Outside Yicui Pavilion, Qin Yining boarded the carriage and sat upright in the center position, with the Zhao brothers, Zhao Wanjin and Zhao Yinuo, sitting on either side.
Withdrawing his gaze from the main entrance of Yicui Pavilion, Zhao Yinuo sneered, “That Assistant Magistrate Gao seems truly accustomed to bullying and tyrannizing. Who would have thought he’d come personally with men so quickly? From this stance, it doesn’t look like he’s coming to arrest people, but rather to kill them.”
“His family only has this one precious heir. With that kick I delivered, the Gao family line will probably be cut off. It would be strange if that Gao fellow didn’t go mad.”
“Big brother, you were truly ruthless. The leader only said to beat him severely, but you went ahead and completely crippled him.”
“Looking at that beast made me angry. If I didn’t take the opportunity to cripple him, he would definitely harm people again in the future.”
Both brothers looked toward Qin Yining, feeling somewhat uneasy in their hearts.
Qin Yining had indeed instructed them to make a big scene today and give that wastrel young master a thorough beating. But she hadn’t said to make him childless, because such a result could be called a devastating blow for a man, directly causing Assistant Magistrate Gao’s hatred toward them to skyrocket.
Seeing they were all quite uneasy, Qin Yining said with amusement, “What’s done is done. There’s no use overthinking it now.”
“Leader, I’m truly sorry.” Zhao Wanjin scratched his head and smiled honestly. “If it weren’t for my momentary impulse, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Qin Yining said, “Young Master Gao deserved his punishment. You weren’t killing innocents indiscriminately. Even if you had beaten him to death today, it would only count as acting on heaven’s behalf—the world would just have one less scoundrel. Besides, you only kicked him into disability. Whether or not we crippled him, Assistant Magistrate Gao’s anger would be enough for him to step into the trap we’ve set.”
Hearing Qin Yining analyze it this way, Zhao Wanjin truly felt relieved.
Qin Yining then said, “I’ve already told you the detailed plan. Things should develop in the direction we anticipated. Just follow the plan.”
“Understood. Leader, rest assured, I’ll definitely handle this matter well for you. Absolutely no loose ends.”
“Good. Starting tomorrow, prepare some grain and dry provisions at the porridge kitchen. Make the porridge thicker, and prepare some pickled vegetables and preserved goods to distribute. Without salt for a long time, the common people have no strength.”
“Yes.” Zhao Wanjin and Zhao Yinuo responded in unison.
Zhao Wanjin smiled, “With the leader arranging things this way, everyone will be overjoyed eating this. In all my years, I’ve never seen porridge distribution that also provides dry provisions and pickles.”
“No matter what, it’s still a good deed.” Qin Yining’s heart was actually satisfied. In the past when living in the mountains, she had countless times hoped that someone would come to Liang City to provide relief, so she wouldn’t have to live so hard. But what she hoped for never happened.
Now that she had this ability, and the estate’s production was sufficient, following the plan would also save grandmother—why wouldn’t she be happy to do it?
Both Zhao Wanjin and Zhao Yinuo smiled.
The carriage traveled toward the Qin mansion for a while before Zhao Wanjin asked, “Leader, how do you plan to handle those two girls from the Yu family?”
Qin Yining said, “Since we’ve already saved them, we should save them completely—send the Buddha all the way to the West. They’re both as pretty as flowers. If we send them away, they might be kidnapped by traffickers again. So I plan to keep them in the Qin mansion as maids. I don’t know if they’re willing or not.”
“The leader has a benevolent heart.” Zhao Wanjin said, “They’ve lived in Yicui Pavilion. Now that they can live as proper people, they probably wouldn’t resist being servants.”
“I hope so.” Qin Yining also smiled. She no longer expected or demanded that others act according to her wishes, so she didn’t plan to force Yu Shifang. “If they’re unwilling to be servants, I’ll have to let them go. Once they leave my side, what dangers they might encounter would be unknowable. Staying by my side would at least be safer. Of course, we shouldn’t say too much about this, lest thoughtful people misunderstand and take me for a human trafficker—wouldn’t that be unjust?”
Both Zhao Wanjin and Zhao Yinuo were amused into laughter.
When they returned to the Qin mansion, it was already the hour of the dog (7-9 PM). Night wind mixed with snowflakes drifted down, landing on everyone’s heads and shoulders. The cold made Qin Yining shiver involuntarily.
She didn’t go directly to see the two children, fearing she might pass the cold to them and make them sick. Instead, she had Yu Shifang and Yu Shifang brought forward to speak.
Yu Shifang and Yu Shifang had already washed their faces and changed into the green fine cotton short jackets and matching long pants prepared for servants in the mansion, with light pink front-opening long vests over them. Upon seeing Qin Yining, they gratefully knelt and bowed.
Seeing her sister do this, Yu Shifang also respectfully performed a grand bow.
Qin Yining smiled slightly. Though still dressed in men’s clothing, her voice had returned to its usual languid and restrained tone. “Get up. No need for such courtesy.”
Seeing Qin Yining dressed in men’s clothing, leaning lazily against the chair’s armrest without any trace of affectation, with such ethereal bearing, plus considering the mansion they were now in—if Yu Shifang couldn’t guess who Qin Yining was, she would have lived in vain.
