Unlike the intense groping in the corner, Qi Jingqing’s kiss was feather-light—barely a touch before pulling back. Feng Lezhen stared blankly for quite a while. Only when she met his smiling gaze did she snap out of it.
“You…”
“Your Highness kept staring at my lips. You were probably thinking of doing what they were doing,” Qi Jingqing spoke first, “It’s a simple favor—no need to thank me.”
Feng Lezhen: “…”
After a brief silence, she let out a laugh of disbelief. “Who wants to thank you? Do you even know what kind of rogue behavior that was? If I chopped you down right now, no one would dare speak a word in your defense.”
Qi Jingqing paused. “Is this… a capital offense?”
Feng Lezhen: “…”
“No wonder those two were so panicked,” Qi Jingqing nodded, as if realizing something.
Feng Lezhen: “…Qi Jingqing, are you playing dumb with me?”
Qi Jingqing smiled. “Don’t be mad, Your Highness. I admit my mistake.”
“What mistake?” Feng Lezhen crossed her arms.
Qi Jingqing: “I shouldn’t have been disrespectful to Your Highness.”
Feng Lezhen gave him a sweeping glance but didn’t respond.
“I really do know I was wrong.” Qi Jingqing lowered his stance and gently tugged at her sleeve.
His eyes were clear, untouched by worldly desires. That earlier kiss almost seemed like a mere teasing impulse. Feng Lezhen was silent for a long while before finally saying, “It really is time for the Marquis and Madam to find you a proper match.”
The smile at Qi Jingqing’s lips faded a little. He simply stared at her.
His features were so exquisite—his eyes like stars. Just being looked at by him like this made her soften.
“Remember this—things like that should only be done with someone you love. It’s only because it was me that you’re getting off lightly today. If it had been someone else, they’d likely be out for your life by now.” Though her heart had softened, some lessons still needed to be taught.
Qi Jingqing straightened up silently. “…Understood.”
Feng Lezhen gave him a sidelong glance, then suddenly couldn’t hold back a laugh. Qi Jingqing had been a little disappointed by her sternness, but seeing her smile brightened his mood again.
The two chatted in the pavilion for a while longer. Once Qi Jingqing had recovered his strength, Feng Lezhen returned to the hall.
Though she had only been gone for less than half an hour, Qi Zhen was already drunk. Song Lian had no choice but to take him away first, leaving the guest-sending duties to Qi Jingren. Feng Lezhen calmly took her seat again and watched as Qi Jingren gracefully saw the guests off. Only then did she notice that at some point, Qi Jingren had changed out of her military gear and into a feminine gown.
As guests trickled out, soon only Feng Lezhen remained. Qi Jingren personally accompanied her to the exit.
“Why the sudden outfit change?” Feng Lezhen asked.
Qi Jingren replied, “I accidentally soiled my clothes during the banquet, so I went to change.”
“You know that’s not what I’m really asking.” Feng Lezhen smiled faintly.
Qi Jingren paused, then smiled too. “I used to always want to prove I was no less than a man, so I wore armor all the time. But now… I don’t need to anymore.”
She had accomplished so much over the past half year, her prestige in the army rising steadily. She no longer needed appearances to prove anything.
Feng Lezhen nodded. “That’s good.”
“The pity is, my military merits are still too few.” Qi Jingren sighed. In the army, after all, gaining power wasn’t the main goal.
Feng Lezhen stepped into the carriage with Ah Ye’s help, then looked at her through the window. “There’s been unrest in Moli recently. Stay vigilant. You might earn your merits sooner than you think.”
She added with a chuckle, “But truthfully, I hope your merits don’t come too soon. If there are merits to be earned, it means there’s war to be fought—and with war comes sacrifice. And besides… ‘The tallest tree in the forest gets the wind first.’”
“If I feared that, I wouldn’t have made it this far,” Qi Jingren said, lifting her gaze, her ambition no longer hidden.
Feng Lezhen’s lips curved slightly, but she said nothing more.
The carriage began to move. Qi Jingren took two steps back and didn’t turn to go inside until the carriage had vanished around the corner.
