That Which Always Fails
It had been over three years since Feng Jin Yuan last went to Yao shi’s room, yet there was not a single person who invite him in. Yao shi simply sat on a chair in the outer hall and looked at Feng Jin Yuan. She neither welcomed him nor had a warm expression, her face did not even carry a smile.
Feng Jin Yuan heaved a deep sigh. It seemed that in these three years, it was not only that second daughter’s heart that had become cold, even his proper wife no longer felt anything for him.
He could not help but think of Jin Zhen and Han shi’s warmth, as he began to regret coming to Tong Sheng pavilion. Especially when he was passing by the moon gate in Liu courtyard, the servant guarding it asked him many questions before allowing him through. After that, she followed behind him, as though she were watching a criminal. Yet, he still needed someone to lead the way, otherwise he really would get lost in this manor he had never set foot in.
“You… have you been well recently?” Feng Jin was at a bit of a loss for words. Nobody paid himi any heed, so he sat down then poured himself a cup of tea.
Yao shi nodded, “Many thanks for husband’s concern. I am very well.” She did not even want to use the two words this concubine.
“Do you normally sleep this early?” He looked outside. Although the sky was dark, the other concubines should be readily waiting for him to go over. Where was there any reasoning that had her sleep this early. Even the relatively quiet An shi was earnestly looking forward to him visiting. Unexpectedly, this once very good official wife was now very cold towards him.
“I have become accustomed to sleeping early.” Yao shi replied simply to each question and did not waste any words.
“Then how about sleeping a little later tonight!” Feng Jin Yuan simply made his intentions clear, “You have been back for so many days, yet I have not come to see you. That was negligent on my part. Tonight, I will accompany you here. We have been apart for many years, and thinking about it, you should have plenty of things to say to me.”
Yao shi, however, shook her head, “I do not have anything to say to husband. Husband should go back.”
“Hm?” Feng Jin Yuan was startled, “Do you not understand what I mean?”
“Does husband also not understand what I am saying?” Yao shi met him face to face. Her gaze did not carry a single shred of feeling for him.
“I do not understand!” Feng Jin Yuan pretended to be a fool. He then stood up and grabbed hold of Yao shi, pulling her towards the room.
How could Yao shi match up to his strength. Being pulled along sideways, she was pulled into the room against her will. She began to feel a little conflicted inside. She had originally decided to completely separate from Feng Jin Yuan on matters such as this, but if the other side forced their request, she was still a wife to the Feng family. How could she avoid it. She could not help but become frustrated and hoped that Feng Yu Heng could quickly come and save her. But when she thought about it again, how could a daughter stop her father from entering their mother’s room? Her heart sank.
“Husband.” She spoke up for herself on last time, “My body is not feeling well and can not take care of husband.”
Feng Jin Yuan completely ignored her. He reached out his hand to remove Yao shi’s clothes, but at this moment, the door was pushed open by someone on the outside.
Just as he was about to become angry, he heard a child’s voice shout inside: “Father! Is it father that came? Zi Rui really missed father!”
In the blink of an eye, his thigh was wrapped up by Zi Rui. That child had become a little chubbier and his cheeks had a little more meat on them. His face was rather round and very adorable.
Feng Jin Yuan looked at this extremely adorable son and felt that his anger had mostly vanished. Quickly bending at the waist, he picked up Zi Rui and asked him: “How come Zi Rui came running over?”
Feng Zi Rui replied: “The servants said father came to Tong Sheng pavilion. Ever since Zi Rui returned to the manor, Zi Rui has not seen father much and felt a little flustered. I begged big sister to bring Zi Rui over. Father doesn’t dislike seeing Zi Rui, right?”
Feng Jin Yuan glanced at Feng Yu Heng who had come in behind him. How could he not understand this matter. But Feng Zi Rui had said it, it was he who pulled Feng Yu Heng over to see him. Thus, he had no way of blaming her. He could only rub Zi Rui’s face and falsely say: “How could that be. Father really likes Zi Rui.”
“That’s great!” Zi Rui smacked a kiss on Feng Jin Yuan’s cheek and blinked his big eyes, which caused Feng Jin Yuan to be stunned.
He had this many children. When during childhood, the one he loved most was Feng Yu Heng, but her personality had always been distant and never got close to him. After that, he doted on Chen Yu and Zi Hao, but by that time Chen Yu was already a grown girl, so she would not get too close to him. As for Feng Zi Hao, aside from eating, drinking, playing and courting trouble, it did not seem like he was capable of anything else.
Now that Zi Rui had kissed him like that, he felt some emotions stirring within him. So there was still a child caused people to love them. So he could be more than just a strict father, he began laughing from the relationship this kiss had caused.
For a while, the displeasure was dispersed by the disrupting children.
He simply carried Zi Rui to an outer room. As he coaxed and played with Zi Rui, he asked him about his homework. Zi Rui had questions and answers, as he learned from learned from experiences. This caused Feng Jin Yuan to place the matter with Yao shi to the back of his mind.
Yao shi could finally let out a sigh of relief, as she glanced at Feng Yu Heng and a wave of fear washed over her.
Feng Yu Heng went up and held Yao shi’s hand, quietly saying: “Mother, do not be afraid. Father will not be able to stay much longer before he must leave.”
Yao shi was puzzled, but very quickly, this matter had an answer “Master.” Servant Qing Ling walked in from outside and saluted Feng Jin Yuan, “Concubine Han sent a servant over, saying she had something to say with master.”
Feng Jin Yuan frowned, “I will be remaining at Tong Sheng pavilion tonight. How could concubine mother Han not understand the rules?”
