Chapter 38: The Cabbage Lucky Bag

In the Tower of Words, Wei Shaoqian gazed at the bright moon outside the window. Tomorrow would be the Lantern Festival, when the Empress Dowager would adopt Yun Ming as her son. Since Feng Jinye had already agreed, he must have his own plans...

Wei Shaoqian had indeed been busy these days, but not to avoid Feng Jinye. When Feng Jinye embraced her tonight, she understood that he must have discovered the matter of the letters...

Her recent busyness was for something she could only accomplish behind Feng Jinye’s back...

Compared to the New Year’s Eve banquet, the Lantern Festival palace feast was far more relaxed. Without Luo Yanqing to stir up trouble, Wei Shaoqian simply sat quietly by Feng Jinye’s side...

The clinking of cups and utensils remained unchanged at the banquet. Last time, Luo Yanqing had staged a grand performance, and she and Feng Jinye had whispered to each other as if no one else existed. Yet in the short span of half a month, both now harbored secrets.

Feng Jinye felt uneasy. On their way to the palace today, Wei Shaoqian hadn’t spoken a single word to him...

He stared at the empty jade bowl before him, recalling how she had placed vegetables into his bowl days before, how she’d picked out fish for him on New Year’s Eve, and even how she’d made a scene with him on the second day of the new year...

Glancing at the woman beside him, Feng Jinye picked up a pair of jade chopsticks and placed a “Cabbage Fortune Pouch” into Wei Shaoqian’s bowl...

Only then did she look up at him. Taking the “Cabbage Fortune Pouch,” she returned it to his bowl, saying, “The dishes at the palace banquet are always cold by the time they’re served. Since you picked it up, you might as well eat it yourself!”

Feng Jinye was momentarily at a loss. His expression clouded, but he consoled himself—at least she was willing to speak to him. He put the “Cabbage Fortune Pouch” into his mouth...

As he chewed, his face grew increasingly strange. She had done this on purpose.

The “Cabbage Fortune Pouch” was a dish Wei Shaoqian particularly enjoyed. It was made by wrapping minced meat in cabbage leaves and tying them up to resemble little pouches, symbolizing fortune and wealth.

To keep the pouches together, they were tied with the stems of cilantro...

But Feng Jinye hated cilantro. Yet now that the food was in his mouth, he had no choice but to endure the taste, swallowing it with difficulty before hastily reaching for his tea. He did not miss the glint of amusement at the corner of Wei Shaoqian’s eye...

She laughed to herself, not expecting that after his tea, Feng Jinye would pick up another “Cabbage Fortune Pouch” and eat it...

Wei Shaoqian turned to look at him, puzzled by his actions, her eyes filled with confusion.

But after the second pouch, Feng Jinye reached for a third.

She was speechless. Was he truly so childish, retaliating for her little prank by eating these out of spite? But in this contest, he was the only one suffering.

A few officials seated near the Prince of War noticed him eating three “Cabbage Fortune Pouches” in succession and wondered if the dish was exceptionally delicious. Prompted by curiosity, they sampled it as well...

But, as Wei Shaoqian had said, the dish was cold, and those who disliked cilantro all frowned, guessing that the Prince must be fond of it.

There were twelve pouches in all, and Wei Shaoqian thought if Feng Jinye ate the entire plate, he’d be overwhelmed by the cilantro.

She shot him an angry look and picked up a piece of fish for him.

Feng Jinye, seeing her glare, didn’t understand the reason. He glanced at the fish in his bowl, ate it, and then finally set his chopsticks down.

From her seat above, the Empress Dowager had not missed this exchange. She shook her head inwardly—Feng Jinye was far too emotional. She must find an appropriate opportunity to summon Wei Shaoqian to the palace...

Wei Shaoqian wondered when the Empress Dowager would address the main issue. She glanced up at the dais and, by chance, met the Empress Dowager’s gaze. Startled, she quickly looked away, heart pounding—what was the Empress Dowager’s intention? Was she about to take action against her? Had her removal of Luo Yanqing ruined the Empress Dowager’s plans, and now she was plotting something else?

The Empress Dowager hadn’t expected their eyes to meet, but since they had, she looked at Wei Shaoqian with open scrutiny.

Wei Shaoqian averted her gaze, picking up her chopsticks to serve Feng Jinye another dish, absentmindedly choosing the “Cabbage Fortune Pouch” once more...

She placed it in his bowl and, out of nervousness, added, “If you like it, have some more.”

Feng Jinye’s face remained expressionless as he looked at the pouch in his bowl. Only then did Wei Shaoqian realize her mistake and, feeling regretful, tried to take it back. “That was meant for me.”

He knew the dish was cold and unappetizing, but when he saw her chopsticks reaching for his bowl, he swiftly picked up the pouch and ate it before she could.

