“It’s nothing serious,” Feng Xiyang paused, then said with determination, “It’s just that Father King sent a letter inquiring about some matters, and Xiyang couldn’t answer, so I had to seek my husband’s help.” Xia Jingshi raised an eyebrow questioningly and reached out to take the letter she handed over. As he opened it and began to read, Xiyang’s heart leaped to her throat, watching Xia Jingshi’s expression without blinking.
After a long while, Xia Jingshi slowly raised his head. “This Prince—cannot help you,” he said. His words were like a slap across her face, so forceful that Feng Xiyang was overwhelmed with shame and anger. He held out the letter, but she didn’t take it. As both released their grip, the letter gracefully fluttered to the ground.
“Are you remaining faithful to her?” Xiyang didn’t pick up the letter. “My husband, don’t forget that in terms of seniority, you should now call her Imperial Sister-in-law.”
“This Prince is happy for her,” Xia Jingshi said calmly, without anger. “Because she married someone who can give her happiness.”
Feng Xiyang laughed coldly. “Why do your words make me feel like you’re enjoying unparalleled happiness in this world?”
Xia Jingshi smiled instead. “Don’t you think this is the truth?”
“I don’t think so,” Xiyang retorted. “If you were happy, why would you take out your anger on me because she married as a secondary wife? Unless you’re thinking of her, your face always wears an expression devoid of emotion…”
“This is the last time This Prince will discuss this topic with you,” Xia Jingshi was angry. He frowned, the gentleness that once resembled moonlight flowing in his eyes long gone. “How This Prince treats you has nothing to do with Yi Xiao, just as marrying you as a consort has nothing to do with loving you. Do you think that just because you invest emotions, others must reciprocate equally? Then why didn’t you marry that military officer Su Sha who proposed to you? Or perhaps I should ask you this: Should this Prince take all the women who admire him into his private chambers? You simply refuse to face reality. This Prince doesn’t love you, not in the past, not now, nor in the future…”
“Stop talking! If you hate me so much, why didn’t you reject me from the beginning?! Why did you marry me?!!” Feng Xiyang covered her ears and shouted, tears streaming down uncontrollably. “You’ve ruined me!!!!”
“Did This Prince ever have a chance to refuse? Moreover,” Xia Jingshi displayed a strange smile, “You were the one who brought up this topic, so why are you telling This Prince to stop talking? You were the one who insisted on marrying no one but This Prince, so why do you say This Prince has ruined you?…”
“Shut up,” Feng Xiyang shouted, sweeping all the documents and writing implements off Xia Jingshi’s desk in a frenzy. Amidst the clattering noise, she turned and stumbled out the door. The guards who rushed in upon hearing the commotion stood dumbfounded at the doorway, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
Xia Jingshi sighed softly and said gently, “Have someone come and clean up, and call Wei Ran here.”
The sun had fully risen, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the azure sky. The dazzling golden sunlight was so bright that one could hardly open their eyes, yet Fu Yi Xiao was almost fanatically tilting her head back to admire it—it was the ruler of all things, and she wondered whether its gaze upon the mundane people of the world contained compassion or pride.
After a struggle, she had finally fallen into the trap, like a small insect caught in a spider’s web—the more desperately it tried to break free, the more tightly it was wrapped in silk. No, she shook her head instinctively, she hadn’t reached the point of no return yet. Although the odds weren’t in her favor, still…
Nothing could make her submit—not power, status, money, or even death. Nothing.
Feng Suige had spent the night in the new chamber for the first time, but he had only lain beside her without any transgression. Although she had received his promise beforehand, she still tightly clutched a sharp hairpin hidden by her pillow, counting his steady breaths beside her. She passed the entire night like this, only succumbing to exhaustion and falling into a deep sleep at dawn.
When she woke up, Feng Suige was nowhere to be seen, and the sharp hairpin she had been holding tightly had also disappeared. Fu Yi Xiao searched the bedding thoroughly but couldn’t find it. However, when she got up, she discovered that hairpin on the dressing table.
Yi Xiao couldn’t help but smile, wondering what expression Feng Suige had when he discovered the hairpin.
After washing up, Yi Xiao sat by the table, carefully wiping Lang Lang with a soft cloth. Last night’s infiltration and crawling had left several new marks on the bow—she wondered how badly injured the sentry she had knocked down was.
“Junior Consort,” a maid entered the room carrying a lacquer tray, “It’s time to take your medicine.” Yi Xiao slowed her movements of wiping Lang Lang and asked puzzledly, “Medicine? What medicine?” The maid had already placed the lacquer tray on the table and brought a cup of thick black medicinal soup to her side. “It’s the Prince’s orders. He instructed that as soon as the Junior Consort wakes up, the medicine should be brought first—please drink it while it’s hot, Junior Consort!”
Yi Xiao frowned and asked, “What kind of medicine is this?” The maid blushed and said, “Naturally, it’s to nourish your body. The Junior Consort needs to bear a little prince soon, so your body must be well-conditioned first…”
Yi Xiao stared at the medicine cup for a moment, then suddenly laughed coldly. “I’m afraid this isn’t the Prince’s order, is it?” The maid’s face paled, and she forced a smile, “Please forgive this servant’s ignorance…” Yi Xiao looked up, her cold gaze piercing into the maid’s eyes. “This is the Emperor’s wish.” The maid shrank back, stammering, “This servant doesn’t understand the Junior Consort’s words…”
“You don’t understand?” Yi Xiao put down Lang Lang and leisurely picked at her nails. “I don’t quite understand either. How about this—I’ll have Ju Yu invite the Prince back, and then everyone will understand.”
With a thud, the maid fell to her knees, her whole body trembling as she pleaded, “Please spare me, Junior Consort. This servant was only following orders. I beg the Junior Consort to spare my life.”
Yi Xiao stood up with an ambiguous smile and paced a few steps. “Spare your life? But I want to ask you one more time: who sent you to deliver this, and what kind of medicine is this?”
“It’s… it’s…” The maid almost collapsed there, unable to utter a complete sentence. Yi Xiao raised an eyebrow, “Could it be poison?” “No!” The maid frantically kowtowed in terror. “Junior Consort, please see clearly, this is just ordinary contraceptive medicine…”
“Oh—” Yi Xiao drawled, “So it’s just ordinary contraceptive medicine. Then who sent you to deliver it?” Seeing that she couldn’t hide it anymore, the maid steeled herself and said loudly, “It was Consort Jing who had this servant deliver it!”
“Consort Jing?” This was far beyond Yi Xiao’s expectations. She repeated confusedly, “It was Consort Jing who had you deliver it?” “It’s true,” the maid, seeing her expression, anxiously prostrated herself at Yi Xiao’s feet. “The medicine was sent by Consort Jing early this morning. She instructed this servant to brew it first and bring it over as soon as the Junior Consort woke up—if this servant has spoken even half a false word, may I die a terrible death!”
“What does this have to do with Consort Jing?” Yi Xiao still didn’t understand.
“Consort Jing can’t bear children, and she has always wanted to marry her niece into the Prince’s household,” Feng Suige strode in, visibly relieved when he saw the full cup of medicine on the table. Still apprehensive, he pulled Yi Xiao into his arms and asked softly, “Are you alright?”