Chapter 366: Chapter 356 Riot
Fengyu’s joy and excitement were no less than Fang Lingjun’s. Tears of happiness streamed down her face—she had missed Fang Lingjun too much. The refugee gathering area wasn’t a good place for conversation, and it was impossible to bring her back to the Su Family. The two found a teahouse to catch up. Fang Lingjun was so overjoyed that she almost lost her composure. "I never thought I’d see you in Yangzhou! Why are you here? It’s too dangerous—how could you dare? I heard from my grandmother that you were doing business in the West Continent. Are you doing well? Has Xie Xun bullied you? You’ve lost weight."
Fang Lingjun was so worked up that her words tumbled out in a rush. Fengyu looked at her with warm eyes and answered her questions one by one. "Why are you in Yangzhou?"
"Don’t ask—it’s such bad luck. Duke Cheng’en registered one of his illegitimate sons under his legitimate wife’s name to turn him into the heir and inherit the title. The Empress Dowager wants me to marry her younger brother. Dream on! None of their family is decent. That illegitimate brother might not be as reckless as the Imperial Uncle, but he’s weak and useless. My mother flatly rejected the match and, under the pretense of my grandmother’s grave illness, sent me to Jiangnan. My grandmother wants to arrange a marriage for me here in Jiangnan. If I marry here, no one would dare to bully me."
The Princess, born into the Yuwen Family, had a mother from a prominent Jiangnan family. After Fang Lingjun’s grandfather passed away, her grandmother was supposed to stay permanently in the Capital City. However, her grandmother—having been forced to marry into the Yuwen Royal Family—did not like the climate there, nor was she willing to live in widowhood in the capital. So she returned to Yangzhou. Her maternal family had three brothers, all of whom adored her greatly.
After five years of widowhood, she reunited with her lover from whom she had been forcibly separated years prior. The two fell deeply in love again. Defying the opposition from the royal family, Fang Lingjun’s grandmother married her lover. This caused a huge scandal at the time. Widows in the royal family were generally expected to remain alone after their husbands’ deaths—remarriage was unheard of. However, the Grand Marshal was in Jiangnan, and the Princess was compassionate toward her mother, so no one dared interfere in the matter.
Fang Lingjun’s grandmother remarried and lived an extremely harmonious and happy life. The couple spent years traveling and enjoying each other’s company. They were a perfect match, akin to a couple blessed by the heavens. Fang Lingjun also enjoyed visiting Jiangnan to accompany her grandmother for short stays.
"How is Grandma’s health?"
"She’s doing well—still running, jumping, and wielding a broadsword! She’s healthier than I am." Fang Lingjun laughed. "How long are you staying in Yangzhou? I’ll go stay with you at the Su Family’s estate."
"That won’t do. My identity must remain hidden in Yangzhou, or I won’t be able to leave."
"I’ll protect you." Fang Lingjun thumped her chest. "Yangzhou is my family’s territory. My father will be leading troops here soon, and the refugees should be properly resettled."
The city had been chaotic lately, and her grandmother had advised her to stay home. Today, however, was the day her family opened their granary, so she came out to oversee it; she hadn’t expected to run into Fengyu.
Recently, many wealthy merchants in the city had been opening their granaries for disaster relief. Although the prices of grain in the city had risen, they remained within a reasonable range. On this point, the merchants of Yangzhou proved themselves to be very conscientious.
The two chatted for a long time. Somehow, the topic shifted to Fang Lingjun’s marriage. Her grandmother had her eye on a potential match—an eligible bachelor from Yangzhou. The Princess didn’t want her daughter to marry far away and preferred for her to marry someone in the Capital City. Although the Empress Dowager hoped Fang Lingjun would marry into her own family, Fang Lingjun refused, and the Empress Dowager didn’t dare force her. There was plenty of time to find a good match, and there was no rush to settle on one right now.
"After the fall of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, our family became the de facto ’Marquis Zhenbei’ in people’s eyes. Fortunately, being a royal family member protects us—for now. The emperor has already killed one War God, sparking rebellion in Ningzhou, so he wouldn’t dare touch our family again. But my brother and I are constantly under scrutiny when it comes to marriage prospects. Even though my brother has gone to Zhongzhou, matchmakers are practically breaking our door down. Many noble clans, close to the Imperial Family, wish to marry their daughters to my brother, even ignoring his reputation as someone who ’brings ill fortune to his wives.’ As for me, I can’t escape either. Coming to Jiangnan spares me from being constantly summoned to the palace by the Empress Dowager back in the Capital City. If something disgraceful were to happen there, I would have no choice but to endure it. But I don’t want to marry—I’m only sixteen; there’s no rush!" Fang Lingjun’s eyes lit up. "Ayu, why don’t I go with you to the West Continent? I’ve never been there."
"No way!" Fengyu flatly refused. The West Continent was barren and impoverished. Although Junjun could endure hardship, how could she bear to let her? Besides... if Junjun went to the West Continent, the Grand Marshal might suspect she purposely took Junjun as a hostage. Fengyu didn’t dare take such a risk. They were as close as sisters, but now, their circumstances were entirely different.
"Why not?" Fang Lingjun asked in confusion. "Are you afraid my father will get angry?"
"It’s complicated—you can’t go!"
"But I miss all of you so much. Zhang Boxin, Lin Xiao, and Zhou Liyu have all left, and in the Capital City, it’s just Xue Lan and me. It’s so dull. Ever since June, the Capital City has been fraught with tension, and no one dares step out often. I want to be with all of you."
"I miss you too, but it’s impossible!" Fengyu remained rational and did not agree to her request. "Also, you can’t tell anyone that you saw me in Yangzhou. It must remain a secret."