about was how he should punish these useless fools!
Off to the side, the second princess took stock of the situation. She noticed how twisted Zhou Meng’s expression had become, as well as how his face, neck, and ears were all flushed red. If she didn’t take the initiative now, she might very well be dragged down with the other princess consorts.
Giving her thigh a vicious pinch, the second princess consort squeezed out a few tears as she stepped forward with a sob.
“Your Grace, Your Grace, please don’t be angry. This concubine will speak. I-I was just afraid of my lord growing angry at my sisters, so I didn’t dare speak earlier.”
The senior and third princess consorts turned to angrily glare at their brethren.
“Speak,” Zhou Meng demanded angrily.
The second princess consort truthfully recounted everything and ended it with a grand gesture of greeting on the floor.
“This concubine is useless and cowardly. I was afraid of incurring the senior and third princess consort’s enmity, so I didn’t dare to say anything. However, this concubine cannot stand seeing my lord being deceived. Miss Pang is kind natured and isn’t the type to start a quarrel with others. She suffered from being continuously bullied tonight and said she wanted to leave the palace only when she just couldn’t stand being wronged any longer. She had no place she could go to ask for justice.”
In the end, she even threw in some flattery for Qin Yining becau
se she knew that the prince was infatuated with the goddess. Since a new addition to the imperial harem was inevitable, would she be so stupid as to badmouth the goddess now and incur the prince’s fury?
Thanks to the other fools’ idiotic bullying of the goddess, if she did the opposite and spoke good of her, not only would the goddess would remember the favor, but the prince would also understand whose side she was on.
When Zhou Meng heard the true nature of things, he flew into such a rage that he kicked the senior princess consort to the floor. “You bitch! Who gave you the nerve!”
Sharp pain flared in the senior princess consort’s leg and she burst into painful sobs, begging for forgiveness. “Please don’t be angry, Your Grace! This concubine didn’t do it on purpose, it just happened in the heat of the moment! Although I bickered with Miss Pang, I didn’t want to actually hurt her! The one who tried to hurt her was that lowly maid, she did it out of her own volition!”
Qin Yining grew increasingly impatient with the situation and rubbed her forehead. “Your Grace, I don’t mind these things. It doesn’t matter if the senior princess consort did it intentionally or not. I believe that all the princess consorts took impulsive action today out of a misunderstanding. To avoid the appearance of impropriety, it would be better for me to return to my people. My condition is improving by the day, so it wouldn’t be right if I continued to stay here.”
She was truly tired by now. Her face appeared as white as snow beneath the lights and the slight quiver of her brows highlighted her delicate appearance.
The prince couldn’t possibly bear to let her leave in these straits and hastily interjected, “This will not do, you are to treat this place as your home. Didn’t we agree on this before?”
“Your Grace, this place truly isn’t conducive to my recovery.”
Qin Yining wanted to go, but Zhou Meng was firm in his stance. As the two discussed the matter, the senior and third princess consorts on the floor ground their teeth in anger. Her acting like this would only enrage the prince further, but they would be the ones to bear his wrath, not her!
The second princess consort snickered inwardly when she saw how the other princess consorts trembled like leaves.
The beauty quite obviously hates the palace and what happened tonight really is a result of those in the palace. Such a fragile and delicate beauty must’ve been terrified by these stupid, brutish hags!
If Zhou Meng forced her to stay, she’d likely bear a grudge against him. In any case, Xiyue was only so big. There was only desert to be found in all four directions, so she had nowhere to run off to even if she stayed with her people. Besides, wouldn’t she have to come back when he married her?
Zhou Meng could only agree with a frown when his thoughts traveled here. “Alright then, this prince will escort you there.”
Chapter 538: Asking For Her Hand (I)
Qin Yining hadn’t expected that Zhou Meng would actually agree to her request. As it were, leaving the palace and returning to the Minuo put her slightly more at ease, even if it meant she’d be under stricter surveillance.
No matter what plans the prince might have, she would take things one step at a time.
Qin Yining rose to ready her departure, then glanced at the injured Biyu and the trembling Xinyu. What if the senior princess consort vented her anger on the two after she left?
“I still have one more request, Your Grace. My two maids, Xinyu and Biyu, have served me wholeheartedly. Will the lord allow me to take them with me?”
Zhou Meng was fretting that he’d have to escort the beauty out after losing face in front of her. Although she’d still be in Xiyue territory and couldn’t escape him, he didn’t feel reassured with how the situation had turned out.
However, Qin Yining requesting people from him alleviated some of his apprehensions. Didn’t this mean that she no longer saw him as a stranger?
“Naturally. Miss Pang’s request isn’t much at all, why would I refuse?” Zhou Meng hastily took two steps forward. “How would just two maids be enough to serve you? How about I arrange for a few more?”
