As twilight descended, the shops along the street of the Protectorate had closed for the night, with only two lanterns in front of the Protectorate still glowing with a fist-sized brightness in the evening darkness.

A guard in civilian clothing entered through the gate, holding a letter intended for Xiang Yao, who was close to Feng Shuo.

His lowly status meant he wasn’t qualified to meet Feng Shuo directly.

The servant in the manor remarked that it was an inconvenient time for his arrival. “Guard Xiang has gone with the prince to eliminate the Turkic forces that attacked Dingjia Village a few days ago. He probably won’t return until tomorrow morning.”

The guard hesitated to leave.

He had been ordered to secretly monitor a chef named Jiang and had a strong feeling that this letter, meant for the capital, was crucial.

Afraid of delaying the information, he stood waiting in the corridor.

At the other end of the corridor, a group approached, led by a woman dressed in a lilac-colored armor with vine patterns, underneath which she wore a pale yellow skirt.

A top-quality jade bracelet adorned her wrist, and her expression carried an air of pride, indicating her significant status within the manor.

The young maidservants behind her carried golden bowls and plates, some of which had only been touched once, while others had hardly been touched at all.

Upon seeing the woman, the servant eagerly called out, “Aunt Fangqing!”

The woman was beautiful, barely in her twenties, but her title of “aunt” suggested she came from the palace.

The guard quickly lowered his head, not daring to look up.

Fangqing was a senior maidservant next to the Grand Empress Dowager.

In the manor, besides the masters, only Madam Song and the old steward were her superiors.

Noticing the guard’s attire, she asked, “Why is there an outsider in the manor?”

The servant hurriedly explained, “He is here on the prince’s business, saying he has urgent correspondence to deliver to Guard Xiang.”

Aunt Fangqing immediately scolded, “This is against the rules! The Grand Empress Dowager is residing here; how can there be an outsider staying overnight in the manor?”

Once she invoked the name of the Grand Empress Dowager, both the servant and the guard were intimidated.

The guard quickly said, “Aunt, please calm down. I will wait outside the manor for the prince.”

As autumn deepened, the nights grew colder, and waiting in the corridor offered some shelter from the wind, whereas waiting outside would expose one to the biting cold.

When Fangqing heard that the letter was to be delivered to Feng Shuo through Xiang Yao, a quick flicker of something passed through her eyes.

She told the guard, “Hand the letter to me, and I will deliver it to Guard Xiang for you.”

The guard hesitated; he knew that important matters should not pass through the hands of others, even if it was a senior maidservant.

Seeing his silence, Fangqing narrowed her eyes and said sternly, “Are you worried I might go back on my word?”

Being a person from the palace, her imposing demeanor left the guard no choice but to comply, and he hurriedly handed over the letter, saying, “Thank you, Aunt.”

Fangqing took the letter, strutting away with her maids, while the guard quickly left to avoid further trouble.

Once they were a distance away, Fangqing took a quick glance at the letter in her hand.

From the large, exquisite characters, she could barely make out that it was meant for the capital.

She didn’t care where the letter came from or what it involved; she was just pleased to have another reason to get closer to Feng Shuo.

A cold wind swept through, causing the lanterns in the corridor to sway, casting shadows that danced about.

Fangqing looked at the darkening night, “At this hour, I wonder if the prince has had his dinner yet…”

The maid behind her, aware of her thoughts, said, “The prince went to clear out the Turkic army; he probably hasn’t had time to eat. Aunt Fangqing, you put in so much effort to prepare lunch; why did you say it was made by Madam Song?”

Feigning anger, Fangqing glared at the maid, “It’s all for the prince’s good. What difference does it make whether I made it or if Madam Song instructed the kitchen to prepare it?”

The maid teased, “Of course, there’s a difference. The prince hasn’t had anyone who understands his needs for years, and now that you’re here, someone finally does!”

Fangqing felt a surge of joy from this compliment, but she scolded, “Who gave you the nerve to speak of the master like that? I just hope the Empress Dowager can recover soon and that we won’t have any more incidents like earlier today, where the prince had to visit her and nearly got hit in the forehead with a teacup…”

If not for this reason, the prince wouldn’t have left the manor without having a meal.

As the night turned cold and dew settled, Fangqing didn’t return to her room to rest; instead, she went to the kitchen to make soup, instructing a young maidservant to keep an eye on the gate for any movement.

By the time Feng Shuo returned to the manor, it was already past midnight.

Fangqing received a message from the young maidservant, informing her that Feng Shuo was in the study.

She quickly tucked the letter away and brought the prepared soup with her.

However, she was stopped at the study door by the guard, “This is a restricted area; no one may enter without permission!”

The guards accompanying Feng Shuo were not like the servants in the manor; they were all cold and indifferent, showing no regard for her status as a prominent figure beside the Grand Empress Dowager.

Fangqing felt somewhat embarrassed. “I’m here to bring the prince a midnight snack.”

The guard coldly rejected her, “The prince does not eat after the hour of the rooster.”

This bowl of soup seemed wasted.

Feeling awkward yet somewhat unwilling to give up, she considered mentioning the letter but feared that the guard would insist she hand it directly to Feng Shuo.

After pondering, she finally said, “I have matters regarding the Grand Empress Dowager that I need to present to the prince in person.”

Only then did the guard go in to announce her.

Shortly after, he returned, allowing Fangqing to enter.

Fangqing was overjoyed and quickly carried the bowl of soup inside.

Five candles lit up the tall candlestick, illuminating the desk before her.

