She had thought the Grand Prince might find the cord too crude, but to her surprise, he quietly allowed Xiaoying to tie it.

The lady’s fingertips were slender, like a brush tip tracing across his wrist, causing an untamable wildness to grow in his heart…

Feng Yuan couldn’t help but gaze intently at the young woman’s beautiful profile, his typically stern expression softening considerably.

After she finished tying it, he raised his wrist to look: “Why is it different from the others?”

Feng Yuan remembered that what Xiaoying gave to Meng Zhun and the others didn’t seem this thick; they all looked thin and delicate.

Xiaoying smiled: “None of them are as unlucky as you, getting wounded every time. I made yours thicker and added two copper coins to better ward off misfortune!”

As she said this, Xiaoying leaned forward with a mischievous smile: “If you had begged me a little when you were leaving, I would have given it to you. You really can’t take a joke… Ah!”

Before she could finish, her entire body was pulled forcefully into Feng Yuan’s embrace.

Feng Yuan seemed unable to hold his liquor. His deep eyes beneath sword-like eyebrows shimmered with intoxication as his thin lips curled slightly: “This was… made only for me?”

He was too close, making Xiaoying uncomfortable as she leaned back slightly, truly someone who shouldn’t drink, showing such drunkenness.

She somewhat regretted forcing that cup down his throat to ease his pain.

Xiaoying wanted to stand up, but Feng Yuan held her firmly in place, encircling her with his long arms, seeming determined not to let her go until he got a clear answer.

Fearing that too much movement might aggravate the wound on his leg, she simply allowed him to hold her and answered honestly: “Yes…”

Feng Yuan’s eyes, seemingly soaked in alcohol, grew increasingly red, and the arms holding her tightened.

The lady in his embrace had fair skin that accentuated her bewitchingly beautiful, large eyes, like snow-soaked flowers after rain, carrying a natural orchid fragrance.

He had been gone for some days, and during those nights when he lay with his head on his spear, if someone entered his dreams, it was precisely this alluring figure who stirred him without knowing…

Fresh from the life-and-death struggle on the battlefield, the excitement of combat still coursed through his veins before his blood had cooled. He needed to do something to confirm he was still alive in this world, and that the jade beauty in his arms wasn’t just a phantom conjured by strong liquor.

With this thought, his large palm supported the back of Xiaoying’s head as he slowly leaned closer.

This time, Xiaoying didn’t presumptuously close her eyes but silently stared as Feng Yuan’s exquisitely carved handsome face gradually approached.

Perhaps due to the lesson of her previous presumption, even when his wine-scented lips touched the corner of her mouth, Xiaoying didn’t dodge.

Because she was curious about what this inscrutable man truly intended.

So the young lord’s slightly cool lips tentatively approached, pressed against hers, then applied a little more pressure, parting her cherry lips.

Xiaoying’s eyes grew wider as she felt something slide past her teeth…

By the time her lips were completely covered, she was somewhat dazed.

The alcohol she had drunk seemed to only now take effect, rushing to her head, with an irrepressible heat rising at her ears and cheeks…

It wasn’t until Feng Yuan, unsatisfied, attempted to deepen the kiss that the stunned lady finally came to her senses. She abruptly turned her head, avoiding his deep kiss, while forcefully pressing him down onto the mat.

Having campaigned for days and then rushed back wounded through the rainy night, he was indeed exhausted. The man didn’t resist much, allowing Xiaoying to push him down, only gazing at her with his deep, handsome eyes.

The young lord’s unbound long hair lay scattered across the mat, his long limbs relaxed and spread out, while his loosened collar revealed muscular physique. In the dim lamplight, the overlapping curves gave him a seductive quality unlike his usual self.

The allure of male beauty, the sight of him lying drunk and sprawled out, somehow gave the impression that he was there for the taking, leaving Xiaoying uncharacteristically at a loss.

Realizing her hands were still pressing against his chest, Xiaoying quickly withdrew them, rolling off him. She took a deep breath and tried to speak naturally: “Grand Prince, you’re drunk!”

Then she quickly stood up, holding the medicine, and hurried away barefoot without even taking time to put on her wooden clogs.

Leaving the room, she walked along the corridor as slanting rain struck her cheeks.

Her face had initially been so hot it steamed, but after a few more steps, the rain dampened and cooled it, and she became much more composed.

Back in her room, Xiaoying slowly exhaled, silently reminding herself never to drink with the Grand Prince again.

Feng Yuan’s behavior while drunk… wasn’t very proper!

Although she had found a reasonable explanation for Feng Yuan’s unusual behavior, Xiaoying tossed and turned for half the night, finally falling asleep just before dawn.

Born with an easygoing nature, when she got up and stretched, she was able to completely forget last night’s absurdity.

While calling her foster father and the others for a meal, by sheer coincidence, Xiaoying bumped right into Feng Yuan coming the other way.

