Chapter Seventy-Eight
The distant sound of laughter and chatter interrupted Feng Xiyang's thoughts.
She had already received the news earlier—the Holy Emperor had announced in court the conferment of Fu Yixiao as the Guardian General and the title of Princess Xingping, while Ning Fei was reprimanded and appointed as a special envoy, to depart immediately for Su Sha to deliver the imperial decree. Ling Xueying was permitted to accompany him.
Fu Yixiao.
Xiyang lowered her head, absentmindedly toying with her fingers as the Holy Emperor's words echoed in her mind once more: "Without Fu Yixiao, given the princess's intelligence, handling him would be effortless..."
She wasn't worried that the Holy Emperor was using Fu Yixiao as bait to deceive her—first severing ties, then relinquishing power. This was the promise the Holy Emperor had made to her. Moreover, the Gold Medal of Impunity given as a token of trust lay quietly in her sleeve.
Her only fear was that if Xia Jingshi were to discover everything, she would be doomed beyond redemption.
But if she didn't make a decision soon, it would be too late.
"All of you are useless!!" Feng Qishan roared in fury, slamming his hand on the table. "Has there ever been a single task I entrusted to you that you've executed flawlessly?!" The man who had disguised himself as an inn attendant that day prostrated on the ground in terror, pleading, "My Lord, please calm your anger. Your servant has dispatched all available hands to search meticulously along the Canal..."
"Nonsense!" Feng Qishan trembled with rage. "If anything happens to the Imperial Son, I'll exterminate your entire clan!!" Consort Zhuang, standing nearby with a nervous expression, hurried forward to console him. "My Lord, don't let anger harm your health. The Imperial Son is blessed by the heavens. Perhaps—" "Get out!!" Feng Qishan shoved her away violently. "You repeatedly assured me that nothing would go wrong. What do you have to say for yourself now?!"
The surrounding palace attendants had frozen like stone pillars, not daring to breathe, let alone step forward to assist. Consort Zhuang staggered a few steps and fell to the ground, immediately bursting into quiet sobs of grievance. "This concubine never intended for this. Who could have predicted that Ye Duanfang would interfere? Otherwise, Fu Yixiao would have perished in the flames long ago, and the Imperial Son wouldn't have—"
"My Lord... My Lord—" A palace guard rushed in, his face alight with joy, stumbling in his haste. "The Imperial Son has returned..." Feng Qishan froze, then surged forward in delight, grabbing the guard by the collar. "Where is he?! Where is he now?!"
The guard answered smoothly, "When your servant received the news, the Imperial Son and the Minor Imperial Concubine had not yet entered the city. Marquis Jianxin has already led a party to greet them..." Before he could finish, Feng Qishan's expression darkened. "That woman came back with him?!" The guard swallowed hard, not daring to move, but nodded firmly. "The Minor Imperial Concubine returned together with the Imperial Son."
Feng Qishan pushed him away with a grim face and strode out. The guard hurried after him, while Consort Zhuang, aided by the palace attendants, slowly rose to her feet. Seeing the man still kneeling dumbly where he was, she snapped in shame and anger, "Why are you still here? Waiting for the Lord to return and skin you alive?!"
The once-bustling streets had long been cleared. A simple carriage, escorted by the iron cavalry under Ye Duanfang's command, came to a slow halt before the Prince's mansion. The carriage curtain shifted, and out stepped Fu Yixiao, still clad in coarse cloth. She murmured her thanks to Ye Duanfang beside the carriage, then turned and punched the carriage board. "Why aren't you coming out yet? How much longer are you planning to stay in there?""No way," came Feng Suige's exasperated voice from inside the carriage. "Either have someone bring me a change of clothes or have them carry the sedan chair inside." Yixiao curled her lips in disdain. "What kind of man fusses over such trivial things like this?"
Everyone within earshot of their exchange stifled quiet laughter.
There had been an air of absurdity ever since Marquis Jianxin led the team to fetch them. To allow the sedan chair into the farmer's courtyard, half the outer fence gate had been dismantled. After repeated urging from the Minor Imperial Concubine going in and out multiple times, the Imperial Son finally ordered everyone to turn their backs. In the blink of an eye, he had darted from the doorway into the sedan chair.
Throughout the journey, arguments had erupted several times from within the carriage—mostly about the Phoenix Prince finding his current attire too rustic to be seen in public, while the Minor Imperial Concubine insisted he enter the Prince's mansion properly through the main gate. Whether she was deliberately making things difficult for him was unclear, but the prince always seemed helpless against her demands.
After a prolonged standoff, Feng Suige's voice finally emerged from the carriage, gritted with frustration. "Send someone ahead to clear the path and order all servants in the mansion to stay out of sight. The rest of you, turn around."
He lingered inside a while longer, only cautiously poking his head out from behind the carriage curtain after Yixiao called impatiently for him twice. Then, slowly, the rest of his body followed.
His forehead was tightly wrapped in clean white bandages, but Fu Yixiao had tied them into an absurdly large knot. He wore a hemp robe kindly donated by the farmer—neat enough, but terribly ill-fitting, clinging tightly to his body from top to bottom.
Yixiao was already doubled over with laughter. "Coming out now?" Feng Suige shot her a resigned glare before abruptly leaping off the carriage shaft and striding quickly toward the main gate.
Just as he stepped onto the stairs, the sharp crack of a whip clearing the way echoed from nearby—Lord of the Nation Feng Qishan had arrived in person.
Those who had turned away now stood frozen in uncertainty. A few bold ones peeked back at Feng Suige, only to find that he had already forgotten his own disheveled state. Solemnly, he took Fu Yixiao's hand and pulled her close to his side.
In moments, Feng Qishan galloped up on horseback. His face dark with fury, he dismounted like a storm and ignored the soldiers kneeling all around him, marching straight toward Feng Suige.
"Father—" Feng Suige began, but before he could finish, Feng Qishan swung a powerful slap toward Yixiao's face. Had Feng Suige not swiftly pulled her into his arms, the blow would have surely knocked her unconscious.
"You wretched woman," Feng Qishan spat venomously. "Why aren't you dead yet?"
"Father!" Feng Suige's voice burned with genuine anger. "How can you speak of Yixiao like that?!"
Feng Qishan's fury only flared hotter. Pointing at Feng Suige, he roared, "What evil has possessed you? A lowly woman like her isn't worth your defense! Look at the state of you—where is the dignity befitting a regent prince?!"
Feng Suige stood tall. "The joy between my beloved consort and me is something you could never understand, Father. Moreover, regardless of Yixiao's past, she is now my wife. This time, she even saved my life. I ask that you show her respect—"
Feng Qishan cut him off with a cold laugh. "Have you even asked her why she sneaked off to that inn behind your back? She was clearly trying to rendezvous with her lover right under your nose—"Yixiao, who had been standing silently by the side, suddenly burst into laughter. "What a brilliant scheme, Lord of the Nation. Fu Yixiao admits defeat. It's just a pity that despite all your calculations, you've miscalculated far too much." Feng Qishan shot her a cold glance. "If you're trying to sow discord, you're not even qualified!"
"Perhaps," Yixiao replied with a crisp laugh, turning her gentle gaze back to Feng Suige. "Having survived this great calamity, I'll give you a grand gift." Though his anger hadn't subsided, Feng Suige still turned to ask, "What?"
With a sly smile, she cast a provocative glance at Feng Qishan nearby, as if to flaunt her defiance, then leaned close to Feng Suige's ear and whispered something.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Feng Suige's face flushed red as he blurted out gruffly, "Of course!"
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