Turning past the artificial mountain where no one was around, Feng Zhiwei smiled and said, “Your Highness, is the performance over yet?”
Ning Yi raised his head, his eyes hazy. Faint wine fragrance brushed against her neck as he murmured, “Oh?”
Without waiting for Feng Zhiwei’s answer, he extended his arm to embrace her, laughing low by her ear, “You’re allowed to perform but I’m not? Ah… Thousand Valleys Mellow truly has fierce strength—making me quite dizzy…”
Feng Zhiwei looked at him suspiciously. This person’s confused and dizzy appearance really did look like he was drunk. Could she be overthinking it?
Supporting Ning Yi into a guest room in the eastern side courtyard, Feng Zhiwei felt irritated. She threw him onto the bed and turned to leave.
But her steps couldn’t move forward. The person on the bed suddenly extended his leg to hook her. Feng Zhiwei involuntarily fell backward, landing right on top of him. The person beneath cried out in pain, yet with a note of laughter.
Feng Zhiwei immediately tried to jump up. Her vision spun and her body turned—she had already been flipped over by Ning Yi, restrained against his chest, facing him directly.
Nose tips touching, breaths mingling, each other’s soft lips close at hand—an extremely ambiguous and intimate posture.
Feng Zhiwei tried to struggle. Ning Yi’s arms were like cast iron, not moving a fraction. Feng Zhiwei pressed her elbow horizontally, tightly against Ning Yi’s chest. Ning Yi hissed in pain, saying lowly, “So ruthless…”
Then he added, “You’ve always been this ruthless…”
This sentence was low and soft, different from his usual three parts wickedness and three parts cold severity. After all, he had consumed some wine. The hazy, light intoxication diluted the enmity and knots between them. His arms embracing her gradually became somewhat softer, and her horizontally pressed elbow also loosened its force somewhat. Yet she strove to turn her face away, not letting herself accidentally touch his lips.
“Rarely able to get drunk once.” She heard his voice as if emanating from his chest, carrying slight vibration and depth. “It happens to be in your mansion… just don’t know how long you’ll let me stay drunk…”
Feng Zhiwei’s heart stirred. She felt this sentence seemed to have another deeper meaning, yet did not know how to ask about it.
The person beneath her, however, did not seem to plan on conversing with her. He murmured to himself, “Later still have to go to the Ministry of Justice… The subordinate of the Huzhuo tribal Crown Prince beat someone to death…”
His voice gradually lowered. Feng Zhiwei looked down and saw he had actually fallen deeply asleep.
Feng Zhiwei was greatly delighted and hurriedly got up. While straightening her clothes and looking down, she saw Ning Yi lying across the couch, his robe half-open, black hair scattered on snow-white skin. Different from his usual elegant refinement, he had an added bewitching beauty. She couldn’t help but stare blankly, then hurriedly turned her gaze away.
She stepped out the door. After thinking, she locked it. The attendants Ning Yi had brought were still in the front courtyard. She summoned the guards from her own mansion to stand watch outside the room.
All the princes were currently present—she could not allow anything to happen to Ning Yi in her mansion.
Turning past the corridor, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
In the wind from all sides, there seemed to be some subtle sounds.
The sound of robes carried by wind, the sound of light, swift footsteps sweeping across roof tiles, the sound of rapid flight.
Feng Zhiwei stood frowning in the long corridor, wondering what people had come to the mansion. Judging by the sounds, they were all experts. She also wondered why those people around her had no reaction.
Ever since the Crown Prince’s treason case, she had sensed that there seemed to be people secretly protecting her, only they had never revealed themselves. This was also why Gu Nanyi no longer followed her at all times later on. But he didn’t speak of it, and Feng Zhiwei didn’t ask. Now there were clearly abnormalities in the mansion, yet her batch of invisible protectors had no reaction. Could it be… the commotion was not targeting her?
All the princes were currently in her mansion. Who could it be?
The wind of late summer leisurely drifted over, carrying the cold taste of raw iron in the wind. She suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
Standing in the corridor, hesitating whether to advance or retreat, Feng Zhiwei walked two steps forward, then hesitantly looked back.
A pair of hands suddenly extended from around the corner, pulling her in one motion into the shrubbery beneath the corridor!