After a night’s rest, Feng Yuan had shed the battlefield aura of his return.

His tall frame presented a very artistic image in a light gray wide-sleeved robe with a crossed collar reaching his waist. His long hair hung half-loose to his waist, with a jade hairpin and golden crown, having lost the martial killing aura of his return the previous night.

He didn’t seem to have slept well either, with fatigue still evident beneath his eyes as he looked down at Xiaoying, his thin lips slightly moving.

Just as he was about to say something, Xiaoying preempted him: “Has the memorial for the Linchuan victory been sent out? You’d better present this good news to His Majesty before Chen Nuo lodges his complaint.”

Feng Yuan said calmly: “Young Master Mu and Elder Teng have each written memorials, sent by express postal horses…”

He paused, then said: “Last night…”

“It was my fault last night. Knowing you don’t drink, I still forced a cup on you. I’ll be more careful in the future!”

Having spoken with feigned lightness, Xiaoying tried to turn and leave. But her slender wrist was firmly grasped by Feng Yuan, pulling her back.

“You also know that was alcohol, not the waters of forgetfulness. I’m clear about what I did last night.”

Feng Yuan refused to take the graceful exit she offered, insisting on bringing up last night’s incident.

Xiaoying let out a muffled grunt, then looked up with raised eyebrows: “So what, Grand Prince? What do you want me to say? Thank you for your grace and favor, for deigning to notice my unremarkable beauty. Or scold you for your lack of character when drunk, for being improper with a woman? Grand Prince, you should know that we two don’t match!”

Her current entanglement with Feng Yuan was only because of her foster father; beyond that, there were no other attachments.

If she carelessly fell for this Feng Yuan’s handsome man scheme, it would truly be unnecessary trouble she brought upon herself!

Feng Yuan continued to smile, though his eyes held little mirth: “Don’t match?”

As he spoke, he pulled Xiaoying closer, coldly asking: “Then what would make us match? Or is this how you usually behave, teasing people and then leaving without a trace?”

When he said this, the light in his eyes was like the edge of a sword as he pinned Xiaoying against a corridor pillar with one hand, clearly unwilling to let go without an answer.

Xiaoying felt inexplicably guilty at first, but then realized something wasn’t right: “It wasn’t me who was improper with you first, how dare you accuse me of teasing?”

After saying this, she caught sight of the red safety cord on Feng Yuan’s wrist.

Come to think of it, it seemed this was the source of the trouble. It was just a safety cord; surely he hadn’t mistaken it for the matchmaker’s red string?

Was this what he meant by “teasing”?

Thinking this, she reached out to pull it off, but Feng Yuan raised his arm first, not allowing her to remove it.

He was too tall; Xiaoying couldn’t reach his wrist even by jumping.

Not content with raising it out of reach, he dared to smirk coldly and mock her: “Yan Xiaoying, look at your pettiness, trying to take back what you’ve given!”

“That’s right! What did you take me for, a good person? I’m a mountain bandit! What dignity do I need?”

Amid their jumping and grabbing, Xiaoying caught a glimpse of her father and the others approaching, and quickly lowered her voice: “Stop it, my father and the others are coming.”

Feng Yuan turned to look at the three or five people laughing in the distance. In that moment of distraction, the wrist he was holding seemed to be coated with oil, slipping smoothly from his grasp. That slim figure had vanished in the blink of an eye.

Feng Yuan stared at the empty corridor, slowly lowering his hand, his face cold, and finally turned toward his study.

Meanwhile, Xiaoying, who had fled like the wind, ran past two long corridors before slowing down to catch her breath.

She suddenly realized, belatedly, that she had been too kind to Feng Yuan. He was outrageously flirtatious, yet she hadn’t slapped him.

Last night, he had rarely shown weakness, which would have been a good opportunity to strike back.

Thinking of this with some regret, unwittingly, the image of the handsome young lord with scattered hair, intoxicated eyes, and thin lips parted beneath his high nose from last night’s mat floated before her eyes…

Just then, Yan Shan found her, calling out: “Xiaoying, come eat!”

This voice dispersed her ethereal fantasies. Xiaoying couldn’t be bothered to think further, immediately smiling and responding as she walked toward them.

…

The Linchuan victory! All of Dafeng was shaken!

Before Chen Nuo’s tear-soaked, accusatory memorial reached the capital, the urgent report of the recapture of Feng Tail Slope had already been delivered to Emperor Chunde’s desk.

This time, General Dong Dingneng’s deployment of troops had a legitimate cause—rescuing the imperial heir of a nation.

Moreover, the surprise night attack had led to a great victory and the recapture of Feng Tail Slope, boosting the morale of the Dafeng people.

Even those who wished to criticize Dong Dingneng for breaking protocol and disrupting peace between the two countries had no grounds to do so.

