Pampered Consort's Acting Awards - Chapter 68

Qin Ling explained her thoughts and plans to Xiao Yu in detail. She presented her case with reason and logic, and the argument flowed smoothly. Xiao Yu didn’t want to agree, but in the end, he acquiesced. He furrowed his brow as he wrote the edict granting Zhaoyi Qin permission to return home and meet her family. The words of refusal lingered on his lips for a moment, then he swallowed them back down. Minister of Rites Jiang Zhongting, upon receiving the edict, immediately consulted the Qintian Observatory to determine an auspicious date and time— the 18th day of the fourth month in the fifth year of Yanxi, at the sixth quarter of the period of wei (1-3 PM), for Zhaoyi Qin’s return home.

The 18th day, which was three days later.

On that day, Qin Ling got up early to prepare herself. Zhu Xin used makeup to create delicate and well-proportioned willow-leaf eyebrows for her. She lightly dusted her cheeks with pearl powder and applied lipstick. Finally, she adorned her left temple with a gold and silver hairpin studded with gemstone cloud patterns. Qin Ling usually wore makeup, and though she was beautiful, she always had a hint of aloofness, making people hesitant to meet her gaze directly. Only when holding the eldest prince would a gentle warmth appear in her eyes. Now, with some embellishment in her makeup, she shone like a thousand bright pearls in the night, stunning and radiant. Zhu Xin couldn’t help but sigh in front of the mirror, “My lady looks so beautiful; this servant is almost unable to look away.”

Looking at Zhu Xin, Qin Ling thought of Fu Ying. She breathed deeply and paused in her contemplation. After noon, she rode the imperial sedan chair bestowed upon her and left the palace through the Shenwu Gate.

Although Qin Ling was only a third-rank Zhaoyi, she still had to follow many ceremonial protocols, like when the empress returned to her family. Every aspect of the ceremony had to be meticulously arranged, especially regarding her escorts. The commander of the Imperial Bodyguards, Lu Ze, had already cleared the entire West Street a day in advance.

Returning to one’s family was a great imperial favor. Qin Wang had long been waiting outside the Qin residence, with Qin Suizhi and Qin Rong standing behind him, eagerly looking forward to her return.

The clattering of wheels and horses gradually slowed down. With the drumbeat coming to a halt, the guards surrounded the Qin residence. Lu Ze helped Qin Ling open the curtain and assisted the young eunuch as she alighted from the carriage. As Qin Ling lifted her head, her eyes met Qin Wang’s.

Qin Wang was the first to bow, followed closely by Qin Suizhi and Qin Rong, all showing their respects and saying in unison, “We respectfully welcome Zhaoyi back to the residence.”

“Father, please rise quickly,” Qin Ling said, then turned to Qin Suizhi and continued, “Brother and Younger Sister, you don’t need to be overly formal.”

“Thank you, Your Ladyship.”

The young eunuch, Fu An, asked, “My lady, would you like to ride the palanquin inside?”

“No need; you may all leave,” Qin Ling waved her hand.

Even with such close familial ties, the relationship became sovereign and subject once one lived within the palace gates. Qin Wang looked at Qin Ling, struggling to speak several times before finally saying, “I have arranged dinner for you in the Eastern Hall.”

Observing his actions closely, Qin Ling smiled and said, “Thank you, Father.”

Qin Ling turned slightly to look at her, shook his head, and murmured, “You still look the same.” His tone and expression were exactly the same as the Qin Wang in Qin Ling’s memories.

The father-daughter bond between Qin Ling and Qin Wang had become faint over the years, but now, they could suddenly be intimate. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qin Ling moved to stand beside Qin Suizhi.

Having become an official, Qin Suizhi’s demeanor had changed somewhat, but his eyes seemed glued to Qin Ling since she entered.

Qin Ling whispered, “Ah Ling, how have you been in the palace?” In truth, Qin Suizhi knew very well that his sister must have been favored in the palace. She had been promoted to the third-rank Zhaoyi in mere months, but he still wanted to hear it from her own mouth.

