Qin Yining smiled gracefully, “I haven’t finished making the clothes I’ve been tailoring for you lately. Besides, it’s so damp and cold outside – even if you wanted me to go out and walk around, I wouldn’t want to.”

By saying this, she playfully gave Pang Xiao a gentle rebuff. Though Pang Xiao had confined her for her own good, she wasn’t one of those women who could be easily controlled by others. One word had forbidden her from leaving the second gate, and now with one word he wanted to grant her freedom – well, she didn’t feel like going out anymore.

This gentle rebuff left Pang Xiao both amused and exasperated, while Xie Yue, Xu Weizhi and the others burst into hearty laughter.

Mu Jinghu laughed until he could barely breathe, “Right! You should teach that fox Pang a lesson. We’re not going out anymore! Why should we obey when he says we can’t go out, and now think everything’s fine with just one word?”

“Hey, Mutou, you’re being unfair.” Pang Xiao put his arm around Mu Jinghu’s shoulder and punched him with his fist. “Next time you make your wife angry, I won’t help you come up with ideas.”

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Xu Weizhi laughed until his beard trembled, still not forgetting to give Pang Xiao advice, “Shouldn’t Your Highness properly apologize to the Princess Consort?”

“Exactly! The Princess Consort did absolutely nothing wrong. From the beginning, everything was for your benefit. She took so many risks for you. Put your hand on your heart and tell us – how many women could do this much for their husbands? And what did you do? You came back and without a word, confined her just because you were angry. What you did this time was wrong to begin with.”

Huzi had followed Pang Xiao the longest, and with the atmosphere now light, he quickly spoke up for Qin Yining. Bingtang had told him countless times in private that it was too excessive for His Highness to confine the Princess Consort, and he himself felt the Princess Consort was wrongly confined.

Xie Yue also chimed in, “Many people know about the Princess Consort’s confinement. The other day I heard people talking, saying Earl Zhongyi’s wife probably came to trouble the Princess Consort precisely because she heard about the confinement and wanted to gloat.”

With everyone saying this, even Pang Xiao began to feel like a great sinner.

He straightened his expression, stood up and bowed to Qin Yining with cupped hands, “Yining, this time I was in the wrong.”

Qin Yining quickly stepped aside to avoid his bow, returning the courtesy with a smile, “What right and wrong is there between husband and wife? I know you were concerned for my safety. Besides, I’ve been quite comfortable every day – being confined or not doesn’t matter much. I was just teasing you earlier.”

Pang Xiao laughed heartily, “You don’t know – your one tease made me sweat more than fighting a battle.”

He wiped the back of his neck to show Qin Yining, and indeed his palm was sweaty.

Seeing this, everyone laughed again.

The atmosphere at the prince’s mansion was relaxed and pleasant.

The atmosphere at the Lu mansion was also quite pleasant today.

“My lord, you should have seen how those soldiers couldn’t buy grain today – they were so anxious! Oh my, I’ve never seen such dejected faces.” Shopkeeper Liu from Maosheng Grain Store smiled obsequiously.

Shopkeeper Cui from Huichuan Grain Store also said ingratiatingly, “Indeed! Same at our grain store. At this rate, they won’t last two days. Over a hundred strapping young men howling from hunger – what a sight that would be!”

The shopkeepers from several other grain shops sat at the end, not even having a chance to speak directly with Lu Heng, only able to echo along.

Lu Heng smiled, “This is all thanks to everyone’s cooperation.”

“We wouldn’t dare, we wouldn’t dare,” everyone said in unison.

Lu Heng said, “Though I hold a noble title and serve as this minor official, my Lu family comes from merchant origins, as everyone knows. With this rain situation, grain prices will inevitably rise.”

“Yes, if we all maintain consistency, we can take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune,” Shopkeeper Cui smiled. “We should thank you, my lord, for the reminder and giving us fellow traders this chance to work together.”

Lu Heng smiled and waved his hand dismissively, then his lips gradually drooped as he sighed, “It’s just a pity that Sifang Business’s manager was too busy today.”

Sifang Business hadn’t been established in Huichuan County for long, but the Lu family had long heard of Sifang Business’s considerable scale in the south. Today he had wanted to take this opportunity to make contact, but after sending an invitation, their chief manager said he had urgent matters and couldn’t spare the time, promising to visit another day.

Lu Heng knew this was a rejection, and naturally felt displeased.

However, though displeased, it wasn’t to the point of being petty about it. After all, for the Lu family head, a small branch manager of Sifang Business was like an ant – he truly didn’t take it to heart.

Hearing that Lu Heng seemed displeased with Sifang Business, Shopkeeper Cui, Shopkeeper Liu and the others all chimed in with agreement.

“That Sifang Business hasn’t been in our Huichuan very long – who knows how they became so arrogant.”

“Ah, Brother Cui doesn’t know – Sifang Business is quite large in the south.”

“Just because they’re big in the south, does that mean they can be equally big when they come to our north?”

The shopkeepers from the smaller grain shops all echoed these sentiments.

Lu Heng was very satisfied seeing them cater to his words this way. He had climbed step by step to this position precisely to be above others, and this kind of flattery that made him the center of attention brought Lu Heng both physical and mental pleasure.

He even thought it would be wonderful if Qin Yining could see him in such glory.

How could Qin Yining marrying that peasant brute Pang Zhixi compare to being with him? Could a hundred-year-old prestigious family really be inferior to Pang Xiao, a nouveau riche?

At heart, Lu Heng still looked down on the nouveau riche – not just Pang Xiao, but even Ji Zeyu, and even the current Emperor. None of their foundations could compare to the Lu family.

The group chatted harmoniously and left at the appropriate time, promising to strictly maintain their bottom line – no matter how much silver the prince’s mansion offered, they absolutely would not sell rice.

Lu Heng smiled with satisfaction and ordered people to see them off.

Only when the flower hall returned to quiet did Lu Heng’s attendant Lu Wenru dare to step forward and report, “My lord, Madam is making trouble again, saying she wants to hang herself.”

Lu Heng laughed, “This really is crying, making a scene, then threatening suicide. If it weren’t for the Emperor acting as matchmaker, I’d really like to help her kick the stool away.”

Lu Wenru hadn’t followed Lu Heng for long. He always felt that though the family head seemed gentle and amiable, his methods were extraordinarily ruthless. Those Lu family members who were disobedient or had objections to Lu Heng’s position as family head all died very suddenly later. So when facing Lu Heng, Lu Wenru always followed the principle of speaking little and doing much, listening little and living much – avoiding commenting on his master’s affairs whenever possible.

So even hearing Lu Heng say this now, Lu Wenru didn’t say much, only asking, “My lord, do you want to go see?”

Lu Heng thought for a moment, “See? Of course I’ll see.”

Lu Heng now had some interest in Bian Ruohan – not appreciation, but rather he wanted to observe exactly where and how much this foolish woman fell short compared to Qin Yining.

It seemed only this way could he find some trace of Qin Yining and ease that flame in his heart that could never be extinguished.