“Yesterday I said confinement, but I didn’t say how many days of confinement. I’m currently arranging for people to capture the remaining members of Steward Hu’s gang. We’ve already discovered the whereabouts of four people. They are now desperate fugitives who must hate me to the bone. If you go out, you might become their target.”

Pang Xiao stood up and stretched out his long arms to rub Qin Yining’s forehead. “So be obedient and stay quietly in your room. I’ll arrange for people to carefully set up defenses.”

Qin Yining was unhappy. “I still have a pile of matters to handle outside. The affairs at Manager Zhong and Manager Yin’s places…”

“If they have matters to discuss with you later, I’ll have people bring them in, alright?”

“Wouldn’t that be very unusual? They normally know I can go out.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just tell them you’ve been confined by me.”

Qin Yining glared fiercely at Pang Xiao. If he really said that to outsiders, letting everyone know she’d been confined, she’d lose all face.

Seeing her dejected, Pang Xiao couldn’t bear it either. He softened his voice and pulled her into his embrace. “Alright, alright. I promise you – once I capture those few people and confirm there’s no danger outside, you can go out whenever you want to, alright?”

Qin Yining frowned and remained silent.

Pang Xiao kissed her once. “My darling, my precious treasure, don’t be angry with me, alright?”

Qin Yining was amused by his clingy tone and laughed with a “puchi” sound. “Fine, I know you’re doing this for me.”

“Really? Then you’re not angry anymore?”

“Not angry.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Pang Xiao deliberately let out a long sigh of relief. “Aiya, my Yining really scared me to death.”

Qin Yining glared at him. “How did I scare you?”

“You don’t know – if I make you angry, it’s even more nerve-wracking than going to battle. Look at all this sweat I’ve worked up.”

Qin Yining turned back around, her delicate, slender fingers stroking across his neck, brushing past his Adam’s apple. Her touch was indeed damp.

“Indeed, you’ve actually worked up so much sweat.” Qin Yining sighed. “We’re family – why torture yourself with such nervousness?”

Pang Xiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed once. He was somewhat worried that Qin Yining would hear the sound of him swallowing. That would be truly embarrassing.

“Alright, alright.” Pang Xiao deliberately changed the subject. “What do you want to do these few days? Should I invite some opera singers to come to the house?”

“No need. From outsiders’ perspective, we’re still in mourning. How about I make you another pair of shoes these few days instead?”

Despite being reluctantly forced into confinement, instead of thinking of her own entertainment, she still wanted to make shoes for him. Pang Xiao felt warmth surging in his heart. He pulled Qin Yining close and kissed her tenderly for a long while before reluctantly letting go.

Pang Xiao still had to go out and lead people in searching for the whereabouts of Steward Hu’s accomplices. After accompanying Qin Yining for a while, he headed out.

Not long after he left, Ji Yun also left the manor with the household’s carriage driver, making rounds to the pastry shops, cosmetics shops, and medicinal herb shops in the city.

News that the princess consort was confined had now spread throughout the manor. Everyone was privately discussing this matter. Even a couple as deeply in love as the prince and princess consort apparently had their quarrels.

Seeing the princess consort’s maid buying things as if money were no object – rouge, powder, and medicinal herbs that the household clearly had in abundance – the carriage driver became even more certain that the two masters must have had an unpleasant disagreement. Otherwise, the princess consort wouldn’t need to vent her anger by spending money so freely.

The carriage driver wanted to chat with Ji Yun to build rapport, but Ji Yun was a first-class senior maid beside the princess consort. Ordinary people couldn’t easily strike up conversations with her. Not wanting to cause trouble and risk annoying both the princess consort and the prince, the carriage driver simply obediently helped carry things.

Seeing that the carriage driver following her was such an honest person, Ji Yun finally relaxed slightly. After making a large circuit, she went to Sitong Trading Company. Showing her jade tablet, she quietly explained her purpose to Manager Yin.

Manager Yin was an extremely clever person. Last night he already knew things had gone badly. The servants at that large residence had all been inexplicably knocked unconscious. When they awakened, the masters of the house had all disappeared. The servants were responsible for attendance but had lost track of their masters – everyone was anxious, and people rushed to report the situation.

Later, before they could figure out what had happened, the entire Huichuan County had been placed under martial law by the prince’s manor guards, searching everywhere for several fugitives. The intensity of that search seemed as if they wanted to turn over every inch of Huichuan County’s ground.

Manager Yin was currently worried, wondering whether he should go ask Qin Yining about the situation, when Ji Yun arrived.

“So the princess consort’s meaning is, if anyone comes seeking protection from ‘Boss Qiu,’ you should do your utmost to keep them safe, preferably hiding them somewhere the prince can’t find.”

Manager Yin very much wanted to refuse. This clearly showed the prince and princess consort had had a disagreement and their opinions differed. If he, an outsider, got involved, once the matter was discovered in the future, he probably wouldn’t face anything good.

But he didn’t have the courage to refuse directly either.

Ji Yun could see Manager Yin’s hesitation and took out Qiu Feishan’s jade tablet to show him.

“Before the princess consort came, Boss Qiu had already instructed that in Huichuan, the local Sitong Trading Company should strictly follow the princess consort’s commands and assignments. This servant understands Manager Yin’s difficulty, but what the princess consort has instructed is urgent business. Even if the prince discovers it, the princess consort will protect you, so you truly needn’t worry.”

“Yes.” Manager Yin nodded.

Though Ji Yun’s words were polite, Manager Yin still thought of one point: if he didn’t follow Qin Yining’s instructions now, perhaps before the prince came looking for him, the princess consort would have dealt with him first.

Having made up his mind, Manager Yin immediately agreed to Ji Yun’s request.

Ji Yun also made a show of ordering many fashionable silks and satins from Manager Yin, saying the princess consort wanted to outfit all the manor’s servants with autumn clothing, requiring large quantities of cotton cloth.

Sitong Trading Company dealt in all kinds of business, and the materials from the south were in the latest fashions. Naturally, the prince’s manor’s clothing orders were substantial. Manager Yin completed the business deal and cheerfully escorted Ji Yun out.

“Miss Ji Yun, rest assured – though it’s been raining continuously, our goods are still the finest quality, all properly stored with absolutely no defective products.”

Ji Yun smiled and nodded, opening her oiled paper umbrella. “The princess consort specifically instructed me to come buy things from your establishment – there won’t be any mistakes. Then I’ll trouble Manager Yin.”

That last sentence had a double meaning, which Manager Yin naturally understood.

“Ai, don’t worry about it. Take care on your way!”

Ji Yun held her umbrella and stepped down the stairs wearing rain-protective wooden clogs. Just as she looked up, she saw Pang Xiao leading over ten prince’s manor guards wearing rain gear coming around the corner.

Seeing Ji Yun, Pang Xiao was also very surprised.

“What are you doing here?”

Ji Yun’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly steadied herself and smiled as she stepped forward to bow to Pang Xiao. “Your Highness.” She then lifted the carriage curtain to show him the cart full of goods. “The princess consort sent this servant out to make purchases. I also went to Sitong Trading Company to order many fashionable materials. The princess consort also said she wants to make new clothes for all the household servants.”