Xie Yue turned and headed toward his own chamber. Liao Zhibing and Manager Zhong were speaking quietly in the corridor. Seeing Xie Yue approach, they smiled and asked in low voices: “Master Xie, didn’t you have matters to discuss with the princess consort?”
Xie Yue smiled: “The princess consort’s health hasn’t recovered. It’s better to let her rest and recuperate.”
Both Liao Zhibing and Manager Zhong nodded.
These people had nearly collapsed just from hunger and cold in prison, yet the princess consort had endured such humiliation day after day, suffering so much hardship and even experiencing public humiliation. They truly didn’t know—if it had been someone with a slightly more delicate temperament, they might have sought death afterward. How would they then answer to the prince?
But the princess consort had remained calm throughout, as if those scars and humiliations weren’t even on her own body.
Xie Yue was an old hand by the prince’s side and naturally devoted himself wholeheartedly to the prince. But he felt that if he didn’t speak up about some things the princess consort kept hidden, the prince might never know how much suffering she had endured in places he didn’t know about.
All this suffering was inflicted by His Majesty!
Their children had also nearly met a terrible fate!
Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi, being the prince’s trusted confidants, somewhat knew that the prince privately kept some trump cards. They didn’t feel deceived by this—rather, they were pleased to see the prince act this way. At least he wasn’t naively open-hearted. Having some wariness wasn’t a bad thing. Moreover, the prince had always trusted them. Aside from being kept in the dark about certain matters, Pang Xiao had always trusted them and let them act freely in everything.
Furthermore, what they most admired was precisely the prince’s benevolent character of caring for the world. So the prince being somewhat guarded regarding family matters wasn’t really a big deal.
Indeed, Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi had privately discussed many times how someone as brilliantly talented as Qin Huaiyuan couldn’t possibly easily walk toward a dead end. He had likely already arranged an escape route. And being astute and observant themselves, they had already detected the prince’s attitude regarding his offspring from his daily conversations.
But regardless, this time Li Qitian had indeed taken the dragon-phoenix twins and intended to use them as leverage, even possibly putting them to death!
Xie Yue wrote swiftly, concisely explaining the situation while forcing himself not to add his own opinions and judgments.
He rolled up the paper, sealed it with wax, and handed it to an Elite Tiger Guard nearby: “While the city isn’t too strictly guarded yet, quickly use carrier pigeons to send this message out.”
“Yes.” The Elite Tiger Guard immediately nodded in acknowledgment.
Xie Yue’s worry was that in a few more days, they wouldn’t even be able to send carrier pigeons. If Li Qitian ordered thorough searches, their current hideout probably couldn’t be used much longer. Moreover, they couldn’t be certain whether this Tianji Zi was truly completely trustworthy, or whether she might turn around and sell out the princess consort…
Yet Tianji Zi was living comfortably in the main hall, feasting on meat and fish all day with great pleasure. When she had nothing to do, she’d have her subordinates buy wine for her. Sometimes she’d grab a pig’s knuckle and lean leisurely against the door corridor to gnaw on it, stretching her neck to look toward the chamber where Qin Yining was staying, or going to play with the dragon-phoenix twins.
While Qin Yining was recuperating from illness, Tianji Zi was so leisurely—this sight was truly unpleasant in the eyes of Xie Yue and others.
However, Qin Yining’s condition was slowly improving. It would just take ten days to half a month for complete recovery.
After three more days, Qin Yining finally broke her fever and no longer suffered from persistent high fevers, which truly relieved everyone. Bingtang began preparing some light, nourishing meals to feed her.
“Where are Xuan Ge’er and Yun Jie’er?”
“Princess Consort, don’t worry. The wet nurse is taking care of them. The children are doing well. Would you like the children brought over for you to see?”
Qin Yining shook her head, her pale lips pressed together until they showed some color: “The children are still young, and it’s cold outside. Don’t pass any illness to them either. Let the wet nurse care for them.”
Bingtang smiled: “Princess Consort, don’t worry. The wet nurse has been taking very good care of the young master and little miss these days. When the dragon-phoenix twins were taken away, the wet nurse was so remorseful she nearly banged her head to death, blaming herself for failing you and not protecting the children well.”
Qin Yining swallowed a mouthful of soup and couldn’t help smiling: “This wasn’t their fault either. In that situation, how could they have wrestled the children away from the Son of Heaven?”
“The princess consort is so magnanimous, never blaming others unfairly.”
“What’s there to blame unfairly? It really wasn’t their fault.”
“Oh my, drinking soup? It smells so good!”
Just as they were talking, Tianji Zi’s voice suddenly came from the doorway.
Qin Yining looked up to see Tianji Zi walking in while gnawing on a roasted chicken leg, oil stains on her cheeks that she completely ignored. She sat down on a stool diagonally across from Qin Yining and smiled: “How are you? You look a bit better?”
Qin Yining smiled: “Not bad. I must thank you for saving my life this time.”
“No, no, no, don’t thank me.” Tianji Zi shook her head and took another bite of the chicken leg, tearing off a large piece of meat. While chewing, she said: “I had no choice. Do you think I wanted to save you?”
