Chapter 57 The most infuriating thing is that without her, it's a living hell.

Outsiders were unaware of the affair between Zhu Qing and Feng Huaihe; all they saw was that they were a perfect match.

Even Li Cunxu came. He and Zhu Zhengyang sat on the high floor of Xihua Hall, while Zhu Qing was pulled to marry Feng Huaihe.

When paying respects to one's parents, one should pay respects to him and Zhu Zhengyang.

At this point, Zhu Qing had no doubts. She had decorated the Xihua Hall so festively and attracted so many guests that no one even questioned why her marriage to Zhang Yin had turned into a marriage to Feng Huaihe.

The fact that each of these three things was done so perfectly, without any flaws, can only prove that Feng Huaihe was in Jinyang City during this period.

He might be hiding in the shadows, silently watching his and Zhang Yin's clown-like behavior.

Zhu Qing realized this, and her anger almost reached the top of her head. But everyone in the hall was laughing and joking. Feng Huaihe held her hand very tightly, as if it were some kind of silent warning.

Zhu Qing could only force herself to suppress her anger and reluctantly went through the wedding ceremony with Feng Huaihe before being led into the so-called bridal chamber.

The bridal chamber in Xihuatang was somewhat different from the one she had left in the morning.

When she went out this morning, the hall was simply decorated with only a few red lanterns, but now it has been decorated with candles, a red table, and red bed curtains and a wedding couch.

It goes without saying that it was all Feng Huaihe's doing.

Zhu Qing sat by the couch, listening to the laughter and chatter of the guests outside Xihua Hall, watching the colorful sunset slowly sink below the mountain, and the sky completely darken. The initially lively and noisy sounds gradually weakened and dispersed until the courtyard became quiet, and then familiar footsteps sounded outside the door.

Feng Huaihe pushed open the door and came in. Perhaps because he had drunk wedding wine, his usually handsome face was flushed, and his eyes looked a little intoxicated.

"Qingqing," he said, closing the door and walking towards Zhu Qing. He sat down next to her and reached out to hug her.

Zhu Qingmeng stood up and dodged him, standing to the side with his eyes lowered and coldly staring at him.

Feng Huaihe's intoxicated gaze instantly cleared, and he looked up to meet Zhu Qing's eyes. "What?"

Zhu Qing said coldly, "It was all your plan, wasn't it? Although Zhang Yin was the mastermind behind the scheme against my eldest and second brothers, you didn't stop it after you found out. Instead, you went along with it and used it to your advantage, not only eliminating Zhang Yin, this major threat, but also arranging for me to marry you. Isn't that right?"

Feng Huaihe remained silent for a moment.

He guessed that Zhu Qing would find out one day, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.

“Yes.” Feng Huaihe stopped making useless excuses and said frankly, “But what can you do? The marriage certificate has been written, the vows have been made to heaven and earth, and so many guests have come today. Everyone in Jinyang City knows that you are my wife, Feng Huaihe’s wife.”

"Yes, and if Zhang Yin hadn't died, he should also know that you're mine."

Zhu Qing couldn't help but raise her voice and said, "You said before that you would protect my family, and I reluctantly compromised to stay by your side, but in this matter, you didn't protect them. Instead, you took advantage of the situation?"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Feng Huaihe lowered his head and chose to remain silent.

Zhu Qing felt a sense of powerlessness mixed with sorrow rising in her chest. "I knew it, I knew it. No one can be relied on except myself. From the beginning, I told you that I had to go out on my own and earn something tangible to hold onto. You were unwilling to let me go out. Now I am in a passive position. I am not sure if this will happen again in the future. In short, I don't like this feeling."

Feng Huaihe sensed the sorrow in her voice, his hands resting on his knees tightened suddenly, and he said urgently, "No, it won't happen again."

Zhang Yin had already been defeated, and the marriage agreement was finalized. His only remaining task was to help Zhu Qing fulfill her dream from her previous life; he had no other thoughts.

After he finished speaking and saw that Zhu Qing did not react, he quickly stood up and tried to pull her up. She took a big step back as if she had been provoked. Although she did not say anything, her sharp and thorny gaze at him was more powerful than a thousand hurtful words.

Feng Huaihe stood frozen in place, afraid to go any further, unsure of what to do.

The windows of Xihuatang were open, and the night breeze, mixed with the fragrance of spring flowers, wafted into the room. Zhu Qing glanced out and saw red ribbons fluttering on the plum blossom tree branches.

Remembering something, she asked, "The wishing tree you mentioned in Chang'an, does it still count?"

