FID – Chapter 868

Chapter 868: The Emperor’s Promise

Feng Qingbai’s guess was spot on.

But there were also things he didn’t anticipate.

As soon as Yan Rongjin stepped across the threshold of the manor, Feng Mohan showed up right behind him.

He practically chased after him.

At that moment, Liu Yusheng and Feng Qingbai were both in the warm chamber.

Although it was already March and there was no need to light the stove anymore, the chill in the air was still biting. So Feng Qingbai kept the woman from going to the more spacious but colder main hall and flower hall. When she wasn’t sleeping, she would stay in the warm chamber.

When Yan Rongjin came to visit, the servants immediately brought him to the warm chamber and served tea.

He had just entered and hadn’t yet spoken when Feng Mohan burst in like a gust of wind.

Liu Yusheng’s mouth twitched involuntarily.

“Don’t you have state affairs to handle today? How come you can leave the palace?” Feng Qingbai was very strict with Feng Mohan and rarely allowed him to leave the palace unless absolutely necessary.

Feng Mohan glanced sideways at Yan Rongjin. Seeing that he was seated just an arm’s length away from his Imperial Aunt, Feng Mohan strode forward and quickly took the seat on the other side of Liu Yusheng’s soft couch. “I finished all my state affairs this morning, had some free time, so I came to visit Imperial Aunt… and Imperial Uncle.”

He didn’t dare look Feng Qingbai in the face while speaking.

He was afraid that seeing his stern expression would scare him back.

That kid, Yan Rongjin, was bouncing around in front of his Imperial Aunt, so he had to keep an eye on him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel at ease.

Since their first meeting at the suburban dock in the capital, he knew this guy was a natural at putting on a show.

In front of his Imperial Aunt, he acted meek and gentle like a little white rabbit, but behind his back, his glare was murderous!

Yan Rongjin treated Feng Mohan like air, ignoring his significant glances, and looked at Liu Yusheng, saying, “Your Highness, I hope you have been well.”

His voice was very clear and pure, like a mountain stream dropping into a pool, still carrying the innocence of youth, yet already showing an impressive aura.

It was Liu Yusheng’s first time hearing his voice, and she smiled with slight surprise. “I didn’t expect the Emperor of Dongyue to have such a pleasant voice.”

Feng Qingbai and Feng Mohan were also surprised because his voice was much more youthful than they had imagined.

“Your Highness, you may call me Xiao Qi.”

“All right then, from now on I’ll call you Xiao Qi in private,” Liu Yusheng said without hesitation. She could tell the boy was serious when he said it. “If I ran into you outside looking like this, I might not even recognize you.”

It was still the same face—delicate and refined—but once he wore the embroidered robes, he seemed like a completely different person.

Both his aura and presence were vastly different.

Yan Rongjin smiled, “As long as I can recognize Your Highness.”

The boy’s youthful voice was so piercing that Feng Mohan couldn’t help but glare at him and ask, “May I ask, Emperor of Dongyue, how old are you this year?”

The boy tilted his head and replied, “I just turned ten before ascending the throne.”

The crowd, “…”

Pointing at Yan Rongjin, Feng Mohan’s finger trembled as he stammered, “Y-you’re not fifteen?!”

“I’ve been tall since I was young, inherited from my mother’s side,” Yan Rongjin hadn’t wanted to answer at first, but seeing the curious look on Liu Yusheng’s face, he explained.

“Oh,” Feng Mohan seemed to suddenly understand and looked at Yan Rongjin with ill intent, “You’re ten but have the face of a fifteen-year-old. When you turn twenty, will you look like you’re thirty? You’re aging fast, that’s worrying. I’m just the opposite. I’m almost sixteen but still have a baby face, looking young.”

Yan Rongjin lowered his eyes, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. “Emperor Huijing’s mind is just like his face—still so young-looking.”

“You!…” Feng Mohan was furious, his face darkening. He was about to retort again, but Feng Qingbai silenced him with a single glance.

Damn it, how frustrating! If it weren’t for having elders watching over him, how could he let this pretty boy get the upper hand?

The heavily pregnant Liu Yusheng who was unable to move much couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

Before, besides Qian Wanjin, no one would banter like this with Xiao Feng’er.

Now with Xiao Qi around, whose tongue was even sharper than Qian Wanjin’s, Xiao Feng’er finally acted more like a normal teenager.

Having silenced Emperor Huijing, Yan Rongjin then looked at Feng Qingbai.

This man spoke little, but the pressure he brought was the greatest.

Just by sitting there, the man exuded an invisible sense of oppression, making Yan Rongjin not dare to relax even a bit.

In front of the King of Nanling, he didn’t dare to hope to hide anything; the other must have already known about his other purpose in coming.

He still remembered the expression on the woman’s face that day when he handed her the Imperial Jade Seal. She didn’t recognize it as the seal.

As for Feng Qingbai, there was no way he wouldn’t recognize it.

“I came today not only to visit the princess but also to retrieve something from her. For the life-saving favor the princess did for me, I will repay her in other ways in the future.” After a brief pause, Yan Rongjin chose to get straight to the point.

Continuing with polite formalities and beating around the bush would only make the King and the Princess think he was insincere.

“You mean that Qilin jade? I already gave it to my husband,” Liu Yusheng said with a smile, shifting the responsibility onto Feng Qingbai.

Since her husband had his own plans, she was happy to help him set the stage.

It was not that she wouldn’t return it, but when Xiao Qi gave her the jade seal that day, his intentions were probably not pure.

She wasn’t about to be played for a fool.

“Qilin jade? What Qilin jade?” Feng Mohan looked utterly confused, eyes wide, but Feng Qingbai silenced him with a single hand.

Yan Rongjin seemed unsurprised by Liu Yusheng’s answer and instead turned to Feng Qingbai. “What does Your Highness think?”

“When Your Majesty gave the jade seal to my wife, you were being hunted. At that time, your purpose in presenting that item was likely to divert trouble, to draw the pursuers’ attention to the King’s Manor, so that we would shield you from disaster,” Feng Qingbai spoke bluntly, not hiding anything, his eyes cold. “Now that the matter is resolved, and Your Majesty has successfully ascended the throne, do you think you can just come back and take it away? How do you place this King and his manor in this? You repay my wife’s kindness with ingratitude. Did you think you can just settle things with a few words?”

The man’s long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly. Though he made no move, the pressure in the air suddenly intensified, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

Yan Rongjin pressed his lips together and spoke solemnly, “What I did that day was out of desperation. I hope the King and Princess can forgive me. But the Imperial Jade Seal is the rightful possession of Dongyue. Even if it remains in your hands, it serves no purpose for you. Even without it, uniting the court would only be a matter of time for me. But with it, the process becomes much more efficient. I am willing to offer you a promise in exchange for the seal. Would that be acceptable?”

He knew that the King had no ambitions toward the Jade Seal itself. He was pressing him not for the seal, but for something he wanted in return.

Whatever could be given, he was willing to give. After all, the day the Princess Consort saved his life, she had already earned the right to a promise from him.

A promise from the Son of Heaven held far more value than a lifeless object.

Looking at the calm, composed young boy speaking with such poise, Liu Yusheng couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Hardship tempers the heart and will, forcing a person to grow overnight.

Yan Rongjin was proof of that.