Chapter 58: Li
The capital was desolate, the paths covered with withered leaves. During the autumn equinox, the wind now carried a chill. Unlike the desert frontier, the capital experienced one autumn rain after another, each bringing a new layer of cold, with catkins flying and a silver frost covering everything.
The Li family’s main residence was located on a secluded street in the east of the city. Unlike the Xu family’s, which was in the bustling center, it was in a quiet, green area. In the study, Li Yuxi was reviewing the notebooks on his desk, while Li Luoyan sat opposite him, graceful and dignified, her posture proper.
Today was the day for Li Luoyan to return home. Unfortunately, Feng Qi was far away at the frontier, so she had only returned to the Li Residence alone with countless carts of treasures and a group of servants. It was still quite a grand affair.
Li Luoyan glanced at the man leaning against a long bench at the side and frowned. “Father, may I ask who this young master is…”
Hearing this, Li Yuxi put down his brush. “Yan’er, greet the Fourth Prince, His Highness Feng Ji.”
Li Luoyan’s eyes widened slightly, clearly extremely surprised.
The Fourth Prince, Feng Ji, the current emperor Feng Qi’s full-blooded younger brother—hadn’t he been granted death with a cup of poisoned wine on the day Feng Qi ascended the throne? How could he be sitting here now?
Could it be that there was another story behind it all those years ago?
Li Luoyan sized up Feng Ji without a change in expression. He was thin and bony, his face deathly pale, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, looking like a piece of dead wood.
Feng Ji gave her a casual nod.
“Her Majesty, the Empress.”
Li Yuxi said to Li Luoyan, “Yan’er, you must get along well with His Highness. This is your future husband.”
Li Luoyan looked at Li Yuxi with a blank expression, but her heart was in turmoil.
Husband?
Li Luoyan turned her head again to look at Feng Ji, her heart full of disgust.
Seeing that Li Luoyan and Li Yuxi seemed to have something to say, Feng Ji flicked his sleeves and left the study, not giving her a single word or glance the entire time.
After his figure disappeared behind the bamboo door, Li Luoyan frowned. “Father, your daughter is not willing to marry him.”
Li Yuxi sneered. “Could it be that you have developed feelings for that fatuous ruler, Feng Qi?”
Li Luoyan’s tone also turned cold. “Your daughter dislikes His Majesty, but I also do not wish to be with that Fourth Prince.”
Li Yuxi stared at her for a long while before saying, “Father can see at a glance that the King of Hong Xi is not a good person to be with. His temperament might even be worse and more unbearable than Feng Qi’s. That man’s eyes only see power, he has no humanity or conscience. If you marry him, you will only live in misery.”
Li Luoyan found this topic annoying and changed the subject. “Does Father plan to summon Second Brother back to the capital to act together? Second Brother has one of the Li family’s armies in his hands. One can’t have too many troops.”
“Huaisheng, he…” Li Yuxi shook his head. “Huaisheng’s heart is not with the Li family. It’s better not to have him.”
Li Luoyan frowned.
“Father, he is your son.”
“Heh, it’s better not to have such a son. He likes the frontier so much, likes to risk his life for the Emperor. Let him fend for himself.”
Li Luoyan said with a straight face, “If your daughter is disobedient, will Father also let her fend for herself?”
The atmosphere was a little stiff. With a sigh, Li Yuxi said slowly, “Yan’er… the King of Hong Xi is, after all, an unpredictable and uncontrollable foreign tiger. We are not his only choice, and Feng Ji is more trustworthy. The Fourth Prince needs our troops, and we need his reputation. With collaborators on the inside and the army on the outside, Feng Qi is our common goal. Such an ally is the safest. Yan’er, Feng Qi can no longer tolerate us. We must plan well for the future. You must not be willful.”
Li Luoyan felt a sense of desolation in her heart and couldn’t help but sneer, her tone sharp and sarcastic. “Father, your daughter is really like a brick, to be moved wherever she is needed. First it was Feng Qi, then the King of Hong Xi, and now it’s Feng Ji.”
Li Yuxi said dismissively, “You and Feng Qi only have the name of husband and wife, not the reality. And you have only met the King of Hong Xi a few times. You are still a virgin.”
Li Luoyan was so angry she was at a loss for words. She suddenly felt she could no longer communicate with the man who had given birth to her.
“Your daughter takes her leave.” With a flick of her sleeve, Li Luoyan left the study without looking back.
“Thud—”
The door was slammed open. Li Yuxi looked at the undignified Li Luoyan and shook his head, frowning.
“Rebellious child…”
At the first light of dawn, Wen Ning’an, in a daze, saw Feng Qi pick him up and carry him to the bathtub.
After his body touched the warm water, he truly woke up. Seeing Feng Qi also step into the bathtub to bathe with him, he blinked. “You’re alright?”
“I’m fine. I’m great, better than ever!” Feng Qi patted his chest hard, his face radiant, his whole body relaxed and full of energy.
Wen Ning’an smiled and shook his head. Hongqing Dan is truly a divine pill.
Feng Qi wrapped his arms around Wen Ning’an in the water, making him face him, his chin resting on his shoulder. He reached his hand around him, moved to that secret place, and pulled out his thing.
