“Fourth Imperial Uncle?” Feng Jiu’er, regarding everything about her current situation, could honestly say she had no impression of this person at all.
“Never mind—you spent over a decade recovering from illness in a detached estate, you probably never even set foot out the front gate. It’s no surprise you wouldn’t know.”
Feng Jiang had the shop attendant bring over a plate of beef and two bottles of wine, pushing them toward her.
“It’s rare we get to come out like this—come on, drink and eat, don’t go home until you’re drunk.”
But Jiu’er couldn’t let go of what he’d just said: “I spent over a decade recovering from illness in a detached estate?”
Why couldn’t she remember anything at all about her past?
“That’s right, you fell ill as a child and have been recovering in secret at the detached estate ever since. You only came back these past few days.”
“Which detached estate?”
This question of Feng Jiu’er’s left Feng Jiang momentarily puzzled.
Right—which detached estate? Why didn’t even he know?
But Feng Jiang had never been the type to dwell on such things.
“Why the look? You’re not doubting that you’re Father’s daughter, are you?”
Feng Jiang seemed to find this an especially funny joke and burst out into hearty laughter.
“You have the phoenix mark on your lower back—if you’re not Father’s daughter, whose child could you possibly be? Unless… Father isn’t the emperor… pah, pah! Listen to the nonsense I’m spouting!”
He picked up the wine bottle and took a big gulp.
“Right, I’ll punish myself with three cups—no, half a bottle, for misspeaking! How could Father possibly not be the emperor? Haha, so, you’re definitely the princess.”
Feng Jiu’er, however, was thoroughly confused—what did being or not being a princess, being or not being the emperor, even mean?
She thought it over and finally landed on the most crucial point: “Phoenix… mark?”
“You don’t know about it?” Feng Jiang didn’t seem particularly interested in this topic, saying only flatly, “Father didn’t even tell you this much?”
“No, Third Brother, you tell me—what exactly is going on.”
“Go ask Father about it.” After a few more drinks, Feng Jiang’s spirits had risen, and he kept pushing the wine bottle into Feng Jiu’er’s hands.
“Come on, have a few drinks with your Third Brother—this wine, it’s good, absolutely good!”
“I don’t want to become a drunkard.” Feng Jiu’er made a face of disgust.
“Then why did you come out with me?” Coming out together obviously meant drinking heartily and eating heartily together.
Otherwise, what would be the point?
Why had she come out with him in such a hurry? Actually, even Feng Jiu’er herself didn’t know.
In truth, the palace was vast and beautiful, and she had only just woken—there were still many places she hadn’t been.
In truth, there really was no need to rush out so urgently in search of other amusements.
But within the palace, she had this strange, inexplicable feeling—a sense that she ought to walk away from it.
This place… somehow didn’t feel like it belonged to her at all.
There were still so many, many doubts in her heart that no one had yet been able to resolve.
“Fine, Third Brother, I’ll drink with you.” Feng Jiu’er raised the wine bottle and took a hard swig.
But drinking too fast, she choked at once, coughing until tears welled up in her eyes.
Feng Jiang’s large palm landed on her back, channeling a bit of his energy, and Feng Jiu’er at once felt her breathing ease, her whole body refreshed.
“You’re a Feng Woman—how is it possible you have no martial skill at all? Isn’t that far too strange?”
Feng Jiang frowned, lowering his voice, wary of being overheard by anyone with ill intent.
But as a Feng Woman, she should by all rights be the strongest in martial skill among all of them, yet she didn’t understand martial arts at all?
“What’s a Feng Woman?” Seeing him lower his voice, Feng Jiu’er quickly lowered her own voice too, afraid of being overheard.
But this phoenix mark, this Feng Woman business—it all sounded rather thrilling.
Most importantly, she felt as though… she had heard of this somewhere before, yet now she’d forgotten it again.
This feeling was truly unbearable—if she couldn’t untangle the mystery, her heart would feel terrible!
This girl really had no idea about anything concerning herself!
Feng Jiang glanced at her. “Have a couple more drinks, then I’ll tell you.”
Feng Jiu’er didn’t even hesitate, immediately pouring a couple more gulps down her throat.
But this time, having gained some experience, she managed not to choke again.
Feng Jiang glanced around at the people nearby, feeling that this place wasn’t entirely safe.
He asked the shop attendant for two more bottles of wine and a large package of beef, then pulled Feng Jiu’er along, and in the blink of an eye, vanished into the bustling streets.
Jiu’er felt her whole body go light, and before long, found herself sitting up on a rooftop again.
Watching the moon from a rooftop, drinking wine, eating meat—it really wasn’t bad at all.
After a few drinks, she started to feel a little tipsy.
She took a couple more sips, leaned against Feng Jiang, and looked up at the sky: “Third Brother, I don’t know anything about my own situation right now—I even doubt whether I’m really the princess.”
“No need to doubt that—you’re a Feng Woman, and a Feng Woman can only be a princess.”
The phoenix mark, though branded on through some secret method, could never be branded onto anyone who wasn’t a Feng Woman.
And as for Jiu’er’s phoenix mark—when she’d returned to the palace, Father had had the three of them, his sons, examine it themselves, to confirm her identity.
After all, if a princess simply appeared out of nowhere and failed to convince all the princes of her legitimacy, it would surely cause trouble down the road.
“You don’t know what a Feng Woman is?” He tossed a peanut he’d gotten from who-knows-where into his mouth, took another swig of wine.
Then, after a moment, he said flatly, “Throughout all the dynasties, each generation produces only one Heir of the Phoenix. The previous generation’s Heir of the Phoenix was Father—that’s how he became emperor.”
“And this generation’s Heir of the Phoenix is you. So, one day, you’re going to be emperor too.”
“What?” Jiu’er jumped, nearly tumbling right off the rooftop!
“I… become emperor? I’m a woman!” She thought it over and immediately realized something was off.
If she really were to inherit the throne one day, wouldn’t that put her and her imperial brothers at odds, as mortal enemies?
“No, no, no, Third Brother, I will absolutely never become emperor. Don’t go thinking like those scheming princes on TV who’d assassinate me over it.”
“What’s TV?” Feng Jiang frowned—was that the name of some place?
“TV…” Jiu’er thought about it and found herself just as baffled.
What was TV? Why didn’t she know?
Right, why did these words keep popping into her head out of nowhere—words even she herself didn’t understand the meaning of?
What exactly was TV? When had she ever learned about it?
“My head hurts…”
“Is your head acting up again?” Feng Jiang grew a little anxious. “If you can’t remember, then just don’t think about it. Father said your head got injured and isn’t quite right—don’t think about it, don’t think about it.”
Jiu’er looked up at him—Third Brother’s concern wasn’t fake, he clearly meant her no harm.
But regarding what he’d just said, Jiu’er was still uneasy: “Third Brother, I really never thought about becoming emperor, and I’ll never be enemies with my brothers either. You… don’t kill me.”