Carriages and horses had been prepared below. Bingtang and Ji Yun held large umbrellas on either side of Qin Yining, afraid that the rain would wet her dress. Qin Yining had put on a pair of fine wooden clogs over her embroidered shoes. She carefully stepped over the threshold, avoided puddles, and got into the carriage.

Bingtang and Ji Yun also got in afterward.

Huzi put on his rain gear and, together with Jingzhe and the others, rode on horseback to escort Qin Yining to the post house.

Who would have thought that just as they arrived at the entrance of the post house, they would encounter the Lu family’s carriage coming from another direction.

“Princess Consort, that seems to be the Loyalty Earl’s wife’s carriage,” Jingzhe asked in a low voice. “Should we go a bit faster?”

There was limited space for carriages to stop at the post house entrance. Whoever arrived first would get off first, while the other would have to wait for the first carriage to leave.

Qin Yining didn’t care about the order and was about to speak when the other carriage suddenly began galloping wildly, no longer caring about bumps and jolts as it rushed toward the post house entrance.

Qin Yining smiled. “No need to hurry. Let them go first.”

“Yes.” Jingzhe agreed, though he felt quite displeased.

Huzi sneered. “Let them go first then. Not to speak ill, but the Loyalty Earl’s wife is truly petty.”

“She’s from a petty family to begin with,” Bingtang chimed in from inside the carriage. “In terms of birth, how can she compare with our Princess Consort? In terms of her husband’s family, she’s even more incomparable. Knowing that she falls short in every aspect, naturally she wants to compete for everything, afraid of exposing her shortcomings. Little does she know that those of high status always appear last as the finale.”

Hearing this, Ji Yun couldn’t help but giggle. “The way you two put it, you’ve said it all.”

Huzi outside the carriage chuckled with amusement.

Bingtang blushed and playfully pinched Ji Yun. “Talking nonsense! Be careful or I’ll have the Princess Consort beat you!”

Qin Yining laughed. “I didn’t hear anything. Who was talking nonsense? What nonsense?”

Bingtang’s face grew even redder. “Oh my, Princess Consort, how can you learn from this little hussy too!”

The carriage was filled with laughter both inside and out.

Bian Ruohan had rushed to get off the carriage before Qin Yining and was feeling quite proud when she heard laughter coming from the prince’s carriage. The sound seemed to be mocking her.

Bian Ruohan’s face immediately turned cold, her smugness completely vanishing.

If not for the two elderly nannies that Lu Heng had specifically arranged for her—one on each side firmly gripping her arms—she would have almost turned around to ask Qin Yining what exactly she was laughing about!

Bian Ruohan said, “Let’s go!”

She was about to stride into the post house.

But just as she took one step, she was forcefully restrained by the two nannies on either side.

The slightly plump one on the left was Nanny Zhang. Her face wore a warm, spring-like smile, and her voice was measured: “Madam, please wait. My lord instructed that today’s banquet at the post house is to welcome the Tatar Khan and Khatun. Dining here represents Da Zhou’s dignity. Locally, only Prince Zhongshun and the Loyalty Earl hold the highest official positions. You and the Princess Consort must serve as representatives to interact with the Khatun. You cannot be impulsive and lose Da Zhou’s face in front of the Tatars. If word spreads, it would be a lifelong shame for both you and Da Zhou.”

The tall, thin, cold-faced Nanny Zhai on the right said expressionlessly, “This servant must also remind Madam that from the moment you enter this door, you represent more than just yourself. Please think thrice about your words and actions, and don’t lose face for my lord.”

Bian Ruohan’s face flushed red with anger.

“What are you two things!” She didn’t dare shout loudly, afraid others would see her as a joke, so she could only lower her voice in angry rebuke.

Neither Nanny Zhang nor Nanny Zhai were moved by Bian Ruohan’s fury. They smiled and said, “We are merely servants, just following orders. Please don’t make things difficult for us, Madam. My lord said that since Madam grew up pampered, she cannot grasp proper measures when facing important matters, so he specifically instructed us to serve carefully and remind Madam at crucial moments. Please be obedient, Madam, and don’t disappoint my lord’s good intentions.”

Good intentions? What bullshit good intentions! Saying she couldn’t grasp proper measures, and having two burly servant women flanking her like guards watching a prisoner, pointing fingers at her every move and word! What kind of good intentions were these!

While Bian Ruohan was arguing with the two servants, Qin Yining had already gotten off her carriage.

She paid no attention to Bian Ruohan’s unusual behavior and couldn’t be bothered to listen to what the master and servants were discussing. Wearing her fine wooden clogs, she walked lightly toward the post house entrance.

When she reached Bian Ruohan’s side, she smiled warmly: “Is the Loyalty Earl’s wife specially waiting for me? Why don’t we go in together?”

Bian Ruohan wasn’t waiting for anyone on purpose! She couldn’t even stand Qin Yining!

However, Qin Yining’s words were offering her a way out. Even if Bian Ruohan didn’t understand, Nanny Zhang and Nanny Zhai did. The two performed proper courtesies to Qin Yining first, while secretly pinching Bian Ruohan’s arms to remind her to agree.

Bian Ruohan was seething inside and had to endure being pinched by servants as reminders. She nearly fainted from anger. Naturally, she had no good expression for Qin Yining. She stubbornly refused to answer and instead arrogantly lifted her chin with a snort.

