At the sound of the voice, Duan Yunfeng yanked off the cloth over his eyes—only to realize he’d been wildly groping at the curtain of the tent the whole time.

He turned around, and there stood Xiao Heng right behind him, watching him calmly.

“………………”

Duan Yunfeng’s face flushed slightly. He furrowed his brows, shot Xiao Heng a glance, and then walked out of the tent without saying a word.

He was pissed.

This time, he was genuinely angry.

Duan Yunfeng decided he wouldn’t speak to the princess for the rest of the day.

Now, he was going to find that bastard Qian and beat him half to death to vent his frustration.

…

About an hour after Duan Yunfeng led the troops away—

A messenger sent by Qian Kan from Jinzhou arrived at the Northern Garrison’s camp, guiding a few clerks pushing carts of grain slowly into the military grounds.

The messenger saw a few soldiers sitting outside on patrol. They were loosely hugging their blades, slouched against tree trunks, half-asleep, completely lacking any semblance of alertness. None of them even noticed the delivery had arrived.

The rest of the camp looked like a total mess—tracks crisscrossed chaotically, flags collapsed haphazardly to the ground, barely a soul paying attention.

The messenger nudged one of the dozing soldiers awake and explained his purpose.

The man rubbed his sleepy eyes and said, “Ah… one sec, I’ll go report to General Song.”

He led the messenger to a tent. Just as he lifted the flap—

A white figure suddenly flickered in the dim night light.

The messenger’s scalp tingled with terror, and he nearly leapt into the air.

A ghost…?

He instinctively slapped a hand over his mouth.

The figure wore mourning white, gliding silently across the ground. In the faint glow of the lanterns, their strikingly handsome face looked eerily ethereal, almost inhuman. Those pitch-black eyes swept over the messenger from above, like a silent judgment.

For a second, the man was convinced he’d just seen the King of Hell himself.

In the next instant, the figure drifted away, like it had appeared solely to give him a fright.

The soldier explained, “Don’t be scared—that’s our Young Mistress. Probably just out for a walk.”

If he remembered correctly, it was currently the chou hour—around 1 to 3 a.m. Even chickens were asleep at this time. Who on earth would be taking a walk now?

And how come that widow radiated more deathly aura than an actual corpse?

Just as the messenger’s pounding heart started to settle, a sudden angry roar erupted from within the tent.

“Even that brat Duan Yunfeng gives me some damn respect, and you think you can order me around? Who the hell do you think you are?!”

An old general with greying hair leapt to his feet, drawing his blade and glaring furiously at Song Shiyu.

“Now that he’s dead, you expect me to take orders from some snot-nosed little punk? Outrageous!”

Then came a string of vicious curses, all aimed at Song Shiyu.

This man was Kang Chengye—older than even the late King of the North, Duan Yu. A battle-hardened veteran with considerable influence in the army.

Faced with the outburst, Song Shiyu naturally lost his temper as well. His hand shot to his sword hilt.
“You old—”

He stumbled. Whenever he cursed, he always stammered a little.

Kang Chengye started blinking his left eye at him—urgently.

Weren’t they supposed to be putting on a show of discord between general and commander? What’s with the awkward silence?

Song Shiyu: “Old old old old…”

Whenever he tried to curse, Song Shiyu would always get stuck on the words.

In truth, there was a reason Song Shiyu had become Duan Yunfeng’s deputy general. It wasn’t because he was the fiercest on the battlefield, nor because he was the smartest.

There were plenty in the Northern Garrison who were braver and more headstrong than him.

What made Song Shiyu stand out was his exceptionally good temper.

When Duan Yunfeng lost his temper at him, he could endure it.

When Duan Yunfeng got impulsive and reckless, he could calm him down.

When Duan Yunfeng charged ahead like an unbridled horse, chasing enemies down with furious blows, Song Shiyu was always right behind—steady, tireless, never complaining.

“You old brute!”
Song Shiyu finally managed to spit it out.

Immediately, the sound of clashing swords and drawn weapons erupted. Song Shiyu and Kang Chengye both unsheathed their blades and launched into a fierce back-and-forth within the tent—it was quite the scene.

