Feng Yue was completely unaware of the undercurrents behind her. As soon as she brought back the blood-written confession, the entire courtyard burst into activity. Madam Qiu went to prepare paper and ink, Shi Chong went to carve the type, while Fan Zhu, the general store owner who managed their main operations, showed concern on his face.
“Young Master,” he said in a low voice, “what is the Crown Prince’s intention with this move?”
“Didn’t he say he wanted to help clear the Guan family’s name?” Feng Yue said. “He seems sincere.”
“But will this action help clear their name? After all, the world belongs to the Emperor. If he doesn’t acknowledge something, making it a public sensation will only result in charges of ‘defying the sovereign.'”
Putting down what she was holding, Feng Yue turned to him with a carefree smile: “Manager Fan, we’re already fugitives. We’re already doing things that could cost us our heads – why worry about additional charges?”
Fan Zhu froze. Thinking about it, that was true. It’s just that the Crown Prince had always carried such heavy expectations from both officials and commoners since childhood. He thought the prince would walk the path of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness his whole life, yet unexpectedly…
“Young Master!” Madam Qiu returned from outside. Looking astounded, she rushed to Feng Yue with a stack of paper in her hands and asked quietly: “You met Feng Ming?”
Before Feng Yue could answer, Luo Hao beside her said: “Of course they met! That Feng boy chased our Young Master for quite a while!”
Worry in her eyes, Madam Qiu frowned: “In Li Du, every additional person who sees Young Master adds another layer of danger. How could you not protect her better?”
Luo Hao felt wronged – how was he supposed to protect her? It happened so suddenly, and he thought everything would be fine once Young Master ran away. Who knew running would lead to her being recognized?
“Feng Ming isn’t a problem,” Yin Yanzhong said from the side. “He’s protected Young Master since childhood. Even if it costs his own life, he won’t let Young Master die.”
Everyone was startled by these words. Feng Yue scratched her head embarrassedly and laughed awkwardly: “How did Madam Qiu know he saw me?”
Waving the paper in her hand, Madam Qiu said: “I was wondering where to find paper and ink at this hour. When I reached Wenlin Street, I saw Feng Ming and several attendants loading things from Wenxuan onto an ox cart. I was about to leave when Feng Ming called me over, asking me to bring you that cart of paper and ink. He said he was going to the Prince of Filial Piety’s mansion to get the payment.”
Staying up late at night busy with such things? Feng Yue pursed her lips. Thinking of his expression today, she felt uneasy and turned to ask Yin Yanzhong: “Is he married?”
“No,” Yin Yanzhong shrugged. “Since the Guan family’s destruction, when the Emperor implicated the Marshal’s Manor, many officials from noble houses were exiled. Only after the Prime Minister’s intercession did the Emperor appoint Feng Ming as general to defend against foreign enemies. After he achieved merit, the Marshal’s Manor gradually received forgiveness. Under such circumstances, marriage naturally became difficult.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Feng Yue patted her chest and laughed: “Fortunately it’s not that he’s been pining for me and refusing to marry, otherwise I’d feel guilty.”
Looking at her, Yin Yanzhong very seriously added another blow: “His rejection of the Empress’s matchmaking this year might well be because of you.”
Feng Yue: “…”
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she casually picked up a mirror to look at herself, saying while examining her reflection: “Am I so beautiful that I could shame the moon and make fish sink? With so many lovely ladies in Li Du, why would he fixate on a dead person like me?”
“Once you’ve seen the ocean, all waters pale in comparison.”
“Pah pah pah pah pah pah!” Frowning, Feng Yue ground her teeth: “Never mind that we never got along before, even if we had, after so many years and so many things happening in between, who has time to care about oceans and mulberry fields? If he isn’t marrying because of me, isn’t that just causing me trouble!”
That made sense – romance only gets in the way of important matters! Everyone nodded in agreement.
Outside the courtyard wall, someone gently knocked on the wall, gave a soft laugh, and turned to leave.
Everyone in the courtyard began working seriously. By dawn, the movable type printing was ready, and copies of the “Confession of Crimes” fell like snowflakes throughout the courtyard, soon covering every corner of Li Du.
Few commoners could read. Seeing these papers falling from above, they thought they were heavenly edicts and flocked to nearby schools seeking explanations. The teachers read the contents word by word, explaining to everyone that it wasn’t a heavenly edict but a document clearing a loyal official’s name.
At the end of the document was printed: “Blood-written confession posted at the palace gates, seeking Imperial attention.”
In midsummer, commoners had some leisure time. With free time came the desire to join in excitement, and seeing such a commotion, they naturally ran to the palace gates.
“Oh my, there is a blood-written confession! Look at the color of the blood – it looks like human blood!”
“He Lan Changde, wasn’t he the Imperial Inspector? I heard he disappeared – was he afraid of the Emperor’s punishment, so he hid away to write this confession, thinking he could avoid punishment this way?”
“Pah! Traitor! I always said how could a brilliant general like General Guan sell out the country – so he was indeed wronged by villains!”
“I always believed in General Guan!”
“Cut it out – you were cursing the Guan family as traitors by the execution grounds a few years ago. Now you’re speaking with hindsight!”
The chatter and discussion continued endlessly. Among the crowd, some stirred up emotions, calling for justice for General Guan, and soon the masses joined in. The clamor reached the imperial court.
