When Ye Yunting said this, he was stunned at first.
He thought he would feel some hesitation or internal conflict, yet the words that slipped from his mouth were so swift they surprised even him. Though he believed he hadn't made his decision, unbeknownst to himself, he had already reached one. It was just that he had been lying to himself, unwilling to admit it until now.
Afraid of experiencing feelings he'd never felt before, Ye Yunting had wrapped himself tightly and refused to advance.
On the twenty-third day of the ninth month, the capital received its first snowfall. Drifting snowflakes scattered across the sky with the biting northern winds, landing coldly upon skin and making people shudder.
In the end, Ye Wang still left for Yunrong.
A representative from the Yin family came personally to fetch him, and Ye Zhili accompanied Ye Wang and Yin Hongye as far as the city gates. As they walked, Yin Hongye leaned against Ye Zhili, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
Two days earlier than planned, Ye Yunting arrived at the Duke of Qi's estate.
Li Fengqi had originally worried and wanted to accompany him. However, after some thought, Ye Yunting realized that since this trip was solely about Ye Wang, if Li Fengqi were to go along, it was likely that more conflict would ensue. This would not only fail to dissuade Ye Wang from going to Yun Rong, it might even force him to choose between two sides, caught in the middle.
Therefore, in the end, Ye Yunting boarded the carriage alone under Li Fengqi's resentful gaze.
In the end, Li Fengqi never managed to obtain the reward he wanted from Ye Yunting. On the contrary, after being met with refusal, the sight of his crestfallen expression delighted Ye Yunting more than ever.
Over these last few days, Li Fengqi had been making trouble for Ye Yunting both openly and covertly. Regardless of whether he accepted or rejected the advances, Ye Yunting would always be tricked by him in the end. When Ye Yunting thought back on it now, it would have been better to strike first and secure victory through surprise tactics.
Having achieved this unprecedented win, Ye Yunting's mood was exceptionally high, and he walked leisurely over to greet the guests.
First, Ye Wang received his treatment, then the group proceeded toward the front hall. The wolf king followed closely behind them.
Ye Yunting paused, his expression somewhat embarrassed. "Why not send it back for now?" After such a disturbance, bringing along the wolf king might easily frighten their guests.
The wolf king sat beside him with its head raised, panting at him with its tongue out. Perhaps understanding Ye Yunting's words, it nudged his palm with its nose. It was as docile as any domesticated dog, rather than a wolf.
Only after seeing off all the guests and leaving only his own people within the pavilion did Ye Yunting finally relax his shoulders and sigh deeply.
He glanced at Pan Yue’s lifeless body, and said, “Have someone bring Pan Yue’s corpse back to his manor.”
The scene momentarily froze as Li Zong faced off against Li Fengqi, while other officials who had heard commotion in the hall held their breaths and stood quietly, like frozen insects.
Li Zong stared at him with a dark expression, then let out a laugh after a long pause. “Who would’ve thought that the illustrious Prince Yong’an would one day lose his temper over a mere beauty?”
“His Majesty misunderstands,” Li Fengqi said with a smile. “Ye Yunting is not some ‘mere beauty’; he is my Wangfei, another master of this Yong’an Palace.” His eyes narrowed slightly as he swept a steady gaze across everyone present before declaring firmly, “Disrespecting Wangfei is disrespecting me, and disrespecting Yong’an Palace!”
After Ye Wang left the hall, others followed suit one after another. By this point, the banquet was half-over, and guests no longer confined themselves to their seats, instead gathering in small groups with acquaintances they’d found around them. Quite a few took advantage of the opportunity to seek out Li Fengqi for a toast.
Qi Shao, the head of the Ministry of War, walked over holding a jar of wine and called out loudly, “Wangye, how about a cup together?”
Han Chan approached, his expression growing increasingly icy. Upon closer inspection, Ye Yunting discovered that beneath this cold exterior lay a hint of fatigue—an emotion difficult to discern amidst Han Chan’s stoicism. He lowered his gaze without revealing any change in his expression and heard Han Chan whisper, “Is Wangye truly intent on opposing me? We share common enemies; we ought to stand united against them.”
Li Fengqi’s face was one of mockery as he patted his lap with the blanket. “Is this your ‘help’? I can’t afford it.”
Two or three days flew by swiftly enough, and it was already the fifteenth.
On this day, the palace was decorated with lanterns and banners, its servants bustling about, lively as ever.
Ye Yunting rose early to change into a set of deep red brocade robes. The robes had been specially tailored for him by the elder Wangfei’s seamstress; their scarlet base was trimmed with black, interspersed with patterns of coiling snakes. Though simple, they exuded a natural air of nobility. Tailored to fit his figure, these robes accentuated Ye Yunting’s advantages—the way his movements swept back his sleeves, revealing his graceful bearing.
