Qin Yining soothingly patted Pang Xiao’s chest, then feigned anger: “If you’re going to be like this every time, I won’t tell you about my affairs anymore.”
Her charming manner made Pang Xiao’s heart melt. Holding her and rocking back and forth, he said: “Alright, alright, don’t be angry. I was just saying that—it’s not like I’m really going to take a knife and kill him. I know you still have plans, and I won’t ruin your affairs.”
If Pang Xiao’s subordinates knew their commander had such a side, who knows how shocked they would be? Where would his military authority be then?
Thinking this, Qin Yining couldn’t help but giggle.
Seeing her laugh, Pang Xiao couldn’t help but laugh along, asking: “Yining, what happy thing did you think of? Why are you laughing like this?”
“You don’t know what I’m laughing about, yet you’re laughing along?” Qin Yining found it even more amusing.
Pang Xiao was leaning against her fragrant, soft body, her laughter was so pleasant to hear, making him even more cheerful: “Seeing you laugh naturally makes me laugh.”
A simple truth, yet the most heartwarming words of love.
Qin Yining nuzzled against his chest, saying softly: “Silly.”
“What? What did you call me?” He suddenly flipped over to pin her down, his hands constantly tickling the soft flesh at her waist.
Qin Yining was most afraid of being tickled. She immediately laughed until she was trembling like a flower in the wind, breathless, pulling at his hands and begging for mercy: “Alright, alright, I know I was wrong!”
“That’s more like it.” Pang Xiao laughed too. “Alright, tell me, how do you plan to deal with him?”
“Mm. I’ve thought of some methods. But I haven’t decided whether to use them yet. Why don’t I tell you about it, and you can help me consider?”
Pang Xiao sat up, pretending to be arrogant as he lifted his chin and put his hands on his hips: “Well, I’ll have to think about it. I don’t easily offer my services. When others ask me for help, I won’t agree no matter how much silver they offer. But you…”
He touched her cheek: “Seeing how beautiful you are, this lord will make an exception and reluctantly help you.”
Qin Yining quickly played along: “Great, then thank you, my lord.”
“I don’t help for free—I charge very high fees!”
“Oh my, then what should I do? I don’t have any silver.”
“Then…” Pang Xiao leaned over her, whispering something in her ear.
Qin Yining’s face immediately turned red, and she pounded his shoulder: “You scoundrel!”
With his beloved wife in his arms, how could Pang Xiao restrain himself? Besides, he had taken that medicine, so he didn’t need to worry about her becoming pregnant. Naturally, they accomplished another good deed.
After they had washed again, Qin Yining was so tired she didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger. Leaning drowsily in his embrace, she still complained: “I haven’t even held the children today, haven’t nursed them—it’s all your fault!”
“Alright, alright, it’s my fault. Sleep obediently. They have wet nurses taking care of them anyway, so they won’t go hungry.”
Thinking of Pang Xiao’s various wicked behaviors, Qin Yining’s cheeks burned red. She turned over, hugging the quilt, not wanting to pay attention to him anymore. Soon after, she fell asleep again.
Pang Xiao contentedly held her waist from behind, fitting her into his embrace, only then turning serious as he contemplated the Sitong Trading Company problem.
Like Qin Yining, Pang Xiao also didn’t believe that a large trading company that had operated for over a hundred years wouldn’t have a major family supporting it from behind. Perhaps the backing behind Sitong Trading Company was even a prestigious family clan like the Lu family.
He had killed many enemies on battlefields and always took blame for Li Qitian. To be honest, he couldn’t even remember how many people he had offended.
In the past, when he was alone, his thinking was straightforward—whatever came his way, he would handle it. He wasn’t afraid of any schemes directed at him; he would solve problems as they arose.
But now, he had more and more concerns. Having experienced Qin Yining being kidnapped by the Tatars, his worries had deepened. He was truly worried that because of himself, outsiders would target Qin Yining.
What kind of family was behind Sitong Trading Company?
This family would be difficult to investigate, but Sitong Trading Company itself could be investigated. It was said to have originated in the Guinan Prefecture area—they could start investigating from Guinan Prefecture.
Pang Xiao tightened his hold on the person in his arms, his gaze becoming more determined.
If they wanted to deal with him, he wasn’t some soft persimmon that could be squeezed at will! This time with Sitong Trading Company, it seemed like he had won, but Sitong Trading Company had probably achieved their goal too. This could only be considered a win-win situation, and moreover, he had been passive in this “cooperation.” He was keeping this account in his heart, unsettled.
Well then, he would wait to settle accounts slowly in the future!
“Your Highness, please calm down.” Gu Shixiong helplessly tried to persuade Yuchi Yan, saying softly: “We’ve failed to satisfy Sitong Trading Company several times in our work. This time being refused an audience with Advisor Liu is normal. We just need to do better in the future. Why must Your Highness be so angry?”
