Su Xi-er nodded. “Rest assured.” She then turned towards the private room on the second floor.
The room was the same as the one she had entered the first time she came to Cyan Wind Pavilion. It had become her own private room, with other customers not being allowed to enter no matter how busy it became.
The interior was decorated simply, with all the furniture being made of mahogany. A pot of her favourite tea, Taiping Houkui, was even placed on the table.
All of this had been arranged by Feng Changqing. He was from an impoverished background and had a feminine face, and he was even more meticulous than most women. But right now, that face has been destroyed.
Su Xi-er’s gaze darkened. I want to find a way to remove the scars on Feng Changqing’s face.
A knock on the door woke Su Xi-er from her thoughts, and Feng Changqing’s voice could be heard. He entered immediately after Su Xi-er replied.
After closing the door, Feng Changqing bowed. “This subordinate heard that Wei Mohai is dead. Did he hurt you?”
Su Xi-er shook her head. “I received a wound on my arm, but it’s fine now. There’s no need to worry.”
“Wei Mohai is prudent and thorough. Every time he received an order, he would stubbornly carry it out without fail. You can’t just be…”
“He smeared poison on his sword, but the poison has detoxified. All that remains is a regular cut, and I’ll be fine after drinking some medicine. I came here to inform you that Prince Hao will soon be searching for a flower grower to cultivate Lingrui. You have lived in Moon County in the past, so you must have some understanding about planting Lingrui.”
The expression in Feng Changqing’s eyes flickered for a moment. “Before this subordinate joined the army, I was begging for work in Moon County. I ended up as a flower child assistant.”
He involuntarily paused. In Moon County, only little girls will be flower child assistants, yet I was one as a boy. At that time, many nobles and officials would snicker at my face, and there were even some men who would come forward to touch my face.
Those were the days of humiliation, memories Feng Changqing tried his best to not bring up.
Su Xi-er could guess his current emotions. “If you are hung up about the past, you should kill all those people who bullied you.”
“This subordinate…” Feng Changqing lowered his head and apologised, “This subordinate should have long forgotten about all those matters.”
“You shall go and become Prince Hao’s flower grower, but you have to change your clothes into coarse ones. You also have to swap your veil for a rough cloth.”
Feng Changqing understood Su Xi-er’s intentions. This way, we won’t have to meet in secret, and communication will be more convenient. It just so happens that being a flower child assistant allowed me to learn how to care for Lingrui. However, that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for me to transplant Lingrui in Beimin.
“Prince Hao acts fast, and will soon send people to Moon County. You should accidentally bump into the imperial guards. I will be around when the flower grower is selected, so Prince Hao will definitely choose you in the end.” Su Xi-er spoke slowly, enunciating each of her words.
Feng Changqing immediately replied, “This subordinate understands.”
“I will be returning to Beimin with Prince Hao in three days. Have you settled everything here in Nanzhao?”
Feng Changqing nodded. “This subordinate is done with all the arrangements. As soon as something crops up in Nanzhao, you will be informed immediately.”
“We won’t be able to bring Yun Ruofeng down completely in such a short time. His lust for power is too strong, and we should expect further conflict. However, the current situation is promising. His heart will soon receive a crushing blow. I’ll write a letter for you to secretly send to the imperial palace; make sure it gets to Lianchen.”
Feng Changqing understood and quickly brought a brush with ink and paper over.
Within 15 minutes, Su Xi-er had finished writing the letter. It was succinct, with every word holding vital information.
Su Xi-er folded the letter and passed it to Feng Changqing. As she did so, the manager knocked on the door of the room. “Master, Yun Ruofeng has come to Cyan Wind Pavilion.”
