Who Did You Say Was a Waste?
This shout caused everyone to be startled. Huang Quan instantly appeared before Feng Yu Heng to protect her, while Qing Le, who had been kneeling on the ground, immediately stood up and pulled a hairpin from Feng Chen Yu’s head and stabbed towards Feng Yu Heng.
Feng Yu Heng did not even bother dodging, as she watched the crazed Qing Le meet up with the now-active Huang Quan. In the time it took to smile, Qing Le was kicked away by Huang Quan.
This was the first time Feng Chen Yu saw the servant take action. She previously knew that Prince Yu’s Palace had gifted two servants that were capable in martial arts, but she never thought they would be so good.
She stared blankly at Feng Yu Heng and saw a coldness and courage in this little sister’s eyes. She suddenly felt that she did not recognize this person. Regardless of whether it was the former daughter to the first wife Feng Yu Heng or the more recent daughter of a concubine Feng Yu Heng, it seemed as though neither should be like this.
She could not say precisely what felt off about Feng Yu Heng, but she felt a kind of despair growing at the bottom of her heart.
This little sister, it seemed… she could not defeat her.
Qing Le had knelt for a night and was now kicked by Huang Quan. She had fainted long before she was sent flying by the kick. When she landed there was only the sound of the landing. There was not a single person that went over to help her.
The granny did not mind Huang Quan taking action and kicking someone. She was someone who had been at the palace for a long time, so she had met Huang Quan and Wang Chuan before. Imperial concubine Yun’s former maidservants, who dared to offend them?
She smiled and looked at Feng Yu Heng, completely ignoring the fainted Qing Le. She politely said: “Is princess leaving the palace? Would you like this old servant to arrange a carriage to send you?” As she said this, she looked towards the Feng family’s carriage.
Feng Yu Heng smirked. It seemed that the palace’s grannies were all experts at managing the gates, thus she was not modest: “That being the case, I will trouble granny.”
“What is princess saying?” The granny quickly saluted before leaving to arrange a carriage.
When Feng Yu Heng returned home in the palace’s carriage, it was already seven in the morning. After bringing Xiang Rong back to the manor, Feng Jin Yuan told everyone about the happenings of the palace banquet. Presently, Chen Yu was still knelt outside the palace’s gates. Originally, the matriarch wanted Feng Jin Yuan to go see her, but Feng Jin Yuan felt that if he went, the Empress anger would flare up once more. Thus he could only send a carriage over to pick her up, while he remained in the manor, silently waiting.
Unfortunately, the daughter that returned in the morning was not the Chen Yu he worried most about. It was Feng Yu Heng.
“Did you see your eldest sister?” The moment Feng Yu Heng entered the manor’s gates, Feng Jin Yuan directly went over and asked this question.
She was slightly startled. She had not slept for an entire night, so her consciousness was a little off. Feng Jin Yuan’s question caused her become furious “Daughter remained at the palace for the night, yet father does not even ask once how I am?”
Feng Jin Yuan frowned and very impolitely said: “Haven’t you returned just fine! Your eldest sister was punished with protracted kneeling outside the palace. How can that be compared to being kept behind to treat the Emperor.”
She frowned and looked towards Feng Jin Yuan. Her mind had only one word that consistently rampaged in her mind, shameless!
“I did not see her!” She could not be bothered with wasting any words. With Huang Quan in tow, she turned and walked towards Tong Sheng pavilion.
Feng Jin Yuan also had not slept the entire night, so his temper was quite explosive. Seeing Feng Yu Heng actually had the courage to speak to him like this, he furiously shouted: “Stop this instant!”
How could Feng Yu Heng bother paying any attention to him. Pretending as though she had not heard him, she continued along her way. But before she could walk very far, a servant trotted over and stopped her “Second young miss, the matriarch is inviting you to Shu Ya courtyard!” Her words were polite and full of kindness. It was completely different from Feng Jin Yuan’s attitude.
