“Yes.” The guard nodded and stepped back several paces.

As he turned to leave, the sound of footsteps came from outside.

Linlong lifted the curtain, and Feng Qingyin swept in with a confident, unhurried stride.

“Miss Qingyin.” The guard gave a nod of greeting.

“Out.” Feng Qingyin waved him away.

“Yes, Miss Qingyin.” The guard cupped his hands and retreated hastily without daring to look back.

“Miss Qingyin, His Highness the Crown Prince — ” another guard rushed forward.

“Out.” Feng Qingyin pursed her lips and said in a low voice, “Linlong, stand guard outside. I have something I need to say to my Crown Prince Brother.”

The Feng Qingyin of today was a completely different person from yesterday — that commanding, imperious manner of hers was what looked truly natural on her.

“Yes, Miss, please proceed!” Linlong’s voice carried as she glared at the guard, motioning him away.

The guard who had followed Feng Qingyin inside looked to Zhan Yuheng with an expression of helplessness. Only when Zhan Yuheng gave a wave of his hand did the guard bow and withdraw.

With everyone ushered out, Linlong returned to her post outside the tent and let the curtain fall back into place.

Silence settled over the interior of the tent.

Feng Qingyin looked at the man who had his head lowered — whom she suspected was only pretending to read — and walked toward him with a smile brimming on her face.

They had been apart an entire day, and yet he had still sent someone to follow her. How could her Crown Prince Brother possibly be in any mood to read right now?

He was the exalted Crown Prince, of course — he could not afford to lose face. But what did it matter if she, just a woman, took a step forward and made things easier?

“Crown Prince Brother.” Feng Qingyin swayed as she walked, taking slow, measured steps toward him.

“What is it?” When only a foot of distance remained between them, Zhan Yuheng’s low voice rang out.

Even though Zhan Yuheng radiated a chilling aloofness, Feng Qingyin paid it no mind and simply sat down beside him.

“Crown Prince Brother, I…” She reached out both hands, intending to take hold of his arm.

But without warning, Zhan Yuheng used the motion of turning a page as cover and drew his arm away, evading her touch.

The smile on Feng Qingyin’s face stiffened for a moment, then smoothed back into its natural expression.

Unable to take his arm, she instead reached out and caught hold of his sleeve.

“Crown Prince Brother, didn’t I hear that you came looking for me last night?”

“I am sorry! Yesterday my body was unwell, and my spirits were low — so I had Linlong take me out for a walk.”

“I never expected to cause Crown Prince Brother such worry. I am truly sorry.”

Feng Qingyin raised her eyes to look at Zhan Yuheng and gently tilted her head toward his shoulder.

“Is there something you wish to say?” Zhan Yuheng stood up abruptly, and she pitched forward into empty air.

Feng Qingyin braced both hands against the chair just in time to keep from tumbling over.

“Crown Prince Brother, you…” She looked up at Zhan Yuheng standing to the side, her rosy lips pursed, and her eyes instantly reddened at the corners.

“This prince dislikes being touched. You would do well to bear that in mind going forward.” With those words, Zhan Yuheng stepped away and took up a position beside the bookshelf.

Watching his retreating back, Feng Qingyin drew a deep breath, her chest tight with suppressed grievance, and drew another.

How could she have ever imagined he would say something so cutting so bluntly?

This was the first time he had spoken to her so coldly — even after learning that she was with child.

Could a token really be so important? More important than his own son?

She bit her lip, straightened her posture, and unhooked the token from her waist.

“I know what Crown Prince Brother is angry about. Have I not already explained? The matter before was my fault — what must I do for you to forgive me?”

Pressing her lips together, Feng Qingyin took the token and approached Zhan Yuheng’s side.

“Your token — I am returning it to you.”

Feng Qingyin looked up at Zhan Yuheng, her expression as pitiable as she could make it.

Zhan Yuheng reached for a book from the shelf, glanced down, and accepted the token with his other hand.

He did not look at it further but returned to his seat.

