An Easy Target
This shout nearly scared Xuan Tian Hua to death. The person that had been sitting on the seat nearly fell off, as a cold sweat began to drip from his head.
This voice was… imperial concubine Yun?
“Hua’er…” While Xuan Tian Hua was thinking about it, an urgent voice spoke up once more.
He trembled and quickly stood up from his seat before taking a look down below. Very well, he resigned himself to the fact that the refined and elegant imperial concubine Yun was lying flat under the seat and looking at him with a bitter and pleading expression.
The driver outside heard what sounded like a female voice come from inside the carriage. In his confusion, he turned around and asked: “Your Highness? Is something the matter?”
Xuan Tian Hua immediately raised his voice to say: “It’s fine. Just keep moving forward.” He then helped imperial concubine Yun be seated before helplessly saying: “Imperial concubine mother, how did you get out of the palace?”
Imperial concubine Yun waved her hand, “Don’t worry about this. Either way, I have already come out. You should also stop calling me imperial concubine mother. When we’re out here, we should remain low-key.”
Xuan Tian Hua smiled bitterly and shook his head, “There’s really nothing I can do with you. But there is nothing that can be discussed here. Mother, son will be sending you back now. Stop.”
Before he could finish saying “stop the carriage” imperial concubine Yun covered his mouth tightly. When she did this, she put in a little too much strength, and Xuan Tian Hua bumped his head against the carriage. Imperial concubine Yun felt quite bad about it. While raising a hand to rub his head, she threatened him, saying: “If you dare send me back to the palace, I will expose the matter of you liking A-Heng.”
These words shocked Xuan Tian Hua, causing him to nearly bite her finger off! Imperial concubine Yun pulled her hand back and shook is a few times then sat next to Xuan Tian Hua’s original location. Pulling out a pastry from her sleeve, and happily began to enjoy it.
The deity-like Xuan Tian Hua was actually rendered completely speechless by the shock caused by imperial concubine Yun. He had a dumbfounded look on his face, and the changes in his expression were many and amazing.
Roughly one stick of incense of time later, Xuan Tian Hua finally found the strength to recover. His expression became slightly more normal; however, he asked her in confusion: “Mother, Ming’er and I are both going to battlefields. Why have you chosen me?”
Imperial concubine Yun replied in a natural manner: “Because you are easier to talk to.”
Xuan Tian Hua: “…” It turned out that he was just an easy target!
Imperial concubine Yun shoved the remaining half of the pastry into Xuan Tian Hua’s mouth with a smile. Only then did she say: “Hua’er, it’s not like you don’t know your ninth brother’s temper. If I chose to with him, we would have already turned back toward the capital. Say, with him being with his wife, which of them is easy to handle! Also, ever since a young age, hasn’t mother doted on you the most! I have never gone to live in his Yu Palace, but I have lived in your Chun Palace. Tell me, which one am I closer to?”
Xuan Tian Hua facepalmed. This was not the way to describe things. Reaching up to pull the pastry from his mouth, he still took a bite. While eating, he asked: “With mother running out like this, how can things possibly go well with father Emperor.” He could already foresee what sort of trouble would be caused once the Emperor found out that imperial concubine Yun was no longer there. Thinking about it, the palace would not enjoy many peaceful days.
Who knew that imperial concubine Yun would not mind in the slightest, “Don’t worry. It’s not like I haven’t made any preparations at all. Also, he is completely unable to get into Winter Moon Palace. How could he know that I am not in the palace. Even if he finds out in the future, that old man would definitely think that I ran off with Ming’er. He definitely would not guess that it was you.”
“That… is the real reason that you chose me, right!” Xuan Tian Hua felt that his life was too bitter.
Imperial concubine Yun laughed and nodded, not refuting it in the slightest. She then waved to him, “Come here and sit closer.”
Xuan Tian Hua got up and sat at her side. Imperial concubine Yun immediately leaned against his shoulder then moved into a more comfortable angle before falling asleep, using his shoulder as a pillow. Right before falling asleep, she used a warning tone to tell him: “If you dare to send me back to the palace, I will expose the fact that you like A-Heng.”
“It won’t happen.” Xuan Tian Hua accepted his fate, “Forget it, you can come along. After we get out there, you will listen to everything that I say.”
“I know, I know. So wordy.”
Just like that, the two princes in their separate carriages ended bringing along two unexpected passengers while going their separate ways from the capital.
At the same time in the Feng family’s new residence, Feng Jin Yuan was laying back in soft chair with a thin blanket covering his waist. His left hand was wrapped in bandages, and his entire body was in a poor state; however, he stared seriously at Fen Dai.
Fen Dai was originally the one in this family that had been hoping to reach the position of head wife the most. She was also the child that thought of him as a father the most; however, even for her, the gaze with which she looked at Feng Jin Yuan was filled with contempt and disdain.
She had never been one that could hide things. All of her emotions were written clearly on her face. How could Feng Jin Yuan not understand them? Even if he was currently no longer a person with great status, he was still her father. Not only was he her father, he also wanted to tell this daughter that only by relying on this father could she have a better future.
