Chapter Ninety-Eight: Leaving the Daughter to the Mother

Page 1/3

Weishao Qianyu, seeing Huangfu Chen remain silent, could still guess some of his thoughts.

Back when Feng Jinye was only twelve, he and Huangfu Chen escorted the Second Prince back to Yue Capital to oversee the kingdom. Both earned equal merits in battle...

Huangfu Chen was left in Yue Capital to recover from two serious wounds he took shielding Feng Jinye. Meanwhile, Feng Jinye, with minor injuries, returned immediately to Guanlin City, fighting alongside the late emperor. When the army was trapped, he led three thousand elite cavalry to break through the encirclement, gaining fame from a single battle...

Since then, the people of Yue Capital woke from the nightmare of the War God, Prince Yuanyuan, being assassinated by Xiyan. Feng Jinye became the new War God...

The brotherly bond between Huangfu Chen and Feng Jinye was so strong that Weishao Qianyu couldn't help but sigh, "Stronger than gold." Years later, when Xiyan attempted to assassinate Feng Jinye, Huangfu Chen even shielded him from a poisoned arrow...

But then Huangfu Chen fell into a coma, and Xiyan’s assassins ran rampant in Yue Capital, causing Huangfu Chen to lose another chance at glory...

When he awoke again, Feng Jinye had become a war king, second only to the emperor, unrivaled and vigorous...

Yet Huangfu Chen, as the eldest legitimate son of the Marquis of Qinbo, lost his position as heir and even the chance to inherit the title...

If it were Weishao Qianyu, she would also feel unwilling, and without darkening her heart, even her saintly patience would falter—darkening was the natural outcome!

However, luck is the most underestimated yet crucial factor on the path to success.

In the past, Weishao Qianyu could only sigh of Huangfu Chen’s misfortune.

Seeing Weishao Qianyu silent for a long time, Huangfu Chen left without interruption...

Lu Yanran fed Weishao Qianyu porridge. When Huangfu Chen was not around, Weishao Qianyu asked about what happened after her coma...

Lu Yanran furiously scolded the Feng family and the Xuanyuan family, berating Feng Qingxuan and Feng Jinye fiercely, even cursing Ye Shi and the courtesan Mei Ji...

Weishao Qianyu was stunned.

She had been too confident, always thinking as long as Feng Jinye was around, she would be safe...

She never doubted Feng Jinye allowed Feng Qingxuan to succeed in order to save her, but that one phrase from Feng Qingxuan, “Whether he lives or dies, what does it have to do with you?”—was that enough to stun Feng Jinye so completely that he couldn’t stop Feng Qingxuan?

Even Weishao Qianyu had realized Feng Qingxuan intended to kill her, but she couldn’t dodge the dagger, and Feng Jinye couldn’t block it either...

Outside the western suburbs of Yue Capital, in the maple forest of Qingfeng Garden, Feng Jinye sat on a maple tree...

In his mind flashed Weishao Qianyu’s gaze before she fell—the trace of sorrow...

Despite the pain, she still smiled at him.

That smile seemed to tell him she did not blame him for choosing Feng Qingxuan, but since he didn’t love her enough, she would withdraw all her feelings for him.

It also told him she would not return, not even if she lived.

He had lost her.

Feng Jinye didn’t know what to do. Even if his parents had been killed, he could live for Feng Qingxuan, could live for revenge, but now, everything had lost meaning to him...

He tilted his head and took a swig of wine. Only when drunk to a stupor could he sometimes see her shadow in the trees...

Feng Jinye could only keep drinking, never sober...

Ye Shi hid in the maple forest, watching Feng Jinye fall from the tree countless times, then climb back up with fear and worry...

Ye Shi had never liked Weishao Qianyu. He hated seeing his master, the proud War King, humbled before Weishao Qianyu, taking orders from her...

During Feng Jinye’s amnesiac days, Ye Shi believed that was how his master was supposed to be—confident and vigorous—but he had grown unaccustomed to it...

Page 2/3

Now, seeing Feng Jinye so half-dead, he suddenly realized: only with Weishao Qianyu by his side did his master seem truly alive...

Fine rain began falling softly. Feng Jinye seemed unaware, already soaked through...

A slender figure appeared in the maple forest, holding a colorful oil-paper umbrella. With light steps, she climbed the tree easily in a few moves...

Feng Jinye seemed deaf to the sounds. Whether the visitor intended to kill him or not mattered little. Only when she approached closely did he open his eyes in a daze...

He stared blankly at the figure—it was Weishao Qianyu...

So real it was almost frightening...

Feng Jinye carefully reached out a hand to touch, to confirm if she truly existed, but he dared not, fearing the image would shatter if he did...

Ye Shi watched dumbfounded from the shadows...

Seeing Feng Jinye unmoving, Weishao Qianyu placed the oil-paper umbrella in his hand, then jumped down and walked into Qingfeng Garden...

Feng Jinye stared at the umbrella, stunned for a moment before confirming she was real!

Weishao Qianyu said nothing, busy cooking porridge in the small kitchen of Qingfeng Garden...

Feng Jinye got down from the tree and followed her inside, watching intently as she worked...

