By the time news of Feizhan escaping the capital reached Yingguan, more than a month had passed since Qi Jingren submitted her memorial. Winter had finally ended, and hints of spring were beginning to appear on the streets.
“He escaped again?” Feng Lezhen raised a brow. “What’s Feng Ji even doing? He can’t even catch one man?”
If it had been someone from Great Qian, she might have understood—everyone there had black hair and eyes and could blend in easily. But Feizhan was a foreigner. That pair of gray wolf-like eyes made him easy to pick out, yet Feng Ji still failed to catch him? It was simply pathetic.
Normally, when Her Highness criticized the current emperor, Ah Ye would stay quiet. But this time she couldn’t help chiming in: “Exactly! A grown man, already spotted once—and they still let him get away. I really don’t know what those people under the emperor are good for.”
Feng Lezhen’s gaze flickered. “Didn’t Fu Zhixian help with the search?” Even if everyone else in the capital were fools, with Fu Zhixian there, Feizhan shouldn’t have gotten away so many times.
Ah Ye hesitated, then cautiously replied, seeing her expression remain calm when Lord Fu’s name came up: “Lord Fu rejected the marriage bestowed by His Majesty, which angered the emperor. He was punished and sent to Hongshan Temple for reflection. He’s been there for months now.”
Feng Lezhen froze with her cup in hand. Her expression became unreadable. “He’s been gone for months, and I’m only hearing about it now?”
Ah Ye quickly dropped to her knees. “I was afraid Your Highness would be upset if you heard his name… so I took the liberty of hiding the news…”
“So you do know he’s Lord Fu, and not just my former fiancé?” Feng Lezhen’s eyes were cold. “If your selfish decision caused me to miss something important, could you bear that responsibility? When will you learn to separate personal and official matters?”
“I was wrong,” Ah Ye said, voice trembling, eyes already red with tears.
Feng Lezhen rubbed her brow. “Fine. Go. Don’t do it again.”
“Yes…” Ah Ye, teary-eyed, withdrew.
Feng Lezhen frowned deeply. Her irritation came in waves, and she couldn’t find a way to release it—until the door opened again and Shen Suifeng entered.
“Why was Ah Ye crying?” he asked with a smile.
Feng Lezhen pursed her lips and held out her hand. Shen Suifeng stepped forward, took her hand, and guided it to his waist. She leaned against his chest.
The frustration in her heart suddenly melted away.
“She made a mistake. I scolded her,” Feng Lezhen said.
Shen Suifeng chuckled. “If she did wrong, then she deserved it.”
Feng Lezhen smiled, and the last trace of annoyance disappeared.
—
News of Feizhan escaping from the capital soon spread to all of Yingguan. Qi Jingren immediately sought out Qi Zhen.
“This proves I was right,” she said bluntly. “Isn’t it time Father hosted the celebration banquet for the soldiers?”
Her words were abrupt and direct, but Qi Zhen understood them and sneered. “You were right? You were just lucky! If what happened last time was merely a feint from Feizhan and you opened the city gates too eagerly, you’d be the one blamed for letting a hostage escape. The entire Qi family would’ve been dragged down with you!”
“But the fact is, Feizhan didn’t make a feint. I was right,” Qi Jingren held her ground without backing down an inch.
Qi Zhen’s face darkened and he was about to reprimand her when Qi Jingren suddenly asked, “If it were my brother who earned merit today, would Father still be so quick to throw cold water on him?”
“What does this have to do with your brother? Don’t drag him into everything!” Qi Zhen snapped impatiently.
Qi Jingren let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Let’s set the celebration banquet for the end of this month. If the Marquis is free, he can come. If not, never mind.”
With that, she turned and left.
“Qi Jingren!” Qi Zhen was so furious his face flushed red. When Song Lian entered, she saw him grabbing a vase to throw.
“Don’t ruin things!” she said sharply.
Qi Zhen sheepishly put the vase down but slapped the table, fuming. “Look at the good daughter you raised!”
“She’s your daughter too,” Song Lian shot him a glance. “What are you yelling about now?”
Qi Zhen immediately recounted everything and grumbled as he spoke, “That arrogant little brat—just because she’s gained some military achievements, she thinks she can do whatever she wants. She doesn’t realize how complicated official affairs are. The entire Great Qian is searching for Feizhan, and everyone is afraid of being implicated. Who would dare declare, just from a few leads, that Feizhan isn’t in Yingguan like she did?”
