Feng Yuan seemed to sense her gaze and slightly turned his head to look at her.

The young lord’s straight, high nose and forehead formed a beautiful arc, making his deep gaze appear even more profound.

Xiaoying smiled sweetly at him as usual, casually leaning against his shoulder and asking: “Grand Prince, what do you plan to do? Tell me.”

Feng Yuan seemed dazzled by her sweet smile, staring intently at her crimson lips, tinted like flower petals.

Usually, the young woman spoke to everyone with this same lack of propriety—not just with him, but also with people like Mu Hanjiang.

But that was when she wore men’s clothing, appearing like a carefree young rogue with a certain innocent charm.

She seemed to have forgotten that now, wearing a dress with her long hair partially flowing like clouds, such gestures became rather alluring and enchanting.

However, he chose not to remind this young woman, only forcing himself to shift his gaze from her face back to the military map: “Do you understand military tactics?”

How could a salt merchant on the surface possibly know anything about military strategy?

Xiaoying maintained her composure and said, “I’ve enjoyed listening to storytellers since childhood and have occasionally read books on military tactics. I also received a few days of instruction from Imperial Tutor Ge, though it’s all theoretical knowledge. I’d like to hear the Grand Prince’s expert opinion.”

Feng Yuan smiled and asked: “If you were Meng Zhun, how would you break through this encirclement?”

Xiaoying cast aside her wide sleeves, lifted her skirt, and nimbly moved to the other side of the table, sitting opposite Feng Yuan as if playing chess: “Why don’t I play the role of the rebels, and we can face off against each other?”

Feng Yuan took out a wooden box from under the table, containing many tin soldier figurines and war horses that children played with.

He distributed some to Xiaoying, then gestured toward the map: “Heavy troops surround them, and the rebels have nowhere to retreat. General Chen’s army only needs to besiege the isolated mountain to resolve the situation once and for all.”

As he spoke, Feng Yuan lazily pointed his long finger at the interior of Mount Ding: “With no food supplies for winter, it’s a dead end.”

Xiaoying naturally understood that this was also the current plan of Chen’s army—to not engage in battle but to starve out Mount Ding.

So after some thought, she pointed to a notched corner on the western side of Mount Ding near the Lian River: “They might attempt to break through here.”

Feng Yuan remarked without any change in expression: “This place is next to the Lian River. The current is rapid, with underwater reefs. Even boats avoid this area. Even if they could successfully descend the mountain, they couldn’t cross the river. How would the rebels break through?”

Yan Xiaoying picked up the local geography book she had been browsing earlier and pointed to a description: “It will soon be October. This area often experiences a dry period when the water flow decreases by half. A ridge path appears at the shallow part of the river, allowing locals to wade across to Mount Ding without hiring boats. The rebels are all locals, so they should know about this vulnerability.”

Feng Yuan looked and nodded approvingly: “You’re truly remarkable to have found this passage. So this means that the area where General Chen hasn’t stationed heavy troops will become a weak point during the dry period?”

Yan Xiaoying blinked innocently: “General Chen has surrounded Mount Ding so tightly that there can’t be any weak points. But if you gain the advantage over him and deploy troops there first, capturing Meng the bandit would be a great military achievement. You’ve gone to such lengths to come to Jiangzhe—surely you aren’t content with just being a stable boy?”

Feng Yuan’s sword-like eyebrows twitched slightly at the phrase “stable boy.” He leaned back against a soft cushion, gazing at Xiaoying with a hint of melancholy: “What you say makes sense. However, I don’t have many people I can use. Without the ability to dispatch troops, how can I compete with Chen Nuo for achievements?”

Yan Xiaoying smiled and said, “A fake Shadow Guard can mobilize local officials. As the Grand Prince, what difficulty would you have in deploying some local troops or seeking Mu Hanjiang’s assistance? I’ve seen many local officials eager to establish merits. Look at that Shang Youdao—he can’t wait to get ahead of Mu Hanjiang in helping to suppress the bandits!”

Hearing this, Feng Yuan’s brow relaxed, as if a difficult problem had been solved. He tapped his fingers on the table, looking at Xiaoying and asked: “Why are you being so helpful? What’s your intention?”

Xiaoying glared at him angrily: “Can’t I simply be nice to you? If you gain rank and title, I can also escape this Crown Prince identity sooner! As you said, isn’t it tiring to keep up this pretense?”

Feng Yuan smiled slightly, but raised his eyebrows and said: “However… what’s the point in waiting for the enemy to come down the mountain? I’ve already allocated manpower. After ten days, when the skilled fighters are assembled, I’ll lead them into the mountain and strike directly at the bandits’ lair!”

As Feng Yuan said this, his lips curled in a smile, but his eyes revealed a flash of killing intent like the gleam of a sword.

Xiaoying was also smiling, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She knew this madman wasn’t just boasting.