All the guests were gone now. The courtyard finally quieted. Qi Jingren let out a long breath and was about to return to her room to rest—when someone suddenly called out.
“Jingren.”
Qi Jingren turned and met Song Lian’s gaze.
“Mother, why aren’t you asleep yet?” she asked.
Song Lian: “I wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?” Qi Jingren was puzzled.
Song Lian: “When did you become so close with Her Highness?”
Qi Jingren’s heart skipped a beat, but her face stayed calm. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t try to fool me. I saw it all earlier—you personally walked her out and talked with her for a long time,” Song Lian walked toward her. “What were you talking about?”
“What else could we talk about? Just some idle chit-chat. You know as well as I do—she’s done a lot of good at Yingguan. These days, both soldiers and civilians truly admire her. Since you and Father refuse to make nice, as your daughter, I can’t exactly keep a cold face as well, can I?” Qi Jingren replied steadily.
Song Lian stared at her for a long while but couldn’t detect any cracks. Finally, she sighed. “Just that?”
“Then what else?” Qi Jingren countered.
Song Lian was silent for a moment before saying, “No matter what, I still hope you keep your distance from her. After all—”
“After all, she’s the one who caused my brother to be bedridden for life and unable to live like a normal person,” Qi Jingren finished for her, a flicker of sarcasm in her eyes. “I know. You’ve said it countless times already. It’s hard to forget even if I wanted to.”
Song Lian softened her tone. “Alright, today is supposed to be a joyful day. Don’t let an outsider upset you. And it’s freezing—aren’t your clothes too thin…”
As she spoke, she reached out to take Qi Jingren’s hand, but Qi Jingren instinctively dodged.
Song Lian paused, then saw Qi Jingren smile. “If Mother hadn’t brought it up, I’d have almost forgotten that it’s cold and I’m not dressed warmly. Luckily, it’s me standing here talking to you and not my brother. Otherwise, his body wouldn’t be able to take it… Speaking of which, if it was my brother standing here, would Mother still be reluctant to ask too much?”
“Jingren…”
“It’s getting late, Mother. You should go rest.” Qi Jingren smiled and gave a small bow. But the moment she turned away, the smile vanished.
She shouldn’t have argued—just like Her Highness had said. Compared to many parents, theirs were already far better. They were even willing to hand over real power. She shouldn’t act like a child still weaning, clinging to petty grievances. She shouldn’t… Qi Jingren took a deep breath and quickened her pace.
Song Lian stood there in a daze, staring after her until a maid came to fetch her. Only then did she snap out of it.
After the Little New Year came New Year’s Eve. Chen Jinan finally got his wish and went to make ice lanterns with the guards, playing through the entire night. Even then, he remembered to bring a small one back for Feng Lezhen.
Feng Lezhen liked it very much. She left it outside for two months until it melted when the weather warmed. She even felt a little regretful.
“If only it could be preserved,” she sighed.
Chen Jinan didn’t reply, but he remembered it. Half a month later, Feng Lezhen received a crystal-clear water lantern.
She was delighted by the palm-sized lantern. “Where did this come from?”
“I had it custom-made,” Chen Jinan said. Seeing the smile in her eyes, he couldn’t help but smile too. “A gift for Your Highness.”
“That must’ve cost quite a bit. Where did you get the silver?” Feng Lezhen asked.
Chen Jinan: “It wasn’t expensive…”
“Don’t listen to him,” Ah Ye came in carrying a water basin and started wiping the table. “He used up all his savings from the past few years and even borrowed a year’s wages from Fan Gonggong just to afford this little lantern to please Your Highness.”
“It really wasn’t expensive. It’s not even close to the things Your Highness normally uses,” Chen Jinan said quickly.
Feng Lezhen chuckled. “Not expensive, but you spent almost all your savings on it… So you mean the salary I usually give you is too low?”
Chen Jinan immediately denied it: “I didn’t mean that…”
“He totally means that,” Ah Ye chimed in, fanning the flames.
