Just thinking that Qin Yining might have suffered like these women, anger surged unceasingly in Pang Xiao’s heart. He turned to glare furiously at the over thousand prisoners tightly bound behind them, exhaled a heavy breath of stale air, and spoke only one word: “Kill.”
Huzi immediately understood and called the Pingnan Army soldiers toward the prisoners.
Seeing the Pingnan Army approaching with murderous intent, the mountain bandits were all scared witless, kowtowing repeatedly to beg for mercy.
“Spare our lives, ancestors spare us! We’ve already surrendered!”
“Yes, we’ll reform completely from now on and never be bandits again. It’s just that times are hard—we had no choice but to take to the mountains and become outlaws. We truly didn’t mean it!”
“Please spare our lives, please spare us, great king!”
…
But Pang Xiao turned around and said coldly, “If I spare you, what about the common people you’ve harmed? Just because you’re pitiful gives you the right to become bandits and harm others?
“You’re men, yet you rely on your physical strength to bully the weak and oppress good women. Don’t you have mothers and sisters in your families? Don’t you have wives and daughters? When you violated other people’s women, didn’t you think about whether you could face your consciences!
“I despise people like you most. If you have ability, go fight foreign enemies! Go north and fight the Tatars! You have all this strength, yet you use it all to bully women! You people all deserve to die!”
At this point, Pang Xiao declared with imposing authority, “Kill! These bandits are utterly unforgivable—leave not one alive!”
“Yes!” The remaining nine hundred-plus Pingnan Army soldiers felt genuinely convinced and willing to obey Pang Xiao for the first time.
Though they had been bought off to cause trouble for Pang Xiao, this battle had truly shown them Pang Xiao’s capabilities. Such clean and decisive command was truly beyond anything they had ever seen.
Moreover, Pang Xiao’s methods of dealing with bandits and helping common people also convinced them. Regardless of whether they had previously stood on opposite sides, just looking at Pang Xiao’s character now was worthy of admiration.
They were soldiers—what they looked down on most were those who relied on their strength to commit evil deeds, then when caught, acted like they were the most pitiful and had no choice. Just as the Prince said, if you have ability, go to battle and kill enemies—what kind of ability is bullying women, old people, and children!
For a time, Canglong Mountain was filled with the stench of blood, with the bandits’ pleas for mercy and screams forming one continuous sound.
Those women who had wanted to commit suicide stared at this hellish scene in stunned silence.
They had never seen so many people killed at once in their entire lives—killed in the blink of an eye. That heavy, blood-soaked stench rose to the heavens, making one want to vomit.
Though they were afraid, they felt more satisfaction that their great revenge had been repaid.
Some women wept, some cried while laughing, and some still wanted to commit suicide. Pang Xiao quickly ordered people to stop them all.
“Even if you’re homeless, can’t you be strong for yourselves? Live for yourselves? I guarantee that after we leave, I’ll find ways to arrange work for you, ensuring no one will bully you and that you can eat by the work of your own hands. Since you had the fortune to survive in such a den of dragons and tigers, can’t you cherish your own lives? I won’t spread word everywhere about where you came from—I’ll just treat you as refugees to be settled. Trust me!”
Pang Xiao anxiously comforted everyone. Among the remaining Pingnan Army soldiers, many were also kind-hearted and joined in the persuasion. They were all clumsy, rough men who couldn’t speak in refined, pleasant words—they could only offer their most sincere persuasion.
“Big sister, you’re still young—why die for other people’s words?”
“Little girl, look how much of a pity it would be if you died. If your parents knew, wouldn’t they be heartbroken?”
…
Surrounded by such kindness, the women finally couldn’t help but let their emotions run free and began to cry loudly, but everyone put aside thoughts of ending their lives.
Listening to that continuous, heartbreaking weeping, Pang Xiao’s heart was also heavy.
He turned to instruct Huzi, “You go down the mountain first to find the Princess Consort. Ask if her estates have anywhere to temporarily accommodate these women. If the Princess Consort asks, tell her the truth.”
“Yes, I’ll go immediately.” Hearing the instruction, Huzi immediately ran down the mountain.
Pang Xiao then ordered people to count the treasures and valuable items in the Canglong Mountain bandit stronghold, while a few literate soldiers registered the names, ages, origins, and skills of the rescued people for easier management.
He wasn’t in a hurry to lead people down the mountain now, because among the seven hundred rescued people, nearly five hundred were women. Even if he brought them back to the military camp, there would be nowhere to settle them. It was better to wait for news here.
At Qin Yining’s place, she was holding Han Ge’er trying to soothe him.
Perhaps because spring had arrived, the child had caught a slight cold these past two days. Qin Yining was heartbroken beyond measure. Even though Bingtang repeatedly assured her the child would be fine, she still worried so much she couldn’t sleep all night. Right now both Han Ge’er and Zhao Ge’er had taken medicine. Zhao Ge’er was being held and soothed by Bingtang, while Qin Yining was actually comforting Han Ge’er, whose symptoms were more severe. The two children had just fallen asleep when the warm curtain at the door lifted. Ji Yun walked in silently, curtsied, and pointed outside.
