Chapter 20 The most embarrassing thing in late spring is being with family.

A man's voice entered his ears, and Fu Sui turned his head listlessly to see that it was Feng Xianyi, the younger brother of Consort Feng and the older brother of Feng Xiang'er.

Feng Xianyi's name was given after the Feng family became wealthy; it's unclear where the virtue or righteousness comes from. He has a fair, delicate, and somewhat effeminate appearance, but unfortunately, he's good for nothing except for his looks. Even Feng Xiang'er, a woman, diligently studied to learn to read and write, while Feng Xianyi remains illiterate and can't even write his own name properly.

The room was full of unmarried women when Feng Xianyi barged in so brazenly. The young ladies who had no relation to the Feng family hurriedly tried to cover themselves with their sleeves and fans.

Fu Sui sat motionless in the chair, waiting for Feng Xianyi to pay his respects.

Feng Xianyi said he was looking for his sister, but after entering the room, he first scanned the room and stared at the four or five young women he had never seen before. Then, he took a few steps further in, and his naked gaze lingered on Fu Sui and Yan Shan.

Yanshan felt that the gaze was trying to penetrate her clothes, and she turned her back unhappily.

Fu Sui stared coldly at Feng Xianyi. His first wife died last autumn, and if one were not particular, he had now observed half a year of mourning for his wife.

Feng Xianyi kept staring at Fu Sui and Yan Shan: "I've never seen these two young ladies before. May I ask their names?"

Feng Xiang'er stood up and blocked Feng Xianyi's way, both puzzled and annoyed: "Brother, what are you doing here? Get out of here quickly."

Seeing that Feng Xianyi didn't move, Feng Xiang'er simply reached out and pushed him.

"What are you doing, Xiang'er? Your brother came looking for you, but you want to drive him away." Madam Feng, who had asked Fu Sui about the taste of the drink, got up and pulled Feng Xiang'er away.

Feng Xiang'er was pulled and stumbled. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Madam Feng squeezed between Feng Xianyi and Feng Xiang'er, pointing at Fu Sui and Yanshan and saying, "This is Princess Yong'an, and this is Princess Yanshan."

Feng Xianyi had heard that Princess Yong'an was deeply favored by the Emperor. Seeing Fu Sui's cold expression, glancing sideways at him, with four maids standing behind him, each looking like they wanted to devour him, he knew she was not someone to be trifled with. In contrast, Princess Yanshan was delicate and docile, yet she didn't receive the Emperor's favor. With just a little manipulation, she could easily be won over. In bed, her fair skin was soft and boneless, offering herself completely at his beck and call; her delicate face was brimming with tears, pitifully charming—a truly captivating sight.

Feng Xianyi narrowed his eyes, his greedy gaze licking at Yanshan's body: "So it's the Princess and the County Princess. I am Feng Xianyi. Since this is the first time the Princess and the County Princess have visited my residence, please feel free to tell me if my sister has neglected to entertain you."

Before Feng Xianyi could finish speaking, Feng Xiang'er rushed up again and shouted sharply, "Brother! Mother is busy at Shoufu Hall. You haven't wished her a happy birthday yet, have you? Why don't you go now?" Feng Xiang'er was too embarrassed to argue with Feng Xianyi, so she could only try to drive him out.

“I’ve already been to my mother’s place, so you don’t need to worry about her. I came here specifically to help you, and you won’t even offer me a cup of tea?” Feng Xianyi pointed to a maid and asked her to move a chair next to the salt mountain.

Dai Ling and the others glared at the maid who was carrying the chair, who was caught in a dilemma.

Fu Sui pointed to the spot next to Madam Feng: "Move over there."

The maid looked at Feng Xianyi and then at Feng Xiang'er, unsure whether she should listen to Fu Sui.

Feng Xiang'er was so angry she was panting, her eyes glaring fiercely at Feng Xianyi, completely oblivious to everything else.

Seeing that he had the upper hand, Feng Xianyi gestured to the side with his chin and told the maid to move the chair to where Fu Sui had pointed.

Feng Xianyi and Madam Feng took their seats in turn, leaving Feng Xiang'er alone in the middle, filled with resentment.

Fu Sui instructed the maid who was carrying the chair, "Go and tell the Lady that I am waiting for her here."

The maidservant ran out as if she had been granted a pardon.

Feng Xianyi rested one elbow on the armrest, leaned forward, and stared at Yanshan with a smile. Just as he was about to speak, Fu Sui interrupted him, "Don't talk, it's giving me a headache."