"It always counts."

Zhu Qing gave a thoughtful "hmm," and Feng Huaihe tentatively moved closer to her. This time, Zhu Qing didn't back away. Feng Huaihe came in front of her and reached out to hug her.

His extreme embrace left no room for retreat, completely trapping Zhu Qing in his arms. He wanted to say something to Zhu Qing, even an apology, but feeling her stiff body in his arms, Feng Huaihe couldn't utter a single word.

-

cell.

The arrow wound in Zhang Yin's chest, left untreated, began to burn with intense pain.

He lay pale-faced on the damp, smelly haystack, too weak to move. He heard hurried footsteps coming down the corridor, followed by the 'click' of the cell door being opened. He saw a pair of familiar boots come into view.

Zhang Yin strained to roll his eyes and focus his gaze before he could clearly see Zhang Chengye squatting in front of him.

Seeing him was like seeing hope. Zhang Yin reached out with all his might and grabbed Zhang Chengye's robe. "Uncle, help me, help me..."

"well."

Zhang Chengye sighed deeply, looking at his adopted nephew. If it weren't for his connection with his father and the fact that they shared the same surname, Men, he wouldn't have recommended Zhang Yin to Jinyang.

Zhang Chengye said, "Do you know how much trust Prince Jin trusted me by recommending you? Yet you betrayed Prince Jin, selling him and Feng Huaihe's escape route to Zhu Wen, causing Bozhou to be assassinated again. If it weren't for Feng Huaihe's desperate protection, Prince Jin probably wouldn't have been able to return."

Zhang Yin knew he had made a serious mistake, but he was unwilling to accept defeat.

Zhang Chengye said, "Although the Prince of Jin has returned, he is still ill because of the battle at Bozhou, and the doctor said he probably won't live much longer. Although the Prince of Jin doesn't suspect me now, I would feel guilty if I helped you again."

"What I've done for you is more than enough to repay that debt of gratitude. Although we share the same surname, our kinship is shallow, and we're destined to be even. Don't blame your uncle for being heartless."

Zhang Yin's eyes were throbbing, and he felt an urge to cry. He just wanted a chance.

He couldn't accept that he had everything, yet he lost to Feng Huaihe, who had nothing. In his past life, he had Zhu Qing, who allowed him to regain his dignity; in this life, he had nothing.

Zhang Yin still clung tightly to Zhang Chengye's clothes, choking back tears as he said, "Please, Uncle, save me this time. I promise I won't cause you any more trouble. I don't want to die. I'm only nineteen years old, I don't want to die..."

"I've come to tell you that I can secretly help you survive, but you can no longer stay in Jinyang. From now on, you must live a low-key life, hide your identity, and never let anyone discover you. Understand?"

Zhang Yin nodded repeatedly, wiping his eyes and promising, "Definitely, definitely. As long as Uncle saves me this time, I'll do whatever you say."

Zhang Chengye nodded and said, "Just rest assured and listen to my arrangements."

After saying this, he secretly slipped Zhang Yin a bottle of medicine and left the cell.

-

The next morning, Zhu woke up to find the seat next to him empty.

Last night, she slept in the same bed with Feng Huaihe. It was the most peaceful sleep they had ever had. There was no physical intimacy, no struggle between them. Feng Huaihe simply held her silently, embracing her with a strength that seemed to meld her into his body.

Zhu Qing sighed; she wanted to leave.

She got up and dressed, then found the wooden plaque that Feng Huaihe had mentioned she could make a wish on in the trunk. She picked one up and got up, just as Feng Huaihe was carrying a basin of water into the room.

He placed the basin on the table, wrung out a wet cloth, and handed it to Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing silently accepted the gift. After washing up, she wanted to send him away, but Feng Huaihe not only didn't leave, but instead pressed her down to sit in front of the dressing mirror.

On the dressing table were several gold hairpins and velvet flowers. Feng Huaihe picked up a sandalwood comb and gently combed Zhu Qing's black hair.

“I learned how to style a wife’s hair before she gets married,” Feng Huaihe first combed her long hair, then tied it up, secured it with a gold hairpin, and finally pinned a velvet flower behind Zhu Qing’s hair.

He did it gently, without pulling on Zhu Qing's long hair. His skill was unusually practiced. Zhu Qing couldn't help but say, "It's as if you've combed it countless times. Your technique is very skillful."

"Indeed, I've combed it countless times."

It had been so long that it seemed to have become a habit, and Feng Huaihe would often fantasize about one day being able to style Zhu Qing's hair.