After three rounds of wine, the Empress Dowager finally broached the subject of the day. Wei Shaoqian was curious what reason she would give for adopting Yun Ming.

The Empress Dowager rose from her seat, her voice tinged with melancholy. “You all know the Emperor has been frail since his ascension twelve years ago. I have had to assist him in governing, but I am old and weary now.”

“It is time to return Liyue to the Emperor. Yet he remains without an heir, and there are no royal brothers. Should anything happen to him, the imperial family would face peril…”

“Therefore, after discussion with the Emperor, I have decided to adopt Yun Ming, the heir of the Marquis of Xibo, as my son, making him and the Emperor true brothers. Yun Ming will thus be better able to assist the Emperor and share the burdens of state affairs!”

The hall was silent as her words fell. No one dared to respond.

The Empress Dowager was unconcerned. Such important matters required time for the ministers and generals to process…

After an indeterminate silence, the Empress Dowager suddenly turned to Feng Jinye, asking, “Jinye, have you any thoughts?”

Wei Shaoqian’s heart skipped a beat. That shameless old witch, calling him so intimately!

Feng Jinye answered coolly, “I have no objections.”

His five words rang out like a gong, echoing through the hall. Had the Prince of War aligned himself with the Empress Dowager?

“Excellent, excellent,” the Empress Dowager replied, clearly pleased.

Yun Ming was not present at the banquet, but the matter was settled. Wei Shaoqian couldn’t help but feel sorrow for him.

With the adoption decided and the banquet drawing to a close, Wei Shaoqian was left in a low mood.

On the carriage ride back to the Prince of War’s residence, she spoke abruptly, “Tomorrow the imperial edict will likely arrive. I don’t wish to hear all those grand, righteous words. Just say I’m ill and won’t get up to kneel and receive the decree!”

To be forced to accept yet made to act as though it were a divine favor...

On New Year’s Eve, she had sworn she would shield Yun Ming from the edict if it came, but never imagined it would end like this...

Feng Jinye understood her frustration and explained gently, “Yun Ming is the Emperor’s cousin. He wants to protect Yun Shuo and save the Emperor. If the royal family has no heir, the Yun family’s children will inevitably be adopted into the imperial house.”

This was Yun Ming’s decision, and as his close friend, Feng Jinye respected it.

Wei Shaoqian felt she’d been too emotional. She knew well that their original intention in sheltering Yun Ming in the Prince of War’s manor was to prevent further attempts on his life...

Nearly thrown off balance by the Empress Dowager, she was reminded by Feng Jinye of what truly mattered—the antidote. “About the masked man in black who brought me the medicine—have you found any leads?”

Feng Jinye withdrew a portrait from his sleeve and handed it to her. “I suspect he is from the Twilight Pavilion.”

Wei Shaoqian was taken aback. Why would someone from the Twilight Pavilion bring her the antidote? The assassin who attacked her on the second day of the wedding was also from the Twilight Pavilion. Could the black-clad figure who harmed her parents also be connected to them?

She studied the portrait, which was drawn based on the description given by the gatekeeper at the Duke of Lu’s residence, and it bore a fair resemblance to the man.

There was a certain air of a killer about the figure in the drawing...

When the carriage reached the Prince of War’s residence, Wei Shaoqian hurried to the Tower of Words, forgetting to return the portrait.

Feng Jinye followed for a few steps, then stopped, thinking he could use the excuse of retrieving the portrait to visit her again the next day...

The following morning, just as Wei Shaoqian had predicted, the imperial edict arrived. Yun Ming was granted the title of Prince Yun and awarded a residence.

The Prince Yun’s residence was to be built in the western part of the city, but until it was completed, Yun Ming would remain at the Prince of War’s manor.

This had been proposed by Feng Jinye the day he was summoned to the palace. It would take at least a year or two to build the new residence, giving him legitimate reason to keep Yun Ming close...

Feng Jinye knew that Wei Shaoqian had also gone out today. More and more, he was convinced she was avoiding him. Using the excuse of retrieving the portrait, he decided to speak to her about the letters.

He waited anxiously outside the moon gate of the Tower of Words, just as he had done the day before, eager for her return...

In the past few days, even when she was late, Wei Shaoqian never returned after the hour of the pig. But this evening, she did not come home, and Feng Jinye grew increasingly uneasy as he waited.

After the hour passed, he sensed something was wrong but held out hope, thinking, “Perhaps if I wait a little longer, she will return.”

But midnight came and went, and Wei Shaoqian still had not come back...

As midnight struck, Feng Jinye knew in his heart that she would not return. Yet he did not go back to his own chambers, instead standing silently outside for the entire night...

At dawn, he finally turned and entered the Tower of Words, pushing open the door to Wei Shaoqian’s room. On the desk lay two portraits—one was the one she’d taken from him the night before, and the other was a sketch she’d drawn based on his.

Feng Jinye sat down heavily, and remained there for a whole day...