Feng Lezhen said, “Then I’ll raise your pay. A proper man should at least have a little money.”
“Give him a little more. I chipped in a few taels too,” Ah Ye added.
Chen Jinan turned red from their teasing and finally looked helplessly at Feng Lezhen.
She burst into laughter and took off a pearl hairpin from her head, handing it to him.
“Your Highness…”
“This is your return gift,” Feng Lezhen said.
Chen Jinan hesitated, unsure whether he should accept it. But then Ah Ye cleared her throat and mimicked Feng Lezhen’s tone: “Chen Jinan, what does Her Highness always teach you?”
What the master grants must not be declined.
Chen Jinan pressed his lips together and accepted it. The cold pin quickly warmed in his palm.
“This should fetch a decent price. You can use it to buy yourself a few new sets of clothes,” Feng Lezhen said.
Chen Jinan: “…Thank you, Your Highness.”
He left with the hairpin in hand. Feng Lezhen lowered her head and continued playing with the delicate little lantern.
Ah Ye craned her neck to look outside. After confirming that Chen Jinan had really left, she said, “Your Highness, he definitely won’t sell it.”
“Hm?” Feng Lezhen looked up.
“The hairpin. He won’t sell it. It was a gift from you, after all. He probably treasures it like some sacred relic. There’s no way he’d part with it,” Ah Ye said.
“Then let him keep it. Once it’s given, it’s his. He can do what he wants with it,” Feng Lezhen replied casually.
Ah Ye rubbed her nose and didn’t say more.
At Yingguan, summer passed in a blink, and winter came just as quickly. When the twelfth lunar month arrived again, it had been exactly two years since Feng Lezhen came to Yingguan.
Strangely enough, the first year had been so busy she barely had time to breathe, let alone accompany Shen Suifeng. But after Shen Suifeng left, things calmed down. Now, aside from occasionally visiting the administrative office or giving Qi Jingren advice, she spent most of her days sitting at the window lost in thought. Sometimes she would space out for an entire afternoon.
As the New Year approached, she was still listless day after day. Ah Ye couldn’t stand it anymore. She realized that only when Qi Jingqing came to visit did Feng Lezhen seem more animated, so after some thought, she sent a letter to the marquis manor.
That very night, Qi Jingqing came through the snow.
“Why are you here at this hour?” Feng Lezhen asked in surprise.
Qi Jingqing laughed. “Do you say this every time I come at night?”
Feng Lezhen paused and replied helplessly, “The last time I said it was a year ago.”
Back then, he’d been troubled by marriage pressures and came to her in the middle of the night for advice.
“So, are you being pushed to marry again?” Feng Lezhen raised an eyebrow.
“No,” Qi Jingqing said, stepping aside to clear a path. “I came to invite Your Highness to stroll through Yingguan by night. Would you honor me with your company?”
“Now?” Feng Lezhen looked out at the swirling snow.
Qi Jingqing: “Come on. Even with the snow, the market is still lively.”
Feng Lezhen didn’t quite believe him, but seeing that he had come with crutches, she realized he really just wanted to go out and have fun. If she refused, it would ruin his mood.
So as not to be the one to spoil the mood, she smiled and nodded. Qi Jingqing looked visibly relieved and immediately took the lead to guide her.
Feng Lezhen hadn’t gone out in a long time, and upon arriving at the market, she was a little surprised—
The streets, which were usually only cleaned on New Year’s Eve, were now already tidy. Even in the heavy snow, people were still out sweeping. Though it was already late, the street vendors hadn’t packed up yet—steam buns, wontons, every stall was packed with customers. There were also hawkers calling out while selling candied hawthorn and rice cakes, followed by a trail of children.
“It’s really lively,” she said with a smile.
Qi Jingqing’s lips also curved upward. “Thanks to Your Highness these past two years, the common folk are living better lives. The magistrate’s office now has the money to hire people to clear snow. This winter, everyone can go out and about just like in warm seasons.”
Feng Lezhen was in a good mood. “That’s wonderful.”
