A Different Goal

　　Feng Yuheng felt that she truly had miscalculated! If it was not for having escaped for a few days and allowing that hungry wolf to do as he pleased every day, he most likely would not have been so ferocious. Sure enough, men could not be allowed to become pent up. If they were left alone for too long, the one to suffer would still be the girl.

　　She lay on the bed and looked at the luminescent pearl hanging above her. She just thought that she would have that pearl taken down later. It was too bright at night, and it was such that the wolf was able to see everything. It was a feast for the eyes and mouth, and the one to suffer was still her.

　　She tried moving a bit but found that her entire body was in extreme pain. She was still feeling completely powerless. Thinking about it, she did not even eat lunch. At this moment, she was really hungry! Thus she gritted her teeth and sat up in bed. Enduring the pain, she put on some clothes before weakly calling for Huang Quan.

　　Huang Quan, who had been outside, quickly pushed the door open and entered. While walking over to her side, she said: “Young miss has finally let this servant come in. If you still didn’t let this servant in, His Highness would be back in a little while!”

　　She trembled, “Saying something so inauspicious!”

　　Huang Quan rolled her eyes, “This servant is unable to stop His Highness returning home! That’s why young miss should get up! This servant had the kitchen prepare quite a few foods that are good for you. Young miss, eat a bit. In any case, recover some of the energy that was expended in preparation for another battle!”

　　Fuck!

　　Feng Yuheng facepalmed. What was this damn servant saying?

　　She really wanted to chase this girl out, but she was extremely hungry. There was nothing that she could do. In the end, she could only come to terms with the fact that she was hungry.

　　Today, Xuan Tianming and Xuan Tianhua had both left the city to reorganize the 30 thousand troops belonging to the sixth prince, thus they would be returning a bit later. Huang Quan accompanied her in her room and ate with her. While eating, she said: “A report came saying that Feng Fendai is taking very good care of Xiao Bao, and they moved into one of the fifth prince’s other residences. Apparently, that residence has been furnished very brilliantly, and it’s the residence that the fifth prince pays most attention to.”

　　Feng Yuheng had no desire to concern herself with this sort of thing. She just felt a little more at ease upon hearing that Xiao Bao was being taken care of. She said: “Everyone has their own fate. That child is Han shi’s, and Fendai is his only relative. That is his lot in life. I can help once or twice but can’t help forever. Fendai wanted to take him away, and nobody could stop her.”

　　“In truth, young miss hoped that fourth young miss Feng would take him away, right?” Huang Quan was already very capable of analyzing Feng Yuheng’s thoughts. She probed a bit: “Was young miss hoping that having a younger brother at her side would cause some change in fourth young miss Feng?”

　　Feng Yuheng nodded and very happily said: “Indeed, I was hoping that having Xiao Bao would bring about some change in Fendai’s temper and personality. But I also felt that it was quite hard! When it comes to personality, there is more than just one’s nature. What’s more important is how they are raised. She was raised in an environment like the Feng manor’s. In order for her to not become twisted would be very difficult. In addition to this, Han shi was not someone with an education. Starting from a young age, she did not have any good influences around her. That’s why I figure that it’s too naive to think that just having Xiao Bao at her side will change her.”

　　“Then will something happen to Xiao Bao if he stays at her side?” Huang Quan began to worry, “What if there comes a day when she loses patience and goes crazy? Will she mistreat that child?”

　　Feng Yuheng, however, replied by repeating herself: “Didn’t I already say it? That would just be Xiao Bao’s fate!”

　　As the two spoke, a young maidservant’s voice came from the outside, reporting: “Princess, there is a young miss Lian, who calls herself your friend who has come to visit. They have already been invited into the main hall. Will young miss be seeing them?”

　　Young miss Lian? Feng Yuheng thought for a bit. It must be none other than Feng Zhaolian. Ever since she returned to the capital, she had not contacted that person much. She just knew that Feng Zhaolian was someone who enjoyed wandering around with his band of rogues. She also heard that he had left the capital for a stretch of time, and nobody knew where he had gone. When he returned, he was still the same as before, getting along with the madams and young misses in the capital.

