Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 74 New Year’s Eve

Chapter 74: Chapter 74 New Year’s Eve

"Fengyu, you act without restraint in front of me. Is it because you’re sure our souls are bound together, our fates entwined, and that I wouldn’t do anything to harm you?" Xie Xun’s voice held a trace of amusement. By all accounts, he should be angry, he should hate Fengyu. Every time he saw her, his mood turned gloomy and irritable, yet today, he was unexpectedly cheerful.

Perhaps it was because the snowflakes were so beautiful, or perhaps the plum blossoms smelled so fragrant.

"It was you who insisted on warning me about the disparity in status, telling me not to act rashly and invite trouble."

Xie Xun crushed the plum blossom drifting on his fingertips, releasing an even stronger fragrance. He said, "Advising people to lay down their weapons is the task of the Buddha. I won’t overstep my bounds. I only wish to remind you that when the blade crosses someone’s throat, don’t let the blood splatter on you. Make it clean and quick, avoid getting caught. You must understand that when you raise a blade, your entire family is also under its edge."

Conspiring to harm the imperial heirs was a crime that implicated nine generations.

The biting winter wind howled past. Fengyu felt the cold searing into her bones. The two stood in silence amidst the falling blossoms, gazing at each other. Xie Xun said not a word to dissuade her, yet she felt as though an invisible chain was tightening around her throat.

Ha... traditions and conventions.

Fengyu smiled, breaking the somber atmosphere. "Young Marquis, speaking so sternly makes me a bit afraid. How about this—if Yuwen Zhao really remembers everything, could Young Marquis protect me?"

Xie Xun thought to himself—she changes her tune faster than flipping pages, her audacity unmatched. "My protection doesn’t come free."

Fengyu thought privately—Xie Xun really knew how to extort her. "You ensure my safety, and whatever you want, I’ll give it to you."

"Is that so?"

Fengyu hesitated slightly. "As long as I have it."

"Rest assured, Third Miss. I am not greedy."

Fengyu sneered inwardly. During the archery banquet, he extorted ten thousand bushels of grain—"not greedy"? How could he say such things with a straight face? His shamelessness exceeded even hers.

Qingzhu appeared, searching for them, softly calling from beneath the corridor, "Third Young Master, Third Miss, the lady is waiting for you."

Xie Xun and Fengyu turned and began walking back. Fengyu had stood still in the snow for too long, and her legs were numb. She took a step and suddenly toppled forward. As she was about to fall into the snow, Xie Xun reacted swiftly, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace. Fengyu instinctively clung to his waist as she collided with him.

The scent permeating the moment was intoxicating. She was so close now. Fengyu tilted her head upwards, her gaze drifting past his throat, across his cheeks, and settling in his eyes. Xie Xun possessed a pair of stunningly captivating eyes, their depth and focus enough to seize the soul. His eyes seemed deeply fixated, and Fengyu was struck by an unexpected memory coming at a most inappropriate time.

On the night of the royal banquet, Xie Xun had carried her out of the sleeping quarters. Her mind had been clouded by the aphrodisiac incense—in restless heat and thirst. Xie Xun’s embrace, like water, quelled the fire burning her. Fengyu had clung to his neck and kissed his cheek. Xie Xun had held her tightly, unable to stop her, only turning his gaze away and raising his head to avoid her touch.

Fengyu had seemed crazed, kissing his neck and even biting his throat. Xie Xun’s breathing had grown ragged, his movements shaky, nearly stumbling with her into the pond. When they had reached Consort Xie’s chambers, Zhang Lingzheng had yet to arrive, and Fengyu had clung to Xie Xun, showering him with kisses. He had forced her to drink half a pot of cold tea; the other half, he drank himself to steady his nerves.

The memory wasn’t only lingering for Fengyu. Xie Xun glanced at the young woman in his arms, her face flushing red. He too recalled that chaotic, ambiguous moment. Steeling himself, he scooped her up horizontally and strode toward the corridor. When the maids saw Xie Xun carrying Fengyu, they lowered their gazes to the ground.

When Fengyu was carried to the corridor, her blood rushed to her face, her ears blazing red. Gradually, her stiff legs regained some sensation.

Xie Xun’s expression remained composed, though his pace was slower than usual, as though deliberately matching Fengyu’s condition. Fengyu, lost in distraction, forced the memory from her mind. Such an embarrassing episode, why would she recall it?

