The Marquis Ningyuan's Residence.
Tong Fengye stood in front of the kneeling Feng Chu, his face cold as he asked, "May I ask, Marquis Ningyuan, what wrong has Feng Chu done that you would resort to family law to punish him?"
Feng Bo's expression wasn't much better. Being questioned by such a young upstart as Tong Fengye made him lose face. He gritted his teeth and said, "This is my family matter, it has nothing to do with you."
Tong Fengye refused to back down. "This concerns Feng Chu, so it's related to me."
"You won't allow it?" Feng Bo raised an eyebrow impatiently.
Tong Fengye even took a step forward, his eyes blazing, and declared firmly, "No."
"Very well," Feng Bo raised the ruler in his hand high and said sternly, "I will teach you a lesson today."
Tong Fengye was determined to stand in front of Feng Chu. Feng Chu called out to him anxiously, but he ignored her. This time, Feng Bo used eighty percent of his strength; he was truly furious. Tong Fengye's eyes sharpened, and he actually intended to forcefully stop Feng Bo's attack.
Tong Aning cried out anxiously, "Third Brother!"
Su Zhouyue leaped into the air, her skirt swirling, and kicked Feng Bo's wrist, which was holding the ruler.
Feng Bo winced in pain, and the ruler fell to the ground. Su Zhouyue grabbed Tong Fengye by the collar and pulled him behind her.
Su Zhouyue took out a silver whip from her waist and slammed it to the ground with a crack. She asked coldly, "Lord Feng, who did you just say you wanted to teach a lesson to?"
When did it become Feng Bo's place to discipline her son? Did he think she and Tong Aobai were dead?
Feng Bo gripped his wrist. " Su Zhouyue, I'm going to impeach you before His Majesty."
"Do as you please, but if you dare to bully my son, you're asking for death."
Su Zhouyue pointed the whip directly at Feng Bo, Feng Bo's heart skipped a beat.
Tong Aobai walked to Su Zhouyue 'Su Zhouyue side, took her hand, and raised an eyebrow at Feng Bo: "Why don't you explain the whole story, Lord Feng?"
It seemed fair, but Feng Bo knew that this old fox was also cooperating with Su Zhouyue to support Tong Fengye.
Feng Bo said in a deep voice, "This is a family scandal, I don't want to talk about it."
"Since it's a family scandal," Feng Jingruo returned, standing behind Feng Chu, "I can at least hear it, right?"
Feng Bo frowned. " Jingruo, stop fooling around here."
"Father-in-law, you are mistaken. How can this be considered nonsense?" Yan Yunze and his wife were of one mind.
Feng Jingruo wasn't there to argue with Feng Bo. She said, "If Father won't speak, why don't I send someone to invite the Heir of Prince Yong? The heir is always fair and just; he will surely clear Achu."
These words seemed to have touched a nerve with Feng Bo Feng Bo. Pointing at her, he said with exasperation, "Don't you think these things are shameful enough?"
"Shameful?" Feng Jingruo laughed mockingly, her delicate features filled with coldness. " Achu and I lost our mother at a young age, and even survival was a struggle. How could we be afraid of being shameful?"
"What did you say?" Feng Bo said incredulously, "When has your mother ever mistreated you? Even your marriage and your dowry were all prepared by your mother with great care."
"She's not my mother; she's the third party who broke up my mother's marriage. As for you," Feng Jingruo looked at Feng Bo, "Father, you're even worse."
Feng Bo was so angry that his heart was pounding. "You unfilial daughter!"
What's the difference between Feng Jingruo's statement and directly stabbing a major artery?
[It's impossible that Feng Bo was completely unaware of Yang Rong's poor treatment of Feng Jingruo and her deliberate neglect of Feng Chu; he simply couldn't be bothered. As long as these matters within the inner quarters didn't affect his career, they were irrelevant.]
Feng Jingruo that Tong Aning was right, even to the point. As early as the moment when she had a high fever and Yang Rong occupied the courtyard, Feng Jingruo had completely given up on Feng Bo.
She knew that Feng Bo must have tacitly approved of this.
Her and Feng Chu's enemy was never Yang Rong and Feng Ying, but their cold and ruthless biological father.
Unfortunately, Feng Chu still harbored illusions about her father.
Hopefully, this time Feng Chu will see things clearly.
[The reason Feng Bo punished Feng Chu this time was simple: Feng Chu embarrassed him.]
Tong Fengye, still seething with anger, retorted, "I don't know which is more shameful: falling in love at first sight with a monkey or protecting my mother's dowry."
When he came to find Feng Chu, he happened to see Feng Chu walking out in a hurry. He asked her what was going on and learned that Yang Rong actually wanted to touch the dowry left by Feng Chu's mother. He immediately went with Feng Chu to invite the elders of the Feng family to come and let them judge the matter properly.
Unexpectedly, when Feng Bo arrived, he not only dismissed the clan elders with a few words, but also wanted to use family discipline to punish Feng Chu.
Isn't that crazy?
Feng Ying was also present, and he immediately knew that these words were sarcastic. He retorted, " Tong Fengye, who are you insulting?"
Tong Fengye rolled his eyes. "What's it to you who I'm insulting?"
" Tong Fengye, don't go too far."
Yang Rong pulled Feng Ying back, Feng Bo shouted, "That's enough!"
He glanced at everyone present, his gaze finally settling on Feng Jingruo and her brother Feng Chu. He asked, "What do you mean by this? Are you trying to sever ties with me? Just because of this little thing—your mother's dowry?"
