Chapter 88 Past Events: Father Gains Status Through Daughter

The next morning, Yuan Jing went to see Feng Qing.

"Father, how could Mother Empress grant Yuan Yan the power to establish her own military force? She has just defeated the Wu Kingdom and is now gaining great momentum. If she were to gain military power as well, her momentum would be even more unstoppable... Why is Mother Empress so indulgent towards her? Could it be that she truly favors Yuan Yan as the Crown Princess?"

Feng Qing listened with a frown. When he heard the word "indulgence," his brow twitched, and Yuan Jing's words suddenly stirred up some memories.

Back when he was the son of the Sun family and had just married Yuan Hao, who was then the Prince of Jin, they had a period of deep affection.

His Highness would call him by his maiden name, "Ru Hui," and showed him great respect and affection.

But his good fortune didn't last long. Soon, Lin Feng entered the Prince's mansion and became a concubine, using his good looks to steal away the Prince's favor from him.

Sun Ruhui originally thought that His Highness had been very kind to him before, but she didn't expect to see how His Highness treated Lin Feng afterward. Only then did she realize what true favoritism was.

His Highness always stayed in Lin Feng's courtyard and showed him great care. Upon hearing that Lin Feng was ill, His Highness immediately abandoned his post as the Chief Minister and rushed over.

Sun Ruhui also hated and resented this, and her heart was filled with resentment during every sleepless night.

But there was nothing she could do; after all, he was His Highness's chief minister, and he had to learn to be tolerant and magnanimous. Sun Ruhui pinched her palm, barely managing to suppress her emotions.

Later, Yuan Hao successfully ascended the throne.

While Sun Ruhui was overjoyed, Yuan Hao did not immediately welcome him into the palace and appoint him as Feng Qing, but instead left the position of Empress vacant.

According to the attendants, the Lin family has made great contributions to His Majesty's ascension to the throne, and His Majesty seems to be considering appointing Lin Feng as the Phoenix Minister.

How could that be? She is His Majesty's first and only wife!

It's all because of that bastard Lin Feng!

Now that he has lost His Majesty's favor and only has the title of Minister, does Lin Feng really want to compete with him for even that?

Sun Ruhui couldn't believe Yuan Hao would treat him like this, and her hatred for Lin Feng surged to unprecedented heights.

Just then, someone gave him an idea.

Your Highness has no daughter yet. If you can have a daughter with His Majesty before Lin Feng, he will gain status through his daughter. How could he not secure his position as Empress?

"Easy for you to say. His Majesty spends most of his time with that slut Lin Feng. How am I supposed to get a daughter first?"

Sun Ruhui's sore spot was hit, and her face darkened as she listened to the servant's plan.

He sent a message to his mother's family, asking her to think of a solution.

When Sun Shijun heard Sun Ruhui's complaints, a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"That's simple. We just need to find a way to prevent the Lin family from gaining favor."

Not long after, Sun Ruhui heard the news that Lin Feng had accidentally fallen into the water and developed a high fever that wouldn't subside, and had been seriously ill for half a month.

His mother was secretly helping him. Sun Ruhui knew this in her heart.

During this period, he made every effort to keep His Majesty by his side. Living up to the family's expectations, he got His Majesty pregnant with Jing'er during that time, thus securing his position as Feng Qing.

It was from that time on that Sun Ruhui seemed to have discovered a new path, and so later...

"Father? Father."

Yuan Jing's call interrupted Sun Ruhui's thoughts.

"Father, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Yuan Jing asked.

“Jing’er, don’t worry, your father is fine, just a little distracted.” Feng Qing pulled himself out of his reverie and looked at Yuan Jing.

"Mother Empress now values ​​Yuan Yan so much that she completely overshadows me. Father, what do you suggest we do?" Yuan Jing asked, looking worried.

Seeing her expression, Feng Qing couldn't help but recall her own past predicament.

"Jing'er, you don't need to worry about these things. Your father will help you. You are His Majesty's eldest daughter, and no matter what, the throne will only be yours."

Feng Qing was moved by the scene of Shu Shiqing crying and pleading for Yuan Xiao today, only to be ordered by His Majesty to be locked up and sent back to the palace.

He was also a father and could understand the pain that Lady Shu was going through. He couldn't imagine how he would react if it were Jing'er who had been in trouble.

