Ziqing’s remark—”What meaning is there in being alive without freedom?”—struck a deep chord with the Second Young Beast Master. This hot-blooded young idealist immediately looked at Ziqing with newfound respect, quickly clasping his fists. “Consort Yao, we are truly kindred spirits!”
Kindred spirits?
That made no sense at all, Ziqing thought. At first she’d found him somewhat similar to Old Ten, but after a few more exchanges, she realized this fellow was simply something of a firebrand.
“Second Young Beast Master—so you’re the Beast Clan’s… second young master?” Ziqing asked, puzzled. If he was the young master, why the “second” as well?
The maid beside her quickly explained, “Your Highness, Nanzhao has three great clans—the Medicine Clan, the Beast Clan, and the Merfolk Clan. Each of the three clans has its own young master, and the numbering—first, second, third—is determined by age. The other two are the Medicine Clan’s Third Young Master and the Merfolk Clan’s Eldest Young Master.”
The Second Young Beast Master wore an expression of open disdain. “This young master has no interest in being mentioned in the same breath as those two.”
Without question, these three young clan masters would one day govern half of Nanzhao’s future. Ziqing had already met the three clan leaders, all of whom were quite advanced in years!
Just then, the little squirrel from before suddenly darted up and settled at Ziqing’s feet, seemingly worn out from its running, and began grooming its fur. Ziqing didn’t dare move. The Second Young Beast Master immediately gestured for everyone to stay silent, and for a moment no one dared to stir.
Just as the Second Young Beast Master was about to lunge forward, Ziqing’s heart couldn’t help but pound with worry—what if he missed the squirrel and grabbed her instead? She would certainly end up shoving him hard to the ground again, and that would seem terribly rude!
Finally, just as the Second Young Beast Master tensed to pounce, Ziqing raised her hand to signal him to stop, murmuring softly, “Let me.”
But no sooner had Ziqing spoken than the little squirrel suddenly bolted away. Ziqing lunged after it at once, coming agonizingly close to catching it—only for it to slip away again!
“Oh no!” The Second Young Beast Master rushed forward anxiously, but Ziqing had already released a burst of wind energy, snapping off the small flower seedling directly in the squirrel’s path. Startled, the squirrel froze in place, stunned!
The Second Young Beast Master immediately dashed forward and scooped it up. “Ha, let’s see you run now!”
Seeing this, Ziqing broke into a knowing smile and hurried to get back on her feet.
“Consort Yao, you’re truly incredible! What kind of martial art was that just now?” the Second Young Beast Master exclaimed with delight as he made his way back, gently soothing the little squirrel in his arms. His hands seemed to possess some special magic—just a few gentle strokes and the squirrel settled down obediently, nestling into his embrace, its bright black eyes fixed on Ziqing.
But at that moment, the maid came rushing back, out of breath. She glanced at the broken flower seedling, then at Ziqing and the Second Young Beast Master, clearly at a loss for what to do!
“Oh no, my lords, this is the flower Consort Qin just planted! You two have…”
“Really?” The Second Young Beast Master was shocked.
“Consort Qin planted it with her own hands—it’s the seedling the Medicine Clan’s Third Young Master just brought as tribute!” the maid said in a low voice.
The Second Young Beast Master looked at the maid, then at Ziqing, and without another word, grabbed Ziqing’s hand and tried to pull her away in flight.
Ziqing instinctively shook him off hard. She wasn’t used to men taking her hand—only Jun Beiyue was the exception.
The Second Young Beast Master froze at once. Caught completely off guard, he’d been shaken off with such force it actually hurt. He twisted his wrist, staring at Ziqing in bewilderment, and Ziqing suddenly felt a flicker of awkwardness herself.
“If it’s broken, just accompany her to explain. Why run? I’m waiting for someone here,” Ziqing said flatly, steering away from the subject.
But the Second Young Beast Master was surprisingly earnest about it. “Consort Yao, did this young master just offend you somehow?”
Did he really have to say it out loud like that?
“Yes,” Ziqing replied just as bluntly.
“Hah, and here I thought Consort Yao was someone unbound by convention—turns out you’re just as stuffy as everyone else. Rest assured, Consort Yao, this young master had absolutely no untoward intentions. Don’t go applying your Da Zhou notions of ‘men and women should not touch’ onto this young master!” the Second Young Beast Master said indignantly.
