The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Extra 2 Snatching a Wife
The great Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu of the Han Dynasty, in his work Spring and Autumn Annals, stated: “Spring is for celebration, summer for rewards, autumn for punishments, and winter for executions.”
According to the laws of the Great Xia, starting from the beginning of winter in the tenth month, criminals sentenced to death were supposed to be executed.
However, on the day of the first winter, a decree was issued from the palace, stating, “To pray for the Empress and the heir to the throne, the Emperor decrees a general amnesty throughout the land.”
Along with the “Amnesty Decree,” a series of policies to reduce taxes and provide relief for the people were also enacted.
At that time, the Emperor’s favor was vast, showing his deep regard for both the Empress and the unborn heir in her womb.
It seemed the rumors of the Emperor and Empress’s love being like that of an ordinary married couple were not fabricated.
In recent days, everyone in the palace, from Emperor Feng Zhan, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Princesses, to the palace servants, were all fasting, reciting Buddhist scriptures, copying holy texts, praying earnestly for the Empress to safely give birth to the heir.
However, the “Amnesty Decree” issued in the name of the Empress was not solely for the purpose of praying for her and the heir to the throne.
The Great Xia had endured floods and famine the previous year, and this year had faced several battles. Although the people were not in dire poverty, the country’s human and material resources had been severely depleted, and recovery was urgently needed.
Additionally, the Turks and the Southern Xinjiang ceded land to the Great Xia after their defeat, and the empire’s borders expanded. There was an urgent need to recruit people to settle the northern and southern frontiers.
Therefore, Feng Zhan and Qin Yan discussed the general amnesty, releasing non-major criminal prisoners, and relocating some populations to the northern and southern regions to settle.
By implementing a series of favorable policies, the Great Xia hoped to rapidly recover its economy and avoid the financial crisis that had arisen after the ten-year war when the treasury had been drained.
———–
This amnesty, according to the old practice, did not include those who had committed heinous crimes, nor did it cover corrupt officials.
Thus, Qin Nian, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ministry of War’s Minister He and the daughter of former Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng, was not granted amnesty. She had been convicted of the heinous crime of murdering her husband and was sentenced under the category of “disharmony,” one of the ten most severe offenses.
The official who had initially convicted Qin Nian was the former Prefect of Jingzhao, Jin Wang, Feng Xian. Although Jin Wang had sentenced Qin Nian for the murder of her husband, he did not order immediate execution but rather postponed it for later, which was certainly a case of favoritism.
However, no one raised objections to this, including He Yanming, the Minister of War.
Jin Wang had acted justly by upholding family law and preventing unnecessary complications in the case, which had exceeded He Yanming’s expectations.
He Yanming also did not want to fall out with Jin Wang or Qin Wenzheng, since, in the official circles, one could not avoid meeting others in the future, and it was possible they would need to interact again. Furthermore, it was Qin Nian who had committed the crime, and He Yanming would not let his personal emotions cause him to blame others.
As long as the conviction was secured, He Yanming did not particularly care whether the execution was immediate or postponed.
Now, with winter having arrived, there could be no further delays.
Since the criminal, Qin Nian, was the Empress’s biological sister, the current Prefect of Jingzhao dared not order her execution on his own. After much thought, he went to the Minister of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review’s mansion, Peng Du, carrying a large gift to seek advice from Minister Peng.
Minister Peng Du, who had been in court for some time, was fed up with the Prefect of Jingzhao passing difficult cases to the Imperial Court of Judicial Review. This was only the case during Jin Wang’s term in the Jingzhao office, as Jin Wang, being a member of the imperial family, had more authority in handling such cases than Peng Du, the Minister of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review.
Regarding the case of the He family, Minister Peng Du found himself in a difficult position.
Qin Nian, the eldest daughter-in-law of the He family, was charged with the crime of killing her husband. If examined in detail, the husband she murdered, He Xiao, was not just the eldest son of the He family but also a General of the Fourth Rank, General Xuanwu, personally appointed by the late Emperor.
