Pei Jue had been convalescing for quite some time, like a little wife, never venturing beyond the main door or the inner gate. Apart from the people in Feng Yunâs room and his personal guard, almost no one on the estate had seen the grand king.
That evening, to everyoneâs astonishment, the Prince of Yonghuai emerged from his house with the aid of the Princess, making his way out of the estate to "inspect" the crops of the season.
The two of them walked ahead.
A group of guards and servants followed behind.
The Prince of Yonghuai had an austere expression, while the Princess was chatty and jovial. As a couple, they seemed deeply affectionate and well-matched, pleasing to the eye.
It was a busy time for farming, and as the evening heat began to dissipate and the temperature dropped, the farmers were coming out of their houses in pairs and small groups to work in the fields, where people were scattered everywhere.
The moment Pei Jue chose to appear, he immediately became the focus of everyoneâs attention.
From Changmen to the entire Huaxi Village, excitement quickly ensued.
"Is the Prince of Yonghuai fully recovered?"
"I doubt it... If he were, why would he need the Princess to support him?"
"Thatâs what being deeply in love looks like, you ignorant fool."
"At least it seems heâs no longer in mortal peril..."
"Someoneâs going to have sleepless nights again..."
"Isnât Wanning busy suppressing bandits? General Shentu has been unable to take Xiufeng Mountain for a long time. With the kingâs condition improving, the banditsâ good days are surely numbered."
"Exactly, if I were him, Iâd personally seek revenge for that arrow wound..."
People in the distance whispered amongst themselves, buzzing with various discussions.
Feng Yun led Pei Jue to a pavilion by the lotus pond and sat down, feigning ignorance as she casually asked someone to brew some tea and struck up a conversation.
"What are your thoughts, my king?" Feng Yun asked.
Pei Jue surveyed his surroundings and after a long while, turned to glance at her.
"Our crops seem better than othersâ."
Ours?
Feng Yun gave him a quick look and smiled faintly.
"Iâm asking you, what it feels like to be the center of attention after not leaving your room for so long?"
Pei Jue said, "Where are the people?"
True enough, no one dared to come close, with most farmers working in the distant fields.
Did she just realize that he hadnât noticed at all?
Feng Yun glanced at him, "I thought youâd rest quietly for a few more days, at least until after the autumn harvest."
Pei Jue asked, "Who said Iâm leaving?"
Feng Yun questioned with suspicion, "Arenât you leaving?"
Pei Jue replied, "Iâm still in the recovery period."
Feng Yun noted, "You use the term âperiodâ well... It can be long or short."
Pei Jue grunted in agreement, "Itâs about time to recover."
Feng Yun remained silent, eyeing the laboring farmers near and far before casting a smiling glance his way.
"Take it slow, no need to rush, you should give people a chance to speculate."
Pei Jueâs gaze deepened, "With my wifeâs arrangements, how could I dare to linger in sickbed?"
"Cut it out," Feng Yun rolled her eyes at him, "as if you wouldnât deal with Li Zongxun without me saying a word. As long as Yecheng remains a threat, the Western Capital Dynasty wonât be at ease. Itâs clear that Iâm the one helping you, whatâs so bad about you playing the stern face?"
Pei Jue looked at her and acquiesced.
"My lady has a plan, and Iâm truly comforted by it," he said.
Feng Yun hesitated, then gazed at him with a helpless smile.
"Fine, whatever you say goes. Itâs better to have something to say than nothing at all," she murmured. Her last words were somewhat quiet, said more to herself than to him...
Pei Jue did not hear her clearly and frowned slightly, "What did you say, Lady Yun?"
Feng Yun looked at him with a smile that wasnât quite a smile, her gaze extending to the distant rice fields.
The golden rice plants were heavily laden with ripe, plump grains, swaying in the breeze, presenting an idyllic pastoral scene, as picturesque as a poem.
Her face was bathed in a soft radiance.
"I said, my king is correct. The crops Iâve planted are indeed better than othersâ. When you grow old and return to civilian life, come farm with me," she said jokingly.
Pei Jue gazed deeply at her.
"Alright. Wait for me," he responded.
There were no outsiders here, just the two of them sitting in the pavilion in the wind.
From near and far, the farmlands spread out in an orderly fashion, with occasional bursts of laughter.
Yet inside the pavilion, there was a suffocating silence.
A man and woman, whose story spanned two lifetimes, both harboring their own secrets, sat beside the pond watching the autumn harvest season unfold without any further conversation for a long time.
Eventually, it was Feng Yun who broke the silence.
"Youâre not fully healed; itâs not good for you to sit too long. Letâs go back," she said.
Pei Jue met her gaze and slowly rose to his feet.
Hand in hand, they walked back into the estate, once again drawing the curious eyes of the crowd.
Thus, the news of the Prince of Yonghuaiâs improved condition swiftly spread.
Soon after, visitors came knocking, bringing their condolences.
The courtesies Feng Yun had initially rejected were now offered once more.
Pei Jue was unwilling to deal with them and pushed everything onto Feng Yun.
"If not for Lady Yunâs grand plan, I could simply feign illness. Why should I bother with these trivial matters?" he remarked.
Feng Yun took over the troublesome matters with composure.
"My king, rest assured, leave everything to me," she assured him.
She was quite enthusiastic this time around. Whenever members of the royal family or notable households paid a visit, she would receive them in person, accept their gifts, and send back one in return. Additionally, she informed the guests that, once the yearâs rice was collected into the granary and the new rice was procured, she would hold a feast at the manor, inviting everyone to taste the new rice.
