Outside, there was a rumor that it was the lynx raised by the Feng Yun’s family that did it, yet she asked "Who is the murderer?"

He Chundong was slightly embarrassed, bowed his head to take a sip of tea, and then hesitantly said:

"I can’t lie before the truth. I have indeed heard some rumors detrimental to the Princess, but the Princess needn’t take them to heart. With my father presiding over Andu, no one dares to trouble the Princess..."

Feng Yun thought of the advice He Qia had given her, both openly and covertly, smiled faintly, and looked at him to ask.

"Are you speaking the truth, or just being polite?"

He Chundong didn’t expect her to be so serious, glanced left and right, and seeing no one but Wen Hui, he immediately put down his teacup, his expression becoming solemn as he asked her.

"Princess, you’ve been probing repeatedly, has something happened?"

Feng Yun hesitated for a moment, then said lightly, "Nothing, but when the great king left, he told me that the He father and son are people he trusts most, with whom he could entrust his life. I don’t know if it’s just wishful thinking on the great king’s part?"

He Chundong quietly drew a breath, stood up, and then bent over to give Feng Yun a respectful bow.

"Princess, rest assured, my father and I are loyal to the great king; even in death, our resolve will not change."

"Good," Feng Yun looked straight at him, her expression unchanging as she said, "At present, the Governor’s Office must also be under close watch. It’s inconvenient for me to visit the Governor frequently, so I would ask you, Master He, to convey a message for me. Say that the great king ventured deep into Cangyan Mountain, fearing an assassination by Li Zongxun, and that now his life or death is uncertain. To prevent any changes in Xinzhou, please have the Governor make preparations in advance."

He Chundong’s face immediately changed color.

"How could this be..."

Feng Yun said, "I have already sent people to Xijing to gather information, and we’ll have a definite answer soon. It’s better to be safe than sorry."

Her expression was too calm, as if the person involved was not Pei Jue.

He Chundong was momentarily shocked, disbelieving.

But knowing the seriousness of the situation, he quickly calmed down, asked briefly about Feng Yun’s thoughts, hastily ate a few bites of food at the Xiangyue Pavilion, and then went straight back to report.

-

Since Pei Jue returned to the capital, a large number of troops from the Northern Yong army still remained in what is now the five regions of Xinzhou. So, no matter how the situation changes, as long as Pei Jue’s old subordinates remain loyal to him, then Xinzhou’s five regions would still be under the control of the Northern Yong army...

This is also why Feng Yun was unwilling to leave with Chunyu Yan.

If Pei Jue indeed met with an accident, how could she avenge him if she left? Or avenge her past self?

She must maintain control over the five regions of Xinzhou, and secure the main stronghold of the Northern Yong army.

After all, Pei Jue had left half of the military token with her.

The fear was, after all, that people grow cold once you’re gone.

Most people in the world are indeed fickle. Before coming to Andu City, Feng Yun’s heart was not at ease, but He Chundong’s response gave her great confidence.

Even if we take a step back...

Even if Pei Jue really fell in Cangyan Mountain...

She could still rely on the troops left by him from the Northern Yong army, and by controlling the five regions of Xinzhou, preserve her strength and wait for the day to take revenge for him.

Before leaving at noon, Feng Yun sent people out to gather information, and instructed others to inform Wen Xingsu from the Northern Yong army to find time to visit Huaxi.

After arranging these things, she returned to her room, her body feeling completely drained.

"Aozai..."

Aozai lay by the bed and stood up when he saw her come in, anxiously circling and rubbing against her.

"Don’t be nervous, it’s nothing." Feng Yun, as if embracing a child, drew Aozai into her arms, pressed her face against his, and said softly, "Sister has been rather busy lately and might not have time to care for you. I was thinking of letting you stay in Yun Village for a while, would that be okay?"

Aozai’s eyes shimmered with a faint light, as if he understood everything; he nuzzled Feng Yun’s shoulder, squeezing into her embrace like a child.

"Yun Village is just next door, very close. I will come to see you when I have time. The Crown Prince of Yunchuan doesn’t seem kind, but he loves money. Sister will give him a lot of money and benefits, and he will surely treat you well. Once we get through this rough patch, I’ll bring you back..."

The Marquis of Xuanping’s son’s matter was definitely in their hearts, Aozai, though capable of self-defense, was still too innocent compared with the sinister and venomous humans.

She didn’t want to risk Aozai’s safety due to her own negligence. Of course, the most important thing was Yunchuan’s neutrality; if anything happened, even if Changmen had a grudge against them, it wouldn’t affect Chunyu Yan.

Aozai seemed to comprehend something and nudged her head.

Feng Yun then smiled and said, "Good."

She continued, "Tonight, I’ll have the Princely Heir come over for dinner, and then you’ll follow him."

Feng Yun’s suggestion was indeed not rejected by Chunyu Yan.

He had coveted this lynx that could understand human speech for a long time and was overjoyed to finally have the chance to take it home.

Yet his words were ruthless.

"Feng Twelve, you owe me another favor. How do you plan to repay it?"

"Yes, yes, I owe you," Feng Yun saluted, smiling as she said, "I will take care of Aozai’s food expenses. The Princely Heir must feed him well, make sure he’s full and happy. Whatever money is needed, just say the word."

