The Slender Waist-Chapter 19 - 15 Blushing with Embarrassment

Ao Qi’s shouts pierced the night sky, and the disordered footsteps grew ever nearer.

From within the tent, Chunyu Yan let out a low chuckle.

"How timely!"

His laughter started low then rose to a frenzied pitch.

"Bring me the Suiyu Sword! Today, this Princely Heir will take several heads to use as wine cups."

"Crown Prince Chunyu," Feng Yun slowly picked up the scattered wide clothing from the ground and spoke lightly, "Andu County has enough stationed troops, the Princely Heir is well aware. Why bang your head against the wall? I advise the Princely Heir to lay low for now."

Chunyu Yan chuckled, "Qingqing, are you afraid I can’t beat them?"

"The Princely Heir may be able to defeat Ao Qi, or Ye Chuang, or all of the attendants of the Beiyong Army here, but can you defeat Pei Jue and the Andu garrison? He has already taken control of thousands of miles of territory; it’s hardly likely that he couldn’t capture a small place like Huayuejian?"

Feng Yun had a graceful and beautiful presence; even her movements in dressing were dignified and attractive. Even though her words were bitter, her demeanor remained unblemished.

But as he listened to her praising Pei Jue’s achievements, Chunyu Yan irrationally flared up in anger.

"It turns out you really aren’t Lian Ji."

"I’m not," Feng Yun replied crisply.

"Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?"

"Afraid. But I am more concerned about the Princely Heir’s future. Between romance and the stability of the state, which is lighter and which is more important, the Princely Heir’s heart is like a bright mirror. Once Dajin and Yunchuan fall out, and the Prince of Yunchuan blames you, I’m afraid your two illegitimate brothers might just... have to hang up a couple of strings of firecrackers and enjoy the sounds."

Her expressed concern was so obviously insincere, seemingly a well-meaning persuasion, but in reality, a ruthless attack on the heart.

Yet the wavering restlessness deep inside Chunyu Yan was, unexpectedly, soothed by her piercing viciousness after a long absence.

"Excellent." The tent curtain lifted slightly, and the tall and handsome Crown Prince of Yunchuan stepped out from behind the screen. He wore a mountain eagle mask made of cold iron, which only revealed a pair of stunningly beautiful eyes and two crimson, tender lips...

He walked up to Feng Yun, lowered his head to scrutinize her for a moment, then suddenly laughed softly in a carefree and joyous manner.

"For you, Qingqing, I am willing to lay low."

Feng Yun did not seem surprised by his decision.

Which man didn’t prioritize his own future first?

Barely batting an eyelid, Feng Yun’s voice was rather cold, yet with a hint of amusement, "The Princely Heir is wise."

Chunyu Yan sneered, "I told Pei Wangzhi to exchange people for two hundred thousand bushels. For twenty bushels, I can indeed aid Qingqing. Come to Lingshan Temple to collect it in five days."

A light laugh, as if a spring breeze brushing past. Yet, in a flash, Chunyu Yan revealed his devilish nature. He yanked the belt around Feng Yun’s waist, binding her firmly to the pillar in a few swift motions, then he leaped out of the window with a nimble jump.

Moonlight fell from the eaves; his light robe unfolded and floated in the wind...

"Two hundred thousand bushels, the Princely Heir will definitely deliver them with both hands."

Feng Yun gave a slight smile just as the wooden door was violently burst open.

Bang! The young man outside carrying a ring-headed saber, his face and head drenched in sweat, hurriedly charged in, taking in Feng Yun, his black pupils shining with a wolf-like cold light.

Before him, the woman in the wide clothes was tied so tightly to her body, highlighting a seductive and delicate figure...

Ao Qi’s eyes turned red; he nearly held his breath to successfully untie her bonds, almost suffocating himself in the process.

"What did he do to the lady?"

"Nothing," Feng Yun replied, lowering her gaze to herself and casually straightening the shirt that had been removed earlier. She was aware that Chunyu Yan was deliberately making mischief, but didn’t bother to explain, merely adjusted her wrinkled sleeves and turned her head to ask with a smile:

"What brings Guard Ao here in the dead of night?"

Through gritted teeth, Ao Qi retorted, "That’s what I should be asking the lady. What business brings you out of the house at this hour?"

As the one in charge of the surveillance, his questioning was indeed justified. However, Ao Qi’s excessive anger made his tone sound peculiar, especially his beautiful yet seemingly inflamed eyes, which mirrored the ire of a husband who had caught a rival red-handed.

"What else would I come to Huayuejian for?" Feng Yun looked at him with a mock smile, "Doesn’t Guard Ao know what this place is? Could it be that you’ve never played in a pleasure pavilion before?"

Ao Qi’s breath hitched, gazing at her radiant, charming face and clear, delicate eyes, as though something was stuck in his throat.

How could such a beautiful and decent lady speak such words?

Close enough to pick up on Ao Qi’s anger, Feng Yun promptly closed her mouth and smiled.

Ao Qi, born into luxury, was a young man raised in the honeyed confines of wealth, how could he understand what a woman would do after experiencing ruin, the kind of desperate craziness she could embrace, and the fearlessness that could follow?

"Lady..." Ao Qi took a deep breath as if to confirm something, "Did someone bully you, right?"

