“Madam Wang, are you alright?” Feng Jiu’er set down her teacup and asked softly.

“I’m fine.” Madam Wang waved her hand. “Princess, this time, I really owe everything to you, I…”

“Stay seated.” Feng Jiu’er waved her hand at the woman who was gripping the table, trying to stand.

“I wasn’t raised in the palace, I don’t put much stock in these formalities.”

Feng Jiu’er drank down a full cup of tea, set the cup down, and raised her eyes.

“Besides, all that kneeling back and forth from you won’t put any more meat on my bones.”

“Princess, I…” Madam Wang looked at Feng Jiu’er.

Feng Jiu’er waved her hand and picked up the teapot again.

“I’ve read City Lord Wang’s suicide letter as well. To be honest, the fact that he ended up in this situation today is partly my responsibility too.”

“It was my people who intercepted the letter he was trying to send out, which is why Feng Qiongcang didn’t learn of the situation here right away.”

“But I have my own plans, and this kind of thing is something I absolutely cannot allow to happen.”

Madam Wang was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood.

“Princess, I may not be capable of much, but I understand your reasoning.”

“My husband has only ever done two things in this life — one, repaying his father’s debt of gratitude, and two, developing Liuchuan City so its people could live good lives.”

“Perhaps it’s not that he doesn’t understand right from wrong and greater duty — it’s only that he wasn’t master of his own fate.”

Feng Jiu’er furrowed her brow slightly and said quietly, “I’ve looked into the favor Feng Qiongcang once granted the Wang family.”

“Over the years, City Lord Wang has indeed been loyal.”

“And it’s precisely because of his loyalty that we can’t easily choose to trust him.”

“No matter, let’s take things one step at a time. If you don’t wish to leave, you may continue to stay here.”

In her anxiousness, Madam Wang grasped Feng Jiu’er’s hand.

“Does the Princess mean that our family can be spared?”

Feng Jiu’er lowered her eyes, and Madam Wang immediately withdrew her hands.

“My apologies, Princess.”

“It’s alright.” Feng Jiu’er shook her head. “The current state of the Feng Clan is only temporary — in the future, the Feng Clan will be whole again.”

“Since you are now within my father’s territory, you need not fear Feng Qiongcang.”

“As for whether we will protect the Wang family going forward, or make use of the Wang family, that will depend on how you conduct yourselves.”

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together and stood up.

“I have something to attend to outside — see to it that City Lord Wang is properly cared for, as I’ve instructed.”

“I’ll come back again after nightfall.”

“Yes, yes.” Madam Wang stood up, bowed, and waved her hand. “Please, Princess, go attend to your affairs.”

“Today, we truly owe everything to the Princess — otherwise Yutang would never have woken up.”

As Feng Jiu’er departed, the entire Wang family knelt in the front hall to see her off respectfully.

She said nothing, and left together with Xiao Yingtao and their coachman, Brother Jian Yi.

Inside the carriage, Xiao Yingtao clutched her stomach and asked, “Jiu’er, are we going to find Qiao Mu now?”

“I’m hungry — I didn’t dare eat anything at the Wang residence just now, I’m starving!”

“Just bear with it.” Feng Jiu’er glanced at her.

Just as she was about to lift the curtain, her own stomach growled loudly.

“Jiu’er, you’re glaring at me, but your own stomach is growling too!” Xiao Yingtao muttered, turning to lift the curtain beside her as well.

“Doesn’t Qiao Mu always say there’s lots of good food in Liuchuan City?”

“Should we get off and eat something first? I’m really hungry.” Xiao Yingtao stuck her head out the window.

“You channeled your energy to purge the poison from City Lord Wang, so you must be even hungrier than me. Jiu’er, there’s a big crowd up ahead — I wonder if there’s something good to eat.”

Feng Jiu’er paid no mind to Xiao Yingtao, and the carriage continued forward.

As they passed the crowd, Xiao Yingtao spotted with sharp eyes that everyone was holding something to eat.

“Jiu’er, Jian Yi, Brother Jian Yi, stop the carriage, I want to get off and look, Jian Yi…”

No matter how Xiao Yingtao called out, Jian Yi acted as though he hadn’t heard, and the carriage’s speed even seemed to pick up.

Xiao Yingtao looked at the crowd growing more distant, filled with despair.

She sighed, turned to sit back down, and just then the carriage began to slow, finally coming to a stop.

Xiao Yingtao got out and lifted the curtain.

“Jian Yi, are we going to buy something to eat?”

But Jian Yi wasn’t looking at Xiao Yingtao — he was looking at Feng Jiu’er, who had appeared behind her.

“Jiu’er, what would you like to eat? I’ll go buy it.”

“No need.” Feng Jiu’er shook her head and gave Xiao Yingtao a light push.

“Come on, let’s go take a walk around.”

“Yay!” At the thought of food, Xiao Yingtao’s spirits instantly lifted, and she hopped down from the carriage.

“Jiu’er, over there, look, so many people, it must be delicious.”

Feng Jiu’er said nothing, following behind Xiao Yingtao.

Jian Yi tied the horse to a post nearby and followed after the two of them.

Soon, the two young women reached the crowd.

Xiao Yingtao pulled Feng Jiu’er along, heading further in.

“It smells so good! I wonder what it is?” Xiao Yingtao stopped, standing on her tiptoes to look ahead.

“Chuancheng sticky cakes — you haven’t heard of them, miss? You must be from out of town.” The last person in the line turned to look at Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao.

“The two of you are so pretty, and I don’t recognize your faces — you must be from elsewhere.”

“Are Chuancheng sticky cakes really that famous?” Xiao Yingtao didn’t care whether she was from out of town or not, as long as it was tasty.

“They’re delicious!” the woman nodded. “I come over from the neighboring town, once every four or five days, and every time I buy at least thirty.”

“The sticky cakes here come in so many flavors, and they suit my whole family’s tastes.”

“In all of Liuchuan City, this shop’s Chuancheng sticky cakes are simply the best.”

“That’s right, I come from far away too,” another woman nodded. “Can’t help it, all the kids at home love them.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yingtao grew even more eager.

She kept standing on tiptoe now and then, counting the number of people ahead, and glancing sideways at the townsfolk eating nearby.

“Jiu’er.” After waiting a good while, when the stall finally came into view, Xiao Yingtao suddenly grew anxious.

Feng Jiu’er met her gaze, frowned slightly, and asked softly, “What is it?”

“How many should we buy?” Xiao Yingtao held up all ten fingers.

“Thirty? That’s probably not enough, right? Oh, and are we going back today, or staying overnight at Qiao Mu’s place?”

“I don’t know what flavors there are — I want to try them all, what should I do?”

“Ai-yo!” Without waiting for Feng Jiu’er to reply, Xiao Yingtao turned back, rising onto her toes once more.

“Why isn’t it our turn yet? I’m so hungry!”

Feng Jiu’er looked at the head bobbing back and forth in front of her, and shook her head lightly.

“It wouldn’t hurt to bring a couple extra back for Rong’er to try — maybe she can figure out how to make them.”

“Okay! I want a hundred of them.” Xiao Yingtao nodded rapidly like a chick pecking rice.

Completely unaware of just how many eyes, from every direction, turned to stare at her after she said this.

Feng Jiu’er reached out and rapped Xiao Yingtao on the head.

Xiao Yingtao clutched her head, turned around, and looked at her with furrowed brows.

“Jiu’er, what was that for?”

“Thirty. Pick the flavors yourself!” Feng Jiu’er warned.

Xiao Yingtao glanced around, blinked, and finally nodded.

“Okay, got it.”