“Your Highness, please calm your anger.” Xie Yue was truly intimidated by the explosive rage that Pang Xiao had burst forth with.
As an advisor, one must understand the temperament of one’s master family like the back of one’s hand.
Xie Yue knew well that Pang Xiao was not as cold and volatile-tempered as outsiders perceived him to be. On the contrary, Pang Xiao was a person of considerable depth, which could be seen from his ability to always present the most appropriate demeanor when meeting different people.
To put it plainly, whether it was his violent and unruly behavior, his cold and distant manner, or when he displayed warmth and approachability, it was rarely due to his own emotional needs, but rather because of what the scene and those people required.
But now, the action of pointing toward the front hall and cursing in furious anger showed that Pang Xiao was truly enraged.
A person who was quite good at endurance and rarely became angry would actually lose emotional control over such a matter—this alone was enough to show Miss Qin’s position in Pang Xiao’s heart.
Pang Xiao, red-faced with anger, pointed toward the front hall and cursed furiously: “That old shrew, I’ve long seen that she’s not a good person! Back in the Yan Dynasty, she treated Yi jie’er like an outsider, as if Yi jie’er wasn’t her own granddaughter. Now that the capital has fallen, she still won’t settle down and is scheming against Yi jie’er! That old hag who won’t die, this prince will go slaughter her and be done with it!”
In his fury, he drew the sword hanging on the wall and lifted his foot to charge outside.
“Your Highness, you mustn’t! Your Highness!” Seeing this, Xie Yue was frightened out of his wits. Like an old hen, he spread his arms and reached out to block him, but Pang Xiao was tall and powerfully built, with superior martial prowess—how could Xie Yue possibly stop him?
Xie Yue stretched his neck and shouted back: “Come quickly, someone come!”
Huzi outside heard the sound and hurriedly entered the room. Seeing Pang Xiao and Xie Yue seemingly playing eagle catching chickens, with Pang Xiao wielding his sword and charging left and right while being blocked by the “old hen,” he couldn’t help but be stunned. After being dazed for a moment, he came forward to help block.
“Your Highness, you mustn’t! Right now your own crisis hasn’t been resolved yet. The Qin family is a target that His Majesty is focusing on winning over. Now that His Majesty hasn’t made arrangements yet, if you kill the Qin family’s old matriarch first, the consequences would be unthinkable!” Xie Yue was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat, working hard to persuade him.
And Pang Xiao at this moment had also slightly recovered his reason, knowing that what Xie Yue said was correct. His current situation was already like walking on thin ice; if he really did something to the Qin family members, who knew how Li Qitian would use this point to make trouble for him.
Seeing that Pang Xiao finally stood still and no longer moved, both Xie Yue and Huzi breathed a sigh of relief.
Pang Xiao threw the precious sword to one side, put on a stern expression and pondered for a moment, then said: “This matter is not simple. Previously when our people went to investigate, after the Qin family members were scattered, they didn’t return together with His Majesty’s team that went to search for people, but came back on their own. When entering the city, the Qin family’s old matriarch and others were all in tattered clothes, no different from beggars asking for food. I ordered people to investigate, but they couldn’t find out what exactly they had experienced. Now Master Qin and his wife are missing, and the old matriarch, after such miserable circumstances, suddenly wants to send Yi jie’er to the imperial selection…”
When Pang Xiao said this, his eyes showed contemplation.
Xie Yue also frowned and said: “Although we don’t know the deep reasons behind it, when connected together, it all feels very suspicious no matter how you look at it.”
“Yes.” Huzi also said, “That old matriarch Qin isn’t a tough person. Today she actually dared to bring her daughter-in-law to our mansion and refuse to leave, actually not afraid to face Your Highness anymore. Could it be that someone is backing her up? Otherwise, where would she get the courage to dare do such a thing?”
Huzi’s single sentence reminded both Pang Xiao and Xie Yue.
The two exchanged glances, and Xie Yue patted Huzi’s shoulder: “Indeed, heroes emerge from the young! Correct, what you said is very possible.”
Huzi scratched his head and smiled honestly: “I was just randomly guessing; it can’t be taken as accurate.”
“Your guess is extremely reasonable.” Pang Xiao thought for a moment and said, “How about this—I’ll first take Yi jie’er to go see them and probe the situation.”
“Good idea. Miss Qin is extremely intelligent, and they are grandfather and granddaughter after all, so they can speak more freely. Perhaps Miss Qin will be able to gather some useful information.”
Pang Xiao then ordered someone to call Qin Yining out, while he dressed appropriately and waited at the hanging flower gate.
Before long, he saw Qin Yining slowly approaching under Ji Yun’s accompaniment.
Qin Yining wore a half-worn fine cotton jacket, draped with a honey-colored fine cotton cloak. Her long hair was loosely pinned up, without any pearl ornaments, without powder or rouge, dressed extremely simply.
Pang Xiao smiled and said: “Where did you find this old jacket?”
“I had Ji Yun help me look for it. My grandmother is very snobbish—if I dressed even slightly better, she’d think I carry great weight in your eyes. Dressing simply like this will have a greater impact on her.”
Pang Xiao nodded with a smile and said: “When you’re in there, carefully ask why they suddenly want you to participate in the imperial selection.”
Qin Yining nodded slightly and smiled bitterly: “Actually, even without asking carefully, I already know. Now that my father is missing and the family has no backbone, it makes sense that the old matriarch would want to use me to exchange for prospects for the Qin family. I just don’t know where they get such great confidence, believing that if I participate in the imperial selection, I’ll definitely be chosen.”
