Chapter 60

The next morning, after Shen Wei paid her respects to Old Madam Xie, she told her about the meeting with Hu Feiguany planned for that day.

Old Madam Xie fully supported Shen Wei going out for a change of scenery. She told her not to worry about the household affairs, as since Lu Bu Wei’s passing, Suisui had rarely gone out, and seldom attended banquets. It was a rare opportunity for her to meet someone she could talk to, so she was quite pleased.

Although Hu Feiguany was young, she was straightforward and a good person. It was indeed good for Suisui to associate with her.

However, when Wang Shi learned that Shen Wei was going out, especially to meet Hu Feiguany, she couldn’t help but say a few things.

What kind of person was Princess Changping? She was the legitimate daughter of Princess Qinghe and Minister Huo, the emperor’s niece. With such a prestigious identity, there were countless people who tried to flatter her, but it was rare for her to favor anyone. Shen Wei seemed to have some connection with her, repeatedly being invited to go out together.

Although Wang Shi was dissatisfied, given Hu Feiguany’s status, she naturally didn’t dare speak too much. It was just a few words to vent her frustration at Shen Wei.

Shen Wei listened to Wang Shi’s remarks but didn’t pay them any attention. People like Wang Shi were just idle and couldn’t help but say something if they weren’t kept busy. The more you engaged with them, the more they would get excited.

Thus, Shen Wei didn’t even glance at Wang Shi, continuing to walk toward Yingbi.

After walking a few steps, Yingbi heard Wang Shi’s murmurs and glanced at Shen Wei’s expression before saying, “Second Madam is so disrespectful to you. Doesn’t it make you angry?” Having spent a long time with Shen Wei, Yingbi knew her abilities. She believed that if Shen Wei truly wanted to deal with Wang Shi, she would get what she deserved.

Shen Wei only smiled at this.

Holding a jade fan in her hand, she gently swayed it and spoke slowly, “People like her only use their mouths to gain some petty advantage. If I were to argue with her, I would be lowering my status…” Moreover, Old Madam Xie always wanted peace in the household. Any conflict between sisters-in-law made her uneasy.

Yingbi didn’t say more after hearing that.

—-

Hu Feiguany’s invitation this time was to a place not in Jinjiang Tower or any famous teahouses or restaurants in the city, but rather a secluded location. If it weren’t for Li Da’s familiarity with the city, they might not have found it so easily. When the carriage finally stopped, Yingbi helped Shen Wei out. Upon seeing the building ahead, she furrowed her brows, “Why would Princess Changping choose such a place?”

Shen Wei’s expression remained unchanged as she looked at the building. Since Hu Feiguany had invited her here, it must be for a good reason. With this thought, she simply took a step forward.

Seeing that Shen Wei wasn’t concerned, Yingbi didn’t say anything else. After instructing Li Da to wait outside, she followed Shen Wei into the building.

When the curtain was lifted, the scene inside was fully revealed.

The building wasn’t large, and the main hall was filled with tables and chairs, looking somewhat crowded. However, it wasn’t mealtime, and there were only a couple present in the hall.

The couple looked up when they saw Shen Wei and her maid, pausing for a moment. But in the blink of an eye, the woman smiled and greeted them, “You must be the princess’s guest. She is waiting for you inside.”

Shen Wei hadn’t expected the couple to know Hu Feiguany’s real identity. She glanced at them, noticing that they were both fairly young, with an air of sharpness about them. Especially the man, who had a tall, straight posture, resembling a soldier, though his legs seemed somewhat impaired.

The man had noticed her gaze, and when he saw that she was looking at his legs, he didn’t try to hide them. He just smiled and said, “Please, madam, come in.”

Shen Wei nodded at them, then turned to Yingbi and said, “Wait outside.”

After hearing her, Yingbi nodded, and Shen Wei continued on, with the brown curtain being lifted to reveal Hu Feiguany inside.

Hu Feiguany was still wearing a red outfit, and upon seeing Shen Wei, she smiled and said, “You’ve come. Please, sit.” Her voice sounded a bit hoarse, as if she had traveled a long distance without resting. After speaking, she poured a drink for Shen Wei and added, “This wine isn’t very strong, just right for you.”

Shen Wei felt a bit helpless upon hearing this. She used to drink without getting drunk, but now with this body, even drinking wasn’t enjoyable. It was truly a pity. However, she didn’t say anything, just sat down across from Hu Feiguany as instructed. After removing her veil, she took the wine and tasted it.

