Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 65: Chaos of Emotions

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Chaos of Emotions

Fengyu wept with joy, her tears falling more fiercely. She threw herself into Xie Xun’s embrace and sobbed bitterly. Xie Xun was startled, suddenly enveloped by delicate warmth and fragrance. The Third Miss’s tears soaked his chest, and an indescribable ache stirred within him. Perhaps the bond of their souls was to blame—he could feel Fengyu’s precarious relief at surviving calamity.

Xie Xun scooped Fengyu up horizontally and said in a low voice, "Feiying, clean up the aftermath!"

"Yes!"

Xie Xun noticed the dagger by the windowsill. Fengyu truly understood him—she was afraid he might kill the Third Prince and bring catastrophic disaster upon the Feng Mansion, so even before losing consciousness, she had thrown the dagger aside. Holding Fengyu close, Xie Xun stepped forward, his foot on the dagger’s edge, and with a kick, the blade flew into his palm. He strode swiftly out, carrying Fengyu, as Feiying efficiently tidied up the scene, clearing away her torn garments. Feiying frowned briefly and quickly headed out after him.

Zhang Lingzheng was urgently summoned to Consort Xie’s palace, told that the consort felt unwell after drinking, dizzy and nauseated. Seeing Nuanyang come to fetch him, he immediately realized the gravity of the situation. Upon arriving at Consort Xie’s palace hall, Fengyu was already changed into clean, neat clothes, her hair bun fixed by the palace maids. Qiuxiang, terrified out of her wits, stood by Fengyu, her tears falling silently, heart aching but too afraid to cry out loud. Fengyu’s right thigh was deeply pierced by a golden hairpin. Though Fengyu had always feared pain, she remarkably shed no tears this time, her phoenix eyes brimming with boundless hatred.

The Third Miss of the Feng Family attended a banquet perfectly well—why was she stabbed? Zhang Lingzheng dared not ask but silently treated her wounds and bandaged them. Xie Xun omitted the details of the soul exchange and recounted the events, leaving Consort Xie livid.

"Although the Third Prince is ordinarily bold and reckless, he would never defile the daughter of a noble minister. Moreover, in the depths of the palace, he has concubines at his disposal—if he wanted a woman, he could find one among them. Why stir up trouble unnecessarily?" Consort Xie’s gaze shifted toward the side chamber, her heart aching for the disaster unjustly brought upon Fengyu. "To publicly take Fengyu without drawing attention, seamlessly—aside from the Emperor, only the Empress could achieve this. She must have gone insane. For the sake of disgracing the Marquis Zhenbei’s Mansion, she dares to ruin the girl’s reputation. But if it all falls apart, won’t Yuwen Zhao be utterly ruined too?"

If Feng San lost her honor within the palace, only catastrophe awaited her.

Xie Xun had almost endured the humiliation intended for Fengyu himself. His gaze darkened ominously as he carried Fengyu back to the consort’s chambers, sensing something amiss. Fengyu had inhaled too much aphrodisiac incense—after the terror, her mind became muddled, restless and moaning in agony in his embrace. The incense was potent; the culprit clearly intended for Fengyu to lose herself to Yuwen Zhao.

"With the incense burning in the chamber, Yuwen Zhao lost all rationality and might not even realize what happened. They would simply claim the Third Miss sought higher status and seduced the prince. If controversy arises, it will be dismissed as mere frivolity. The Third Miss would either hang herself by white silk or be relegated to the Third Prince’s rear courtyard. Fang Lingjun is the Empress’s chosen bride for the Third Prince—she would never permit Fengyu to become the legitimate wife. With such disgrace, Fengyu wouldn’t even qualify as a secondary wife and would merely become a concubine. The younger sister of the Marquis Zhenbei’s Mansion’s eldest daughter, embroiled in palace scandal—how could Feng Shu still marry into a prominent family?"

Even if the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion defied rumors, Feng Shu, known for her love for her younger sister, would be forced to comply if Fengyu were trapped in the Third Prince’s rear courtyard.

The Yanyang Dynasty was controlled by noble families that were deeply entrenched, flourishing and immensely wealthy. After three dynastic tumultuous reigns, the Yuwen royal family faced an empty treasury and relied heavily on the noble families’ support. The noble families would never tolerate the Marquis Zhenbei’s Mansion overpowering them. After pacifying the Beiman, the Marquis Zhenbei would undoubtedly reform the noble families.