“Moreover, I’m not strikingly beautiful or outstanding in appearance. If I enter the palace, I might not be able to gain favor at all, and the power I could contribute to the family would be very limited. They’d rather offend you than forcibly send me to the palace, and the returns they’d get aren’t necessarily much. I always feel their approach isn’t stable and doesn’t quite match the old matriarch’s usual style.”
Pang Xiao kept shaking his head as he listened: “You’re being too modest.”
What do you mean not strikingly beautiful or outstanding in appearance?
He was a man and best understood a man’s psychology. If Qin Yining could enter the palace, even if His Majesty didn’t truly love her, just out of fondness for beautiful things, she would definitely be able to become a favored consort. And with her intelligence, if she seriously strived in the palace, probably no one could deal with her—rising through the ranks would be just a matter of time.
For a moment, Pang Xiao even felt that only the most noble position in the world would be worthy of her.
But she had to be his, and could only be his!
As they talked, they reached the front courtyard. Pang Xiao squeezed her hand hidden under the cloak, then immediately put on a cold expression and stepped onto the stairs first.
Qin Yining and Ji Yun stepped back two paces and timidly followed behind Pang Xiao into the main hall.
The old matriarch and Second Madam had long been sitting until their backs ached. They had drunk so much tea that they’d used the latrine twice, and had eaten some pastries for lunch to fill their stomachs, but were ultimately impatient from waiting.
Just as the two were complaining in low voices, the main door opened and Pang Xiao entered first.
Compared to his time in the Great Yan Dynasty, the man now dressed in brocade robes with a haughty expression was even more intimidating.
Both the old matriarch and Second Madam stood up and moved to stand aside.
Pang Xiao looked straight ahead, too lazy to even give these two people a glance. He went directly to the main seat and sat down, saying coldly: “I hear your courage is not small—you actually dare to make a scene in my prince’s mansion, saying something about not leaving unless I hand over the person, and even wanting His Majesty to make the judgment?”
The old matriarch was so frightened that her face turned pale, shaking her head repeatedly: “There’s no such thing. In Your Highness’s mansion, how would we dare to act wildly? Perhaps there’s some misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?” Pang Xiao sneered: “Then the matter of wanting this prince’s maid to participate in the imperial selection is also a misunderstanding?”
“Maid?” The old matriarch was extremely surprised.
Pang Xiao snorted: “The daughter of an enemy family, working as a maid in this prince’s mansion to repay the blood debt you once owed—is that somehow wronging her? If she doesn’t work as a maid, do you still think your granddaughter is some golden branch and jade leaf who should become a princess consort?”
This single sentence shamed both the old matriarch and Second Madam until their faces turned red. They indeed harbored some fantasies—if Qin Yining could captivate Pang Xiao and make him treat Qin Yining as well as he had during the Great Yan period, loving the house and its crow, the Qin family members would also receive some care from Pang Xiao. Even if they sent Qin Yining to the palace, Pang Xiao surely wouldn’t make things difficult for the Qin family members, right?
But now, this fantasy was completely shattered. When the Qin family members came to the capital, they were absolutely friendless and without foundation. Now they didn’t dare hope that Pang Xiao could become their backing, and their future days would probably be extremely difficult.
The old matriarch turned back to look at Qin Yining and said sternly: “You girl, did you fail to serve His Highness properly, which is why you angered His Highness?”
This single sentence made everyone present frown, even Second Madam, who had come with the old matriarch, felt it was extremely inappropriate.
By asking this, she was treating Qin Yining as Pang Xiao’s concubine?
Qin Yining’s face darkened. Ever since suffering disaster and hunger, she no longer harbored any illusions about the old matriarch’s character. Now she found her utterly disgusting and had made up her mind to treat her as a stranger from now on.
Therefore, Qin Yining said unceremoniously: “What great authority the old matriarch has.”
“Dead girl, in front of His Highness, you still dare to talk back?”
Qin Yining looked at the old matriarch with cold, stern eyes and said coldly: “The old matriarch is getting on in years, and her mind is becoming increasingly unclear. Whether I’m a maid serving His Highness or participating in the imperial selection to serve His Majesty, I’m afraid the old matriarch’s purpose is to hope I can provide some assistance to the family, isn’t it? You’re offending me right now—is that really wise?”
One sentence immediately awakened the old matriarch, and her expression immediately became ugly. Just now, she had indeed been putting on airs, wanting to regain some face by deliberately stepping on Qin Yining.
Second Madam secretly thought the old matriarch was foolish, and said upon hearing this: “So Yi jie’er has already agreed to participate in the imperial selection? Then please take your leave from His Highness. The selection will be next year, so we should also start preparing properly.”
As Second Madam spoke, her eyes kept glancing toward Pang Xiao’s direction. Seeing that Pang Xiao was only focused on drinking tea and paid no attention to them, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Qin Yining said: “For me to participate in the imperial selection is fine, but you must first tell me whose idea this is. After our family was separated initially, how did you become separated from my father? Where are my father and mother now?”
The old matriarch and Second Madam exchanged glances. Second Madam said: “Yi jie’er, let’s talk about this matter after you come back with us. This isn’t the place to discuss it.”
“If you don’t explain clearly, I won’t leave with you. Moreover, whether I go or stay isn’t something I can decide myself.”
“Not leaving?” The old matriarch’s voice rose again: “You don’t want to leave—could it be you’re willing to debase yourself and want to stay here serving men!”
Qin Yining stared coldly at the old matriarch. If this person wasn’t her father’s mother, she really wanted to kick her out the door directly!
But Pang Xiao had already made the first move. The next moment, the covered teacup shattered at the old matriarch’s feet.
“Serving this prince is self-debasement? You’re insulting this prince?! Someone come, drag this old shrew out and slap her mouth until she learns to speak like a human being!”