“What are you thinking about? What on earth is in that head of yours?” Feng Jiang stared at her, looking at her as if she were some kind of monster.

“How could I possibly kill you? I’d be too busy clinging to your leg for dear life. Once you become emperor, you’ll have to grant me the title of Carefree Prince, so I can spend my days without a worry in the world, living a free and easy life—how about that?”

Jiu’er could tell by now that this Third Imperial Brother of hers truly had no ambition whatsoever to seize power.

All he really cared about, day in and day out, was drinking wine and eating meat.

Still, what he’d just said was hard to accept.

“How could a girl possibly become emperor?” That was simply absurd!

“You’re a Phoenix Maiden, of course you can! Don’t you know that the late emperor before Father was a woman? Our imperial grandmother.”

Feng Jiu’er obviously had no idea—how could she have known?

Still, the idea of a woman becoming emperor felt… strange to her.

Her hand instinctively drifted to the small of her back. The phoenix mark. A Phoenix Maiden. A female emperor?

She felt as though she somehow already knew so many things, yet at the same time understood almost none of it.

What on earth was really inside her head?

She took a few more sips of wine, feeling a bit tipsy, and simply lay back, sprawling sideways across the rooftop eaves.

“What’s wrong? You’re a noble Phoenix Maiden Princess, showered with more favor than anyone else—why do you look so unhappy?”

Feng Jiang lay down beside her too, gazing up at the evening stars overhead.

Drinking quietly, enjoying the night breeze as it blew freely around them—this kind of life was clearly a pleasant one.

“Third Imperial Brother, are you happy with your life?” Feng Jiu’er suddenly asked.

“Happy. How could I not be happy?”

As an imperial prince, even though he wasn’t born of the principal wife and wasn’t as favored by Father as the First and Second Imperial Brothers were—

still, he had everything he was entitled to, and could get whatever he wanted. Wasn’t that enough to be happy about?

“But, Third Imperial Brother, I don’t think you’re happy at all.”

Feng Jiu’er picked up the wine jar, took a small sip, then another.

“What nonsense are you talking?” Feng Jiang frowned, turning his head to glance at her. “You’re just a little girl who doesn’t understand anything—don’t talk nonsense.”

“If you’re really happy, why do you always come out here to drink yourself into a stupor?”

“This isn’t drinking myself into a stupor—I’m enjoying life.”

“It is drinking yourself into a stupor!” Feng Jiu’er picked up the wine jar again.

Yes, that’s exactly what it was—drowning herself in drink, just like she was doing now.

In truth, she didn’t like drinking at all, but with so many things weighing on her heart, she had no desire whatsoever to stay sober.

She was running away, a little, unwilling to face everything in front of her.

She always felt that all of this, every bit of it, didn’t feel real at all.

She… still had so many things weighing on her heart, so very many.

“Third Imperial Brother, what kind of life do you actually want? Don’t say it’s this one—anyone can tell you don’t really like it.”

Whatever careless remark Feng Jiang had been about to toss off was cut short by the girl’s last two lines!

He glanced sideways at her. The little girl was so much younger than him, several years his junior—so why was she so impossible to fool?

After thinking it over, he finally said, “If I could, I’d want to be like Fourth Imperial Uncle—protecting the family and defending the nation.”

“Fourth Imperial Uncle?” This wasn’t the first time she’d heard this person mentioned from his mouth.

“Third Imperial Brother, it sounds like you really admire this Fourth Imperial Uncle.”

“Right, Fourth Imperial Uncle is brave and skilled in battle—he’s the War God of our Feng Clan! But he’s been away for years on end, so you probably haven’t had the chance to meet him.”

“A War God… a Prince?” Jiu’er sat up, looking at him. “What kind of person is he?”

Something about those words—War God Prince—struck her in a particularly strong way.

“Fourth Imperial Uncle…” What kind of person was Fourth Imperial Uncle? That was… hard to say.

“He’s a bit of a recluse.” Perhaps that was the one word that fit him best. Yes, a recluse.

“You mean the cold, aloof type who doesn’t like talking to people, the kind who’s stingy with his words?” There was something almost idol-like about him.

“Mm, pretty much. Especially when it comes to having contact with people.”

“Then he’s still willing to teach you lightness skill?”

“Of course—I’m his favorite imperial nephew!” Feng Jiang was extremely proud of this fact!

“Fourth Imperial Uncle never has contact with anyone—even when Father wants to see him, he often refuses. But he’s willing to see me!”

“So it sounds like this Fourth Imperial Uncle is also rather proud and arrogant.”

Why did a figure suddenly flash through her mind—proud, conceited, cold and solitary?

“No, that’s not it at all. Fourth Imperial Uncle isn’t proud or arrogant in the least—he just likes being alone.”

“Why is that? Don’t tell me there’s no Fourth Imperial Aunt?”

If he was their Fourth Imperial Uncle, he had to be no longer young, right?

At his age, how could he still be alone?

“What about children? None of those either?”

“Fourth Imperial Uncle has always hated having women get close to him. All these years, he’s never had contact with any woman, so naturally there’s no such thing as a Fourth Imperial Aunt.”

Speaking of this, Feng Jiang sounded a little regretful.

“Actually, Fourth Imperial Uncle… it’s said his face was disfigured on the battlefield. Ever since, he’s always worn a half-mask.”

Feng Jiu’er’s heart suddenly sank, as though something had clenched around it, leaving her with a faint, unpleasant ache.

“Fourth Imperial Uncle… was he a very handsome man before?”

“Of course he was handsome! Even with his face disfigured and hidden behind a mask, Fourth Imperial Uncle is still extremely good-looking!”

Feng Jiang was fiercely protective of Fourth Imperial Uncle—absolutely, unconditionally protective!

Feng Jiu’er said nothing, lying back down again, gazing at the horizon.

She found herself wanting to meet this legendary Fourth Imperial Uncle—a War God Prince with a ruined face, hidden behind a mask, reclusive and quiet!

He must be the kind of towering figure with great accomplishments, and yet that towering figure had lived alone all this time, seeming so very lonely…

Without realizing it, she had already finished off the entire jar of wine.

Feng Jiu’er let out a tipsy hiccup, rolled over, her eyes hazy with drunkenness.

“Third Imperial Brother, I want to meet Fourth Imperial Uncle,” she mumbled.

“Unfortunately, Fourth Imperial Uncle probably wouldn’t be willing to see you. He never lets women near him.”

“Then he can just think of me as a man—urp.” She hiccupped again, and everything in front of her grew even hazier.

“Where does Fourth Imperial Uncle live? I want to go find him!”

The War God Prince—yes, she wanted to go meet the War God Prince!

She simply loved the words War God Prince; the more she thought about them, the more she liked them.

“Fourth Imperial Uncle is off on a campaign. It’ll probably be several more days before he returns to the capital.” Now that he thought about it, he found himself missing Fourth Imperial Uncle too.

“But Fourth Imperial Uncle wouldn’t pay you any attention. He doesn’t even pay attention to me, and he’s never been one for talking either—ugh, such a cold person…”

“I just love this kind of handsome man.” Why did it seem as though a handsome man in black had actually appeared in her line of sight?

He wore a half-mask, his face indistinct beneath it, glowing with a cold, pale sheen in the moonlight. Yet those eyes of his seemed filled with shock, and… tenderness.

Feng Jiu’er laughed, pointing at him. “He… is he Fourth Imperial Uncle?”