Chapter 172 - 125: Smart and Versatile

"Xiaoman."

Clad in a plain, warm dress with her hair lightly coiled up, Feng Yun appeared somewhat weary as she gave Crown Prince Chunyu Yan a perfunctory bow without getting up and merely gestured towards the pile of boxes and chests in the corner.

"Open the boxes, find some medicine for Crown Prince Chunyu..."

Chunyu Yan observed her delicate face, suspecting that she had lost weight.

"I didn’t come for medicine," he said, "that was just a pretext to trick others."

Feng Yun looked at him without surprise.

"The Princely Heir has time for jokes, but I do not have the energy to entertain. If you’re not here for medicine, please leave. We will be arriving at Xinzhou soon..."

Chunyu Yan slightly adjusted his cloak and his eyes dropped down.

"Do you have news from Xinzhou City?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Yun’s eyelids twitched violently.

"What has the Princely Heir heard?"

Having roamed various countries for many years and being able to conduct thriving business naturally meant Chunyu Yan had contacts and sources of information others did not possess.

Chunyu Yan did not answer immediately.

His intense gaze, as if assessing Feng Yun’s condition and mood, lingered for a while before he slowly articulated:

"Han Xu of the Beiyong Army turned traitor during battle, Hu Yi led his troops in rebellion, the Red Armor Army perished in Hongye Valley, Zhu Cheng died in battle, and Ao Qi’s whereabouts are unknown. Pei Jue led troops to the rescue but is now trapped in the Bingzhou City, with the Qi Army’s two hundred thousand soldiers at the Hengqu Pass, in alliance with forces from Dongquan, Fujiang, Chunning, and other regions, closing in on Bingzhou. At this moment, Bingzhou City is like an isolated island in water, without food or reinforcements, its chances of survival slim."

Feng Yun sat back down, her complexion slightly pale, yet she appeared very composed.

Because she had already anticipated this.

From the day she had Cao Kai carry the message to Pei Jue, she had worried that it might be too late to prevent the mutiny.

Lately, failing to receive any response, she had a vague suspicion that the situation on the battlefield was not going well...

Feng Yun’s head ached.

"Xiaoman, close the window."

Xiaoman responded promptly, sensing the lady’s poor mood, and moved with silent, careful steps.

Only then did Chunyu Yan slowly enter the room, glancing at Feng Yun’s expression.

"Feng Twelve, are you alright?"

Feng Yun looked up at him, "Is the Princely Heir somewhat disappointed?"

Chunyu Yan smiled, eyes revealing a fox-like charm, "Indeed. I am disappointed. I wanted to see you cry, but that’s not happening, is it?"

"Right," Feng Yun replied calmly.

Her mind was a bit in turmoil, but what good would it do if she panicked and wept?

It wouldn’t change the situation in Bingzhou, far away.

Thus, she smiled faintly.

"Thank you for taking the time to see me make a fool of myself, Princely Heir."

A frown flitted across Chunyu Yan’s brow.

He indeed came with the intent to mock her.

The man who meant everything to Feng Twelve was trapped in Bingzhou—wasn’t that fantastic news? He had intended to gloat, to mock and ridicule her in front of Feng Twelve, as revenge for past grievances.

But upon seeing Feng Yun, those mocking words...

He couldn’t bring himself to say them, feeling them inappropriate.

Pei Jue had hit him.

Yet he was also a distant cousin with whom he shared a connection.

Chunyu Yan pursed his lips.

"You do not ask me where I got this news, whether it is accurate or not?"

Feng Yun shook her head, "You have your channels, to tell me is a favor; I have no need to dig deeper. Everything will be addressed once I arrive at Xinzhou."

Chunyu Yan observed her composure, his deep eyes even more profound.

This lady...

Was as resolute as a rock.

To say she had no feelings, yet when she heard that Ao Qi was missing and Pei Jue was trapped in Bingzhou, her eyes instantly reddened.

To say she had feelings...

Yet they seemed scarce, no matter how one looked at it.

Chunyu Yan had initially thought Feng Twelve would be easy to win over, but now, she was becoming increasingly inscrutable to him.

"There’s no harm in telling you,"

He casually draped his cloak aside and sat down himself, "It’s the Qi Emperor."

Only then did a hint of surprise appear in Feng Yun’s eyes.

But she stared at Chunyu Yan without asking, calmly waiting for him to continue, or to stop there if he chose.

Chunyu Yan, looking at her expression, lazily smiled.

"Is Xiao Cheng your betrothed?"

He had heard of this matter before, but it never really sunk in, nor did he care much about it. To him, it was irrelevant who Feng Twelve was engaged to, or which man she was with...

Just as he had told Pei Jue, if it amused him, he could pursue her...

Yet for some reason, asking again now, he felt uneasy, uncomfortable.

At this moment, Feng Yun was not in the mood to discuss such matters.

"That’s no longer the case."

Chunyu Yan felt somewhat relieved, "Then what is your relationship with him?"

Feng Yun said, "It doesn’t matter..."

After saying this, she felt that these words were insufficient to express herself, so the corners of her lips slightly curled up, "Enemy."

Chunyu Yan let out a light laugh, chewed on the word, and then gently hummed, staring at Feng Yun, "Your enemy has asked someone to find me, to rescue you back to Qi Country. They’re willing to pay a large sum of bounty..."

