Ning Yi, who had already turned his gaze away, suddenly whirled back around.

Feng Zhiwei, who was lowering her head to bandage her wrist, trembled, nearly dropping the white cloth.

Both looked up simultaneously. Ning Yi looked at Feng Zhiwei, Feng Zhiwei quickly glanced at Ning Yi. Neither looked first at the instigator—both looked at each other.

Then they immediately averted their gazes. Feng Zhiwei continued bandaging as if nothing had happened, while glancing sideways at Helian Zheng as she wrapped, looking as though Helian Zheng was her bleeding wrist that she was waiting to bind tightly, rendering him unable to move.

Such matters were unsuitable for discussion in the Golden Hall. Court was dismissed, and Emperor Tiansheng summoned Helian Zheng to the Imperial Study. The senior ministers, princes, and Feng Zhiwei, who was responsible for Emperor Tiansheng’s edicts and writing, all accompanied him.

Just after sitting down, Ning Yi turned toward Helian Zheng. A smile gradually surfaced in his eyes, cold and barbed, as if reflecting his expression when Helian Zheng had accused him of murder before the throne.

He smiled. “Just now, this Prince was thinking—Crown Prince, you’re quite interesting. An imperial marriage decree is such great honor, yet you wanted to use it to marry a secondary wife? Are you truly relying on the Emperor’s magnanimity to know no restraint?”

“Your Highness’s words are also strange.” Helian Zheng immediately retorted sarcastically, his amber eyes flashing with faint purple light. “This is His Majesty’s grace. As a vassal minister, if I don’t respectfully accept it, should I refuse instead?”

“Is that so?” Ning Yi smiled, the smile floating at the corners of his lips. “Excessive prosperity invites collapse, extreme pride inevitably declines. Crown Prince, be careful lest excessive fortune damages your life span.”

“Wheat bran?” Helian Zheng tilted his head, not quite understanding Ning Yi’s refined literary phrase. “My horses all eat the finest oats, strong and spirited, able to carry my thirty-eight-pound spear. Only you Tiansheng young lords are so fragile and delicate, painted with makeup—your horses only need to eat wheat bran to be able to carry you.”

His words were completely off-topic. Everyone was about to laugh when Helian Zheng proudly continued, “Tiansheng women serving as mounts beneath you weak men—truly pitiful!”

The current princes and important ministers all flushed red. Several white-haired old ministers covered their faces and cursed quietly, “Barbarian vulgarity! Defiling the Golden Hall!” If not for being in the imperial presence, they would have swept their sleeves and departed.

Feng Zhiwei had just finished bandaging with gritted teeth. Hearing this, her hand trembled, nearly tearing apart the knot she’d just tied.

Ning Yi gazed at Helian Zheng intently for a long moment, then nodded. “Indeed, Crown Prince truly is a genuine hero and exceptional man. Just for that statement alone, the Imperial Capital’s women will surely regard you as extraordinary and flock to you.”

Someone in the hall laughed mockingly.

“She will be honored to marry me.” Helian Zheng said proudly.

Glancing sideways at Helian Zheng again, Ning Yi suddenly smiled, nodding as he laughed, saying sincerely, “Right, Crown Prince, you’re absolutely correct. This Prince will wait right here for the day you bring your new bride before the throne to express gratitude. At that time, this Prince will certainly present generous gifts to congratulate the Crown Prince.”

His expression was sincere, but his tone sounded mocking no matter how one heard it. Helian Zheng was no fool and had long since detected it, glaring angrily.

The two—one sneering coldly, one glaring furiously—were locked in confrontation, practically flashing lightning and rumbling thunder.

The ministers exchanged glances, all feeling that Prince Chu was rather strange today. Usually, he would never directly confront someone so openly. But thinking it over, they immediately understood—after all, Helian Zheng had just accused him in court, nearly causing his death. It was inevitable that Prince Chu harbored resentment.

Emperor Tiansheng held the same view. Seeing Ning Yi’s displeased expression, he intended to change the subject and smiled. “Crown Prince, Lord Qiu Shangqi’s niece must also be a young lady of the capital. Coming from such a prominent family, why do you say her status is humble and want to make her a secondary wife?”

Someone coughed quietly. Grand Scholar Yao Ying said somewhat awkwardly, “Your Majesty, that Qiu Shangqi only has one younger sister, who was that year’s…”

Emperor Tiansheng froze, remembering something. His expression darkened slightly, and everyone immediately averted their gazes—the Qiu family’s eldest daughter had abandoned glory and status that year, recklessly eloping with a man. This matter had shocked the Imperial Capital. Everyone present had heard of it. Moreover, there was a secret, unspoken theory that Miss Qiu had eloped because word had spread from the palace that they intended to take her as a consort.

