"Why?""It will hurt."
"Then what should we do with this?"
"Keep it as a keepsake!"
Feng Suige and Fu Yixiao were walking briskly through the crowded streets of Xu Sha, one in front of the other. They needed to hurry back to the Prince's mansion, yet they were still arguing about the jade pendant like children squabbling over a toy.
Yixiao suddenly stopped mid-stride, and Feng Suige almost collided with her back. Just as he was about to glare at her in exasperation, Yixiao made a sharp gesture for him to be quiet.
Feng Suige instinctively pricked up his ears to listen. A faint, intermittent song drifted on the wind to the street where they stood. The song was melancholic, with men and women singing in response to each other, yet it also carried a hint of sensuality beneath the sadness.
As Yixiao listened, she softly joined in, her voice barely above a whisper: "The world is full of sorrows of time, not just you alone in desolation. When fate has passed and dreams have faded, why not get drunk under the slanting moon with hairpins askew? The night is long and sleep eludes, be careful not to speak of longing, for longing is just two words that break the heart…"
Feng Suige's expression changed slightly, his eyes narrowing with sudden suspicion. "That's coming from the red-light district. It must be courtesans and actors rehearsing."
"Mm," Yixiao responded absentmindedly, still caught in the melody's spell. "The lyrics might have come from Jinxiu. Last year in Pingling, I practiced this song too, but the melody wasn't as beautiful as this one. It's a pity Xueying isn't here. If she heard this, she'd write down the entire thing when we got back…"
Before she could finish her nostalgic rambling, Feng Suige rudely pulled her forward with impatient force. "What's so good about listening to brothel songs? The guests will all arrive soon, and we still need to change clothes."
"Guests?" Yixiao asked, genuinely puzzled. "I thought the banquet was only at night."
But Feng Suige pressed his lips together in a thin line and said no more. His iron-like grip tightly held Yixiao's wrist as he led her through the crowd with determined strides.
After escorting Yixiao back to the inner quarters, Feng Suige's demeanor shifted to something more accommodating. He smiled and instructed, "The new golden feather embroidered dress should have been sent in. If you don't like too many accessories, you can match them yourself. Just don't make it too plain. I also need to change clothes. I'll come back to fetch you in a while."
Yixiao agreed readily and took a few steps, then suddenly turned back, holding up the pendant with a genuine smile. "Thank you," she said simply.
Feng Suige returned an even deeper smile, watching her skip away lightly with the carefree grace of someone unburdened by the evening's formalities.
As soon as she was out of sight, Feng Suige's smile gradually faded like sunset into dusk. He had only known that she and Xia Jingshi were quite intimate before, but why did she know how to sing that brothel song?
From Jinxiu, in Pingling?
It seemed he had never paid attention to that place before… perhaps it was time he did.
Outside the Prince's mansion, there was a steady stream of carriages and horses arriving in an endless procession. Most of the attending officials were accompanied by their wives, some even bringing their children to showcase their family prosperity. Everyone was dressed in luxurious formal wear, with many wearing jewel-encrusted crowns and gold-threaded clothes, showcasing their status with pearls and gems at every turn.
The scene was a dazzling display of perfumes and elaborate hairstyles, crowns and hats gathering like clouds, creating a lively atmosphere that hummed with barely contained excitement and social maneuvering.
When Feng Suige entered the banquet hall holding Fu Yixiao's hand, announced by the ceremonial official in ringing tones, the magnificent hall was already full of people, their voices and laughter filling the room with a warm buzz of conversation.
Upon seeing Feng Suige enter, the noble ladies' and young misses' eyes lit up with unconcealed admiration. They pointed and whispered behind delicate fans, occasionally letting out coquettish giggles, completely ignoring Fu Yixiao beside him as if she were merely decorative furniture.
As the Regent Prince, Feng Suige was naturally the object of flattery for various levels of the powerful and wealthy. Although most were obvious sycophants, Feng Suige still responded appropriately to each one with practiced charm. Soon, a group of people had gathered around him like moths to a flame.
Fu Yixiao, though not fond of such occasions, still stood quietly beside him, calmly meeting the various gazes directed at her from all sides—some curious, some dismissive, some calculating. After a quick survey of the room, she revealed a small smile, quietly triumphant about something only she understood.
Amidst the greetings and bowing, a man in his fifties strode over with a powerful gait that commanded attention. He was not tall, with slightly graying hair and beard, and a somewhat plump build that spoke of comfortable prosperity. When he smiled, several muscles bulged in his cheeks—the typical appearance of a successful merchant who had eaten well all his life.
"Old Qin was out of town during the Prince's grand wedding and regrettably missed the festivities. So I had to attend this birthday banquet, hahaha!" the man laughed loudly, his voice carrying across the hall. "And this must be the Prince's newly taken Secondary Consort?"
"How have you been lately, Elder Qin? It's indeed been a long time," Feng Suige smiled with genuine warmth.
Yixiao gave a slight, respectful bow. This man must be Qin Yu, who held the reins of Xu Sha's commerce in his capable hands. It was well known that Qin Yu was skilled in business management and had amassed great wealth at a young age through shrewd dealings and careful investments. He was the largest private financial supporter of the Xu Sha imperial army—a man whose favor was worth cultivating.
