Numerous lives were lost in the mansion, yet no case was even established. Emperor Wei already felt that Zhao Xu had been wronged – truly, he couldn’t understand where such unconditional trust came from.

Glancing at Yin Gezhi, Zhao Xu’s expression became somewhat strange, showing both fear and respect, yet unconsciously stepping half a step closer to the Emperor’s side.

Emperor Wei noticed this and sighed lightly: “Prince Xiao was rash, letting the unreasonable Lian Heng disturb my beloved official without explanation. He won’t do it again – please be understanding.”

This tone was like that of an elder apologizing when their child had caused trouble at a friend’s house. Only then did Yin Gezhi realize that the relationship between the Emperor and Zhao Xu was truly intimate.

Looking back at the cold-faced, silent Prince Xiao, Zhao Xu felt the Emperor’s words had no persuasiveness at all. However, since it was the Emperor, he couldn’t be arrogant despite the favor shown. Since his crimes weren’t being pursued, better to quit while ahead.

However, he wouldn’t forget how Prince Xiao had stabbed him.

“Your Majesty speaks too kindly. The Prince was well-intentioned, believing there were issues with the corpses in this humble official’s back courtyard.” Respectfully cupping his hands to the Emperor, Zhao Xu said with an aggrieved expression: “It’s just that those buried in this official’s back courtyard were all concubines who died of illness, with no parents. It would have been pitiful to throw them out for burial, so this official thought to set aside the back courtyard as their final resting place.”

The Emperor suddenly understood: “So that’s how it was. My beloved official is truly kindhearted.”

Speaking thus, he glanced at Yin Gezhi again: “Do you understand now?”

“I don’t understand.” Without even raising his eyelids, Yin Gezhi stood with his hands behind his back, his tone cold: “This son doesn’t know what illness these concubines had that would leave their bodies covered in wounds and their bones incomplete.”

Emperor Wei flew into a rage: “How can you be so unreasonable!”

Zhao Xu hurriedly tried to calm him: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The Prince doesn’t understand the circumstances, so it’s natural he finds it strange. Some of these concubines had mental illness and injured themselves all over, while others jumped from buildings, naturally leaving their bones incomplete.”

“You hear that? Isn’t it clear enough?!” Emperor Wei berated.

Yin Gezhi curved his lips, finally raising his eyes to look at his Imperial Father, asking softly: “Did you know about this matter beforehand?”

Slightly stunned, Emperor Wei frowned: “No.”

“Then why does the august ruler not maintain impartiality, but instead unconditionally stand on the accused’s side and rebuke those who raise objections?” His eyes held depths like a lake, ripples threatening to splash but contained within the shore, carrying early autumn’s chill: “Lord Zhao has served as an official for over ten years, sharing Father Emperor’s love of calligraphy and painting. That Father Emperor enjoys his companionship is understandable. But excessive trust is tantamount to placing oneself in danger.”

Zhao Xu’s expression finally turned ugly, and lifting his robes, he knelt before the Emperor: “Heaven and Earth can witness this subject’s loyalty!”

Reaching out to help him up, Emperor Wei pressed his lips together. Thinking that the Crown Prince was also concerned for him, his tone softened somewhat, though still carrying slight reproach: “Trust those you employ – don’t you understand this principle?”

Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze: “Does Father Emperor remember the previous dynasty’s Emperor Song Hui?”

Emperor Song Hui loved horsemanship and favored the military general Lei Yi for his equestrian skills. Who knew Lei Yi had lurked for ten years, waiting to assassinate the emperor and restore his old country? In the end, he used a maddened horse to send Emperor Song Hui to his doom.

At the mention of this story, Zhao Xu’s legs went weak, and he choked out: “What grudge does this humble official have with Your Highness, that you would malign me so!”

Yin Gezhi said flatly: “Precisely because this Prince bears no grudge against My Lord that I speak and act with justice, merely reminding the ruler to be careful.”

Emperor Wei fell silent, then smiled again: “Enough. It was just a reminder – how could my beloved official possibly be like Lei Yi? I trust my beloved official completely and believe you would never harbor thoughts of harming me.”

“Your Majesty!” Moved to tears, Zhao Xu knelt and kowtowed heavily, though when he turned his face, his gaze toward Yin Gezhi carried hostility.

Yin Gezhi ignored it completely. Seeing his father’s attitude, he finally understood why Feng Yue insisted on acting alone, and why she felt his ideas wouldn’t succeed.

Everyone else knew what kind of person his Imperial Father was – he alone had not known.

His hands clenched tightly within his sleeves as Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze and continued following them to the back courtyard.

With the Emperor visiting, the mansion’s servants were bustling about. The newly appointed steward picked several sensible servants and instructed them in the side courtyard: “When His Majesty visits us, he always composes poetry and practices calligraphy with our master. You must all serve carefully – use only the master’s treasured sets of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Anyone who carelessly breaks anything can expect to lose their head!”

“Yes!” The servants responded.

The old steward watched from the side and frowned: “These people have only been in the mansion for half a year, haven’t they?”

The new steward was the old steward’s son. Hearing this, he sneered: “The previous people were all getting old and didn’t have much strength left. These people have been here half a year and are quite efficient – they never slack off when working. I feel more at ease using them.”

The old steward wanted to object, but thinking his son’s words made sense, he didn’t interfere further.

So these servants went to fetch the four treasures of the study, passing through rockery and garden before finally delivering them to the hands of the palace eunuchs.

While the Emperor and Zhao Xu were discussing recent masterworks, Yin Gezhi coldly turned his head to look at the flowers in the courtyard, his gaze wandering around before pausing briefly at a spot on the wall, then casually looking elsewhere.

