Feng Yu Heng had always been blunt with the way she spoke, and some of the things would cause even Feng Jin Yuan’s face to turn red. But regardless of whether the words were blunt or not, what she had said was the truth. Even if Feng Jin Yuan was embarrassed, he had to obediently accept it. It was just that after accepting it, he did not know how he should reply.
Feng Yu Heng was in no rush, gently patting Zi Rui and saying: “Go play on your own. Elder sister will discuss some things with father.”
The young child also knew that there would be times when he should avoid certain situations, thus he happily ran out to play. Only when it was just father and daughter that remained did Feng Jin Yuan feel that he commanded a bit more respect, saying: “Father is quite shameless, but A-Heng, that was your mother that stabbed me. Normally speaking, you should give me an explanation.”
He was also feeling panicked and was willing to say anything; however, these words caused a wave of anger to well up inside Feng Yu Heng. But she had also become accustomed to Feng Jin Yuan being unreasonable. She knew that there would be no end if she got angry, thus she forcefully suppressed it and very seriously told him: “If you feel that there was something to dispute over that matter, go to the government office to file a complaint. Complain that Yao shi left you crippled. Whether it’s paying with money or with life, that’s between you two. It’s unrelated to me. You also know the current relationship between her and me. That’s why you can’t threaten me with this matter.”
Feng Jin Yuan was stunned. He thought that Feng Yu Heng might get angry, but he never thought that she would say these things. After thinking of Yao shi’s recent situation, their relationship was on the verge of rupturing. Back then, he had secretly laughed at Yao shi for being stupid and laughed at Feng Yu Heng for being truly isolated; however, who knew that she would use this reason to brush him off. For a while, Feng Jin Yuan was also speechless. This sort of thing was already hard to talk about. He had mentioned it, and she had refused. What else could be done?
He could not help but feel distressed over the 150 taels of tuition fee. If he knew earlier that Feng Yu Heng would refuse to do it and use such words to render him speechless, he would not have bothered with scraping that money together. Either way, the imperial daughter’s manor had plenty of money. It was not to the point that it could not afford to send a child to school. But it was too late. It was too late!
Feng Jin Yuan regretted having done it!
But just as he was feeling frustrated, he suddenly heard Feng Yu Heng say: “Although it’s not convenient for me to examine that area for father, I can have the people from Hundred Herb Hall visit father to take a look.”
Feng Jin Yuan’s eyes lit up: “Hundred Herb Hall? Can… can they treat it?”
Feng Yu Heng shrugged: “I don’t know, but the doctors at Hundred Herb Hall were all personally taught by me. No matter what, they’re better than the common doctors. In fact, they are no worse than the imperial physicians in the palace. If father wishes to try, I will have them go over at a later time.”
Feng Jin Yuan rubbed his hands. He had found a glimmer of hope in his darkest hour! He had thought that there was no hope; however, who knew that this daughter really was not too heartless. Thus he repeatedly nodded: “Yes! Good! Then I’ll ask the doctors from Hundred Herb Hall to take a look!”
Feng Yu Heng reminded him once more: “Father, don’t rejoice too soon. It’s truly been far too long since you were injured. The chance of it being successfully treated is only 10 percent.”
These words were like being sprayed with cold water. Fortunately, Feng Jin Yuan was able to endure and repeatedly gave thanks before quickly leaving the imperial daughter’s manor. As for having Feng Yu Heng help find him a job, he did not dare bring it up. Negotiating and succeeding once with this daughter was already good enough. He could not get greedy. In any case, treating his injury was most important. The matter of a job could be slowly talked about later.
Feng Jin Yuan happily left; however, Huang Quan unhappily asked Feng Yu Heng: “Young miss, will you really have the doctors from Hundred Herb Hall treat him? What if it really gets treated?”
Wang Chuan rolled her eyes, “Doctors treating people is a good thing. Why is it when it comes to you, you’re worried that he’ll be successfully treated?”
