Feng Fen Dai Enters the Palace
Feng Yu Heng noticed the slight change in the palace maid’s mood; however, she could not understand why exactly this was. She just saw her stand up and extend a box forward, respectfully saying: “Our master was very happy with the marriage between Imperial Daughter and His Highness the ninth prince. Because master lives in Jing Si Palace, it’s inconvenient for her to come and go, thus she chose a gift from the things that she had. She then had this servant come to deliver it and congratulate Imperial Daughter and His Highness the ninth prince on the joy of a grand wedding.” After saying this, she handed the item to Wang Chuan, who then presented it to Feng Yu Heng.
Feng Yu Heng did not understand things like jewelry very well. She could only recognize them as a pair of jade earrings, but since it had come from a concubine of the imperial harem, it had to be extremely valuable, thus she smiled and politely said: “Pass along my thanks to Noble Lady Li. Just say that I really like these earrings and will take good care of them. Many thanks to noble lady for her kind intentions.”
The palace maid bowed and thought for a bit, adding: “Noble lady said that she hopes for Imperial Daughter and the ninth prince to live happily, to enjoy a hundred years of harmony, and to quickly give birth to a healthy child. At the same time, noble lady truly misses His Highness the sixth prince and hopes that His Highness can quickly return to the capital. She hopes that Imperial Daughter can let His Highness the sixth prince know the next time you two meet. In summary, as long as Imperial Daughter is able to get along with His Highness the ninth prince, that is what noble lady hopes for the most.”
The palace maid quickly spat these words out then left, leaving Feng Yu Heng confused. She asked Wang Chuan: “What was the meaning of that?”
Wang Chuan said: “It sounded like a heartfelt congratulations, but it felt a little too deliberate. When praying for your happiness, it did not have any celebratory tone. It did not sound any different from a warning.”
Feng Yu Heng also felt as though it was a warning, but what was this warning about? “Warning me to enjoy a good life with Xuan Tian Ming? Shouldn’t they hope that I don’t get along with Xuan Tian Ming? Why have they suddenly changed their angle?”
At this time, Huang Quan came in from the outside. Hearing what Feng Yu Heng had just said, she interjected: “It might just be that palace maid herself who hopes for you and His Highness to live happily. As for Noble Lady Li… Young Miss, a spy from the palace came to report just now. Today before noon, the Feng family’s fourth young miss, Feng Fen Dai, entered the palace and went to Jing Si Palace.”
“Oh?” Feng Yu Heng did not think that this was unexpected. She and Xuan Tian Ming had already returned to the capital, and they had returned with such a great military triumph. There would definitely be some people who would have some of their own ideas. In the past, Feng Fen Dai had egged on Noble Lady Li. Choosing to visit Noble Lady Li at a time like this, it might have had something to do with her. “In the end, that girl just refuses to give up and be obedient. It seems that scattering Feng Jin Yuan’s ashes was not enough to relieve that knot in her heart. It’s just that the person that she had bet on does not appear to be very steady.”
“That’s right!” Wang Chuan also chimed in: “A few years earlier, the fifth prince was quite absurd. Although he has gotten better these past few years, he is still too lacking compared to the other princes. Those official matters and thoughts that had been neglected are not things that can be made up for in just a few moments. If the Feng family’s fourth young miss continues to mess around like this, I fear that she still won’t be able to support her future husband.”
“Just let her do as she pleases!” Feng Yu Heng said: “She has a heart that is even prouder than Feng Chen Yu’s. She also has a personality that is more unreconciled than Feng Chen Yu’s. Her life is also slightly better than Feng Chen Yu’s. It’s just that I don’t know what her final outcome will be.”
Coming out of the imperial daughter’s manor, Zi Rui was sent back to the Yao family. Feng Yu Heng brought her two maidservants back to the Yu Palace. She sighed that getting married really changed things. In the past, the imperial daughter’s manor had been her home; however, her home had now moved to the Yu Palace. Speaking of, it seemed as though she did not bring much of a dowry over! All of her nice things were inside her space. As for the rest, it was nothing but gold and silver, thus treating the imperial daughter’s manor as a deposit box was quite nice.
In the Yu Palace, Lady Zhou began to sort things first thing in the morning. The things that she was sorting were in preparation for Feng Yu Heng returning to the Yao family. Three days after a girl got married, she would return to her childhood home. These were the rules. Their wedding had been conducted in the desert, thus it had been skipped, but since they had returned to the capital, this needed to be done. Although the Feng family was Feng Yu Heng’s true childhood family, the Feng family no longer existed. That residence only had Feng Fen Dai alone, and it was not worth mentioning. As for Feng Yu Heng, as well as everyone else, they acknowledged her childhood family as being the Yao family. That was why Lady Zhou recognized the next day as the day that Feng Yu Heng would “return to her childhood home.”
Wang Chuan had prepared Feng Yu Heng mentally for this. There were quite a few rules for the return visit to one’s childhood home. There were also quite a few gifts that needed to be brought along. Just in terms of large and small boxes, there were no fewer than 30, not to mention the baskets that others would be carrying.
Lady Zhou said: “They’re all just things for the ceremony. It looks like quite a bit; however, there isn’t much that’s worth money.”
Of course, Feng Yu heng knew that these were just words said out of courtesy. When had the Yu Palace ever been stingy with its spending? Moreover, these were things that had been prepared for her family. To say that they were just for ceremony, they were probably things that were worthy of being shown off. She nodded and did not offer any appraisal on the items. She just said to Lady Zhou: “Back when His Highness sent the betrothal gift, he had given me quite a few shops. I used some of them, and there are some that I have never touched. I have already had my people clean them up. In a few days time, they will be brought over here to be taken care of. It will also make them easier to put to use.”