Some were genuinely congratulating her.
But for others, Pei Jueâs survival was like a bolt from the blue.
People were coming and going from the manor.
Feng Yun watched the comings and goings, calculating how much longer it would take for the rice to be threshed and stored, and felt ever more that her time was running short. She somewhat regretted taking the initiative to sort out these trivial matters for Pei Jue.
This kind of hosting was not what she liked.
"Itâs all your fault," Feng Yun complained deliberately in front of Pei Jue, expressing her grievance. "My peaceful life in the manor was completely disrupted by your arrival. âThis prince today, that marquis tomorrow,ââIâm worn out."
Pei Jue looked at her, silent for a moment.
"Just deal with it casually."
Feng Yun didnât make a sound.
He continued, "If you donât want to deal with it, let the gatekeeper send them away."
Seeing his protective nature, Feng Yun barely suppressed the smile on her lips, "Wouldnât that cause trouble for the prince?"
Pei Jueâs brows knitted slightly.
He remembered her crying in her previous life, saying she "just wanted peace," and his voice grew husky without him realizing it.
"Then what would Lady Yun have me do?"
Feng Yun pursed her lips slightly, laughter nearly bursting from her throat.
"I want the prince to remember, itâs for you that I deal with these people..."
For you...
A flicker of emotion stirred in the depths of Pei Jueâs eyes.
Then he heard her say, "You owe me, and youâll have to repay it all."
Pei Jue swallowed his words back down, falling silent.
Feng Yun glanced at him, about to speak, when the sound of footsteps came from outside the curtain.
"Madam, a visitor from the Marquis Xuanping Residence seeks an audience with you."
It was Alouâs voice.
Feng Yun glanced at Pei Jue, "Not available, say Iâm tired today..."
Alou bowed slightly and presented the list of gifts, whispering:
"The lady of the marquis herself has come."
Feng Yun looked at the list of gifts, pondering for a moment.
"The God of Wealth has arrived, show her to the Huaxi Hall."
Compared to when Pei Jue was injured, the gift from the Marquis of Xuanpingâs Residence this time was much more substantial. Without having yet met the lady of the marquis, Feng Yun guessed she had a request to make.
But she didnât expect that the lady of the marquis would be here on behalf of Yang Sanniang.
At the beginning of their meeting, both women tacitly avoided discussing the incident at the Governorâs Office, sipping tea lightly and speaking formal words of concern for each other.
After a cup of teaâs time passed, the lady of the marquis shifted the conversation and offered a deep bow to Feng Yun.
"This time, the marquisâs life was saved, all thanks to Doctor Yaoâs superb medical skills..."
Feng Yun could not discern the sincerity in her words and responded with a slight smile.
"My lady is too courteous. Doctor Yao resides in Huaxi, but sheâs not from my manor. Iâm undeserving of such a gesture."
"You deserve it, it concerns the lineage of the marquisâs house, even a great gift such as this is something the princess can accept..."
The lady of the marquis looked at her, her eyes suddenly welling with tears.
"The princess is a wise woman, and I wonât beat around the bush with you. Besides coming to visit the prince, Iâm also here to ask the princess to show mercy..."
Feng Yun remained silent, her eyes holding a mocking smile as she stared at her.
The lady of the marquis suddenly felt fearful, her voice softening.
"Please do not misunderstand, princess, I have no ill intentions, I just want to save Yang Sanniang..."
Feng Yun uttered an "oh," her eyebrows raised, intentionally showing surprise.
"The lady of the marquis has a compassionate heart; I admire that. But to deal with such vermin, why bother being so kind?"
The lady of the marquis smiled bitterly and shook her head, almost on the verge of crying.
"With Qufeng gone, Iâm already of such age and I have no means to have another child for the marquisâs house. Regardless of Yang Sanniangâs character, the child she carries is also of the Qu familyâs blood. I canât just watch her go to her death with the child..."
Feng Yun was greatly surprised.
After all these days, even Yang Lingxiang had not acknowledged the child in her womb as Qu Gongâs, but here was the lady of the marquis eagerly willing to recognize the child?
Something was amiss, and taking the opportunity to ponder while pretending to sip her tea, Feng Yun then looked up with a smile and inquired:
"Is this also the wish of the Marquis of Xuanping?"
The lady of the marquis shook her head, "The marquis luckily survived the brink of death, but his body is very frail. Doctor Yao has said that he may never fully recover and must live with medicinal soups..."
Qu Gongâs condition was something Yao Ru had reported to Feng Yun.
His body was not seriously harmed; the problem lay with his mind.
Feng Yun suspected it was the blow to his head, intended to fabricate the "affair," that was struck by the guard that day.
Of course, she hadnât told Doctor Yao the truth.
Only during their discussion of his medical condition did she inform him that such an injury required avoiding further agitation...
"To spare him additional agitation, I have yet to discuss it with him," the lady of the marquis said with tears in her eyes, continuing, "After this ordeal, Iâve come to realize, with or without Yang Sanniang, there would be other women all the same, itâs better to make do with whatâs available. At least, Yang Sanniang has no one in her maternal family to fight for anything else..."
She only wanted the status of the lady of the marquis, nothing else mattered to her anymore.
Feng Yun observed the tears in her eyes and believed that after the marquisâs severe illness, she was disheartened and had truly seen things in a new light.
However...
Feng Yun set down her tea, and asked indifferently:
"But have you considered, my lady, if by chance the child is not the Marquis of Xuanpingâs?"