After all, Wei had already pushed too far, practically riding on Dafeng’s face.

Between kidnapping the Crown Prince and being the first to deploy troops, Dafeng held the moral high ground. Surely no one could suggest that for the sake of maintaining border peace, Dafeng should completely lose face?

As for Chen Nuo’s accusatory memorial, it now seemed strikingly inappropriate.

Accompanying General Chen’s memorial was Elder Teng’s report, which detailed how Salt Prefecture Governor Shang Youdao had colluded with Wei traitors, oppressed the local people, and plotted against the Crown Prince.

Elder Teng also minutely reported how General Chen had failed to assess the situation correctly, first by punishing a prince with the rod in military camp—showing disrespect to the royal family. Then through his stubborn actions, he had allowed rebel troops to escape. Finally, using his serious injury as an excuse, he had been negligent and unwilling to send troops to rescue Linchuan, refusing to save the Crown Prince.

The Elder’s writing was weighty, and scathing words like “unprecedented treachery” and “disloyal and unrighteous” were liberally heaped upon Chen Nuo.

Although after the surprise attack on Feng Tail Slope, Chen Nuo, lying in bed, had figured out something was wrong and urgently ordered troops to deploy, this move only made his attempt to seize military credit too obvious.

These unseemly actions were all meticulously criticized by Elder Teng.

After reading several memorials, Emperor Chunde slammed the table in anger, cursing Chen Nuo for betraying the country!

Chen Nuo had long been used by Emperor Chunde to balance the power of Ye’s army.

He had always been politically astute and was an old minister from before the Emperor’s ascension, so even when he sometimes acted inappropriately, Emperor Chunde would turn a blind eye.

But in Elder Teng’s memorial, Chen Nuo’s humiliating remarks about the captured Princess Ye were recorded, and they had been directed at Feng Yuan.

His intentions were malicious and deserved execution!

No wonder Feng Yuan had gone berserk and injured him. If the Emperor had been present, he might have kicked Chen Nuo to death himself.

Officials serving abroad with military power for too long inevitably became arrogant, forgetting who their master was!

Since he was already crippled, let him go home and be a useless waste!

And so, Chen Nuo’s tearful impeachment claiming the Crown Prince had interfered with military affairs using fake maps and that the Grand Prince had unjustifiably beaten a national minister was simply set aside.

Chen Nuo was dismissed and stripped of military authority for his inadequate rescue of Linchuan. In his mercy, His Majesty, mindful of his years of meritorious service and serious injuries, graciously permitted him to return home to recuperate.

Even when Chen Nuo asked the Mu family to intercede for him, they politely declined, only advising Chen Nuo to prioritize his health and not force himself, suggesting that all matters should wait until he had recovered.

This enraged Chen Nuo, who loudly cursed the Mu family for their ingratitude, saying they had completely forgotten how he had once saved Princess Anqing! If this was how things stood, he couldn’t blame himself for breaking all ties with the Mu family!

However, General Chen’s journey home didn’t go smoothly. Halfway through, he was attacked by bandits. His guards were overpowered, and General Chen was decapitated, dying in a most pitiful state…

As for who the killers were, there was no way to investigate, and the matter was eventually left unresolved.

With Feng Tail Slope just recaptured, a valiant general was needed to solidify the position and prevent Wei troops from counterattacking.

There was no need to appoint someone new—simply letting Luo Zhen, who had distinguished himself defending Linchuan, temporarily replace Chen Nuo and clear out Wei forces from Feng Tail Slope would suffice!

Upon closer examination, this Luo Zhen turned out to be a veteran general with illustrious battle achievements, but he had been suppressed by Chen Nuo, who had appropriated Luo Zhen’s military merits.

For many years, such a valiant military talent had remained merely a minor Thousand Man Commander.

Thus, with the imperial edict issued, Luo Zhen was finally given important responsibilities, receiving the general’s seal and taking command of Chen’s former troops.

Everyone with discernment knew that the so-called “temporary use” also implied an assessment of his abilities and whether he was truly suitable. If he didn’t make major mistakes, the formal appointment wouldn’t take long.

Moreover, Luo Zhen had risen from a military cadet with a clean record. Although he had campaigned with Princess Ye for several years, he didn’t seem to form factions and had minimal associations with both Chen Nuo and Ye Zhong.

Such a person gave Emperor Chunde peace of mind when appointing him.

However, inside and outside the Dafeng palace, people were more concerned with another piece of news.

It was said that when the Crown Prince was captured at Feng Tail Slope, he suffered cruel torture from Wei traitors and was seriously injured. He couldn’t travel back to the capital immediately and needed to recover for several months in the Jiangzhe region’s mild climate before he could endure the hardships of boat and carriage travel.

Upon hearing Elder Teng’s report, His Majesty generously approved the Crown Prince’s request for recuperation.

