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As soon as Pang Yuanying entered the gate of Nangyun Study, he went straight upstairs.
A young Scholar responsible for copying books at the stairway was startled and quickly stood up to block him, saying, "This Husband, the second floor is not suitable for receiving guests, I kindly ask you to..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a guard behind Pang Yuanying casually pushed him aside, causing the scholar to stumble and nearly fall down the stairs.
The entire Nangyun Study suddenly fell silent.
The scholar's face turned red with anger, trembling as he exclaimed, "What are you doing?"
Pang Yuanying flashed a mocking smile but had not yet spoken when a familiar and calm voice came from an elegant room on the second floor.
"Brother San, let the Marquis in. He can enter even the inner palace; how can we stop him here?"
Immediately, the door to the elegant room by the stairs swung open, and Qin Yaru stepped out confidently, meeting Pang Yuanying's gaze without flinching. With a proper smile, she greeted him warmly, "Greetings, Marquis. It has been a while since we last met; I hope you are well."
Pang Yuanying smiled broadly: "I have searched high and low for you. So, Consort Qin, are you still unwilling to agree? Don't think too hard about it; as long as you follow me, all that wealth and numerous servants will be yours. You will enjoy a life of luxury and ease instead of struggling here to make a name for yourself in this Nangyun Study."
It had only been a little over half a year since they last met, but the Marquis had changed significantly. Although he still appeared like a debauched young master with an ambiguous beauty about him, there was an inexplicable shadow in his eyes. His demeanor seemed more cynical, yet those who were perceptive could easily notice that Lord Pang was like a firecracker ready to ignite at any moment, potentially unleashing tremendous energy that would leave one trembling in fear.
Qin Yaru frowned slightly and replied with a smile, "Marquis jokes; your red-favored confidantes are numerous and well-known. A mere servant like me truly does not deserve your affection."
Pang Yuanying's expression darkened instantly. Just moments ago he had been charming and graceful; now his face was unpredictable: "This is already the third time I've spoken to you nicely. Do you really think my sincerity is lacking? What do you want? I offered to buy you a house, but you refused; I presented you with the rare Night Pearl, yet you looked down on it. Do you truly not enjoy a life of luxury? I refuse to believe that anyone—man or woman—doesn't aspire for something better."
Qin Yaru sighed helplessly: "Of course I enjoy good things and want to indulge as well. I can't take my eyes off that Night Pearl either; that's why I work so hard to earn money. Only by purchasing things with my own earnings do I find joy in enjoying them. There's no need for you to worry about me."
Pang Yuanying looked up in a daze at Qin Yaru's gentle and beautiful face, feeling a deep resentment in his heart.
Since he returned to the capital six months ago, the first thing he did was send someone to find Consort Qin to ensure her safety. However, he never expected that Consort Qin had left Wudang County with their son at the same time he departed from Jiunzhou, disappearing without a trace. He inquired about her whereabouts among all her acquaintances in Wudang County, but no one knew where she was.
At that time, rumors began to circulate from an unknown source that his elder brother was in close contact with the Southern Court King Xiao Zhi of the Liao Dynasty, frequently exchanging letters.
These rumors were detailed and began circulating around the same time Pang Yuanying was falsely accused of embezzling disaster relief funds in Jiunzhou. The Pang Family naturally sensed something was wrong, but despite thorough investigations, they could not uncover the source of these rumors. They only managed to catch a few gossipers with no substantial leads.
Although the Pang Family had faced crises before—some even tenfold more dangerous than this—they had never been so helpless as to not even know who their enemy was.
Pang Chunzhi was a trusted minister of the emperor, and Pang Yuanying's elder brother, Pang Yuanzhi, had grown up alongside the emperor. Their close relationship meant that if it were merely rumors, although they would still be attacked by court officials, it would not be a significant issue.
But they never expected that the Pang Family would actually be robbed.
This was the Pang Family, deeply rooted and holding significant power in the Song Dynasty. Their ancestral home was adjacent to the imperial palace, located in one of the safest areas of the entire Song Dynasty. Yet those thieves managed to break into the Pang Family without any trouble, rummaging through both the study and secret rooms.
After so many years as a prominent family, it was impossible for them not to have secrets. No one knew exactly what the Pang Family had lost; they only knew that Pang Ziyu, who had always been healthy and even healthier than men in their thirties or forties, fell gravely ill. Pang Chunzhi, who was always graceful and composed, actually lost his composure and smashed a teacup in front of outsiders.
With such a major incident occurring in the Pang Family, Pang Yuanying dared not casually send people out to investigate for a woman.
