RMACAUH Chapter 23

Chapter 23 He is a noble of the imperial family, why would he care if you are innocent…

Chapter 23 He is a noble of the imperial family, why would he care if you are innocent…

Madam Qin, along with her family members, stepped forward and bowed to Feng Yue, saying, “If the Prince doesn’t mind my humble abode, would you like to come inside and have a seat? My lord has gone out to meet friends. I will have the steward fetch him back.”

“Mm.” Feng Yue instructed his guards behind him, “Wait outside.”

“Understood.”

Madam Qin appeared very solicitous, forcing a smile on her face as she welcomed Feng Yue into the house.

After settling down, Madam Qin whispered to her personal maid, “Bring out the newest Dragon Well tea from the storeroom and serve the snacks and fruits as quickly as possible.”

For a time, the Wei residence was bustling with activity.

Soon, the tea, snacks, and fruits were served. Madam Qin sat in the second seat, engaging in awkward small talk with Feng Yue, who was seated in the main seat.

Feng Yue had a solemn expression, not taking in anything Madam Qin was saying. He simply sat upright, drinking tea and waiting for Wei Xinhe to return.

The two legitimate siblings of the Wei family hid behind a screen, secretly watching this scene. They couldn’t guess what Guangling Prince was up to, or why he would send Wei Xiaofeng home.

“Second Brother, has Wei Xiaofeng gotten into trouble? It must be a big trouble, that’s why Guangling Prince personally came to the door to demand an explanation from Father.”

Wei Chengxian frowned, “Father should have married off this jinx long ago, to save us from trouble.”

Wei Xiaofeng sat in the last seat, nervously clutching the warm mutton-fat white jade in his hand like a quail.

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, Wei Xinhe hurried back to the residence, striding into the main hall with the wind at his heels. He straightened the creases in his clothes, bowed to Feng Yue in the main seat, and said, his breath still unsteady, “Your humble official Wei Xinhe greets Guangling Prince.”

“Lord Wei, please sit.” Feng Yue’s voice was clear and bright, cold and penetrating.

“Yes.” Wei Xinhe sat to Feng Yue’s left, taking a sip of tea to calm his nerves before glaring at his disappointing fifth son with a sidelong glance.

“I wonder what instructions the Prince has for visiting my humble abode today? Has my fifth son offended you again?”

“Again?” Feng Yue asked, puzzled, “What do you mean by ‘again’?”

Wei Xinhe wiped a handful of cold sweat, “At the last palace banquet, I heard that my fifth son fell from a tree and landed on you. It was my poor discipline. Please forgive him, Guangling Prince.”

Feng Yue gave an ambiguous laugh, “Lord Wei, if you hadn’t mentioned it today, I would have forgotten it long ago.”

“Yes, Your Highness is magnanimous and will naturally not bother with ordinary people.”

“I have come today indeed for Wei Fifth Son’s matter. Recently, there have been some rumors circulating in the capital about Wei Fifth Son that are not true. Many voices can melt metal, and repeated slander can destroy bones. As his father, Lord Wei should defend him.”

Wei Xiaofeng’s heart seemed to stop suddenly. He looked up at the person in the high seat, the cold-faced King of Hell who inspired fear, and saw that he could have such a noble moment.

Wei Xinhe was stunned for a moment, never expecting that he had come to defend his fifth son.

Feng Yue continued, “Wei Fifth Son is delicate. I don’t know for what reason Lord Wei threw him into the self-combing hall, which eats people and spits out no bones. If your fifth son hadn’t been quick-witted enough to escape and encountered my guards, he would probably have lost his life by now.”

“This… yes.” Wei Xinhe felt that he was exaggerating too much but dared not refute him.

“My guards brought the injured Fifth Son down from the mountain. Failing to avoid suspicion gave rise to gossip. I also bear responsibility for this matter. Today is a day off. Tomorrow, I will ask my guards to go with you to the magistrate’s office to clarify the rumors and issue a document to restore Fifth Son’s innocence. Reputation is most important to a ge’er girl. Does Lord Wei understand?”