Qin Nian, the criminal, had murdered a court official, so the Jingzhao Prefecture could have directly sentenced her to execution.
However, Qin Nian was the Empress’s biological sister, and since Jin Wang had ordered her execution be postponed until later, it raised the question of whether there was room for a retrial.
In cases where execution was postponed, there had been precedents for changes in verdicts during the autumn review. Whether there would be a turn of events depended on the higher authorities’ intentions.
After much consideration, Minister of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review Peng Du ultimately submitted a memorial to the Empress, testing her stance on the matter.
After reading Peng Du’s memorial, Qin Yan merely gave a light laugh.
The reason Qin Nian ended up marrying He Xiao and ultimately found herself in this dire situation, with both sides suffering, was that Qin Nian had tried to harm her, the legitimate elder sister, Qin Yan. However, Qin Nian’s plot to harm her failed, and instead, it backfired, trapping her in her own scheme.
What? Should I plead for her instead?
On the same day, the Prefect of Jingzhao received a reply from Peng Du, the Minister of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review.
“The Empress intends to follow the law and deal with the case accordingly.”
The Prefect of Jingzhao was initially surprised but soon understood.
It seemed that the Empress, as rumored, was not particularly close to the Qin family.
Jingzhao Prefecture Prison.
The visibly thinner Qin Nian had not received any news of a pardon in the prison, and her original sentence was still upheld.
Qin Nian stumbled toward the prison door, screaming at the guard who had come to inform her of the result:
“Why? Why is this happening?”
“My sister is the Empress! My sister, Qin Yan, is the Empress! I’m the Empress’s biological sister, I want to see the Empress, I want to see Qin Yan…”
The only response to Qin Nian was the mocking laughter of other female prisoners, who were about to be released, “Oh, your sister is the Empress? What a ridiculous attempt to claim relatives randomly!”
“I heard she’s really the Empress’s sister…”
“Well, let’s see if the Empress even acknowledges her, tsk tsk…”
Qin Nian’s face turned ashen, and she weakly slid down the prison door to the damp and filthy ground. Her lips moved as she muttered to herself, “Why couldn’t I endure it a little longer? Why did I have to kill him? Why couldn’t I just bear it a little longer…”
————
Qin Wenzheng, in mourning at the ancestral home in Yangzhou, had already received the news about Qin Nian.
Qin Nian actually dared to do such a disgraceful thing! Murdering her husband!
Qin Wenzheng was extremely thankful for his decision to resign from court back then. Though he was now in mourning, far away in Yangzhou, it was much better than being in the capital city, where people would gossip and point fingers at him.
Whether Qin Nian was truly his flesh and blood, she still carried the title of a young lady from the Qin family outside.
At least, it hadn’t affected Qin Yan.
And then there’s Qin Ming…
Qin Ming had made a contribution to the Chifeng Army and was granted the title of a 6th-rank Junior Military Officer, which meant he had officially established his standing in the military.
Qin Wenzheng found it hard to imagine that Qin Ming could endure such hardships and actually achieve something.
That was the Chifeng Army, which Qin Wenzheng had heard about before. The soldiers there were all elites.
If Qin Ming were his biological son…
Qin Ming sent word that he would take his elder sister Qin Nian’s body back to Yangzhou.
Of course, Qin Nian, whether due to being married off or having committed a crime, could not be buried in the Qin family’s ancestral land. However, being buried elsewhere was still far better than being dumped in a mass grave.
Qin Wenzheng also received a letter from the capital from the Minister of War, He Yanming.
In the letter, He Yanming wrote, “The He family will return Qin Nian’s dowry to the Qin family in full, officially severing the already ill-fated relationship between the two families.”
Among the items He Yanming planned to return with Qin Nian’s dowry, the properties that Qin Yan had once gifted as a wedding present were excluded.
He Yanming was somewhat aware of the grievances between the Empress and the Qin family. He was not coveting those properties but didn’t want the Qin family to profit from them for nothing. He also didn’t want to offend the Empress by returning the dowry improperly.
