Feng Qingyin had waited an entire day without coming up with a solution, and instead she heard a piece of bad news.
Watching Linglong come in to report, she wanted nothing more than to fling the teacup beside her across the room.
“Outrageous! What is Feng Jiu’er doing here now?”
“Reporting to you, Miss, I heard the Crown Prince is hosting a banquet and had her come over.” Linglong bowed with her hands clasped, raising her eyes to glance at Feng Qingyin.
“In the courtyard of the main hall, the lanterns are blazing bright, as if they’re preparing for some kind of banquet.”
With a “crack,” the lid of the teacup was smashed onto the floor by Feng Qingyin, shattering despite her best efforts otherwise.
“What does Crown Prince Brother mean by this? Did he come in here just to have a secret rendezvous with that shameless woman Feng Jiu’er?”
“I’m so furious! So furious!” Feng Qingyin flicked her sleeves and stood up. “Let’s go, I want to see for myself just what is going on.”
“Miss.” Linglong followed behind her, saying anxiously, “Miss, the Crown Prince said you should rest properly in the east wing and not leave.”
“The guards outside have been on watch all day, as you well know.”
“Mere guards—do they think they can stop me?” Feng Qingyin strode forward, ignoring Linglong’s attempts to dissuade her.
“The Imperial Physician said my mood is poor and it’s easy for me to disturb the fetal energy, so no one is allowed to affect my mood, don’t you understand?”
“Yes, Miss.” Linglong hurried forward anxiously and supported Feng Qingyin.
Outside the wing, two maids saw Feng Qingyin coming out and immediately came forward to greet her.
“Miss Qingyin.”
“Miss Qingyin.”
The two maids bowed together, and one of them said, “Miss Qingyin, the meal will be ready soon, you should go back inside and rest.”
“This young lady doesn’t want to be trapped here, didn’t you hear me?” Feng Qingyin glared fiercely at the maid who had spoken.
“This…” The maid was at a loss but didn’t dare say anything more.
Hearing the commotion, the Imperial Physician came hurrying out from the wing on the other side and rushed in front of Feng Qingyin.
He bowed to her with his hands clasped, lowering his head. “Miss Qingyin, may I ask where you wish to go?”
“Didn’t this young lady come into the city to ease her mind? Being cooped up in one courtyard the whole time—how is that supposed to ease anyone’s mind?”
Glancing at the Imperial Physician, Feng Qingyin continued forward.
If it wasn’t that disgusting face she had to look at, it was those useless maids and physicians—her mood was terrible! Absolutely terrible!
Linglong shot the Imperial Physician a warning look and supported Feng Qingyin as they walked forward.
The Imperial Physician lowered his head and hurried to catch up.
Outside the courtyard, a guard had been standing watch there, on duty for the entire day.
Seeing Feng Qingyin come out, the guard turned sideways, blocking the gate.
“Noble Consort, please stay where you are.”
“I want to go out!” Feng Qingyin clutched her belly, looking at the guard as if she were about to cry.
The guard had grown used to her usual fierce manner, and her sudden display of such helplessness startled him.
The guard cleared his throat lightly, looking away, not daring to meet her eyes again.
“Noble Consort, the Crown Prince said you are to remain resting in the east wing.”
“If we fail to take proper care of the Noble Consort, not just me, but everyone in the east wing will have to answer for it with their heads.”
Linglong cleared her throat lightly, and the Imperial Physician immediately caught on.
“There’s no harm in letting Miss Qingyin go out for a walk. If she’s kept in the same place all the time, it won’t do her body any good at all.”
The guard glanced at the venerable old Imperial Physician, unsure of what to do.
“But, the Crown Prince said…”
“I won’t be leaving the main courtyard, so why are you all fretting?” Feng Qingyin cut the guard off coldly.
“Could it possibly be that something would happen to me while walking in a place that Crown Prince Brother himself chose?”
The moment the words left her mouth, she flicked her sleeves, shoved aside the guard blocking her path, and continued forward.
