"Creak—"
The door slowly opened.
In the quiet study, it was pitch - black. All the candles in the room had burned out.
If it weren't for the bright moonlight shining through the thin clouds into the window, highlighting the steady figure sitting on the chair clearly, Song Yiqing would have almost thought that there was no one there.
"A Yuan." Leaning against the door frame with one hand, he tentatively called out, "The Marquis of Gaochang has been gone for so long. Are you going to sit here like this forever?"
Waiting outside the door, he watched the Marquis of Gaochang go in for an hour and finally come out. He thought he would soon receive Feng Linyuan's summons.
However, he, Mo Li and others waited outside the door for another half an hour. They watched as all the candles in the study burned out and there was not a single ray of light in the room, but they still didn't hear a single sound.
This time, Mo Li was anxious, Lan Xun was anxious, and Song Yiqing was also anxious.
But none of them dared to enter without Feng Linyuan's summons.
In the end, Song Yiqing was pushed out by everyone.
Looking at the motionless shadow by the window, Song Yiqing felt a bit bitter in his heart.
Tonight, the Mansion of the Marquis of Dingyuan should have been brightly lit and bustling, filled with the sounds of joy everywhere. But only in this study was it as cold as an ice cellar.
He sighed and said again, "Are you going to neglect your marquis's wife on the first day of your wedding?"
It was finally Bai Zheng's name that made Feng Linyuan move.
He slowly raised his head.
By the moonlight, Song Yiqing clearly saw the fleeting look of guilt on his face.
"She's been waiting for me in the room alone for a long time, hasn't she?" Feng Linyuan's voice was dry.
Song Yiqing stepped into the room, walked to the candelabra, replaced the candles with the spare ones and lit them. "What do you think?"
"It's my fault." Feng Linyuan slowly lowered his eyes.
Liu Feng slipped in somehow. It crawled under the table and came to his side, nudging his body with its nose.
Looking at it and the obvious worry in its black eyes, Feng Linyuan couldn't help but curl his lips.
There was a sound of footsteps in the room. Although it was very soft, Feng Linyuan still heard it clearly.
"Linyuan."
The familiar voice made Feng Linyuan look up suddenly.
It was actually Bai Zheng.
His body trembled slightly. He quickly got up and walked towards Bai Zheng.
At this moment, Bai Zheng had taken off her grand wedding dress from the day, removed all her hairpins and rings, and changed into a simple and comfortable home - made dress with a light outer gown.
Her long black hair was pulled up into a simple bun, with a delicate glass hairpin inserted in it, making her look extremely gentle.
Looking at the gentle smile on her face, for some reason, the resentment that had been lingering in his chest since he saw the Marquis of Gaochang suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Bai Zheng smiled, walked up to Feng Linyuan, took his right hand that was tightly clenched into a fist, and said softly,
"It's okay."
These three words were obviously a response to Feng Linyuan's previous words "It's my fault".
Feng Linyuan felt as if the softest part of his heart had been stabbed hard. Then he heard Bai Zheng speak again, this time to ask him, "Are you hungry?"
Today, Bai Zheng had been busy all day and hadn't eaten. As the groom, Feng Linyuan was the same.
In the bridal chamber just now, Bai Zheng had at least eaten a few mouthfuls of the warm rice cakes.
But Feng Linyuan was different. He had been discussing matters with the Marquis of Gaochang and then locked himself in the study for so long. He must be extremely hungry by now.
Actually, Feng Linyuan wasn't hungry at all. His mind was full of what had happened in Yan City six years ago. He had no intention of thinking about his stomach.
But looking at Bai Zheng and the undisguised worry in her eyes, Feng Linyuan somehow nodded his head: "Yes."
"Then let's go back to the room and eat. I've saved the rice cakes for you." Bai Zheng smiled slightly and then pulled him towards the door.
"Okay."
Feng Linyuan also showed a smile and followed Bai Zheng out of the door.
Just as he stepped out of the door, Feng Linyuan stopped in his tracks.
He saw that the yard outside the study was full of people.
All of them were his subordinates who had followed him over the years.
There were a lot of people in the Mansion of the Marquis of Dingyuan today, making a lot of noise. Even now, the hustle and bustle from the outer courtyard could still be faintly heard.
But no one would have thought that there were also quite a few people in the back courtyard of the marquis's mansion now, guarding outside Feng Linyuan's study in complete silence.
Bai Zheng took a look and recognized quite a few familiar faces.
Whether it was Mo Li, Lan Xun, and Qing Zhi from inside the marquis's mansion, or Wang Lin, Zhang Kui, Liu Zhang and others who were active in the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty outside the marquis's mansion, they were all looking at Feng Linyuan who had come out with eager eyes.
"My lord." Seeing him come out, Lan Xun stepped forward and spoke first.
"What are you all doing here?" Feng Linyuan was a bit confused.
Everyone looked at him silently, no one answering.
After a moment, they suddenly knelt down together.
"What are you doing?" This time Bai Zheng was also a bit surprised.
"Your subordinate is willing to follow your lord forever in this life, to avenge the Mansion of the Marquis of Dingyuan and the Changping Army."
Lan Xun suddenly said loudly.
As soon as these words were spoken, Feng Linyuan was greatly shocked.
Then he heard the others behind him say in unison: "Your subordinate is willing to follow your lord through life and death, to avenge the Mansion of the Marquis of Dingyuan and the Changping Army!"
The voices of the crowd were not particularly loud, but each one was sonorous and powerful.
Each person's gaze was so firm. Their clear eyes stared straight ahead without blinking.
Bai Zheng stared blankly at the people in front of her, and her eyes couldn't help but turn sour.
Even if the heavens were unfair and the hearts of the people were no longer kind, in this world, there were still people with kind hearts, following their original intentions and doing what they should do.
For a moment, Feng Linyuan felt full of grief.
In the study just now, he had been hating and resenting. Why was the heavens blind, allowing the spirits of one hundred thousand heroes to be broken in such a dirty political scheme?
Why did the loyal and passionate people have to be buried in a foreign land and live a lonely life?
While the treacherous and cunning people could enjoy themselves every night and have all the glory and wealth?
Did those who fought hard for the people of the Great Zhou only deserve to die unjustly and were doomed to have a bad ending?
For what had the Mansion of the Marquis of Dingyuan fought on the battlefield for generations?
Was it to hand the knife to those dirty politicians so that they could cut their necks at any time?
He couldn't figure it out. He was just full of injustice.
But now, looking at the pair of firm and clear eyes in front of him.
He finally understood what the Mansion of the Marquis of Dingyuan had been guarding for so many years.
And this revenge battle had never been fought by himself alone.
Something glittered in his eyes. He gently raised his head and closed his eyes.
"I see."
Leaving only these words, he pulled Bai Zheng and turned to leave.
Bai Zheng was pulled so suddenly that she couldn't help but look back at the crowd.
From afar, she saw Lan Xun smile first, then Wang Lin, then Qing Zhi and Mo Li... Everyone raised their eyebrows and smiled happily.
The Mansion of the Marquis of Dingyuan tonight was truly charming.