“At this hour?” Madam Qiu looked at the sky. “Young Master, if you go now, it will likely be dark.”
“Just give me a horse.”
Feng Ming followed out and said, “I rode here on horseback, I’ll take you.”
“Much appreciated,” she said politely, while her hand directly grabbed his sleeve and pulled him outside.
Rarely seeing her so agitated, Feng Ming didn’t dare delay. He helped her onto the horse and galloped towards the East City Gate.
Yin Gezhi, expressionless, was just leaving Jitian Academy on Wenlin Street when he nearly collided with the galloping horse. Dodging sideways, he saw the two figures above and frowned.
“Master, that looked like Lady Feng Yue,” Guan Zhi observed after watching for a moment.
“I’m not blind,” Yin Gezhi narrowed his eyes and said coldly. “What of it if it’s her?”
Guan Zhi lowered his head, thinking that if it’s nothing then it’s nothing, though it seemed like some urgent matter, and with General Feng too, but if Master didn’t care…
“Bring the horse,” Yin Gezhi commanded coldly.
Guan Zhi: “…”
Hoofbeats thundered towards Zhaoying Mountain. Speaking of this place, Feng Yue couldn’t help but recall when Yin Gezhi first set a trap for her, asking her about visiting Zhaoying Mountain.
Zhaoying Mountain was famous in Wei. Years ago, someone claimed to have seen immortals there, making it a feng shui treasure ground. Countless people rushed to bury their dead there, creating a spectacular array of graves.
Back then, when Guan Canghai “committed suicide from guilt” in prison, it was said that Lian Heng received imperial orders to collect the corpse. Only he knew where it was buried. So upon receiving that letter, Feng Yue immediately guessed what important matter Lian Heng meant and hurried over.
However, after waiting for a long time, no one came.
Feng Ming frowned and turned to say, “Aren’t you being too hasty? What if someone’s deceiving you?”
“When I escaped, General Yin led me out of Li Capital. Thinking I’d return one day for revenge, I wrote many secret letters inviting Father’s close friends to plot with me. Only Lian Heng didn’t respond, meaning besides the people in the tenement, only he knows I’m alive.”
Thinking of this, Feng Ming said gravely, “You were too reckless. What if someone among them harbored ill intentions and revealed that you’re still alive?”
“They wouldn’t,” Feng Yue shook her head. “Those Father trusted must be righteous and good people who despise evil. Knowing Father was wrongly accused, even if they wouldn’t plot with me, they certainly wouldn’t betray me.”
She guessed right. Though Lian Heng hadn’t come for unknown reasons, three years had passed without any word from Wei about capturing her.
After a moment of silence, Feng Ming couldn’t help asking, “Then why didn’t you write to me? I could have helped too!”
Her mouth twitched as she replied, “General Feng, you’re the heir to the prestigious Marshal’s estate. If I had taken you away too, wouldn’t that have alerted all of Li Capital?”
So that was the reason! Feng Ming felt relieved, grinning to show a row of white teeth. Just as he was about to speak again, they heard approaching hoofbeats.
Both turned to see Lian Heng riding towards them. Upon seeing Feng Yue, his eyes blazed and he dismounted to bow: “Young General!”
The title stabbed at her heart. Feng Yue pressed her lips together and said, “Commander speaks too formally. What Young General is there now?”
Lian Heng looked up, saw Feng Ming present, and hesitated. But quickly remembering the marriage arrangement between their families, he didn’t question it. Instead, he lowered his head and said, “This servant is guilty. I believed hearsay and misunderstood General Guan, so I wanted Madam Qiu to pass the word to Young General, to at least let you know where the General is buried.”
Her fist tightened then loosened. Feng Yue smiled distantly: “Please lead the way, Commander.”
Lian Heng froze, and slowly stood up, his eyes full of self-reproach. But seeing Feng Yue’s expression, he knew he had no right to say more, so he mounted and led the way.
The western side of Zhaoying Mountain had many graves. The summit had the “Honest Official’s Tomb,” the mountainside had mostly “Noble’s Graves,” while the foot held the “Mass Burial Ground.”
Following Lian Heng, Feng Yue very much wanted to walk higher, but Lian Heng only passed through a grove before stopping at a spot.
“This…”
The small mound of earth had been trampled by someone, white bones faintly visible in the messy soil. Lian Heng panicked and quickly turned to say, “The General’s grave is still ahead, Young General, just a few more steps.”
“Is that so?” Looking ahead, Feng Yue said, “If we haven’t arrived, why did you stop?”
“…” Lian Heng wasn’t used to lying. The nearly forty-year-old man was now flushed red, his eyes extremely panicked, completely unlike his usual commanding presence.
He blamed himself for being too hasty, why didn’t he check first before writing to Young General? Such a burial place, how could she bear to see it…
Feng Yue gave a soft laugh and gently pushed him aside, crouching beside the small mound. After looking for a while, she reached out to dig.
“Yue’er!” Feng Ming frowned.
“Young General!” Lian Heng bit his lip and fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing three times to Feng Yue. “When the General was convicted and died, proper burial was impossible. He was meant to be discarded in the mass burial ground…”
“Mm.” Nodding, Feng Yue continued digging, clearing the soil from the visible bones while laughing softly, “Commander need not panic. This junior holds no blame. Not letting Father’s bones feed wild beasts, this junior is already grateful. But since I’m still here, I should give him a better resting place.”
Lian Heng was speechless, giving a bitter laugh while remaining kneeling.
Feng Ming wanted to help, but seeing Feng Yue’s expression, he stood back and let her work alone.
The earth was shallow, barely looking like a grave. No wonder people had trampled it. With many trampling it, the bones had become exposed. Three years had passed, and nothing remained of Guan Canghai except these hard bones.
Truly hard bones indeed. When others called him that before, she thought it mere flattery. Now truly holding these bones in her hands, Feng Yue laughed despite herself and couldn’t help calling out: “Guan Hard-Bones.”
The flesh had rotted away, the bones half-black and half-yellow. She dug slowly, her movements gentle, remembering Guan Canghai’s shoulder injury – she used her fingertips to brush that area. Remembering his bad back, when she uncovered the whole skeleton, she tried to lift it carefully.
However, with just a bit of force, the skeleton collapsed with a clatter, startling Feng Yue into shrinking her shoulders, her eyelashes trembling.
Feng Ming watched heartbrokenly, wanting to support her, but Feng Yue quickly crouched down, removed her outer robe to spread on the ground, gathered up Guan Canghai’s bones, and said with bright eyes: “This will do!”
“Young General…” Lian Heng bit his lip. “Tomorrow I’ll find tomb craftsmen to build the General a proper tomb.”
“No need,” Feng Yue waved her hand. “This junior will do it herself. Commander Lian is an outsider, such things should be done by children.”
Lian Heng paused, feeling distressed, then heard her say, “But since Commander oversees the city guard, could you let this junior take these remains back? Otherwise, I’ll be stopped at the city gate.”
“…Alright.” Lian Heng agreed, watching her wrap up the bones and hold them close. After hesitating, he said, “If there’s anything I can help with, Young General need only command.”
“Commander is too kind.” Feng Yue nodded, holding the large bundle of bones, trying to mount the horse but was unable to after several attempts.
Feng Ming stood behind her, gripped her waist, and lifted her in one motion. Feng Yue grinned, watching him sit behind her, then said, “It’s getting late, let’s hurry back.”
“Alright.”
The two horses galloped towards the city gate. Behind nearby trees, Yin Gezhi frowned as he watched, then mounted his horse and returned by another route.
Feng Ming thought Feng Yue would cry, but surprisingly she smiled the whole way, seeming particularly content holding the bones. Passing a funeral shop, she said, “You go ahead, I’ll get some things and return later.”
Feng Ming frowned: “I’ll accompany you.”
“No need, no need.” Feng Yue waved her hand. “I want to perform filial duties alone, neither of you needs help, please go.”
Looking at the funeral shop, Feng Ming sighed, dismounted to help her down, and then went forward to knock on the door.
It was already dark, but funeral shops did business at all hours. Seeing customers, they let Feng Yue in. Feng Ming stood outside, watching the door close worriedly. After a while, he finally left with Lian Heng.
The undertaker led Feng Yue to the back courtyard. Originally asking what she wanted to buy, but seeing what she held and her expression, they considerately pointed to the mourning area nearby.
Feng Yue nodded, found an empty coffin, and carefully arranged Guan Canghai inside. She positioned him in a comical horse-riding battle pose, making herself grin.
As she smiled, tears began falling like rain – once the first drop fell, the rest followed endlessly, flooding down like a mountain stream.
Yin Gezhi watched her silently, initially cold-faced, but hearing her cry made his heart twist. He couldn’t help going over and firmly gripping her mouth.
“Stop crying!”
Through tear-blurred eyes, Feng Yue blinked for a long while before recognizing who it was, hiccupping: “Am I… am I bothering Your Highness by crying here too?”
“Yes, you are,” His expression was very unpleasant, Yin Gezhi said, “You’re ugliest when you cry, snot hanging down so long, won’t you wipe it?”
Glaring at him for a moment, Feng Yue burst into louder wails, tears, and snot flowing onto his hand: “What… what do you care if I have snot! My father was a loyal and brave Great General! Dying without a general’s tomb is bad enough, but not even… not even having a coffin…”
Why?! What justification was there for not even giving him a dignified death?
His eyes were full of disgust, Yin Gezhi watched her for a moment but didn’t push her away. Instead, his hand drew her into his embrace.
Feng Yue cried while stomping on his feet: “Why did you come… weren’t you angry?”
“Yes, still angry now,” Yin Gezhi said flatly, his hand gently stroking her head. “So angry I don’t want to help you with anything, don’t want to pay attention to you.”
“But, you’re crying so miserably, I’ll let you lean on my chest for a bit.”
Cold and heartless tone, carrying a hint of condescension. Feng Yue gritted her teeth and wiped all her tears and snot on his robe! Finally pushing him away, she said calmly with red eyes: “Thank you.”