Old Zhao had just opened his mouth to scold someone. Shen Jialang was timid, and teaching him required patience, how could anyone be so rash?
But the moment he turned and saw Lai Chenglong, he was stunned. “Lord Lai, you’re back?!”
Liu Jin also saw him now, and quickly rode over. “Hey, Lord Lai, why are you so skinny? Looks like the food in Japan wasn’t great, huh? Look how starved you are!”
Truly, always saying exactly the wrong thing.
Lai Chenglong couldn’t be bothered to answer. He just looked down at the still-screaming and crying Shen Jialang and raised a brow. “Do you remember me? I once took you horseback riding back to the manor.”
Ever since Shen Jialang had been bitten by dogs, he’d developed a trauma and become very sensitive.
His face was still dotted with many white patches, giving him a gloomy appearance.
When he heard Lai Chenglong say this, he cautiously raised his head, studied him carefully, and then quickly nodded. “I know you! You’re the one who saved my sister and me!”
Lai Chenglong smiled. “That’s right. Look at you. Back then you were buried in a coffin and still held back your tears, such courage. And now, just a dog bite turned you into a scaredy-cat?”
Shen Jialang looked down, dejected. “But I’m still afraid.”
“What’s there to fear?” Lai Chenglong grinned and patted his head. “When you face hardship, you should overcome it! Once you muster your courage, all obstacles will give way before you. That’s what your older sister did. Don’t you want to be like her? To protect her in the future?”
Shen Jialang’s face flushed, and as if some great courage had suddenly welled up, he said firmly, “I do! I want to!”
Qi Yunzhen, sitting on Liu Jin’s horse, also shouted, “Me too! Me too! I’ll learn to ride and train hard so that when danger comes, I can protect my sister too!”
Uh-oh. Old Zhao rolled his eyes internally.
A rival has appeared.
Liu Jin also became a bit wary inside.
Was Lai Chenglong trying to steal His Highness’s girl?!
No way!
His Highness had gone through so much trouble and effort to win that lady, if he came back from Jiangxi only to find someone else had taken her…
While the yard was in chaos, Old Marquis Qi just shook his head and turned to head back into Mingyue Pavilion.
Qi Zhen was poking his head around outside the building.
Seeing this sneaky behavior, the old marquis was instantly annoyed.
At his age, he was acting more and more like a fool. Now he looked like nothing but an idiot.
The old marquis thumped him. “What the h*ll are you creeping around for?”
Qi Zhen, used to being hit by his father, gave a sheepish smile. “Father, I was just wondering why Feng Yuzhang came to our house.”
Indeed, today’s visitor was Feng Yuzhang.
The old marquis snorted. “Why? To kneel and beg Yuanyuan for forgiveness, of course!”
Of course, Feng Yuzhang wasn’t really going to kneel to a junior, but he did give Qi Yuan a very deep bow, genuinely and gratefully.
Qi Yuan raised an indifferent brow at him. “Lord Feng, what’s the meaning of this?”
Feng Yuzhang sighed inwardly, but his face remained sincere. He spoke plainly: “I apologize, Lady Qi. That girl Caiwei, what she did, you could have killed her ten times over and still been justified.”
He truly had been scared witless this time.
Especially after discovering Qilin and Cao Xingwang’s collusion in the disaster relief grain scheme, he’d broken out in cold sweat from head to toe.
Madness.
Feng Caiwei was a loathsome madwoman!
The only reason the Crown Prince could still be the Crown Prince was frankly because the Imperial Grandson was Xiao Yunting.
Because Emperor Yongchang liked Xiao Yunting, the Crown Prince could be Crown Prince.
Yet Feng Caiwei had colluded with Qi Wang to frame Xiao Yunting using disaster relief efforts, even attempting to kill him.
What else could she be but mad?
She’d nearly dragged the entire Feng family down with her.
Feng Yuzhang was immensely grateful Qi Yuan hadn’t implicated their whole family. If she’d wanted to, she absolutely could have.
Qi Yuan wasn’t particularly interested in hearing thanks. But considering the Fengs were kin to Empress Feng and that, in the past, the Fengs had truly saved Xiao Yunting’s life, she agreed to see him.
Now that he’d spoken, she asked coolly, “So, Lord Feng, have you said your piece?”
…
Feng Yuzhang had prepared a long speech, but now he found himself tongue-tied.
No, he hadn’t finished!
He had wanted to ask Qi Yuan to let this whole matter blow over, perhaps even speak to Xiao Yunting and get him to stop pushing further.
Their family wouldn’t dare try anything again.
But for some reason, looking at Qi Yuan’s expression, he just didn’t dare to say it.
Strange—he was a marquis! In his youth, he’d even killed men in Yunnan, but in front of Qi Yuan, he always felt like he was a head shorter.
After a moment’s hesitation, he forced himself to say, “Also… Miss Qi, Her Majesty the Empress asked me to pass on a message: she says she likes you very much. That the Imperial Grandson is fortunate to have you like him.”
Qi Yuan’s expression didn’t change.
To her, the decision to be with Xiao Yunting didn’t need anyone’s approval.
If mountains or seas stood in her way, she would flatten them.
So the Empress’s approval, at this point, meant very little.
Still, Qi Yuan wouldn’t accuse her of being insincere.
She understood that Empress Feng was trying to preserve her family’s position. She raised an eyebrow slightly and replied solemnly, “Understood. Please also tell Her Majesty that as long as she and the Feng family do not trouble me again, we can be great allies.”
Why fight to the death?
What good would it have done Feng Caiwei to become Imperial Grand Princess?
Even if she became Empress, so what?
Empress Feng was already Empress. Did she have anything worth envying?
Seeing that his goal was achieved, Feng Yuzhang finally felt his heart settle.
But he couldn’t help feeling a surge of jealousy toward Old Marquis Qi.
Why was it that, despite both being nobles, he couldn’t raise a granddaughter like Qi Yuan?
Filled with thoughts, he stepped outside and saw the old Marquis and Qi Zhen by the wall. His mood soured.
Seriously, what did they do to deserve this?
With Qi Yuan holding down the fort, how could the Qi family not thrive?
Still, jealousy aside, he had to keep up appearances. He greeted them politely: “Old Marquis, Marquis, I have something I wish to discuss with you.”
Old Marquis Qi eyed him warily. “What is it?”
Feng Yuzhang took a deep breath. “I’d like to propose a marriage.”
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