[These are minor matters. I really want to open his private stash; it would be a good way to calm my third brother's nerves.]
Tong Fengye looked at Tong Aning and praised her, "Good sister."
Tong Aning: "... Hmm?"
Feng Chu remained kneeling on the ground. He said, "I only have one question, Father. Are you really planning to touch my mother's dowry?"
Feng Bo snorted, "If we don't move, are we just going to leave it there forever?"
"I see."
Feng Chu stood up. His knees were weak from kneeling for so long, and Yan Yunze and Tong Fengye quickly helped him up.
Feng Chu lowered her head and said, "Sister, I don't want to stay here anymore."
"Come home with me, live with me."
Feng Chu silently followed behind Feng Jingruo and Yan Yunze as they walked out.
Feng Bo retorted angrily, " Feng Chu, what kind of behavior is this, living at your sister's house?"
Feng Chu didn't even turn his head.
On the carriage.
Tong Fengye was proudly telling Tong Aning and Tong Yibin about his heroic deeds that day.
Su Zhouyue glanced at him, "You've gotten quite bold, haven't you?"
Tong Fengye knelt down with a thud, "Mother, I was wrong."
Su Zhouyue: "..."
Do you know what the consequences would be if that ruler really fell into your hands?
"I can't just stand by and watch Feng Chu get beaten up for no reason."
Tong Aning patted his shoulder, saying with righteous indignation, "Good Third Brother."
Tong Fengye scratched his head, and Su Zhouyue lost the will to scold him anymore, telling him to get up.
Tong Aobai said, "Don't get angry with the child. Fengye did a good job this time."
Tong Fengye straightened his back, while Tong Aobai received a glare from Su Zhouyue.
Su Zhouyue said, "Brave but reckless."
Tong Aobai: "That's still better than being both brave and reckless."
"Just keep spoiling him!"
Tong Aobai: "?"
When did he ever spoil Tong Fengye? For the remaining quarter of an hour, the carriage was filled with Tong Aobai's soft voice coaxing Su Zhouyue.
A carriage was parked in front of the mansion gate, and there was another carriage besides it.
Tong Aning lifted the carriage curtain to look, "[ Heir Xue has arrived?]"
"Mother, Heir Xue is here. Let's go greet him."
"I don't need you. Have you done your homework?"
Tong Fengye walked into the mansion with a bitter face. Tong Aning found that everyone had left, leaving only her, as if everyone assumed that Xue Lin had come to see her.
Tong Aning: "..."
Miss Tong.
Undeterred, Tong Aning asked, " Heir Xue, who are you looking for so late?"
Xue Lin never beat around the bush; his answer was a simple, clear word. "You."
Tong Aning: "... Oh, what is it?"
"Her Majesty the Empress has given me a task."
Tong Aning blinked. "What kind of job?"
Xue Lin lowered his voice, Tong Aning exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? It's that serious?"
"Yeah, otherwise she wouldn't be in such a hurry."
Tong Aning extended her hand to Xue Lin, "Then give me the things."
Xue Lin placed the item in Tong Aning's hands. Tong Aning looked at it and smelled it, then said, "It should be from the one in the north of the city, but I'm not sure."
I believe Miss Tong.
Seeing that Xue Lin trusted her so much, Tong Aning continued, "The one in the north of the city was a husband-and-wife shop. They had a fight and divorced last year, and now the shop is split in two."
[Sigh, now even a fly that flies between these two shops would be split in two.]
Sichen suppressed a laugh. Was it really that serious? What if someone happened to be standing between the two shops? Would they be split in two?
Thank you, Miss Tong.
Tong Aning twisted her shawl, her movements as graceful as the fluttering fabric. She smiled and said, "I just want to say a few words."
" Miss Tong doesn't have to say those two sentences."
Tong Aning stared at Xue Lin's face and suddenly smiled. Xue Lin looked at himself reflected in Tong Aning's eyes, enveloped in her smile, and felt a warmth spread through his heart. Tong Aning said, "Because you are Heir Xue, I am willing to say these two sentences."
Sichen waved his hand in front of Xue Lin, Xue Lin frowned. "Believe it or not, I'll chop you up."
Sichen said, feeling wronged, "I saw that even after Miss Tong had walked far away, the young master was still staring at her..."
Xue Lin glanced at Sichen and suddenly said, "Sew his mouth shut too."
Sichen: "..."
He didn't care about Xue Lin's attitude and continued, "You could have asked the Eldest Princess, but you insisted on coming to the Marquis's residence, and you even insisted on finding Fourth Miss Tong. What are you thinking, Young Master?"
"The Empress and my aunt are mortal enemies, may I ask?"
Sichen: "..."
"If you used all that guessing skill on real cases, you'd be the Jingzhao Prefecture by now."
Sichen's eyes lit up, and soon he said hesitantly, "But that would be taking advantage of you, Your Highness. Isn't that inappropriate?"
Xue Lin: "..."
Even if Sichen were offered a position second only to the emperor, he would still dare to accept it.
Early the next morning.
Tong Aning didn't sleep well, yawning repeatedly. She had been worried about Feng Chu all night.
Su Zhouyue was afraid that she would poke the spoon up her nose, so she told her to eat properly.
Suddenly, Tong Aning was so startled that she dropped the steamed bun she was holding onto the table. Her eyes widened as she asked, "Third Brother, what did you just say?"
[I must be still half asleep. I must be still half asleep.]
Tong Fengye said, "I want to join the army."
Tong Aning: "...?"