Inside, Feng Shuo was frowning under the candlelight, writing something.

His armor still bore traces of dried blood, and he exuded an aura of ferocity and tension from having just come from battle, making it hard for anyone to meet his gaze.

In those chilling phoenix eyes lay a shard of broken ice and snow.

A drop of blood splattered beneath the corner of his eye looked like a tiny vermilion tear mole, rendering his entire face devilishly enchanting.

Fangqing heard her own heartbeat quicken, staring dreamily at Feng Shuo, momentarily forgetting her words.

Feng Shuo hadn’t heard Fang Qing speak for a long time and raised an eyebrow in impatience.

When he noticed her expression, his aura turned icy. “How is the Empress Dowager?”

Startled back to reality by his chilling voice, Fang Qing stumbled over her words, recounting what dishes the Empress Dowager had consumed that evening.

Seeing Feng Shuo’s darkening expression, Fang Qing realized that using the Empress Dowager as an excuse to see him might provoke his wrath.

She quickly set the soup bowl on a low table beside her and took out a letter from her bosom. “Someone entered the palace at night and asked me to deliver this letter to the prince.”

Feng Shuo paused his writing, his gaze slicing through Fang Qing like an ice blade.

The corners of his exquisitely shaped lips curled into a sarcastic arc as he let out a soft snort.

He didn’t say anything, but Fang Qing felt her legs tremble, nearly unable to stand, as chills coursed through her from head to toe.

Xing Yao frowned at Fang Qing, knowing she had touched upon the prince’s greatest taboo.

First, she had used the Empress Dowager as an excuse to enter the study, and now she had somehow managed to obtain a letter sent by a spy.

If she weren’t the Empress Dowager’s favored maid, the prince would have ordered her to be dragged out and beaten to death long ago.

Feng Shuo coldly spoke, “If my people don’t even know whom to deliver things to, then there’s no need for them to live.”

Fang Qing’s complexion paled; she hadn’t expected things to be this serious.

In the palace, any secret letters were naturally handled by her as the Empress Dowager’s senior maid.

She thought she could enjoy similar treatment by Feng Shuo, only to realize how wrong she was.

Her knees buckled, and she knelt down, trembling and pleading, “Prince, I swear I’ve never seen this letter before. It was just like this when it was handed to me. I… I couldn’t bear to see the person who brought the letter waiting late into the night, so I decided to present it to you, hoping you would spare me this once, considering I’ve served the Empress Dowager for many years…”

Hearing her words, Feng Shuo’s gaze turned even colder, a cruel smile forming at the corners of his mouth. “If it weren’t for thinking of my mother, do you think you’d still be able to kneel here and talk?”

At his words, Fang Qing’s face drained of color.

Even while kneeling, she trembled like a leaf in the wind.

Feng Shuo coldly asked her, “How did this letter end up in your hands?”

Fang Qing finally gathered her courage and truthfully explained.

Feng Shuo’s eyes grew colder, his face mocking. “Once you leave the palace, have you forgotten how to be an obedient dog? You can reach out to me, but who gave you the audacity?”

Fang Qing regretted her earlier decisions, knocking her head on the ground in desperation. “Prince! I know I was wrong! I was just worried that you hadn’t had your dinner, and I wanted to send you some soup…”

Feng Shuo’s eyes were filled with coldness and disdain. “If you use my mother as an excuse again, you won’t need that tongue of yours anymore.”

“Drag her out and give her thirty strikes.”

The guards at the study door immediately entered to seize her, while Xing Yao stepped forward to take the letter from Fang Qing’s hands.

In Feng Shuo’s position, the number of secret letters he received daily was countless.

If the matter was significant, the letters would bear a secret seal.

Seeing no seal on this letter, Xing Yao assumed it was an ordinary letter and thought it could wait for a reply in three to five days.

He placed the letter at the corner of the writing desk and sorted through the pile of letters on the desk, separating them by the presence or absence of secret seals.

The stack without seals was placed with Jiang Yanyi’s letter, meaning those could be delayed for response.

The urgent secret letters with seals were set aside, needing a reply within two days.

When the old steward Fuxi brought tea to Feng Shuo, he saw Fang Qing gagged and punished in the yard.

He shook his head inwardly.

Fang Qing’s little schemes had not escaped his notice.

Usually, she behaved properly and never crossed any lines, which is why he hadn’t reprimanded her.

Who would have thought she would make such a foolish mistake today?

After pouring tea for Feng Shuo, he advised, “Prince, the residence ought to have a mistress; it seems more fitting. You are now twenty-two years old.”

He had originally been a eunuch in the palace, and his voice was naturally a bit sharper than others.

In the Da Xuan Dynasty, girls were typically betrothed before reaching their coming-of-age ceremony, and boys were also betrothed before turning twenty.

Delays would only occur due to mourning, and it was rare for a prince like Feng Shuo to be this age without even a maid for warmth.

Years ago, before the young emperor ascended the throne, many court officials had criticized him for this.

Some even spread rumors, claiming Feng Shuo appeared feminine, suggesting he had an affinity for young boys.

The capital was not devoid of nobility who favored such relationships, but at the same time, they had lovely wives and beautiful maids.

Feng Shuo remained solitary, and the rumors grew wilder, claiming he was no different from the boys at the Southern Wind Pavilion, even fabricating stories about his affairs with his fierce generals.

Ultimately, the rumors ceased when no one in the capital dared to spread them further.

Feng Shuo used extremely violent means to punish those who fabricated the rumors, cutting out their tongues and sending them to the Southern Wind Pavilion for a time of pleasure.