The Charm of a Powerful Woman Spreads Across the World - Chapter 202
Upon hearing this, Ru Feng could only manage a weak smile and said, "Hmm, maybe. Let's stop here for today. I'm going back to get some sleep; I have to rush to the northern frontier to suppress bandits the day after tomorrow." Ru Feng yawned, enduring the pain, and slowly walked towards her "boudoir." Oh dear, Grandpa is so merciless! If it weren't for my luck, I might already be covered in cuts and bruises. I still have to ride a horse in three days; he doesn't even have a shred of compassion.
That evening, many people came to visit Ru Feng, including Rong Yiying, Yu Jue, Yu Xuan, and Yun Tianze, one after another.
Rong Yiying spoke first, but he simply stared intently at Ru Feng, remaining silent. Ru Feng was also angry that he had lied to her, so she didn't speak either, continuing to look at her book.
Unexpectedly, Rong Yiying spoke up, saying, "Are you still blaming me for betraying the Tiger Wing Camp?"
Ru Feng said calmly, "What's so strange about that? We just have different stances. I'm just upset that I attracted two ungrateful wretches all at once. My judgment of people is terrible." Although she said that, everyone could tell the resentment in Ru Feng's words, just by looking at the way she gripped the teacup.
Rong Yiying gave a bitter smile and said, "My father was just an ordinary scholar from Fanlu Kingdom, but he was exceptionally talented. He met my mother while traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, but my maternal grandfather disapproved, looking down on my father's status. In a fit of anger, my mother eloped with my father. Since they couldn't stay in Fanlu Kingdom, they returned to Chunteng Kingdom, which is not far from Zilu Kingdom, in a border village. My father lived in Haoyun for a while. My father told me that my grandparents were massacred by the Tiger Wing Battalion of Zilu Kingdom. My grandparents died in the massacre at Haoyun. At that time, my father was about to die, but he escaped because he was still young."
At this point, Rong Yiying stopped talking. Ru Feng listened silently, sighed, and thought, "Who can really understand the nature of war? But why does this story sound a bit distant?"
Rong Yiying glanced at Ru Feng and continued, "After returning to my parents' birthplace, I came into this world. They enjoyed a period of happiness, but unfortunately, war broke out again, and my parents were killed in the chaos. I was taken away by someone else when I was six years old, but I always remembered what my father told me. So I thought, one day I will make the Tiger Wing Battalion of the Violet Kingdom pay the price." When she said this, her tone was flat, as if she were talking about something unrelated.
A hint of sadness flashed in Ru Feng's eyes as he thought of the loyal bones forever buried within them, and his eyelids drooped. War—who is right and who is wrong? Who can truly say?
"You did it," Ru Feng said bitterly. So that's how it is. It was all the war's fault. Who would have thought that someone like him would come out of an orange and seek revenge? Grandpa and the others certainly didn't foresee it either. But then again, he also bore a large part of the responsibility; he had let the wolf into the house. But what was the use of saying all this now? They would never come back, just like Rong Yiying's grandparents and parents.
Rong Yiying looked at her and said, "I just didn't expect you to be a woman. Sigh, I really wanted to treat you as a good friend, but sometimes fate plays tricks on us. So be it. I hope you can succeed in the encirclement soon and then leave this place. I always felt that you were not suited for the deep palace. You are more suited to roaming freely in the world." There was a touch of sadness in her tone.
Ru Feng also recalled the days he spent with Rong Yiying. Although they weren't in the same school, they often met, and they even fought side by side in the army. This friendship was probably hard to forget. Now that things had been cleared up, although he still couldn't let go, he didn't feel as bad as before.
"They're here." After a long silence, Rong Yiying said, then lightly leaped out of the window and disappeared in an instant without looking back.
Ru Feng watched the direction he had left in and shook her head heavily. Sigh, after this meeting, would she ever be able to be alone with him again? And how should she face him?
