Once the carriages left, the marquis residence became noticeably quieter. Qi Jingren didn’t want to stay at home, so she invited Feng Lezhen out for a drink. Feng Lezhen, not wanting to return home immediately either, decided to go with her.
At dawn, with only a faint light in the sky, there were few people on the streets. Inside a drafty shack, two well-dressed women—Feng Lezhen and Qi Jingren—sat awkwardly out of place amid the shabby surroundings.
Feng Lezhen hugged her hand warmer and asked blankly, “Is this really where you’re treating me to wine?”
“It’s so early—all the proper taverns are still closed. This is the best we can do for now,” Qi Jingren said casually as she poured her a bowl of wine. “This wine shop’s been in Yingguan for years. The wine might be murky, but it’s still pleasantly sweet.”
Feng Lezhen turned her head and glanced toward the owner.
She was a plump woman in her forties, crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes. Though her hands—trained from years of brewing—were rough, they were clean. She busied herself at the stove, while a ten-year-old girl behind her was sprawled on a bench, flipping through a tattered book.
“The owner lost her husband early on and raised the child on her own—it hasn’t been easy,” Qi Jingren said with a chuckle, pushing the wine toward Feng Lezhen. “Your Highness, have a taste?”
Feng Lezhen glanced at her slowly, but didn’t refuse her offer.
Qi Jingren watched her drink the bowl in one go, then asked with interest, “How does it taste?”
“Hot wine in cold weather—it does drive out the chill,” Feng Lezhen said unhurriedly. Her next words followed quickly: “But the taste really isn’t anything special.”
“Your Highness is brutally accurate,” Qi Jingren laughed. “But for three copper coins a bowl, you can’t really fault the taste.”
Feng Lezhen didn’t argue and poured herself another bowl.
Qi Jingren watched her drink it down and joined in with another bowl herself.
The wine was homemade by the shop owner. Though not refined, it was strong. After three bowls each, the two women were slightly tipsy. Qi Jingren breathed out a white puff into the cold air and turned to look at Feng Lezhen.
“My brother’s gone. It must hurt, doesn’t it?” she asked.
Feng Lezhen’s expression was calm. “Don’t just talk about me—what about you? Madam Marquis followed Jingqing without so much as a backward glance.”
Qi Jingren smiled. “Yes, my mother left without a second thought to go with my brother. I reckon in less than two years, my father will go join them too. Then I’ll be the only one left in Yingguan.”
Feng Lezhen lifted her gaze and looked at her, then picked up the wine pot and poured her a bowl.
Qi Jingren had long built up her alcohol tolerance in the military camps—this little wine was nothing to her. But after a few cups today, her eyes began to glaze over, as if she were truly drunk.
“Come to think of it, my brother hasn’t had it easy either. He bore all of Father and Mother’s love, yet couldn’t even decide whether he lived or died,” she sighed softly, a puff of white mist escaping her lips. “If it were up to him, I bet he’d rather risk an asthma attack than leave Your Highness’s side.”
After saying this, Qi Jingren clicked her tongue. “But what can you do? This is the debt he owes our parents. They placed all their emotions—joy, anger, sorrow—onto him. Naturally, he has to repay it with a lifetime…”
“Qi Jingren,” Feng Lezhen called her softly.
“Hm?” Qi Jingren looked up, confused.
“As the one who was abandoned,” Feng Lezhen looked into her eyes, “don’t pity the one who wasn’t.”
Qi Jingren stared at her, stunned. Her eyes suddenly turned red.
“I don’t mind…” she let out a short laugh. “I really don’t mind. After all, from the moment I was born, I was never the chosen one. But it’s alright—at least I got the military command, I got all of Yingguan. That’s enough. There are plenty of people in this world who aren’t loved by their parents and don’t inherit a thing—I’m already far better off than most of them.”
“Indeed. For example, me,” Feng Lezhen said as she raised her wine bowl.
Qi Jingren let out a chuckle and clinked her cup against hers.
The two drank slowly, until the sun was high overhead. As the surroundings grew more crowded, more and more people came up to pay their respects. They could no longer speak in peace and were eventually forced to settle the bill and leave.
“No, no, General Qi defends the city with great effort, and Your Highness devotes yourself entirely to Yingguan—I couldn’t possibly take your money,” the tavern owner hurriedly declined.
“Just take it. It’s a reward from Her Highness,” Qi Jingren tossed her pouch onto the table and helped Feng Lezhen into the carriage.
