Nan Ping shared this feeling. Although her Imperial Brother had always been cold and expressionless before and had even confronted Father Emperor at times, such as in matters of establishing his consort, now… her Imperial Brother seemed completely disappointed in Father Emperor, his tone no longer carrying the respect it once did.
Curious about the reason, she quickly pulled at her Imperial Brother’s sleeve, walking alongside him while asking seriously, “Has something happened between Imperial Brother and Father Emperor?”
As Princess Nan Ping was also born of the former Empress and had always been close to Yin Gezhi, he maintained a gentle attitude toward her.
“What kind of person is Father Emperor in your eyes?” he asked.
Princess Nan Ping clenched her fists, her face full of reverence as she said, “He distinguishes clearly between good and evil and upholds justice without compromise. Father Emperor is a wise ruler of our generation!”
Seeing her expression, Yin Gezhi let out a light laugh.
“Im-Imperial Brother?” Nan Ping startled, shrinking her neck nervously, “Though your smile is beautiful, what are you laughing at?”
Gently shaking his head, a strand of hair fell across his temple. Yin Gezhi closed his eyes and said softly, “I’m laughing at myself.”
Someone had once asked him this question, and his response must have made him look just as foolish as Nan Ping did now. No wonder Grand Scholar Ji had smiled without speaking at the time, while he had thought the man was being disrespectful to Father Emperor. Thinking about it now, perhaps he should go kowtow at his grave.
Why would someone be willing to deceive those closest to them? Had Father Emperor never considered that if one day the princes and princesses discovered the truth, they would hate him?
Or perhaps he thought that as emperor, those who followed him would prosper, those who opposed would perish, and whether they hated him or not didn’t matter.
“Imperial Brother…” Seeing his expression, Nan Ping’s voice trembled slightly, her palace robes swaying, “Please don’t be like this…”
“It’s nothing,” coming back to his senses, Yin Gezhi said, “Don’t think too much about it. Just stay properly in the palace, and if you get bored, go visit Imperial Brother at Prince Xiao’s residence. The rest isn’t something a young lady should worry about.”
Nodding with partial understanding, Nan Ping obediently held onto his sleeve as they walked together toward the Imperial Pharmacy.
The Emperor awoke half an hour later, and upon learning he had been poisoned, his face darkened with rage! Zhao Xu hurriedly led his people into the palace, kneeling outside Emperor Wei Wen’s chambers and kowtowing.
“Your Majesty, the refreshments I offered had all been tested! The poison Your Majesty ingested must have nothing to do with the Grand Marshal’s residence!”
While he was shouting outside, the Imperial Physician examined the ink stains on the Emperor’s hands after washing them off with water.
“Found it, the poison was in the ink,” the Imperial Physician sighed. “How could one eat with hands stained with ink?”
The Crown Prince sighed, “Father Emperor’s refined love of literature has always led him to believe ink isn’t dirty. When writing in the study, he never washes off the ink that stains his hands. But such a habit… only those very close to him would know and be able to exploit it.”
Hearing this, Emperor Wei Wen flew into a rage. Without even putting on his shoes, he struggled to his feet and, supported by an attendant, stormed out of his chambers. “Zhao Xu!”
“Your Majesty!” Zhao Xu’s face was full of grievance, “How could I possibly harbor thoughts of harming Your Majesty, how could I?”
“The poison was in the ink from your residence, the assassins were from your residence, how can I trust you!” Clutching his stomach as he shouted, Emperor Wei Wen’s face grew even more severe, “I trusted you so much, yet if Prince Xiao hadn’t been by my side today, wouldn’t I have died right there in your residence!”
“Your subject has been wronged! Those assassins…”
“Have you caught the assassins?”
“…” Zhao Xu kept his head bowed to the ground.
“Then what face do you have to speak to me!” Stamping his foot, Emperor Wei Wen commanded, “Guards! Take Zhao Xu to the Grand Marshal’s office and have the Three Judicial Offices thoroughly investigate his residence!”
“Yes!”
Yin Gezhi stood to the side, watching Zhao Xu below striking his head against the ground in anger and grievance, and suddenly understood Feng Yue’s intention.
What a petty person, unwilling to let Zhao Xu die for his actual crimes, instead framing him and wronging him, making him taste the bitterness that Zang Canghai had experienced back then.
Isn’t it satisfying to kick someone when they’re down? Well, taste how it feels when the stones fall on yourself!
A dark light flashed in his eyes as Yin Gezhi smiled, finding it quite interesting, much more so than wasting breath persuading the Emperor to handle matters justly. Look how angry Emperor Wei Wen was now.
Suddenly, he missed Feng Yue, wanting to grasp her slender waist, hold her against his chest, watch her fox-like eyes dart about, and see her smug smile after her schemes succeeded. Or perhaps she would lift her chin proudly and say, “I won this time.”
Those eyes must be truly enchanting.
His body shifted slightly, hiding an awkward reaction, and Yin Gezhi turned his head, asking his father the Emperor with a calm face, “May this son leave the palace?”
Considering his merit in protecting the imperial person this time, Emperor Wei Wen stared at him for a moment before waving his hand, “Go.”
After paying his respects, Yin Gezhi left quickly. Though he had been mindful of proper etiquette and dignity before, once outside the palace gates, he didn’t even take a carriage, rushing straight toward Feng Yue’s courtyard.