Feng Yu Heng nodded. Bringing Huang Quan, she turned and followed the servant towards Shu Ya courtyard. Right before departing, she said to Feng Jin Yuan: “If father still has any questions, how about going to pay respects to grandmother with A-Heng. Eldest sister is the Feng family’s daughter to the first wife, but she lowered herself to act as Qing Le’s servant. I really do not know what our family’s position is in the capital.”
Feng Jin Yuan’s face alternated back and forth between being white and red. Presently, Feng Yu Heng was already following the servant and walking towards Shu Ya courtyard. Helpless, he followed, stomping along.
Also worrying about Chen Yu but in a different way, the matriarch’s entire SHu Ya courtyard was beaming with joy because Feng Yu Heng had returned to the manor. Granny Zhao was the first to greet her, not even taking note of Feng Jin Yuan behind her. She directly saluted Feng Yu Heng: “This old servant pays respects to second young miss! Second young miss has been busy all night over at the palace and must be terribly tired. Before the sun even came up, the matriarch had some pigeon soup to help second young miss recover.”
Feng Yu Heng smiled brightly and said to granny Zhao: “I truly have trouble grandmother with worrying. In this manor, it truly is grandmother that loves me most!”
Granny Zhao quickly invited her into the hall and followed up with what she had said: “The matriarch really loves second young miss. Not only did she prepare a pigeon soup, she even called for the capital’s best tailor. She was waiting for second young miss to return to the manor to make new clothes.”
“Oh?” Feng Yu Heng was puzzled, “Why is there such a rush to make new clothes?”
While they were speaking, the two had already entered the main hall. The matriarch was currently seated on the main seat. With a smiling face, she looked at Feng Yu Heng and took the initiative in responding to her question: “Our A-Heng won the phoenix hairpin, so we naturally must make a set of clothing to suit it.”
So it was for that reason.
Feng Yu Heng raised the corner of her lips and bowed towards the matriarch: “Granddaughter pays respects to grandmother. Granddaughter has kept grandmother worried. This is granddaughter’s misdeed.”
The matriarch quickly sent a look to granny Zhao, and granny Zhao went up and helped Feng Yu Heng up. The matriarch then said: “Where has A-Heng done anything wrong. Being able to be awarded by the Emperor and the Empress is your good fortune. It is also our Feng manor’s good fortune. You being able to win gave our Feng family a good amount of face. Me and your father are both very grateful of you.”
“Really?” Feng Yu Heng slightly turned around and looked at Feng Jin Yuan: “Perhaps father does not feel this gained us face.”
“Hmph!” Feng Jin Yuan forcefully flicked his sleeve, not taking the time to pay respects to the matriarch. He went and directly sat on a chair to the side then glared at Feng Yu Heng, angrily saying: “You only know to think of yourself, but you completely disregard your eldest sister. My Feng family does not have a child like you!”
“Jin Yuan!” The matriarch feared that Feng Jin Yuan’s attitude would annoy Feng Yu Heng and quickly spoke: “A-Heng is A-Heng. Gaining face is also just gaining face. What are you bringing up Chen Yu for?” Seeing Feng Jin Yuan was still angry, she continued: “What sort of thing is the phoenix hairpin? Now that the Emperor has awarded it to our A-Heng, for our Feng manor, is this not a matter of heavenly good fortune? You as a father, if you don’t praise her, then forget it, but how can you still scold her?”
Hearing the matriarch bring up the phoenix hairpin, Feng JIn Yuan’s anger died down a little. Speaking truthfully, the matter of Feng Yu Heng acquiring the phoenix hairpin had also caused him a great shock. Especially how Feng Yu Heng had shot out the three arrows. No only did it completely extinguish Bu Ni Shang’s spirit, it also caused everyone present to be surprised.
No matter what, he could not understand. How could Feng Yu Heng have undergone such a drastic change over three years in the mountains? If it were just the personality, then it would be understandable; however, her skill in martial arts, where did that come from?
Reining in his thoughts, he turned his gaze towards Feng Yu Heng and calmed down slightly. “A-Heng winning the phoenix hairpin is naturally glory for the Feng family, but…” Whenever he thought of Chen Yu, he felt uncomfortable: “Your eldest sister is currently still kneeling outside the palace’s gates. Having gained face at the banquet, why did you not request forgiveness for your eldest sister?”
