Favored

Tang Feng returned to his room, smiled, and thought, "Since you're so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless too. I didn't want to break off relations, but... well, what can I do? I'm just too stubborn!" Tang Feng scratched his head. He decided to rest and recuperate for the next couple of days. If possible... he should find a breakthrough first; he couldn't be trapped in this small inn forever!

"Liu Yiwan, starting today, send out a carrier pigeon every day, writing down our current situation," Tang Feng handed the letter to Liu Yiwan. "Send this letter today."

"Young Master?" Liu Yiwan touched Tang Feng's forehead. "You're not sick! Why are you talking nonsense?"

"Get lost! I'm perfectly sober! I didn't do anything stupid." Tang Feng rolled his eyes. "Listen carefully to me. I think... this wasn't done by the Qianghu Khan. It was probably Sujiha who did it himself. This letter is our bargaining chip. Do as I say, send one letter every day. It doesn't matter if it reaches Yanyun or not, just send it."

Liu Yiwan nodded and did as she was told. Tang Feng sat down on the stool, picked up an apple, and had just taken a bite when he heard Binghu making a scene outside. "No way! I'm going to find Tang Sicheng! They're going too far! Even in wartime, envoys aren't killed! How dare they! How dare they detain us? They've got some nerve! If word gets out, where will we, Yan Yun, stand?" Binghu pushed open the door and saw Tang Feng eating the apple. She snatched it from him. "Master Sicheng! How can you still have the leisure to eat an apple here!"

"What else? Eat a banana?" Tang Feng casually picked up another banana from the table. "Oh, no!" Binghu snatched the banana and threw it aside. "My lord! Can't you understand the situation?! How are we any different from those prisoners?"

"There's no difference!" Tang Feng shrugged. "Prisoners are people too, they need to eat." Seeing that Tang Feng didn't seem worried at all, Binghu sat down and asked in a low voice, "Have you thought of a solution?"

"No! What can I do? Does living a life of idleness count as just waiting to die?" Tang Feng smiled. Although what Tang Feng said was quite outrageous, his demeanor made Binghu feel unusually at ease.

Seeing that Binghu had stopped making a fuss, Tang Feng took back the apple that he had taken a bite out of from Binghu's hand. "Is there anything else? If not, then get out of here! Don't argue with me here. Go back and treat yourself to good food and drink, you know?"

Tang Feng spent the next few days exceptionally carefree. He had initially been anxious about returning home, but after these few days of reflection, he had calmed down. So what if he was just staying home? He had plenty of time. Tang Feng poured himself a cup of tea, then moved a stool to the entrance of the post station and sat down. "Tang Sicheng certainly has a leisurely pace," a guard said. Tang Feng smiled. "What else? Seeking death? Or what?"

"It seems Lord Dahesi was right; you are indeed extraordinary."

"So, there are still people in your Qiang and Hu regions who praise me! That's really something." Tang Feng crossed his legs and took a sip of tea. "May good people have a peaceful and prosperous life!"

"Tch, I think Lord Dahexi is just too cautious, actually speaking well of an outsider." Tang Feng raised an eyebrow after hearing this. "That's a smart man! The rest are just scoundrels." He then carried a stool into the house.

After returning to the house, he called Liu Yiwan over and said, "Go, kill a chicken for me, and then save the blood for me."

"Young Master, what kind of trouble are you up to now?!"

"Just go when I tell you to. Why all the fuss?" Tang Feng picked up the letters he was going to mail these past few days and began revising them line by line. "Liu Yiwan's writing is too normal. Couldn't it be a little more pitiful? She doesn't even know how to complain properly. She wants to be the chief eunuch in the palace? She's really not afraid of being laughed at."

Liu Yiwan brought over a bowl of blood shortly after and asked, "Young Master, what are you doing?"

"Me? Pretend to be sick! Cry as pitifully as you can, don't give me that troubled look. I know what you're up to! Just pretend I'm really going to die, and don't you dare laugh out loud, understand?"

Tang Feng put chicken blood in his mouth, then smashed the teacup on the ground. With Tang Feng's shout, the soldiers and members of the delegation rushed into the house, as did Qin Liuliu outside. Upon entering, she saw Liu Yiwan holding Tang Feng, her expression terrified. Tang Feng's mouth was full of blood, and there were large patches of blood on his chest. A chorus of cries and whispers filled the room. Tang Feng, lying in Liu Yiwan's arms, pinched Liu Yiwan's thigh hard when he still didn't move. Liu Yiwan winced in pain, tears streaming down her face. "Young Master! Why did you do this? Why were you so desperate? You were perfectly fine this morning..."

Binghu stood to one side, grabbing Liu Yiwan by the collar and asking, "What happened to Master Sicheng? Why did he suddenly vomit blood?"

"My young master is so anxious! Who can be in a good mood when trapped here? And he has to pretend to be indifferent to appease everyone... This is just... This is just..."