What would the courtyard be like now? Would people be celebrating and drinking? With such pleasant imaginings, Yin Gezhi stepped through the gate.
But what he saw was Feng Yue sitting quietly in the courtyard looking at something, with Feng Ming standing beside her, his eyes fixed intently upon her. The scene, the atmosphere, was like a beauty viewing a painting, and a hero viewing the beauty as if she were the painting.
Sometimes, a person’s mood can change dramatically with just a small stimulus. For instance, right now, Prince Xiao, whose eyes had been bright just moments ago, now stood at the doorway with a face as dark as if it had been smeared with charcoal.
Noticing someone’s arrival, Feng Ming turned around and raised an eyebrow, “Your Highness? You’re unharmed?”
Taking a deep breath, Yin Gezhi stepped in with a composed face, “Does General Feng wish something had happened to me?”
Feng Yue had also noticed him, her eyes brightening as she covered her mouth and smiled slyly, “This servant thought Your Highness had lost face and wouldn’t dare to come.”
Indeed, she was smug just as he had imagined, but why did this smugness irritate him so much? Yin Gezhi closed his eyes, his hands tightening and loosening within his sleeves as he slowly walked to the table and sat down, “I help you, and this is how you mock me?”
“Hehe,” laughing twice, Feng Yue had naturally heard about what he had said at the Grand Marshal’s residence. The story of Emperor Song Hui and Lei Yi was truly vicious. It had laid excellent groundwork for her later arranged assassination and framing, otherwise, the Emperor’s trust in Zhao Xu wouldn’t have wavered so quickly.
“Your Highness speaks too seriously, please have some tea.” She quickly passed a cup of tea over, and also poured one for Feng Ming, “General, why are you still standing? Please sit with us.”
Feng Ming smiled, stroking his chin, “At least you have a conscience. I thought you’d ignore me once the Prince arrived.”
“Did you eat sour plums today?” She gave him a look, “How can a grown man speak so sourly?”
“Indeed,” picking up his teacup, Yin Gezhi said ominously, “Not a bit of the dignity a soldier should have.”
Feng Ming gritted his teeth, sat down, took the tea, and drank it without a word.
“But speaking of which, we must thank the General for the Grand Marshal matter’s success,” Feng Yue said, “I should send the General a gift later, what would you like?”
Feng Ming pouted, “What help did I provide? I just took you to look at the Grand Marshal’s residence.”
Feng Yue blinked, smiling meaningfully, “That’s not the help I’m talking about. I mean the help half a year ago when General assisted Official Yan Qing in placing several servants in the Grand Marshal’s residence.”
Yin Gezhi started, putting down his teacup to look at her, “You planted people there half a year ago?”
“How else could things succeed?” Feng Yue shrugged, “Even though I left Wei for three years, I still knew clearly about matters here. Hasn’t Your Highness wondered how?”
His expression changing slightly, Yin Gezhi lowered his eyes, “Born as a woman, what a waste.”
“Being born a woman isn’t a waste, after all, there are still opportunities to fight battles,” grinning, Feng Yue tilted her head and stared at him, “Being wrongly accused is a real waste, unable to show one’s face in public, only able to hide in the shadows plotting revenge.”
In those three years away from Wei, she had taken some people with her but had also left some behind. Those who remained held no high positions, some were merely teachers or household managers. These people, according to her plan, lay dormant in their assigned places, methodically doing what needed to be done, waiting for the day they would be useful.
Among them, several servants in the Grand Marshal’s residence had been introduced through Feng Ming’s recommendation half a year ago.
Feng Ming had been completely unaware of this, thinking he was just doing Yan Qing a favor. He hadn’t realized it was part of her web.
Feng Ming was stunned, his brown pupils fixed unmoving on Feng Yue, his lips slightly parted. After a long while, he finally said, “…For such a big favor, I want clothes made by your own hands.”
Yin Gezhi slammed his teacup on the table. The cup bottom struck the saucer with a “crack,” making Feng Yue jump.
Meeting his dark eyes, Feng Yue instinctively swallowed and forced a laugh, saying to Feng Ming, “I… I don’t know how to make clothes.”
“I don’t mind,” Feng Ming smiled, “However you make them, I’ll wear them.”
“Haha… let’s choose a different gift?”
“Why?” Feng Ming frowned, “I just want clothes made by you.”
It was a custom among Lizhou women to make clothes for their beloved. In all the time he had known Feng Yue, forget clothes, she hadn’t even given him a handkerchief. Of course, she used to hate him before, so he couldn’t ask. But now their relationship had improved, hadn’t it?
Feng Yue smiled stiffly, wondering how to explain.
Just then, Yin Gezhi’s hand slipped, spilling a cup of tea on himself.
“…” Feng Yue looked at him as if he were crazy, while Feng Ming was startled, “Your Highness?”
“My clothes are wet,” Yin Gezhi stood up, looking at Feng Ming, “If General has no other business, would you escort me back to my residence to change?”
Feng Ming darkened, thinking why would you need an escort just to change clothes?
Yin Gezhi glanced at his empty surroundings, indicating he hadn’t brought any guards.
Even without guards, wouldn’t any assassins need protection from you? Huh? Feng Ming frowned, absolutely unwilling to leave. Yin Gezhi sighed, grabbed his collar, and dragged him out.