In the end, Kang Chengye stormed out of the tent, sword in hand, seething with rage. The messenger was so frightened he clutched his own head, terrified Kang would lash out and slice him down on the spot.

“A brat like you is unfit for council!” Kang Chengye roared, rallying his troops on the spot—about two to three thousand men. He led them out of the camp, parting ways with Song Shiyu and the others then and there.

Just as the messenger turned to see which direction Kang Chengye was leading his troops, he once again locked eyes with that white figure.

The princess consort, out for her midnight stroll, had apparently returned—now standing silently behind him, having no idea how long she’d been watching.

The messenger exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to his wildly pounding heart. He was ready to drop off the grain and flee this cursed place as quickly as possible.

As he watched the group’s retreating backs—

Xiao Heng used a dagger to slit a small hole in one of the grain sacks. Golden millet spilled out.

He rubbed some between his fingers…

No sand mixed in.

Turns out, Qian Kan was more honest than expected.

Perfect—these sacks could be cooked right away.
And once they were eaten… it’d be time to go beat Qian Kan up.

…

Jinzhou City was shrouded in the darkness of night, but the prefect’s residence blazed with light.

Qian Kan stood clad in armor, several imposing guards with long halberds behind him, all poised for action.
“You’ve confirmed everything?”

The messenger bowed and replied, “Absolutely. Song Shiyu’s forces are at their breaking point—dispirited and divided. If you move now, General, you can easily crush the enemy!”

“Excellent!”

With a sweeping motion, Qian Kan rallied his forces—fifteen thousand elite infantry and cavalry from Jinzhou—setting off under the cover of night, their march thunderous and grand.

Before leaving, he looked to his aide Zhang Zhicheng.
“I’m heading to the front. The affairs of Jinzhou City are in your hands for now.”

Zhang Zhicheng nodded to him.
“Rest assured, General. We’ll await your triumphant return. By dawn, you’ll surely have led our forces to victory. Nothing unexpected should happen tonight.”

Qian Kan donned his helmet and turned to depart.

A sliver of dawn light crept over Zhang Zhicheng’s face, highlighting the deep furrows between his brows.

Gone was the carefree look from moments before.

Northern Garrison Camp along the banks of the Piotuo River.

A flaming arrow streaked across the night sky above the camp.
Caught completely off guard by the enemy’s surprise night raid, the Northern Garrison fell into chaos almost instantly.

Commander Song Shiyu looked like he had just woken up. He didn’t even have time to put on his armor—hopping out of his tent on one foot while hastily pulling on his boots, grabbing the reins, and galloping away in panic. Thousands of Northern Garrison soldiers fled with him in disarray. Helmets and armor were tossed aside, supply carts collided, and battle standards toppled one after another. There wasn’t a shred of formation or discipline left.

Qian Kan, seeing this, charged at full speed with his spear raised, leading Jinzhou’s elite in relentless pursuit. He shouted at Song Shiyu,
“Aren’t you Duan Yunfeng’s deputy? And this is the best you’ve got? Hahahahaha!”

Song Shiyu, fleeing wildly without direction, darted into a region of steep hills. While running and scanning the terrain, he cried out,
“If the heir were still here, would some rat like you dare to bully the Northern Garrison like this?”

Qian Kan sneered.

If even Duan Yunfeng’s deputy was reduced to such a pitiful state, then Duan Yunfeng himself was likely nothing more than an overrated noble with no real ability.

A famed general?
A god of war?
All just talk.

Qian Kan scoffed,
“What’s Duan Yunfeng worth? Even if he were alive, he still wouldn’t be a match for me!”

The two continued in a high-speed chase across the hills.

But as Qian Kan approached the highest ridge, he suddenly realized that fewer and fewer of his men were still with him.

Turns out, the terrain they’d chased Song Shiyu through was far from level, and the Jinzhou army’s line had been stretched thin. Now, only a handful of cavalry remained close to Qian Kan—most of the infantry had fallen far behind.