This matter was presumably a thorn in His Majesty’s heart. Everyone wisely chose to avoid it.

“Your Majesty, this subject has inquired about that young lady.” Helian Zheng said enthusiastically. “She’s fifteen this year, not yet married. They say she’s gentle and obedient, very virtuous. This subject wants exactly this type—even after this subject marries a principal wife, the household won’t be turbulent.”

Hearing this, Feng Zhiwei cursed inwardly. When had this scoundrel become so knowledgeable about her? He’d even inquired whether she was married, even considered whether the household would be peaceful after marriage. What calculating plans!

Ning Yi also frowned, momentarily dismissing a thought from his mind.

“Since that’s the case.” Emperor Tiansheng’s expression returned to normal as he reached for the teacup at the table’s edge. “Someone, transmit the decree…”

He suddenly began coughing. Once started, he choked, his face flushing bright red. Eunuchs hastily attended to him, and his previous words went uncontinued.

Feng Zhiwei, who had been standing beside the dragon desk, quietly withdrew her hand from the table—she had just crushed a backup snack from her sleeve, then pretended to brush her hair while flicking the crushed peanut crumbs from the snack into Emperor Tiansheng’s teacup. The Emperor’s windpipe wasn’t very good and he choked easily. As expected, this interrupted his decree.

Taking advantage of Emperor Tiansheng’s coughing and the eunuchs’ commotion, she moved to Helian Zheng’s side and smiled. “Crown Prince, you truly have excellent taste.”

“Of course… eh, you also know that Miss Feng?” Helian Zheng looked at her sideways. “How do you know her? Where did you see her? She’s a proper young lady who doesn’t step outside—how do you know her?”

Before even marrying her, he had already completely assumed the husband’s role, aggressively interrogating all suspicious private matters, never considering how he himself could know a young lady who “doesn’t step outside.”

“My late father had some past connections with the Qiu residence,” Feng Zhiwei said. “He was also invited as a guest to the Qiu residence. However, proper young ladies—I certainly couldn’t see them. It’s just that…”

She drew out her tone. Helian Zheng immediately asked, “Just what?”

Feng Zhiwei furrowed her brow, making a serious, thoughtful expression, then shook her head. “It’s not good to gossip behind people’s backs… it’s nothing.”

Then she sealed her lips tight as a clam, her expression suggesting that even knives couldn’t pry open her strict discretion.

Helian Zheng’s jewel-like eyes stared at her intently for a long while, his expression shifting.

Come ask me, come ask me, come ask me… Feng Zhiwei smiled with full confidence.

“If it’s nothing, then it’s nothing.” After staring for a long time, Helian Zheng casually turned his head with a strange smile at the corner of his mouth. “Besides, I’m not really going to marry her as my wife.”

Feng Zhiwei nearly choked with a “hmph”… This barbarian doesn’t play by the rules!

“I’ve never seen any woman dare to strike me…” Helian Zheng gazed outside the hall. Bright daylight made his multicolored gemstone-like eyes especially brilliant as he said leisurely, “How can I easily forgive her? Haha, don’t Central Plains women regard their husbands as heaven? From now on, I’ll be her heaven. If I tell her to wash my feet, she must wash them. If I tell her to massage my legs, she must massage them. I’ll marry ten wives large and small—she must attend to every one… They call her fierce? They call her ruthless? No matter how fierce or ruthless—she’s still a cave mouse beneath the grassland eagle’s talons!”

Your mother’s the cave mouse!

Feng Zhiwei twitched at the corner of her mouth, controlling this expression at the verge of explosion. She laughed “hehe” while looking at Helian Zheng, praising, “Good, good, Crown Prince truly has grand ambitions and boundless heroic spirit…”

Her praise was light and airy, but her eyes were very sympathetic. This sympathy, seen in Helian Zheng’s eyes, held some doubt. He grabbed her sleeve. “You’re hemming and hawing—is there a problem with that Feng Zhiwei?”

“No problem, no problem.” Feng Zhiwei pulled away her sleeve, saying unhurriedly, “I’d rather tear down ten temples than ruin one marriage. This humble one congratulates the Crown Prince on obtaining a beauty. From now on, whenever you want your feet washed they’ll be washed, whenever you want your legs massaged they’ll be massaged. Ten wives will have someone to attend them—you’ll even save money on maidservants. Congratulations, congratulations, ten-fold congratulations.”

She finished speaking with a serious expression, no longer looking at Helian Zheng, and properly went to attend to Emperor Tiansheng who had already recovered, leaving Helian Zheng frowning, lost in thought.

From a distance, Ning Yi, who seemingly hadn’t been watching their little interactions at all, suddenly glanced at them both.

