Chapter 888

Just Based on Your Memory, You Really Are Top Scholar Material

In truth, before the people had been captured, Xuan Tian Ming had wanted to leave Yao shi to Feng Yu Heng. As for Feng Jin Yuan, he would just take care of him directly; however, who knew that the one to die would be Yao shi. He was unable to take action against the remaining Feng Jin Yuan. Between a biological father and a biological mother, he had to leave one for that girl.

Originally, it had been arranged for Feng Jin Yuan to go and live in Sha Ping City, but Feng Jin Yuan did not want to live there and continued to persevere with living in the military camp. He also took the initiative in picking up a number of tasks in the camp. There would be times when the soldiers went to train, thus he went to Sha Ping City to help the citizens of Sha Ping City with some things. He had even done things like aid in the writing of menus for restaurants.

There were some soldiers that began a discussion. If this Mister Feng had not been so absolute with his decisions in the past and had been like this the entire time, Imperial Daughter would not dislike him. Unfortunate! He had placed himself in a dead end. Even if he turned around, he was too far from shore and could not get out.

Feng Jin Yuan’s good deeds did not continue for too long. The heat of the desert combined with the sunlight quickly caused him to suffer from heatstroke. During the day, it was practically impossible to go out, as he was vomiting. It also happened that Song Kang really despised him, persisting in refusing to treat him. Naturally, the other military doctors would listen to Song Kang, thus nobody paid any attention to Feng Jin Yuan. At most, they would only give him some tea to ease the heatstroke, but they did not provide him with any medicine.

Feng Jin Yuan also knew that he had been quite unlikeable, and he no longer had any intentions of continuing to survive. There was no need to argue about whether or not medicine would be used. He even repeatedly expressed his thanks to the soldiers that took care of him. There were times when he felt a bit better and would get up to dispose of the unclean elements to avoid troubling anyone else.

During the day, the heatstroke was difficult to endure, and when night rolled around, he would feel a little better. Feng Jin Yuan simply chose to sleep during the day and stay awake at night; however, he could not do anything. He could only sit on the bed in the camp while thinking about the past. He thought about the times when the people of the Feng manor were still alive. He even recalled the time before his marriage to Yao shi. At that time, the empress dowager, who was still alive at the time, had sent a present. Just how glorious had that been.

During that evening, Xuan Tian Ming made an unprecedented visit to Feng Jin Yuan’s tent. He was even holding two wine pots filled with wine. Feng Jin Yuan did not understand why he had come. Seeing Xuan Tian Ming hand one of the wine pots to him, he thought that it would be a poisoned drink to send him off. He could not help but smile bitterly and say: “Your Highness the ninth prince, even if you are about to kill someone, this is not the way to do it. Poisoned wine is too veiled. It’s not the method that Your Highness the ninth prince is most adept at.”

Xuan Tian Ming laughed and pulled a chair over to sit across from him, asking: “Then do tell, how should this prince kill people?”

Feng Jin Yuan said: “Grandly and magnificently, like with the death of Ji Ling Tian. It gives everyone a shock, unlike quietly sending a pot of wine. Speaking truthfully, when it comes to what I have done, poisoned wine is letting me off too easily. Thinking about it, Your Highness is doing it to allow A-Heng to save some face, right? As a father, I have never done anything that has favored her. Even right as I am about to die, it is that daughter that is helping me save face. I truly am too ashamed to meet the Feng family’s ancestors.”

After saying this, he very frankly brought the spout to his lips and downed a large amount of wine. He then placed the wine on a small table to the side and looked at Xuan Tian Ming with a bitter smile: “How long after drinking it will it begin to take effect?” After tasting it a bit more, “It seems to not be immediately. Thinking about it, Your Highness the ninth prince must have something to say to me.”

Xuan Tian Ming listened to him speak but did not say anything. He raised the pot in his hand and took a couple sips before saying: “There isn’t anything in particular. I just could not sleep at night and wanted to find someone to drink with. After thinking about it, I have never drank with my future father-in-law before, thus I came over.”

Feng Jin Yuan was stunned, “Drink with me?” After looking at the wine pot that he had just drank from, he seemed to have understood something: “Could it be that I misunderstood? This isn’t poisoned wine?”

Xuan Tian Ming nodded: “You do indeed understand this prince. If this prince wished to kill you, it definitely would not be done with a pot of poisoned wine. Moreover, I’ve said that I will keep you for A-Heng, thus this prince will not personally take action.”

Feng Jin Yuan blinked but did not feel as though he had survived a disaster. Instead, he shook his head with a bit of disappointment, “It was I that had thought of it too simply. In the past, I tried my hardest to survive, but it’s only now that I found out that dying is not that easy.” He picked up the pot of wine and threw his head back, downing some more. He was originally a scholar and did not have much tolerance for alcohol built up. Downing the strong wine in a few gulps, he felt a bit dizzy. He felt his eyes and nose burn. When he opened his mouth once more, he ended up crying for some reason.

Xuan Tian Ming did not stop him, nor did he find it annoying. He just drank while watching Feng Jin Yuan cry. It was only when he had nearly finished crying that he finally said: “If you knew that it would be like this now, why do what you did in the past?”

Feng Jin Yuan sniffled and bitterly sighed: “It’s because I did not think that it would be like this today. That was why I made so many mistakes. Now, I regret it, but it’s too late. So many people have already died. What am I living on for? Your Highness the ninth prince, say, what am I still living for?”

“But the you of the past wholeheartedly hoped that the person to die would be A-Heng.” Xuan Tian Ming snorted coldly, prodding at Feng Jin Yuan’s sore spot, “If it was not for this prince’s wife having her abilities, I fear that she would have died countless times.”

