A weak, delicate woman? Was she truly just a weak, delicate woman? In his twenty-some years of life, no one had ever dared to threaten him like this! What was even more infuriating was that this was a threat he had no choice but to accept!
Both being from Wei, she could guess his thoughts – even random guesses could hit the mark. Then, they would both go down together. If she died, his plans would be finished as well.
“Someone like you also counts as a person of Wei?” His tone was calm yet filled with hatred.
Hearing this, Feng Yue raised her sleeve and laughed even more cheerfully, her eyes curving like crescent moons. “This humble one is like duckweed, without roots.”
Who hadn’t once loved their country with all their heart? But when your entire family’s passionate blood runs cold on the execution platform, what meaning does being “a person of Wei” still hold?
Wei meant nothing to her now. The old man’s stubborn patriotic soul – she hadn’t inherited even a bit of it. What could anyone do about that? Bite her?
Yin Gezhi looked at her with disgust, storms brewing in his eyes.
Feng Yue knew that anyone he came to hate never met a good end. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t seek revenge – it just wasn’t time yet. Right now he had to submit to her threats, but once she could no longer threaten him, he would surely make sure nothing remained of her, not even her bones.
That was fine too – she wouldn’t even have to take her own life.
“That boldness of yours, along with your shamelessness, could indeed be useful to me.” After a long while, Prince Yin finally spoke, his tone now calm as if nothing had happened. He looked at her like examining merchandise, half-mocking: “Since you’re so desperate to stay alive, I suppose I could protect you.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Feng Yue blinked and said, “In that case, this humble one thanks Your Highness.”
“No need for thanks.” He said, “Since you’re so capable, I’ll give you tasks. If you want my protection, you should demonstrate your value.”
“This humble one understands.” She nodded with a smile, then looked up and threw him a flirtatious glance. “I can continue to demonstrate my value in bed as well.”
Letting out a snort of derision, Yin Gezhi reached out and gripped her chin. “No need. I find it filthy.”
Before his words had fallen, he felt a burning sensation on his fingers.
Pausing slightly, Yin Gezhi frowned and instinctively reached out to feel her face.
It was indeed burning hot, like touching burning charcoal. He had thought her flushed complexion was from too much rouge, but it turned out she had a high fever.
“You find it filthy yet you’re touching?” Standing up on her own with a pout, Feng Yue said, “Well, that makes things easier for this humble one. With the situation outside being so tense, I’ll stay under your wing until Commander Zhao falls.”
With that, she turned to walk toward the guest quarters.
“Hey.” Flexing his fingers, Yin Gezhi frowned and asked, “Can you even walk?”
Feng Yue paused, blinking: “Oh my, I forgot to act delicate!”
But looking back at him, after some thought, she smiled and said, “Acting delicate wouldn’t help anyway. You don’t believe this humble one is a weak, delicate woman, so there’s no point in pretending. It’s just tiring.”
He opened his mouth to speak but swallowed his words, looking at her nonchalant manner before turning away.
If she didn’t think there was anything wrong, why should he care?
Looking to the side, he saw the fresh-faced little maid standing there like watching a show, still not having recovered her senses. She probably couldn’t understand what they had just been talking about, which was why she hadn’t even gone to support her mistress.
Such a young maid, how could she properly serve anyone? With a light snort, Prince Yin walked toward the main courtyard without looking back. Guanzhi followed honestly behind, muttering softly, “At least we won’t have to eat my cooking anymore.”
Thinking of those dishes with Wei’s homestyle flavors, Yin Gezhi felt a moment of mercy and turned to instruct: “Fetch a physician.”
“Hm?” Looking curiously at his master, Guanzhi asked, “Fetch one back?”
“Check if she has any diseases. Don’t want anything spreading.” Yin Gezhi said seriously, keeping a straight face.
Thinking it made sense, Guanzhi nodded and went to arrange it immediately.
When Zhao Lin’s men failed to capture anyone at Menghui Tower, and instead offended many noble guests, they learned that Feng Yue had already been redeemed by someone. Thus, Zhao Lin could only let Menghui Tower be and went back to give Zhao Xi a severe beating.
After being beaten, Zhao Xi naturally wanted to vent his anger on He Chou, but He Chou’s courtyard was already empty.
Indeed, lust is a blade over one’s head! Zhao Xi was so regretful his intestines turned green. He quickly tried to please his father by studying diligently and practicing martial arts earnestly. After great effort, he finally managed to improve Zhao Lin’s mood slightly.
However, at this moment, Yin Gezhi arrived with an imperial decree, expressionlessly suspending Zhao Lin’s duties and confining him to his residence pending investigation.
With disaster looming and facing the completely unmanageable Yin Gezhi, Zhao Lin was both furious and enraged. He took up a stick and beat Zhao Xi half to death right in front of Yin Gezhi.
The Prince watched with a gentle expression, even having Guanzhi step in to moderate slightly, praising: “Young Master Zhao’s willingness to punish his kin for justice is an example for all under heaven. Commander Zhao, why be so harsh?”
At these words, Zhao Lin beat even harder! Example his grandmother’s leg! The one being punished was him!
Thus wails of agony echoed throughout the Commander’s residence. While others couldn’t bear to watch, Prince Yin sat in his chair, viewing it all with great interest.
Feng Yue had developed a high fever. The physician said it was because her hand injury hadn’t been properly treated, the medicine hadn’t been changed in time, and she had overexerted herself.
