Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 132 Interrogation

Chapter 132: Chapter 132 Interrogation

The Feng Family’s manor and horse farm were connected, located near Yiling Village. The manor was on higher ground compared to the horse farm. Upon Feng Shu’s return, she instructed Nanny Liu to hang lanterns all along the veranda.

The lanterns were lit, signaling to those at the horse farm that they were back.

Feng Shu picked up Fengyu horizontally and carried her to the guest room. Nanny Liu, aware of the suffering Fengyu had endured, was heartbroken and wept uncontrollably. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter were the four servant girls residing at the manor. Qiuxiang and Chunlu were both recovering quietly but rushed over once they heard Fengyu was back. Qiuxiang, upon seeing Fengyu in such a weakened state, felt even worse than if she’d taken a knife wound herself.

Chunlu, worried they might disrupt the doctor’s pulse diagnosis, pulled Qiuxiang outside. Qiuxiang clung to the plum tree in the courtyard, wailing loudly, "I want to train in martial arts to protect Miss."

Chunlu: "..."

Fengyu felt utterly wretched, her body aching with a relentless, needle-like pain—far more insidious than sharp agony. She could endure the injury on her leg, but her internal wounds were taking half her life away. Afraid Feng Shu might feel distressed, she suppressed her suffering and endured silently.

Yet her body’s natural reactions could not be controlled—her face was ashen, her whole body drenched in sweat.

Doctor Zhou was already waiting for her, checking Fengyu’s pulse, prescribing medicine, his brows furrowed tightly like twisted knots. His expression carried unspoken words, followed by a faint sigh. He had been helping Fengyu recover for ten years, and though she had finally regained some strength in the past two years, this sudden illness had undone a decade’s worth of effort.

Feng Shu, observing Doctor Zhou’s demeanor, felt a poignant pain in her heart. After drinking the medicine, Fengyu fell into a deep sleep. Feng Shu invited Doctor Zhou to the outer courtyard for tea. "How is Ayu’s condition?" she asked.

Doctor Zhou did not dare to hide the truth and sighed, saying, "Third Miss has always been frail and requires prolonged care. After this calamity, her condition resembles a lamp running out of oil—she may not have a long life ahead."

Feng Shu felt an icy chill throughout her body, as if she’d fallen into a frozen abyss. The pain of an arrow piercing her heart could not compare. Two years prior, the doctor had concluded that although Fengyu was weak, she had been nursed back to good health. So long as she continued to live carefully, she could expect decades of peace. Who would’ve thought this ordeal would leave her utterly drained?

"Is there any remedy, any medicine that could help? No matter how rare, I swear I can find it if it exists in the world." Feng Shu, having spent years outside searching for precious medicines, had been sustaining Fengyu’s health with considerable wealth. If she had been from an ordinary family, she would have perished long ago.

Doctor Zhou shook his head gently. "It is my inadequacy as a physician. Second Miss, I will continue searching for renowned doctors and do everything within my power to seek a chance of survival for Third Miss."

Feng Shu bowed deeply. Doctor Zhou did not dare accept the gesture, reaching out to support her while feeling equally distraught. After sending Doctor Zhou off, Feng Shu sat dazed in the courtyard for a long while.

Her only hope now lay with Master Miao Yun. Before departing for his travels, Master Miao Yun had reassured her that Ayu’s condition had shown signs of improvement and urged her not to worry excessively. Master Miao Yun had gone wandering in search of ways to cure Fengyu, but Feng Shu didn’t know where he might be now. She could only pray for his swift return.

After sitting idly for a long time, Feng Shu summoned Dongxue. "Are all the people in the courtyard asleep?"

Dongxue nodded, replying, "Nanny Liu, Qiuxiang, and Chunlu are tending to Miss, while the protectors are stationed in the outer courtyard."

Feng Shu wrapped herself in a cloak and headed out, walking all the way to the western edge of the manor. A young man stood holding a sword by his side, guarding the courtyard. He was Chen Lin, Feng Shu’s close aide, originally the most reliable protector of Xie Zhang. During the Lantern Festival, he had been tasked with a mission and hadn’t accompanied Feng Shu back to the Capital City.

