The Wen siblings, having sought his patronage, were now utterly exploited by him. How could one dare to owe such a person a favor so easily?
Wen Mengsheng was truly angry this time, his impatience with Feng Er growing. "Young Master Feng, although your maternal grandfather's family is the Prime Minister's residence, my Wen family is not a household to be bullied. Are you speaking in a way that suggests you wish to fall out with us?"
"Hahahaha, since the day I was born, no one has been able to threaten me. What of the Wen family? What of falling out? But do you even have the face to fall out with me? Hasn't the Wen family's reputation already been turned into a doormat for the Grand Princess Changlin?"
"You!"
Upon hearing Feng Er's mockery, Wen Mengsheng instinctively wanted to fight him. However, his meager martial arts skills had already been taught a lesson by Feng Er last time. If he were to act rashly now, he would only be the one to suffer.
Thus, he left with a fierce parting shot, "Fine, you're the one who doesn't know what's good for you. Don't blame me in the future."
With that, he flicked his sleeves and departed. Feng Yunhe wanted to turn his head to glance at the departing Wen Mengsheng, but Feng Er quickly corrected him, "What are you looking at? Be careful not to get a sty! This kind of blustering coward, remember never to waste your words on them!"
"Yes!"
Although Feng Yunhe was young, he was wise beyond his years. Especially after coming to Yunqi Academy, his ability to discern right from wrong had become even more refined.
Others might not understand what kind of person Wen Mengsheng was, but the Feng family was not blind.
After the incident with Wen Xinglu, those who were still willing to associate with Wen Mengsheng were either sycophants or those who wanted to ride on the coattails of Grand Princess Changlin's fame. There was no longer any genuine friendship.
Enraged, Wen Mengsheng returned to his room and smashed things in a fit of anger. The day's events did not remain hidden. Some young masters from upright families with strict household rules developed a much better impression of Feng Er because of this, and vied to befriend him. This is a story for later.
The mountains were peaceful, and many scholars preparing for the spring imperial examinations had been immersing themselves in their studies, their ears closed to the outside world, diligently poring over ancient texts. Meanwhile, the capital city below the mountains was becoming increasingly lively.
At this moment, the imperial street was packed so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through.
The citizens of the capital wanted to witness the grand occasion of the ten thousand nations paying homage. They came with their families, hoping to earn a little money, or simply to join the throng. The crowd was immense, surpassing even the Lantern Festival night. Barriers were erected on both sides of the imperial street to keep people back, and soldiers stood guard along the route, fearing that the crowd might cause congestion and affect the visiting envoys from various countries.
Before long, the troops of the Capital Prefecture cleared the way, and the envoys from the tributary states set off from south to north, heading towards the majestic imperial city in the north.
The Great Jin had dozens of friendly nations, with Xueyu in the north, Qingli in the east, Jiaoren in the south, and Pusi in the west being the most prominent. Many smaller countries surrounding them also sent envoys to accompany them.
Bai Siruo loved excitement, and how could she miss such an occasion?
In a private room at Changchun Tower, she leaned by the window, looking down. Beside her stood Feng Jinyao, whom she had invited, and behind them were Xiao Muqian and Su Cheng, acting as her escorts.
Since the Lantern Festival, the relationship between Xiao Muqian and Bai Siruo had progressed significantly, and they were already engaged. They shouldn't have been meeting privately so often, but considering the large number of people present, Xiao Muqian had come to provide some protection and, incidentally, to witness the grand event.
With Feng Er absent, Su Cheng, claiming to be Feng Jinyao's sworn brother, declared he was there to protect her safety. However, Bai Siruo saw through his intentions.
"Just say you want to join the fun, Brother Su. You're really flattering yourself. Those who know understand you have no romantic feelings for Ah Yao. Those who don't might think you're using this opportunity to show off in front of Ah Yao more often."
Su Cheng bared his white teeth and looked at Bai Siruo menacingly, "Shut up and stop causing trouble for me."
Bai Siruo stuck out her tongue, giving him a look of helplessness.
Su Cheng looked around nervously.
Although only the four of them were present in the private room, who knew if the Prince had sent hidden guards to monitor the vicinity? If those clueless individuals reported it, would he still have a life to live?
Everyone who held power in the Ding Prince's mansion knew the Prince's thoughts.
He glanced at Feng Jinyao's back, couldn't help but swallow, and thought that if people found out he "coveted" the future Princess Consort, he would have no good days ahead. He silently mourned for his future happiness.
"What trouble?" Bai Siruo asked curiously.
Su Cheng looked at her with disappointment, as if she were beyond help. This little girl, just as Feng Er had said, was particularly fond of prying until the bottom of things.
He winked at Xiao Muqian, "Yours, manage her properly!"
"Wrong, I haven't married yet, and I'm still from the Bai family. I'm not under his management."
Xiao Muqian looked at Bai Siruo dotingly and shrugged at Su Cheng's gritting teeth, "She says she's not under my management, so there's nothing I can do."
Instead, Feng Jinyao came to Su Cheng's rescue and interjected, "Cousin, stop joking. Look, it's the people from Xueyu."
Bai Siruo's attention was immediately drawn away.
She saw the procession of envoys stretching like a long dragon, its tail out of sight.
The people from Xueyu, walking at the front, were all tall and robust, with strong physiques. Their hair color was slightly different from theirs, with a hint of reddish-brown or dark brown. Their eyes were deep-set, and their noses were high and straight.
Such appearances naturally drew much discussion from the surrounding crowd.
A child, about seven or eight years old, asked curiously, "Dad, look at their eyes, why are they blue? Can they cast soul-capturing spells?"
"You rascal, you've watched too many street magic shows. Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand. They just look like that. I saw them last time they came to pay homage, exactly the same. I even made eye contact with them."
The father standing beside him was amused and exasperated, so he patiently explained.
The child looked as if he understood, and before he could take his eyes off them, he saw the envoys from Qingli in the east following behind.
What made them stand out was that while other countries' envoys were led by fine horses, they were led by beautiful dancing girls.
With black hair and fair skin, their makeup was peculiar, and their postures were enchanting and graceful. However, the masks they wore inspired awe.
The curtains of the carriage, made of pure white crystals, allowed the envoy sitting inside to be seen indistinctly. Judging by her figure, she was a woman, but her appearance was unknown, which piqued people's curiosity.
"Qingli has a female ruler, and most of its soldiers are women. I heard that the envoy from Qingli this time is their national goddess, making such a mysterious display."
Su Cheng, being most knowledgeable about such gossip, explained to everyone.
Feng Jinyao frowned. Why was this different from her previous life?
She remembered that the envoy from Qingli was clearly the First Princess. Why was it the goddess this time?
Could it be that it was related to her rebirth, and many things had changed as a result?