Feng Jin Yuan snorted and pointed at Fen Dai, fiercely saying: “Father knows what you are thinking, but I will tell you. Your roots are with the Feng family. Even if everything falls into disorder, you cannot change the fact that your surname is Feng. Don’t believe that your life will be completely worry-free just because you married into the Li Palace as the official princess. Fen Dai, father will remind you. Think carefully about what sort of person the fifth prince was in the past. He is able to cast aside all of the women in his palace in order to bring you in. Then in the future, he might chase you out of your position of official princess for another woman!”
Fen Dai furrowed her brow and subconsciously rebutted: “His Highness the fifth prince would not do it.”
Feng Jin Yuan did not argue about this; however, he asked her: “Are you satisfied with just the position of official princess of the Li Palace?”
Fen Dai froze, “What does father mean?”
“Hmph.” Feng Jin Yuan snorted coldly, “Fen Dai, father never believed that you to be a short-sighted child. Out of all the children in the Feng family, you are the cleverest child, and you are also the most one that father favors the most. Even when your eldest sister Chen Yu was alive, even though she had a beautiful appearance, she did not have a good life. But you are different. Presently, you are engaged to the fifth prince, and you will be marrying as the official princess. Fen Dai, for someone with aspirations like you, how could being just the official princess of a palace be enough to hold you down?”
Feng Jin Yuan’s words left Fen Dai stunned. She could vaguely understand what Feng Jin Yuan meant; however, she did not dare understand what he meant. Feng Chen Yu, the hopes that the Feng family had placed in her back then were not things that she did not know about. For her father to bring it up now, what exactly…
“Do you still not understand?” Feng Jin Yuan sighed and said with sincerity: “His Highness the fifth prince is a person that can adapt to the circumstances, and he is a smart person. Father has never believed that the throne would be taken by a prince that leads soldiers into battle. Generals remain on the outside to grow the country, and strategists remain on the inside to take care of the country. Fen Dai, if you listen to father, the position that your eldest sister could not assume, you will be able to.”
With things being said so clearly, if Fen Dai was still not able to understand, she would be an idiot.
But she was not an idiot; however, she felt that Feng Jin Yuan was a madman. She cast a look of disdain once more. It was already so profound. Could this be a dream? But Feng Jin Yuan’s resolute expression did not look like something that could be faked. She suddenly recalled the fuss that Zi Rui had caused when returning the previous day. He seemed to have said something about Feng Jin Yuan having hidden guards from Qian Zhou at his side. If he still had hidden guards from Qian Zhou at his side, that would mean that her father was secretly collaborating with Qian Zhou. Up to this moment, the people of Qian Zhou have not given up on him, thus it was not impossible for him to borrow some of Qian Zhou’s power to do some things.
What Feng Jin Yuan had said was correct. Fen Dai was the one with the most aspirations out of all the children. There were times when they were even higher than what Feng Chen Yu had. Because of this, as long as Fen Dai could find a shred of hope of accomplishing her own goals, she would not let it go. She would do whatever she could to think of ways to grow those hopes to accomplish her goals.
The father and daughter finally reached a common understanding. When Fen Dai got up, the look in her eyes had become a fire that burned fiercely with hope. The hopes that she had forcibly suppressed surged forth once more. It was as though the glory that had once belonged to Feng Chen Yu now a belonged to her. This allowed her to seemingly transform from the daughter of a concubine and a horse feeder to the prestigious empress of Da Shun. It was just that she had forgotten how Chen Yu, who had also dreamed of becoming the empress, had a very gruesome death.
Fen Dai was moved and kneeled before Feng Jin Yuan. She did her best to control her voice, saying: “Daughter thanks father for the support. If such a day does come, I definitely will not forget the grace of the Feng family.”
Feng Jin Yuan nodded in satisfaction. At the same time, he let out a sigh of relief. He trusted that with such a thing in hand, Qian Zhou would definitely do as he pleased.
Leaving Feng Jin Yuan’s room, Fen Dai did not remove in the manor for a moment. She immediately had a carriage prepared and hastily went toward the Li Palace. The things that Feng Jin Yuan had said to her replayed in her mind, making it impossible for her to calm down.
Before Han shi’s situation had occurred, Fen Dai knew that there was not much hope for herself. Feng Jin Yuan would no longer like the daughter of Han shi, and she would not be able to obtain any benefits from the Feng manor. But at that time, the Feng family was already at a dead end. Feng Jin Yuan could no longer speak on equal terms as in the past. With her engagement as the official princess, she did not feel that it would be anything big.
But things were different now. It turned out that her father still had such a trick. Looking at it like this, she still could not let go of the rope that was the Feng family. If she truly could push the fifth prince into the position of Emperor using Qian Zhou, she would definitely be able to ascend the position of empress if she maintained control of the fifth prince.
Fen Dai began to feel moved, as she repeatedly looked out of the carriage. She simply hoped that the carriage would go a little faster, and she could arrive at the Li Palace’s entrance.
But while she was on her way to the Li Palace, she suddenly noticed a familiar figure on the side of the road that quickly turned into a small alley.
Fen Dai’s heart quickened, as she rushed to shout: “Stop the carriage! Quickly stop!”
Before the carriage could stop completely she rushed out. Her personal servants Qiu Yue and Dong Ying were given a fright and also moved to follow; however, they were stopped by Fen Dai: “Wait in the carriage. You are not allowed to follow me.” After saying this, she quickly turned into the small alley.
However, who knew that the two people in the alley would be a pairing that she would never have expected…