Return of the Swallow

bystander casualties nonetheless.

When the group next looked at Qin Yining, they saw her in a different light.

How intelligent and decisive was she to have thought of such a solution! Compassion drove her remorse over those about to lose their lives, yet she’d done so to save the majority.
Cruel as she may seem, could any of them truly denounce her?

That night, Qin Yining found herself unable to sleep.

She tossed and turned, kept awake by chilling mental images of mobs raiding the estates of the rich to commit arson, murder, and plunder while women and children were tortured to death.

When she finally found sleep, she was frightened awake by nightmares.

His wife’s screams woke Pang Xiao with a jerk.
The sight of her face streaked with tears squeezed his heart painfully as he drew her into a tight embrace.

“My darling, you've done nothing wrong.
Your solution isn’t wrong.
Even if there’s fault to be distributed, the one upon the throne is to blame, not you.”

“But the truth is that many will die because of my plan.”

“That may be, but a great majority of the citizens will live because of you.
Not just the people of Yang County, but all of the citizens living in the disaster zone.”

Qin Yining leaned against Pang Xiao's shoulders with closed eyes and nodded.
She had to bury her weaknesses in order to progress in the face of harsh reality.

At daybreak, the refugees learned what the immoral landlords had done in their lust for money.
When the Faithful Prince of the First Rank sought to purchase coarse rice from them, they increased their prices to the unaffordable amount of twelve taels per stone.
The prince tried several times, receiving nothing but a face full of rejection for his efforts.
Knowing this, the people agitated with outrage.

Riots boiled over by noon.
News spread of attacks on the Dings and the Peis.
Meanwhile, Huzi dragged a person bound by rope before Pang Xiao and Qin Yining.

“Your Highness, the two we interrogated yesterday confessed they were acting on orders to provoke the refugees so that there would be a major riot.
This one is the person pulling the strings.”

The two looked down with conflicted feelings—lying on her side and gagged with a rag was none other than Madame Lu.

The princess consort intoned, “Why? Didn’t you move to your countryside estate? Why are you here and why did you do that? Do you know how many citizens were trampled to death because of you?”

Biting down on the rag in her mouth, Madame Lu glared wrathfully at her.

“Remove her gag so that she may speak,” ordered Qin Yining.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Huzi immediately removed the rag.

Squirming like a massive cicada larva, Madame Lu struggled for a long while before she brought himself to a seated position.
She lifted up her head at Pang Xiao, then Qin Yining before exclaiming, “I only wanted to help the refugees! What wrong have I committed?”

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