Just then, up ahead, Song Shiyu suddenly shouted,
“My lord!“
—like a desperate subordinate pleading for justice.

Qian Kan’s heart jumped. He looked up…

And there, on the hilltop, countless imposing Northern Garrison flags had been raised high.

At the front of them sat a man in dark armor, astride a horse, blade drawn across his lap, his expression full of amused disdain.

“Did I hear you say… I’m not your match?”

At his side sat a gray-haired old general—none other than Kang Chengye, who had loudly argued with Song Shiyu earlier and stormed off with his men.

Behind Duan Yunfeng and Kang Chengye stood more than ten thousand elite soldiers in dark armor, battle-ready and dead silent.

No one knew how long they had lain in ambush there.

Qian Kan had fallen into a trap.

“Charge!”

The thunderous sound of war drums shook the heavens.
Duan Yunfeng drew his blade and, with a shout, unleashed his forces.

Tens of thousands of soldiers surged down from the hilltop like a black tide or a crashing tsunami.

Under Duan Yunfeng’s command, the elite Northern cavalry struck again and again, charging four times with devastating force.
They shattered the Jinzhou army like dry rotted wood—completely dismantling their formation and resistance.

On the spot, more than three thousand Jinzhou soldiers were slain. Another eight thousand were captured.
The rest fled in terror, abandoning armor and weapons behind them.

Qian Kan himself was taken alive.

…

After this crushing victory, Duan Yunfeng ordered Qian Kan tied up.
He also told his men to leave the leftover supplies in the Piotuo River camp—no need to bother with them.

“Why waste time with a little campsite?” he said from horseback, looking down at his prisoner.
“Tonight, I plan to dine in Jinzhou City’s prefect’s manor.”

He cast a cold glance at Qian Kan.

Bound hand and foot, Qian Kan still struggled to lift his head, forcing a fawning smile, completely devoid of his earlier arrogance.

“My lord, the one currently holding Jinzhou is my adjutant, Zhang Zhicheng. Why not let me go in and convince him to surrender?”

“Surrender?” Duan Yunfeng raised a brow. “You think I need you to do that?”

The guard escorting Qian Kan immediately lashed him with a whip.
“Stay in line!”

Qian Kan instantly shrank like a whipped quail, not daring to make another sound.

All he could do now was silently hope that Zhang Zhicheng and the city’s garrison could hold out for a while longer—long enough for Duan Yunfeng to realize he couldn’t breach Jinzhou on his own.
Then maybe, just maybe, he’d have to beg him, Qian Kan, for help.
Or better yet, Duan Yunfeng could get bogged down, run out of food and supplies, and then be attacked from behind by reinforcements sent by the King ^[1]Prince sometimes cause of errorof Chu—losing everything in one devastating blow.

A dark glint flashed in Qian Kan’s eyes.

Hmph. Maybe when the tables turned, it would be Duan Yunfeng kneeling as his prisoner.

Just as Qian Kan was lost in these grand dreams of revenge and glory—

A scout galloped up and reported:

“Zhang Zhicheng, acting prefect of Jinzhou, has already opened the gates and surrendered with the remaining garrison. He requests that Lord Duan immediately enter the city and take command of military and civil affairs—he only asks that the city’s civilians be spared.”

Qian Kan: “…”

“Move out—”

With a flick of his riding crop, Duan Yunfeng led his army forward.

He didn’t forget to glance back and mock Qian Kan. “Seems like your assistant prefect is a lot smarter than you.”

Beneath the towering city gates, an envoy sent by Zhang Zhicheng respectfully presented a formal surrender decree to Duan Yunfeng. Immediately after, thousands of Jinzhou’s city guards laid down their weapons and armor, handing full control of the gates over to the Zhenbei Army.

“And where’s the Princess?” Duan Yunfeng, still on horseback, scanned the crowd around him but saw no sign of the person he expected. He turned to Song Shiyu and asked, “Did you send someone to fetch her? I told you earlier to send someone.”

Song Shiyu hurried to defend himself, “I did.”