Emperor Wei was furious. If He Lan Changde wanted to confess his crimes, fine, but what did posting it at the palace gates mean? He didn’t want to see it, nor was he willing to see it!
So the imperial guards arrived at the palace gates to remove the blood-written confession.
“Stop.” In silver and black armor, Feng Ming pointed his long sword to the ground, frost in his eyes: “Without an imperial edict, no one may approach!”
The Commander of the Imperial Guards laughed: “General, this Commander comes by His Majesty’s verbal order to remove this thing.”
“Verbal order?” With a curved smile, Feng Ming held his sword and said: “Who knows if you’re falsely claiming verbal orders? I bear the heavy responsibility of guarding the palace city. Except for His Majesty, anyone who wants to approach this tower must bring a written decree!”
This was completely unreasonable! He guarded the palace city, but imperial guards were coming from inside the palace! If they could enter the palace city, why couldn’t they approach the tower?
Feng Ming held his sword horizontally – I’m just being unreasonable, do you dare force your way through?
The Commander of the Imperial Guards was extremely angry and immediately went to report to the Emperor. Just as the Emperor was about to rage, Prime Minister Shi Hongwei beside him smiled and said: “Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
“With such a defiant subject, what congratulations are you talking about?” Emperor Wei was very angry.
Shi Hongwei cupped his hands and said: “How is this defiance? Having someone as loyal as Feng Ming guarding the palace city means no one with ill intentions can succeed. He only recognizes Your Majesty’s written decree – how is that defiance?”
Hearing this, Emperor Wei realized it made sense, so he wrote a decree for the Commander of the Imperial Guards to remove the document.
Knowing they would come to remove it, how could they waste the Crown Prince’s painstaking work? Of course not. Feng Ming had already had someone return it to the Prince of Filial Piety’s mansion beforehand.
However, Yin Gezhi wasn’t at his mansion. Compared to the lifeless Prince of Filial Piety’s mansion, he preferred Feng Yue’s bustling courtyard.
Public discussion continued unabated. With people stirring things up, public sentiment boiled over, even resulting in mass petitions demanding Emperor Wei give justice to the Guan family. Emperor Wei didn’t know who was behind this. He suspected Yin Gezhi, but with father-son relations already tense, he couldn’t directly ask. He could only resort to violent suppression.
The more suppression, the more chaos spread. Many court officials who had previously remained silent on this matter now stood up, requesting His Majesty heed public opinion.
“Public opinion, public opinion!” Emperor Wei sneered, angrily pounding the table: “What public opinion? Three years ago when I executed the entire Guan family, didn’t you all also say it was public opinion? What does public opinion count for? I am the sovereign of this nation!”
These words shocked both the court and the common people. The Prime Minister removed his hat to beg forgiveness, and all officials knelt without rising.
“Our Emperor is something!” Feng Yue sighed: “The world is his alone, he makes all the decisions.”
Yin Gezhi’s expression was displeased. Sipping his tea, he said coolly: “Although Feng Ming often acts without thinking, one thing he said was very correct.”
“Listening to advice brings prosperity to a nation, while arbitrary rule leads to its destruction.”
Feng Yue raised an eyebrow: “Prince of Filial Piety, this is your father’s nation. Wouldn’t you be heartbroken if it’s destroyed?”
Yin Gezhi sneered: “If this truly were his nation alone, I really wouldn’t be heartbroken about its destruction.”
But alas, there were still the common people, the masses – what was their crime?
Feng Yue shrugged. She hadn’t intended to discuss state affairs with him, only saying: “I have a business to attend to tonight. If Your Highness still wants tea, come drink it yourself.”
Swirling the dregs in his teacup, Yin Gezhi said coolly: “Going to harm someone?”
“Indeed.” Feng Yue narrowed her eyes, smiling like a fox spirit: “Some people deserve to die – they must be properly dealt with.”
Glancing at her sideways, Yin Gezhi said: “Be careful on your way.”
Just these four words? Feng Yue raised an eyebrow, clicking her tongue: “How broad-minded of you!”
“The people you want to deal with happen to be people I also want to cause trouble for. Since you can save me the effort, why shouldn’t I be broad-minded?” With deep eyes, Yin Gezhi curved his lips slightly: “Go early, return early.”
Seeing his know-it-all, condescending manner, Feng Yue wanted to kick him in the behind!
“Yue’er.” Feng Ming’s voice sounded from outside, slightly impatient: “Hurry up!”
“Coming!” Getting goosebumps from his form of address, Feng Yue hugged her arms with a shiver, then stood up to leave.
But her wrist was suddenly pinned to the table!
Feng Yue froze, turning her head in confusion to look at the person beside her. The previously transcendent-looking Yin Gezhi now had a black face as he asked her quietly: “You’re going with him?”
“Of course, otherwise who could take me to tour the Grand Commander’s Manor?”
I could! But clearly, this damned person hadn’t considered him at all.
Taking a deep breath, Yin Gezhi said expressionlessly: “I’m going too.”
“Why are you adding to the chaos!” Feng Yue shook off his hand: “One servant girl with the General is enough!”
“…”
Half an hour later, the General had acquired not only a servant girl behind him but also a master beside him.
Feng Ming didn’t understand: “Your Highness, what are you going for?”
Yin Gezhi said coldly: “The flowers in the Grand Commander’s Manor’s back garden are blooming beautifully. This Prince wants to see them – is that not allowed?”