“No.”
Feng Che turned his face away. Seeing so many female guests looking over, he was afraid another rumor would spread that he and Gao Zhi were on bad terms, so he deliberately composed himself and turned back.
“We’re husband and wife. You can say things like that.”
“Really?”
Gao Zhi’s bright, charming smile made all the women present understand.
It seemed that Prince Huai’an and his Princess Consort were deeply in love after all. The rumors were false.
“Father.”
A young girl’s voice came from behind the crowd.
Gao Zhi recognized the voice and quickly straightened up, looking toward Wen Yu, who was running toward Feng Che, with Lian Qiao following behind her.
“Sister-in-law.”
Lian Qiao smiled and curtsied to Gao Zhi.
Gao Zhi returned the greeting. Remembering what Nanny Tong had told her, she made small talk.
“The matrons were punished and sent back to the Lian family. Grandfather and Old Madam didn’t blame me, did they?”
“Sister-in-law, you’re worrying too much. Grandfather was furious and gave those old women quite a scolding.”
Lian Qiao spoke softly.
“Brother’s eldest son is Yan-ge’er. How could he possibly be mistreated? Grandmother has already dismissed those old women and said she would send more attentive servants to the Prince’s residence in the future.”
“Old Madam is very thoughtful, but there’s no need to trouble her. I’ve already assigned people to watch over the boys’ courtyards. Nothing like this will happen again.”
As Gao Zhi spoke, she noticed Lian Qiao stealing several glances at Feng Che, as though she wanted to speak to him.
“Father, I… I still don’t want to go back to the Prince’s residence.”
Wen Yu tugged at Feng Che’s sleeve.
“You’ve already stayed at the Lian residence for several days.”
Feng Che frowned.
“Father was supposed to come get you yesterday, but I was too busy with official affairs. Since you’re here today, come back to the Prince’s residence with Father.”
“But…”
Wen Yu glanced at Gao Zhi.
“I don’t want to be separated from Aunt Qiao.”
Lian Qiao stepped forward.
“Brother, why don’t you let A-Yu stay with me for a while? I can bring her back to you later.”
“No need.”
Feng Che said calmly.
“We’ve already troubled you enough these past few days. Her brothers have been thinking about her too. Let her come back to the Prince’s residence with us later.”
Hearing that her brothers missed her, Wen Yu felt somewhat moved. They had been apart for several days, and she missed them too, but…
Wen Yu secretly glanced at Gao Zhi unhappily, then pressed her lips together without speaking.
“Don’t be willful.”
Feng Che spoke to his daughter.
Wen Yu’s eyes reddened. Seeing this, Gao Zhi coaxed her.
“Mother has prepared a very beautiful little courtyard for A-Yu at the Prince’s residence.
“Why don’t you go back and have a look? If you don’t like it, Mother can send you back to the Lian residence.”
Wen Yu avoided Gao Zhi’s outstretched hand.
“Wen Yu.”
There was already a hint of sternness in Feng Che’s voice.
Seeing that he was angry, Wen Yu whispered,
“I’ll go back with Father.”
Gao Zhi calmly withdrew her hand. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Jiang Tou was still standing nearby, watching them with an ambiguous hint of interest in her eyes.
Caught looking, Jiang Tou didn’t panic. Her gaze swept past Lian Qiao’s eager eyes as she looked toward Feng Che, then toward the displeasure on Wen Yu’s face. She exchanged a knowing, almost mocking look with Gao Zhi from across the distance.
If this had been her previous life, Gao Zhi would certainly have remained oblivious.
But now, she was no fool. She understood that Jiang Tou was planning something again.
Without the slightest panic, Gao Zhi gave her a smile, as though she could see straight through her thoughts. Even Jiang Tou paused for a moment before eventually leaving the garden with the group of female guests.
The next day, after Feng Che returned from court at the Mao hour, several groups of people came to pay their respects one after another. It wasn’t until the You hour that the visits finally stopped.
Chan Yi found out that they were from the Zou, Shi, and Dou families.
When Gao Zhi heard the news, she was sitting on a reclining couch sewing boots for Wen Yan.
The last time Doctor Shi had examined Wen Yan’s pulse, she had noticed that although his shoes were new, they were too small. Apparently, the Lian family hadn’t paid enough attention to him.
It was her first time doing this kind of work, and she had already pricked her fingers several times. So when Chan Yi started talking, she simply put down her needle and thread to avoid injuring herself again.
“I also saw General Zou send over a great many gifts. The two Lords Dou and Shi were both bowing and scraping.”
Chan Yi said proudly,
“Now the whole capital knows that our Prince cherishes you the most.”
Gao Zhi remembered that Zou Sheng cared greatly about his reputation. That was why, in her previous life, when he discovered that Zou Hao had tried to climb into Feng Che’s bed, he had directly given her a white silk cord.
The Zou family had many children, and even though Zou Hao was the legitimate daughter, they didn’t particularly value her.
Gao Zhi could already imagine that Zou Hao was going to suffer this time.
Being foolish wasn’t frightening.
What was frightening was being foolish and still coming out to show off.
Since she had chosen to provoke Gao Zhi, she naturally had to pay the price.
“Princess Consort.”
Bai He entered the courtyard carrying a long nanmu wooden box.
“This was sent by the Shen family. They said Commander Shen sent it as a wedding gift for you.”
“A wedding gift?”
Gao Zhi had just opened the box when she caught sight of Feng Che entering the courtyard. His eyes fell on the long sword she had just taken out.