With the assistance of Xiao Tianyang’s disciples, he truly could conduct a bloody purge of Mount Ding.

Thinking this, Xiaoying made an excuse that she was tired from reading and wanted to return to her room for a rest.

Upon returning to her room, Xiaoying quickly took up paper and pen from the table, recalling the military map she had seen earlier, and drew a copy of it.

After finishing, she folded it carefully and exhaled slowly.

That General Chen had offended the vindictive Grand Prince, causing Feng Yuan such great embarrassment.

Given Feng Yuan’s temperament, he would certainly not let Chen Nuo off easily.

If she could exploit the conflict between them, perhaps the opportunity for her adoptive father’s escape was right before her eyes!

With this thought, Xiaoying lay down on the bed, slowly tapping the bedpost, carefully planning…

Feng Yuan was clearly in no hurry to return to the military camp to establish merits.

The next morning, after helping her brother prepare his belongings, Xiaoying reluctantly sent Feng Qiyuan off to join the theater troupe. She arranged for her subordinates to accompany her brother to ensure he would be looked after on the journey.

When she returned, Feng Yuan, appearing to have nothing better to do, actually wanted to take Xiaoying fishing by the stream not far from the garden.

However, the radiant young woman, clutching the red gown she had just changed into, found it too difficult to dismount from the carriage.

Though the narrow skirt looked beautiful when worn, so much so that she had repeatedly admired herself in the mirror, once she needed to move, she discovered it was like being bound. Not only did it accentuate her waistline curves, but she couldn’t take large steps or get down from the carriage!

This was very uncomfortable for Yan Xiaoying, who was used to wearing men’s clothing.

But before she could open her mouth to complain, Feng Yuan had already extended his long arms and smoothly lifted her down from the carriage.

This young woman, having sent off her brother, was completely fearless and arrogant, taking the opportunity to attack Feng Yuan’s chest with a hard strike: “Put me down!”

Feng Yuan grunted but refused to release her, merely giving her a cold glance.

Xiaoying knew this man was a stubborn mule who needed to be stroked the right way, so she squeezed out a smile: “I didn’t understand the Grand Prince’s good intentions. This commoner has legs and can walk by herself, if that’s acceptable?”

Only then did Feng Yuan slowly set her down.

Xiaoying tugged at the narrow skirt and teased: “Didn’t you play enough house with your sisters when you were young, so now you’re treating me like a doll? Where did you buy so many strange clothes to make me wear?”

Feng Yuan picked up the fishing rod and baited the hook: “Do you… not like them?”

Xiaoying sat down in the chair, took out a piece of osmanthus cake from the food box, and said to Feng Yuan while eating: “Why don’t you try wearing them yourself? In my opinion, these strange skirts were made to please men—these restrictive things, I wouldn’t take them even if given for free!”

Feng Yuan smiled with unusual good humor, not mentioning how Xiaoying herself loved wearing them and had changed dresses several times that morning.

“Alright, next time I buy dresses, I’ll take you along so you can choose for yourself.”

Such an invitation was as absurd as being invited by Master Mu to visit a brothel—too outrageous to accept.

Xiaoying took a piece of cake and stuffed it into Feng Yuan’s mouth, hoping to stop his strange talk.

Feng Yuan took a bite of the cake but avoided the cup of wine she offered.

Xiaoying suddenly remembered that on the night when Mu Hanjiang was drunk, although Feng Yuan had joined the meal, he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol.

She couldn’t help but ask why Feng Yuan didn’t drink.

Feng Yuan cast his gaze toward the ripples on the lake surface and replied flatly: “I simply dislike things that can make people lose emotional control.”

Xiaoying nodded. He had been poisoned since childhood, appearing frenzied, and was regarded as a madman by everyone in the palace. Indeed, he shouldn’t indulge in alcohol.

But if he didn’t drink, why did he have wine included in the food basket?

After taking a sip, Xiaoying was delighted to discover that it was grape wine imported from the Western Regions. The sweet and sour taste was enticing, especially when paired with the savory meat pastries.

By the time Feng Yuan had caught three fish, Xiaoying had unknowingly consumed an entire pot of fine wine.

The excellent wine was smooth and went to her head quickly.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, her gaze became hazy, and she lazily reclined by the stream. She kicked off her wooden clogs and extended her delicate feet into the pond, playing with the water and mischievously chasing away a fish that was about to bite the bait.

Feng Yuan remained good-tempered and wasn’t annoyed. He simply put down the fishing rod and sat on a large rock nearby, his eyes gleaming with subtle light as he silently watched the woman in the height of her intoxication.

Xiaoying raised an eyebrow, lifted her delicate foot, and splashed water toward him: “If you’re not fishing, why are you staring at me?”

Feng Yuan finally said: “I forgot to tell you, this wine is a tribute from the Western Regions, aged in barrels for five years. It tastes smooth but has a powerful aftereffect.”