Feng Qingyin’s brow furrowed as she lowered her head.

“Crown Prince Brother, I’ve returned your token, and from now on Qingyin will not use it without proper cause. Will you please forgive me?”

“When you swapped out this prince’s token and used it to order his men to pursue and kill Jiu’er, and to oppress the refugees, did you give any thought to me at all?” Zhan Yuheng said in a low, measured tone.

Feng Qingyin’s brows knitted deeply together. She wanted to move closer but stopped herself.

“Crown Prince Brother, I did not swap your token.” She looked up at him, her face a portrait of wronged innocence.

“I do despise Feng Jiu’er — because she is always able to lead Crown Prince Brother around by the nose. I hate her so much I’d sooner have her done away with, to clear a wide and open road for you.”

“But how could I possibly wish to harm the refugees? If I gave no thought to myself, I would still give thought to our child, would I not?”

“Before I was with child, my behavior left a poor impression on Crown Prince Brother — yet ever since I became pregnant, I have been far more restrained. Has Crown Prince Brother not noticed?”

“The Grand Tutor said that for the child to be born healthy and strong, I must accumulate virtue and merit. If it were up to me, I would truly rather there were no war at all.”

Feng Qingyin rattled on at length — yet the man before her never once looked up.

She was furious. Seething, in fact — yet she had nowhere to direct it.

Every time Crown Prince Brother was angry with her, was it not always because of Feng Jiu’er? The refugees were nothing but a pretext!

Feng Qingyin stood a short distance away, her lips pressed tightly shut, tears nearly spilling over — and still she could not draw so much as a cold, indifferent glance from Zhan Yuheng.

In the end, she let out a quiet sigh and sank to her knees.

Head lowered, one hand rubbing her abdomen, Feng Qingyin said in a muted voice, “Crown Prince Brother — secretly swapping your token was my mistake!”

“I am sorry. I will never dare to do it again.”

With some difficulty she bent forward in a bow, then straightened back up on her knees and drew out her handkerchief to dab at the corners of her eyes.

“Regardless of whether Crown Prince Brother wishes to hear Qingyin’s voice, there are some things Qingyin must say plainly today.”

“Feng Jiu’er cannot be allowed to remain. As long as she is here, sooner or later Crown Prince Brother will be led around by the Ninth Prince’s hand.”

“You are the favored son of Heaven — how many women would vie for the chance to be at your side? What one cannot have is not always better, Crown Prince Brother. Please cherish the one who stands before you.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Feng Qingyin bent forward again in deference to her swollen belly.

Given how far along her pregnancy was, bowing and kneeling was not particularly difficult.

But seeing her in that awkward, strained position, almost anyone would feel a pang of tenderness — and Zhan Yuheng cared deeply about the child she carried.

“Get up.” With a cool glance at Feng Qingyin, Zhan Yuheng said in a cold voice.

“I will not!” Feng Qingyin shook her head. “Without Crown Prince Brother’s forgiveness, I will kneel here as long as it takes.”

Even as she said this, the woman with her head bowed quietly let the faintest curve of a smile touch her lips.

She had known all along that Crown Prince Brother cared about her. Feng Jiu’er was nothing but a legend — she didn’t even have the chance to see Crown Prince Brother in person. What did she have to compete with?

Zhan Yuheng lowered his gaze once more, and the slight furrow in his heavy brows slowly eased.

He waved a hand and said indifferently, “Do not let it happen again.”

“Yes, Crown Prince Brother.” Feng Qingyin was suddenly elated.

As she rose to her feet, her shoulder accidentally knocked against the table, and her finely arched brows instinctively drew together.

But she made no complaint to Zhan Yuheng — she simply reached up and rubbed the spot herself.

Glancing up at Zhan Yuheng, Feng Qingyin reached into her sleeve, withdrew the diagram she had acquired from Tuoba Keyan, and held it out to him.

“Crown Prince Brother, this is the enemy’s strategic deployment map. Please take a look.”