FID – Chapter 676

Chapter 676: Jealous of a Married Man?

By February, the southern regions were already blooming with spring flowers.

In the bitterly cold capital, the winter snow finally began to thaw, and the ice on the canal melted enough for boats to resume travel.

On the 16th of February, the entire capital was placed under lockdown. From the city gates to the docks in the outskirts, soldiers stood guard along the entire route.

Commoners attempting to enter or leave the city were stopped outside the security line and temporarily prohibited from passing.

Today was the day the Regent himself would lead the envoy to Beicang.

This journey concerned the stability of both nations, so none of the people who were stopped had any complaints.

At the capital’s docks, Feng Mohan stood with the civil and military officials, all gathered to bid farewell to Feng Qingbai and the envoy.

The wind at the docks was strong, whipping through their robes and making them billow loudly.

“Imperial Uncle, please be careful on this journey. No matter the outcome, you must return safely!” Feng Mohan, clad in his dragon robe with his crown neatly tied, maintained his emperor’s dignity before the officials. But when he turned his back to them, his eyes were slightly red.

“When I return, I will inspect your studies and governance,” Feng Qingbai said indifferently.

But when he caught sight of the sheen of unshed tears in the young emperor’s eyes, his heart softened. He raised a hand and ruffled Feng Mohan’s hair, letting him rub against his palm a few times.

Secretly sniffing, Feng Mohan lifted his chin. “By the time you return, I will only be more outstanding!”

“We’ll see.” With that, Feng Qingbai nodded at Elder Yang and Liu Zhixia, who stood beside him, exchanging a glance of mutual understanding before turning to board the ship.

The envoy followed closely behind.

As the vessel departed from the shore, the air was filled with voices bidding them farewell.

Feng Mohan watched until the ship disappeared from sight before flicking his robes and commanding, “Return to the palace!”

Since he had been old enough to understand things, he had always stayed by his imperial uncle’s side. Even when they were apart, it was never for more than three months.

But this time was different.

What lay ahead for both of them was an unknown, filled with potential dangers.

His imperial uncle had said to treat this as a trial for everyone. He would give it his all to overcome every challenge!

Standing at the bow of the ship with his hands clasped behind his back, Feng Qingbai gazed at the river, where patches of floating ice were still visible. His expression remained calm.

In the end, he had not gone to bid farewell to Shengsheng.

He wondered if the young lady would be upset with him.

“Your Highness, the wind is strong outside. Please rest in the cabin for a while. The journey ahead is long—it will take at least a month to cross the border and reach Beicang. Please take care of yourself,” Chen Hai said softly from behind him.

Feng Qingbai did not turn around. “Spring has just begun. By the time I return, the maple leaves on Hongfeng Mountain will likely have turned red.”

“The seasons may change, but as long as the people remain the same, that’s what matters. We will be waiting for Your Highness’s triumphant return.”

Feng Qingbai let out a silent smile. He feared nothing—except that Shengsheng would ignore him.

When she got angry, she was truly difficult to appease.

He had to make sure he returned without a single injury. That would be quite the challenge.

Turning to glance at Chen Hai, he asked, “You still frequently travel the waterways between Yunzhou and the capital. Do you spend much time in Yunzhou?”

“It’s manageable. I rarely handle the boats myself now. Most of my time is spent at the Canal Guild base.”

Feng Qingbai nodded, then pulled out a thick stack of letters from his robe—at least thirty of them by the looks of it. “Since that’s the case, before I return, please deliver one of these letters to Shengsheng every ten days. And remember to remove the numbered labels on them.”

He paused, then glanced at Chen Hai again, giving him a look that left Chen Hai utterly baffled. “You don’t have to deliver them personally. Just send a maid or an older servant to do it.”

Chen Hai’s mouth twitched.

Was he being guarded against? Was Feng Qingbai seriously jealous of him—a married man?

Truly enlightening!

With a stiff expression, he accepted the letters. But as he looked at the carefully numbered labels, the faint annoyance in his heart slowly faded.

When it came to devotion to Nannan, His Highness was unmatched. For a man of his status to go to such lengths for a woman, it was clear—he loved her deeply.

The route to Beicang followed the waterway straight to the border city, bypassing Yunzhou altogether.

By the time Liu Yusheng received the news, it was already late February. Spring was in full bloom, and rural families were beginning their yearly farming preparations.

At that moment, she was in Xinghua Ridge, inspecting the growth of the loquat trees for the year and checking on the goji berries planted around the orchard.

When Wei Hong hurried over to deliver the news, she showed little reaction.

She had already prepared herself when her eldest brother left for the capital—she knew he wouldn’t come back to say goodbye.

No farewell, no parting.

“Sister Liu, you’re spacing out again.” A young boy’s voice rang out, his tone full of exasperation as he watched the girl crouching motionless in front of a loquat tree for a long time.

Only then did Liu Yusheng realize she had lost focus while examining the tree roots. Clearing her throat, she stood up and pointed at the ground. “I was just looking at an ant nest.”

The three people working in the nearby medicinal field were silent for a moment—then turned away and burst into laughter.

The young girl immediately grew flustered and annoyed. “Second Brother, you’ve been turning over that field forever and have only done one row. Are those muscles just for show? And you, Little White Lotus, I saw you sneaking glances at a certain someone. You were practically drooling! And you, brat—since you’re so free, have you finished your lessons?”

The three burst into laughter again. Li Junyao shook his head and laughed, “Sister Liu, this trick of distracting me won’t work. The academy gave us a spring break, and I came here with permission. The carriage brought me.”

Having become familiar with her, Li Junyao was no longer intimidated by her and joked around freely.

Now, whenever he had free time, he would run to the Liu family courtyard, becoming Liu Zhiqiu’s little follower.

Liu Yusheng shot him a sideways glance and snorted lightly. “You little brat, let me tell you, right now the person who dislikes you the most isn’t me—it’s your sister. Do you know what a third wheel is?”

“A third wheel?”

“Yeah, like a big, bright lantern. You’re standing there, and don’t you see how your sister dislikes how much you’re in the way? Come on, let’s go home and see Xiao Maodou. Don’t stay here disturbing your sister while she’s chasing her husband.”

Liu Muqiu’s fair face quickly turned red, and she couldn’t smile anymore. She stamped her foot. “Nannan!”

“Eh!” Liu Yusheng responded brightly, grinning as she led the young boy outside. “We’re leaving now!”

Looking at the back of the young girl, who seemed pleased with herself, Liu Zhiqiu grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. “Nannan, next time Feng Qingbai returns, let Little White Lotus sleep in your room. Make some space for him, so he doesn’t have to sneak into the inner courtyard in the middle of the night.”

The girl, who was about to leave the orchard, stumbled and fled in a panic.

She knew it! Feng Qingbai always sneaked into her room at night—how could the family not know about it?

“Miss Liu, what did my brother-in-law mean by that?” Li Junyao asked curiously.

“You little brat, curiosity killed the cat, so don’t ask too many questions.” Teasing him, Liu Yusheng raised an eyebrow. “Brother-in-law?”

“Brother Liu!” The young boy quickly corrected himself, subtly pinching his lips. How did he accidentally call out what was on his mind?

Liu Yusheng chuckled and patted the boy’s head.

Actually, it didn’t matter.

Her second brother, such a person who hated trouble, had taken it upon himself to protect Little White Lotus. It showed that he truly treated her as part of his family and kept her under his wing.