Would someone like Yin Gezhi believe in pie falling from the sky?
No, he would only believe in traps falling from the sky.
So even though Fengyue’s words were quite convincing, he didn’t take them to heart, only showing particular interest in her intelligence network.
What kind of intelligence network could provide so many extraordinary things?
Actions speak louder than words. After a while, Crown Prince Yin turned back, looking at the person rolling around in the straw pile, and said: “If that’s the case, why don’t you give me a greeting gift?”
A greeting gift was something subordinates voluntarily gave to their superiors – this was the first time seeing a superior so shamelessly ask for one.
However, the little lamb Fengyue, whose life now hung by a thread, was in no mood to mock. Upon hearing this, she nodded like a pestle: “Of course, of course, of course! What would you like?”
“The accountant in the Three Offices Commissioner’s household is behaving inappropriately, I’d like to have him replaced. The City Guard Commander is also getting old, he should retire home.” Yin Gezhi said seriously: “I’ve prepared everything else, just missing a few items.”
Testing her? Fengyue’s face showed some difficulty: “These two tasks together…”
Yin Gezhi glanced at her, his gaze sharp, clearly meaning if you say you can’t do it, I’ll continue to strangle you.
Showing absolutely no backbone, Fengyue immediately changed her tone, patting her chest: “Forget two tasks, even five tasks you assign, I can handle! As soon as I get out, I’ll find a way immediately.”
“Want to get out?” Yin Gezhi asked.
Obviously! Otherwise, stay another night in prison? Fengyue rolled her eyes, but then shamelessly hugged his leg and wagged her tail: “Yes, yes, young master, please take me out!”
“Give your statement. I’ll wait for you outside.”
He strode toward the exit, the giant ornament on his leg not affecting his walking style at all – Yin Gezhi walked with overwhelming presence and composure.
Hanging on his leg and swaying back and forth, Fengyue thought, truly worthy of being a master, such a stable lower body.
Reaching the guarded corridor outside the cell, Yin Gezhi threw her off in one motion. The nearby jailers seeing this, came forward to bow to him, then dragged Fengyue toward the interrogation room.
Fengyue thought that truly worthy of being the Crown Prince, even pulling strings was clean and efficient, not a word wasted.
After confessing the physical characteristics of the person who gave her the silver note, Fengyue was released. In the moonlit night, a figure dressed in black with frost in his eyes stood at the prison gate. Hearing movement, his cold gaze shot toward her.
Fengyue thought, grandmother’s sake, she’d rather stay in prison!
“Get in the carriage.”
Before she could turn around, her whole body was lifted and thrown into the carriage.
“Thud!”
Fengyue behaved herself, looking at the person opposite with an ingratiating smile: “Young master, are we going to your residence?”
What a nice thought, Yin Gezhi closed his eyes to rest, ignoring her.
Pouting, Fengyue lifted the curtain herself to look at the road outside. She had memorized the map of Buyin City, and this road led to…
Menghui Tower.
“Young master, Menghui Tower is closed for rectification. Taking me back there would be too conspicuous.” Fengyue pouted.
“You must have ways to return without drawing attention.” Yin Gezhi didn’t even open his eyes, saying meaningfully: “I’d like to see them.”
Fengyue gave a dry laugh: “Better not to see.”
“Stop wasting words.”
“…”
Half an hour later, a man and a woman stood in front of the dog hole in Menghui Tower’s back courtyard.
The man asked the woman: “Are you serious?”
The woman answered grievously: “You insisted on seeing, so now you can see – this is the only way, with minimal disturbance.”
“Try it, I’ll watch.” Yin Gezhi narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms as he stood to the side.
Fengyue pouted, tucked her skirts into her waistband, and bent down to crawl through. As she crawled, she muttered – he was the one who wanted to see, he was the one looking down on this dog hole. With Menghui Tower’s walls so high, if not crawl through the dog hole, was she supposed to fly in?
“Hurry up,” someone urged her.
Fengyue gritted her teeth, saying softly: “I’m already going as fast…”
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly looked up.
A pair of silver-soled boots stood before her, the hem of a black robe embroidered with silver patterns, and looking further up, the robe’s owner was looking down at her with clear disgust.
What the hell? Jumping up, Fengyue looked up and down at Yin Gezhi before her, then looked back at Menghui Tower’s high walls, and without thinking blurted out: “Are you some kind of demon?”
How could he fly over such high walls?
Menghui Tower’s walls were built desperately high to prevent climbing, even for those with light skills, crossing over would require great effort.
After looking at Fengyue with eyes that seemed to be watching an idiot for a long while, Yin Gezhi pointed to the side.
The back courtyard door was open a crack, like a horizontally grinning mouth, mocking her stupid dog-hole-crawling behavior.
Fengyue was dumbfounded, staring at that door for a long while before giving an embarrassed smile.
But in the next moment, she realized something was wrong. Wait! This door was usually locked tight, how could it be open in the middle of the night?
“Did you run into anyone else when you came in just now?” Nervously pulling at Yin Gezhi’s sleeve, Fengyue asked.
Yin Gezhi shook his head: “No one saw me.”
