Chapter 1129

First Volume, Chapter 1129: The Family's Expectations

While Xie Yun'er attended to guests, the Princess of Qiyang, seated among the crowd, wore a look of melancholy.

Seeing Xie Yun'er's current status, she did not know whether to be happy or jealous.

The woman who once needed her protection had now become one of the most powerful figures in all of Liang.

And all of this was thanks to Qin Feng.

The Princess of Qiyang did not understand why Old Heaven had been so unfair to her.

She silently slipped away from the crowd and vanished without a word from Ning Guogong Fu.

Meanwhile, Xie Yun'er kept glancing around, searching for the Princess of Qiyang's figure—why had her dearest sister not come to celebrate on such a wonderful day?

Was it because she was burdened with affairs?

Though Xie Yun'er felt a touch of disappointment, she did not dwell on it; she would find the Princess of Qiyang after attending to the guests.

In the Qin Family, the cries of servants and maids rose and fell in succession.

"Misses! The Marquis has returned!"

"No, no, no—it's the Prince! The Prince has returned!"

"Everyone, prepare! The Prince will be home in just one more turn."

"Wow, I've only been in the Qin Family for a few days, and I already get to see the Qin Prince—my luck is incredible!"

"Hey! Don't just stand around—keep preparing for tomorrow's Da Huo! Don't all rush out to welcome the Qin Prince!"

"Tomorrow's wedding must not fail in any way—it concerns not just the Qin Family, but all of Liang. Everyone, snap to it!"

The entire Qin Family was in a frenzy—maids and servants came and went, either preparing gifts for tomorrow or gathering in groups to rush outside for Heroes' Welcome.

The front hall was no quieter.

Long before Qin Feng was granted his princely title, the Eunuch had already delivered the Royal Edict to the household.

Upon learning Qin Feng had been promoted directly from Marquis to Prince, everyone was immensely proud; they dressed in their finest and gathered in the front hall, waiting for the man they had longed for day and night.

Li Xiaolan, dressed in a white yi garment, elegant and composed, sat on a chair, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on the Door.

Because she had taken the initiative to travel to Bei Di to find Qin Feng and stayed with him for a long time, she was not as excited as the others.

Yet her heart still rippled with emotion.

Among the four sisters, she was Elder Third; since childhood, she had followed Qin Cheng Clan to Beixi County, during which time she had almost no contact with Qin Feng.

Thus, Li Xiaolan's "sibling bond" with Qin Feng was the weakest.

All along, in Li Xiaolan's heart, Qin Feng had merely been a strangerly adopted younger brother.

Because of this weak kinship, she found it easier to accept her current relationship with Qin Feng.

At this moment, in Li Xiaolan's heart, beyond happiness, there was more gratitude and guilt.

This emotion was contradictory, yet it was Li Xiaolan's most genuine state of mind.

She felt moved because, under Qin Feng's protection, she had finally escaped her fate of being hunted, and could now become the rightful Da Liang Ming Yue Princess.

She felt guilty because she had not stayed by Qin Feng's side like the other three sisters.

She always felt she owed Qin Feng some care…

She silently vowed to make up for the emptiness created by their separation with the rest of her life.

Jing Qianying, seated beside her, felt nearly the same.

Without Qin Feng, she would never have returned to Bei Di, let alone become the Bei Di Nü Huang and reclaim her Father Emperor's legacy.

Now, recalling how she had once hoarded coins obsessively for the sake of restoring her kingdom, she found it both naive and laughable.

Shen Qingci, as the eldest of the Qin Family, stood at the Door, gazing eagerly ahead.

The once aloof, haughty, even cold woman was gone; in her place stood a Big Sister who had worn herself out for this family…

She sighed inwardly.

"Feng'er has been made a Prince… one of the few Princes of Liang; though not a Royal Prince, this Prince's weight surpasses any other Prince."

"I'm truly glad you've reached this point."

"But… my brother is so outstanding—I fear I'll never find another man worthy of me again?"

"You little rascal, are you planning to make your Big Sister spend her life alone?"

As Shen Qingci scolded, she suddenly burst into laughter on her own.

Though tomorrow's Da Huo had nothing to do with her, she genuinely rejoiced for Qin Feng, his two sisters, and the entire Qin Family.

Liu Hongyan sat quietly aside, biting her thin lips, fists clenched, already cursing furiously in her heart.

"You little brat, you've been gone this long!"

"You've ruined Xiaolan and Qianying—when you come back, just see how I'll deal with you!"

Liu Hongyan did not know whether her feelings now were anger or jealousy.

She had always been the sister closest to Qin Feng among the four.

All along, Qin Feng had clung to her side.

But now, the closest ones had become Elder Third and Elder Fourth.

Even Xiao Xiangxiang and Shu Feng, those two girls, had grown closer than she was…

Liu Hongyan silently cursed Qin Feng for forgetting his sister after marrying, and vowed never to speak to him again—yet when the maid reported that Qin Feng was nearly at the Door, her heart instantly leapt.

Her bright eyes locked tightly on the Door, longing for her beloved Feng'er to appear before her.

Xiao Xiangxiang and Shu Feng held hands, jumping up and down in excitement.

They had none of the ladies' delicate thoughts; they were always simple and straightforward.

As long as they could be with Qin Feng, they were already content.

At this moment, the person with the best mood was undoubtedly Qin Tianhu.

He sat at the head, his head tilted so high it seemed to point at the sky.

"Hmph, let the entire capital open its eyes and take a good look—what a son should be is like Feng'er!"

"This is my own flesh and blood!"

Compared to Qin Feng being granted a princedom, Qin Tianhu cared more about Li Xiaolan and Jing Qianying.

After all, these two girls were already carrying the Qin Family's bloodline; as the saying goes, among three forms of unfiliality, having no heir is the greatest—Qin Tianhu's greatest fear was that Qin Feng would become so absorbed in his career that he forgot to marry and start a family.

And the facts proved this worry was entirely unnecessary.

"You brat, no wonder you're my son—you've finished all of the Qin Family's major matters in one go!"

"Well done!"

"The heavy stone hanging in my heart has finally landed."

"If your mother were here, she'd surely be as happy as I am?"

Since Qin Feng had been granted a princedom, and the Manchu Civil and Military, even His Majesty, had all acknowledged Qin Feng as the North Region King, his status was now temporarily unshakable.

Qin Tianhu silently resolved that after the Da Huo, he would take an extended leave to reunite with his wife in Beixi County.