Duan Yunfeng looked left and right. “Then where is she?”

Song Shiyu replied, “I was a step too late. That assistant prefect—what’s-his-name Zhang—had already sent people to escort her into Jinzhou in an extravagant procession. Honestly, the spectacle was grander than your wedding day.”

Duan Yunfeng said, “What? That guy surnamed Zhang…”

He barely stopped himself from blurting out, “So rich?”

Song Shiyu added, “That Zhang guy’s a real schemer. He’s clearly trying to curry favor with the Princess now, probably terrified of getting purged. He’s counting on her whispering sweet things about him in your ear. Just wait and see.”

Duan Yunfeng snorted. “Then he’s seriously miscalculated. I’m not that easy to sway with pillow talk.”

He turned to his military advisor, Zhou Ye. “Uncle Zhou, do you know this Zhang Zhicheng?”

Zhou Ye nodded. “Yes. Zhang Zhicheng is quite the ‘character.’ Years ago, he served as an assistant official under the imperial-appointed governor of Jinzhou…”

Duan Yunfeng asked, “So his credentials are even older than Su Yue’s?”

Zhou Ye replied, “Exactly. When he took office, you were only this tall…”

He held his hand low at his side to show just how small.

Duan Yunfeng: “…”

Zhou Ye continued, getting back to the point. “Back then, rebel forces had just risen up in Shandong, with great momentum. Jinzhou fell one after another. Zhang first advised the then-governor to surrender to the rebels. Later, when His Highness retook Jinzhou, and Su Yue was appointed governor, Zhang served under him as well. Then Su Yue’s ungrateful adopted son Qian Kan defected, and Zhang remained in his original post.”

Duan Yunfeng frowned. “This man cannot be kept around.”

Altogether, including opening the gates for him, this Zhang Zhicheng had surrendered four times.

Worse than a wobbling tumbler toy—give him a gate, and he’d surrender on the spot.

Just as Duan Yunfeng passed through the city gate on horseback, he saw a man dressed in a civil official’s robe kneeling on the broad avenue ahead. Behind him stood over a hundred Jinzhou officials and their families, all lined up respectfully.

“Your humble servant Zhang Zhicheng, along with Jinzhou’s civil servants, welcomes Your Highness!”

Duan Yunfeng accepted their kneeling salutes. He gestured to his troops to maintain strict discipline—no disturbing farmland or harming civilians. The officer in charge of military discipline immediately stepped forward with sword in hand to oversee the army’s conduct. Any violations would be punished by execution.

As the army marched toward the Governor’s Office, Duan Yunfeng dismounted and handed his reins to his attendant. He turned and cast a cold glance at the tightly bound Qian Kan and his accomplices.

“This man has committed treason, betrayed his superiors, aided rebel traitor Li Jichang, murdered Governor Su Yue and the entire Su family—his crimes are beyond measure. By law, he must be executed. Throw him in prison. I’ll personally oversee his execution.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers promptly carried Qian Kan away.

Having dealt with Qian Kan, Duan Yunfeng turned and shot a glance at Zhang Zhicheng. The look nearly made Zhang flinch—he was terrified Duan might execute him next.

But Duan Yunfeng merely smiled and said, “I hear Assistant Prefect Zhang already sent someone to receive my wife?”

Zhang Zhicheng nodded. “Yes. I had her escorted back to the residence to rest. Please, Your Highness, follow me.”

The Zhang family, as a prominent gentry clan in Jinzhou, had deep roots in the region.

Their residence was a grand estate with five courtyards.

Zhang Zhicheng had vacated the largest wing of his mansion to accommodate Xiao Heng, aiming to show how much importance he placed on the “Princess Consort.”

When Duan Yunfeng arrived, Xiao Heng was seated inside, flipping through household registers, land records, and disaster relief logs from the Governor’s Office. Zhang household servants bustled in and out, helping him move things.

Zhang Zhicheng himself stood respectfully at Xiao Heng’s side. If he were holding a fan, he could have taken over Li Jinxi’s job, but Xiao Heng paid it all no mind.

