Besides lying down, I also know a little about power struggles

Chapter 56 Life-saving grace
Hong Xiao tactfully replied, "Tomorrow the Five Mountains Hermit will attend a literary gathering, and Your Majesty is the host, so I'm afraid he won't be able to not attend."

"Yes," Feng Yuyang patted her hands gratefully, "Xiao Twelve, you know I don't like worldly affairs, can you let me stay for two more days? I promise, I will be back in five days at the latest!"

"Five days?" Feng Twelve confirmed with him.

Feng Yuyang hesitated for a moment and pointed a number with his fingers: "Or seven days?"

Feng Twelve looked at him without saying anything.

Feng Yuyang threw all his previous arrogance out of the window and begged spinelessly, "I promised to hold a literary gathering for Wuyue Mountain Master. It will start tomorrow and last for seven days. I invested a lot of money in it, so you have to let me have fun."

"Okay," Feng Twelve nodded, very reasonable, "Five days then."

Feng Yuyang failed to bargain and said with a sullen face: "You are really ruthless."

"I'll go with you." Feng Twelve said.

Feng Yuyang was surprised: "You want to go with me too? You are an inspector, you have an important position, you can't delay your trip for me."

"No need to delay," Feng Twelve said succinctly, "I just happen to have something to check."

"What's the matter?" Feng Yuyang looked at the food table in front of him, picked up the low table and moved it towards him, and whispered, "I heard from County Magistrate Gao that you captured a group of mountain bandits today, and two of them escaped. But Linshui County just suppressed the bandits last year, so how come another group came? Aren't you in any trouble?"

"Maybe." Feng Twelve said.

Feng Yuyang became even more energetic when he heard that he did not deny it. He took his bowl and chopsticks to Feng Twelve's table and moved over as well. "Is it because of the Crown Prince's southern tour?"

Feng Twelve glanced at him, lowered his head and ate his food: "Do you have any clues?"

"What clues can I have?" Feng Yuyang looked up at the sky and sighed, "It's just that watching you guys toss around in Beijing over the years, I've been thankful countless times that I'm a cripple."

Feng Twelve's eyes swept over the jade staff beside his leg and he remained silent.

Feng Yuyang smiled and said, "I have learned a lot outside these years. I may not understand other things, but the thunder bomb is a firearm. Not to mention ordinary people, even rich people may not be able to buy it."

Dazhao had very strict control over firearms. Only the imperial workshops could produce them. Once manufactured, they would be sent to the arsenal of the Ministry of War and the firearms camp in the army, and very few of them could flow into the civilian population.

Feng Twelve knew more about what Feng Yuyang said than he did, but he did not discuss it with him. He only said, "I will find out the origins of that group of people."

"Is this why you stayed in Linshui County?" Feng Yuyang asked, "Don't blame me for not reminding you. Linshui County is just a small town. From the county magistrate to the yamen runners, they are useless. If you expect them to help you investigate the case, I'm afraid you won't find out the truth even if you wait for a month."

"Gao Tiancai has been in office for many years, so he must have his good points." Feng Twelve said.

"What's so good about it?" Feng Yuyang smiled, "The ability to pass on messages? Or the ability to flatter? Oh, by the way, I heard that you also saved a girl this time, she's quite pretty, what's going on, has the Red Luan star moved?"

Feng Twelve did not answer, but just glanced at him.

Feng Yuyang laughed: "Don't glare at me, blame Gao Tiancai for being too talkative."

"What else did he say?" Feng Twelve asked.

"He didn't say anything. He just said that you carried a girl out of the car and enthusiastically asked a doctor to treat her," Feng Yuyang said, "No wonder he thought it was strange. If this matter were spread to the capital, everyone who knows you would be shocked. After all, you have never had a woman around you since you were a child."

He looked at Feng Twelve and smiled even more deeply: "But I don't find it strange. We grew up together. Others may not know, but I know that you have always been soft-hearted."

He grabbed the flagon and filled his own glass.

"You may not remember, but I still remember that among all the brothers, you were the only one who didn't despise me for being a cripple."

"So does the prince." Feng Twelve said.

Feng Yuyang paused, and sighed: "Yes, the prince is too, but he is the prince, different from you and me." As night fell, lights were lit in the courtyard, the flute sounds in the forest had long stopped, and the table was lit up with cups and plates.

After the banquet, Feng Twelve didn't eat much of the food. Feng Yuyang was in high spirits after drinking and talked to him about many past events.

This free-spirited prince lay on the food table in a completely ungraceful manner, tapping the bowls and cups with his chopsticks while humming a romantic tune.

Seeing that he was drunk, Feng Twelve called Feng Yuyang's personal attendant to send him back to Furong Courtyard.

Hong Xiao helped Feng Yuyang stand up and said to Feng Twelve with a smile, "Don't worry, Your Highness. The prince is always like this. Go back and drink a bowl of sobering soup and he will be fine."

When they turned around the bamboo path, they saw a graceful figure standing by the road. It was Qingluan who had left the table halfway.

When Hong Xiao saw her, she was surprised and asked, "Why are you here? The prince mentioned you several times at the banquet, but you were nowhere to be seen."

Qingluan glanced at Feng Twelve and seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Seeing this, Hong Xiao smiled and said, "Did something fall? I'll take the prince to the car first, you come quickly."

Qing Luan was about to speak when she saw Feng Twelve had already walked away, so she quickly chased after him: "Your Highness, please stay."

Feng Twelve turned around and asked: "What's the matter?"

Qingluan looked at him, her chest rising and falling violently, and suddenly she bowed down: "I haven't thanked you for saving my life yet, please allow Qingluan to bow."

Feng Twelve frowned: "When did I save you?"

Qing Luan raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes: "Six years ago, Your Highness personally led an expedition to Weicheng to quell the Dongyi Rebellion. I was in the city at that time."

When Feng Twelve heard this, his eyes darkened slightly.

Dongyi was a small country on the border of Dazhao. Six years ago, Dongyi invaded the border, killed the border garrison commander of Dazhao, and captured seven cities in a row, Weicheng being one of them.

Whenever the Dongyi captured a city, they would burn, kill and loot, killing the young and strong men in the city and taking the women and children as slaves. Seeing that Weicheng was about to suffer the same fate, reinforcements from the imperial court arrived and drove the Dongyi people out of Weicheng.

After that, the reinforcements advanced step by step, not only recovering the lost territory, but also counterattacking into the Dongyi territory, forcing the Dongyi court into civil strife. The pro-war faction was almost completely wiped out, and the Dongyi king committed suicide. From then on, Dongyi never recovered.

Feng Twelve was a general among the reinforcements at that time. The army he led was the vanguard and reached Weicheng the fastest. He still remembers the Battle of Weicheng vividly.

The woman named Qingluan in front of him mentioned the past with respect and admiration on her face: "Without Your Highness, I would not be alive today. I toasted Your Highness with wine at the banquet just now, and now I want to kowtow to Your Highness again."

"No need." Feng Twelve interrupted her.

Qing Luan paused as she bent down, and asked in confusion, "Your Highness, do you think I am of low birth?"

"You are lucky to be alive," Feng Twelve said, "Any reinforcements can help lift the siege of Weicheng. You don't need to thank me."

"Can--"

"Okay, you go back."

Feng Twelve finished speaking and walked away around her.

"Your Highness!" Qing Luan called out from behind him, "I may know the origins of that group of bandits."

Feng Twelve stopped and turned around.

(End of this chapter)