Seated on the soft chair provided by Feng Qishan, Feng Suige remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, “How has Father King’s health been recent?”
Feng Qishan, who was just finishing the last of his ginseng tea from a porcelain cup, raised his eyelids slightly at the question. “As age catches up, my body isn’t as it used to be. I only hope you can take on the heavy responsibilities soon and share my burdens,” he said, putting down the teacup and letting out a long sigh. “It seems your diplomatic mission to Jinxiu wasn’t so smooth this time?”
“Indeed,” Feng Suige said with difficulty. “Father King must have heard about the internal turmoil in Jinxiu…”
Feng Qishan, clearly in a good mood, nodded with satisfaction. “Xia Jingshi gaining power is more beneficial than harmful to Su Sha. Just remember not to risk yourself unnecessarily in the future, given your special status. Your handling of this situation was quite appropriate, and I’m very pleased.”
Seeing Feng Qishan’s visible delight, Feng Suige hesitated, still considering whether to disclose the matter of Xi Yang at this moment. Feng Qishan finally noticed his unease and immediately furrowed his brow. “What is it? If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t beat around the bush,” he said, then suddenly turned a sharp gaze towards Fu Yi Xiao, who had been silent since entering the hall. “Could it be…”
“No, it’s not that!” Feng Suige cried out urgently. Receiving a puzzled look from Feng Qishan, he finally seemed to make up his mind and stood up. “Father King, Xi Yang is gone.”
“Xi Yang?” As if not understanding, Feng Qishan repeated, “Gone? Xi Yang is gone?” Although Feng Suige found it painful, he still nodded firmly. Seeing his nod, the bewilderment in Feng Qishan’s eyes suddenly turned to frenzied anger tinged with heartbreak. Trembling all over, he grabbed the jade lion paperweight from the table and hurled it at Yi Xiao. “You wretched woman!”
Caught off guard, before Yi Xiao could react, Feng Suige had already swiftly pulled her away from the soft chair. With a crisp clang, jade and pearls scattered across the floor. Feng Suige’s anger also erupted like a volcano. “Father King! How can you attack Yi Xiao without discerning right from wrong? She has already…”
Feng Qishan stepped down from the throne in one swift move, his finger pointing at Feng Suige trembling violently. “If you continue to shield this wretched woman, I will no longer have you as a son. You, you unfilial child…”
Seeing his rage, all the palace attendants in the hall had already knelt. Amid the deathly silence, Yi Xiao resolutely pushed away Feng Suige’s arm and calmly met Feng Qishan’s bloodshot eyes. “Why does the King always push the blame onto others no matter what happens? Why not reflect on yourself?”
“Yi Xiao!” Feng Suige anxiously reached out to grab her, but she dodged him. At the same time, Feng Qishan shouted furiously, “My only mistake was not killing you earlier! If it weren’t for you, Xi Yang would never have died!”
“Father King!” Feng Suige cried out in frustration. “Xi Yang was killed by the Holy Emperor. All the guards who went to Jinxiu can testify. Moreover, if it weren’t for Yi Xiao, Xi Yang might have met with misfortune much earlier, during the mountain siege…”
“There’s no point in saying all this now,” Yi Xiao calmly interrupted Feng Suige. “I understand the grief of losing a loved one, and I don’t want to comment too much on the life of someone who has passed. But I think the King should at least understand that when you move a rare flower accustomed to careful nurturing to the wild and let it grow freely, you should be prepared to see it wither…”
As if slapped in the face, Feng Qishan’s face turned red, then instantly pale.
From the day Xi Yang was born, he had arranged everything for her. Whatever she wanted, he would do his best to obtain. The palace attendants also carefully catered to this favored daughter of heaven, afraid of going against her wishes and incurring his wrath.
Xi Yang’s innocence and carefree nature, her purity and enthusiasm, had once been his pride. He had almost forgotten that the daughter he cherished and protected like a treasure in the palm of his hand might just be an ordinary person to others.
Fu Yi Xiao wasn’t wrong. These were all things he had thought about but always hoped wouldn’t come to pass.
The unbearable pain in his heart made him tremble. His lips quivered for a while before Feng Qishan slowly uttered, “I’m tired. You may leave now…” “Father King,” Feng Suige called out with concern, “Let me stay with you a while longer?” Feng Qishan said nothing, just shook his head wearily, and slowly walked back to the throne.
Yi Xiao suddenly felt a bit regretful. Feng Qishan seemed to have aged decades in an instant. His previously radiant face now looked inexplicably old, and even his back seemed to have hunched slightly. Perhaps they should have listened to Feng Suige and avoided coming back for a while, she thought, as she was involuntarily led out of the hall by Feng Suige. Looking up, she saw the same cloudless blue sky.
“What you said was also one of the reasons I opposed him marrying Xi Yang to Xia Jingshi back then,” Feng Suige sighed lightly, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Father King has always understood, but he couldn’t refuse Xi Yang. Let him be quiet for a while. He’ll be better after some time.”
Yi Xiao walked silently with him towards the exit, then suddenly said, “Just now, I was thinking, if you’re really in a difficult position, I could…” “There’s no need,” Feng Suige smiled, stopping her unfinished words. “There’s always a way to solve any problem, isn’t there?”
“Then,” Yi Xiao looked up at him, “if the King forces you to choose between me and the throne, how will you solve it?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Feng Suige raised an eyebrow. “You are mine, and the kingdom is mine too!”
“I’m talking about choosing only one…”
“I want both.”
“You can only have one!”
“That’s impossible.”
“Feng Suige!”
“We’ve been out for so long, there must be a lot of state affairs piled up. Um, I need to go to the council hall to check…”
“Feng Suige!!!”
“…”