Steward Ji remained in the Dingnan Royal Mansion to recuperate. After his injuries healed, he left, and no one knew where he went.
Of course, that was a story for another time.
Currently, Xiao Yun asked with some worry, "If Steward Ji finds out later that we set a trap for him, will he seek revenge on us?"
"He won't know," Wang Qingyao replied. "As long as you don't let it slip, unless he goes to Grand Tutor Wei for a confrontation."
The two disguised as men in black were Yin Piao and Jin Tiao. Yin Piao had been kicked by the Prince of Dingnan and still felt pain in his back.
He complained privately to Xiao Yun, "It was supposed to be an act, but the Prince of Dingnan hit too hard."
Xiao Yun's hidden guards would naturally not spread rumors. As for the Prince of Dingnan's side, as long as the two sides maintained a friendly relationship, given the Prince's character, he wouldn't be the type to blab.
"What do you plan to do?" the Prince of Dingnan asked them. "Tell the Emperor?"
Xiao Yun replied, "Without evidence, it's all just words. How can we tell him?"
That was true. The Prince of Dingnan, being rebutted, fell silent for the first time.
"Let's take it one step at a time," Xiao Yun sighed.
On November 22nd, Xiao Yun and his group, along with Feng Jiangduo, departed from Nanzhou and headed back to Duanjing.
They had originally planned to leave on the 21st, but the Prince of Dingnan felt that the 21st was an odd number and inauspicious, so he insisted they stay for an extra day.
Although Feng Jiangduo's arm was injured, such a minor injury was nothing to a chivalrous woman like her.
The doctor said her arm would take about two months to fully recover. If it weren't for Xiao Yun and his group needing to rush back for the New Year, the Prince of Dingnan would have wanted Feng Jiangduo to wait until her arm healed before departing.
Wang Qingyao repeatedly assured him that they would take good care of Feng Jiangduo on the journey, ensuring she wouldn't have to lift a finger for daily chores and would be attended to for meals and dressing. Only then did the Prince of Dingnan reluctantly agree to let Feng Jiangduo return to Duanjing with her injury.
The aged Prince of Dingnan held Feng Jiangduo's hand, crying with a runny nose and tears, as if Feng Jiangduo were getting married.
The Crown Prince of Dingnan comforted him, "Father, I'll submit a memorial to the Emperor another day, asking for Ah Yi and the others to come to the capital to see Duo Duo."
The Prince of Dingnan was not comforted. At this moment, he realized that if Feng Jiangduo truly married Xiao Mo, Duanjing and Nanzhou would be thousands of miles apart. Their Dingnan Royal Mansion would not be able to visit the capital at any time, and they would have to submit a memorial, and the one above would have to approve it.
The more the Prince of Dingnan thought about it, the sadder he became, and the louder he cried.
Wang Qingyao comforted him, "Your Highness, you don't need to be sad. The little county princess will return soon. Our Xiao Mo is a man of few words, he doesn't know how to please girls and has no sense of romance. The little county princess will quickly get tired of him and return to your side."
The Prince of Dingnan's crying stopped abruptly. "Really?"
Wang Qingyao said with a serious expression, "Really. Your Highness, you are enduring a moment of reluctance for long-term companionship, it's worth it!"
Only then did the Prince of Dingnan reluctantly release Feng Jiangduo's hand and let them leave.
The others in the Dingnan Royal Mansion thought: This Princess of Ding'an relies entirely on her wit when navigating the martial world!
Although Feng Jiangduo was a county princess, showered with affection, compared to Wang Qingyao, a transmigrator, she was still more carefree and unrestrained.
She didn't need maids!
As a product of the feudal aristocratic class, she didn't need maids!!
She traveled from Nanzhou to Duanjing without a single maid, only bringing a box of luggage that the Prince of Dingnan had insisted on packing, which could be placed on Wang Qingyao's original luggage cart. In addition, they only added one more carriage; Xiao Mo and Xiao Yun shared one, and Wang Qingyao and Feng Jiangduo shared another.
Yin Zhu knew that this was the future second young madam and a highly skilled chivalrous woman, so she served her with great diligence, even more so than Wang Qingyao, hoping that Feng Jiangduo would suddenly discover her exceptional talent and be a prodigy of martial arts.
Wang Qingyao said faintly, "Yin Zhu, this habit of yours of taking on masters everywhere is not good. Have you forgotten that you have two female masters in the west garden of the Ding'an Royal Mansion?"
Yin Zhu chuckled sheepishly. "Masters are never too many, the more the better."
However, Feng Jiangduo had no interest in taking disciples. With her personality, she was impatient with teaching moves one by one.
Jin Tiao came up and said ingratiatingly, "I can continue to teach you."
Yin Zhu snorted, and after a moment, said proudly, "I'll give you this chance. If there's a next time, I'll never speak to you again."
"There won't be a next time, there won't be a next time," Jin Tiao swore repeatedly.
"Why are you called Jin Tiao?" Feng Jiangduo asked abruptly.
This lady spoke little but hit the nail on the head, asking the crucial question.
Jin Tiao was stunned for a moment and replied, "My name was given to me by the Prince."
Feng Jiangduo then said "Oh" meaningfully and looked at Yin Piao. "Was your name also given by the Prince of Ding'an?"
Yin Piao blushed and said, "Yes."
Feng Jiangduo then said "Oh" again meaningfully.
Xiao Yun quietly asked Wang Qingyao, "What does she mean?"
"Perhaps she's shocked by the Xiao family's immense wealth and power."
Xiao Yun: "..."
Everyone was eager to return home. Upon reaching Yun Gui, they switched to water transport. Since several of the men were prone to seasickness, they had bought supposedly effective motion sickness medication in advance. Feng Jiangduo did not get seasick, and Xiao Mo, having traveled extensively, was already accustomed to water travel.
Although Xiao Yun and the others still felt unwell, they were much more comfortable than on their journey there.
Feng Jiangduo and Xiao Mo spoke very little. At least Wang Qingyao had never seen them chatting intimately.