The victor is king, the loser is villain; his Jing'er must be the winner.

"With Father Minister here, no one can take the throne from you."

At this moment, Feng Qing seemed to have made up her mind completely, and said to Yuan Jing.

Yuan Jing sensed something unusual in Feng Qing's words, and she hesitated.

"What does Father wish to do?"

"Jing'er, you don't need to worry about it. Don't ask about this matter anymore. Leave it all to your father." Feng Qing didn't reveal a word, unwilling to let Yuan Jing know.

Yuan Jing hesitated before leaving.

After he left, Feng Qing summoned her trusted aide and said, "Go and fetch all the remaining items. I need them."

The confidant immediately understood what Feng Qing was planning to do, and his heart tightened. "Master, this medicine has already been used once before. What if it is discovered if it is used again this time... Isn't this too risky?"

"So what if they find out? As long as it gets rid of Yuan Yan for Jing'er, I, as her father, don't care what happens to me," Feng Qing said calmly.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him otherwise, the confidant had no choice but to do as he was told and take out the small box hidden in the secret compartment.

Feng Qing opened the box and examined the small bottle inside.

The trusted aide said, "Master, there's only one portion left."

This vial of poison was hard-won; Sun Shijun obtained it by chance from a foreign merchant years ago. It was colorless and odorless. Just a little bit each day, over time, could cause a person to gradually wither and die, as if suffering from a serious illness.

Feng Qing had tested it; once this medicine was administered to a person, even the imperial physicians could not find the cause of the illness, making it discreet and safe.

"I'll give this medicine to you for now. Go and find someone to administer it."

As Feng Qing spoke, he instructed his trusted aides to find someone who could poison Yuan Yan, preferably one of Yuan Yan's close attendants, so that it would be difficult for others to detect.

"Yes, I will take care of it immediately." The confidant accepted the order and left.

...

Meanwhile, Yuan Yan was dealing with matters concerning the local militia.

Yu Liu volunteered to select soldiers for His Highness, and Yuan Yan agreed, allowing her to go with Yuan Shi and others to do so.

Xue Lang reminded her, "Your Highness, there's also the matter of that enemy captive, Duan Xuchao..."

Duan Xuchao is currently still in prison, waiting for Yuan Yan to deal with him.

“I know. Lock her up properly, and I’ll go back in a couple of days. For now, it’s good to let her out of the way,” Yuan Yan said.

Yuan Yan had promised Yang Lingyi that he would stay at the mansion for a day, so after quickly giving instructions, she returned to the backyard.

As she passed the stables, she saw Shen Lianzhou outside with her male attendants.

"Lotus Boat?" Yuan Yan walked over, slightly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Shen Lianzhou turned around when she heard Yuan Yan's voice.

"Your Highness." He stopped what he was doing when he saw Yuan Yan, and his eyes softened instantly.

"The servant is feeding Jingxue."

Yuan Yan looked behind him and indeed found Jing Xue standing in the open space, chewing something happily, her ears twitching softly, looking very relaxed.

"What is Jingxue eating that makes you so happy?" Yuan Yan walked over, touched Jingxue's neck, and asked Chen Lianzhou.

Jingxue felt very comfortable being touched, her eyes were half-closed, and she had an expression of enjoyment. She gently nudged Yuan Yan's palm with her head.

"It's red radish, Your Highness, would you like to feed it?"

As Chen Lianzhou spoke, he asked Yu Lu to bring over the cloth bag she had brought, which contained some fresh carrots.

Fearing that Jingxue might choke, Shen Lianzhou had the food cut into small pieces beforehand for easy feeding.

Yuan Yan could tell at a glance that Shen Lianzhou must have carefully researched Jingxue's preferences and considered everything very thoroughly.

Jingxue ate the same feed as everyone else in the army. But her favorite food was actually the carrot that Yuan Yan rewarded her with. Every time she ate it, she would wag her ponytail happily like a big dog.

Yuan Yan took a carrot from Chen Lianzhou and prepared to feed him.

Before it even reached Jingxue, it was already rubbing its nose against Yuanyan's hand, gently pushing her as if to say, "Hurry up, hurry up, I want to eat now."

Yuan Yan smiled, fed the carrot to Jing Xue, and patted the glutton's head.

