Shen Suifeng, seeing they had something to discuss, took his leave first. Feng Lezhen brought Ah Ye inside, sat down, and immediately asked, “He escaped—where to?”
“If I knew where he ran off to,” Ah Ye said, brows tightly furrowed, “I wouldn’t be this anxious.”
Feng Lezhen, however, remained calm. “Tell me the details. What exactly happened?”
Ah Ye let out a sigh.
Truth be told, it was simple.
When they left the capital back then, Feng Lezhen had set Feizhan up, making Feng Ji start to suspect him. But because of the alliance between Great Qian and Tayuan, Feng Ji didn’t kill him outright. Instead, after several rounds of investigation and cutting off some of his power, he was completely confined in the Cold Palace.
But Feizhan was not someone who could be kept in place. He had only been obedient for a short time before a sudden fire broke out in the Cold Palace. By the time the flames were extinguished, only a charred corpse remained.
“Feizhan thought he staged everything flawlessly, but unfortunately, the corpse was nearly a whole inch shorter than him. Anyone with eyes could tell it was a decoy,” Ah Ye sneered. “Just that one flaw is enough to undo all the effort he put in.”
Feng Lezhen, hearing this, actually laughed. “That wasn’t a flaw. It was a provocation—directed at Feng Ji.”
It must’ve been a hard time for him during that confinement. So he left an intentional clue, wanting Feng Ji to know he had escaped, yet without any hard proof. After all, if Tayuan insisted the body was their second prince, Feng Ji could do nothing—and might even have to apologize to them.
That b*stard was as arrogant as ever. He clearly hadn’t considered what would happen if he got caught.
Ah Ye wasn’t the brightest, but she more or less understood Feng Lezhen’s point. Her worry deepened. “Feizhan has always been narrow-minded. After taking revenge on the emperor, next in line would be Your Highness, wouldn’t it?”
That was exactly why she’d been so worried upon hearing about his escape.
“Should we call for more guards from the capital to protect you?” she suggested.
“He released this news precisely to make me anxious—he might even try to plant people among our reinforcements. If you take the bait, then you’ve already fallen into his trap.” Feng Lezhen stretched lazily. “Relax. His top priority now is returning to Tayuan. He won’t come after me just yet.”
Then her expression turned cold. “That idiot Feng Ji… after discovering Feizhan wasn’t to be trusted, he still didn’t eliminate him. Absolutely hopeless.”
“Maybe it’s because he was thinking about Great Qian and Tayuan’s diplomatic relations,” Ah Ye guessed.
Feng Lezhen let out a cold laugh. “Accidents happen all the time. Can’t any of them be fatal? Even Feizhan was able to think of using a fire in the Cold Palace as cover. Why couldn’t Feng Ji?”
…True. Ah Ye clicked her tongue. “Both the late emperor’s children, but how come he turned out so differently from Your Highness? Could it be because you had different mothers?”
Your Highness’s mother was the most favored daughter of the Yu family, famously titled the “Empress of the Century,” Empress Wende. The emperor’s mother, on the other hand, was a discarded daughter from the Hua family, barely literate. If not for the stroke of luck of bearing an imperial child, she would never have risen to consort.
“He’s stupid. What’s that got to do with his mother?” Feng Lezhen refuted offhandedly.
Ah Ye nodded. “True… but this isn’t the time to be discussing that. What should we do now, Your Highness? Should we have local officials tighten their inspections along the roads?”
“That’s Feng Ji’s job, not ours.” Feng Lezhen lifted her teacup. “If I’m not wrong, he might still be in the palace.”
“Still in the palace?” Ah Ye was shocked. “It takes over a month to get from the capital to Yingguan. Even if couriers rode nonstop, it would still take half a month just to deliver the message… but the Cold Palace fire was already half a month ago. How could he still be there?”
“He’s arrogant, but also cautious. Right now is the peak of Feng Ji’s manhunt. Of course he wouldn’t dare move. He’s waiting—waiting until Feng Ji’s search turns up nothing, until they decide he must’ve fled. Then, and only then, will he leave. That’ll be the safest time to act,” Feng Lezhen analyzed.
Ah Ye saw how calm her mistress was and finally felt reassured. “Does Your Highness have a plan to catch him?”
