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When the confusing commotion died down and Junwang left, another set of dishes was laid out.

But just as Feng Yanyan was perplexed, there came the order. "Eat."

His eyes went wide and his mouth went ahead of himself again. "You don't bestow leftover dishes?"

It was Long Xu Le's turn to be bewildered. "Why would someone bestow leftovers?"

"Ah..." Feng Yanyan's voice grew mosquito-like. "It's just that her Majesty..."

Even without finishing his sentence, King Wan Li understood. The Empress had the habit of bestowing leftover dishes like it was something holy.

She didn't comment but her twisted expression said it all.

"Sangyu takes whatever is left of ben dian's meals."

Beauty Feng tilted his head while his chopsticks traveled to the different dishes, even forgetting to ask permission to start eating.

"Junwang has no cooks?"

At this question, he received a condescending glare from the King seeming to ask if he was dumb.

Was it possible for a prince to not have his own kitchen?

But this made Feng Yanyan more puzzled then something clicked inside his mind as he remembered how Long Sangyu looked at him earlier. 

...The possibility was there, after all-

His gaze turned to Wan Li Wang. She was perfect in every way. Imagine growing up with such an elder sister.

Sis-con prince.

Feng Yanyan gagged in his mind.

"You're asking too many questions about Sangyu."

He lowered his head to slurp more of the rice noodles. It was good that it was sweet!

His eyes brightened as he thought it would be savory like the one served earlier, unbeknownst of the guillotine above his head that was King Wan Li's eyes.

"Hmm? I'm more interested in the leftovers. They look delicious!" Feng Yanyan smacked his lips in regret and went rigid.

Asking himself why he was saying too much as he bit the chopsticks. He didn't dare look up at her.

He didn't see the danger melting from Long Xu Le's face and eventually became placid. "If you like it that much, then eat lunch here later. Tell Cheng Gong if there's something you like."

Round eyes curved into crescents. "Thanking Wangye."

She was so generous, eh?

Long Xu Le studied him for a while. His presence wasn't too bad. The King thought she would be annoyed if he was beside her the whole day. But he followed the rules well and was attentive so this request of his wasn't too much to grant.

Feng Yanyan was like a little ball of sunshine that people would want to keep and treasure. That was the stark difference he had from Feng Ting who was a giant and reliable tree that one could only look up from below.

King Wan Li wasn't aware of the faint curve on her lips.

It took three days of following wangye around before Feng Yanyan's cousin showed up again.

Beauty Feng ended up memorizing the King's routine all day and he ate all his three meals inside Zhongqing.

It was lunchtime. Feng Yanyan ate as usual while the King was reading something and taking notes.

He caught a glimpse of the book earlier and saw the word "Governance" in it. Feng Yanyan couldn't keep up with all the things her Highness was doing.

She jumped from one thing to another seamlessly. If not politics, it was war. If not administration, it was a code of conduct, infrastructure, medicine or other things.

And that was besides all the memorials she was answering.

As Feng Yanyan was biting on his braised pork, Xiao Hao entered and went near her Highness.

"The fourth young master Feng is here."

The mei ren's ears perked and his hand stilled but he pretended he didn't hear anything.

Long Xu Le nodded and the middle-aged man retreated.

"Wangye isn't eating lunch?" Feng Yanyan blinked at the woman who was sitting on the lounge chair quite a distance from the table.

King Wan Li raised a brow. He knew she didn't eat lunch and rarely ate dinner but he was asking this only now?

An evil minx.

She could only describe him like that as it was obvious he wanted to prolong his cousin's wait.

Long Xu Le closed the book in her hand, walked to the table, and sat near him. She chuckled. This man invited her to eat but the utensils on the table were just for him.

It was clear he didn't think things through as he grew flustered. "Oh, Feng will ask someone to bring-"

He didn't get to finish what he was saying.

Her Highness caught his hand and snatched his chopsticks. She started picking from the dishes and putting them in her mouth.

Feng Yanyan's jaw hung open. How could she?

The palace had strict meal rules. The beauty only thought of this now when he was barely even following the etiquette while eating in Zhongqing. Wangye didn't even call him out on this.

With one hand supporting her chin and the other reaching for food while chewing slowly, Long Xu Le was a picture of indolence.

Soon, a smirk arched on her face. "You told me to eat."

Feng Yanyan couldn't believe that King Wan Li knew how to mess with people like this. Wasn't she always a symbol of death and justice? 

His gaze ended up landing on her lips. They glistened from the warmth of the meal. He gulped and his throat felt parched. His hand itched to do something but he didn't know what.

