Pausing with his chopsticks, Yin Gezhi continued eating as if nothing had happened and asked, “What else?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince was cautious and didn’t say much, presumably wanting to test my abilities first.” Feng Yue sat down beside him and watched him closely. “However, this information is useful. There was something I couldn’t understand before, but with this news, it makes sense now.”
Yin Gezhi continued eating, his eyes gesturing for her to continue.
“Typically, military commanders’ families live modestly. Even with some bribes, it shouldn’t be enough for Zhao Lin to spend money so freely. Yet Young Master Zhao not only lavished gifts at Menghui Tower but also paid a high price to redeem He Chou. Madam Jin extracted quite a sum from him – two hundred taels of gold. He produced it and in gold ingots, not silver notes.”
Feng Yue’s fingers tapped lightly on the table, her eyes gleaming: “Such extravagance – where did the money come from? But if the Zhao family has good relations with the Three Offices, then it makes sense.”
The Three Offices was a place of wealth. Although Shan Wenhe appeared clean-handed on the surface, a few accountants didn’t skim off the top. Look how fat Zhu Laicai had become – the Three Offices had plenty of resources to spare.
After finishing the meal, Yin Gezhi put down his chopsticks. Without commenting on her words, he said slowly, “Since you’re here, why not accompany me to the Court Prison?”
“Court Prison? Zhu Laicai?” Feng Yue smiled, fanning herself with her handkerchief. “Gladly.”
Yin Gezhi glanced at her, his eyes falling on her red gauze dress. He frowned.
Half an hour later, Feng Yue, now dressed as a respectable woman, accompanied Crown Prince Yin to the Court Office.
An Shichong was waiting at the entrance. Seeing them arrive, he bowed: “Master.”
“Did you practice your morning lessons?” Yin Gezhi asked.
Feng Yue thought this master was truly too stern, asking about studies right away.
But An Shichong wasn’t annoyed at all. Instead, he replied happily, “Yes, I practiced according to Master’s teachings. It was very beneficial.”
“Very good.” Nodding slightly, Yin Gezhi walked into the office, turning back to glare at the distracted Feng Yue.
Feng Yue snapped back to attention and quickly lifted her skirts to follow.
“Young Master has arrived?” Someone in the office greeted them respectfully with a bow. “The magistrate isn’t here today, but he instructed me to attend to everyone.”
“No need to fuss. We’re here to see someone,” An Shichong said. “Zhu Laicai from the Three Offices has been transferred here, correct?”
“Yes, he’s in the prison. Please follow me,” the guard bowed. “As soon as the magistrate took the case, he had the judicial officers question him through the night. The verdict was reached early this morning, and the prisoner has been moved to death row.”
Yin Gezhi nodded approvingly: “The Court Office truly lives up to its reputation.”
An Shichong smiled, “With the Court magistrate’s busy schedule, naturally he wouldn’t delay on cases with clear evidence. Master can rest assured.”
Following behind them, Feng Yue thought to herself that his master wouldn’t rest assured at all. He must have prepared various tortures. For those who dared harm him, a simple beheading wouldn’t suffice.
In the dim prison cell, Zhu Laicai paced restlessly, his chains clanking loudly.
He couldn’t understand why he was here. He was the accountant of the Three Offices! With his superior’s protection, doing what his superiors wanted – even if accused, how could the testimony of a mere courtesan condemn him? Even with Yin Gezhi’s backing… what was Yin Gezhi anyway? Just a hostage prince – could he overcome the Three Offices Commissioner’s influence?
His superior had promised to save him. He waited, but instead of being released, he was sent to death row.
What had happened outside?
“Clank—” The chain on the wooden fence was opened. Zhu Laicai turned back in terror to see Miss Feng Yue from Menghui Tower entering with a lamp, smiling at him: “Sir.”
His pupils contracted as Zhu Laicai backed away against the wall: “Are… are you human or a ghost?”
“Sir jests. I’ve done nothing wrong and haven’t been convicted, so how could I be a ghost?” Stepping into the cell, Feng Yue said, “I heard you’re to be beheaded, so I came to see you. After all, having received your silver, I should at least see you off.”
“Beheaded?” Zhu Laicai’s eyes bulged, his fleshy face twitching. “Impossible! How could I be beheaded?”
Feng Yue looked at him strangely and pointed to the wooden tablet hanging outside the fence, marked with a blood-red character for “death.”
“Don’t you know? The Three Offices Commissioner has been ill lately, reportedly resting at home and not seeing any visitors. Even when the Court magistrate sent people to gather evidence, he said your poisoning attempt had nothing to do with the Three Offices and left it to the Court’s discretion. So early this morning, you were sentenced to immediate execution, to be carried out in half a month. The Three Offices did not object.”
How could this be? Zhu Laicai shook his head: “You must be lying to me!”
“What would I gain from lying to you?” Feng Yue pursed her lips and set down her food box. “I came out of gratitude to inform you of the situation outside. If you don’t want to hear it, I’ll leave.”
With that, she turned and left.