The guard had no choice but to follow closely behind.
After a whole day’s worth of busy preparations, Feng Jiu’er arrived at the Bi Yun Mountain water pavilion with Xiao Yingtao and Huo Baixue in tow.
The guard spotted Feng Jiu’er’s figure and immediately came forward to meet her.
“General Feng.” The guard standing on the ground bowed with hands clasped toward Feng Jiu’er, who remained seated on her horse.
Feng Jiu’er lowered her gaze to look at him and nodded.
“We’ve come at the Crown Prince’s invitation to share the evening meal. I wonder, how are the preparations for dinner coming along?”
There weren’t many people here—aside from those who had come in that morning, there were just a few cooks and maids that Qingyun had brought in afterward, plus two extra guards, and nothing else.
Feng Jiu’er wasn’t too worried, so she had brought both Xiao Yingtao and Huo Baixue along with her.
After all, no matter how busy things got, dinner still had to be eaten.
Hearing Feng Jiu’er’s words, the guard came forward to take hold of her horse’s reins.
“General Feng, please rest assured! Dinner is basically all prepared. The Crown Prince is currently waiting in the main hall.”
The guard glanced at Feng Jiu’er, then looked at the two women behind her, and gave a light wave of his hand.
“The three Generals, please, this way!”
Feng Jiu’er looked back, and Xiao Yingtao and Huo Baixue followed her in.
Hearing that Feng Jiu’er had arrived, Zhan Yuheng came out from the main hall to greet her.
By the time Feng Qingyin arrived, she happened to see Zhan Yuheng extending his large hand up toward Feng Jiu’er, who was still seated on her horse.
Seeing the tenderness in his eyes, Feng Qingyin was so angered she could barely take another step forward.
Glancing at Zhan Yuheng, Feng Jiu’er shook her head and dismounted on her own from the other side of the horse.
After the guard led the horse away, Feng Jiu’er finally raised her eyes to look at Zhan Yuheng.
She bowed slightly, saying softly, “Greetings to the Crown Prince.”
Standing behind Feng Jiu’er, Xiao Yingtao and Huo Baixue also bowed along with her: “Greetings to the Crown Prince.”
Before Zhan Yuheng could speak, Feng Jiu’er raised an eyebrow and asked, “Crown Prince, I wonder if the evening meal is ready yet?”
“My sisters and I have been busy all day and are already starving. Hearing that the Crown Prince was treating us, my two sisters both wanted to come along and share in the good fortune. Surely the Crown Prince doesn’t mind?”
Feng Jiu’er truly had no idea what scheme Zhan Yuheng was hatching.
But he had only said he wanted her to come keep him company for the meal—he hadn’t said anything about inviting others.
Now that she had asked without asking first and brought people along anyway, it seemed somewhat improper, so even though she’d acted first and was only asking afterward, it was still better to ask than not.
“I don’t mind.” Zhan Yuheng’s lips curved slightly upward as he shook his head.
Feng Jiu’er nodded, turned, and took Xiao Yingtao’s and Huo Baixue’s hands, one on each side.
Meeting Zhan Yuheng’s gaze, she let out a soft sigh.
“Originally, I had another good sister, but she was gravely wounded by the Crown Prince, so she can’t be here now.”
“Ah! Each serves their own master, I understand that. But there’s no time to waste—can we eat now?”
Feng Jiu’er didn’t want to waste her breath on useless words at this moment, but thinking of Qiao Mu, she couldn’t help wishing she could deal Zhan Yuheng a few more blows herself.
They were clearly enemies, yet they still had to share a meal together—it was a feeling hard to put into words.
“My apologies!” Zhan Yuheng frowned slightly and waved his hand. “Please, this way! Dinner is all ready.”
“Someone, prepare dinner for the other two young ladies. This one wishes to dine alone with General Feng.”
“Yes, Crown Prince.” The maid nodded and turned to leave.
Zhan Yuheng waved his hand again, turned, and walked back inside.