Feng Ning liked to stay idle.
To be able to eat, study, and rest every single day without having to do anything else was very satisfying. Interacting with her three maidservants were more than enough for Feng Ning.
She didn’t really need others.
Teacher Xi still came from time to time for a visit. However, there was really not much that she could teach to Feng Ning anymore. Almost everything had been taught completely. Most of the time, she only came to pay a visit because she was curious about how Feng Ning had been doing.
“Your Highness, you’ll turn 15 in a few more days. His Highness Prince Lin Zi Xuan had finally returned from the frontline,” Teacher Xi said during one of their teatime.
Feng Ning was stunned. It was then she recalled about her own engagement and nodded shyly.
9 years had passed in a flash.
She didn’t feel the flow of time at all. And now that it was approaching this time, would it mean that the turbulent time would arrive?
Recalling Prince Lin Zi Xuan’s family members, Feng Ning could guess that things would not be so simple. For him to return at this precise time instead of any other time, she could guess that it was because he wanted to avoid conflict.
“Has the Lin Family sent the betrothal gifts?” Teacher Xi asked. “If the gift they prepared are lacking, you can tell me and I’ll try to complain.”
Feng Ning had received the list of items that Prince Lin Zi Xuan gave to her. To be honest, she really didn’t know where to put so many things. It seemed that the prince was very generous to her.
Whether it was real or whether it was merely a pretense, she didn’t really care.
All that was important was that he followed his promise in treating her well.
With this gesture, it could be said that at the very least he didn’t look down on her or this engagement at all.
“Yes, Teacher Xi.”
Teacher Xi looked at Feng Ning’s writing and nodded in satisfaction. It was then she recalled something else. She got closer to Feng Ning and whispered, “The Second Prince, Prince Lin Hu Xi had been trying to get close to Princess Lin Mei Ni. There are some rumors about his last failed attempt.”
Feng Ning was speechless.
She did like to hear rumors, but when it involved her cousin, she didn’t really want to hear them. Naturally, she knew that Lin Hu Xi was 20 years old this year and had been quite impatient to get closer to Princess Lin Mei Ni.
After all, he couldn’t target Feng Ning who didn’t appear in any of the banquet and acted like a recluse.
“Your Highness, it’ll be too bad if you didn’t participate in any of the banquets. There will be a lot of people who forgot about your existences.”
Feng Ning shook her head. She silently wrote on the paper in front of her, “It’s better if they forget.”
Teacher Xi looked at her student helplessly.
A lot of other noble ladies wanted to flaunt their skills and be admired by many others. But Feng Ning was the complete opposite. What she wanted was simply to have a quiet life without anyone bothering her.
“Alright, alright. Have you prepared for your own adulthood ceremony? I mean, have you decided who to pick to put on the hairpin for you?”
Feng Ning was silent.
Right.
She hadn’t thought about who she should picked to put on that hairpin because it didn’t seem to be… *cough*
She didn’t have any friend.
Feng Ning looked at Teacher Xi.
Seeing her gaze, Teacher Xi sighed and smiled. “I’ll arrange for my daughter to do it if you’re fine with it. Really, you should have meet with more people after your marriage, alright?”
Feng Ning could only nod under the gaze of her teacher. The few people who cared for her were her two teachers and also her maidservants. It was harder for her to refuse what they asked her to do.
Soft hearted.
It was what those people said she was and also one of the cause of her stupidity. Just because she felt pity and being soft hearted towards people who didn’t deserve it, she ended up losing everything.
How laughable.
This time, Feng Ning had no intention of being kind anymore.
If being kind would only result in her own and the people whom she cared end, she would rather not be kind.
After chatting a bit more, Feng Ning finished her preparation and then looked into the distance. In a few more days, she would get married.
If this was her original world, she never had any plan to get married back then.
All she wanted was to accompany her parents until the end. Though, they were nagging her to get married back then. Her father even wanted to arrange her to meet with his friends’ sons….
But everything came crashing down very quickly.
Before anything could happen, things had turned for the worst. Feng Ning herself had never expected that her naivety and stupidity would be used to put her into hellhole where she couldn’t get out.
She could only stay alive and do some low paying jobs in order to get by.
And then she arrived here.
‘Would it be possible for me to get away from here?’
Looking into the courtyard outside, Feng Ning sighed. She had wanted to get away from this live for so many times. But with her capabilities, what could a mere abandoned princess do? Aside from making sure no one could bother her here, there was nothing else.
She couldn’t run away.
And if she did run away, the people around her who were responsible for her safety would be the one to bear the brunt.
She couldn’t do it.
So… just bear with it and enjoyed what she had.
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…
At another place
“Your Highness, His Highness Prince Lin Han Xing is looking for you.”
Lin Zi Xuan had just returned when he received the report from the steward. He didn’t really like this horrible residence, but this was the place where he had to stay for the next few days and faced with that pair of father and son.
“I’ll be there,” Lin Zi Xuan answered plainly.
If he had to say, Lin Zi Xuan had no feeling for his so called father who had chosen to abandon him and his mother when they were both young. He walked to the main hall and saw his father there. Beside him was his main wife, the second wife who came from noble family.
