“Was I wrong to be concerned? She and Da Fu just got married—they hadn’t even enjoyed a few days of bliss before she was captured and taken to Tatar territory. What kind of people are those Tatars? I don’t believe that someone with Qin Shi’s looks could maintain her chastity after arriving in Tatar territory! What’s wrong with me worrying that my son might share the same fate as others?”

“You still dare to argue! You heartless wretch!” Ma Shi flew into a rage, grabbing a shoe sole she’d just finished from the sewing basket and striking Yao Shi with it.

Yao Shi, struck painfully, hurriedly dodged everywhere.

But Ma Shi had martial training after all—how could she let Yao Shi escape? She grabbed her and pressed her onto the kang, targeting her buttocks and swinging her arm in full circles to deliver over ten fierce blows, painful enough to bring tears to Yao Shi’s adult eyes.

“Mother, Mother, stop hitting! Stop hitting!”

Ma Shi angrily threw down the shoe sole, overcome by grief.

“I shouldn’t have agreed to let you go gain experience in the first place! After you went to that wealthy household, you gained knowledge and learned much, but you lost even the most basic conscience! I let you study well for two years until you came of age to leave the manor, hoping you’d understand social hierarchy and we could arrange a good marriage for you. Instead, you climbed into the master’s bed and came back pregnant!

“Yes, as parents we were helpless, and Da Fu is indeed a good child. We accepted it—it was our failure in teaching you. But think now, where do you still resemble a pure and good person? What exactly did you learn in the Pang household?

“Now you don’t care about your daughter-in-law’s life or death, only worrying about whether she’s chaste. You’ve lost even the most basic human kindness—frankly, you’re just selfish! You only worry about yourself! Tell me, how are you different from that Lady Pang you criticize? How? I’ve lived my whole life with integrity—how did I raise such a morally corrupt wretch like you!”

By this time, Yao Shi had also gotten up, her hair disheveled, hairpins fallen, her makeup smeared beyond recognition by tears. Hearing Ma Shi bring up old grievances, each word piercing her heart, she couldn’t help but break down in tears as well.

Yao Chenggu sat to the side, puffing on his pipe. Hearing the mother and daughter quarrel and then cry, he sighed and said: “Yuping, you’re in the wrong on this matter. Private thoughts shouldn’t be known by others. If Gentlemen Xu and Xie relay these thoughts of yours to Da Fu, do you still want to be close to your son as his mother?”

This statement successfully struck Yao Shi’s deepest fear.

Because of her previous conflicts with Qin Yining, there was already a rift between her and her son. She had witnessed firsthand how Pang Xiao had been living these days, her heart aching beyond measure—otherwise she wouldn’t harbor resentment toward Qin Yining. She knew how much affection Pang Xiao had invested in Qin Yining. If Pang Xiao truly learned of her thoughts, mother and son would likely become even more estranged.

Yao Chenggu knocked his pipe bowl against the kang edge: “Your concerns aren’t unreasonable. If you’re worried about bloodline purity in the future, just find a way to get Da Fu a couple of clean, scholarly young ladies as proper concubines. Why make such an ugly fuss about it?”

When Ma Shi heard Yao Chenggu’s words, she was so angry she overturned the kang table, pointing at him and cursing:

“So the Yao family is rotten to the core! Only your grandson is human—other people’s children aren’t born of fathers and mothers anymore?”

Yao Chenggu blinked repeatedly under Ma Shi’s scolding, saying helplessly: “Don’t get excited. I wasn’t really saying anything, and I’m not forcing Da Fu to divorce Qin Shi. Whether to take concubines or not is Da Fu’s decision. With so many people in the household before, we never saw Da Fu show interest.”

“Is that the point!” Ma Shi stood with arms akimbo, furious: “Surnamed Yao, let me ask you—if you had a daughter who was just married for a few days and then taken by her new husband to a plague-ridden disaster area to suffer, even contributing her dowry to support her husband, and then—despite all this—she still hadn’t returned safely and was lost by your son-in-law! What would your feelings be?”

Yao Chenggu was momentarily speechless.

Actually, in this regard, the Qin family had truly conducted themselves admirably. At least during this period, no one from the Qin family had made things difficult for Pang Xiao.

Ma Shi continued: “And that’s not even the most outrageous part! If it were your daughter, lost by your son-in-law, and instead of feeling guilty, your son-in-law’s family worried about whether your daughter had been bedded by others, whether she was still pure, whether she was worthy of bearing children for their family—if you were Yi girl’s real father, what would you think? Stop putting on that sanctimonious appearance and spouting such nonsense—you Yaos have double standards! Frankly speaking, you’re just damned selfish!”

Ma Shi stood with one hand on her hip, the other pointing at Yao Chenggu and Yao Shi: “I’ve walked the martial world my whole life, and what I despise most are people who don’t uphold righteousness. The only reason I don’t slap you both to death is because one of you is my husband and the other is my daughter! Don’t let me hear such talk again, or you can both get out. Don’t acknowledge me as your wife, and Yuping, you don’t need to acknowledge me as your mother either!”

“Mother, please don’t be like this. Father and I have no intention of abandoning Qin Shi. Besides, we’re just thinking about it—we haven’t done anything, have we? Having private thoughts about these things is human nature—what’s incomprehensible about that? Don’t you feel sorry for your grandson?” Yao Shi’s face was full of helplessness and grievance.