“Thank you, Princess, for saving our lives.” Yu Shifang pulled Yu Shifang to bow deeply to Qin Yining again.
Yu Shifang didn’t understand her sister’s meaning, was stunned for a moment before following: “Thank you, Princess, for saving our lives.”
Qin Yining had Bingtang and Ji Yun help the two up.
“Don’t be so formal. For me, this was truly something done in passing. What are your plans for the future?” Qin Yining asked gently.
Yu Shifang hadn’t expected that after saving them, Qin Yining wouldn’t even claim credit. Her heart felt even more moved, already deciding that Princess Zhongshun was a kind person. Biting her lower lip, she made up her mind and knelt down with a thud.
“Princess, today’s incident made such a scene that Assistant Magistrate Gao already knows the cause was because of me. If I go out, I’m afraid I won’t even reach the city gate before being captured. Princess, you don’t know—in the old capital’s prison, eight out of ten people are wrongly imprisoned. Assistant Magistrate Gao specializes in having people do evil things in secret. If I’m captured, I fear…
“I know that today Princess saved us sisters and spent so much silver—this is already the utmost kindness. But I still want to beg the Princess to protect us sisters.”
Yu Shifang immediately began kowtowing to Qin Yining.
Qin Yining waved her hand, signaling Ji Yun to help the two up again, saying, “I have two options. First, you stay in my mansion. This large residence doesn’t lack room for two young women. Second, if you want to leave the old capital, I can give you travel money and escort you out the city gate.
“I brought you back not because I wanted you to become servants. How you choose to live is up to you. However, I must remind you that Young Master Gao is probably crippled this time. If you want to leave, you must go far away and never let Assistant Magistrate Gao’s people find you.”
How could Yu Shifang not understand this reasoning? She had originally wanted to seek Qin Yining’s protection, only fearing that noble households wouldn’t look favorably upon servants of their wild background. Now that Qin Yining was willing to make this offer, Yu Shifang couldn’t be happier.
“Thank you, Princess! Thank you, Princess! My family has no one left—only we two sisters depending on each other. Even if the Princess gave us travel money and sent us away, if we encountered bad people outside, we sisters wouldn’t survive.
“Princess’s life-saving grace, we sisters will never forget for our whole lives. We would go through fire and water to repay it. We’re willing to be servants in the Princess’s mansion, obey orders, and harbor no different thoughts!”
Yu Shifang pulled her sister to kowtow three times to Qin Yining.
Qin Yining said, “Alright, alright, please don’t kowtow anymore. Since you’ve decided to stay, then stay. Today you’ll first go with Ji Yun to get settled. Tomorrow, have Ji Yun help you arrange some leisurely work in the mansion and learn the household rules along the way.”
“Yes.”
“Also, recently try not to leave the mansion unless necessary. Avoid being captured by Assistant Magistrate Gao.”
“Yes. This servant obeys.”
Seeing both sisters were somewhat tired, Qin Yining had Ji Yun take them away.
After Ji Yun and the two maids had gone far, Bingtang helped Qin Yining remove her cloak while serving her toward the bedroom, laughing and teasing, “The Princess visited a brothel and actually brought back two beautiful maids. If the Prince knew, wouldn’t he be amazed?”
“Such a tease.”
Qin Yining pinched Bingtang’s cheek. The two joked as they first went to change clothes and wash, then went to accompany the two children.
While the Qin mansion was peaceful, the Gao household was in chaos in the deep night.
Young Master Gao’s manhood was completely ruined. Assistant Magistrate Gao had even tied up an old imperial physician who lived in retirement in the old capital to examine Young Master Gao, but the old physician had no solutions. Young Master Gao was already in a fevered coma.
Assistant Magistrate Gao was grinding his teeth in hatred.
“Have you found out clearly? That madam didn’t deceive us?”
“Reporting to master, what the madam said was true. We questioned both the people who accompanied the young master and the women who were serving in the room at the time. The person who injured the young master was indeed that man surnamed Qian who recently opened the porridge kitchen. It’s said that over a girl named Lamei, that Qian fellow got drunk and fought with the young master.”
“That damned Qian!” Assistant Magistrate Gao gnashed his teeth. Thinking again of how his son frequented pleasure quarters and was practically a veteran of the entertainment district among the young generation in the old capital, Assistant Magistrate Gao felt another wave of frustration at his son’s failure.
But still, his son must be saved and revenge must be taken.
The next day, Zhao Wanjin spoke quietly with Qin Yining for a while. Qin Yining told Zhao Wanjin everything that needed to be conveyed. With clear understanding, Zhao Wanjin ordered preparations at the porridge kitchen.
Today’s porridge was particularly thick—chopsticks thrown in casually would stand upright. Each person could also receive a piece of mixed grain flatbread and a pickled vegetable.
The common people came to queue early in the morning. Seeing such substantial food, they devoured it voraciously, moved to tears, repeatedly calling “Benefactor Qian” the most kindhearted good person under heaven.
Zhao Wanjin watched these people eat happily, feeling joyful in his heart as well. Thinking of Qin Yining’s strategy, he silently calculated in his mind, then stood beside the large pot, helping to ladle porridge while calling out loudly, “Fellow villagers, are you all eating well?”