The tavern owner gave a couple startled cries and quickly pulled her young daughter, who had been reading on a bench, over. Facing the direction of the carriage, she called out:
“All these years, I’ve shown my face to support my family and been mocked countless times for being shameless. But since Your Highness came to Yingguan, and General Qi led troops into the desert, people have seen that women are no less than men. No one dares look down on me anymore. I must thank Your Highness and the General for setting such an example—for making life a little easier for us women.”
Saying this, she pulled her daughter down and kowtowed solemnly toward the carriage.
Qi Jingren instinctively wanted to help them up, but before she could step down, the mother and daughter had already finished bowing.
Feng Lezhen remained calm. After they had risen, she finally spoke slowly: “You merely received the respect you were always entitled to. There’s no need to thank anyone specially.”
The owner froze. By the time she came to her senses, the carriage had already gone far.
“Mother, I want to be someone like Her Highness when I grow up,” the little girl beside her suddenly said. “I want to study hard, pass the exams, and help the people.”
A few years ago, if she had said something like that, others wouldn’t even have needed to mock her—her own mother would’ve told her not to speak nonsense. But now… the tavern owner smiled and gently stroked her daughter’s head.
“Then study hard. Make a name for yourself one day—you’re no worse than any man.”
“Yes!”
On the way back to the Princess’s residence, Qi Jingren seemed—perhaps due to the alcohol—oddly energized, with a kind of irrepressible excitement.
“When I schemed for military power, I only thought of making something of myself. I didn’t expect to end up influencing others too,” she said, eyes sparkling as she looked at Feng Lezhen with a grin. “Isn’t this what they call a serendipitous success?”
“To knowingly attempt the impossible, to overcome countless obstacles and carve out a new path—so that those who follow have a road to walk—how is that unintentional?” Feng Lezhen countered.
Qi Jingren was fired up, all her resentment about being left behind by her parents swept away. She just wanted to get back to the military camp immediately and run drills seven or eight times—to make that road even more solid.
Feng Lezhen looked at her with amusement, then lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.
By midday, Yingguan had already grown lively. Carts and carriages crowded the streets, people flowed constantly by, and roadside stalls were lined up neatly, displaying the day’s goods for sale. A vendor’s cry rang out, and the bun shop assistant lifted a steamer lid—white steam billowed forth, full of life and vitality.
This was the Yingguan under her governance.
Feng Lezhen’s lips curved slightly. But when she closed her eyes, her heart was complicated.
Qi Jingren left after escorting her back to the Princess’s residence. Feng Lezhen wandered the estate alone for a bit. When she passed by the kitchen and saw smoke rising from the chimney, curiosity got the better of her and she headed over.
The cook was boiling noodles. When she turned around and saw her mistress, she nearly jumped in fright. “Oh, Your Highness! What are you doing here this early?”
Feng Lezhen curiously craned her neck. “What are you making? It smells delicious.”
“Just plain spring noodles—oh dear… The kitchen’s full of oil smoke, please don’t come in! What’s with the wine smell? Drinking first thing in the morning?” The cook scolded her and tried to shoo her out.
She had cooked for Feng Lezhen even back in the capital and had served her for many years, so she was more casual and direct than most.
Feng Lezhen didn’t mind being pushed out. She obediently sat down at the small table outside the kitchen.
Before long, the cook brought out a bowl of noodles. “Eat this first, I’ll go fry you a couple of eggs.”
Feng Lezhen nodded and accepted the chopsticks, slowly eating. Having just drunk wine, her stomach felt hot and agitated. A bowl of smooth, soft noodles warmed her up, made her sweat a little, and left her feeling much more comfortable.
When Ah Ye arrived, she found her sipping noodle soup with deep focus. At once amused and exasperated, she said, “If you wanted something to eat, you could’ve just told me. Why come all the way here yourself?”
“I just happened to be passing by and followed the smell here,” Feng Lezhen said with a smile.
The cook beamed at her words. “Looks like this servant’s cooking has improved again.”
Ah Ye let out a soft sigh. After Feng Lezhen finished eating, she supported her toward the bedchambers.
Having lived in Yingguan for so many years, there were now many hidden guards posted around the residence, but those who actually served within the inner mansion remained few. The two of them strolled along slowly, and as they passed an uninhabited side courtyard, Feng Lezhen paused briefly.
“The shizi… he should be out of the city by now, right?” Ah Ye asked cautiously.
Feng Lezhen curved her lips in a faint smile. “He left before dawn.”
Ah Ye bit her lower lip silently, suddenly unsure of what to say.
“What’s with that face?” Feng Lezhen was almost amused by her sorrowful expression.
Ah Ye looked like she was about to cry. “Your Highness, you must be feeling awful right now. If you want to cry, just cry—this servant won’t laugh at you.”
