Imperial Uncle Cao had just been restored to power and felt that his position in the Emperor’s heart was not what it used to be. However, seeing Qin Huaiyuan stripped of his official robes and thrown into prison, he couldn’t be more delighted!
“That fellow Qin Meng deserved to end up like this.” Imperial Uncle Cao chuckled softly, leisurely playing with the blue and white lidded bowl in his hands.
“I originally thought that by becoming in-laws, I could join hands with him. Since ancient times, marriage alliances have been about friendship between two families, meant to provide mutual support in court politics. If our Cao family and the Qin family formed an alliance, it would be a flourishing situation – who could shake our foundation? I never expected that Qin Meng would not only completely refuse to be obedient, but would be the first to jump out and oppose this old man. Truly ungrateful!”
The Empress wore a bright red palace dress with silk draping, her golden hairpins swaying slightly with her bowed head movements, making her powdered face appear even more delicate. Her nails painted with henna tapped the table rhythmically as she said quietly:
“I don’t mean to say too much, but Father must be more careful with this assignment. Since His Majesty is willing to employ you to contact the Tatars, perhaps he has long known about our dealings with the Tatars. These days, staying by His Majesty’s side, I feel constantly on edge, fearing His Majesty might discover something. Now it seems that His Majesty has been keeping silent about it all this time, which truly makes me panic.”
“Your Majesty the Empress speaks truly,” said Imperial Uncle Cao. “However, Your Majesty need not worry too much. With Zhou Dynasty troops pressing at our borders, His Majesty naturally must rely on this old man. I naturally have the Tatar matter well in hand.”
“That’s good then. I will also carefully observe His Majesty’s thoughts and advise him at appropriate times. However, that little whore Qin Yining truly deserves to die! Taking Father’s things to curry favor, gaining all that reputation outside – those stupid lowly people don’t even think about whose things those originally were!”
Thinking of Qin Yining, the Empress ground her teeth: “That cheap slut was born to oppose me! She dared to shelter that dead girl from the Tang family, dared to associate intimately with that Pang fellow, dared to harbor those unlucky widows from the Sun family, and even dared to openly provoke us. Last time we failed to chop her to pieces because I was fooled by Tianji Zi. Can we really allow her to continue being so arrogant?”
Imperial Uncle Cao waved his hand: “Your Majesty, please calm down. This old minister naturally has methods. Could it be that after decades of navigating the official circles, I cannot handle a mere girl? Let her be pleased for now – let her be pleased for a couple more days. When one becomes too pleased with oneself, there’s nothing left but tears.”
The Empress sneered coldly, grinding her teeth: “I don’t just want her to cry – I want her dead!”
Imperial Uncle Cao smiled slightly, the crow’s feet at his eyes and the laugh lines by his lips all indicating his confidence.
Seeing this, the Empress also laughed with satisfaction.
At this time, Manager Zhong had already begun settling the refugees.
Although the exotic flowers, plants, and rare beasts in the garden hadn’t been sold yet, the city’s refugees couldn’t wait any longer. Moreover, Manager Zhong wanted these refugees to see with their own eyes exactly what Qin Yining had sacrificed to save their lives.
So Manager Zhong led people first to the refugee settlement area in the city, explaining his purpose in his capacity as Fourth Miss Qin’s advisor. The refugees, in despair, had been sleeping on the streets for four or five days, eating only one bowl of thin porridge daily, with no shelter from sun or wind. At night they were bitten by mosquitoes until covered in welts. Some children had already developed fevers, but whether adults or children, none had the strength left to cry – they had truly suffered every hardship.
Now hearing that the daughter of the Marquis of Anping was willing to give them work, allowing them to earn food with their own hands and live stable lives – wasn’t this exactly the life they used to live?
People in despair saw this as a dawn of hope – how could they not comply? Except for a very few lazy ones who felt they could just drink thin porridge and wait for the Zhou troops to retreat before going home, the vast majority were willing to work for Fourth Miss Qin.
After following Manager Zhong to Changchun Mountain, these common people who had never seen such a magnificent and luxurious garden were stunned speechless.
Even though the residence had been emptied, the palace-like mansion remained, the hot springs remained, the plants and immortal birds remained – such a Ning Garden still gave people an enormous impact.
“Old sir, is your young miss really going to sell everything here that can be sold, just to feed us?” an elderly man in his sixties asked tremblingly.
Manager Zhong sighed: “Yes, now only these plants in the garden can be sold. What’s left can’t involve tearing down the houses. The household furnishings inside were sold long ago – where else would the silver come from to cook porridge and steam rice? My marquis is an honest official, and the young miss is a boudoir maiden with limited financial resources. At this time, she can only do what little she can. Please don’t blame her, fellow villagers.”
“How could we! We’re grateful beyond words.”
“Yes, Fourth Miss Qin is simply a living Bodhisattva!”
“Of course, Fourth Miss Qin is the daughter of the wise Pan An. She previously facilitated peace negotiations, and later that what’s-his-name, Tianji Zi, calculated that Fourth Miss has an extremely auspicious fate that can bless our Great Yan Dynasty!”