“It’s freezing—let’s have something hot to warm up.” Qi Jingqing said, guiding her to a wonton stall and sitting down.
Seeing how familiar he was with the place, Feng Lezhen followed suit and sat. The vendor quickly came over. “What would the two guests like?”
“Two bowls of wontons,” Qi Jingqing answered.
“Would you like large, medium, or small bowls? Any dietary preferences?” the vendor asked.
Qi Jingqing paused, unsure, and looked at him.
Feng Lezhen laughed. “Two small bowls. One without scallions—for him.”
Then she tipped her chin toward Qi Jingqing. “Since you’re treating me… surely you brought some silver?”
Qi Jingqing came to his senses and quickly handed over a few copper coins. The vendor took them with a cheerful smile and hurried to prepare the food.
“Not bad. You even remembered to bring loose change,” Feng Lezhen teased.
Qi Jingqing’s face turned slightly red. “Qi An reminded me a dozen times before I left, and still there’s so much I don’t understand.”
“The more you come out, the more you’ll learn,” Feng Lezhen said, wiping a spoon clean before handing it to him. She was clearly much more used to this environment than he was.
Qi Jingqing asked, “Has Your Highness been to many places before?”
“When I was in my teens, I traveled a lot. Been to quite a few places. Not anymore,” Feng Lezhen replied.
“Then you must’ve seen many beautiful sights—unlike me. All these years, I’ve only been to the capital once.”
Feng Lezhen smiled, “That one trip to the capital might’ve been better skipped.”
Qi Jingqing’s eyes flickered. “Actually—”
“Wontons are here!” The vendor cheerfully brought over two bowls and placed the one without scallions in front of Qi Jingqing.
Feng Lezhen stirred her bowl with the spoon. “Actually, what?”
“It’s nothing.” Qi Jingqing smiled faintly.
Feng Lezhen raised an eyebrow. “Was there something you wanted to tell me but changed your mind at the last moment?”
“Your Highness, eat your wontons,” Qi Jingqing replied, gesturing.
Feng Lezhen let out a laugh and focused on her small bowl of wontons.
Though it was a small bowl, it was filled to the brim. The two of them sat with their heads nearly together, eating slowly. Once they finally finished, they resumed strolling leisurely through the crowd.
Unknowingly, they walked to the lakeside. The lake had long frozen solid. Many people were skating and playing on the ice, some slipping and falling clumsily, which made the two of them burst into laughter.
“Would Your Highness like to try?” Qi Jingqing asked.
Feng Lezhen politely declined. “Better not. I don’t want to embarrass myself.”
Qi Jingqing laughed, about to urge her again, when a young man came stumbling toward the lake. He quickly pulled Feng Lezhen aside. “Careful!”
She lost her balance and fell right into him. Qi Jingqing staggered and they both landed in the snow.
“A-are you okay?” the young man asked.
His voice was too loud, drawing attention. Feng Lezhen immediately noticed officials from the magistrate’s office in the crowd and quickly lowered her head, burying her face into Qi Jingqing’s chest.
Qi Jingqing froze slightly, his mind blanking out.
“Are you okay?” the young man asked again.
Feng Lezhen waved him off, signaling him to leave. Though confused, the man turned and left.
“…Your Highness,” Qi Jingqing said with difficulty.
“Shh,” Feng Lezhen tilted her head up. “Someone familiar is watching.”
Qi Jingqing nodded stiffly, his vision filled only with her slightly misty eyes.
After a while, she sat up and brushed the snow off. “Did I crush you too badly?”
“I’m not that fragile,” Qi Jingqing also sat up, though not sounding entirely confident.
He once again recalled the image of Shen Suifeng catching her with one hand. Then he looked at his own slender wrist and felt deeply inadequate.
Feng Lezhen, unaware of his thoughts, glanced around quickly. Seeing that no one was paying attention anymore, she moved to help him up. Qi Jingqing steadied his emotions and was about to take her hand when his gaze froze.
“What is it…” Feng Lezhen followed his gaze—and saw smoke rising from the distant city gate.