When the porridge was done, Weishao Qianyu placed it on the table and sat opposite him. Clearly, the porridge was for Feng Jinye...

Neither spoke. Feng Jinye focused on the mushroom and shredded chicken porridge on the table, then slowly sat down to eat...

In the days that followed, Weishao Qianyu came daily to Qingfeng Garden to cook for Feng Jinye, watched him finish, then quietly left...

Ye Shi felt comforted. The princess had not died, and she treated the prince well, caring for him and coming every day to cook...

Thus, half a month passed quietly...

Half a month later, turmoil rose again in Yue Capital. An ancient prophecy spread widely: “Once every hundred years, Weishao bears a heavenly maiden; whoever obtains the heavenly maiden obtains the realm!”

The people of Yue Capital buzzed with gossip...

“The legitimate daughter of the Weishao family is the War King’s wife. It seems the War King truly is the destined ruler who wins the hearts of the realm...”

“Wasn’t it said recently that Weishao family has another legitimate daughter?”

“That’s Miss Xue Chun, the late-blooming snow, counted as the War King’s younger sister-in-law...”

“But... the War King’s mansion has been very quiet lately. My relatives at the rice shop say the deliveries to the War King’s household have dropped by more than half this month...”

“There are even rumors that the War King and his wife disappeared together...”

Hearing news from the covert guards, Ye Shi hurried to knock on the door outside Qingfeng Garden...

He was very worried. In all this time, he had never seen the prince and princess speak a single word to each other.

Feng Jinye seemed oblivious to the knocking, only lowering his head to eat...

Weishao Qianyu sighed softly, then rose to open the door...

Ye Shi wanted to bow upon seeing Weishao Qianyu, but she walked straight out of the courtyard and forward...

Ye Shi was bewildered. Should he follow and report to the princess, or go inside and report to the prince?

Page 3/3

Ye Shi pondered, then reported outside: “My lord, a prophecy has spread through Yue Capital: ‘Once every hundred years, Weishao bears a heavenly maiden; whoever obtains the heavenly maiden obtains the realm.’”

Feng Jinye paused, put down his chopsticks, said nothing, and ran straight back up the tree...

Inside the palace, in the Changming Hall.

The Western Marquis was already overwhelmed. Judging by the growing popularity of the prophecy, soon the realm would fall to Feng Jinye, the War King...

They must act to eliminate Feng Jinye. All members of the Weishao family must be wiped out. Yunsuo was only eight years old—how could he marry those seventeen or eighteen-year-old young ladies?

Yunsuo laughed heartily: “Father Marquis, wouldn’t it be better if a daughter of the Weishao family bore a daughter who could marry me?”

The Western Marquis suddenly understood and set off immediately for the Qu family!

Upon arrival at the Qu household, Qu Kun and his wife welcomed him. The Marquis looked at Luo Shuqing with disdain, recalling the schemes of the Dingyuan Marquisate...

Luo Shuqing noticed the Marquis’s gaze and thought bitterly of Weishao Qianyu’s interference, hating her deeply...

Weishao Qianyu had ruined her beloved younger sister, destroyed the Dingyuan Marquisate’s reputation, and crippled her husband’s arms. How could she not hate her?

“I have come seeking Commander Qu Jun!” the Marquis declared imperiously.

Luo Shuqing had no choice but to humble herself and courteously invite the Marquis inside, then sent someone to summon her uncle from his courtyard...

Life at the Qu family grew harder for Luo Shuqing. Since Qu Kun’s arms were crippled and Qu Jun took over the Imperial City Guard, the entire Qu family exalted Qu Jun and neglected Luo Shuqing and Qu Kun...

Originally, Luo Shuqing planned to marry a maid from Weishao Qianyu’s entourage into the Qu family to torment her and use her as a pawn against Weishao Qianyu...

But now, Qu Jun was infatuated with Xue Chun, and with Qu Jun’s rising power, how could she contend with the lady of the house?

Ever since Xue Chun refused the imperial order to marry, Qu Jun had been dispirited...

Today, hearing that the Western Marquis had come seeking him, Qu Jun reluctantly left the courtyard to greet the guest, trembling all the way, fearing royal reprimand for incompetence...

Upon entering the main hall, Qu Jun respectfully saluted the Marquis...

The Marquis went straight to the point: “Commander Qu, have you heard of the prophecy spreading in Yue Capital about ‘Once every hundred years, Weishao bears a heavenly maiden’?”

Qu Jun was momentarily stunned. The Marquis continued: “You should hurry up and finalize your marriage with Miss Weishao Xue Chun!”

The entire Qu family knelt upon hearing this...

The Marquis laughed heartily: “Do not be nervous. I only urge Commander Qu to marry soon so that in the future, the emperor may welcome your daughter as Empress!”

His words exploded like thunder in the minds of the Qu family...

If the Qu daughter married into the royal family, they would become imperial relatives, their status in Yue Capital soaring...

Luo Shuqing’s thoughts churned: That maid was unwilling to marry Qu Jun, but she would definitely bring that little wretch back! She would make her bear Qu family’s daughter, then kill her and raise the daughter as her own!

Clenching her teeth, Luo Shuqing gradually devised a plan to keep the daughter and discard the mother...