Chapter Fifty-Four
"Actually, it's nothing much," Feng Xiyang paused, then said with determination, "It's just that Father wrote asking about certain matters, and Xiyang couldn't answer them, so I had no choice but to seek my husband's help." Xia Jingshi raised a questioning brow, reached out to take the letter she handed him, and unfolded it to read. Xiyang's heart leaped into her throat as she stared unblinkingly at Xia Jingshi's expression.
After a long while, Xia Jingshi slowly lifted his head. "This prince—cannot help you." His words struck like a slap to the face, so forceful that Feng Xiyang was left humiliated and furious. He extended the letter back to her, but she didn’t take it. With both hands releasing it, the letter drifted gracefully from his fingers to the floor.
"Are you keeping yourself chaste for her?" Xiyang didn’t pick up the letter. "Husband, don’t forget—by seniority, you should now address her as 'imperial sister-in-law.'"
"This prince is happy for her," Xia Jingshi replied calmly, without anger. "Because she married someone capable of giving her happiness."
Xiyang sneered. "Why do your words make me feel as though you’re reveling in unparalleled happiness yourself?"
Xia Jingshi smiled faintly instead. "Don’t you think that’s the truth?"
"I don’t think so," Xiyang retorted. "If you were truly happy, why would you take your anger out on me over her becoming a concubine? Unless you’re thinking of her, your face is always so cold it might as well be carved from stone..."
"This is the last time this prince will discuss this topic with you." Xia Jingshi was clearly angered now, his brows furrowed, the usual softness of his moonlit gaze entirely absent. "How this prince treats you has nothing to do with Yixiao, just as marrying you as my consort has nothing to do with loving you. Do you believe that just because you’ve given affection, others must return it in kind? Then why didn’t you agree to marry that general from Su Sha who proposed to you? Or perhaps this prince should ask—should this prince take every woman who admires me into my household? You simply refuse to face reality. This prince does not love you—not in the past, not now, and not in the future..."
"Stop talking! If you despise me so much, why didn’t you refuse me from the start?! Why did you marry me?!" Feng Xiyang covered her ears and screamed, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "You ruined me!!!"
"Did this prince ever have the chance to refuse? And," Xia Jingshi gave a strange smile, "wasn’t it you who brought up this topic? Why tell this prince to stop speaking? Wasn’t it you who insisted on marrying no one but this prince? So why accuse me of ruining you?..."
"Shut up!" Feng Xiyang shrieked, sweeping all the documents and writing tools from Xia Jingshi’s desk onto the floor in a frenzy. Amid the deafening clatter, she turned and stumbled out of the room. The guards who rushed in at the noise stood frozen at the doorway, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
Xia Jingshi sighed softly and said gently, "Have someone come clean this up, then summon Weiran."
The sun had fully risen, the azure sky devoid of even a single cloud. The golden sunlight was so dazzling it was hard to keep one’s eyes open, yet Fu Yixiao gazed up at it with near-feverish intensity—it was the ruler of all things. Who knew whether its gaze upon the toiling masses below held pity or pride?After much struggle, she ultimately fell into the trap, like an insect caught in a web—the harder she struggled to break free, the more tightly the silk wrapped around her. No, she instinctively shook her head. She hadn’t reached the point of utter desperation yet. Though the odds were slim, still...
Nothing could make her yield—not power, status, wealth, not even death. Nothing.
Feng Suige had stayed in the bridal chamber for the first time last night, but he merely lay beside her without any impropriety. Despite his earlier assurances, she had clutched a sharp hairpin hidden under her pillow all night, counting his steady breaths until dawn, when exhaustion finally pulled her into a deep sleep.
By the time she woke, Feng Suige was already gone, and the hairpin she had gripped so tightly had vanished. Fu Yixiao searched the bedding in vain but found it placed on the dressing table when she rose.
She wondered what expression Feng Suige had worn when he discovered the hairpin. The thought made her chuckle.
After washing up, Yixiao sat at the table, carefully polishing Greedy Wolf with soft leather. Last night’s stealthy maneuvers had added fresh scratches to the bow—she wondered how badly the sentry she had struck down was injured.
"Minor Imperial Concubine," a maid entered carrying a lacquered tray. "Time for your medicine." Yixiao slowed her polishing. "Medicine? What medicine?" The maid set the tray down and handed her a cup of thick, dark liquid. "The Imperial Son instructed that this be brought to you as soon as you awoke—please drink it while it’s warm."
Yixiao frowned. "What is this?" The maid blushed. "It’s a tonic, of course. To prepare your body for bearing a young prince soon..."
Yixiao studied the cup for a moment before sneering. "I doubt the Imperial Son ordered this." The maid paled. "Forgive this foolish servant..." Yixiao lifted her gaze, coldly meeting the maid’s eyes. "This is the Lord of the Nation’s doing." The maid shrank back. "This servant doesn’t understand..."
"Don’t understand?" Yixiao set Greedy Wolf aside and idly picked at her nails. "To be honest, neither do I. How about this—I’ll have Guyu summon the Imperial Son back. Then we’ll all understand."
With a thud, the maid collapsed to her knees, trembling. "Spare me, Minor Imperial Concubine! I was only following orders—please spare my life!" Yixiao rose with a mocking smile and paced leisurely. "Spare you? Then answer me truthfully—who sent you, and what is this medicine?"
"It’s... it’s..." The maid could barely speak, nearly prostrate. Yixiao arched a brow. "Poison?" "No!" The maid kowtowed frantically. "Mercy, Minor Imperial Concubine! It’s just a common contraceptive draught..."
"Ohhh—" Yixiao drew out the syllable. "Just a common contraceptive draught. So, who sent you?" Seeing no way out, the maid steeled herself and blurted, "Consort Jing ordered me to bring it!""Consort Jing?" This was completely unexpected for Yixiao. She repeated in confusion, "Consort Jing asked you to bring this?" "Absolutely true," the maid, seeing her expression, anxiously threw herself at her feet. "The medicine was sent by Consort Jing early this morning. She instructed me to brew it first and bring it over as soon as the Minor Imperial Concubine woke up—if I’m lying, may I die a horrible death!"
"What does this have to do with Consort Jing?" Yixiao still didn’t understand.
"Consort Jing cannot bear children, and she has always wanted to marry her niece into the Prince's mansion," Feng Suige strode in. He visibly relaxed when he saw the untouched bowl of medicine on the table but still pulled Yixiao into his arms with lingering fear, asking softly, "Are you alright?"
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