He could cherish the memory of arranging his wife's hair for a lifetime. Even if he were in the deepest abyss, just a slight thought of her would be enough to warm his dull and miserable life.

Feng Huaihe had already rehearsed the scene before him countless times in his mind, so doing it again was naturally a breeze.

“Every time I met you in my past life, your long hair was just casually wrapped in a headscarf. Every time that happened, I would think that Zhang Yin must not have taken good care of you. If it were me, I would make you many hairpins, made of sandalwood, silver, and gold. Even on the battlefield, I would tie your hair up every day.”

Feng Huaihe had never spoken to her in such a tender and gentle tone before. Zhu Qing was momentarily dazed as she listened.

She saw the fluffy flowers in her hair in the mirror.

The bright red color is just like the pomegranate flower in the house in Qingxi Village, which stretches out to Zhu Qing's window and sways whenever it blooms.

Zhu Qing couldn't help but reach out and touch the velvet flower. In the mirror, her hair was tied up in a low bun, and her eyes and brows exuded a charming allure different from before.

Feng Huaihe stood straight and tall behind her, his eyes smiling as he gazed at her in the mirror, looking tender and affectionate, as if they were truly a loving couple.

Zhu Qing unconsciously clenched the wishing plaque in her hand.

Feng Huaihe then reached out and gently touched her earlobe, asking with a smile, "I'm going to the Prince's residence to report for duty. Do you want to come along?"

"No, thank you." Zhu Qing thought to herself that she had other things to do.

"Then you should rest well at home. I'll come back in the evening to have dinner with you." Feng Huaihe turned around, picked up the basin of water on the table, and left.

Zhu Qing got up and went to the window to look down. In the courtyard of Xihuatang, Nie Zhen was sitting by the kitchen door picking vegetables, and Manman was squatting under the wishing tree counting ants. Feng Huaihe went out and greeted them one by one as he met them.

It was a peaceful and beautiful scene.

After Feng Huaihe left, Zhu Qing took out the wishing plaque, wrote some small words on it, and hung it on the treetop in the yard.

Manman, who had been watching the ants, stopped looking at them when Zhu Qing arrived. She got up, took Zhu Qing's hand, and looked up at him happily.

Nie Zhen, who was standing nearby, asked with a smile, "What is Qingqing hanging up?"

"Decorations," Zhu Qing replied casually, squatting down beside Nie Zhen to watch her prepare vegetables, and asking, "Is Big Brother's injury any better?"

“Uncle Yu treated him, and he’s lying in the house now. I asked him, and he said the injury wasn’t serious. The knife he took from Prince Jin looked dangerous, but it didn’t hit any vital organs.”

Nie Zhen's tone was light, as if she had been relieved of a heavy burden, finally no longer worried about her husband's departure.

Zhu Qing glanced at her brother and sister-in-law's courtyard, hesitated for a moment, then got up and stepped inside. "I'm going to see my brother."

Although my brother and sister-in-law's courtyard is not as spacious and exquisite as Xihuatang, it is well-ventilated, bright, and lush with flowers and plants, making it suitable for children of Manman's age to play.

Zhu Qing knocked on the door from the outside. After a while, Zhu Zhengyang came to open the door after getting dressed. He was a little confused when he saw her: "I thought you had already gone to the Prince's residence to report for duty."

Zhu Qing paused for a moment, "Did Feng Huaihe tell you this?" As she spoke, she followed Zhu Zhengyang into the house.

“Well, he said you’ve agreed to the marriage, that you two are in love, and that he wants to give you a surprise. He asked your second brother and me to help decorate the courtyard outside Jinyang City. He also said that you would be his advisors afterward. I thought to myself, you also mentioned in Qingxi Village that your ideal was to be an advisor,” Zhu Zhengyang said honestly, “so I agreed.”

Zhu Zhengyang poured Zhu Qing a bowl of hot tea. "I see you're much better now, and it seems you no longer need to take medicine every day. It's clear that Feng Huaihe can actually take good care of you. Those expensive medicinal herbs are something our family could never afford in our lifetime, which is why it's been delayed for so long."

Zhu Qing watched the wisps of steam rising from the teacup, her feelings a mix of emotions.

Perhaps when she first came to this place, she said she wanted to lie down, and that was the right path. If she had simply lay down from the beginning, none of this would have happened, and she wouldn't have been toyed with by Zhang Yin and Feng Huaihe.

Zhu Qing picked up the teacup, hesitated, and said, "Brother, I plan to go back to Qingxi Village."