“Brother, rest assured, I’ve been doing well in the palace,” Qin Ling smiled. “But what about Lord Qin?”

Qin Suizhi suppressed a chuckle and said, “Thanks to your favor, Lord Lu has been taking care of me.”

As they approached the Eastern Hall, the siblings were still quietly chatting. Qin Wang turned and said, “My lady, would you like to dine now?”

Qin Ling hesitated for a moment and then nodded, “Yes.”

Qin Rong sneakily glanced at Qin Suizhi, feeling a twinge of sadness. She had never seen her brother smile at her, but he acted very differently toward her older sister. Qin Rong quickened her pace, about to step into the Eastern Hall.

Qin Wang glanced at her, speaking sternly, “Rong’er, you should know the rules!”

Qin Rong halted at the door, allowing her sister to enter first. Qin Ling had just returned, and now even her father admonished her for her.

The family gathered in the Eastern Hall and sat down, facing a table laden with a sumptuous feast. There were lamb stir-fry, pan-fried fresh fish, lamb crystal rolls, three-line soup, roasted goose, bean soup, lychee pork… counting, there were over thirty dishes.

Qin Suizhi added, “Today, I specially bought sweet rice balls and steamed sea bass for you. Please try them.”

At that moment, a palace maid walked over from the doorway and said, “My lady, please wait; we need to taste the dishes first.”

Qin Ling looked at her with amusement, feigning annoyance, “I’m just back home from the palace. Is there a need to taste the dishes?”

The palace maid nervously replied, “My lady, it’s the rule.”

Setting down her chopsticks, Qin Ling waited for the palace maid to taste the dishes first. As soon as she finished, Qin Ling picked up the fish that Qin Suizhi had indicated. She noticed Qin Wang raising an eyebrow in the corner of her eye.

“Please enjoy your meal, my lady,” Qin Suizhi said with a smile. “No need to compete with anyone.”

Qin Ling nodded and complained to Qin Suizhi, “It’s been long since I’ve had this.”

Qin Suizhi said, “Then, please eat more, my lady…”

Qin Ling playfully narrowed her eyes and said, “Brother, if you want me to eat more, stop calling me ‘my lady’ every sentence.”

Qin Suizhi quickly agreed, “Alright, alright.”

Qin Wang had been silent all along, only pushing the steamed sea bass towards Qin Ling. He cleared his throat and said, “My lady, actions speak louder than words.”

Qin Ling sat straight, and whispered, “Father is right.”

After the dinner, Qin Wang rubbed his knees and said, “I have a few words I’d like to speak to my lady alone.” Qin Ling nodded agreeably. Qin Wang said, “Please come with me to Cheng’an Hall.”

Upon entering the room, Qin Ling took a seat, her face guarded. She asked, “Is there something Father can only discuss with me privately? Could it be related to bringing back Lady Jiang?”

Lady Jiang; Qin Wang’s former bed warmer, Qin Rong’s mother.

Qin Wang rubbed his temples with his hands and sighed thrice. “In this lifetime, I will never see her again. I promise you this, my lady.”

Qin Ling breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Father, please just say what you have to.”

“A while ago, Rong’er caused trouble for you when she entered the palace,” Qin Wang said. “This matter should have been my responsibility.”

Seeing the guilt in Qin Wang’s eyes, Qin Ling hurriedly said, “Father, please don’t blame yourself like this.”

“My lady, even though you gain favor in the palace, there are many challenges…” Qin Wang almost gritted his teeth as he continued, “It’s because I indulged her in the past that she developed these bad habits. I never expected that she would dare to bring shame to our family like that…” After speaking, Qin Wang coughed twice.

Qin Ling turned to pour him a glass of water.

Qin Wang slapped the table with his palm, “Rest assured. From today until she marries, she won’t step out of the Qin residence. If she dares to have any association with the Chu family again, I will expel her from the Qin family. Her actions in the future will also affect you, my lady.”

This tone and demeanor were truly reminiscent of Qin Wang. Thinking back to a few months ago, he had spoken to her in the same way.

