The Slender Waist-Chapter 183 - 132 The Ploy

Xiao Rong had not seen Feng Yun for many years and had not expected their reunion to be under such circumstances.

Perhaps it was the change in perspective or mindset, but Xiao Rong actually found her much more beautiful than before...

Her beauty used to be restrained, suppressed, as if afraid to draw the attention of others.

Now, she was unafraid, like a peony in full bloom, dignified and grand, yet also imposing.

"Feng Shi Er Niang!"

Xiao Rong could not bear the lazy coldness emanating from her, and glanced at his own situation, hands bound behind his back, sitting on the boat in disarray, and frowned awkwardly.

"You’ve tied me up, what are you planning to do?"

Feng Yun just smiled without answering, her fingers tapping on the wooden table, rhythmically, one tap after another.

Xiao Rong was made somewhat nervous by her tapping. "I know you are vicious at heart, catching me must mean you won’t let me off easily. Just say it, what do you want?"

Feng Yun did not speak, her face smiling as she picked up the teacup from the stove, patiently using tongs to stir the glowing red coals, appearing mild and benign.

It was as if all the malice was merely Xiao Rong’s own conjecture.

"Feng Yun!"

Xiao Rong was growing impatient.

The former Feng Yun was a wooden woman whom they could mock at will. Today, having fallen into her hands and forced to humble himself by speaking softly, he found that this Feng Shi Er Niang did not recognize what was good for her, keeping him at arm’s length with that inaccessible demeanor.

He huffed a sound of contempt.

"I know you’ve thrown in your lot with Pei Jue, and now you’ve grown powerful. But you should not forget that Pei Jue is besieged in Bingzhou; he’s bound to die this time. And I am the eldest princess of Qi Country. By capturing me, you are making an enemy of Qi Country and cutting off your own retreat."

Feng Yun raised her eyes in response, "So what? If I have no way out, does the eldest princess have one?"

Seeing Xiao Rong change color, she lowered her head to lightly sniff the tea, savoring it carefully as if tasting the flavor, and sighed comfortably.

"Longya Fengcao is indeed fragrant with a sweet aftertaste. The Eldest Princess brings such fine things with her when she travels; I really lucked out..."

Xiao Rong watched her face glowing in the firelight, beautiful and radiant, and gnashed his teeth in hatred.

"Don’t put on airs to scare me. I, Xiao Rong, wasn’t raised to be frightened by others. To kill or to slash, I am at your disposal."

"Spirited." Feng Yun sincerely praised him, suddenly used the tongs to pick up a piece of burning charcoal, examining the fiery glow, and smiled lazily.

"Good charcoal can really endure the flames..."

"Feng Yun, stop speaking in riddles with me."

"Oh, I almost forgot to say." Feng Yun looked like a cat teasing a mouse as she leisurely spoke to Xiao Rong, "I wonder how much of that spirit will remain when this fiery charcoal is pressed against the Eldest Princess’s face?"

Her voice light and bewitching, she brought the tongs with a chuckle close to Xiao Rong’s face.

"Shall we try?"

Xiao Rong, tied and unable to move properly in the cabin, saw this and let out a sharp scream, closing his eyes and shrinking back, kicking his legs frantically.

"Witch!"

"Feng Yun, you witch!"

"If you dare injure me, my imperial brother will not spare you; he will flay your skin and pull out your sinews."

"I believe you." Feng Yun put the charcoal back in the stove, wiped her hands, and smiled faintly.

"It’s just a pity, before he flays my skin and pulls my sinews, the Eldest Princess will have lost her little life and won’t see that day..."

Xiao Rong swallowed nervously.

"If you have the guts, kill me and see if my imperial brother will forgive you..."

Feng Yun seemed to be listening to a joke, staring at him with a smile that was not a smile.

"The Eldest Princess is sixteen years old this year, isn’t she? To live to this age and still be so naive, heaven has not been harsh to you."

Xiao Rong lost his parents early on, his elder brother doted on him, and Feng Ying’s group also pampered him—he was like a woman who had grown up in a honey jar, having never seen the viciousness outside, nor understanding how the world worked.

Otherwise, his brain wouldn’t have turned out this way.

Feng Yun smiled and shook her head, continuing to drink her tea.

Xiaoman suddenly came in, speaking in a low voice, "Lady, the letter found on Mingzhu..."

Feng Yun set the teacup down, took it to have a look, and examined Xiao Rong with her eyes.

"They say you have no schemes, yet you can play little tricks."

Xiaoman craned her neck to look, grinding her teeth with anger.

"So shameless, even thinking of framing the lady..."

"It’s not really framing..." Feng Yun glanced at her, pointed to Xiao Rong, who was wrapped up like a large zongzi, and laughed as she inserted the letter written on Gold Millet Paper back into the envelope adorned with golden flowers, sniffing the faint fragrance, grinning.

"Release Miao Jing; let him deliver the letter back to Hengqu Pass, into the hands of Xiao Cheng."

Xiaoman looked at her, puzzled, "Lady, what are you doing? Clearly she’s up to no good..."

Feng Yun did not answer, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly as she gently asked Xiao Rong.

"How do you think you should thank me? I’ve granted your wish to be taken away by me, so considerately helping you to test your worth and position in your imperial brother’s heart, tsk tsk..."

She rested her chin on her hand, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized Xiao Rong.

"The Eldest Princess is over sixteen, yet still unmarried, meddling in her brother’s marriage affairs... Could it be that the person you fancy is your own royal brother?"

Xiao Rong’s face turned crimson, his speech faltering.

"You, you have no shame!"

Feng Yun smiled, suddenly grabbed the teacup from the wooden desk, and fiercely splashed it onto Xiao Rong’s face.

"My temper isn’t always good, Your Highness the Princess."

The warm liquid trickled down Xiao Rong’s hair and cheeks, and her face turned as red as a pig’s liver; the tears of humiliation and grievance rolled down incessantly.

In all her life, when had she ever suffered like this?

And when had she ever been humiliated so...

Watching Feng Yun turn and leave, not even turning her head as she stood proudly at the bow, facing the wind, Xiao Rong, crying, suddenly recalled many past events...

She remembered, they had once teased Feng Yun in the same way.

In the winter chill, they intentionally splashed water on her, watching her shiver in her soaked clothes...

A group of young ladies laughed around her, mocking her: "So this is the unparalleled beauty of Xuzhou’s eight districts?"

"Just a splash of water, and she loses all her maidenly grace. Yet she dreams of marrying Young Master Xiao San?"

"Truly, a toad lusting after swan meat, utterly delusional!"

Back then, Xiao Rong did not join in the ridicule and shame, after all, she was a daughter of the Xiao family, and couldn’t commit such spiteful acts. But she didn’t think there was anything wrong with it either.

In their eyes, Feng Yun was an annoying person.

Because of her nonsense, it caused a great defeat for Qi Country at Hengqu Pass and tens of thousands of soldiers died. Everyone said she was a calamity for Qi Country, deserving of public condemnation...

Moreover, she stole Aying’s love, making her elder brother lose face because of his marriage affairs with her.

Xiao Rong felt that whatever they did to her was justified. It was merely a tease, and even that was letting her off easy...

But now, with the same tea splashed on her face, a prisoner at the feet of others, observed and humiliated, she realized the taste of being insulted was so unbearable...

She would rather die.

She would rather be dead.

A cup of tea, and she felt as if the sky had collapsed. And the times they had teased Feng Yun, weren’t just once.

Placed a mouse in her carriage, making her scream in front of Xiao Cheng disgracefully.

Tripped her at a feast, watching her fall to the ground with disheveled hair and dirty clothes.

On the seventh day of the seventh month, dressed as ghosts, they stormed into her courtyard, scaring her so she fled barefoot without time to dress properly.

A group surrounded her, prodding her to explain her "prophecies," asking how her mother died...

They were playful and curious at that time, thoroughly enjoying their cruel fun.

No one felt it was wrong.

She hadn’t even thought about it.

And certainly never expected that one day she would fall into Feng Yun’s hands...

"Feng Yun!"

Xiao Rong kicked against the deck, struggling and sobbing with tears.

"Do not disgrace me, if you have hatred and resentment, just kill me with one stab..."

Feng Yun didn’t turn around, her voice carrying with the river wind from outside.

"Gag her mouth."

Then said, "Use her filthy socks."

Xiao Rong watched the guard approaching with wide eyes, tears cascading down.

"Wu..."

-

At nightfall, the heavens turned pitch-black.

Though winter had just begun, the nights were extremely cold, and the wind felt bone-chillingly crisp.

Within the large camp at Hengqu Pass, lights shone brightly.

Xiao Cheng hadn’t gone to sleep yet.

He received news of Xiao Rong’s disappearance two hours ago, while the letter from Xiao Rong was just brought by Miao Jing.

He tearfully recounted the process of Feng Yun taking Xiao Rong away, but concealed Xiao Rong’s own little schemes.

Because the Princess had truly been abducted this time, once it came out, their lives as guards might not be spared.

Feng Ying watched him explain with such solemnity that she found it slightly amusing.

She knew why Xiao Rong had left and didn’t believe a word of what Miao Jing said.

But for the sake of realism, she still pretended to be anxious, standing tearfully and prettily in front of Xiao Cheng.

"It’s all the fault of your concubine, for not taking good care of the Princess..."

Xiao Cheng said nothing, sitting before the wooden desk, the circle of light from the night lamp enveloping his tall figure. Except for the colder gleam in his dark eyes, there was almost no sign of change.

Even... when his own younger sister had been abducted.

Feng Ying did not hear him engage, and as she spoke, slapped herself lightly on the face.

"It’s your concubine’s fault. Punish me, Your Majesty."

Xiao Cheng looked at her indifferently, "It’s not your fault."

Feng Ying was cautious, observing his expressions, "Although Sister dislikes me, she treasures Your Majesty in her heart and would treat the Princess with some courtesy... But if she took this opportunity to make unreasonable demands of Your Majesty, how should Your Majesty proceed..."