Seeing her deep in thought, Yu Shou asked, “Do you have a countermeasure?”
Feng Lezhen smiled. “His Majesty’s move gives him the upper hand whether he advances or retreats. I honestly don’t have a surefire solution. But… gathering a force comparable to the Qi family Army? That’s easier said than done.”
“Each city has its garrison,” Yu Shou replied, “but compared to the experienced Qi family Army, they’re not worth much.”
Feng Lezhen nodded. “In that case, the only usable force would be the imperial guards. But once the guards leave the palace, the emperor’s defenses will be hollowed out. One has to wonder—does our emperor have enough luck to survive that?”
Her words were full of subtle meaning. Yu Shou was silent for a moment, realizing there was no need to worry further.
This granddaughter of his had aged and sharpened over four years of absence. Her methods were more ruthless now, and she was no longer someone he could influence.
“Alright, go home and get some rest. Your eyes are dark and sunken—anyone who sees you might think the mighty Eldest Princess got beaten up.” He waved her off, feigning impatience. “We’ll talk more another time. Sleep well first, or you’ll make foolish decisions from exhaustion.”
“Yes.” Feng Lezhen nodded.
Yu Shou didn’t wait for her to get into the carriage. He turned and walked away. Watching his stooped figure, Feng Lezhen couldn’t help but call out, “Grandfather.”
Yu Shou paused and turned back with a frown. “What is it now?”
Feng Lezhen opened her mouth, but no words came.
When she was young, she often came to the Yu residence in her mother’s stead to show filial respect, and she had been closest to her grandfather. But after the matter with Qing Wang, they had drifted apart. Now that she wanted to express concern, she didn’t even know where to start.
Yu Shou had been a master of court politics for decades. How could he not see her hesitation? Gradually, he too became awkward.
After a moment, Feng Lezhen gave a small cough. “Since Yang Yueshan is so important, why didn’t Grandfather tell me earlier?”
Yu Shou shot her a look. “You so rarely come by. If I told you earlier, would you still have had the appetite to eat? …You’d best visit more often now. After today, there’s no need for either of us to pretend anymore.”
“Alright,” Feng Lezhen said with a small smile.
Yu Shou seemed like he had more to say, but in the end, he swallowed the words and left, face stony.
Feng Lezhen watched him go into the house before finally turning and getting into the carriage.
“Look into this Yang Yueshan,” she said calmly.
“Yes,” Ah Ye replied.
Feng Ji had gotten wiser—this time he was using stalling tactics to buy time. Since he was putting in so much effort, Feng Lezhen saw no need to hold back either. In just three days, she had already submitted memorials impeaching over a dozen officials.
Anyone who held office in court rarely had completely clean hands. The ones she arrested were essentially all part of the Hua faction—most of their crimes were enough to warrant death several times over. A few weren’t deserving of death, but mixed in with those who were, even Feng Ji didn’t bother trying to argue each case with her in detail.
The moment Her Highness the Eldest Princess returned to the capital and arrested over a dozen corrupt officials, the news swept through the entire city. The people were riled with passion, many saying she carried the late Emperor’s legacy. Had she inherited the throne back then, perhaps Great Qian wouldn’t have fallen into decline.
Of course, there were dissenting voices too. Some said that for a woman to appear in public was against propriety, that court affairs were for men to handle, and she should stay at home, never stepping beyond the inner chambers. Meddling in national affairs—what sort of behavior was that?
But such talk was immediately refuted. Those who opposed her were countered with the example of Yingguan’s development in recent years. They were asked: if not for Her Highness, would Yingguan be what it is today? The dissenters had no reply and slunk away in defeat.
The capital buzzed like boiling oil over a hot fire, and Feng Lezhen hadn’t had a moment’s rest. Besides making arrests, she also had to win over the neutral officials. These were the most stubborn, most headstrong of men. Even the late Emperor had occasionally been so angered by them that he’d seen stars. If it had been four years ago—or even earlier—getting them to take sides would have been pure fantasy. But things were different now—
The Emperor’s secret shadow guards, known to “arrange” accidents for officials, were enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
These men were the backbone of the court, the moral backbone, the ones unafraid of death—but being unafraid of death didn’t mean they didn’t care how they died. Given the choice between being assassinated mysteriously and dying on the road to remonstration, they’d rather go down trying to speak the truth. Once the existence of the shadow guards came to light, many of them grew disheartened. Some even submitted resignations, though Feng Ji suppressed those for the time being to keep things from escalating.
