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Guo momo felt her heart shake.

She really couldn't blame such a responsible young man. But the last of her pettiness moved her mouth more than her reasoning did.

"Take a look at her." She widened the gap on the door.

Feng Yanyan went inside like a gust of wind only to find JuZi laying on the bed on her stomach.

The back of her thighs up to her buttocks were covered by towels. He stood rooted to the spot.

"This..." There could only be one explanation to this scene. The poor maid was flogged and she didn't inform him.

Guo momo's bitterness dripped from her words. "Can the young master still take responsibility if the master was the one who punished her like this?"

Feng Yanyan whipped his head to the side. He was confused.

Wangye? Why? Was this the reason her Highness asked Zizi to stay?

Did she decide to lash out on the maid because she couldn't hurt Feng Yanyan?

But that's... too cruel!

He never asked justice for what happened to him because it was a Junzhu he was up against. He didn't want more trouble to befall on himself.

But did the King have to hurt his people?

Thoughts of self-blame raked Feng Yanyan's head. He breathed a yes to answer Guo momo's question. Then he turned around and vanished.

All of the people in the room were stunned. He was too fast!

Guo momo was alarmed. "Stop him!"

Did he want to get himself killed?! What did he mean, yes?

He would go to wangye and ask for an explanation? The old woman had to find a seat to steady herself. She clutched her chest with a palm as she gazed at her granddaughter. These past two days were too stimulating for her.

If she knew the young master Feng cared about his palace maids this much, she wouldn't have let him enter the door.

Feng Yanyan used a bit of preliminary qinggong to run to the King's residence.

>qinggong - light martial arts that make you look like you're gliding over the air<

Naturally, Jiao and Pu Tao wouldn't be able to follow him.

He thought he had forgotten the rage and humiliation Long Tang had given him. But it all came back to him at this moment.

He arrived in front of Zhongqing courtyard panting more because of anger than physical exertion. But he forced himself to calm down.

These people wouldn't let him enter if he was aggressive from the start.

Chief eunuch Cheng soon came out and was surprised to see him in this state. But thinking of his background and how her Highness showed consideration to this mei ren, the chief eunuch let him in.

He nodded and entered without a hitch, forgetting to thank the eunuch.

Wan Li Wang was sitting in her study. This was the first time he stepped in here. The last few times he'd seen her Highness was in the residence's drawing room where she always looked deathlike and anemic.

Sitting here, she seemed healthy enough as compared to what she claimed.

But Feng Yanyan lost all reasoning. He slammed both his palms on the desk. A crack appeared in the middle and soon, the table crumbled taking along with it all the papers, ink and brushes. His eyes watered from the fine powder that rose from the rubble.

"If you want me dead, just say it." He said through gritted teeth. "You don't need to deal with the people around me."

Long Xu Le was suddenly confronted with a red-faced Feng Yanyan. His robes looked sloppy from running and his hair fell down on his shoulders in a messy state. This appearance wasn't qualified to show in front of royalty. 

It seemed Cheng Gong was going senile to allow anyone to walk right into her study like this. The old eunuch didn't learn from the last time with what happened to the former Junzhu.

Her Highness paid no heed to the broken table, seemingly understanding the source of his outrage now. "They let you see her?"

The powder settled on both of their clothes. Long Xu Le waved her hand at the barely visible shadow guards who wanted to intervene. They all went back to their hiding places.

"Why, I'm not allowed to see her?!" His thoughts were filled with horrible punishments and how cruel Wan Li Wang was described in the book. "Did you break her legs?"

His face was contorted with horror and indignation. His hands trembled beside him.

The King took this all in with a detached expression. She, who was used to hiding her thoughts, encountered a challenge right now. The sight of someone openly showing animosity to her was refreshing.

All she received nowadays was fear beyond imagination. The King knew Feng Yanyan also feared her but above all was his hatred and anger.

She found this funny. Such a weak person as him dared to bare his small fangs. Too amusing that she could ignore the utter disrespect he was doing right now.

Did he even fully know what happened? Judging from his expressions, he didn't. If he knew the reason behind the punishment, Long Xu Le doubted if he'd ever show his face to her.

"Don't think too much, Feng Yanyan." She called his name directly.

Her eyes lowered to his hands. She frowned. Both hands were bloody and splintered. Didn't that Feng patriarch tell those fools to protect this weakling?

What kind of lousy protection was angering their young master to death? Even having the audacity to send him here and wreak havoc. 

Beauty Feng was speechless. He was suddenly unsure.

"Wha-what do you mean?"

