Although the decision was made to return to the capital, an emperor's journey was not a trip that could be taken on a whim; it would take at least several days for everything to be arranged.
Emperor Feng Zhao felt a pang of reluctance as he watched the inn bustling with people coming and going.
He finally understood why Prince Duan had insisted on returning to his fiefdom right after spending the New Year in the capital. Here, those magical things were a minor matter; what truly made people reluctant to leave was the feeling of freedom.
Emperor Feng Zhao felt that the time he spent at the inn was the happiest time of his life.
"Old Feng, will you come back?" When the old buddies heard that their card-playing partner was leaving, they all came up to ask what was going on.
"Don't worry, Brother Wang, I'll be back once I've settled things at home. You'd better save a spot for me; I don't want to change my mahjong partners."
"Haha, don't worry, we'll play cards with you again when you get back. Is this your son? He's really handsome."
"As I see it."
Upon hearing the conversation between Emperor Feng Zhao and several elders, Feng Jinghan's lips twitched uncontrollably.
When the conversation turned to him, and some people even started introducing him to potential partners, Feng Jinghan broke out in a cold sweat. He was truly afraid that his father, in a moment of joy, would arrange his marriage.
Fortunately, Emperor Fengzhao wasn't too muddle-headed; when the topic of marriage came up, he found a way to dodge the question.
After saying goodbye to his old friends, Feng Jinghan wiped the sweat from his brow, still feeling a bit shaken.
"How pathetic! Your father isn't senile yet, what are you worried about?" Before Feng Jinghan could reply, he continued, "Do you have a woman you admire?"
Unsure of Emperor Feng Zhao's meaning, Feng Jinghan could only reply truthfully, "No."
After waiting for a while, Emperor Feng Zhao spoke again, "Even if you have the Bai family army behind you, it will not be easy to maintain balance in the court without a marriage alliance."
"Your subject knows, but I do not wish to give the position of principal wife to anyone else."
The two walked side by side without saying anything more. Emperor Fengzhao knew that his son was not a man without his own opinions; since he was prepared to entrust the throne to him, he had to trust in his abilities.
"I heard you and Chi Mu are quite close?"
Speaking of Chi Mu, Feng Jinghan said with some regret, "I sometimes play chess with him. But he seems to have no interest in the court, which is a pity."
"Since we've run into each other, let's say hello."
Feng Jinghan looked up and saw Chi Mu talking to someone. Upon closer listening, she realized that he was teaching someone a lesson.
Seeing the smile in Chi Mu's eyes, Feng Jinghan suddenly felt a sense of relief. He had always wanted Chi Mu to return to officialdom, but the other party had been hesitant to agree.
In retrospect, it seems he truly loved teaching, and it was good that he was contributing talent to the Great Ye Kingdom.
Feng Jinghan is increasingly looking forward to this batch of students graduating from Xianyuan School.
After Chi Mu finished instructing Xiao Chen, he noticed the two people beside him and immediately stood up to bow.
"No need for formalities. It is my son and I who have disturbed you."
"No, we just finished. Is there anything you two need?"
"I'm about to leave the inn and just happen to be passing by."
Chi Mu wisely refrained from asking further questions. The fact that she could speak peacefully with them was already an exception because they were at the inn; she needed to be mindful of boundaries before asking any more.
Seeing the two men's distinguished bearing, Xiao Chen also bowed, saying, "Since you have guests, I will take my leave."
Emperor Feng Zhao then noticed Xiao Chen standing to the side, and for a moment upon seeing him, he was somewhat dazed.
Feng Jinghan keenly noticed Emperor Feng Zhao's gaze and immediately began talking to Chi Mu.
Emperor Feng Zhao snapped out of his reverie, his thoughts unreadable. After the two left, Emperor Feng Zhao suddenly asked, "Do you know the child's identity?"
Feng Jinghan was pondering Emperor Feng Zhao's attitude when she heard the question and immediately came to her senses. "I heard that the shopkeeper rescued a beggar named Xiao Chen, who is now attending classes at the Immortal Fate School."
"Xiao Chen, his surname is Xiao?"
Thinking back to the feeling of familiarity she had when she first met Xiao Chen, Feng Jinghan had an absurd idea.
Princess Chang Le's husband seems to have the surname Xiao.
If emperors are all lonely figures, then for Emperor Fengzhao, only his half-sister, Princess Changle, is a soft spot in his heart.
When Emperor Fengzhao was betrayed by his brothers on the battlefield, it was Princess Changle who single-handedly rescued him from the enemy and accompanied him through thick and thin until he ascended the throne.
Therefore, Emperor Feng Zhao reacted so strongly when he learned that Feng Jingchi had harmed Chi Mu on the battlefield.
It was precisely in order to save Emperor Fengzhao that Princess Changle lost her only child with her husband. However, Xiao Chen's current age doesn't match up at all, and besides, what are the chances of such a coincidence in the world?
Just as Feng Jinghan was about to say something, he heard Emperor Feng Zhao say, "Perhaps I'm overthinking it."
Nevertheless, Emperor Feng Zhao still found An Ge, expressed his suspicions, and inquired about Xiao Chen's situation.
An Ge was somewhat surprised to hear Feng Zhao's question, as it seemed that Feng Jinghan had asked her the same question before.
“I didn’t know much about that child before. I heard from other places that he wasn’t originally from Huaixi City. It seems that he went to Huaixi City to hide from someone.”
Seeing Emperor Feng Zhao deep in thought, An Ge continued, "No matter who Xiao Chen is, he is now just one of my employees."
Emperor Feng Zhao's heart tightened. "Of course. If he really is the person I think he is, I will definitely not let anyone bully him."
An Ge raised an eyebrow. Judging from Emperor Feng Zhao's words, Xiao Chen's background was indeed not simple.
She suddenly understood why Xiao Chen's mission had been triggered in the first place; it seemed that the Feng family and Xiao Chen had some connection.
An Ge was a little curious, but she naturally wouldn't say anything to Xiao Chen before the matter was clarified.
Xiao Chen and the others were the first employees of the inn, and they held special significance for An Ge.
To put it bluntly, if Empress Feng Zhao wanted to do anything to Xiao Chen, she would intervene as long as Xiao Chen refused.
An Ge found Chi Mu and asked about Xiao Chen's recent situation.
Chi Mu was somewhat surprised, "The store manager asked him if there was anything else?"
An Ge hesitated for a moment, then decided to discuss it with Chi Mu. After all, Chi Mu had now become Xiao Chen's guardian.
After listening, Chi Mu remained silent for a long time. "I have heard about Princess Chang Le's affairs. If Xiao Chen is really related to Princess Chang Le, it is not necessarily a bad thing. However," Chi Mu hesitated, thinking of what Xiao Chen had told him.
“Xiao Chen once told me that he had been hunted down by an unknown force. It is strange in itself that an ordinary farmer’s son would suffer such persecution.”
Chi Mu had also suspected Xiao Chen's background, but seeing that he was living a peaceful life now, she did not pursue the matter further.
"Manager, if things go against Xiao Chen's wishes in the future, I hope you can help me."
“Xiao Chen is a child I watched grow up. I would have helped him even if you hadn’t said it,” An Ge said with a hearty expression.
Chi Mu...you're not that much older than Xiao Chen, are you?
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