“Our reach doesn’t go that far. Catching him might not be possible… but making things difficult for him? That I can do.” Feng Lezhen’s lips curled into a smile.
Ah Ye looked at that familiar, meaningful smile and couldn’t help but shiver slightly… Her Highness was still the same as when she was young—always gleeful when it came to making Feizhan miserable.
Half a month passed in a flash, and news of Feizhan’s escape had spread throughout Yingguan. As the final defensive stronghold, Qi Zhen was racking his brains day and night to fortify security, hoping to make sure that if Feizhan showed up, he wouldn’t get out again. Qi Jingren, in charge of the city gates, became the busiest man in all of Yingguan—she had to stand watch day and night, and also coordinate with the local authorities to screen all citizens and merchant caravans coming and going.
While the yamen and Qi family troops worked around the clock, Feng Lezhen became the most “idle” person around. Every day she dressed beautifully and came to “inspect” the city gates.
On her tenth visit, someone within the city claimed to have seen Feizhan. Qi Jingren led a search party for a full day and night, but not even a trace of him turned up. With no leads, they temporarily sealed the city gates to prevent his escape.
Feizhan had been missing for over a month, with no sightings elsewhere. Now that he suddenly surfaced in Yingguan, if he managed to slip away again, the emperor would surely be enraged—and no one would escape blame.
Everyone was under immense pressure, especially Qi Jingren. It wasn’t just the lack of sleep—her monthly cycle had arrived, leaving her irritable. So when she saw Feng Lezhen show up at the gate looking radiant, she finally couldn’t hold back.
“If Your Highness truly has nothing to do, perhaps you should rest at home. It’s already February, but the weather’s still cold. If you catch a chill, it won’t be good.”
“I have a handwarmer.” Feng Lezhen raised the object in her hand.
Qi Jingren: “…”
“I’m wearing thick boots too.” It wasn’t proper to lift her skirt in public, so she simply stepped forward to reveal the pointed tips of her boots.
“They have phoenixes embroidered on them—Ah Ye made them.” She showed off her pretty shoes like a child flaunting a new toy.
Qi Jingren took a deep breath. “If I remember correctly, Your Highness once promised the soldiers that their stipends would be increased by twenty percent in October. Yet here you are idling around the city gates every day—what will you use to pay them? The former Empress’s private savings?”
Her words were sharp and disrespectful. Ah Ye immediately scowled. “Mind your tongue, Miss Qi. Even the former Empress is not someone you can speak of so lightly.”
Qi Jingren remained expressionless. “There’s no Miss Qi here—only Canjiang Qi. If Your Highness wishes to speak with Miss Qi, I suggest you visit the Zhenbian Marquis Residence.”
“You—”
“Ah Ye,” Feng Lezhen said calmly. Ah Ye, still unwilling, stepped back.
Feng Lezhen chuckled lightly. “Why such a temper, Canjiang Qi? Feizhan has been missing for a month—based on travel time, he should be arriving at Yingguan soon. Yingguan is the final line of defense. If he escapes from here, the emperor will be furious, and both the yamen and the Marquis’ household will be punished. I’m merely worried—hence my frequent visits.”
“Worried?” Qi Jingren scoffed. “Is Your Highness’s idea of ‘worry’ strutting around like a peacock every day?” Another wave of cramps struck, paling her already tense face, making her words all the sharper.
Ah Ye nearly lost it—she rolled up her sleeves, ready to throw hands.
Feng Lezhen calmly tugged her sleeve down. “And yet you’re the one covered in dust and ashes. So, have you found him?”
Qi Jingren’s breath caught.
“As you can see, what one wears or how one dresses has nothing to do with whether Feizhan can be found or not.” Feng Lezhen stepped forward, closing the distance between them. “Do you believe me when I say that even if you dig three feet into the ground, you still won’t find Feizhan? Meanwhile, the people need to live. The city gates must eventually reopen. The day they do, it won’t be long before news arrives that Feizhan has returned to Tayuan.”
Qi Jingren’s eyes darkened. “What are you implying?”
Feng Lezhen arched a brow. “Do you trust me? If you do, I can help.”
Qi Jingren frowned, clearly suspicious.
