Chapter 174: Even More Worried

The Feng Family

Madam Feng heard the rumors about the Princess choosing a husband swirling outside, and with each passing day, her heart grew heavier.

To be honest, she had never considered the possibility of a match between her son and the Princess.

The Princess was noble, of course, but the Feng Family was by no means lowly.

She acknowledged the Princess’s good qualities and was grateful for her kindness, but gratitude and marriage were two different things.

Feng Yin was the Feng Family’s only son. Great hopes were placed upon him, and he was destined to bear the family’s heavy responsibilities.

She hadn’t arranged a marriage for him early on, hoping to wait until after his coming-of-age ceremony to select a poised and sensible young woman from a good aristocratic family to become the next lady of the house.

Setting aside the fact that the Princess had been married before, her personality was simply not that of a woman who would support her husband and raise children.

And with Feng Yin’s temperament, he would be completely unable to handle such a woman.

’As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his mother. How could she not understand the son she had borne?’

He was young and looked naive, but he was incredibly opinionated. He usually didn’t care much about things, but once he set his mind on something, no one could sway him.

Before the Lantern Festival, he had bustled about, personally arranging everything, all for the sake of hosting Princess Xuanyang.

After that night, she would sometimes see him staring into space, smiling foolishly one moment and sighing the next. It was the melancholy of lovesickness. He had clearly developed feelings for the Princess.

Now the Princess had created this banquet to select a husband, and for the past few nights, the light in his room had stayed on until dawn.

Madam Feng was worried. Of all the people her son could fall for, why did it have to be Princess Xuanyang, a woman at the very center of a whirlpool?

If her son was truly in love, she wouldn’t be entirely against considering the marriage. But Princess Xuanyang clearly had no such intentions, so it wasn’t even their place to be choosy.

That made her even more worried.

The heart of a young man was sincere and innocent. It was rare for her son to finally experience his first stirrings of love, only for it to be for such a person. If the Princess married someone else, she was truly afraid he would be devastated.

Just as she was thinking this, a maidservant came in to report, "Madam, the Young Master just rushed out."

’Rushed out?’

Madam Feng asked, "Did he say where he was going?"

The maidservant shook her head.

’Could it be that he finally couldn’t resist going to see the Princess?’

Just as Madam Feng was feeling melancholic, the steward approached. "Madam, the Old Master requests your presence."

Imperial Tutor Feng rarely summoned Madam Feng, so she dared not delay and immediately rose to go to him.

She never would have imagined that Imperial Tutor Feng wanted to discuss Feng Yin marrying the Princess.

With a grim face, Imperial Tutor Feng said, "His Majesty told me that the Princess is interested in Feng Yin, and he asked if I was willing to let Feng Yin become the Prince Consort."

’The Princess is interested in Feng Yin? And she proposed marriage?’

Madam Feng’s heart leaped into her throat. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Imperial Tutor Feng declare decisively, "I have already refused. You are Yin’s mother, so you should be aware of this matter and keep it in mind. There is no need to tell Yin."

Madam Feng’s heart, which had just leaped, sank again, feeling heavy as lead. ’It would have been better not to know at all.’

"Father, why did you refuse so bluntly? I think Princess Xuanyang is quite a good person. And she has helped me and Yin several times before."

Imperial Tutor Feng frowned. "Help is help. How can it be lumped together with marriage? Yin absolutely cannot become the Prince Consort."

Madam Feng knew her father-in-law was a man whose word was final. Since he had already refused His Majesty, there was clearly no room for discussion.

"I understand."

Madam Feng assumed Feng Yin had finally given in to his impulse to see the Princess. She didn’t send anyone to bring him back, thinking she would let him have this one happy meeting and deal with everything else later. However, she had no idea that Feng Yin hadn’t gone to the Princess Mansion at all.

Less than an hour after he left, he returned with Feng Yu, who was beaten black and blue.

When Madam Feng heard the news and came out to see, she was completely dumbfounded.

"Feng Yu? What happened to you?"

Feng Yu’s face was a mess of green and purple bruises. She couldn’t even stand steadily and had to be forcefully supported by two maidservants just to walk.

She was in such a wretched state that Madam Feng almost didn’t recognize her. She walked over but didn’t dare touch her, afraid she might have other injuries.

"Where else are you hurt? Who did this to you?"

Feng Yu couldn’t speak. Anxiously, Madam Feng grabbed Feng Yin’s hand. "Yin, what happened to your sister? Who hit her? Who did this to her?"

Madam Feng had only this one son and one daughter; both were the apple of her eye. When had her daughter ever suffered like this?

Feng Yin’s face was taut as he slowly said, "He Changyu did it."

"Changyu? How is that possible?" Madam Feng couldn’t believe it.

How could that honest, kind, and extremely doting son-in-law hit Feng Yu?

He always defended her, and the two of them were deeply in love. How could he possibly resort to violence?

"Yin, are you sure you’re not mistaken?"

Feng Yin replied, "If you don’t believe me, Mother, you can ask Sister and the people with her."

Madam Feng walked over, and Feng Yu threw herself into her arms, crying her heart out.

"Mother... he hit me! He actually dared to hit me..."

"SOB SOB SOB..."

Feng Yu wailed, and once she had cried her fill, she sobbed out her story to Madam Feng. Recently, He Changyu had been acting as if something was wrong. He was extremely irritable, his temper growing worse by the day. He left early and came back late, often not returning until the dead of night, completely exhausted.

She thought he must be troubled by something and considerately asked him about it. Not only did He Changyu refuse to answer, but he also said she was being annoying and moved into the study to sleep.

Worried about her husband, she tried every way she could to find out what was wrong, but all she got in return was a torrent of verbal abuse.

Their relationship as husband and wife had suddenly deteriorated. Then, last night, he came home reeking of alcohol and flew into a rage, demanding that she hand someone over.

Before Feng Yu could even figure out what was happening, he started punching and kicking her, nearly beating her to death.

After beating her, he went to the study. This morning, he came to see her and left her with a vicious threat: she should stop playing dumb and release the person at once, or he wouldn’t let her off.

The more Feng Yu spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. She truly had no idea what was going on.

"I know."

Feng Yin spoke up suddenly, causing both mother and daughter to look over at him.

Feng Yin dismissed all the servants. Once the door was closed, he knelt down ramrod straight.

Madam Feng was stunned for a moment. "Yin, what are you doing?"

Feng Yin omitted any mention of Xiao Li. He only said that he had noticed He Changyu’s strange behavior, investigated, and found the mother and her two children. Then, he had them tied up.

"I did all of it. I just wanted to punish him and make him pay the price for deceiving my sister. The matter was so shocking that I didn’t know how to tell her. I never expected he would actually lay a hand on her."

"My recklessness has harmed my sister. I beg you, Mother, Sister, to punish me."

Feng Yu stared blankly at Feng Yin, too shocked to speak. Finally, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she fainted.

Madam Feng also wore a look of utter disbelief, but before she could say anything, Feng Yu collapsed.

"Feng Yu, Feng Yu..."

Madam Feng frantically called for help—some to pinch Feng Yu’s philtrum, others to fetch a doctor.

After Feng Yu was finally settled, Madam Feng came back out and saw Feng Yin still kneeling in the same spot. It was clear he was blaming himself terribly.

’But he hadn’t done anything wrong. He wasn’t the one at fault.’

She walked over, patted his head, and bent down to help him up. "Go and tell your grandfather about this. He will tell you how to deal with someone who bullies a daughter of the Feng Family."