Having fallen into the bandits’ hands, Feng Qiruo could only stall for time, trying to intimidate the bandits to make his escape.

“Since you know my identity, how dare you treat me like this?”

The Little King of Hell’s hand reached through the net, rudely grabbing the Sixth Prince’s cheek: “Once you’ve entered my Hall of Yama, your status in the mortal realm means nothing! Oh my, such tender cheeks! Should I eat them raw or flay them alive?”

Feng Qiruo never imagined that this brutal Little King of Hell was actually a female bandit. And judging by her behavior, she was even a lustful one!

The Sixth Prince’s expression changed dramatically as he shouted: “You dare?”

The Little King of Hell, still wanting to tease him more, was interrupted when a masked follower quietly reminded her: “Umm… Boss, I heard that your person is returning today. Shouldn’t you hurry back to see them?”

Hearing this, the Little King of Hell snorted. She seemed somewhat henpecked, immediately releasing her grip and ordering: “Tie these people up properly, don’t skimp on food and drink. I’ll deal with them when I return.”

After mounting her horse and riding away for a while, she removed her mask.

Beneath the mask was a beautiful, enchanting face with skin like congealed cream. Her eyebrows and eyes needed no makeup to be captivating, complemented by a high, swinging black ponytail. She still appeared like a radiant eighteen-year-old girl.

However, the curvaceous figure occasionally visible beneath her cloak certainly displayed the full contours that no young girl could possess.

After galloping all the way, she finally arrived at the prince’s residence gate in town. The steward Jin Zhong was pacing anxiously at the entrance. Seeing her return, he immediately rushed over: “Oh, Princess Consort, you’ve finally returned! The Prince just asked about you. This servant only said you went out for a horseback ride and didn’t mention anything else!”

Seeing Jin Zhong’s nervous demeanor, Xiaoying raised an eyebrow: “What’s the matter? Is he still angry? If that’s the case… I don’t want to see him!”

He had left the residence in anger ten days ago, and he was still this temperamental after returning?

Jin Zhong was so anxious he started pulling his beard, accidentally yanking off the false beard from his chin, leaving a goatee half-hanging, threatening to fall off entirely.

It couldn’t be helped—though he was a eunuch who couldn’t grow a beard, he needed to attend many social engagements to manage the Princess Consort’s increasingly numerous business dealings. Sticking some facial hair on his chin helped his baby face appear more imposing.

At this moment, he didn’t care about such things, only wanting to warn his mistress: “My good Princess Consort! You truly have no worries! Do you know how much the households outside are gossiping? You should give it some thought… This servant has recently inquired about several divine healers. Perhaps you could find time to… see them?”

Xiaoying burst out laughing.

She had heard some of the gossip Jin Zhong mentioned.

After all, a royal residence with only one Princess Consort and no concubines was eye-catching enough.

What’s more, this Princess Consort occupying the position had not borne any children. Those idle women in other households probably wished they could peek into the prince’s bedchamber to see what was going on.

Jin Zhong’s anxiety was warranted. In recent years, many people have tried to send women to Prince Ruixiang. Their seductive appearances would tempt even him, a eunuch.

In recent years, His Majesty had also written numerous letters inquiring about the Prince’s heirs. If the Princess Consort still wouldn’t bear children, her position as primary wife would be in jeopardy!

This was truly a case of the eunuch being more anxious than the emperor. Xiaoying unfastened her cloak and tossed it to Jin Zhong, rolling her eyes: “If there are such divine healers, why not ask your Prince to see them! Perhaps the problem lies with him!”

Jin Zhong first nodded, then shook his head vigorously like a rattling drum. He had painstakingly accumulated his wealth and hadn’t even properly adopted a son yet—he couldn’t throw himself onto a knife’s edge.

Everyone knew that Prince Ruixiang only showed a smiling face before his Princess Consort. In front of others, his emotions were inscrutable, and he could kill without batting an eye.

Although in recent years, the Princess Consort had made him more gentle, a few days ago, when Jiangzhe suddenly swarmed with spies, that bloodthirsty prince returned to form, beheading people as easily as chopping melons, clearing the entire area inside and outside the town.

At such a critical time, with the Princess Consort also angering the Prince, how could Jin Zhong not worry for his mistress?

Just as Jin Zhong was about to say more, a cold voice came from ahead: “Oh, then let the Princess Consort tell me, what is my problem?”

Xiaoying looked up and saw a tall, handsome man in elegant white robes with a jade crown and gold belt standing on the corridor steps.

