Feishi’s life was still held in Feizhan’s hands. The Tayuan King quickly yielded. The decree condemning Feishi for treason was announced to the kingdom just as dawn began to break.
Autumn had already arrived by the calendar. The Tayuan morning was crisp and cool. When the news reached him, Feizhan was lying under a thin blanket, resting his head on Feng Lezhen’s lap as she gently massaged and combed his hair.
After hearing the news, he remained silent. It was Feng Lezhen who softly said, “Congratulations.”
Feizhan’s eyes shifted slightly. After a long while, he let out a faint chuckle. “Thank you.”
Feng Lezhen lowered her eyes and smoothed the crease between his brows. “It’s a day to be happy. Don’t frown.”
Feizhan closed his eyes. “Father is still upset with me. I don’t know how long it will take for him to name me as heir. Becoming king is even more distant. But don’t worry, Your Highness—since I promised to help you, I won’t go back on my word. Once you’ve left, send me a signal anytime. When the moment is right, I’ll lead troops to blockade Yingguan. When that happens, you—”
“Let’s not talk about that today,” Feng Lezhen cut in.
Feizhan’s eyelids twitched, but he didn’t open his eyes.
No lamps were lit in the room. The light was cool and dim. Feng Lezhen continued combing his hair. The rounded teeth of the jade comb tapped rhythmically against his scalp, soothing his exhaustion from a sleepless night.
The first ray of sunlight slipped through the window and touched the floor. Feng Lezhen lifted her head slightly, smiling with quiet satisfaction. “Look, it’s fully light now.”
Just an ordinary sentence, spoken in an ordinary tone—but something about it struck Feizhan deeply. The man who’d moments ago seemed to be resting with his eyes closed suddenly sprang up and nearly roughly pressed Feng Lezhen onto the bed.
“If you end up pregnant from today…” His breath was ragged. He wanted to say something to make her stay, but when he met her overly cool gaze, the words stalled on his tongue and never made it out.
After a long while, he forced out a sentence through clenched teeth: “I’ll return to Great Qian with you… and be your princess consort.”
Feng Lezhen gave a light laugh and had just opened her mouth to respond when he sealed her lips with his.
The scent of fresh grass mixed with dew slowly spread through the bedchamber. In the courtyard just beyond the wall, a gardener was swinging his hoe with gusto. The earth was turned over inch by inch, and the dewdrops on the flower petals fell, quickly soaking into the dark soil and adding a bit more moisture to it.
As the sun rose toward its zenith, more and more people gathered outside the Rinuan Pavilion to seek audience with Feizhan, yet not a sound came from the bedchamber. Even the hidden guard perched in the tree began to grow anxious, lowering his voice to call out to Ah Ye, who was on another branch.
“How much longer are they going to stay in there?” he asked.
Ah Ye gave him a sidelong glance. “How would I know?”
“…Why don’t you go ask?” the hidden guard suggested cautiously.
Ah Ye chuckled. “Why don’t you go ask?”
What kind of idiot would go ask at a time like this? The guard shrank his neck back and fell silent. Ah Ye shot a cold glare at the guy trying to use her as a pawn, growing increasingly annoyed. In a huff, she broke off a twig the length of a finger and flicked it at him with a twist of her wrist.
Outside the Rinuan Pavilion, a crowd had gathered—not only Feizhan’s subordinates and members of the A’Ridi clan, but even people from Feishi’s faction had come. Evidently, after a night of reflection, they had finally figured out why Feizhan had spoken on their behalf the night before.
Everyone was waiting for Feizhan to reveal his next move. But the door to the Rinuan Pavilion remained tightly shut, and no one had come out. Just as someone was about to bite the bullet and knock, a figure suddenly fell from a tree outside the courtyard, startling everyone.
“Ahem… cough…” The hidden guard awkwardly got up, patted the dirt off himself, and scrambled back into the tree. The crowd exchanged confused glances, gradually realizing he was Feizhan’s personal guard.
Yet he’d seen them and still hadn’t gone in to report—could it be… Feizhan’s intention?
Realizing this, the person who’d been about to knock quietly withdrew their hand.
Inside the bedchamber, a drop of sweat slid from Feizhan’s chin onto Feng Lezhen’s eyelashes. She instinctively blinked, and her fingers on his arm clenched tighter.
Her nails dug into his skin, earning her a sharper surge of stormy intensity. Feng Lezhen’s breath grew heavier. She looked up in a haze and saw his ruhuan swaying above her.
Compelled by some strange impulse, she reached out to touch it again.
“Want me to take it off?” Feizhan asked in a low, coaxing voice—like a fox spirit in the wilds, tirelessly seducing a passing scholar.