Feng Yu Heng took a deep breath. She was very rarely angered, but facing the shameless father of the body’s original owner, she really wanted to go forward and fiercely slap him.
“Father, as a person, one needs to know satisfaction. I may have been praised by the Emperor and the Empress, but if I did not know what was good and tried to gain a foot after getting an inch, perhaps the Feng family would be able to protect nothing.” Her eyes slowly became more lively, “I won the phoenix hairpin, and the Emperor personally awarded it, while the Empress personally placed it on my head. The Emperor also permitted me to call him father Emperor. Despite such glory, the Feng family does not even send a carriage for me. This matter, I fear has already become known within the palace.”
The matriarch was stunned, “What carriage?”
Feng Jin Yuan was a little embarrassed, but he also felt he had done nothing wrong, thus he said: “Son sent a carriage to the palace’s gates to pick up Chen Yu.”
“Then how did A-Heng come back?” The matriarch seemed to have thought of something: “You only sent a carriage to pick up Chen Yu, who had been punished with protracted kneeling, yet you did not send another one to pick up A-Heng?”
Feng Jin Yuan lowered his head in silence.
Feng Yu Heng said: “Responding to grandmother, the granny at the palace’s gates saw that granddaughter was truly pitiful, so she prepared a palace carriage to send granddaughter back to the manor. Otherwise… perhaps granddaughter would have needed to walk back.”
“Idiot!” The matriarch angrily slammed her cane on the ground: “Chen Yu was personally punished by the Emperor. A-Heng was personally praised by the Emperor. The difference between these two people, how can you not understand?”
Feng Jin Yuan was a little irritated from being cursed by the matriarch and could not help but rebuke: “How did I not understand? But even when giving praise, she is still just a concubine’s daughter! The ninth prince is also a waste with no hopes of attaining the throne! The daughter my Feng family needs to protect, mother should not have forgotten, right?”
With this reminder, this always easily swayed matriarch began to feel her heart sway once more. That’s right. She was only happy that Feng Yu Heng had won the phoenix hairpin, but she had forgotten that the ninth prince had no hope of attaining the throne!
For a while, the main hall’s atmosphere became more and more oppressive. The matriarch and Feng Jin Yuan’s thoughts changed rapidly. Especially the matriarch, her eyes spun and her thoughts were complicated.
Last night, when she listened to Feng Jin Yuan speak of what happened at the banquet, her entire being had been attracted to the phoenix hairpin. She knew that acquiring this phoenix hairpin was akin to receiving everything under heaven. The Emperor had yet to announce an heir, but at this year’s banquet, he awarded the phoenix hairpin. Was this not just disguising who he determined was to be crown prince?
For her, regardless of whether it was Feng Chen Yu or Feng Yu Heng, or even if it were Xiang Rong or Fen Dai, so long as it was a child from the Feng family that won the phoenix hairpin, it was a matter of great glory for the Feng family.
Thus she did not worry about the Chen Yu who was still kneeling at the palace’s gates, instead fawning wholeheartedly on Feng Yu Heng. Now, however, her son had given her this reminder. The matriarch felt that acquiring this phoenix hairpin was not as great as she had thought.
She subconsciously turned her gaze towards Feng Yu Heng. She wanted to ask if the Emperor had said anything, since she had not returned all night.
However, she saw Feng Yu Heng’s face was dark and her gaze sharp like a dagger. Her body rose from the chair, as she stepped towards Feng Jin Yuan.
Feng Jin Yuan only felt an unprecedented sense of oppression rushing over from Feng Yu Heng’s footsteps. Just like the three arrows that had been shot at the banquet, he now felt as though he were the bullseye. As Feng Yu Heng got closer and closer, his breathing stopped.
“Father” Finally, she arrived before Feng Jin Yuan and stopped. Leaning forward, her small face appeared compelling “Just now, who did you say was a waste?”
