“Those people naturally have ill intentions.” Qin Yining lowered her eyes, her fingers deftly threading the needle. Her fair fingers looked like the finest white jade carved under the lamplight as she spoke with a somewhat casual tone. “Even though the Tatars have surrendered, they were only forced to submit after being defeated by Duke Dingguo. Are they truly convinced in their hearts?”
Both Ji Yun and Bingtang shook their heads, their faces showing thoughtful expressions.
“They are not a people who submit easily, naturally carrying wildness and barbarism in their nature. If they’re unconvinced in their hearts, they will definitely find ways to build up their strength and wait for the day to take revenge. Actually, in this respect, I quite agree with them. If it were me, I would also lie low and plan for future opportunities.”
“So their coming to celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday this time may not be sincere either, and perhaps there are even conspiracies involved?”
“Certainly so, though we can’t see through them yet.” Qin Yining held her embroidery needle and smiled. “Regardless of what they plan to do later, right now they’re sending gold, silver, and beauties. How will His Majesty react when this reaches his ears?”
Ji Yun and Bingtang’s faces suddenly changed.
“Princess Consort, what should we do?” Ji Yun’s voice was somewhat tight.
Bingtang was even more angry: “I knew these barbarians had ill intentions! They’re clearly trying every way to sow discord and slander His Highness!”
“Not just His Highness.” Qin Yining said. “They’ll do everything possible to create discord between His Majesty and his ministers, so Earl Lu’s situation must be the same. His Majesty is suspicious by nature—this move is quite targeted.”
Qin Yining lowered her voice: “This is Khan Wutejin’s usual method. This person’s scheming cannot be underestimated.”
Si Qin had always been far-sighted in his actions, never choosing his means for success. For power, he could humble himself and become A’na Ri’s prince consort. For status, he could disregard marital affection and kill his wife to seize the throne. Qin Yining didn’t believe such a person would meekly accept defeat. Si Qin was like the most cunning jackal—for prey, he could always wait patiently for the right moment to strike.
“Your Highness.”
“Your Highness.”
As they spoke, the maids’ greetings came from outside.
The curtain was lifted and Pang Xiao walked in. He casually handed his shoulder cloak to Ji Yun who came out to greet him, rubbing his hands as he walked toward Qin Yining. “Ah, I almost had two more beautiful concubines just now.”
Qin Yining was amused by his pretended regret: “What a pity. Having a fierce wife at home has hindered Your Highness’s performance.”
“Indeed.” As soon as Pang Xiao returned to the room, he completely abandoned the sharpness and dominance he showed to outsiders, becoming entirely clingy. He sat next to Qin Yining, embracing her waist and nuzzling her shoulder with his chin.
Qin Yining felt ticklish from his nuzzling and shrank her neck to avoid him, laughing: “How did you deal with them?”
Pang Xiao said innocently: “I just told them, ‘This prince fears his wife and doesn’t dare take concubines. Fortunately, the Loyalty Earl doesn’t fear his wife—he shouldn’t refuse. Please send these beauties to the Loyalty Earl as well.'”
Qin Yining was stunned, then burst into laughter: “You rascal.”
“Rascal? I was already being quite polite.” Pang Xiao snorted, his disdain and hostility written all over his face. Though he didn’t voice it, he was still resentful about Lu Heng’s feelings for his wife.
Qin Yining knew Pang Xiao was full of jealousy. She felt helpless about this matter and could only change the subject: “The Tatars won’t give up easily. Now that the road to the capital is blocked, we’ll have many more days dealing with them.”
The implication was that more gold, silver, and beauties would be sent over in the future.
Pang Xiao frowned: “Whether they send them is their business; whether I accept them is mine.”
“But after frequent contact, outsiders won’t think this way. They might only speculate about how many conditions you’ve agreed to with the Tatars, or what you’re secretly plotting together.”
After Qin Yining finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Pang Xiao held Qin Yining’s waist, resting his chin on her shoulder without putting all his weight on her.
He just enjoyed breathing in the elegant fragrance from her body.
Qin Yining knew Pang Xiao was intelligent and understood everything. Having reminded him of these things, she should give him time to think, so she said no more and methodically continued her embroidery. Her arms occasionally brushed against Pang Xiao, making soft rustling sounds that made the room’s atmosphere warm and peaceful.
Pang Xiao understood in his heart. His loyalty had already earned him heavy suspicion. Now, being outside the capital with Tatars frequently visiting, His Majesty would become suspicious just from not seeing things firsthand. If someone secretly instigated from behind, he would be even more distrusted.
But so what if he was suspected? He had been under suspicion for more than just a day or two. From the initial disappointment and dismay upon first discovery, to the subsequent persecutions, he had become numb and knew what he should care about most and what to pay attention to.
“Don’t worry.” After a long while, Pang Xiao chuckled softly.
His lips brushed past Qin Yining’s earlobe, his voice low and magnetic, his warm breath flowing over her ear and cheek, making her shiver.
Pang Xiao seemed addicted to teasing her and continued whispering in her ear: “I’ll be more careful.”
Qin Yining shrank her neck away from the tickling sensation, giggling: “Stop fooling around.”
Just as Qin Yining had predicted, the Tatars’ gifts of gold, silver, and beauties hadn’t stopped. The next day, they even came directly to see the Princess Consort while Pang Xiao was at the government office.
Qin Yining met them in the side hall.
The visitor was a Tatar official who had accompanied Si Qin that day. He brought four beauties, all sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls, each with different charms—some slender, some plump. Though not stunningly beautiful, they undeniably possessed an exotic appeal different from Da Zhou women.
“I heard your mansion lacks heirs, and the Princess Consort should also consider helping Prince Zhongshun spread his lineage. These four women were carefully selected beforehand for their robust health and honest nature. Why doesn’t the Princess Consort decide to accept them for Prince Zhongshun? If nothing else, this would also quell the Princess Consort’s bad reputation for jealousy.”
Qin Yining smiled as she looked at the Tatar minister. He was in his early forties, tall and lean. When he smiled, several upward-curving hook-like crow’s feet appeared at the corners of his eyes, and his eye bags were squeezed out.
Qin Yining disliked this man’s appearance and her tone was quite cold.
“My reputation for jealousy has long spread throughout the world—everyone knows it, so it’s hardly a bad name anymore. You needn’t trouble yourself with matters of spreading the lineage. As the saying goes, marry a wife for virtue, take concubines for beauty. If His Highness were to take concubines, I would naturally select women who are healthy, of good character, and far more beautiful than myself. Please take these ladies back with you.”
The Tatar minister’s face changed color at her words. After taking a deep breath, he forced a smile: “The Princess Consort is surely joking. Setting aside other things, there aren’t many women whose beauty could surpass yours. Wouldn’t that mean Prince Zhongshun could never take concubines? Look, at the Loyalty Earl’s mansion, the Earl’s wife has already virtuously accepted women on her husband’s behalf. Why doesn’t the Princess Consort also…”
“She is she, and I am I.” Qin Yining smiled. “I’m jealous, so I won’t agree. Even if His Highness were to take concubines, their beauty would have to surpass mine—this is what His Highness promised long ago. I’m sorry, but please don’t interfere in our domestic affairs anymore.”
Qin Yining’s attitude was quite firm, especially considering she was facing not just anyone, but an envoy who had come with Si Qin.
It was as if she would find ways to make him understand if he didn’t know his place!
“Very well.” He wasn’t willing to risk his life just to arrange people in the Prince’s mansion. Moreover, he never expected those women to accomplish anything there anyway—they were merely one link in the scheme to sow discord. Since the Prince’s mansion refused to take the bait, so be it. At least things were going smoothly at the Loyalty Earl’s mansion.
The Tatar minister finally left with the four Tatar girls.
When Pang Xiao returned in the evening, he smiled and told Qin Yining: “You did well today. The Loyalty Earl’s place has become a complete mess. His wife must be truly foolish—how could she accept both the gold, silver, jewels, and beauties the Tatars sent just to appear virtuous?”
Pang Xiao splashed water on his face and took the towel Qin Yining handed him, wiping himself while smiling: “My Yining is still the best. Having a virtuous wife brings fewer disasters to the husband—truly the ancients don’t deceive me.”
Qin Yining was amused by Pang Xiao’s appearance and felt somewhat sympathetic toward Lu Heng, but didn’t ask details about the Lu family’s affairs.
Everyone must take responsibility for their own decisions.
The next morning when she got up, the rain that had been falling continuously for nearly two months had actually stopped. Though the sky still had thick, rolling clouds, it had truly stopped raining—not a single drop was falling.
Bingtang, Ji Yun, Ziyuan, and Hanxiao happily went to clean the courtyard early in the morning, returning with light voices and steps.
“Princess Consort, the rain has finally stopped! This servant thinks the weather shouldn’t continue raining!”
Qin Yining looked at the sky: “I think so too.”
“If it doesn’t rain anymore, that would be wonderful. We haven’t seen a clear day in so long—our bedding is so damp we’re relying entirely on the heated kang.”
Just as the maids hoped, by noon the dark clouds had completely dispersed, and the long-absent bright sun finally showed its face after being shy for two months, generously spilling warmth onto the earth.
The entire Huichuan county town and surrounding mountains were wrapped in layers of white mist, with water vapor rising unreservedly. The weather seemed to change from deep autumn to summer in an instant, so warm it felt comfortable to the bone. Even the muggy heat with its steamer-like atmosphere felt pleasant.
After two consecutive days of clear weather, bedding and clothes were being aired everywhere in the mansion.
In the other courtyard, the Empress stood with Nanny Sun under the corridor, looking up and breathing the air mixed with earth, grass, and moisture, her face full of satisfied and accomplished smiles.
“I knew that sincere prayers to the bodhisattvas and gods could be heard. Look, after these days of my vegetarian diet and Buddhist prayers, Huichuan’s rain has truly stopped. I wonder if other places have also cleared up.”
“Your Majesty prayed for the nation’s welfare and moved Heaven itself, which then bestowed this auspicious sign. Heaven must surely be touched by Your Majesty’s sincere devotion—other places must have cleared up as well.”
“I hope so.” The Empress smiled slightly, then said with a smile: “I heard there’s a Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple in Huichuan County. Since sincere prayers are effective, we cannot miss the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple.”