He paused, then continued, "Feng Twelve, that’s an amount beyond your imagination. Selling your entire Changmen Village wouldn’t even cover one-thousandth of this bounty. The Qi Emperor is indeed willing to spend a lot of money on you, his enemy."

Feng Yun narrowed her eyes to scrutinize him.

As if just then, she realized something.

"So, you came following the ship, just to look for an opportunity to take me away, in order to earn that hefty ransom which is thousands of times more precious than my entire Changmen Village?"

Chunyu Yan wore a smile that was not quite a smile and did not speak.

Feng Yun said, "Then where does the Princely Heir get the confidence that, under the protection of the entire supply train and Imperial Guard Camp, he can take me away?"

Chunyu Yan gave her a glance, "If I were to take you away, I wouldn’t tell you. Feng Twelve, do you see me, Chunyu Yan, as someone who lacks money? Did the Qi Emperor misjudge me, and you as well?"

Of course, Feng Yun did not believe he would do so.

It was true that Chunyu Yan loved wealth, and he wandered among countries, sometimes just and sometimes evil, being both a good person and a bad one—that was also true.

But taking Feng Yun to Qi Country would bring him no benefit.

Unless...

Pei Jue was killed in action.

That would indeed be a perfect situation, pleasing both sides.

Feng Yun suddenly understood why Xiao Cheng had told Chunyu Yan about the battle situation in Bingzhou.

He wanted to give Chunyu Yan peace of mind.

So that he would know, after taking Feng Yun away, he wouldn’t have to face retaliation from Pei Jue. Without Pei Jue, Feng Yun had no leverage in Jin Country; the Jin Imperial Court wouldn’t bother him over a mere concubine.

And with the promise of a handsome reward, any businessman would know how to choose...

"Xiao Cheng’s information does not seem as well-informed as I thought," Chunyu Yan, seemingly thinking of something, suddenly laughed.

"It appears he’s not aware of the somewhat unclear relationship between me and Twelve..."

What did he mean by an unclear relationship?

That statement sounded rather unpleasant.

But Feng Yun couldn’t be bothered to argue.

"Then if you don’t intend to take me away, why did you come following the ship?"

Chunyu Yan began to laugh.

"It’s necessary to make an appearance. After all, I don’t want to offend Xiao Cheng. I still want to do business with Nanqi; their silk brocades, damasks, celadon, and refined paper have brought quite a profit to Yunchuan. Why would I, in sound mind, pick a fight with the God of Wealth?"

Feng Yun sneered, "You truly are a slick operator, a fence-sitter."

"Thank you for the compliments." Chunyu Yan lightly bowed his hands without a trace of embarrassment, but rather asked idly, "If Pei Wangzhi really dies in battle in Bingzhou, what are you planning to do?"

Feng Yun remained motionless, glancing at him.

Without answering, her face, however, was a mockery that read "What’s it to you?"

Chunyu Yan said with a smile, "Why not come with me?"

This was his intention in coming aboard the ship; by the time they reached Xinzhou, the news would no longer be timely, nor would it impact Feng Yun as much. His original intent was to win her over sooner and to do her a favor in the process, making it easier to speak with her...

Unexpectedly, upon hearing his suggestion, Feng Yun laughed.

"Don’t you want Lian Ji anymore?"

Chunyu Yan hadn’t thought that far ahead.

He just found this girl interesting, amusing, and irreplaceable by others. Of course, what mattered most was that one aspect...

He unabashedly stated, "I am only responsive to you."

That was truly laughable.

Feng Yun glanced at him with a lift of her eyes, "Even Doctor Yao can’t cure you?"

That look was casual, yet full of allure.

All of a sudden, Chunyu Yan’s gaze grew heated.

It felt as if something was rushing up through his blood, tickling his heart and stoking a flame that heated his spine to a tantalizing buzz.

It was a fervent desire for Feng Twelve, he knew.

"Only you can cure me. You’re my ancestor."

Feng Yun let out a cold huff and, half-closing her eyes, leaned back against the soft pillow, casually watching him.

"I’m a bit tired. Princely Heir, please leave."

Chunyu Yan felt a sour and astringent sensation in his throat, perhaps jealousy, or some other emotion—it was simply uncomfortable. But he knew that, compared to Pei Jue, his place in Feng Twelve’s heart fell short by just a bit...

Pressuring her at this time would only annoy her.

"Fine, I’ll wait for your news."

After standing up, as if feeling unsatisfied, he touched his ear that often grew hot since being hit by Pei Jue, and added, "I’ll also wait for the bad news about Pei Wangzhi."

Feng Yun looked up at him.

Her gaze was icy cold, as if soaked in ice water.

"You may not live to see that day."

"Oh?" Chunyu Yan raised an eyebrow, "Do you have a way to save him?"

"I don’t, but the King of Hell does," Feng Yun smiled and said, "His time isn’t up yet; he shouldn’t die like this. His life is longer than a cat’s. How could he meet his end in Bingzhou?"

Chunyu Yan’s deep eyes half-closed.

He felt that Feng Twelve had been greatly agitated.

She was already eccentric in her actions, and after this episode, he feared she would be even more maniacal in days to come...