“Thank you for your kind intentions, Your Grace, but I already have my own maids. These two caught my eye, so I couldn’t help but make a presumptuous request. Just them in addition to my current entourage is enough.” Qin Yining performed a curtsey of thanks.
Her figure was willowy and graceful, and she had specially studied etiquette under the imperial mamas in Great Yan. Thus, this bout of courtesy was something Zhou Meng had never seen before in his entire life. It was indescribably delightful, eliciting embarrassment from the three princess consorts off to the side. Their inferiority was clear, every movement of theirs was simply too crude to be compared.
For a moment, the prince fell into a trance. By the time he scrambled forward to help her up, Qin Yining had already risen and walked away. Regret brimmed at the lost chance to touch her, but to protect his dignity, he could only act like it didn’t matter.
“No one here is allowed to leave. Remain kneeling for questioning when I return.” He pointed at Biyu, Xinyu, and Imperial Physician Wang. “Follow me.”
The two maids and imperial physician immediately bowed and fell into step behind their lord.
The three princess consorts bore looks of despair when the prince left and sagged to sitting positions on the ground. They’d thought it’d all be over with the girl’s departure. They’d served the prince for so many years, so after his anger, the issue should’ve been let go.
Who would’ve thought things were far from finished? The prince really did plan to punish them for this!
Regret overwhelmed the senior princess consort. If she’d been gentler or more subtle, she wouldn’t have incurred the prince’s wrath like this. Chances abounded to slowly deal with the vixen later on. Now look at how things were! Not only had she revealed her intentions and inspired the prince’s hatred, but that vixen had gotten to escape her zone of control.
Once the temptress was out of the palace, dealing with her would be harder than scaling the skies. Furthermore, from what she’d heard just now, the vixen would be staying with her clansmen.
It wasn’t just the senior princess consort berating herself, the other two princess consorts were secretly grumbling about their sister’s foolishness.
By now, Qin Yining had donned a cotton cape and a warm hat and climbed into a horse-drawn carriage to leave the palace.
The palace appeared crudely magnificent in the evening darkness. It appeared that the structure was constructed of wood and mud; conditions here most likely didn’t allow for a more remarkable palace to be built.
A very large plaza greeted the eye upon exiting the palace, the high platform in the middle seemingly designated for ceremonial use. After passing through it, one set foot on a spacious street with rows of houses crowding both sides.
As the carriage trundled on, Zhou Meng took a seat by Qin Yining and introduced every sight that came into view through the carriage windows. She diligently made a mental note of everything and casually agreed with whatever the prince said, putting him in delighted spirits.
Qin Yining also bent her mind to careful observation of everything about the journey and found that a city was starting to form in the oasis. The tallest structures included the palace she’d just departed and some three-storied buildings. Dirt roads formed the latticework of transportation infrastructure, and buildings were made of either wood or mud bricks.
Night had fallen, but the streets still bustled with people, showing no signs of a night curfew. Commoners were dressed in similar outfits that were embroidered with characteristic totemic designs; the cut and design all looked virtually the same.
When they saw the chariot approach, some even saluted and greeted the inhabitants. Quite satisfied with this development, a hint of cockiness seeped into Zhou Meng’s tones.
They traveled unimpeded to the southeast of the town. This was a very desolate location compared to the locale they’d just passed
through. Although the desert couldn’t be glimpsed here and the spot looked for all intents and purposes like a neighboring town, one only needed to ride out for another two hours to reach the edges of the oasis.
The Minuo had been arranged to camp here.
Zhou Meng had offered everybody houses, but the Minuo had declined his good intentions. All of their wealth was tied to their supplies. If they relaxed their guard and something happened to the provisions, they would have no way to survive.
So when Qin Yining and Zhou Meng’s carriage neared, the outermost guard watched them on high alert. He shouted in Tatar, “Who goes there?!”
Qin Yining alighted from the chariot. She could understand some very basic Tatar, so she understood what the tribesman was saying and flashed him a smile. “I’ve come back.”
The tribespeople keeping watch outside were overjoyed when they saw Qin Yining. Some went in to report her arrival, while others remained put, taking advantage of the chance for a detailed observation of Zhou Meng.
The prince struck a lofty attitude. “You have trained your tribesmen well. They’re all very obedient to you.”
“They do this of their own free will, not because I trained them. It’s late, you should go back and rest, Your Grace. I’m sure you still have a lot of very important things to do,” said Qin Yining.
Zhou Meng was very reluctant to leave, but since he’d already escorted the goddess back to her people, forcibly sticking around wouldn’t look too good. Their oasis was surrounded by the desert, and she wouldn’t survive if she ran away. There was plenty of time to improve their relationship; the days ahead were long.
“Indeed, I still have things to do, so I’ll be going. May you rest well here.” The prince adopted a gracious attitude and turned to the imperial physician. “Remember this location. From now on, report here every day to look after the goddess. You are not to shirk your duties.”
“Understood!” Imperial Physician Wang gave a hasty bow to show he understood.
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