Touch her lips? He would probably be killed.

When he raised his eyes, they accidentally met with hers. His face burned with shame and he looked away while coughing. But there was a storm brewing in Long Xu Le's ink-black orbs.

"You're not allowed to look at me like that." She stood up and left.

Feng Yanyan stayed there as though he was doused with cold water. He got too comfortable. If it was before, he would have feared getting punished. But these three days made him learn that King Wan Li was easygoing compared to the rumors of her cruelty.

She wasn't easy to anger. There was even a time a young maid slipped while trying to curtsy. Noble families would usually punish a careless servant. Her Highness rebuked the nearby eunuchs for not helping the girl up quickly.

King Wan Li looked fierce and brutal but her actions were always reasonable and just.

It made him think she was really different from Wan Li Wang in the book. This was why he lowered his guard too much. Well, he still made a mistake.

"This servant will lead young master Feng." A eunuch pulled him out of his reverie.

Feng Yanyan had a feeling he wouldn't see Wan Li Wang again. He smiled wryly. He crossed the line after all. Forgetting the conservative nature of this era was quite stupid of him.

His body felt exhausted even before he met his cousin.

"Wu di," Feng Yangzhi was serious and also helpless when dealing with his fifth brother.

>五弟 - Wǔ dì - fifth younger brother<

The younger man raised his hand. "I'll listen to what grandfather wants to say. Then, you can go."

It was a rare moment of surrender from Feng Yanyan. But it also meant that he couldn't care less anymore.

A shadow of conflicting emotions passed the older cousin's eyes but he had to compromise. Their previous conversation already ended on a bad note.

He sighed, it looked like he still had to do it like what his father said. Feng Yangzhi stood up with a ramrod-straight posture and his feet were shoulder-width apart.

Seeing this stance, Beauty Feng was shocked. When was the last time that he received a military order from the family?

"Alright. Receive the order from the Commander."

Just as his cousin uttered the first word, Feng Yanyan sprang up from his seat and performed a martial salute. His body still remembered the discipline, it seemed.

"Yes!" Though in his heart, he wanted to lash out at the ridiculous situation, he knew not to complain against the order.

It was true Feng Yanyan grew up in a more lax manner compared to his brothers and sisters in the Feng clan. But that didn't mean he was exempt from everything.

The militaristic way of address to their grandfather was something imbued in their bones. And the military order was probably the same level as the Emperor's edict.

Feng Yangzhi was satisfied that the younger man could still remember this kind of thing even after four years.

"The fifth son of the third generation Feng is prohibited to pursue Suliang's Ping Junwang. He is also prohibited to seek vengeance or trouble for Lady Long Tang by virtue of Commander Feng Haotian's martial law. Live peacefully across thousands of li*. This too shall pass."

Feng Yanyan was astonished by the command. So Grandfather knew of his desire to entrap the prince?

Damn.

His face started heating up from shame. If he knew that his grandfather knew, he wouldn't dare do all sorts of things.

How in the world?

"Feng Yanyan." His cousin reminded him to accept the order.

"Third generation's fifth son receives the command."

After saying that, Beauty Feng was like a depleted balloon. There was still no such thing as a balloon in this era but there was no other appropriate word to describe him.

"S-si ge... I have a question."

>Si ge - fourth elder brother<

Feng Yangzhi only raised a brow as if he already knew what it was.

"How does grandfather know?" By now, Beauty Feng's face was as pale as snow.

His cousin smiled. "I'm not clear on some things too but Da ge mentioned something about a mudslide?"

>da ge - eldest brother<

That face was clearly asking for more gossip.  But Feng Yanyan's face twisted. What mudslide? It took him a while to digest what that was. When the imaginary bulb in his head lit up, his eyes darkened.

He'd rather die than say what happened in the mudslide on the mountain west of Tanglin some years ago.

"Don't ask."

Feng Yangzhi just shrugged. "Commander has a way to know. Do you think that at his age, he won't have a connection or two?"

Beauty Feng frowned. Damn it.

"Ah to hell with it! Anyway, why did you suddenly call Junzhu a Lady?"

---

Live peacefully across thousands of li - this could also mean Live peacefully with Wan Li as the King's title means thousands of li. But Feng Yanyan interpreted the order as the literal thousands of li. Hohoho~

Also, note that the Feng family doesn't distinguish siblings from cousins. Feng Yanyan is called Fifth Son/Brother even though he only has one sibling because all children of the Patriarch's children are counted from eldest to youngest.

Edited: Feb. 16, 2023