Darkness returned, and Zhu Laicai slumped against the wall, still muttering, “Impossible, impossible…”
But thinking carefully, if his superior truly wanted to save him, how could he still be here? It was just an attempted murder of a hostage prince. That prince had no power or influence – who would help him? Even if the Crown Prince wanted to oppose his superior, as long as he denied everything, there should have been some hope.
Yet he had already been sentenced to immediate execution.
Recalling his superior’s way of handling matters, Zhu Laicai finally had to face a reality – he might have been abandoned by his superior. Why? He was so loyal, was it just because he was convicted that his superior couldn’t be bothered to save him?
People tend to overthink in darkness. The more he thought, the worse it seemed. Yin Gezhi watched from the shadows as he struggled and suffered, finally letting out a broken cry: “Ah—”
It was about time. Brushing his sleeves, Yin Gezhi turned to An Shichong beside him: “Go walk around the office, let someone show you around. The Marquis said the Court magistrate treats you like his own son – you should familiarize yourself with this place. Bring gifts and pay respects in the future.”
That made sense. An Shichong nodded and cupped his hands: “Then Master, please wait at the side gate. I’ll return with you.”
“Good.”
As the righteous young man left without hesitation, Feng Yue sighed: “He’s too honest, not even asking why you’re staying.”
Giving her a sidelong glance, Yin Gezhi pinched her chattering mouth to silence her, then walked toward the prison cell.
“Officer,” Feng Yue smiled sweetly, pulling the jailer’s sleeve. “I brought some snacks for you too. That man’s days are numbered, so I hope you can take good care of him.”
With that, she dragged him away to eat snacks.
The cell fell quiet. Yin Gezhi approached Zhu Laicai silently, like a ghost hunting at midnight, his face in shadow with only his eyes gleaming faintly.
Zhu Laicai raised his head listlessly, but upon seeing his face, he immediately screamed.
However, on death row, there were too many people screaming senselessly every day. Even if he screamed his throat raw, no one outside would come.
“Why were you so impulsive?” Looking down at him, Yin Gezhi asked, “Just because you saw me at Menghui Tower and knew I had booked Feng Yue, you rushed to poison me?”
Terror pushed to its limit and became fearlessness. Zhu Laicai caught his breath and replied angrily, “If I didn’t poison you quickly, should I have let you go? Your mansion is impenetrable, so naturally killing you at Menghui Tower was simpler.”
“Makes sense.” Yin Gezhi nodded slightly. “But you failed, and I didn’t die. You must die – do you know why?”
What else could it be? Zhu Laicai sneered, “Your Highness sought help from the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince wants this servant dead, then I can only die.”
“Wrong.” Yin Gezhi shook his head. “It wasn’t the Crown Prince who wanted you dead. After all, I wasn’t seriously hurt – I recovered in less than two days.”
If not the Crown Prince, then who? Zhu Laicai looked up at him, eyes full of confusion.
Bending slightly, Yin Gezhi fixed him with a deep gaze and said deliberately: “You know too much. Once revealed, your superior might lose his position or even his life. Given your superior’s cautious nature, with such a good opportunity, wouldn’t he take it to kill you?”
A chill ran through his heart, and Zhu Laicai was speechless.
He had considered this possibility earlier, but hearing it from someone else’s mouth still made his heart grow cold.
All these years of loyalty – how many accounts had he secretly balanced for his superior? How many secrets had he kept, not daring to speak even in dreams? Now, because he knew too much, he was to be silenced?
“Has Your Highness come to kick me while I’m down?” Having understood the connection, Zhu Laicai leaned against the wall with a bitter smile, his eyes slightly bloodshot.
“Why would I need to do that?” Sudden mercy appeared in his eyes as Yin Gezhi’s tone softened like a gentle breeze instantly dispersing the cell’s gloomy air: “The one who wanted to harm me was the person behind you. You were merely acting on another’s behalf, dying for another’s cause.”
“Though I do feel some sympathy for you. Your son is only five months old, and he’ll lose his father.”
His heart tightened as Zhu Laicai looked up at him anxiously: “Your Highness?”
“Don’t be nervous, I’m just feeling sorry for you.” Yin Gezhi said gently: “Your son is so adorable, wearing red tiger-head shoes, carried on his wet nurse’s back. He can’t even speak yet, hasn’t even called you father once.”
Trembling all over, Zhu Laicai stared at him wide-eyed: “Your Highness, even if I’m guilty, surely my family shouldn’t be implicated!”
“Why are you panicking?” Yin Gezhi asked: “Am I the kind of person who would be so cruel?”
Isn’t he? Zhu Laicai gritted his teeth, supporting himself to kneel properly, and knocked his head against the ground twice: “If Your Highness needs anything from this servant, please speak directly. Just don’t implicate my child!”
“Although I had no intention of harming your child,” standing straight, Yin Gezhi said seriously, “since you want to help me, I won’t decline.”
In the dim prison cell, the chains rattled with the man’s trembling as Crown Prince Yin looked down at him with half-lowered eyes full of compassion.