Long Xu Le didn't bother answering him. The Feng family should be the one explaining things to him. When was it her turn to babysit this wimp of a man? She stood up and dragged him away only to push him to the chaise lounge. Feng Yanyan's fall was cushioned by the soft covers.

His mind went blank and only followed King Wan Li's movement. She went to the shelves and took a box. Dropping it to his lap, she was about to leave.

Who knew Feng-idiot-Yanyan tugged her wrist with his bloody hand. Wangye narrowed her eyes.

"Let go." Her tone was like a cold hand to his nape. But he was stubborn and reckless.

That was when he felt a real icy touch on his cheek. It was light but threatening.

"You have no right to question me." The back of her hand was on his face. It wasn't moving at all but Feng Yanyan shuddered.

It amused her Highness but the young man only saw death in her eyes.

"That maid committed a mistake unrelated to you. Even if you ask, they won't tell you. You should know that I'm very angry but I spared her because she's your maid. Do you understand?"

Feng Yanyan's mind grew blank. What did she say?

"What did she do?" He asked in a daze.

Long Xu Le laughed in anger. How dumb was he? She pressed him down on the chaise. "You didn't listen, did you?"

She sighed, her breath fanning his face. Every second dulled Feng Yanyan's senses even more but there was a growing unease inside him.

"Ask more and I'll punish you." Her fist lightly knocked his cheek.

"Ah!" He yelped in surprise, thinking that Wan Li Wang would suddenly punch him. His eyes grew misty, glaring at her accusingly.

Long Xu Le was stunned. But her expression soon broke. "Pfft..."

She couldn't help it anymore as laughs burst from her lips. He dared to break her table and tell her to kill him but just a little hit made him tremble and yell.

Wangye couldn't understand him and found it ludicrous.

Feng Yanyan was astounded and looked at her foolishly. If a person looked perfect with her resting face, how much more when she's smiling?

The King had to steady herself with her hands on the backrest of the chaise, head tilted in laughter, seeming as if she was enclosing Beauty Feng.

This was the scene that greeted Xiao Hao. 

The middle-aged man was stunned silly. The gongzhu had the sweetest of laughs when she was young. Anyone who would hear it in the Eastern Palace would feel at ease and at home. Her Highness was the pearl her Imperial Father and Mother were proud of.

When was the last time wangye laughed this much? Xiao Hao felt bittersweet somberness suffuse his heart. 

But he had to make his presence known. "Master, someone is requesting an audience."

Long Xu Le soon wiped the smile on her face. The spell was gone and revealed the usual indifference. Someone?

That might mean Xiao Hao couldn't say the person's name. It could be one of their many spies coming to report. She glanced at the man sitting in front of her. He broke her table. It wouldn't be convenient to talk here.

"Alright." She intended to meet the person somewhere else. She turned to Feng Yanyan. "You, treat your hand and leave."

The young man wilted in what seemed to be shame. Wan Li Wang furrowed her brows at Xiao Hao, finding him unpleasant to the eye.

Xiao Hao felt a faint animosity from wangye. He coughed and thought that he shouldn't disturb her Highness in the future. Both parties were unaware of the misunderstanding in their minds.

Long Xu Le walked ahead. When she crossed the threshold of the study, a man was standing in the hallway.

Her Highness was puzzled and looked at Xiao Hao. Why was this person here?

The middle-aged confidant cursed in his mind. He forgot to say he made the man wait here because he couldn't stay at the entrance.

There might be wandering eyes there.

Her Highness looked at the person and felt familiar but couldn't put a finger on it.

Behind her, Feng Yanyan didn't do as he was told. He didn't bother treating his hand and went for the exit. But when he raised his head, Wan Li Wang was looking at him by the door. He wanted to ask what she wanted then remembered he really shouldn't be talking that way.

He wondered what he ate today to act up in front of this cruel King. What if she suddenly got annoyed and slashed his head?

He gulped. Damn, was he stupid?

He tried patting his chest with the less injured hand when he saw another person behind wangye.

Aiyo, could breaking a table make you hallucinate? He shuddered.

"F-fourth–" before he could say brother, a figure closed in on him.

"Ben dian told you to treat your hands."

Before he knew it, he was getting dragged by the wrist.

"Xiao Hao, lead the merchant inside the study."

Merchant? His fourth brother wasn't a merchant.

He was a soldier.

Feng Yanyan was puzzled but he folded after seeing wangye's glare.

Long Xu Le understood now why she felt familiar. The man was three-fourths similar to Feng Yanyan. 

Long Xu Le looked at the mei ren. It was a wonder how she could recall his face.

---

Hohoho is it too fast? Or are you dying from the slow-burn?

Edited: Feb. 15, 2023