After coughing for a while, Emperor Tiansheng caught his breath and tapped the table, saying to Feng Zhiwei, “Wei Zhi, draft an edict.”

Feng Zhiwei immediately moved very quickly and readily to spread paper and moisten the brush.

“Now there is Miss Feng of the Five Military Commands’ Lord Qiu Shangqi’s family…”

“Your Majesty!”

Helian Zheng suddenly stepped forward quickly, interrupting with his voice.

The hall’s questioning gazes gathered. Helian Zheng kowtowed. “Your Majesty, this subject has reconsidered. A mere secondary wife truly doesn’t warrant troubling Your Majesty with a marriage decree. This grace—please bestow it after this subject welcomes his principal wife instead.”

Ning Yi immediately praised, “Crown Prince truly deeply understands righteousness, humble and courteous!”

Helian Zheng showed no shame. “Of course!”

Emperor Tiansheng pondered for a moment and agreed. After all, decreeing a marriage for a secondary wife wasn’t in accordance with propriety. He was only making an exception to appease this restless young man. Since the party himself willingly gave up, that was best.

Helian Zheng didn’t care either. He had only been dealing with the Emperor, not wanting to be assigned a principal wife on the spot. Saying secondary wife would do—whether there was a marriage decree or not didn’t really matter.

However, what problem did this Miss Feng actually have? He’d have to investigate thoroughly another day. Some things couldn’t be learned through inquiries—he’d still need to meet the person…

Helian Zheng frowned, deep in thought.

Feng Zhiwei smiled as she put away brush and ink.

Ning Yi leaned back in his chair, slowly drinking tea.

Outside the window, brilliant sunlight poured in fiercely. Summer’s bright light was just like this.

After Helian Zheng withdrew, the Imperial Study discussed other matters for a while. Qiu Shangqi’s grand army had already reached the border, encamping at Jieluo Mountain fifty miles from Da Yue. Jieluo Mountain was located in the middle section of the Hulun Mountain Range. The Hulun Mountains divided the Hulun Grasslands north and south, bordered Ling River to the east, spanned Wei, Jing, Yong, and Su provinces, with developed transportation, mountains as barriers, commanding high ground, and open terrain. Qiu Shangqi stationed the original border army of fifty thousand at Jieluo Mountain’s western line facing the Huzhuo twelve tribes’ territory. Vice Commander Chunyu Hong led one hundred thousand troops guarding the eastern line facing Da Yue’s southern border, while he himself commanded one hundred thousand holding the central army.

This arrangement, seen by military veterans, was extremely prudent. Using local garrison troops to face Huzhuo territory, utilizing the local garrison’s familiarity with terrain and personnel, subtly carried supervisory implications. If Huzhuo turned traitor, there would also be room for maneuver.

They also discussed today’s case. Clearly, Emperor Tiansheng didn’t intend to pursue it severely. With war imminent, stability was paramount. Ning Yi was also very tolerant, not pressing the attack. Emperor Tiansheng was very satisfied and, pleased, said, “Old Six, you frequently need to enter the palace to report matters. Coming and going is rather inconvenient. The Fengyun Pavilion on the west side of Longyi Hall is bestowed upon you. In the future, if you’re delayed when the palace gates are locked, you’ll have a place to rest.”

Adult princes all left the palace to establish their own residences and didn’t lodge in the palace. This was extra grace. The expressions of several princes immediately became uncomfortable, but having all been embarrassed in court just now, they dared not speak.

“Fengyun Pavilion is exquisite and elegant, close to Father Emperor’s sleeping chambers. In the future, morning and evening visits will be convenient for Sixth Brother.” Someone suddenly arrived with a smile, holding a teacup, followed by a string of palace attendants.

The only one who could enter this center of military and state secrets without restraint, speaking and laughing freely, was the current dynasty’s most favored Princess Shaoning.

“Congratulations, Sixth Brother.” Shaoning presented the tea, turning her head to look at Ning Yi.

Ning Yi raised his eyes. The two’s gazes met. Ning Yi smiled. “This is Father Emperor’s grace.”

Hearing Shaoning’s words, Emperor Tiansheng’s expression shifted slightly. Hesitation flashed briefly before he smiled. “We’re in the middle of discussing matters—why did you run over?”

“I heard those foolish servants didn’t attend well and Father Emperor choked on his tea.” Shaoning smiled as she circled around the desk, moving behind Emperor Tiansheng to massage his back. “This child sent this Biluo tea—light, floating, and wonderful, it won’t choke Father Emperor again.”

