Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 46

“Where have you been these past few days?” Feng Tianzong asked Su Zeyang softly.

Su Zeyang said, “I went to see Master, then I came back to Yujing.”

“For the Feng family curse?” Feng Tianzong asked.

Su Zeyang wasn’t surprised that Feng Tianzong already knew. He simply nodded and continued, “That wooden box holding yours and Elder Brother’s birth data was a tribute item made by the Yu family woodworks. I heard that the palace keeps records of who each tribute item is bestowed upon, so after returning to the capital, I didn’t go back to the General’s Manor first. I found a chance to make a trip to the palace.”

Feng Tianzong lifted his head to look at him. “You’re too bold.”

“I know trespassing in the palace is dangerous, so I didn’t let anyone notice,” Su Zeyang said. “You can rest assured. Every one of that batch of Yu family boxes had a serial number. I checked the Directorate’s records for the one from Luofeng Ridge. It was delivered to Her Highness the Noble Consort’s Shoukang Palace.”

At present there was only one Noble Consort the emperor had formally appointed: Wang Chu’s daughter, Wang Anzhi’s elder sister, Wang Yun’er.

“The Yu family boxes have always looked plain and old-fashioned. If it was sent into Shoukang Palace, it probably wouldn’t catch the Noble Consort’s eye. Maybe at some point it got packed up with gifts and sent back to her family,” Su Zeyang continued. “Anyway, this matter definitely can’t be separated from the Wang family.”

Feng Tianzong drew a deep breath, then said, “I understand. You’ve already done enough on this. From here on, leave it to me.”

Su Zeyang lifted his head from Feng Tianzong’s shoulder. “This might be settled very soon. Wang Anzhi is unconscious, and the Wangs will definitely recognize the effects of the soul-snatching curse. They’ll go find someone who can break it. By tomorrow there will surely be news.”

“I understand,” Feng Tianzong said. “I’ll send people to look into what’s happening at the Wang’s Manor.”

Huo Fenghua had been propping his chin up with both hands, listening the whole time. Now he couldn’t help but speak. “Can I ask a question?”

Su Zeyang looked over at him. “What?”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Those three sets of birth data in the box, aside from the General and the Left Prime Minister, who’s the third person?”

Su Zeyang looked at him without answering. He was silent for a long time before finally saying, “You don’t need to know.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Does it have nothing to do with me?”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Su Zeyang answered.

Huo Fenghua stared at him quietly, then straightened up, hands folded in front of him, looking like a little old man who’d suddenly felt a chill on a winter night. “Fine. Then I won’t ask.”

The carriage fell silent. Up front, the driver flicked the whip with one hand and held the reins with the other, steering them onto a quieter road. The wheels clattered fast over the stone slabs. Huo Fenghua lifted the curtain and saw green roof tiles and red walls of noble residences outside, and lanterns hanging along the walls.

“We’re almost there,” he said.

The carriage drove straight into the General’s Manor.

Lu Xi hadn’t gone to bed yet. He was waiting in the courtyard to receive them. When the carriage door opened, the first person to step down was Feng Tianzong.

“General?” Lu Xi lowered his voice, but the shock in it was impossible to hide.

Feng Tianzong nodded. “We’ll talk in the room.”

Su Zeyang came after him, but he paused, leaned close to Huo Fenghua’s ear, and said softly, “Don’t bring up that data again.”

Huo Fenghua froze and turned his head to look at him.

Su Zeyang suddenly reached out, pressed a hand to the back of Huo Fenghua’s neck, and pushed his head against his own shoulder. He kissed behind Huo Fenghua’s ear and murmured, “Listen to your Senior Brother.” Then he let go and stepped down from the carriage.

Feng Tianzong stood outside and held Su Zeyang’s hand to steady him down. After that, he reached a hand out to Huo Fenghua.

Huo Fenghua looked at his palm and felt a mischievous impulse. He jumped out of the carriage.

Feng Tianzong raised both hands, caught him midair by the waist, and set him down safely. When Huo Fenghua looked up, he saw a faint smile flicker across Feng Tianzong’s lips that quickly vanished.

Feng Tianzong let go, turned to take Su Zeyang’s hand again, then said to Lu Xi, “Uncle Lu, come back to the room with us. I still have things to tell you.”

Lu Xi nodded.

Huo Fenghua clasped his hands behind his back and leaned forward slightly, looking at them. “Then I’m heading back to my room.”

Su Zeyang turned back to him and said softly, “Rest early.”

Huo Fenghua lifted a hand and waved, then turned and walked alone toward the small side courtyard where he lived.

