16
In the fifty-second year of the Fenghuang reign, at the end of the third month, General Li Taixuan, the great commander who had defended the eastern borders, returned to the capital with his wife and children.
It was said that this mighty general not only spent most of his life protecting the borders, but every time he took up arms and donned his armor to charge into battle, his bravery was unmatched.
He was a war leader with an undefeated record, victorious in every battle.
His legendary feats were often retold by storytellers and performed in plays at theaters and taverns.
Especially popular among noble ladies and Furens was the tale of his fated romance with Furen from the Shen family, his wife, whose devotion had captured her husband’s heart for many years.
Although the characters in these tales often had their names altered, everyone knew who the stories were truly about.
When the Li family’s caravan passed through the city gates, right on the announced schedule, they were astonished to find hundreds, if not thousands, of townspeople lining the streets on both sides.
Especially for Li Zhengqing, who was riding a horse next to his father at the front of the procession, it was quite overwhelming.
In a blink, he was showered with scented sachets, money pouches, flowers, and handkerchiefs thrown from the upper stories of inns and taverns.
He was covered in gifts, as if he were a newly appointed Zhuangyuan (top scholar) or Tanhua (third-place scholar).
The flowers rained down upon him, blanketing the streets like a spring shower.
The Feng dynasty was progressive regarding women’s roles, and they did not strictly adhere to the rules of propriety that barred men and women from interacting freely.
Ladies and Furens were allowed to express themselves more openly than in other dynasties.
They weren’t confined to their chambers or forced to wear veils when stepping outside.
Therefore, no one was surprised by this display of affection.
As for Li Taixuan, thanks to his experience, he skillfully dodged many of these tokens of affection.
Nevertheless, he didn’t receive as many as his son, being a man who was already married—and his wife was present.
However, the eldest son of this renowned general, it was rumored, had yet to even secure a betrothal, which piqued the interest of many young ladies and mothers with daughters of marriageable age.
This was the reason behind the outpouring of attention.
Li Yue Haili, who had been somewhat concerned about how her brother would be received in the capital, was relieved to see the warmth of the welcome.
Having been born on the borderlands, she had read history books and heard tales, but experiencing this firsthand was different.
She felt at ease now.
Clearly, not all women were as shallow as Su Mengzhen.
If any of these ladies had good sense, Li Zhengqing should be considered an excellent match among all the young men, both in appearance and abilities.
“Aunt, Ying Ying, we’ll reach the General’s Manor after two more streets.”
Feng Yongyuan, who had been traveling with them in the carriage for the past month, spoke up.
“After I drop you off, I must return to my manor first.
In two or three days, I’ll bring gifts to pay my respects.”
“What gifts?
Throughout this journey, you’ve been the one helping and taking care of us.
It is us who should be bringing gifts to express our gratitude to you and your father, the Prince.”
Shen Xuefei spoke gently.
During the journey, she had learned from her daughter that the main branch of their family might have some hidden plans.
Although Ying Ying did not reveal everything, Shen Xuefei was no fool.
Just by thinking it over carefully, she understood the deeper intricacies of the situation.
Furen Li knew that they had received considerable help from the Second Prince’s heir.
Although she wondered what his true intentions were, after observing how he interacted with Ying Ying frequently, she realized that this young man was likely planning to snatch the sweet fruit right from her arms.
However, Ying Ying was only seven years old.
How could she ask her daughter if she had feelings for any man?
Thus, she chose to quietly observe from a distance.
Nevertheless, her daughter did not seem like other girls her age.
Especially when it came to expressing emotions, Ying Ying rarely showed much.
Although she was obedient, understanding, gentle, and intelligent, a child who never cried was hardly a child at all.
Yet, when it came to the Second Prince’s heir, Ying Ying’s behavior seemed to change slightly.
Others might not notice, but how could her mother miss it?
Her daughter hadn’t acted inappropriately; when talking to the prince, she was always polite and well-mannered, with a smile on her face.
However, she often displayed indifference, as if deliberately maintaining a cold distance.
Even when she called him affectionately by ‘Brother Yongyuan,’ her tone and expression were far from those of someone close.
At first, Shen Xuefei thought her daughter might have taken a dislike to something about the young man and was thus pulling away.
But after closely observing them, she noticed that whenever the prince wasn’t looking or when Ying Ying was caught off guard, her daughter would steal glances at him—subconsciously, as if it had become a long-standing habit.
There seemed to be hidden layers between the two children that Shen Xuefei didn’t fully understand and couldn’t ask about.
But one thing was clear to her as a mother—Ying Ying likely harbored some feelings for the prince.
However, since her daughter was only seven, it would be harsh to intervene in their budding relationship.
Ying Ying had no betrothal yet, and allowing her to have a childhood friendship with Feng Yongyuan wasn’t a bad thing.
But the status of this ‘friendship’ was rather lofty.
The daughter of a great border general commanding hundreds of thousands of troops, forming ties with the heir to a prince’s estate…
the emperor might not be too pleased with such a red-threaded destiny.
Furen Li sighed to herself.
Perhaps she was overthinking things.
The children were still young, so why rush into thoughts of marriage?
If she made assumptions and Ying Ying later revealed she didn’t actually like the prince, it could lead to unnecessary complications.
With this in mind, Shen Xuefei decided she would find a suitable time to have a conversation with her daughter.
If Ying Ying had no feelings for him, then it was no big deal.But if she truly did, they would have to tread carefully in their next steps.