Feng Zhiwei turned her head sharply, seeing clearly through the hazy tree shadows the person hidden beneath the trees behind the corridor.
Her gaze suddenly contracted, then she smiled, “So it’s Princess!”
Behind the shrubbery, Princess Shaoning was dressed in short fighting attire, half her face covered, complaining to her in agitation, “Oh my, why do you keep standing there advancing and retreating? Watching you made me so anxious—”
It was precisely because I heard your agitated breathing that I deliberately advanced and retreated to provoke you into impatiently revealing yourself!
Feng Zhiwei’s smile remained unchanged, looking very innocently at Princess Shaoning. “Why is Princess dressed like this? Coming to the mansion, why not have this subject welcome you? Perfect timing—the princes are all drinking in the front courtyard. Is Princess interested?”
“I’m not here to have fun at your place.” Shaoning smiled coldly. “Don’t play dumb either. Since you’ve run into me, then clearly give me an answer. Today I’m going to move against Ning Yi. Will you participate or not?”
“This subject does not understand Princess’s meaning.” Feng Zhiwei’s heart secretly rose in anger as she said coolly, “This subject only knows that this is this subject’s residence. Once something happens, this subject will be the first to have my family properties confiscated and clan exterminated.”
“How would I implicate you?” Shaoning laughed proudly. “Look, all the princes are here. If something happens, it may not necessarily be your fault.”
“The princes gathering so coincidentally—was it arranged by you, Princess?”
Shaoning smiled without speaking, but said, “Rarely he actually got drunk today. Well, the matter of the Huzhuo tribe’s subordinate beating someone to death has caused quite a disturbance. Whether to punish or not punish will affect the political situation. His heart is troubled, so naturally he indulges a bit. Heaven truly helps me.”
She gripped Feng Zhiwei’s sleeve tightly, speaking rapidly, “I won’t put him to death in your mansion. I only want him to first lose favor with Father Emperor. Since you’ve encountered me, it’s hard for you to stay out of it. Later you go give him sobering tea. This thing…” Her fingers moved, and a small paper packet had already been stuffed into Feng Zhiwei’s hand. “…just help me put it in.”
Feng Zhiwei held that paper packet, silent. Shaoning continued earnestly persuading, “Ning Yi won’t let you go. This is an excellent opportunity to eliminate him. If you miss it, you’ll regret it!”
“Princess.” Feng Zhiwei said slowly, “Since you’re pulling me into this, you must explain the entire plan clearly. Otherwise, I’m unable to help even if I wanted to.”
“You saved me twice—why wouldn’t I trust you?” Seeing her tone softening, Shaoning was very pleased. “The Huzhuo Crown Prince’s subordinate caused trouble on the street and beat to death a minor official from the Ministry of Personnel. That person had a Hanlin background. The civil officials at court are united in demanding severe punishment of the murderer. I heard that scholars who came to the capital preparing for the autumn imperial examinations are also organizing to submit a ten-thousand-character memorial. But the Huzhuo tribe’s current position is important. The Crown Prince has declared that whoever touches his people, the entire Huzhuo tribe will absolutely not agree. The murderer is currently imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice jail. Ning Yi oversees the Ministry of Justice, Court of Judicial Review, and Censorate—the Three Judicial Offices. He’s having a headache over this.”
“And then?”
“I’ve already ordered people to infiltrate the Ministry of Justice jail.” Shaoning smiled grimly. “The murderer will ‘commit suicide’ tonight.”
Feng Zhiwei’s heart trembled. She already understood Shaoning’s plan. In this dilemma, the murderer committing suicide out of fear of punishment would naturally be the best solution. But how would the Huzhuo Crown Prince believe it? In the end, upon investigation, if the murderer did not commit suicide, Ning Yi would naturally fall into trouble. And Shaoning must have also made arrangements among Ning Yi’s trusted subordinates. Tracing it back, it was Ning Yi who ordered someone to poison and kill the person then disguise it as suicide. The Huzhuo Crown Prince would inevitably be enraged. If it then affected the war situation at the front, Ning Yi losing power would be a small matter—whether he could preserve his life under the siege of all the princes would be in question.
Truly vicious enough.
