Qin Yining tensed up.
She could endure any suffering, but being humiliated was absolutely unacceptable!
The stranger’s rough fingers were covered in thick calluses, and his body reeked with that nauseating smell of sweat, making Qin Yining nearly vomit!
She suddenly opened her eyes and glared fiercely at the man.
The man had been gazing at her face with infatuation, thinking he had never seen such a beautiful woman in his entire life. Believing she was unconscious, he thought touching her a bit wouldn’t matter, but who knew she would suddenly wake up.
He was frightened and stumbled back two steps in panic, nearly falling over in his confusion.
Seeing his expression, Qin Yining felt slightly reassured and said in a deep voice, “What do you think you’re doing? Don’t you know who I am?”
The man in his twenties coughed awkwardly, his ears turning bright red as he reluctantly took another look at Qin Yining before fleeing in embarrassment.
As soon as he left the tent, laughter erupted from outside. Several people joked about whether the man had been rejected and humiliated by the beauty. Others boasted that if it were them, they would definitely handle two at once, which again drew collective mockery from the crowd.
Listening to their vulgar and filthy words, Qin Yining frowned in anger.
She first surveyed her surroundings.
This was a small military tent. She was currently sitting on a wooden plank military bed facing directly toward the tent entrance. On the square table to her right, an oil lamp flickered like a bean flame. Next to the lamp was an earthenware jar covered with a ceramic bowl, likely for holding water. At the foot of the bed on her left was a chamber pot.
Though Qin Yining’s hands were bound, her feet were free. She got up and first extinguished the oil lamp.
Once the tent darkened, the shadows cast on the tent walls became clearly visible.
There were actually five people guarding around her tent.
All five shadows were tall, positioned no more than two steps from the tent. Two guards stood at the tent entrance like posts, while the other three were gathered on her right side, whispering to each other and occasionally letting out suppressed laughter.
Qin Yining frowned, thinking that Duke Anguo’s earlier words had given these men hope, making them think that once they had used her enough, Duke Anguo would reward her to them.
Qin Yining let out a cold laugh. Until things reached their conclusion, no final judgment could be made, so she might as well let these men enjoy themselves for now.
Qin Yining simply lay on her side, resting while waiting for news from Bingtang.
At dawn, a jumble of footsteps could be heard outside the tent.
Qin Yining had been extremely tired and was starting to feel drowsy, but upon hearing the commotion, she quickly sat up. She saw the tent flap lift as a man pushed Bingtang, whose hands were bound behind her back, inside, scolding, “Behave yourself! Or I’ll kill you!”
Bingtang spat fiercely at the man before slowly walking toward Qin Yining.
Seeing her return safely, Qin Yining finally felt relieved.
The two sat close together, shoulder to shoulder on the wooden plank bed. Bingtang glanced at the tent entrance, and seeing no one coming, whispered in Qin Yining’s ear, “Miss, I saw the Prince.”
Qin Yining nodded and also spoke in a breathy whisper, “Did you go directly to the Great Zhou military camp? How is Ji Yun?”
“I went to the camp. Ji Yun had already arrived first. The Prince is doing well, and his injuries have healed. The Prince said to tell you not to be afraid, that he has a way to resolve this matter. He wants you to rest assured and stay here for now. Within a day, he can make them release you.”
“That’s good.” Qin Yining breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her voice further, “What did you tell Duke Anguo? Didn’t Duke Anguo arrange for someone to follow you?”
Bingtang whispered, “That person followed me to the Zhou dynasty military camp and was captured by the Prince. I forced him to take a poison pill – only I have the antidote. He never expected the Prince to suddenly strike, so after being poisoned, he naturally obeyed whatever I told him to do.”
Only then did Qin Yining nod, “Thank goodness you know how to use poison, otherwise we couldn’t even protect ourselves.”
“Exactly.” Bingtang agreed wholeheartedly. If she hadn’t known how to use poison, this time might not have gone so smoothly.
Since Pang Xiao had told Qin Yining to wait patiently, she completely set her mind at ease. With Pang Xiao’s strategic mind and broad perspective, solving this crisis shouldn’t be difficult.
“You’re tired, sleep for a while first,” Qin Yining whispered in Bingtang’s ear.
Bingtang was indeed exhausted, so she lay on her side on the inner part of the wooden bed. “Let’s take turns resting. I’ll get up later to replace you.”
“No need, I rested well last night. You sleep.”
Bingtang nodded, closed her eyes, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
And so, Qin Yining and Bingtang settled into the tent, taking turns resting. During this time, the man who had been drugged by Bingtang even diligently brought them a meal. Though it was only the coarse flour pancakes and deadly salty pickles that soldiers ate, it was still food that even a thousand gold pieces could barely buy outside these days.
Qin Yining and Bingtang shared one pancake and rested well, lying on the wooden bed chatting quietly, living even more leisurely than they had at Ning Courtyard.
That afternoon, suddenly chaos erupted outside the tent.
Qin Yining and Bingtang exchanged glances, both sitting up and listening intently. They seemed to hear the sound of three cheers of “Long live!”
Qin Yining’s heart skipped a beat.
Yuchi Yan had come? At this critical moment, she didn’t know if this was a blessing or a curse.
Just as Qin Yining got to her feet, the tent flap was lifted from outside.
Through the tent entrance, Qin Yining saw Duke Anguo and several military officers, their faces pale and covered in cold sweat, leading Yuchi Yan in bright yellow dragon robes surrounded by palace attendants.
Now Qin Yining could feel at ease.
Since he dared to handle this matter so openly, Yuchi Yan, as emperor, wouldn’t bear the stigma of plotting against a minister’s daughter. Her safety was assured.
She wondered what method Pang Xiao had used to make Yuchi Yan personally intervene.
“We pay our respects to His Majesty.”
Qin Yining and Bingtang knelt and bowed.
Yuchi Yan strode into the tent, standing at the entrance with his hands behind his back, looking down at Qin Yining and Bingtang kneeling before him, not immediately allowing them to rise.
Qin Yining kept her head lowered, feeling that the situation had become unusual again. Given Yuchi Yan’s previous nature, he should have allowed her to rise first.
Could there have been some change?
Yuchi Yan gritted his teeth and squeezed out through clenched teeth, “All unrelated persons, withdraw. No one is permitted within ten zhang of this tent.”
“Yes.”
Duke Anguo led the guards and soldiers away, taking Bingtang with them, and they all withdrew to stand at a distance.
Yuchi Yan pressed his lips together and after a long moment, let out a cold laugh, “What excellent methods, what charm. Tell me, shouldn’t I charge you with the crime of collaborating with enemies and betraying the country, hmm?”
Hearing this, Qin Yining suddenly raised her head and met Yuchi Yan’s eyes, which were filled with anger like deep, cold pools.
Yuchi Yan’s fists clenched with audible cracks as he ground his teeth, “Speak!”
“Your subject has never collaborated with enemies or betrayed the country. I don’t know how to respond to Your Majesty’s words,” Qin Yining replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, lowering her head again.
Yuchi Yan laughed hoarsely, “How amusing. I had originally planned to go along with the scheme, taking advantage of the surrender to eliminate that murderer Pang Zhixi first, which would count as revenge for the Great Yan dynasty. But that brute actually had the audacity to threaten me!”
Yuchi Yan angrily pulled a letter from his sleeve and threw it forcefully at Qin Yining’s face.