Chapter 115

Feng Liwu had expected her to feel anxious or, perhaps, to plead for mercy out of guilt.

Who would have thought that before he could even reprimand her, she would burst into tears, overwhelmed with a sense of injustice

Other matters, he might have overlooked.

Her little schemes and cunning tricks, he could tolerate with a blind eye.

ut how could he let her off the hook for plotting to secretly return to her homeland?

As he watched her sob a few times before falling silent, tears streaming down her cheeks in pairs, Feng Liwu hardened his heart and turned his stern face toward the lake outside the window.

In a tight voice, he said, “If you won’t admit it, fine. The Ministry of Justice will get the truth out of your brother. Now, get out!”

Before his words had fully settled, two loud “thuds” echoed through the room.

Jiang Xiurun prostrated herself on the ground, respectfully kowtowing twice to the Crown Prince.

Then, in a wooden voice, she said, “Your Highness sees everything clearly. How could my petty tricks escape your notice? This matter was entirely my doing. My brother knew nothing about it. I beg you to let me take the blame and spare my brother.”

She had admitted her guilt quite honestly, but for some reason, Feng Liwu still felt deeply unsettled.

He continued to maintain his stern expression and asked, “When did you collude with the old officials of Bo? What was your plan for escaping?”

Jiang Xiurun replied in a low voice, “It was a long time ago. Later, when Your Highness treated my brother and me with such kindness and sincerity, I had long forgotten about it. I never expected him to show up now…”

In Feng Liwu’s eyes, since she had realized that her little scheme couldn’t be hidden from him, that was enough.

And as she had said, she must have regretted it, which was why she had used the excuse of a nightmare to ask him to send someone to watch over her brother.

But her tears and kowtowing only made him feel more uneasy.

So, Feng Liwu reached out with his long arm and pulled her up, his tone softening as he said, “Since you repented in time, I’ll let you off this once. But if you ever do something like this again, I won’t go easy on you or your brother! Have you learned your lesson?”

The tear stains on Jiang Xiurun’s face were still wet, but she had stopped crying.

She lowered her long, curved lashes, hiding the coldness in her eyes, and said, “I will remember it well and never forget.”

In truth, Feng Liwu’s suspicion of her wasn’t surprising.

She had been too complacent lately, forgetting her true identity.

As a hostage princess living in Luo’an City, she was essentially a hidden prisoner.

How could she dare to hope for the Crown Prince’s complete trust?

Today’s unexpected blow had served as a timely wake-up call, shaking her out of the illusion of Feng Liwu’s tender affection before she could drown in it.

Afterward, they had dinner together as usual.

Jiang Xiurun didn’t eat much, silently serving Feng Liwu by adding dishes and soup to his bowl.

Feng Liwu, accustomed to her attentiveness, naturally finished a bowl of rice.

Seeing her somewhat sullen expression, he assumed she was worried about her brother, Jiang Zhi, and said, “Don’t worry. After the Ministry of Justice finishes their routine questioning, they’ll release your brother. He won’t lose a single hair.”

Jiang Xiurun thanked the Crown Prince and then excused herself, saying she needed to review the construction plans for the new water canal project at the Agricultural Department.

She declined Feng Liwu’s request for her to stay the night in his quarters and returned to her study.

But once she was seated in her study, staring at the flickering lamp, she found herself unable to focus on the blueprints in front of her.

After sitting in silence for a while, Jiang Xiurun returned to her bedroom and took out a hairpin from a box.

This hairpin had been a gift from Ji Wujiang, a talented scholar from Bo who had since returned to the royal court.

Although Ji Wujiang had returned to Bo, his business ventures abroad were still thriving.

In particular, he had secretly established shops in Luo’an City.

Before she attended the Mochi Literary Gathering, he had given her this hairpin and told her about the shops where she could send messages.

As long as she showed the hairpin, they would deliver her letters.

In the past, she had been tempted by Ji Wujiang’s offer but hadn’t acted on it.

But now, she couldn’t afford to cling to a single, unattainable tree…

The next day was the monthly grand court assembly, where the heads of the major ministries would present state affairs to the emperor.

As the head of the relatively obscure Agricultural Department, Jiang Xiurun usually didn’t need to attend the daily morning court sessions.

But on the days of the grand assembly, her presence was mandatory, and she couldn’t miss a single one.

Since it was a grand assembly, there was a ceremonial ritual before the court session, and the officials had to arrive earlier than usual.

When Jiang Xiurun stepped down from her carriage, the nobles and ministers were already lined up on both sides, with servants holding bronze mirrors to help the groggy officials tidy their appearances.

Nearby, in the kitchen under the corridor, the aroma of braised eggs wafted through the air.

In the large iron pot on the stove, new rice that had been soaked overnight was boiling, the grains swollen and sticky, mixed with millet—perfect for filling empty stomachs in the morning.

This was called “routine porridge,” and it was only served on grand assembly days.

Even the nobles, who were used to feasting on delicacies, found their stomachs growling after an hour of fasting.

A single flavorful braised egg could easily accompany half a bowl of rice porridge.

The enticing smell made all the officials eager to finish the morning court session quickly so they could enjoy a bowl of hot porridge before returning to their respective offices.