“You’re truly filial.” Emperor Tiansheng patted his daughter’s hand, his brows relaxing. He said to Feng Zhiwei, “Today, thanks to your inadvertent cut, though you suffered some physical pain, you helped Prince Chu clear his false accusation and avoided no small disturbance. Speaking of which, you should be rewarded. From now on, follow Grand Scholar Yao and learn to handle court affairs, gaining some knowledge.”

With these words, the princes and ministers’ brows trembled again. Yao Ying was the current Chief Grand Secretary with authority over preliminary review. All matters under heaven had to pass through him first for handling opinions. Now Emperor Tiansheng was making Wei Zhi his secretary directly—though it seemed like a demotion, the implications were profound. Apparently, he intended to cultivate this youth as a future Chief Grand Secretary.

With this, everyone’s eyes burned intensely, unclear whether from jealousy or unease.

Feng Zhiwei gave thanks, but alarm rose in her heart—Emperor Tiansheng couldn’t fail to see that among the senior ministers, Chief Secretary Yao Ying was at odds with her, while Second Secretary Hu Shengshan regarded her favorably. Now assigning her to Yao Ying, she certainly didn’t think this was necessarily good. Was that old Emperor playing his balancing tricks again?

Shaoning gazed at her with bright eyes, laughing crisply. “Truly congratulations to Minister Wei—like our Prince Chu brother, achieving success at a young age, rising smoothly!”

Feng Zhiwei smiled bitterly inwardly, feeling that she’d carelessly been placed over the fire to roast again. Meanwhile, the princess’s gaze from behind Emperor Tiansheng felt like countless arrows of ice flying toward her.

Emperor Tiansheng had been mentally exhausted in recent years. Before long, he ordered everyone to withdraw. Feng Zhiwei stood in the courtyard waiting for everyone to leave first. Ning Yi passed by and suddenly glanced at her. “Why does Minister Wei seem somewhat distracted? Don’t let the sun make you dizzy.”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s concern.” At this moment, seeing him made Feng Zhiwei’s anger flare. She smiled with flying brows and eyes. “Today, personally witnessing Your Highness’s brilliant strategizing and magnificent bearing, I’m properly savoring it.”

Ning Yi looked at her carefully. Though she wore a deceptively realistic human skin mask, the woman’s eyes were rich enough to read like a book—several parts annoyance, several parts dissatisfaction, several parts relief, several parts resentment.

He couldn’t help but want to smile. A faint smile line appeared at the corner of his lips, like an evening primrose blooming in snow—quietly beautiful and dazzling. Feng Zhiwei rarely saw him smile this way. She felt it was completely different from his usual demeanor—brilliantly beautiful beyond compare—and couldn’t help but stare blankly.

The instant she recovered, Ning Yi’s back had already disappeared beyond the corridor. Feng Zhiwei slowly turned her head, clenching her fingers. A wax pill in her palm pressed painfully.

This was what Princess Shaoning had pressed into her hand when she’d passed by the desk earlier.

Sighing helplessly, she opened the note and looked. As expected, Shaoning had arranged a meeting.

Leaving the Imperial Study and walking not far, a little eunuch silently followed her, walking ahead of her. The two wound around seven or eight times before stopping before a small garden. Surrounding it were some buildings that appeared uninhabited. In the distance were palace buildings with flying eaves and layered roofs, but also silent.

The surrounding flowers and trees looked somewhat strange. Feng Zhiwei turned over roots on the ground, recognizing one type as a plant only found in the northern frontier. Due to unsuitable climate and lack of care, these flowers and trees hadn’t managed to grow.

A pair of blue cloth boots silently appeared before the flower roots. Feng Zhiwei raised her head and smiled. “In this outfit, this subject hardly recognizes the Princess.”

Shaoning, dressed in a eunuch’s blue clothing, pressed her lips together, rarely without a smile, gazing at her heavily. After a long moment, she said, “What happened?”

“I was just about to ask the Princess that.” Feng Zhi stood up, her eyes confused. “What happened?”

“Did you use what I gave you?” Shaoning hadn’t expected her to be so forthright. Her eyes were suspicious.

Feng Zhiwei nodded frankly. Shaoning froze, not speaking.

Her silence, seen in Feng Zhiwei’s eyes, gave her more confidence. She laughed coldly. “I risked my life for the Princess, yet the Princess didn’t treat me as a confidant!”

Shaoning’s expression changed again. Her previous aggressiveness completely dissipated as she unconsciously stepped back.

“Trust those you employ, don’t employ those you doubt—the Princess has mistaken herself!” As she retreated, Feng Zhiwei immediately pressed forward. “Since the Princess gave me that medicine, why didn’t you trust me, but also instructed Director Liu to tamper with the water and knife? Unnecessary actions that disrupted the entire plan!”

