Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Punish me quickly, punish me quickly, punish me quickly!

Upon hearing this, Feng Mian looked at Baili Xunzhou: Didn't you say you didn't remember?

Bai Lixun looked back innocently: I was trying hard to recall, and as I thought about it, some fragmented images automatically slipped into my mind.

As for some details, they would just make them up if they couldn't think of anything else. In short, it's a fact that they've known each other since childhood.

Fu Ciyan looked at her suspiciously and asked directly, "The princess should have never left the palace before her marriage, and His Highness the Crown Prince has never been to Shengjing. How could you have met when you were young? Could it be in a dream?"

"Hmph," Baili Xunzhou glared at him coldly, "How could you possibly know everything about me?"

If I told you the truth, you'd be shocked. He and Feng Mian didn't just meet briefly; they went through thick and thin together. It was a thrilling and unforgettable experience.

He just didn't know if Feng Mian was willing to let others know about this past, so he didn't tell them directly.

Feng Mian felt there was nothing to hide, as almost everyone in the palace and the nobles of Shengjing knew about it. So she said calmly, "It's not a complicated matter. When I was five years old, my father died in battle. I was too young to understand, so I secretly slipped out of the palace. On the way, I met a kidnapper, which led to my unexpected encounter with His Highness the Crown Prince."

Most people would fall silent for a few moments upon hearing this, feeling guilty for mentioning someone else's long-standing wounds. Just like Gu Chunwen and Lu Mingzhu, both of them began to formulate words of comfort.

Fu Ciyan's eyes flashed, and he pressed on, asking, "Is your father the Great General Who Protects the Nation?"

They seemed genuinely curious.

Feng Mian nodded. "Does Young Master Fu know my father?"

Fu Ciyan's gaze grew increasingly complex and strange. After a long while, as if all his pent-up frustration had dissipated, he shook his head and said in a calm tone that revealed no hidden meaning, "I've only heard about it. I've only heard that the princess was taken into the palace to be raised since birth. I didn't expect that she would still remember her biological father."

“Blood ties are natural and close.” Feng Mian felt that his question was strange, as if in his assumption that she should not only not remember her father, but should instead resent him. “Although he only spent a few days with me, I know the dangers of soldiers guarding their homes and country. He and my uncle were both thinking of my safety.”

Although if Feng Mian had the choice, she might have preferred to follow her father in his battles, she appreciated her elders' pity for her.

Fu Ciyan lowered his head and chuckled softly.

Gu Chunwen watched from the side and felt that Fu Ciyan's gaze toward Feng Mian was very strange, and the tone of his voice when mentioning the General of the State seemed to contain some heavy emotions.

Could it be an old acquaintance?

He tentatively began, “The general was indeed brave and fierce, but it was a pity that he died young. Moreover, because His Majesty rebuked him for being heartless and ungrateful, the princess has been raised in the palace for many years, and the common people have a lot of bad opinions about him.”

"An outsider like you knows the depth of the affection between the general and the princess? How meddlesome!" Fu Ciyan lowered his eyelashes to hide the cold sarcasm in his eyes.

However, these words sounded like an insult to Emperor Jiayu, so Feng Mian was not very happy. "It is only natural that an uncle would show favoritism towards his brothers."

She didn't want to dwell on old matters anymore; the past is gone and the present is more important. So she ended the conversation: "These are all things from many years ago. It's best not to discuss matters concerning our elders. I have important matters to discuss with the two gentlemen."

Fu Ciyan leaned against the carriage wall, his eyes closed in rest, his expression indifferent, revealing nothing of his thoughts. Gu Chunwen's gaze occasionally fell upon him, silently speculating about his identity.

Feng Mian arranged the cushions for Baili Xunzhou so he could lean against them and rest, then chatted with Lu Mingzhu and Gu Chunwen about serious matters.

The carriage traveled slowly, taking a whole day longer than riding a horse. It wasn't until the sun was setting again that the imposing, towering city walls of Yunzhong County finally came into view.

At the city gate, crowds of people gathered, even larger than when Feng Mian first came to Yunzhong County.

This time was different. Most of the people carried small baskets woven from hemp rope, filled with eggs, fruits, and flowers. As soon as they saw the carriage approaching, they swarmed around the guards protecting it and handed them to them.

"Take these, take them and deliver them to the princess's home. These are eggs from our own chickens; make sure the princess has a good nourishing meal!"

"These are the flowers I picked this morning. They look a little wilted now, but they'll come back to life if I put them in a vase and add some water. Please don't mind, Princess!"

"Princess, you must take good care of yourself. We've been so worried about you these past few days!"

As the carriage slowed down, Feng Mian lifted the curtain and leaned out to thank everyone in sight.

She felt that she could only feel at ease if she could give the people her small token of appreciation, so she didn't insist on refusing it. She told her to accept it properly, and when she ate or used it, she could praise them again when she met them on the street. They would be very happy then.

She glanced up and suddenly saw Ah Hao and a girl named Cai Xiaotian holding hands, squeezing through the crowd. Curious, she asked through the crowd, "Ah Hao, Xiaotian, are you two getting married soon?"

Ah Hao scratched her head shyly, while Cai Xiaotian nodded generously, "Thanks to the princess, my grandmother was willing to come back with us. Now we are a proper husband and wife! Ah Hao is learning how to do business, and we can go to the trade market next year!"

Feng Mian smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Congratulations! I'll be waiting for you at the trade fair next year."

The carriage swayed and rattled into the city. The people stopped blocking the traffic. Feng Mian sat back in the carriage and instructed Liu Ying: "Tomorrow, secretly give Ahao and Xiaotian a red envelope and say that you will share in their joy."