The sunlight in the courtyard illuminated his handsome face with a golden glow. It was a pity that such a beautiful face was drawn so tight. If he would smile at her, he would be much more appealing.

Thinking this, Xiaoying walked over, completely ignoring the cold aura emanating from the man, softly leaning against him, pressing her face to his chest and tilting her neck: “What’s the matter? You’re being fierce with me as soon as I return. You’ve been gone for so many days, and I’ve missed you every day…”

During their newlywed days, such words would have been enough to make a young husband, newly introduced to forbidden pleasures, dizzy with desire, completely manipulated by this woman.

Unfortunately, the current Feng Yuan had much better self-control than that inexperienced young man. Though his arms would involuntarily encircle her slender waist, his expression remained unchanged as he continued his interrogation: “Oh, did you miss me so much that you got bored and ran out to caress young men’s faces, praising their tenderness?”

Oh no, how did he know about what had just happened?

Xiaoying’s smile faltered slightly, and she couldn’t help pushing away the man embracing her.

It seemed she needed to learn from Feng Yuan and thoroughly purge the people around her, daring to be double agents and serve as Feng Yuan’s informants. She would find them and deal with them properly!

But this pushing motion thoroughly provoked the man who had been exercising extreme restraint.

With an iron arm, he swiftly hoisted her onto his shoulder, turned around with long strides, and headed toward the inner chamber.

When Xiaoying was thrown onto the bed, she angrily called out: “Feng Yuan, have you had enough of this nonsense?”

The words from her lips reached Feng Yuan’s ears, but he only registered the phrase “had enough.”

Had enough? Had she finally had enough of this life? He had suspected that this carefree woman would eventually grow weary!

No wonder she had frequently rejected him starting a month ago, even using the excuse that with others nearby, she couldn’t sleep well, asking him to move to another room for a few days.

Feng Yuan had become angry and simply gone to the military camp, waiting for Xiaoying to coax him.

But he waited and waited without anyone coming. Even Shen Jing advised him: “Perhaps, Your Highness, we should return. Otherwise, if we stay too long, you might not find a way to save face. Would you consider whether you might have done something to displease the Princess Consort?”

Feng Yuan had glared at Shen Jing but seriously reflected on whether he had offended Xiaoying somewhere.

But clearly, Xiaoying talked and laughed with him every day, just refusing to be intimate with him at night…

When he casually overheard military camp generals discussing their wives, he had heard them say that after many years of marriage, women would grow weary of their husbands as they aged and developed potbellies, becoming perfunctory and bored at night, even wanting to sleep in separate beds.

Words that had once seemed distant and irrelevant to him had unexpectedly come true in his own life!

Thinking of this, Feng Yuan could no longer remain seated in the military camp and went directly to find Xiaoying.

But unexpectedly, he caught sight of her leading people on an expedition, so he followed her and witnessed the scene of the female King of Hell teasing the young man about his tender face.

Heaven knows how much effort it took him not to rush out and slash that boy’s face right then.

It wasn’t because he was kind-hearted, but because he knew how angry he was and feared that arguing in front of subordinates would damage her reputation as the Little King of Hell.

But while waiting for her at home, his suppressed anger hadn’t diminished at all—it had only increased… along with his anxiety.

Was it really because his charm had faded and her love had waned? Had she developed feelings for someone else?

Just then, Xiaoying darted away, running toward the window. As she stood on a chair, before she could jump out the window, Feng Yuan once again seized her waist, pulled her down, and pressed her onto the bed.

This woman hadn’t matured at all, still acting like a young girl, always jumping out of windows at the slightest provocation.

“It’s too late to escape now!” Feng Yuan said through gritted teeth. His hand reached under the pillow, and with a click, Xiaoying’s wrists were locked in shackles, fastened to the bedpost.

These restraints had been made at Xiaoying’s request and had previously been used on Feng Yuan.

This mischievous woman had wicked tastes and loved to strip him, spreading his black hair, exposing his muscular chest, and chaining him to the bed, playing with him as she pleased.

But this time, without any warning, he had shackled Xiaoying.

Undeniably, the dark iron chains complemented Xiaoying’s smooth skin perfectly, making her slender wrists appear fragile. With her hair disheveled as she lay on the soft couch, she looked incredibly tempting!

Separated for so long, at the peak of a man’s virility, how could he resist?

Feng Yuan grasped her ankles, his breathing gradually deepening.

Knowing Feng Yuan’s capabilities—a man returning from a military camp was an insatiable tiger—Xiaoying could only urgently say: “No… You can’t…”

These two words lit the fuse of his anger. Feng Yuan laughed coldly and spoke slowly: “It’s been too long since I properly served Your Highness. Has my princess forgotten how capable her imperial brother is?”

