Qin Yining didn’t dare act presumptuously. After all, at this time her status was merely that of a surrendered minister’s daughter, and she wasn’t anyone special to Pang Xiao. These advisors were all capable people under Pang Xiao—each possessed great talent, and they were all older than her. Therefore, when she returned their salutes, she felt nothing inappropriate about it in her heart.
Qin Yining’s courteous and respectful behavior made the advisors’ impression of her slightly better.
But after seeing her striking beauty, everyone’s impression of her turned bad again.
With such natural seductive charm and alluring glances, no wonder she made a hero like the Prince lose his reason, willing to bear the risk of directly confronting His Majesty rather than privately deploying troops to search for her.
Such a woman—could it be that someone surnamed Qin, fearing the Prince would seek revenge, deliberately sent her to bewitch the Prince?
Clearly these exceptionally intelligent elites had already demonized Qin Yining in their minds.
How perceptive Qin Yining was! Though these advisor-retainers showed no impropriety, she could still sense everyone’s dislike for her. However, without needing to think much, she could understand the reason.
So she merely smiled and stepped aside to stand quietly.
After all, she wasn’t the Princess Consort, and the Qin family’s status wasn’t clear either. How she interacted with Pang Xiao privately was one thing, but in public she knew she couldn’t overstep propriety.
Pang Xiao frowned. Seeing Qin Yining being so careful, and observing his strategists’ attitude toward her, he felt displeased.
Just as he was about to speak in reproof, Qin Yining took a step forward first and curtsied: “Your Highness, may I ask if there’s been any news of my father and family these past days?”
When she asked this question, her bright eyes playfully winked at him.
Pang Xiao immediately regained his composure.
Right—advisors were different from other people. He couldn’t use forceful methods to compel them to submit to Qin Yining. Qin Yining herself was clearly aware of this point too.
Any person’s favorable impression of another wouldn’t appear suddenly. Pang Xiao believed Qin Yining had the means to make these people willingly convinced.
So Pang Xiao set this matter aside and turned to look at the leading man, an elegant gentleman of about forty: “Master Xu, is there news of the Qin family?”
This man was Xu Weizhi. He had an agile mind and was skilled at planning. Working with Xie Yue, who excelled at making decisions, they complemented each other perfectly. He was an advisor Pang Xiao valued extremely highly.
Xu Weizhi smiled and cupped his hands: “In response to Your Highness, we haven’t yet received news of the Qin family. However, Prince Yan and people from the Li, Gu, and several other families have now been found by teams arranged by His Majesty. They should arrive in the capital before long.”
Hearing this, Qin Yining’s heart filled with additional worry.
Though she knew her father and mother should have Silver Mask spies protecting them, until she saw living people standing before her, she couldn’t completely set her mind at ease.
But at least there were Cao Yuqing and the Silver Mask spies.
After the former tyrant abdicated, the Silver Mask spies he had once valued became masterless people. The new emperor wouldn’t reuse remnants of the old emperor, so these Silver Mask spies were temporarily without direction and no one to pay their wages.
Qin Huaiyuan, through Cao Yuqing’s connections, completely took the Silver Mask spies for his own use.
Qin Yining could now only comfort herself that the spies had extraordinary skills—they should be able to find her father and mother, and protecting them on their journey to the capital shouldn’t be a problem.
Suppressing her inner worry, Qin Yining asked again: “This assassination attempt—was it Marquis Dingbei’s doing?”
Pang Xiao nodded, instructed all the advisors to take seats, and had Qin Yining sit beside him. Only then did he say to Xu Weizhi and Xie Yue: “You explain things to Miss Qin.”
Seeing where Pang Xiao arranged for Qin Yining to sit, and observing his attitude toward her, the advisors already had their suspicions.
Among all the advisors, Xu Weizhi and Xie Yue were the most respected figures aside from Zheng Pei. So seeing Pang Xiao specifically name these two to explain things to Qin Yining, the advisors understood even better. Even if they had suspicions about Qin Yining, they all temporarily suppressed them.
Xu Weizhi also felt very surprised and didn’t immediately speak.
Instead, Xie Yue, who had spent more time with Qin Yining on the journey and understood her character and strategic thinking well, spoke with extremely respectful attitude: “Miss Qin, regarding Marquis Dingbei intercepting the Great Yan procession, I think as long as you understand the situation in the capital, you’ll naturally comprehend it.”
Qin Yining smiled: “I’ve just arrived and really don’t understand the capital’s situation well. Please enlighten me, Master.”
Xie Yue repeatedly said he didn’t dare, then courteously said: “Miss Qin is someone His Highness values—you’re not an outsider, so I’ll speak directly. You should know about how our Prince became sworn brothers with His Majesty and Marquis Dingbei when following His Majesty in establishing the dynasty, right?”
Qin Yining smiled and nodded.
Xie Yue continued: “Marquis Dingbei is skilled at planning and calm by nature, with a cold temperament. He shows no courtesy to outsiders, but his relationship with the Prince has always been very good. This time when Marquis Dingbei intercepted the Great Yan procession, the first reason might include wanting to avenge the Prince.”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room imperceptibly studied Qin Yining.
Qin Yining didn’t mind and said understandingly: “Back then, regarding General Pang’s death, my father did indeed use a discord stratagem. Even though the Northern Ji tyrant already had intentions to eliminate General Pang and merely used the discord stratagem as an excuse, the disaster did indeed arise from this. In outsiders’ view, the Prince and the Qin family, and Great Yan, truly have irreconcilable enmity.”
“Exactly so.” Seeing Qin Yining so forthright, Xie Yue smiled: “Everyone believes the Prince would definitely kill the Qin family for revenge. In the surrendered ministers’ procession from Great Yan, the Qin family was prominently listed, so it’s clear the Prince didn’t succeed in his revenge this time. The Prince didn’t have time to accept Prince Yan’s surrender documents before returning to the capital, and coincidentally encountered Marquis Dingbei returning from reporting duties, which led to subsequent events.”
Hearing this, Qin Yining nodded, but after pondering for a moment, she felt something was wrong.
“Didn’t Master Xie just say that Marquis Dingbei is skilled at planning, calm, and cold toward people? But this time his actions really don’t match his character.” Qin Yining frowned as she analyzed: “How could someone skilled at planning and calm detour on his way back to his station after finishing his duty report to kill surrendered ministers who are very important to His Majesty? Even if he wanted to avenge his brother, his actions were too extreme and direct.”
Qin Yining already knew some information privately, and combining it with what Xie Yue said while recalling that day’s events, she felt increasingly that something was amiss.
“That day when Marquis Dingbei brought troops, he had his subordinates disguise as bandits and ordered them to charge into the crowd hacking wildly. If he was trying to kill my family to avenge the Prince’s father, his operation was far too uncareful.
“If this is all the capability he has—not knowing to scout the enemy situation beforehand and being so impulsive and mindless—that doesn’t match Master Xie’s assessment of him as skilled at planning and calm. Moreover, if he truly were such a person, he probably couldn’t have achieved a position equal to the Prince’s today.”
The room fell completely quiet as all the advisors pondered inwardly.
Indeed, if Marquis Dingbei were truly so impulsive and mindless, how could he steadily hold the north, command the hundred-thousand-strong Longxiang Army, and maintain his unshakeable position? Though his title ranked lower than Pang Xiao who commanded the Huben Army, their military status and influence were equal.