“…I wasn’t certain whether the medicine I gave you would work…” Shaoning’s eyes showed a trace of panic as she murmured, “He said it would be better to prepare two approaches. I didn’t know such a mistake would occur… but… but…” She suddenly straightened her chest, staring at Feng Zhiwei. “If you hadn’t cut yourself with that blade, how would they have discovered it?”

“The Princess is wrong again,” Feng Zhiwei shook her head. “I didn’t intentionally injure myself.”

“Could it be…”

“I was walking fine when suddenly my foot slipped.” Feng Zhiwei lied more convincingly than truth itself. “Inexplicably, I fell, and the knife pierced my wrist. I’m not a fool—having already applied the medicine, would I still help Prince Chu?”

“Who knows whether you applied the medicine…” Shaoning muttered quietly.

“Indeed, now no one can tell whether I actually applied the medicine or not.” Feng Zhiwei shook her head as if lamenting wasted potential, turned and walked away. “Who told the Princess not to trust me and insisted on preparing two approaches? Now even if you want to know my loyalty, there’s no way to prove it.”

“I do trust you!” Shaoning grabbed her. “Wei Zhi, don’t be angry. This time I was wrong. That Ning Yi is cunning and treacherous. There must be his informant among my people—that’s why he knew everything and came fully prepared. Look how he deliberately sent an assassin to confuse matters, making holes in all the princes’ guards’ left shoulders, calmly absolving Ning Cheng of suspicion. This shows he knew the entire plan from the start. So Wei Zhi, you must help me!”

Here we go again… Feng Zhiwei sighed inwardly, turned back, and said sincerely, “Princess, I’m not suitable to help you anymore, at least not now. Think about it—if Prince Chu has an informant, he definitely knows our plan clearly. I can barely protect myself right now—how can I oppose him? What we should do now is lie low, wait for an opportunity before acting.”

“Also, Princess,” Feng Zhiwei reminded her, “this matter is confidential. Not many know the details. You should properly clean up the people around you.”

“People around me…” Shaoning released her sleeve somewhat dazedly. “Around me, there’s only Nanny… she wouldn’t…”

Her voice was extremely low. Feng Zhiwei couldn’t hear clearly. In a blink, Shaoning smiled again, completely changing from her previous confusion. With a smile like flowers, she kicked the withered flowers on the ground with her foot. “Do you know what this place is?”

Feng Zhiwei looked at her questioningly. Shaoning said proudly, “When I was little, I often came here to play. I liked the flowers and plants here, and there was an extremely beautiful woman who lived in the palace behind.” She pointed to the silent palace buildings behind the garden. “Later, someone told me I couldn’t come here, so I never came again. Recently, I remembered this and had people inquire. Only then did I learn about some old matters. Haha…”

Her laughter held no joy, only strangeness. Her eyes flashed as if thinking about something. She suddenly said, “Today, Father Emperor gave Ning Yi Fengyun Pavilion. It seemed casually said, but actually Ning Yi had put in countless efforts beforehand, including today’s situation of ‘him being wronged’—all for Fengyun Pavilion. How hateful that I became someone else’s wedding dress—but it doesn’t matter. You have your clever stratagems, I have my ladder to cross the bridge. Haha.”

Feng Zhiwei glanced at her without speaking. Shaoning took the initiative to pull her sleeve, turned in a circle, pointed in a direction. “See? Fengyun Pavilion.”

Only then did Feng Zhiwei discover that Fengyun Pavilion wasn’t far from here—just separated by the garden and an artificial lake with fake mountains, without a direct pathway, so it felt distant.

“You go back and see.” Shaoning wore a cold smile, patting Feng Zhiwei’s shoulder. “Wait—the good show isn’t over yet!”

Leaving the palace, Feng Zhiwei returned to the Wei residence. She made simple preparations in her room, then lifted a large purple sandalwood chest. A pitch-black tunnel entrance appeared before her eyes.

She’d had this dug, leading directly to her boudoir at Emerald Fragrance Studio in the Qiu residence for convenient access.

Young Master Gu, wearing gorgeous, expensive fabric maid’s clothing, followed behind her, a bag of little walnuts rattling in his sleeve.

The two emerged from the tunnel and sat down in the room. The courtyard was very quiet. Feng Zhiwei had long since instructed Madam Qiu to use the excuse that Miss Feng had contracted measles and couldn’t be exposed to wind, keeping people away from Emerald Fragrance Studio.

Madam Qiu hadn’t assigned any maids. The Qiu residence maids were also unwilling to serve here. In their eyes, Feng Zhiwei was still the baseborn daughter of unknown origins from that eloped woman without status, who had somehow ingratiated herself with the Madam and been temporarily given a courtyard.