If handled incorrectly, it would cause more harm than good.
He Yanming had made plans. Once the Empress gave birth to an heir, the He family would send the deeds to the properties back to the Empress, as a proper gift in return.
————
Recently, Qin Wenzheng has been receiving constant news from the capital.
Qin Yan, as the legitimate wife of the Taizi, was naturally made Empress when the Taizi ascended the throne.
And Qin Wenzheng was probably the most pathetic father-in-law in the empire.
Qin Yan, his daughter, the one who made him both angry and secretly proud…
Lately, Qin Wenzheng often found himself thinking of Shen Shiying.
The doctor who saw the white hairs at Qin Wenzheng’s temples said his headaches were caused by excessive worry.
But was it worry? Perhaps it was regret…
Qin Wenzheng never lacked anything—if not for the initial foolishness, if not for Song Mei, then Shen Shiying would still be his wife. He would have quietly remained in his official post and could have continued to stand in the capital, his position stable and clear.
Even though Qin Ming was not his biological son, he had raised him for many years and had once placed high expectations on him. It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel some affection.
And now, was he to grow old and die alone in Yangzhou?
And then there was Qin Ming…
But whenever he saw Qin Ming, Qin Wenzheng was reminded of the betrayal by Song Mei and the Fourth Master of the Qin family, how they had tricked him, making Qin Wenzheng feel bitter resentment.
In the end, he still needed a son to care for him in his old age.
Once his mourning period for his mother was over, he would have to resume relations with those two concubines…
————
After Qin Ming collected Qin Nian’s body and placed it in a coffin, he set off by boat, intending to travel down the Yangtze River to Yangzhou.
When Qin Ming boarded his ship at the eastern dock of the capital, he encountered Wang Jingyu standing at the stern of a nearby ship.
Both of them seemed surprised to see each other. After a brief pause, they nodded to each other in a seemingly ordinary gesture of greeting, and then Qin Ming boarded the ship.
They had once been sons of the Left and Right Prime Minister Mansions, and they had studied together at the Imperial Academy, considered classmates, although their relationship had almost turned into a deadly confrontation.
After the downfall of the Left and Right Prime Ministers, these two former noble young men had become increasingly silent, and what would happen to them in the future was a source of much regret and lamentation.
After Qin Ming’s ship left the dock, Wang Jingyu withdrew his gaze and leisurely leaned against the railing at the stern of the boat, watching the people come and go outside the city gates by the dock.
Wang Jingyu appeared calm, his posture relaxed, giving off an air of ease and contentment, seemingly unaffected by the fall of his family.
This, perhaps, was the composure cultivated in noble families, where one learns to remain unperturbed by either honor or disgrace.
As for why Wang Jingyu was there, it was because after handling his mother’s funeral. The Wang family was preparing to move to Yuzhou via the waterways before the winter ice set in.
The imperial court no longer had a place for his father, Wang Xian, and his father could not bear the sympathy or scorn of former subordinates and colleagues. Having no face to remain in the capital, he chose to leave in silence.
At this moment, their ship still had to wait for his older brother, Wang Jingheng, who was going to the palace to pay his respects.
Ah, the emperor… the one who had been so cruel to their family, yet in the end, showed them mercy.
———–
In the Imperial Study of the Imperial Palace.
Wang Jingheng entered the Imperial Study and bowed to Emperor Feng Zhan, who was seated behind the imperial table, “Greetings Your Majesty.”
Feng Zhan gestured for Wang Jingheng to sit down, then got straight to the point, “Do you wish to continue serving the Great Xia?”
Wang Jingheng was slightly surprised. What did His Majesty mean by this?
Recently, Feng Zhan has been handling the affairs of the state at an astonishing speed. The emperor seemed eager to return to Ningshou Palace to be with his empress, Qin Yan and had no time to beat around the bush with Wang Jingheng.
Feng Zhan looked at Wang Jingheng and said in a deep voice, “Previously, in the court, your political views and abilities were commendable. I do not wish to waste talent.”
