Chapter 81: Marriage Alliance
The next day, the mourning was announced. The bells in the palace tolled. The Empress of Bei Miao, Li Luoyan, had passed away. The palace was hung with white silk, and the servants also wore white. After all, she was his legitimate wife, and Feng Qi did not want to go too far, so he gave her a grand burial. However, it was a separate tomb. The coffin was not carried into the emperor’s mausoleum.
The person to be buried with Feng Qi in his mausoleum was naturally not Li Luoyan, but…
In the bedchamber, Wen Ning’an was leaning against the bed, holding Long’er and teasing him. Feng Qi still did not allow him to get out of bed, insisting that he rest well, so he had to stay in bed all day.
Bai Bi leaned against him and asked, “Your Highness, now that the Empress is gone, will you become the empress?”
“No.”
Wen Ning’an thought for a moment and explained, “Huaitian truly loves me, so I will not become the empress.”
“Why?” Bai Bi blinked, unable to understand. “His Majesty likes Your Highness, and Your Highness also likes His Majesty. Isn’t it best for you to become his empress? That way, it shows that he likes you the most.”
“It’s different…” Wen Ning’an stroked the top of his head. “If Huaitian were to enfeoff me as the empress, it would be to imprison me within the walls of this inner palace for a lifetime, and I hate that the most.”
Bai Bi nodded, half-understanding.
“What’s wrong? Does our Bi’er want to be the empress?” Wen Ning’an teased with a smile, but as soon as the words were out, he cursed himself in his heart.
He was now completely raising Bai Bi as a daughter. An empress!
This wouldn’t do. He had to change!
Bai Bi said, “I don’t want to be the empress. I want to be by Your Highness’s side for a lifetime…”
Wen Ning’an wanted to cry but had no tears. How was this so much like a conversation between parents and a naive and lovely little daughter who didn’t understand anything?
But after experiencing so much, he felt that he now finally completely trusted Feng Qi, believed that he was his most stable support, and that he was also Feng Qi’s support.
The two of them could no longer be separated. Nothing, no one, could separate them.
If Feng Qi liked him to be his empress, it would actually be fine.
“Yixin.”
Seeing Feng Qi return, Bai Bi immediately left with a roll of books.
Feng Qi sat down by the bed, scraped Long’er’s little cheek, and smiled. “Taking advantage of Li Luoyan’s death and the vacant position of the empress, I’ve dismissed all the concubines from the palace.”
He hadn’t touched a single one of the beauties in the inner palace, so they could be married off to the unmarried officials. In any case, they were all beautiful women of noble status, and these officials had received a heaven-sent joy. And the women in the palace no longer had to guard an empty chamber and were overjoyed to have a husband who cherished them.
From now on, only Wen Ning’an and Feng Qi would be left in the palace.
Seeing that Feng Qi had not taken off his outer robe, Wen Ning’an asked doubtfully, “Are you still going out?”
“Yes. Later, Nan Xiliu will bring her younger sister, Nan Shengliu, to meet Jun’er. Before discussing marriage, let them meet first and see if they are suitable for each other. And… I still have to deal with the matter of Feng Ji. He has escaped from prison.”
Wen Ning’an was stunned and asked for confirmation, “Escaped from prison?”
Is that really possible? To escape from the heavily guarded prison in the palace? Besides, Feng Ji was not an ordinary person. Wouldn’t Feng Qi have sent a group of shadow guards to watch him?
Feng Qi blinked. “As you thought, I deliberately relaxed the guards and vigilance. The only ones in this palace who would want to let him go are the Empress Dowager and the Li family. I wanted to use this matter to wipe out the Empress Dowager’s hidden forces and the remnants of the Xu and Li families in one go. Leaving them is always a hidden danger. Before I hand this country over to Long’er, I will naturally remove these obstacles for him.”
Wen Ning’an nodded.
“But before that…” Feng Qi smiled and nuzzled his neck, lying on him like a big dog and acting spoiled. “Let’s have some tender moments first.”
“Long’er is still here! Don’t let him learn to be bad from you in the future, being so improper all day.”
“You’re wrong about that. I will definitely teach Long’er this set of skills for chasing a wife.” Feng Qi held his hand and said gently, “I will teach him to be good to his wife, to cherish, protect, and respect him, and to give his wife whatever she wants.”
Now Wen Ning’an was unwilling. He pouted. “Then wouldn’t our Long’er be bullied?”
“No. I will also teach him to marry a good wife like you. Then he won’t be bullied.” As he spoke, he kissed the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of tenderness.
“Smooth-tongued…”
The weather was fine, and the gentle breeze was warm on their faces.
Feng Qi took Feng Jun to a courtyard by the lotus pond. The flowers and plants that had been sleeping all winter were now full of life, and the courtyard was in full bloom, but it was still not as beautiful as the two girls in the pavilion.
Nan Xiliu smiled and greeted Feng Qi, then pointed to the girl beside her. “This is my younger sister, Nan Shengliu. Come, greet the prince.”
Nan Shengliu was petite, with a sweet appearance, and her smile was brighter than this spring day.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Feng Jun stared blankly at her, not moving at all.
Feng Qi discreetly patted his back and said in a low voice, “The girl is pretty, but you don’t have to look so foolish. It’s so embarrassing.”
In fact, Feng Jun was not stunned. He had seen even more beautiful girls, and his female confidants were all various beauties. He just felt a deep sense of… guilt.
The flamboyant handwriting of Feng Changhuan kept flashing in his mind. For these past few months, he had been writing to him continuously, sometimes asking about his well-being, sometimes talking about his own recent situation.
“The weather is getting cold. Add more clothes.”
“It’s spring. The wild goose flowers in Hong Xi are blooming. Come and see them when you have a chance.”
