Watching her leave silently, Yin Gezhi remained quiet for a long while before calling out, “Guanzhi.”
Responding immediately, Guanzhi stood by the bed and looked at him. “What are your orders, Master?”
“Has this month’s news arrived?”
After a brief pause, Guanzhi sighed, “Yes, but it’s not good news.”
Yin Gezhi had been searching for someone from his past, asking the same question every month for three years. He kept asking, and Guanzhi kept shaking his head.
Glancing once more at the doorway, Yin Gezhi sighed, “Never mind. Prepare breakfast.”
“Yes.”
Fengyue prepared breakfast efficiently, serving it shortly after. Her face once again wore its usual graceful smile, as if that fierce look in her eyes upon waking had been merely Yin Gezhi’s imagination.
“I have good news,” Yin Gezhi said leisurely as he picked up his chopsticks.
If anyone else had spoken so cryptically, Fengyue would have thrown a chair at them! Why not just say the good news directly? Why pause? Waiting for applause?
However, since His Highness Yin was speaking, she simply smiled and clapped her hands. “Wow, what good news?”
Yin Gezhi said, “Word of Zhou Zhenshan’s disappearance has spread.”
Her eyes brightened as Fengyue smiled. “Then Lord Leng should keep quiet now.”
When she had intimidated Leng Yan yesterday, she knew that even if he remained half-skeptical, once he heard about Zhou Zhenshan’s disappearance, he definitely wouldn’t interfere with Zhao Lin’s matter. After all, guilty consciences make cowards. Among their confederates, some were convicted, others missing – what thief would dare try to rescue their accomplice?
Once Leng Yan shut up and the Crown Prince employed some tactics, she could safely move about again and return to Menghui Tower!
“With Zhao Lin eliminated and both the City Guard Commander and Major replaced, the Crown Prince can be pleased for half a month,” Yin Gezhi said. “You can also rest for a while.”
“Wonderful!” Fengyue responded cheerfully, picking up her chopsticks. “Perfect timing – the plants in my room need watering. Once the news is confirmed, I’ll head back.”
His hand paused while picking up food, and Yin Gezhi turned to look at her. “You’re quite sensible.”
“In our line of work, one needs to be somewhat perceptive,” she said, proudly lifting her chin. “Master likes tranquility, so I shouldn’t disturb you too often.”
So she knew she was noisy? Yin Gezhi pressed his lips together and nodded.
The courtyard bloomed brilliantly, and after finishing breakfast, Fengyue ran about helping Guanzhi trim flowers and sweep the yard.
Yin Gezhi observed coldly from the side and remarked sarcastically, “Why sweep so thoroughly? It’s not like you live here.”
Shivering at his acidic tone, Fengyue bounced over to him with her broom and asked with a smile, “Do you want me to stay?”
“Who wants you to stay?”
“Then I won’t stay.” Looking at him seriously, Fengyue said earnestly, “You are above, I am below. I’ll listen to whatever you say. So, Young Master, when you want me to stay, just say so directly. And when you don’t want me around, you can say that directly too. I’ll follow your wishes.”
Frowning as he looked at her, Yin Gezhi leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed, saying nothing.
After thinking for a moment, Fengyue added, “There’s another favor I might need Your Highness’s help with.”
“Speak.”
“In the City Guard, there’s someone called Zhang Xun. He used to be a centurion in the Attacking Wei Vanguard, but after the Battle of Pingchang, he was sent back to Bu Yin City due to his crimes and became an instructor for the City Guard,” Fengyue said. “This person rarely goes out and drinks all day. I’d like to invite him to sit at Menghui Tower, but I’m of humble status. I wonder if Your Highness could…”
“Do you have a grudge against him?” Yin Gezhi asked.
Covering her mouth with a giggle, Fengyue fluttered her handkerchief and cast flirtatious glances. “How could you think of me as so frightening? Must there be a grudge to invite someone out for a chat?”
Looking at her with deep eyes, Yin Gezhi nodded seriously.
Who would believe that specifically naming someone to invite out wasn’t due to a grudge?
“Alright,” abandoning her pretense, Fengyue said seriously, “There is a bit of a grudge, so I plan to visit him. Would Your Highness help, considering how well I’ve handled matters?”
“Very well.” He agreed casually, not even asking about the nature of the grudge, and turned to enter the room.
Fengyue thought for a moment, decided he wouldn’t brush her off, and contentedly returned to her sweeping.
Guanzhi was cleaning the guest room and, seeing Fengyue enter, remarked, “Since you came, this courtyard has become much cleaner.”
Fengyue smiled, “When I first arrived, it was quite clear here too. Did someone else live here?”
“No,” shaking his head, Guanzhi said, “We’ve lived here for a year, and no one has ever stayed in the guest quarters. When cleaning, I just wipe the surface dust here, in case guests come, so it doesn’t look too disrespectful.”
A light flashed through her mind, like last time, but this time no one interrupted, and Fengyue caught that inspiration, taking a gentle breath.
“What’s wrong, Miss?” Guanzhi asked.
“Nothing… nothing,” rubbing her head, Fengyue smiled, “I’m probably just a bit tired. I’ll go rest for a while.”
Unsuspecting, Guanzhi turned back to continue wiping the table. Fengyue pressed her lips together, supporting her head as she walked out, slowly thinking as she walked through the courtyard.