The wine had a strong aroma, but it wasn’t spicy when it entered her mouth; in fact, it was quite suitable for her.

She took two more sips before speaking to the person next to her, “Did you just return from the border?”

“Yes…”

Hu Feiguany nodded, then poured herself another cup of wine.

She was used to drinking strong liquor, so she couldn’t get used to the kind of wine Shen Wei drank. Thus, she drank the same strong liquor as usual… After one cup, her expression didn’t change. After putting the cup down, she continued, “The other day, my grandfather suddenly sent a letter. I didn’t dare delay, so I had someone deliver a sealed letter to you.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Wei paused for a moment, gripping the wine cup a bit tighter. Hu Feiguany’s grandfather had been granted the title of King of Southwest by the late emperor many years ago, stationed at the border to guard the peace there. For him to suddenly send a letter, it must be urgent. Could something have happened at the border? Thinking of this, she immediately asked, “Has something happened at the border?”

Hu Feiguany looked at her upon hearing the question.

Though she had known since their meeting at Jinjiang Tower that this woman was different from others, she hadn’t expected Shen Wei to have such sharp intuition… Curious as she was, since Shen Wei had asked, Hu Feiguany didn’t hide anything, “Indeed, something has happened.”

As she spoke, she poured herself another cup of wine and then continued, “Since General Lu passed away, several small border nations have begun to stir. The last time there was unusual activity, my grandfather sent word about it…”

When she finished speaking, she drank another cup of wine before adding, “It’s fine for now with my grandfather keeping things under control. But if they were to unite in the future, our Qiyun Kingdom might not have peace for a while.”

Shen Wei furrowed her brows upon hearing this. She remembered that in the book, a major battle had indeed erupted, causing widespread panic throughout the Qiyun Kingdom. These small border nations were already strong, and although they had submitted peace letters in the past, people’s hearts were never fully satisfied. Now that Lu Bu Wei had passed, they were naturally beginning to stir again.

No wonder the King of Southwest was so anxious this time.

In the book, the war resulted in many losses for Qiyun Kingdom’s soldiers. It wasn’t until Lu Qi Huai intervened and suppressed the situation that he gained fame as the new war god of Qiyun Kingdom. Since then, Lu Qihuai’s name became known throughout the kingdom.

Hu Feiguany, seeing Shen Wei’s thoughtful expression, assumed she was worried and spoke reassuringly, “You don’t need to worry. These small nations are only showing signs of trouble for now. Qiyun is no longer what it used to be, and even if they want to unite, it will take a lot of planning. My father has already reported this to His Majesty. Even if there’s a war, you will be safe in Bianliang.”

Shen Wei understood that Hu Feiguany was trying to comfort her. Her heart softened, and she looked at Hu Feiguany again, her gaze much gentler. “I’m not worried, but you…” She paused for a moment, then added, “I can see that you seem troubled, is something wrong?”

The only thing that could trouble Hu Feiguany now was probably the matter of marriage.

However, based on Shen Wei’s understanding of her, although Hu Feiguany might be troubled about marriage, she would never let this sadness show on her face. Shen Wei wasn’t sure what the issue was.

Hu Feiguany didn’t respond right away. She poured herself another drink but lost interest in drinking. She simply held the cup in her hand and turned her head to look out the window. The place was secluded, and even with the window open, there wasn’t much noise. She gazed at the sky outside, speaking quietly, “When I returned this time, I told my mother that I wanted to stay at the border to guard the peace. But she disagreed.”

“I know she’s afraid. In the past, she never interfered with my small adventures, but if there is a real war, how could she let me go to the front?”

“So, I’ve been hesitating…”

Hu Feiguany glanced at Shen Wei and, looking at her calm face, tightened her grip on her cup a little. “You once told me that nothing could stop me, but this time, I’ve stopped myself… Between family and the country, I can’t bear to leave my family.”

She closed her eyes as she spoke.

Hu Feiguany’s eyelashes were long, and when she closed her eyes, they cast a shadow in the light. After a long pause, she finally spoke again, “Sometimes, no matter how hard we struggle, we are defeated by reality and fate.”

Shen Wei could hear the muffled tone in her voice and set her wine cup down. She then took Hu Feiguany’s hand. “You’re wrong, you haven’t been defeated…”

When she noticed Hu Feiguany’s body tremble slightly, she softened her tone further. “The country and the world are important, but family always comes first. Feiguany, no matter what we do, we must first protect our family. If we can’t protect our own family, then what’s the point of all our efforts?”

