The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 277
by Little PandaBonus Chapter 13
Ying-meimei, do you think I don’t understand these things?
The sound of a sword leaving its scabbard startled the two figures hurrying up the stairs into halting. Feng Miao strode over quickly, reaching out to remove the cloaks from their bodies, but was startled when the two whirled around.
“What are you doing!” Zhu Qianjie’s voice carried an immediate note of indignation. “Are we not even allowed to go outside anymore?”
Feng Miao recoiled, his face a picture of alarm.
When Qu Ning saw the two turn around, a flicker of anger crossed her features. She strode past the guards blocking the exit and walked up to Zhu Qianjie and Qu Zhimu, asking, “Who let them follow us here?”
“Mu’er.” Qiao Jin also hurried over. She glanced around the two of them—it seemed they were alone—and asked, “Did you two come by yourselves?”
Qu Zhimu wore the look of someone caught in the wrong, stealing a quick glance at Qu Ning before saying to Qiao Jin, “Just the two of us. If we’d told you beforehand, you certainly wouldn’t have agreed.”
“You knew we wouldn’t agree, yet you came anyway?” Qu Ning’s anger stemmed from the fact that they had set out without bringing anyone and were now lodging at a roadside inn in the wilderness. She had only glanced inside earlier when she spotted the two figures—one resemblance might have been coincidence, but two was decidedly suspicious.
Zhao Ningying also came over, gently tugging at Qu Ning’s sleeve. “Enough. They’re already here. Scolding them further won’t help. Once the weather clears tomorrow, we’ll have someone escort them back one by one…”
“I’m not going back.” Zhu Qianjie’s small face scrunched up with stubborn defiance.
Seeing this, Qu Zhimu knew that despite being the older cousin, she was only older in years—the two younger ones were sharp as whips. She put on a pitiful look toward Qiao Jin and mumbled, “I don’t want to go back either.”
Qiao Jin looked at her, her heart softening—how could she bear to refuse?
Qu Ning watched them, knitting her brow.
Zhu Qianjie craned her neck and added, “You send us back tomorrow, I’ll come back the day after. Send us again, I’ll come back again. You can rule the sky and rule the earth, but you can’t stop my two legs from hitting the ground.”
Qu Ning’s face darkened listening to this.
Zhao Ningying looked at Qu Ning, knowing she was only worried about their safety, but if left unchecked, their sneaking out like this would surely be even more dangerous.
“Ning-jiejie, why not let them come along? I’ve heard there are towns near our destination. We can settle them properly once we arrive.”
Qu Ning turned to look at Zhao Ningying and found her reasoning sound. Even if they were sent back and watched, they couldn’t be watched forever and kept from leaving the residence—there would always be moments of inattention. No wonder she hadn’t seen them at the farewell today; she had assumed it was because of the rain, but they had already slipped out of the city.
Qu Ning’s silence was tacit agreement. Zhao Ningying smiled at Zhu Qianjie and said, “Why don’t you hurry and thank Ning-jiejie?”
When Zhu Qianjie turned to look, her face brimmed with irrepressible delight, the earlier stubbornness completely gone. She beamed, “Thank you, Ning-jiejie!” Then she turned to Zhao Ningying, her voice deliberately sweetened a few degrees: “Thank you, Ying-jiejie.”
Zhao Ningying smiled and shook her head.
“Many thanks, you two meimei.” Qiao Jin clasped her hands and offered thanks on Qu Zhimu’s behalf.
Qu Zhimu was already a mother, yet sometimes she still couldn’t shed her impetuous, childlike temperament.
Qu Ning sighed inwardly with resignation and said, “Jin-jiejie, take them upstairs first.”
Qiao Jin nodded and looked at Zhu Qianjie, who turned and went to stand beside her.
The group deferred to Qu Ning as their leader—anyone with eyes could see they were either young ladies of noble houses or wives of officials.
As they walked, Qiao Jin quietly asked Qu Zhimu, “Wife, now that you’ve come, what about Xiaobao?”
Qu Zhimu smiled and said, “Mother is there, so it’s fine. Besides, I selected a few wet nurses for her in advance—they all have plenty of milk. Your precious daughter won’t go hungry.”