“But Feizhan wasn’t in Yingguan,” Song Lian frowned.
Qi Zhen replied, “People are saying she just got lucky! What if he was there? What if it was a double-bluff?”
“There’s no such thing as so many ‘what ifs’…”
“Even so, precautions must be taken. Whether Feizhan is caught or not doesn’t matter—the important thing is how the Qi family protects itself. Even if she found some evidence, without capturing him, the proper procedures must still be followed. She can’t just go around shouting about opening the city gates,” Qi Zhen said gruffly. “Besides, she should have informed me earlier—not left me in the dark like some outsider, hearing it only at the end like Hu Wensheng.”
“You’re just upset she didn’t tell you in advance.” Song Lian gave him a pointed look.
Qi Zhen was left speechless, and after a long silence, managed to grumble, “You just don’t understand!”
“If you can’t explain it, then stop talking!” Song Lian snapped, her tone sharp. “Why didn’t you say all this to her earlier? What’s the point of unloading it all on me now?”
“Did you see her attitude? Would she have listened?!” Qi Zhen took a deep breath and waved her off before she could speak again. “When she first said she wanted to join the army, I let her do as she pleased. But now I see she’s still too rash. Even if she’s just a small Canjian, she represents the Qi family, the Qi army. One mistake from her, and we could all be dragged into ruin.”
Song Lian frowned. “What are you implying?”
But Qi Zhen didn’t want to explain further. He waved his hand and left.
Watching his impatient figure disappear, Song Lian felt a faint sense of unease.
—
By the end of April, the roadside trees had sprouted new buds and the snow had fully melted. Feng Lezhen had just returned from walking the fields with Hu Wensheng, mud still clinging to her shoes, when she received the celebration banquet invitation.
“A celebration?” Feng Lezhen raised her brows. “Feizhan still hasn’t been caught, and she dares hold a grand celebration already?”
Ah Ye was squatting beside her, helping her take off her shoes, and quickly responded, “Canjiang Qi said the emperor is far away and no one can interfere.”
Feng Lezhen laughed. “Qi Jingren really is arrogant.”
“The banquet will be held in the military camp. It’s open-air and begins in the evening. Although the weather’s warming, I’ll still prepare an extra cloak for Your Highness in case it gets cold,” Ah Ye said.
Feng Lezhen nodded and let her handle it.
Just as Ah Ye finished helping her change and was about to leave, she suddenly turned back as if remembering something. “Your Highness… Lord Fu has returned from Hongshan Temple.”
Feng Lezhen’s gaze shifted slightly. “He gave in?”
He was sent to Hongshan Temple because he refused the imperial marriage. Now that he was out, did that mean he had accepted the emperor’s conditions?
“It was His Majesty who gave in.”
Feng Lezhen paused. “How could that be?”
Since being scolded last time, Ah Ye no longer dared to hide news from the capital. “Without Lord Fu to assist him, His Majesty made several critical errors and had no choice but to personally recall him.”
Feng Lezhen let out a short laugh. “When Fu Zhixian wasn’t working in court before, I never saw Feng Ji make mistakes. But now, after one stint at Hongshan Temple, Feng Ji suddenly can’t function?”
“You mean… Lord Fu did it on purpose? Made things harder for the emperor just to prove how indispensable he is?” Ah Ye immediately caught on.
Feng Lezhen lowered her gaze and sipped her tea. “Fu Zhixian… he can be quite underhanded when he wants to be.”
Then she chuckled. “Underhanded, and skilled.”
“Lord Fu… really is clever,” Ah Ye muttered, a little awkward.
The smile faded from Feng Lezhen’s face. Her lips were still curved, but her eyes were already calm. “Clever, but not clever enough. Feng Ji has always worried that he and I might still be connected. Accepting the marriage would’ve been the best way to prove him wrong. But he refused. Now, I’m afraid he’ll have to work even harder to earn Feng Ji’s full trust again.”
Ah Ye peeked at her cautiously. Though she’d learned her lesson, every time Lord Fu was mentioned, she couldn’t help gauging Her Highness’s expression.
After all, Her Highness had known Lord Fu since she was seven. They met again at twelve, got engaged at sixteen, and now at twenty-two, he’d been a constant thread in her life. Her feelings for him were flesh and blood. Even if she always acted indifferent, how could pain like cutting into one’s own flesh be easily hidden?