　　She helplessly put down her chopsticks and gestured for Huang Quan to take it away. She then said to the maidservant outside: “Indeed, she is my friend. Bring them over here!”

　　Not long later, Fen Zhaolian barged into her bedchamber wearing a set of bright-red clothes, nearly bumping into Huang Quan, who had just returned from tidying things up. Huang Quan very helplessly said: “Can you not always walk in such a rush? At the very least, fit the image of the clothes that you’re wearing! Where are there any girls like you?”

　　Feng Zhaolian always dressed like a woman, but all of his actions exposed his original state. This was the case unless there were outsiders present, when he would deliberately put on a show. In front of Feng Yuheng, he had never bothered with hiding anything. At present, he rushed over to Feng Yuheng while ignoring Huang Quan’s mocking. With a very spoiled appearance, he said: “How long have you been back in the capital, yet you didn’t even say anything of coming to visit me. A woman’s heart really is as profound as the ocean. Finding a new sweetheart is enough to forget about old friends.”

　　Feng Yuheng raised a foot to throw a kick, and Feng Zhaolian dodged it with a smile, “You don’t visit me, yet you will kick me. Heng Heng, could it be that you really do dislike me?”

　　Feng Yuheng frowned: “When has this grandaunty ever liked you? Feng Zhaolian, do you want to be a woman or do you want to be a man? If you want to be a woman, you need to act like one. I can also give you some help and completely change you as a person. But if you want to be a man, you need to act like a man. Don’t spend all day looking like a performer while speaking with a sweet tone. If you are living in such disarray, what can you expect from others?”

　　In regards to this topic, Prince Lian had made a very clear decision from the moment that he meant Xuan Tianhua. He said to Feng Yuheng: “I obviously want to be a woman, but as for a complete change, I would need a clear word from that deity-like seventh brother of yours.”

　　“You aren’t allowed to yearn for His Highness the seventh prince!” Huang Quan could not hold back and said: “Even if His Highness the seventh prince did not spend his entire life unwed, you would not get a chance!”

　　Feng Zhaolian smirked, “There are no guarantees.”

　　Feng Yuheng did not want to listen to these two argue on the topic of Xuan Tianhua, and she quickly interjected, asking Feng Zhaolian: “You came here for something, right? You said that I never went to visit you, but you also haven’t come to visit me! Speak, what exactly is it for?”

　　Feng Zhaolian moved a bit closer and mysteriously asked: “I heard that there will be a palace banquet in the inner palace in a few days? Can you bring me along?”

　　Feng Yuheng was puzzled: “What are you going for? It’s just a small banquet hosted by one of the imperial concubines in her own palace. In total, there won’t be many people going. It can’t be compared to a large banquet. Also…” She thought quickly: “His Highness the seventh prince won’t be going. What would you be going for?”

　　“Just for some fun!” Feng Zhaolian blinked, “What if I take an interest in one of the girls at the banquet. Like that, I won’t yearn for His Highness the seventh prince.”

　　Once this was said, Huang Quan immediately said: “Young miss, just bring him in!”

　　Feng Yuheng laughed but thought nothing of it, thus she nodded and said: “If you want to go, just go!” After thinking a bit, she said to Huang Quan: “Who knows who Imperial Concubine Li sent invitations to. It’s just a single palace. Thinking about it, there won’t be too many people present. Go to the Wenxuan Palace tomorrow and tell Tiange. Have her call up Xifeng and the others. Just treat it as providing Imperial Concubine Li with some support. Un, just tell Tiange that it’s to give face to His Highness the sixth prince.”

　　Huang Quan was puzzled as to why so much face needed to be given, but after thinking a bit about the sixth prince, she nodded. Regardless of what was said, the sixth prince was a good person. It was just a pity that he had a foolish birth mother. Who knew what sort of trouble this birth mother would cause him in the future.