Feng Zhiwei didn’t care about these things. She risked danger and trouble coming to the Qiu residence, aside from hoping to look after Madam Feng, mainly for Fifth Concubine’s quarters.

When she’d forced Fifth Concubine into the ice lake, that woman’s strength and reactions in the moment before death had been very strange. Combined with Ning Yi’s appearance, she’d always harbored some doubt in her heart.

After carefully searching the inner chamber, she found nothing. Feng Zhiwei frowned, somewhat discouraged, and leaned back on the bed.

With this lean, she suddenly felt something poking her back. Turning to look, she saw a golden hook used to tie bed curtains, half-hidden beneath the bedding.

She sat up and removed the golden hook. The hook’s upper end was a piece of semi-hollow white jade with a very distinctive shape—two rounded protrusions with a rosy pink glow, slightly crimson at the tips. It looked like a woman’s breasts—seductive and alluring, very much like an intimate object for bedroom pleasure.

Wives and concubines commonly had such things to win favor, but using them as curtain hook decorations was rare. Moreover, if it was a curtain hook, why was it under the bedding? Had someone deliberately put it there?

Feng Zhiwei felt a seam at the jade’s midsection and applied slight pressure with her fingers.

With a “pop,” the white jade split open, and a small golden lock piece rolled out.

Feng Zhiwei froze. This thing looked familiar.

She examined it carefully in her hand. The birth date and time inscribed on it made her eyes contract—this was Feng Hao’s birth date!

Feng Hao was born on the sixth day of the sixth month in the last year of Da Cheng’s Emperor Li’s reign. This golden lock piece was from his childhood. Later it went missing. Feng Zhiwei hadn’t minded, never expecting it to appear here.

But why would Fifth Concubine steal Feng Hao’s birth date? Who did she steal it for?

Having found the item, Feng Zhiwei’s heart grew even more confused, as if she’d inadvertently touched the edge of some extremely vast secret, yet surrounded by obscuring mist, unable to see the full picture.

After thinking, she put away the golden lock piece and considered going to Madam Feng’s small courtyard to probe, but hesitated.

Since that day when she wanted to send Feng Hao to Shounan Mountain to study and Madam Feng had refused, the mother-daughter-sibling relationship had directly entered a frozen period. Madam Feng had come several times bringing food and clothing she’d made herself. Feng Zhiwei had kept her door closed, refusing to see her.

She could handle anyone with smooth diplomacy and gentle persuasion because they were outsiders. Facing the mother and younger brother she’d lived with for over ten years, she found it difficult to maintain a kind and gentle false mask.

Only those you care about can hurt you most deeply.

While hesitating, she suddenly heard commotion outside the courtyard. Then a large group of people rushed in. The first person shrilled, “Congratulations to Miss Feng!”

Feng Zhiwei opened the door and came out, meeting a courtyard full of gleaming eyes and gloating smiles. Leading them, Nanny An held clothing and jewelry, her face like donkey dung balls, smiling so hard the powder fell off in chunks.

“Great joy for Miss Feng.” Nanny An thrust the clothing forward. “I heard you were selected by lot and are about to become Crown Prince Huzhuo’s concubine? The Crown Prince is personally visiting now. Madam is entertaining him in the front courtyard. Do you need to change clothes to attend him?”

She bit down especially hard on the word “concubine.” The entire courtyard of servants were holding back laughter until their faces turned red. One old woman laughed, “I hear grassland men are extremely robust. Miss Feng is truly fortunate.”

Another senior maid laughed, “Just afraid of the strong smell? I hear grassland men don’t wash their feet for a year. Miss, when serving your husband in the future, don’t get overcome by the smell.”

A burst of laughter.

Nanny An thrust the clothing forward demonstratively again. On the wooden tray, the attire was the pink color that concubines entering the household could wear, paired with an emerald green skirt—extremely vulgar. The golden necklace was heavy and clumsy like a dog collar, pressing on the clothes. The red, green, and yellow colors made one’s eyes swell.

Helian Zheng really was impulsive—he’d already run over?

Feng Zhiwei’s eyebrows rose slightly. Her gaze swept lightly over the clothing. “Could this be Nanny’s own trousseau from the bottom of her chest? Poor thing, pressed in the chest all these years, never having a chance to wear it. Are you bringing it to me today because you’re certain you’ll never use it again?”

Nanny An faltered, her hand freezing mid-air.

The Madam hadn’t asked her to bring clothes. She’d wanted to humiliate Feng Zhiwei in revenge herself. This clothing and jewelry were indeed from her chest, prepared for when she’d marry Steward Liu of the Qiu residence. Steward Liu’s wife had died and he’d remarried—it had never been her turn. This was a lifelong regret. She hadn’t expected Feng Zhiwei to be so sharp, hitting her sore spot with one sentence.

