Return of the Swallow

"Those people are naturally uneasy and well-intentioned." Qin Yining lowered her eyes and threaded the needle nimbly with her fingers. Her white fingers seemed to be carved from fine white jade under the light. Her tone was a little *, "Even if the Tatars surrender, they will be conquered. Duke Dingguo was beaten so hard that he had to surrender, are you really convinced?"

Jiyun and Bingtang both shook their heads, with thoughtful expressions on their faces.

"They are not a nation that can be easily surrendered. They are naturally wild and savage. They are dissatisfied and must find ways to recharge their batteries. They will eventually take revenge. In fact, I quite agree with this aspect. If I It will also lie dormant for later effects."

"So they may not be sincere when they come to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday this time. Maybe there is a conspiracy?"

"That's definitely the case, but you can't tell it right now." Qin Yining picked up the embroidery needle and said with a smile, "No matter what they do in the future, right now they are sending gold, silver, and beauties. It's been passed down to the Holy One." What will happen to the Lord in your ears?"

Jiyun and Bingtang's expressions suddenly changed.

"Princess, what's wrong with this?" Ji Yun's voice was a little tight.

Bingtang even said angrily, "I should have known that these barbarians had no good intentions! They are obviously trying every means to sow discord and slander the prince!"

"It's not just the prince." Qin Yining said, "They will try their best to alienate the relationship between the sage and his ministers, so the same situation must be the same with Uncle Lu. The sage is suspicious, and this move is quite targeted."

Qin Yining's voice softened, "This is Utkin Khan's usual method. This person's scheming should not be underestimated."

Si Qin always has a far-reaching strategy in his actions and never resorts to any means to succeed. For the sake of power, he can work lowly and become Anari's consort. For the sake of status, he was able to kill his wife and seize the throne regardless of their relationship. For such a person, Qin Yining didn't think he would just accept his fate if he was defeated. Si Qin is like the most cunning jackal, always able to wait for the opportunity to move for prey.

"Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty."

As he was talking, the maid's greeting came from outside the door.

As soon as the curtain cage was lifted, Pang Xiao walked in. He handed the cloak on his shoulder to Jiyun who was welcoming him out. He rubbed his hands and walked towards Qin Yining and said, "Hey, we almost got two more beautiful concubines just now."

Qin Yining was amused by his regretful tone, "It's a pity that there is a fierce woman in the family, which has delayed the prince's performance."

"Yes." As soon as Pang Xiao returned to the room, he completely lost the sharpness and domineering he showed in front of outsiders, and completely changed into another clinging look. He sat next to Qin Yining, put his arms around Qin Yining's waist, He rubbed her shoulder with his chin.

Qin Yining was a little itchy from being rubbed, so she shrank her neck to avoid it, and said with a smile: "How did you send them away?"

Pang Xiao said innocently: "I told them, 'I am afraid of his wife, so I dare not take concubines. Fortunately, Uncle Zhongyi is not afraid of his wife. He should not refuse. Please give these beauties to Uncle Zhongyi as well." '"

Qin Yining was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud, "You bad guy."

"Bad? I'm already very polite." Pang Xiao snorted, with contempt and first place written all over his face. Although the words were not spoken, in his heart he was still worried about Lu Heng's daughter-in-law.

Qin Yining knew that Pang Xiao was full of jealousy, so she had no choice but to change the subject and said: "The Tatars will not give up on this. Now that the road to the capital is blocked, we have to deal with them for the rest of the day. There’s more.”

The implication is,

Just some gold and silver beauties, they will be sent in in the future.

Pang Xiao frowned and said, "It's their business whether to send it away or not, and it's my business whether to accept it or not."

"But after being so secret, outsiders won't think so. They may only guess how many conditions you agreed to the Tatars. Or what you are plotting in private."

After Qin Yining finished speaking, there was silence in the room.

Pang Xiao hugged Qin Yining's waist and rested his chin on Qin Yining's shoulder, but did not put his own weight on her.

He just liked the elegant fragrance of her that filled his breath.

Qin Yining knew that Pang Xiao was a smart man and knew everything well. He was reminded of something, and he should be given time to think about it, so he stopped talking and began to embroider slowly and slowly. His arms occasionally touched Pang Xiao's body, and he made a slight rustling sound unexpectedly. , making the atmosphere in the main room gentle and peaceful.

It's not that Pang Xiao doesn't understand. His loyalty to the emperor was met with suspicion. Now that he was outside Kyoto, Tatars came to visit him many times. The emperor would be suspicious even if he could not see him with his own eyes. If someone secretly instigated him again, he would be even more suspicious.

But what about suspicion? He has been under suspicion for more than a day or two. From the disappointment and gap when he first discovered it, to the various persecutions that followed, he is now numb and knows what he should care about most and what he should pay attention to.

"Don't worry." After a long time, Pang Xiao chuckled.

His lips brushed Qin Yining's earlobe, his voice was low and magnetic, and the hot air blew over Qin Yining's ears and cheeks, making her shiver.

However, Pang Xiao was teasing her and continued to whisper in her ear: "I will be more careful."

Qin Yining shrank his neck to avoid it, and chuckled, "Don't make trouble."

