Whatever she had been through, the former courtesan He Chou now looked as if she had aged ten years, her gaze filled with the weight of experience, showing none of her former radiance.
“This commoner pays respects to the Wei Ruler and Empress.”
Fengyue frowned, looking at her: “Rise, let me look at you.”
Following the command, Wangrou raised her head and looked at her with eyes full of emotion, tears welling up: “This commoner’s appearance is unkempt. Please forgive my unsightly state, Empress.”
This wasn’t merely about being unkempt – it was clearly because something was wrong with her health, causing her complexion to be sallow and aged.
“Are you not being treated well?” Fengyue asked.
Wangrou shook her head: “Very well. Nothing’s wrong. Even after letting Duanxian escape last time, Prince didn’t punish me. He remains very gentle with me.”
However, that gentleness always carried a hint of cruelty, like needles hidden in cotton. She no longer dared to seek comfort easily.
“He’s gentle with you?” Fengyue shook her head: “Ye Yuqing’s nature is to be gentle with everyone. Young women easily make mistakes – you must see clearly. Since you’ve come to me, you don’t have to go back.”
Don’t go back? Wangrou was startled, instinctively glancing outside.
“Don’t worry,” Fengyue looked at her deeply: “Regardless of what’s outside, if you want to stay, you can stay.”
Stay? Wangrou frowned, shaking her head slightly, speaking softly: “This commoner’s fate is thin, originally just a rootless duckweed, fortunate to receive the Prince’s favor and be kept by his side. Without reason, this slave cannot just leave him like this.”
“Without reason?” Fengyue frowned: “He Chou, do you know why Ye Yuqing sent you to me today?”
No longer calling her “Wangrou,” He Chou was slightly stunned, looking up at her in confusion.
“His Majesty released information, and there are Ye Yuqing’s spies in the army who will surely tell him that Wei’s Empress seems to be in the military camp. To confirm this information, he sent you because you and I are old acquaintances. If I truly came, you would see me and report back to him. If I hadn’t come, you would also notice, and he would understand His Majesty’s calculations.”
“Did you think he kindly let you come to reminisce with me?”
Her body stiffened, and He Chou shook her head in disbelief: “No…”
“What do you mean ‘no’?!” Fengyue gritted her teeth: “Do you think Ye Yuqing is a good person? That man, gentle and considerate on the surface, often has cruelty in his eyes and brows. He’s schemed against us plenty before. He’s Wu’s crown prince in power, bearing the safety of his country and family. In his eyes, nothing compares to Wu’s interests and the power in his hands! When you were just serving as his palace maid before, I was at ease, knowing he would surely protect you completely. But once you’re drawn into matters between Wu and Wei, that becomes dangerous!”
“He…” He Chou frowned: “He hasn’t harmed me.”
“If we wait until he does harm you, wouldn’t that be too late?” Looking her up and down, Fengyue said: “Besides, if he truly treated you well, you wouldn’t be in this state.”
Speechless, He Chou looked around anxiously. Fengyue stood up, one hand holding her belly, the other pulling her towards the exit. Yin Gezhi hadn’t said a word, just following one step away at her side.
Lifting the curtain, they could see Guanzhi and Feng Chuang standing not far away. Fengyue called out loudly in their direction: “Guanzhi, see General Feng out, I’m keeping He Chou!”
Feng Chuang startled, immediately changed expression and walked over: “I am under orders from Wu’s Crown Prince, I must take the person back.”
“She’s just a palace maid,” Fengyue smiled: “For the sake of the friendship between Wu and Wei, giving a palace maid to me isn’t much, is it? I’m with a child and need someone to take care of me.”
Seeing Fengyue’s face clearly, Feng Chuang understood the situation, but still cupped his hands and said: “Please don’t make things difficult, Empress. This person is the Prince’s personal palace maid…”
“This person was originally the Empress’s person,” Yin Gezhi, who had been silent, spoke up, stepping forward two steps and looking calmly at Feng Chuang: “Now she’s returning to her original place. If the General has difficulties, there’s an easy solution – let’s exchange a few moves. If you can wound me within ten moves, you can take her away.”
Hearing this, Feng Chuang’s face turned ashen, thinking this was no different from openly snatching people.
“I’m considering things for the General,” Yin Gezhi said sincerely: “If the General finds it difficult to report back like this, taking some injuries back might reduce the punishment.”
Feng Chuang: “…”
What should he say? Thank the Wei ruler for being considerate. This was going to be a beating! Should he take it or not? Taking it seemed foolish, but not taking it would indeed be hard to explain when returning.
Looking at Yin Gezhi standing before him with complex emotions, after a long while, Feng Chuang closed his eyes: “Thank you for your trouble, Wei ruler!”
When he had set out, the Prince had only given one instruction to bring the person back, without much emphasis, his expression not seeming very concerned. Besides, she was indeed just a palace maid. Even if the Prince often favored her, it wasn’t extreme favoritism, right? After all, if he truly favored her, he would have given her a proper position long ago.
Comforting himself thus, Feng Chuang took a beating and returned with a bruised face to report.
The ink-wet brush fell onto the white paper with a “pat.” Ye Yuqing looked up, narrowing his eyes: “What did you say?”
Feng Chuang lowered his head: “The Wei Empress is indeed in the military camp.”
“Not that line, the one after.”
His skin tightened. Feng Chuang knelt: “They kept Miss Wangrou, saying she would serve the Wei Empress.”
“She didn’t say anything?”
“Miss Wangrou stood beside the Wei Empress, head lowered without a sound.”
So, she was conscious, and it didn’t seem like anyone was coercing her, she herself didn’t want to return? Laughing lightly, Ye Yuqing raised his sleeve to cover his mouth, his gaze sinister: “Women are truly fickle. This prince treated her so well, she betrayed me once, and now she dares to abandon this prince a second time.”
“Your Highness,” Feng Chuang trembled: “Should we send troops to retrieve her?”
“Are you stupid?” Ye Yuqing sneered: “Sending troops would mean direct conflict with Wei. This prince won’t go that far for a palace maid!”
…But your expression looks too terrifying, Feng Chuang thought, keeping his head down, not daring to look at him.
Gently picking up the brush from the table, looking at the ink staining the paper, Ye Yuqing said softly: “Soon, this prince will let her know exactly what the consequences are for betraying me.”
Just ahead of Yushan Pass was Wangu Gorge, where Wei’s main force was earnestly resisting the Song army, completely unguarded from behind.
In this great battle, all three countries would suffer major losses. When it came time to settle accounts after the war, Wu would also be exhausted and would have to leave Wei in peace for more than a decade. During these ten-plus years with Yin Gezhi in power, no one knew what would happen. Regarding potential dangers, he always eliminated them in advance.
Fengyue had also come to the battlefield – very good. Given the extent of Yin Gezhi’s reported devotion to her, wherever Fengyue was, Yin Gezhi would certainly be there, making his whereabouts impossible to conceal!