Chapter 113

Although Feng Liwu had been drunk before, he had always retained some semblance of sobriety.

Never had he been as completely wasted as he was now.

Jiang Xiurun struggled to push him onto the bed, then called for Taohua to bring a basin of warm water, a wet towel, and some sobering soup.

After wiping his hands and face, Jiang Xiurun turned around and noticed that he had opened his eyes at some point and was staring at her with a deep, unfathomable gaze.

Thinking he had sobered up, she leaned down and asked, “You drank so much. Does your head hurt?”

But in the next moment, Feng Liwu reached out with his long arm, pulled her head down to his chest, and slurred, “You’re not allowed to smile at him. Not even a glance!”

Caught off guard, Jiang Xiurun dropped the wet towel in her hand. She couldn’t help but laugh and asked, “Your Highness, who are you forbidding me to smile at?”

Feng Liwu, drunk and acting like a petulant three-year-old, blurted out, “You’re not allowed to smile at Feng Wu like those other women! You’re mine, and no one can take you away!”

Jiang Xiurun was amused by Feng Liwu’s childish jealousy and the silly things he was saying.

She lowered her head and pressed her nose against his, teasing, “His figure isn’t as good as yours. His waist looks weak. Why would I smile at him?”

Feng Liwu perked up at this, swaying as he tried to sit up to prove to his concubine that he was indeed strong.

But as soon as he leaned over her, he fell back asleep, snoring loudly.

Jiang Xiurun thought about how Feng Liwu had been competing with the Second Prince earlier, puffing out his chest like a rooster in a henhouse, refusing to back down.

If it had been anyone else, Jiang Xiurun would have found it utterly ridiculous and unworthy of respect.

But seeing the usually serious and composed Feng Liwu act so childishly competitive made him seem endearingly naive and cute.

In the end, she didn’t mind the smell of alcohol on him.

After wiping him clean, she hugged him and fell asleep.

However, the wine Feng Liwu had been drinking was a local specialty from Mingshan, brewed with mountain frogs.

By the middle of the night, the alcohol had worn off, but his energy and blood were fully invigorated.

With his soft, sweet-smelling concubine sleeping soundly in his arms, how could he resist?

So, for the latter half of the night, he indulged in her fragrant, jade-like body, tirelessly enjoying himself.

By the end, Jiang Xiurun’s voice was trembling and hoarse, but Feng Liwu still showed no signs of stopping, claiming that he had been neglecting her and hadn’t satisfied her enough in the past.

The next morning, when Jiang Xiurun got up and was being helped by Taohua to wash up, she suddenly remembered that Qian’er wasn’t by her side, and she had forgotten to bring her usual contraceptive medicine.

She couldn’t very well ask Taohua to fetch the medicine for her, so she decided it would be fine to take it after returning to the city later that day.

She didn’t think much of it.

How could one visit Mingshan without soaking in the hot springs? Unfortunately, the next morning, dark clouds rolled in, and soon a heavy rain began to fall.

The weather made it impossible to bathe outdoors.

So, they decided to wait for the rain to stop before heading back to the capital.

But the rain only grew heavier.

The gloomy weather made everyone feel inexplicably irritable.

Taohua brought a plate of shelled walnuts for Jiang Xiurun to snack on while she read scrolls.

Meanwhile, Feng Liwu braved the rain to check if the mountain path had been flooded.

Jiang Xiurun watched the rain cascade down the window, feeling uneasy but unable to pinpoint why.

When a sudden clap of thunder shook the sky, she sat up straight, remembering something crucial.

How could she have forgotten?

It was during this very autumn, in a rare heavy rainstorm, that her brother had come to find her at the laundry bureau, excitedly telling her that a secret envoy from the state of Bo had arrived with a message from their father, the emperor, to bring him back home.

At the time, Jiang Xiurun had been overjoyed, thinking their hardships were finally over.

But when her brother mentioned taking her with him, the envoy advised him to go alone, fearing that bringing her would delay his journey.

Jiang Zhi refused to leave without her, and after much persuasion, the envoy reluctantly agreed.

However, before they could rescue her, Feng Liwu, who happened to be passing by the laundry bureau, noticed something amiss and had the envoy arrested.

Upon interrogation, it was revealed that the envoy wasn’t sent by their father but by Empress Shen of Bo, who planned to lure Jiang Zhi back and kill him on the way.

Although Jiang Zhi was timid, he was still the eldest son and rightful heir.

If he were to die without being ransomed, it would raise suspicions.

By framing Jiang Zhi for breaking the alliance between the two nations, Empress Shen hoped to force the king to send assassins to kill Jiang Zhi and present his head to Great Qi as a gesture of goodwill.

Empress Shen had always feared Jiang Zhi’s sudden return and had devised this sinister plot to eliminate him.

But Feng Liwu’s unexpected intervention foiled her plans, and she dared not make another move.

