“Please quell your anger, Your Highness.” Xie Yue was arrested by Pang Xiao"s show of explosive fury.As a follower and strategist, he had to know his master"s personality like the back of his hand. He knew Pang Xiao wasn"t as coldly aloof or ruthlessly tyrannical as others thought he was. On the contrary, the prince kept his cards close to his heart. This was evident in his ability to always face people with the most appropriate state of mind.
Put bluntly, whether it was his domineering or detached side, or even displays of friendly gentleness, it was rarely a display of true emotions. They were all because the situation or audience called for it.
It was also obvious that him pointing at the front hall, cursing with deep rage, was a show of true fury.
Losing control in this situation was a sign of how important the Qin miss was to someone skilled at biding his time and rarely roused to anger.
Ruddy-faced, Pang Xiao punctuated his loud yells with jabs of a finger. “I knew a long time ago that that old hag was nothing good! She treated darling Yi like an outsider when they were still in Great Yan, as if dearest Yi wasn"t her granddaughter at all. She"s not giving things a rest now that her nation has fallen. She"s plotting with darling Yi as a p.a.w.n! That doddering crone! I"m going to kill her and put an end to this!”
He unsheathed the sword hanging on the wall with a seething swing and about-faced, ready to charge outside.
“Your Highness, you mustn"t! Your Highness!” Xie Yue was scared out of his wits and spread out his arms to block his master"s rush. But given Pang Xiao"s towering stature and unsurpa.s.sed battle strength, how would the strategist actually be able to provide any resistance?
He craned his neck back to the door and yelled, “Help, someone!”
Huzi rushed into the house when he heard the noise and screeched to a halt when he saw Pang Xiao and Xie Yue playing cat-chases-the-mouse. Wielding his sword, Pang Xiao feigned left and right, but the strategist always managed to be an obstacle. It took Huzi a beat before he joined the fray.
“Your Highness, you really mustn"t! Your own crisis hasn"t been resolved yet. The Qins are His Majesty"s priority recruitment target. If you kill their old dowager before imperial arrangements have been decided on, the consequences will be unthinkable!” Panicked sweat dotted Xie Yue"s forehead as he tried his best with his placation.
Pang Xiao had also slightly recovered his reason at this point. He knew the strategist was right. He was treading on thin ice in his current circ.u.mstances. If he really did do anything to the Qins, who knew how Li Qitian would blow the matter up?
Seeing their master finally stand down, both Xie Yue and Huzi heaved sighs of relief.
Throwing his sword to the side, Pang Xiao mused with a dark expression. “This issue isn"t simple. Our people investigated before and didn"t find much of what happened after the Qins were separated by the ambush. They didn"t come back with His Majesty"s search and rescue party, and they basically looked like beggars when they entered the city. Now Grand Preceptor Qin and his wife are missing, and their old dowager suddenly wants to send darling Yi to the imperial selection after weathering those hards.h.i.+ps…”
A thoughtful light shone in his eyes.
Finis.h.i.+ng later today!