…
The refugees chattered away, all grateful for the kind deeds of Qin Huaiyuan, Qin Yining, and the entire Marquis of Anping household.
But when speaking of how such a good person as Qin Huaiyuan was now imprisoned by the Emperor in the Ministry of Justice prison, the common people were all furious, cursing the Emperor and the demon empress under their breaths.
If human resentment could kill, the demon empress and incompetent ruler would probably already be dead and buried.
Manager Zhong was satisfied with their reaction and smiled: “Our young miss has limited staff around her. Right now she’s busy transporting grain, mats, and other items up the mountain, along with all the pots, bowls, and daily necessities. She’s also arranged for people to find doctors and buy medicinal materials to treat the children’s illnesses. She really can’t spare any hands to help everyone build houses.”
“What’s difficult about that? As long as we men have food to eat, we have plenty of strength. Building shelters and houses won’t stump us.”
“That’s right, the Marquis of Anping and Fourth Miss have already provided money and effort. As long as we have food and drink, we can figure out everything else ourselves.”
Manager Zhong smiled and pointed to the palace-like residence behind him: “However, the young miss said this courtyard is available for everyone to live in. Elderly people, women, children, and those with illnesses can have priority living in the residence. Sturdy men can build their own houses in the courtyard. For bathing, there are hot springs on the mountain that everyone can use freely. There’s also spring water on the mountain for drinking.”
“Really! Fourth Miss is truly willing to let us live in such a fine residence?” a young man asked joyfully.
A burly man beside him said: “Nonsense! She was willing to sell all the good things inside to give us food – why wouldn’t she let us live in the house? Fourth Miss is a great benefactor!”
“Yes, the Marquis of Anping’s whole family are good people!”
Seeing everyone discussing gratefully again, Manager Zhong raised both hands to quiet them.
Everyone fell silent.
Manager Zhong instructed: “There’s one thing everyone must pay attention to. Not far from our courtyard is the ‘Changchun Garden’ where the Empress usually bathes in hot springs. That place is specifically guarded by eunuchs and Cao family guards. Everyone must never go over there! If you want to build shelters, you can only do so within this courtyard. Even when going into the mountains to cut firewood or hunt, be careful to take detours – don’t offend the Empress. Never go over there. Our young miss is alone and powerless. On this mountain, only this garden is under her authority to allocate for your residence. She has no say over other places.”
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded to show their understanding.
The Cao family was powerful, Imperial Uncle Cao had been tyrannical for years, and the demon empress was someone who could eat human flesh and drink human blood. For Miss Qin, a boudoir maiden, to allocate a large garden on the mountain for their settlement was already a great kindness.
Everyone wasn’t stupid – what work could a wealthy young lady really have for them to do?
Even if hiring workers, they would hire able-bodied young men and women, not take in the old, weak, women and children, and specifically hire doctors to treat children and elderly, while selling family possessions to pay their “wages.”
Saying she was hiring them to work – in reality, Fourth Miss was saving their lives!
Otherwise, what would she want this group of rough people for?
They neither farmed nor raised pigs – was she hiring them to ruin such a fine garden by building houses in the courtyard?
Fourth Miss saying this was perhaps just to put their minds at ease. After all, when there was no war, they had their own homes and could earn their living with their own hands – she didn’t want them to become beggars who stretched out their hands for food.
Comparing the Qin family’s actions with the neighboring Empress’s garden standing empty without housing anyone, and neither the Emperor nor Empress taking silver from the imperial treasury to support them.
When conscripting soldiers and collecting taxes, the Emperor shamelessly claimed that everything under heaven belonged to him, that the common people were also his subjects, that everything of the people belonged to the Emperor, and that supporting the Emperor was proper and due.
But when disaster struck and the people needed the Emperor?
Was the Emperor’s love for his people just letting them sleep on the streets, be bullied, and receive only one bowl of watery porridge that reflected their faces each day?
Soft-hearted women and elderly were already wiping away tears. Even the men were full of emotion and excitement, their gratitude toward the Marquis of Anping’s Qin family rising to an even higher level.
Manager Zhong was infected by this atmosphere. Thinking of how Qin Yining was willing to sacrifice such a precious garden for the people’s settlement, and recalling Qin Yining’s various righteous deeds in the past, he couldn’t help but be moved. He shook his head and sighed, then gathered his spirits and said: “Come now, everyone settle in first. Food and doctors will arrive shortly. Everyone must behave properly in the courtyard and be careful with fires…”
Manager Zhong led the local strongmen he had found to help settle the refugees. But unexpectedly, these deeply moved refugees showed no crooked thoughts at all. They did whatever they were told, settled however they were arranged, even more obedient than well-trained soldiers.
It seemed that in the face of disaster, when human hearts were truly shaken, there was also a moving, tolerant, and loving side.
At this time, Qin Yining was just as busy as Manager Zhong.
She had just finished listening to the steward nanny’s report and issued tokens when someone came to report: “Miss, Miss Huining has returned and is currently kneeling outside the side gate.”