The Hostage Girl - Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Feng Wu prided himself on being a romantic, yet he ignored the Yang family’s young lady, with whom he actually had an intimate relationship, and instead found himself longing for Jiang Xiurun.
However, the most intoxicating thing for a man was still the vast and magnificent rivers and mountains.
Feng Wu understood well that if he ascended to the throne, beauties would come easily.
But if he wished to rebel, he could not afford to stand out too much.
Secretly, he maintained covert correspondence with the aristocratic families of Qi.
The stance of these noble families, much like that of the Yang family, appeared neutral on the surface, but in reality, they were merely biding their time, waiting to see how things unfolded.
Feng Wu was in no hurry.
Sitting firmly in the prosperous land of Luo’an might seem pleasant, but it was nothing more than sitting on a burning stove.
The subtle shifts in attitude from these aristocratic families were akin to fueling the fire beneath him.
The Great Qi had conquered the state of Wei, which patched up some deficits, but Wei was no particularly rich prize—merely a drop in the ocean.
He had heard that Feng Liwu had already reduced Bo’s tribute taxes, which made him sneer repeatedly.
Clearly, Feng Liwu had been utterly blinded by lust.
If Bo’s taxes were reduced, how could the other tributary states be content? Surely, they too would start clamoring for tax cuts.
At present, he had secured alliances with Han and Yan.
As long as these two former allies of Great Qi were willing to turn against it, then the division and governance of the Three Counties would be assured.
Thinking of this, he felt even more fortunate that Feng Liwu was fixated solely on Jiang Xiurun and refused to feign intimacy with either Cao Xi or Tian Ying.
The so-called alliance had already begun to show cracks.
Thus, Bo’s Jiang Xiurun truly had the fortune to bring prosperity to her husband—knowing that her future spouse was him, Feng Wu, she was already bringing him good fortune.
(T/N: Feng Wu is more delulu than Feng Liwu… probably the Fengs’ genetics carry more delulu genes compared to the normal population… hehe.)
With this thought, Feng Wu felt a sense of ease.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Qin Zhao, then ran his fingers over his phoenix-tailed lute and began playing High Mountains and Flowing Water, Jiang Xiurun’s favorite melody.
Meanwhile, in the distant city of Luo’an, the Lantern Festival was beginning, and the noble sons of the city were eager for the chance to admire the young noble ladies.
There was no more natural way to encounter a beauty than a chance meeting on the streets, exchanging a smile under the lanterns.
In the past, the hostages living in Luo’an during such festivals would not only feel a deeper longing for home but also had to conduct themselves with caution and restraint, forbidden from drawing attention.
Naturally, they had no part in the grand festivities of glowing lanterns and fine silks that filled the streets.
But now, Jiang Xiurun had entered Qi as an honored guest and was no longer bound by such restrictions.
In fact, the palace eunuchs had even sent her a lantern catalog early in the day, allowing her to choose a design she liked.
The palace craftsmen would then craft the lanterns with exquisite skill, displaying them prominently along the ten-mile-long main street under the banner of the Bo state’s palace.
Although Jiang Xiurun had spent many years in Luo’an in her past life, she had never had the chance to put up a lantern under her own name, making the experience novel.
Flipping through the designs in the catalog, she selected a lantern shaped like a hundred sparrows perched on tree branches.
In Bo, sparrows symbolized good fortune.
When the saintess led the people of Bo to the Central Plains in ancient times, a hundred sparrows had guided the way ahead.
Jiang Xiurun found the symbolism auspicious and thus chose this lantern.
Though the major components of the lantern would be crafted by artisans, the rotating riddles on it were to be composed by Jiang Xiurun herself.
After writing them, she had her maids hang the lantern up for viewing.
Aware of her own lack of literary talent, she had Feng Liwu compose the riddles, and she merely transcribed them neatly in her elegant script.
Every Lantern Festival included gatherings where people appreciated and evaluated riddles and poetic couplets.
Looking at her own handwriting, Jiang Xiurun felt she had made progress and was so pleased with herself that she wanted to hear the praise of passersby firsthand.
