Chapter 620: First Volume_Chapter 620: Parting with What One Loves

First Volume_Chapter 620: Parting with What One Loves

Just then, the Registrar of Dali Temple walked over, rubbing his hands together with an ingratiating smile plastered across his face.

"Young Master Qin, this is a vital area of Shen Xing Yuan, solemn and dignified—not a place for idle chatter. How about you take your leave?"

Seeing that the Dali Temple Official had issued a dismissal, Qin Feng no longer hesitated.

However, before leaving, Qin Feng cast a deep glance toward the inner hall.

If Qin Feng remembered correctly, the Chief of Dali Temple, Cheng Yulou, had lost his wife in his early years and, overwhelmed by grief, had never remarried to this day.

He had no children either.

Precisely because of this, Cheng Yulou had instead earned even greater favor from the Liang Emperor.

After all, having no family meant Cheng Yulou's resistance to entanglements of interest would be stronger, allowing him to devote himself entirely to his work.

But a man of such advanced years, all alone, was even pitifully lonely.

Qin Feng deliberately raised his voice and shouted loudly: "Uncle Cheng, I'm off."

"Once I've settled the relatives who came from the Northern Border, I'll come see you."

Seeing no response from the inner hall, Qin Feng no longer hesitated and led the group out of Shen Xing Yuan.

Cheng Yulou, who was in the middle of making final annotations on case files, heard Qin Feng's shout and his Brush paused slightly.

He couldn't help but look up toward the direction of DaTang.

His normally stern, serious expression revealed a trace of gratification.

"Madam Qin, you truly gave birth to a fine son."

"Since ancient times, meritorious generals and soldiers have not died on the Battlefield, but in the Imperial Court."

"That rascal, tempered on the Battlefield and honed in the Imperial Court, has cut his way through every obstacle."

"His future prospects are boundless."

"If my Cheng Clan could have such a young man, it would be enough to comfort the ancestors of the Cheng Clan."

Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no descendants.

Cheng Yulou knew well that his refusal to marry and have children, in remembrance of his late wife, went against reason.

But the Cheng Clan was not without other descendants—several Comrades remained in the Ancestral Land—so the pressure to carry on the family line was not so great.

Moreover, for reasons unknown, every time he saw that rascal Qin Feng, he felt an inexplicable warmth.

"Come to think of it, Madam Qin also has her name recorded in the Cheng Clan's collateral genealogy."

"Feng'er can be considered a part of the Cheng Clan."

Thinking of this, Cheng Yulou felt a great sense of balance within. Though outwardly he gave Qin Feng none of the One Hundred graces of welcome, in his heart he silently regarded Qin Feng as a young man of his own household.

How could Qin Feng know what was on Cheng Yulou's mind?

In Qin Feng's view, Cheng Yulou's secret assistance all along was nothing more than deference to his mother, Madam Qin of the Cheng Clan.

However, with Li Qian's downfall, the Shu Wei Zhi Zheng had come to a complete end.

With the dust settled, Qin Feng's taut nerves could finally relax.

He led Xie Yun'er and the others, swaggering out through the great Door of Dali Temple.

But before his heels had even settled, an excited cry rang out from in front of him.

"Young Master!"

Following the sound, he saw Xiao Xiangxiang and Shu Feng, their little faces flushed with excitement, scampering over.

Seeing the two girls, Qin Feng was greatly delighted. He quickly stepped forward two paces and pulled both girls into his arms.

"What are you two doing here?"

Xiao Xiangxiang, feeling Qin Feng's solid, strong chest, was instantly filled with a sense of security.

Facing Qin Feng's question, Xiao Xiangxiang bit her thin lip, her eyes brimming with joy and playful reproach: "Does the Young Master not wish to see this Maid?"

"Then this Maid will set off back to the Northern Border tomorrow."

What kind of talk was that?

Qin Feng held Xiao Xiangxiang tightly and quickly soothed her: "I couldn't be happier. Now that you're back, you're not allowed to leave."

