When dealing with a stubbornly reticent man like Yin Gezhi, there was no point in beating around the bush. The more shameless and direct you were, the more he appreciated it.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, the First Prince reached up and personally took down a lantern hanging at the shop’s entrance, casually handed over some silver, and glanced at her sideways: “A reward for you.”
“Thank you for your generosity, young master!” Fengyue curtsied, looking at the lantern in her hands, then smiled sweetly as she moved closer to him: “Since you’ve given me this reward, why don’t you accompany this servant to the riverside to release it? We should see things through to the end.”
Looking at the riverside, Yin Gezhi frowned: “Too crowded.”
“Then let’s go somewhere less crowded.” Fengyue stood on tiptoe, scanning both banks of the city moat, and pointed to a spot where the lights were sparser: “That place would work.”
Women are such trouble! Yin Gezhi was quite impatient. Nevertheless, after surveying the moat, he accompanied her there.
As they moved, the crowd along the riverbank grew denser. Ladies were queuing to release their lanterns, with those in front dawdling and drawing complaints from those behind. Some careless ones had wet their skirts, creating a noisy and unpleasant atmosphere.
Yin Gezhi’s face darkened: “Must we release this lantern?”
Fengyue blinked, nodding seriously: “Yes, it’s for a blessing! Not releasing it would be unlucky!”
Standing on the bridge, Yin Gezhi pondered for a moment, then wrapped his arm around Fengyue and leaped straight toward the river!
Their clothes billowed as they fell, drawing gasps from both riverbanks. Fengyue was startled, clutching her lantern with one hand while firmly gripping his belt with the other, staring at him wide-eyed.
A suicide pact? She didn’t want to die yet, and even if she had to die, she wanted to be far away from him!
Just as they approached the water’s surface, Yin Gezhi reached back and caught a red silk hanging from the bridge railing, gradually halting their descent. Fengyue felt a sudden pull and found herself suspended just above the water.
“…Young master,” she swallowed hard, voice trembling: “If you’d said earlier this was how we’d release the lantern, this servant really could have chosen not to release it at all.”
“Didn’t you want to pray for blessings?” Yin Gezhi said coldly: “Hurry up, light it.”
Many lit lanterns were drifting on the water’s surface. After giving him a deep look, Fengyue released his belt, took out the candle from her lantern to light it from a nearby flame, placed it back, and gently set both onto the water’s surface.
A breeze passed by, scattering starlike lights across the river. The moon peeked out from the clear water, blinking at the suspended couple on the bridge.
The surrounding crowd was stunned, taking a while to find their voices before breaking into discussions. Some kind-hearted souls hurried to pull the rope to help them up.
Fengyue giggled, her eyes full of candlelight, looking up at Yin Gezhi: “Your Highness, we’re like monkeys trying to catch the moon’s reflection.”
Yin Gezhi gave her a cold look: “Are you suggesting I shouldn’t hold your waist, but instead hang you upside down by your ankles?”
“No, no, no!” She quickly shook her head: “This servant was just making a not-very-accurate comparison. Please don’t take it literally!”
With a snort, Yin Gezhi yanked the red silk, using the momentum to fly back onto the bridge, his movements graceful, robes flying.
The feeling of solid ground was exceptionally reassuring. Fengyue thought she’d come out ahead tonight – after all, this lord usually didn’t do such frivolous things. Even if his method of accompanying her to release a lantern was a bit terrifying, she should still be grateful.
So she turned and bowed to him: “Thank you, young master.”
Yin Gezhi was quite satisfied with her attitude: “Let’s head back.”
“Yes!”
Walking one in front, one behind, bearing the heated gazes of onlookers, they both returned to the envoy’s mansion in good spirits.
Yi Zhangzhu was in a foul mood, standing by the river with her lantern, tears threatening to fall again.
Why? She couldn’t understand. How was she inferior to that courtesan? Why could Yin Gezhi buy her a lantern and accompany her to release it, when he wouldn’t even go to the lantern shop with her?
“Brother Crown Prince,” Yi Zhangzhu turned, asking Ye Yuqin pitifully: “Has Brother Yin stopped liking me?”
After silently looking at her, Ye Yuqin maintained his smile: “His Highness Yin isn’t suitable for you.”
“Why not suitable?” Yi Zhangzhu frowned.
Ye Yuqin said: “His Highness Yin is naturally cold, speaks little, and won’t actively try to cheer you up or give you face. You’re proud by nature and unwilling to speak directly about your feelings. Naturally, you won’t be happy together.”
Looking at him disapprovingly, Yi Zhangzhu said: “Shouldn’t men become gentle as water and considerate in every way when they like a woman? If he changed to be like that, I might be happy with him.”
Ye Yuqin closed his eyes.
Reasoning with Yi Zhangzhu was truly exhausting. He’d rather return to the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
Perhaps because she’d experienced too much today, Fengyue fell asleep as soon as she sat down in the main courtyard. Yin Gezhi looked at her with disdain: “You have no sense of caution.”
The incautious person slept soundly while Ling Shu carefully glanced at him, intending to wake her mistress and help her back to the guest quarters. Unexpectedly, just as she reached out, Guanzhi grabbed both her and her hand, covering them and dragging them out.