When the writing materials arrived, the Emperor naturally became excited. He had Zhao Xu grind the ink while he gracefully wielded the brush with his sleeves raised, not minding the ink staining his hands.

“Your Majesty, the mansion has just prepared some refreshments.” After several incense sticks had burned down, Zhao Xu invited the Emperor to rest. He had the palace servants taste the refreshments before presenting them to Emperor Wei.

Outside the palace, there weren’t as many rules, and Emperor Wei couldn’t be bothered with chopsticks, reaching directly with his hand to eat.

However, just after finishing one piece and before he could reach for a second, a cold arrow suddenly flew through the air from somewhere!

None of the guards had time to react, but the leisurely seated Yin Gezhi suddenly leaped into the air and caught the cold arrow, his robes flying as his gaze turned sharp.

“Assassin!”

Half the surrounding guards immediately gave chase, while the Emperor was greatly startled and immediately roared: “Catch them for me!”

“Yes!”

Those who love power generally also love life – Emperor Wei especially so. He immediately turned to berate Zhao Xu: “What use are your mansion’s guards?!”

Zhao Xu hurriedly knelt: “Your Majesty, this subject’s mansion has hundreds of guards posted outside today – it should have been impossible for anyone to get close!”

“If they didn’t come from outside, then they were already inside the mansion.” Examining the cold arrow, Yin Gezhi’s eyes flickered slightly before his tone suddenly grew heavy: “Father Emperor should return to the palace early.”

Since he had caught the arrow, the Emperor nodded and didn’t reach out to help the kneeling Zhao Xu up, instead saying: “Rise, beloved official. First, catch the assassin, then we’ll talk. I’ll return to the palace first.”

“This subject… respectfully sends Your Majesty off.”

Zhao Xu was extremely anxious and furious. Seeing the Emperor leave with Yin Gezhi, he immediately sent people to pursue the assassin.

However, beyond the courtyard walls, they couldn’t identify the assassin – there wasn’t even anyone behaving suspiciously in the mansion. There were only people wearing servants’ clothes, nothing more.

After leaving the Grand Marshal’s mansion, Yin Gezhi casually handed the arrow to a palace servant, feeling somewhat puzzled.

He knew Feng Yue might move against his father and had been guarding against it, but now that she had acted, why was the arrowhead not even poisoned? Moreover, he had been too nervous earlier and immediately caught the cold arrow. Even if he hadn’t caught it, judging by the arrow’s trajectory, it might have just struck the writing table rather than the Emperor.

What was she thinking?

Even after boarding his carriage, Emperor Wei was still angry. He had truly been frightened, and adding Yin Gezhi’s earlier story about Emperor Song Hui and Lei Yi, he couldn’t help harboring some misgivings about Zhao Xu.

People change after holding office for a long time, don’t they? Although Zhao Xu was a Grand Marshal, he had no actual military power – he hadn’t even let him exercise the powers a Grand Marshal should have. Could he harbor resentment?

But then he thought – how could someone who shared his love of calligraphy and painting be so evil?

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt stomach cramps. At first, he could bear it, but then it grew increasingly painful.

“Stop… stop the carriage.”

His voice was too soft – the palace servants didn’t hear him, and Yin Gezhi was in another carriage, resulting in the Emperor suffering all the way back to the palace. When the palace servant lifted the carriage curtain, his face went white with fright: “Your Majesty?!”

Yin Gezhi sensed something was wrong and strode over to look, discovering the Emperor’s face was deathly pale and he had already lost consciousness.

The imperial physicians hurried over. As the Emperor lay unconscious on the dragon bed, Princess Nanping and the Crown Prince also arrived. The Crown Prince frowned and asked: “Royal Brother, what happened? How did he get poisoned during a simple outing with you?”

Before Yin Gezhi could speak, Nanping stepped forward to block him and frowned at the Crown Prince: “It’s not Royal Brother’s fault. Second Royal Brother, your questioning tone is too disrespectful!”

“I am merely asking about the situation.”

“Is this how you ask?!” Nanping snorted coldly, then turned to look at Yin Gezhi, stamping her foot coquettishly: “Royal Brother, what happened?”

Reaching out to pat Nanping’s head, Yin Gezhi said: “Father Emperor went to the Grand Marshal’s mansion and encountered an assassin. I blocked the cold arrow shot at Father Emperor for him – he wasn’t injured, but somehow he was still poisoned.”

Eyes widening, Nanping said angrily: “How could there be an assassination attempt at the Grand Marshal’s mansion? Where is the Grand Marshal? He should be summoned to the palace to face punishment!”

“How could Father Emperor bear to punish the Grand Marshal?” Yin Gezhi said flatly: “Over twenty innocent lives were lost in the Grand Marshal’s mansion, yet Father Emperor thought I was wrongly accusing Lord Zhao. Now that the dragon’s body is unharmed – it’s just a small amount of arsenic – how could there be any punishment?”

These words made the Empress frown: “Prince, His Majesty is still unconscious – what is the meaning of your words?”

“This son was improper.” Yin Gezhi bowed his head.

Nanping was stunned, her watery eyes blinking. She had something she wanted to ask, but looking at all the people in the hall, she instead said tactfully: “Then would Royal Brother accompany Nanping to the imperial pharmacy to check on the medicine?”

“Alright.” Yin Gezhi nodded, bowed to the Empress, and withdrew with her.

The Crown Prince frowned as he watched them, muttering: “How has Royal Brother become like a different person?”