Han Fei chuckled. "I suppose so."
"Coming empty-handed? You really are stingy," Zhao Feng teased.
"I possess little more than the wind in my sleeves. What gift could I bring you?" Han Fei said, slightly annoyed.
"Watch your tone. I am your lifesaver, after all," Zhao Feng reminded him. "If word of this gets out, the name Han Fei will become a laughingstock."
"Fine. To be indebted to a lifesaver like you... it must be my bad luck," Han Fei said with a sigh of resignation. Though he was a Legalist and well-versed in the art of debate, he could never seem to win an argument against Zhao Feng.
"Although I didnāt bring a gift," Han Fei began, his demeanor changing, "there are some matters concerning you in the Court. Would you like to hear about them? They involve Mr. Fusu, as well as the strife within the Court." He smiled, confident that Zhao Feng would be curious.
But Zhao Feng simply replied, "Not interested."
"Youāre not curious at all?" Han Fei pressed, taken aback. "Mr. Fusu specifically requested to be the one to deliver the Royal Edict to you. Donāt you wonder why?"
"What else could it be?" Zhao Feng retorted with a cold laugh. "Itās simply that they can no longer suppress my momentum. In fact, Fusu just sought me out to personally apologize."
"As expected of the Eldest Imperial Son. Such restraint, such composure. No wonder he has garnered so much support in the Court," Han Fei remarked with a smirk. "By apologizing to you, heāll be praised for showing deference to the worthy if word gets out."
"Hah, deference to the worthy," Zhao Feng scoffed, unimpressed.
"Speaking of Mr. Fusuās affairs, Iāve heard a few things myself. It was Chunyu Yue who sent his disciple to threaten you, correct?" Han Fei inquired.
"Thatās right," Zhao Feng confirmed, an amused laugh escaping him. "He sent some moron to threaten me into breaking my engagement with the Wang familyās daughter."
"Moron?" Hearing the peculiar word, Han Fei looked curious.
"It means thereās something wrong with his head," Zhao Feng explained with a sideways glance.
"Indeed, there is something wrong with his head," Han Fei nodded in deep agreement. "With a teacher like that, I can finally see why the Great King hasnāt appointed Fusu as Crown Prince."
Hearing this, Zhao Feng cast a surprised look at Han Fei. He hadnāt expected him to grasp the heart of the matter so quickly.
"Whether heās made Crown Prince or not has nothing to do with me," Zhao Feng stated. "As long as they donāt provoke me, Iām fine."
"Before I came, Li Si specifically stopped me. Care to guess what he wanted?" Han Fei asked with a smile.
"Although Iām not entirely familiar with the situation in the Court, Iāve heard a little," Zhao Feng said, venturing a guess. "Li Si represents the new nobility, while men like Wang Wan represent the old aristocracy and the imperial clan. They are naturally in constant conflict. Since Fusu was coming, I imagine Li Si told you to stop him from apologizing to me, didnāt he?"
Han Fei nodded. "Not to stop him, exactly, but to ensure you maintained your ill will toward Fusu. After all, your current influence in the Court is unmatched, and everyone says youāre the future Senior General. If Fusu were to truly offend you, it would not bode well for him."
"Of course," he continued, "Iāll be frank with you. When you were defending Wei City, men like Wang Wan did indeed try to undermine you, accusing you of deserting your post. However, the Great King reprimanded them for it. Now that they see they canāt suppress you, Mr. Fusu himself has come. In any case, you can weigh the pros and cons of this situation for yourself. As a friend, I advise you to stay out of their affairs as much as possible. Donāt be fooled by the fact your star is rising in the military. If you get caught up in their struggles, it could be a fall from which you can never recover."
Listening to Han Feiās heartfelt words, Zhao Feng knew he was looking out for him.
"Donāt worry," Zhao Feng said with a smile. "I canāt be bothered with their meaningless struggles. Iām doing just fine in the army. You, on the other hand, need to be careful in the Court."
"Alas," Han Fei sighed. "Itās a pity itās still wartime and you cannot drink. Otherwise, I would have shared a few cups with you today."
"There will be a chance. After we conquer Zhao, Iāll invite you to my home for my wedding feast. I guarantee youāll taste the finest wine in the world."
"I would be delighted. Iāll be waiting for that day."
ćHalf a day passed by quickly.ć
Outside the military camp, five hundred Imperial Guards escorted two carriages as they began their journey back.
"Farewell, Eldest Imperial Son." Wang Jian stood at the edge of the camp, offering a fist salute to Fusu.
"Senior General, please, thereās no need to see me off," Fusu gestured with his hand.
The two carriages then slowly departed under the protection of the five hundred Imperial Guard cavalry.
"Why did the Eldest Imperial Son want to see you?" Wang Jian asked, turning to Zhao Feng. At that moment, Wang Ben and Yang Duanhe had already departed for Jinyang City, leaving only Zhao Feng to temporarily watch over the main camp.
"His teacher, Chunyu Yue, sent someone to threaten me to break things off with Yanāer. I beat the man on the spot," Zhao Feng replied. "Fusu came this time to apologize."
"He threatened you to break off with Yanāer?" Wang Jianās brows furrowed as a flash of anger crossed his face. He had known nothing about this. "No wonder Chunyu Yue dared to target you so openly in the Court afterward. So that was the reason. Good, good... Chunyu Yue." A cold glint appeared in Wang Jianās eyes.
"You need not worry about this, Father-in-law," Zhao Feng said. "Since Fusu came to apologize personally, it shows his sincerity. Of course, Fusu is Fusu, and Chunyu Yue is Chunyu Yue. If he dares to meddle again, it wonāt be resolved with a simple apology."
This time, Zhao Feng had accepted Fusuās apology for his failure to control his subordinate. But judging by that moron Chunyu Yue, he would likely try something against Zhao Feng again in the future. On that day, Zhao Feng would not be so courteous.