%

As Qin Yining expected, the Tatars had not stopped sending gold, silver and beauties, and the next day they even asked to see the princess directly while Pang Xiao was going to the Yamen.

Qin Yining met them in the side hall.

The person who came was a Tatar official who accompanied Si Qin that day. He brought four beauties, all girls of sixteen or seventeen years old. They were thin, thick and fat in their own way. Although they were not very stunning in appearance, they were not beautiful. Not to mention that they do have a different style from the women of Da Zhou.

"I heard that the people in the house are selfish and weak, and the princess also wants to consider the affairs of Prince Zhongshun. These four women were all carefully selected before coming. The ones with the strongest bodies and the most honest people. If not, the princess will take the lead. Prince Zhongshun will take over." Excuse me, if nothing else, this will help calm the princess’s bad reputation of being jealous outside.”

Qin Yining smiled and looked at the Tatar minister. He was in his early forties, tall and thin. When he smiled, there were several crow's feet that curved upward like hooks at the corners of his eyes, and the bags under his eyes were squeezed out.

Qin Yining was not happy with this person's face, and his tone was very cold.

"My princess's reputation for being jealous has long been spread throughout the world. Everyone knows it, and it is not a bad reputation. I don't bother you with the matter of spreading branches and leaves. People marry virtuous wives and take concubines and have sex. Prince If she takes a concubine, I will naturally choose women for her who are healthy, have good character, and are far better in appearance than me. Please take these women back with you."

The Tatar minister's face changed after being told that. He took a deep breath before smiling and said: "Princess, you are really joking. If nothing else, there are not many women who can surpass you in appearance. Then Prince Zhongshun will never be able to accept you." Concubine? You see, in Uncle Zhongyi’s house, Mrs. Zhongyi is already under the command of the virtuous Uncle Dai. Princess, you might as well..."

"She is her, and I am me." Qin Yining said with a smile, "I am jealous, so I don't agree. Even if the prince wants to take a concubine, his beauty must be better than mine. This is what the prince has promised a long time ago. I'm sorry, Please stop interfering in our household affairs."

Qin Yining's attitude was quite tough, especially when she was facing none other than the Tatar envoy who came with Yong Siqin.

It seemed that if the envoy didn't understand, she would find a way to make him understand!

"Okay." He didn't risk his life to arrange for people to come to the palace, and he didn't expect those women to do anything in the palace. They were just a part of the divorce plan. Since the palace refuses to fall into the trap, that's all. At least things are going smoothly in Uncle Zhongyi's palace.

The Tatar minister finally left with the four Tatar girls.

When Pang Xiao came back in the evening, he smiled and said to Qin Yining, "You did a good job today. Uncle Zhongyi has already turned into a mess. Is his wife really stupid? Why did she even marry the Tatars just to pretend to be virtuous?" I accepted all the gold, silver, jewelry and beauties I gave you."

Pang Xiao washed his face with water, but wiped it with the towel Qin Yining handed him, and said with a smile: "It's better for my sister Yi. I have a good wife and husband and few troubles. It's true that the ancients didn't bully me."

Qin Yining was amused by Pang Xiao's appearance and felt some sympathy for Lu Heng, but did not ask about the Lu family's affairs in detail.

Everyone is responsible for the decisions they make.

When I got up early the next morning, I saw that the rain that had been continuous for nearly two months had stopped. Although there were still thick clouds rolling in the sky, it had truly stopped. Not a drop of rain had fallen. .

Bingtang, Jiyun, Ziyuan and Hanxiao happily went to clean the yard early in the morning, and their voices and footsteps were brisk when they came back.

"Princess, the rain has finally stopped! I think this weather will not continue to rain!"

Qin Yining looked at the sky and said, "I feel it too."

"It would be nice if it doesn't rain again. It's been a long time since we've seen a sunny day. Our bedding is so damp. It's all thanks to the hot kang."

It went as the girls hoped. At noon, the dark clouds dispersed, and the long-lost sun finally showed its shy face for two months, spreading warmth to the earth without reservation.

The entire Huichuan County and the surrounding mountains were wrapped in layers of white mist, and the water vapor was rising without reservation. The weather seemed to have changed from late autumn to summer, and the weather was so warm that it made people feel comfortable in their bones. , even the sultry heat that is gradually becoming a steamer makes people feel comfortable.

It has been a sunny day for two consecutive days, and damp bedding and clothes are being dried everywhere in the house.

In the villa, the Queen and Grandma Sun stood on the corridor, raising their heads and breathing in the air mixed with soil, grass and moisture, with a smile full of satisfaction and accomplishment.

"I know that sincere begging to Bodhisattvas and gods and Buddhas can be heard. You see, during the days when I have been eating fast and chanting Buddha's name, the rain in Huichuan has really stopped. I wonder if it has cleared up in other places."

"The Queen prayed for the country, and God was moved by the auspiciousness. I think God must sympathize with the Queen's sincerity, and the rest of the country will definitely be sunny."

"I hope so." The queen smiled and then said with a smile: "I heard that there is a Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple in Huichuan County. Since sincere prayers are useful, we can't miss the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple."