Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 454

Upon Feng Yuan’s return, Mrs. Qin couldn’t help but complain, saying, “Every married daughter is supported by her maternal family. Our family is no exception, yet you don’t even consider my reputation. Feng Yu is just the same!”

Feng Yuan, growing increasingly distressed, retorted loudly, “Mother, you think I don’t want to bring glory to our family and you? And what do you mean by that? Wasn’t our family’s reputation earned by me?” In a rare display of anger, he slammed his fist on the table.

Mrs. Qin, taken aback by his outburst, responded, “If you’re tired, you can rest. Why are you yelling at me? I’ll leave.”

She then claimed to not be feeling well and requested assistance from Zheng Mama to leave the room. With the tent now quiet, Feng Yuan had no outlet for his emotions and became even more despondent.

In the past, when he had been in low spirits, Ge Zhu had been there to console him with gentle words. However, Ge Zhu had requested a divorce, and his mother couldn’t tolerate his temperament any longer or listen to his grievances.

“Bring me some wine!” Feng Yuan bellowed once more. The servants brought wine and side dishes. After dismissing them, Feng Yuan poured himself a drink and soon became somewhat inebriated.

A palace servant later arrived, reporting that Emperor Zhengyuan had sent something over. Although Emperor Zhengyuan had given the same rewards to each family, they were items from the Emperor himself and couldn’t be kept aside.

Feng Yuan personally greeted the palace servant. When the Feng family’s maid noticed his foul mood, she mentioned, “There is still a bottle of royal wine here. His Majesty clearly values Duke Lu.”

Emperor Zhengyuan’s gifts to each family usually consisted of fur and animal meat. On that day, the wine had become a rarity. Feng Yuan’s mood improved somewhat, and after seeing off the palace servant from Emperor Zhengyuan’s side, the maid who had lightened the mood stayed behind, helping to pour wine and serve food.

After consuming a bottle of wine, Feng Yuan’s body became warm, and his vision blurred.

In his semi-intoxicated state, Feng Yuan’s perception blurred, and the maid who had been serving him wine and vegetables seemed to transform into Ge Zhu’s appearance. He couldn’t resist reaching out and grabbing the maid’s hand.

The maid, placed by Mrs. Qin to be by Feng Yuan’s side, understood the unspoken role but hadn’t been attended to by Feng Yuan in quite some time. She was unfazed. Though Feng Yuan referred to her as “Ah Chen” at times and “Zhu” at others, seemingly using her as a substitute, the maid gently guided Feng Yuan into the inner room.

Each family in the camp had brought numerous family members and servants, with the most significant number belonging to the guards and palace staff. The camp’s population was closely monitored to prevent a situation where a few individuals, driven by courage and numbers, could pose a threat to Emperor Zhengyuan’s safety.

As a result, when there was any activity in Duke Lu’s tent, the news swiftly reached others’ ears.

Gu Ye remained at Emperor Zhengyuan’s side, and Xiao Luzi believed that since His Royal Highness had entrusted him with the task, he should also be responsible for the follow-up work. Thus, Xiao Luzi notified the two young eunuchs who were to be used, and they headed to Lu Yuanqi’s side.

Lu Yuanqi’s tent was located next to Mrs. Qin’s, under the banner of Duke Lu. However, as she hadn’t officially joined the Feng family, her tent was considered separate. Over the past two days, she had been mingling to make the most of the precious opportunity provided by Mrs. Qin. Despite her wealth and a collection of jewelry, she had shared these with other noble daughters and restrained her temper to avoid displaying any outbursts in front of others. This had opened doors for her.

After a full day of socializing, she was about to take a break when she overheard two young eunuchs gossiping outside her tent.

One of them said, “Duke Lu had a really unfortunate day. He competed with the general.”

The other said it was not true, “The elder brother who sent His Majesty’s reward to Duke Lu came back and said that he was depressed. He had used alcohol to relieve his worries. People who see him would feel distressed.” 

 “Is it your place to be distressed?” The little eunuch sneered, “Duke Lu is indeed just divorced not long ago, but he is going to marry a lovely bride soon…” The two of them walked away as they talked, and their voices soon dropped. 

Lu Yuanqi furrowed her brow for a moment. She and Feng Yuan had a significant age gap, and she had been concerned about their future relationship. Old Madam Lu had advised her not to overthink it, as men tend to be drawn to bright and beautiful girls. With attentive service, their relationship would naturally develop over time.

Lu Yuanqi had spent the past two days mingling among a crowd of female relatives and hadn’t found an opportunity to connect with Feng Yuan. She had only seen him from a distance before the hunt. While Feng Yuan was no longer young, his martial prowess made him appear brave and strong, further reassuring Lu Yuanqi about their marriage.

When the opportunity finally presented itself, Lu Yuanqi couldn’t let it slip by. She changed into her finest attire and prepared herself. Since Feng Yuan had already sent his servants away, Lu Yuanqi entered the camp without any issues.

After a while, a scream erupted from Duke Lu’s tent…