FID – Chapter 678

Chapter 678: Have All the Handsome Men in Beicang Died?

“Ah—pop!” Xiao Maodou returned a bubble, then turned his head, ignoring her.

Liu Yusheng felt dejected.

She wiped the drool from Xiao Maodou’s mouth with a handkerchief. 

Fu Yuzheng continued to persuade her, “At this time, His Highness should still be on his way, and hasn’t even crossed the border yet. Once he enters, the Beicang royal family will send someone to greet him. His safety is guaranteed, and ordinary people won’t even have a chance to get close. There’s no need to worry too much. Even if you want to go, wait until the situation there is clearer. The envoy delegation is going to negotiate, and with the back-and-forth travel and negotiation time, it will take at least half a year before they can return. Let’s wait and see, and then decide what to do, okay?”

Liu Yusheng nodded helplessly; this was the only option for now—she couldn’t just sneak off.

Her family would worry about her.

In mid-March, after the spring sowing in Xinghua, the fields that had been abandoned for half a year were replanted with seedlings, and everywhere was lush and green, full of vitality.

After finishing the spring sowing, since the plan to go to Beicang couldn’t be carried out for now, Liu Yusheng and Qian Wanjin threw themselves into the expansion of the winery, choosing a new location on the outskirts of Yunzhou City.

At the same time, a new Xinghua Village Winery was also being established in Yuzhou and Xuzhou, gradually expanding the commercial footprint from point to area.

Time passed by unnoticed.

At the end of April, the Nanling ship reached the Beicang dock, where the Beicang emperor and royal family members, along with civil and military officials, were waiting to greet them.

Among the many members of the royal family, Feng Qingbai spotted Duan Ting, who had changed from his white attire into court robes.

He was still sitting in a wheelchair.

The two exchanged nods and smiles, their gazes light and indifferent, as if their friendship was shallow.

“I have received word that the King of Nanling has arrived today. I have arranged a banquet in the palace to welcome you and the envoy. Please!” The Emperor of Beicang, a sturdy man in his fifties with a short beard, exuded the aura of a ruler, his voice deep and loud.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. We will not refuse your kindness.” After bowing to the Emperor, they continued on their way, getting into the soft sedan carried by the royal servants, heading towards the palace.

The customs in Beicang were more rugged compared to Nanling, and the people here were closer to the northern tribes. The attire of the common people was slightly different from that of Nanling.

As the sedan moved along, Feng Qingbai lifted the curtain to take a look at the cleared streets of the capital. Just as he was about to lower his gaze, a shadow hidden among the onlookers caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

His gaze froze, his pupils constricting slightly.

The distinctive black cloak covered the person’s head and face, and from this angle, only a portion of his jaw was visible. Even so, it was clear that he was wearing a mask.

The person slightly lifted his head, revealing eyes hidden beneath the cloak—dark and deep, devoid of any emotion.

After a brief exchange of glances, the figure flashed and disappeared into the crowd.

Feng Qingbai averted his gaze, leaning back against the sedan, and closed his eyes.

Sure enough, they were waiting for him in Beicang.

He anticipated the day when he would finally remove the mask from that person—it wouldn’t be long now.

The sedan stopped, having arrived at the gates of the Beicang Royal Palace. After passing through a long corridor inside the palace gates, they emerged into an open space.

In front of them, flowers were blooming in clusters, and beautiful palace maids were busily preparing the banquet. The arrangements for the feast were in full swing.

The Emperor had set the banquet in the royal garden, and nearby, musicians were playing palace music full of Beicang’s local flavor.

“Previously, my fourteenth son was sent to Nanling on an envoy mission and received much care from the King of Nanling. I heard that he even stayed at your residence for a night.” After inviting everyone to sit, the Emperor laughed heartily, “Now that you have come to our Beicang, my son will take the responsibility of hosting you, as a gesture of reciprocity!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Feng Qingbai did not refuse; he nodded and accepted directly.

The Emperor was momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily again, clapping his hands to signal the servants to bring food, and also, the dancers entered.

Because of the Emperor’s earlier words, Duan Ting turned his wheelchair and went directly to Feng Qingbai’s seat. He personally poured him wine and said, “The wine of Nanling is mellow, but the wine of Beicang is strong. Your Highness, try it and see if you can get used to it.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Prince Ting.” Feng Qingbai took the cup and took a small sip without furrowing his brows.

“You’re really no fun at all. At least put on an act, let me have a little success,” Duan Ting commented helplessly.

“Success in what?”

“If you had said the wine tastes bad and is too strong, I could have taken the opportunity to recommend Nanling’s nourishing wine to His Majesty. Who knows, I might even get your family’s wine to be offered as a tribute. How wonderful would that be?”

“You’re overthinking it.”

“You need to think a little more,” Duan Ting said lightly, taking advantage of the motion of raising his cup.

Feng Qingbai’s eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

This was not the place for such conversations. Anyway, Duan Ting had stayed at his royal residence before, and this time, it was his turn to stay in his own territory.

It was a matter of mutual respect.

They could talk more slowly when the time was right.

The music in the banquet hall changed, and the dancers began to perform. One of them wore a light water-red gauze, her face covered by a veil. Only her eyes, which were visible through the veil, were alluring and captivating.

As she danced, she gradually moved closer to Feng Qingbai and Duan Ting’s seat. Every movement was filled with grace and charm, and with each spin and step, her eyes were always focused on Feng Qingbai.

“Heh.” Duan Ting let out a barely audible laugh. “She’s really bold, enticing someone all the way here.”

Feng Qingbai lifted his eyelids and glanced at him coldly.

“She’s trying to entice you, didn’t you see? How’s your self-control? If it’s not enough, you can just go ahead.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold, damp sensation spread across his ceremonial robes.

“Sorry, my hand slipped,” while straightening the tilted wine cup and placing it back on the table, Feng Qingbai said nonchalantly. 

The rich scent of alcohol from his robe and the sticky, damp chill made Duan Ting’s lips twitch. “I was just joking. Do you really need to take it so seriously?”

“My hand just slipped. Why are you taking it so seriously?”

“……”

Duan Ting soon realized that provoking Feng Qingbai at this moment wasn’t very wise.

But, he just liked to provoke, what could he do?

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Look at those beauties behind the flowers, each one more shy and demure than the last. They’re all my father’s daughters, none of them are simple. You have such a handsome appearance, so while you’re in the palace, don’t show yourself too much in front of them. And when you go out, if you encounter any beauties who cause a stir, or if a horse gets startled, or if a handkerchief falls accidentally, don’t bother with it… otherwise, you’ll be letting down Miss Liu.”

Feng Qingbai thought Duan Ting was crazy.

“Have all the handsome men in Beicang died off?”

“……”

As Duan Ting pondered whether he should beat up Feng Qingbai or just kill him, the dancer at the table leaned forward, and her face veil slowly fell, revealing a face full of allure and charm.

What a waste.

From start to finish, Feng Qingbai didn’t even glance at her once.

“Seventeenth Sister, once you’re done dancing, hurry and get down. With that little bit of clothing on, you’ll likely catch a cold.” Duan Ting kindly reminded him, smiling at the beauty.

Unfortunately, the beauty ignored him and instead addressed the Beicang Emperor sitting at the head of the table, “It is said that the King of Nanling is a man of extraordinary grace, a gentleman of humility. However, I had only heard of his name and never seen him. Today, I am fortunate to witness him in person and find that he exceeds the rumors. Father, I have long admired the Nanling King, which is why I dared to present this dance. May I have the honor of offering him a toast?”

Such bold words and actions from a royal princess seemed to be quite routine to the Emperor and the officials present. “Granted!”