Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Many things I cannot explain to you right now," the Duke of Wind sighed with guilt, implying, "Some people always use the Ancestral Family Law to manipulate others. Xiaoxiao, you are too naive... However," Feng Hongrui suddenly paused, furrowing his brows and murmuring, "I do not intend to sever our father-son relationship. What does he really want?"
The Duke of Wind's last self-talk was overheard by Feng Yinxiao, causing a jolt in his heart: Father did not do this. What does it mean that Uncle acted on his own?!
"I will ask him myself!" Feng Yinxiao said coldly, a shadow passing over his handsome features.
"Absolutely not!" The Duke of Wind grabbed Feng Yinxiao's sleeve and said, "This matter shall be handled by me."
"But Father..." Just as Feng Yinxiao wanted to say more, he was stopped by the Duke of Wind raising his hand.
Seeing that Father was well aware and confident, Feng Yinxiao no longer spoke! Moreover, if Jiangyin Marquis truly valued the younger generation, would he still take such rebellious actions?
"Yes, Father," Feng Yinxiao nodded obediently and said, "If I am not in the residence, you must be cautious about everything."
"You must also be careful with your words and actions," Feng Hongrui finally reminded him, "You must not repeat the last 'mistake.' Additionally, the Empress's birthday is approaching; you need to prepare for the palace's security matters."
"Father, there is one more thing I must tell you," before parting, Feng Yinxiao recalled the guards he had killed when he first entered the residence and felt uneasy. "I'm afraid I've already killed half of the guards in the residence. Will Uncle hold this against you and blame you for it?"
The Duke of Wind first froze in expression but then smiled lightly, saying to Feng Yinxiao meaningfully, "It doesn't matter; those are his guards."
Feng Yinxiao understood and a glimmer of light crossed his pitch-black eyes. His heart brightened: the frustration that had been pent up for days was finally resolved today. From now on, he no longer needed to worry; after all, he had promised Yun Kexin that "the debt has its owner." He truly wanted to deal a heavy blow to some "fish that slipped through the net."
Upon returning to Tian Zhuang, he immediately saw Yun Kexin pacing anxiously in the courtyard—she could not control her thoughts and couldn't help but repeatedly "revisit" the dreams from a few days ago...
"Yun Kexin!"
A familiar voice echoed in her ears. As Yun Kexin suddenly turned around, a weight in her heart finally lifted—there was no heavy killing intent, no bloodshed, only infinite warmth and peace.
"Young Lord!"
Just as she was about to run towards him, he had already stood in front of her.
"Good to be back," Yun Kexin said, examining Feng Yinxiao's features and clothing as if checking something, and smiled gently.
"I knew you were waiting for me," Feng Yinxiao said, lowering his head and gazing deeply into her bright eyes. "So I hurried back from Tian Zhuang after talking with Father, so you wouldn't worry."
His expression and tone were tender and considerate, like a husband returning home. His dark eyes seemed to fixate on her, making her heart race.
"Did you see the Duke of Wind?" Yun Kexin asked shyly, a hint of surprise in her voice. She had always thought the Duke of Wind was under house arrest by Jiangyin Marquis, which made her worry that Feng Yinxiao might resort to violence to meet Father.
"I saw Father. We talked for a while," Feng Yinxiao replied with a cheerful smile as the clouds of worry in his heart dissipated. "I finally cleared up some things, Yun Kexin. I take your advice: 'A Gentleman Takes Revenge, Even After Ten Years.'"
"Yes!" Yun Kexin knew Feng Yinxiao was smart and understood immediately. She suddenly became serious and said, "It's not just Young Lord's own grudge; there's also the Duchess."
Feng Yinxiao's heart skipped a beat, and a happy smile appeared on his slightly pursed lips. He impulsively said, "Thank you for being so thoughtful, Yun Kexin. I really want to marry you right away."
Yun Kexin's face instantly flushed with embarrassment, and she wanted to escape but stopped in her tracks when she heard Feng Yinxiao's next words: "...The Empress's birthday is coming up soon, and I need to go to the palace to assist the Ministry of Rites with security work, so I may not be able to visit you often..."
"The Empress's birthday? Which Empress?" Yun Kexin asked with great interest.
"Consort Xiang!" Feng Yinxiao replied. "At that time, the Yun Family Patriarch and the Three Elders will attend. Yun Kexin, do you want to go to the palace with them?" He paused as if remembering something and added, "Oh right, the Four Elders will also be there."
Yun Kexin was taken aback: it was not surprising that Uncle and Third Uncle were attending the birthday celebration of the princess, but what did it have to do with Fourth Uncle? He was not a person in the official circle! Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind: Xiang'er!
Yun Kexin's eyes widened in shock as she restrained her eagerness and asked, "Young Lord, what is the name of Consort Xiang? Do you know her specific situation?"
"I only know her nickname is 'Xiang'er,' the emperor's favored concubine," Feng Yinxiao replied calmly, not noticing Yun Kexin's astonished expression. "I don't know much else."
Yun Kexin felt a sudden tightness in her chest and shortness of breath: could this Consort Xiang be the 'Xiang'er' that Fourth Uncle had mentioned several times?
"Young Lord, you should prioritize your important matters," Yun Kexin said, already impatient to see Fourth Uncle and inquire about the situation. "Coincidentally, I also have a few personal matters to attend to, so I won't be coming to Tian Zhuang for a while. If you need anything, you can come to Duke's Residence to find me, or have Brother-in-law send a message."