He initially thought it was nothing serious; after all, it was just that he couldn't even attract a mere woman, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. He returned to the capital and re-entered this glamorous world, intending to meet beauties far surpassing Qin Yaru. In no time at all, he would forget about her.
And indeed, he did just that. He wandered through the streets more recklessly than before. Whenever he encountered a stunning woman and learned about her background, he would approach her.
He was handsome and rarely met a woman who could resist his charm. In just six months, as one of the four young masters of the capital, Pang Yuanying became even more famous and nearly surpassed Zhan Yu, Zhan Commander, in popularity among countless young women. If this ranking were based solely on looks, he would have long claimed the top spot.
Pang Yuanying stirred up the entire capital, but unexpectedly, he felt increasingly unwell. He often found himself in the music halls, accompanied by renowned performers, only to suddenly lose interest, feeling lethargic and unable to muster any energy. Even the beautiful women who resembled flowers did not entice him to take them home for enjoyment.
His group of friends once thought that Lord Pang had changed his ways and turned into a timid rabbit, only eating vegetarian food.
After several months, one day Pang Yuanying rode his horse through the streets and inadvertently spotted a woman who resembled Qin Yaru. Without realizing it, he followed that Wife for half a street, almost enchanting her to the point where she nearly abandoned her modesty to follow him.
It was then that Pang Yuanying realized he had fallen under a spell. The only way to break this enchantment was to obtain Consort Qin, even if it were just for a moment.
As a result, Lord Pang exerted great effort to send someone to search for her and discovered that the beauty he longed for was actually in Kaifeng, running a well-known establishment called Nanyun Study.
Aside from being as debauched as him, Pang Yuanying's friends included several Scholars, as they pursued the path of the imperial examination primarily to gain official positions. Few could afford to avoid flattering the powerful.
The Nanyun Study was quite famous among scholars. However, since Pang Yuanying was not fond of reading and even if he were, countless people would present rare ancient books before him. Even in moments of extreme boredom, he might tear apart those priceless texts without a second thought; others would likely praise his audacity, believing it fortunate for those books.
With such a disposition, how could he care about a newly opened Nanyun Study? Naturally, he had never visited it and thus had not seen Qin Yaru.
It wasn't until his skilled acquaintances from the Pang Family placed information about Qin Yaru before him that he realized Consort Qin was right beside him.
However, despite the considerable influence of the Pang Family in Tokyo, if this Marquis wanted to take any forceful actions here, it would not be easy. Moreover, at this time, it was truly inappropriate for the Pang Family to stir up trouble. He had no choice but to employ the same tactics he had previously used on other women on Qin Yaru.
First, the Marquis sent over a property deed for one of the best houses in the most prosperous area of Tokyo.
Qin Yaru was genuinely moved. The truth is that living in Tokyo is no easy feat; housing prices are comparable to those in modern-day Beijing. Even she, who now possessed some wealth thanks to her connections with Bai Yunsheng and Zhan Yu, had only managed to buy a garden house sold at a low price by the Official Authorities. Even so, she had spent ninety percent of her savings on it.
The next day, Lord Pang surprisingly found her a Night Pearl from the imperial treasury. It was said to be an offering from before and was quite favored by the Empress Dowager.
All women possess the characteristics of dragons as described in Western traditions; they are drawn to shiny things, and it is only natural that Qin Yaru also has an affection for Night Pearl.
To be honest, she felt that at this point, resisting temptation was quite difficult.
She couldn't linger any longer; it wasn't that she was afraid of him, but rather that she was utterly annoyed. She had so many things she wanted to do: she wanted to raise Da Lang well, clear the Qin Family of their grievances, find her elder brother and Third Sister, and keep the family together forever. How could she have time to play nonsensical romantic games with a spoiled young master?
In fact, Pang Yuanying was a smart person, not a fool. Looking at her calm and unruffled face, he knew that this woman had no feelings for him whatsoever. Her cool composure shattered his confidence bit by bit.
Pang Yuanying was ultimately a spoiled young master who had been pampered by women. Given his esteemed status, reaching this point was already his limit. If he continued to cling on, he would truly have no face left.
Lowering his head and remaining silent for a moment, this Marquis finally turned away in frustration. Qin Yaru and the group of scholars studying in the shop let out a sigh of relief.
Qin Yaru smiled but felt a slight sheen of sweat on her body. She got up to pour herself a cup of tea and was just thinking about whether she should rest in the back when she heard a commotion outside.
"It's General Gao. General Gao has returned to the capital."
Faint gasps of surprise could be heard, and Qin Yaru frowned, unable to suppress her curiosity—having been in the capital for half a year, she had heard so much about this military god who turned the tide that her ears were almost calloused from it.
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