Née Ma flung her shoe at Pang Xiao and turned away. “Those I hate the most in this life are people like you who cast off a woman after promising the world to her! If I were younger, it'd be a sign of how strong your muscles are if I didn't kick you to death with one stomp!”

Holding one of his grandmother's shoes with both hands, Pang Xiao sighed with relief to see that his grandmother was no longer hitting him.

“Grandma, don't be so mad at me. This is a show that darling Yi and I put on.”

“Another show?” Née Ma blinked, taken aback.

Pang Xiao nodded and continued lowly, “Too much has happened over the past two days. The emperor set up a trap for me and it was only because of my darling's counter-plan that I safely made it through disaster. Not only did I not suffer any losses, but I successfully joined the council as the Grand Secretary of the Hall of Military Might.

“I respect and sympathize with her, how would I ever cast her away? It's just that some things have happened in her family…”

The prince went over how the Qins had been kidnapped, the kidnappers were holding the Qin Huaiyuan couple as hostages, and how Qin Yining was being forced into the imperial selection as a result.

Née Yao and Yao Chenggu listened with heavy expressions. They were the type to think deeply to begin with, so they'd already guessed at a thing or two.

“This is really… ai! What is all this!?” Née Ma wanted to beat her chest with anguish.

She finally had a perfectly fine granddaughter-in-law with an outstanding appearance and character. More importantly, the girl was smart and filial. Née Ma loved everything about her, but who would've thought that this would occur!

“Yining is a good girl to think of her family.” After a moment, née Yao rubbed Pang Xiao's chafed shoulders and arms. “Don't be too sad, there's nothing we can do about this. She has her difficulties and you need to think of the greater picture. Dafu, some things are meant to be let go of.”

Though he knew his mother meant well, a suffocating panic still overwhelmed Pang Xiao when he heard these words.

“Mom, things won't be over between us like this,” he responded firmly.

“Don't be stubborn,” née Yao rebuked, abashed. “With Yining's looks and personality, she'll absolutely be chosen if she partic.i.p.ates. If the emperor likes her, will you charge into battle like a hot-headed youth over a girl? You'd be throwing your life away!”

Yao Chenggu had thought of this as well and was thoroughly put off his smoking session.

“If you really had the guts to do so, then at least you'd be a real man!” declared née Ma.

“Mom!”

“Mother of my children!”

Yao Chenggu and née Yao were both flabbergasted and raised their voices in unison.

Née Ma looked at Pang Xiao, then at the shrewd father-daughter duo. She sighed. “You two think too much and plot way too much. You're so concerned about this and that. We should live our lives carefree and unrestrained. If I'd plotted as much as you two, would I have decided to spend the rest of my life with an unambitious, dirt poor guy like you? Even a single coin would rattle around in your pocket!”

Yao Chenggu rubbed his nose and grumbled, “Wasn't it because you liked my cooking?”

Née Ma slammed the table so hard that the cups and saucers vibrated. “If I'd followed some n.o.ble or rich guy, I would have all the finest food that I'd want!”

She grabbed Pang Xiao's collar. “Don't you ever imitate them—constrained by this, thinking of that. What will you be able to do when hobbled at the hand and feet like that?”

A firm grip on the prince's collar, she hauled him to sit by the fireplace. “Do you think a life is a very long time?” the matriarch started earnestly. “It's over in a blink of an eye! Take advantage of your current heart and strength to fight for something if you like it! Try your hardest in whatever you want to do!

“Don't worry about me and your grandfather, and even less about your mom. We came from the dirt anyways. If worst comes to worst, we'll just go back to the simple and easy life in the fields. That's still a way of life! But just remember, the best hunters know most how to use the perfect timing. You can't use brute force, understand?”

Pang Xiao was indeed touched by née Ma's words.