He exuded a natural aura of “supreme authority, unmatched in heaven or earth,” as if he were the true master of the estate—ignoring everyone with practiced ease.

Beside his feet and atop the table sat several chests filled with gold, fine silk, jewels, and jade. It was obvious who had “offered tribute.”

Duan Yunfeng suddenly recalled Song Shiyu’s warning…

A jolt of anxiety struck him—Don’t tell me he really is going to whisper sweet nothings on someone’s pillow on Zhang’s behalf?

He was still angry at Xiao Heng when he left that morning. Now he sat down beside him, lips pressed into a tight line, saying nothing.

Li Jinxi quickly had several plates of sweet pastries brought out and placed in front of Duan Yunfeng. “Your Grace has been marching day and night—you must be hungry. Please have some tea and pastries to ease your stomach.”

Duan Yunfeng shoved a piece of osmanthus cake into his mouth, eyes flicking back and forth between the pastries on the table and Xiao Heng’s face.

Even though these were all his favorites, it didn’t change the fact that he was still angry with the Princess.

Then their eyes met—Xiao Heng’s gaze drifting down coolly.

They locked eyes for two seconds. Then Duan Yunfeng steeled himself and abruptly turned his head away.

Zhang Zhicheng, sensing the delicate tension between the two, grew increasingly uneasy. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke up, “This humble official has arranged a welcome banquet for Your Grace tomorrow at noon. I hope you will honor us with your presence.”

Ever since that infamous “Hongmen Banquet” in Luoyang, Duan Yunfeng had grown wary of invitations to feasts. His first instinct was to decline—but he turned to glance at Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng gave a small nod, indicating he should go.

Duan Yunfeng responded to Zhang Zhicheng, “Very well.”

Zhang Zhicheng immediately offered several flattering remarks, smiling obsequiously. In his mind, the “Princess” had now risen even higher in influence. He resolved to send more people over the next few days to find out what she liked, so he could better curry favor—and maybe, just maybe, get her to speak kindly of him to Duan Yunfeng.

After watching Duan Yunfeng polish off two entire plates of pastries, Xiao Heng waved the servants away. Zhang Zhicheng, feeling relieved, quickly led them all out.

Only then did Xiao Heng pick up a brush and write:

—How do you plan to handle the Jinzhou officials?

Duan Yunfeng crossed his arms and lifted his chin, glancing at Xiao Heng.

See? I didn’t start talking to the Princess—he spoke to me first.

Strangely, the thought gave him a sense of smug satisfaction. He pursed his lips and replied, “All those involved in the rebellion with Qian Kan will be executed, to enforce military discipline… As for Zhang Zhicheng—he may not have directly participated, but he’s a slippery opportunist. I don’t think he should be kept.”

To his surprise, Xiao Heng wrote:

—Zhang Zhicheng cannot be killed.

Duan Yunfeng froze. “Why not?”

His gaze instinctively wandered over to the chests of gold and jewels…

Could the Princess really have been bought off by Zhang Zhicheng?

The Princess doesn’t even care about saving face for me, the legitimate heir of the King of the North—how could she be someone who’d be swayed by a bit of gold and silver bribes?!

Unless… money really can make the devil dance to your tune?

Or maybe… I really am just too poor?

All sorts of thoughts spun through Duan Yunfeng’s mind.

Xiao Heng had no idea what he was thinking. He simply wrote:

—You accepted his surrender. Zhang Zhicheng now represents the interests of thousands of surrendered Jinzhou soldiers and the entire local bureaucracy. If you turn around and kill him, it’ll throw the surrendered troops into disarray, and all the local officials will be on edge. That’s the first reason.

—Zhang Zhicheng enjoys considerable popular support in Jinzhou. Although he’s surrendered many times during his tenure, nearly every time he’s managed to protect the people from warlord massacres. Last year’s drought devastated farmlands across the country, leading to famine, cannibalism, and uprisings. Yet thanks to Zhang’s policies—promoting land reclamation, settling refugees, boosting crop yields, and stockpiling grain—Jinzhou weathered the crisis relatively well. He truly has the talent to govern officials and bring stability. Killing him would cost us the people’s support. That’s the second reason.