"Alright, it's settled then," Feng Yinxiao smiled. "I'll go prepare now and change out of my formal attire before heading to the palace."
****
After Feng Yinxiao left for an hour, Yun Kexin tidied up and prepared to return home. However, she first detoured to the shop frequented by Four Elders. The Innkeeper informed her that Four Elders had gone out for something. Thus, Yun Kexin searched through the inn, dining hall, pawnshop, and jewelry store but found no trace of Cloud City. She began to feel anxious.
Shanling said, "Sister, Four Elders' social circle is not large. Aside from business engagements, he mostly stays at the shop. If he's not there, he must have returned home; I remember he told us that."
Yun Kexin slapped her forehead: she had been too anxious and confused. With Consort Xiang's birthday and Fourth Uncle being invited—such an important matter—Fourth Uncle must have returned home to inform Grandmother. So she hurriedly took her maidservants and rushed back to the residence.
After getting off the carriage, she instructed three maidservants to take her simple luggage back to Third House while she informed Third Madam that she was going to Grandmother's Haitang Pavilion.
As expected, Four Elders and Cloud City had indeed returned home to find Zhou.
"…Cheng Er, have you really decided to go?" Zhou asked as he walked down from under the flowering tree with Cloud City's support. "What good will come from meeting…"
"Since she entered the palace, which year have I been able to 'avoid' her birthday?" Cloud City spoke in a resigned tone. "If I have to go, then so be it; it’s really nothing." He murmured, lowering his gaze to the petals scattered on the ground.
"But each time you go, you suffer once," Zhou looked at her thin son with concern. "Every year you attend her birthday, and when you come back, you never have a smile on your face. Can't you find a reason to avoid it?"
"I can't, Mother," Cloud City raised his head and pondered, "Unless the Yun Clan wants to suffer, she is now," Cloud City paused slightly, his words tinged with reluctance, "the Emperor's favored consort."
Zhou felt as if her heart had been pricked by a needle at those brief words; her hoarse voice made her appear even older. "Year after year, when will this end? Sigh..."
Cloud City, however, appeared indifferent to worldly matters and did not show any pessimism or cynicism in response to his mother's sighs.
As he glanced around, he caught sight of Yun Kexin leaning against the door and smiled. "Seventh Young Lady... why are you just standing there and not coming in?"
Yun Kexin walked forward gracefully and replied obediently with a smile, "I saw Grandmother and Fourth Uncle talking about something important, so I didn't want to disturb them and waited for a moment."
Zhou gently brushed Yun Kexin's hairpin and asked, "Seventh Young Lady, are you looking for Grandmother or Fourth Uncle?"
"I'm looking for Fourth Uncle," Yun Kexin said candidly with a blink. "I have something to ask him. I searched all the shops before but couldn't find him; I thought he must have come here to see Grandmother..."
"What does Kexin want to ask Fourth Uncle?" Cloud City liked this clever and beautiful niece who was also well-behaved; seeing her always lifted his spirits. "Well then, there are no outsiders here."
"Fourth Uncle, I heard that you are going to attend the birthday celebration of the consort in the palace in a few days. Is that true?"
Cloud City was taken aback; perhaps he hadn't expected Yun Kexin to know about this. "How did Kexin find out?"
"I’m good friends with Feng Yinxiao from the palace's command," Yun Kexin replied. "He told me."
Cloud City nodded. He had heard people in the residence discussing that Seventh Young Lady had connections with Feng Yinxiao, the legitimate son of the Duke of Yan's Residence, and their relationship was quite "special."
"It is indeed the case," Cloud City said with a sudden smile as he looked at Yun Kexin.
Zhou seemed to have a moment of inspiration, gently stroking the back of Yun Kexin's head. After a moment, he smiled at Cloud City and said, "Cheng Er, the Seventh Young Lady has never been to the palace at her age. Take her there once, just as a trip." He then lowered his head, cupping Yun Kexin's face gently and said, "Kexin, it has been a few days since you last saw the Crown Prince, right? It’s a good opportunity to meet him this time when we go to the palace."
Yun Kexin was taken aback. From her grandmother's kind words, she sensed another layer of meaning. She saw a hint of "calculating" in her constantly moving eyes and felt a chill in her heart: Grandmother had not given up on the idea of using her to "save" Fourth Uncle through the Crown Prince!
Cloud City, however, was unaware of the "trick" in his mother's mind. He glanced at both Zhou and Yun Kexin and said with a smile, "Sure, I also like taking the Seventh Young Lady along. Fourth Uncle, how about letting Kexin go to the palace this time?"
Yun Kexin felt conflicted. Earlier outside the door, she had inadvertently overheard the conversation between her grandmother and Fourth Uncle, confirming long-held doubts in her heart. She even thought about Third Uncle and delved deeper into her thoughts. Deep down, she wanted to "experience" it and get closer to the truth. However, she did not want to be "used" by her grandmother due to her curiosity—she could keenly sense her grandmother's intentions but had no romantic feelings for the Crown Prince. Moreover, the Crown Prince already had someone he admired; what would it mean for her to intervene?
Should she go? Should she go... In the end, reason triumphed over emotion.
"Fourth Uncle, I'll go," Yun Kexin said with a bright smile like a blooming daisy. "Please come to pick me up then." (To be continued)
Comment 0 Comment Count