“This time, you will treat it as an opportunity for training in a provincial government.”
“You will go to the localities as a demoted official, not a high-ranking one. This will make it easier for you to understand the people’s situation. Your reports will go directly to the Prime Minister Ji.”
“As for your father, Wang Xian’s case, it ends here. Where you go in the political world from now on depends entirely on your own fate.”
“To understand the people’s situation, directly report to Prime Minister Ji?…”
At that moment, Wang Jingheng finally understood the emperor’s intentions.
The emperor would no longer make a fuss of the Wang family, and Wang Jingheng still had the possibility of promotion.
Wang Jingheng immediately got up and knelt before Feng Zhan, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
As Wang Jingheng lowered his head to the ground, there was a hint of moisture in his eyes.
Wang Jingheng truly hadn’t expected to be trusted and reused by the emperor. He had his own strengths, and if they were to go unrecognized, it would indeed leave him with lifelong regret.
The emperor did not let personal grudges interfere with state matters, truly proving himself to be a wise ruler.
Feng Zhan gestured for Wang Jingheng to rise, then spoke again, “The southern and northern regions both need personnel. Choose one.”
Wang Jingheng hesitated for a moment, then once again bowed and said, “Where is the Marquis of Guannei going?”
Feng Zhan’s gaze sharpened, but he did not speak.
Wang Jingheng immediately realized his previous words had overstepped, and quickly added, “Your Majesty, I do indeed have personal reasons.”
“It is because… it is because of my ex-wife, Marquis Guannei, Han Shuangling.”
Han Shuangling?
Feng Zhan’s expression slightly darkened as he rose and spoke, “Return and wait for news.”
Wang Jingheng bowed and thanked the emperor.
By the time Wang Jingheng uttered his last word, Feng Zhan’s figure had already disappeared through the door of the imperial study.
“Lord Wang, please.” Song Zhi escorted Wang Jingheng out of the imperial study, while silently mocking in his heart.
His Majesty could not bear to part with his empress…
In the twelfth month, some border generals and officials began returning to the capital for their annual reports, among them was the Shizi of the Duan Wang Mansion, Feng Subei.
Feng Subei, together with Song Zhi, left the palace, and their destination was the mansion of the renowned scholar, An Shifeng.
At that time, An Shifeng, the Grand Scholar, was in his study discussing matters with his eldest son, An Wenjing. Neither of them had any idea that they were about to hear a piece of shocking news that would leave them both terrified.
“Master, your son-in-law and Lord Song from His Majesty’s side have arrived,” came the voice of the housekeeper from outside.
An Shifeng and An Wenjing exchanged confused glances. Shizi and Lord Song? What could these two have to discuss together?
Before they could continue pondering, Feng Subei spoke a few words, only to be knocked to the ground by An Wenjing’s punch.
Feng Subei was skilled in martial arts and had a solid stance, yet he was still struck by An Wenjing’s punch. This could only mean one thing: he had willingly taken the blow, and it was fueled by An Wenjing’s deep anger at that moment.
An Wenjing grabbed Feng Subei by the collar, preparing to deliver another heavy punch to his face, but was stopped by Song Zhi’s outstretched hand.
An Wenjing tried to shake off Song Zhi and angrily shouted at Feng Subei, “Feng Subei, how did I entrust Yanxi to you back then?”
“She died due to an incurable illness? And you just casually return her to the An family with that one simple line?”
“Feng Subei…”
“Lord An!” Song Zhi, his veins bulging on the back of his hand, interrupted the unfinished words of the furious An Wenjing.
An Wenjing was pulled aside by Song Zhi, while Feng Subei silently got up from the floor and straightened his clothes.
The entire study fell into silence, with only the Grand Scholar An Shifeng remaining silent at this point.
An Shifeng furrowed his brows, feeling an ominous premonition in his heart.
When his daughter Yanxi passed away after marrying far away and falling ill, he had expected grief and sorrow, but what he felt now was unease.
