It’s Already Too Late
It was impossible for the Sheng Palace to not be affected by the feelings of the officials, but to the current Xuan Tian Mo, these people were no longer important. He needed to replenish his ranks and plan out his strength once more, especially in the capital. He had to make use of the time when both Feng Yu Heng and Xuan Tian Ming had left to bolster his strength. He had to reorganize his strength without restraint and improve even more.
At this time in the Feng residence, Feng Fen Dai brought her maidservant, Dong Ying, to stroll around in the residence, and this had continued for two days. Dong Ying accompanied her, and although Feng Fen Dai did not say a word, this smart servant could understand a few of her master’s thoughts.
The previous morning, Imperial Daughter Ji An had left the capital, and her young miss had secretly gone to send her off. It was just that she did not openly make an appearance. She did not even go forward to say a single thing. The usually arrogant and domineering fourth young miss that had never gotten along with Imperial Daughter Ji An revealed a bit of reluctance in her eyes when watching Imperial Daughter Ji An leave the capital. There was also a look of envy that was hard to hide. It was the first time that she had ever seen her young miss like this. The sight from that moment was still clear in her mind, and it was impossible to get rid of.
After returning to the residence, the fourth young miss just continued to idly stroll around the residence. She even stood for a long time in front of the courtyard where the third young miss and concubine mother An had lived. Who knew what she was thinking about.
Dong Ying silently accompanied Fen Dai around the residence until her feet began to hurt. Finally, Feng Fen Dai stood in front of Feng Jin Yuan’s former study and suddenly sneered, muttering to herself: “The Feng family’s daughter of the first wife? Over the years, I have wholeheartedly wanted to ascend to the position of the Feng family’s daughter of the first wife. Thinking about it now, it really is a joke! The Feng family no longer exists. So what about born of the first wife or born of a concubine?”
She was so angry that her entire body shook. Slamming a fist against the hedge outside the courtyard, her fingers became scratched and bloody. Dong Ying quickly pulled out a handkerchief in a start and went to help wrap her up hand. While wrapping it up, she advised: “Young Miss, don’t be like this. Things have already passed. In the future, we should live our own lives. What does it matter what surname is on the residence? Sooner or later, you will marry into the Li Palace. At that time, the people will only know you as the official wife of the Li Palace. It will be unrelated to the Feng family.” The servant had been with Fen Dai for such a long time, and she had seen all of Feng Jin Yuan’s self-harming deeds. It could be said that there was not a single person in the Feng residence that did not disdain Feng Jin Yuan as long as they thought of Feng Jin Yuan. Even Feng Fen Dai, who also sought her own death, they felt that she should feel a bit sympathetic.
Fen Dai did not refuse Dong Ying bandaging her hand. She just stood there and look at the room before her and suddenly asked: “Dong Ying, say, if I had chosen to stand on the same side as Feng Yu Heng, would today’s situation be different?”
Dong Ying was startled, and she did not know if Fen Dai had thought things through or was feeling annoyed, and she did not dare to respond for a little while.
Fen Dai then added: “I know that you are a thoughtful servant. Just speak truthfully. Just speak what you think.”
Dong Ying settled her thoughts and finished tying up the handkerchief. Helping put down Fen Dai’s hand, she lowered her head and said: “Since Fourth Young Miss asked, this servant will venture to say a few things. In the past, when we were in the former Feng manor, this servant was young and was sent around to do various chores in each of the courtyards, and my knowledge about the master’s matters was lacking. But ever since this servant has begun serving Fourth Young Miss, this servant was still ignorant at the very beginning, only knowing that Fourth Young Miss was this servant’s master, and everything was done with master in mind. But gradually, as time passed, and this servant saw more things and experienced these changes, this servant felt that Second Young Miss was indeed correct.”
“Correct?” Fen Dai smiled bitterly, “Speak a bit, where was she correct.”
“The second young miss treating the old master poorly, treating the former head madam poorly, treating the matriarch normally while not going against fourth young miss and concubine mother Han. Thinking about these things from our perspective, she was a bad person. But if we look at it from the second young miss’ perspective, if she did not do things like this, perhaps she would have already died in that residence. Although this servant has not served many other masters, over the years, after hearing about the things from other large families, to have someone killed in a manor is an extremely easy thing to do. Fourth Young Miss, we will venture to say that if you knew earlier that the Feng family’s master would become like this, would you still have done as you had before? Would you still have strived for the position of daughter of the first wife, and would you have stood in opposition to the second young miss?”
Faced with her servant’s words and questions, Fen Dai was unexpectedly not angry. Instead, she calmly nodded her head, “I wouldn’t. Unfortunately for the past me, how could I have known about the future?”
“But the second young miss knew.” Dong Ying added: “This servant means that the second young miss was able to see further ahead. Of course, she is also a few years older than fourth young miss, and she had been raised on the outside. She also met a strange master and saw many things. Her knowledge was also broader. She was able to see… would young miss please pardon this servant’s insolence, but the second young miss was able to see that the Feng family’s master was nothing good. That was why she made these plans. You, however, were a step late!”
Fen Dai smiled wryly, “That’s right! I just could not see it, and I was blinded by power. At that time, I felt that the position of Feng family’s daughter of the first wife was incredibly great and desirable. I even thought that if I could take that position, that would be a step toward ascending the heavens. But thinking about it now, it’s not worth anything. I just did not have Feng… just did not have second sister’s foresight, thus I fell to this situation.”