“You—” She trembled all over with anger, standing in place shaking for a long while. Just as she had no way to save face, she suddenly heard someone behind her ask quietly, “What’s wrong…”

Everyone turned back to see Madam Feng leaning against the doorway, full of confusion. Hearing voices coming toward Feng Zhiwei’s courtyard earlier, she’d hastily followed to see what was happening.

Nanny An’s eyes brightened. She immediately hurried over, smiling through gritted teeth. “Madam, this old servant almost forgot to congratulate you. Your eldest daughter has flown up to a high branch—she’s about to become the Crown Prince’s concubine!”

“Crown Prince? Concubine?” Madam Feng opened her eyes wide in confusion. An old woman immediately added coldly, “That’s right, a concubine! Your daughter running around outside—who knows what fox-spirit wiles she used—was noticed by Crown Prince Huzhuo. They say today in the Golden Hall he asked His Majesty to reward her as a concubine, and even mentioned nearly getting an imperial marriage decree. Bah, what nonsense—a concubine getting an imperial decree? Is that possible?”

Madam Feng froze, her face instantly turning white. She opened her mouth to say something but the words stuck in her throat. Feng Zhiwei stood by the door, staring at Madam Feng, her heart both sour and bitter—even with her being decreed as someone’s concubine, would Mother still say nothing?

Mother and daughter gazed at each other across the courtyard full of hostility. One hadn’t yet digested this news, thoughts tangled like hemp considering how to handle it. The other carried a faint desolation and disappointment, hoping and waiting for the person she cared about most to give even a little warm response.

They fell into silence, each with their own thoughts, but this made the servants think they were too timid to speak.

“What imperial decree—just giving herself face, right?” Another servant covered her mouth smugly. “But our Miss Feng is truly capable. Silently hooking up with Crown Prince Huzhuo—who knows where a proper young lady who doesn’t step outside learned such tricks!”

“Following Madam’s legacy, learning from family tradition!” A second-rank maid beside Madam Qiu who knew a few characters added in a refined manner.

“Crack!”

A crisp sound, a flash of blood.

A woman’s scream reached everyone’s ears already hoarse—Madam Feng had suddenly grabbed that heavy golden necklace and with a sweeping horizontal strike, slapped it across the woman’s mouth.

Shattered teeth sprayed out. Madam Feng’s face was splattered with specks of blood. She didn’t even wipe it, holding the bloodstained golden necklace high, not looking at anyone, swinging her arm in another sweep.

“No one taught you rules? Today I’ll beat you awake!”

The courtyard full of smug servants turned pale with shock, scattering in all directions. Madam Feng pounced, grabbing the clothes from Nanny An’s tray and throwing them outside.

“Old hag, take your burial clothes and get out!”

The colorful clothes flew out, landing right on the faces of a group who had just arrived. The first person cried “Aiya!” and shouted, “Fragrant to the point of stinking—choking me to death!”

He raised his hand and tore the clothes from his face, stepping on them underfoot.

As his face appeared, everyone felt the originally brilliant sunlight dim. In a trance, some multicolored brilliant light flashed. Looking closely, it was the other party’s eyes—amber rich as wine, deep purple like an abyss. Two nearly opposite colors merged in one person’s eyes, creating a peculiar, dizzying beauty.

The man had rolled up sleeves and an open collar. On his light honey-colored skin, sweat glistened like crystals. His entire body radiated a kind of explosive masculine vigor that made the courtyard full of young ladies and married women stare transfixed.

A group of Qiu residence guards chased after, shouting, “Crown Prince, you can’t enter, you can’t enter—” but were blocked by his entourage. Golden-threaded whips cracked, making them howl. They didn’t injure anyone but made them scatter farther and farther.

So this was Crown Prince Huzhuo. Various gazes immediately turned toward Helian Zheng with different meanings.

Helian Zheng’s gaze shifted, seeing Madam Feng with disheveled hair holding a bloodstained necklace, then seeing Feng Zhiwei who had been standing under the corridor with hands clasped behind her back, calmly composed and looking down from above. He immediately raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Yellow-faced woman—is that your mother? Truly one more fierce than the other!”

Feng Zhiwei choked, then heard him loudly declare, “I like it!”

This time Madam Feng choked, instantly lowering the raised golden necklace.

“Has the Crown Prince come to present betrothal gifts?” Feng Zhiwei had originally prepared to act, but was shocked into forgetting her movements by Madam Feng’s outburst. When Helian Zheng arrived, she immediately found herself again, instantly regaining elegant composure.

