The Old Marquis Qi stood there in a daze—he had never expected that this was how Xiao Yunting thought.
He could actually understand why Xiao Yunting liked Qi Yuan.
To be honest, anyone who got along with Qi Yuan would probably end up liking her.
She was decisive, unafraid to love or hate, and whatever she said, she meant—there was no need to second-guess or wonder if she had hidden meanings.
Even more attractive was that unyielding spirit she carried.
You couldn’t find another girl like Qi Yuan in the entire capital.
Truth be told, there probably wasn’t another girl like her anywhere in the world.
How could anyone not be drawn to her?
But the kind of “liking” that Xiao Yunting had was entirely different.
As a man himself, the Old Marquis naturally sensed it keenly.
Xiao Yunting didn’t like Qi Yuan because she was useful, nor because she was capable, nor because of the Qi family behind her.
None of that.
He simply liked Qi Yuan, the person—nothing more, nothing less.
They say emperors are heartless.
But when the Old Marquis looked at Xiao Yunting, he could only feel that this future emperor was not heartless at all.
In his heart, he couldn’t help but wonder: Maybe there really is such a thing as fate.
These two—were clearly made for each other.
After playing with Ah Huang for a while, Xiao Yunting even went out of his way to find Shen Jialang and Qi Yunzhi, gifting each of them a fine horse.
They weren’t quite the legendary Ferghana horses from the Western Regions, but they were still rare and exceptional mounts—one in a thousand.
Shen Jialang and Qi Yunzhi were overjoyed.
Qi Yunzhi’s face turned red with excitement. “Thank you, Your Highness!”
Seeing their happiness, Xiao Yunting smiled. “Study hard under your master. When Ah Yuan and I return, I’ll test you both.”
He glanced at Shen Jialang again. “You need to eat more—grow tall and strong!”
Shen Jialang clenched his fists in excitement, standing proudly next to his tall horse and shouting his agreement.
Liujin and old Zhao watched from the side. Old Zhao couldn’t help but ask, “Is His Highness always this nice to the Qi family?”
Since Babao had been sent to Mount Longhu with a letter, Liujin nodded and replied matter-of-factly, “This? This is nothing. He’s just showing love to those Ah Yuan loves. His Highness doesn’t treat everyone this well. But these two boys…”
He chuckled, “Well, what can you say? They’re lucky—Miss Qi likes them.”
Old Zhao understood instantly: Miss Qi likes them, so His Highness does too.
He quietly made a mental note. Later, who knew where he got them from, but he pulled out two skewers of candied hawthorn and, as Xiao Yunting was about to leave, secretly slipped them to Shen Jialang and Qi Yunzhi.
……
Liujin had thought that with Babao gone, his ears might finally get a rest. Who knew—compared to Old Zhao, Babao was still a child.
He couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
Xiao Yunting didn’t bother with them. By the time he returned to the palace, it was already evening. Judging the timing, he figured Emperor Yongchang should be receiving news of Li Changqing’s death about now.
Just as he was preparing to change clothes and go bid farewell to the emperor, Empress Feng’s people arrived, inviting him over.
After a moment’s thought, he went to see her first.
It hadn’t been that long, but Empress Feng looked noticeably aged.
She waved a hand for him to sit, then gently asked, “You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Xiao Yunting replied calmly. “I was going to say farewell to Royal Grandfather first, then come here to take my leave of you. Please take care of your health, Royal Grandmother.”
Her expression turned complicated.
She had originally thought Xiao Yunting would rush to the emperor to plead for Qi Yuan’s sake—or even fight with him over her.
Youth was impulsive, after all.
But Xiao Yunting had done no such thing.
Instead, he’d requested to lead the disaster relief mission.
And clearly, he had made the right call. After all—how long had it even been?
Now Li Changqing was already finished.
Would anyone still dare mention him?
Not even the Feng family. At this point, they were practically praying everyone would forget that Li Changqing had once proclaimed Feng Caiwei to be born with a phoenix fate.
She coughed softly, cleared her throat, and said gently, “Traveling far isn’t the same as staying home. Be careful in all things.”
After a pause, she continued, “Yunting, you’re a decisive young man—much more capable than your father ever was.”
Then, no longer hesitating, she took his hand and said, “Your granduncle came to the palace today. He’s tried several times to visit you in the Eastern Palace but couldn’t find you, so he came to me instead.”
Xiao Yunting didn’t even look up. “Royal Grandmother, what kind of crime is it to conspire with Li Changqing? Even if I said nothing, I’m sure you already know the answer.”
A bitter taste filled Empress Feng’s mouth.
Indeed—Feng Yuzhang was already scared out of his wits.
He was trembling with fear.
She forced down the bitterness in her heart. “It was all Caiwei’s doing. She was young and reckless. Since childhood, she thought of herself as your savior, assumed she’d be the future Imperial Grandson Consort. That’s why she went astray…”
Xiao Yunting raised his head and looked at her. “Royal Grandmother, saying all this to me is meaningless. Royal Grandfather now loathes Li Changqing to the extreme. The more he once favored him, the more viciously he’ll crush him now. And anyone tied to Li Changqing won’t meet a good end.”
In other words—
Feng Caiwei had ruined herself.
Forget being Imperial Grandson Consort—she shouldn’t even dream of a decent future now.
Empress Feng’s face turned pale.
Of course she knew Xiao Yunting was right.
But it was precisely because he was right that she felt unable to bear it. “Yunting! The Feng family barely has anyone left… can’t you be a little more merciful?”
Xiao Yunting looked at her evenly. “Royal Grandmother, do you know why the Feng family was accused of trying to kill Liu Wangfei back then? Because my great-grandfather acted arrogantly and domineeringly—he nearly tried to control the emperor. That’s what provoked Royal Grandfather and the court.”
Bringing up old history again, Empress Feng felt chilled to the bone.
“So after all these years, I’d thought the Feng family had learned their lesson.” He gave a cold laugh. “But now it seems they haven’t. Royal Grandmother, true love from parents is to plan wisely for their children. The way you keep indulging the Feng family—that’s no blessing to them.”
Empress Feng pressed her lips tightly together and looked at him. “So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying—the Feng family needs to cut off the rot to survive. Feng Caiwei must either die or be sent far away, never to return to the capital. There’s no other choice.” Xiao Yunting’s expression remained calm. “Anyone who does wrong must face consequences. If the Feng family follows the rules from now on, their name can still be preserved. If some promising young men emerge, they can find a proper future again.”
He looked straight at her. “Royal Grandmother, we’ve come this far. It hasn’t been easy. So we absolutely can’t let it all be destroyed in Feng Caiwei’s hands.”