“Hey, hey, what are you doing?” Ling Shu looked at Guanzhi angrily, stamping her foot: “I’m taking my mistress back to rest!”
“No need,” Guanzhi smiled mysteriously: “I can sense that Master is in an extremely good mood. It’s fine for your lady to sleep in the main courtyard.”
How could he sense that? Ling Shu was confused: “How come I can’t sense it?”
“There, there, you’re still young,” patting her head, Guanzhi smiled: “You’ll understand when you grow up.”
That made sense! Ling Shu nodded, deciding to return to the guest quarters to rest.
All the stone lanterns in the envoy’s mansion were lit, casting a warm orange glow outside the courtyard. The flowers and plants inside were thriving, and even in the moonlight, there wasn’t a hint of desolation.
Guanzhi sighed, looked at the main house, placed some water outside, and went to rest.
Fengyue had a dream. She dreamed she was in a dark room with a red gauze canopy above, giving off a faint glow.
Someone sitting beside her was speaking softly. He said: “After the next battle, I’ll mention the matter of establishing an imperial consort to Father Emperor.”
“Imperial consort?” Fengyue didn’t speak, but she could hear her affected voice asking strangely: “Who does Your Highness wish to establish?”
“I used to think a woman should be gentle and obedient, knowing etiquette and managing the inner court,” he said. “Now I think… someone more lively might also be suitable.”
Someone more lively? Fengyue thought, she was lively too, but unfortunately couldn’t be his consort anymore. The Empress Dowager had arranged her marriage to the heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo, and in half a year she would have to marry. Her resistance was futile. That’s why she was lying here.
Since that brat Feng Ming wanted to marry her, she’d give him a green hat first! Then when the marriage fell through, she wouldn’t have to be locked up embroidering flowers, haha!
“What are you laughing at?” The voice beside her suddenly became tense: “I wasn’t talking about you.”
“Hm?” She reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, planted a kiss on his lips, and said in an affected voice: “Nothing, I just like Your Highness very much.”
The room fell silent. The person beside her seemed to vanish instantly, then the room blazed with light, so bright she closed her eyes in alarm.
“You like me?” Yin Gezhi looked at her expressionlessly, his eyes full of disgust: “Someone like you, what right do you have to like me?”
Her heart seized up as Fengyue stared at him in shock.
He wore a prince’s dragon-embroidered brocade robe, standing on the execution platform, looking down at her: “The Guan family has committed treason by colluding with the enemy, their crime extends to nine generations, today they shall be executed as a warning to others!”
Guan Qingmu knelt beside her, head held high, his dignity undiminished as he proclaimed each word clearly: “We thank His Majesty for his grace!”
The blade rose, and the head fell. Blood sprayed across the filthy execution ground, splattering faces and bodies.
“Second Brother!” The cry was stuck in her throat, impossible to voice, as everything before her turned blood red.
Guan Qingmu fell, and Ling’er fell beside him. Even without heads, their bodies still leaned against each other. Their blood flowed out, merging into one. She opened her mouth wide trying to breathe, but choked on the overwhelming smell of blood.
The executioner’s blade was even faster than battlefield swords. She stumbled to her feet trying to protect Third Sister on her left, but Second Mother’s head had already fallen to the ground on her right. She tried to protect the Guan family’s youngest master in front, but the wet nurse behind had already closed her eyes. She ran about the execution ground but could stop nothing, shaking all over with pain!
Where was the old man? Where was that old man who always spoke of loyalty to the emperor and serving the country? Everyone in the family was dying, where had he gone?
After a dazed moment, Fengyue remembered – Guan Canghai had committed suicide in prison. In recognition of his merits, His Majesty had allowed his body to be buried intact.
Haha… buried intact, thank you for His Majesty’s grace, thank you for His Majesty’s grace!
Throwing back her head in laughter until her eyes were bloodshot, she looked up at the man standing on the execution platform, her hands white-knuckled, finally grabbing a sword from a nearby guard and thrusting it fiercely toward his heart!
“Fengyue!” The man standing there frowned and called out to her.
The surrounding scene dissolved. Her whole body shook as Fengyue opened her eyes, still blood-red with hatred.
Startled by her gaze, Yin Gezhi looked at her in confusion: “Had a nightmare?”
Nightmare? Her eyes remained confused for a while before Fengyue took in her surroundings. She slowly sat up, and took a long time to compose herself before closing her eyes and smiling: “Yes, this servant had such a terrible dream.”
“What did you dream about?” Yin Gezhi frowned.
In the room with just the two of them, no other presence, for a moment Fengyue desperately wanted to pull out her hairpin and thrust it straight into his heart!
However, looking down at her still-unhealed hand, she opened her eyes and answered with a lively, adorable smile: “I dreamed my whole family died! Your Highness descended from heaven to save this servant from disaster and help this servant take revenge for this irreconcilable grudge!”
Looking at her with deep eyes, Yin Gezhi said: “I will.”
“Then this servant shall wait.” Turning to look at the bright daylight outside, Fengyue said: “Oh my, I should prepare your breakfast. This servant will take her leave first.”