Feng Jin Yuan nodded and admitted to the mistakes that he had made in the past without avoiding it: “On their way back to the capital, I had sent people to kill them. Later on, the Chen family tried time and time again to do something, and I did not stop them. Even when we went back to our old home, Zi Hao and Chen Yu had worked together to harm A-Heng, and I had truly hoped that she had burned to death…” As he spoke, he waved his hand, “It had happened too many times. I can’t even count how many times I had acted in secret, but it is as Your Highness said. A-Heng has the ability. When has she ever let me succeed?” While he spoke, he slapped himself across the face, and tears began to drip down. He then asked Xuan Tian Ming: “Your Highness the ninth prince, say, do I just not have a brain? Thinking about it now, I don’t even know how I lucked out and became the top scholar. Just based on my mind, I could actually become the top scholar? Even if I was a smart one, after so many experiences, I should have understood. A-Heng can’t be touched, right? How could I not see it at that time? And I even wanted to fully protect Chen Yu?”

Xuan Tian Ming was in total agreement with what he said: “It’s possible that Father Emperor’s eyes were blurry that year and misread the test; otherwise, just based on your mind, you really aren’t top scholar material.”

Feng Jin Yuan was quite interesting. Who knew if his personality really had changed after all of these experiences or if the wine had left him drunk, as he actually had the courage to grab Xuan Tian Ming’s hand and begin to chat with him about matters of the past. Starting from the imperial exam, he spoke of the moment that it was announced that he was the top scholar and married Yao shi, chasing A-Heng away then bringing her back and of how everyone in the Feng family had died one by one. He had personally seen the collapse of the Feng family. Not a single step or detail was omitted. His memory was so good that even Xuan Tian Ming had no choice but to admire it. He even said: “Just based on your memory, it’s possible to become the top scholar.”

Feng Jin Yuan did not react to those words, as he continued. He even recalled the time when Feng Yu Heng had just returned to the capital. Xuan Tian Ming and Xuan Tian Hua had visited the Feng manor a few times for the sake of supporting Feng Yu Heng, and he even recalled what had been said.

This confession was a memoir of his, Feng Jin Yuan’s, and the Feng family’s life. Xuan Tian Ming was also quite taken in by the story. After all, his wife had a part, and she was a face-slapping existence. It was very entertaining to listen to.

Finally, when Feng Jin Yuan spoke of Yao shi’s burial, he stopped and turned his head. The sky was starting to brighten, and he had almost completely sobered up from the wine. Upon seeing that he was kneeling on the ground without any concern for appearances and had his hands on Xuan Tian Ming’s knees, he felt a bit embarrassed. He wanted to apologize to Xuan Tian Ming and say that he had drank too much, which caused him to lose control, but he also felt that apologizing would be too flat and not serve any actual purpose. When he opened his mouth once more, he said: “I am a condemned person. Right now, all that I can ask is for Your Highness the ninth prince to treat A-Heng well in the future. The Feng family did not spare any feelings for her, but I hope that this can be made up for when she marries into the Yu Palace. It’s not easy for that daughter of mine. For her to have survived up to this point, it was all a result of her own efforts. Thinking about it, she will be able to live even more freely after my death.”

He stood up from the ground. He had been kneeling for too long and was a bit weak, nearly giving out. Xuan Tian Ming provided him with some support and said: “This prince’s wife will naturally be taken good care of. Do you have… anything else to entrust?” He had originally wanted to ask if he had any final words, but he felt that it was a little too unreasonable, thus he changed the words on the spot.

Feng Jin Yuan did not hold back. After thinking for a bit, he said: “I still have a concubine and a third daughter. The concubine is not in the family register, so there is no talk of any divorce. With my death, she will naturally be free. That third daughter has always gotten along well with A-Heng. Thinking about it, there’s no need for me to worry about her with her second sister present. Xiang Rong definitely will not suffer. As for my fourth daughter…” Feng Jin Yuan paused for a moment and pulled out the letter that he had written a few days earlier, handing it to Xuan Tian Ming and saying: “This is a letter that I wrote to Fen Dai. She is in the capital. Although she is engaged to His Highness the fifth prince, and His Highness the fifth prince treats her quite well, I am still unable to feel at ease. Your Highness should still remember that girl. Her personality is the same as Chen Yu’s mother, Chen shi. She does not have any intelligence in the slightest and starts all sorts of trouble. From a young age, she has been filled with resentment. I don’t know how to raise such a child, and she does not listen to what I have to say. I hope that Your Highness can hand this letter to her after returning to the capital. It can be considered a father’s final warning to her before my death!”

After Feng Jin Yuan finished speaking about this, he saw Xuan Tian Ming receive the letter. Only then did he feel at ease. The effects of the wine had completely worn off; however, the symptoms of heatstroke returned once more. He collapsed back toward the bed in a daze and quickly passed out.

Xuan Tian Ming called some soldiers in from the outside to help Feng Jin Yuan remove his shoes, socks and outer robe then placed him under some blankets before leaving the tent. Under the hot sun of the desert and enduring the onslaught of heat, he opened the letter that Feng Jin Yuan had not even placed in an envelope. He saw that it was a final warning to his daughter before dying. It was all about having Fen Dai no longer oppose Feng Yu Heng. He warned Fen Dai that the only way of living a peaceful life was by getting along with Feng Yu Heng. At present, there was nothing more fortunate than continuing to live.

Xuan Tian Ming let out a quiet sigh and placed the letter in his pocket. He wanted to help with passing along Feng Jin Yuan’s intentions. It just remained to see whether or not Feng Fen Dai would change! After all, the Feng family was Feng Yu Heng’s foundation. He did not hope that the Feng family would collapse to the point of not having anyone remaining. Fortunately, there was still Feng Xiang Rong, thus his wife would not feel too lonely.

After a long night of chatting, Feng Jin Yuan’s illness became more severe…