Chapter 04

"Shan Yuan"

"Xiao Feng, do you know each other?" Princess dowager asked. It was not like she has not passed Xiao Feng's age and it was not like she hadn't seen the light in Xiao Feng's eyes after seeing the prince of Yang. Xiao Feng looks at Shan Yuan who gave a genuine smile as always.

"I don't know prince of Yang but I know Shan Yuan" Xiao Feng answered. Indeed, she never knew Shan Yuan was the prince of Yang, or there was a purpose behind him becoming close to her. But she knows as long as he explained telling her that 'He had no choice or any other excuse she will forgive him even though there is a purpose to getting close to her.

Shan Yuan chuckled hearing Xiao Feng's answer. He has a lot to explain to this girl. If not for her actual temper he could die young. "Princess Dowager, this prince had met princess Xiao outside the palace and we became friends, I hide my identity as a prince. I am truly sorry for lying"

"It's a good thing that Xiao Feng made friends other than generals and soldiers but I wish there is no purpose in becoming friends with her. You must have things to catch up on. Linlin comes with me" Princess dowager had mixed feelings towards this prince of Yang. She knows her granddaughter never makes friends with someone who is not trustworthy but after all, he is a prince from another country.

Linlin nodded and everyone went out closing the doors. "So, you're telling me you're the prince of Yang?" Xiao Feng coughed after asking the question that lingered in her mind since Shan Yuan came.

"Easy, your highness. Yes. I am the prince of Yang and I was hiding my identity because I arrived in the capital before the others and I had nothing to do"

"Or you deliberately, did it?" Xiao Feng knows even though Shan Yuan is a businessman or a prince behind this innocent mask there is a cruel and crafty person.

"Maybe but you know you are my one and only friend. So, you must stay away from these problems" Shan Yuan warned. Shan Yuan regards her as someone he is close to and needs to protect.

"I don't know"

"Your highness, medicine is here," Weining said behind the doors.

"Come in" Shan Yuan was the one who ask Weining to come inside and Weining came inside after two maids open the door.

"Give it to me" Shan Yuan took the bowl and spoon from Weining and took some medicine to the spoon and blow and was going to feed Xiao Feng but Xiao Feng refused to drink and turn to the other side.

"What happened? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Shan Yuan asked.

"I heard this is an antidote?" Xiao Feng asked and Shan Yuan nodded.

"I don't want it"

"Why?" Shan Yuan was confused and Xiao Feng didn't help but was silent and refused to answer.

"Young ma- Your highness, actually princess want to take this chance to make prince Jing divorce the princess," Weining said kneeling. Her master always hides everything and suffers alone. She is always strong but she has her master cry at night. Xiao Feng glared at Weining.

"Xiao Feng, see you don't have to suffer, okay? It's not yet painful but do you know it will feel like thousand of needles pricking inside you on the 6th day? You listen to me. Take the antidote. You can still act like you are poisoned. Don't do stupid things. You don't have to put yourself in pain, there is always a way out" Shan Yuan patiently said while caressing Xiao Feng's head and Xiao Feng also thinks about it and nod.

"B-but I can drink by myself" Shan Yuan chuckled.

"It's okay" Shan Yuan starts to feed Xiao Feng and it was still the 3rd mouth when they heard the maids rejecting the entrance of someone and the door opened harshly right after that.

The 4 people in the room which are Xiao Feng, Shan Yuan, Weining, and Bai Qi look at the entrance.

"Good, I see. Xiao Feng. I am telling you, because of you Ming'er was wronged and is in a coma. If you don't ask the emperor to pardon her, I am not just talking to you like this calm" Prince Jing exclaimed his shoulders still going up and down.

She came and harshly grab Xiao Feng's wrist and was going to go as Weining knelt in front of prince Jing.

"Your highness, at least please let princess take the medicine. Her highness doesn't have enough strength. Please let her take the medicine" Weining plead.