With that, he first sealed her mouth, swallowing her unfinished words. Then, learning from Xiaoying’s usual tactics, he deliberately teased and played with her, allowing the room to fill with warmth and passion as the chains rattled with uncontrolled movements of her arms.

When Xiaoying’s eyes grew misty, like a fish dragged ashore struggling to breathe, he finally pressed against her, eagerly dancing with her…

By the time the iron chains were unlocked, they had been soaked with sweat.

Xiaoying, who had been completely aroused by his teasing, now lay weakly in his arms, saying in a muffled voice: “Um… I have something to tell you…”

She leaned close to Feng Yuan’s ear and whispered: “You’re going to be a father.”

Feng Yuan’s emotions today had been entirely pulled and manipulated by his Princess Consort.

At this moment, he doubted his ears, then stared at her: “So quickly?”

Had he just lost control and immediately made Xiaoying pregnant?

Xiaoying reached out and pinched his face: “What do you mean ‘quickly’? We’ve been married for so long. Don’t you want to be a father?”

She knew Feng Yuan was different from other men, truly having no desire for children. Initially, she had also felt they could temporarily postpone having children.

After all, she had many things to do. After marrying this man, he had truly followed her wishes, even indulging her when she resumed her old profession, disguising herself as the Little King of Hell to devour Wei Country’s territory. He provided money and men, recruiting soldiers for her.

Now, though her great undertaking remained unfinished, the little one had impatiently arrived. By the time the physician detected the pregnancy, she was already nearly three months along.

Xiaoying had tested the waters several times before, but Feng Yuan had firmly refused each time.

With no alternative, she could only stabilize the pregnancy, following the physician’s advice to sleep separately from him for a month, waiting until she was showing before telling him.

But he had suspected she was growing weary and developing other interests, even becoming this angry.

After Feng Yuan finally confirmed the news, his eyes widened, and he suddenly became flustered, wrapping her in a blanket and attempting to rush outside.

Xiaoying quickly asked: “What are you doing?”

“I… was so rough just now. I must take you to see a physician!”

Xiaoying almost laughed at his reaction: “If something were wrong, would I need a physician? I’d be having stomach pains immediately. Don’t worry, the physician said I’m already three months along and can resume marital relations. Otherwise, would I have allowed you just now? But… I’m having a child, aren’t you happy?”

Feng Yuan turned around, carefully placing his Princess Consort back on the bed, then embraced her: “It’s not that… I just don’t know if I can be a good father…”

He had no impression of his parents. Rather than disliking children, he simply had no idea how to deal with them.

Xiaoying smiled, hugged his neck, and kissed his face: “It doesn’t matter. You’re already the best husband in the world, and you’ll be the best father in the future! But for now… You need to be a good elder brother. That tender-faced one today was your family’s Sixth Prince!”

Feng Yuan narrowed his eyes again. He truly couldn’t remember what the Sixth Prince, who used to follow him and Xiaoying around the hunting grounds, looked like anymore.

Now, with his Princess Consort pregnant, her body was precious and couldn’t be wasted on dealing with miscellaneous people. The inconsiderate Sixth Prince indeed needed him to step in and resolve the situation.

Speaking of Feng Qiruo, this Jiangzhe journey had him spend more than ten days in a dark dungeon. When the Grand Prince led people to rescue him, Feng Qiruo’s legs trembled as he climbed the stairs, having subsisted on rice porridge three meals a day.

His brother didn’t immediately take him back to the prince’s residence but instead dragged him to the military camp to see Jiangzhe’s elite soldiers and generals. The Grand Prince candidly stated that half the soldiers there had been selected and promoted by him. Then he took him to see the treasury, where gold and silver were piled like small mountains—the foundation of the Grand Prince’s authority in Jiangzhe.

Finally, Feng Yuan took him to a wasteland of graves, showing him the corpses being pecked by crows, informing him that these were all spies sent from various factions, gathering materials to fabricate charges of rebellion against him.

After seeing all this, Feng Yuan lowered his eyes to look at his recently matured sixth brother and asked concisely: “Military power, financial power, and thunderous methods—how many do you possess?”

Feng Qiruo immediately expressed his anxiety, stating that he was not as wise as his Elder Imperial Brother and possessed none of these.

Feng Yuan said, “Good, that you know. You’ve always been able to read the situation. Don’t let temporary greed lead you to follow in your Second Imperial Brother’s footsteps. Your sister-in-law is kind-hearted and always hopes I can maintain harmony with my brothers. You should cherish this blessing!”

