Seeing his daughter in this state, how could Qin Huaiyuan not understand what was in her heart?

Pang Xiao was born with such appearance, with spirit and strategies, truly deserving to be called a heroic figure who “could take up the brush to pacify the realm in peace, and mount a horse to stabilize the world in war.” He treated Qin Yining with sincere care, and had saved her multiple times before and after. Qin Yining was not made of iron and stone—how could she remain unmoved?

Carefully examining his own daughter, Qin Huaiyuan couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. No wonder even a heroic figure like Pang Xiao found this barrier difficult to overcome.

“Forget it, father won’t ask much about matters between you two. You’re a clever child and should have your own sense of propriety.”

Qin Yining blushed, but was also somewhat surprised: “Father doesn’t oppose it?”

“Oppose what? He’s a true hero, worthy of you.”

“But between him and me, there are still too many obstacles after all.”

Qin Huaiyuan naturally understood her meaning. Clasping his hands behind his back with a smile, he said: “Setting aside other matters for now, let’s just speak of Pang Zhongzheng’s death. If he truly were someone who held onto this grudge without letting go, father would definitely not be able to stand here alive now. Back then, I indeed used a stratagem of sowing discord, but Young Prince Pang must also be clear in his heart that if Emperor of Northern Ji hadn’t already been suspicious of Pang Zhongzheng, he wouldn’t have seized upon this pretext either.”

“Moreover, you perhaps don’t know of Young Prince Pang’s background.”

Hearing this, Qin Yining looked toward Qin Huaiyuan with curiosity.

Qin Huaiyuan said: “Pang Zhixi’s mother, Yao Shi, was once a maidservant in the Pang manor. Pang Zhongzheng once forced himself upon Yao Shi in a drunken stupor. Pang Zhongzheng’s legitimate wife was extremely jealous. Upon learning that Yao Shi had caught Pang Zhongzheng’s eye, she drove her out before she could even be elevated to concubine status. To prevent any illegitimate sons from being born, she even secretly sent people to harm her, but fortunately Yao Shi was clever and managed to deceive them.”

“Pang Zhongzheng never knew when Yao Shi, with whom he had that one night of passion, had been sent away, so he was even less aware that she later became pregnant. Later, when their family met with disaster, Pang Zhongzheng died without knowing he still had bloodline remaining in this world.”

“So Young Prince Pang has no feelings for either his birth father or legitimate mother.”

Qin Huaiyuan nodded: “It can be said so. Moreover, when he was young, he was forced to join the army. He probably still harbors great resentment toward his own identity.”

“How is this so?”

Qin Huaiyuan sighed: “Do you think how he step by step became a merciless killing god? Originally, he lived peaceful days with his maternal grandfather’s family and his birth mother in a small town. His maternal grandfather’s family used the silver that Yao Shi brought back to open a small restaurant. Though it couldn’t be called wealthy, they didn’t lack for food or clothing. But Emperor Zhou Li Qitian was then focused on overthrowing Northern Ji’s tyranny, so he utilized Pang Zhongzheng’s former subordinates to find Yao Shi. Upon seeing Pang Zhixi, just by looking at his appearance, his identity could be confirmed.”

“Emperor Zhou at that time was merely a leader of a peasant uprising and had little appeal to rally people. So he forcibly brought Pang Zhixi into the army, using threats and inducements, employing every possible means to coax him into military service. In truth, it was only to raise the banner of avenging the Protector General to recruit soldiers. Young Prince Pang was directly kidnapped from his home when he enlisted. Initially, he was unwilling, but later gradually accepted reality.”

“So he actually didn’t voluntarily join the army.”

So he actually had such a past.

A fifteen-year-old youth who had always lived a peaceful life was suddenly told he was the descendant of General Pang and was pulled into Emperor Zhou’s army. What he had to face was definitely not just bloody battlefields, but probably many schemes and machinations as well.

Once Li Qitian had appropriated Pang Zhongzheng’s banner, overthrowing Northern Ji became justified, so he truly wouldn’t care about Pang Xiao’s life or death.

In such an environment, for Pang Xiao to survive, he must have endured many hardships.

Learning martial arts, learning to kill, learning schemes and machinations, tempering himself in battle after battle, studying military strategy, buying people’s hearts, developing his own forces, step by step reaching a height where even Emperor Zhou dared not kill him directly, but instead had to ennoble him as Great Zhou’s only prince of different surname.

The hardships involved—just analyzing them this way made her feel they could crush a person.

Yet Pang Xiao had already accomplished it.

He had never received a day of fatherly love and had no feelings for his birth father, but fate had been controlled by that background.

Qin Yining suddenly understood Qin Huaiyuan’s meaning.