Binghu's eyes reddened with anger after hearing this. He grabbed the Qiang and Hu soldiers and said, "We've come all the way from Yan and Yun, and not only have you failed to show us hospitality, you've also trapped us here! Now our Chief is so ill, and you haven't even invited a doctor, yet you're just here watching the spectacle?!" The soldier had probably never seen anything like this before. Just a moment ago, Chief Tang was talking to him, but in the blink of an eye, he was so agitated. In a flurry of activity, he managed to get a doctor to come over. The doctor entered the room, which was packed with people. The old doctor, carrying his medicine box, spent a long time trying to figure out who was sick. Tang Feng's mouth was still full of chicken blood, and the taste was... His head lolled to the sky, and he started cursing with his eyes closed. Damn it, he probably wouldn't even want to eat chicken again for the rest of his life. He'd given up two meat dishes since coming to the Qiang and Hu region. He didn't know if he came here to negotiate or to lose weight. Tang Feng pinched Liu Yiwan, who slightly opened his eyes and glanced at the doctor. Liu Yiwan then said, "Um... the doctor is here. I'll be fine here by myself. Everyone go back!" Seeing the Qiang and Hu soldiers still standing there, Liu Yiwan became anxious. "You found the doctor, and he's one of your Qiang and Hu people! What's there to doubt? If you delay the doctor's treatment, can you take responsibility?"

Seeing that everyone had left, Liu Yiwan finally closed the door. Tang Feng sat up, wiped the blood from his mouth, rinsed his mouth, and said, "Old doctor, please sit down. I have something to ask of you." The old doctor looked at him again and realized this was no longer the sickly man he had been! Sensing something was wrong, he turned to run away, but Tang Feng grabbed him. "Old doctor, why are you running? I won't make things difficult for you. Just prescribe some medicine for me and deliver it to the post station."

"Sir, you should have told me sooner! This old man... I'll go right away."

“But this only costs ten coins. There’s another one that costs ten taels of silver. Would you like to hear about it?” Seeing the old doctor hesitate, Tang Feng placed the ten taels of silver on the table and then said, “It’s nothing troublesome, and I certainly won’t make things difficult for you. Take some time tomorrow to deliver this letter to Lord Dahexi’s residence and tell him that Tang Sicheng wants to see him.”

"Well... what if he doesn't want to see you?" The old doctor held the bag of money, feeling a bit hot in his hands, but ultimately refused to put it down. "Then this money is yours too. How about it? Ten taels of silver for a errand, not a bad deal, right?"

"Alright, then... I'll go right away." The old doctor packed his medicine box, and just as he was about to push open the door, he turned around and asked, "Sir, should I still keep your illness a secret for you?"

"The more serious the better, thank you so much, old doctor." Tang Feng smiled, not expecting the old man to be so understanding. "Have Liu Yiwan see the old man off." Tang Feng quickly got into bed, afraid the soldiers would come soon. As soon as the old doctor stepped out, he saw the soldiers and the delegation members gathered in the courtyard. The old doctor glanced at Liu Yiwan, who shook his head. The old doctor composed himself, lowered his head, and sighed, "Sir... he's suffered a stroke from anxiety and won't be able to get out of bed for a while. He needs to rest in bed. Um... I'll go to the clinic to get the medicine and bring it over."

"Doctor, when will our master get better?" Binghu grabbed the old doctor's sleeve anxiously. "Hmm... it depends on your master. It could be as short as half a month, or as long as a year and a half. I'll take my leave now." When Binghu and the others went in, they saw Tang Feng lying motionless on the bed. Tang Feng had originally wanted to put on a good show of a life-or-death farewell, but the old doctor had talked too much nonsense. By the time Binghu and the others came in, Tang Feng was already asleep. Liu Yiwan shooed them out, "Alright, alright, you've been with Master Sicheng every day, you've seen him before, what are you rushing around for! When you're sick, you should rest. Go back now!" After everyone had left, Liu Yiwan pulled Qin Liuliu back, "Why are you leaving? Go see your brother!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Liuliu couldn't stop crying even more. Her hands were still covered in blood, and she was crying so hard that snot and tears streamed down her face. She went into the house and hugged Tang Feng, sobbing loudly. Tang Feng was woken up by Qin Liuliu and sat on the bed, watching Qin Liuliu hug him. Then he heard the people outside the courtyard talking, "It seems that Lord Sicheng is indeed quite ill!"

"Of course! Look at the person crying inside."

Tang Feng patted Qin Liuliu's head. "Alright, alright, I'm not dead yet! Don't act like you're mourning." Qin Liuliu looked up and saw Tang Feng sitting on the bed staring at him. "Brother... Brother..."

"Shh!" Tang Feng covered Qin Liuliu's mouth. "I'm faking it, so you should at least pretend to be convincing too!"

"Brother... why are you faking illness? Even if you are, your sister in Xiling won't know! She can't make you sweet rice."

"Don't worry about the child, just let them cry."

"From today onwards, I will be confined to bed and will not leave the house until Dahexi comes to find me."

The old doctor went to the clinic to prescribe medicine for Tang Feng after leaving the post station. Tang Feng had specifically instructed him to prepare the prescription carefully, ensuring it matched Tang Feng's described symptoms. The next day, the old doctor went to Dahexi's residence to deliver a message. The old doctor thought Dahexi wouldn't see him, but to his surprise, after giving Tang Feng's name, Dahexi came out shortly.

"My lord... this is... this is a letter from Tang Sicheng for you."

Dahexi's expression instantly darkened upon reading the letter, which read, "Lord Dahexi, I am trapped in the post station with nothing to do, and my illness has worsened. I request permission from the post station to visit me."

"This...Is Tang Sicheng ill?"

"Uh...yes."

Dahexi frowned, then gradually relaxed. "This Tang Feng... is quite interesting. Alright, I've received the letter. You can go back now!"