Crown Prince Yin Chenbi of Wei Kingdom had inherited his features from the late empress, blessed with handsome and passionate looks. Yet years on the battlefield had forged him into someone with an iron-blooded temperament. The world knew Yin Chenbi as fickle and romantic, never taking anyone to heart. But none knew that two people had once breached the gates of his unwelcoming heart.
There was that nameless young woman with her naive pride, whom he had searched for three years, unable to forget. He had thought he would have to endure this hopeless yearning for life, until three years later, when a lowly courtesan in tattered clothes, clutching broken red silk, fell into his arms.
Yin Gezhi was happy to meet Feng Yue. Even though her background was complex, her origins unclear, and her motives uncertain, she brought liveliness, laughter, and joy. She gave him warm meals, a lover’s affection, and the glow of candlelight. After more than half a year, Yin Gezhi felt he could finally let go of that person from three years ago. No need to visit Huanglou, no need to find Yan Qing, no need to keep asking who she was and where she might be.
But unexpectedly, heaven seemed to be playing a joke on him. He could hear every word spoken in the courtyard clearly but strung together, he couldn’t understand their meaning.
Or rather, he was unwilling to understand.
But his inner strength was too refined. Everything said inside reached his ears as if spoken beside him:
“If you truly don’t care and insist on entering the palace, then I’ll arrange it for you.” Sighing, Yan Qing stood up. “I shouldn’t stay long, so I’ll take my leave. If you need anything, just send word.”
“Thank you for your trouble.” Feng Yue’s voice held not a trace of hesitation, even carrying a note of cheerfulness.
Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze, stiffly moving his body, pulling Guanzhi with him to hide in the nearby grove.
“Master!” Only when they were far from the courtyard did Guanzhi dare to breathe, his cry coming out trembling, facelifted with tears in his eyes.
Guanzhi, who firmly believed that “a man’s tears don’t fall easily,” hadn’t cried so shamefully since he was fifteen. But he couldn’t help his reaction, and seeing his master’s increasingly calm face, his throat bobbed as tears fell like stones.
“Why are you crying?” Speaking softly, Yin Gezhi’s voice was ethereal as he asked, looking in his direction with lifeless eyes.
Guanzhi choked, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, his throat aching: “Lady Feng Yue… she plans to assassinate His Majesty.”
He felt awful. His master loved her so much, helped and protected her, yet when she made such a decision, she didn’t consider his master at all, as if their future together didn’t matter, as if she never thought of having a future with his master.
How could she do this? They had been together so long, and though it was meant to be mutually beneficial, their feelings were genuine. Before coming today, his master had mentioned that Lady Feng Yue wasn’t good at writing and he should help with the crime report. Though expressionless, he had come because he was thinking of her, yet they encountered this.
Those words had been painful just to hear; what must his master be feeling?
Thinking of this, Guanzhi’s throat tightened again.
Hearing his words, Yin Gezhi actually smiled, his lips curving slightly, the smile growing stronger as he shook his head and looked at Guanzhi: “If you’re crying this much over just that one point, shouldn’t I be crying enough to flood several cities?”
Dazzled by that smile, Guanzhi froze, quickly reaching out to support him: “Master?”
“It’s nothing.” Yin Gezhi said softly. “I’m fine.”
Only the thing in his chest hurt terribly, blinding him to the path ahead.
So after all this time, the one he would fall in love with was still this person.
So the lovesickness from three years ago hadn’t vanished but had become a death curse.
So she had once loved him, but from now on, never would again.
His heart raced painfully, and after just a few steps, he half-knelt down, gasping for breath, his fingers digging into the mud, knuckles white.
“Master!” Guanzhi panicked, hurriedly supporting him: “Let’s return to the manor!”
Yin Gezhi gave a low laugh, letting Guanzhi pull him up by the arm and following his steps downward.
The muddy rocks before him blurred as he wondered in confusion: What should he do about Feng Yue’s decision? Should he execute her after she kills the emperor? Or should he stop her, letting her die with regret?
Her heart was clean and empty of him now; his life or death, sorrow or despair, none of it mattered to her. She sought only her satisfaction, willing to gift him a heart full of pain.
But he couldn’t. He couldn’t bear to see her suffer, couldn’t bear to see her die, even if she had deceived him for so long, even if she was cold and heartless, he still couldn’t bear it.
Passing the farmhouse courtyard below the grove, Yin Gezhi finally stopped.
Guanzhi looked at him with terrified eyes.
Yan Qing had already left, and Feng Yue stood at the courtyard gate, seemingly seeing him off. When she saw them, her expression changed dramatically, and she rushed over.
“What’s wrong with Your Highness?” She blinked, somewhat flustered: “Why don’t you come in and rest a while?”
Normally, Guanzhi would have thought she was showing concern for his master, but thinking of Yan Qing walking away behind them, he understood, and for the first time spoke coldly to Feng Yue: “No need for your concern, I will help Master back to rest.”
“You must be tired of supporting me like this.” Speaking hoarsely, Yin Gezhi said with lowered eyes: “Let Feng Yue help see me off too.”
