Chapter 85: [Feng & Wen] A Little Joy
It was a harsh winter, with heavy snow.
White curtains fluttered in the palace, and white lanterns with the character “Mourn” (奠) hung along the long corridors. From the nobles down to the servants and common people, everyone was dressed in plain white. The sound of bells echoed, sending off the departed soul.
The white gauze inside the hall and the vast white snow outside complemented each other, only making it seem more desolate. Everyone was wrapped in thick clothes, and the charcoal fires in the palace had not been extinguished.
After Feng Qi woke up in a daze, he saw Wen Ning’an waiting by his bed.
Wen Ning’an immediately handed him a cup of tea, thoughtfully placing the rim of the cup to his lips.
Feng Qi sat up with the help of the bedpost and, seeing Wen Ning’an’s worried expression, couldn’t help but smile. “I’m fine. It’s quite normal to get sick occasionally. How can a person who eats whole grains not get sick?”
Wen Ning’an tested the temperature of his forehead. “This is the first time I’ve seen you sick.”
“Perhaps I’m getting old, and my body is not as good as before,” Feng Qi shrugged.
Wen Ning’an lowered his head. He knew this was not the reason for his illness. Perhaps it was because of Annihilating Yang White Bone. Even though it had now been suppressed by his Yingyue Zhuori, Feng Qi’s inner energy was still heaven-defying. Not to mention him, in fact, after Wen Ning’an had practiced Yingyue Zhuori, his martial arts had also greatly increased, having taken on half of Feng Qi’s inner energy.
The Empress Dowager had passed away.
The funeral was now over, and the body had been buried. And after Feng Qi and Wen Ning’an had kept vigil for her for a whole night, he had fallen ill upon his return.
Feng Qi sighed. “Before my Empress Mother passed away, I was by her side.”
Wen Ning’an got on the bed and leaned against him.
“I asked her if she had ever thought of me as her child. She never responded until her death, not even looking at me once.”
Wen Ning’an held his hand. “The Empress Dowager may not have said it, but how can a mother not love her child? She always had you in her heart. It’s just that… there were too many things between you.”
Too many things. Feng Ji, the Xu family, the Wen family…
The reason the Empress Dowager had suddenly fallen ill this time was because Feng Qi had finally closed the net and had Feng Ji arrested and brought back for execution. She had kept pleading with him, even using her life and their mother-son relationship as a threat, but in the end, Feng Ji had still died on the execution ground.
Between his mother and the country and his child, Feng Qi had chosen the latter. He could not leave a hidden danger for Feng Shengshi, nor could he tolerate a rebel prancing around under his nose.
This time, he was very cautious and did not give her a chance to intervene as he had before. And after Feng Ji’s head fell, the elderly Empress Dowager had also fallen ill and never recovered.
“You have me,” Wen Ning’an rested his head on his shoulder.
“Mmm, I have you. And Long’er and Bi’er.”
As they were talking, they saw Long’er carefully walk into the room with a bowl of medicine.
“Imperial Father, Daddy!”
The six-year-old Long’er now looked even more like Feng Qi. His features and demeanor were just like a child version of him. Feng Qi now took him and Bai Bi with him wherever he went, so Long’er had learned a lot. Although he was young, he was intelligent and quick-witted. He had a lot of mischievous ideas and was so naughty and lively that he gave both of them a headache.
Long’er climbed onto the bed and sat beside him, saying haughtily, “Imperial Father, I’ll feed you!”
Wen Ning’an smiled and shook his head, taking the bowl. “Stop fooling around.”
Feng Qi said, “As long as Long’er obediently finishes his homework and doesn’t anger the grand tutor, I’ll get better even without drinking the medicine.”
“I’ve finished it.”
Feng Qi said with a sidelong glance, “If you have Bi’er do it for you again like last time, I will not only punish you, but also Bi’er.”
Long’er immediately nestled into his embrace and acted spoiled. “Imperial Father, don’t punish Bi’er. I will obediently finish it. I will definitely do it myself this time, and I will also finish reading the memorials!”
Wen Ning’an smiled. This child had already made Feng Qi issue an edict that “if any court official does the crown prince’s homework, regardless of their rank, they will be immediately dismissed and punished.” He didn’t believe that Long’er would obediently finish it. He must be planning some other mischief.
At such a young age, he already knew how to “bribe” the ministers with the silver he had tricked from his imperial father. Feng Qi and Wen Ning’an were both angry and amused.
To prove it to them, Long’er brought his homework over and began to read it seriously by the bed. After Wen Ning’an had fed Feng Qi the medicine, he lay down and fell asleep.
Long’er stood before Wen Ning’an and pointed to the short sword at his waist. “Imperial Father is sick and asleep. I will protect Daddy.”
Long’er’s martial arts were personally taught by Feng Qi, while Wen Ning’an, along with the grand tutor, guided him in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Wen Ning’an rarely made a move in front of him, so in his impression, his imperial father was unparalleled in martial arts, and his daddy was brilliant in literature. Daddy, like Bi’er, was gentle and fragile and needed protection.
Wen Ning’an smiled. “Daddy doesn’t need protection.”