Qiao Jin’s eyes curved into a smile. She had been worried about her daughter, but Zhao Jiayu watched the child even more attentively than Qu Zhimu did. Hearing Qu Zhimu’s arrangements, she felt reassured.
The three went upstairs. Qu Ning turned to the several people who had drawn their swords and said, “Put away your blades, all of you.”
The soldiers sheathed their swords. Feng Miao stood to one side, hesitating for a few moments; seeing that the others had no intention of attacking, he sheathed his as well.
“I trust you have all been well.” Qu Ning clasped her hands in greeting toward the group.
By now, some among them had recognized Qu Ning as the woman who had given them silver outside the capital a few days prior, along with the people beside her.
“Miss, we apologize for the offense earlier, but we had no choice.” One burly man, who appeared to be their leader, spoke up.
Qu Ning nodded and said, “You lost something, and seeking to recover it is perfectly reasonable. But blocking guests from leaving is rather unreasonable.”
Those men also felt they were being somewhat overbearing, but they had compelling reasons for doing so.
“You wouldn’t know, Miss, but this item concerns our very lives. We are escort guards transporting goods, and before departing we signed a military pledge1: so long as the goods remain, we remain; if the goods are lost, we die.” The leader’s voice carried a note of despair as he spoke.
Hearing that the escort guards had signed a military pledge, Qu Ning couldn’t help but regard them with greater respect.
“Very well. Since you are all risking your lives in your line of work, I cannot cut off your path to survival. But I will give you only one night. If you are still blocking our way tomorrow morning, then don’t blame us for what happens.”
Qu Ning had brought no fewer people than these escort guards, and every one of them was an elite soldier. If it came to a real fight, these men would likely meet their end early.
“Many thanks. If we still can’t find it by tomorrow, we’ll accept our fate!” The leader clasped his hands in a bow.
Qu Ning studied him for a few moments, then glanced sideways at Zhao Ningying and said, “Ying-meimei, let’s go upstairs too.”
Zhao Ningying looked up at her, her gaze warm. The two went upstairs side by side to their rooms. Feng Miao led the way with the room tokens, and the inn servant hurried up to unlock the doors.
Qu Ning sat in her room for a good while. Just as she was considering whether to go check on Zhao Ningying, a knock sounded at her open door.
Qu Ning turned to look—Zhao Ningying stood at the doorway, smiling radiantly.
Qu Ning rose and asked with a smile, “Are you not used to the room?” The inn was rather modest, after all.
Zhao Ningying shook her head and said, “I wanted to suggest to Ning-jiejie that we have Feng Miao and the others help those men search. It might be faster that way, otherwise none of us will sleep well tonight.” Shadows were already gathering—not yet full night, but in another half a shichen2 it would be close enough.
Qu Ning thought for a moment, nodded, and said, “Arrange it as you see fit, Ying-meimei.”
Zhao Ningying glanced back and instructed someone, “Take some men and help them find the lost item as quickly as possible.”
Feng Miao bowed and led his men downstairs.
Qu Ning watched Zhao Ningying turn back to face her and asked, “Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?”
The tea here was naturally nothing special, but the tea Qu Ning had brought was all palace tribute grade. Someone had also collected some rootless water3 earlier—perfect for brewing tea now.
Zhao Ningying stepped inside. Qu Ning rose to offer her the seat. Zhao Ningying lowered her gaze, a smile tugging at her lips, and sat down.
Qu Ning placed a white jade tea cup before Zhao Ningying and poured her a cup of freshly brewed tea.
Zhao Ningying lifted the cup, passing it beneath her nose for a light inhale, and praised, “Good tea.”
Qu Ning smiled, raised her own cup, took a sip, and asked, “Ying-meimei, it must have been quite some time since you’ve had tea this fine, hasn’t it?”
Zhao Ningying looked puzzled. Qu Ning lowered her gaze to the tea in Zhao Ningying’s cup and said, “I remember that the Empress Mother bestows tribute tea upon the Zhao Residence every year, and knowing that Aunt Xi loves it, she sends it over regularly. That tea is far superior even to this.”
Caught out, Zhao Ningying’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “It has indeed been a long time. I hadn’t even thought of it.” She had been campaigning against bandits for so long that she couldn’t expect everything to be as perfectly to her liking as it was at home.