“What’s there to cry about? If he can live long, healthy, and safe from now on, that’s the best outcome possible,” Feng Lezhen replied, her gaze falling on the slightly desolate courtyard. Her smile faded. “It’s just that with him suddenly gone, the place feels awfully quiet.”
“Your Highness…” Ah Ye’s heart ached even more.
Feng Lezhen couldn’t help but laugh through her tears. No matter how heavy her mood had been, it was interrupted by Ah Ye’s dramatic expression.
After Qi Jingqing left, the side courtyard had been locked up. Feng Lezhen often felt a hollowness lingering there, but the feeling never lasted long. She was quickly overwhelmed by an endless stream of work that left her no time for melancholy.
One night, she stayed at the yamen until very late. Rubbing her brow, she didn’t even catch a breath before heading straight to the military camp.
Qi Jingren had already been waiting for quite a while. When he saw her, he teased, “Your Highness is truly a noble busybody—made me wait ages.”
“Cut the nonsense,” Feng Lezhen braced herself and went straight to the point. “What’s the situation in Tayuan?”
Noticing her exhausted expression, Qi Jingren dropped the banter. “Reporting to Your Highness: all is peaceful, nothing unusual.”
“You’re sure?” Feng Lezhen was surprised. “Feizhan is hardly a quiet man. He returned to Tayuan with military merit—how could there be no stir at all?”
“Your Highness may not be aware, but Tayuan places great value on bloodlines. Though he is a prince, he’s the child of the Tayuan king and a Great Qian woman. In the Tayuan court, his status isn’t much better than a servant’s. Even if he earned great merit, he wouldn’t dare compete with his brothers. So it’s not strange that things stayed quiet,” Qi Jingren explained.
Feng Lezhen knew a bit about Tayuan’s obsession with bloodlines. But the idea that Feizhan wouldn’t dare to compete… Feng Lezhen gave a faint laugh. “Don’t be fooled by the image he puts on. Tayuan is only a few days’ journey from Great Qian, and they’ve long harbored disloyalty. Now that Feng Ji is proving incompetent and can no longer suppress them, it won’t hurt to keep a closer watch.”
“Yes.” Qi Jingren responded solemnly.
The two talked a while longer. Unknowingly, midnight had already passed. Qi Jingren poured another cup of tea, about to continue, when he looked up and met Feng Lezhen’s weary gaze.
She paused, then smiled faintly. “Your Highness should go back and rest. We can continue tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow has its own tasks waiting. It’s fine—we can keep going,” Feng Lezhen said, though she couldn’t hold back a yawn.
Qi Jingren’s smile deepened. He simply pushed her toward the exit. “There’s no rush. Your Highness should take care of your health.”
“I really don’t…”
“Ah Ye! Escort Her Highness back to rest!” Qi Jingren called out.
Ah Ye, who had been waiting at the door, rushed over immediately. Clearly, she had long wanted to drag her mistress away. Feng Lezhen, with no other choice, followed her back.
It was deep in the night, and the streets were deserted. The princess’s carriage sped down the official road, the wheels creaking against the stone and stirring the dogs in the courtyards to bark.
Feng Lezhen fell asleep as soon as she got into the carriage, only to jolt awake as soon as they arrived home.
“We’re here?” she mumbled.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Ah Ye reached out to help her. “Come inside and get some rest.”
Feng Lezhen gave a sleepy reply and got off the carriage with her.
It was already late February—early spring. Although the weather was no longer as cold, the few trees in the courtyard still showed no signs of budding, making it hardly distinguishable from winter.
Feng Lezhen had walked the entire way, chilled by the night wind. Whatever drowsiness she’d had was long gone. By the time she reached the bedchamber door, she was wide awake. “Why do I feel a bit hungry?”
“You only had half a bowl of porridge for dinner, and that was hours ago. Of course you’re hungry,” Ah Ye said as she helped her inside. “Good thing I was prepared—I bought a lot of food and left it in your room. Try it first, and if it doesn’t taste good, I’ll wake the cook to make something.”
“No need to trouble her. Whatever you bought will suit my taste,” Feng Lezhen said warmly.
Ah Ye chuckled and was just about to speak again when her expression suddenly changed. “Your Highness, watch out!”
A sharp sound cut through the air. Ah Ye quickly stepped in front of Feng Lezhen, catching a dart that had flown from the shadows. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she caught a strange scent from the dart and muttered inwardly that this was bad. The next moment, her vision spun and she collapsed unconscious.
It had happened too fast. Feng Lezhen didn’t have time to check on her when a cold sword was suddenly pressed to her neck.
“Don’t move.”
