Вдовствующая императрица Сяосюань

Глава 167

Ru Feng secretly applied the medicine before letting Lin Yilan help him put on his court robes. He was now a third-rank general, so he was wearing the corresponding clothes, which he had just brought back for himself. Ru Feng looked at them and saw that they were purple official robes with a leopard woven on them, making him look very imposing.

With a slender figure and features sculpted as if by divine inspiration, her skin was fair and delicate. Although a red mole on her forehead gave Ru Feng a touch of femininity, it also added a lively charm. More than a year of military campaigns had made Ru Feng's heroic spirit even stronger, and she still looked androgynous. At this moment, her bright eyes were even more captivating, and her every move was graceful and poised. Her purple dress made Ru Feng look elegant and dignified, with a graceful demeanor. She looked more like a civil official than a military general.

Lin Yilan looked at Rufeng and said absentmindedly, "Rufeng, why aren't you a man? If you were a man, how lucky we women would be to see you like this!"

Ru Feng pulled out a fan and waved it. She smiled slightly and said, "Mother, I don't want incest. Father will kill me."

Lin Yilan was startled awake by Ru Feng's laughter. Upon hearing this, she blushed and angrily said, "You little rascal, you're really indecent!"

Ru Feng sighed inwardly, wondering who had been indecent first. Honestly, someone of a higher generation was blatantly putting pressure on him, and he didn't dare to resist much.

Lin Yilan continued, "But it's good that you're a woman. I think you'd be absolutely stunning if you wore women's clothes. I thought it was already a great joy that your father and I had given birth to your older sister, but I never expected you to be even more beautiful than her. Yet, from birth until now, you've never worn women's clothes even once. Alas, we've wasted all the best years of your life as a woman." As she spoke, her expression turned unpleasant.

Upon hearing this, Ru Feng quickly comforted her, saying, "Mother, every cloud has a silver lining. It might be better for me to dress as a man. Otherwise, I probably won't be able to learn martial arts. If I grow up and become famous for my beauty, I'll probably attract a lot of suitors. Wouldn't I be a femme fatale?" As she spoke, a smug smile appeared on her face again.

Lin Yilan rolled her eyes at her, scolded her a few times, and then let it go, because time was up.

As he walked to the gate, he attracted countless flirtatious glances from other women. Ru Feng could only pretend not to notice; a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow, so he decided to let it go.

Upon reaching the gate, two fine horses were waiting. When Yu Chi Fengyang saw Ru Feng, a proud smile appeared on his face, but he immediately frowned: "Why does it take so long to change clothes?"

Ru Feng touched his Adam's apple, coughed softly, and said, "Sorry, Grandpa, it won't happen again. Let's go." Hmph, who knows if there will be a next time.

The two mounted their horses together and, escorted by dozens of guards, rode towards the palace.

Lin Yilan and Yuchi Song watched their departing figures from the doorway, and suddenly whispered, "Sigh, Rufeng is dressed so beautifully today, do you think it might cause some trouble?"

"Probably not!" Yu Chisong muttered, feeling uneasy as well.

Upon arriving at the palace, the others could only wait outside, while Ru Feng and Yu Chi Fengyang went in alone.

Looking at this magnificent palace complex located in the northernmost part of the central capital, Ru Feng was secretly awestruck. He slowly admired it, marveling at the towering palace walls, which were truly magnificent and awe-inspiring! Ru Feng couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

The palace roof before me stretched out freely, its two wings resembling a large bird in flight, or an exaggerated stroke of a great calligrapher's brush, displaying a dignified, majestic, and confident style despite its lack of elaborate carving. I had seen these on television before, and they were quite different from the Forbidden City, but the feeling they evoked was the same—grand and imposing, even making one feel insignificant.

They hadn't walked more than a few steps when a waiting palace maid led Ru Feng and his companions through the palace gates. As they walked, Ru Feng felt the endless palace walls, the soaring eaves and intricate brackets, and the magnificent grandeur. The patrolling soldiers, the busy eunuchs, and the bustling palace maids all gave Ru Feng a tremendous sense of reality. It felt like he wasn't watching television, but experiencing it firsthand. Everywhere was brightly lit, with pavilions every five steps and towers every ten; winding corridors and soaring eaves—everywhere was exquisite and opulent. No wonder so many people wanted to be emperor! Ru Feng thought. After walking for about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, they suddenly encountered an official. Yu Chi Fengyang chatted quietly with him for a few moments, while Ru Feng, bored, had to maintain a smile for the official.

Just when he was bored, a young eunuch happened to deliver a few words to Ru Feng, thus rescuing him.

Ru Feng was delighted and said, "Grandpa, I'll go for a walk with him first, and then we'll go to the banquet later."

Yu Chi Fengyang stared intently at the handsome eunuch for a moment, and then agreed.

Ru Feng then walked quickly over, her face beaming with undisguised joy. She could only ask the little eunuch, "Is it very close to here?"

The eunuch's shrill voice rang out: "Don't worry, we'll be there soon."

