Weichi Yanâs outstretched hand froze in mid air. He was stooped over, looking down at the top of the girlâs head in front of him. His heart was especially heavy as he gazed at her inky black locks. It was even heavier than when heâd learned of his father hiding the tax grain and national silver.
Heâd finally thought of a solution that neatly resolved everything and placed her where he could easily see her. Were all his efforts to be rendered useless in the end?
When heâd left with Qin Huaiyuan and the Duke of An, visions of her communing with the gods had repeated endlessly in his mind. He couldnât wait for some alone time with her, so he sent the two men away with a random excuse halfway through and swung back around.
Who knew that heâd run into one of the imperial guards carrying a message before he made it back to the residence?
His heart sank after understanding the ins and outs of the situation. However, his primary concern wasnât how to punish the interfering empress; it was a frantic brainstorm how to calm Qin Yining down and convince her to stay.
But her reaction like a bird startled by the merest twang of a bow truly did send him into disarray.
âWhat are you doing, Yiâer? Whoâs not letting you live? YouâŠâ
âYour Majesty!â Qin Yining backed up once again and kowtowed. âIf Your Majesty refuses to allow me to live, then please bestow a bolt of white silk for me to hang myself with.â
âWhat kind of talk is this? Do get up first.â Weichi Yan stubbornly wanted to help Qin Yining up.
The girl scooted backwards again and remained planted into the ground. âYour Majesty, I am very grateful to receive Xuan Su Temple. I am also exceedingly happy to be able to do something for my country. However, long term residence here will only give rise to certain speculations.â
âWho does speculate about you? Who dares pass around wild rumors? We will have their head! Donât be like this. Stand up first, alright?â Weichi Yan stooped down to the girlâs level when he saw that he was unable to convince her to stand.
But the Qin fourth miss still refused to look at him and kept to her kneeling position. âYour Majesty, please allow this subject to return home to further walk the path of dao. Your subject was once a candidate for empress. There will certainly be those who think that we have an unspeakable relationship. This was once a royal residence, after all. Itâs very close to the palace.
âThough we are completely innocent with nothing between us, there will be those who say that Your Majesty has done all this to make it easier to reach me. If Your Majestyâs character is gossiped about, then even my death ten thousand times over wouldnât be enough to wash clean of that crime!â
Anguished, Weichi Yanâs gaze flitted past Qin Yining and alighted on Jiyun, who was kneeling behind her mistress. The maid was sniffling and her cheek red and swollen. The sight stoked the fires of anger again.
According to the guard, the empress and Qin Yining had clashed with each other just now. If it hadnât been for the maid loyally protecting her mistress, wouldnât it be Qin Yining whoâd been slapped?
The emperor glared resentfully at Li Yanyan.
Meanwhile, Qin Yining was still speaking. âI was struck with disaster when young and have just reunited with my family. But since Iâve come home, weâve been hit with trouble after trouble. I spend more time apart from my parents than with them. Being unable to perform my filial duties by their side is my greatest distress and difficulty. Your Majesty, you know best just how much actual ability this subject has. Iâve never hidden anything from you, so please show mercy and allow me to return home to practice.â
Absolute pain gripped Weichi Yanâs heart when he thought of Qin Yiningâs circumstances, but he really couldnât bear to let her go. Once she went home, it would be easier for him to touch the skies than for the two to meet again, and it would be absolutely impossible for the two to meet privately like this.
But when he looked at the swollen cheek of the maid next to her, thought of her high birth and dignity, and whatâd happened in her childhood, Weichi Yan really didnât have the heart to subject her to such wild rumors on top of everything.
As someone by his side, even the empress suspected that Qin Yining was his illicit mistress. What about those who didnât know him at all? Would they think that relations between the two of them were even more sordid?
Weichi Yan felt knives stab his heart. âYouâŠâ
âPlease approve my request, Your Majesty.â Qin Yining kowtowed.
Weichi Yan pursed his lips and closed his eyes. He thought through much in that split second. He thought of Qin Huaiyuanâs stratagems, Qin Yiningâs intelligence, the accomplishments that the Qins had made for the government, and how resolute Qin Yiningâs rejection had been that day in the palace.