Qin Yining didn’t particularly care. The way she looked at Bian Ruohan was no different from looking at a roadside stone or a blade of grass.

Seeing that Bian Ruohan wouldn’t answer, Qin Yining naturally didn’t insist and entered the post house first.

Watching Qin Yining’s tall, slender figure from behind, Bian Ruohan finally realized that even though she had gotten off the carriage first, she had still ended up walking behind Qin Yining, as if she were inferior to her!

It was all the fault of these two shameless old hags who didn’t know their place!

Bian Ruohan followed through gritted teeth, reluctantly walking behind Qin Yining into the post house.

By this time, the banquet had already been laid out and everyone had taken their seats. Post house officials accompanied Prince Zhongshun and the Loyalty Earl in entertaining the Tatar Khan and four Tatar officials. The great hall was filled with toasts and the continuous sounds of silk and bamboo instruments.

The Khatun asked Si Qin unhappily in Tatar: “Didn’t they say they’d find someone to keep me company? Why aren’t they here yet? Do they think we Tatars are easy to bully!”

Si Qin didn’t answer this question, pretending not to hear.

Lu Heng smiled and explained in Tatar: “Please be at ease, Khatun. They’re already on their way. It’s entirely because this subordinate was eager to set up the banquet that we started before waiting for them. The roads are muddy and difficult to travel in this rainy weather. Please understand, Khatun.”

Though his words were mild and factual, they were actually mocking the Khatun—saying they set up the banquet afraid they’d go hungry on their journey, yet she was complaining about the ladies not coming to accompany her. With so many men here, including Tatar officials, even if neither the Princess Consort nor Bian Ruohan came, no fault could be found with them. Why was this Khatun being so unreasonable? The Tatars were truly an uncouth barbarian tribe that knew no propriety!

The Khatun’s face darkened and she was about to retort when footsteps were heard outside, and someone quickly reported from the corridor: “Prince Zhongshun’s consort and the Loyalty Earl’s wife have arrived.”

Lu Heng smiled: “You see, here they are.” He turned back to instruct, “Please let them in.”

Pang Xiao put down his wine cup and looked toward the entrance. His originally cold and somewhat impatient gaze gradually became tender.

Qin Yining, dressed in plain clothes with a cloud shoulder wrap, was the first to enter the hall. The high-hanging octagonal palace lanterns illuminated the room exceptionally brightly, making Qin Yining’s skin appear as delicate as the brocade she wore, both emanating a soft, matte glow.

Without any excessive expression, maintaining only a dignified smile, she seemed to generate lotus flowers with each step, each one treading on people’s hearts.

Lu Heng unconsciously held his breath.

The Tatar accompanying officials all stared dumbfounded.

Pang Xiao stood up, smiling as he took Qin Yining’s hand and guided her to sit beside him, asking with a smile: “Was the journey smooth? Are you cold?”

Qin Yining smiled and shook her head, then first paid her respects to Si Qin and the Khatun.

Si Qin looked at Qin Yining, his dark pupils deep like an unfathomable cold pool. “Long time no see. The Princess Consort is as radiant as ever.”

Qin Yining smiled: “So is the Khan.”

When they first met, the Khan was still a prince consort. Now he had murdered his wife to seize the Khan’s position—his days seemed quite comfortable.

Si Qin saw her expression and couldn’t help but twitch his brow. This woman really had a talent for annoying people. With just one sentence, she made him recall all the events of that day.

Fortunately, her one-sided words couldn’t shake his resolve in the slightest.

By this time, Bian Ruohan had been escorted by Nanny Zhang and Nanny Zhai to Lu Heng’s side. She was nearly exploding with anger.

Clearly, she had entered together with Qin Yining, yet everyone’s attention was focused on that bitch, including her own husband!

Prince Zhongshun knew to stand up and greet the Princess Consort, but her husband would only sit there stupidly staring at another man’s wife.

That was bad enough, but who would have thought that the Qin bitch was actually an old acquaintance of the Tatar Khan and could speak with him?

Bian Ruohan gritted her teeth, momentarily unable to think of how to recover her lost face.

Just then, the Khatun looked Qin Yining up and down and said with veiled sarcasm: “So you’re Prince Zhongshun’s consort?”

Qin Yining heard the strange tone in her words but didn’t bother to correct anything. She smiled: “Yes.”

The Khatun’s eyes seemed to carry little knives, scraping Qin Yining from head to toe.

“I never expected you to be such a woman. I thought you were seven feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with tremendous strength.”

These words puzzled everyone present.

But no one would be foolish enough to speak carelessly without knowing the other party’s intentions.

Bian Ruohan was different.

Hearing that the Tatar Khatun’s impression of Qin Yining was like that, she pictured in her mind a woman who was “seven feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with tremendous strength,” applying all these qualities to Qin Yining. She almost couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Since the Tatar Khatun had a poor impression of Qin Yining, Bian Ruohan wanted to curry favor. Without thinking, she asked: “Why would the Khatun think so?” Her eyes were bright and carried some ingratiating intent.

“Without being seven feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, how could she have killed our Khan A’na Ri?” the Khatun said with a half-smile.