Qu Ning looked at her, smiled, and rose to go to the side. She took out a canister of tea leaves from the porcelain container where they were stored, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Zhao Ningying. “Drink it sparingly. I didn’t bring much.”
Seeing Qu Ning part with something so cherished, Zhao Ningying’s brows curved as she said, “If I refuse, wouldn’t that be giving Ning-jiejie too little face?”
Qu Ning gazed at Zhao Ningying but said nothing.
Just as Zhao Ningying was feeling puzzled, Qu Ning’s lips curved slightly and she said, “You don’t need to give me face. But if Ying-meimei truly wishes to give me something, then stay in my room tonight. We can keep each other company and talk side by side for a while.”
As she spoke, Qu Ning refilled Zhao Ningying’s cup.
Zhao Ningying’s puzzled gaze shifted slightly, not understanding Qu Ning’s meaning. She lowered her eyes for a few moments and said, “Then I’ll stay tonight and keep Ning-jiejie company for a chat.”
A proper smile appeared on Qu Ning’s face. She didn’t reveal excessive delight at Zhao Ningying’s agreement to stay—it was as though she had set aside her earlier impulsiveness and settled into composure.
Zhao Ningying was sipping her tea when she heard a commotion outside.
Qu Ning glanced toward the door. Zhao Ningying rose and said, “Let me go check.”
“I’ll come with you.” Qu Ning also stood up.
They stepped out of the room together and saw Feng Miao arguing with several people downstairs. It seemed he wanted to search their bundles, but the men refused to allow it.
Qu Ning glanced sideways—Zhu Qianjie and the others had also come out of their rooms and were leaning against the railing, looking down.
“Feng Miao.” Qu Ning called out to him.
Feng Miao looked up at the sound of her voice. The earlier tension vanished, replaced by a brilliant smile. “Did you call for me, Your Highness?”
Qu Ning asked, “What is all this noise about?”
Feng Miao hurried upstairs to Qu Ning’s side and reported, “We want to search their bundles, but they won’t hand them over.”
Zhao Ningying glanced at the people below. There were women among them—presumably they had personal garments and didn’t want their belongings searched.
Zhao Ningying asked him, “Do you know what the lost item is?”
Feng Miao froze for a moment, then shook his head, replying with a blank expression, “No, I don’t.”
Qu Ning frowned slightly. Zhao Ningying said with a sigh, “Ask them what the item is before searching. There’s no rush.”
“It’s not that I didn’t ask—it’s that they won’t tell me.” Feng Miao looked aggrieved.
“They won’t say?” Qu Ning looked puzzled.
“Right.” Feng Miao continued, “I even offered to report it to the authorities and have them help, but they didn’t want that either.”
Zhao Ningying and Qu Ning exchanged a glance. After a moment’s thought, Zhao Ningying said, “Ask them how large the item is, what shape, and how much it weighs. Use that to narrow the search.”
Feng Miao looked to Qu Ning. Seeing her nod, he clasped his hands and went back down.
The two returned to the room. Zhao Ningying explained proactively, “People in the escort business sometimes don’t even know what they’re transporting. They avoid going through the authorities because they’re afraid that if the goods they’re carrying have issues, they’ll be confiscated by the officials.”
Qu Ning raised her eyes and fixed them on Zhao Ningying. In her gaze lay something Zhao Ningying couldn’t quite read. After a moment, Qu Ning asked, “Ying-meimei, do you think I don’t understand these things?”
Zhao Ningying started, replying, “No—”
She was about to say it wasn’t so, but Qu Ning raised a hand, cutting her off. “If it’s something the authorities would confiscate, then it must be something that’s forbidden from trade in the marketplace. They violated the laws of our Quzhao first.”
The author has something to say:
Zhu Qianjie: “Serves you right that you can’t find a wife.”
Qu Ning: “…”
Daily updates—I won’t send separate notices on Weibo.
Footnotes
- 军令状 | junling zhuang | A binding oath taken by military personnel accepting full responsibility for a mission's success, often on penalty of death.
- 半个时辰 | ban ge shichen | Traditional Chinese time unit equal to one hour, representing half of a standard two-hour shichen period.
- 无根水 | wugen shui | Rainwater caught before touching the ground, prized in Chinese tea culture for brewing premium tea, believed to possess pristine purity.
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