After having lunch at the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, Fengyu prepared to head home near dusk. Xie Xun again escorted her. By afternoon, the wind and snow had grown fiercer. Fengyu listened to the raging wind without saying a word, and Xie Xun also refrained from speaking. After their conversation in the plum orchard, neither had exchanged a single sentence. Safely delivering her to the Feng Mansion, Xie Xun rode off without looking back, and Fengyu, accompanied by Qiuxiang and Chunlu, went to pay her respects to the Old Madam.

The days passed in tranquility. Before the officials took their holiday, the Imperial Uncle Lv case concluded. Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Chen Qing presented the final report. The Imperial Uncle Lv had died of a sudden ailment; Li Pengfei, Zhang Boxin, and others, found guilty of instigating a brawl, received twenty strokes each before being released. In the battle against the aristocracy, the Empress suffered a resounding defeat.

The major clans made no rush to exonerate their younger members involved in the incident. The Empress demanded life-for-life justice, leaving the Ministry of Justice struggling to mediate. As the holiday approached, accusations against Imperial Uncle Lv poured in, detailing countless horrifying misdeeds. Numerous victims came to the Ministry of Criminal Justice with irrefutable evidence, revealing he was responsible for three lives lost. The Capital City erupted into fervent gossip, celebrating the news of his death. The Vice Minister’s investigation had yielded results—before his death, Imperial Uncle Lv had suffered three instances of heart palpitations, twice seeking help from doctors in the city and once from an Imperial Physician in the palace. Recently, he had been taking medication to alleviate his condition. The brawl had aggravated his constitution, leading to a fatal heart attack. Li Pengfei and Zhang Boxin were charged with instigating a brawl; those deserving imprisonment were confined, the strokes administered, and they safely returned home.

After returning home, they were bound to serve in the Kyoto Capital Guard for a year after the New Year.

With Imperial Uncle Lv’s riotous misconduct and subsequent death, the Kyoto Capital Guard had proved ineffectual. Li Pengfei’s father, Commander Li, was dismissed from his post. Emperor Jianming struggled to find a suitable candidate to fill the vacancy. Among the aristocrats, few were willing to take the role. Over the past year, the Kyoto Capital Guard had gone through three commanders, none meeting good ends.

Elder Lin recommended Xie Xun to assume the position of Commander of the Kyoto Capital Guard. After much deliberation, Emperor Jianming approved the internal cabinet’s proposal. Xie Xun would take office as Commander of the Kyoto Capital Guard after the New Year.

With the holidays approaching, the city grew lively. The merchants bustled in preparation for their busiest and most lucrative season. The Wangjiang Restaurant was packed daily, major shops overflowed with customers, and households adorned their homes with festive decorations for the New Year. Feng Changlin, upon taking leave, often gathered with colleagues at the Wangjiang Restaurant and visited various entertainment districts by night. Lady Feng accompanied Feng Wan and Feng Ling to shop in the streets. Feng Wan had invited Fengyu to join them, but Fengyu preferred solitude and, with the snowy weather, spent her days in the plum orchard.

Doctor Zhou adjusted her prescriptions, and lately, she had been drinking medicine daily. Fengyu felt lethargic and couldn’t muster much energy. She found herself missing Feng Shu terribly.

Apart from staying in the plum orchard, Fengyu enjoyed visiting Songhe Hall to keep the Old Madam company. The elderly woman and the young girl could spend entire days together. Fengyu’s health improved over this period of rest, and unusually for snowy days, she didn’t fall ill.

Her injured leg was healing, leaving behind a scar. Qiuxiang and Chunlu diligently applied scar-removal ointment for her every day, afraid of permanent blemishes. Her diet was also closely monitored.

New Year’s Eve arrived swiftly. While Fengyu rarely involved herself in household chores, New Year’s Eve was an exception. On this day, the kitchen bustled from dawn, preparing the grand feast for the evening’s celebration. Branches of the Feng family resided in Liling, and Feng Wenrong was stationed elsewhere and unable to return. Feng Shu and Feng Changqing were also absent. Aside from Feng Changlin, there were only the women of the household. The Feng family, lacking illegitimate offspring, had a much quieter New Year’s Eve compared to larger clans. Lady Feng strove to make the feast lively and festive.