Fine View, Good Wine, Beautiful Women and Handsome Men
The seventh prince had invited her for a family feast. Feng Yu Heng was naturally happy to participate. Now that Wang Chuan and Ban Zou were not present, there was only Huang Quan at her side, thus Huang Quan advised her: “There are many hidden guards in the manor. Young miss, bring along another one. How about this servant calls Chou Shu or Yuan Fei?” In any case, they were a bit more familiar.
Feng Yu Heng was speechless, “I am going to the Chun Palace, not somewhere else. What would I bring hidden guards for? Moreover, did you not hear that the imperial carriage will be sent in the evening? Do you think that seventh brother won’t arrange for my protection?”
Huang Quan thought for a bit. This was also true and felt that she had thought too much. Pulling Feng Yu Heng along, they happily returned to the courtyard.
This day really was idle. Qing Yu had visited once in the afternoon, saying that the people from Hundred Herb Hall had arranged to visit Feng Jin Yuan the next morning and were asking how they should charge for the treatment. Feng Yu heng only said to charge in accordance with the usual rates. They would neither eat a loss nor scam him. Qing Yu expressed that she understood.
In the evening, she stood in front of the manor’s entrance while wearing a lake-blue autumn dress. Very quickly, she saw Bai Ze personally driving the imperial carriage in her direction. Only then did Huang Quan calm down. Feng Yu Heng laughed at her for thinking too much then happily got into the carriage. It had to be said that when Huang Quan was foolish, she really was foolish, but when she was serious, she was very serious. She knew that Bai Fu Rong was living in the imperial daughter’s manor, and Bai Ze had been busy at the ninth prince’s side and did not have a chance to visit. Thus she went and replaced Bai Ze outside the carriage, and Bai Ze gratefully said: “There will be a great thanks in the days to come.” After saying this, he turned around and did not hold back, climbing into the carriage.
Feng Yu Heng did not care too much about who kept her company inside the carriage. It was Bai Ze that was a bit restrained. Sitting across from her, he rubbed his hands but did not know what he should say. She was puzzled by this: “Bai Ze, in terms of people I met, you are the first person I met aside from Xuan Tian Ming. How can there be this sort of unfamiliarity between us. It shouldn’t exist? Where did the courage to point a sword at my neck go? Where is your style?”
Bai Ze shook his head: “It’s not unfamiliarity. Who said anything about unfamiliar!” He then helplessly said: “Princess, can you not keep bringing up the matter from back then? Wasn’t what I did for my master’s sake? Say, if someone suddenly appears in a forest in the mountains, who knows what sort of person that could be!”
Feng Yu Heng laughed, “You know now what sort of person I am? Even my own mother doesn’t acknowledge me as her daughter.” These words were said with a bit of helplessness.
Bai Ze shrugged and said without any care: “Either way, you’re just master’s beloved. Who cares if you’re the Feng family’s second young miss or imperial daughter Ji An, master likes you. You also don’t harm others. This is more important than anything else.” With the conversation started, he did not continue to act restrained. To begin with, to outsiders, he and Feng Yu Heng got to know each other early. He should act more familiar. Thus he put on a smile and asked her: “Is the Bai family’s young miss alright?”
With this question finally being asked, Feng Yu Heng did not continue to tease him, saying truthfully: “She’s improving. A few days earlier, contaminated blood began to come out. After another few days, she should be able to wake up. The antidote prepared by grandfather is very effective. Right now, we are slowly replenishing the body that has been eroded by the poison. Also, I added a few things. Even if I said it, you would not understand, but it’s just for the sake of her recovery. You just need to trust me.” Things like collagen and proteins, how would she explain them?
Bai Ze had a look of gratitude and wanted to kowtow to Feng Yu Heng; however, he was stopped: “How could I accept your salute right now? Even if you must kowtow, wait until the day of your wedding to do it. Speaking of, Fu Rong went through these dangers for the sake of keeping me safe. At that time, me being able to successfully enter the North is closely related to her misleading the people of Qian Zhou. I need to thank her.”
