Noon.
In the General's Mansion, in the study of Qingrong Courtyard where Feng Jingyun and Mulanjin lived.
"Your Majesty, this old minister pays homage!"
Feng Jingyun, who was wearing a court robe embroidered with colorful auspicious clouds made of Ruyi satin, was about to pay her respects to Nalan Yunzhi, who was sitting at the desk, but the other party stood up and helped her up, stopping her from kneeling.
"General Feng, this is not the court. There is no emperor or ministers here. There are only Yunzhi and her mother-in-law."
The General's Mansion was where Ling Yan once lived. Looking at everything around him that was familiar yet unfamiliar, Nalan Yunzhi's eyes were slightly red.
This was her second time setting foot in the General's Mansion in the sixteen years since Ling Yan left, and the last time she came here was because of Mulan Jin's ridiculous funeral.
"Leaves fall and go with the wind, flowers wither and fade. When the song ends, people will disperse, so don't regret your friendship."
The song "Laohequ? Xiyuan" expresses Nalan Yunzhi's deep longing for Feng Lingyan and his helplessness over her departure.
Ling Yan's death is a sorrow that is engraved in the hearts of General Feng and the old man, and isn't it also a sorrow that is deep in the bones of Nalan Yunzhi?
"Your Majesty, etiquette cannot be abolished." Feng Jingyun wanted to kneel down again, but Nalan Yunzhi held his arms tightly.
"Mother-in-law, you still refuse to forgive me, right?" Nalan Yunzhi raised his head and slightly narrowed his eyes, blinking away the tears.
"It is true that I have let Ling Yan down. If I had been more patient with him and had more trust in him, perhaps he would not have..."
"The Emperor is so busy with affairs of state, facing internal and external troubles, that he should prioritize national affairs. If anyone is to blame, it's Lingyan's bad luck. The Emperor has three thousand beauties in his harem, and Lingyan is just one of them. You don't need to be saddened by this anymore."
Belated affection is worth less than grass. There are results and consequences in this world, but there are no ifs. Feng Jingyun closed his eyes, then opened them again, remaining indifferent and distant to Nalan Yunzhi's emotional expression at the sight.
"Mother-in-law, you are... you are stabbing me in the heart!" Nalan Yunzhi said with a wry smile.
"Old minister, I am terrified~"
Feng Jingyun didn't have no opinion about Nalan Yunzhi, but the loyalty engraved in the bones of the Feng family, who had been loyal for generations, forced her to choose the latter between personal feelings and loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.
"Once I've seen the sea, all other waters are but puddles. Ling Yan...will always be the love of my heart."
Nalan Yunzhi released Feng Jingyun's hands, turned his back, and tears fell from his eyes.
If I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place? Feng Jingyun looked at Nalan Yunzhi's lonely back and sighed slightly in his heart.
"I wonder why my mother-in-law asked me to come here specifically?" Nalan Yunzhi's eyes turned slightly cold, hiding her sadness. She slowly turned around and looked at Feng Jingyun and said leisurely.
"I noticed just now that the Emperor seemed very interested in Hua Qingcheng. Hua Qingcheng... she's just a peasant girl who's never seen the world, and she's the future wife of my adopted grandson, who has a difficult life. Your Majesty is the highest authority, so please don't lower yourself by getting involved with her."
"A peasant girl who has never seen the world? Judging from Hua Qingcheng's appearance that is exactly the same as Lingyan, my mother-in-law thinks I am a tyrant or an octogenarian with dim eyesight?" Nalan Yunzhi's face darkened slightly, and his handsome and heroic face was slightly tinged with anger.
"I dare not!" Feng Jingyun paused slightly and said, "The world is full of wonders. Things are similar, and people are similar. Regardless of whether Hua Qingcheng is Ling Yan's daughter, Your Majesty, have you ever thought about why Ling Yan's daughter suddenly disappeared? And who was the masked man in black who appeared out of nowhere and took the baby away?"
"The story that Lingyan gave birth to the 'Civet Cat Princess' is completely absurd. I don't believe a single word of it! Your Majesty is the ruler of a country, holding a high position. His every move affects the court and the country. Whether Hua Qingcheng is actually the princess remains unclear. If Your Majesty pays too much attention to Hua Qingcheng, it may arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives, which could lead to her death!"
"The Emperor has not yet appointed a crown princess, and the mastermind behind the abduction of Lingyan's daughter remains unknown. In this situation where the enemy is hidden and we are in the open, if the existence of the successive legitimate daughters were known to those with ulterior motives, Hua Qingcheng's life would be in danger! This old minister implores the Emperor not to push Hua Qingcheng into danger just for the sake of momentary pleasure. At least... at least, do not expose her to the public until her identity is confirmed."
Feng Jingyun lowered his eyes slightly, suppressing the sadness in his heart, then opened them again and continued, "Ling Yan is no longer with us, and Hua Qingcheng is very likely his only blood relative in this world. This old minister truly cannot bear the pain of losing him again. Just consider it as the emperor's pity for my love for his son!"
Before he knew it, Feng Jingyun, who was in tears again, suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Nalan Yunzhi with tears in his eyes.
The heartfelt words, the lonely and desolate figure, even though she was dressed in splendid clothes, could not conceal the sorrow that came from the depths of her heart. The once majestic general was now just an old woman with white hair and black hair, who had lost her beloved son.
"Mother-in-law, please get up quickly! I promise you." Seeing Feng Jingyun still kneeling to him at such an old age, Nalan Yunzhi hurriedly stepped forward and bent down to help her up.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your consideration!" Feng Jingyun wanted to salute Nalan Yunzhi again, but she stopped him.
"I've said before, there's no emperor or ministers here, only Yunzhi and her mother-in-law. I promise you, I won't make this public until Princess Hua Qingcheng's identity is confirmed."
"only……"
Nalan Yunzhi glanced at Feng Jingyun beside him, then changed the subject and continued, "Once it is confirmed that Hua Qingcheng is the daughter of me and Ling Yan, I will definitely let her return to her ancestral home. There is absolutely no reason for the royal bloodline of my Nalan family to be allowed to wander among the common people!"
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