Huang Quan replied naturally: “That would depend on who is being treated. A person like Feng Jin Yuan will be pleased with himself if he is treated.”
Feng Yu Heng laughed and said: “I already said that the chance of him being successfully treated is 10 percent.”
Huang Quan muttered: “Even then, it’s a waste of Hundred Herb Hall’s good medicine.”
“Who said that it’s a waste?” Feng Yu Heng looked at her with a wicked smile: “My Hundred Herb Hall is a business. However much medicine is used, he will need to pay. Could it be that you thought that he would be treated for free?”
Upon hearing this, Huang Quan laughed, “Young miss will be taking money from him? Hahaha!” This servant was rocking with laughter, creating a very beautiful scene, “Did you just see that? When Feng Jin Yuan handed over the 150 taels, he had a smile on his face, but his eyes were crying! If Hundred Herb Hall demands payment from him, I figure he’ll need to sell everything in the house, right?”
Wang Chuan laughed when she heard this, but at the same time, she said in confusion: “Where did Feng Jin Yuan get that money from? Could it be that his Highness the fifth prince gave it? Wasn’t it said that the Feng residence is currently being taken care of by his Highness the fifth prince? 150 taels is not a small amount.”
Feng Yu Heng, however, said: “What do you care where it came from. Since he could bring the money out, it means that there are still some things that he can do. It’s just not known if they’re proper or not.”
While the imperial daughter’s manor was wondering about the origin of Feng Jin Yuan’s money, inside the Feng residence, Fen Dai was looking everywhere for her jade pillow. While searching, she muttered: “I clearly put it away. Dong Ying, did you change its location?”
Dong Ying shook her head, “That jade pillow was given to young miss by His Highness. Young Miss really liked it but said that it was uncomfortable to sleep on. You then put it away in the wardrobe. This servant still remembers that it was in the partition at the top of the wardrobe. How could it be missing?”
The two were both confused. In another courtyard, Xiang Rong was also feeling dejected. A servant was currently telling her: “Someone from the Ping Palace came with a message. It says that his Highness the fourth prince feels that the peony that he embroidered yesterday still does not look very good. He wishes to invite young miss to go over and teach him.”
Xiang Rong was so angry that she smashed the teacup before her.
Recently, her temper had been quite bad, but it was only when she spent time with the fourth prince that she could not hold back her temper. Upon hearing that that person was causing more trouble, she could not help but angrily say: “What teaching! He’s been taught 800 times. If he doesn’t have the talent, he needs to practice. What can he become from having me teach him?”
The servant did not dare say anything else; however, she thought to herself, young miss, could it be that you want to have his Highness the fourth prince become capable in embroidery? In the end, he is a grown man. Just listening obediently is good enough. After thinking a bit, the thought that had been forced to the bottom of her mind for many months appeared once more, and she could not help but say to Xiang Rong: “In truth… his Highness the fourth prince treats young miss quite well.”
Her voice when saying this was already very quiet, but they were very piercing to Xiang Rong, and she could not help but angrily say: “Who values being treated well by him? He can go and treat whomever he wants well! Go and tell someone to reply to him. Have him embroider on his own. If he doesn’t finish embroidering 100 peonies, this young miss will not see him!”
The maidservant quickly left to reply to the servant from Ping Palace. Xiang Rong, however, was feeling was feeling annoyed and flustered from what had just been said.
Treated well? She did not value being treated well. At present, she was most depressed because she had been delayed by Xuan Tian Yi’s antics and could not participate in the Yao family’s wedding. Like this, another opportunity to meet his Highness the seventh prince had passed her by. She did not know how many months or years it would be before she could meet him once more. Or even if they did not meet, she could at least look at him from afar. There was no need to talk. As long as she could see him and know that he was still well, she would feel at ease.