—The Zhang family has deep roots in Jinzhou. Touching one hair could unravel the whole web. That’s the third reason.

Duan Yunfeng said, “So we just let Zhang Zhicheng off the hook and let him continue as Jinzhou’s local official?”

Xiao Heng replied:

—Of course not.

—He’s cowardly and weak, a smooth talker who shrinks back at the first sign of outside threats. He absolutely is someone who plays both sides.

Duan Yunfeng asked, “Then what does the Princess intend to do?”

Xiao Heng wrote:

—Before, he could sway between competing powers because he had options. From now on, I’ll crush both his legs so he has no escape. If he’s a nine-tailed fox, I’ll rip out eight of those tails. If he’s a thousand-year-old turtle spirit, I’ll crack open his shell.

—The Chu army’s pursuing forces should be arriving soon. Tomorrow, when you have your meal with Zhang Zhicheng, use the chance to put some pressure on him.

As Xiao Heng wrote those lines, his expression remained perfectly calm. Beneath the gauzy white veil, his face was ethereal and refined like a banished immortal—but every word he wrote was more like something out of a living hell, a devil who chews people to the bone.

He continued writing:

—And another thing. No matter how you look at it, Qian Kan’s rebellion caused losses to our army. Even dispatching a single soldier burns through military funds. The Northern Army has strict discipline—we do not plunder the people of Jinzhou. But the Zhang family has wealth accumulated over generations. As governor, Zhang Zhicheng ought to make a proper offering.

The unspoken message: He can be spared from death, but not from punishment.

To Xiao Heng, Zhang Zhicheng’s “bribe” wasn’t even worth mentioning—not even enough to cover half a month’s payroll for the army.

He wanted a real bleed-out.

Now that, Duan Yunfeng thought, is the Princess I know.

Take the goods and eat the cake too.

That’s more like it.

…

Leaving the Zhang residence, Duan Yunfeng rode straight to the Governor’s Office. After Qian Kan’s betrayal, all the local officials and administration in Jinzhou needed a thorough review.

By the time he arrived, Zhou Ye had already compiled the dossiers of all the officials under Jinzhou’s jurisdiction. Concerned about how to deal with them, he immediately asked Duan Yunfeng for guidance.

Duan Yunfeng laid out Xiao Heng’s entire plan for him. After hearing it, Zhou Ye couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. “Her Highness is truly brilliant. Her methods are extraordinary. This plan isn’t something an average person could ever come up with—truly killing two birds with one stone.”

Seeing how even his own aide-de-camp spoke of the Princess with such boundless reverence and admiration—as if she were his master and not Duan Yunfeng—Duan couldn’t help grumbling inwardly, I’m the one who has to go have dinner with that old fox Zhang Zhicheng. He clearly needs something from me, yet won’t even say a kind word in my favor.

Zhou Ye didn’t know why he was sulking again and said, “Come on, just think—who do you think the Princess is doing all this for?”

“For the Northern Army and you, Your Grace.”

He said earnestly, “Ever since the heir entrusted the treasury to the Princess to manage, Her Highness has spent every single coin on military supplies. When it comes to food, clothing, and personal expenses, she has always been frugal, never indulging in luxury or extravagance. It’s clear that she is thinking of you, Your Grace, from the bottom of her heart.”

After this reminder, Duan Yunfeng suddenly realized that since marrying him, the Princess had indeed dressed very simply every day, almost to the point of being overly plain—not at all like a pampered noblewoman accustomed to luxury.

It seemed almost unfair to the Princess.

Duan Yunfeng didn’t end up saying, But she’s so harsh to me…

He straightened his lips and said, “Yes, she’s so considerate, so perfect, so understanding. What’s wrong with her?”

Although he was speaking positively, Zhou Ye could still detect the clear bitterness in his tone.

…

In the Zhang residence’s banquet hall.

The gentle stream flowed down from a jagged artificial mountain.

At the banquet table, guests were toasting and exchanging pleasantries, creating a lively, cheerful scene.

