Xiao Tingyi gave a wry smile and had no choice but to tell the truth.
"My wet nurse was once saved by Miss Feng San. These thank-you gifts were prepared long ago, but very few people knew that my wet nurse was still in Dongdu City, so I couldn't disturb her rashly. Therefore..."
"So you used my name to send them, making it seem natural?"
"Mm."
Yang Zhao, who was observing, couldn't help but admire Miss Feng San when his words were interrupted, yet he showed no displeasure.
"Your Highness is quite calculating. It's a pity about my lifelong reputation. I fear I might not end well. If I send such valuable items, won't the Feng family suspect me of embezzlement, otherwise how could I afford such a grand gesture?"
He feigned an angry expression, but he was no less adept at playing chess with Xiao Tingyi.
In the blink of an eye, a piece in the bottom left corner was captured. Elder Xu smiled at the man sitting as steady as a mountain opposite him and deliberately said, "Your Highness is already smitten, can't even see the chessboard clearly?"
There was no reply. His captivating eyes were fixed on the chessboard. After a moment of thought, he placed a piece fiercely amidst a cluster of white stones, instantly turning the tide of the seemingly losing situation. The black piece struck at the very root of the white formation like a sharp blade, throwing Elder Xu into a panic, almost forcing him to sacrifice his chariot to save his general.
"Hmph, I thought someone could finally defeat you, but I didn't expect you to be unwilling to let go of either beauty or the empire!"
"Elder, be careful with your words. I am merely a sickly invalid, where would I get an empire?"
Elder Xu also felt he had spoken too much and fell silent.
When the late emperor passed away, he was present. The last words he spoke to him before taking his last breath were "Look after my son," and his gaze fell upon the seventeenth prince before him.
It was a pity...
If the late emperor could have lived another ten years, with his abilities, it was uncertain whose hands the empire would have fallen into.
But it was all just a pity.
Now, the Great Jin enjoyed peace and prosperity, and the people lived and worked in contentment. They had no desire to be rebels and ruin this beauty. Therefore, if Prince Ding had to hide, they could only help him hide.
"Mingyue told me that this girl from the Feng family is remarkable, having helped her on multiple occasions. I also found this fox fur thanks to her cleverness. Fine, fine, I'll reluctantly give up my claim. I'll make do with letting the Prince go to that girl. Hmph, it's a bargain for old Bai Xiang! If he knew his granddaughter had caught your eye, he would probably wake up laughing in the middle of the night."
Xiao Tingyi was somewhat speechless. Which eye of Elder Xu's saw that he liked Feng Jinyao?
He was a whole twelve years older than her, and their辈分 (bèi fèn - generational status) was also different. He was merely more curious about Feng Jinyao, but in Elder Xu's words, it had become a matter of romantic love.
He wanted to argue a few words, but seeing Elder Xu's "I understand, you don't need to explain" expression, he immediately lost interest.
After all, there were not a few families who had designs on him over the years. Elder Xu even wanted to send his own granddaughter to Prince Ding's mansion. Further explanation would be futile, so he simply kept quiet.
In the end, Xiao Tingyi narrowly won the chess match by a few moves.
Elder Xu was so angry that his nose was not his nose and his eyes were not his eyes, and he insisted on starting over, vowing to crush his opponent.
This made Xiao Tingyi unable to help but chuckle. If outsiders saw Elder Xu like this, they would be deceived. Heaven knows that when he debated scholars in court, he had made several censors so angry that they vomited blood.
The chess game continued. On the other side, the Feng family's carriage had already arrived at the Bai mansion's entrance.
The servant boy inside immediately beamed with joy upon seeing the visitors and eagerly stepped forward to lead the horses.
"Why has Miss arrived?"
"My lady is here to deliver a congratulatory gift. I heard that the Bai family is getting married to Prince Kang's mansion?"
The servant boy, often stationed at the gate, had seen Yun Xu many times recently, so the two had become quite familiar.
"Yes, yes! The scene yesterday was grand. Prince Kang's mansion only gave the betrothal gifts, and they sent sixty-eight chests. We don't know what's inside, but they looked very heavy, so they must be good treasures!"
"You talk too much."
Yun Xu teased him a few times and gave him some money to buy tea. The servant boy happily accepted it and escorted them into the mansion with a pleasant expression.
The congratulatory gift should have been delivered directly to Bai Siruo, but unfortunately, she and Princess Wenyi had gone to Prince Kang's mansion today. Only Aunt Lin was at home in the back courtyard. Elder Madam Bai had been in the Buddhist hall praying for Buddhist scriptures these days and did not allow disturbance unless it was a matter of great importance. Therefore, Feng Jinyao went directly to her aunt's courtyard.
When the gift list was presented, everything else was fine, but the ginseng was too conspicuous.
"A'yao, this item is not easy to obtain. Where did you get it?"
Aunt Lin's maternal family was also a prominent one, and she had seen many good things. However, even she couldn't help but her eyes light up at the sight of the ginseng, indicating its considerable value.
"It was a coincidence. This morning, before I left, Elder Xu's family sent thank-you gifts, and this was among them. I thought that since my maternal grandparents are getting old, they might have minor ailments. If they had this, they could feel more at ease."
Lin Shi nodded. It was, after all, the child's filial piety, so she accepted it without refusal.
The two chatted for a while. Lin Shi invited her to have breakfast, but Feng Jinyao declined, thinking of the many things she had to attend to at home.
As she walked out of the courtyard and towards the second gate, she saw her third aunt, Madam Shen, who was supposed to be recuperating in bed, stealthily walking towards the outer courtyard. Feng Jinyao frowned. What was she trying to do?
A suspicion arose in her heart. She whispered a few words in Lamei's ear, and then saw her turn and run off. She then gestured for Yun Xu to tread lightly, and the master and servant followed.
She saw Madam Shen wrap herself in an inconspicuous cloak, accompanied by Mama Zheng, whom she had brought from Qiongzhou. Mama Zheng looked around vigilantly, afraid of being followed.
They arrived at the back door and immediately got into a carriage. The carriage was very ordinary, and it did not look like it belonged to the Bai family.
The guard at the back gate had been bribed and had already disappeared, deliberately letting Madam Shen leave. Therefore, Feng Jinyao and her group were not discovered when they followed.
The carriage headed towards the west of the city. Feng Jinyao's doubts grew.
West of the city? That was always where the common people lived. What was Madam Shen doing there?
Soon, Lamei brought the carriage over. The master and two servants got into the carriage and instructed the driver to follow the carriage in front closely.
Because it was lunchtime, there were many pedestrians and vendors on the road. Although the carriage was on the main road, it could not speed. It took nearly an hour to reach a residential area.
The west of the city was divided into four neighborhoods, mostly inhabited by common people, so one could often see women washing clothes and children playing in the streets. The carriage stopped at the entrance of a secluded alley.
Fearing that Madam Shen would discover them, Feng Jinyao instructed the driver to park the carriage a little further away, so that she could only see her getting out of the carriage, but not which house she entered.