The upper floor was already managing the aftermath. Before the grain supplies were loaded onto the ship, Xie Xun wouldn't let Han Ziqi leave. Killing Han Ziqi now wasn't necessary—the timing wasn't right. Fengyu could see Xie Xun's murderous intent clearly, but she also knew he would endure humiliation for the greater good.
Past midnight, it was already the hours of Yinshi. Fengyu heard the sound of the night watchman's gong, carried by the chilling wind. She asked, "The bracelet was repaired so quickly?"
"The Little Marquis was pressing urgently. It was supposed to be delivered tomorrow morning, but after you left, the Hidden Guard escorted me to Xiangguo Temple to push for it. Thankfully, they finished it in time." Qiuxiang was still rattled, hoping Fengyu would return quickly.
Fengyu nodded, just in time to see Xie Xun descending the stone steps, accompanied by Feiying and Nuanyang. The imperial guard kept watch all around. Furong Inn was sealed off tightly as if encased in an iron barrel.
Xie Xun was dressed simply in a single-layer robe. His slim waist and long legs accentuated his lithe figure. He wiped his hands as he descended, a hint of disdain hanging from his brow. The blood-stained handkerchief was casually discarded to the side. He was breathtakingly handsome, a young man who had fought fiercely on the Ningzhou Battlefield with an iron will. Yet, in the tender, opulent warmth of the Capital City, he had been steeped in indulgence, his allure both cultured and rakish. Two starkly different lives shattered and fused into the being that was the Little Marquis, Xie Xun.
In the desolate autumn wind, he exuded an innate air of menace. Rumors in the Capital often portrayed the Little Marquis as a wasted man, lost in debauchery with flowers and willows. But the bloodied fight just now revealed that everything was a facade.
Xie Xun looked at her with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "Miss Feng San, it's your turn. Choose how you'd like to die!"
Anyone aware of tonight's happenings—besides their own people—could not be allowed to live.
Qiuxiang, protective of her mistress, stepped in front of Fengyu despite her trembling fear and refused to budge. "Little Marquis, you can't burn all your bridges like this."
Xie Xun sneered coldly, tilting his head, his loose hair spilling over his shoulders in a display of arrogant wickedness. "And what could you possibly do?"
"Why don't you try? Let's see whether your blade is faster or my hand!" Fengyu clutched the coral bracelet. "I don't mind becoming the Little Marquis forever."
Some people might appear frail and delicate but are, in truth, strong, resilient, and overflowing with cunning. To try to take advantage of her would come at a heavy cost.
"I'm quite curious—when did you start noticing something was amiss?"
This meeting had been decided long beforehand, yet circumstances changed at the last moment. Han Ziqi's eagerness to leave the country was suspicious in itself. If Xie Xun genuinely wanted to delay him by a day or two, he had plenty of means to do so. No one informed Fengyu about the enmity between Xie Xun and Han Ziqi; Xie Xun had simply used Fengyu as a pawn to probe further. Her reputation as a naïve, licentious Little Marquis fit perfectly to lower Han Ziqi's guard.
But who could have guessed? Fengyu ended up barging in and taking him along.
"The Sangnan Princely Heir risks himself—he must be plotting something. The Southwest Grain Road pertains to the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers in Ningzhou. Were I in your position, I wouldn't entrust a woman with such negotiations. This discussion must leave no room for error." Fengyu spoke calmly, "Intuition told me that bringing you along would ensure my safety."
As her intuition suggested, there indeed was hostility between Xie Xun and Han Ziqi. If Fengyu had gone alone tonight, humiliation would have been unavoidable. With Xie Xun's imperial guards surrounding her, she wouldn't die, but escaping unscathed would've been impossible.
Xie Xun's face darkened. So this was the so-called foolish, pig-like Third Miss of Feng Family—mocked by everyone in the Capital. She was sharper than anyone, hiding behind a facade. A girl playing dumb to catch the tiger off guard.
A burly man clad in black armor came downstairs and handed a letter to Xie Xun. "Master, it's all been dealt with. Please have a look."
Xie Xun examined the letter. It bore Han Ziqi's seal and King Sangnan's encrypted order. "Dispatch it to Nanzhou Port immediately."