Shaoning’s subordinates must have an exceptionally intelligent strategist. Only Feng Zhiwei found it somewhat strange—this strategist seemed very considerate, deliberately arranging for all the princes to gather simultaneously at the Wei Mansion, to clear Feng Zhiwei’s responsibility in the future. No matter how one looked at it, it seemed like they had thoughtfully considered things for her.
It could be said that now was indeed an excellent opportunity to eliminate Ning Yi.
“This isn’t poison.” Shaoning narrowed her eyes, her smile cold. “It’s just something good that will only take effect when necessary. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t drink this sobering soup. You only need to place it by his bedside—smelling the scent will work the same. Incidentally, in the name of taking his pulse, apply this on the skin near his wrist pulse.”
She crushed a blue-green pill and smeared it on Feng Zhiwei’s finger.
“Help me.” Shaoning looked fixedly at Feng Zhiwei, her face slightly flushing with a rosy glow. “As long as we eliminate Ning Yi, you’ll have rendered great merit. With my position, there will always be a day when I can help you rise to success. Then, we…”
The blush on her face grew deeper. Finally lowering her head, she fell shyly silent.
Feng Zhiwei smiled bitterly and changed the subject, “Since today Princess has pulled me in, I’m afraid I can’t help but participate… All around are experts—silencing me would be easy enough.”
Shaoning felt guilty in her heart. Her face paled slightly. When she raised her eyes, Feng Zhiwei had already pocketed the paper packet and disappeared into the long corridor.
Dismissing the guards and unlocking the door, Feng Zhiwei returned to the guest room.
Ning Yi still slept peacefully, his breathing even and steady.
Feng Zhiwei quietly gazed at his sleeping face. The man’s long, thick lashes hung down, sketching a serene arc of shadow beneath his eyes. Below his straight nose bridge, thin lips lightly pressed together—also a beautiful and alluring curve.
The sleeping man had lost some of the cool coldness of his waking moments, warm and peaceful like a lotus curling its emerald leaves under sunlight.
It was this person.
Who had tried to kill her several times, and with whom she seemed destined from birth to stand on opposite sides of an unbridgeable divide, at the ends of heaven and earth.
Feng Zhiwei looked at the faint dark circles under his eyes, thinking: this person fighting battles all along the way—how many good nights’ sleep had he had?
As if sensing someone watching, Ning Yi opened his eyes, lazily gazing at her. His just-awakened eyes were clear and bright, completely lacking their usual profound depth.
Feng Zhiwei calmly met his gaze and smiled.
Ning Yi also smiled. Suddenly his voice murmured, “You looking at me like this makes me mistakenly imagine that you are my wife, attending to me at my bedside…”
Feng Zhiwei blinked. “Just consider the wine not yet sobered, still dreaming.”
Ning Yi laughed heartily. Not angered at all, he extended his hand to pull her over, drawing her to his side without allowing resistance. Feng Zhiwei didn’t struggle, letting him embrace her. Faint wine fragrance mixed with the man’s gorgeously cool scent, spreading gracefully.
“Rarely able to sleep well…” Ning Yi slowly stroked her hair. “Rarely you and I can be this harmonious once…”
“As long as Your Highness can tolerate me.” Feng Zhiwei pressed her lips together. “There will be many such harmonious times.”
Ning Yi smiled without responding, but his gesture slightly eased. Feng Zhiwei turned her eyes away, her gaze falling.
“Just went to the front courtyard?” Ning Yi asked lowly by her ear. “…Any interesting news you want to tell me?”
“Yes.” Feng Zhiwei turned back, already smiling warmly again.
“Oh?”
“Those few lines of poetry Second Prince composed were truly breathtaking…”
She chatted with Ning Yi with a smile for a few sentences. Seeing Ning Yi’s eyes still hazy as if listening but not listening, she smiled, “The wine truly runs deep…”
“Reward me with a bowl of sobering soup.” Ning Yi smiled and pushed her. “It must be made by your own hand.”
Feng Zhiwei gazed at him intently, smiled, and stood up.
“Good.”
The wooden door creaked open. Her slender figure went out the door. The opening door released a room full of daylight and shadows, making her silhouette somewhat blurred. Ning Yi sank in the dark shadows where daylight could not reach, gazing at her departure.
After a while, Feng Zhiwei returned, smiling as she carried sobering soup, placing it on the small table beside his couch.
“Wine greatly harms the body. Let me take your pulse.”
She smiled and extended her hand.