SFL Chapter 61

What can beauty accomplish?

As long as it’s used in the right way, it can make people lose their minds and lead to the fall of Queendoms.

History is full of Queens who lost their states because of beauty.

As a Queen, Feng Yuan should be vigilant against beauty, but Mo Ziqing is her consort—born of a prestigious family and not a fool. If she can’t even trust Mo Ziqing, she deserves to be a lonely ruler.

If even someone as close as Mo Ziqing could betray her, what’s the point of her being a ruler?

Thus, Feng Yuan followed her heart and brought Mo Ziqing into the palace early, placing him by her side to eliminate any chance of betrayal.

“Everyone at home says that Your Majesty welcoming a subject into the palace shows your regard for them. I want to ask Your Majesty, is that true?” Mo Ziqing inquired.

Feng Yuan was momentarily taken aback by the question, not answering immediately. After a moment of thought, she replied, “Yes, I do indeed value you.”

If Mo Ziqing didn’t qualify for her regard, there would be very few people in the world she could hold dear.

Upon hearing Feng Yuan’s affirming answer, Mo Ziqing didn’t hold back his feelings and boldly responded, which completely reassured Feng Yuan.

After they expressed their feelings, Feng Yuan lifted Mo Ziqing’s red veil.

Mo Ziqing’s stunning attire today, except for the wedding dress that wasn’t his design, was all crafted by him.

Once the veil was lifted, Mo Ziqing saw the astonishment in Feng Yuan’s eyes. He smiled subtly, a touch of pride on his lips, but humbly said, “I wonder if this humble appearance of mine still pleases Your Majesty?”

“I’m pleased,” Feng Yuan replied with a smile. “You shouldn’t be so modest, Ziqing. If you consider yourself plain, then there’s no one left worth looking at. By the way, didn’t I ask you to call me by my name? How could you forget?” 

This pleased Mo Ziqing; he was proud of his looks, but hearing praise from others was always more delightful than saying it himself. The original host had complained about Feng Yuan being unsupportive, but her words now were quite sweet.

Having completed the ceremony, Mo Ziqing realized there was no need to keep wearing the cumbersome adornments. “Yuan, could you help me remove my hairpins?”

“Of course,” Feng Yuan said. Mo Ziqing sat before the mirror, frowning slightly at his reflection. Now that the main event was over, he wouldn’t have to put up with anything uncomfortable.

The figure in the mirror was somewhat blurred, but to Feng Yuan, Mo Ziqing looked like a beautiful painting, every movement worthy of admiration.

Removing jewelry wasn’t difficult for her, but she had never done it for herself, let alone for someone else so intimately. The thought of calling a servant to assist Mo Ziqing never even crossed her mind.

Her movements were gentle, careful not to hurt Mo Ziqing. As she gathered the ornaments into a box, his long hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

Feng Yuan grasped a handful of his hair, letting the silky strands slip through her fingers.

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she sent a palace servant to fetch a pair of scissors.

The scissors that were brought were small and delicate, perfect for cutting hair.

Mo Ziqing watched as Feng Yuan brushed aside a section of her long hair and then, with a decisive “snip,” cut it with the scissors.

A lock of her hair fell as the scissors closed, and after cutting, she handed them to Mo Ziqing.

He chose a strand of his favorite hair and similarly cut it. The skilled palace servant then skillfully tied the two locks together.

—Binding their hair as a symbol of marriage, a testament to their unwavering love.

This act reflected both Feng Yuan and Mo Ziqing’s attitude toward their bond.

Looking at his shoulder-length hair, Mo Ziqing didn’t feel it was unattractive; instead, he felt a sense of joy.

“Come, I’ll take you to meet my father,” Feng Yuan said, reaching for Mo Ziqing’s hand and leading him to greet their elder.

In the previous Queen’s court, there were many male consorts, but given Mo Ziqing’s status, only a few caught the Queen’s attention—most notably, her biological father.

As the Queen, Feng Yuan and Princess Ning, Feng Yuning, were both born to this gentle Feng Jun. When he saw the Queen bringing someone to meet him, Feng Jun was pleased and gestured for Mo Ziqing to sit beside him, indicating closeness.

Upon closer inspection of Mo Ziqing’s appearance, even Feng Jun, a victor of palace intrigues, felt a jolt of surprise. He understood why the Queen couldn’t wait even a moment and had welcomed Mo Ziqing, the future consort, into the palace.

Like Feng Yuan, Feng Jun felt reassured by Mo Ziqing’s background as a scion of the Chancellor’s house. Despite his extraordinary beauty, the king did not perceive him as a potential threat.

After presenting Mo Ziqing with a grand welcome gift, the group sat together for a while, during which Feng Jun began to think of his younger daughter, Feng Yuning.

“I’ve heard that Ning’er has been behaving quite recklessly lately. What’s going on?” Feng Jun asked Feng Yuan.

Feng Yuan furrowed her brow and replied, “It’s something I can’t explain clearly, Father. You should ask her yourself when she comes to the palace.”