The news of his daughter’s death came from the son-in-law of the An family, Feng Subei, Shizi to the Duan Wang Mansion. That was acceptable.
But why was Song Zhi, a trusted confidant of His Majesty, here as well?
———-
As the saying goes, what one fears will come. After Song Zhi managed to calm An Wenjing down, he turned to the Grand Scholar, An Shifeng, and spoke, “Grand Scholar An, the cause of death of Shizifei, that is, the eldest daughter of the An family, Yanxi, has a hidden truth.”
An Shifeng and An Wenjing both felt a sudden chill in their hearts.
Another hidden truth?
Song Zhi continued speaking, “Just before the war between Great Xia and the Turks broke out, Shizifei came to the Shuobei Chifeng army camp. In an attempt to kill the Empress, who had already sent troops into the heart of the Turkic territory, she betrayed vital military intelligence to the Turks.”
“This is the reason why His Majesty personally led the vanguard into the Turkic lands, risking his life, which caused Great Xia to be forced into an early war with the Turks.”
“According to the servants who were interrogated, Shizifei had already established contacts with the Turkic royal family while in the capital.”
“Grand Scholar An, Lord An, you must understand the gravity of this matter.”
An Shifeng and An Wenjing were struck dumb, unable to speak.
The gravity of this matter? How could they not understand?
Yanxi, this is treason!
Song Zhi continued, “Shizifei did not die from an illness. She was instead executed under military law on the battlefield with the Turks, sacrificed under the military flag.”
“Her body has been buried on the battlefield. The Empress said that Shizifei should atone for the deaths and injuries of Great Xia’s soldiers, who should not have perished.”
“Grand Scholar An, since the Empress has already taken action on this matter, it is concluded,” Song Zhi said calmly. “This matter has not been made public. Shizifei’s death must be attributed to illness, and nothing more.”
After finishing his words, Song Zhi nodded slightly to An Shifeng and An Wenjing, then glanced at Feng Subei before leaving the study.
Once Song Zhi had left, Feng Subei bowed deeply to Grand Scholar An Shifeng.
“I am responsible for Yanxi’s actions. I, Feng Subei, apologize to the An family.”
An Shifeng and An Wenjing’s faces turned pale, but they had no right to blame Feng Subei.
They could even guess why Yanxi had betrayed the military secrets that harmed the Empress.
Yanxi had been too stubborn. She must still have had lingering feelings toward His Majesty…
Feng Subei, as Yanxi’s husband, and Duan Wang Mansion, as her in-laws, had nearly been dragged into this because of Yanxi. He too was a victim.
An Wenjing sent Feng Subei out of the mansion and, after apologizing for the punch he had thrown earlier without discerning the situation, returned to the study.
After sitting in silence for a long while, An Shifeng finally spoke tiredly.
“Recently, some officials have submitted petitions, suggesting that His Majesty should expand the imperial harem to enrich the imperial family and ensure the longevity of the country.”
“Wenjing, you must not get involved with these petitions,” An Shifeng said, his voice heavy with caution.
An Wenjing nodded in acknowledgment.
An Shifeng sighed deeply, then spoke again.
“I never expected Yanxi to cause such a massive disaster.”
“The entire Duan Wang Mansion and the Grand Scholar Mansion nearly got implicated.”
“Fortunately, the Taizifei resolved the matter on the battlefield in the North. If not, the consequences would have been unthinkable.”
An Shifeng turned to An Wenjing, his tone serious.
“Even if the Empress handled Yanxi out of personal feelings, An family owes the Empress this favor.”
“Wenjing, remember, the current Empress is a ruler in her own right, she holds land and military power.”
“And she is someone the Emperor holds dear, a person whom His Majesty considers untouchable. You must never offend her, understand?”
An Wenjing nodded solemnly, “I understand, Father.”
And how could An Wenjing not understand?
The Empress, Qin Yan…
———–
At the Ningshou Palace’s Huangji Hall in the Imperial City.
