FID – Chapter 827

Chapter 827: Again with His Temper

The army won in just two days.

During the victory banquet, the cheers echoed through the hall, and the pent-up frustration from months of being oppressed by the Dongyue army was completely swept away.

Among the voices, Cheng Sheng’s laughter was the loudest.

“I was right behind General Qin at that time, I saw with my own eyes as General Qin swung his heavy sword and chopped off the enemy general’s head! The Dongyue soldiers were so scared by our three-pronged encirclement, they were running for their lives. It felt so satisfying, hahaha!”

“Exactly, fighting alongside General Qin is exhilarating! My whole body was full of energy, I couldn’t stop, it was incredible!”

“Such a pity that General Qin wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t join the banquet. If he had, the brothers would definitely have toasted him!”

The conversations around him were filled with praise for the battle, each word dripping with admiration for General Qin.

Feng Qingbai twirled his wine glass, lost in thought. Qin Xiao’s influence in the army was even deeper and broader than he had imagined.

Qin Xiao did not attend the victory banquet; he had sent his officers in his stead, citing illness as the reason for turning down the enthusiastic invitations from the garrison of Yigu City.

Everything that happened on the small road was kept secret; no one outside of the scene knew what had occurred. 

Feng Qingbai hadn’t mentioned even to Wei Zi, nor had he revealed that he had almost died under the heavy sword.

While the others were still lively, he quietly left the banquet and returned to the inner courtyard of the garrison’s headquarters.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Qin Xiao sitting alone at the stone table, drinking by the moonlight.

He walked over and sat down opposite him. He took the wine jug from Qin Xiao’s hand, took a sip, and then returned it. “General, you didn’t attend the victory banquet, but here you are drinking alone?”

“I am a man with a guilty past, what is there to celebrate?” Qin Xiao said calmly.

“I have not yet decided your guilt; you are free,” Feng Qingbai said, looking at him. “But there is something I don’t understand. What is the reason that General Qin wanted to see me dead, even willing to trade his life for mine? We haven’t reached the point of ‘to the death.’ Have I offended General Qin without realizing it?”

“I will bear the consequences of my actions, Your Highness, there is no need for you to inquire further.”

“Is it perhaps for.. the Empress Dowager?”

Feng Qingbai’s eyes narrowed slightly. Though there was little connection between Qin Xiao and the Empress Dowager, he knew that the two had been acquaintances in the past. Besides the Empress Dowager, he couldn’t think of anyone in the court with whom he had such a deadly grudge

There was no deadly hatred between him and Qin Xiao that would lead to this kind of situation.

“Your Highness need not guess further,” Qin Xiao said coldly. “What I have done has nothing to do with some old woman from the harem. In the end, the victor is king, the loser is a bandit. Since I have lost, I am at your mercy, whether you wish to kill or mutilate me.”

Knowing that it was unlikely he would get any useful information from Qin Xiao, Feng Qingbai stopped pressing. “Since General doesn’t want to speak, I won’t ask anymore. Everything in this world has a time when the veil will be lifted. Though I’m curious, it’s not something I must know right now. It’s late, drinking harms the body. Please rest early, General.”

Qin Xiao’s gaze grew deep and somber as he watched the calm figure of the man leave.

He could no longer keep the matter with Aman a secret.

After returning to his room, he sat at the desk for a moment, then instructed, “Wei Zi, send word to Wei Cheng, have him investigate the relationship between Qin Xiao and the Empress Dowager. Leave no detail overlooked.”

“Master, did Qin Xiao do something?” Wei Zi did not leave immediately.

He felt that Qin Xiao’s visit this time was not as simple as it seemed. When the late Emperor was still alive, he had tried to transfer Qin Xiao out of the northern region to weaken his influence in the military but failed multiple times. Yet this time, Qin Xiao had brought 200,000 troops to reinforce Yigu City.

Wei Zi still remembered that the master had been trapped within the Dongyue border for several days before returning with Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao had gone to Dongyue on his own.

But why?

“Why ask so many questions? Go and do as I told you.”

“Yes, Master!” Wei Zi relaxed only after leaving the room.

It was only after being with the princess that the master began to show some semblance of humanity. If it were before, he would have been sent to face punishment by now.

Dare to speak out of turn?

In the Yangxin Hall of Nanling.

Liu Yusheng’s high fever had subsided by the morning.

When she regained consciousness, the sky was beginning to lighten. The sharp pain in her abdomen had disappeared, and after drinking some spiritual spring water, the fever had dispersed.

Otherwise, if she only relied on the traditional medicine prescribed by the imperial doctor, she would have had to endure another whole day and night of discomfort.

It was only after waking up that she realized how close the entire palace had come to chaos because of her condition, especially the Imperial Medical Academy.

Before she regained consciousness, all the imperial doctors from the academy had been ordered to wait outside the side hall to handle any sudden developments.

Feng Mohan had also stayed outside the whole night without sleeping.

When he saw that she had woken up and after confirming with the imperial doctor that there was no serious issue, he finally relaxed.

Once he relaxed, his exhaustion became apparent, “Imperial Aunt, you almost scared me to death last night.”

“Sorry for making you worry. Xiao Feng’er, you should go and rest. Tell the imperial doctors outside to leave. Chenxiang, Zisu, you two should sleep too.” These three all had bloodshot eyes and dark circles beneath them.

“Let Chenxiang go to sleep first. I’ll wait for her to wake up, then I’ll take my turn,” Zisu said.

“Alright, you all go and rest. I don’t need anyone to serve me right now. Later, I’ll go to the Empress Dowager’s place, and there’s still granny there.”

When the woman mentioned the Empress Dowager, both Zisu and Chenxiang showed strange expressions.

“What’s wrong?” Liu Yusheng frowned.

The two maids dared not speak carelessly, lowering their heads and keeping their thoughts to themselves.

It was Feng Mohan who scoffed and said, “That old woman, I don’t know what kind of madness she’s gone into. She came to visit yesterday, and after returning, she shut the doors of the palace hall. No one could get her to answer, and she ignored everyone. When it was almost dawn, I heard her crying from inside, and it sent shivers down my spine. She hasn’t even come out yet, not even for breakfast.”

After sending the three of them away and seeing the imperial doctors outside also disperse, Liu Yusheng went to the palace hall.

The door was indeed tightly closed, and there was no sound coming from inside. The granny who served the Empress Dowager had also been sent out and could only stay outside.

When she saw Liu Yusheng approaching, the granny’s face softened a little, “Your Highness, are you feeling better?”

“I’m fine now,” Liu Yusheng replied as she walked closer, “What happened to Her Majesty?”

“I’m not sure either. After returning last night, Her Majesty sent me out and hasn’t allowed anyone to enter since. Even this morning when I brought her breakfast, she wouldn’t acknowledge me. I’m really worried,” the granny said with a worried expression.

She was a servant, and since the Empress Dowager refused to open the door or talk to anyone, she couldn’t go and persuade anyone.

Who could she turn to? The Emperor? The Emperor, who always called the Empress Dowager ‘that old hag’ behind her back, had no patience to mediate with her.

The Princess Consort? But the Princess was still unconscious at that time, so there was no way to contact her.

It made her anxious.

“Please tell me what happened last night before the Empress Dowager went back to the palace hall, Granny. I need to find the root cause to be able to help her,” Liu Yusheng said helplessly. The old lady was at it again with her temper.

And this time, it was completely inexplicable.