It was this very group Feng Lezhen wanted to win over.
She had to eliminate opposition, clean house, and gather support—all at once. Feng Lezhen was so busy she hardly touched the ground, even more exhausted than when she’d first arrived in Yingguan.
It was another late night when she returned home well past midnight. Reeking of alcohol, she stepped beneath the eaves of her bedchamber, then suddenly turned and sat directly down on the steps.
“Your Highness, the ground is cold,” Ah Ye said in alarm.
Feng Lezhen closed her eyes and leaned lazily against a pillar. “Cold is good. I drank too much tonight. The heat’s unbearable.”
“So why drink that much at all…” Ah Ye muttered softly but still went inside to fetch a cloak for her.
Feng Lezhen felt a weight settle on her shoulders, and she gave a soundless smile without opening her eyes. “Go rest. You’ve been running around with me for days. You must be worn out.”
“I’m not tired. I want to keep Your Highness company.” Ah Ye squatted before her, like a little pup.
Feng Lezhen still didn’t open her eyes. “Go. I want some time alone.”
“…Then I’ll wait outside the courtyard. Just call me when you’re ready to go in and rest.” With that, Ah Ye left, looking back three times with every step.
The vast courtyard was now left with only Feng Lezhen. A breeze rose, but the chill didn’t quite reach her. She hadn’t had a proper sleep in ages. Now, sitting alone under the night sky, a deep drowsiness suddenly took her.
She fell into a dream. When she opened her eyes again, Chen Jinan was standing before her.
Feng Lezhen stared at him for a long while, then gave a faint laugh. “I don’t know what’s been going on lately—I keep dreaming of you.”
“Your Highness.” Chen Jinan knelt before her, tentatively placing a hand on her knee.
She looked at his handsome, clean-cut features for a long moment, then gave a soft smile. “Did the joss paper I burned for you come in handy? I heard that down in the underworld, money is needed everywhere to grease the wheels. If you’ve got enough, maybe you’ll suffer less and reincarnate sooner. In the next life… go to a good family. Don’t meet me again.”
“Your Highness,” Chen Jinan said again, just those two words. In his dark, clear eyes, her features were reflected.
Feng Lezhen raised a trembling hand and touched his face. When she spoke again, her voice was already hoarse: “It was I who wronged you…”
Chen Jinan’s figure gradually faded. Feng Lezhen suddenly opened her eyes—only to meet a pair of sparkling, teasing eyes.
“Who was Your Highness calling out to in your dream just now?” Fu Zhixian was crouched in front of her without a shred of decorum, smiling—but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Feng Lezhen was silent for a beat. “Who allowed you in?”
“Who else?” Fu Zhixian said casually. “That Ah Ye girl of yours is too easy to fool. I told her I had urgent business for Your Highness, no need for prior notice, and she let me in.”
As he spoke, he suddenly reached out to wipe at the corner of her eye.
Feng Lezhen instinctively leaned back, her expression calm. “I wasn’t crying.”
“I wasn’t wiping away tears,” Fu Zhixian chuckled and sat down beside her on the steps.
Tonight’s moon was exceptionally round. Its gentle light bathed the courtyard, casting a soft glow over the exquisite garden. From afar came the quiet chirping of insects, adding a touch of noise to the stillness—and thus making it feel even more silent.
After a long pause, Fu Zhixian said softly, “The moonlight is beautiful tonight.”
Feng Lezhen pinched her brow. “You came all this way in the dead of night just to tell me that nonsense?”
Fu Zhixian laughed quietly. “Is that so bad?”
“Fu Zhixian, I’m very busy.” Feng Lezhen’s patience was thin.
“It’s only been a few years, but Your Highness has grown so irritable,” Fu Zhixian said regretfully. Then, before she could grow more annoyed, he changed the subject: “My uncle took poison and killed himself in prison last night.”
Feng Lezhen paused for a moment, then said, “Congratulations.”
The foul account book that was the Fu family was finally closed.
