C42

Rong Qi had seen the list of candidates for the Martial Academy. Among the eighty applicants, at least five would pose a challenge for Feng Tiange, and the most formidable of them was Guu Ruochen. Initially, Rong Qi hesitated to show favoritism, but now that personal matters had come to his attention, he felt compelled to support Guu Ruochen.

At the South Suppressing Marquis Mansion, in the Zhongqi Courtyard, the old lady grew increasingly dissatisfied with her eldest son due to Feng Qing's changing attitude towards Feng Tiange. However, as this was the South Suppressing Marquis Mansion, there were limits to her authority.

"Nanny Zhou, the marquis is here," the old lady's attendant whispered, noticing a shadow pass by the frosted window.

The old lady set her teacup down and lifted her weary eyelids as Feng Qing, wearing his official robe with armor draped over his shoulders and a jade lion belt around his waist, entered the room.

"Mother, is there an urgent matter?" Feng Qing asked, having rushed back from the training grounds without even changing his clothes after receiving a message from the household steward. His expression was one of concern.

The old lady gestured for Feng Qing to sit and then glanced at Nanny Zhou.

"The marquis is busy with many affairs. The old lady wouldn't have called him back unless it was important," Nanny Zhou interjected.

Feng Qing looked past Nanny Zhou. "Mother?"

"Well, it's not exactly urgent, just a family matter," the old lady replied with a hint of authority. "A few days ago, your younger brother mentioned that Xiu'er would be returning soon. It's been almost half a year since he left, and I've been missing him dearly."

Feng Qing nodded, "It's good to have him back."

"That's true, but according to the rules, once Xiu returns, he should report to the Ministry of War. He might just end up with a minor position there. Your brother and I have discussed it, and we both hope Xiu can stay with you. For one, you can look out for him, and for another, he can learn some real skills by your side. What do you think?"

The old lady's grip on the armchair tightened as she tried to appear indifferent.

Feng Qing remained silent.

"Well, this is mainly my idea. Your brother was worried about bothering you and tried to stop me from bringing it up," the old lady said, trying to ease her eldest son's concerns by leaving Feng Yan out of it. "If you find it difficult, we can discuss it further..."

"I have other matters to attend to. Let's talk about this later." Feng Qing was indeed in a tough spot. By the rules, his nephew should report to the Ministry of War and take up a position there. There was no legitimate reason or excuse to transfer him to his own camp.

Seeing Feng Qing rise to leave, the old lady wouldn't have it!

"Is it really that difficult? Are you, a marquis, unable to handle such a small matter? Poor Xiu has endured hardships for over half a year, and if he returns to the Ministry of War, who knows which small town he'll be sent to next to continue suffering... cough, cough, cough..." The old lady suddenly clutched her chest, coughing uncontrollably.

Nanny Zhou immediately went over to soothe her back. "Please, don't get upset, ma'am. Your health can't take this. The marquis didn't say he wouldn't try to find a way..."

Feng Qing noticed his mother coughing persistently and frowned slightly. “Mother, don’t worry. I’ll find a way.”

“But…” The old lady was still uneasy without a definite answer and was about to press further when Nanny Zhou discreetly tugged at her sleeve.

After instructing Nanny Zhou to take good care of his mother, Feng Qing hurried back to the camp.

Inside the room, the old lady looked at Nanny Zhou with some displeasure. “Why didn’t you let me speak? He’s clearly just brushing me off!”

“Please don’t be upset, ma’am. I just think if you push too hard, it might make the marquis resentful. If he gets upset, it’ll be even harder to bring this up again. Right now, he said he’d find a way, and with his sense of duty, he wouldn’t just brush it off.”

Nanny Zhou had been with the old lady since her marriage, watching the three sons grow up. She understood their temperaments almost as well as the old lady did. In fact, the old lady had always favored her second son, and Nanny Zhou often had a clearer view of the other two sons.

News travels fast, especially with someone like Cui’er in the household, and that evening, the information reached Feng Tiange.

Sitting silently at her vanity, Feng Tiange stared at the face in the bronze mirror—stunningly beautiful, unmatched in grace. The opulence of the room paled in comparison to her striking features, with only the reflection in the mirror capturing true brilliance.

This is the true nature of Silver Mask, yet she has borne shame for half her life!

"Miss?" Seeing Feng Tiange's expression turn cold, Crescent couldn't help but call out softly.

"The old lady wants to send Feng Ranxiu to the military camp, hoping he can one day inherit the title of South Suppressing Marquis from his father," Feng Tiange said, rising from the dressing table. "She's overthinking it."

"Exactly! No matter how the marquis title is passed down, it won't go to the second branch. There's still the eldest son in the house!" Crescent said indignantly.

Feng Tiange walked to the bed, turned indifferently, and sat down. "My brother might not care, but I can't let the honor that belongs to the main branch fall into someone else's hands."

Crescent only half-understood but knew that if her young lady didn't agree, the second branch wouldn't get any advantage.

With only two days left until the Imperial Academy exam, Feng Tiange decided not to leave Silk Garden and instructed Crescent not to let anyone in, not even if it were the king himself!

After Crescent left, Feng Tiange took out the Grand Yin Scripture with great reverence, sitting cross-legged and unrolling the scroll.

Immersed in the aura of the ink landscape, Feng Tiange slowly closed her eyes.

In the silence, countless lively lines leaped from the scroll, rushing into her core.

The energy in her core sank, warmth spreading through her chest, an indescribable refreshment enveloping her entire body.

Feng Tiange wasn't worried about the Imperial Academy exam; her concerns lay with the Martial Academy. She had studied the list of applicants and identified five strong contenders. She felt confident she could defeat four of them, but there was one she wasn't sure about—Gu Ruochen, whom she had encountered at the Nether Market.

With her current abilities, facing Gu Ruochen in a duel would be uncertain. To increase her chances, she planned to retreat for a day and night to enhance her inner strength. The entrance exam for the Imperial Academy was approaching, and Feng Tiange's era was about to begin...

At the Cloud Light Hall in the palace, Dugu Rou, who had previously held no title, now had a new identity, along with the responsibilities and rules that came with it. Despite having Mo Hua by her side, she felt a bit nervous.

She had never met the Empress before, as she hadn't been summoned or qualified to do so. Everything she knew about Gu Ziyan came from Dugu Yan. When the hall doors opened, Jinkui, dressed in light-colored palace attire, approached respectfully. "The Empress invites Vice Consort Rou to enter."

Dugu Rou took a deep breath and walked towards the hall doors with utmost reverence. She understood that her ability to establish herself in the palace depended not only on Beiming Yuan's attitude but also significantly on the Empress's disposition.

As you step into the hall, a subtle fragrance of orchids greets you. Mo Hua stands dutifully by the entrance, while Dugu Rou gracefully walks into the room. "Rou greets the Empress," she says with a respectful bow.

"Why do you still address her as the Empress?" Jinkui gently reminds her as they pass each other.

Realizing her mistake, Dugu Rou blushes and bows even lower. "Rou greets Mother," she corrects herself.