Feng Qiruo hastened to explain that he hadn’t come to find fault with his Elder Imperial Brother but only wanted to eliminate the bandit threat.

Thinking of the female bandit who had captured him, Feng Qiruo’s teeth itched with anger.

Hearing this, Feng Yuan gave him a meaningful look: “Let’s go back to the residence for a meal.”

When Feng Qiruo sheepishly followed his brother back to Prince Ruixiang’s residence, Sister-in-law Yan was at the door with a welcoming smile.

Even after so much time, the Sixth Prince still thought this sister-in-law looked extremely similar to the former Crown Prince when he first saw her.

Not just in appearance, but also in her manner of speaking, and… that habit of flicking foreheads.

During the banquet, when Feng Qiruo persisted in wanting to borrow his Elder Imperial Brother’s troops to suppress the bandits, his sister-in-law, who was serving him food, unceremoniously flicked his forehead.

“You grew up beside the Empress, how did you not develop any sense? Bandits who can seize Wei Country’s territory—can they still be called bandits? They’re heavenly soldiers sent by the gods! Otherwise, do you want His Majesty to tear up treaties and personally send troops? At your young age, why study killing? If you want to please your father, study cookery instead. Your father loves peppercorn soup—if you make him a bowl, he’ll certainly praise you!”

After receiving this familiar forehead flick, Feng Qiruo’s brain finally began to work properly again.

His sister-in-law was right. Without the court’s tacit approval, how could the Little King of Hell have grown so powerful under Jiangzhe’s elite military?

But why was his sister-in-law’s strength so great? Just like the Little King of Hell, the flick made his head buzz.

Thinking carefully, even the voice sounded like that female bandit…

Feng Qiruo’s blood suddenly rushed back, as he fearfully drew in a cold breath, his face flushing red with uncertainty as he looked at his sister-in-law’s beautifully animated smiling face, then at her hands.

Those slender hands were covered with thin calluses, clearly accustomed to handling weapons.

Could it be… could it be…

At this moment, the meaningful words of the new Empress Tang echoed in his mind again—”If you can be a good brother, with such a brother and sister-in-law protecting you, your future days will certainly not be bad…”

This family banquet ultimately didn’t go down well. Feng Qiruo suspected poison with each bite. Finally, under the loving care of his sister-in-law, he hastily took his leave and returned to the capital without delay.

He finally understood that his father’s failure to appoint a Crown Prince for so many years wasn’t because he hadn’t decided on a candidate, but because he was giving the heir apparent an absolute opportunity to hone his talents, allowing him to develop and grow, and ultimately claim imperial power through the military achievement of pacifying Wei Country.

Unfortunately, the person his father so favored, paving a smooth path for him, wasn’t him!

In the second year after Feng Qiruo’s hasty return to the capital, amidst auspicious snow, a dragon son descended from heaven as the Princess Consort of Prince Ruixiang gave birth to the imperial grandson, Feng Xuan.

Outside the birthing room, watching Feng Yuan pacing anxiously, the Third Prince felt dizzy and had to grab his brother: “Elder Imperial Brother, Sister-in-law is in good health! Just the day before going into labor, I saw her practicing martial arts in the training ground. She’ll be fine. Look, my Yanyan has given birth to three children, and everything went smoothly. Please stop pacing…”

Feng Yuan said nothing. He had heard that when his mother gave birth to him with some difficulty, it was also in the cold winter. The weather was too cold, causing his mother to fall ill after childbirth.

In recent years, he had lived too happily, experiencing an unexpected bliss he had never dared to imagine. Would heaven punish him by taking it back?

At that moment, Feng Yuan deeply regretted yielding to Xiaoying’s persistence and allowing her to have a child.

Just then, a cry came from the birthing room. Feng Yuan rushed in impatiently and saw his beloved woman lying on the bed, smiling as she held a small bundle.

Seeing Feng Yuan rush in, Xiaoying, her forehead still beaded with sweat, smiled sweetly and said softly: “What should we do? This child doesn’t look like me at all, but is exactly like you!”

Indeed, that tiny, high nose bridge was identical to Feng Yuan’s.

Seeing Xiaoying safe and sound, Feng Yuan finally heaved a deep sigh of relief and carefully, preciously embraced both mother and child.

New snow framed the window, falling white and pristine, as his beloved woman gave him another small life.

He had once thought that a solitary person like himself had no hope for happiness in this life. But amidst the chaos, a spirited woman had entered, bringing light bright enough to illuminate the wasteland, making his deep abyss finally see brightness.