She could still remember, even now, how a younger Fu Zhixian once asked her, eyes red, whether it was his mother’s fault that she had been sold to a brothel by relatives who valued only sons. Whether it was wrong that his father had fallen for her during a rare outing, despite being on duty. Why the world insisted on tearing their family of three apart. Why his mother had to die—just so his life could be spared.
The once-fragile young boy had now grown up, rising step by step to a high position, and tormenting those who had caused his parents’ deaths until they wished they were dead. And now, with that old grudge finally settled, it seemed he too could be free at last.
Feng Lezhen’s gaze softened slightly, and she said once again, “Congratulations.”
Fu Zhixian looked at her for a long time, then smiled and asked, “Was it Your Highness who did it?”
Feng Lezhen didn’t deny it. She merely said, “Since I promised to avenge you back then, I was never going to break my word.”
Fu Zhixian smiled even deeper. “So you deliberately chose yesterday?”
“Yesterday?” Feng Lezhen frowned, not understanding what he meant.
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Fu Zhixian’s smile paused for a brief moment, but quickly returned to normal. “With all that you’ve done for me, Your Highness, I truly feel grateful. I keep thinking I ought to do something to repay you. So tell me—how should I repay you?”
The scent on him was clean and fresh, laced with a faint, indescribable floral fragrance—it used to be Feng Lezhen’s favorite.
Late at night, under the moonlight, he slowly leaned closer. His breath and gaze carried a deliberate temptation, obvious and unhidden.
Feng Lezhen briefly lost focus but quickly regained it. As he leaned in and was just an inch from her lips, she suddenly spoke: “What was the second secret decree left by the late Emperor?”
Fu Zhixian looked into her eyes but saw no trace of surrender there.
He was silent for a long time, then slowly straightened up and pretended not to understand. “What secret decree?”
“Don’t play dumb with me.” Feng Lezhen shot him a look. “You once admitted it yourself. The late Emperor left you two secret edicts. One was that no matter what mistakes I made, I was to be pardoned unconditionally. And the second one—don’t you think it’s time you told me what it said?”
“Your Highness really wants to know?” Fu Zhixian curved his lips into a smile.
Feng Lezhen stared into his eyes. “Fu Zhixian, you should know that whatever is written in that decree can no longer shake my position in the slightest.”
“In that case, why does Your Highness still want to know?” Fu Zhixian asked in return.
Feng Lezhen fell silent.
Fu Zhixian gave a faint smile. “Because Your Highness knows, even though the late Emperor has been gone nearly ten years, the weight of his authority still lingers. If that secret decree contains anything unfavorable to you, all the efforts you’ve made recently to win over the neutral officials might collapse in an instant.”
Feng Lezhen’s gaze grew cold.
Fu Zhixian reached out and covered her eyes with his hand. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ve never been your enemy.”
“Then prove it to me,” Feng Lezhen’s eyelashes fluttered, brushing lightly against his palm like a feather. “Destroy that secret decree.”
Fu Zhixian gave a light chuckle. “That won’t do. I’m counting on that decree… to trade for something with Your Highness.”
Feng Lezhen frowned and was about to speak, but Fu Zhixian suddenly stood and began walking away. She watched his retreating back coldly as moonlight spilled over him, making him look strangely distant and cold.
Halfway out, Fu Zhixian suddenly stopped and turned back, meeting her gaze.
He smiled, devastatingly handsome. “Your Highness never had real feelings for Chen Jinan, did you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had lover after lover, and you certainly wouldn’t have sent him to escort Qi Jingqing to Yunming. So why is it that now, you don’t dream of any of those little lovers, and instead call his name in your dreams?”
“You’re monitoring my dreams now?” Feng Lezhen’s tone was calm. She wasn’t at all surprised that he knew so much about her.
Fu Zhixian smiled. “Not monitoring. Just curious.”
Feng Lezhen met his gaze expressionlessly.
“Is it because he’s dead that he feels special to Your Highness now?” Fu Zhixian feigned realization. “Ah, of course. The living can still compete, but how could anyone beat the dead, right, Your Highness?”
Feng Lezhen’s gaze sharpened, trying to discern what he was getting at. But Fu Zhixian said nothing more—he simply turned and walked off with flair.
As soon as he left, Ah Ye came rushing in, nervous. “Your Highness, what happened? Why did Lord Fu come so late at night?”
Feng Lezhen gave her a wordless look, then sighed, “Don’t talk to him so much from now on.”