Feng Lezhen shot him a look and suddenly yanked it sharply, making him hiss from the pain.
“If you don’t want to take it off, then don’t—but what’s the point of bullying me?” Feizhan grabbed her wrist, preventing her from causing more chaos.
When the absurd ordeal was over, the bedding was ruined beyond salvage. Feizhan roughly tossed it all to the floor, then spread an inner robe beneath Feng Lezhen and began wiping her down.
Feng Lezhen leaned lazily against the pillow, watching him for a while before speaking slowly, “The place outside must be packed with people by now.”
“Let them wait,” Feizhan said without even lifting his head. He was the one who’d once been seeking favors, but after the Tayuan King personally condemned Feishi, the power dynamic had reversed.
Now, making them wait was just a simple warning.
Feng Lezhen chuckled. “Careful they don’t choose someone else to follow.”
“Follow who?” Feizhan looked up to meet her gaze. “The times have changed. The throne is already within my grasp. If they’re smart, they’ll get their share of the pie later. If they foolishly back someone else and fail, they’ll be d*mned for eternity. They’re not fools—they’ll know what choice to make.”
Feng Lezhen’s lips curled, and she didn’t argue further.
The night’s indulgence had truly exhausted her. She soon fell asleep atop Feizhan’s inner robe. Feizhan gazed quietly at her peaceful face for a long time, then reached out to gently touch her lower abdomen.
Feng Lezhen slept deeply, and when she woke, the soft yellow candlelight made her unsure of the time or even the day.
“Your Highness, you’re awake.” Ah Ye quickly came forward.
With Ah Ye’s help, Feng Lezhen sat up. Just as she was about to speak, a cup of water was handed to her.
“Your Highness getting so happy she forgot to go home?” Ah Ye muttered under her breath, eyeing the marks on her neck.
Feng Lezhen sipped the water slowly, her parched throat finally returning to normal. “Where’s the medicine?”
Ah Ye paused, then pulled a small bottle from her sleeve.
She watched Feng Lezhen take a pill and swallow it, then couldn’t help but advise, “That medicine was just something I picked up from some random pharmacy—I don’t know what side effects it might have if taken too often. You really shouldn’t keep taking it.”
“Don’t worry. That was the last one,” Feng Lezhen looked up. Her eyes still shimmered faintly with moisture, but her expression was already calm. “We leave first thing tomorrow morning.”
Ah Ye’s eyes lit up and she immediately agreed.
The night passed in a flash. When Feng Lezhen awoke again, there was no one beside her. Unbothered, she calmly got up, washed, and headed out.
Ah Ye had been waiting outside for half an hour already. The moment she saw Feng Lezhen, she smiled and walked with her.
“Haven’t seen Feizhan,” Ah Ye said, glancing around. Now that the status of the third prince of Tayuan had changed so drastically, only she still dared to call him by name.
Feng Lezhen remained composed. “He didn’t come back last night.”
“Does he know you’re leaving today?” Ah Ye asked.
“I didn’t tell him,” Feng Lezhen replied unhurriedly, “but he should know.”
Ah Ye paused. “Why?”
Feng Lezhen said nothing.
The two walked in silence. When they reached the palace gates, they saw Feizhan’s hidden guards already waiting with two horses.
Feng Lezhen stopped walking. After a moment of quiet, she said softly, “Because he didn’t come back last night.”
Ah Ye didn’t understand, but was tactful enough not to ask further.
The hidden guard, upon seeing the two approach, handed the reins to a nearby attendant and walked over directly. “Greetings to Her Highness, the Eldest Princess of Great Qian.”
Feng Lezhen wasn’t surprised that he knew her identity. “This princess is leaving today.”
“I’m aware. The Third Prince gave orders early this morning to arrange for guards to escort Your Highness all the way back to Yingguan. He also asked me to deliver this to you.” As he spoke, the hidden guard presented a box about the size of a palm, square and proper.
The people of Tayuan loved the flashy—so the box was colorful and ornate, lively yet delicate.
Ah Ye immediately stepped forward to inspect it, but Feng Lezhen gently shook her head and accepted it herself.
“The Third Prince said, since he cannot keep Your Highness in Tayuan, he wishes you a smooth journey. May you one day rise with the wind and soar ninety thousand li into the sky.” The guard awkwardly imitated Great Qian’s fist-and-palm salute and bowed deeply.
Feng Lezhen looked at him for a long moment, then smiled lightly. “I accept the Third Prince’s good wishes.”
She mounted her horse and galloped onto the open road. Once, she turned her head back. The rooftops of the Tayuan palace were flat and staggered, her view unblocked. She could faintly see a figure standing in the southeast.
