Chapter 64: Did I Do Something Wrong? |
Feng Ru Nan had not touched the food in her bridal chambers. The only thing was, when they performed the official ceremony, she had drunk from the wedding cup. Could that be it?
Weng Xing replied:
— Everything was sent from the household.
Feng Ru Nan: — Were they checked?
Weng Xing: — The household steward personally inspected them. There shouldn't be any issues.—
Feng Ru Nan fell silent. Her own household wouldn't have treated her this way. And everything was definitely checked thoroughly. So what was the problem?
She asked again:
— Was anyone checked along the way?
The two maids shook their heads:
Feng Ru Nan paused for a moment and asked again: — Are you certain no one touched the food?
The two maids didn't understand what was happening. *Could someone have poisoned it?* However, they shook their heads again.
— What then?— Feng Ru Nan murmured to herself.
She looked at the candle and slowly approached it. However, she wasn't in a hurry. Yesterday, she had weakened so quickly, yet this morning, when pursuing Shang Chao Zong, she hadn't noticed anything strange about this candle's flame.
She reached out, scraped off a bit of wax, and was about to sniff it. Just then, Weng Li spoke up:
— Mistress, it seems someone touched the provisions yesterday.
Feng Ru Nan immediately turned her head, and Weng Xing asked in surprise:
— Who?
Weng Li: — Have you forgotten? Yesterday, didn't that old man with the white beard block our way?
Weng Xing froze. She remembered and immediately nodded to Feng Ru Nan.
Feng Ru Nan gritted her teeth and asked:
— Which old man came here?
Weng Li: — The servants don't know. He said he was a bodyguard of the Prince.
As soon as Feng Ru Nan heard about Shang Chao Zong, she immediately began to interrogate:
— Quickly, tell me how it all happened?
— Yesterday, as soon as the servants arrived here...— Weng Li broadly recounted what had happened yesterday.
After hearing everything, Feng Ru Nan quickly went outside. She took a pot of wine with her. She opened it and sniffed, but detected nothing. She looked inside, but didn't notice anything particularly strange either.
Then she returned to the room and handed the pot to Weng Xing:
— Drink!
— Eh...— Weng Xing was astonished. She looked worriedly at Feng Ru Nan. What could be wrong with it? However, there was no going against Ru Nan, and she had to drink.
After this, Feng Ru Nan sat down nearby and closed her eyes, waiting. She slowly calmed down.
After a while, Weng Xing said in a weak voice:
— Mistress...
Feng Ru Nan immediately opened her eyes and saw Weng Xing collapsing to the floor.
— Sister!— Weng Li cried out and immediately went to her.
Feng Ru Nan approached and began to examine her. Weng Xing's limbs were limp. She felt drowsy, and her eyes were half-open.
As soon as she looked at her, she immediately understood that the same thing had happened to her last night.
— Mistress, what's wrong with Sister?— Weng Li asked hurriedly.
Feng Ru Nan helped Weng Xing up and laid her on the bed. She told Weng Li:
— Calm down. Nothing serious is wrong with her. I'm asking you, what is that old man's name?
Weng Li shook her head: — This servant does not know.
Feng Ru Nan: — If you see him again, will you be able to recognize him?
Weng Li nodded: — I will.
Angry, Feng Ru Nan went to gather her things.
Today, when she chased after Shang Chao Zong, she had only put on her upper attire. And so she had rushed out, unbecoming of a young lady. Truly, a girl raised among soldiers.
At the Governor's manor.
Feng Lin Bo and Peng Yu Lan were at breakfast, listening to a report about the younger generation.
And when they heard that their daughter had chased after Shang Chao Zong that morning, intent on killing him, they froze, unsure of what to do. The couple's mouths fell open, and their eyes widened. They knew, of course, that their daughter was fierce, but not *that* fierce.
However, Feng Lin Bo waved his hand and continued eating, a bitter smile on his face as he shook his head.
Peng Yu Lan, however, remained worried. She reached out and placed a hand on Feng Lin Bo, stopping him:
— They fought yesterday, and this morning she wanted to kill him. And you're eating so calmly?
Feng Lin Bo relaxed his hands and set down his chopsticks:
— What else is there to do? They are husband and wife. Where are we to intervene? Are we not to eat because of them? Besides, it's clear that Shang Chao Zong is no match for your daughter. He lost to her. So he won't harm your daughter. What more do you have to worry about?
