Chapter 1315: Smoke and Fire (Part 1)
uman skin mask on her face. She took off her wedding attire and changed into Feng Ling Xi's clothes. Looking at herself in the mirror, Feng Ling Xi finally felt like she was back."Your Majesty, should..."Princess Consort of Chen."
Feng Aotien greeted, Feng Lingxi came to her senses and nodded at him, as a courtesy.
Since the incident in Tumuwang Town, her view of Feng Aotian changed. They had a talk and things were no longer as strained between them. The animosity they once held towards each other had lessened.
"Xier, this king has something to discuss with General Zhen Guo, so I've invited him to the manor. You go see what's left in the kitchen and bring some over."
"No need, I'm not hungry."
Feng Aotian hurriedly said, how could he let Feng Lingxi bring him food.
"It's okay, you guys chat first. I'll go check the kitchen."
Looking at Feng Lingxi's departing back, Feng Aotian's eyes took a while to look away.
She's changed a lot.
Xier is a reasonable person, if you explain things clearly to her, she won't hold a grudge.
Feng Aotien sighed, “You’re right. Back then, it was because of my love for Wan Ying that I turned into hate and mistreated her as my daughter. Now that she’s cut off all ties with me, I can't help but regret my past actions.”
"The general could think this way, Xier would be happy for you if she knew."
Dugu Cheng was delighted to hear this. Being able to eliminate his hatred for Xi'er, Feng Aotien had no prejudice against Xi'er, which was also a good thing for Xi'er.
After Feng Aotian took his seat, his expression was solemn.
"I presume Crown Prince Chen already knows the purpose of my visit."
"This king will certainly cooperate with the general's investigation."
Feng Aotian nodded, "This time I came here at the emperor's order, there are two things. First, because half a month ago, the Lu family settled in Linxi County and had close dealings with King Chen, sending gifts. This matter has been impeached by officials in the court, with many rumors circulating. The emperor ordered me to come and investigate clearly."
獨孤城點了點頭，“本王已經得到訊息，此事，本王會給將軍解釋清楚，並且上奏皇上這其中的詳細過程。”
"The second matter is regarding Fifth Prince Dugu Feng. The Emperor ordered me to inquire from the Crown Prince if there have been any news."
Dugu Cheng sighed, "As for the Fifth Prince's matter, this king hasn't received any news yet. General, you may not know, this Fifth Prince has been missing for over ten years, with all leads cut off. This king began investigating from the time the Fifth Prince left the palace at the age of five, and every lead I followed came to a dead end. It's really a headache."
In less than a month, the Emperor is already urging him for results. This Dugu Feng should pose no threat to the Emperor, shouldn't he If he doesn't appear, shouldn't the Emperor be even happier
Are you really determined to find the Five Kings and fulfill Dugu Xiu's last wish
Feng Aotian nodded in agreement, "That's true, after all, the Fifth Prince was only five years old when he disappeared. It's indeed difficult to investigate now."
"So, this Queen is also getting a headache now. It seems the task given to me by Your Majesty will not be so easy to accomplish. I'll have to trouble the General and Your Majesty with some sweet words then."
As soon as Dugu City spoke, Feng Aotian raised his hand and said, "King Chen is too polite. This is what I should do. Back then in Tumuwzhen, when I sought help, the princess and the king didn't hold grudges and came to my aid. This favor, I should repay it. Besides, my mother-in-law and King Chen's wife also share a relationship."
Feng Aotian didn't expect Dugu City to say these things to him. This time, he really came with a lot of changes. Looking at Feng Lingxi's changes, Feng Aotian couldn't help but feel something.
"I have something I'd like to ask the Prince, have you encountered any trouble lately"
"It's not troublesome, it's just that life is not as good as before." Dugu City lowered his voice. "General also knows that the imperial court has not sent any grain and salaries. These 500,000 soldiers guarding Linxi County need to eat and drink. This marching and fighting, just the grain and salary alone is a headache."
"This matter has truly troubled Prince Chen. I shall report this to the Emperor upon my return to the capital."
“General, just let me explain briefly. Please don’t trouble the Emperor. It is all my fault. These 500,000 soldiers, I also wanted to hand over the military power to the Emperor, but… I truly have no choice. They refuse. Back then, I promised the late Emperor and they simply wouldn't return to the court. They would rather eat bark and roots than leave.” Dugu Cheng spoke, his eyes slightly moist.
Feng Aotian swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth. This was heartbreaking to hear. In the past, he would have thought that Dugu City was asking for it, but now, he also knew the situation of the court. If the army of King Chen really had to be handed over, then King Chen probably wouldn't be able to survive.
It's hard to please everyone.
"The Crown Prince has worked hard."
Feng Aotian looked at Dugu City, "These soldiers all followed Prince Chen to fight on the battlefield. They have long regarded Prince Chen as their master. It's just that the court's treasury is empty right now, and the issue of military pay, the Emperor also intends to allocate it, but it's also being raised, so I can only trouble Your Highness."
When Dugu Xiu and Dugu Yan were in power, they left no property behind but instead emptied the national treasury. After Emperor Yuan Zhao ascended the throne, he was constantly short of money, both inside and outside the palace. The expenses within the palace alone gave him a headache, let alone military supplies.
"This king knows that the Emperor wouldn't abandon this king. Now, I can only make do, patching things together here and there, to keep going."
獨孤城的這些話讓風傲天不知道該怎麼接話，這說的是真的可憐。
“The Crown Princess should be able to think of a way, let’s calm down first and deal with the emergency.”
Dugu City nodded, "Thanks to Xi'er being able to get some food aid from the Yao clan, and the relationships established with neighboring countries over the years, these small countries have also donated a lot. It's considered enough to survive."
Feng Lingxi carried the food and drink over, hearing Dugu City's words. Although she didn't know how they got to this topic, she didn't ask.
"The food is here."
Looking at the peanuts and roast chicken on the table, Feng Aotien's eyes showed a hint of pity.
"General Feng, that's all we have in the kitchen right now. This roasted chicken was just made by the cook, and it tastes pretty good. It'll be perfect for you to drink with."
Dugu Cheng waved towards Feng Lingxi, "General Zhen Guo, your visit this time is for the sake of Lu's family and Chen Wangfu. This matter, you have the most authority to explain, it depends on your intention."
Feng Lingxi looked into Duguxing's eyes and walked to the side to sit down.
"The head of the Lu family is my biological father."
Feng Lingxi fell silent for a moment before opening her mouth. Feng Aotian, who had just taken a mouthful of peanuts, nearly choked. Seeing Feng Lingxi's dim expression, he asked again, "What did you say Your biological father"
"Yes, they came here to find me and wanted to get to know me. I didn't agree, so they settled down here, hoping that I would recognize them."
Feng Lingxi took a deep breath, "I know you want to ask me why I don't acknowledge him. I can tell you, it was my mother's wish. She forbids me from acknowledging the Lu family."
"Why, what did your mother say to you when Didn't you say you never met her"
Feng Lingxi knew Feng Aotiān knew what he meant, and she didn't want to hide it from him. After all, this time, it was impossible to escape without saying anything. They would eventually find out anyway.
>ey were dissatisfied They could only endure it.The Imperial Concubine Shu spent her days in the Buddhist hall reciting scriptures, unconcerned with matters of the Four King's Mansions or the inner cou...