This made Feng Jun’s heart tighten, and he quickly inquired, “Has something happened to your sister?”

Feng Yuan shook her head, unwilling to elaborate. Left with no choice, Feng Jun decided to send a message to Feng Yuning, asking her to visit the palace when she had the chance.

As their father, Feng Jun cared deeply for his two daughters, who were the fruits of his labor, born after ten months of pregnancy—two pieces of his heart.

He could never imagine that his daughters would one day turn against each other over a man.

In the original story, after the death of the supporting character, Feng Yuan, the entire court swiftly sided with Feng Yuning, who became the new ruler, while the original host shamelessly became the new consort.

Only Feng Jun was deeply unsettled by this outcome.

He threatened to take his own life if Feng Yuning didn’t kill Mo Ziqing, the one he held responsible. Between a father she barely knew and a man she cared for deeply, how could Feng Yuning agree to Feng Jun’s demand?

As a father, Feng Jun couldn’t bring himself to harm his own child for revenge against another. When Feng Yuning rejected his threat, the original character soon became the new consort, and just days later, Feng Jun succumbed to his depression.

Now, unaware of the future, Feng Jun was extremely concerned for his youngest daughter.

Meanwhile, Feng Yuning, enjoying her luxurious life outside the palace, was quite attentive to her biological father. When he sent a message, she quickly made her way to the palace.

“Sister… Brother-in-law, you’re both here,” she said instinctively upon seeing Feng Yuan and Mo Ziqing.

Feng Yuan glanced at her and replied, “Father asked us to come.”

“The palace belongs to your sister; it would be strange if she weren’t here,” Feng Jun added, pulling Feng Yuning closer. “Now tell me, what have you been up to outside? Why are rumors spreading to the palace?”

Feng Yuning looked confused. “Ah, Father, I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Then how come I’ve heard that you have all sorts of men in your courtyard?”

Before Feng Yuning arrived at the palace, Feng Jun had already investigated the situation. It was no wonder that Feng Yuan, as her sister, found it difficult to address the matter; after all, it was Feng Yuning’s private affair.

As a father, Feng Jun felt uneasy discussing this directly, but given Feng Yuning’s recent reckless behavior, he intended to discipline her to prevent further misconduct.

The implications in his words were clear, and Feng Yuning quickly caught on. “Father, I only have one or two people in my courtyard. Is that really a bad thing?”

“As a princess , I have that right, don’t I?”

“Yes, you are a princess and have the right to take in people, but why accept just anyone?” Seeing that Feng Yuning was still defiant and unaware of the real issue, Feng Jun’s brows furrowed, and anger began to swell within him.

“Father, who is spreading rumors about me?” Feng Yuning asked anxiously, instinctively looking at her sister Feng Yuan. However, based on what she had learned about her sister lately, Feng Yuan was not one to gossip.

“Reports have come in saying that Wangye has taken in notable courtesans from the capital and that the young men in your courtyard are being treated as equals. This rumor has spread throughout the entire country. Is it true or not?” Feng Jun demanded sharply.

Feng Jun’s presence suddenly became overwhelming, causing Feng Yuning’s legs to weaken. She quickly fell into a compliant state, answering his questions obediently.

When he learned that Princess Ning had truly taken a renowned courtesan house into his residence, Feng Jun felt a wave of darkness wash over him. “Absurd! This is simply outrageous!”

“How could you allow a courtesan house from Nanfeng Pavilion to sit alongside the reputable young men in your courtyard?”

Feng Yuning, feeling unjustly accused, retorted, “Father, to me, there is no difference in status. Their positions are all the same.”

With a sharp ‘pa’, Feng Jun could no longer hold back and slapped her. 

The sound echoed in the room, leaving everyone stunned. The pain quickly spread across Feng Yuning’s face, and just as she prepared to cry out, she caught sight of Feng Jun’s cold, piercing gaze. All her grievances instantly choked back, replaced by a deep fear.

“Yuning, what do you think of the women in Qinlou and Chuguan? Would you consider them sisters and treat them as equals?” Feng Jun asked, his voice icy.

“Why would they be worthy of that?” Feng Yuning blurted out, instinctively covering her slapped face.

Feng Jun couldn’t help but sneer. “You realize this is a humiliation for you. Treating a courtesan house as equals to those young men is a disgrace to them as well.”

“Feng Yuning, what on earth has happened to make you look down on those men?” he demanded.

“Look down? I don’t! I like them very much. I’ve never looked down on them,” Feng Yuning insisted, shaking her head.

“Your fondness for the courtesans is already a form of disrespect to those young men.”

“The fact that they don’t speak up doesn’t mean you can disregard their feelings. Your reckless behavior is making waves outside. How do you think outsiders view our royal family? With your reputation in ruins, which family would be willing to marry their son to you?” Feng Jun scolded, filled with frustration.

“Huh?” Feng Yuning was taken aback by his words.

She had so many men in her courtyard; couldn’t they be considered her Husbands?