Return of the Swallow

Translated by: etvolare

Clapping a hand on her forehead, blood seeped out through Biyu’s fingers. Her voice shook in fear as she mumbled over and over, “Thank you, Goddess. This servant is alright, it’s alright.”

Qin Yining handed Biyu over to the nearby Xinyu. “Dress her wounds first, we’ll find the imperial physician later.”

Biyu and Xinyu both shook their heads as they repeated, “This servant doesn’t dare.”

Well, since I haven’t recovered yet, that prince will definitely arrange for the physician to visit me again. I suppose he can look at us both then.

Qin Yining turned to the offending maid. “What is your name?”

The terribly sharp, icy light in Qin Yining’s eyes cowed the maid into lowering her head. “This, this servant...”

Her mistress stepped in and pulled her maid aside. Raising her chin, the princess consort demanded, “What, are you going to put on airs like you’re an actual goddess? It’s you who disrespected me first, my maid only wanted to protect her mistress. It’s not like you were injured, so we’ll just let it all go.”

Qin Yining laughed from anger, dimples deepening on her cheeks as her eyes turned even frostier. She spoke in a measured, even pace, “You ordered your maid to assault me and just because it didn’t succeed, you want to act like nothing happened?”

“Wh-what do you want to do about it?” Qin Yining both scared and dazzled the foremost princess consort.

Scared, because the look in the foreigner’s eyes was so sharp. When one met her gaze, one couldn’t help but want to avert their eyes.

Dazzled, because her current mood set her face alight in a vivacious manner. It was as if a black and white picture scroll had suddenly been splashed with an array of colors. Although it was fiercely intimidating, one also couldn’t help but want to stare more at this bright and mesmerizing face.

With such stunning beauty, it’d be a disaster if she joined the imperial harem!

However, the foremost princess consort had occupied her position for many years. How would she possibly put herself down at this critical juncture?

She furiously strode up to Qin Yining, their noses almost touching as she spat out her words through clenched teeth. “Don’t think that just because His Grace cares about you now means you can do whatever you want! You’ll need to live with us after you enter the harem, and the days ahead are long!

“If you have any brains about you, you’ll let the events of today slide. If you never mention it again, when the day comes and you lose favor, I’ll spare you and ensure you have a bite to eat for your obedience. If you don’t possess any good sense, then don’t blame us sisters for being merciless! The prince may be master of the palace, but he won’t be with you during every waking hour!”

Qin Yining couldn’t help a grin when she looked into the contorted expression on the princess consort’s face.

“It looks like one really will think themselves special after sitting at the bottom of a well for so long, and only seeing the skies from that tiny vantage point,” her red lips enunciated softly.

“You!” The princess consort’s eyes widened as she shouted angrily, “Speak clearly, what do you mean by that?!”

“I’m insulting you, don’t you understand? Do you need me to break even that down and explain it bit by bit to you?” Qin Yining sneered, “You are a mind to harm me. Whether or not you succeeded last night does not change this fact. And today, you injured my maid. A fitting explanation best be forthcoming.”

“How dare a little girl like you run your mouth like this! This is the palace! You’re just to be a concubine, how dare you be so uppity! What can you do to me if I don’t give you an explanation!”

Qin Yining called out to the imperial guards, now hovering by the doors as they’d noticed the commotion. “Send for the imperial physician, my maid is injured. I will also have to trouble you to take me back to my people.”

Sending for the imperial physician was fine and dandy. After all, the goddess hadn’t made a full recovery yet and needed the physician’s attention. But leaving the palace? The guards didn’t have the authority to decide that!

But she was the goddess who’d brought a large quantity of supplies to Xiyue! If they offended her, she might well decide to withhold the supplies from the tribe!

Flustered and panicked, one messenger was sent to fetch the imperial physician, while another was dispatched to the prince.

Qin Yining paid no more attention to the foremost princess consort as she pulled Biyu to the side for a seat, gently dabbing at the blood seeping from the maid’s wounds with a clean handkerchief.

Teary with gratitude, Biyu anxiously shook her head and cast meaningful looks at Qin Yining. She murmured, “Goddess, please don’t be angry. This servant is fine. Even if this servant died, it would be nothing. You mustn’t be angry.”

“The wound on your head is no small matter. I dragged you into this, so of course I should make sure you are well. Don’t be afraid, and don’t say anything like your death not being anything. Whose life is worth more than another’s? We’re just all sacks of skin in the end.”

Her words were straightforward and another jab at the three princess consorts behind them.

They were just concubines of the local tyrant, dressed in cotton dresses embroidered with flowers, ruling over a populace of less than five thousand. Yet they really took themselves as some sort of superior personage? f𝔯ℯe𝓌ℯ𝐛𝒏𝐨ѵel.c𝚘𝐦

What a joke!