Speaking of the experiences from that time, Bai Ze still could not stop himself from thinking about it. Someone had been poisoned right under his eyes. If it was not for Feng Yu Heng being there, she would have lost her life.
Feng Yu Heng saw that his mood was not good, thus she did not continue. The remainder of the trip was spent in silence, and they very quickly arrived in front of the Chun Palace.
The two got out of the carriage and followed a servant from the Chun Palace toward the inner courtyards. In the end, they stopped in front of a large courtyard.
Recently, there had been a large change in the Chun Palace. Imperial concubine Yun had caused quite a bit of a stir in the short time she had been living there, especially in the yards. The flowers had been changed, and only the ginkgo trees remained. With Autumn almost upon them, the ground was covered in yellow leaves and looked very beautiful.
She stood outside the yard for a while to look, but there was a familiar snort that came from inside: “You just got here, but what are you looking at? Quickly come in.”
Feng Yu Heng crinkled her small nose and unhappily said, “Can I not look at the sights? As a prince of the Yu Palace, what are you acting as the master of the Chun Palace for? Seventh brother hasn’t even spoken yet!”
The sound of Xuan Tian Hua laughing came from inside. Following this, Xuan Tian Ming helplessly said: “I can’t do anything about it. When I was young, there was a vile imperial concubine that pointed at me and said to father Emperor, if this child continues to be spoiled, there definitely will not be anyone that can hold him back in the future. He definitely will act without care for law or country and will disown all family members. But look at the current situation. Even a little girl dares to shout at me. What sort of life am I living?”
After saying this, he turned around and reached toward the girl that was walking over, “Come, my natural enemy!”
The little girl happily sat at his side, and Bai Ze remained outside the courtyard. In the entire courtyard, there were only the three masters sitting there. It was quite satisfying.
Under the Chinese parasol tree, there was a stone table with stone chairs. Fallen leaves lay near their feet, and the smell of flowers filled their noses. Who knew where imperial concubine Yun had found all of these wildflowers that bloomed in the Autumn to fill the yard. It was no longer the same simple look from when Xuan Tian Hua had lived on his own; however, it looked even more wonderful.
“Beautiful trees, beautiful flowers and good wine.” She got closer to the good wine on the table and sniffed. She could not help but say: “This wine has been stored for at least 50 years, right?”
Xuan Tian Hua shook his head, “Guess again.”
“Not just? Then… 80 years? Either way, it’s not past 100 years.”
Xuan Tian Ming patted her head and dotingly told her: “It’s been stored for a full 120 years. It was even left behind by our ancestors.”
“Wine from the ancestors!” Feng Yu Heng did not hold back and grabbed the small cup in front of Xuan Tian Ming, throwing her head back and downing it. A burning sensation filled her throat immediately followed by a sweet aroma. After entering her belly, even her breath carried a bit of the wine’s fragrance. “It turns out that drunkards are not people that are greedy for wine. It’s the wine that entices people.” After these laments, she stared straight at Xuan Tian Hua’s cup of wine in anticipation.
Xuan Tian Ming helplessly picked up the empty cup and filled it. At the same time, he reminded: “It’s easy to get drunk from good wine. Although you won’t collapse immediately, the after effect is very strong. Take it a little easier.”
She, however, did not care at all, “Either way, we’re in seventh brother’s palace. If I get drunk, could he not free up a room for me to sleep in or something? Right, seventh brother?”
Xuan Tian Hua smiled bitterly, “There is a place to stay, but the feeling after getting drunk is not quite as nice as when drinking.”
“It’s fine.” As she saw it, as long as she could drink this wine, everything would be fine.
Xuan Tian Ming sighed: “I’ve married a drunkard.”
She, however, rebutted: “You still haven’t married me.”
“Either way, it’s just next year.” He said, “You were born in the fourth month. Our wedding will be set for the day you become of age. Once Autumn passes, we’ll have people in the palace begin preparations.”