Feng Yu Heng quickly said: “Concubine mother Han has been at the manor for many years, so it can’t be that she does not know the rules. It would be best if you do not miss a big problem. Father, why not invite that servant in and ask her.”
Feng Jin Yuan nodded, and Qing Ling went to bring the servant in.
“Master.” That servant came in and immediately knelt on the ground. Her eyes were red and held some tears.
Feng Jin Yuan’s eyebrows were immediately drawn together and asked a little irritably: “What are you wailing for?”
The servant quickly said: “I beg master to go see concubine mother Han!”
“What happened to concubine mother Han?” Feng Yu Heng rushed to help her father ask.
“Concubine mother Han stopped eating food since lunch, shouting that she has a headache. Originally, we thought that sleeping for a while would be best, but now that it has reached this time, she still does not seem to have gotten better. Not only has she not improved, it seems that things have gotten worse. Concubine mother is feeling so poorly that she can not leave her bed. In a daze, she called for master. Would master please go take a look at her!”
Feng Yu Heng chuckled on the inside, but her mouth advised: “Father, quickly go take a look! Concubine mother Han has always had a weak body. It would be bad if she had some serious illness.”
Feng Jin Yuan had indeed doted on Han shi for many years. Although he had a new person in Jin Zhen, he still held feelings from being with Han shi for many years. Now that he heard that Han shi was ill, he could no longer sit still. Putting Zi Rui back down, he stood up and said to Yao shi: “Then I will go take a look. I will come back at a different date.”
Yao shi lowered her head and did not say anything. Feng Jin Yuan felt that he owed her a little. Wanting to go up and tug on Yao shi’s hand, the kneeling servant uttered a reminder: “Master, please be quick. This area is quite far away. This servant is truly worried that concubine mother Han will not be able to endure!”
With these words, Feng Jin Yuan moved as though it were a life and death situation. He turned and walked out. The servant hurriedly stood up and followed him.
Only when they walked far away did Yao shi ask Feng Yu Heng: “You already knew that concubine mother Han’s side would send someone over?”
Feng Yu Heng told her: “When I was coming over here, Huang Quan told me about it.”
Yao shi nodded, “Thinking about it, is also focused on this matter. Like this, I will not need to worry. Surely, the next time your father wants to come over, she will stop him.”
Feng Yu Heng did not say anything else. Thinking about this matter, she should communicate with Jin Zhen. Han shi could save them from the disaster once, but not a second time. Having Jin Zhen would definitely leave them more room to act. She as a daughter could not stop her father from staying the night at Tong Sheng pavilion, after all.
Then again, that Han shi, making use of a fake illness to finally attract Feng Jin Yuan into her courtyard. As a woman who had not seen father enter her courtyard for a long time, she truly cried upon seeing Feng Jin Yuan.
She had been born delicate. Now that she was crying pitifully in bed, her tears truly shattered Feng Jin Yuan’s heart.
He was about to go forward and pull his beloved concubine into his embrace, but today was really considered an unlucky day. He heard a servant carefully call out: “Master!”
Han shi angrily held on to Feng Jin Yuan’s neck and acted spoiled, saying: “You may not leave for any reason. Tonight, husband is mine.”
Feng Jin Yuan loved this tone of hers the most. He immediately nodded, “Good! I will not leave for anything.” As he said this, he reached his hand towards Han shi’s collar.
As a result, the servant called out from the outside again: “Master, the Chen family’s third master came. He is currently at Pine courtyard waiting for you.”
Feng Jin Yuan finally pushed Han shi away, as he climbed out of bed, helplessly saying: “I will come back to see you another day. That Chen Wan Liang personally coming to the manor. I fear that something might have really happened.” After he finished speaking, he turned and left the room.
Han shi was so angry that she nearly shattered her teeth from clenching her jaw. Violently grabbing her pillow, she smashed it on the ground. From the door, she heard Fen Dai’s voice: “Father was delivered to your door, yet you could not even keep him! Previously, I thought that you had the ability to entice men, but now it seems that you don’t even have that ability anymore, right?”
“You shut your mouth!” Han shi’s temper raged, “Feng Fen Dai, I will tell you. If you want be glorious and wealthy, then fight for it yourself! If you want the ninth prince, you go steal him for yourself! You have the ability! If you have the ability, then go defeat Feng Yu Heng and Feng Chen Yu. If you do not have the ability, then do not push me forward!”
“Do you think I do not want to?” Fen Dai rushed inside. Bending over, she picked up the pillow and threw it at Han shi, “I want to be the daughter of the first wife. What do I not have? At the root of it all, is it not your problem? Chen shi could climb to the position of head wife, so why can you not do it? The Chen family can make use of the Feng manor and become the lords of commerce. How is it that your Han family can not even get an insect? With such a low birth, you should not have even aimed for such a high target in the Feng manor. For no apparent reason, you have implicated me to also suffer. What sort of mother are you? It would be better if you just died!”
Feng Fen Dai carelessly and without thinking shouted this out. Moving up and down, she began to hit her, and her arm began to hurt. As soon as this arm began to hurt, she began to cry. As she cried, she continued to curse Han shi: “I was actually hit by the man I like, if you had any standing in the Feng manor at all, even if he was a prince, how could he dare to do such a thing to me? You worthless woman. Being your daughter is truly like eight lifetimes of suffering!”
Han shi felt a burst of fishy sweetness come up from her chest. She desperately wanted to suppress it, but she could not suppress it, no matter what. A violent burst of blood sprayed out. In the next moment, she fell to the ground and fell unconscious.