Just as she was thinking about it, Yujue and Yuxuan arrived. They glanced at the two cups of cold tea on the table, raised their eyebrows, and said nothing. Because of their presence, and the thick, soft cushion under Rufeng's bottom, they left quickly after leaving a pile of information about bandits, so as not to disturb Rufeng's rest.
As if no one was around, Ru Feng shuffled onto the bed, still feeling annoyed. Didn't these people know she was a girl now? So, was her bedroom a place where grown men could just walk in? Or did they still not consider themselves girls? They were all so careless.
Just as Ru Feng was sighing, a soft laugh rang out. Ru Feng turned his head abruptly and, sure enough, it was that guy.
Yun Tianze entered somehow, and he appeared quite dashing, waving a white jade fan as he leaned lightly against Ru Feng's table. Seeing Ru Feng looking at him, he winked and smiled, his eyes narrowing, "Little Fengfeng, I've missed you so much! It's only been a day, and I'm already lovesick." His words were teasing, but his actions betrayed his true feelings. Yun Tianze slowly walked over, his eyes fixed on Ru Feng, a serious gaze that frightened her.
Ru Feng chuckled dryly, stood up from the bed, and said, "Why are you here? It's so late." As he spoke, he looked out the window.
"Hmph, are they allowed to come but I'm not? Especially since that straight pine tree has been in your room for so long." There was a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Ru Feng sighed and said, "It seems you know a lot about the situation in my room." How come so many people know about my situation?
Sensing the displeasure in Ru Feng's words, Yun Tianze quickly changed the subject, saying, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. To be honest, I really don't want you to be released from prison. That way, I can rescue you when you're about to be beheaded, and then you can obediently come back to Spring Vine Kingdom with me." His gaze towards Ru Feng was filled with longing.
Ru Feng curled her lip and said, "You're just cursing me. I'm not going back with you."
Yun Tianze put away his fan and said seriously, "Ru Feng, I mean it. If I have you in this life, I will only have you. I will not have any harem of three thousand." He has always been willful, and now that he has grasped the power he should, it is not impossible for him to dote on only one person. It just depends on whether he has the opportunity to do so.
Thinking this, Yun Tianze stared intently at Ru Feng and walked closer to her step by step.
Chapter 154
Judging from his expression, Ru Feng knew what he was up to, so she quickly raised her arm and said, "Alright, I'm injured right now, please don't come any closer." Actually, Ru Feng wasn't afraid of him, after all, Yun Tianze didn't know martial arts.
Yun Tianze shook his fan regretfully and said, "You're really hopeless about that Mu Wenchen." There was regret in his tone, but his eyes flashed with a determination to win.
Ru Feng simply smiled and asked directly, "Did you come to see me for something?"
Seeing that Ru Feng's expression was not good, Yun Tianze had no choice but to say, "I heard you're going to suppress bandits?"
"Everyone knows about this." Especially him. After thinking for a moment, he added, "By the way, thank you Tianze for speaking to me in the main hall." It's good to have a friend like that, even though we've had some unpleasant experiences in the past.
"Oh, then have a safe journey." Seeing Ru Feng's eagerness to avoid him, Yun Tianze didn't get angry but laughed instead, snorted coldly, and left.
Ru Feng watched him slowly walk out the door, sighed softly, and said nothing more.
Ru Feng sat on the bed, regulating her breathing and practicing her skills, because she knew that more people would come.
Sure enough, Mu Wenchen arrived soon after, much to Ru Feng's delight. After exchanging sweet nothings for a while, the two steered the conversation to the main topic. Ru Feng quickly reviewed the documents that Yu Jue and Yu Xuan had brought, organizing them in her mind.
Black Stone Mountain is located in the northernmost border of the Purple Luo Kingdom. It used to be the border of the Shinan Kingdom. Because Black Stone Mountain is backed by a vast desert and is itself a mountain range with many strange rocks, it is a strategic location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. At first, there were people living there, but three years ago, bandits started to cause trouble. About five or six hundred of them occupied that part of the mountain.