Qin Yining narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled: “I remember that previously, the fairy would have wished for me to die an unnatural death. If I had died in that prison this time, wouldn’t it have better provoked the prince’s hatred toward the Son of Heaven? The fairy could have let me fend for myself to achieve her goal. Why did you intervene to save me?”
Tianji Zi raised an eyebrow: “It seems you still have some self-awareness.”
Bingtang and Ji Yun frowned in displeasure, disliking Tianji Zi’s way of speaking.
But when Qin Yining’s calm gaze swept over them, both knew the princess consort didn’t want them to interrupt.
“The fairy has always been clear about gratitude and grudges—I do understand this much.” Qin Yining smiled: “If the fairy had the chance, she would have tried to take my life repeatedly. So I was truly surprised that you rescued me this time.”
“You needn’t be surprised.” Tianji Zi began gnawing the chicken leg bone, her cheeks puffing out: “From start to finish, it was never about you. Don’t think too highly of yourself.”
“Oh? I’d like to hear the details.”
“I did it for Purple Star Emperor’s imperial ambitions. Previously, your existence was his stumbling block—without you, Purple Star Emperor could ascend to that position faster. So I wanted to kill you. But now, if you died, Purple Star Emperor would never ascend to that position. I had no choice but to save you.”
Qin Yining was momentarily stunned.
What did Tianji Zi’s words mean? Purple Star Emperor naturally referred to Pang Xiao. From her perspective, previously Pang Xiao didn’t want to become emperor because of her, and now Pang Xiao wanted to become emperor, also because of her?
No, no—as Tianji Zi said, she needn’t think so highly of herself.
But translating Tianji Zi’s words, that was indeed the meaning.
And if Pang Xiao truly had designs on the throne, besides doing it for the people, perhaps there really was the reason of wanting to give her a stable, worry-free life.
In this world, whose woman could avoid being coveted and humiliated? In Pang Xiao’s view, that would naturally be the most noble one.
Seeing Qin Yining’s dazed expression, Tianji Zi couldn’t help but snort with laughter: “You are the greatest variable just by existing. Throughout my life, I’ve calculated countless people, but I alone cannot figure you out. Whenever your affairs are involved, there’s bound to be unexpected changes.”
Casually tossing the gnawed chicken leg bone to the floor, Tianji Zi wiped her hands on her robe.
“Alright, you should also prepare. We’ll find a way to leave the city in the next day or two. If we give you more time to recuperate, we won’t be able to get out.”
Qin Yining unconsciously sat up straight: “You mean…”
“You know without me saying. His Majesty has ordered searches throughout the city—it will only get stricter. Why do you think I called you trouble? It would have been easier to leave earlier, but you were ill and couldn’t get up or face the wind. I was afraid that after finally rescuing you, you’d have problems halfway, so I could only give you time to rest. Now you’re lucid and can at least manage to run a stretch. We can’t delay any longer.”
Tianji Zi stood up and walked out casually: “Prepare well. Tomorrow evening, before the city gates are locked, when security is relatively weak—that’s when we’ll leave.”
Watching Tianji Zi’s retreating figure, Qin Yining smiled: “Understood. Regardless, I must thank you.”
Tianji Zi waved her hand dismissively, as if too lazy to acknowledge Qin Yining, and swaggered out.
Only after Tianji Zi left did Bingtang and Ji Yun come to serve Qin Yining the remaining tonic soup and medicine.
Ji Yun muttered quietly: “This person’s way of speaking is so unpleasant—as if she’d lose flesh if she didn’t say a few harsh words to the princess consort.”
Qin Yining shook her head: “Everyone has their own stance. One thing is one thing—in this matter, she helped me, so I must find a proper way to repay her later.”
Bingtang took out silver needles again: “Let me give the princess consort a few more acupuncture treatments to consolidate your recovery. Tomorrow we can prepare to depart.”
Qin Yining cooperatively allowed herself to be turned into a pincushion.
After spending the night peacefully, the next day everyone in the household began busily but orderly preparing everything for leaving the city.
Just in case, Xie Yue no longer hid his skill in disguise. Using limited materials, he dressed Qin Yining as a sickly young gentleman, while Ji Yun and Bingtang were disguised as two beautiful concubines. Others had various degrees of disguise, deliberately changing their walking postures and forbidden to speak unless necessary. They looked nothing like Qin Yining’s attendants.
Tianji Zi put on an earth-yellow cotton jacket and skirt, dressed exactly like any old servant woman from a wealthy household.
“We’re accompanying the young master and newborn young masters and young ladies, along with two beautiful concubines who just gave birth, back to our northern hometown. You all remember this—don’t let it slip. Just say that with the Tatars driven away, we’re leaving our relatives’ place to return home.”
“Understood.”
Ji Yun and Bingtang became beautiful concubines, while Zhao Ge’er and Yun Jie’er became their children. Qin Yining became a consumptive young gentleman in luxurious clothing.
Xie Yue hunched his back to impersonate a steward. The group left the residence and boarded an ordinary oil-cloth carriage used by merchant families. They lowered the blue cloth curtains and headed toward the north city gate.