Xiaoying now truly felt completely powerless and simply lay down, closing her eyes: “Liar, how could something like fruit juice make one drunk? You scoundrel, why did you bring this wine… for me?”

Only now did she belatedly realize that this man didn’t drink himself but had given it to her. Could he have put something unsavory in the wine?

Seeing that the young woman was about to start cursing the Feng family genealogy, Feng Yuan timely interjected: “Someone usually so clever becomes unable to control themselves around food, satisfying their tongue only to start cursing afterward. I just wanted you to try something new—who knew you would drink so heartily? Don’t sleep here, you’ll catch a cold…”

As he spoke, he rose to help the young woman up.

Xiaoying giggled, covered his mouth with her hand, and made a hushing gesture: “I’m only drunk this once. In the future… I probably won’t have the chance…”

Calculating, she had been hidden in the imperial palace for nearly half a year, constantly vigilant, engaged in endless scheming.

Jian Hu always said she appeared carefree and heartless, but such a life becomes tiring for anyone after a while.

And after coming to Jiangzhe, she had faced one perilous situation after another. Xiaoying’s mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of how to rescue her adoptive father and her biological father.

So when Feng Yuan said he brought her here to relax, temporarily away from all the scheming.

Although Xiaoying remained cautious, he was not entirely trustworthy.

In the end, she was misled by his taciturn nature and thoughtfulness, allowing herself a brief moment of relaxation.

However, if Feng Yuan intended to get her drunk to extract information, he was mistaken!

Her drinking temperament had always been good—when drunk, she just slept, very obediently!

“I don’t want to go anywhere… I just want to sleep here…”

The afternoon sun was perfect, and the stream gurgled pleasantly. Xiaoying truly wanted to sleep peacefully here.

Feng Yuan, his mouth covered by her delicate hand, remained motionless until she released him and was about to fall into deep sleep. Only then did he rise to fetch a cloak, placing it over the intoxicated woman.

After covering her, he crossed his legs and sat down beside her again, holding the fishing rod, inhaling the autumn flower fragrance by the stream, basking in the warm sunshine.

But his gaze frequently fell upon the sleeping face half-hidden by the cloak.

Now she was sleeping soundly, her black hair scattered over her folded arm, her long eyelashes fanning like shadows against her eye sockets, giving her usually clear face a hint of fragility rarely seen.

This cunning and changeable young woman, with her apparent carefree nonchalance, often made people forget her age.

Girls her age, like Mu Yanyan of the Mu family, were still enjoying the doting love of their fathers and brothers, freely selecting from the admiration and pursuit of noble young men.

Yet she insisted on supporting various troublesome matters for some useless people, overestimating her abilities.

Feng Yuan had only one assessment for such people—beyond redemption… foolish!

At this thought, the slight tenderness in his eyes gradually turned cold.

Just then, bubbles appeared on the water’s surface, and he suddenly pulled up the fishhook, deftly grabbing the struggling fish that had taken the bait.

Without needing a knife, his slender fingers applied slight pressure, gutting the fish, removing its entrails, and placing it with the other cleaned fish in a pile.

…

This sleep was quite long. If not for the distant sound of approaching horses’ hooves, Xiaoying might have slept even longer.

She opened her eyes and looked at Feng Yuan, who was washing his hands after finishing fishing, also narrowing his eyes to look in the direction of the approaching hoofbeats.

Xiaoying sat up abruptly, looking toward the sound, and saw a group of black-clad riders surrounding a white-robed young master, galloping rapidly toward the stream.

This was bad! Mu Hanjiang had brought Shadow Guards and found this place!

At this moment, Xiaoying was dressed as a woman, which spared her from Mu Hanjiang’s scrutiny, but if he approached and saw her, the biggest secret of the current Crown Prince would be revealed!

It was vexing that this narrow skirt prevented her from running away quickly, and the shallow stream offered no place to hide.

In this critical moment, Feng Yuan grabbed her arm, gently pulled her, and made her fall into his embrace.

Feng Yuan encircled the young woman’s slender waist with one arm while his other hand pressed against the back of her head. Then his handsome face moved closer, naturally pressing against hers.

From a side angle, it would appear that the young couple, unable to restrain their passion in this rural setting, were engaged in a private rendezvous.

Xiaoying clearly understood Feng Yuan’s intention, so she didn’t evade but obediently settled into the man’s broad embrace. She even cooperatively wrapped her slender arms around his neck.

Those delicate fingers penetrated his thick hair, forcefully pressing him toward her.

Feng Yuan had not initially pressed his face against the young woman’s, but with her pull, he was passively brought closer.

This man was sensible enough not to take advantage of the situation. He merely pressed his somewhat cold lips against her cheek, yet seemed unable to resist slightly rubbing and wandering across her smooth skin…

Xiaoying feared he would move too much and reveal her face, so the hand pressing the back of his head applied even more force.