Jiang Xiurun couldn’t remember much else, only that in her past life, she had once again been brought before Feng Liwu in the palace, where he coldly interrogated her.

She had knelt until her legs went numb before being sent back to the laundry bureau.

The more Jiang Xiurun thought about it, the more anxious she became.

In her past life, both she and Feng Liwu had been in Luo’an City at this time.

But now, they were both away from the capital.

If events unfolded as they had before,Empress Shen’s envoy would have already contacted her brother.

If they lured him out of the city, he would be in grave danger.

Unable to sit still any longer, she asked Taohua to find out from Feng Liwu if they could return to the city that day.

Taohua put on a raincoat, grabbed an umbrella, and carefully made her way outside.

She soon returned to report that the rain was too heavy, the mountain streams were overflowing, and the paths were too muddy to travel.

Just then, Feng Liwu returned and told Jiang Xiurun, “The roads are impassable. Since there’s no urgent matter, we’ll stay another day and leave tomorrow when the rain stops.”

But before he finished speaking, he noticed a faint trace of anxiety on Jiang Xiurun’s face and asked, “Is something wrong? Do you need to return urgently?”

Jiang Xiurun knew the rain wouldn’t let up for days, but she couldn’t reveal the truth.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “Last night, I had a nightmare. I dreamed that my father was dying, and my brother, worried about his illness, also fell gravely ill. I feel uneasy and want to see my brother…”

Feng Liwu didn’t believe in interpreting dreams as omens, but seeing Jiang Xiurun’s distress, he remained silent for a moment before saying, “I’ll send two guards back to the city to inform your brother.”

Jiang Xiurun thought that as long as her brother saw the guards from the Crown Prince’s residence, he wouldn’t dare to act rashly.

Once she returned to the city and saw him, everything would be fine.

Feeling slightly relieved, she thanked Feng Liwu.

The heavy rain continued for several days without any sign of stopping.

With so many nobles and their families staying in the mountains, along with their servants, the food supplies were running low after just two days.

They had to ration the food, which led to complaints from the officials and their wives.

Feng Wu, however, made a grand gesture by sharing his remaining rations with the other nobles who didn’t have enough.

Feng Liwu, who had experienced hunger during his time in the cold palace as a child, didn’t follow his brother’s example.

After all, he was different from Feng Wu.

He had his concubine to think of, and he made sure she was well-fed first.

He didn’t have time for such pretentious displays.

But Jiang Xiurun worried that Feng Liwu’s lack of generosity would make him look bad in comparison.

So, she ordered two of her seasoned guards to use fishing nets from the lodge to catch some small fish from the rushing streams.

That evening, they cooked fish soup and distributed it to the nobles.

Jiang Xiurun, who had a fondness for good food, had brought some precious pepper from the Western Regions.

Sprinkling it into the hot fish soup made it warming and refreshing, earning praise from everyone.

But after the meal, the complaints started again.

Seeing this, Feng Liwu privately said to Jiang Xiurun, “These are the high officials of the court, the ones who govern Qi. Although some of them inherited their positions, most are competent. I never thought that just a couple of days of hunger would cause such unrest…”

Jiang Xiurun guessed what Feng Liwu was thinking and said, “If Liang’s scheme succeeds and they stop selling grain to Qi while also refusing to buy mulberry leaves from Qi’s farmers, Qi will face a famine. Then, the entire country will be in turmoil, not just these officials.”

Feng Liwu didn’t respond, but he understood Jiang Xiurun’s implication.

A well-stocked granary was crucial to maintaining the people’s morale.

A single misstep could lead to a tidal wave of unrest that no one could escape…

Fortunately, after two more days, the rain finally stopped, and the warm sunlight returned to Mingshan.

The officials, worn out by the days of rain and hunger, hurriedly packed their belongings and rushed back to Luo’an City.

The mountain paths were soon filled with carriages, a far cry from the leisurely pace of their arrival.

Feng Liwu also ordered his guards to prepare the carriage and took Jiang Xiurun back to the Crown Prince’s residence.

With Feng Liwu away for several days, a backlog of official documents had piled up.

After changing his clothes, Feng Liwu went to the court to review them.

Jiang Xiumei, who had been worried all this time, hurried to her brother Jiang Zhi’s residence as soon as Feng Liwu left.

But Jiang Zhi wasn’t home.

Only his wife, Wenniang, who was pregnant and resting, was there, making a pair of small tiger-head shoes.

Jiang Xiurun’s heart was still racing, and she didn’t bother with pleasantries.

She directly asked her sister-in-law if anyone from Bo had visited.

Wenniang bit off the thread from the shoe and said in a low voice, “The day before the heavy rain, someone from Bo did come. They said the emperor was seriously ill and wanted your brother to return secretly.”

Jiang Xiurun’s heart leapt into her throat.

“Where is my brother now? Did he leave with the envoy?”

Wenniang replied, “Your brother didn’t say a word. He just handed the envoy over to the authorities.”