“That one surnamed Zhu is merely a son of a merchant. Is he worthy for you to degrade yourself like this!? From now on, don’t think about getting out of the door even for half a step. If you meet with that brat from the Zhu family once again, I’ll break his legs in your presence! This grand scribe position, I won’t even care anymore!”

Qin Wang had always been this way, wearing his emotions on his sleeve. At times, when his emotions ran high, he would utter some harsh words, but he was actually soft-hearted and could be easily manipulated by Jiang Lanyue.

Hearing these words, Qin Ling let out a long sigh, feeling a bit more at ease. Perhaps… she had overthought things.

Qin Wang looked at her and said, “But Rong’er is still your sister…”

Qin Ling immediately interrupted him, realizing what he was about to say. “Father, can we not discuss this matter, please?”

Qin Wang looked surprised and replied in a subdued tone, “Alright, alright.”

Qin Ling said, “Your daughter has finally come home. I just want to spend time with Father and Brother. Since these matters are in the past, let’s not bring them up again.”

Qin Wang said, “Yes, yes. It’s still early now… but would you accompany me in a game of qi?”

Qin Ling’s expression softened, “In the palace, the emperor didn’t like my qi skills. Since I’ve come home today, let’s skip it, alright?”

Qin Wang’s smile reached his eyes. “Since the emperor has acknowledged your excellent qi skills, you should practice diligently.”

“I do practice.” Qin Ling rubber her wrist and continued, “Perhaps I’m simply not talented.”

Qin Wang tried his best to persuade. “To be a diligent study is to be a seedling that rises steadily in the spring. As long as you work hard on something, you will definitely make progress.”

‘The eloquent way of speaking indeed resembled Qin Wang’s demeanor. Qin Ling yawned and said, “Father, how about I write a scroll for you? The days in the palace always feel exceptionally long. My writing has improved with many scripture readings and palace rules to transcribe, and even the emperor praised it.”

Qin Wang stood and smiled, saying, “Then, let’s go to the study, my lady.”

As a true scholar, the fragrance of ink wafted through the air when he pushed open the study door. Qin Wang shook his sleeves, preparing to grind the ink for her, but Qin Ling said, “Father, I’ll be nervous if you watch as I write.”

Qin Wang smiled and stepped back a few paces, allowing her to proceed, and sat in a chair.

Qin Ling moved the lamp aside, laid out a sheet of paper, pressed it with a ruler, and began grinding the ink. After a while, she picked up the brush and dipped it in the ink. Moments later, her slender wrist turned, and she set down the brush. A smile graced her features as she raised her hand, showcasing the densely written characters, and asked, “Father, how is it?” Her face tensed, and her heart was practically in her throat.

Qin Wang nodded. “Yes, there is improvement.”

Qin Ling raised her chin slightly and smiled, “Father, could you guide me a bit more?”

“With graceful strokes and delicate flourishes, your characters do indeed possess a newfound elegance. However, there is still room for improvement,” Qin Wang said, looking straight at her. He patted his wrist and continued, “Your hand strength is sufficient but requires a bit more effort. Upon closer examination, it seems to lack a certain vibrancy.”

Qin Ling looked at the parchment in her hand and nodded, suddenly realizing, “Ah, I see where I went wrong.”

As the day neared its end, a distant sound of a gong resonated from outside, indicating that the time for her departure to the imperial palace had arrived.

When Qin Ling left the residence, Qin Wang also came to see her off. Lu Ze noticed her calm demeanor and whispered, “How is it?”

Qin Ling gave him a “stay quiet” look and said, “It is getting late; let’s head back to the palace first.”

Once inside the sedan, Qin Ling felt her entire body go soft. She once again realized the extent of Dantai Yi’s abilities. She would have almost believed she had been mistaken if not for that small handwriting.

The reason she wrote the characters a bit smaller and deliberately stood farther away was simple. Qin Wang came from a humble background, where even buying an oil lamp strained his family. To pass the imperial exam, he had strained his eyes. Dantai Yi, on the other hand, possessed unparalleled martial skills and could shoot his target from a hundred steps away.