"Miss!" Chen Lin greeted, nodding before stepping aside respectfully. Feng Shu, accompanied by Dongxue, entered the courtyard. In a cold tone, she asked, "Where is the person?"

"Locked in the cellar. I’ve given him medicine; he has yet to wake," Chen Lin replied.

Feng Shu nodded. Chen Lin opened the door, and Dongxue stayed outside to guard while Chen Lin followed Feng Shu down into the cellar. Originally used by Mrs. Chen for vegetable storage, the cellar was cold. The Beiman captive was chained to the wall, surrounded by scattered vegetable leaves—likely from attempting to satiate his hunger with the stored produce. Alert, he woke at the sound of the door being opened. Upon seeing Feng Shu’s face, his eyes widened in shock, struggling against his chains so fiercely they clattered noisily.

Among the Beiman captives, the others had been slain, leaving only two alive. One of them succumbed to his wounds back at the horse farm, his body burned by Ying Yi in a fiery purge. The two captives were kept separately, and this one still didn’t know his companion was dead—clinging to slim hopes.

"Homesick?" Feng Shu asked with a faint smile as she stood gracefully before him. Her tone carried a trace of amusement. Chen Lin quietly stood in the shadows. The cellar was dark, with only a sliver of light spilling in from the open door. "My name is Feng Shu. I presume I’m the target of your operation, yet you seized my younger sister instead."

Feng Shu spoke in the Beiman language. The captive struggled and roared, his demeanor ferocious like a wild beast. "Impossible! She said she was Feng Shu."

"You were deceived," Feng Shu said with a light laugh. She and Fengyu resembled each other greatly, but those who had seen them both could tell them apart easily. "Without Heavenly God’s sacrifices, your king will never find peace."

The captive struggled so violently that bruises formed on his wrists.

Feng Shu continued, "Dugu Jing has been caught too. Guess who captured him?"

"The Ninth Prince is the War God descended, the pride of my people. It’s impossible for him to be captured," he exclaimed.

"He was captured alive by Xie Xun," Feng Shu said deliberately, enunciating each word. "Two years ago, his cavalry crushed Xie Xun’s leg. Two years later, he was seized by Xie Xun in the Capital City—karma, perhaps. Had he not been captured alive, how would I know his name? Your people disguised themselves as Yanyang people and infiltrated their Capital City. Quite the feat, I must admit."

The Beiman captive growled angrily but stared at Feng Shu with suspicion and caution. "Cunning Yanyang people—it’s all just lies. I don’t believe you."

"You traveled all the way from Ningzhou to the Capital City, glimpsing the breathtaking landscapes of Yanyang. Envy, wasn’t it? Desire, wasn’t it? Three generations of Beiman kings devoted their lives trying to lead you to Yanyang—to invade our lands, drive out our people, and plunder our resources. But you met your nemesis—the Northern Iron Cavalry. They will always be your mortal foes. No matter how many years Beiman persists in its invasions, the Iron Cavalry will always guard the defense line. Your descendants will never cross the Ningzhou Defense Line. The Heavenly God protects Beiman, gifting you a Dugu Jing. Now, he is reclaiming it," Feng Shu said, bending forward, staring deeply into the captive’s eyes. "Do you want to save him?"

"Cunning Yanyang people, what are you plotting?"

Feng Shu smiled faintly, "We can spare Dugu Jing’s life—but at a price. While you regard him as your beacon of hope, to us, he is nothing of consequence. If you cooperate, I might consider letting him go. What do you say?"

"How could you make such a decision?"

"I am Xie Zhang’s wife. Naturally, I hold authority," Feng Shu replied.

The captive clenched his teeth in fury, unable to discern whether Feng Shu’s words were truthful or deceitful. He asked warily, "What do you want?"

"How did you infiltrate the defense line? Who provided you with passage documents?" Feng Shu demanded coldly.

"You’ll never find out!"

"Oh, really?" Feng Shu, knowing the temperament of Beiman people—unyielding and fierce, proud and defiant—remarked, "I prefer diplomacy first and force later. Since you dislike civility, then forgive me. Chen Lin..."