"Wait!"

Qin Feng suddenly realized something, and his gaze at Xiao Xiangxiang shifted slightly: "Girl, how dare you tease me now?"

"You've gone bad!"

Xiao Xiangxiang burst out laughing, clinging tightly to Qin Feng's waist, grinning happily.

Shu Feng on the other side, already thin-skinned, felt as though she was about to set herself ablaze in Qin Feng's embrace, her breathing growing rapid.

"Young Master, there are people around. Have mercy on this Maid."

Shu Feng, as always, was bashful.

Seeing her pitifully endearing appearance, Qin Feng's mischievous thoughts could not be contained.

Instead of letting go, he even planted a kiss on Shu Feng's cheek.

That nearly killed Shu Feng with embarrassment. Her little face flushed crimson, yet she did not resist—only burying her face in Qin Feng's chest, too ashamed to show herself.

Qin Feng, with the two girls in his arms, turned to look at Liu Hongyan and asked in confusion: "Second Sister, why did you bring them along?"

"Mother actually agreed?!"

Qin Feng found it unbelievable. When he had originally returned to Beijing, he had planned to bring the two girls along.

But Madam Qin of the Cheng Clan had refused without hesitation, for a simple reason: Jingdu was no longer the Qin Family's home.

The more people who went, the greater the danger.

These past days, every night before sleep, the figures of the two girls would uncontrollably surface in Qin Feng's mind.

Just as Liu Hongyan had said, without a woman around, the entire Qin Family was bursting with masculine energy. If this continued, Qin Feng was about to turn into a Buddhist Monk, with not a single stray thought left in his heart.

Seeing Qin Feng so happy, Liu Hongyan's mood also brightened immensely, and she explained in a gentle, soft voice.

"Your Third Sister's identity has already been proclaimed to the world. On this return to the palace, she must have trusted maidservants attending her by her side."

"If we rely on the palace to assign people, it's inevitable that some spies will be planted around Xiaolan's side, leaving her restricted at every turn."

At these words, Qin Feng's eyes instantly flew wide open: "What do you mean?! Xiao Xiangxiang and Shu Feng are my personal maid attendants."

Naturally, Qin Feng couldn't bear to part with them.

Liu Hongyan shot Qin Feng a glance and said, vexed: "It's only a loan, what's your rush?"

"Could it be that you want to watch your Third Sister isolated and helpless in the palace, being pushed around?"

Of course, Qin Feng couldn't bear to see his Third Sister suffer grievances either. Moreover, Xiao Xiangxiang was sharp-witted, and Shu Feng was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. With these two maids protecting her, Third Sister would surely have an easier time of it.

Thinking of this, Qin Feng could only bear to part with them reluctantly: "Xiao Xiangxiang, Shu Feng, once you two enter the palace, you will be maidservants. You must keep the palace rules firmly in mind."

"If…"

Before Qin Feng could finish speaking, Xiao Xiangxiang stuck out her tongue and interrupted with a smile: "Young Master needn't worry."

"Along the way, the Second Miss already taught us all the various palace rules."

Hearing this, Qin Feng was inwardly startled and turned to look at Liu Hongyan.

"Second Sister, is there anything you don't know?"

"The Way of Commerce I can let pass, but I recall you rarely entered the palace in the past. How could you have the palace rules at your fingertips?"

The corner of Liu Hongyan's mouth curved up slightly, revealing a hint of smugness.

"Palace rules aren't any secret. As long as it's something recorded in books, I know a little of all of them."

Only then did Qin Feng recall that Liu Hongyan was a book lover, and compared to Elder Sister Shen Qingci, who specialized in the arts.

The range of Liu Hongyan's reading was extremely broad—she was practically a know-it-all.

At this time, the sky was already faintly bright.

Qin Feng and Xie Bi had stayed up all night and were utterly exhausted, so they went back to rest. Meanwhile, all of Jingdu was in an uproar…