When the secret guard reported this matter, Shi Hongwei was truly shocked. Even after staying calm for so many days while preparing to trap Yin Gezhi, his hands still trembled slightly as he spoke.

Someone from the Guan family was still alive, and not just anyone – it was Guan Qingyue, Guan Canghai’s legitimate daughter and the only female general of the Guan family!

For this matter to surface at this crucial moment when the Guan family’s case was being reopened would undoubtedly shock and unsettle many in the court, and even His Majesty on the dragon throne might lose sleep over it. Yin Gezhi’s desire to reopen the case wasn’t frightening – after all, he was just being overly righteous due to his sense of justice. But if Guan Qingyue was still alive, that would be disastrous! How could she let go of the blood debt owed to the entire Guan family?

If, Guan Qingyue had some connection with Yin Gezhi…

“The mighty Imperial Prison let a death row prisoner escape?” Without showing any shock or panic on his face, Yin Gezhi sneered: “How did they escape? Who escaped? And who was behind the bribery?”

Looking puzzled at his seemingly unaware expression, Shi Hongwei pondered for a moment before saying: “The specific process is still under investigation. However, the person who escaped was the Guan family’s legitimate daughter, Guan Qingyue. She should be pursued and returned to the Imperial Prison. After the case is reopened, her crimes can be determined.”

“Why is the Minister telling me this?” Yin Gezhi gave a light laugh and waved dismissively: “It would be better to tell His Majesty.”

“This…” Seeing him about to leave, Shi Hongwei hurried after him, staring at him: “Your Highness is now presiding over this case. Naturally, matters related to it should be decided by you.”

“Do you want me to decide?” Yin Gezhi lifted his chin: “Then I believe the Guan family is innocent, Guan Qingyue is innocent, and there’s no need for arrest.”

“That’s impossible!” Shi Hongwei frowned: “Prison escape is a serious crime!”

“Then what crime is it to wrongly accuse the Guan family, and who should make amends?” Stopping his steps, Yin Gezhi glanced at him: “Would the Prime Minister like to?”

Slightly frowning, Shi Hongwei was speechless. After a moment of stiffness, he stepped aside, watching the white robe depart gracefully with his head lowered, feeling quite angry.

He had always been cautious in his actions. When the Guan family fell from their high position overnight, while others rushed to kick them while they were down, he alone stayed out of it. Now at this critical moment, he should still be avoiding involvement.

However, Yin Gezhi had returned to his position as Prince, and not only that, he’d received a gold seal. The Emperor’s actions were a harsh slap to the Crown Prince’s faction. If he continued to stand aside and truly let Yin Gezhi ascend to power, then the Shi clan would truly decline!

Taking a deep breath, Shi Hongwei brushed his sleeves and strode toward Dragon Saliva Palace.

As soon as Yin Gezhi left the palace, he went to the courtyard. Ignoring others present, he looked at Feng Yue and asked: “Who rescued you when you left the prison back then?”

Stunned by this question, Feng Yue thought for a moment and said: “General Yin rescued me.”

Yin Yanzhong, sitting nearby, nodded: “I led people to receive the young master from the Imperial Prison.”

“Then were you also the ones who bribed the guards to release her?”

This question seemed strange. Feng Yue pouted: “Who else would risk their lives to save me like that?”

With a somewhat grave expression, Yin Yanzhong glanced at Feng Yue and asked Yin Gezhi: “Has something happened?”

“If it was you all, then there’s no problem.” Sitting down nearby, Yin Gezhi relaxed slightly: “After all, you’ve been gone for a long time, and no one knows where you went, so there’s no way to assign blame – Today Shi Hongwei said he discovered someone took bribes to release Guan Qingyue from the Imperial Prison back then.”

Everyone was shocked, collectively drawing in sharp breaths. Feng Yue blinked and asked: “Am I going to become a wanted criminal?”

“Not while I’m here,” Yin Gezhi said calmly: “But whoever bribed them will certainly be dragged down by Shi Hongwei, and the news will spread soon.”

Madam Qiu’s expression turned difficult, and everyone turned to stare at Feng Yue with strange looks.

“What’s wrong?” Looking at them in confusion, Feng Yue asked: “Is there something on my face?”

“Young Master, there’s something we never told you,” Madam Qiu said heavily: “The person who secretly bribed the prison guards to save you back then was General Feng…”

What? Feng Yue was shocked. Yin Gezhi was also startled, but he reacted quickly, turning to order Guanzhi: “Go to the Marquis of An’guo’s mansion and bring Feng Ming here!”

“Yes!” Guanzhi responded and left. Only then did Yin Gezhi turn back, frowning at those present.

“What happened?”

Wiping his face, Yin Yanzhong also looked worried: “Back then, I only felt the Guan family was wrong, but I was powerless to help, so I hadn’t planned to do anything. It was Young Master Feng who found me, saying he had a way to save the young master and asked for my help, so I went to receive her. I don’t know about the bribery, he just told me not to tell the young master. At that time, the young master truly didn’t want to live alone while others died for her, so I…”

Feng Yue’s eyes reddened, and she couldn’t help but look at Ling Shu beside her.