Thus, she abandoned her skirts and once again donned the long robes of a scholar—a style she hadn’t worn in a long time.
Lately, it had become fashionable among Luo’an’s noble sons to wear elevated wooden clogs.
Jiang Xiurun followed the trend, stepping into high-soled wooden clogs, which made her youthful figure appear even taller and more upright.
Her outfit featured a base of reddish-brown fabric, a robe with flowing curves, and embroidered patterns of auspicious clouds and soaring cranes at the hem.
Her long hair was tied up in a crown with a white jade hairpin inserted at an angle, giving her an air of elegance akin to a refined young gentleman.
She complemented the look with a white sable cloak.
Dressed like this as she strolled through the streets, she caught the eyes of many unmarried young women, who stole glances at her, their cheeks flushed, unable to look away.
Qian’er had also followed her master’s lead and dressed as a man.
However, with her tall stature and chest bound, she appeared broad-shouldered and sturdy, her black hunting attire making her look even more masculine than her master.
Jiang Xiurun sighed in regret, thinking: What a waste of such a perfect bosom and slender waist!
The nobles and officials wandering along the bustling long street today did not take carriages; instead, they strolled on foot, accompanied by their attendants, leisurely enjoying the lanterns.
Naturally, among them were former officials who had once served alongside Minister Jiang in the Agricultural Department.
Upon seeing Jiang Xiurun dressed as a refined young man, many of them were momentarily stunned, unsure whether to address her as Her Majesty or Young Master Jiang.
But Jiang Xiurun remained perfectly composed, behaving just as she had in her days as a court official, greeting the ministers with practiced ease.
After a few exchanges, the ministers found themselves slipping back into the camaraderie they had shared with Jiang Xiurun in the past, reminiscing about their days of lively discussion.
A few who had been close colleagues of Jiang Xiurun invited her to join them at Defang Restaurant, where they would listen to the year’s poetry reviews at the literary gathering.
A place dedicated to poetry and calligraphy would naturally be frequented by scholars from Luo’an Academy.
Upon entering the restaurant, Jiang Xiurun immediately encountered several old classmates.
Even Dou Siwu was there.
Upon spotting Bai Qian at Jiang Xiurun’s side, he repeatedly stretched his neck for a better look.
But recalling how he had left so abruptly that day, he hesitated to approach too enthusiastically, lest he undermine his masculine dignity.
The students who had studied under Master Mufeng had inherited some of his carefree spirit.
Though they were well aware that their former classmate was a woman, it did nothing to diminish their camaraderie.
They quickly set up a separate table, where five or six of them sat together, chatting comfortably, filling the air with laughter and cheer.
One particularly talkative classmate recalled how, back in the academy, Jiang Xiurun had always avoided bathing with them and playfully recounted the gossip that had gone around:
“Jiang, you were quite secretive! You always hid from us and guarded your privacy so carefully. Do you know that back then, we had actually planned to trick you into the academy’s hot spring bath, so we could toss you in when you weren’t expecting it?”
Jiang Xiurun grinned.
“Oh? So why didn’t you go through with it?”
That classmate pointed at Dou Siwu, who was drinking sullenly nearby, and laughed.
“He overheard our plans and thought we were trying to bully you. So he stripped us down, threw us into the pool, and took all our clothes away!”
At this, the entire table burst into roaring laughter.
Everyone at the academy still vividly remembered that freezing winter day when three naked figures had bolted out of the hot spring, covering their faces with wooden dippers as they ran for dear life.
Master Mufeng happened to witness the scene and, without hesitation, grabbed a clothes-drying pole to smack their behinds.
In the end, he herded them like ducks into the corridor, where they desperately used their ladles to shield their vital parts, their bodies dripping wet and steaming.
When questioned by their teacher about their lack of propriety, they simply claimed that the water in the hot spring was too hot and had scalded them into behaving that way.
Only now did they realize the real reason—turns out, they had been afraid of provoking Dou Siwu, the undisputed bully of the academy, and dared not call him out.