On the eve of Great Qian’s most important holiday, someone had the nerve to launch an attack.
The border people were clearly no strangers to such events. The crowd buzzed briefly upon seeing the signal smoke, then quickly dispersed to return home. In no time, the bustling streets emptied, leaving only soldiers rushing toward the city wall.
From the shadows, Ah Ye and the guards from the marquis manor hurried out to retrieve their respective masters. Qi Jingqing frowned and immediately said farewell to Feng Lezhen.
“Go home quickly—don’t go anywhere else,” she urged.
Qi Jingqing paused. “Your Highness too.”
“Alright.”
The two made their promises—only to run into each other again at the city wall a quarter of an hour later.
Feng Lezhen sighed. “You…”
“I’m a Qi,” Qi Jingqing said seriously.
Feng Lezhen replied, “The entire Yingguan is mine.”
The two exchanged a glance and smiled.
“Brother? Your Highness?!” Qi Jingren had been arranging the defense when she caught sight of the two, her eyes filled with surprise.
They quickly stepped forward to ask what was going on.
It was an attack from Moli.
For years now, Moli had been restless, frequently robbing merchants traveling between Tayuan and Great Qian. Now, they had finally set their sights on Yingguan. Clearly prepared, Moli had brought nearly twenty siege engines. The iron balls they launched had already created numerous pits in the city gates—breaking through was only a matter of time.
“Is there a countermeasure?” Feng Lezhen asked gravely.
Qi Jingren looked coldly at the enemy troops below the city wall. “Just a bunch of barbarians.”
Feng Lezhen curved her lips. “Then I’ll wait for General Qi’s good news.”
“Soldiers!” Qi Jingren shouted. “Open the gates—kill!”
A flicker of surprise passed through Feng Lezhen’s eyes. She hadn’t expected such a direct tactic. Qi Jingqing also found it reckless and was about to object, but Qi Jingren shot them both a glance. “I’m the commander today. The two of you, return.”
With that, she drew her sword and led the charge out of the city.
Watching her valiant figure, Feng Lezhen realized that the military merit Qi Jingren had waited a year for had likely arrived at last.
The battle ended before dawn. Moli’s forces retreated in full, but instead of pursuing, Qi Jingren took a small group and traveled light, reaching Moli ahead of the army and killing their king outright.
Moli descended into chaos. Tayuan, which had been lying low, suddenly struck and seized nearly a tenth of Moli’s grasslands.
When Feng Lezhen heard the news, her eyelid twitched. This kind of “mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind” tactic felt oddly familiar—something a wolf cub raised in the imperial palace might pull. Before she could investigate herself, Qi Jingren returned, bringing with her the head of the Moli king.
With a single campaign, she had earned her fame. Upon returning to Yingguan, all the townspeople flooded the streets to cheer and welcome her. Covered in blood, she and her equally disheveled subordinates walked down the long street. Looking up, she saw her waiting family—parents, elder brother—and Her Highness, along with all the officials from the magistrate’s office.
“Welcome home, hero,” Feng Lezhen said with a smile, drawing another round of cheers.
Qi Jingren’s eyes turned red. After restraining herself, she dismounted and saluted. “Your servant pays respects to Your Highness and to the Marquis.”
“No need for formalities,” Feng Lezhen said, lifting her hand as if to help her up. Once Qi Jingren straightened, they exchanged a smile.
Seeing this, Song Lian furrowed her brows slightly. But concern for her daughter overrode everything else, and she hurried forward. “Are you hurt? Where? Let me see…”
“Mother, I’m fine,” Qi Jingren said helplessly.
After a few words of concern, Qi Jingren was quickly surrounded by a crowd of admirers. Feng Lezhen stepped back with a smile, only to have a slip of paper stuffed into her hand.
“Found it in the Moli palace,” Qi Jingren said quickly.
Feng Lezhen’s smile didn’t falter. Only once she returned to the Eldest Princess’s residence did she open it—
“Your Highness, do you like the grand gift I sent you?”
That handwriting—she’d recognize it even if it turned to ash.
Feizhan.