Feng Xianyi choked, his face darkening. Madam Feng wanted to retort, but before she could speak, she saw Fu Sui's maid step forward and stand menacingly in front of her.

"you......"

Despite being a mere servant girl, Madam Feng forced herself to question her, but before she could utter a single word, she received a slap across the face.

Madam Feng flew into a rage: "Release..."

The second slap landed squarely on her face, shattering the word "肆".

The two or three young women who had been whispering together earlier all fell silent, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Although Fushoutang was only a few steps away from Zhelantang, everyone present felt that time was passing incredibly slowly.

"The Lady has arrived." A maid's voice rang out from outside.

Everyone in the room stood up, but Fu Sui and Yan Shan, who was being suppressed by Fu Sui, remained seated.

Feng Xiang'er rushed to the door and called out to the Lady of the County, "Mother!" with a wronged expression, ready to accuse Feng Xianyi.

Unexpectedly, he was met with a scolding from the princess: "On such a joyous day, you are not allowed to act recklessly!"

How could you say she was being silly? It was clearly her brother… Feng Xiang’er froze on the spot, then widened her eyes in disbelief. She opened her mouth, her lips trembling, but she couldn’t say a word.

Feng Xiang'er's mother glanced back at Feng Xiang'er and said with a forced smile, "Oh, why is your skirt dirty? Quickly take your second aunt downstairs to change her clothes."

Two older female servants suddenly appeared by the door and, without saying a word, grabbed Feng Xiang'er and dragged her towards the door.

The princess glanced around the room, a hint of displeasure flashing across her face.

Fu Sui saw everything and understood. This wasn't a birthday celebration for the Lady of the County; it was clearly a selection of a new bride for Feng Xianyi. No wonder they were willing to disregard Feng Xiang'er's reputation to invite noble ladies from various households. Qiao Zhenzhen, Zheng Zizai, Liang Hui—the Feng family really dared to dream big. Even his cousin knew his background and talent were mismatched and couldn't say it aloud, yet Feng Xianyi was still picking and choosing from among the elite nobles of the capital.

Fu Sui didn't even bother to offer a congratulatory message to the Feng family: "Now that I have met the Lady, I am feeling unwell and must take my leave." Without another word, he pulled Yanshan up and prepared to leave.

Feng Xianyi tried to stop her, but was bumped by a maid from Yanshan and hit on the corner of a chair. He rubbed his leg and grimaced in pain.

After leaving Zhelan Hall, Fu Sui casually grabbed a young maid and had her lead the way out of the mansion. He only caught his breath after getting into the carriage. Dai Ling took out a red date and goji berry drink prepared in the carriage and poured it for the two of them, who were slightly out of breath from walking all the way.

After drinking half a cup of warm jujube tea, Yanshan felt calmer and muttered a complaint: "How could the Feng family act like this?"

Fu Sui was also puzzled. The Feng family was like a rootless duckweed, barely managing to rise to the ranks of nobility thanks to Consort Feng. How could they be so extravagant and arrogant? Did the Feng family really believe that Consort Feng would always be favored?

Since they missed the birthday banquet, Fu Sui took Yan Shan to eat at Guangling Gao Ji. His family had a unique recipe: they baked flatbread until the outside was crispy and the inside soft, then cut it open, stuffed it with roasted mutton, and topped it with pepper, fermented black beans, and cheese—a dish they called "Gu Lou Zi." Besides Gu Lou Zi, Guangling Gao Ji was also famous for its milk pastries, and Fu Sui particularly enjoyed their milk cake.

Yanshan has always loved all kinds of soft and glutinous pastries. He was overjoyed to see more than a dozen kinds of soft and sweet pastries on the menu, and the unpleasantness in the Feng family disappeared.

"I thought the young lady from the Zheng family would come today after they sent gifts. What's the use of keeping her? She's not even worthy of the emperor's attention, and she can't even invite anyone."

The Feng family home was quieter than during the day after the guests had left, but it didn't feel deserted at all. Servants and maids moved among the pavilions and terraces, lighting the lanterns under the eaves and the lanterns on the corridors one by one.

In the main hall of the Feng family compound, the Earl of Yuyang, Lord Ma, and Feng Xianyi were talking.

Feng Xianyi dismissed Ma Junjun's words: "Can the Zheng family be as beautiful as Yanshan? I'd be swooning at the sight of such a beauty. Compared to her, all those other pretty girls like Runniang and Yingying are just ordinary beauties."