Wei Xinhe stood up and bowed deeply, “Your humble official understands. Thank you, Your Highness, for defending my fifth son.”

Then, he glared at Wei Xiaofeng, who was stunned in the last seat, “Why don’t you quickly get up and thank Guangling Prince for his kindness?!”

“Ah!” Wei Xiaofeng hurriedly got up and bowed to Feng Yue along with his father, “Thank you, Guangling Prince, for your kindness.”

Feng Yue’s gaze softened as he looked at Wei Xiaofeng, but he didn’t say much. He stood up and said, “Since the matter has been clarified, I will not disturb you further. Farewell. Lord Wei need not see me off.”

As he spoke, he strode out of the main hall, walked into the courtyard, and walked away.

This man has long legs and walks really fast! Wei Xiaofeng sighed in his heart.

Suddenly, Wei Xinhe slapped him on the back of the head. After Feng Yue’s appearance, he had lost his temper and had no intention of punishing him further. He only said, “Can’t you stay at home and be as obedient as other ge’ers? You even caused such a scene when you were sent to a self-combing hall!”

Seeing Feng Yue leave, Wan Lingxiu rushed in and shielded her son behind her, “Lord, please don’t hit Fifth Son anymore. He can’t take it.”

Wei Xinhe felt annoyed when he saw the mother and son and waved his hand, “Go back to your room first and just wait for the people from the Prince’s residence to come and go to the magistrate’s office.”

Hearing this, Wan Lingxiu quickly dragged Wei Xiaofeng away. Back in the room, Wei Xiaofeng finally relaxed. His hand loosened, and the mutton-fat jade rolled to the ground, making two thumping sounds that made people’s hearts jump.

Wei Xiaofeng was startled. He quickly got under the table and picked up the jade, wiping the dust off with the corner of his clothes and carefully checking it. Only after confirming that it was intact did he breathe a sigh of relief.

“I forgot to return it to him. Such valuable things, it’s not good to take his.”

Wan Lingxiu bolted the door securely, poured a cup of tea, and sat weakly on the stool to calm her mood. “How could Guangling Prince come to our house? And so kindly helped you settle these things, it’s simply unbelievable! I was scared to death outside the door.”

“The reason he helped me settle these things is entirely because…”

“Because of what?”

“Because he is a good person.”

Wan Lingxiu stared at him blankly, “My silly ge’er, how can you be so naive? He is a noble of the imperial family, why would he care if you are innocent? There can only be one reason for him to do this!”

“What reason is that?”

“He must be in love with you, he has taken a liking to you!”

“Pfft! Cough cough cough…” Wei Xiaofeng spat the tea in his mouth all over the table, coughing and waving his hands, “Mother, he is a good person, that reason is more believable.”

Wan Lingxiu stared at her ge’er for a while, then nodded with a guilty conscience, “That’s true, what kind of beauty does a prince not have? What did he see in you?”

“Um um.” Wei Xiaofeng nodded calmly, “I really don’t have any advantages, except that my face is a little prettier, my temper is a little better, my heart is a little kinder, hee hee… I’m just ordinary.”

Wan Lingxiu rolled her eyes speechlessly.

“Oh right, what about the little ge’er I brought home?”

“I asked Xiaomei to take him to the room to settle down first.”

“He can sleep in the same room as me.”

“Do you think this is your private residence? Have some rules!”

“If I had money to buy a private residence outside, why would I come back here?”

“Don’t even think about it,” Wan Lingxiu sighed, feeling blocked, “From now on, the two of us have to live frugally.”

“Why?” Wei Xiaofeng felt uncomfortable when he heard this, “Isn’t there still some money?”

“It’s all because of that black-hearted Madam Qin, who, under the guise of preparing a dowry for Fourth Sister, cried about how the family’s expenses were too high and they couldn’t make ends meet.”

