Wei Zheng clenched his teeth in secret, fuming with rage.
Was this rely a case of incompetence?
The evidence had been thrown in the Empress Dowager’s face, yet she was still covering for this pretty boy.
It was simply because he had a face that resembled Pei Jue.
Wei Zheng returned to his residence with a heart full of suppressed anger.
As soon as he took off his shoes and crossed his legs on the couch, after gulping down half a belly of cold tea, he began to furiously curse in front of Luo Yue.
Ever since he returned from Huaxi Village, Luo Yue’s room had beco his venting ground.
This woman might not have any real abilities, but she had a mouthful of words that could smooth his ruffled feathers, as well as a bagful of bedroom tricks to help him release his anger.
At this mont, Wei Zheng was quite fond of Luo Yue.
Or perhaps it would be better to say, he trusted her.
He would say things in front of Luo Yue that he wouldn’t dare speak of outside.
Because to this concubine, her heart and eyes were filled with only him; when she looked at him, it was as if he was her everything, her sky, giving his self-esteem great comfort...
After listening, Luo Yue obediently rested her head on his knee.
"My lord should not be distressed anymore... Your concubine feels pained for you."
Seeing her speak like this, Wei Zheng’s anger eased, and he placed his hand on her face, pinching it lightly.
"You haven’t seen the smug look on Song Shou’an’s face..."
Fury. A fla seed to be searing from every pore of his being.
Luo Yue said softly, "My lord should not be so upset. If you ruin your health over this, it’d only serve to please the villain."
Wei Zheng let out a heavy grunt.
Luo Yue thought of the letter that ca from Huaxi Village.
Contemplating for a mont, she slowly sat up and moved to massage Wei Zheng’s shoulders from behind.
"The Empress Dowager’s partiality towards those with the surna Song has reached an infuriating extent, but upon reflection, it’s understandable. Soone who sleeps by your pillow will always be three parts closer than others. No matter how many mistakes they make, when doors are closed and tempers flare, wouldn’t you still show leniency? Especially for a woman, once a man enters her body, she might as well have given away her heart..."
Before she even finished speaking, Wei Zheng’s face had turned extrely ugly.
"You must not fabricate stories about the Empress Dowager. Her Highness the Empress Dowager... isn’t that kind of thoughtless person, otherwise, she would not be the one holding court today."
Luo Yue knew that Wei Zheng harbored feelings for that woman in his heart.
She chuckled lightly.
"The General is naturally considerate of the Empress Dowager. The impeachnt of that Song man is also for the sake of the Empress Dowager’s realm. But, the Empress Dowager has been blinded, she cannot see..."
Wei Zheng had just sighed when the woman by his side whispered sothing gentle like a breeze into his ear.
"If the Empress Dowager cannot see clearly, why doesn’t my lord find a way to make her see?"
Wei Zheng abruptly turned his head to look at her.
Luo Yue said, "As long as you uncover the truth about that Song man’s incompetence and his use of beauty to achieve his ends, how could he still sit securely in his position? Without him, wouldn’t the Empress Dowager only have eyes for my lord? My lord, commanding the Imperial Cavalry Division with power over all officials, how imposing you would be..."
Her gaze softened as she added, "And when that ti cos, your concubine accompanying my lord would also be very proud."
Wei Zheng grasped her small hand and pulled her into his embrace.
"Luo Ji, since your heart is with , I naturally should not mistreat you, but..."
He sighed, "The Empress Dowager is as protective of that Song man as she is of the apple of her eye. It won’t be easy to make her grow tired of him."
Luo Yue laughed softly, "If you ask , the matter of impeachnt shouldn’t be handled by the General himself."
Seeing Wei Zheng’s sharp gaze turn towards her, Luo Yue was unafraid, and instead, she said smilingly, "What is the Censorate for? Why should my lord attract this resentnt? Just secretly hand over the evidence to Ao Qi, and the rest, my lord, you can simply enjoy wine and watch the drama unfold."
Wei Zheng’s eyes brightened.
But they soon dimd again.
"If I do this, the Empress Dowager... would surely bla ."
Luo Yue’s fingers stiffened, and she stared intently at him, her eyes gradually welling up with tears; she appeared pitiful yet managed a light chuckle.
"My lord’s feelings for the Empress Dowager are just like this concubine’s feelings for my lord."
"Luo Ji..."
Luo Yue clutched her chest and leaned weakly against him.
"If one day, my lord would also consider this concubine’s feelings, I would die without any complaints."
Wei Zheng looked at her like this, at a loss for words, feeling a sudden surge of emotions in his chest. He liked Li Sangruo, but he was increasingly reluctant to see Luo Yue suffer. Those tear drops, like pearls, seed to wrench his heart with pain.
"Luo Ji, do not be upset, I will surely treasure you well." Wei Zheng embraced her tightly, "Tomorrow, no, tonight I will find Ao Qi."
Luo Yue rested her head on his chest with a joyful murmur.
-
The tumult of the Central Capital’s court did not reach Huaxi Village.
The villagers were busy sowing seeds for the autumn harvest, and the farm tool workshop was hurrying to et demands.
Wood bought from Shiguan County and tal tools transported from the Tu Family Fort were being carted into the workshop.
The initial task was to produce the molds. Once the components’ molds were cast, production could flow smoothly, which would be much easier, but the iron slting that Feng Yun had promised was currently impossible to perform in Huaxi Village due to a lack of slting tools; it could only be done at the Tu Family Fort.