Zhu Zhengyang frowned: "Although Chang'an has been taken back, it is still a place of defeat. I heard that Huang Chao set fire to Chang'an when he fled. I wonder what it looks like now. I don't even know if Qingxi Village is still there. What are you going back for by yourself?"

"Avoid war."

If Zhu Qing is someone you can't afford to offend, can't you at least avoid her? If she stays here, she will only become a tool in the struggle between Feng Huaihe and Zhang Yin. The two of them will use her and scheme against her for their own little bit of pride.

It doesn't matter what she does; in every lifetime, she's the one who gets abandoned.

She's not important, but she doesn't want to drag her family into this. This time it was her eldest and second eldest brothers, who will it be next?

In the chaotic battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes; Zhu Qing dared not gamble.

But Zhu Zhengyang didn't understand, "Why avoid war? Jinyang is peaceful and stable now. According to Feng Huaihe, Jinyang will be peaceful for at least several decades."

Zhu Qing thought about it; no one had ever known about her affair with Feng Huaihe.

If Zhu Zhengyang had known earlier, he wouldn't have been deceived by Feng Huaihe and unwittingly cooperated in facilitating this marriage.

Home is a haven; perhaps she doesn't have to bear the burden alone.

Zhu Qing remained silent for a while, then calmly told Zhu Zhengyang about everything.

With a 'clatter,' the teacup in Zhu Zhengyang's hand fell to the ground.

Hearing the noise, Nie Zhen rushed into the house. "What happened? Is your wound hurting?" She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she had only broken a bowl. She wanted to clean it up, but Zhu Zhengyang had already squatted down to take care of it and told her to go out first.

Nie Zhen sensed something was wrong and had no choice but to leave, closing the door behind her.

Zhu Zhengyang's face turned pale: "Why didn't you tell us before? Back in Chang'an, you were on duty every day. We were rough men, we only knew a few characters, we didn't know what you did on duty, we knew nothing."

How could Zhu Qing possibly do that? At that time, she only thought that she had taken over Zhu Qing's love and wanted to help Zhu Qing maintain a good relationship with her family.

She craved their warmth and feared that they would drive her away once they found out she wasn't Zhu Qing.

How could she dare to talk about those things again, making them worry or annoyed? If she hadn't remembered that life and realized that she was Zhu Qing, she probably would still have kept these things a secret.

Zhu Zhengyang cleaned up the broken porcelain shards on the ground, straightened up, and looked at Zhu Qing with red eyes.

He felt sorry for his younger sister, whom he had raised since childhood, who was going through all sorts of troubles right under his nose. Not only did he not notice, but he also facilitated the thief's marriage.

Once the marriage certificate is signed, everything is settled.

Zhu Zhengyang said, "Go back. Your third brother has made a lot of money now, and he will pave the way for you. You don't need to go back to Qingxi Village. Even if you go back, Feng Huaihe can still find you. If you want to go somewhere he hasn't been before, don't worry about the money; your third brother will provide it."

Zhu Qing nodded.

"You should go back first, and we will make arrangements for you."

Zhu Qing returned to Xihuatang alone.

She began packing her bags, thinking to herself that she should have been more determined to lie down from the beginning.

She knew that all her efforts would ultimately be in vain, just like in her previous life, without exception.

What does the stability of this era have to do with her? And who wins or loses between Feng Huaihe and Zhang Yin is even less relevant to her.

Even if Feng Huaihe helped her become a top strategist, climb to the top, and leave her name in history, what use would it be? How could she guarantee that future generations wouldn't call her the 'Mr. Zhu Qing' of history, or even change her gender? Or perhaps they'd make a fan fiction film and cast a different man as her?

Zhu Qing died for this in that lifetime, attempting to give this fame and fortune to Zhang Yin, and to appear in history as his wife.

But now Zhu Qing wants fame and fortune, and they must belong to her completely. If anything else is mixed in or changed, she would rather not have it and just be a happy mortal.

In times of chaos, Zhu Qing carried only a willow branch and arrows, along with a few light summer clothes, and nothing else.

Alone, she thought long and hard before changing into men's clothing, the attire of a middle-aged man, to ensure that no one would have any improper thoughts.

Zhu Qing set off before dusk. Zhu Feichuan specially put aside his weapon-making business and rushed back to prepare plenty of travel expenses for Zhu Qing. He then sent her out of the city in a carriage pulled by two fast horses.

Neither of them mentioned the unpleasant past, which made Zhu Qing feel relatively relaxed.

