Chapter 558.1: Secret Imperial Decree

Tao Jun couldn’t help a sigh either when he saw the unsightly look on the prince’s face. Although the regular folk may not care all that much about everything that Pang Xiao had done for Great Zhou, those in the military remembered his deeds all too clearly. They would never believe the rumors about the prince turning traitor.

For a man of such high esteem and brilliant military achievements, even if he really did defect to Tatar, how would their khan dare to really trust him? What if he was secretly loyal to his former nation? What if he won the popular opinion in Tatar and commanded even greater influence than the khan?

Therefore, anybody with a discerning eye could immediately tell that the emperor’s actions were a scheme to constrain the prince.

“Alright, I know now.” Pang Xiao smiled. “I’ll be careful and pay more heed to this. However, I think His Majesty will also consider our nation’s dignity and reputation. If news spreads that we had to send a woman to Tatar to sue for peace, it would be quite an embarrassment for Great Zhou.”

Tao Jun nodded. “I hope that will be the case.”

Pang Xiao then inquired into the recent happenings with the Tatar.

The general wouldn’t have shared things so easily if anyone else was asking him. However, the war god himself was in front of him, and he possessed Ji Zeyu’s token. Thus, he didn’t hide anything and went into full detail about the current situation with the Tatar.

Pang Xiao listened earnestly, frequently commenting and reminding Tao Jun of the details he needed to pay attention to at the border frontier.

Seeing how the prince still fretted over the border situation despite being targeted with a hefty mix of doubt and ire, Tao Jun couldn’t help but grow a bit emotional. Ever since ancient times, outstanding subjects have always attracted their liege’s wariness and suspicion.

One didn’t even need to look far. Pang Xiao’s father, Pang Zhongzheng, was a prime example of this. In the year of his demise, his prestige had shone so bright that it brought down a cloud of mistrust from his lord, the Northern Ji emperor. That was why the emperor had gone along with the enemy’s plan and in fact made use of it to remove this perceived threat.

Having received Pang Zhongzheng’s legacy of wisdom and experience, Pang Xiao had grown to become a talented figure that he also garnered his emperor’s suspicions like his father once had. Such a situation truly made onlookers lament.

Hearing the door open and close, she raised her head with a smile. “You’re back.”

“Mmhmm.” Pang Xiao’s entire heart turned soft when he looked into her eyes that sparkled like the stars. He quickly walked over and leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead. He couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw her mending his trousers, “You can just leave things like that for the servants.”

“I have nothing to do these days. Besides, the people you brought are all a bunch of coarse men. What do they know about needlework?” Qin Yining didn’t raise her head, her fair hands working nimbly. Orange lighting casted a soft glow on her face, creating a heartwarming sight.

Pang Xiao’s heart soared with happiness and he kissed her cheek. “I’ll go bathe.”

“Go ahead, the maids have already prepared warm water and I placed the outfit you like on the screen.”

“I see.” Pang Xiao smiled and carressed her face before quickly making his way to the bathroom. He washed his face, rinsed his mouth, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and tousled his hair dry before coming out.

Qin Yining had finished stitching his trousers at this point and was now mending a frayed cuff on one of his outer robes. She smiled to see the ends of his hair still dripping with water. “Come sit, I’ll help dry your hair.”

Pang Xiao sat in front of his darling with a smile. Qin Yining knelt behind him, using a cotton handkerchief to gently dry his hair.

Pang Xiao closed his eyes with great contentment, enjoying this beautiful moment of tranquillity. When his beloved moved onto massaging his scalp, he smiled. “Alright, that’s enough. Your arms will grow tired if you keep this up.”

“How tired could they possibly get?” Qin Yining refused to stop. “What did General Tao request your attention for earlier?”

Pang Xiao didn’t recall his earlier mood and also skipped over the important things.

“I asked about the current situation with the Tatar. Siqin is recruiting men and amassing supplies again, so it looks like he hasn’t given up on his plans to invade the south. He seems like a man possessed and will not be deterred from expanding his territory. It’s a bit strange, really.”

Hearing that, Qin Yining also began to ponder.

“I was thinking the same thing as well. I’d previously thought that he only wanted to grasp political power in Tatar. Though his ambitions are great, he’s already the Tatar khan and after his machinations, his popularity in Tatar is very high.

“He should be very satisfied with this if he just wanted to rule a corner of the world. However, his ambitions seem more like he wants to conquer everything beneath the heavens, which is rather surprising. In fact, I have a little unconfirmed suspicion about all of this.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.” Pang Xiao reached out, pulling Qin Yining onto his lap.