Ah Ye froze, and realizing she’d been tricked, her cheeks flushed red. She huffed in frustration. “If I believe him again, I’m a dog!”
Feng Lezhen was amused by her words and walked back toward the room, cloak in hand. “It’s not that serious.”
“He looked so serious I really thought something happened, and it turns out he just tricked me,” Ah Ye grumbled. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have let Steward Qin send him a gift.”
“A gift?” Feng Lezhen paused.
Ah Ye said, “Yes, a birthday gift.”
Realizing that her mistress and Fu Zhixian were no longer what they used to be, Ah Ye quickly explained, “It was Steward Qin who prepared it. Tomorrow is Lord Fu’s birthday. She said that even though Your Highness and Lord Fu are no longer engaged and don’t have the relationship you once did, one should always leave room for future civility. So every year on his birthday, she sends a gift on behalf of the Eldest Princess’s residence. Only, since Your Highness is no longer present, we don’t set off fireworks anymore.”
Feng Lezhen blinked slowly, then turned her head to look out the window at the moon.
No wonder it was so round. So today was the Mid-Autumn Festival.
No—past midnight already. It should be: yesterday was Mid-Autumn.
No wonder Fu Zhixian had asked if she had deliberately chosen yesterday to send Fu Wu to the afterlife. She hadn’t understood what he meant at the time, but now she did.
The death of an enemy, coinciding with one’s twenty-eighth birthday… no wonder he came to her in the middle of the night.
“Your Highness?” Ah Ye called out when she didn’t respond, a little uneasy.
Feng Lezhen came back to herself and smiled faintly. “Since it’s a holiday, did you hand out silver rewards to the household staff?”
“It’s all been done,” Ah Ye replied quickly. “Steward Qin authorized the funds and Fan Gonggong handled the distribution. You’ve been so busy, Your Highness, we didn’t want to trouble you with small matters.”
Feng Lezhen nodded. “That’s good. I’ve been so busy lately I’ve become muddle-headed. With them managing the household affairs, I can feel at ease.”
After speaking, her gaze softened a little. “Go sleep. I’m going to rest as well.”
“Yes!” Ah Ye responded cheerfully and left with light steps.
Feng Lezhen looked out the window again. The white jade disc hung high in the sky, watching the world below with cold detachment.
Another Mid-Autumn Festival passed by just like that, hastily and without ceremony. The next morning, Feng Lezhen stirred up the court again. As she was leaving the morning audience, she ran into Fu Zhixian. She had intended to wish him a belated “happy birthday,” but he spoke first: “If Your Highness is free tonight, why not meet at Mingyue Pavilion?”
“Lord Fu, you’re a favorite at court. Meeting too openly with me at this time may not be appropriate,” Feng Lezhen declined tactfully.
But the man who had always been quick-witted seemed now to suddenly not understand human speech. “It’s just old friends gathering—what’s inappropriate about that? I’ll be waiting in Room No. 2 at Mingyue Pavilion during the dog hour.”
Feng Lezhen disliked being told what to do more than anything. Her brows furrowed, and she was about to refuse, when he suddenly lowered his voice. “I heard Minister Hua will be hosting General Yang Yueshan for a banquet at Mingyue Pavilion tonight. I wonder if Your Highness will be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the general’s true face.”
Minister Hua was the head of the Hua family and Feng Ji’s maternal grandfather. Along with Yu Shou, he had served under two emperors. For even him to make the first move—this Yang Yueshan must be something remarkable.
Feng Lezhen’s gaze shifted slightly, and she looked at him calmly.
“It’s been four years—I wonder if Your Highness still likes the tangyuan made by Chef Li?” Fu Zhixian asked with a smile, looking into her eyes, as if confident she would come.
Feng Lezhen met his gaze in silence for a long moment before slowly saying, “Make sure there’s plenty of sweet fermented rice in it.”
This time, Fu Zhixian truly smiled—not the usual mask, but a genuine one. “Shall I come pick you up?”
Feng Lezhen gave him a glance. “No need. Just wait at Mingyue Pavilion.”
“Understood.”
The two parted after a brief exchange. Their calmness was so natural that it didn’t arouse any suspicion—after all… Fu Zhixian’s uncle had just died in prison. Though it was of his own doing, it still had something to do with Feng Lezhen. The two were considered enemies now; the fact they weren’t fighting was surprising enough.