Ah Ye still remembered how uncharacteristically withdrawn she’d been during those final days in the capital. It broke her heart just thinking about it.
“Maybe…” In the silence, Ah Ye spoke carefully, “Maybe after Your Highness, no other woman has ever caught Lord Fu’s eye. Maybe that’s why he’d rather anger the emperor than accept the marriage.”
“You still don’t understand Fu Zhixian well enough,” Feng Lezhen smiled. “The deal fell through simply because, after weighing the pros and cons, he realized it wasn’t worth it. He just broke off the engagement with me—if he were to accept an imperial marriage now, he’d be completely offending the forces I have in court. Compared to the trouble that would bring, the emperor’s favor and the support of his new bride’s family aren’t worth much.”
Ah Ye’s lips parted slightly in surprise; she listened in a daze.
Feng Lezhen found her expression amusing. “Strange? I told you long ago—in the face of overwhelming power and wealth, what does love even count for? But you never take it seriously.”
When Shen Suifeng walked in, he happened to catch this last sentence. His footsteps paused slightly before he continued calmly into the room. “Hearing Your Highness say that is truly heartbreaking.”
“I wasn’t talking about you,” Feng Lezhen shot him a glance.
Shen Suifeng chuckled softly. “So I’m different in Your Highness’s eyes?”
“Of course,” Feng Lezhen answered without hesitation, with a certainty that seemed like she hadn’t even needed to think about it.
Seeing the two start up again, Ah Ye sensibly excused herself and slipped out.
Only the two of them were left in the room. Shen Suifeng picked up her half-finished cup of tea and drank it in one go.
Feng Lezhen laughed, “Why so fast?”
“I spent the whole morning teaching Chen Jinan, and he didn’t even offer me a glass of water,” Shen Suifeng grumbled.
Feng Lezhen raised her eyebrows. “I remember we already hired a tutor for him.”
“That tutor’s no good. I’d do a better job teaching him myself,” Shen Suifeng replied.
Feng Lezhen chuckled, “But it seems Jinan doesn’t quite agree.”
“Which just proves he doesn’t know a good thing when he sees it,” Shen Suifeng folded his arms.
Feng Lezhen met his gaze for a moment. Her eyes softened. “I’ve been busy these days—you must’ve been bored staying home alone.”
Shen Suifeng paused, then smiled, “Teaching Jinan every day, and setting up a free clinic to see patients—honestly, not so boring.”
“When this busy stretch is over, I’ll spend more time with you,” Feng Lezhen wrapped her arms around his waist. Inhaling the dry, herbal scent on him, she unknowingly fell asleep.
Shen Suifeng gently patted her back. As he lifted his eyes, through the wide-open window he caught sight of the newly planted peonies in the courtyard, and beyond them, the high courtyard wall.
This time of year in the past, he might have been crossing tall mountains with villagers, on his way to rescue hunters trapped in the wilderness—or wading through streams to treat an epidemic that only appeared after the snow melted. He might have traveled far, done many things, and saved many lives. But now… he looked down at the girl in his arms, lips curling into a faint smile.
Now, he had become the shore where the noble Eldest Princess could rest—her strongest support when she was weary and worn.
And that wasn’t so bad.
Qi Jingren’s invitation had arrived late. On the third day after receiving it, Feng Lezhen had to attend the banquet. She originally thought of bringing Shen Suifeng along, but remembering how much he disliked such occasions, she didn’t bring it up again.
The banquet was held in the military camp—the safest place in the entire pass. Feng Lezhen brought only Ah Ye and Chen Jinan with her. As they left, she saw Shen Suifeng sitting under a tree reading. Clad in white robes purer than snow, sleeves fluttering, so beautiful he didn’t seem mortal—yet he leaned casually against the tree, letting fallen leaves settle on his body.
For a moment, Feng Lezhen was transported back to their first meeting—he had worn similar white robes, like an exiled immortal, but was sitting on a small stool, fanning a stove.
The Eastern Palace Niang Niang makes pancakes, the Emperor shoulders a golden hoe into the fields. That absurd line had popped into her head then—and oddly, it felt quite fitting.
Now it was a similar scene. He still looked as relaxed as ever, but something about him felt slightly different than before.
What was different? Feng Lezhen couldn’t say. She just vaguely disliked the feeling—like he was suddenly becoming a stranger.
“Shen Suifeng,” she called.
Shen Suifeng looked up at the sound and smiled warmly when he saw her. “About to head out?”