In the end, she was a girl that would be getting married. With this being mentioned, she really felt a bit embarrassed. Feng Yu Heng raised her hand and drank another cup of wine, deliberately changing the topic: “Why did seventh brother think of holding a feast today?” But after looking at the table, aside from wine and fallen leaves, what feast was there?
Xuan Tian Hua very seriously said: “You two went North, and I went East. We have not met properly for a year. Most importantly…” He looked around with a bit of a smile on his face and said: “Mother changed the look of the place, and I should invite you guys to take a look. If you think it’s good, I won’t change it. It will be like this in the future.”
Feng Yu Heng laughed, “Just like this? Will the Chun Palace also be bringing someone of the fairer sex?” But after looking around at the scenery, she also began to sigh: “Imperial concubine mother wants nothing more than her previous life. If she cannot return physically, she will return in spirit. As for us, we haven’t experienced it before. That’s why we can’t return there, thus we can only look with our eyes to gain a bit of insight.”
Xuan Tian Ming also said: “Unfortunately, the one that she came to was your Chun Palace. I want her to go to the Yu Palace to stir things up.”
With imperial concubine Yun being mentioned, the two brothers gradually began to feel a bit exaggerated, thus they did not speak about it any further and began to drink.
Feng Yu Heng was happy to drink, feeling that this wine was very sweet and had a bit of a fruity fragrance. It also smelled a bit like flowers, and its aftertaste lingered. Thus she drank cup after cup with the two. Without knowing it, the three drank half of the jug.
She sat at Xuan Tian Ming’s side and could smell a faint aroma of wine from his body. She could also see that his face was getting a bit red, but Xuan Tian Hua looked as if nothing had happened. His complexion did not change. He did not speak more, and his hair was being blown by the wind, making him look like a deity.
As she continued to look, she became entranced. She stared at Xuan Tian Hua for a long time until Xuan Tian Ming began to feel a bit jealous. Only after being forcefully slapped on the top of the head did she manage to react; however, she foolishly laughed and said: “Seventh brother looks really good. No wonder they all like you.”
Xuan Tian Ming helplessly shook his head. This girl was most proficient in becoming infatuated. He still recalled the first time that they had met. This damn girl’s eyes nearly became flowery from looking at his face.
Xuan Tian Hua, however, wished to chat and deliberately asked her: “What sort of people like me?”
Feng Yu Heng had drank a bit too much wine and felt a tipsiness surge forth. She no longer spoke with much consideration. The two people at her side were the ones that left her feeling incomparably at ease, thus she rested her elbows on the table and placed her small face in her hands, telling the two: “The one that likes you most is that Yu Qian Yin. For the sake of you, she traveled a great distance.”
Xuan Tian Hua smiled bitterly and did not want to talk about that person, asking her once more: “Is there anyone else?”
“There is.” Feng Yu Heng nodded, “There’s also our Xiang Rong. She really likes you. I can see it. She’s the type that really, really likes you.”
Xuan Tian Ming laughed at her: “What is it, have you come to act as a matchmaker for your own little sister?”
Feng Yu Heng shook her head, “No, seventh brother is a rare existence in this world. There is nobody that is worthy of him. He should… un…” She picked her words, “Should roam the world freely like a deity without any restraints.”
These words had captured what Xuan Tian Hua had hoped for many years. And this hope was clearly something that Xuan Tian Ming knew about. The two looked at each other, and Xuan Tian Hua said: “Of the ones that know me, Heng Heng is one.”
The little girl smiled and listened to this praise. Nodding, she accepted this without a question.
“Just this beautiful scenery and good time is not sufficient. Just having close feelings is not enough. Ming’er, Heng, do you wish to hear seventh brother play a song?”
Xuan Tian Ming’s eyes lit up and heard Xuan Tian Hua loudly order the servant outside the courtyard: “Fetch this prince’s ice zither.” In an instant, it became very emotional…