Ling Shu maintained her innocent expression, ignoring their conversation and continuing to nibble on her preserved fruits.

Yin Gezhi lowered his eyes, his face showing no excess emotion, just as unreadable as when he was facing Shi Hongwei.

Feng Yue asked: “Will Feng Ming be implicated because of me this time?”

“Yes,” he responded.

With a heavy heart, Feng Yue pressed her lips together: “Will you save him?”

Looking up at her, Yin Gezhi said: “If I don’t save him, wouldn’t he get off too easily?”

However, it wouldn’t be easy to save him, and they needed to act quickly. If these two people caught others’ attention, their fate would certainly not be good.

“Don’t go out these days, Liidu will be conducting strict searches,” he stood up and tapped the stone table, looking at Feng Yue: “Behave yourself.”

Feng Yue frowned.

A while later, Feng Ming was brought over, looking at them in confusion: “What’s wrong?”

Feng Yue lifted her robe and knelt before him, kowtowing three times.

Startled, Feng Ming jumped aside: “What’s going on? Are you possessed?”

“These are the proper courtesies for thanking you for saving my life,” raising her head, Feng Yue looked at him: “You should have told me earlier.”

Slightly stunned, Feng Ming forced a laugh: “How did you find out about that? There’s no need to thank me, it was nothing…”

Before he could finish, the person who had just been kneeling suddenly sprang up, grabbed his neck, and started strangling him! While choking him, she shouted with a fierce expression: “Did I ask you to save me? Huh! Not only did you waste a life, but you also made me bear the pain of living! What great grudge do you have against me? Huh! What grudge!”

Unable to breathe, Feng Ming was stunned, but he managed to grasp her wrist, both angry and amused: “Is this how you treat someone who saved your life?”

Feng Yue gritted her teeth: “I’ll kowtow to you three more times after I strangle you for the time it takes to burn an incense stick!”

“Hey, calm down,” stroking her head, Feng Ming smiled, his eyes revealing a dazzling light as he stared at her without blinking, sighing: “I truly couldn’t bear to let you die. So I was selfish just this once.”

Glaring at him with reddened eyes, Feng Yue choked: “Do you know how much disaster your selfish act could bring to your Marquis household!”

“I understand everything,” lowering his eyes, Feng Ming continued stroking her head, his voice unusually gentle, like water warmed by the sun, tenderly enveloping her: “I’ll bear the consequences of my actions. I’ve thought about it long ago – if people found out, it would just be a crime of disloyalty. The Emperor fears the Marquis household mainly because he’s worried my Feng family still has connections with the Guan family and might threaten the royal family. Regarding this, I already thought of a solution early on.”

“I haven’t come to see you these days because I’ve been busy, but there’s news that should make you happy,” smiling at her, Feng Ming’s eyes seemed to sparkle with something, and when he grinned, that light almost fell: “I’m going to marry the Princess of Nanping!”

Everyone in the courtyard was stunned, and even Yin Gezhi gave him a proper look.

Feng Yue was dazed, blinking her eyes.

“Aren’t you happy? You can finally be rid of me,” the person before her was tall and handsome, wearing an iron jade crown, with sunlight pouring down from above his head, passing through his eyelashes to fall on her head: “Consider it my final gift to you. Since childhood, you’ve never liked me, yet I’ve always stubbornly wanted to marry you, saying I’d never let you go, scaring you into always running away.”

Remembering childhood scenes of chase and play, Feng Ming smiled very happily.

A fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth, full of vigor, chasing after a girl on horseback, shouting: “Guan Qingyue, come home with me!”

“No!” The rough young girl on horseback turned back and cursed: “Who wants to go home with a roguelike you? I won’t marry! Did you hear? Won’t marry!”

“If you won’t marry, I’ll still take you! If you won’t marry now, marry at twenty! If not at twenty, thirty is fine too! If that doesn’t work, when you’re old and can’t run anymore, I’ll just carry you home!”

The evening glow was perfect. Those two figures arguing and making noise became two shadows in my memory, getting further and further away until they finally disappeared from view.

Letting out a low laugh, Feng Ming looked at Feng Yue and said hoarsely: “I did love you.”

But for his own mistakes, if they could be made right, he couldn’t be selfish a second time. He couldn’t defy the Emperor’s edict a second time either. Marrying the Princess of Nanping would remove the Emperor’s wariness of the Marquis household, and even if this old matter came to light, he had already agreed with his father to blame it on his youthful ignorance, so it wouldn’t cause a huge disaster.

Looking up at him, Feng Yue felt her throat tighten and opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. Her hand clutched his clothes, tightened, then let go.

“After the marriage, don’t dwell on past matters anymore,” taking a deep breath and clearing her throat, Feng Yue said: “The Princess of Nanping is a very kind girl, you can’t wrong her. Since you’ve decided to marry her, you must treat her well for life, otherwise, forget about others – Yin Gezhi will be the first one who won’t let you off.”

Feng Ming chuckled softly and turned to look at Yin Gezhi: “Your Highness must be the happiest, having lost a strong rival.”

Slightly frowning, Yin Gezhi shook his head: “I’m not happy at all. Someone like you cannot give Nanping happiness.”