Qin Yu looked Yixiao up and down with appraising eyes, nodding in approval like an art collector examining a valuable piece. "Exquisite bone structure, with a hidden phoenix aura. In old Qin's eyes, even the position of Crown Princess would suit the young Consort."
Ignoring the gasps of surprise and shock rippling around him, he threw back his head and laughed heartily, clearly delighted by the reaction his bold words had provoked.
Slightly taken aback by such brazen praise, Yixiao didn't forget to exchange a few polite words with him. Whether his words were sincere or not, the fact that Qin Yu could say such things in this setting clearly showed his significant status in Xu Sha's court and society—he feared no repercussions for speaking his mind.
"Brother Feng!" a young girl's voice called out from behind Qin Yu, bright and familiar.
Everyone turned in surprise to see a girl of about fifteen or sixteen rushing forward with youthful abandon, throwing herself directly into Feng Suige's arms and hugging him tightly. Her childish eyes were brimming with tears of genuine distress. "It's all Grandfather's fault. He insisted on taking me out to play. After we got the news, we hurried back as fast as we could, but still missed both wedding ceremonies…"
Feng Suige was visibly startled, and Yixiao's fingers slipped from his grasp as if suddenly made of water. With all eyes on them in the crowded hall, he could only chuckle softly with forced lightness, "Little Yi seems to have grown taller."
Qin Yu sternly rebuked his granddaughter, though his eyes held affection, "Yi'er, don't be rude. You're a young lady now. How can you still cling to the Prince like before? Quickly pay your respects to the Secondary Consort."
"I've always hugged him like this. What's wrong with it?" Qin Yi wrinkled her nose rebelliously but obediently let go. She was about to kneel before Yixiao in proper greeting when Yixiao quickly caught her by the elbows.
Before she could speak, the ceremonial official's resonant voice rang out across the hall: "His Majesty the King has arrived!"
The courtiers immediately knelt as one, chanting in practiced unison: "Long live the King, long live, long, long live…"
Feng Qishan arrived right on time, his sense of dramatic timing impeccable. Following him were two noblewomen dressed as palace consorts in elaborate finery. One wore three phoenix-shaped jade hairpins with dozens of pearl strings hanging from them, catching the light with every movement. The other had several golden flowers in her hair, with various precious gems set in their centers like tiny captured stars. Both women were graceful in appearance but wore expressions of utter arrogance—the kind that came from years of unchallenged privilege.
As Feng Qishan's entourage entered the main hall, Yixiao stood out starkly among the sea of bowing backs—a lone reed refusing to bend in the wind.
He slowly came to a stop, narrowing his eyes as he stared at Fu Yixiao with cold calculation.
The leader of the palace guards shouted with indignation, "How dare you! His Majesty has arrived. Kneel quickly to welcome him!"
Feng Suige turned back in shock, reaching out to pull her down, but Yixiao lightly dodged his hand with practiced grace and said clearly, her voice carrying across the silent hall, "He is not my lord. Why should I kneel?"
The palace consort with golden flowers in her hair glinted in her eyes as she smiled with malicious satisfaction, "We've long heard that the Prince married a Secondary Consort who doesn't know the rules. Today we finally get to see for ourselves."
Feng Qishan also sneered, his voice dripping with disdain, "I've already experienced it firsthand."
Feng Suige, both anxious and angry, hissed urgently, "What are you doing?"
Yixiao pretended not to hear him, her attention focused entirely on the King. "When the King of Xu Sha arrives, Yixiao does not kneel. But if it were my aunt-in-law visiting, Yixiao would certainly show proper courtesy."
A flash of surprise broke through Feng Qishan's icy expression, disappearing as quickly as morning mist. He said in a deep voice, "Your ability to stand here safely is already a great concession from me. Don't push your luck."
Yixiao widened her eyes, feigning innocent ignorance as she asked, "Forgive Yixiao's ignorance, but may I ask if it was the King speaking just now, or my aunt-in-law?"
Feng Qishan stared at her coldly for a long moment, weighing his options. "What if it was both?"
She smiled mischievously, like a child who had just won an argument. "If it's both, Yixiao would still only bow to the aunt-in-law, not to the King." As she spoke, she placed her hands together at her chest and gave a slight, respectful curtsy—but only a curtsy, not a full kowtow.
Feng Qishan snorted but couldn't do anything about her without causing a greater scene. He shifted his gaze away from her with visible effort and said in a deep voice, "All of you may rise and be seated."
Immediately, the hall was filled with the rustling of clothes and low murmurs of conversation as people processed what they had just witnessed.
Feng Suige felt slightly relieved but was still simmering with anger. He approached her and said in a low voice, "What are you doing? I've already had several conflicts with Father King because of you. It's just a simple act of kneeling. Do you have to make such a scene?"
Fu Yixiao smiled calmly, her composure unshaken. "Yixiao believes she has done nothing wrong. If someone shows me an inch of respect, I return a foot. That's all there is to it."
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