“Cannot?” Pang Xiao laughed coldly. “You are merely family members of surrendering officials and defeated armies. Don’t mention you—even if your masters came, they would have to bow and scrape before this prince with utmost caution. Do you think this is still your Yan court’s territory? To say ‘cannot’ to this prince—seeking death!”
Xie Yue trembled all over. “You’re going too far!” He shakily stood in front of Qin Yining.
Huzi led the Elite Tiger Guards forward, lifting Xie Yue like a chick to one side and tying him up, then stuffing both Qin Yining and Lian Xiaozhou into the carriage they had arrived in.
Even after getting into the carriage, Qin Yining didn’t forget to struggle vigorously, but the Elite Tiger Guards were all strong and fierce—how could she and Lian Xiaozhou possibly match them?
Everyone in front of the guest house watched helplessly as Prince Zhongshun ordered his men to snatch away Miss Qin.
The Great Zhou people naturally didn’t understand the entanglements between Pang Xiao and Qin Yining. With mountains high and roads far, even if there were secret reports, it wouldn’t be their turn to see them.
But those from Great Yan knew how high-profile this prince had once been toward Miss Qin—backing her up, giving her mansions, truly sparing no effort in courting her favor. Now that Great Yan had fallen, Prince Zhongshun’s attitude toward Miss Qin had changed from his former pursuit to current forcible seizure.
The fear in the Great Yan people’s hearts was now like erupting lava, almost drowning them.
Even Miss Qin, who had such “backing,” lived like this upon reaching Great Zhou—what kind of life could they expect?
Qin Yining sat in the carriage holding the frightened Lian Xiaozhou, soothingly patting her head and smiling: “Don’t be afraid. That brother just now isn’t a bad person. Sister did that on purpose.”
Though Lian Xiaozhou wasn’t very fluent in speech, she was clever. She looked at Qin Yining puzzledly and asked: “Sister, know, uncle?”
Uncle?
She had never noticed before, but thinking carefully now, Pang Xiao was already twenty-four by traditional counting, wasn’t he?
Lian Xiaozhou was nine this year, but having always lived in the mountains, she was naturally different from outside nine-year-olds. Her psychological memory might still be stuck at six or seven years old—her mental growth had stopped since then.
So facing Pang Xiao, she would call him uncle.
She wondered what Pang Xiao would think hearing this.
Thinking of Pang Xiao’s possible reaction, Qin Yining couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Perhaps infected by Qin Yining’s relaxed mood, Lian Xiaozhou also relaxed. Even though she didn’t know why Qin Yining was laughing, it didn’t prevent her from laughing too.
The Elite Tiger Guard driving the carriage outside heard the laughter from within and couldn’t help feeling strange. Could this Miss Qin have been frightened silly? To still be able to laugh after being kidnapped like this?
He hadn’t followed Pang Xiao to Great Yan, so naturally didn’t know what had happened there. He simply assumed his prince had taken a fancy to this beauty, or perhaps wanted to avenge his father by kidnapping the enemy’s daughter.
And he wasn’t the only one thinking this way—perhaps outsiders who didn’t understand the situation thought the same.
This was exactly the situation Pang Xiao and Qin Yining wanted.
The carriage returned to the prince’s mansion. Pang Xiao ordered the side gate opened, with no need for anyone to get out. Qin Yining rode directly into Prince Zhongshun’s mansion.
The mansion’s architecture was very grand and imposing. The carved eaves were covered with white snow. Unlike Great Yan’s delicate elegance, every part here revealed a kind of solemnity and ruggedness. Though not as refined as Great Yan’s gardens, it had another kind of beauty.
Qin Yining looked out through the carriage window’s gap along the way. In just the short time traveling to the guest quarters, she was already shocked by the spaciousness of Prince Zhongshun’s mansion.
Such a large estate couldn’t be built in just a year or two. This must have been some prince’s mansion from the Northern Ji Kingdom, which Li Qitian directly awarded to Pang Xiao to live in after Great Zhou’s founding?
While Qin Yining was lost in wild thoughts, the carriage had already slowly stopped.
The carriage curtain was pushed open. Before Qin Yining could react, she was already embraced in a broad and familiar embrace.
Lian Xiaozhou was startled and hurriedly went to push away this scoundrel who dared bully Qin Yining, calling out: “Bad man, go away, bad man!”
But Pang Xiao remained unmoved, pressing fine, dense kisses on Qin Yining’s earlobe and neck.
Seeing this person still wouldn’t let go, and unable to fight him off, Lian Xiaozhou angrily went up and bit Pang Xiao’s arm.
Though separated by winter clothing and not very painful, Lian Xiaozhou still held onto Pang Xiao’s clothes without letting go, continuing to wave her small fists.
Pang Xiao nearly got punched in the nose and had to let go reluctantly, saying impatiently: “Where did you pick up this wild girl? How does she bite people—is she part dog?”
Qin Yining pushed Pang Xiao away, pulled Lian Xiaozhou over to comfort her by patting her shoulder, and pinched her little cheeks that were red with anger: “Don’t be angry, he’s just teasing us.”
Lian Xiaozhou angrily pointed at Pang Xiao: “Bad, uncle, bad man! Sister, let’s, go!”
Even though Lian Xiaozhou’s speech wasn’t fluent, this sentence still managed to provoke Pang Xiao.
Pang Xiao’s face darkened as he grabbed Lian Xiaozhou off the carriage and tossed her to Huzi.
Huzi hurriedly caught her.
But Lian Xiaozhou still wasn’t satisfied, continuing to struggle and point at Pang Xiao: “Bad man, bad uncle!”
Pang Xiao’s face turned completely black. Unable to bear it any longer, he said: “She calls you sister, so how did I become a bad uncle!”
“Bad uncle!” Lian Xiaozhou’s arms were restrained by Huzi, leaving only her legs to kick wildly.
Thinking that he was indeed eight years older than Qin Yining, Pang Xiao felt almost unbearably depressed.
Just as one was scowling and the other shouting “bad uncle,” Qin Yining, who had been lifting the carriage curtain to watch the commotion, finally couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Her laughter left all the mansion guards and servants who hadn’t seen her before staring in amazement.
Pang Xiao’s recent displeasure also dissipated upon hearing her clear, pleasant laughter, and he couldn’t help but smile too.
The atmosphere immediately became much more relaxed.
Qin Yining looked around and saw so many people, unsure whether there might be spies sent by others among them, so she lowered the carriage curtain again.
Only then did Pang Xiao wave his hand: “You may all withdraw. Clean up Suxue Garden for Miss Qin to live in. Idle personnel may withdraw.”
“Yes.” Everyone bowed and withdrew.
Soon, only Pang Xiao, Huzi, Xie Yue, and Lian Xiaozhou remained outside the carriage.
Lian Xiaozhou seemed tired of scolding and just glared at Pang Xiao.
“Uncle Pang” seemed to have emerged from the shock of the age difference, lifting the carriage curtain to help Qin Yining down.
Seeing no one else around, Qin Yining finally introduced: “This is Lian Xiaozhou. I nearly froze to death in the mountains this time—she saved me.”
Hearing that this little girl had actually saved Qin Yining’s life, Pang Xiao’s expression finally cleared from cloudy to sunny. No longer caring about being promoted a generation, he instead said to Qin Yining: “I’ll have someone take her to settle in first. You come with me to meet my mother, grandfather, and grandmother.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Yining immediately became nervous and blushed.