Feng Lezhen said nothing more, simply shoved her hand warmer into Qi Jingren’s hands and left with Ah Ye.
“Why’d you give her the hand warmer?” Ah Ye grumbled once they were back in the carriage.
Feng Lezhen chuckled. “Didn’t you notice she’s on her cycle? Holding something warm helps soothe the cramps.”
“…Your Highness is too kind. She disrespected you and you still care for her?” Ah Ye was still fuming from how Qi Jingren had dragged the late Empress into the argument.
Feng Lezhen reached out and pinched her cheek, just about to speak, when the carriage suddenly jolted. Ah Ye’s expression sharpened as she instinctively shielded her mistress.
The ride quickly steadied, and the coachman called out from beyond the thick curtains, “This servant deserves death—didn’t see the stones ahead. I’ve jolted Your Highness. Please forgive me!”
“As long as all’s well,” Feng Lezhen replied smoothly.
Ah Ye rubbed her nose. When she looked up, she met her mistress’s teasing gaze.
“W-What is it?” she stammered.
Feng Lezhen smirked. “It was just a bump. Why were you so tense?”
“Because of Feizhan, obviously.” Ah Ye muttered, then looked again at her perfectly calm mistress. She couldn’t help reminding her, “Your Highness, someone saw Feizhan in Yingguan! Aren’t you even a little nervous?”
“What’s there to be nervous about?” Feng Lezhen shot back.
“Well, isn’t it obvious? Feizhan might come after you! We’re out in the open while he’s in hiding. Who knows what he might try?”
“Relax. He’s not in Yingguan.” Feng Lezhen reassured her.
Ah Ye paused. “But someone saw him…”
Feng Lezhen smiled lazily. “You’ll know soon enough.”
Ah Ye grew even more curious.
After returning, they no longer visited the city gates. Qi Jingren continued the citywide search but never once came to the Princess’s residence. Feng Lezhen, on the other hand, was in no rush—she passed her days playing chess and reading with Shen Suifeng, occasionally checking on Chen Jinan’s studies. Life was comfortable and peaceful.
After five or six days of frantic searching, public anxiety ran high, and food prices doubled. Normal life became unsustainable. Hu Wensheng and Qi Zhen couldn’t stand idly by. After a quick discussion, they decided to reopen the city gates on the seventh of the second lunar month.
That was the day after tomorrow.
When Qi Jingren got the news, she finally couldn’t sit still. That very night, she came to the Princess’s residence.
“What brings Canjiang Qi here?” Feng Lezhen asked, genuinely surprised.
Qi Jingren was stone-faced. “This humble official has come to ask Your Highness—how can we catch Feizhan before the gates open?”
Feng Lezhen laughed. “I said I could help. I never said I could catch him.”
“What do you mean by that?” Qi Jingren frowned.
Feng Lezhen gave her a cool look. “Canjiang Qi—when asking for help, perhaps adopt a more suitable attitude.”
Qi Jingren stiffened. After a moment, her expression darkened. Feng Lezhen didn’t care—she simply lifted her cup of roasted buckwheat tea, brewed by Shen Suifeng, and took a slow sip.
Qi Jingren stared at her unhurried composure. After a long moment, her expression finally shifted to one of heavy seriousness—and she sank to her knees in front of everyone in the room.
Though they had met many times in Yingguan, this was the first time Qi Jingren ever knelt before Feng Lezhen. Watching her force herself to endure the humiliation, Ah Ye felt secretly delighted but didn’t show it. Feng Lezhen, on the other hand, chuckled softly.
“Qi Jingren, whether you’re a Canjian or a lady of the Qi household, your rank is far beneath mine. Offering me such a grand gesture of respect is only proper. Why act as if it were some intolerable disgrace?”
“Exactly!” Ah Ye chimed in at once—only to meet Feng Lezhen’s gaze and shrink back into silence.
Qi Jingren met Feng Lezhen’s gaze squarely. “This official was disrespectful. Your Highness may punish me however you wish. But I beg Your Highness to prioritize the greater good. If you have any way of catching Feizhan, do not keep it to yourself. Once the gates open the day after tomorrow, catching him will be near impossible. If he escapes, not only will every official and soldier in Yingguan suffer punishment—but with his kind of mind, once he returns to Tayuan, Great Qian will have gained another destabilizing threat.”