Ziqing thought to herself, oh no, this hot-blooded young man was no ordinary firebrand. Compared to someone like this, she actually preferred Baili Weisheng’s line about how the ancients said men and women shouldn’t touch casually!
Better to keep her distance from this one.
“I’m waiting for someone here. The Second Young Beast Master should go on ahead,” Ziqing said, sitting down—clearly dismissing him.
“Hmph, we walk different paths and cannot make plans together!” the Second Young Beast Master said, turning to leave.
The moment he turned, the maid quickly leaned in to whisper in Ziqing’s ear, “Forgive him, Consort Yao. This Second Young Master has always had a bit of a temper—many people think there’s something wrong with his head. But he’s the only young master the Beast Clan has, so out of respect for the Beast Clan Elder, no one dares say a word against him. Consort Yao, please be magnanimous!”
Ziqing had encountered hot-blooded young idealists before and thought nothing of it, simply nodding along.
But before long, the Second Young Beast Master, who hadn’t gotten far, suddenly turned back, looking visibly flustered, though he tried hard to hide it the moment he spotted Ziqing and the maid, veering off in another direction.
“Second Young Beast Master, running off the moment you see this one—aren’t you being a bit too presumptuous?”
A familiar voice rang out from the dense flower bushes at once. Following the sound, they saw Consort Qin, whom they hadn’t seen in a long while, striding briskly out from among the flowers!
The Second Young Beast Master stopped in his tracks at once, forced to turn back. It was clear this young master was quite afraid of Consort Qin.
Mindful of propriety, Ziqing rose and offered a graceful, composed bow. “Da Zhou’s Consort Yao, Han Ziqing, greets Consort Qin.”
“Consort Yao, please rise at once—this one couldn’t possibly accept such courtesy,” Consort Qin said with a cold smile. Compared to Chu Feiyan, it was actually this woman standing before her that she resented far more deeply—it was Ziqing, after all, who had personally arranged for Chu Feiyan to be married off to Nanzhao!
Still, with Jun Beiyue present this time as well, she had no wish to bring trouble upon herself again.
“Prince Yao is still in the main hall with His Majesty. Consort Yao has waited quite a while—if you’re tired, you’re welcome to rest a while in the Lanzhi Pavilion.”
“Many thanks for Consort Qin’s kind offer, but I’ll simply sit here a while.”
“Then please make yourself at home, Consort Yao.”
Ziqing nodded and lifted her teacup, casually glancing toward the Second Young Beast Master, who stood frozen stiff off to the side. To make a hot-blooded young man this frightened, Consort Qin must surely have done something to him before.
Once the pleasantries were done, Consort Qin finally turned her gaze fully upon the Second Young Beast Master, her voice abruptly turning cold. “Moha Guyi, how many times have I warned you not to set foot in this one’s imperial garden? And yet you dare to come again—don’t think everyone will show your father’s face such courtesy. Let this one tell you plainly: today, even His Majesty’s face won’t spare you. How dare you break this one’s flower seedling!”
This sharp rebuke sent the Second Young Beast Master flinching repeatedly, not daring to utter a single word in response.
“Guards, fifty strokes of the rod! However that seedling was broken, that’s exactly how this one shall break him!” Consort Qin shouted furiously, and several guards immediately closed in.
The flower had been broken by Ziqing—though the Second Young Beast Master was involved, it was ultimately she who had stopped him and released the burst of wind energy.
Ziqing looked toward the Second Young Beast Master, only to see him obediently lying face-down on the ground already. Couldn’t this fellow even offer an explanation?
“Consort Qin, you misunderstand. I broke the flower—it has nothing to do with the Second Young Beast Master,” Ziqing said flatly. She had never made a habit of shirking responsibility for her own actions.
But no sooner had she spoken than the Second Young Beast Master immediately protested, “I broke it!”
“I did—the maid can attest to it,” Ziqing insisted.
“I did! Qing’er, tell her!” the Second Young Beast Master stood up, speaking with great seriousness.
For a moment, everyone turned to look at the maid, Qing’er—and it was at that exact moment that a voice even more familiar to Ziqing carried over from a distance. “What’s going on over here—why all the commotion?”