Return of the Swallow Chapter 560

Published at 12th of July 2021 12:13:05 PM

Chapter 560.1: Control

After it was known that Qin Yining was with child, Pang Xiao spent every day like he was celebrating the new year. Tao Jun compounded his joy by holding a banquet every day—what a great coincidence that this happened to delay the prince’s return to the capital as well—so Pang Xiao went through his days with even more joyous gusto.

As for Yi Binghu, it went without saying that he wasn’t invited to Pang Xiao’s gatherings with his Dragon Rider brothers.

He felt something clawing within him everytime he heard another mention of who Pang Xiao had been feasting with, or men singing praises of the prince’s fighting prowess after sparring with him.

This man had plainly committed the grave crime of treason, so why was he living his best life? His wife was pregnant, he garnered the admiration of those around him, and even his popularity among the people grew.

Conversely, Yi Binghu was here by royal decree, yet cast aside and thoroughly ignored like a dried vegetable. The Dragon Riders couldn’t be bothered with him, and even those he’d brought from the Metropolitan refused to take orders from him. They also never treated him with as much respect as they showed to Pang Xiao.

For Yi Binghu, every passing day felt like a year. If the prince continued to dilly-dallying like this, would His Majesty take his anger out on Yi Binghu when they finally returned to the capital? Though the emperor had been the one to send the decree, it wasn’t uncommon for those who didn’t execute his orders to his liking to still experience his wrath.

In contrast with Yi Binghu’s turmoil, Qin Yining had never lived in such comfort before.

When Pang Xiao wasn’t attending a banquet, he was essentially joined at the hip with her. He served her tea and water, personally fed her, and spent the rest of his free time massaging her shoulder and legs. He even once attempted to carry her when she needed the washroom, which had earned him a swift kick from a furiously blushing Qin Yining.

Though Qin Yining had little appetite and often felt nauseous, she was elated to be so carefully doted upon by Pang Xiao.

…… 

On this day, Pang Xiao once again moved to take his leave. 

“I really must be going. Spring will be upon us soon and we must travel slightly slower than we’d anticipated before. I estimate it will be summer by the time we return to the capital. We have already delayed our return for too long, so it will be difficult explaining ourselves to His Majesty.”

Having interacted with the prince in close quarters for almost a month now, Tao Jun could read Pang Xiao’s strong determination to return to the capital. It wasn’t right for him to keep delaying the prince like this. What’s more, though Yi Binghu couldn’t make sugar sweet if he tried, he could definitely make vinegar sour without even attempting to. The situation would become sticky if he really decided to tattle to the emperor.

With this in mind, all Tao Jun could do was sigh. “His Highness must treat this matter with utmost caution. I shall await your good news at these borders.”

Pang Xiao nodded with a smile and clapped Tao Jun on the shoulder. "I appreciate your concern, thank you for your hospitality.”

"Say nothing of it. Your Highness is a good friend of my former commander and a war god that my brothers admire. What I’ve done is nothing worthy of gratitude. If we have the chance to get together again in the future, we must drink together until the sun comes up."

Pang Xiao smiled. "Indeed,” he vowed. “Let us meet again.”

He then excused himself to make arrangements for departure and the servants busied themselves with organizing the luggage.

Yi Binghu could finally have a sigh of relief upon seeing him getting a move on. Up ahead were Skyaxis Pass and Skygates Pass, he certainly wasn’t going to let Pang Xiao delay the trip any further. Otherwise, it would be more than a year before they returned to the capital.

His worries would later be proven groundless—Pang Xiao had no intent of postponing their journey to begin with, so he wasn’t about to deliberately delay their upcoming travels. Though the guards of Skyaxis and Skygates Pass welcomed them with eager hospitality, the prince stayed only for two days before setting out once more.

Their travels were to be smooth-sailing once they passed through all four major passes of the border. Seeing their shortening distance to the capital, Yi Binghu was finally able to heave a big sigh of relief.

The closer they were, the more he could call on men from his own faction—Pang Xiao would be increasingly less capable of stirring up trouble.

After a month of long faces, Yi Binghu finally broke out into a wide grin. However, no smiles were to be found just a few days later.

As the emperor’s instructions were for Yi Binghu to indulge the prince with patience and allow Pang Xiao to return with pomp and circumstance as befitting his station, every citizen on their way back knew that the Faithful Prince of the First Rank was returning to the capital with his princess consort.

Since the princess consort had killed the former Tatar khan and the prince was an awe-inspiring hero, the general populace held the couple in extremely high regard. Since Li Qitian had previously declared to all that Pang Xiao was a traitor who had defected to Tatar, it was incredibly thought provoking that he now appeared again in public with the princess consort, and with his usual entourage.

Not only did the people gossip, so did the scholars and officials exchange notes.

Ultimately, the rumor mill was divided into two schools of thought: one faction held the view that nefarious masterminds were behind the accusations of treason, since Pang Xiao had made significant contributions to Great Zhou and his princess consort had killed the Tatar khan. The emperor should severely punish those involved!

The other faction believed His Majesty was the originator behind the rumors because he envied the prince’s military accomplishments. This brought back memories of what had happened to Pang Zhongzheng back in the day.

Of course, no one dared voice the second version aloud; they only whispered it amongst themselves in secret. Since it was a sensitive subject involving confidential imperial affairs, that only made such speculation all the more convincing.

Pang Xiao naturally noticed people spreading such hearsay as he travelled, but he didn't take them to heart in the slightest—his mind was completely occupied by thoughts of Qin Yining.