In terms of open and aboveboard avenues, there was no hope for anything to develop between the two of them. His heart had then turned to cherishing a dream that sheâd change her mind and give him a chance to pursue her.
But now it looked like even this simple wish would never come true, and it was his new empress thatâd made things this way.
âForget it, forget it.â Weichi Yan sat down dejectedly. âDonât be sad. We permit you to return home. Be a layman Taoist at home. Xuan Su Temple will remain yours â the fires of worship here will burn ever brighter. If you want, you can come back for a stay anytime. We⊠we will no longer compel you.â
Qin Yiningâs heart could finally settle back down.
She hadnât wanted to do all this, but Li Yanyan had come with ill intentions that were impossible to reconcile. When faced with someone hostile to her, the Qin fourth miss felt no guilt at all in making a mountain out of a molehill.
When sheâd seen the empress increasingly lose her temper, Qin Yining had furthered things along with provocative words. This way, Weichi Yan would finally let her go amidst a mixture of guilt and anger.
As for how the emperor would punish his new wife, well, he wouldnât do anything to her if he had the slightest bit of a brain left. With the Prince of Ning heavily injured, the only one who could lead the armies against Great Zhou was Li Yanyanâs father, the Duke of An.
It wasnât the thing to do to ask the duke fight the war, but punish his daughter.
Seeing that the emperor had finally softened his stance and voiced the ambiguous âwill no longer compel youâ, Qin Yining gave a proper kowtow. âThis subject thanks Your Majestyâs kindness.â
Weichi Yan felt his heart bleed. He could be kind and allow Qin Yiningâs request, but who could show him the same kindness?
He whipped his head back furiously to glare at the culprit of this situation. He really wanted to choke Li Yanyan to death!
With Eunuch Lu helping him up, Weichi Yan was about to speak when someone hurriedly ran in from outside. Thumping to their knees, the servant kowtowed with tears streaming down his face. âYour Majesty! The Prince of Ning! Heâs⊠heâs⊠no more!â
âWhat?!â The room dimmed before Weichi Yanâs eyes as he stumbled backwards. It was thanks to Lu-gonggongâs quick reaction prevented his master from crashing to the ground.
Deep grief settled in after incomprehensible shock, given Weichi Yanâs deep relationship with the prince. Tears streamed down his face.
âRoyal uncle, royal uncle, itâs all my fault!â
âYour Majesty, please be mindful of your health!â Lu-gonggong spoke through his tears.
The adverse tidings had drained the color from Qin Yiningâs face. When she thought of the hot-blooded man that was the Prince of Ning, grief welled up and she too started crying.
âReady the horses, We go to Ning Manor immediately!â Weichi Yan paid no attention to Li Yanyan as he stumbled his way outside.
The empress was hot on his heels with Li-mama and Liu Baoâs support.
Qin Yining wiped at her eyes with her sleeves.
âMiss, do you want to Ning Manor as well?â Jiyun asked.
The Qin fourth miss pursed her lips and shook her head. âItâs not appropriate for me to go at this time. Those gathered at the manor are family and royal relatives. I need to follow fatherâs arrangements if I want to express my condolences.â
Jiyun nodded. Though she was from Great Zhou, she quite respected valiant heroes with moral integrity. As she watched her mistress wipe away tears, she thought of the fact that the prince had been harmed by Pang Xiao. The guard grew uneasy again, wanting to say something, but not sure what she could say.
Qin Yining sighed to see the guard thus. âWar is war. There will be casualties as soon as it begins. Pang Zhixi and the Prince of Ning were on opposing sides, so I knew this day would come sooner or later. If it wasnât the prince, itâd be Pang Zhixi. It was Pang Zhixi who came off better in the exchange this time. If he hadâŠâ
She tilted her head back in sucked in a deep breath. âIâm still selfish after all.â
âDonât think so much, miss.â Qiulu comforted gently off to the side. âYouâre just a girl at the end of the day. There was nothing you couldâve done here. Let men take care of their business.â
Qin Yining smiled wryly. âWhat else can I do other than that?â