But was Feng Yuan feeling vindictive? Why was the arm around her waist also beginning to use more strength?

Mu Hanjiang was unaware of the undercurrents flowing here.

These past few days, he had been searching high and low for the two princes.

The madman’s erratic behavior was one thing, but what kind of insanity was it to abduct the Crown Prince?

Mu Hanjiang wasn’t afraid of much, except that the unrestrained mouth of Feng Qiyuan might provoke his Grand Prince brother.

Then, in some secluded corner, he might be strangled to death by his Grand Prince brother.

After finally finding some clues and learning that the Grand Prince’s mother’s former residence was nearby, after various twists and turns, Mu Hanjiang had at last discovered the location and personally came to receive the two princes.

Unexpectedly, the imagined murder had not occurred. The seemingly cold Grand Prince was engaged in a romantic affair in the countryside as dusk approached.

Mu Hanjiang had always conducted himself as a gentleman. Seeing Feng Yuan sitting by the stream, passionately kissing a red-dressed, slender, petite woman, he naturally didn’t approach.

He merely reined in his horse at a distance, unsure whether to wait until the Grand Prince had satisfied his desires before speaking.

But Feng Yuan seemed captivated by the softness in his arms and didn’t look up for a long time.

Finally, it seemed the woman heard the horse’s neigh and began hitting the Grand Prince’s back with her fists. Only then did the Grand Prince slowly turn his head to look at Mu Hanjiang.

The woman seemed quite embarrassed at being caught in a private meeting.

Her slender, delicate body curled up, her face almost buried in Feng Yuan’s embrace. Her black hair half-covered her face, and a pair of bare, delicate legs and feet that had been extended beyond her skirt were hastily drawn back.

Only her jade-like toes occasionally peeked out from beneath the long skirt…

Mu Hanjiang glanced hastily, not seeing clearly, only noticing that the woman’s right calf seemed to have a deep white scar.

Such a beautiful jade with a flaw—what a pity…

When Feng Yuan turned to see Mu Hanjiang still appraising the person in his arms, his eyes filled with displeasure as he coldly said: “Lord Mu, you are being reckless.”

Mu Hanjiang lowered his gaze, dismounted, and bowed: “Grand Prince, you were difficult to find. I wonder where the Crown Prince… might be?”

Feng Yuan steadily held the jade-like person in his arms with one hand and instructed: “Please be patient, Lord Mu. Wait outside the garden. Otherwise, if the Crown Prince were to be seen by you, he would probably be even more embarrassed than I am now.”

The implications of these words left much to the imagination.

Mu Hanjiang was somewhat surprised, momentarily wondering if the slippery youth was engaged in even more outrageous behavior than the Grand Prince’s current actions.

But with whom was that willow-like young lord currently meeting in the garden?

Mu Hanjiang couldn’t imagine the delicate arms of the Crown Prince embracing a woman, and the remaining conjectures were too vulgar, making him frown involuntarily.

As an official, it wasn’t his place to interfere with the royal family’s pleasures.

Having found the people he was looking for, he naturally stepped back, giving the Grand Prince sufficient dignity.

Once Mu Hanjiang had led his people away from this place and the sound of hooves receded into the distance, Xiaoying finally emerged from Feng Yuan’s embrace.

This scare had a good effect—the alcohol instantly evaporated, and Xiaoying sobered up immediately.

However, just as she was about to leave, she discovered her wooden clogs were missing.

It turned out that when she was drunk earlier, the clogs had been kicked into the pond and carried away by the current to parts unknown.

Feng Yuan picked up the small wooden bucket containing the fish from the ground, handed it to Xiaoying, then crouched down, indicating that Xiaoying should climb onto his back so he could carry her back.

The path ahead was full of small stones, which would be painful for bare feet, so Xiaoying unceremoniously climbed onto Feng Yuan’s broad back and looked at the neatly cleaned fish in the bucket.

“What a pity, I was thinking we could have plum and sweet pepper grilled fish tonight!”

Feng Yuan didn’t speak but steadily carried the young woman, taking large strides toward Xin Xin Garden.

With Mu Hanjiang still in the distance, Xiaoying didn’t dare look back. She could only rest her head on Feng Yuan’s shoulder out of boredom, blinking as she studied his profile.

It was said that Ye Zhanxue was a rare beauty, and His Majesty had also been quite handsome in his youth.

Inheriting the best features from both parents, Feng Yuan naturally possessed phoenix eyes, sword-like eyebrows, and handsome features.

However, his aura was too gloomy, and due to his martial arts training, his handsome appearance was like a sharpened blade—beautiful yet dangerous, making him difficult to approach.

But when his cheeks and ears were slightly flushed, it added a touch of vitality to him, just like now…