“If you ask me, the Qiao family is better. Prime Minister Qiao is a capable official, while Zheng Gongchuo, a mere Minister of Personnel, is still a bit lacking.” Earl of Yuyang, Feng Man, did not quite agree with his wife.

"That's true, but Prime Minister Qiao is getting old. Who knows how many more days he has left? Without Prime Minister Qiao, who knows when the younger generation of the Qiao family will rise to prominence. Zheng Gongchuo is in good health and free from illness. He should live for another ten or eight years without any problem. The current members of the Council of State are all old guys. Maybe Zheng Gongchuo can even advance further in the future."

Lady Ma looked at Feng Xianyi's lustful appearance with exasperation: "All you do is covet good looks. When it comes to marriage, family background is more important than appearance. You should first seduce that girl from the Zheng family. If she's not good-looking enough, then you can choose the one you like."

Feng Xianyi was still reluctant to part with Yanshan: "Yanshan's background is not bad either; she is, after all, a county princess."

Upon hearing that Yanshan was beautiful, the Earl of Yuyang stroked his chin and clicked his tongue, saying, "What a pity. If she were from an ordinary family, we could have brought her here tonight. But when it comes to marriage, she has nothing but her fief, and she can't get you an official position." The Earl of Yuyang had a sudden thought and asked Feng Xianyi, "Is Yong'an here today too? What do you think of her? Is she to your liking?"

Feng Xianyi frowned and repeatedly refused: "No matter how beautiful she is, I don't want her. Father, you didn't see her maids. They don't act like servants at all. They all look down on people. She's the same. She doesn't even look at people properly. I've heard that some princesses dare to kick their husbands off the bed and forbid them from taking concubines. I think Yong'an is just like her. I don't want a shrew like that."

Ma Junjun's plan failed today, and she was even given the cold shoulder by Fu Sui, a junior. She was full of resentment towards Fu Sui. When she heard Feng Xianyi's words, she felt that he was absolutely right. This kind of woman who has no respect for her elders should not be allowed to enter the Feng family.

"Tell Xiang'er to find a way to call out that one from the Zheng family and that one from the Qiao family again, so we can choose one more."

"Don't even think about it!" Feng Xiang'er, having heard so much, suddenly pushed open the door and burst in, her eyes red and her face covered in tears.

She glared angrily at the three people in the room and roared, "You lied to me! You said that if no noble ladies from the capital came, my relatives would laugh at me behind my back, so I swallowed my pride and begged them. And this is what you were thinking! Have you ever thought about me? From now on, I will be the biggest joke in the capital, and everyone in the capital will laugh at me!" Feng Xiang'er's voice was hoarse and she was crying.

The Earl of Yuyang scolded, "Look at you! Shouting at your parents like that, what kind of behavior is that?"

Feng Xiang'er sneered and retorted, "What have I become? What have I become is all because of you! Don't be delusional. Those noble families look down on us. They avoid the Feng family like flies. In their eyes, we are nothing but a bunch of clowns!"

A sharp slap interrupted Feng Xiang'er.

Feng Xianyi shook his head as he looked at Feng Xiang'er, who was covering her face: "You, where is your ladylike demeanor? You're spouting nonsense and even insulting your parents. Tsk tsk, you won't learn your lesson until you get a beating."

The princess was already angry that Feng Xiang'er was useless for failing to invite a noble lady, and after Feng Xiang'er's repeated retorts, she used all her strength in her hand. A red mark immediately appeared on Feng Xiang'er's face, mixed with tears streaming down her cheeks, making her look both disheveled and pitiful.

Feng Xianyi could never bear to see a beautiful woman cry, and he felt really sorry for her. He softened his tone and coaxed her, "Once you become the empress, people will be too busy trying to please us. Why make your parents angry over a little grievance?"

“Consort Feng will never become Empress in this lifetime.” Fu Sui took off her braids herself and asked Qin An to help her remove the hair ornaments.

Qin An carefully combed Fu Sui's hair and teased softly, "Can't even a saint be a romantic?"

Fu Sui couldn't help but chuckle. Even the emperor himself didn't believe this: "Our emperor wishes that the relatives of the empress, the nobles, the powerful families, and the commoners would fight to the death every day, becoming irreconcilable enemies. The Feng family is still thinking about marrying into the civil service; they are truly courting death."

Qin An heard about the Feng family's outrageous behavior from Dai Ling and asked, "Should we arrange for a few ginseng roots from the Feng family?"

"What are you accusing me of?" Fu Sui turned around and looked at Qin An: "Keep your tricks hidden, or you'll be in big trouble if the palace finds out."