“You’re able to think this deeply—this truly makes me see you in a new light.” Feng Lezhen curled her lips slightly, the expression on her face more satisfied than admiring.
Qi Jingren frowned. “Then Your Highness means…”
“I just said I can help you,” Feng Lezhen interrupted her, “but not with catching Feizhan.”
Qi Jingren thought she was being played and started to rise, but suddenly met Feng Lezhen’s sharp, pressuring gaze—as if to say, if you leave now, I truly won’t care anymore.
Somehow, Qi Jingren stayed.
Feng Lezhen smiled even more, drained the last of her buckwheat tea, then said slowly, “Do you remember who was the first to claim they saw Feizhan?”
Qi Jingren paused, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes.
She didn’t leave the princess’s residence until deep into the night. Ah Ye was half-asleep by then, yet Feng Lezhen remained lively, as if she wasn’t the least bit tired.
“Your Highness seems… quite happy?” Ah Ye asked, puzzled.
Feng Lezhen smiled. “Do I?”
“…Yes. Like you just found some treasure. That’s the same expression you had when you first found Master Shen,” Ah Ye said bluntly, completely unbothered by tact.
Feng Lezhen raised her brows and looked innocently out the window.
***
Qi Jingren caught the culprits within a day. When she brought them to the yamen’s prison, even Qi Zhen and Hu Wensheng were alarmed, and civil and military officials gathered to hear her explanation.
“This one,” she kicked the man bound like a hog, “is the one impersonating Feizhan and stirring up panic. And this one,” she dragged over a trembling local man, “was the first to claim he saw Feizhan in Yingguan. They’re working together.”
“W-Wait a moment, I don’t follow,” Hu Wensheng said in confusion. “What do you mean impersonating Feizhan? What’s going on?”
Qi Jingren’s gaze shifted slightly, and she suddenly recalled what Feng Lezhen had told her the night before: “It’s quite simple, really. You all just overcomplicated it. The fire in the Cold Palace was over a month ago. If Feizhan started his journey then, he could have arrived in Yingguan by now. But did Canjiang Qi ever consider—no matter how capable Feizhan is, he’s still a wanted foreigner. How could he pass freely through the many cities between the capital and Yingguan like an ordinary civilian?”
“He might not be able to travel freely—but others can. If someone in Yingguan spread a rumor of seeing him, the capital and other towns would lower their guard, and only Yingguan would be on high alert.
“But what does that matter if Feizhan isn’t even in Yingguan? You’re hunting someone who isn’t here. Once the gates open and word spreads that Feizhan has returned to Tayuan, the real Feizhan, who’s been hiding somewhere in Great Qian, will be safe.”
Qi Jingren repeated Feng Lezhen’s words to the gathered officials.
“If that’s true,” Hu Wensheng asked, still confused, “why not just spread the rumor in Tayuan that he’s already returned? Why bother with the whole Yingguan ruse?”
Qi Jingren’s expression was calm. “Because if Tayuan alone declared Feizhan’s return, wouldn’t the governor suspect they were lying to protect their Second Prince? Without something like the Yingguan panic as cover, the lie would fall apart.”
Hu Wensheng had no retort.
“These two,” Qi Jingren continued, “have already been interrogated. One is a loyal deathsworn under Feizhan. He tried to commit suicide when captured but I stopped him. The other is a local who was bribed. We’ve recovered the disguise and a private seal used in the impersonation. The evidence is solid—we can open the gates.”
“Excellent, excellent!” Hu Wensheng was overjoyed. “I’ll have the gates opened immediately—no more delays—”
“Not so fast,” said Qi Zhen, who had been silent all this time.
Qi Jingren’s brow furrowed. “What orders does the Marquis have?”
“Are you certain Feizhan is not in Yingguan?” Qi Zhen asked flatly, eyes fixed on her.
Qi Jingren replied, “Unless something unexpected occurred, yes.”
“And what if something did?” Qi Zhen’s tone turned icy.
Frustration flared in Qi Jingren. Just as she was about to argue, Qi Zhen turned to Hu Wensheng and said, “The original plan was to open the gates tomorrow. Why rush?”