"What medicine?" Prince Jing looks back at Shan Yuan and went towards him and try to grab the medicine bowl but Shan Yuan didn't give him a chance after 3 tries prince Jing stopped and glared at Shan Yuan.

"Weining, let princess drink this" Shan Yuan said and Weining stand up from the ground and bowed saying "Yes"

Prince Jing glared at her but Weining ignore it and took the medicine from Shan Yuan's hand and help Xiao Feng to drink it.

"You, how dare you show no respect to me?" Prince Jing was mad.

"Your highness, this is princess dowager's palace and not prince Jing manor" Weining answered feeding the medicine to Xiao Feng.

"You're prince Jing manor's maid, also you don't have a say in this" At the same time princess dowager came inside.

"Do I have a say in here, your highness the prince Jing?" princess dowager asked.

"Princess dowager"

"I think prince Jing is reasonable and kind and let go of Weining's mistake" Xiao Feng stands up and went toward her outer robe and wears it.

"Let's go"

"Xiao Feng?" princess dowager doesn't know what's going on in this younger generation's mind. Xiao Feng just gave a reassuring smile.

"Just wait, grandmother" Shan Yuan just smiled seeing through Xiao Feng. Prince Jing and Xiao Feng together went to the emperor's palace.

"Prince Jing and princess consort Jing are here" A eunuch announced and the emperor signaled to let them in.

"Let them come in" the imperial head eunuch announced back and Xiao Feng came inside and knelt in front of the emperor.

"Xiao Feng, pay her respect to your majesty" Xiao Feng greets the emperor and then prince Jing greets his royal father but the emperor completely ignored prince Jing.

"Oh Xiao Feng, stand up. Don't be formal. I'm your, father-in-law, also your uncle, and right now your health matters the most"

"Thank you, your majesty" Xiao Feng stands up with the help of a maid as Xiao Feng cough a little.

"Why are you here? You should rest in princess dowager's palace"

"Your majesty, can I be bold enough to ask for a favor?" Xiao Feng asked not forgetting to cough in between a few words.

"Xiao Feng, when you were little, you were bold enough to play with my imperial seal. I think even a crown prince hasn't touched an imperial seal before" Xiao Feng gets what the emperor meant and prince Jing also gets what was meant but prince Jing has this instinct that something bad is coming up.

"I think I have done a huge sin and I will have retribution in a few days. I would lucky enough if I would be able to survive."

"Xiao Feng, you just came to your 16 years, I think. How can you just think like that? I have already sent my people to search for an antidote and there is no need for any punishment. What great sin you have done? Let's all go to the inner chamber to talk" Emperor proposed and everyone went to the inner chamber of the emperor's central palace. Emperor, prince Jing, and Xiao Feng were sitting at the same table.

"So, what do you want? I have to give you anything you wish also since you protect the life of the princes and I didn't have the time to reward you"

"It's my duty"

"Don't be courteous, Xiao Feng. By telling you're bold. I said you're my favorite. You can ask anything" Xiao Feng quickly knelt.

"Your majesty, I only have a few days left. Even though I am cured I don't want to be a burden to prince Jing. Please let me divorce prince Jing. Please make lady Zhao the princess Jing and let her pardon from praying the god for me. After all, she is pregnant with prince Jing's child" Xiao Feng said the last sentence a little weaker and it was almost a whisper.

"Was it prince Jing ask you to do this?" Emperor asked helping Xiao Feng to stand up. Xiao Feng looks at prince Jing with guilty and looks back at the emperor and shook her head. Prince Jing knows something is wrong but doesn't know where is wrong.

"No, your majesty. I was unable to bear a child for prince Jing and I am already half dead. Please your majesty' Xiao Feng

"I will pardon lady Zhao" Hearing this prince Jing forgot everything he thought and stand up and bow to his royal father.

"Thank you, royal father" He turned to go.

"Where are you going?" Emperor asked.

"To Ming'er?"

"Did I ask you to go?"