As Ru Feng hurried along, she quietly straightened her clothes. Honestly, why did he only contact her now? Where was he all this time? And was her clothing messy or dirty? She should have come in a sedan chair instead of riding a horse. Had the wind already messed up her hair?

(P.S. The plot here is disjointed)

Volume 3, Chapter 132: The Banquet (Description of a ruthless yet compassionate path)

The familiar voice did not elicit joy from Ru Feng; instead, she roared angrily, "Hmph, you still have the nerve to show your face!" With that, she lunged into the shadows!

A figure flashed and caught Ru Feng in a tight embrace.

Smelling the familiar scent, Ru Feng's body went limp, and she leaned against him, pounding her fists and saying, "You're so angry! Tell me, did you arrange that beautiful woman just now? What do you mean by this?!"

Mu Wenchen pulled Rufeng into his arms, and was taken aback when he heard this. He quickly said, "Rufeng, I didn't arrange any women. I just waited for you for a long time and came to see you."

Upon hearing this, Ru Feng stopped pounding, stepped back, stared directly at Mu Wenchen's face, and asked, "It really wasn't you? You weren't just testing me?"

Mu Wenchen whispered in Ru Feng's ear, "Ru Feng, I know you're a woman, so why would I arrange a beautiful woman for you? If I were to arrange one, it would be a handsome man you like. In that case, I would personally take charge."

Ru Feng chuckled and said, "You're quite the joker, huh?" She breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a surge of tension. If it wasn't Mu Wenchen, then who was it? Or was it that beautiful woman who made the decision herself? Neither was a good possibility.

Mu Wenchen stroked his brows and said softly, "Don't worry, the people who can move around in the palace are either concubines, princesses, or daughters of ministers. Today, my sister-in-law invited all the female relatives of the third rank and above, supposedly to foster relationships or something. So although we haven't found out yet, I will find out sooner or later. By the way, what does she look like? What are she wearing?"

Upon hearing this, Ru Feng hurriedly said, "Because the lantern was a bit dim, I only knew that she was a beautiful woman, but I didn't get a good look at her features. I only knew that she had an oval face, was wearing a pink brocade satin dress, and looked quite young." Ru Feng tried hard to recall what the woman looked like. He was too angry at the time and didn't pay much attention to the beauty's appearance. Now he regretted it very much.

Mu Wenchen nodded thoughtfully, and after a while said, "Alright, I'll investigate this matter later. Now let's talk about what's between us."

Ru Feng pouted and whispered, "What could possibly be between us? Humph, I traveled for over ten days in a carriage to get back, and not only did you not come to greet me, you even made me wait at home for hours! Humph!"

Mu Wenchen quickly explained, "Rufeng, I've been held up by some things. By the way, I've already spoken to my brother and asked him not to transfer you to the frontier. He can stay in the capital as an official for now." He paused for a moment and then said, "Rufeng, I miss you very much."

Before Ru Feng could even savor the last sweet words, she was stunned by Mu Wenchen's pressing lips.

Ru Feng was stunned for a moment, and before she could speak, he gently parted his pearly teeth, sealing her lingering words into her throat. Just as Ru Feng was about to speak, his slightly parted lips were taken advantage of, and his tongue unexpectedly darted in, lingering between Ru Feng's lips and tongue with a fresh scent. Ru Feng closed her eyes, the sensation on her lips becoming even more vivid, her heart pounding like water, as if she had secretly drunk her master's treasured wine when she was seven years old, feeling intoxicated.

After the kiss ended, they stopped only when they were both out of breath. Ru Feng smiled and relaxed, nestled in Mu Wenchen's arms, listening to each other's heartbeats and feeling his rhythmic breathing brush against the back of her neck like feathers.

Ru Feng exhaled softly, his warm body temperature enveloping her, carrying the scent of sandalwood and flowers, gentle and pleasant. Instinctively drawn to the warmth, Ru Feng pressed her face against his chest, enjoying the hazy tranquility of the night. Here, in the shade of the tree, Ru Feng had nothing to fear about being seen, especially with the expert Mu Wenchen present.

Beside him, Mu Wenchen held Ru Feng's waist, his eyes filled with satisfaction. Ru Feng, I've finally seen you again. I've never thought of anyone like this before, not even while working for my brother. Sometimes I wonder, what is Ru Feng doing now? Is she also missing him as much as I am?

Ru Feng smiled slightly and said, "Hehe, your kissing skills have improved again."

Mu Wenchen pinched her waist, feeling a tickle like a breeze, and chuckled. He quickly stopped and said, "It's almost time. You should go to the banquet."

Upon hearing this, Ru Feng said disappointedly, "Then aren't you going?"

Mu Wenchen touched Ru Feng's face and smiled, "I rarely appear in those kinds of occasions, and there aren't many people in the capital who know me, so I won't be going this time either."

Why is this happening? Ru Feng recalled the information she and her parents had gathered. It was said that the current emperor originally had four brothers, but now only the youngest remained. Moreover, the emperor doted on this youngest brother, so although this young prince held no real power, many people still hoped to curry favor with him. Unexpectedly, the young prince rarely appeared in public, so not many people in the capital or the palace had seen him.