“…The Marquis is right.” Rank outweighed reason—Hu Wensheng had no choice but to comply.
Qi Zhen looked back at Qi Jingren. “Write a full report on today’s events and send it to the capital tonight. But the gate inspections must continue. Until we receive word from the capital, no suspicious person is to be let through.”
“I don’t understand,” Qi Jingren finally snapped. “We’ve already resolved the matter—why keep up the charade? The soldiers have worked day and night for days. We finally achieve something and yet you—”
“Who said anything was resolved?!” Qi Zhen suddenly roared.
Hu Wensheng flinched and quickly backed away to avoid the father-daughter clash.
“You started investigating last night. Why did you wait until today to inform me after extracting the confession?” Qi Zhen’s face was thunderous. “Do you even acknowledge me as Zhenbian Marquis—or as your father?”
Qi Jingren grew eerily calm. “So in the end, the Marquis is simply upset I acted on my own.”
“Shouldn’t I be?!” Qi Zhen retorted.
Qi Jingren laughed coldly—short, bitter. “If it had been my brother who took the initiative, would you be this angry?”
“Insolence!”
Weary and disillusioned, Qi Jingren turned and walked away.
Qi Zhen trembled with fury. He turned and lashed out at the bribed local, kicking him hard.
—
Back at the barracks, the soldiers who had worked day and night alongside Qi Jingren crowded around her excitedly, hoping she would announce the rewards promised by the Marquis.
She opened her mouth several times, but no words came.
In the end, she could only find an excuse and quickly retreat into her tent.
The soldiers looked at each other, unsure of what had happened, but the joy they’d just felt gradually faded.
When Qi Jingren returned to her tent, she sat down to write her memorial—but after holding the brush for a long time, she couldn’t write a single word. Her frustration only grew. Just as she was about to give up, a burst of cheering came from outside. Frowning, she rose to go see what was happening, but Ah Ye stepped in, beaming.
“Greetings, Canjiang Qi,” she said with a bright smile, offering a curtsy.
Qi Jingren calmed slightly. “What brings Miss Ah Ye here?”
“Her Highness sent me,” Ah Ye replied cheerfully. “She said now that the man’s been caught, you’ll likely be submitting a report to the capital. She asked me to remind you not to mention her name in the memorial. I’m sure a clever person like Canjiang Qi understands Her Highness’s intention.”
Feng Ji sent Feng Lezhen to Yingguan not to work hand in hand with Qi Zhen, but to set the two at odds—a clash of tigers, not a harmonious investigation.
Qi Jingren said, “I understand. But if I do that, I’ll be taking all the credit myself.”
“Her Highness said to treat it as a gift,” Ah Ye replied with a grin. “Also, don’t forget to remind His Majesty in your memorial that Feizhan is most likely still in the capital, and he should not let his guard down.”
“I understand.”
Having said what she came to say, Ah Ye left. With her thoughts clarified, Qi Jingren picked up the brush again and quickly completed the memorial. Then she called out:
“Deliver this memorial to the capital immediately by fast courier.”
The soldier who came in received it with joy and turned to leave, but Qi Jingren suddenly stopped him. “Wait—why are you so happy?”
“You don’t know, Canjian?” he said, grinning. “The yamen sent a ton of supplies—chickens, ducks, fish, meat, even red envelopes. They said it’s a reward for the hard work we did catching the criminal. It’s all outside right now!”
Hu Wensheng was notoriously stingy, so it was obvious who had really sent the reward.
…What is she planning? Qi Jingren felt a flicker of unease, but seeing how happy her soldiers were, she couldn’t help being moved.
The memorial she sent was in the name of Zhenbian Marquis, and it reached the capital faster than the rumors that “Feizhan has arrived in Yingguan.”
After reading it, Feng Ji said nothing, but that very afternoon he dispatched the imperial guard to lock down the entire capital like an iron fortress. Every ten steps on the street was a checkpoint, and every suspicious person was scrutinized.
In a remote residence, Feizhan, who hadn’t stepped outside in days, stood by the window, his expression dark as the depths of the sea.
“So the wind and snow of Yingguan didn’t dull Her Highness’s brilliance. Well then… the days ahead are long—we’ll meet again.”
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