The serious illness of the imperial heir was news that truly moved people’s hearts.

The severely wounded Crown Prince still managed to see Elder Teng before he returned to the capital.

Looking at the frail heir nestled in blankets, Elder Teng knelt, tears streaming down his face, exclaiming that he had failed the Crown Prince. If Dafeng lost such a wise and nation-loving heir as the Crown Prince, it would be a national tragedy!

When he heard the Crown Prince weakly describing how he had maintained the dignity of a Dafeng Crown Prince in the enemy camp, preferring beating to kneeling before Wei traitors, Elder Teng was so moved that tears flowed freely. He expressed his wish to stay and care for His Highness until his recovery.

Yan Xiaoying, knowing she had exaggerated too much, coughed while weakly cautioning the Elder to be prudent.

The famous doctor hired by the Grand Prince had said that Jiangzhe’s climate was suitable for his injured liver and lungs.

The Elder was burdened with state affairs and, being advanced in age, if he stayed, he would divert some of the famous doctor’s medicine. That would be unnecessary.

After such earnest persuasion, she finally convinced Elder Teng to abandon his desire to attend to the sick prince and sent the old man on his way.

According to her thinking, it would have been cleanest if the Crown Prince had died at Feng Tail Slope. Unfortunately, due to Mu Hanjiang’s involvement, doing so would certainly cause his opposition and might lead to him reporting to His Majesty, so it had to be abandoned.

She had to find a way to keep the Crown Prince’s identity in Jiangzhe, then gradually let him “die.”

After seeing Elder Teng off, Xiaoying finally didn’t have to pretend to be ill and could get up to stretch her muscles.

She deliberately avoided Feng Yuan, adhering to the principle of minimal contact when unnecessary, moving nimbly around Xinxin Garden. This way, she became familiar with Feng Yuan’s daily routine.

For instance, Feng Yuan was accustomed to reading at night and practicing martial arts in the morning. In the afternoon, he would go to his study to handle affairs and receive the frequent correspondence.

So, calculating the time, Xiaoying went to the martial arts field—at this hour, Feng Yuan should be in his study.

Unfortunately, her calculation was off today. Just after Xiaoying finished a set of boxing forms, she saw Feng Yuan walking toward the field.

Xiaoying calmly ceased her practice and turned to make room for him.

Unexpectedly, Feng Yuan stopped at a distance and said coldly, “I’m going to the military camp for a few days. You needn’t trouble yourself to avoid me; do whatever you want.”

After speaking, he turned and strode away, his billowing long sleeves seeming to wrap around suppressed anger.

Xiaoying stared at his retreating figure, silently cursing: What was he angry about? Did he have the right? This was absurd! How could the one who had been improper be more indignant than she was? If it weren’t for his drunken misconduct that day, how would they have fallen into such an awkward situation?

Thinking about how, in a few days, she would have to accompany this man, along with her foster father, to the capital, making for an extremely awkward journey… Xiaoying rarely felt so despairing and let out a long sigh.

The memorial regarding Meng Zhun’s surrender had already been taken to the capital by Elder Teng.

For such petitions requesting imperial amnesty, it was naturally more appropriate for an influential elder minister to personally present it.

As for whether His Majesty would grant special amnesty, it was hard to predict. After all, Meng Zhun had too many charges against him, and too much dirty water had been thrown on him.

But with the recent victory and public sentiment to consider, His Majesty had to take into account the voice of the people. At the very least, he could avoid immediate execution.

The worst outcome would still be as Feng Yuan had originally envisioned—being sent to the capital in a prisoner cart.

Not long after, the court documents arrived, stating that Meng Zhun and others would be escorted by the Crown Prince Feng Yuan to the capital for questioning, to verify their identities, pending His Majesty’s decision.

These simple words concealed many implications. His Majesty had not granted amnesty, and the mere word “escort” held uncertain fortunes.

No one knew what charges would be brought once they reached the capital.

However, the document had been issued, and the language left room for interpretation, which was generally a good sign. The looseness of “escort” could be adjusted; it only required people to escort them, without necessarily confirming charges or using prisoner carts.

With the Crown Prince staying behind to “recuperate,” it would be his beloved concubine Ying’er accompanying Feng Yuan back.

Unfortunately, though the title existed, beloved concubine Ying’er and Feng Yuan had no affection to speak of.

Since the rainy night’s incident, the two had never been alone together again.

Fortunately, Feng Yuan also seemed disinclined to dwell on these empty matters. Having gone to the Linchuan military camp, he hadn’t returned to the garden.

He was very busy, which suited Xiaoying perfectly.

Weighing the two against each other, the shadow guard leader she had once dreaded now seemed much more amiable and likable.

Now Xiaoying reclined on the bed with its hanging curtains, eating honey dates while pretending to be ill, perfunctorily receiving Lord Mu, who had come to visit the sick.