Pang Xiao probably had no feelings whatsoever for that blood-related father, perhaps even harbored resentment. Besides being unable to control his own fate, it was also because his birth mother had suffered great injustice.

So Pang Xiao could calmly and objectively think about past events, and wouldn’t rashly sentence Qin Huaiyuan to death.

After this analysis, Qin Yining inexplicably felt her mood lighten considerably.

“I never thought father would know so much about Young Prince Pang’s affairs.”

“He has designs on my daughter, so naturally I would investigate thoroughly.” Qin Huaiyuan spoke frankly: “I couldn’t very well watch him scheme against my daughter for revenge.”

Qin Yining’s face turned crimson, but her heart was quite joyful.

She trusted her father’s abilities. Since father said this, it meant Pang Xiao’s approach to her wasn’t for revenge, but genuine feelings for her.

However, setting aside family feuds, there was still national enmity…

She couldn’t help but sigh softly. What use was there in thinking so much now? Let everything take its natural course. Before Pang Xiao left, he had specifically told her that he would handle everything properly.

Qin Yining didn’t realize that she had already subconsciously accepted Pang Xiao’s possessiveness toward her, and also accepted the fact that Pang Xiao would demand to marry her after settling everything.

Qin Huaiyuan pondered for a moment, then said: “You return to the manor. Earlier, father already arranged for Miss Tang to return to the manor, saying that the farewell matter was father taking you there. Whatever others may gossip about, you need not take it to heart.”

“Yes.” Qin Yining nodded: “Father, please take the carriage. I’ll ride Baiyun back.”

Qin Huaiyuan nodded, watching Qin Yining take the reins from a attendant’s hands, then looking at that magnificent white horse, he sighed again with complexity: “With such planning, his strategies are truly unparalleled.”

“Yes, he could also be said to have sent us a great gift.” Qin Yining mounted her horse, not catching the double meaning in Qin Huaiyuan’s words.

Qin Huaiyuan shook his head, ultimately not speaking the rest of his thoughts: “You go back then.”

“Yes. Father, daughter will return first.”

Qin Yining rode Baiyun back to the manor with a light heart.

But Qin Huaiyuan stood in place, pondering for another moment before going to seek audience with the emperor, reporting the news that Tatar people had attempted to assassinate Prince Zhongshun, that Prince Zhongshun had escaped all the way out of Great Yan, and that this had caused great fury.

Upon hearing this matter, the emperor made no statement at the time.

The next day, Qin Huaiyuan again reported this matter at the great court assembly before the throne, requesting the emperor thoroughly investigate how the Tatar people had discovered Pang Xiao’s departure time and route, asserting that among those who knew Prince Zhongshun’s itinerary, there must be Tatar spies!

The emperor was already wary of Imperial Uncle Cao. Combined with Cao Yuqing presenting evidence of Imperial Uncle Cao secretly colluding with the Tatar princess, plus the possible consequences of the Tatars pursuing Pang Xiao, these three factors together infuriated the emperor so much that he publicly rebuked Imperial Uncle Cao right in the great court assembly.

Minister of Personnel Wang Yuxian was Imperial Uncle Cao’s capable disciple. More than ten days later, the emperor in his rage also found a pretext to strip him of his official position.

In total, it was less than half a month before Imperial Uncle Cao was cut down by one arm, his position at court greatly diminished.

Meanwhile, Qin Huaiyuan, as a meritorious official in peace negotiations and a capable minister who impeached Imperial Uncle Cao, combined with his always good reputation, was now enjoying unprecedented prominence.

While reviewing the account books of Zhaoyun Company, Qin Yining listened to Manager Zhong carefully relate this secretly obtained news, and couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

Seeing her thus, Manager Zhong restrained his smile and asked: “Owner, is there something improper about this?”

Qin Yining shook her head, saying: “I always feel things won’t be this simple. The Cao family has been able to stand firm for many years—they’re not someone who can be easily manipulated by others. I fear they still have moves to make.”

Just as Qin Yining suspected, at this moment in the imperial study, the empress lowered her head, sobbing softly in delicate murmurs:

“…This subject-consort’s natal family has few men, and father only has those few disciples. Being a poor official shouldn’t lead to outsiders mocking our Cao family for having no heirs—we only seek someone to look after us. Yet Your Majesty has dismissed Wang Yuxian from office. Isn’t this making things difficult for this subject-consort’s father? This subject-consort has been mocked by Consort Shu and Consort Xiang. These days I can’t eat or sleep well. Look, Your Majesty—this subject-consort even has wrinkles at the corners of my eyes. This subject-consort has grown old and lost her beauty. Does Your Majesty no longer cherish this subject-consort?”

After speaking these pitiful words, she had already softly leaned into the emperor’s embrace.