Ma Shi laughed coldly: “I do feel sorry for Da Fu. But I also know that Da Fu is a real man, and standing in this world, he should have principles about what to do and what not to do.

“I may not be as educated as you two, nor as scheming, but I know that people shouldn’t do bad things and should live up to their conscience, or there will be retribution sooner or later. If you’re not convinced, I have nothing more to say. I also know you’ve always looked down on me as a crude mother. If you don’t reform your bad habits and still want to meddle in Da Fu’s household affairs, don’t blame me for beating you to death!”

Yao Shi was scolded until she was tearfully aggrieved and began sobbing.

Yao Chenggu put down his pipe, got down from the kang to right the table, saying: “Alright, alright, let’s all calm down. We’re all thinking of Da Fu’s good, aren’t we? Besides, we’re just talking about it—there are no ulterior motives. If Qin Shi can come back, she’ll still be the Princess Consort. Even if there were a hundred concubines, none could surpass her.”

Ma Shi was so angry her face went pale, staring at Yao Chenggu without knowing what to say.

Yao Chenggu consolingly patted Ma Shi’s shoulder: “Isn’t it normal for men to take concubines and bed servants? Don’t you want to hold more great-grandchildren?”

“I do, but taking concubines depends on timing! If Da Fu himself took a fancy to another girl as a concubine, or if Sister Yi proactively arranged concubines and bed servants for him, that would be normal. I wouldn’t care about distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate children—as long as they exist, they’d all be my great-grandchildren. But if you look down on Sister Yi because she was kidnapped, that’s treachery!”

Yao Shi and Yao Chenggu exchanged glances. Father and daughter tacitly agreed not to argue further with Ma Shi. After all, Ma Shi was stubborn—some things couldn’t be reasoned with her, and besides, it was too early to discuss such matters.

The two stopped talking and listened to Ma Shi nag for a long while.

At this time, Pang Xiao had already ridden quickly to the Qin residence and was waiting in the front hall.

“Your Lordship, please wait a moment. Our master is currently attending to the Old Madam’s illness. This servant will immediately have someone go in to relay the message and ask our master to come out.” The steward leading the way bowed respectfully.

Pang Xiao asked with some concern: “The Old Madam in your household is unwell? Have you called an imperial physician to examine her?”

“Thank you for your concern, Your Lordship. The Old Madam caught a cold, and we’ve already had a doctor examine her.”

Pang Xiao’s frown deepened as he waved for the steward to withdraw and fetch someone.

Elderly people had weak constitutions, unlike young people who could recover from colds without fundamental harm. At the Old Madam’s age, she could be said to be like an overripe melon, just waiting for heaven to pluck her. Qin Huaiyuan was a filial son, so being busy attending to her illness was appropriate.

Thinking again of Qin Yining’s disappearance during this period, coinciding with the Old Madam’s illness, this could be considered multiple blows for Qin Huaiyuan. Pang Xiao felt even more guilty.

Pang Xiao lowered his head to look at the note’s contents.

Mu Jinghu, perhaps fearing the note might fall into others’ hands, had written vaguely. But the general meaning was clear—Qin Yining and Lu Heng were captured together by Si Qin, both alive, with no more detailed news.

But just this single sentence led the worried Pang Xiao to imagine many scenarios.

If Mu Jinghu was in Tatar territory, it meant Tianji Zi was also there. Tianji Zi was cunning by nature with considerable depth—who knew if he would scheme against Qin Yining and Lu Heng.

Although Mu Jinghu didn’t specify under what circumstances he had seen Qin Yining, given that Mu Jinghu protected Tianji Zi constantly and Pang Xiao’s understanding of Tianji Zi, it was very likely that Tianji Zi had ingratiated himself with Si Qin and remained in the Tatar palace.

Both Qin Yining and Lu Heng were imprisoned in the palace. A’na Ri and Si Qin simply wanted to use them to negotiate conditions and threaten Great Zhou.

However, Pang Xiao knew that Li Qitian’s wariness of him had deepened. If the Tatars simply used two people as threats, Li Qitian would absolutely refuse, regardless of the conditions offered. Li Qitian loved face above all—how could he tolerate being threatened by barbarians?

But while others might not care, Qin Yining was his life. During this period with Qin Yining missing, his days felt soulless. Even his crime of consecutively defying over thirty imperial edicts—enough to warrant execution—hadn’t been severely punished by Li Qitian, who, seeing his lost state, feared appearing harsh toward meritorious officials before outsiders.

Pang Xiao now truly wished he could grow wings and fly directly to Tatar territory to bring Qin Yining back.

“Your Lordship.”

Just as Pang Xiao was deep in thought, a gentle female voice came from the doorway.

Pang Xiao looked toward the sound and saw Eighth Miss Qin Baoning, dressed in a light pink buttoned cotton jacket and matching eight-panel skirt, approaching with a black lacquered tray, smiling as she served tea.

“Your Lordship, please have tea.”

Pang Xiao had no particular impression of this cousin of Qin Yining’s, nor did he dislike her. He simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment, neither accepting the tea nor making conversation, clearly waiting for Eighth Miss to set down the teacup and leave on her own.

Eighth Miss gently set down the teacup but held onto the black lacquered square tray, nervously lowering her head while shyly glancing quickly at Pang Xiao.

Pang Xiao keenly sensed something was amiss with her, but his heart was entirely occupied with Qin Yining’s safety. Where would he find the leisure to care about what an unfamiliar sister-in-law was thinking? He asked directly: “Do you have other business?”