The room was filled with candlelight as the two maintained their intimate posture, staring at each other for the time it took an incense stick to burn. Yin Gezhi’s gaze was cold, while Feng Yue’s smile remained gentle.

After the incense burned out, Yin Gezhi released her and turned his head away. “Let it be so.”

Your being at ease is what’s truly good! Feng Yue obsequiously placed tea in his hands, then dutifully stood behind him to massage his shoulders.

Without drinking her tea, Yin Gezhi stared at the lid and asked softly, “Before, did you often see me near the North Xuan Gate?”

Feng Yue nodded and smiled, “Yes, haven’t I mentioned it? You often went to the training grounds outside North Xuan Gate, and I would frequently watch you there.”

“Then, when you watched me, did I have an eighteen-person ceremonial guard or a six-person guard?”

Another trap? Feng Yue narrowed her eyes and thought carefully for a long while before answering, “It should have been six people.”

Crown Prince Yin never made a show when going to the training grounds, so it was obvious he wouldn’t bring many people. Although she hadn’t seen it personally, even if she guessed wrong, she could claim poor memory!

However, after hearing her answer, Yin Gezhi didn’t say anything more. Feng Yue wondered if she had guessed correctly.

With the Three Offices Commissioner imprisoned, many in court couldn’t sleep well that night. After dinner, An Shichong and Xu Huaizu even came directly to the envoy’s residence carrying their bedding.

“What’s this?” Yin Gezhi looked at them sideways. “Want to sleep here?”

“Master!” Xu Huaizu wailed, “The Wu court is in complete chaos. People keep coming and going to my home, not letting this disciple sleep at all! I can only come to your place seeking a good night’s rest!”

An Shichong nodded with a worried expression, “Commissioner Yang had extensive dealings with court officials. This matter of gold hidden in the mill’s cellar hasn’t been settled. Now that Commissioner Yang has been arrested, others will inevitably be implicated. I heard General Yi has already gone to the palace and hasn’t come out yet.”

Settling comfortably on the couch, Yin Gezhi asked, “Are General Xu and the An Marquis’s household also involved?”

Slightly startled, An Shichong immediately frowned and shook his head, “Though my father may not be counted among the refined scholars, he’s never been one to love wealth or fight for profit. I’ve recently taken over managing family relationships, and all our dealings have been honorable, without a single coin of ill-gotten gains in our accounts.”

Xu Huaizu also shook their head, “My old man may not be learned, but he’s not crooked either. He doesn’t even accept festival gifts, and gives out festival silver to the household staff.”

“That settles it then,” Yin Gezhi said. “This matter doesn’t concern you.”

“Master,” Xu Huaizu pouted, “We disciples now hold official positions too, so it’s only right we care about major court affairs. Besides, with so much gold and silver in that cellar, most of it must be the people’s blood and sweat. For such an unconscionable matter, we disciples also want to see the outcome.”

Feng Yue handed them pastries with a smile, “Both young masters are truly pillars of the state.”

“The lady is too kind,” An Shichong pressed his lips together. “Huaizu and I are both too young to shoulder any great responsibilities. If the Wu nation goes to war again someday, we two could at most serve as vanguard troops.”

Hearing this, Yin Gezhi looked up at him, “You think far ahead.”

“Not that far,” worry suddenly appeared in his eyes as An Shichong pressed his lips together, hesitating for a while before asking, “Master, do you think the Wu nation can be considered prosperous among the various states now?”

Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze, fingers lightly caressing his teacup. “Being able to dwell peacefully in one’s corner is enough to be called prosperous.”

After the great victory over the Wei nation a year ago, no one dared offend Wu. Even though the Great Song was now campaigning north and south, having some friction with Wu, they didn’t dare to truly raise arms against Wu. From this perspective, Wu was already quite formidable.

“But,” An Shichong frowned, “This disciple feels Wu has become too complacent this past year. Without any major battles, we’ve even lost many small ones. Court officials are corrupt, many have been exposed for embezzlement, and even the Three Offices Commissioner has swallowed so much gold and silver. This surely means the common people suffer while soldiers go cold. If this continues, Wu might be destroyed by this complacency.”

Xu Huaizu looked at him in surprise, “You’re thinking too much.”

Feng Yue lowered her gaze.

An Shichong’s thoughts were correct – this was Wu’s current situation. The war between Wu and Wei lasted several years, with both sides’ strengths and losses being equal, or even Wei being stronger initially. Wu’s victory came only through cunning methods, taking down Wei’s Guan Canghai, then somehow stealing Wei’s military secrets, catching them unprepared, causing them to lose several cities before their final defeat.

Victory easily leads to arrogance. In the eyes of Wu’s ruler and people, they had completely defeated Wei and even brought back Wei’s proud Crown Prince as hostage – a Crown Prince who willingly changed his name to “Gezhi” to signify his wish to end warfare between the two nations. This was enough to prove Wu ranked among the top states, perhaps even having a chance of victory if they fought against Great Song.

Under such arrogance, chaos was inevitable. Without external threats, internal troubles would arise – official corruption, generals hoarding troops, imperial extravagance, and people’s suffering. If this continued, when Wei recovered its strength, it would spell disaster for Wu.