As soon as they separated, Feng Lezhen first paid a visit to the Yu household. She had lunch with her grandfather, then returned to the residence for a short rest before summoning Qin Wan for questioning.
“That Yang Yueshan—have you found out anything about him?” she asked.
Qin Wan lowered her eyes. “This servant is useless. I’ve been investigating for a long time and only found that he’s staying at a private residence outside the capital owned by His Majesty. The place is heavily guarded. The people I sent didn’t dare approach too closely, for fear of alerting them.”
“Nothing at all?” Feng Lezhen frowned.
Qin Wan pressed her lips together. “His Majesty has visited twice, but each time he stayed less than half an hour. As for Yang Yueshan—he hasn’t shown himself even once… Oh, right, someone from the Hua family tried to visit too. He was stopped at the gate, but it looked like he passed a message to the guards, who brought out a slip of paper.”
As for what was written on the note, they hadn’t been able to find out.
Qin Wan considered herself fairly capable, but facing a situation like this, she couldn’t help but feel ashamed. “This is all due to my incompetence.”
“He has a guilty conscience and is hiding deep. It’s not your fault,” Feng Lezhen said lightly. After a moment of silence, she thought of Fu Zhixian’s subtle hints over the past few days and grew more curious about Yang Yueshan. “I wonder what kind of person he is, to make Fu Zhixian bring him up again and again.”
“Shall I try to investigate further?” Qin Wan asked seriously.
“No need,” Feng Lezhen waved her hand. “I’ll meet him myself tonight.”
“Your Highness is going to visit him?” Qin Wan was surprised.
Feng Lezhen laughed. “What sort of person is he, to be worthy of me paying a visit?”
Qin Wan wisely asked no more.
This elusive Yang Yueshan was truly the first thorny problem Feng Lezhen had encountered since returning to the capital. Just thinking that once his troops were assembled, he would cut off her retreat made her bristle like a cat with its tail stepped on. Before that happened, she wanted to get as much done as she could. She had been running around constantly and hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in who knows how long.
Today was no exception. She first replied to a letter from Yingguan, then contacted several old allies in the capital. By the time she finished dealing with everything, it was almost the dog hour.
“Ah Ye, prepare the carriage. To Mingyue Pavilion.” She had been sitting in the study all afternoon, her back and waist aching, and she couldn’t be bothered to change clothes. She left wearing her simple indoor garments.
By the time she arrived at Mingyue Pavilion, more than half an hour had passed since the appointed time. When she pushed open the door to the private room, Fu Zhixian was sitting at the table drinking tea. He looked up at the sound and smiled when he saw how she was dressed. “Why is Your Highness dressed so plainly?”
Feng Lezhen wore a soft white dress, with only a single jade hairpin in her hair. It was so simple it didn’t match her status. Hearing his question, she merely replied with a counterquestion, “Does Lord Fu feel slighted?”
“Your Highness gracing me with your presence already brings glory to my humble dwelling. How could I feel slighted?” Fu Zhixian rose with a smile and personally pulled out a chair for her.
As soon as she sat down, Fu Zhixian poured her a cup of tea and picked up a round fan, gently fanning her. “The capital isn’t like Yingguan. Though Mid-Autumn has passed, the air still feels stuffy at times. If you feel warm, shall I open the window?”
“No need.” Feng Lezhen didn’t touch the tea and went straight to the point. “Where’s Yang Yueshan?”
“He’s right next door—Room No. 1 under the Heaven sign. Arrived about a quarter of an hour ago,” Fu Zhixian answered, not minding her directness. “They’ll probably talk for quite a while. It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to barge in. Why not have a meal first?”
Feng Lezhen neither confirmed nor denied. Fu Zhixian got up and went outside to instruct the attendants to bring the dishes.
The dishes had long been prepared, waiting only for his signal. In the kitchen, over ten chefs fired up their woks at once. Not long after, steaming plates were brought in.
The entire table was full—everything she liked to eat.
Feng Lezhen looked at the spread and her voice softened a little. “You even remembered all this.”
“Please try, Your Highness, and see if the flavor has changed.”