“What do you want to eat? I’ll bring it back for you,” Feng Lezhen smiled too.
Shen Suifeng gave it serious thought before saying, “There should be a bonfire at a military banquet. Bring back a flatbread grilled by Your Highness.”
“Anything else?” Feng Lezhen asked.
Shen Suifeng shook his head, “Nothing else.”
Feng Lezhen gave a brief reply. Behind her, Ah Ye quietly nudged Chen Jinan, “Don’t you think…”
Chen Jinan’s eyes shifted slightly.
“They’re more and more like a married couple?” Ah Ye finished the thought.
Chen Jinan lowered his eyes. “I don’t know.”
“You’re not blind. How could you not know?” Ah Ye gave him a baffled look, then sighed, “Back when Her Highness was with Lord Fu, it was kind of like this too. An ordinary, civilian kind of life is rare and precious for someone like Her Highness. If she’s willing to live like that with someone—it means she really, really likes him.”
Chen Jinan remained as silent and heavy as a stone, giving no reaction.
But Ah Ye wouldn’t let it go. “Seriously, what do you think of Mister Shen?”
“…He’s very good.” Chen Jinan finally spoke. Shen Suifeng’s appearance, talent, background—he was excellent in every way. One of the rare few in the world who was actually worthy of Her Highness.
“I think so too,” Ah Ye said like a mother-in-law picking a daughter-in-law.
Chen Jinan didn’t respond again. Noticing Feng Lezhen approaching, he immediately stepped forward to meet her.
The three of them set out together. Passing by the market, they heard the lively calls of the vendors and couldn’t help but stop to buy some snacks. Because of the delay, by the time they reached the military camp, night had already fallen.
Qi Jingren, seemingly holding back a lot of pent-up energy, had invited everyone she could. As soon as Feng Lezhen arrived, voices calling out greetings rang out one after another.
“Greetings, Your Highness.” Qi Jingren stepped forward to salute her. After everything that had happened, her attitude toward Feng Lezhen had softened a bit—no longer so distant and reserved as before.
Feng Lezhen nodded. “You’ve worked hard, Canjian. No need to attend to me—go on with your duties.”
“I’ll take you to your seat,” Qi Jingren said.
Feng Lezhen nodded and followed her to the main seat.
Today’s celebration banquet had been organized entirely by Qi Jingren. As she exchanged a few pleasantries with Feng Lezhen, three to five people came looking for her. Just as Qi Jingren frowned slightly, about to say something, Feng Lezhen spoke up first, “Let Jinan go help.”
Qi Jingren paused.
“Back when we were in the capital, he worked in the kitchen for three years. He’s no stranger to hosting banquets and setting up alcohol tables. If anything is unclear, just have your kitchen staff ask him,” Feng Lezhen said slowly and evenly.
The army cooks could certainly make food, but when it came to serving dishes—what order, what customs to follow—they were mostly clueless. Now that someone with experience was offering help, Qi Jingren naturally wouldn’t refuse and accepted the offer right away.
“Many thanks, Your Highness.”
Feng Lezhen gave Chen Jinan a look, and he immediately went to assist.
“You should go help too,” Feng Lezhen said to Qi Jingren.
Qi Jingren no longer stood on ceremony. She gave a quick reply and hurried off.
Ah Ye watched her departing back, then glanced at Feng Lezhen a few more times.
“What are you looking at?” Feng Lezhen raised an eyebrow.
“…Nothing. Just felt like Your Highness is being too nice to her,” Ah Ye said softly.
Feng Lezhen smiled. “I ought to be. The great enterprise I have ahead of me—I’ll be counting on her.”
Ah Ye paused, not quite understanding what she meant.
There was still more than half an hour before the banquet officially began. Everyone else had come with their wives and children, a full table of cheer and warmth. Only at the main seat sat Feng Lezhen, alone and rather solitary. Some of the less formal attendees who came up to greet her would even ask why Doctor Shen wasn’t with her.
Feng Lezhen had never deliberately kept her relationship with Shen Suifeng a secret, and the customs at the pass were quite open, so everyone already knew about them.
“He had matters to attend to today. I came alone,” Feng Lezhen answered with a smile.
After all the well-wishers had left, Ah Ye sighed. “Mr. Shen really should’ve come.”
“He doesn’t like these kinds of occasions—you know that.”
“But he has to get used to it eventually. It can’t always be just Your Highness attending banquets on your own while he stays behind,” Ah Ye frowned.