Fearing the Marquis Zhenbei’s authority and the deterrence of the Northern Iron Cavalry, while Beiman loomed threateningly, they tightened their belts to prepare provisions for the troops. If they relied solely on the court, the fifty-thousand-strong army in Ningzhou would have starved long ago.

After Feng Shu betrothed Xie Zhang, Su Ming provided half the provisions the Northern Iron Cavalry needed from Jiangnan. Once Feng Shu came of age, she took over management, supplying Ningzhou with money, grain, and military necessities.

Should the alliance be severed, who could guarantee Ningzhou’s provisions? With Beiman evenly matched against Yanyang, who would ensure border stability? They feared the Mansion but never pondered the plight of the common folk.

"What a venomous scheme!" Consort Xie remarked angrily. She had already been internally irate from humiliation by the Empress and Princess Huazhen during the banquet. Now, after Fengyu narrowly escaped disgrace, her fury boiled over. "She wants Fengyu in the Third Prince’s rear courtyard, conveniently betrothed to him as his legitimate wife? I almost admire her. She truly is a product of a humble household—only capable of such lowly tactics."

"Tonight, the palace banquet is poorly guarded. When I brought Fengyu back, no one noticed. Feiying is handling the aftermath—it should smooth over. I must return to the hall to prevent any mishaps. Eldest Sister, I hope you’ll help with the cover-up."

"Rest assured!" Consort Xie took a deep breath. "Go back to the banquet and handle things."

"Yes!"

Before leaving, Xie Xun’s gaze turned obscurely toward the side chamber. Consort Xie suddenly called after him, "Zhixu, wait..."

"Eldest Sister, what are your instructions?"

Consort Xie cleared her throat, her slender jade-like finger lightly tapping her cheek awkwardly. Xie Xun raised his hand to wipe her cheek and his fingers encountered faint traces of youthful rouge.

Inappropriate images flashed through his mind. Xie Xun’s ears turned slightly red, and he vigorously wiped his face, neck, and throat. No wonder his elder sister had been staring intently at his face and neck earlier.

"Zhixu... Is the person you admire Feng San, the Third Miss?" Consort Xie recalled his confident declaration in the palace and couldn’t help but feel concerned.

"No!" Xie Xun replied coldly. "We’re not acquainted."

He strode away, leaving Consort Xie staring at his tall, dashing figure with a pang of sorrow. She missed the carefree, spirited, and cheerful Xie Xun of two years ago.

Palace lanterns dimmed, autumn winds howled, and a crescent moon hung in the sky, unable to illuminate the vast, shadowed palace halls.

Feiying appeared beside Xie Xun, softly reporting, "My lord, everything has been handled."

"And the palace maid?" Feiying, watching from the shadows as Fengyu was led away, had noticed the maid, initially thought to simply assist. Instead, it turned out to be part of an elaborate plot.

Feiying whispered several words in Xie Xun’s ear. His steps paused, eyes widening in shock as he glanced at Feiying. Feiying lowered his gaze to his toes, daring not meet Xie Xun’s eyes.

Xie Xun sneered and curled his lips into a cold smile. "Then let’s wait and watch the show."

When he returned to the banquet, Emperor Jianming, the Empress, and others had also resumed their seats. The hall filled with mesmerizing dances and lively revelry. Lin Cheng’s wife and the Marchioness had not yet returned. Lin Cheng chuckled, "Why did the young marquis take so long?"

"Had a bit too much to drink; I went to the courtyard to sober up," Xie Xun responded with a grin.

Lin Xiao nearly crushed his wine cup in his hand, his gaze smoldering as he fixed on Xie Xun.

Xie Xun raised an eyebrow and asked, "Lin Xiao, is something the matter?"

Lin Xiao quickly lowered his head, veins bulging on the back of his hand, containing his intense fury forcefully.

"Ignore him; let’s drink. You have quite the tolerance—this is only a few cups." Lin Cheng, buoyant with joy, poured him another drink, clinking glasses before drinking together.

Feng Wan grew worried, noticing Fengyu’s prolonged absence. Feng Ling remarked, "Third Sister has always been lazy and leisurely—she’s probably hiding off somewhere."