"But royal father"

"Hu Man, send the edict. Lady Zhao is pardoned and she can go back to her palace but she can't meet with prince Jing till Xiao Feng is well"

"Father, Xiao Feng will die in a few days. Is royal father asking me not to meet Ming'er for the rest of my life?" Prince Jing asked. He was cut off from Emperor slapping prince Jing as everyone knelt including Xiao Feng. Emperor helped Xiao Feng to stand up and pat her hand.

"Prince Jing is sad because his princess consort is poisoned. So, prince Jing will worship buddha for blessings. Escort prince Jing to prince Jing's manor" Imperial eunuch Hu Man helped prince Jing. "Your highness, please don't make this hard for me" Prince Jing went out of the palace hall in anger.

"Left prime ministers and princess West's daughter, Princess Jing is virtuous and courageous. Xiao Feng is granted the title of princess royal of the First rank. Same honor as crown prince" Xiao Feng was a little stupefied. There was a princess royal when the founding emperor was in power. She was then given another title which is even more powerful than this. She even attended the court with the princess's royal title.

"Congratulation princess royal. Hurry thanks his majesty" the Imperial eunuch reminds Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng quickly kneels thanking the emperor. "Thank you, your majesty"

"Xiao Feng, it would be good if you can accompany me but considering your health royal aunt will kill me if I keep you. And for the marriage, you can divorce prince Jing if you want. Also wear more since winter is coming. Escort your princess back"

"Yes, your majesty" Xiao Feng was walking back to the princess dowager's palace with Weining. Weining also congratulate Xiao Feng on the way and when they came back to the princess dowager's palace Shan Yuan was still there. She explained everything that happened.

"Then congratulations, princess royal" Shan Yuan congratulate Xiao Feng.

"Thank you, your highness. Prince of Yang" Xiao Feng said and they both chuckled together with their servants.

"Princess Xiao Feng, take the edict" Everyone went outside to take the edict.

"Congratulations, princess dowager. Princess royal" Imperial eunuch congratulates again. After taking the edict a maid helps the princess dowager to stand up and the princess dowager's maid took the eunuch for tea in the main hall. Shan Yuan came back at night with Xiao Feng's medicine. Xiao Feng was taking the medicine.

"You have already taken the antidote. You have to take medicine to nourish your health and to completely recover your health. Also, I heard that you said you're guilty of not bearing a child for prince Jing. Do you want to bear a child at a young age? Also, for your stupid husband" Shan Yuan's voice was jealous.

Xiao Feng choked on the medicine as she started coughing and Shan Yuan patted her back. "I was just trying more and more to end this but his majesty" Xiao Feng stopped in a middle way.

"Seem like prince Yang wants to be the father" Linlin whispered to Weining.

"Linlin"

"I think so too," Bai Qi said and the three of them laughed.

"So will you divorce that stupid man?" Shan Yuan asked and Xiao Feng shook his head.

"But why?" Shan Yuan almost whinnied.

"Looks like you want me to be husbandless, hah?"

"I am just saying. You're still young. You can marry again"

"But I am already here, though his majesty said I can divorce him, I know still he hopes I will hang for a while. The kingdom is not stable. There isn't a crown prince yet"

"Xiao Feng, do you want to help that bastard to the crown?" Xiao Feng chuckled knowing that Shan Yuan must have a lot of hatred toward prince Jing.

"Guess" Xiao Feng look at Shan Yuan and Shan Yuan also looks at Xiao Feng's eyes like he is trying to get what is inside her mind. They both could see themselves in their eyes.

"I don't think you will" Xiao Feng clapped and looked away.

"That's right. I will be staying in the prince Jing manor for now"

"Reason?"

"Shan Yuan, you should go back when your work is done here" Shan Yuan's expressions change to a serious one.

"You want me to go back? Y-you sure? You don't want me to stay?" Shan Yuan asked. He already knows his feelings toward and wants Xiao Feng to have the same feeling. Even if she wants the world, he will do his best to do that.

"I meant what I said"