Startled, Feng Yue had no idea what had happened, only seeing that the Yin Gezhi before her was weaker than she’d ever seen as if he’d been through a great illness. The commanding light in his eyes had vanished without a trace, making him look like a dog wandering in the rain, inspiring pity.
Touching her sympathetic heart, Feng Yue nodded: “Alright, let me tell Lingxu first.”
Gripping Yin Gezhi’s hand tightly, Guanzhi looked at him questioningly, but the latter’s eyes were calm and expressionless; apart from his pale lips, he looked as if nothing was wrong.
What was he thinking? Guanzhi didn’t understand, and in a blink Feng Yue had returned, pulling his master’s other arm over her shoulder, glancing at him sideways: “It’s rare to see Your Highness like this. If there were a painter here, we should have this moment captured for posterity.”
Yin Gezhi remained silent.
Feng Yue felt something was odd, not just because the cold from his body was penetrating through his clothes to her shoulder, but because Guanzhi wouldn’t even look at her. Because of Lingxu, Guanzhi had always treated her well; when had he ever been this cold?
Scratching her head, Feng Yue suddenly felt nervous: “How about I help you to the city gate to your carriage, then this servant will head back? They’re waiting for me to eat dinner.”
Yin Gezhi said: “Fine.”
However, at the city gate, just as Feng Yue was about to leave, she was unexpectedly swept up into the carriage.
“Your Highness?” Feng Yue stared.
Yin Gezhi raised his eyes to look at her: “I want to eat your cooking.”
As he said this, the carriage wheels had already started rolling forward.
Anger rose within her. Feng Yue gritted her teeth: “Your Highness, this servant is no longer your maid.”
“Mm.”
“Then why do you want this servant to cook?”
“I want to eat it.”
Why don’t you just die? Truly angry now, Feng Yue lifted the carriage curtain intending to jump out. The horses weren’t running fast; jumping wouldn’t kill her.
His pupils contracting slightly, Yin Gezhi reached out and pulled her back. Holding her with his hands crossed and locked over her shoulders, he rebuked sharply: “If you don’t value your life, then give it to me!”
Feng Yue wanted to say, I won’t give it to you even if I throw it away! But hearing the slight tremor in his voice, she blinked, inexplicably becoming docile, turning her head to ask: “What happened?”
“Stay at the Prince of Xiaoan’s manor.” The person behind her spoke in her ear, his voice hoarse and filled with inexplicable emotion: “Stay at the manor, and whatever you want to do, I’ll do it for you.”
Hey, has the sun risen from the west? Feng Yue laughed coldly: “Didn’t Your Highness say you wouldn’t help this servant? What’s the meaning of eagerly taking this servant to your manor?”
Yin Gezhi remained silent, only holding her tighter.
Her heart skipped a beat, and Feng Yue suddenly had a bad feeling. Clenching her fists, she asked: “When did you arrive today?”
“…Just when you saw me.” Yin Gezhi said softly: “I had just arrived, walked too quickly on the way, and had heart pains.”
Is that so? Releasing her grip, Feng Yue couldn’t understand. If that was true, why was he so insistent on taking her to his manor?
This question was finally answered when they crossed the threshold of the Prince of Xiaoan’s manor.
Guanzhi led the guards to close the gates, and Yin Gezhi, who usually disliked crowds, this time allowed all his hidden guards to emerge and stand around, sealing off the courtyard walls. As she followed him toward the main courtyard, many servants and maids along the way seemed to have received some prior order, their sidelong glances falling on her.
To avoid being paranoid, Feng Yue took advantage of Yin Gezhi’s inattention and ran back!
As expected, she was brought back after just a few steps.
“Yin Gezhi.” No longer smiling, Feng Yue calmly raised her eyes to look at him: “Did you hear my conversation with Yan Qing?”
Turning his head away without answering this question, Yin Gezhi asked: “What do you want to eat tonight?”
“You plan to keep me here, to prevent me from entering the palace?”
“The pork that just arrived is very fresh. Would you like to try it? It can be prepared in many different ways.”
Staring at his half-lowered eyelids, Feng Yue laughed mirthlessly: “Why go to such lengths, Your Highness? If you want to deal with this servant, just kill me directly. Why bother imprisoning me?”
Finally raising his eyes, Yin Gezhi calmly said: “You think I don’t want to kill you?”
Slightly shaken, Feng Yue frowned, watching as he stepped toward her and gently caressed her face.
“If I could kill you, I absolutely wouldn’t have let such a troublemaker live until now.”
Unfortunately, she had won this round too perfectly, and he had lost, completely unable to raise his hand against her.
Anger surged within her. Feng Yue looked at him and said: “Then thank you for Your Highness’s mercy. I just never expected our journey together would end here. Next time we meet, this servant will kill Your Highness—this servant can do it.”
Yin Gezhi laughed quietly, his chest trembling slightly with the laugh: “Then you’re the capable one, Lady General of the Guan family.”
“You flatter me.” Her eyes sharp, Feng Yue gritted out word by word: “Prince of Xiaoan of the Yin family.”