Therefore, Feng Yun took so ti to visit the Tu Family Fort.
She left before dawn and returned to Huaxi Village after the sun had set.
As soon as she alighted from the donkey cart, she saw Lun Dashan running out in a hurry.
"Miss, it’s bad news."
Feng Yun didn’t have ti to wipe her sweat before her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
"What’s the panic?"
Lun Dashan quickly restrained his expression.
"It’s the Zhang Family, the Zhang Family..."
Feng Yun sneered coldly, "What mischief are they up to now?"
Since yesterday, she had dispatched n to keep a close watch on that family; there shouldn’t be any issues, right?
Unexpectedly, Lun Dashan said:
"It’s not them causing trouble, it’s, it’s the little lynx..."
Feng Yun’s expression changed, becoming anxious.
"What happened to the little lynx?"
Lun Dashan was a man who got out of breath just by talking, and with Feng Yun staring at him like that, his face reddened imdiately.
"The Zhang Family was mauled by wild beasts... and then they firmly insisted it was the little lynx..."
Wild beasts?
What wild beast?
Lun Dashan continued, "The witness said the beast looked very much like a cat, only much larger, just like the little lynx. They barged into the Zhang Family ho, injured several people; if it weren’t for the fact that the brothers were all at ho, their parents would have lost their lives..."
Feng Yun uttered an "oh" and asked with concern,
"The two wild beasts weren’t injured, were they?"
Seeing that she did not ask about the condition of the injured people but only cared about the beasts, Lun Dashan shook his head in surprise.
"As seen by the villagers, there were two of them, resembling cats yet larger, and not as ferocious as tigers. Confused about what they were, they called them lynxes..."
Having said this, he paused, a flickering look in his eyes.
"However, they all said that judging by the patterns and color of the fur, the little lynx might be the offspring of that kind of lynx."
Not everyone knew the na ’lynx’.
Lynx was also a colloquial term.
Feng Yun found the little lynx beside the official road at the foot of Jieqiu Mountain. At that ti, its parents were injured, clinging to life behind a large tree, trying to convince this human to take in their offspring...
Even beasts show deep parental love...
Gathering her courage, Feng Yun brought it back with her.
The little lynx was still young; she did not confine it much.
Sotis the little fellow would go out at night to hunt, to find sothing to eat, and would always sleep at ho during the day; Feng Yun was completely unaware it had ever ventured to Jieqiu Mountain...
Whether those two beasts that wreaked havoc in the Zhang Family’s house were the little lynx’s parents, Feng Yun could not be certain, but she knew that the little lynx must have taken part in the incident...
Otherwise, why did they target only the Zhang Family’s house?
Thinking that she had never been properly pampered by a man, yet had been cherished by a little lynx, a sweet feeling rose inside Feng Yun, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily lifted into a smile as she said,
"Don’t bother with them, just make sure the defenses are secure."
Feng Yun went back to her room, searched around but did not see the little lynx, feeling a vague concern in her heart.
Ye Chuang watched coldly for a while, then stepped forward to ask,
"Miss, would you like to teach the Zhang brothers a lesson?"
Feng Yun looked at him and shook her head in refusal.
"There’s no need to use a bull-cleaver to kill a chicken. With you all holding down Changn Village, I don’t think they will cause any trouble..."
Ye Chuang humd in acknowledgnt, nodded his head, and did not insist.
Not just Ao Qi, but Ye Chuang had also long realized that whenever Feng Shi Er Niang had sothing to do, she would call on her n and servants, and unless it involved the General Residence, she rarely turned to them proactively.
This kind of aloofness, he could not quite understand.
But Feng Yun understood very well...
Mountains fall, people leave. If they’re not soone you can rely on for a lifeti, it’s best not to put hope in them. After all, one must be tough in their own right.
The little lynx returned ho only in the middle of the night.
For the sake of the little lynx, Feng Yun often left the window not fully closed.
Feng Yun was not fully asleep, and at the rustle of the curtain, she sat up.
"Little one." Feng Yun looked at the shadowy figure sneaking in and gestured for it to co closer.
With no lights on in the room, she could only make out a vague shape, but she knew the little lynx could see her.
As expected, the little lynx approached, rubbing against her and releasing warm puffs of breath through its nostrils onto her hand.
Feng Yun embraced it fully, then lit the lamp and checked it thoroughly from head to toe, even inspecting its belly.
Only after confirming the little lynx was uninjured did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"You scared ," she said affectionately.
Though intended as words of concern, Feng Yun found her own statent a bit saccharine.
"Little one, you’re all I have now. You mustn’t get into trouble. I will deal with those bad people myself; I’ve already thought of a way. You don’t need to show off your strength, understand?"
The little lynx nuzzled against her, being unusually compliant.
Slling the scent of blood on it, Feng Yun guessed it had had its fill outside before returning, and she smiled as she took a cloth to wipe it clean. Only then did she bring it to bed, wrapping it in blankets and holding it close in her arms.
"Little one, I don’t know if you can understand ... but if one day you wish to leave, to part from , rember to take care of yourself..."
The little lynx was not a house cat, but a lynx; it surely preferred the freedom of the mountains, living with its parents, rather than watching these foolish humans, their ludicrous strife and bloodshed.
Like a mother worried about her child’s future, she spent half the night fretting about the little lynx before she managed to fall asleep.
Dawn had barely broken when she received a ssage from Ren Rude, sent from Andu City.
"Weng Li has succeeded. In two days, et at Shiguan Dock."
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