“Ngh…”
Hearing Wen Ning’an’s suppressed sound of pain, Feng Qi sighed. “Sorry, I lost control again…”
Wen Ning’an shook his head. “It’s alright… I was the one who gave you an overdose of the drug first.”
Feng Qi felt a sense of guilt in his heart. Every time they made love, it was a disaster. Wen Ning’an’s body must be in a terrible state. Thinking that Wen Ning’an had taken such a desperate measure out of fear that he would be in pain last night, Feng Qi felt both moved and heartbroken.
Kissing his earlobe and auricle, Feng Qi said firmly, “I swear, if it’s like this again next time, I won’t do it.”
Wen Ning’an chuckled softly and raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to castrate yourself?”
“Then you would cry your eyes out,” Feng Qi also laughed.
“Nonsense.”
After the two of them had washed up, Wen Ning’an lay face down on the bed, and Feng Qi applied medicine for him.
“Your Majesty.”
Wuying appeared at the side and said in a low voice, “There is a secret report.”
Feng Qi took it and read for a while, his brow tightly furrowed, his expression grave.
“What’s wrong?”
Feng Qi directly handed the secret report to Wen Ning’an. He was stunned for a moment, then, without being coy, he took it and read. The wax pill reported on the Li family’s recent movements.
Feng Qi sneered. “They think they’ve hidden it well, but they don’t know that there are no walls in this world that don’t have cracks. I’ve put more effort into the Li family than the Xu family.”
Wen Ning’an nodded, his tone serious. “Recruiting troops and horses, moving around everywhere—the Li family’s actions are truly suspicious. We must be on our guard.”
“It’s not the first day they’ve been plotting. The Xu family was just a clown. The Li family is the real ruthless one, a drum that doesn’t sound when beaten.” Feng Qi’s eyes were dark. In his past life, it was the Li family who had colluded with Hong Xi. He himself had just died, but Wen Ning’an had suffered all kinds of humiliation…
Feng Qi said, “They must have also sensed that I want to eradicate them, so they have rebellious thoughts. The people of the Li family, especially those of the main branch, are all cunning, each with more schemes than the last.”
Hearing this, Wen Ning’an couldn’t help but sigh. “Brother Li is truly an exception.”
Feng Qi’s face immediately fell, his eyes as if a storm were brewing.
“Yixin seems to have a high opinion of Li Huaisheng?”
Wen Ning’an was not afraid. He reached out and pinched Feng Qi’s cheek. “No matter how high my opinion is, it can’t compare to Huaitian. Huaitian is the high and mighty Son of Heaven, handsome, and highly skilled in martial arts.”
Feng Qi snorted, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curve up. After putting away the medicine box, he immediately leaned over and lay down beside Wen Ning’an, pressing close to him, successfully soothed.
Wen Ning’an chuckled softly. Why is he like a child?
Feng Qi said, “I want to move the Northeast Army to Quanzhou to guard against the Li family.”
“That’s a good idea. The Northeast Army is idle anyway. You can also consider the garrison in Qinzhou. Qinzhou and Quanzhou are close together, and it’s convenient to move between them.”
Wen Ning’an only commented on the distribution of troops, not mentioning the Li family, nor did he want to add any more comments.
Feng Qi smiled and stroked Wen Ning’an’s head. “You are my wife. You don’t need to have any reservations. Say whatever you want.”
Wen Ning’an looked up. “I have nothing to say. I don’t know these twists and turns. It’s better for you to decide.”
“Alright,” Feng Qi said. “You don’t need to worry about these things. I will handle them well. The Left General just has to win battles for me.”
The two looked at each other and smiled.
After applying the medicine for Wen Ning’an, Feng Qi tucked him in. “You rest well.”
Wen Ning’an turned over. “I’m going out later. We’re breaking camp before noon.”
Feng Qi first frowned, then sighed and stroked the top of Wen Ning’an’s head.
“Don’t be too tired.”
Wen Ning’an nodded, then, looking at the wax pill still in his hand, as if remembering something, he said to Feng Qi, “Huaitian, can I borrow your shadow guards for a while? The Left Army’s shadows are, after all, not as skilled in some aspects as the imperial shadow guards.”
“Of course. What do you want to do?”
Wen Ning’an said, “I suspect there is a spy in the army.”
He then told Feng Qi about how the You King’s army and the Hong Xi army had easily invaded the interior of Fengzhou before.
Feng Qi nodded.
“That’s right. It must have been with an insider’s help. Then who do you suspect in your heart?”
Wen Ning’an thought for a while. “To be honest, I can’t think of anyone. At the general level, there’s only me, Brother Li, Brother Gao, and Yu Jiu. Brother Li and Brother Gao are comrades who have been through life and death with me for many years. I met them on the first day I entered this military camp. They are brothers who can entrust their backs to each other. And Yu Jiu is someone you trust. So, it’s impossible for any of them.”
Feng Qi said, “Not only is Yu Jiu someone I trust, but he is also not familiar with Fengzhou. The possibility can be reduced.”
Wen Ning’an felt a headache.
“If they were to cooperate with the enemy, an adjutant could also do it. Perhaps it was one of our adjutants. We’ll have to investigate more carefully.”
Feng Qi said, “I understand. I will help you investigate and get rid of this hidden danger as soon as possible.”
