In the backyard, at the archery range.
Watching Feng Jingxuan bow to Feng Linche who was seated in the upper position, Feng Jingye's heart started pounding faster and faster, almost leaping out of his chest.
He stared intently at Feng Jingxuan and said word by word, "Father, my wish is..."
"Your Majesty!"
A sharp female voice interrupted Feng Jingxuan before he could finish his words.
Feng Jingye's eyes lit up. Looking at the imposing woman coming towards them, he exclaimed in surprise, "Mother!"
The woman who came was none other than Queen Chu, who had got the news and rushed here in a hurry to rescue her son.
Feng Linche was a bit surprised. "Why are you here?"
"Greetings to Your Majesty."
Although Queen Chu walked in a hurry, there was no trace of panic on her face. After she bowed gracefully to Feng Linche, she stepped forward, pulled Feng Jingye and said, "Go and check on the main hall. Princess Qi is crying and insisting that you go there."
Feng Jingye was stunned for a moment. "What does Princess Qi want from me?"
Queen Chu was exasperated at his stupidity. She turned her head and winked at Feng Jingye when no one was paying attention. "She said you promised to fold a big flying bird for her last time. She's throwing a tantrum now and won't stop until you fold one for her!"
Only then did Feng Jingye realize what was going on. He nodded repeatedly, understanding her hint. "I understand, Father. I'll take my leave!"
After saying that, he turned around and was about to leave.
"Wait a moment, Crown Prince!" Zhuo Lingxiao quickly stepped forward to block Feng Jingye's way.
Feng Jingye glared at him fiercely. "What else do you want, Young Master Zhuo?"
Queen Chu's eyes darkened slightly. "Even if you have something to say, Young Master, please wait. Our Princess Qi is still young. Don't be so insistent with a child at this moment."
"Your Majesty the Queen is wrong."
A trace of mockery flashed across Zhuo Lingxiao's face. He stared directly and unflinchingly at Queen Chu, who was standing in front of him with a noble and imposing manner.
"The Crown Prince lost today's competition. He hasn't taken the punishment yet. How can he leave first? It can't be that the Crown Prince of a great nation can't afford to lose, right?"
"Who are you saying can't afford to lose!" Queen Chu gritted her teeth.
Princess Qi was the daughter of Concubine Zhao and had never been close to Feng Jingye. It was obvious to anyone with a discerning eye that the story of Princess Qi crying for Feng Jingye was just an excuse.
But at this moment, apart from Lord Zhuo Yi and his son, all the people present were officials of the Great Zhou.
Even if there were foreign officials present, as long as they didn't want to offend the royal family of the Great Zhou or the Crown Prince Feng Jingye, they would let Feng Jingye leave with the excuse.
Who would have thought that Zhuo Lingxiao would be so persistent and clearly wanted to make Feng Jingye look bad.
Feng Linche let out a soft laugh. "What the Young Master said. How could Ye'er not take the punishment? It's just that Princess Qi has been spoiled by me. Once she starts crying, if her demands are not met, even I can't do anything about it."
"Your Majesty need not worry. The ink and brush have been prepared. It will only take a moment to draw a cross. It won't delay the Crown Prince from going back to comfort Princess Qi."
Zhuo Lingxiao replied coolly, his tone full of sarcasm.
The servant standing beside them lowered his head, but intentionally raised the ink and brush in his hand a bit.
Feng Linche was taken aback. The smile in his eyes faded instantly, replaced by layers of cold frost, making him look extremely intimidating.
Feng Jingye stood still on the spot, glaring fiercely at Zhuo Lingxiao with his eyes. His knuckles, which had turned white, were tightly clenched in his palm.
The scene instantly fell into a dead silence.
Only Zhuo Yi and Zhuo Lingxiao, these two people from the Western Liang, were looking at everyone leisurely.
"Normally, it's the winner who does the drawing," Zhuo Lingxiao said.
He stepped forward and patted Feng Jingxuan on the back with a smile. "Third Prince, this is a rare opportunity. Go ahead quickly!"
Feng Jingxuan tried to hold back his excitement, but the glint in his eyes still betrayed him. "This, this is not appropriate, is it?"
He put on a look of great embarrassment.
Zhuo Lingxiao was a bit confused. "What's not appropriate? Didn't we agree on this from the beginning? In our Western Liang, everyone values their promises very much. Could it be that in your Great Zhou, you like to go back on your words?"
"Of course not!" Feng Jingxuan quickly defended himself. "In our Great Zhou, it has always been the case that a gentleman's promise is unbreakable."
"That's right then!" Zhuo Lingxiao said, intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Feng Jingye out of the corner of his eye as he said word by word, "A gentleman's promise is unbreakable, isn't it, Crown Prince?"
Feng Jingye stiffened all over. A dark emotion welled up in his eyes.
Queen Chu got anxious and blurted out, "What gentleman's promise? This is just a friendly competition between brothers. There's no need to take it so seriously!"
"Alas—" Zhuo Yi let out a long sigh and looked at Queen Chu disapprovingly. "Your Majesty the Queen is a woman after all and doesn't understand that for us men, once a word is spoken, there's no taking it back, even if it's said casually.
Moreover, the Crown Prince is the heir apparent. If the heir apparent of a nation likes to go back on his words, which country will dare to cooperate with the Great Zhou in the future?"
Queen Chu was instantly stunned.
Even Feng Linche's expression turned solemn. He sat up straight and lowered his eyes in deep thought.
Feng Jingye felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He looked at Feng Linche and Queen Chu in disbelief, who were both silent.
He was very clear about the weight of Zhuo Yi's words and understood that Feng Linche's current silence meant that he was starting to waver.
Let Feng Jingxuan draw a cross on his face? Absolutely not!
Feng Jingye's face turned as red as a liver.
But now, no one could save him—
Except Feng Jingxuan.
"Third Brother!" He suddenly looked up, rushed a few steps to Feng Jingxuan's side. His eyes were almost crazily eager. "You won this competition. Father promised to fulfill one of your wishes. You haven't said it yet. Hurry up and say it. Don't you want to..."
However, before he could finish his words, he heard Feng Jingxuan say with a smile.
"Second Brother, just now you said that I must treat Princess Yunxi well and never let her be wronged, lest the emperor of the Western Liang blame our Great Zhou for it.
Just now, I thought it over carefully. What you said is really reasonable.
As a prince of the Great Zhou, I should always consider the interests of our country. You are busy handling state affairs every day, and I haven't been able to help you much. But I definitely can't cause you any more trouble.
I will surely do my best to treat Princess Yunxi well.
As for this wish, I think I'll let Princess Yunxi make it. It can be regarded as a betrothal gift from me to Princess Yunxi."
What, did, you, say?
Feng Jingye was completely stunned. His face turned first red, then green, and then purple. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Feng Jingxuan's words were well - thought - out and he even used the exact words that Feng Jingye and Feng Linche had said to pressure him before!
It left Feng Jingye with no way to refute.
Zhuo Yi and Zhuo Lingxiao exchanged a smile and said loudly, "The Third Prince is so kind to Yunxi. I'm very pleased. I'm sure the emperor and the empress of our Western Liang will also be at ease."