Qin Yining knew there was some matter. Holding the swaddling clothes, she hummed softly and placed the child in the cradle, quietly instructing the wet nurse to take good care of him before tiptoeing out of the warm pavilion.
Reaching the corridor, Qin Yining pulled her cloud-shoulder cape closer and asked quietly, “What’s wrong?”
“Princess Consort, Huzi has returned, saying the Prince has something to discuss with you.”
Qin Yining nodded and immediately went to see Huzi.
Though Huzi’s dark soft armor didn’t show dried bloodstains, his hair was disheveled and he still carried a faint bloody smell—clearly he had experienced a fierce battle.
Qin Yining hurried forward worriedly, asking anxiously, “What happened?”
Huzi quickly bowed and explained with a smile, “Princess Consort, don’t worry. This is all bandit blood. The Prince wasn’t injured, and neither was I. Today the Prince led us to suppress bandits.”
“Suppress bandits?” Hearing about bandit suppression, Qin Yining instinctively thought of their previously discussed plan.
But on second thought, Sitong Company didn’t have so many guards that even Huzi, who constantly stayed by Pang Xiao’s side, would need to fight and get covered in blood. So they must have really gone to suppress bandits.
Qin Yining carefully asked about today’s events.
Huzi explained everything—how the Pingnan Army camp had been in chaos, how Pang Xiao had arranged things, and finally mentioned those women with nowhere to go who wanted to commit suicide.
“The Prince had great difficulty persuading them to stop, but many women still couldn’t think straight and quickly chose death. It’s truly pitiful. The camp is all men—there’s no way to bring these women back. So the Prince came to ask the Princess Consort if there’s any way to settle them, whether your estates have any work for them to do first, at least giving them a way to live.”
Hearing Huzi’s words, Qin Yining could imagine the tragic scene and was moved to compassion. Even if she truly had no place to settle these people, she would still find a way.
Qin Yining said, “Don’t worry. The estates have much farm work to be done, and I just discussed with Manager Zhong about establishing silk and textile factories—growing mulberry trees, raising silkworms, and weaving all need women workers. Even without this matter, I would have needed to find other people. If these women are willing, they can all come to my place.”
Hearing this, Huzi immediately beamed with joy, “Princess Consort, you’re truly a great person!”
He bowed to Qin Yining, “I’ll go back and tell the Prince—he’ll definitely be very happy. Don’t look at how the Prince killed those bandits without blinking, but what the Prince dislikes most is letting innocent people die in vain.”
Qin Yining smiled, her eyes crinkling, “I know. He’s a person with the kindest and softest heart.”
More importantly, Pang Xiao was someone who could think from women’s perspectives, without so many stale customs and rules in his heart that would look down on women so cheaply.
This point became clear to Qin Yining when she herself was kidnapped by Tatars—Pang Xiao had risked defying imperial orders to find and bring her back, and never once doubted her.
Hearing Qin Yining praise his Prince, Huzi was happier than anything else. He joyfully bowed to Qin Yining, asked about the family’s situation, then hurried outside.
Qin Yining then ordered someone to fetch Manager Zhong to arrange the settlement of those women.
“Princess Consort, we don’t yet have complete certainty about establishing the factories, and we haven’t even selected the factory sites. I’m afraid we’ll still need to first settle them on the estates.”
“I was thinking the same thing. During this time, we can also have them learn first.” Qin Yining smiled.
But Manager Zhong said with some concern, “Princess Consort, what I mean is, if these weak women are arranged to go to the estates, it might cause dissatisfaction in many people’s hearts, especially with Manager Xia as the leader. You just waived the rent for those tenant farmers—Manager Xia is probably jumping mad right now.”
Qin Yining smiled, “I understand what you mean, but let’s just do our own business without worrying about others’ thoughts. If he’s dissatisfied, he can come directly to me.”
Seeing Qin Yining smile so calmly and pleasantly, Manager Zhong also felt at ease and smiled along.
Manager Zhong then led people to implement arrangements for those women’s food and lodging.
When Huzi returned to Canglong Mountain, he saw dozens of horse carts winding along the mountain path, each loaded with gold, silver, treasures, porcelain, silk, and even rosewood and huanghuali furniture.
Huzi clicked his tongue, “My goodness, these bandits sure could plunder—where did they get so many valuable things!”
“Wasn’t it all robbed? They cleaned out all the wealthy families in the surrounding areas.” A soldier spat, though whether in contempt of these mountain bandits or jealousy of their wealth was unclear.
After hearing Huzi’s report, Pang Xiao thought of Qin Yining’s confident appearance when she spoke of settling these women without pressure, and his smile became increasingly gentle.
His wife had always been a clever and capable person.
With her helping manage the household at home, he could focus on his endeavors outside with peace of mind.
Just as Pang Xiao divided his army into two routes—one part escorting the rescued people to be settled at the estates, the other escorting treasures back to the military camp—in Governor Yang’s residence, the outer courtyard study was completely silent.