Last time when she sent people to search the General’s mansion, they got past numerous mechanisms and searched the entire study. But they found nothing. She had always thought there must be other hidden compartments they hadn’t discovered. But thinking about it now, perhaps Yi Guoru hadn’t kept important things in the study at all. Setting up so many mechanisms might have just been a diversion.
The guest room was suspicious.
The guest room in the General’s mansion’s main courtyard was said to have never been occupied, hence the dust. But here in the envoy’s residence, even with just Guanzhi as a servant, he knew to dust the guest room while cleaning. The General’s mansion had numerous servants – how could none of them think to clean the guest room? Even if no one stayed there, having dust blow out when opening the door wouldn’t match Yi Guoru’s personality. The house was built so perfectly – how could they not sweep dust from the guest room?
The only possibility was that important items were kept in that room, and Yi Guoru had ordered it not to be cleaned, which was why it was so dirty.
Somewhat excited, Fengyue clenched her fists, steadied herself, and then continued sweeping the courtyard as if nothing had happened.
After one failed attempt, the General’s mansion had strengthened its defenses and changed its mechanisms. To succeed again would require more waiting.
Taking a deep breath, Fengyue looked up at the sky.
Bu Yin City soon experienced a spectacular thunderstorm, and after the heavy rain, the weather cleared. Summer had arrived.
The common people buzzed with discussion about the City Guard Major’s corruption case. The Crown Prince seized the opportunity to submit a memorial to the Emperor for judgment, and the voices seeking leniency at court gradually diminished. In early June, Zhao Lin was sentenced to beheading. All his property was confiscated, and his descendants for three generations were banished from the city, never to return to the capital.
Upon hearing the news, Fengyue spun around three times and planted a kiss on Yin Gezhi’s cheek!
Wiping her saliva off with disgust, Yin Gezhi said, “You can return to Menghui Tower now.”
Just as she was about to express her gratitude, he added, “But stay well-behaved, don’t think about taking clients.”
“Why not?” Fengyue was stunned.
Snorting, Yin Gezhi tapped her forehead, “Bad memory? Weren’t you supposedly redeemed by Xu Huaizu?”
Fengyue: “…” Talk about lifting a rock only to drop it on your own feet. She had said that just to stay at the envoy’s residence, who knew she really wouldn’t be able to work openly now?
Pouting, she said, “Fine, if I can’t be an open courtesan, being a hidden assassin isn’t bad either.”
“Hidden assassin?” Looking at her, Yin Gezhi asked, “What do you want to steal?”
Making a fierce tiger-pouncing gesture, Fengyue bared her teeth and raised her claws, “Steal people’s lives!”
A flash of amusement passed through his eyes as Yin Gezhi reached out and patted her head. “Go then, be quick about it. Don’t let anyone notice.”
With a “woohoo,” Fengyue turned and ran out.
Summer meant the ladies wore less, their skin barely visible through thin gauze, their gestures with small handkerchiefs even more enchanting. Even in daylight, the entire Zhaoyao Street rippled with an air of pleasure.
When Fengyue led Lingxu through the dog hole, she looked up to see Duanxian enjoying herself in the backyard.
Since this wasn’t the first time she had encountered such a scene, Fengyue remained particularly calm, reaching back to cover Lingxu’s eyes.
Duanxian wasn’t as composed, crying out in surprise and gathering her clothes. She gently pushed away her patron, then twisted her face to glare: “Can’t you use the main door anymore?”
Smiling apologetically, Fengyue pulled Lingxu along as they ran! As they ran, Lingxu kept asking, “What was Miss Duanxian doing in the backyard in broad daylight?”
“Children shouldn’t ask about things they shouldn’t!” Flicking her little forehead, Fengyue slipped back to her room and sat down, contentedly watering the wild grass in her flowerpot.
Soon after, the door was kicked open, and a familiar voice rang out sarcastically: “Oh if it isn’t Miss Fengyue? Heard you were redeemed by some rich family, why are you slinking back here?”
With a curved smile, Fengyue said, “If I didn’t come back, who would you pick on?”
Glaring at her, Duanxian snorted coldly: “Who needs to pick on you? With you and He Chou gone, my business has been great. I’ve even saved up some capital.”
“Is that so? Then I’m relieved,” Fengyue said. “He Chou will be back soon too, so with your savings, it won’t matter if you earn less in the future.”
What?! Duanxian’s face turned green: “You coming back is troublesome enough, why is she coming back too? What’s this? Are all redeemed courtesans being sent back these days?”
Placing some silver in Lingxu’s hand and sending her to buy mung bean cakes, Fengyue smiled and pulled Duanxian into the room, tilting her head to ask, “Still want revenge?”
Hearing this, Duanxian was stunned, looking at her in surprise: “How did you know…”
“Never mind how I know. Call me Elder Sister, and I can help you invite your enemy over for a drink. What do you think?” Fengyue asked, lifting her chin quite provocatively.
Growing serious, Duanxian pressed her lips together, stepped back, and directly knelt before her, her knees making a dull thud against the carpet!
No longer smiling, Fengyue crouched down to look at her and said softly, “Tomorrow at dusk, I’ll accompany you to meet him, how’s that?”