Unfortunately, this great chance was ruined by Xuan Tian Yi. Also, when she thought about it later on, why did she feel that Xuan Tian Yi was doing it on purpose? Just because he is a prince, he can be unreasonable? Then why did she need to listen to him? In the end, what part of her became confused enough that she would need to listen to Xuan Tian Yi?
Xiang Rong forcefully shook her head and felt that things were a mess. These days were clear and bright, but why were they becoming messier and messier?
Two days later, Feng Yu Heng helped Zi Rui into the carriage to send him to Xiao Zhou. Wang Chuan and Ban Zou personally went along to protect him. At the same time, five hidden guards were dispatched by the imperial daughter’s manor. Right before leaving, Zi Rui did not mention going to visit Yao shi, and Feng Yu Heng also wished to avoid her. Recently, Yao shi’s matter made her not know how she should bring it up with this child.
After watching the carriage get further away, Huang Quan helped her back into the manor. While walking, she asked: “Young miss, that girl named Ying Cao is still being restrained. Do you think she should be let out or what?”
Feng Yu Heng frowned. That little girl had returned to the capital with Zi Rui. When she had returned, she had ordered for her to be restrained but did not provide any reason. She just told Zi Rui that she would be learning some things that a girl should learn from a maidservant. On this trip to Xiao Zhou, Zi Rui also knew the rules of the academy, thus he did not mention bringing her. This saved Feng Yu Heng some concern.
She said to Huang Quan: “Just keep her restrained for now. That girl seemed good in the past, but for some reason, something feels off about her since she came back.”
Huang Quan also said: “Young miss is not at fault. This servant and Wang Chuan also talked about it in private before. Although that girl looks young, she looks like she has a lot of ideas. Normally speaking, servants are bought from slave merchants and would have been tamed from being beaten by the merchants. How could they be as sharp as her?”
Feng Yu Heng was in agreement with this, “That’s right. What you said about being tamed through beatings is most important. Think about the servants in this manor. Most of them were purchased from servant merchants. Servant merchants are different from slave merchants. The servants that they train are for the sake of being sent into large families and to earn some more money. That’s why the people under their control will not be mistreated. The ones with good looks will be treated well. Even some family taking an interest in taking her in as a concubine is possible. But slave merchants are different. The slaves in their control are of low quality. Also, the majority are young children. The majority cannot be sold for a high price. They are often mistreated. That’s why capable servants can be purchased from servant merchants, while those bought from slave merchants can only be used for hard labor.”
“Does young miss feel that that little girl has bad intentions?”
“There is a bit of that feeling.” Feng Yu Heng said: “Fleeing the imperial palace was Zi Rui’s idea and ability. That I believe. But traveling from the capital to the East, something big like that, even if that girl felt even a bit of duty as a servant, she would have advised against it. Even if she could not convince him and accompanied him, based on her survival ability, it’s impossible that they could travel so smoothly even with the hidden guards dispatched by Zhang Yuan. As I see it, she isn’t someone that has been tamed through beatings from a slave merchant. Instead, she seems like someone that is accustomed to traveling.”
Huang Quan was a bit worried, anxiously saying: “Then how about this servant brings her out for young miss to interrogate properly?”
Feng Yu Heng waved her hand: “No rush. Just leave it. Just keep an eye on her. I want to see if she will act on her own if she is just left like this.”
As the two spoke, they had almost entered the yard. At this time, a male servant quickly ran over. While running, he shouted: “Young miss, wait a moment!”
The two stopped and looked back, seeing that the servant was guiding another person. Feng Yu Heng felt that they were a bit familiar: “You are… from the Chun Palace?”
The maidservant immediately bowed, “Imperial daughter’s eyes are sharp. This servant is indeed from the Chun Palace. His Highness sent this servant to come and tell imperial daughter that imperial daughter is invited to the Chun Palace for a family feast. He also said that his Highness the ninth prince has already agreed and will send an imperial carriage in the evening to pick you up.”