Most of the women had never seen Pang Xiao before, and they only felt that this young man was truly handsome. His features were delicate and striking, with sword-like eyebrows extending into his temples, beneath which lay a pair of phoenix eyes. Even a casual glance from him would make anyone’s heart skip a beat. Though this man was born handsome, his physique was tall and robust, his aura imposing and overwhelming, making people lower their heads after just one look, not daring to offend further.
This man dared to be so confrontational with the Empress face-to-face—wasn’t he afraid of the Empress’s future retaliation? What exactly was his background?
The Empress’s pretty face had already turned pale. So the person her father had forbidden her to provoke was this fiend!
Not to mention herself—she had personally witnessed how the Emperor had bowed and scraped before Pang Xiao that day at the Meridian Gate. Even though the Empress was currently full of anger and resentment, she didn’t dare to act out. She could only give a dry laugh and say:
“Prince Zhongshun is truly joking. This palace was merely speaking in anger—how could this palace do such a thing as forcible seizure? Moreover, as this palace is the Empress Mother, naturally this palace must win people over with virtue and serve as a model for women. Prince Zhongshun seems to have some misunderstanding about this palace.”
Prince Zhongshun?
The women looked toward Pang Xiao in shock.
They never imagined this man was actually that bloodthirsty fiend from Great Zhou!
After seeing Pang Xiao, all the women subconsciously looked toward Qin Yining.
Since the peace negotiations, rumors about the two of them had never ceased in the capital, especially considering Pang Xiao’s grand gesture and declaration that day at the Meridian Gate. How could the women not be curious?
Especially the Old Madam, Second Madam, and Seventh Miss. In their imagination, this man must have been a savage who drank blood, with a face full of whiskers, a body as sturdy as an ox, a voice like a great bell, and fierce eyes that could chop people up and feed them to dogs—a Northern strongman. Who would have thought this person would actually be such a graceful and handsome figure!
Seventh Miss was staring at Pang Xiao in a daze, already completely captivated.
Qin Yining frowned and glared at him.
What exactly was this man up to? Although the two countries had already made peace, he was still a prince of another nation. Confronting the Empress so openly like this—wasn’t he afraid of stirring up trouble?
Being glared at by Qin Yining made Pang Xiao feel cheerful. He smiled faintly and said, “Since the Empress has no such intention, then let it be.”
The Empress’s face flushed red with embarrassment. How was she, a lofty Empress, supposed to respond to such words? Should she now lead this group of people and turn around to walk back?
Pang Xiao glanced at Qin Yining again and continued with a smile, “However, since the Empress has already come with these people, this prince cannot very well turn guests away at the door. Why don’t the Empress and all of you come in for a visit?”
Upon hearing this, the Empress suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, and her complexion improved considerably.
“Since the Prince extends an invitation, this palace naturally cannot refuse.”
Pang Xiao stepped aside and casually gestured for them to enter, then paid no more attention to the Empress. He led Huzi and his accompanying retinue into the courtyard.
The Empress gritted her teeth and also entered the courtyard gate with the assistance of her palace attendants. The women naturally followed behind the Empress as they strolled along.
Only after entering the gate did everyone understand what was meant by “spring flowers in brilliant bloom and flourishing trees and plants,” and what was truly meant by “like a celestial palace, not of this mortal world.”
Not to mention the rare flowers and exotic plants in the garden, even the common peach and apricot blossoms were planted in a well-arranged, staggered pattern. From a distance, the deep and light reds looked like clouds. Under the carved corridors and pavilions, bamboo curtains pressed against light green gauze, hidden among the flowers and trees. Several cranes played and danced together, adding even more celestial atmosphere to the courtyard.
The Empress felt her face burning. Having entered this courtyard, her dignity had truly been trampled underfoot.
Compared to Ning Garden, Eternal Spring Garden was simply beneath notice. To think she had been so smugly pleased listening to flattery all along the way.
She truly couldn’t understand why her father had built such an exquisite courtyard yet didn’t live in it himself, instead giving it to someone like Pang Xiao!
Under the corridor in front of the building, one zhang wide and two she long, servants had already arranged tables and chairs and served tea and refreshments.