"Alright!" Liu Ying was also very excited. She had been away from Yunzhong County for so long, and the gossip in the neighborhood had been updated several times. She was going to go and catch some people to chat with!

In front of the Prince's mansion, the Prince of Dingbei and his princess were holding hands and looking forward to the event. The princess was so nervous that she almost pinched the Prince of Dingbei's arm until it left marks.

Prince Dingbei: "Madam, Xiaoman has returned safely, so there's no need for you to be so nervous."

“She’s safe and sound, how could she be alright? Illnesses are hard to cure, and besides, she was already weak. I don’t know how well she’s been eating while she was sick. A-Zhuo is unreliable, can she take good care of her? A-Man is probably already incredibly thin!”

As they were talking, the carriage turned in. The princess hurriedly took two steps forward to greet it, only to see a figure dismount even faster than her, squeeze to the front of the carriage, and reach out to help Feng Mian, who had just stepped out, down.

Baili Xunzhou even considerately straightened the thin cloak that had rolled up behind Feng Mian.

The princess and the Prince of Dingbei exchanged a glance, both seeing the same surprise in each other's eyes: Is this still our blockhead son? Could it be that he was switched with someone else while he was out?

"Father, Mother, we're back. We've worried you." Feng Mian, led by Baili Xunzhou, walked side by side to the Princess and the Prince of Dingbei, and greeted them with a guilty look in his eyes. "I hope you won't be offended, Father and Mother."

"My dear child, you care so much about the people, how could your mother blame you!" The princess stepped forward, removed Baili Xunzhou's hand from Feng Mian's, pulled him close to her, and looked him over from all angles before saying with heartache, "You've indeed lost weight!"

Fengmian: ? Is that so?

Wu Liu had just mentioned that she had been ill, but her cheeks were still full, indicating that she had been well taken care of during her illness.

“Mother, son…” Baili Xunzhou stepped forward to interrupt, and also to reclaim his right to hold hands with Feng Mian, but a burly “mountain” blocked his way.

The Prince of Dingbei stared at his son with a forced smile: "You've grown too big for your britches, leaving the army without even a word?"

"Let's go inside first. It's windy at the entrance; we don't want Aman to get hurt." The princess symbolically stopped them, then took Feng Mian's arm and walked towards the main hall.

Bai Lixun glanced at the sun in the sky. On a hot summer day, the mother only cared about whether her daughter-in-law would be blown by the wind, but didn't say a word about whether her son would be beaten by his father. It was truly a touching display of motherly love.

The rest of the people were led away to rest by the servants of the Prince's Mansion, leaving only the family of four in the main hall to do the cleanup.

The Prince of Dingbei slammed his hand on the table. "Do you know you're wrong?"

Feng Mian, who had just been helped to sit down by the princess, suddenly stood up.

"It's nothing, it's none of your business. Come, sit down." The princess pressed Feng Mian's shoulder to make her sit down, poured her a cup of hot tea, and then coldly reprimanded Baili Xunzhou.

"Not only did you not send a message to your father, but you even kept it from your mother! If something happens to you and Aman in Yujia Village, how will your mother live!"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Dingbei abruptly turned his head and whispered, "Madam, not sending me a message is a violation of military law..."

It seems that not communicating with him would have more serious consequences. After what the lady said, it's not as bad to keep it from her as to keep it from him.

The moment the princess glared at him, the Prince of Dingbei immediately shut his mouth.

"I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have acted on impulse and made a mistake, causing my parents worry." Baili Xunzhou readily admitted his mistake.

Upon hearing the words "acting on impulse," Feng Mian's ears suddenly turned red.

Baili Xunzhou continued, "I will temporarily hand over the Swift Feather Camp to the military advisor for safekeeping, and inform the general that I will go and receive military punishment after returning to the camp."

"If the son conceals the truth from his mother, he is willing to accept family discipline."

Feng Mian could no longer sit still. She quickly stood up and stood in front of Baili Xunzhou, saying, "Father, Mother, the young master's actions were all caused by me. If anyone is to be punished, I should be punished as well."

Baili Xunzhou looked down at the slender figure standing in front of him. Feng Mian was a head shorter than him, with narrow shoulders and a slender waist, and could not block him at all, but she still stepped forward to protect him.

His eyes were practically overflowing with laughter, and the corners of his lips curled up uncontrollably.

In the past, he was always the one charging ahead on the battlefield, but today he was being protected by his wife, who was much younger and weaker than him. This feeling was unfamiliar and strange, yet it warmed him to the point of melting.

He silently repeated the word "wife" in his heart several times, feeling increasingly refreshed. If he had a tail, it would probably be sticking up high and leaving a trail of afterimages.

The princess glanced up and saw his pathetic state. Unable to bear looking at him, she looked away and gently helped Feng Mian up. "Good child, it's his own fault for acting recklessly, how can you be blamed? Alright, you tell me..."

Just as the princess was about to let Baili Xunzhou off the hook, she heard Baili Xunzhou cough lightly and look at her pretentiously, saying, "Mother, your son really knows he was wrong!"

The words written all around me were: Punish me! Punish me! Punish me!

Princess: ...What's wrong with you?

She frowned, then suddenly had a brilliant idea: punish him with family discipline, and if he got injured, she would have an excuse to make Feng Mian feel sorry for him.

Good lad, you've changed so much in just a few days.

A smile flashed across the princess's eyes, and she changed her words, saying, "Although you say so, we still can't let him off so easily, lest he become even more arrogant in the future."

She winked at the prince: "Your Highness, punish them according to family rules."

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Author's Note: Princess: My son is cunning; we must cooperate!