FID – Chapter 714

Chapter 714: No Different from a Peacock

“Ruibai…” Huo Jing looked anxious, as if he wanted to say more, but Li Ruibai had already turned away.

She happened to meet the gaze of three people standing by the courtyard gate, clearly watching the scene unfold.

Startled, she walked forward to greet them. “Your Highnesses, Miss Liu, what a surprise to meet you here. Such a coincidence.”

Liu Yusheng nodded at her and glanced briefly at the woman still standing near the Li family’s carriage. “It just so happens we came by carriage and are heading back to the city. If you don’t mind, why not join us?”

“Thank you, Miss Liu.” A flicker of gratitude appeared in Li Ruibai’s eyes.

With just one sentence, Liu Yusheng had saved her from the awkward situation.

Otherwise, she really might have had to walk all the way back to the city.

Meanwhile, the other two—Huo Jing and Lu Xiangjun—had also noticed Liu Yusheng, Duan Ting, and Feng Qingbai. They walked over and greeted them respectfully.

Duan Ting, however, didn’t seem particularly fond of them and didn’t exchange pleasantries. After acknowledging their greetings, he stepped onto the carriage.

Once the carriage was on the road, he dropped his formal demeanor and remarked with a smirk, “The Lu, Huo, and Li family—three major households gathered together, and we got to witness this kind of scene. Now that’s rare.”

“Your Highness jests. It was merely a misunderstanding,” Li Ruibai said helplessly. 

She and Huo Jing had indeed come here to discuss business, though she hadn’t expected him to be the only one present. 

As a result, they’d been misunderstood by Lu Xiangjun, who must have secretly followed them here.

“If I hadn’t seen her today, I would’ve thought Lu Xiangjun was still under house arrest,” Liu Yusheng sighed.

“The day the Seventeenth Princess showed up at the Lu residence, it seems she had already been released,” Feng Qingbai said with a sarcastic curl of his lips. “Besides, since the negotiations between the Lu family and Nanling fell through, Patriarch Lu probably saw no reason to continue punishing Lu Xiangjun on behalf of the Nanling Merchant Guild.”

That day’s so-called punishment had been nothing more than a superficial gesture.

“Actually, when I was young, the relationship between our three families was decent. Lu Xiangjun, Huo Jing, and I could even be considered childhood playmates,” Li Ruibai said with a faint, bitter smile as she recalled the past. “But somewhere along the way, that relationship changed. As we grew older, I became more involved in the family business and interacted more with Huo Jing, while Lu Xiangjun gradually distanced herself from me. Thinking back now, her obsession with the arranged marriage between the Lu and Huo families might be because she has feelings for Huo Jing.”

No wonder that after that, the noble ladies in the upper circles gradually began to treat her coldly, and even spread quite a few unpleasant rumors about her.

So, it turned out she had inadvertently gotten in someone’s way.

When it came to such matters, she had been far too slow to realize the truth, and in hindsight, she had only herself to blame.

If she had understood sooner, she would have kept her distance from Huo Jing. 

This could have avoided fueling all those rampant rumors.

Liu Yusheng patted her hand and glanced at her attire—a man’s outfit once again. “I heard that your health has improved, and the Li family business is being transferred to your brother. Shouldn’t you be able to rest now? Why are you still dressed like this?”

“My elder brother has started managing the business, but after being bedridden for so many years, he’s still a bit inexperienced. I’m helping him for now until he’s fully comfortable with taking over. And besides, after dressing as a man for so many years, I’ve gotten used to it. Switching back to women’s clothing all of a sudden makes me feel a bit uneasy.”

“Switch back to women’s clothing. You look better in men’s attire than I do, and even I feel uncomfortable looking at you,” Duan Ting suddenly said, leaning back against his wheelchair.

Li Ruibai: “…”

Liu Yusheng and Feng Qingbai both turned their heads away at the same time. Duan Ting’s behavior really was no different from that of a showy peacock.

He simply couldn’t stand seeing others look better than him.

At least he had some self-awareness. He didn’t dare say that to Feng Qingbai; otherwise, the response wouldn’t just be silence.

Since Nanling had established business ties with the Li family, they had already begun preparing to reopen their tea and wine industry. With both sides planning to collaborate, they took the opportunity to finalize various details while the merchant guild was still present. Consequently, during this time, Li Ruibai frequently came to visit Liu Yusheng.

As they were both women, it was easier to talk freely.

If Li Ruifan had come personally, someone might have gotten unhappy.

The Li family had even been thoughtful enough to anticipate this issue.

Before they knew it, more than a month had passed in Beicang. In early September, news spread from the palace—a royal decree had been issued. The Emperor would lead the imperial family and the entire court of officials on a pilgrimage to the imperial tomb to pay homage to the ancestors.

After paying homage to their ancestors, the negotiations between Beicang and Nanling finally concluded, and the long-delayed envoy delegation was allowed to return to Nanling.

As for the Merchant Guild, they had already begun preparing for their journey home.

The merchants in the guild were all heads of prominent Nanling business families. Having been away for so long, they were concerned about potential issues within their families. Staying until now had already pushed them to their limits.

Moreover, after establishing business partnerships with Beicang merchants, they needed to return early to make preparations for the upcoming trade exchanges between the two nations.

On the day of their departure, Qian Baihao and the merchants came to bid farewell but didn’t invite Liu Yusheng to leave with them.

After all, their King was standing right there—who would dare take her away?

In fact, it was better for the merchants this way. The journey back was long and perilous, and no one could guarantee there wouldn’t be any accidents along the way. 

If Liu Yusheng were injured, even slightly, their King’s fury could bring disaster upon their entire families.

Liu Yusheng personally escorted the merchants onto the ship. Only after watching it sail away did she turn around and head back to the carriage.

Inside, Feng Qingbai was reclining casually, waiting for her.

“I sent a letter home so Grandpa and Grandma can feel a bit more at ease. I just don’t know if we’ll be able to save Second Brother.”

“Your Second Brother is tougher than weeds. You don’t need to worry about him.”

“How do you know that?” Liu Yusheng shot him a sideways glance.

The man smiled without answering. If his life force weren’t strong, he would’ve died at his hands ten times over by now.

Surviving after crossing him—he could manage that only because his surname was Liu.

Well, that, and thanks to someone else with the surname Qian.

“Finally, a smile. You’ve looked so serious these past few days. What’s weighing on your mind? Are you worried that the Emperor might cause some trouble during the ancestral rites?”

Even though Feng Qingbai always acted normal around her, she could sense it—the closer the Beicang royal ancestral rites drew, the heavier and more somber the atmosphere surrounding him became.

“Nothing to worry about. If the Emperor keeps stalling and exhausts my patience, Beicang won’t come out of it unscathed.” He reached out to pat her head, but she dodged.

“Don’t put on an act in front of me. It doesn’t work.”

“…” Seeing the clarity in her eyes, Feng Qingbai sighed softly and pulled her into his arms. “Do you remember the challenge letter from Gong Ling?”

“I remember.”

“The envoy delegation has been in Beicang for several months now, yet there’s been no movement from them. Don’t you think that’s odd? I doubt they’ve given up—they’re probably waiting for the right moment.”

For the past few months, the timing simply hadn’t been right.

Given Gong Ling’s nature, once he issued a provocation, he wouldn’t just leave it at that without making a move.

The trouble was, Feng Qingbai couldn’t yet predict which angle Gong Ling would strike from or how. That inability to pinpoint the threat left him feeling deeply uneasy.