Chapter 103 "You took liberties with me."...

A dark silk ribbon was gently placed over Baili Xunzhou's tightly closed eyes. The ribbon was neatly tied behind his head, with two narrow, long ribbons hanging down.

"Is this all right?" Feng Mian loosened her grip on the ribbon, turned to stand in front of Baili Xunzhou, and admired her masterpiece with her hand on her chin. The edge of the black silk ribbon rested on the high bridge of her nose, perfectly revealing the small mole on her nose, which looked extremely beautiful.

If there wasn't a third person beside him, I really wanted to kiss him.

"Yes, it's best to wear it all day to avoid strong light." Liu Jixue glanced at it briefly, then continued writing something on the paper. "I'll write a new prescription. Let's see how it goes after two days."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble. You need to come for a follow-up check-up every day." Feng Mian poured a cup of tea with one hand and pushed it to Liu Jixue's side. Then Baili Xunzhou squeezed his palm and opened his mouth to indicate that he wanted some too.

Feng Mian then poured another cup of tea and held it to Baili Xunzhou's lips.

Baili Xunzhou sipped his tea while holding Feng Mian's hand, his mind wandering aimlessly. Being blind had its advantages, though. He could openly hold Mianmian's hand all the time, and he could confidently show weakness, stick close to her, and boldly make requests that he would never have dared to think of before or that he would have felt ashamed of.

If, assuming a rapid cure, the person remains blind for a few more days...

"It's just a doctor's duty, no need to be so polite." Liu Jixue smiled gently at Feng Mian, then glanced at Baili Xunzhou and said in a slightly more serious tone, "As long as the patient doesn't get too carried away and deliberately refuse to cooperate with the treatment or intentionally delay the course of treatment, it's fine."

Upon hearing this, Baili Xunzhou, who was chewing on his teacup and lost in thought, sat up straight and put on a dignified and innocent expression. "How could I, the young master, be such a brainless person who doesn't know what's important?"

Liu Jixue curled her lips into a smile. She had been Baili Xunzhou's neighbor for so many years, and had secretly observed him for a long time. She wouldn't say she knew him very well, but seeing his current arrogant and spoiled manner, even having his tea fed to him, she could guess a thing or two.

She glanced at Feng Mian with silent disapproval, not believing that Feng Mian hadn't seen through his little scheme.

Feng Mian blinked and smiled without any hint of annoyance. She didn't see anything wrong with satisfying him for such a small thing.

"By the way, I left in a hurry last time and only met with a few female teachers. I didn't have time to deal with anything. How have they been adjusting these past few days?"

Liu Jixue recalled for a moment: "The princess has prepared everything. The teachers all said there was nothing inconvenient, and those who were slightly unwell recovered quickly. After the academy officially opened, I occasionally met them when I went to teach. They were all smiling, so they must have adapted quite well and were not just putting on a brave face to avoid making us worry."

"That's good." Feng Mian was relieved upon hearing this. "I'd like to go out today to check on the wasteland in the eastern suburbs and the condition of a few libraries. Is it alright for A-Zhu to come out with me now?"

Bai Lixun's boat suddenly looked intently in the direction of Liu Jixue.

"Going out for a walk is good, just make sure the ribbon is tied tight and you don't get exposed to strong light, and you'll be fine."

So, after a stick of incense had burned, Feng Mian and Baili Xunzhou got into the carriage. Liu Ying and Wu Liu, being quite perceptive, didn't follow them in. Heaven knows how much the Crown Prince was clinging to the Princess; they didn't want to get in the way. Although the Crown Prince couldn't see them, they didn't want to keep staring at the young couple.

As instructed by Feng Mian, the low table inside the carriage was put away to make room for Baili Xunzhou to avoid accidentally bumping into it.