“Who says? Daddy should sleep too. I’ll be right here.” As he spoke, he kissed Wen Ning’an’s cheek and raised an eyebrow. “Imperial Father is not here. I will take good care of Daddy and Bi’er.”
Looking at the roguish smile on his chubby, soft face, Wen Ning’an couldn’t help but chuckle. He’s learned to be bad, really learned from Feng Qi.
“Imperial Father told me that Long’er is a man and will protect the people of the world in the future. But if I can’t even protect my own family, then I can’t be the master of this world.”
Wen Ning’an pulled him into his embrace. “Come, tell me, what else did your imperial father say to you? Did he say anything about me?”
Long’er thought for a moment. “Imperial Father said Daddy is the best person in the world and that when I look for a wife in the future, I should also find someone as beautiful and as good-natured as Daddy.”
Wen Ning’an was stunned, his ears slightly red.
“Don’t listen to his nonsense…”
“Imperial Father is not talking nonsense!” Long’er raised his head proudly. “Whatever Imperial Father says is right!”
“Alright, alright, your imperial father is the most amazing.” Wen Ning’an pinched his cheek. “Go and have Bi’er come back and rest. Don’t let him overwork himself.”
Bai Bi was now fourteen, and he handled court affairs with caution and propriety. Feng Qi had taken this opportunity to let him take on a great responsibility.
“Okay!”
After Long’er ran out, Feng Qi opened his eyes and pulled Wen Ning’an into his embrace, teasing, “If you want to hear sweet nothings, why do you have to get it out of Long’er? I can just say it to you directly.”
“You were pretending to be asleep.”
“If I didn’t pretend to be asleep, how would I know you like to hear me say good things so much?”
Wen Ning’an didn’t dare to look at him and just said in a low voice, “I was just asking casually. I didn’t want to hear it.”
Feng Qi held him in his arms and gently kissed his forehead, the tip of his nose, and his lips…
“I like you. I like you more and more every day. I have never grown tired of you, and I want to be with you every day.”
“I like the way you smile, the way you teach Long’er and Bi’er, the way you are so majestic and fool around with your brothers in Fengzhou, the way you cry and moan in a daze of love under me.”
“Alright.” Wen Ning’an covered his mouth, his face a deep red.
So improper all day.
Feng Qi couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“I will say sweet nothings to you every day in the future.” His voice was very gentle.
“Don’t…”
Feng Qi raised an eyebrow. “Could it be that you will get tired of hearing it?”
Wen Ning’an was stunned for a moment, then said softly, “I won’t…”
“Heh.”
Feng Qi’s hand slipped into his collar and kneaded.
Wen Ning’an first gasped, then patted his shoulder. “Stop fooling around! You’re sick!”
“Maybe doing it will make me better.”
That’s what the little storybooks all say.
Feng Qi pressed down on him and was about to lift his front flap when he heard Long’er shout from the door, “Wow!”
Wen Ning’an turned his head and saw Bai Bi holding Long’er’s hand, standing outside the hall door, with Xingxing and Liangliang beside them.
Xingxing and Liangliang had grown a lot and were now a little shorter than Long’er. Although they were not intimidating, they could still make people wary.
Xingxing let out an excited “awoo.”
Wen Ning’an was startled and subconsciously pushed Feng Qi away hard. His head hit the wall, and he winced in pain.
Bai Bi’s face turned red. He was about to pull Long’er away, but Long’er pulled him and ran towards the bed. “I want a hug too!”
He pulled Bai Bi and leaped onto the bed, crashing into their embrace. Feng Qi, who already had a fever, was now dizzy from hitting the hard wall, and with these two children crashing into him, he felt the world spin.
Wen Ning’an looked at his wretched state and laughed happily.
That’s what you get for being horny, and you’re still sick.
“Alright, alright, stop fooling around. Let’s sleep, let’s sleep.” Feng Qi shook his head, held Wen Ning’an in one arm, and wrapped the other around the children. Xingxing and Liangliang lay beside them, blocking all the cold wind for them. Bai Bi stroked their bodies. They were furry and warm.
Long’er muttered, “I don’t want to sleep. I want to protect you.”
Feng Qi patted his back. “Don’t be silly. Of course there are shadow guards surrounding us.”
These past few years, Feng Qi and Wen Ning’an had been casting and reeling in their net, cleaning up dissidents and rebels. The court was not peaceful, and assassins often broke into the palace, so the defenses were even more watertight.
Bai Bi quietly held Wen Ning’an’s hand, which was noticed by Long’er, who couldn’t help but be jealous.
“You are all mine,” he pouted, holding Wen Ning’an’s hand with his left hand and Bai Bi’s with his right.
Wen Ning’an was held by Feng Qi, his head resting on his chest, his hand also being held. His heart was filled with a warmth.
Outside the window, a heavy snow was falling, and the cold air slipped into the room through the window, but no one felt cold. The charcoal fire was burning, and the four of them were nestled in bed, hugging each other, with the two fierce beasts lying at their side. No one spoke, just leaning against each other and slowly drifting off to sleep, just like the countless years before. It was snowing outside, but in their dreams, it was a gentle spring rain.
Fu Che quietly entered and covered them with a thick fur quilt.
“Sleep well…”