Dong Ying heard her willingly refer to Feng Yu Heng as second sister and relaxed a bit. She quickly advised: “There isn’t any bad situation. Fourth Young Miss, you are still the future official princess of the Li Palace. His Highness the fifth prince’s feelings for you are envied by anyone that sees it! Also, if you want to reconcile with second young miss, it’s not too late. Didn’t you see the third young miss leave the capital with her? You are both her sisters. They can be close, so you can too.”
“Me?” Fen Dai shrugged her shoulders and smiled, “How could that be possible? But Xiang Rong is someone with ideas. In the past, I always felt that she was a soft person. Even if she was a few months older than me and told me to call her elder sister, I felt that she was worse than me in every way. Look, I’ve become the fifth prince’s future official princess, but what about her? She did not get anything for herself. Oh, the Lu Province sent quite a bit of a dowry over, but what’s the point of just having a dowry. Who does she plan on marrying?” Although she said this, a look of envy still appeared in Fen Dai’s eyes. Finally unable to hold it together, she lowered her position and said: “No matter who she marries, they’re all fine. At the very least, she left with second sister, and she has second sister protecting her. Sooner or later, she will have a nice marriage. There’s no need for me to worry about it.”
“Fourth young miss.” Dong Ying advised her once more, “How about we go too?!” Dong Ying really was not a lobbyist sent by Feng Yu Heng. She was just thinking of herself. She wanted to drag Fen Dai onto the correct path. At the very least, she would not end up dead along with her. Based on Feng Fen Dai’s current path, she did not trust that the fourth young miss would successfully make it to her 15th birthday to get married. She was a servant, and her contract was in Feng Fen Dai’s hands. She could not even run away. In order to survive, she could only plead and advise.
But Feng Fen Dai shook her head, “It’s too late. Going to seek support now is too late. There is too much enmity between me and Feng Yu Heng. I fear that even if I kneel at her feet, she would not forgive me.” She smiled, as her usual demeanor returned, “Forget it, since it’s already late, we shall simply continue until the end. I must not turn around, nor do I have the room to look back. I just do not believe that I cannot obtain a wealthy and brilliant life for myself! Dong Ying, have someone send a note. Tomorrow, this young miss will go and greet His Highness the sixth prince.”
The hope that had just risen in Dong Ying’s heart was instantly put out. She despaired, and she no longer believed that she could bring the fourth young miss back. Forget it, forget it, there was no room to look back. The fourth young miss had just said it. She could only run along this path until the end, and she must not turn back. Since she could not look back, she could only accompany her, thus she would properly follow her and help with the plans and help with everything. She just hoped that the fourth young miss would truly live a good life, and there would come a day that she would live a brilliant life. Like that, Dong Ying would have earned a future for herself.
Outside the capital, Feng Yu Heng’s group had already set out from Bai Shui County and was continuing on its way. Because of Xuan Tian Hua’s arrangements, the inn in Bai Shui county took quite good care of them. They even made the beds again and increased their thickness. The rooms were very warm. Without someone keeping watch at night, she slept quite comfortably. When settling the bill in the morning, the inn said that they would not accept payment. After some further questioning, it was said that His Highness the seventh prince had already paid, thus they could not accept any further payment. Feng Yu Heng did not continue to insist, only giving her thanks then leaving with the group.
Xiang Rong sat in the carriage and began to sigh more and more. They were getting further and further from the capital, and she had begun to miss An shi and worry if An shi was living well, or if she would be bullied. Feng Yu Heng could see that she was worried and helplessly said: “Just don’t worry. I trust that His Highness the fourth prince will definitely have more people taking care of Concubine Mother An.”
“Him?” Xiang Rong shook her head, “When I left, I did not tell him about it. I fear that he will be cursing at me for the next few days. How could he be willing to worry about Mother?”
Feng Yu Heng smiled wryly, “Even if he doesn’t care, isn’t there still His Highness the seventh prince? His Highness the ninth prince will definitely need to return to the military camp and will be leaving for the South after a little while longer. That’s why I said to seventh brother to have him help take care of the capital. Concubine Mother An’s side has also been greeted. Just don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”
“Really?” Xiang Rong’s eyes lit up, as she let out a sigh, “Then I can feel at ease. I left in a hurry. Mother did not agree to it at first, but after seeing that I was resolute, she finally agreed. Second sister, in truth, others would be unable to bully mother, but I am worried about Fen Dai.”
With Fen Dai being brought up, Feng Yu Heng was also quite helpless. The Feng family’s youngest daughter had truly begun acting like a daughter of a concubine. In truth, the tolerance of concubines in the capital was not very high. Although the large families of the capital had concubines, their existence as concubines made them unable to make appearances. Whenever they were brought up, the head wife would always say a few curses. Even the children that were born from the concubines’ bellies were shunned. Everyone said that they would be like their mothers and would spend their days trying to gain favor by climbing in bed. Everything that they learned was related to climbing into bed.
Fen Dai was this sort of a person. She was the stereotypical child raised by a concubine. She had all of the bad habits; however, her pride was even greater than that of a daughter of a first wife. Feng Yu Heng still did not know where that confidence of being able to become the daughter of the first wife had come from.
“Second sister.” Xiang Rong tugged Feng Yu Heng’s sleeve and quietly asked: “If Fen Dai is able to wisen up and not be like she was before, would second sister be willing to forgive her?”
Feng Yu Heng was stunned. She had never thought of this problem before. It was because she did not believe that Fen Dai could change. That was why she ended up thinking for a long time about Xiang Rong’s question. In the end, her answer was…