“That’s right.” Helian Zheng tilted his head to examine her, thinking this woman just had a somewhat yellow face and drooping brows. Looking carefully, she wasn’t actually very ugly. Moreover, he just liked her seemingly calm but actually contemptuous attitude toward everything. He couldn’t help becoming more pleased the more he thought about it. With a wave of his hand, “Eight Tigers!”

Those eight fierce guards wielding golden-threaded colorful whips thunderously stepped forward in response.

“Betrothal gifts!”

The eight each produced a small yellow cloth bundle from their chests, presenting them with solemn reverence.

What rare treasures?

Madam Feng’s anger rose to her brows again. She was about to stomp these bundles flat when she received Feng Zhiwei’s disapproving gaze and held back her anger, stepping back.

“Presenting my tribe’s most precious betrothal gifts to my woman.” Helian Zheng proclaimed loudly. “Just as eagles cannot leave the sky, flocks cannot leave the grasslands, all warriors of Huzhuo’s twelve tribes also cannot leave it!”

The Eight Tigers moved in unison, simultaneously unveiling the yellow cloth with a “swoosh.”

A pile of fine white powder, snow-bright and dazzling.

Salt.

The entire courtyard burst into laughter. Madam Feng stared wide-eyed. Feng Zhiwei found it both funny and exasperating. Nanny An, cowering behind the water vat, laughed until her whole body shook. “Salt… betrothal gift of salt…”

But Helian Zheng held his head high, solemn brows and eyes, not at all disturbed by everyone’s mockery, his bearing contemptuous. “Central Plains women just have no knowledge!”

“Indeed, precious betrothal gifts.” Feng Zhiwei nodded with a smile. “Huzhuo tribes are remote in the northern frontier, far from coastlines. Salt is an essential necessity for people’s livelihood. Without silks and satins, one can wear cattle and sheep hides. Without poultry and fish, one can eat mutton and drink milk. Without salt, Huzhuo’s warriors who dominate the grasslands would have no strength to gallop across battlefields. Crown Prince, are you using this method to tell me I’m irreplaceable?”

Helian Zheng’s eyes brightened, his expression flying with radiance as he smiled. “I knew you, yellow-faced woman, weren’t like those vulgar women who only see gold, silver, and jewels!”

“If I’m so uniquely irreplaceable,” Feng Zhiwei continued standing motionless, looking down at Helian Zheng, “then when it’s your principal wife’s turn, what betrothal gift will you use to express her unique irreplaceability and preciousness?”

Helian Zheng seriously considered for a moment, then answered, “A salt bowl!”

Truly the Salt King…

Feng Zhiwei looked at the Crown Prince Huzhuo who would marry all the world’s women with one bowl of salt, instantly feeling that the Huzhuo royal court was truly economical…

Her eyes held faint amusement as she looked over. From Helian Zheng’s slightly upward-looking angle, he looked straight into her eyes. That hint of amusement carried light helplessness and fine melancholy, like countless tiny sparks flickering in the misty deep blue night sky—distant, ethereal, beautiful, and unfathomable.

Such eyes, paired with the open and bright expression between her brows, made her face momentarily not yellow and her brows not drooping. Every frown and smile carried an attitude both dignified and romantic, like clouds rolling across the vast sky, silently descending to envelop those beneath in feeling both lofty and distant, yet also gentle.

Helian Zheng originally extremely disliked looking up at anyone. Somehow, at this moment, he didn’t feel this posture wrong at all. It seemed she should naturally stand there looking down, while he stood below the corridor looking up—this was simply as it should be.

Slightly dazed, he suddenly heard the woman above say with a charming smile, “This concubine has heard that when grassland men seek to marry women, they all demonstrate martial prowess, displaying the eagle’s majesty and spirit. Would the Crown Prince be willing to display your talents before this concubine?”

Helian Zheng, hearing “this concubine,” instantly associated it with magnificent tents, bright red candles, flower-crowned brides, skin like congealed fat… Immediately, his brows flew with delight as he answered, “Yes! Only victorious men deserve to marry the most excellent women!”

“Then very good.” Feng Zhiwei sat down with “delicate frailty” and gentle grace. “This concubine doesn’t know martial arts and cannot truly let you spar with the Qiu residence guards. This concubine has an extremely close personal maid who has long admired the grassland eagles’ magnificence. Would you mind giving some pointers?”

“Your personal maid?” Helian Zheng laughed loudly. “I don’t fight women. However, since she’s your ‘personal’ maid, I don’t mind conquering her for your amusement.”

He bit down hard on the words “personal” and “conquering.” Feng Zhiwei looked at him with interest, waving her hand. “Yiyi, someone wants to conquer you.”

Gorgeously dressed in heavenly water-blue, gorgeously veiled in soft gauze, gorgeously spitting out half a little walnut while waiting impatiently on the side, Maid Gu slowly walked forward.