　　Feng Zhaolian had accomplished his goal and did not stay for long. After speaking a bit, he left. Feng Yuheng, however, felt that this person requesting to enter the palace was not solely for the sake of having fun. But what exactly it was for, she did not want to think about it anymore. At present, the court was a mess. If Feng Zhaolian wanted to add to it, it would be nothing.

　　After Feng Zhaolian left, Huang Quan recalled something: “Young miss, this servant saw Bai Ze yesterday, and he wanted this servant to make a request of young miss to see if the Bai family’s daughter can be brought back to the capital for the new year.”

　　The Bai family’s daughter that Bai Ze was speaking of was naturally Bai Furong. Bai Furong was in Ji An Prefecture. The two were separated in two different places. Thinking about it, it was also quite difficult. But she did not believe that Furong should return to the capital, “Furong is not my servant. How could it be that she would return just because I called her back? Also, it’s fine if they want to meet up, but why trouble the girl? It’s such a great distance, and it’s winter. Does he not know to feel some distress? Go and tell Bai Ze that I will remember to suggest letting him take a vacation when the new year comes. If he misses Furong, he himself can go visit her in Ji An Prefecture.”

　　Huang Quan felt that her young miss was very reasonable, thus she happily went to bring this feedback to Bai Ze.

　　Imperial Concubine Li’s small banquet arrived the day after. It was called a palace banquet, but it was just a small gathering. It could barely be considered a banquet, but to speak of a palace banquet, it was truly too far off. That was why the usual scene around Rui Gate that could be found at other palace banquets was nowhere to be seen. There was no line. Instead, there was a palace servant from Zhang Ning Palace waiting there. Matching up the invitations, the people were allowed into the palace.

　　Inside the palace, there were eunuchs arranged to lead the way out of fear that these madams and young misses that had come into the palace would get lost and disrupt some other noble person in the palace. Of course, these eunuchs were not working for Zhang Ning Palace for nothing. They had all received benefits from Imperial Concubine Li, and Imperial Concubine Li now had a bit more confidence with the silver and banknotes that Zhu Kongshan and Noble Lady Yuan sent.

　　Feng Yuheng had come with Xuan Tiange and their friends. The good friends, including Feng Zhaolian, met up at the Yu Palace and waited for her.

　　Zhu Kongshan also did not go alone, as she entered the palace with many of the madams and young misses from the eighth prince’s faction. At this time, they were having their invitations checked by the palace servants at the entrance. Before their invitations could be checked, a couple extravagant imperial carriages headed straight for Rui Gate side by side.

　　The madams and young misses who had been preparing to enter the palace with Zhu Kongshan had been feeling quite proud because they were from families that did not have high rankings. Some of them were even daughters of concubines and could not even get a chance to enter the palace. Although this time was just for a small banquet hosted by Imperial Concubine Li, it was still given great importance by these people. Not only did they prepare great gifts, but they also did whatever they could to wear their best clothes and best accessories. As long as they could wear it, it was worn, as they feared that they would lose face the moment they stepped foot in the imperial palace. Those young misses were also aiming to run into a prince or a young official. Perhaps there could even be some stroke of luck that would bring them together.

　　As they saw it, to be able to come in at Zhu Kongshan’s side was quite an honorable thing. The reason that Imperial Concubine Li could regain her position was something that everyone in the capital knew. It was because of Zhu Kongshan. That was why it could be said that Zhu Kongshan was one with many contributions and was the niece of Imperial Concubine Li and Noble Lady Yuan. Considering her status, it was quite noble. In addition to this, the palace servants at the entrance had also received some benefits from Imperial Concubine Li, and they were very respectful of the guests. Every word that was said was quite nice, and they were praised to the heavens. Their vain hearts instantly expanded.

　　But they never thought that following the arrival of two exquisite imperial carriages, the statuses of the people inside would be nobler than the previous. In the blink of an eye, they had instantly been torn down…