Inside the cramped carriage, Baili Xunzhou seemed to feel a little relieved of the anxiety of his first outing after losing his sight. He leaned against Feng Mian with complete relaxation, his posture relaxed and unrestrained. The back of his head rested lightly against the slightly vibrating carriage wall, and his chin was slightly raised, his lines sharp and eye-catching.

The dark ribbons that covered his eyes contrasted sharply with his pale skin, making his lips appear even more crimson. The ribbons hanging down from behind his head fell casually to his neck, swaying gently as the carriage moved forward, brushing against his slightly bobbing Adam's apple. Light occasionally shone through the gaps in the swaying curtains onto him, making his figure appear like a collapsing jade mountain, shifting between light and shadow, looking both fragile and noble.

Feng Mian rested his chin on one hand, engrossed in watching. His heart warmed, and he couldn't resist leaning forward to kiss his slightly cool lips.

Baili Xunzhou raised his eyebrows, tilted his head slightly, and parted his thin lips to utter an accusation: "You have taken liberties with me."

His eyes were covered by a silk ribbon. Even though he knew he couldn't see, Feng Mian still felt his whole body burning from being "stared" at.

She snorted twice, her tone defiant yet assertive: "Yes, are you going to report me to the authorities?"

Baili Xunzhou lowered his head slightly, his brows furrowing gently. His brow bone was exceptionally well-formed, and usually, because of his sharp eyes, his furrowed brows gave him a somewhat cold and fierce look. But now, with his eyes hidden under the silk ribbon, his lowered head and furrowed brows revealed a pitiful and endearing quality.

He adopted the demeanor of a respectable young man being bullied by a spoiled brat, saying, "You are a princess, what official would dare to punish you?"

Feng Mian lightly lifted his chin with her fingertips, imitating the nonchalant tone of a spoiled tyrant, and emphasized: "Then go to the Prince of Dingbei's mansion and seek justice from that young master. He is my husband, and he will surely uphold justice for you."

Baili Xunzhou suddenly leaned closer, his nose almost touching her cheek, their warm breaths mingling. "Really? But I heard that the Crown Prince is petty and narrow-minded. He definitely won't give me a good look."

He lowered his voice and said with a hint of seduction, "Why don't you divorce him and elope with me?"

“Okay,” Feng Mian answered readily.

Baili Xunzhou feigned annoyance, raising an eyebrow, but a barely suppressed smile played on his lips: "You agreed so readily? What should His Highness do then?"

“Easy.” Feng Mian’s eyes flickered. “Just make him a mistress.”

Baili Xunzhou chuckled softly as his forehead was lightly bumped. "That's awful. Even a husband who has shared hardship wouldn't abandon his wife like this."

"Then what should we do?"

"Those who are too greedy should be punished." The words faded between their touching lips.

...

The carriage slowly came to a stop.

Feng Mian, her lips a deep red, stepped down from the carriage and turned to help Baili Xunzhou down as well.

A thin layer of snow covered the ridges of the wasteland in the eastern suburbs, and the golden sunlight shone on the white snow, making it somewhat dazzling.

Feng Mian quickly raised her hand to shield Baili Xunzhou from the light, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"It's alright." He gently released her wrist, the dark silk ribbon fluttering slightly in the wind. "Shall I wait for you here?"

"Your Highness, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Gu Chunwen and Cheng Lixu saw Feng Mian's carriage from afar and hurried forward from the field to pay their respects.

“No need for formalities. The young master and I have just come to check on the situation. Their clothes…” Feng Mian looked at the figures working in the fields and could vaguely see that they were dressed quite warmly.

"The weather has turned cold recently, so I took the liberty of distributing winter quilts and winter clothes ahead of schedule. I hope Your Highness will forgive me," Gu Chunwen hurriedly reported, bowing.

Cheng Li hurriedly followed suit and bowed, saying, "Please forgive me, Princess."

“That’s exactly right. I was also worried about that. It would be inhumane to make people work while they are cold and sick. Lord Gu has thought this through very well.”

