After everyone had left, Feng Yue smiled warmly as she put more meat in Ling Shu’s bowl. “You don’t need to understand everything. Just eat up, dear.”
Ling Shu blinked, swallowed the meat in her mouth, and suddenly spoke very seriously in a soft voice: “Master, sometimes this servant feels that you’re keeping secrets from me.”
Feng Yue smiled without a hint of guilt: “What would I hide from you? It’s just that there are some things adults understand that children can’t comprehend yet, understand?”
Was it because she hadn’t grown up yet? Ling Shu lowered her head in thought. It seemed to make sense, so she’d just wait a few more years!
For now, back to eating meat!
When Madam Li returned to her residence, her close friends were discussing in hushed tones along the way. Someone said, “I think what that girl said wasn’t wrong. General Wang does have considerable prestige among the common people. It’s just… it’s beneath his station.”
“Given the General’s trust and favor, I shouldn’t say more.” Madam Li’s expression was unpleasant but unable to directly criticize General Yi, she could only grit her teeth and endure.
“Madam Wang.” Just as she was about to return to her residence, a servant from the General’s mansion arrived, cheerfully holding clothes: “The General’s mansion has issued new clothes. These are for Manager Wang. Please help keep them safe.”
The robe was grayish-brown, and although made of silk, it was still grayish-brown. It matched the color worn by other servants in the General’s mansion, though perhaps with slightly nicer patterns.
Usually, Madam Li might have been quite pleased, but today, she couldn’t see anything good about it. With a cold laugh, she said, “My husband doesn’t lack for clothes. Does he have to wear this sort of thing? Take it back!”
The servant was startled and looked up in surprise, only to see the Wang residence’s main gate slam shut with a “bang,” raising a cloud of dust in his face.
Scratching his head, he didn’t know what had gone wrong. Looking at the robe in his hands, he decided to take it back to the General’s mansion.
Yin Gezhi was sitting in the General mansion’s flower hall drinking tea, with Yi Zhaozhu beside him, looking rather dejected.
“I’m still too useless,” she lowered her gaze. “I can’t do anything right, can’t even manage the mansion properly.”
Yin Gezhi said, “Management is a man’s duty. Doesn’t the mansion have Manager Wang? You’re a delicate woman, why worry about such things?”
“But…” Yi Zhaozhu’s eyes reddened, “Father has only me as a daughter, and I’m often sickly, unable to take over his duties. Now with this incident at the mansion, Father must be so disappointed…”
Yin Gezhi wasn’t skilled at comforting others. Seeing her cry, he could only watch, his expression unchanging.
Yi Zhaozhu bit her lip and gave him a slightly reproachful look. “Brother Yin is still so inconsiderate.”
“I apologize,” Yin Gezhi said. “I will find the traitor soon. The General won’t blame you.”
Though spoken plainly, these words made Yi Zhaozhu blush.
Such a taciturn man who struggled with words but was extremely reliable was truly heart-stirring.
“Do you have any suspects?” Yin Gezhi asked.
Coming back to her senses, Yi Zhaozhu frowned: “Everyone in the mansion was personally selected by Father. People Father trusts… I truly don’t know who to suspect.”
“Actions always have motives. No one would betray the General’s trust without reason.” Leaning slightly forward, Yin Gezhi looked outside and said, “Whether for power or money or under someone’s coercion, someone in the mansion will eventually show their weakness.”
Nodding slightly, Yi Zhaozhu said, “In that case, why doesn’t Brother Yin stay at the mansion for a few days? It would be more convenient.”
“This…” Yin Gezhi frowned in thought.
Yi Zhaozhu quickly added, “The mansion has many people, Brother Yin needn’t worry about anything.”
“Very well.” Reluctantly agreeing, Yin Gezhi said, “I’ll stay for two days.”
“Zhaozhu will arrange it right away!” Rising happily, Yi Zhaozhu ran out to have rooms prepared.
Thus, shortly after dinner, Feng Yue’s room had an extra visitor.
“Ah,” Ye Yuqin sighed while fanning himself, his voice rather melancholic: “Feng Yue, what’s wrong with me?”
Smiling while pouring him tea, Feng Yue said, “Young Master’s character and appearance are both excellent, why do you ask such a question?”
“Yin Gezhi moved to stay at the General’s mansion today,” Taking a sip of tea, Ye Yuqin sighed again. “Zhu’er has never invited me to stay at the General’s mansion.”
Was this a case of a woman being stolen away? Feng Yue raised an eyebrow and carefully, thoroughly examined Ye Yuqin’s chin.
Ye Yuqin was slightly startled, not expecting this gesture, but didn’t resist, allowing her to look at him, his eyes rippling gently.
“Young Master’s face is like rouge, capable of toppling nations,” giving an honest assessment, Feng Yue said, “If this servant were choosing, I would definitely build a golden house in the mansion just for Young Master. Only for Young Master to live in.”
Amused by these words, Ye Yuqin turned his head and laughed, shaking his head: “They say the ladies here know how to make people happy, and today I’ve truly experienced it. However, he doesn’t come here but goes to stay at the General’s mansion instead. Aren’t you unhappy?”
“What’s there to be unhappy about?” Feng Yue shrugged: “Patrons come and go all the time, especially someone of his noble status. Where he wants to stay, how could a woman of the brothels like me decide? If he goes, he goes. In a few days, I can receive your patronage again.”