Qin Yining had fallen into a constant state of discomfort ever since boarding the carriage. Whether it was because her body was too weak or that the traveling had taken a toll on her, her nausea intensified as they continued to traverse bumpy roads. 

Things were bearable when the road was flat, but when it was uneven and riddled with potholes, the carriage would shake so much that Qin Yining couldn’t keep down anything she ate. Pang Xiao’s heart ached so terribly for his darling that he ended up wrapping Qin Yining in a mink cloak and carrying her in front of him atop his horse.

Yi Binghu was highly impatient along the way, but urging them to hasten would be completely ineffective as their progress was tied to the princess consort’s condition. Therefore, it seemed to Yi Binghu that their return to the capital was to be delayed to the end of the year.

…… 

Seven hundred miles outside the capital stood the Valiant Tigers campsite, which had become a part of the local scenery. Stationed along the foot of the mountains, an army of a hundred thousand men formed a city of their own.

In a large tent of the Valiant Tigers’ central troop, Ji Zeyu stood pensively before a massive map with his arms crossed. He was dressed in a fiery red cloak with stiff, small collars that rounded out his look.

The map was a topographical depiction of the four northern border gates and Tartar border terrain. It was so detailed that it marked mountain rivers, creeks, and even a forest, a clear indication of how well Ji Zeyu knew the northern border after years of guarding the region.

A frowning head eunuch Li Guanwen was half inclined behind Ji Zeyu; he’d been here for nearly forty-five minutes.

Ji Zeyu had been in this exact position when Li Guanwen arrived, and seemed to have heard nothing after Li Guanwen relayed the emperor’s message to him. Or had Prince Consort Ji not heard him at all because he was contemplating some great dilemma concerning warfare or national security?

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Li Guanwen pondered over whether he should bring up his inquiry once more, but he was also afraid of interrupting Prince Consort Ji’s train of thought. Growing bored of idly standing around, he craned his neck to peer at the map. As someone whose daily activities were limited to the meager confines of palace walls, however, he couldn’t make heads or tails out of the map no matter how long he stared at it.

Thus, Li Guanwen was left with no choice but to continue waiting patiently. Since men of martial arts disciplines were typically very sensitive to their surroundings, perhaps the prince consort would notice there was a person standing behind him soon enough.

And so he waited for another fifteen minutes.

Finally, Li Guanwen began to lose his patience. As a favored subordinate of the emperor, it wasn’t uncommon for people to curry favor with him whenever he was out and about. What was truly rare was for him to be thus given the cold shoulder. 

Though Ji Zeyu was the supreme commander of the Valiant Tigers in addition to being a prince consort, Li Guanwen was still an imperial messenger—to treat him in this way was equivalent to disregarding His Majesty!

When his thoughts traveled here, Li Guanwen cleared his throat. Not daring to startle Ji Zeyu, he gently repeated himself. “Prince Consort Ji, His Majesty means to ask to what degree is your control over the Valiant Tigers? Please tell me so that this servant may report back to His Majesty and assuage his worries.”

Ji Zeyu, however, gave no response and continued studying the map.

Anxiety, irritation, and displeasure from being ignored chased each other in the eunuch’s heart.

“Prince Consort Ji? This servant has been sent in His Majesty’s stead to inquire after how much control you exert over the Valiant Tigers.”

Again, he received no response.

Li Guanwen began to suspect Li Zeyu meant to stand there until he turned into a statue. Impatience boiling over and he was just about to ask again when Ji Zeyu abruptly turned around and fixed his stunning eyes on the eunuch in a frigid stare.

The prince consort’s eyes brimmed with a frosty air that nearly froze Li Guanwen stiff. Despite being clothed in burning scarlet, it only served to accentuate Ji Zeyu’s proud, noble self. It was as if his entire being had been carved from ice, and he was thoroughly unapproachable.

Li Guanwen stared blankly, a shiver coursing through his entire body. At the same time, Li Zeyu coldly called out, “Men.”

“Yes sir!” A troop of ten men rushed inside the tent and bowed in synchronized salute. “Commander!”

Ji Zeyu indicated Li Guanwen with a pale, slender finger. “One hundred boards across the back. Take him away.”

“Yes sir!” The soldiers immediately responded and dragged Li Guanwen out of the tent without another word.

Li Guanwen was so terrified that he dropped his ivory horsetail whisk and didn’t think to adjust his cap that’d been knocked askew. 

“What is the meaning of this, Prince Consort Ji?!” he squawked shrilly. “This servant is here on His Majesty’s orders! Do you mean to revolt with this kind of treatment?!”

Despite Li Guanwen’s wailing, the subordinates dragged him out of the tent with all their might, not faltering in the slightest.

I’m done for, I’m done for! Why did I have the misfortune of catching Prince Consort Ji planning a revolt?! Your Majesty, I became the protruding nail in carrying out your orders, you’ve sent me to my death! 

As he struggled, panicked tears streamed down Li Guanwen’s face out of fright.

Just as soldiers were about to haul him through the tent flap, Ji Zeyu spoke up again. “Unhand him. You may stand down.” 

Though confused, the ten soldiers saluted him in unison without question. 

“Yes sir.” With that, they exited the tent in formation. The only people left in the tent were Ji Zeyu and Li Guanwen.

“Do you understand?” Ji Zeyu asked, a mild expression upon his face.

Li Guanwen's knees buckled, leaving him wheezing on the floor. His face had gone so pale that he was whiter than a sheet of paper. 

After what seemed like half a day, he finally caught his breath and looked blankly up into Ji Zeyu’s aloof face. His brain—which had shut down from fright—regained its capability for thought.

“This servant understands Prince Consort Ji.”

Chapter end