Thirty miles from Black Stone Mountain lies a small border town called "Plum Blossom Town," a bustling trading post where merchants from both countries occasionally exchange goods. Bandits typically raided there, riding ostentatiously on tall horses, never killing anyone, only robbing them of their money. However, they were incredibly fast, impossible to catch.
So the officials of Meihua Town requested assistance from the army stationed on the border fifty miles away. Unfortunately, each time they set a trap, the bandits fell for it, or perhaps they had already seen through the army's plot and could not harm them. After several attempts, the imperial court initially sent several generals to suppress the bandits in anger, but all their efforts were in vain. Over time, and given that the bandits there did not kill, rape women, or harm local people, only robbing items from the market or passing travelers and merchants, and with the recent war between Chun Teng Kingdom and Zi Luo Kingdom, the nation's attention was focused on the battlefield, so the imperial court put the matter aside for the time being.
Now that the war has ended, and with Ru Feng having this incident, Yu Jue and Yu Xuan set their sights on Ru Feng, hoping to get him to atone for his crimes through meritorious service.
“A bunch of bandits, really something!” Ru Feng stroked his chin. “Even the army can’t do anything to them. Besides the advantage of the terrain, maybe they have a traitor among us. Otherwise, how could they always escape?”
Mu Wenchen nodded and said, "It's just a possibility."
Ru Feng slapped Mu Wenchen's thigh and asked, "Are the things they stole worth a lot of money?"
Mu Wenchen pointed to the map he had brought and said, "Look here, it's not far from Black Stone Mountain, only twenty miles away, but it's the shortest route from Zilu Kingdom to Shinan Kingdom, so they usually rob here, and the loot they get should be quite valuable."
"Many a little makes a mickle." Ru Feng nodded, her big eyes blinking excitedly as she looked at Mu Wenchen and said, "Wenchen, I feel so excited right now! Just thinking about having something to do makes me happy." Since returning to the capital, Ru Feng had been feeling incredibly bored. The capital wasn't like other places, and with Mu Wenchen around, Ru Feng always felt like she wouldn't get anything done, so she gradually lost her edge.
Mu Wenchen stared intently at Ru Feng's seemingly radiant face, not at his appearance, but at his confidence and courage. At this moment, Ru Feng seemed to be the talented Ru Feng from Fengxian Academy again, with a confident and proud smile, full of energy, as if he were someone who feared nothing.
Did he do something wrong? During this time, because he cared about Ru Feng, he secretly helped Ru Feng with many things and rarely troubled Ru Feng. Unexpectedly, this caused Ru Feng to be idle and his spirits did not seem as energetic as before.
"Don't worry, you'll have a lot to do in the future." Looking at Ru Feng's smiling face, Mu Wenchen couldn't help but touch her cheek. After all, she wasn't a chick that needed constant care, but an eagle that should soar through the sky. Thinking of this, he continued, "Even if you don't become a general in the future, you can still do other things."
Upon hearing this, Ru Feng nodded vigorously and said, "If I marry you, won't you object to me going out and wandering around?" As she spoke, she looked at him expectantly. They had rarely discussed this kind of thing before, but now that they had made up their minds, they needed to start thinking about it. Ru Feng was really afraid that Mu Wenchen would want her to stay at home and be a good wife and mother, which she couldn't do, so she needed to prepare herself in advance.
Mu Wenchen smiled and shook his head: "No, I won't interfere with whatever you want to do, as long as you're happy. And I will always be watching over you from behind, and I'll step in to protect you when you need me."
Upon hearing this, Ru Feng hurriedly dropped the documents in her hand, hugged Mu Wenchen tightly, and said, "Yay! That's great, Mu Wenchen, I love you to death!" Hearing him say that, her future seemed to be very promising.