“But Fourth Sister’s dowry, what does it have to do with us?” Wei Xiaofeng was so angry that his eyes turned red, “She, she wants to get married, doesn’t she go to find Father or her mother, why ask us for money? What’s the reason for this?”

Wan Lingxiu wiped away her tears, “Your brother still has to study at the Imperial Academy, and in two years there will be the autumn exam, so he has to be successful.”

“Are they using this to threaten you?” Wei Xiaofeng clenched his fists.

“It was your brother who came and told me.”

“If it’s not good to stay in the Imperial Academy, if the career is not smooth, can’t he not study? Does he have to study this book, always being inferior to others?”

Wan Lingxiu was also helpless, “When your maternal grandfather married me into this high-class mansion back then, what was the reason? I am a mere merchant woman, what was the reason I married in? Isn’t it precisely to have such a backing?”

Wei Xiaofeng felt so aggrieved that he immediately cried out, “Brother doesn’t even side with us! What kind of backing is he?! Wuwuwu…”

“Xiaofeng, I’m sorry, I let you suffer these grievances.”

“I’m going to find him!”

“Find who?”

“I’m going to find my brother, I want to ask him, what kind of books has he read all these years? How did he learn to be so shameless, bullying his own mother and younger brother with outsiders? Are we still going to be aggrieved like this for him?!”

“You’re not allowed to go!” Wan Lingxiu stopped him, “You can’t go, if you go, besides being laughed at, it’s useless, it’s always family, even if you break a bone, the tendons are still connected, if he doesn’t live well, if he can’t stay in the Imperial Academy, we can’t stay out of it.”

“Then let people bully us like this, and we can’t do anything?” Wei Xiaofeng wiped away his tears, his throat hurting.

“Don’t worry, I still have some left for you, that’s your dowry, I will definitely not let them touch this money, when you find a good family…”

Wei Xiaofeng interrupted her, “If I can’t save myself, what’s the use of getting married? It’s just jumping from one fire pit to another. I never thought of changing my fate through marriage, Mother, I can’t… walk your path again.”

Wan Lingxiu collapsed weakly on the stool, feeling powerless about her own destiny, but also gratified by Xiaofeng’s clarity.

Wei Xiaofeng only felt that the room was stifling. He opened the door and walked into the courtyard. Before he could take two steps, an old nanny stopped him, “Fifth Son, the master said, you are not allowed to go anywhere these days, you should go back to your room and stay there, don’t make it difficult for this old woman!”

Wei Xiaofeng was angry, but he didn’t want to make things difficult for a servant, so he endured it and turned to find Sangcai again.

Sangcai was arranged in the ear room on the east side of the courtyard. When Wei Xiaofeng went over, he saw him squatting in the corner, not knowing what he was looking at.

“Acai!”

Sangcai happily turned his head to look at Wei Xiaofeng and waved to him mysteriously.

Wei Xiaofeng walked behind him and bent down to look, “What are you squatting here for?”

“Look!”

Wei Xiaofeng took a closer look and jumped up in fright, “Oh my god! You scared me to death!!”

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here, it can’t bite you.” As he said that, Sangcai caught the centipede, which was longer than chopsticks, into a small gray jar.

“What are you catching this thing for?”

“This is a good thing. Catching it can make Gu poison and can also practice poison.”

“You know these things?”

“My mother knows these things, and I also learned these things. Xiaofeng… you’re not afraid of me, right?”

Wei Xiaofeng timidly said, “I’m a little afraid, but I’m not afraid of you, I’m afraid of these bugs.”

“Then I won’t let you see them in the future.”

“Don’t ever let me see them again, I’m so scared!”

Wei Xiaofeng asked the maid to bring a basin of charcoal fire, pierced two taro with sticks, and hid in the room to bake the taro and tell jokes, putting all his troubles behind him.

*

At night, the second heavy snow fell in the capital.

Feng Chao served the Empress Dowager in Renshou Palace, taking the medicinal soup, but his spirit seemed insufficient.

The Empress Dowager wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and glanced at his face, asking in a lukewarm tone, “Are you feeling unwell?”