Peng Yu Lan: — That's what you say. But it can't always be like this, can it?
Feng Lin Bo sighed: — I told you, you shouldn't have trained her like that in the first place. It's fortunate that Shang Chao Zong took her as his wife. Any ordinary man would have long since perished in her chambers. That would truly be a laughingstock!—
Peng Yu Lan, frowning, said:
— What's the use of saying all this now? You should think about whether Shang Chao Zong will treat her well in the future.
Feng Lin Bo closed his eyes: — Do you think it's good that he couldn't beat her? Shang Chao Zong married Ru Nan for obvious reasons. You and I both clearly understand this. He took her because of us, because of our support. Furthermore, we will be watching him. He won't be able to harm Ru Nan in any way. It's also good that Ru Nan is maintaining some distance from him for now. But when that happens between them, then you'll need to teach our daughter how to behave...
The sun was rising higher. Niu You Dao stood before a flower, looking at it. He bent down, plucked the flower, and examined it carefully. He had never seen one like it before.
— Plop!— a small bag fell at his feet.
Niu You Dao turned his head and saw Yuan Gang. He asked:
— What's this?
Yuan Gang: — See for yourself.
Niu You Dao pondered: *What kind of precious item could this be, for Yuan Gang to personally bring it?* By the sound, he knew there was something granular inside the bag. He nudged the bag with his foot and poured a little of its contents onto his palm. And then, surprised, he asked: — Hairy soybeans?
Yuan Gang: — There aren't many things like this here. When I was in the village, I didn't see them planted. Yesterday, when food was brought from the Governor, I noticed these beans. Because they yield so little, they aren't planted in large quantities. Few people here have tried them, and few eat them.
Niu You Dao said suspiciously: — Don't even think about planting them, or giving them to the villagers. If that's your intent, then don't bother. I'm telling you. You yourself said they yield little. Especially in these troubled times, when people are starving. They will be of little use. Save your efforts.
Yuan Gang: — I asked the cook, and he hadn't heard of toufu. Do you know how to make toufu?
Hairy soybeans can be made into toufu. Only Yuan Gang himself couldn't do it. He had only heard how it was made, but never tried it himself. Niu You Dao could. He had always liked works of art and traditional things.
— No toufu?— Niu You Dao was astonished. He looked at the soybeans and shook his head. Yuan Gang's words reminded him of the taste, of the aroma of toufu. He now understood what Yuan Gang wanted to say, and nodded in response:
— I'll tell you another day. There's no rush for now.
While they were talking, Shu Qing arrived. Having learned the news from Lan Ruo Ting, she immediately rushed here. From a distance, she noticed the two men seriously examining a bag. When she got closer and saw it clearly, she was surprised.
Niu You Dao: — The Grand Princess looks calm. The Prince must be fine then.
Shu Qing: — Did you add the drug?
*It seems they already know!*
Niu You Dao knew that sooner or later, they would find out. However, he still shook his head:
— Not me.— He couldn't admit to it.
Shu Qing: — Lord Dao doesn't want to admit it?
— Is my admission necessary? Firstly, I didn't do it. Secondly, even if I did...— He turned to Yuan Gang: — Did I do anything wrong?
Yuan Gang naturally understood what he meant. He didn't mean *how* it was done, but *what* was done. Therefore, he shook his head: — Exactly!
Niu You Dao immediately looked at Shu Qing:
— Then, Grand Princess, you shouldn't think that I did anything wrong?
If Shu Qing were to say that he had done something wrong, it would actually be even better for him. He wouldn't need to say anything more. He had been looking for a good opportunity to take Yuan Gang with him. But so far, he hadn't found one. He needed to help the brother and sister. However, his only interests here were cultivation and cultivation resources!
He wasn't interested in which prince owned these lands, which emperor sat on the throne, or who would fall in the struggle for the throne. None of that was his concern. He had only stayed to help them because of Yuan Gang. Because he had sent Yuan Gang on an errand, and there, Yuan Gang had incurred a debt to someone. And so that Yuan Gang wouldn't feel guilt in his heart and soul, he had stayed to help. That's why he was trying so hard for the brother and sister.
He had already helped them fully. He had paved the way for them, built bridges, and led them through. This was already more than enough to repay Yuan Gang's debt. But if they were to further claim that he was doing everything wrong, then there would be no reason for them to remain. They would then certainly owe them nothing. Why should they remain if they were spoken of like that here? Of course, he would then take Yuan Gang away.