Tonight was a little chilly, but the moonlight was beautiful. When he reached the lotus pond in the inner courtyard, he stopped on the zigzag wooden bridge and looked up at the sky. A solitary crescent moon hung there, cold moonlight spilling over the land.

Back in his room, Qingqing still hadn’t gone to bed. She’d prepared hot water for him to wash.

“Qingqing,” Huo Fenghua suddenly said, “do you know the moon’s light isn’t really the moon’s light?”

Qingqing looked at him strangely. “Then whose light is it?”

Huo Fenghua slid his feet into the wooden basin of hot water and sighed in comfort before saying, “Moonlight is actually sunlight reflected.”

“Huh?” Qingqing came over and set the foot cloth on the chair beside him. “You’ve drunk too much, Young Master. The sun’s set at night. Where would sunlight come from?”

“It’s true,” Huo Fenghua said. “The moon doesn’t produce light. And the land we’re on is actually a sphere. The sun and the moon are both spheres too. The earth goes around the sun, and the moon goes around the earth.”

Qingqing snorted with laughter. “You’re really something. You can even come up with that.”

Huo Fenghua looked at her and sighed with regret. “I haven’t read much. I only know this tiny bit of astronomy, and I told you all of it, and you still don’t believe me.”

Qingqing grabbed the cloth and tossed it at him. “Hurry up and dry your feet, or the water’s going to go cold.”

After Huo Fenghua finished washing, Qingqing carried the basin out. Once she dumped the water, she would probably go to bed.

As a maid of the General’s Manor, even if she slept late, Qingqing still woke before dawn every morning. She’d tidy herself up first, step out to check on Huo Fenghua’s room, and seeing the door shut and him still asleep, she’d go to the corner of the courtyard to light the small stove and boil water.

The main kitchen had a large stove and hot water could be fetched directly, but their side courtyard was a bit far. By the time Qingqing carried a bucket over, it was often nearly cold. So she frequently boiled water herself on the little stove in the courtyard, especially once the weather turned cold.

Today, just as she crouched in front of the stove and got the fire going, she heard footsteps entering from outside. She stood up in confusion. At this hour, no one usually came to Huo Fenghua’s small side courtyard.

Dawn was only just breaking. Qingqing waited until the person stepped into the yard before she could see his face. Her eyes widened in shock, and even her speech went clumsy. “G-General?!”

Wasn’t General Feng still leading troops in Xichou? When had he returned? She had no idea. And what shocked her even more was that ever since Huo Fenghua had married into the residence as a male concubine, General Feng had never once set foot in this side courtyard. He and Young Master Su had always acted as if Huo Fenghua didn’t exist at all.

Feng Tianzong gave Qingqing a nod and asked, “Is he up?”

On this return to the residence, it was impossible to hide from every servant, but fortunately everyone here had been personally chosen and trained by Lu Xi, with strict orders that nothing leak out. At most, the servants dared to gossip among themselves; no one would speak carelessly outside. So Feng Tianzong didn’t avoid Qingqing.

For a moment Qingqing didn’t even register who he meant. When she came back to herself, she hurried two steps forward and answered, “Not yet. He slept late last night. Young Master Huo probably hasn’t woken up.”

Feng Tianzong nodded. “Then I’ll go in and take a look.”

Qingqing lifted a hand on instinct, as if to stop him, but she reacted immediately, dropped her hand, and silently stepped aside.

Feng Tianzong pushed open the door. A warm breath of air rushed toward him. He walked to the bedside and saw Huo Fenghua lying there, the quilt covering half his face. He was sleeping on his side, completely unguarded, looking utterly without decorum.

But after traveling together these days, Feng Tianzong had already grown used to seeing him like this. He reached out and stroked Huo Fenghua’s hair.

Huo Fenghua rolled over, pulled the quilt higher, and let out an annoyed little hum.

Feng Tianzong said, “You’ve got a whole body of inner energy, yet you’re this defenseless. I’m already sitting at your bedside and you still don’t wake up?”

Huo Fenghua finally opened his eyes to a thin slit and answered lazily, “You think I don’t know it’s you?”

Feng Tianzong reached out and pulled him up. Huo Fenghua lifted his arms to hook around Feng Tianzong’s neck, leaning into his chest, still half-asleep, and murmured, “What is it? Didn’t Senior Brother satisfy the General last night?”

Feng Tianzong only smiled slightly and didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “I have a question for you.”

Huo Fenghua looked up at him. “What?”

Feng Tianzong said, “Do you still want to leave?”

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