That is, if one ignored the fact that outside the Zhang residence, the entire compound was surrounded by Northern Army soldiers holding long spears.

It was the middle of winter, but Zhang Zhicheng almost broke into a sweat. His gaze kept landing on the golden knife at Duan Yunfeng’s waist.

The atmosphere didn’t resemble a banquet at all—one might think they were preparing for an execution.

Zhang Zhicheng had also heard that this young heir had a bad temper, and once angered, no one could stop him. He was extra cautious, afraid that if Duan Yunfeng got drunk and in a bad mood, he might just slice him down.

“Come! Let me toast you!” Duan Yunfeng’s face flushed as he raised his wine cup, leaning forward toward Zhang Zhicheng and insisting on clinking glasses.

It had to be said, Duan Yunfeng was indeed exceptionally handsome. He had the deep, well-defined features typical of people from the northern border, yet you could also see traces of his refined, delicate mother’s beauty from the Central Plains. His eyelashes were particularly long, and his eyes had a slight downward curve at the corners. Even when his lips were not moving, he seemed to be smiling. When he smiled, slightly pursing his lips, it was enough to captivate countless young girls waiting in their chambers.

Unfortunately, Zhang Zhicheng was not a young girl, and every time Duan Yunfeng leaned in to toast him, he felt a surge of panic, his heart racing as if it would jump out of his chest.

“Don’t mind it…” Duan Yunfeng extended his hand, vaguely pointing toward the row of guards with knives. “You heard about what happened in Luoyang a few days ago, right?”

Zhang Zhicheng had already sent people to investigate most of what happened during the “Hongmen Banquet” in Luoyang, so hearing Duan Yunfeng suddenly bring it up, he was unsure of his intent. His fear intensified, and his hand holding the wine cup trembled involuntarily, almost spilling the wine. “Of course, I’ve heard.”

“You know, Li Jichang once swore an oath of brotherhood with my father,” Duan Yunfeng said, pursing his lips as his long lashes cast shadows over his eyes. He poured another drink for himself. “He called me ‘brother’ and ‘nephew,’ said such sweet words. And yet…”

Clang!

The wine jug was slammed onto the table.

“He stabbed me in the back!”

Zhang Zhicheng nearly jumped out of his chair.

A sudden weight pressed down on his left shoulder as Duan Yunfeng firmly held him in place.

Zhang Zhicheng’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Duan Yunfeng placed his hand on his shoulder, looking down at him. “I truly despise treacherous, two-faced scoundrels. I hate them with all my heart. I’d kill every traitor if I could…”

He swiftly drew his waist dagger and slammed it onto the table. “If anyone dares betray me, I’ll kill them. Anyone who betrays me with their left hand, I’ll cut off their left hand…”

Zhang Zhicheng’s left hand trembled violently.

Duan Yunfeng: “If someone betrays with their right hand, I’ll cut off their right hand!”

At that moment, a roasted suckling pig was brought to the table.

Duan Yunfeng waved away the servant who was about to carve the meat. “Come, Brother Zhang, I’ll cut the meat for you.”

As he spoke, he drew out a long knife.

The instant the silver blade left its scabbard, Zhang Zhicheng instinctively wanted to run, but Duan Yunfeng had his hand firmly on his shoulder, holding him still. He was unable to move, forced to watch as Duan Yunfeng swung the three-foot-long blade in front of him.

Duan Yunfeng measured the pig with the knife. “Where do you want to eat from? The leg? The chest? The belly? Or…”

“The head, hmm?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Zhicheng saw a flash of silver in front of him. He instinctively closed his eyes.

Clang!

The pig’s head fell off with a loud sound.

Duan Yunfeng handed the pig’s head to Zhang Zhicheng. “Do you want more, Brother Zhang?”

“No… no, thank you.” Zhang Zhicheng shook his head repeatedly. “Your Highness, you cutting the meat for me is already more than enough. I wouldn’t dare trouble you further…”

Duan Yunfeng: “Why be so polite with me?”

