Chapter 283: Farewell
Pang Xiao and Qin Yining looked at each other, immediately rising and exiting the tent.
Mu Jinghu looked to be in great health. Though he"d lost a lot of weight when keeping Qin Yining company on the mountain, he had a deep foundation of cultivation. He brimmed with vigor after two full meals and a night of rest.
Pang Xiao walked up smilingly and clapped his friend"s shoulder intimately. "Did you sleep well last night?"
Mu Jinghu returned the smile with a nod. "Very well. Things are much better here than in the city. I haven"t had a full meal in a long time. I ate well, so naturally slept well yesterday. But you, did you sleep well last night?"
He was just purely curious and kept sneaking glances at Qin Yining. His gaze was very pure, but given the gentleman"s antics, mortified understanding dawned on the girl.
Her face exploded with red and she wanted to find a place to hide in. She"d gone straight to rest in Pang Xiao"s tent yesterday, who knew what everyone was guessing??
Naturally this occurred to Pang Xiao as well. He turned back to see Qin Yining"s flaming red cheeks and coughed dryly. "What the heck, Blockhead. Why are you talking like this?"
Mu Jinghu was a pure individual and also felt that he"d gone overboard with how he"d approached things. He didn"t insist on an answer and changed the topic. "I"m here to bid you farewell. Your war is over, so it doesn"t matter if I"m around or not anymore. I"m going to the Tatars to look for my martial uncle."
Pang Xiao and Qin Yining were both startled by this. The Soothsayer is with the Tatars?
The girl was reminded of the gentleman"s words that the Greedy Wolf Star was with the Tatars. Was there a connection between this and the Soothsayer"s visit?
Pang Xiao nodded. "Alright, thank you greatly for your help this time. Just let me know if you need my help with anything in the future. I"ll help you without reservation."
"What kind of talk is that? I lost to you this time, so this is what I should"ve done. This wasn"t any sort of help." Mu Jinghu was an honest man. Pang Xiao wasn"t someone with power or n.o.bility in his eyes, but just an ordinary friend. With his relaxed expression, he wasn"t trying to toady up to the prince and receive credit for his achievement.
The less important he thought this was, the more precious his sincerity was. Pang Xiao clapped the man"s shoulder with a smile. "When do you set off?"
"In a moment."
"Then I"ll have people prepare dry rations for you and gift you two good horses."
Mu Jinghu nodded with a smile. "Alright."
A small smile crossed Qin Yining"s face as she watched the two. It was Pang Zhixi"s good fortune to have such a real friend.
……
At this moment, Qin Huaiyuan was frowning slightly as he perched sideways on the grand preceptor"s chair, keeping the emperor company. News had reached him of the emperor going to find the empress yesterday after his excursion, and the two having an enormous fight. The emperor had even whipped the empress!
The marquis wasn"t someone who who easily believed wild rumors, but he was well acquainted with Weichi Yan"s personality.
That declaration of fealty had enraged Weichi Yan beyond belief. Add to that all the external pressure he was under… Qin Huaiyuan felt that he wouldn"t be surprised no matter how crazy the emperor became.
He watched Weichi Yan run the conversation in all directions. The emperor seemed to want to say something, but couldn"t bring himself to voice it. The marquis didn"t rush his liege, but listened quietly with a faint smile.