“Who sent it?”
“Shen Xi.”
Gao Zhi said this as she weighed the sword in her hand.
“I ran into him at the Shen residence yesterday. He said he would send me a wedding gift.”
“This is a Western Fan sword.”
Cang Zhu, who was pushing the wheelchair, recognized it at a glance.
“You recognize it?”
Gao Zhi hadn’t noticed Feng Che’s increasingly darkening expression. She asked curiously,
“Is this sword famous?”
“Very famous.”
Cang Zhu said,
“It can cut through iron as though it were mud. They say it was a treasured sword kept by an emperor of the previous dynasty. It’s extremely difficult to find.”
“It’s that valuable?”
Gao Zhi was surprised.
“He might as well have kept it for himself. I don’t even need to go to war.”
“Commander Shen probably noticed that you like swords.”
Chan Yi said,
“I remember that when we were at the academy, Commander Shen took especially good care of you.”
Gao Zhi couldn’t help laughing.
“Yes. Back then, he often filled in for Feng Yao’s classes. Every time he came, he would lend me his coursework to copy…”
Only after saying this did she remember that Feng Che was still there, and she quickly stopped.
Back at the academy, he had hated her copying other people’s coursework. Shen Xi had even been reprimanded by Feng Che because of it.
“This wedding gift is rather unusual.”
Feng Che’s face was expressionless.
“Most people give gifts to both husband and wife. He gave one to only one person.”
Gao Zhi said,
“He probably didn’t know what you liked. Besides, he gave me something this valuable, so I should prepare a return gift.”
She didn’t like owing anyone favors.
【If this keeps going back and forth, who knows how much old history it’ll drag up again.】
Gao Zhi didn’t understand why, but her gaze landed on the dark cord and jade pendant around the man’s neck, and she paused.
She had watched Feng Che wear this jade pendant for ten years in her previous life.
To this day, she still didn’t know where it came from.
“Your jade pendant… is quite pretty.”
Gao Zhi asked curiously,
“I don’t remember seeing you wear it before.”
Feng Che paused.
“I’ve always worn it. I accidentally broke it while fighting in the war, and I spent some time recently finding someone to repair it.”
“You really treasure this little thing.”
Gao Zhi was about to ask where the jade pendant had come from when Shang Lu entered the courtyard and urged him,
“Master, Minister Xiang has arrived. He’s waiting for you.”
“You’re going out?”
Only then did Gao Zhi realize.
“Yes. The Minister of Revenue is hosting a banquet today and invited me.”
Feng Che glanced at the sword in her hand.
“This sword is valuable, but you already have the Sun-Soul Sword, and you rarely take that one out either. Put this in the storeroom so you don’t accidentally damage it.”
Gao Zhi gave a little “oh” and thought he had a point. Before she could say anything, Feng Che had already instructed Cang Zhu to put it away.
After he left, Gao Zhi went to Wen Xing Courtyard to have a meal with the children.
Wen Yan had taken his medicine on schedule for the past two days. Today, he finally managed to eat half a bowl of rice. Gao Zhi was delighted and praised him for a long while, making Wen Yan’s cheeks turn bright red.
“We’ve been back for several days, but Father still hasn’t eaten with us.”
Little Wen Ting grew jealous when she saw Gao Zhi constantly praising her brother and couldn’t help thinking of her father.
Gao Zhi noticed her mood as well and pulled the little one onto her lap.
“Father wants to eat with you too, but he has official duties to attend to, so he asked Mother to come keep you company.”
As she coaxed her, Gao Zhi didn’t forget to put plenty of food into Wen Yu’s bowl as well. The little girl remained sullen throughout the meal and didn’t willingly say a single word.
Gao Zhi wasn’t in a hurry. She believed that people’s hearts weren’t made of iron, and children were even more so.
“A-Yu, eat a little more.”
Wen Yu said nothing, only lowering her head to chew.
“Princess Consort, this is bad.”
Chan Yi hurried in just as Gao Zhi was serving Wen Yu some soup.
“What happened?”
“The Prince, he went to…”
Seeing that the children were all there, Chan Yi hesitated, unable to bring herself to say it.
Wen Yu hurriedly asked,
“What happened to my father?”
“Go ahead and tell me.”
Gao Zhi hadn’t thought much of it and directly ordered her to speak.
“Luanfeng Yin.”
Upon hearing the name of the place, Wen Yu cried out in surprise.
“Why would Father go to such a filthy place…?”
Although Wen Yu was young, she had heard Madam Gu mention the place while staying at the Lian residence. It was supposedly an elegant establishment where nobles went to watch dances and listen to music, but in reality…
Wen Yu didn’t understand what it really was, but she remembered hearing Madam Gu sternly tell Lian Wenzhe that he was absolutely forbidden to go somewhere like that.
It must be a terrible place.
Then why would Father go there…?
“Princess Consort…”
Seeing that Gao Zhi’s expression remained unreadable, Chan Yi asked quietly,
“Should we go over there?”
“What would I go there for?”
Gao Zhi told Bai He to keep an eye on the children, then got up and walked out of the room.
“That man surnamed Zhu keeps quite a few courtesans at Luanfeng Yin. I heard they’re all exceptionally seductive. If the Prince goes there, I’m afraid…”
Chan Yi hadn’t finished speaking when Gao Zhi interrupted her.
“Get things ready. Take some people to the study.”
Chan Yi froze.
She wasn’t going to catch him cheating. Why was she going to the study instead?