SFL Chapter 68

“Bu…but I didn’t do anything!” Feng Yuning said in confusion.

“The young masters in your backyard practically include the sons of half the court officials. Your matchmaking ability is truly unparalleled since the founding of the Queendom,” Feng Yuan pointed out coldly.

Feng Yuning couldn’t help but shiver violently, finally realizing that her actions might have been misinterpreted by others. But she genuinely didn’t mean it that way!

“Sister, you have to believe me. I absolutely harbor no ill intentions toward you!” Feng Yuning was almost ready to cling to Feng Yuan’s leg to plead her case.

Feng Yuan remained unmoved and said, “I know. In the end, the only ones you can win over are their sons. As long as I remain in power, so what if you marry their sons? Do you think they’d dare side with you against me?”

Of course, she also believed Feng Yuning was foolish enough to genuinely like those men for who they were, rather than for the power and influence attached to them.

At first, Feng Yuan naturally wanted to root out Feng Yuning completely. However, Feng Yuning’s overly transparent personality made her easy to read, with a mind full of intriguing and novel ideas. After some thought, Feng Yuan decided to keep Feng Yuning around. She was confident Feng Yuning would never escape her control.

“Since the prince of Long Queendom tried to sow discord, Ning’er, you know what to do now, don’t you?” Feng Yuan asked, looking at Feng Yuning.

Thinking of the prince, Feng Yuning tugged at the corners of her mouth uncomfortably, then slowly nodded.

It wasn’t until Feng Yuning left the palace gates that she realized not all beauty was sweet. Some people wore a mask of gentleness but harbored thorns in their hearts.

Not to mention the strained relationship between the two Queendoms, Feng Yuning had completely lost faith in any connection between herself and the prince.

“Fine, I admit it. I’m just lusting after his body. I’m despicable,” Feng Yuning self-criticized one lonely night when no one was around.

After that, the interactions between Feng Yuning and the prince took on a subtle tension. When the time was right, during a night when the prince had gotten her drunk, Feng Yuning blurted out that those small contraptions of the Feng Queendom were all her creations.

This statement left the envoys incredulous. They had heard of Feng Yuning’s reputation in the Feng Queendom.

Aside from lacking the usual vices common to royal scions, her one glaring flaw—being a notorious lover of beauty—was enough for the envoys to hold her in disdain.

For someone like her to claim responsibility for such feats, it sounded like pure bravado.

However, due to Feng Yuning’s royal status, they didn’t believe she could be entirely ignorant of those mechanisms. This made the prince even more inclined to humor her, coaxing more information out of her.

Unbeknownst to him, Feng Yuning was also using the prince to extract information in return.

Perhaps due to a sense of guilt towards Feng Yuning, the prince openly shared trivial details about their Queendom, sparing no effort to satisfy her curiosity.

What the prince didn’t realize was that even seemingly trivial information could become a powerful weapon in the hands of a strategist.

Wars had always been a drain on resources and morale, but this time, Mo Ziqing wanted to try something entirely different.

Before Feng Yuan could voice her opinion, Feng Yuning had already raised both hands in approval. With a mindset that transcended her era, Feng Yuning believed that reclaiming the Long Queendom without bloodshed would be the ideal solution.

“But no one has ever tried this method before,” Feng Yuan said, still skeptical. “All I’ve ever heard of is conquering Queendoms on horseback. What even is this concept of economic restraint?”

“Sister, don’t worry. This method is definitely feasible,” Feng Yuning reassured her. She couldn’t believe that Mo Ziqing, a man of ancient times, could come up with such a forward-thinking strategy. It made Feng Yuning feel as though her own intelligence had been completely outclassed.

Mo Ziqing, cradling his belly, chuckled. “Feng Queendom is our domain, so trade flows smoothly here. But once we step into the Long Queendom, it won’t be the same. They won’t show us any leniency. That’s where we’ll need Wangye’s help.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Feng Yuning said modestly, though her gaze involuntarily drifted to Mo Ziqing’s stomach.

She found herself grappling with a century-old question: ‘How do the men in a matriarchal world get pregnant?’

‘Do they have wombs in their bodies too?’

The most pressing question was: where would the child be delivered from during birth?

“Wangye.” Seeing the odd expression on Feng Yuning’s face, Mo Ziqing called out with a smile.

Feng Yuning snapped out of her thoughts and awkwardly replied, “Sorry, brother-in-law.”

“It’s fine. With so many young masters in your backyard, it’s only a matter of time before one of them gets you pregnant,” Mo Ziqing said kindly.

Feng Yuning instinctively thought about the number of men in her backyard, and her calves began to ache faintly.

“Actually, I think fewer, healthier births are the best option,” she muttered without thinking.

At this, even Feng Yuan laughed. “Even if you have fewer children, I’m sure you’ll still end up with more than me and your brother-in-law combined.”

“Y-yeah, you’re probably right,” Feng Yuning replied, her smile strained.

Unlike many men and women who only cared about fleeting pleasures, leaving behind children without taking responsibility, Feng Yuning had a bit more conscience. Even though the thought of so many gold-eating little beasts arriving exhausted her, she was prepared to shoulder the responsibility.

It was only then that Feng Yuning belatedly realized how foolish it was to bring so many men into her backyard.