Encouraged, Fu Zhixian picked up his chopsticks and began to serve her. But just as he reached out, he met her hesitant gaze. He paused, then instinctively glanced at the teacup beside her.
Ah, that was it. She always liked to hold a cup while sipping tea and chatting, but she hadn’t touched it even once since entering the room. Fu Zhixian suddenly went quiet, and the room fell into an abrupt, stifling silence. The earlier pleasant atmosphere shattered in an instant.
After a long stillness, Feng Lezhen spoke slowly. “You’ve lived this life twice—you should know how I died in my last one. It’s not that I don’t trust you. But being cautious is always wise.”
“…Yes,” Fu Zhixian said softly, the smile returning to his eyes. “Being cautious is always right.”
He immediately called Ah Ye in from outside. When Ah Ye met Feng Lezhen’s gaze, she paused briefly, then took out a silver needle to test for poison. Not only were all the dishes tested, but also the bowls, chopsticks, tablecloth, even the tea—all things that might be touched or consumed. Fu Zhixian maintained a calm smile the entire time, watching until Ah Ye completed the testing and left. Then, as if nothing had happened, he asked lightly, “Satisfied now?”
“Do you think I’m petty?” Feng Lezhen asked as she picked up her chopsticks.
Fu Zhixian chuckled and continued serving her food. “How could I?”
Feng Lezhen didn’t start eating.
Under her amused gaze, Fu Zhixian fell silent for a moment. Then, looking at her again, he revealed a trace of helplessness. “Your Highness, after you died in the last life, I lived on for six more years. When I came back, I was already thirty. Add the four years of this life, and I’m now thirty-four—nine years older than you. Would I really quibble over such a small matter?”
“Age counts like that?” Feng Lezhen raised her brows slightly.
Fu Zhixian smiled faintly. “A goose flying by leaves a trace—of course it counts.”
“How did you die in the last life?” Feng Lezhen suddenly asked.
Fu Zhixian paused, looked up at her, and replied, “I died for love.”
Feng Lezhen’s eyelids twitched. After holding his gaze for a long moment, she said, “How childish.”
“Your Highness doesn’t believe me?” He had just called himself thirty-four; now he acted all wronged again.
Feng Lezhen shot him a glance. “If you’d killed yourself immediately after I died, I might believe it. But you just said yourself—you lived on for six more years. I’d guess it was more likely your career didn’t go well, and you didn’t die peacefully.”
Fu Zhixian laughed, offering no defense.
Feng Lezhen glanced at him and placed a piece of water chestnut into his bowl. “How did you know Minister Hua would be hosting Yang Yueshan tonight?”
Fu Zhixian accepted her small gesture of goodwill and returned the favor. “Naturally, because he came to me too.”
“Who?”
“Minister Hua,” Fu Zhixian tasted the water chestnut—cool, sweet, and crisp. He added more to her bowl. “Your Highness has been purging the Hua faction lately. The Hua family is on the verge of collapse. Minister Hua doesn’t know where His Majesty truly stands, so he figured he might as well probe through Yang Yueshan. Unexpectedly, Yang actually gave him face and agreed to attend the banquet.”
“You still haven’t said why Minister Hua came to you.” Feng Lezhen wasn’t distracted.
Fu Zhixian chuckled. “His Majesty is suspicious by nature. At a time like this, trying to guess his intentions is dangerous. If he brings me along, then should the matter blow up in the future, at least he’ll have someone to take the fall with him, no?”
“But he didn’t expect you to be this shameless. You found out the time and place of the banquet, didn’t show up, and even brought me here.” Feng Lezhen looked up at him. “Minister Hua is not easy to deal with. After tonight, he’ll probably see you as a thorn in his side.”
“Really?” Fu Zhixian’s tone was mock-surprised, but his eyes carried amusement. “Then I can only beg Your Highness for protection.”
Feng Lezhen gave him a sidelong glance, too lazy to reply.
Fu Zhixian smiled again and added more food to her plate.
After eating and drinking their fill, there was still no movement from the room next door. Feng Lezhen simply began pacing the room. Fu Zhixian saw her rubbing her stomach from time to time and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Overate?”
“Not really.” Feng Lezhen wouldn’t admit that she’d been so absorbed in questioning him earlier that she’d eaten too much without realizing it.
Fu Zhixian didn’t argue. Instead, he took a few steps toward her.