As both Emperor Feng Zhan and Empress Qin Yan preferred tranquility, and given that the great battle had just passed, they also advocated for frugality. Thus, both the Emperor and Empress’ birthday celebrations and the Longevity Festival were canceled this year.
On the eighth day of the twelfth month, the Empress Dowager organized an imperial family banquet at Ningshou Palace. Naturally, Feng Subei, who was still in the capital, also attended.
However, Feng Subei deeply regretted coming to the palace.
Although the Emperor and Empress did not stay long at the banquet and the Emperor, citing the Empress’s exhaustion, took her back to their chambers early, it still caused Feng Subei considerable discomfort.
The Emperor and Empress were indeed deeply affectionate toward each other, an envy to all who saw them.
After leaving the palace, Feng Subei did not return home. Instead, he had his carriage take him to Qianshui Lake in the southern part of the city.
In a quiet room on the second floor of Shuyu Pavilion, with a window overlooking the lake, Fei Subei ordered a pot of wine and drank alone, sitting in solitude until evening. Yet, among the people playing on the ice on the lake, the woman he longed to see was nowhere to be found.
Since returning to the capital, Feng Subei had recalled the shadow guards he had sent to the Qin Mansion, to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for Qin Lin.
He had originally intended to let go, but today, in the palace, both the Emperor and Empress had given him a reminder that stirred his feelings.
When the pot of wine was finished, Feng Subei stood up and went downstairs.
As he left Shuyu Pavilion, Fei Subei glanced once more at the surface of Qianshui Lake. The night was almost upon them, but still, the person he hoped to see had not appeared.
Feng Subei climbed into his carriage, which slowly began to depart along the lake’s edge.
Inside the swaying carriage, Feng Subei furrowed his brows slightly, closing his eyes to rest.
Soon, Feng Subei heard a few deliberately lowered, playful giggles from a young woman from not too far away, “Quick, quick, Qin Lin, catch me!”
Hearing the name of the woman who had been on his mind repeatedly, Feng Subei’s eyes snapped open.
But… could it be a hallucination?
“Qin Xi, slow down, there’s something ahead… Ah…”
It was Qin Lin!
Feng Subei immediately ordered Lin Shu, “Stop the carriage!”
Feng Subei swiftly got out of the carriage and stood by the lake, his sharp gaze fixed on the direction from which the women’s exclamations had come.
After confirming the location, Feng Subei quickly took off, using his front foot to push off the ground as he dashed across the icy surface, swiftly reaching a shattered part of the ice near the eastern shore.
Qin Xi and Qin Lin, who had fallen into the icy water, were struggling to get back onto the ice. However, the ice was too slippery, and the women’s strength was insufficient, making it difficult for them to find the right way.
The Qin Mansion’s maidservants, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, could only anxiously stamp their feet. The two young ladies had sneaked out without informing their master or mistress, and the maidservants dared not shout loudly for help.
Feng Subei leaped down and reached Qin Lin’s side. Both Qin sisters recognized the man immediately, but given the situation, this wasn’t an ideal moment for a reunion.
Feng Subei helped Qin Lin first, sending Qin Xi up to the ice. Then, with two hands supporting Qin Lin’s delicate waist, he lifted her onto the ice surface as well.
Qin Xi and Qin Lin were wrapped in thick cloaks by the maidservants who arrived, their ice shoes removed as they prepared to head towards the carriage.
Feng Subei, who had just got out of the water, gave Qin Lin a deep look before turning and walking away.
Just as Feng Subei turned, Qin Lin told Qin Xi to get into the carriage first and then walked toward Feng Subei.
Feng Subei seemed to sense something. He paused but didn’t turn around for a long time.
Was it her? If he was mistaken…
At that moment, a woman’s voice came from behind him, “Shizi.”
Qin Lin was still shivering slightly from the cold, and Fei Subei naturally noticed. He frowned and was about to step forward, but then stopped himself instantly.
It was her.
Feng Subei’s expression darkened as he slowly turned around.