Among the nobility, banquets weren’t just about eating and drinking—they were often times for negotiating benefits and testing alliances. Back when His Lordship Fu was with Her Highness, the two worked in perfect sync. Many important matters were settled at such gatherings.
If Shen Suifeng never adapts to this kind of environment, wouldn’t that mean Her Highness will always be fighting alone?
“If it’s something he dislikes, I won’t force him,” Feng Lezhen said calmly.
Ah Ye sighed inwardly and changed the topic: “Why did Qi Jingren make this celebration banquet so lively? Anyone who didn’t know better would think she’d accomplished something huge.”
“If she hadn’t caught the person impersonating Feizhan, the entire pass would’ve been accused of letting hostages escape. Doesn’t that count as a major achievement?” Feng Lezhen teased.
Ah Ye shrugged, as if she didn’t get it. Feng Lezhen, recalling how Qi Jingqing had mentioned that Qi Zhen and Qi Jingren had argued over the banquet, let a faint smile tug at her lips.
In the blink of an eye, the half-hour passed and it was time for the banquet to begin. Qi Jingqing had arrived, but Qi Zhen still hadn’t shown up. Qi Jingren’s face looked rather displeased, but she still decided to begin the banquet on time.
“Looks like your father and sister really had it out this time,” Feng Lezhen said with a faint smile, eyes facing forward, as if she were speaking to no one in particular.
Because of their positions, she and Qi Jingqing were seated near each other, so she didn’t need to speak loudly for him to hear clearly.
It was only the second time Qi Jingqing had seen her in the past two months—the last being some time ago. He’d intended to exchange some polite conversation, but she opened with a remark about his family affairs.
He gave a wry smile. “It’s really a tough situation this time.”
“Poor girl—she went through all this trouble to organize a banquet, and her own father doesn’t even show up. It’s practically an open declaration to everyone that he doesn’t care about this daughter of his,” Feng Lezhen said with feigned sympathy.
Qi Jingqing shook his head helplessly. “I’ve got enough headaches already, Your Highness—please don’t make it worse.”
Feng Lezhen burst out laughing. “Just teasing. Are you really upset?”
“Not at all,” Qi Jingqing replied, glancing at her. His gaze softened a bit.
Feng Lezhen had been watching Qi Jingren moving through the crowd, entertaining guests, and hadn’t paid much attention to him. When she happened to turn and met his eyes, she had no idea how long he’d been looking at her.
Something stirred in her. “What is it?”
“Your Highness’s lip rouge seems a bit smudged,” Qi Jingqing said with perfect composure.
Feng Lezhen paused, then quickly turned away for Ah Ye to check.
“It is smudged—but only a little,” Ah Ye quickly helped fix it.
It was rare for Feng Lezhen to appear out of sorts. For a moment, she looked at Qi Jingqing with a hint of annoyance. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“They’re all sitting below—you think they could see? And I didn’t have time to notice either,” Qi Jingqing said, then paused.
Feng Lezhen turned to look at the lower tables and realized that the guests had already started drinking. She was momentarily speechless, then gave Qi Jingqing a sideways glare. “Don’t let it happen again.”
Qi Jingqing smiled, his eyes soft and luminous like the moon. Qi Jingren, who was just then navigating between civil and military officials, happened to glance over. Seeing the look on his face, she paused slightly and frowned.
Though Feng Lezhen often saw Qi Jingqing smile, it never failed to take her by surprise—it was so dazzling that all her irritation instantly melted away.
“That face of yours—really is something else,” she sighed, raising her cup to him.
Qi Jingqing was momentarily stunned, and his face flushed faintly red. In a hurry to conceal the emotion on his face, he quickly picked up a cup and drank. But the moment the liquid hit his tongue, he realized something was off.
Too late—he’d already finished the whole thing.
“Wrong cup?” Feng Lezhen asked.
Qi Jingqing’s table also had alcohol placed on it, though just for show. The cup he’d meant to drink from held freshly brewed tea. But the alcohol and tea cups were part of the same set, so it was understandable he’d grabbed the wrong one.
Faced with Feng Lezhen’s question, Qi Jingqing nodded with difficulty.
“This alcohol isn’t strong, and it’s just one cup—nothing serious,” Feng Lezhen said casually.
Fifteen minutes later, he managed to get down from his wheelchair and, in full view of everyone, stumbled his way over and squeezed into the seat beside her.
Feng Lezhen: “……”