The woman looked at Lin Zi Xuan and snorted lightly before turning her face away. She didn’t even want to spend another second to care for this person.
If not because of his existence, things would have been perfect.
“Imperial Father, did you call for me?” Lin Zi Xuan greeted in accordance to the etiquette. However, the light within his eyes were very cold and unfeeling. It didn’t seem like he wanted to stay here any longer either.
Prince Lin Han Xing looked at Lin Zi Xuan up and down. He really didn’t want to call this brat, but he still had to.
“You’ll be getting married to Princess Xing in a few days. Make sure that you prepare everything thoroughly and do your best not to offend her.”
“Yes, Imperial Father.”
Offend her?
Lin Xi Xuan knew that Prince Lin Han Xing was worried that the real royalty would put them in difficult situation. However, he himself was not worried. If his wife truly made things difficult for him, he had his own method to deal with it.
Besides, his impression of that girl was that she was not someone who was so stupid as to make things difficult to him all the time.
That girl… was very mature for someone her age.
“You’ve been staying at the frontline for a long time. Remember to read more books so that you will be able to present yourself.” The woman beside Prince Lin Han Xing looked at Lin Zi Xuan with distaste.
“I understand.”
Lin Zi Xuan’s eyes gleamed with hostility when he looked at this woman. However, everything was suppressed within the next moment. There was not even a trace of his emotion on his face.
Lin Han Xing continued to talk about some other matters and continued to remind Lin Zi Xuan about his position and so on. As the first child, he ended up being the one his father didn’t want the most.
How laughable.
After an incense stick of time, Prince Lin Han Xing finally stopped. He looked at his first son and nodded quietly.
“You can go.”
Lin Zi Xuan cupped his fist and turned around. He didn’t even want to stay here even a second longer if not because of his father’s order.
Looking at his son’s back, Prince Lin Han Xing snorted lightly and then looked at his wife fawningly. “Don’t worry, Lin Hu Xi will surely be of higher status than him. Even if we couldn’t get Her Highness to take fancy of him, the duke’s daughter is also a good option.”
The woman was actually feeling dissatisfied when she thought of how Lin Zi Xuan could be connected to the real royalty. Even if the other party was only a mute girl who couldn’t do anything much, it was still something.
But there was no use of regret.
Lin Hu Xi also didn’t want to get married with Princess Xing. No matter how glorious her achievement was, she couldn’t be compared to her sisters and her cousin.
“Will His Majesty agreed with the proposal?” the woman asked.
“I’ll do my best.” Prince Lin Han Xing also felt a bit troubled with the fact that the Emperor didn’t like his second son. It caused him to be unable to proceed with his plan and also ambition.
Right now, he could only hope that his second son managed to grab the second princess’s heart before it was too late.
Without it, there was no way that they would be able to have a chance for the throne.
While the two of them were discussing in low voice, Lin Zi Xuan walked along the stone path towards his own residence. He stopped when he saw his younger brother, Lin Hu Xi, walking in the opposite direction.
“Imperial Brother,” Prince Lin Hu Xi greeted.
Lin Zi Xuan cupped his fist and greeted back as response.
“I heard that Imperial Brother will be getting married soon. I wish you happiness, Imperial Brother.” Prince Lin Hu Xi smiled mockingly. In his opinion, to be together with such a dull and quiet person, the days wouldn’t be fun at all.
However, Lin Zi Xuan didn’t seem to care at all. He only looked at his younger brother and said indifferently, “Many thanks for your blessing, Imperial Brother.”
The two of them didn’t say anything else and continued on their way. They were not close to each other and the rivalry between their mother had caused it to be impossible for them to even be friends.
In the end, all they could do was to ignore the other party.
Lin Zi Xuan didn’t directly return to his residence. He paid a short visit to his mother’s quarter. Different from his father and that second wife, his mother’s quarter was more ordinary.
Thankfully, Prince Lin Han Xing didn’t dare to mistreat the other party.
“Mother,” Lin Zi Xuan called.
A middle aged woman was sitting in the middle of the courtyard. Dressed in dark colored dress, she looked rather imposing yet at the same time, elegant. Her eyes flickered as she turned her head to look at the direction of the door. A smile formed on her lips.
“Ah Xuan, you’re here.”
“Yes, Mother.” Lin Zi Xuan walked closer and looked at his mother’s condition. Upon making sure that his mother was fine, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Zi Xuan’s mother, who was now called as Concubine Qi, shook her head lightly when she saw her son looking at her. “You don’t have to worry about me. Just focus on what you should do.”
Seeing his mother’s brilliant smile, Lin Zi Xuan’s eyes deepened. He bowed slightly. “Yes, Mother.”
“Go.”
Lin Zi Xuan took one last look to his mother before he walked away.
When he had gone, Concubine Qi’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. She had waited for decades.
‘Soon… it’ll be soon.’
Muttering under her breath, Concubine Qi closed her eyes. She had worked hard for years and endured everything. When everything finally succeeded, she would celebrate to the fullest of her heart.
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