“This Feizhan—fine that he didn’t come see you off in person, but why’d he go up on the roof?” Ah Ye had also spotted him and couldn’t help but laugh.
“He dislikes farewells, and so do I,” Feng Lezhen said, staring at the faint silhouette, her gaze dark and steady. “Since that’s the case—better not to meet at all.”
“If he really couldn’t bear to part with you, why not come with us? Great Qian’s territory is ten times the size of Tayuan—he wouldn’t exactly be losing out.” Ah Ye snorted.
“You don’t understand. He has his obsession. For that, he’s willing to trap himself in this palace for a lifetime.” Feng Lezhen turned around and raised her riding whip high.
Seeing this, Ah Ye spurred her horse to follow. In a blink, the palace was far behind. Even when Feizhan’s figure had vanished completely, Feng Lezhen didn’t look back once.
From Tayuan to Yingguan, even without sleep, the journey would take nearly two full days. With many matters awaiting them at Yingguan, Feng Lezhen dared not rest. They traveled nonstop until evening, only stopping at a riverbank.
Ah Ye knew Feizhan had stationed hidden guards along the way, so she felt at ease leaving Feng Lezhen to sit alone by the water while she fed the horses, fetched water, and set up the tent. When everything was in place, she saw Feng Lezhen fiddling with the box Feizhan had given her.
“What’s in there?” Ah Ye asked curiously.
Feng Lezhen replied, “Everything’s ready?”
“All done,” Ah Ye said quickly. “But it feels like the weather’s turning. If it gets colder tonight, the tent might not be warm enough, so I’m thinking of scouting around for a better place to rest.”
Feng Lezhen gave a soft “mm” and continued watching the rushing river.
Ah Ye scratched her nose and struck up a conversation. “While we were in Tayuan, I kept thinking about going home. But now that we’ve left, I kinda miss their milk tea.”
“When we get back to Yingguan, I’ll have the cook make you some,” Feng Lezhen said with a smile.
Ah Ye sighed. “I’m afraid it won’t taste the same. Besides milk tea, there’s really nothing else worth missing about Tayuan. Their customs are so weird. Your Highness, did you know—Tayuan men have a tradition of getting rings pierced through their chests? Unmarried men, once they come of age, pierce themselves with a Ru Huan—it symbolizes restraint and discipline. Only their first, official wife can remove it, and it gets remade into a ring to be worn on the finger. From then on, even if they remarry or take concubines, the ritual is never repeated. Isn’t that strange? Piercing themselves there… aren’t they afraid it hurts…”
Feng Lezhen lowered her eyes. Once Ah Ye finished, she replied slowly, “It is rather strange.”
Having satisfied her curiosity, Ah Ye grinned and wandered off to scout for a better resting place. Feng Lezhen remained seated alone by the riverbank, listening to the babbling of the current as she finally opened the wooden box.
Inside lay a ring of iron, patterned like a snake—quietly nestled in place.
She stared at it for a long time, then slowly closed the box again.
Just as Ah Ye had said, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the temperature quickly dropped. Even inside the tent, it wasn’t much warmer. Feng Lezhen frowned slightly, debating whether to layer on all her clothes, when Ah Ye came running back excitedly.
“Your Highness! Your Highness—there’s a cave ahead!” she said with delight. “We can stay there tonight.”
Feng Lezhen raised a brow. “A cave?”
“Yes, a cave! Let me take you there,” Ah Ye said eagerly, pulling her along.
It really was getting colder. A cave would be far more comfortable than a tent. Feng Lezhen followed her without hesitation. After about half an hour of walking, they indeed found a cave.
“It’s not big, but it’ll block the wind and rain,” Ah Ye explained.
Feng Lezhen nodded and entered unhurriedly, only to discover traces of charred firewood and gauze of indistinct color inside.
“Don’t be afraid, Your Highness. These things look old. Probably someone injured stayed here long ago,” Ah Ye reassured.
Feng Lezhen gazed at the gauze, a strange feeling blooming in her chest. It was as if a familiar presence had traveled through the long span of time to meet her here.
“Your Highness? Your Highness?” Ah Ye called her back.
Feng Lezhen returned to herself. “Let’s stay here for the night.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
As night deepened, the wind howled outside the cave. But after a long day’s journey, Feng Lezhen slept soundly. In contrast, Ah Ye hardly slept at all, only nodding off briefly at dawn after confirming there was no danger.
At first light, the two were back on the road. After endless hardship and exhaustion, the gates of Yingguan finally came into view.
“Your Highness, we’re home,” Ah Ye said, looking at the guards posted every few steps along the walls. She let out a long breath of relief.
Feng Lezhen gave a faint smile. “Yes, we’re finally back.”