Feng Yun gave him an apologetic look and shook her head.

"No. I came here on my own."

She then asked with a smile, "Has the General instructed not to let me leave the house?"

Ao Qi was very irritated to see her carefree demeanor.

He glared with his big eyes and scoffed loudly, "Lady visiting a house of pleasures... how is that appropriate towards the Great General? How am I supposed to explain to the Great General?"

Feng Yun frowningly moved closer to him and took a light sniff.

"How much alcohol did Ao Qi, the guard, have? Such a strong smell of alcohol."

Ao Qi recoiled as if scorched by fire, his neck tilted back, his heartbeat sped up, yet his mind slowed down.

It was clearly her fault, yet he inexplicably felt guilty, dared not meet her gaze, dared not question, leaving only a nameless anger smoldering uncontrollably in his chest.

"How much I drank is none of your concern, Miss. You should think about how you will explain this to the Great General. I will report tonight’s events truthfully."

"Hmm..." Feng Yun’s brows lightly furrowed, her eyes seemed to hold a smile, yet her tone was very serious, "I never intended to conceal it from the general. Ao Qi, you can rest assured that once the general learns of this, he will not only refrain from blaming me but will also lavish praise upon me."

After speaking, she glanced at Ao Qi and then stepped past him to walk out.

A faint fragrance wafted past his nose, and Ao Qi was momentarily dazed, staring at the retreating figure: "You’re simply asking for... asking for degradation... Wait, I haven’t finished speaking!"

Feng Yun did not turn back, her long sleeve lifted as she made a small waving gesture, elegantly descending the wooden steps. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She looked very pleased, very pleased indeed.

The more pleased she was, the more irritated Ao Qi became.

He wanted to follow and vent the frustration in his chest, yet he felt it unnecessary to be angry.

Feng Shi Er Niang belonged to his uncle, not to him.

At worst, not keeping a close watch would result in twenty military floggings, but that wouldn’t kill anyone.

Yet a fire seemed to be burning inside him.

In the still, empty chamber with curtains fluttering, Ao Qi stood there, filled with disappointment, helplessness, and a sense of loss, as if it caused his innards to ache.

In the end, he could only slap himself hard across the face.

"That’s for letting alcohol cause a mistake!"

With no trace of the master of Huayuejian, Ao Qi, failing to find anyone responsible, dragged Alou, covered with injuries, out of the firewood room, and pulled out two managers along with several servants and pages as well.

They were just making an honest living and couldn’t be blamed for anything. The Beiyong Army already had a bad reputation, and Ao Qi could choose not to care about his uncle’s honor and beat them severely to vent his anger.

But he lacked the energy and found it uninteresting.

All he could think about was how Feng Yun looked when he burst into the pavilion, her clothes disheveled and bound to a pillar, and how when she spoke of the incident, it seemed so trivial that it felt like a heavy stone weighing on his heart, sour and painful...

—

Alou was carried back to his room by two soldiers.

In the cold servant’s room, he was covered with injuries, grimacing in pain.

The best clothes he owned as a manager were ruined, and seeing the torn fabrics was even more painful than looking at his bloody wounds.

He was too ashamed to face the lady, burying his face in the straw mat bedding, feeling disgraced.

"The lady is here," Chang Da announced with surprise in his voice.

Alou, more hurt than Chang Da, couldn’t even manage to rise and pay his respects, and he blushed with embarrassment at his distressed state.

"Lie down," said Feng Yun without much expression, glancing at Alou’s pitiful look and frowning slightly before turning to tell Xiaoman to bring in the food.

Xiaoman cheerfully complied, placed down the meals, and presented the medicine that came with it.

Feng Yun opened the porcelain bottle and gave careful instructions on how they should apply the medicine to each other’s wounds.

Feeling embarrassed, Alou said, "I failed to complete the task, I shouldn’t be eating."

Looking at his thin and gangly figure, Feng Yun chuckled, "How will you regain your strength and work for me if you don’t eat?"

Hearing the lady’s gentle banter, Alou felt even more embarrassed, unable to lift his head.

A servant’s quarters were no place for a noble woman, yet there she was, visiting him and even bringing him food and medicine for healing.

Feeling useless, he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Feng Yun saw through his thoughts and calmly said, "You did well on this task; you took a beating, but in exchange, you obtained twenty stones of grain. Do you think it was worth it?"

Chang Da foolishly smiled, touching his wounds and loudly exclaiming it was worth it.

Alou, still looking deflated, drooped his head.

Bearing the fragile spirit of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old, Feng Yun patiently spoke, "You are no longer the little servant who ran errands in the Imperial Governor’s Office, you are my Feng Yun’s manager. You need to be more worldly, to toughen up, to become strong. If you cry over such a trifle, I will sell you off."

Alou looked up, feeling as if his own lady was glowing.

"I haven’t been crying..."

Feng Yun laughed softly, nodded her head, and prepared to leave.

"Alright, rest for a couple of days. I have important tasks for you to do."

Alou and Chang Da exchanged glances, seeing the excitement in each other’s eyes.

Though in pain, they didn’t feel it; their hearts were ablaze with fire, filled with boundless energy.

With the lady, every day held hope; what did a little injury or suffering matter?