“Then…” Fengyue was about to ask how the door could be open, but the person beside her continued as if taking a deep breath: “But there are people intimately entangled ten steps away from the right side of the door in the alley.”
What? Fengyue’s eyes widened as she looked at him like he was some kind of demon: “How do you know?”
Not even using honorifics anymore? Yin Gezhi raised an eyebrow. Without bothering about it, he just covered her mouth and dragged her outside.
As soon as they left the back courtyard, those intimate sounds became more obvious – no wonder this master had heard them. Fengyue blinked, craning her neck to look. She could vaguely see two figures overlapping in the shadows of the alley.
“Young master… ah… please be gentler.”
This voice sounded familiar. Fengyue blinked as she tried to recall who it was, but before she could remember, she heard a young voice: “Little beauty, how about coming home with me? This place of yours, I’m afraid it won’t stay open much longer.”
Oh? Someone was so infatuated they wanted to redeem a girl from Menghui Tower? Fengyue was moved to hear this, but the person beside her frowned. He released his hand from covering her mouth and moved a bit closer to the shadowy figures.
“Young master jests. You don’t look like you’re from an ordinary family, how could your home accommodate someone like me?”
This longer sentence allowed Fengyue to recognize the voice. It was the newly crowned top courtesan He Chou, so the person with her…
“My father dotes on me the most. Whatever I want, how could he refuse?” Laughing while kissing her cheek, Zhao Xi picked up He Chou and said: “Tomorrow, I’ll come to redeem you.”
Wow! If not for the fact that she was eavesdropping, Fengyue would have wanted to applaud. This young master Zhao was truly romantic and thoughtless – after only being with He Chou for a few days, he dared to redeem her.
He Chou fell silent, hanging onto Zhao Xi’s neck and making soft sounds. Zhao Xi, enjoying himself, kept kissing her face.
Fengyue wanted to watch more but was suddenly blindfolded by the person beside her, who dragged and pulled her back to her room.
“Why not watch a bit longer?” Fengyue pouted: “That’s Zhao Lin’s only son, don’t you also dislike Zhao Lin?”
She had originally planned to ask about this matter, but hearing her words, Yin Gezhi raised an eyebrow:
“Doesn’t your Menghui Tower have a rule that all visiting clients’ identities remain unquestioned, their comings and goings unrecorded, seeking only comfort?”
Fengyue was startled, nodding guiltily: “That’s what we say on the surface.”
“On the surface? Then what’s the truth?”
“In truth, anyone who has revealed their identity, shown identifying tokens, or disclosed identity information in conversation – Menghui Tower has people who remember all of it.” Not playing any tricks with him now, Fengyue quietly instructed Lingshu to fetch water for her to wash up, then knelt on the carpet, looking at him: “The clients here all think they’re very safe, very private. So they feel at ease.”
Menghui Tower’s layout was peculiar, with many staircases. Even regular customers, unless they were seeing the same girl, rarely had a chance to meet other customers. Unless someone paid special attention, who came to Menghui Tower should be unclear to both outsiders and insiders.
Looking at her deeply, Yin Gezhi said: “This is no brothel. It’s a den of thieves.”
How is it a den of thieves? Fengyue said unhappily: “You noble people all value secrecy. I’ve given you enough cover and guaranteed discretion, haven’t I fulfilled that? Outside there was Zhao Lin’s son Zhao Xi – only He Chou, Madam Jin, and I know this.”
In other words, all the information and intelligence that every girl in Menghui Tower obtained from clients flowed into the hands of the woman before him. Silently, unknown to others.
Reaching out to grip her chin, his thumb gently caressing, Yin Gezhi looked down at her with half-lidded eyes: “If you’re so capable, why personally enter this dusty world to seduce the Crown Prince?”
Fengyue pressed her lips together, neither avoiding nor flinching: “The Crown Prince is different from other clients. No other girls could handle him, so I had to come personally.”
She had been in Wei for three years, from establishing a foothold to building Menghui Tower, step by step building a network of relationships. The hardships and struggles within need not be spoken of. She had originally planned to stay in the background, just plotting and planning, who knew that one day the Crown Prince of Wu would also come to Menghui Tower.
With a shortcut available, she wasn’t foolish enough not to take it, so she immediately put herself forward.
“You want Wu’s Crown Prince to help you deal with those who have achieved merit for Wu?” His eyes are full of disdain, Yin Gezhi sneered.
“It’s not impossible.” Composing herself, Fengyue said seriously: “Wu’s Crown Prince is deep-minded, most wary of those who command troops and whose achievements overshadow the ruler. Moreover, I’ve investigated – Wu’s laws are strict. If those I wish to kill happen to violate Wu’s laws, the Crown Prince will not be lenient.”
She had made many preparations.
Gently tracing the contours of her face, Yin Gezhi’s eyes remained mocking: “Women are so simple-minded in their thinking.”
Her whole body tensed as Fengyue frowned, looking at him in confusion.
However, Yin Gezhi had no intention of explaining, his finger brushing over her long eyelashes: “If you are loyal, then I will use you.”
“But if you are disloyal, then I will kill you!”