Pang Xiao leisurely took the main seat, so the Empress could only grit her teeth and sit in the lower position. The other women from the eight families naturally arranged themselves according to their families’ status and proximity.
The Old Madam from the Qin family, who had a complex relationship with Pang Xiao, was placed in the area across from the Empress.
The Old Madam sat in the front, followed by Sun Shi and Second Madam, then Qin Yining and Seventh Miss.
Pang Xiao lazily poured and drank for himself, completely ignoring the women present. Yet the Empress was a guest and couldn’t overstep her bounds to take charge.
Only then did the Empress realize that agreeing to come in for a visit was also bringing humiliation upon herself!
Pang Xiao was clearly using this opportunity to publicly slap her face, and yet she could do nothing about it!
How many years had it been since the Empress had suffered such indignity? If the Emperor were here, she would have already thrown herself into his arms to act coquettishly and complain tearfully. Right now she could only forcibly endure it.
While Pang Xiao’s casual attitude of neglecting the Empress seemed outrageous, aside from the Empress’s own people, everyone else watching felt secretly delighted.
These women from noble families might appear respectful to the Empress on the surface, even fawning and flattering, but privately who among them didn’t curse her as a “nation-destroying enchantress”?
Normally relying on the Emperor’s support, this enchantress had harmed how many loyal officials! If not for this seductress, the Great Yan Dynasty wouldn’t have fallen to today’s state!
Looking now at the legendary Prince Pang who supposedly killed and drank blood, these women found him much more pleasing to the eye, especially since he was also a rare handsome man.
“Sitting here is dull. Ladies and misses, please feel free to move about as you wish.” Seeing these people all sitting rigidly, Pang Xiao casually waved his hand.
With the Empress’s face looking so terrible, who would dare go stroll through the garden at this moment? Though they disliked the Empress, they couldn’t help but fear her ability to whisper poison in the Emperor’s ear.
Seeing no one dared to move, and with the Empress sitting there with a gloomy face full of grievance, Pang Xiao couldn’t help but find it amusing and said, “Since none of you wish to stroll about, then forget it. It just so happens that with all of Great Yan’s distinguished ladies and misses present, you can serve as witnesses for this prince.”
The Empress and others all looked toward Pang Xiao.
Qin Yining’s brow twitched, and she had an ominous premonition.
Pang Xiao continued with a smile, “This garden that this prince has newly acquired originally had a name—it was called ‘Spring Painting Garden.’ Do you know why this prince changed its name to ‘Ning Garden’?”
Since young ladies’ given names could not be spoken publicly, even among women, most of those present only knew each other’s surnames and birth order within their clans. When addressing each other, they mostly used titles like “Second Miss Zhang” or “First Madam Wang.” Only those who were extremely familiar and close knew given names.
Therefore, not everyone immediately understood Pang Xiao’s words.
But given the rumors between Qin Yining and Pang Xiao, everyone could guess the general meaning.
“This prince has been on battlefields for many years, with countless blood on my hands. My heart had long been like stone. I never imagined there would come a day when I would be utterly enchanted by a woman. The woman this prince favors has the character ‘Ning’ in her given name. Although the daughters of her family all belong to the ‘Ning’ generation, and I’ve heard that when she first returned home, some people said she wasn’t worthy of being entered into the family genealogy and wasn’t worthy of bearing this name.”
Pang Xiao cast a sideways glance at the Old Madam.
The Old Madam was already sweating all over, her face flushed red.
“But in this prince’s heart, everyone else is unworthy of bearing this character ‘Ning’! This prince changed Spring Painting Garden to Ning Garden, firstly taking her given name, and secondly taking the meaning of the character ‘Ning’ (tranquility). I hereby present this garden to her before all of you. This prince promises her a lifetime of peace and tranquil years. All of you are this prince’s witnesses.”
Pang Xiao walked to Qin Yining’s front, clasped his hands behind his back, and bent down to look at Qin Yining’s already reddened face. He chuckled softly and said, “I give you this garden for no other reason than for your pure enjoyment, simply to make a beauty smile. Yining, do you like it?”