As Shen Wei spoke, her voice lowered. She didn’t look at Hu Feiguany anymore but instead slightly lifted her chin to look at the sky outside the window. The vast blue sea and sky presented the most beautiful weather… If only, back then, she could have been more understanding of her parents and not argued with them so often, would she have fewer regrets now?

Hu Feiguany noticed that Shen Wei’s grip on her hand tightened, and she opened her eyes to look at her. Seeing the melancholy on Shen Wei’s face, she didn’t know what thoughts were in her mind.

She simply held Shen Wei’s hand tighter, and as Shen Wei looked at her, the cloud of sorrow and confusion on her face began to dissipate.

When Shen Wei saw the smile on Hu Feiguany’s face, the sadness in her expression also completely disappeared.

The two didn’t speak any further. They simply ate the food on the table. When they finished and were about to leave, Shui Bi came to greet them. Hu Feiguany noticed her figure and raised an eyebrow, not expecting that Shen Wei had such a skilled person by her side.

However, Huo Feiguany did not say anything in response.

No matter what kind of person or status Shen Wei had, she was still the friend Huo Feiguany had recognized.

When the couple outside saw them come out, they smiled and handed a wrapped oil paper package to Huo Feiguany, saying with a smile, “This is osmanthus duck for the princess. Please remind the princess to let the long princess eat it while it’s hot. It won’t taste as good if it cools down.”

Huo Feiguany smiled at the woman and replied, “Mother loves this dish. If she sees it, she will definitely be delighted.” After finishing her sentence, she turned to Shen Wei and said they could leave. Just before they reached the curtain, the curtain was lifted, and a man in white, holding a jade flute, entered. It was Liang Lingyue.

Shen Wei, who had already put on her veil, paused when she saw him, and then called out, “Young Master Liang?”

Liang Lingyue, who had initially thought three women had come out and was about to step aside, looked up when he heard her voice. Seeing the woman in the veil, a smile appeared in his eyes… He let go of the curtain and bowed to Shen Wei, “Oh, it’s Madam, long time no see.”

Shen Wei smiled upon hearing this, and her voice was warm as she replied, “Indeed, it’s been a while.”

After that, she noticed Huo Feiguany was observing Liang Lingyue closely and said, “This is Young Master Liang, whom you met before.”

Liang Lingyue turned his gaze to Huo Feiguany upon hearing her words, smiled, and greeted her, “So it’s Princess Changping…” After the greeting, he bowed again and introduced himself: “My name is Liang Lingyue. I apologize for my previous behavior. Please don’t take offense, Princess.”

When Huo Feiguany heard the name “Liang Lingyue,” she paused. She didn’t speak but carefully observed him again. Then it dawned on her: the young master of Qiyun Mountain Villa always wore white and always carried a jade flute. She had found it strange at the time. In Bianliang, she knew every martial artist with any reputation, but she had never seen this man before.

She pondered for a moment and then said faintly, “There’s no need for any grudges. We were not acquainted back then. Besides, you are quite skilled, and if it weren’t for your mercy, I wouldn’t have fared so well.”

Although she prided herself on her own martial arts, she was still not as good as Liang Lingyue.

However, as she looked at the gentleman in front of her, who was smiling gently, she added, “If you’re free sometime, I’d like to spar with you.” Bianliang rarely saw someone of such skill, and she naturally wanted to learn from him.

Liang Lingyue was taken aback upon hearing this.

But he just smiled and responded, “I would be happy to oblige at any time.”

As they continued talking, Shen Wei smiled at them. Now, in front of Liang Lingyue, she had none of the previous awkwardness. No matter how similar he looked to that other person, he was not him. After they finished their conversation, she nodded at Liang Lingyue and said warmly, “Young Master Liang, please excuse us. We’ll be leaving now.”

Liang Lingyue noticed the change in Shen Wei’s tone. He recalled how she had been a bit disoriented when they last met, but now she could smile at him so calmly? This woman was certainly a bit unusual.

With this thought in mind, Liang Lingyue’s gaze toward Shen Wei grew more thoughtful.

This shift in his thoughts did not go unnoticed by Huo Feiguany, who noticed the way Liang Lingyue looked at Shen Wei. She frowned slightly but said nothing, following Shen Wei as they walked out.

As they exited, Liang Lingyue waited until they had walked out and seen Shen Wei sit in the carriage before he lowered the curtain again and turned back inside.