He tilted his head and winked at Gu Chunwen, then said that His Highness the Princess would certainly not blame him.

He then reported, "Princess, the potatoes and sweet potatoes will be ready for harvest in a few days, and we will send them to the Prince's residence as soon as possible."

If he hadn't mentioned it, Feng Mian would have forgotten about the seeds that had already been sown. She felt a bit more expectant and nodded in agreement, "Then I'll be waiting."

Gu Chunwen suddenly pointed into the distance: "Lord Cheng, it seems someone is looking for you over there."

"There must be another problem with the sowing, and only I can solve these things." Cheng Lixu straightened his chest. "This humble official will take his leave now."

After Cheng Lixu hurriedly left, Gu Chunwen led the two of them slowly along the field ridges. The open fields were perfect for a private conversation.

“The mine explosion was likely orchestrated by the Luo family.” He lowered his voice. “From Luo Chier’s few words, I believe the person behind the Luo family is not one of the princes, but a prince residing in Shengjing.”

The late Empress, who died young, left no children, and Consort Rou only had one daughter. Which prince did they ultimately want to support?

“Given their significant actions, they must be itching for something to happen.” Feng Mian frowned. “It’s still too dangerous to feign compliance with Luo Chier. What if we’re discovered…”

"Princess, rest assured," Gu Chunwen said calmly. "After several encounters, it's clear that Luo Chier's methods are indeed despicable, but he's not actually that smart. He's just an illegitimate son at home and isn't highly regarded, so his efforts to please Lord Luo are actually quite easy to see through."

He glanced deeply at Feng Mian and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Princess. I will be more careful from now on."

As he spoke, he looked up at Baili Xunzhou and said, "Your Highness needs to be even more cautious. If they knew Your Highness had entered the mine before they detonated it... I'm afraid they harbored murderous intent towards Your Highness and the Prince from the very beginning. If they missed their first attack, they might strike again at any time."

"Thank you for the reminder." Baili Xunzhou nodded. "The Luo family is far away in the capital, and we are too far away to help them. We should still report this matter to His Majesty. However, whether it is a memorial or a secret report, I'm afraid it is not safe."

"Could Qingyi make this trip privately?" Feng Mian pondered. "Just say she's delivering a letter home for me. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the envoy who came to deliver festival gifts said that my uncle was ill. I was worried, so I sent someone to inquire."

“That’s excellent. People at that time tend to look down on women, so they probably won’t investigate a princess’s letter too much.” Gu Chunwen nodded in agreement.

Bai Lixun naturally responded without hesitation. Qingyi was most adept at appearing and disappearing unpredictably, making him the perfect choice to deliver the message.

After finalizing the matter, Feng Mian and Baili Xunzhou headed towards the library, but were stopped by the local people who had heard the news as soon as they got out of the car.

The people surrounded the group in a very orderly fashion, shoving the baskets they were carrying into the hands of the guards.

"These eggs were just picked this morning, to nourish His Highness!"

"I went to the temple in Xishan early this morning to get a peace charm for His Highness, which will surely help him regain his sight soon!"

"Heavens have no mercy! Why must our Crown Prince suffer such a great torment!"

Feng Mian reassured them gently, "Please rest assured, everyone. With Physician Liu treating the young master, he will recover soon."

"You're lying!" A young boy suddenly emerged from the crowd, shouting at the top of his lungs, "If his eyes go blind, he's doomed! If His Highness goes blind, he'll never be able to fight again... Ah!"

"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat!" Before he could finish speaking, a woman beside him grabbed him around the waist and pressed him to her knees, then slapped his buttocks hard with her large, fan-like hand.

"I'm not lying! That's what Wang Ergou and the others at the alley entrance are saying: if His Highness can't see, the Northern Barbarians will attack!"

Feng Mian tightened his grip on Baili Xunzhou's hand. Such a targeted rumor must have been deliberately spread by someone.