Upon reaching the city gate, Zhu Feichuan stood beside his horse, gripping the reins tightly. He looked up at Zhu Qing inside the carriage and instructed him, "Be careful on the road. Take as many hidden routes as possible. You will probably not reach Chang'an until early autumn. In summer, the trees will be lush, and the roads will look much different from when you came. Pay close attention and don't get lost."

Zhu Qing responded with a "hmm".

Zhu Feichuan loosened the reins and whipped the horse, propelling the carriage forward.

After the person left, Zhu Feichuan stood there in a daze for a long time, getting angrier and angrier. Unable to contain himself, he ran back to Jinyang City at the fastest speed he had ever been.

When Zhu Feichuan arrived at the Prince's residence, Feng Huaihe had just finished his shift and was coming out with several colleagues. He was wearing a blue and white long gown, looking like a solitary and elegant tree.

He was all smiles, chatting and laughing with his colleagues as if bathed in a warm spring breeze.

Zhu Feichuan's anger surged, and he rushed to Feng Huaihe in three strides, grabbed his collar, and then swung his fist at him.

Feng Huaihe neither dodged nor avoided the blow, his face turned to one side as he turned back, his cheek swollen high.

The colleagues around him all gasped in shock, and took two steps back in unison, finding the best distance to watch the show from afar, to see who was so bold as to dare to beat up the new favorite minister of the heir apparent!

Zhu Feichuan roared, "You beast in human form! You appear so dashing on the surface, but your heart is so filthy and dark. If you can't get what you want, you resort to despicable means to fight and snatch it openly and secretly. Is this all the skill of the top strategist?"

His colleagues stared wide-eyed at Feng Huaihe in disbelief.

Feng Huaihe gave a cold laugh, "She told you."

"You still expect her to keep it a secret forever!"

"What do you want?" Feng Huaihe stretched out his finger and touched his swollen cheek, smiling indifferently: "The marriage certificate is set, she is my rightful wife."

"You two should get a divorce!"

"Impossible." Feng Huaihe said bluntly, "I may be despicable, I may be disgusting, but I went through all sorts of tricks and schemes to get this marriage, and you want me to just get a divorce like this? Dream on!"

Upon hearing this, his colleagues exclaimed in disbelief.

The first strategist, who was omnipotent and charming in their eyes, had a wife who was actually stolen by cunning schemes.

One of his colleagues couldn't stand it anymore and whispered a word of advice: "Women are like everyone else in the world; they should be obtained through effort, not by force. Otherwise, you'll only push them further away..."

“That’s why you’re mediocre.” Feng Huaihe said coldly, staring at his colleague without any mercy, “Whether it’s a woman, a man, or the world, everyone should submit to the strong.”

His colleague lowered his head dejectedly and remained silent.

Zhu Feichuan said angrily, "Shameless! Have you forgotten how much our family helped your family when you were a child? You heartless bastard!"

"Yes, it's because of your help that Zhu Qing has changed so much in my eyes. Blame it on you, why did you have to do such a good deed for no reason?"

"It's our fault now!"

Zhu Feichuan was so angry that he was dizzy. He argued with him, but for every one sentence Zhu Feichuan said, Feng Huaihe could retort with ten, and every sentence hit Zhu Feichuan's sore spot.

Zhu Feichuan was defeated, and a feeling of frustration stuck in his chest. He knew that Feng Huaihe was a scholar who spent his days on duty debating with a group of scholars. He himself only knew business figures, so how could he possibly win an argument with him?

Zhu Feichuan left in anger, leaving behind a threat: he told the prince to wait for him at the gate of the Prince's Mansion after his shift the next day, and that he would make him pay.

Feng Huaihe just smiled indifferently, not taking it to heart at all. Watching the man leave angrily, he turned around and glanced at his colleagues who were watching the show.

Now everyone knows that he, the top strategist, couldn't win his wife's heart and could only resort to trickery to deceive her.

Feng Huaihe's face darkened, and he quickly went home.

As soon as he entered the house, he saw a small sign on the wishing tree.

Feng Huaihe took it down, and after looking at it, he scanned the huge house and found it completely empty.

After Zhu Qing's family learned that the house belonged to him and not Zhu Qing, they ran away completely in just half a day.

Zhu Qing's wish was to return to Chang'an to avoid the war, to take good care of her family, and if her family died, she would die too.

She didn't hide; she openly told him where she had gone, but then added such a heavy threat afterward.

This angered Feng Huaihe even more than her secretly running away.

Feng Huaihe remained expressionless as he threw the wooden sign on the ground. What he hated most was her threatening him with her life.

Because in his previous life, he lived a lonely and miserable life for decades in a hell on earth where she was absent.