But alas, it was too late to regret now.

On the day the envoys from the Long Queendom, having settled in, chose an auspicious date to enter the palace for an audience, good news came from Wangye’s residence.

Many of the young men in her household were now pregnant. While the news of the first child filled Feng Yuning with some joy, as more and more such news came, she began to feel numb.

“Congratulations to Wangye,” the court officials said, offering their congratulations. Many wore envious expressions. After all, in this era, “the more children, the greater the blessing” was a widely held belief. No matter how unlearned or idle Feng Yuning was, as long as she fulfilled her duty of passing on her lineage, she was considered a “success.”

Yet the same officials who now envied Feng Yuning would, in time, grow to resent her.

At the table of the envoys, the Seventh Princess and the prince sat side by side. The Seventh Princess smiled and said, “Brother, there’s joyous news from Wangye’s residence. As a friend, shouldn’t you offer your congratulations?”

The prince raised his cup, his eyes dim as he looked toward Feng Yuning. However, she didn’t give him the slightest reaction. Her indifference made the Seventh Princess wonder if her brother’s looks weren’t striking enough—how else could he fail to attract Wangye’s attention?

Once the official pleasantries between the two Queendoms were over, Feng Yuan escorted an unwell Mo Ziqing out of the hall and back to the inner palace.

“Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?” Feng Yuan asked, worry evident in her voice as she gently placed a hand on Mo Ziqing’s slightly rounded belly.

“No, I’m fine now. Leaving the banquet helped. It was probably just the crowd making me feel unwell,” Mo Ziqing replied.

Though his body was robust, he still couldn’t escape the various discomforts of pregnancy. However, whenever he felt the steady, growing heartbeat of the child within him, he gained more courage and patience.

Under Mo Ziqing’s subtle guidance, Feng Yuan was gradually developing the traits of a good mother.

After returning to their chambers, Mo Ziqing quickly lay down to rest due to his discomfort. Feng Yuan, however, remained different. She stayed awake, watching the progress of the banquet by candlelight.

Once the Queen and King—the two most esteemed figures—had left, the banquet became livelier. At some point, Feng Yuning quietly slipped away from her seat, accompanied by the Seventh Princess and prince.

Feng Yuning had been invited by the prince, but when she arrived at the meeting place, the prince was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with the Seventh Princess.

“Wangye,” the Seventh Princess greeted her warmly with a smile. “I wonder if you would be interested in a mutually beneficial deal with our Queendom?”

Feng Yuning raised an eyebrow. “What kind of business could I possibly have with your Long Queendom?”

“As I understand it, some of the businesses in the Feng Queendom are managed by you, Wangye. Yet, the majority of the profits don’t end up in your hands. Doesn’t that leave you feeling just a little dissatisfied?”

“As long as Wangye can find a way to channel those goods into the Long Queendom, we will surely offer generous compensation,” the Seventh Princess said.

The envoys had done their calculations. Those innovative goods had transformed the entire Feng Queendom in just a few months. If they could acquire the same, what kind of benefits could they achieve?

What they didn’t realize was that the core change in the Feng Queendom wasn’t just due to those goods but also because Feng Yuan was willing to invest heavily in the people and infrastructure. Without that financial backing, no matter how profitable Feng Yuning’s ventures were, they would never have brought about such a significant transformation.

Feng Yuning stayed silent for a moment, not responding immediately. Instead, her face displayed a mixture of struggle and temptation. She felt as though her lifetime of acting skills had culminated in this very moment. After all, when it came to human nature, people often valued what they fought for themselves far more than what was freely given.

Seeing Feng Yuning hesitate, the Seventh Princess grew increasingly optimistic. She was certain this plan had potential.

What she didn’t know was just how timid Feng Yuning truly was. She had already confessed everything to Feng Yuan long ago.

As a fellow royal descendant, the Seventh Princess assumed that the relationship between Feng Yuan and Feng Yuning couldn’t possibly be harmonious. After all, even she, the biological daughter of their Queen, had been discarded without hesitation.

“How can I trust your Long Queendom with just empty promises?” Feng Yuning asked, her tone cautious.

The Seventh Princess, delighted by this response, presented a token with a bright smile. “As long as you agree, this is a royal token. With it, no one from our kingdom will dare trouble you.”

“Of course, this is merely the first step of collaboration between the Long Queendom and Wangye. There will be many opportunities for us to work together in the future,” the Seventh Princess coaxed Feng Yuning, her tone gentle and persuasive.

She firmly believed that if Feng Yuning had any ambition, she would surely agree to their offer.

Yet, Feng Yuning scoffed internally. She clearly understood that the Long Queendom’s true target was the Feng Queendom, not her—a mere idle prince.

The fact that she could somehow find herself involved in a conflict between two nations was almost laughable. She knew her own limits better than anyone. For the Long Queendom to use her as a breakthrough point was giving her far too much credit.

With self-deprecating thoughts swirling in her mind, Feng Yuning accepted the token given by the Seventh Princess. Just then, she noticed the prince entering the room. Shortly after, the Seventh Princess smiled and excused herself, leaving Feng Yuning and the prince alone.

Power and beauty—these two elements had won over the hearts of countless women throughout history. Wangye was undoubtedly no exception.