Jiang Xiurun couldn’t help but sniff the air.

She had barely eaten dinner the previous night and had woken up early this morning, leaving her stomach empty and growling.

The aroma of the porridge made her mouth water.

Meng Xian, standing nearby, noticed and couldn’t resist sneering, “Master Jiang, are you so hungry that you need to eat a bowl now? Otherwise… you might not get another chance later.”

Jiang Xiurun glanced at him, knowing exactly why he was being so brazen.

He must have gathered evidence of her “collusion with the enemy” and was planning to impeach her during the grand assembly.

Not in the mood to engage with Meng Xian, Jiang Xiurun straightened her back and waited for the morning court session to begin.

Feng Liwu, standing far away, noticed Jiang Xiurun’s hungry expression.

The previous night, he had expected her to return to his quarters after finishing her official duties, so he had instructed the maids to leave the door open for her.

But he had been tired and had fallen asleep early.

When he woke up in the morning, he found his side of the bed still empty, leaving him feeling as hollow as his empty stomach after a night’s sleep.

After washing up, he had intended to take her to the grand assembly as usual.

But when he left the residence, he was told that Master Jiang had forgotten a document at the office and had left early to retrieve it before heading straight to the court.

Once inside the palace, Feng Liwu was too busy with the court rituals to speak with her.

But he resolved to have a serious talk with her after the session to find out why she was acting so distant!

When the court session began and the ceremonial rituals were completed, it was time for political discussions.

As expected, Meng Xian made his move.

Jiang Xiurun had thought she would need to defend herself, but before she could speak, the Second Prince, Feng Wu, intervened.

With a smile, Feng Wu addressed Meng Xian, “Minister Meng, what rumors have you been listening to? How could you accuse Master Jiang’s brother of colluding with their homeland? The spy was actually handed over to the authorities by Jiang Zhi himself. How can you trust the ramblings of a captured criminal?”

Meng Xian, caught off guard by the Second Prince’s rebuttal, forced a dry laugh and admitted that he had been misinformed, effectively ending the matter.

This wasn’t a coordinated act between the two.

Feng Wu genuinely hadn’t known about Meng Xian’s plan to expose Jiang Xiurun.

On his way back from Mingshan, Feng Wu had caught a cold and had been confined to his quarters, unable to meet with his close officials and aides.

However, he had heard about Jiang Zhi’s situation from a spy he had planted in the Ministry of Justice.

Since it involved Jiang Xiurun, he had taken the time to investigate thoroughly.

Knowing that Meng Xian’s accusations would lead nowhere, Feng Wu, ever the smooth operator, saw an opportunity to do Jiang Xiurun a favor.

By reprimanding Meng Xian before he could make a fool of himself, Feng Wu not only gave Meng Xian an out but also earned Jiang Xiurun’s gratitude.

Even if she didn’t reciprocate his feelings, she couldn’t stop him from being kind to her.

After all, hearts were made of flesh.

Feng Wu refused to believe that he couldn’t win her over!

After lightly scolding Meng Xian, Feng Wu looked up and gave Jiang Xiurun a warm smile.

Jiang Xiurun, well-versed in the art of public appearances, knew better than to reject a friendly gesture.

Even though she saw through Feng Wu’s act, she returned his smile with a polite one of her own.

The two young officials, standing in the court bathed in the morning sunlight, made for a striking sight.

At the head of the officials, the Crown Prince’s stunningly beautiful face was as cold as a thousand-year-old glacier, sending a chill through anyone who accidentally caught his gaze.

When the court session ended, it was time for the officials’ favorite part: porridge time.

The ministers, in groups of two or three, walked to a side room near the palace gate to collect their bowls of porridge.

Feng Wu, seeing Jiang Xiurun lifting the hem of her court robe and walking briskly, clearly famished, quickened his pace to catch up with her.

“Master Jiang, would you like to share a bowl of porridge with me?” Feng Wu asked with a smile.

“I brought some cured meat sausages from Yunan today. They go perfectly with the porridge.”

Jiang Xiurun smiled faintly and made an excuse, “I have some matters to report to the Crown Prince later, so I should sit with him. It might be inconvenient for you to listen in, Second Prince.”

Feng Wu knew she was brushing him off but persisted, “You’re with him all day. When can’t you talk to him? Do you really have to stick together even during breakfast? Don’t you know that the Crown Prince’s residence might soon welcome a new addition? If you keep clinging to him like this, aren’t you afraid he’ll get tired of you and want a change of taste?”

He had expected his words to make Jiang Xiurun jealous, but she simply smiled and leaned closer to him, whispering, “Since when did the Second Prince take on the role of the Crown Prince’s household manager? Should I trouble you to hold up a sign tonight and present it to your elder brother, so we can see whose name he picks? Will he change his taste tonight?”

Feng Wu glanced sideways at her.

This woman, with her seemingly serious expression, was mocking him, implying he was nothing more than Feng Liwu’s servant.

How infuriating!

And yet, the charm in her eyes was utterly captivating…

Just then, a cold voice came from behind Jiang Xiurun, “Master Jiang, what are you chatting about?”