The night had been eventful; Ye Yunting didn't sleep well and woke early. The person beside him was still fast asleep, so Ye Yunting sat up with careful movements, preparing to get out of bed. His gaze swept over Li Fengqi's face, but his hand paused mid-reach.
Li Fengqi's sleeping expression seemed peaceful. His eyes, which always had a somewhat-cold look to them, were now closed, their lashes clearly defined as they lowered slightly, occasionally quivering with the movement of his eyelids. The corners of his lips curved faintly upward, perhaps dreaming of some pleasant sight. His entire presence felt gentle and soft.
His gaze flickered away, and his breathing became shallow.
Li Fengqi lowered his pant legs, let out a chuckle, then wheeled closer to him, eyes dark yet flickering. “Does the Young Master truly understand?”
As Li Fengqi approached, Ye Yunting unconsciously took a step back, lips parting as he struggled to speak. His eyelashes fluttered; his heart pounded like thunder within his chest, momentarily rendering him speechless.
Ye Yunting squinted, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim light before he groped toward the source of illumination. The candlelight shone from behind a screen, casting a hazy silhouette on the other side.
These past few years, in order to write records of mountains and rivers, Chang Yu’an traveled around with Yue Changgou to experience the customs and practices of various places.
He had been on the border of Nanyue when he received the news that Ye Yunting had been selected by the Directorate of Astronomy to be married to Prince Yong’an. As soon as he got the news, he took Yue Changgou and rushed back to Shangjing without rest. But they arrived a step too late.
Prince Qie was a person of talent. He had been born into a minor family with no clan support behind him, but had reached the position of Minister of Dali Temple by his own effort. He had solved many major cases over the years and offended many powerful families, but no one had been able to shake his position.
After the Double Ninth Festival, Ye Yunting, as he previously said, went to Rongyang Courtyard to invite the elder Wangfei to help organize the banquet set for the fifteenth.
The banquet was scheduled for the fifteenth, and most of the matters were being taken care of by subordinates, with Zhu Lie and Wu Geng also assisting. Ye Yunting only needed to
take care of things on a high-level. However, they were all men, and on the day of the banquet, there would still be female relatives present, so they hadn’t been sure if many of the arrangements were appropriate. Now that Ye Yunting invited the elder Wangfei to take charge, this thorny problem was solved.
“Don’t be such a bully!” Wen Zeming’s face turned red. In the end, he didn’t yet have the patience that Wen Tian had witnessed in his previous life. After being spurred by the words, Wen Zeming couldn’t maintain his gentlemanly face, and his eyes blazed with anger. Full of jealousy, he said, “Weren’t you just born into good circumstances? In terms of talent, learning and conduct, how can you compare to me?!
“You’re just an idiot who can’t even write a poem. Without the Wen family, you’re nothing!”
Only after washing, changing clothes and tidying up properly did Ye Yunting’s restless mind finally calm down a bit.
He didn’t talk to Li Fengqi again. Instead, he took advantage of the opportunity given by Ji Lian bringing the sobering soup, and hid in the outside room.
Li Fengqi gazed at his back and clicked his tongue, the interest in his eyes getting stronger as he thought that Ye Yunting was not that slow, after all.
The carriage stopped in front of the gate, and the two of them got off and walked towards the mansion carrying their large bags of items.
They bumped into Zhu Lie when they returned to the main courtyard. Zhu Lie’s eyes widened when he saw them and came forward in surprise. “Wangye, Wangfei, what were you doing?”
Wen Tian did not expect to meet Wen Zeming at this time, nor did he expect that he would be so bold to come to Sifang Town. In his previous life, Wen Tian always thought that Wen Zeming’s and his mother were hidden away in the temple. Wen Boli only brought them in after his promotion. Wen Tian didn’t expect that he had been overthinking it.
Ye Yunting looked at Li Fengqi with surging emotions in his eyes. There was soreness and indignation, regret and helplessness, but the greatest among them was… heartache.
The Prince of Yong’an who guarded the border, the God of War of Beizhao who protected the peace of the country had been forced into such a situation by those people. When he finally joined forces with Han Chan, had he also been filled with contempt for himself?
That night, Ye Yunting suddenly had another dream. And in the dream was Li Fengqi.
He was emaciated, half-leaning on the head of the bed, his whole person was shrouded in shadow, looking gloomy and cold. “Xuanjia Army… how many people are left?”
Zhu Lie stared at the account book in Ye Yunting's hand with a heart-wrenching expression, looking very eager.
Ye Yunting felt a little hot while holding the account book.
He glanced at Li Fengqi, a little unsure if he meant what he said, or if he was just using him as a shield to repel Zhu Lie.
There were also customs for the flower lanterns during the Flower Festival. The flower god in February was Yang-Guifei, so many of lanterns were painted with her portraits. Wen Shuyue was proficient in painting, and she would personally paint the straw paper that framed the lanterns every year.
Han Chan was temporarily settled in the side hall of Zhaochun Palace. He had developed a fever. His face was flushed from the heat, yet ...