Jiang Xiurun had never been aware of such an underlying issue before.
But thinking back carefully, Dou Siwu had indeed stood up for her quite a bit during their time at the academy.
Realizing this, she couldn’t help but feel indebted to him.
When her gaze shifted to Dou Siwu, he merely downed a cup of wine in silence.
His eyes, filled with a deep sense of grievance, made Jiang Xiurun wish she could relive her life all over again just to make it up to her old classmate.
As the former classmates exchanged pleasantries, Jiang Xiurun personally poured a cup of wine for the young general, Dou Siwu, as a token of apology for her lapse in focus and speech the last time they met.
Dou Siwu, seeing the opportunity to gracefully step down, accepted it with ease.
Upon hearing Jiang Xiurun’s explanation, he generously forgave her, then wasted no time sidling up to Qian’er, complimenting her unique and dashing attire for the day.
But just as the atmosphere grew lively, the sound of noblewomen’s laughter drifted up from below.
It turned out that the results had been announced for the literary gathering, listing the names of those whose riddles and couplets had been deemed exceptional.
The noble ladies had gathered to see if their husbands or sons had made the list.
Among those walking at the front was none other than Dou Siwu’s mother, Madam Dou—the wife of the Grand General.
Madam Dou had been smiling as she ascended the steps, but her expression froze the moment she saw her son bantering with a broad-shouldered, thick-waisted woman whose face bore a birthmark.
A surge of stifled frustration instantly lodged in her chest, refusing to rise or fall.
Sensing the tension, a plump young girl beside her immediately stepped in to support her.
“Aunt, take your time going up the stairs. The physician has warned that your chest pains must not be aggravated by sudden anger.”
Since they were surrounded by noblewomen, Madam Dou forced herself to suppress her emotions and addressed her son, “Wu’er, come over here. Your cousin Yan’er has been looking for you for quite some time.”
Madam Dou had quarreled with her son a few times recently, and during their last argument, she had collapsed from a sudden seizure.
If not for the physician’s precise treatment, she might not have made it.
Since that incident, no matter how unruly he was, Dou Siwu dared not openly provoke his mother anymore.
As for Yan’er, she was a distant relative of the Dou family, so far removed that even Dou Siwu himself struggled to trace the exact connection.
However, she had won Madam Dou’s favor.
She was beautiful, a noble lady despite her family’s decline—certainly a far better match than some rough country girl.
Previously, Madam Dou had only heard rumors of Bai Qian’s vulgarity.
Seeing her now, clad in hunting attire, her figure utterly straight and lacking in curves, her broad-shouldered and thick-waisted appearance was nothing short of repulsive.
Had her son lost his mind? How could he be infatuated with such an androgynous creature?
Now that she was seeing Bai Qian up close, Madam Dou became even more resolute—she would rather die blocking the gates of the Dou household than allow this monstrous woman from the barbaric lands to enter her family.
Jiang Xiurun sighed softly at the scene.
It wasn’t that she didn’t value their old classmate bond, but Dou Siwu’s frail and troublesome mother was even more difficult to deal with than certain figures in the imperial palace.
Dou Siwu, for all his blunt honesty and rough manners, could not ignore his mother’s health.
With Madam Dou so adamantly opposed to Bai Qian, how could this match ever succeed?
Thinking of this, and wanting to avoid any awkwardness, she decided to take Bai Qian and leave this place of trouble.
However, just as she exchanged a few pleasantries with the noblewomen and was about to turn to leave, something unexpected happened.
Somehow, Yan’er, who had been standing nearby, seemed to have been brushed by Bai Qian as she passed.
Losing her balance, she stumbled and fell to the ground.
Madam Dou’s expression darkened instantly.
Glaring at Bai Qian, who was about to walk away, she snapped, “Where did this unruly brute come from? You bumped into someone and don’t even have the decency to apologize?”
H
Poor Dou Siwu! Delulu is definitely a Feng characteristic. Thank you for the updates!!! Can’t wait to see what happens next.