Yuchi Yan frowned, his face red as if someone had slapped him hard, so embarrassed he wanted to find a crack in the ground to hide in.
“This is the first time in my life I’ve been so servile! I, a sovereign of a nation, am subjected to such humiliation!”
Yuchi Yan swept his hand across the bookshelf, scattering the neatly arranged books, as furious as if he wanted to tear Advisor Liu to pieces.
He was an emperor after all, yet he had to have his dignity trampled by a mere merchant!
Gu Shixiong felt utterly helpless listening nearby.
The most tragic thing in the world was people like Yuchi Yan who couldn’t recognize reality and refused to accept it. Such people seemed strong on the surface, but once they fell, they could never get back up. They would harbor resentment, feeling wronged and angry about everything they suffered, yet they couldn’t learn to open their eyes to see the situation clearly, to understand their own identity and circumstances.
Such people couldn’t learn to be flexible. Instead, they thought those who could bend and stretch were shameless villains. They maintained their lofty status, but in essence couldn’t escape their lowly position.
“Your Highness.” Gu Shixiong’s patience had reached its limit. He looked at Yuchi Yan, lowering his voice to scold: “Does Your Highness still remember where we are? And what your own identity and status are? You might still become a sovereign again, but right now there is only one sovereign. Our plotting is just plotting—if you shout so loudly, are you afraid others don’t know what we’re up to?”
Upon hearing this, Yuchi Yan first seemed awakened, showing fear on his face. But then, looking at Gu Shixiong’s wrinkled old face with its angry, detestable expression, anger rose in his heart again.
“Yes. I am now Prince Zhennan. But when Lord Gu spoke those words just now, did you consider the same problem? Do you still remember where we are? What your identity and status are?
“I may be down and out, first becoming a fallen sovereign, but I’ve never given up trying. I’ve been following your arrangements to do this and that. To pursue the treasure, I couldn’t even protect my wives, concubines, and in-laws. Coming here, I even discarded my dignity to curry favor with a merchant!
“Today when we went to seek an audience with Advisor Liu and were turned away, Lord Gu is in a bad mood, and I’m in a bad mood too. Why do you only scold me without reflecting on yourself? You scold me for indulging my emotions—how are you any different!”
Yuchi Yan rarely had such moments of clarity while angry. Since he was pushed into becoming crown prince of the Great Yan Dynasty like a duck being driven up a shelf, not a single day had been good for him. He had given up his most beloved calligraphy and painting. Every day he schemed like a fly seeking profit, all just hoping to revitalize the dynasty and let the people live good lives.
But how had things become like this?
Was it from when his imperial father disregarded father-son affection and accumulated treasures while embezzling people’s tax grain, or from when he was forced to become a fallen sovereign and bow his head to enemy nations?
He wouldn’t forget that the man before him was a veteran of three dynasties, and even an imperial tutor!
And regarding the treasure affair, he had known from the beginning and had acquiesced to his father’s actions!
“Who is more noble than whom?” Tears swirled in Yuchi Yan’s eyes as he shook his head, saying in despair: “When Lord Gu helped my father hide that silver, did you think like my father that I was worthless? Only fit to be a fallen sovereign, to replace my father in presenting surrender documents? When Lord Gu helped my father hide that treasure, weren’t you only thinking about restoration, never considering how I was supposed to save that devastated country without that silver, how I was supposed to feed the starving people during the famine?”
Yuchi Yan looked at Gu Shixiong with red eyes: “Do you know that because you hid that money, how the old capital was filled with refugees? How many families resorted to eating their own children! You put me in that position just to be a scapegoat! And you! How much more noble are you than this useless thing that I am!”
Gu Shixiong never expected that Yuchi Yan was still brooding over this matter.
“That decision was merely storing energy for the collapsing dynasty, planning for the future! Indeed, some people starved to death because of that tax grain, but compared to a dynasty’s prosperity, those lives were merely foundation stones for success—that was their honor!”
“Since it was such an honor, why did Lord Gu still know to hide grain at home and treasure outside, eating your fill in private, then coming out pretending to be underfed!”
At that time, even he, the sovereign, had begun going hungry, eating black bread hard as stone!
Gu Shixiong didn’t expect Yuchi Yan knew about this too—it must have been when Gu Chang returned home and found out, then told Yuchi Yan.
His old face flushed slightly, and he said calmly: “I indeed shouldn’t have done that, but I was preserving myself to continue serving the country!”
Yuchi Yan suddenly turned around, taking several deep breaths, but his heart was filled with sorrow.
People in this world often were strict with others but lenient with themselves—double standards, nothing more. Other people’s children saying a word had bad breath, but their own children’s excrement and farts smelled fragrant. Selfishness was nothing more than this.