Later, Feng Jun finally couldn’t help but write back, saying that he was about to meet Nan Shengliu. He didn’t know if it was out of spite or a desire to draw a clear line.
And the reply was just a few short lines.
“Congratulations, Your Highness. It is just a pity that I love but cannot have, and will never marry for all eternity.”
Feng Jun came back to his senses and turned to meet Nan Shengliu’s shy gaze.
“S-sorry…”
He was a little flustered, his gaze dodging. In the end, he couldn’t help but turn around… and slip away.
“Your Highness!” Nan Shengliu watched his hastily retreating figure, as if he were avoiding some flood or wild beast, her mouth agape, not yet having reacted.
Feng Qi and Nan Xiliu were also surprised.
This… what’s wrong with Feng Jun?
Feng Qi said with some embarrassment, “Sorry, Jun’er is used to being willful. I’ll have someone catch him and bring him back later.”
“No need. A forced melon is not sweet. Seeing Prince Jun’s look of avoiding a snake, it’s better not to bully my Sheng’er.” There was some dissatisfaction in Nan Xiliu’s eyes. This marriage alliance was proposed by Bei Miao first. Why were they going back on their word now?
Feng Qi also had a headache.
He had always spoiled Feng Jun until he was lawless, doing whatever he wanted.
“Wuu…” Nan Shengliu felt she had been humiliated, and her eyes gradually turned red.
“Sheng’er…” Before Nan Xiliu could comfort her, she turned and ran away in anger, leaving the courtyard.
Nan Xiliu just sighed.
What a disgrace.
“Is the Queen of Nan not going after her?”
Nan Xiliu shook her head. “Forget it. Sheng’er has always been like this. The shadow guards will protect her along the way. Let her calm down for a while. I won’t go, lest I make things worse.”
The two of them sat in the pavilion, and Nan Shengliu poured a cup of tea for Feng Qi.
The spring breeze was gentle.
A short while later, a shadow guard came to report that Feng Jun had already left the city and was heading for Hong Xi, without even packing his luggage.
Feng Qi smiled. Such an impulsive nature. He immediately had someone pack his luggage and chase after him.
Truly doing whatever he wants!
Nan Xiliu shook her head. “In the future, with the marriage alliance between Hong Xi and Bei Miao, the relationship will be more stable.”
Feng Qi said with a hidden meaning, “The Queen of Nan is a peerless beauty. I have long heard that the King of Dongwu has admired you for many years and is still constantly sending gifts to Nanxiang, almost granting every request.”
Nan Xiliu smiled.
“Do you still remember… the first time we met?”
“I remember,” Feng Qi also smiled.
At that time, the ten-year-old Feng Qi had participated in the celebration for the Empress’s birthday held by the late Emperor and had gone to the Imperial Forest to hunt. Later, in this forest, he had met Nan Xiliu, who had also come with her mother to offer congratulations. She had gotten separated from her group and was attacked by a wild wolf with green eyes. It was he who had saved her.
Feng Qi had a wild streak since he was young. Seeing her so scared she couldn’t run anymore, he had immediately pounced on the wolf and fought it. With the help of Wen Ning’an’s bow and arrow, he had actually killed the wolf, though the price was a body full of injuries.
It was also because of this incident that the late Emperor had taken him by his side to teach him personally from then on.
Nan Xiliu would never forget that at that time, his body had not yet fully developed, and he was not tall, but there was a confident… or rather, arrogant smile on his lips, and a ruthlessness and sharpness in his eyes that she had never seen before. She had thought to herself that this man would surely be the one to stand at the top and look down on the world in the future.
Nan Xiliu said with emotion, “Perhaps from that time on, you already liked His Highness.”
The wolf was killed, and she stared blankly at the boy who was standing in front of her. Feng Qi, covered in injuries, then fell into the arms of another boy, rested his head on his shoulder, and grinned. “Look! I killed it! Am I amazing?”
Little Ning’an’s eyes were full of heartache, but little Feng Qi’s face was full of smugness and a desire for praise.
Feng Qi said, “Perhaps, or perhaps not. But Yixin has always been the most important in my heart, irreplaceable.”
That’s why I did such foolish things before.
“I can see that,” Nan Xiliu smiled. What was not hers was ultimately not.
“Feelings cannot be forced, after all. As for me and the King of Dongwu… we’ll take it slow.”
The two of them brewed another pot of new tea.
On the other side, Nan Shengliu was leaning against a deserted railing, feeling extremely wronged. She was a doted-on princess, and everyone treated her like the apple of their eye, giving her whatever she wanted. When had she ever been so humiliated!
“Miss?”
Nan Shengliu wiped her tears and looked up to see a man with gentle features handing her a silk handkerchief.
She snorted, took the handkerchief, and asked, “Who are you?”
The man was stunned, staring blankly at her, his reaction a little slow.
“Are you stupid!” She patted his shoulder.
“No. It’s just that miss is very beautiful. I was… I was just stunned for a moment. It was very rude of me. Please forgive me, miss.” The man cupped his fists and bowed, apologizing to her sincerely.
Nan Shengliu’s face turned slightly red. She could see that this honest-looking man was sincerely praising her beauty and was extremely embarrassed because of it. Her heart was happy, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s your name?”
“This subordinate is Wen Ningyuan, the Minister of Personnel.” The current Wen Ningyuan had already been promoted to this high position.
Nan Shengliu held her skirt. “Nan Shengliu of Nanxiang.”
Wen Ningyuan was startled and immediately paid his respects. “This subordinate greets Your Highness, the Princess.”
“Don’t be so formal,” she smiled. “This princess is in a bad mood right now. Why don’t you take me for a stroll in the market?”
“This…”
Before he could reply, she took his hand and left.
“Princess!”