When reporting to Yin Gezhi, the physician’s eyes were wide as he said that in his decades of practice, he had never seen a young lady with such a serious fever still bouncing around actively. Her hand injury should have been very painful, but she seemed not to care.
Yin Gezhi responded with a cold laugh: “That’s because she’s not human. She’s a demon, naturally, she wouldn’t feel discomfort or pain.”
The physician nodded in sudden understanding: “No wonder she’s so beautiful.”
Then he was shown out by Guanzhi.
The envoy’s residence was very large, and for over a year it had only housed him and Guanzhi, so it felt empty. But now with two more people, somehow it suddenly felt lively.
While he investigated Zhao Lin, in the mornings Feng Yue would prepare breakfast. Even with her fever not having broken, she would smile at him with her flushed face.
When he returned in the evenings, she would light all the lamps in the courtyard, claiming it was too dark and scary, and would leave dinner prepared for him.
Previously she had known to find others to help, but now with her hand slightly better, she insisted on cooking herself. The dishes matched his taste perfectly, which considerably improved his mood.
So this evening, while sitting at the table eating, Yin Gezhi glanced at Feng Yue and reached out to feel her forehead.
“You haven’t taken your medicine?”
Feng Yue blinked, her voice very hoarse though her tone remained lively: “I have!”
“Then why hasn’t your fever broken after three days?”
Was he showing concern for her? Feng Yue was extremely excited inside. These past few days she had been trying hard to please this master, hoping he wouldn’t kill her too quickly. Heaven rewards those who make an effort – it seemed Prince Yin didn’t hold grudges too deeply. Look, he even knew to ask if she had taken her medicine!
“It broke last night, Lingshui kept wiping me down with water,” her face blooming like a flower as she smiled, Feng Yue said, “It just somehow came back this afternoon.”
Giving her a sideways glance, Yin Gezhi said, “The physician said if a high fever doesn’t break, one can become an idiot.”
That serious? Startled, Feng Yue immediately dropped her bowl and shouted: “Lingshui! Medicine!”
Lingshui brought over the medicine. Seeing her drink it all in one go, she sighed in relief: “Finally mistress is willing to properly take her medicine.”
The gaze from the side turned cold, and Feng Yue quickly covered Lingshui’s mouth, then smiled at him: “Hehe, this girl is talking nonsense, I always take my medicine properly.”
Blinking innocently, Lingshui pulled away her hand and asked, “Since you’ve taken your medicine, can this servant go out tonight?”
Hm? Turning to look at her, Feng Yue asked curiously, “Where are you going?”
Beside them, Guanzhi suddenly started coughing violently, but the innocent and pure Lingshui didn’t notice and said straight out: “Guanzhi said after you both go to sleep, he’d take me to look at the moon. He said the moon at the envoy’s residence is different from outside, it’s very beautiful.”
Yin Gezhi: “…”
Feng Yue: “…”
His face instantly turned pale, and Guanzhi quickly waved his hands: “Master, let me explain.”
“Explain what?” Before he could continue, Feng Yue flew into a kick that sent him flying out: “You dare to seduce my maid! Tired of living?”
Looking at the force of her kick, Yin Gezhi sighed.
From outside came Guanzhi’s pained voice: “It’s not fair… This servant truly just wanted to show her the moon.”
“Show your grandfather!” Feng Yue raged, “My Lingshui is only twelve years old, have you no shame?”
“You have no shame yourself, yet you criticize others?” Slowly picking up some food, Yin Gezhi said, “It’s their own business, why are you meddling so much?”
She’s meddling? Feng Yue gritted her teeth, ran back to sit at the table, and glared at him: “You’re raising a pig, I’m growing cabbage. So when the pig tries to eat the cabbage, you’re saying I’m meddling too much?”
Looking at the “pig” slowly crawling back in, Yin Gezhi pressed his lips together in silence.
Lingshui tugged at Feng Yue’s sleeve and said softly, “Mistress, this servant is grown up now, you don’t need to worry so much.”
Picking her up to look her over, Feng Yue asked with a smile, “Grown-up where?”
Blushing, Lingshui struggled: “Mistress!”
“Going to look at the moon isn’t impossible,” Feng Yue bared her teeth, pointing at Guanzhi, “But whatever he tells you, you have to come back and tell me everything.”
“Alright!” Lingshui immediately agreed, “That’s easy!”
Guanzhi: “…”
This girl was truly too innocent!
“Eat properly,” Yin Gezhi said, “Huaizu and Shichong are coming over tonight, I need to teach.”
“Yes.” Turning to nod, Feng Yue picked up her rice bowl and continued eating, finishing one bowl and adding another, eating three bowls in total before putting down her chopsticks, and waiting for him to finish so she could clean up.
Looking at her appetite in amazement, Guanzhi quietly asked, “How do you eat so much yet not gain weight?”
Yin Gezhi said, “She’s very active.”
What activities could a young lady have? Guanzhi and Lingshui both looked confused, while Feng Yue just smiled with a red face. She boldly stepped on the person beside her.
Yin Gezhi coldly stared at her until she withdrew her foot and sat properly.
He needed to teach, so Feng Yue was bored with nothing to do. These past few days she hadn’t planned to do any work, so she could only find entertainment in the courtyard.
“It’s quite empty here,” pointing at the guest courtyard’s garden, Feng Yue said, “Should plant some flowers.”
Lingshui nodded: “Yes, but since no one lives in this courtyard except us, that young master definitely won’t bother tending to it.”