She was already someone else’s intended. It wasn’t appropriate for him to overstep, such a thing would go against proper decorum.
Qin Lin looked at Feng Subei, then curtsied with a slight bow:
“Thank you, Shizi.”
Thank you?
It reminded Feng Subei of the time when the Empress’s people brought two gifts to the Duan Wang Mansion to thank him for saving Qin Lin by the Taiyi Pool. They constantly insisted that Qin Lin should distance herself from Feng Subei.
Qin Lin’s “thank you” stirred the alcohol that had almost worn off in Feng Subei.
He let out a soft laugh, then took two steps closer to Qin Lin, stopping just half a step in front of her.
Feng Subei lowered his gaze to look at the woman before him, speaking slowly, “As the saying goes, ‘things should not happen more than three times.'”
“I have saved Miss Lin twice now, and if I save you once more, will you promise to be mine?”
Qin Lin’s eyes widened in surprise as she never expected Feng Subei to speak such flirtatious words.
He couldn’t possibly not know that she was already betrothed… could he?
Qin Lin felt both embarrassed and angry. She quickly bowed and said with a stiff tone, “Shizi, I shall take my leave now.”
Seeing the woman before him seeming to escape awkwardly, Feng Subei smirked.
———–
In the carriage back home, Qin Xi repeatedly cast complex glances at Qin Lin. Finally, she couldn’t hold back anymore and spoke up, “Does this mean Mother will have to send another thank-you gift to the Duan Wang Mansion for us again?”
Qin Lin’s expression darkened slightly and paused for a moment before responding, “There’s no need.”
After a brief silence, Qin Lin added, “The person who helped us today was just a stranger passing by.”
Qin Xi observed Qin Lin’s face more carefully but, unfortunately, couldn’t read anything from it.
Tsk, tsk, these two…
“Ah, but if it weren’t for Mother insisting that we can’t go out and show ourselves because we’re already engaged, we wouldn’t have had to sneak out at night to play on the ice.”
“If it hadn’t been so late, how would I have missed such a huge ice hole…?”
As Qin Xi continued complaining, Qin Lin’s thoughts drifted far away.
In recent days, the Qin family had been copying scriptures and praying for the Empress’s well-being.
Madam Zhu had also occasionally taken Qin Xi and Qin Lin to temples to burn incense and pray for the Empress’s safety.
However, Qin Lin did not set foot in Dajue Temple again and instead, she would go to Wanning Temple in the northern part of the city.
As for why Qin Lin no longer wished to go to Dajue Temple, only she knew the reason.
She hadn’t expected to encounter that person again today.
As Qin Lin thought about the words that Feng Subei had said while looking at her so intently—”Things don’t go past three… to promise oneself…”—her heart suddenly began to race. However, after a brief moment, Qin Lin forced herself to calm down.
She and that person had no business being involved anymore, right?
———-
After returning to the manor, Feng Subei sat quietly in the pavilion in the front courtyard, letting the cold wind blow over him as he fully sobered up.
After a moment, Feng Subei turned to Lin Shu and ordered, “Go investigate the fiancé of Miss Qin from the Minister Qin Mansion.”
Lin Shu was puzzled, “Young Master, what should we investigate?”
The only response from Feng Subei was a cold look.
Lin Shu paused for a moment, quickly realizing his mistake.
What a foolish question to ask!
Of course, they were to dig up some dirt on that man!
Finally, the master was going to take someone else’s fiancée!
Pah pah pah, what betrothed, she wasn’t even married yet!
“Got it,” Lin Shu replied, pleased that his young master had finally come to his senses. Now, even the Wangfei would be at ease.
Feng Subei cast a cold glance at Lin Shu, who was grinning like an idiot.
He took a deep breath of the cold air, but his blood seemed to be subtly stirring with agitation.
Today’s encounter at Qian Shui Lake—whether it was fate or not, it didn’t matter.
The woman Feng Subei set his eyes on could never belong to anyone else.
What a joke!