"Understood!"
Fengyu offered a congratulatory smile. "Congratulations to the Little Marquis on achieving his goal."
"I want you dead—can that wish come true?" Xie Xun sneered coldly.
Fengyu remained wary, still clutching the coral bracelet. She chuckled slyly, "I'm afraid not. I'm so scared."
Xie Xun couldn't see fear anywhere in her demeanor. She seemed a mere sheltered noblewoman, but one overflowing with guile and nerve. He flicked his robe and climbed into the carriage. "Get in. Let's talk."
The carriage wasn't particularly spacious. Nuanyang drove, while Qiuxiang sat outside. Inside, Fengyu and Xie Xun sat on opposite ends. Fengyu hugged a hand warmer. Xie Xun didn't speak; he merely smirked faintly and stared at her. His gaze was thin and wicked, like a demon luring souls in a pleasure house, though his body still carried the scent of blood.
If Yama looked like this, mortals wouldn't fear death.
"What do you want to talk about?" Fengyu broke the eerie silence, having lost this round of psychological battle.
"If tonight's events leak even a single word, neither you nor your maid will survive." Xie Xun's voice was calm and threatening.
"Little Marquis, must you posture so menacingly? Couldn't this matter be dropped with a few kind words? If I dream of it while sleeping, and muttered in my sleep—would that count as leaking?"
Fengyu had a knack for vexing people. Xie Xun's brow furrowed. "Try it!"
If exposed, the crime of colluding with enemies would be impossible to escape. Fengyu understood clearly: if not for the coral bracelet protecting her life, Xie Xun would have already sent her to meet King Yan. "I have one question I don't understand—was it you who instigated Jiang Yang's withdrawal of the marriage proposal?"
"What else? Let the engagement proceed and marry Jiang Yang? If the Soul Suppressing Pearl goes awry, this Little Marquis would even have to call him husband! He deserves that?"
Fengyu spoke calmly, "I had guessed as much."
"What, are you deeply disappointed?" Xie Xun mocked.
"Somewhat," Fengyu replied with a soft smile. "The top scorer is handsome and brilliant, an exceptionally good match."
Xie Xun scoffed, lazily leaning back against the carriage. "Two-faced with snakes and rats—a pretty boy with no substance. That's the husband you set your eyes on? Excellent taste."
"Little Marquis wrecked my perfectly good engagement. Shouldn't you compensate me?"
"Fix your soul properly, and this Little Marquis could send you into the Imperial Palace as Empress—would that be compensation enough? Until this matter is resolved, you can live out your days in Feng Mansion and forget about marrying anyone." Xie Xun sneered.
But on one point, Fengyu was wrong. Jiang Yang's withdrawal of the proposal wasn't solely Xie Xun's doing. The top scorer himself hadn't wanted the match either. Watching Fengyu's seemingly fragile appearance, Xie Xun didn't bother to correct her.
"Oh." Fengyu's heart was calm; spending her entire life in Feng Mansion didn't seem all that bad. She had wealth and could live easily on her own.
Xie Xun stared at her directly, his eyes cold and sharp like stars in a wintry night. "Fengyu, guard your bracelet closely. My patience is limited. I don't enjoy being lodged within your body. Let's stay out of each other's way, and I may spare your life."
Fengyu's eyes reddened with grievance. "Little Marquis, I didn't know the Soul Suppressing Pearl would leave the bracelet and force soul possession onto you. The battlefield scare that caused your fall and leg injury was my fault. I apologize. For years, I've carefully protected the bracelet, never letting it leave me. This time was purely accidental."
"I don't listen to excuses. I only care about results," Xie Xun responded, his tone icy.
"Understood."
The carriage wove through the night and arrived at the side gate of Feng Mansion, discreetly used by the second household for purchases. Feng Shu and Fengyu managed the second household strictly. Even returning late at night, no servants dared to speak a word. Xie Xun watched them enter the mansion, then dismounted the carriage and flipped onto a horse. Yet he wasn't in a hurry to gallop off. Feiying urged his horse forward. "Master, what should we do about Heir Han?"