When only two steps remained between them, he continued moving forward. Feng Lezhen furrowed her brows and instinctively stepped back—her heel accidentally bumping into a tall, person-sized vase by the wall.
“Careful.” Fu Zhixian reached out and steadied her by the waist. The space between them suddenly narrowed.
For a brief moment, their breaths mingled. But Fu Zhixian didn’t linger. Once she stood firm, he stepped back and gently took her hand. “You—already so grown—yet still like a child. The moment no one’s watching, you cause trouble.”
As he spoke, his thumb gently massaged the base of her thumb.
Feng Lezhen lowered her gaze, seeing the calluses on his fingers from years of writing. She recalled how, when she overate as a young girl, he used to massage her hand like this to help digestion.
In the blink of an eye—two lifetimes, so many years.
A quiet sigh echoed in her heart. When she spoke again, her voice had softened. “Fu Zhixian, happy twenty-eighth birthday.”
In the end, she still said it.
Fu Zhixian’s hand paused mid-motion. His long lashes quivered slightly. After a moment, he smiled faintly. “It’s rare Your Highness would say that to me.”
Feng Lezhen tugged at the corner of her lips, not sure how to respond to that.
Fu Zhixian didn’t press her to respond. After a brief silence, he turned to her with a smile: “A single birthday greeting isn’t enough—where’s my present?”
“Didn’t I already send one yesterday?” Feng Lezhen countered.
Fu Zhixian raised an eyebrow slightly: “That was from the Eldest Princess’s Residence, not from the Princess herself. Doesn’t count.”
“I didn’t prepare anything, and I have nothing to give you,” Feng Lezhen replied, not falling for it.
Fu Zhixian thought for a moment: “How about I prepare one on Your Highness’s behalf?”
“You’re going to prepare a gift on my behalf to give to yourself?” Feng Lezhen said, and laughed before he could respond.
Fu Zhixian laughed too. He let go of her hand and walked over to the window, firing a signal flare into the sky.
With a sharp crack, silence fell for a moment—and then, countless streaks of fire shot into the sky, blossoming into magnificent fireworks.
In Room One of the Heavenly Suite, someone turned at the sound and saw the brilliant fireworks display.
“How odd. Who would be setting off fireworks at this hour?” Minister Hua said with a smile. Then, seeing the young man in the seat of honor watching intently, his thoughts turned quickly. “If General Yang likes them, I can have more prepared.”
“No need,” the young man lowered his eyes, seeming uninterested.
Feng Lezhen stared blankly at the dazzling fireworks for a long moment. When she came back to herself, she looked at Fu Zhixian in exasperation: “Looks like you really don’t want your favored position at court anymore.”
“Many thanks to Your Highness for the fireworks gift.” Fu Zhixian leaned lazily against the window, the picture of a dashing, romantic nobleman.
Feng Lezhen couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head helplessly.
The firework show wasn’t even over when noise came from the room next door. Feng Lezhen’s expression turned more serious—clearly, she no longer had the mood to keep watching. Though Fu Zhixian was a little disappointed, the thought of the upcoming drama made up for it, and at her silent urging, he followed her out.
Whether it was Feng Lezhen or Fu Zhixian, neither was the type to sneak around. From the moment they stepped out of their private room, they had no intention of hiding.
Feng Lezhen came to Mingyue Pavilion tonight for one reason: to see for herself what this Yang Yueshan looked like. She thought she had fully prepared herself beforehand, but the moment she stepped out and met his eyes—she froze for a beat.
“Your Highness?” Minister Hua was the first to react. Forcing down his surprise, he bowed to Feng Lezhen and then gritted his teeth to smile at Fu Zhixian: “Lord Fu is here as well? What a coincidence.”
“Not really,” Fu Zhixian said easily. “Her Highness wished to catch a glimpse of the famed General Yang, so I brought her along.” He looked at the solemn young man opposite him and asked Feng Lezhen, “Now that you’ve seen him, are you pleased?”
After that brief moment of shock, Feng Lezhen had completely composed herself. She looked at the man still staring at her and said with a cool smile: “General Yang truly is extraordinary. It seems this princess is not worthy of a formal greeting.”
The man snapped out of it and, before everyone present, cupped his fists and bowed: “This humble officer… Yang Yueshan, greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess.”
