“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. We are unharmed.”
Lu Wenbin cupped his hands, his voice carrying an unmistakable trace of unease.
“Your Highness, have you seen His Majesty and Minister Feng?”
Feng Zexuan wore a mysterious, unreadable smile.
“Don’t be anxious, Minister Lu.”
“His Majesty is currently ‘secluded in cultivation’ at a blessed geomantic site, contemplating the true governing principle of ‘sweat dripping into the soil.’”
She paused, her smile widening.
“He specially sent me to bring all of you over for discussion.”
Under the candlelight, the drunken haze on the officials’ faces instantly froze.
Cultivation of the self?
His Majesty?
That workaholic who practically welded himself to the dragon throne and read memorials until the third watch of the night?
Feng Zexuan’s gaze briefly landed on Lu Wenbin’s round belly.
Then swept across several flushed-faced generals.
Finally, it rested on the face of a Ministry of Rites official already red from drinking.
【Look at all of them—fat and well-fed.】
【Perfect. Package them all to the farm and make them contribute to Great Xia’s GDP.】
【Especially Minister Lu. That fatty liver from last time hasn’t cleared yet, has it?】
【No worries. Swing the hoe well, and the fat won’t run away.】
【And those generals—don’t think you can slack off just because you know martial arts.】
【Farming is way more exhausting than swinging a blade.】
Lu Wenbin’s hand froze mid-stroke over his beard.
Farm? Hoe? Lose weight?
Alarm bells rang violently in his mind.
He immediately recalled the terror of being publicly “executed” on the court stage.
He quietly stepped back half a pace.
“Your Highness… what do you mean by this? Where exactly is His Majesty?”
“I will send someone immediately to escort His Majesty back to camp…”
The other officials also sensed something was wrong.
They set down their cups and subtly shifted backward.
Feng Zekai watched their movements with a faint smile.
He stepped forward and bowed gracefully.
“Gentlemen, His Majesty has issued an order.”
“He commands my sister and I to ‘invite’ all of you to experience the joy of labor together.”
He paused slightly.
“Imperial command cannot be disobeyed. I hope you will not make things difficult for us.”
That word—invite—was bitten off with deliberate clarity.
Combined with his gentle smile, it sent chills down everyone’s spine.
That sounded less like an invitation… and more like being sold off.
“This… this seems inappropriate,” a deputy minister forced himself to speak.
“If His Majesty truly issued an order, why is there no imperial decree?”
“As court officials, how can we leave the camp at will?”
“Exactly!”
Others quickly chimed in.
“If something happens in the camp while we are away, it would be negligence of duty!”
The smile on Feng Zexuan’s lips deepened.
【Oh? Look at them, making excuses so smoothly.】
【Cute. Trying tricks in front of me? Amateur hour.】
【You think you can escape?】
【Naïve!】
She snapped her fingers.
A tone of unquestionable authority echoed through her voice.
“Since you are all so eager, then let His Majesty not wait any longer.”
【All of you—go in.】
【Not a single one escapes.】
A ripple of invisible force surged through the main tent like a tidal wave.
“Whoosh—”
The bustling tent emptied in an instant.
Only a few wine cups remained, rolling across the ground with crisp clinks.
The system’s cheerful voice rang out.
【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on achieving the ‘clean sweep’ accomplishment!】
【23 officials successfully collected. Melon points +5000!】
Feng Zexuan clapped her hands in satisfaction.
“Done.”
“System, scan again. Any stragglers left?”
“Don’t let a single unlucky one escape this ‘group outing.’”
The system’s radar instantly activated, sweeping across the entire western hunting grounds.
【Host, high-priority alert!】
【The Crown Prince, Third Prince, and Third Princess are currently chasing a rare white fox deep into the forest!】
【And…】
The system suddenly grew excited.
【They seem to have entered a place they shouldn’t be!】
Feng Zexuan raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
【A brown bear territory!】
【And not just one—it’s a full family unit!】
【Male bear, female bear, and cub—all present!】
The system’s voice grew increasingly animated.
【Host, this is rare footage of ‘royal heirs doing wilderness survival’!】
Feng Zexuan’s eyes lit up instantly.
That was the glow of pure gossip enthusiasm.
【Oh my god! This melon is huge!】
【Let’s go watch. Rescue them while we’re at it!】
She flipped onto the back of a massive tiger, patting its head.
“Big guy, let’s go save some people!”
Feng Zekai also mounted his tiger.
Two tigers roared and shot into the deepening dusk like streaks of light.
Deep in the forest, the air was thick with the smell of damp leaves and beasts.
Upon arrival, Feng Zexuan signaled the tiger to slow down.
She pulled Feng Zekai up, leapt onto a towering ancient tree using lightness skill, and parted the branches to look down.
Just one glance—
She nearly fell off the tree laughing.
【WHAT THE HELL!】
【What kind of hell-level comedy scene is this?!】
Below, a massive brown bear circled a “corpse.”
It sniffed it repeatedly, occasionally poking it with a paw as if inspecting goods.
The “corpse,” dressed in a golden imperial robe, was none other than the Crown Prince.
Xiao Mingxuan lay completely motionless, holding his breath.
He was stiff as a board.
Only the cold sweat on his forehead betrayed him.
【His corpse-level acting is too professional!】
【That motionless butt—core strength is impressive.】
【He could totally enter a wilderness survival “pretend to be dead” competition.】
Not far away, on a crooked tree, the Third Prince clung tightly to the trunk.
Xiao Mingrui was shaking like a leaf.
Below him, a female bear stood upright, clawing at the tree while roaring.
His trouser leg had been torn open, revealing a flash of bright pink fabric underneath.
【Oh wow, the climbing technique—did he learn from a monkey master?】
【But those pants are seriously low durability.】
【And those pink undergarments… quite the taste.】
The system helpfully added:
【Host, those were personally stitched by the Third Princess. “Couple love edition~”】
【It even has mandarin ducks embroidered on it.】
【…Oh, so it’s romantic lingerie.】
Meanwhile, in another direction—
Xiao Mingyue was locked in a staring contest with a bear cub.
Instead of running or playing dead…
She was dancing.
Waving her arms wildly, stepping in chaotic rhythm, humming something incomprehensible.
The bear cub tilted its head, watching curiously.
Then… it started swaying its fluffy head along with her.
【WHAT IS THIS?!】
【Is she trying cross-species communication through dance?!】
【The legendary… square dance diplomacy?!】
【Wait… why is it actually working?!】
All three royals suddenly stiffened.
The Crown Prince’s eyelids twitched violently.
The Third Prince nearly slipped off the tree.
The Third Princess missed a step.
That voice!
That infuriating, familiar voice!
Feng Zexuan.
They almost cried from relief.
Their savior (or doom-bringer) had arrived.
The atmosphere instantly shifted—from despair to a strange sense of stability.
Feng Zekai watched the absurd scene from the tree, unable to stop smiling.
He nudged his sister.
“Zexuan… if we keep watching, they really might die.”
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