“Your Highness…”

At that moment, a servant hurriedly entered to report, “The Princess has arrived. She said you shouldn’t stay out too late today and came to take you back.”

Zhang Zhicheng felt a huge sense of relief and silently exhaled. At that moment, there was no one he was more grateful to than the Princess.

He hoped the Princess would quickly take Duan Yunfeng away, rescuing him from this uncomfortable situation.

Hearing that the Princess had arrived, Duan Yunfeng muttered under his breath, “What is she coming for? Brother Zhang and I haven’t even finished drinking yet!”

“Your Highness, Your Highness,” Zhang Zhicheng quickly grabbed the wine cup from Duan Yunfeng’s hand and persuaded him, “The Princess must have been worried about you, which is why she made this trip. You should rest early. The wine can be drunk another day. It’s freezing outside, and we shouldn’t make the Princess wait in the cold.”

Duan Yunfeng’s expression was still a bit displeased, but he didn’t say anything. He steadied himself against the table and shakily stood up, pushing away a few servants who had come to assist him. He walked toward the door with two quick strides, clearly able to walk on his own.

However, as soon as he stepped out of the banquet hall and saw the person waiting under the eaves, his hands and feet seemed to forget how to work together. He stumbled forward, utterly drunk.

“Your Highness!”

The servant beside him was startled.

Duan Yunfeng precisely fell into Xiao Heng’s arms.

Xiao Heng reached out and steadied him.

It was windy outside, and fine snow was falling. Xiao Heng was wearing a crane-feather cloak with a fur collar. As Duan Yunfeng leaned against his shoulder, his face was right against the fur, feeling an incredible warmth. He had only worn a thin robe out of the banquet hall and hadn’t felt cold, but now, with the alcohol’s effect fading, he desperately wanted to burrow into Xiao Heng’s embrace.

Xiao Heng could feel the shivering of the person in his arms. The warm breath Duan Yunfeng exhaled turned into mist, and when Xiao Heng lowered his gaze, he saw Duan Yunfeng rubbing his cheek against the fur collar, causing it to shed fur with a faint “swish.”

Perhaps the weather really was cold today, as Xiao Heng didn’t bother to address Duan Yunfeng’s inappropriate behavior.

He wrapped his arm around Duan Yunfeng’s waist and began leading him toward the carriage.

But Duan Yunfeng, unwilling to yield, decided to silently challenge him. He purposely froze in place, refusing to move. No matter how Xiao Heng tried to pull him, he wouldn’t budge, wanting to see what the Princess would do with him.^[2]Shameless Duan Yunfeng 😹

The next second, he met Xiao Heng’s cold, downward gaze.

A brief moment of guilt flashed in Duan Yunfeng’s widened eyes.

But it lasted only a moment, and then he closed his eyes again, pretending to be drunk. “Ah, my head hurts.”

Xiao Heng, with an expressionless face, watched him pretend to be drunk, then subtly pressed his palm firmly into Duan Yunfeng’s waist, pinching him hard. Duan Yunfeng instantly jerked awake, like a cooked shrimp, and pushed against Xiao Heng’s shoulder, jumping away. “What are you doing?”

Seeing that Duan Yunfeng was now fully able to move and walk quickly, Xiao Heng didn’t pay him any further attention. He gestured for Li Jinxi to stop Zhang Zhicheng and indicated he wanted to speak with him privately.

Seeing that his act of pretending to be drunk had been exposed, Duan Yunfeng gave up the pretense. He walked into the carriage, leaned against the soft cushions, and complained, “It’s all for you, drinking with the old man for half the night.”

Xiao Heng: “?”

Now, he truly understood how adept Duan Yunfeng was at turning things upside down.

Let’s forget that Zhang Zhicheng was thirty-eight this year—how did he become an old man in Duan Yunfeng’s words?

And what did he mean by for him?

Duan Yunfeng grabbed Xiao Heng’s hand, not letting him leave. “You have nothing to say?”

“I’m not unreasonable,” he raised an eyebrow and stared at Xiao Heng, “Just kiss me, once… just once…”