She was so frank, frank to the point it seemed she had no feelings for Yin Gezhi at all. If Ye Yuqin hadn’t caught her expression that time, he would have almost believed this nonsense.
The woman before him had many faces – alluring, uninhibited, coldly distant. He had observed her for a long time but still couldn’t tell which was real.
How could someone be so interesting?
“I thought he had some feelings for you, so you should care about him more.” Ye Yuqin smiled gently and harmlessly: “Oh my, my, the two of them living together. What if something happens that shouldn’t happen?”
Perhaps because she was used to serving an iceberg like Yin Gezhi, suddenly encountering such a gentle and lively man-made Feng Yue was a bit uncomfortable. Her mouth twitched as she said, “Nothing will happen. But there is a question I’ve wanted to ask for a long time.”
“What is it?”
“I heard you once proposed to Miss Yi.” Looking at him, Feng Yue asked curiously: “With your status, how could she not agree?”
His eyes dimmed, and Ye Yuqin seemed hurt, his voice becoming low: “It wasn’t that she didn’t agree. General Yi said he couldn’t bear to part with her and wanted to wait two more years before marrying her off.”
General Yi refused a prince’s marriage proposal. Feng Yue clicked her tongue.
But the Yi family held high status and military power, unlike the foolish Guan Canghai who held nothing. The Wu Kingdom’s emperor had no way to deal with them, so a refusal was just a refusal.
“Two years isn’t long or short, but who knows what might happen in between,” Ye Yuqin said. “Just like tonight, a man and woman living together. If something happens, then even after two years, the Yi family’s sedan chair won’t enter my Eastern Palace’s gates.”
Did he like Yi Zhaozhu that much? Feng Yue felt almost sorry looking at him and unconsciously patted his shoulder: “Brother, don’t be too sad. If you’re worried, why not go take a look?”
Ye Yuqin paused, startled by her casual gesture.
Noticing her impropriety, Feng Yue smoothly withdrew her hand, pretending nothing had happened. She turned to open the window and looked at the sky: “Ah, the moon is so bright tonight.”
Glancing at his shoulder, Ye Yuqin stood up, closed his fan, and said: “What’s meant to happen will happen. There’s no use in going to look. I just came to chat with you, and now that my heart is settled, I should return.”
Feng Yue nodded, smiling as she saw him at the door. Just as he reached the doorway, the Crown Prince suddenly turned back, taking something from his attendant’s hands and giving it to her.
“You seem to like the mung bean cakes from this shop. I passed by today and brought you some.”
Xiang Yu Street’s mung bean cakes.
Her heart suddenly sank, and Feng Yue looked up at the person before her in confusion.
A modest gentleman, considerate and affectionate, with eyes like clear rivers, yet containing something she couldn’t understand.
“How did you know this servant loves the cakes from this shop?” Trying to keep her voice steady, Feng Yue smiled and asked.
Ye Yuqin looked at her with pitying eyes: “Since I favor you, naturally I should understand your preferences to please you better.”
Is that all it was? Feng Yue looked at him, suddenly remembering the rumors about the Crown Prince in this city—
“Seven feet tall, a handsome youth divine,
Jade-like features make butterflies pine.
Rolling sleeves to walk among common folk,
State affairs were left behind like rising smoke.
Soft words and warm speech win hearts with ease,
A proper pillar of the state, sure to please.
But if you trust his heart’s inner ways,
Your bones will rot beneath shorter days.”
When she first heard this doggerel, Feng Yue had laughed, thinking how absurd it was – he was still the Crown Prince of a nation. How could he be so honey-mouthed yet black-hearted, and how could such a crude poem spread about him? If he were truly so treacherous, anyone who spoke ill of him would surely be executed.
Yet now, standing at her room’s doorway, holding the box of mung bean cakes he had just handed her, Feng Yue suddenly understood what the poem’s author must have experienced.
Though his face wore such a beautiful smile, somehow it chilled one to the bone.
“Look at you, your face has gone pale. Your injury isn’t fully healed. You should rest well.” Reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear, Ye Yuqin smiled and waved: “I’ll take my leave now.”
Nodding numbly, Feng Yue closed the door.
She suddenly understood why Yin Gezhi had told her not to get close to Ye Yuqin. It wasn’t fear of her seducing the Crown Prince into indulgence, but fear that she might be someone’s spy sent to investigate the Crown Prince. If that were true, Ye Yuqin would immediately investigate her background and kill her, while becoming more vigilant, making other methods impossible to get close to him.
So that was it.
Unfortunately, she was a person without a background.
Looking down at the box in her hands, Feng Yue patted her chest. Her actions had always been flawless, and Madam and the others were also experienced in such matters. There was no reason to be discovered so quickly. He was probably just trying to frighten her, no need to panic so much.
Perhaps due to her unsettled mind, that night when Feng Yue slept, she dreamed of old memories.
“Master, hurry and leave!” Someone covered in blood pushed her, changing her into their clothes, putting on her hairpin, and looking at her with grief-stricken eyes: “Only if you live can there be a chance to clear the Guan family’s wrongful case!”
Clear their name? Feng Yue sneered, her eyes filled with bloodlust: “What use is clearing our name? Brother was right – wronged or not wrong, what difference does it make? Even if our name is cleared, my entire Guan family can’t come back to life. Since that’s the case, whoever owes this blood debt shall repay it with blood!”
“Even if I descend to the eighteenth level of hell, I will find these people one by one and tear them to pieces!”