Lady Zhou repeatedly waved her hands: “Since they were given to Princess, they belong to Princess. Even if you got married, there is no need to give them to your husband’s family. Moreover, your in-laws are all in the palace. In this Yu Palace, Princess is the only one whose word matters. Even if they are brought over, it will still be you that takes care of them. That’s why keeping them there is the same. As for the Yu Palace, it has a large number of businesses. This old servant has already tidied them up and was preparing to go and sort them out with Miss Qing Yu. This old servant is old and no longer has that much energy. I will need Miss Qing Yu to take on a few more things. The palace’s businesses will be left to her to manage!”
Feng Yu Heng did not refuse because what Lady Zhou had said was correct. Her in-laws were not in this residence. She alone could make the decisions. If she did not ask for anything and did not concern herself with anything, she would be acting too distant. Thus she smiled and said: “Then these things will be left to Lady Zhou to discuss with Qing Yu! It’s good for Lady Zhou to be a little more relaxed, but you can’t completely ignore the matters in the palace. You know that I am not very proficient at housekeeping.”
The two spoke and chatted very harmoniously. Lady Zhou liked this princess more and more, while Feng Yu Heng also felt that having someone like Lady Zhou and Eunuch Zhang in the residence would save her a great deal of worrying. In such a large palace, although there were very few masters, there were quite a few servants. If it were not for Lady Zhou and Eunuch Zhang helping out, there really would be no chance for her to do anything else during the day. Just taking care of matters in the palace would keep her plenty busy.
Compared to the extreme heat of the desert in the South, Summer in the capital was far cooler, and the atmosphere was not as nervous. Xuan Tian Ming also had a bit of a longer vacation as a result of just returning to the capital after finishing his task. The two stayed together starting the evening. One studied military books, while the other sat at the table and nibbled on fruits.
But Feng Yu Heng felt that her husband was not very focused when reading his military books. This was especially true after dinner, when the sky began to darken. His shifty eyes would occasionally glance in her direction, while the page of his book had not been turned for nearly an hour. She felt a little uneasy, as she hugged the plate of fruit and partially turned away, simply having her back face her husband.
Xuan Tian Ming watched this girl’s reaction and helplessly smiled. What was she doing? Was she afraid that he would steal her fruit? A grown man like him would not steal watermelon from his wife. What he really wanted to eat was not something from that plate. Instead, it was that gorgeous and moving little person.
He put down his book and shouted to the little girl: “Dear wife!”
A certain person did not even look back: “What is it?”
“Husband is finding it difficult to grasp this battle formation. Come here, and let’s discuss it a bit.”
“Is this the truth or not?” Feng Yu Heng was very suspicious of this, “That book that you’ve been holding has not seen a page turned in a long time. You weren’t even reading it. What do you mean you couldn’t grasp it?”
“It’s because I couldn’t figure it out that I didn’t turn the page!” He spoke very reasonably, “Come over and take a look. This prince knows that you are very knowledgeable about these things, and you can deduce many things. Quickly come here to help me with this.”
Hearing him say this, Feng Yu Heng could no longer sit still. It seemed as though what he had said was correct. It was because he could not understand that he had been stuck. She should go and help, thus a certain person stood up and looked at the plate of watermelon with reluctance. Only then did she unhappily walk over to Xuan Tian Ming, “Speak, what battle formation?” While she spoke, she reached out for the book on the table.
But just as she reached out with her small hand, it was grasped by a larger hand. She was then pulled forward, and she very defenselessly fell into his lap.
Feng Yu Heng felt her mind explode, and she suddenly felt a bit flustered. She wanted to fight back a bit, but she also really enjoyed this sweet feeling.
But she still felt a little unhappy because she had been fooled and deceived! She regained her clarity, and her glare was piercing. She was clearly unhappy: “Xuan Tian Ming, you’re too shameless! Xuan Tian Ming, you’re a bully!”
Damn! Feng Yu Heng felt that getting married was truly no fun. In the past, although the two had also been intimate and would even sleep together, Xuan Tian Ming had been very obedient. He definitely would not overstep. Now that they had gotten married, he changed and became a wolf. With just a single misstep, she would be bitten?
Seeing her glaring expression, Xuan Tian Ming burst out laughing, as she heard him say: “Heng Heng, be good. I just really like you. I like you so much that I don’t want to let you go for a single moment. How much have we endured before we could get married? Just thinking about it now is frightening. Heng Heng, in the past, if I was negligent for even a moment, it was possible that your life would have been at risk.”
She rebutted: “How could that be possible? I’m not an herbivore. Who could possibly be a threat to me? Also, think about it more carefully. Those people that have plotted against me, which one of them did not end up suffering in the end? That’s why you can be at ease. Your wife is amazing!”
“Un, my wife is amazing.” He nodded with a smile, “But I am still afraid. This sort of fear cannot be described clearly. It’s like a treasure that is always placed in front of everyone’s eyes, thus there is always a worry that it will be stolen away or broken. That’s why, Heng Heng, promise me that you won’t leave me. Regardless of what happens, we will face it together. Regardless of how difficult things may become, we will face it together.”
She nodded, “Alright, I promise you. Then can you let me go now?”
“No.” He spoke seriously, “Heng Heng, be good. You and I have already gotten married. Naturally, we need to perform the Duke of Zhou’s ceremony*, don’t you think?”
*TN: Euphemism for sex. The duke said that sex before marriage was no good, thus sex after getting married could euphemistically be called the Duke of Zhou’s ceremony.
**PSA: There is a different version of the chapter on the discord server.