"Why did Lianzhou suddenly think of feeding Jingxue today?" She turned to look at Chen Lianzhou.

"Jingxue has accompanied His Highness on the battlefield and has made great contributions this time. So I thought I'd have someone prepare some of its favorite foods as a reward."

As Shen Lianzhou watched Yuan Yan smile, she felt a gentle joy in her heart, and her eyes softened.

Although Jingxue was found by Shen Lianzhou at great expense, he had not previously shown any particular fondness for horses. He was only showing Jingxue more care now because of Yuan Yan.

"Zhou'er is so thoughtful."

Yuan Yan thought for a moment, and seeing that Jing Xue seemed to like Chen Lianzhou quite a bit, he asked, "Lianzhou, would you like to ride Jing Xue too?"

Shen Lianzhou was taken aback by Yuan Yan's suggestion. She glanced at Jingxue, feeling both interested and hesitant.

"Since your riding skills are not good, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle a fine steed like Jingxue."

"What's the harm? I'll take you with me." Before Shen Lianzhou could react, Yuan Yan scooped him up onto the horse and placed him in front of him.

"Jingxue, it's time to get back to work after you've eaten." Yuan Yan said to the horse, then raised his voice, "Giddy up!"

Jingxue trotted happily in the back garden, taking the two of them for a ride.

The servants who passed by all looked surprised when they saw this scene.

But Shen Lianzhou no longer cared about any of that at this moment.

Yuan Yan's arms tightened around him. He leaned against Yuan Yan's chest, his back pressed against hers. He could feel the slightly warm temperature emanating from Yuan Yan's body, and the trembling of her chest when she laughed.

"How about it? Jingxue is pretty good, isn't it?" Yuan Yan smiled and shared his beloved bike with Shen Lianzhou.

"The little fellow is very clever; he can even sneak around on the battlefield. He usually likes to nibble on the hem of my clothes, and he's almost ruined them."

The wind brushed against his cheeks. Even though it wasn't him riding the horse, Chen Lianzhou felt his heart beat faster. Following Yuan Yan's words, he seemed to see her on the battlefield, so unrestrained and flamboyant.

He loved His Highness in every way—the valiant prince, the strategic prince, the cheerful prince…

“Since Jingxue has ruined Your Highness’s clothes, I will remake them for you.” Shen Lianzhou smiled unconsciously.

"What did Zhou'er promise me last time?" Upon hearing the words "make clothes," Yuan Yan immediately triggered his radar.

"Alright, Your Highness, please stop talking about me. I won't make clothes; I'll just rest more."

Shen Lianzhou was being kept under Yuan Yan's control, and although she looked helpless, her heart was filled with sweetness, and her voice was extremely gentle.

...

When the horse finally stopped, it wasn't because Yuan Yan had run enough, but because Yang Lingyi came looking for him.

"Sister Yan, look at you! What are you playing that made you all sweaty?"

Yang Lingyi looked at the beads of sweat on Yuan Yan's face, gently scolded her, and took out a handkerchief to wipe them away carefully.

Yuan Yan let him do as he pleased, and smiled, "I rode the horse for a while, then got off and walked around for a bit, so I sweated a little."

When Yang Lingyi saw Shen Lianzhou beside Yuan Yan, she knew that her sister Yan had taken Shen Shuqing out to play.

He snorted inwardly, noticing Shen Lianzhou's displeasure, but didn't show it on his face.

"Shen Shuqing, you're here too? I was just thinking that since His Highness has returned in triumph, I'd like to hold a family banquet at his residence, just a few of us to celebrate. You should hurry up and make the preparations too," Yang Lingyi said to Shen Lianzhou.

Seeing that Yang Lingyi had found her so quickly, Shen Lianzhou felt a slight sense of disappointment.

But he quickly composed himself and nodded in agreement.

"Qinglan, go and invite Lu Shifu over as well," Yang Lingyi said to the male servant.

At a family dinner.

"Your Highness has returned victorious; let us drink this cup to celebrate." Yang Lingyi was the first to offer a toast.

Shen Lianzhou raised her cup and said with gentle eyes, "Your Highness drove out the enemy and protected the Phoenix Kingdom. You are a heroine in my heart. I would like to offer this cup of wine to Your Highness."

"Are you trying to get me drunk?"

Upon hearing their conversation, Yuan Yan smiled and drank the wine.