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Shen Yu’an stopped in her tracks and asked, “What did you say?”
The surname Fei was quite familiar to Shen Yu’an, and it was none other than Fei Yanchen.
Mr. Ji, leaning on his cane, slowly got up and walked leisurely in front of Shen Yu’an. He said, “Yes, the young lad from the Fei family, Fei Yanchen.”
“I rushed here all the way and heard a few words from Ji Xun about that lad from the Fei family. It seems like he has a close relationship with your family.”
“Can you bear to watch the young lad from the Fei family lose?” Mr. Ji asked.
Shen Yu’an successfully stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Mr. Ji.
Mr. Ji finally revealed a smile. It seemed that the relationship between this Shen family girl and the Fei family lad was indeed quite good.
“What do you mean?” Shen Yu’an’s tone became serious. After all, Fei Yanchen had a special place in her heart, almost like a member of the Shen family. If someone intended to harm him, she wouldn’t stand idly by.
Mr. Ji spun in place, and Ji Xun quickly stepped forward to support him.
Mr. Ji said, “It’s a coincidence, really. From what I’ve observed, one of the imperial stars happens to be that lad from the Fei family. However, the young lad from the Fei family is currently in great danger in the capital. A slight misstep could lead to an irreversible calamity.”
“It all depends on whether Miss Shen is willing to lend him a hand.”
Shen Yu’an anxiously replied, “I’m just an ordinary farmer’s daughter. How could I get involved in matters in the capital?”
Shen Yu’an felt a heavy burden in her heart. Undeniably, she had become complacent since coming here. Given a second chance by fate, all she wanted was to lie low and live a carefree life.
However, she seemed to have forgotten that if fate had granted her a second chance, it would also expect something in return. Moreover, she possessed a vast amount of resources in her space, something that didn’t exist in her previous life.
These days had been too peaceful. Even when she shared a papermaking recipe, there were many who eyed it. However, because of her collaboration with General Xiangnan’s mansion, the few dangerous situations that arose were all resolved by the people from the general’s mansion or those assigned by Fei Yanchen to protect her.
Mr. Ji’s words were about to shatter her current tranquility.
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But when it came to Fei Yanchen, Shen Yu’an couldn’t just turn and walk away. She decided to inquire more about the situation in detail.
…
After the group returned, Shen Yu’an and Mr. Ji had a lengthy conversation before parting ways. Following their extensive discussion that lasted for two hours, Shen Yu’an locked herself in her room without anyone knowing what she was doing.
When the Shen family members returned for lunch, Shen Yu’an was still in her room, and she hadn’t even eaten lunch.
As for what Shen Yu’an was doing in her room, it naturally involved writing a letter to Fei Yanchen and figuring out how to win the hearts of the people for him.
In their conversation, Mr. Ji mentioned that Fei Yanchen’s confrontation with the royal family was inevitable. However, if he wanted to avoid bearing a bad reputation and ascend to the throne legitimately, Fei Yanchen needed to win the hearts of the people before the open conflict between both sides emerged. He needed to make the common people stand by his side.
In this way, even if Fei Yanchen eventually assumed the throne, it would be seen as rightful.
To win the hearts of the people, he would have to do things that benefited the citizens.
Shen Yu’an had already thought of several methods, but they involved significant disturbances. She decided to discuss these plans with Fei Yanchen before making any decisions.
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Moreover, during the process of writing the letter, Shen Yu’an made a decision to go to the capital city and fight alongside Fei Yanchen.
In this remote place, obtaining information about Fei Yanchen’s situation in the capital would take several days of sending and receiving messages or relying on hearsay from the town. This not only wasted time but also made it difficult to distinguish truth from rumors.
Coincidentally, her older brother had recently passed the provincial examination, and he would soon participate in the county-level examination, the regional examination, and even the imperial examination. This meant that she could accompany him to the capital.
She had no significant connections in the capital, and it seemed that Fei Yanchen’s situation was precarious. Bringing her entire family along would be a burden. Therefore, before leaving, she needed to ensure that there were people in the Shen family who could protect them.
Time was running short, and she had a lot to do.
After finishing the letter, Shen Yu’an went to the back of the mountain and handed the letter to Fei Xi, asking him to deliver it to Fei Yanchen.
Once the letter was delivered, Shen Yu’an visited the forge at the camp to check on the progress of refining irons.Top of Form
With this intention in mind, Shen Yu’an stayed at the camp.
In the evening, Shen Yu’an asked Fei Xi to deliver the message down the mountain, letting them know that she would return later.
For dinner, Shen Yu’an ate with the soldiers in the camp.
She was brought to Fei Yanchen’s room for a private meal, where a table was set with roasted rabbit, a plate of vegetables, two pieces of mixed-grain steamed buns, and a bowl of porridge.
Fei Xi said, “Miss Shen, you can dine here. I’ll go eat with the others outside. If you need anything, just call out, and I’ll hear you.”
“Alright.”
The voices from outside were audible, as the soldiers chatted during their break time.
Because she wanted to check on the weapons made by those craftsmen, Shen Yu’an decided to finish her meal quickly and then head out. It would be best to leave the mountain early, especially since she hadn’t told Fei Xi that she wouldn’t be returning home tonight.
Once Shen Yu’an finished her meal, she swiftly left the room and followed the sounds of voices towards where the others were dining.
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Torches flickered as nearly a thousand people in the camp, including Fei Xi, were dining on the open ground of the training field.
Dozens of long tables were set up on that open ground, and everyone was seated there.
Shen Yu’an walked over with a smile, but when she looked at the food on their table, her smile waned a bit.
On the table, there were bowls of mixed-grain steamed buns, with a bowl of pickled vegetables placed not too far apart from each. The rest was the same rice porridge she had just eaten, but noticeably less clear.
During her stay in the camp, Shen Yu’an had mostly remained in the forge, and even when she ate, someone would bring the food to her room. However, as she looked at the people sitting at the table, she noticed that there was no discernible difference in their expressions.
Shen Yu’an suppressed her doubts for the moment.
There wasn’t much food on the table, and a few craftsmen quickly finished their meals when they saw Shen Yu’an approaching. They followed her back to the forging room.
That evening, before leaving, Shen Yu’an mentioned that she wanted Fei Xi to work with her for a while and told him to come down the mountain with her the next day.
Fei Xi agreed to both requests and personally escorted Shen Yu’an down the mountain.
Meanwhile, Shen Dalang and his companions were on their way back. They had taken a cart to town and, since it was too late when they returned, they had already dropped off a few friends who lived nearby before heading back to the village.
Now, on the cart, besides the five of them who had gone out together, there was only one more person left.
Coincidentally, this person lived in a neighboring village adjacent to Longxian Village. Shen Dalang was driving the cart towards Longxian Village, planning to drop off the person at their home when they passed the neighboring village.
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