Chunyu Yan snorted coldly.

"Who do you take me for? Can’t I, Chunyu Yan, afford to raise a single lynx?"

The young seal pup lay at his feet, its head drooping.

Feng Yun smiled, "Alright, then I’ll have to trouble the Princely Heir."

Chunyu Yan felt there was something slightly amiss, as though he’d suffered a setback, but having acquired the pup, he was overjoyed. His eyes shone with delight, a smile tugged at his lips, and he didn’t mind at all.

It was inconvenient for a man and a woman to dine together so often. When the food and wine were served, Feng Yun called over Xing Bing and his wife along with Kong Yun’e to join them.

During the meal, when talk once again turned to the situation in the world, Chunyu Yan appeared nonchalant, as if merely watching a play. Feng Yun, however, suddenly asked him with a smile.

"Does the Princely Heir have any business in Chuzhou?"

Chunyu Yan replied, "What if I do?"

Feng Yun pondered for a moment before lowering her voice, "I’ve heard that the Governor of Chuzhou, Zheng Shoushan, isn’t getting along well with the Yecheng Imperial Court. Is there any truth to this?"

Chunyu Yan narrowed his eyes at Feng Yun.

How could this woman have such grand ambitions?

He felt a chill in his heart, but his tone remained calm, "What do you want with this information?"

Feng Yun curved her lips, "What can I do with it? Just seeing if there’s a chance to sway Li Zongxun’s loyalties."

Chunyu Yan looked at her seriously for a moment before saying, "After the Emperor of Chunde ascended the throne, Zheng Shoushan was the first to pledge allegiance and ask for his seal. Do you think his loyalty can be swayed?"

Feng Yun let out a light laugh.

"He pledged allegiance and asked for his seal because Chuzhou is too close to the armies of Ge Pei in Yecheng and too far from the Beiyong Army in Shiguan—there was no better choice... Besides, if the benefits are sufficient, what fortress can’t be undermined?"

Chunyu Yan feigned a sudden understanding.

"So, the benefits I offered weren’t enough... Feng Twelve, just say it, what do you want?"

Feng Yun watched him veer off topic, observing her with a thoughtful, mocking expression, and scoffed.

"I want Yunchuan Country, will the Princely Heir give it to me?"

Chunyu Yan huffed loudly and rolled his eyes at her in disdain.

Feng Yun ceased her jesting, "I’ll definitely try to shake Zheng Shoushan’s loyalty when the opportunity arises."

If she remembered correctly from her previous life, this Zheng Shoushan rebelled against Li Zongxun, but she couldn’t quite recall the specifics of the incident right now...

Of course, if it became necessary, even if there were no discord between Zheng Shoushan and Li Zongxun, she would create it for them.

Just like...

Marquis of Xuanping with her.

There had been no enmity.

Yet she had managed to create a blood debt...

The orchestrator of the scheme could not be called anything but ruthless.

The only question was whether it was Xiao Cheng to the south, Li Zongxun to the east, or the Grand Princess An of Andu who had played this underhanded card... For the moment, it remained a mystery...

During this period, Feng Yun was in fact not idle.

Under the pretext of her agricultural tool shop and the mines needing a large workforce, as well as the cane forests and sugar mills in Mingquan Town, she issued many recruitment notices, absorbing a large number of laborers and roaming militias across the five districts of Xinzhou, expanding her private army...

Xing Bing had made some calculations; from the slightly over a hundred Meiling troops initially received from Andu County, their numbers had grown to over a thousand, though scattered in various places and all disguised as laborers and farmers, so they didn’t attract too much attention.

In such times, a thousand men could fight a small-scale war. With so many members of the Meiling troop, given time, their potential should not be underestimated.

Xing Bing was a very capable sergeant. He trained the Meiling troop in batches according to Feng Yun’s orders, and the tool shop continually produced weapons far more durable and sharper than what common farmers used, but he never asked why.

Even though he had long realized that Feng Yun’s intentions stretched far beyond merely protecting the produce in her estate and the business in her shops...

The person sent to Xijing to gather intelligence had not returned for a long time.

The messenger sent to report to the Beiyong Army camp had returned in the early hours of the next day, hastening his steps and startling Feng Yun from her sleep.

"Mistress, the people in the camp said that General Wen received an imperial decree from Xijing yesterday at noon and has gone to Xijing. He’s not in the camp..."

Gone to Xijing?

Feng Yun felt a chill in her heart. She sat up quickly from the couch, not bothering to put on her outer garment, just wrapping a Wind-Gown around herself and tying the sash before calling for Ge Guang.

"Quick, ride out of the village immediately and make sure you intercept our good son-in-law before he reaches Xijing. Tell him to return to Andu at once." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Ge Guang was greatly alarmed. He opened his mouth as if to ask something but seeing the change in Feng Yun’s expression, he replied with a "Yes," bowed, and turned to leave.

Feng Yun’s chest heaved with her heart pounding.

Sitting on the edge of the couch, she watched the hourglass marking time and slowly calmed herself down after a long while.

In the sky, the stars had yet to fade, a glittering expanse, promising yet another sun-filled day tomorrow.

Beyond the unbroken ranges of Cangyan Mountain, where sand stretched endlessly, under the same cold moon, it seemed like a different world altogether.