Yet no one in Wu’s court realized this. Even the most clear-headed Crown Prince Ye only focused on curbing corruption, without warning the Wu people at all.

An Shichong had realized it, but unfortunately, he could change nothing.

Yin Gezhi gave him a rare look of approval and sat up straight, “That you can think this way means Wu isn’t beyond saving.”

Xu Huaizu was startled, “Master thinks Shichong’s thoughts are correct?”

“Naturally they’re correct,” Yin Gezhi said. “Current world affairs are volatile. Being vigilant in times of peace marks a wise person. If those in power could think like Shichong, they wouldn’t ignore Great Song’s harassment of the southern borders.”

His eyes brightening, An Shichong said, “Master also thinks Wu’s stance should be firmer?”

“Of course. Wei has declined, and without new opponents, Wu will gradually sink into this complacency,” Yin Gezhi said sincerely. “Rather than swallowing insults and watching Wu’s internal chaos, better to create external threats to resolve internal troubles.”

An Shichong nodded, and Xu Huaizu frowned in thought before agreeing it made sense: “Now that Wu and Wei have made peace, joining forces against Song might not be a bad thing. But we can’t make decisions now, and with this Three Offices affair, the court will surely be greatly weakened.”

It is quite weakening, Feng Yue thought with a smile. Even if it doesn’t break bones and sinews, it’s enough to give people headaches.

Originally, General Yi’s defeat in battle was a small matter, but unfortunately, it coincided with the Three Offices affair. The Crown Prince was furious and immediately attributed all reasons for Yi Guoru’s defeat to military supplies being padded with fakes and provisions not keeping up.

Yi Guoru found this difficult to refute. If he said it wasn’t a supply problem, then it could only be his problem. Comparatively, he’d rather say it was a supply issue.

But this made Yang Fengpeng’s crimes even heavier. In his anger, the Emperor immediately ordered the Three Offices Commissioner’s residence searched and all past court accounts audited to trace the money’s sources and destinations.

Yi Guoru looked very displeased and went to see Yang Fengpeng in the death row prison that night.

Yang Fengpeng was wretched, having already been tortured. His eyes brightened slightly upon seeing him: “General.”

“Commissioner Yang,” Yi Guoru said with a pained expression, “I’ve tried my utmost, but with the Crown Prince’s pressure, I truly cannot save you. I can only protect your family line. They’ll be sent out of the capital tonight.”

“Thank you, General!” Yang Fengpeng’s eyes dimmed, but he still smiled, “You are too kind.”

Such kindness was natural to ensure he wouldn’t betray him. Things had reached this point, and Yang Fengpeng had given up struggling, only hoping to protect his family – his death didn’t matter anymore.

Carefully studying his expression, General Yi said, “When the time comes for your departure, I will surely see you off.”

“Thank you, General.”

With his family already in Yi’s hands, Yang Fengpeng couldn’t turn against him even if he wanted to. Yi Guoru felt very reassured. After a few more words of comfort, he left the prison.

As soon as he left, An Shichong opened the cell door.

“Having connections is good,” Xu Huaizu remarked while walking in, “Even in a place like death row, we can come and go freely.”

An Shichong pressed his lips together, “Thanks to ancestral fortune.”

Since the Marquis stopped managing affairs, those who had good relations with the An Marquis’s household often associated with him. He indeed found many things more convenient.

Yin Gezhi walked to the front, with two cloaked women following him.

On the way, An Shichong had watched Feng Yue go to a courtyard to fetch someone – a young lady, though he didn’t know who she was. He only heard the lady call her “Master” before Feng Yue smiled and covered her mouth.

The careless Xu Huaizu hadn’t noticed these things, but An Shichong suddenly felt that Lady Feng Yue was quite extraordinary. If nothing else, that Master was willing to bring her to such a place meant she must be someone who understood matters.

“We’re here.”

The recently closed cell door opened again. Yang Fengpeng looked up in confusion, half-dead, only to see a tear-stained face.

“Xiang’er!” Crying out in shock, Yang Fengpeng pulled her behind him and looked at the others present.

“Commissioner Yang seems to have resigned himself to his journey,” Yin Gezhi said flatly as he entered the cell. “It’s just a pity that your innocent family will be implicated in your death.”

“No… how can this be?!” Yang Fengpeng shook his head, looking at Xiang’er behind him, “Didn’t the General take you away?”

Yu Hexiang wept, “My lord, General Yi only took away the young master, after all, he’s only five and knows nothing. But the rest… if not for His Highness Yin’s rescue, this servant would already be dead!”

His body shook heavily as Yang Fengpeng looked at Yin Gezhi in disbelief.

The light outside was very dim, making Yin Gezhi’s expression unclear as he spoke softly, “With you trapped on death row, naturally you know nothing of outside affairs and are easily deceived. I’ve come to send you off and let you see your family one last time.”

Yang Fengpeng’s family wealth was hidden in the mill owned by Yu Hexiang’s brother. He had only taken this concubine a year ago but favored her greatly. Besides his son, she was the one he would miss most.