“Qilin?” Fengyue nodded, but couldn’t help asking, “Why are you telling me all this?”
With a sigh, Wet Nurse Xun said, “It wasn’t a secret, nor was it particularly important. But because of these things, I was kept in the General’s mansion for over twenty years. Thinking about it still makes me feel bitter. I just needed to tell someone to feel better.”
Fengyue smiled, gesturing for her to wait there, then silently returned to her room.
When she came back out, she had a stack of banknotes in her hand. “Knowing these things would be enough for General Yi to send people searching for you when he returns to the city. Wet Nurse, take Uncle Hu with you. Go as far away as you can.”
After a brief pause, Wet Nurse Xun bowed her head. “We’re mere strangers, it wouldn’t be right to accept such generosity. We both have capable hands and feet. We won’t starve.”
Glancing back at the tightly closed door, Fengyue forcefully stuffed the banknotes into her arms, whispering, “It’s not my money anyway. Just consider it His Highness’s great kindness.”
Wet Nurse Xun was startled and quickly shook her head. “As a servant, how could I steal—”
“It’s not stealing!” Fengyue’s face was serious. “How could a servant do such a thing!”
Seeing her expression, Wet Nurse Xun relaxed and said, “Of all the people I’ve taught, you’re the one who best understands propriety.”
Fengyue nodded repeatedly. Yes, indeed, she understood propriety very well!
However, understanding was one thing; whether to follow it was another matter entirely.
At dawn, Fengyue picked up the sleepy Lingxu and had her accompany Guanzhi to escort Wet Nurse Xun out of the city. Then she tiptoed back to the main courtyard and gently pushed open the half-closed door.
Surely she hadn’t been discovered? Fengyue thought hopefully as she sneaked in and closed the door behind her, then turned around.
“Ah!”
Unexpectedly meeting someone’s eyes, Fengyue almost fainted from fright.
Yin Gezhi was leaning against the door, his clothes not properly arranged, his collar open revealing his muscular chest, his belt loosely tied, barely staying up. Hearing her shriek, he irritably covered his ears. His sleeve fell back from his forearm, revealing particularly attractive muscle lines.
“So noisy,” he rebuked. “Guilty conscience from thieving?”
Clutching her chest, Fengyue stamped her foot in anger. “Couldn’t you have said something if you were awake? Why hide here to scare people!”
With a light snort, Yin Gezhi hoisted her up and walked toward the bed. “You were being so sneaky. If I’d told you I was awake, how would you have managed to steal the banknotes?”
“I said it wasn’t stealing!” Fengyue pouted. “That was you paying me back. Last time at the Menghuai Tower, you took my banknotes!”
“So righteous about it.” With another cold snort, Yin Gezhi dropped her onto the bed, saying dissatisfied, “Sleep properly. Move around again and you can go back to sleeping alone!”
Feeling the coolness of the jade mat, Fengyue behaved herself, nestling against this master’s side, not daring to move an inch more.
Wet Nurse Xun sat in the carriage as it slowly moved out through the North Gate. Just as they exited, they heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching from afar. The thunderous noise suggested at least forty or fifty horses galloping together.
Guanzhi, who was driving the carriage, reacted quickly, stuffing the reins into Lingxu’s hands before ducking into the carriage.
Half-asleep, Lingxu hazily took the reins and looked ahead.
A deep blue banner with a large character “Yi” written on it flew past them in the wind.
“Yi?” Lingxu blinked, turning to lift the carriage curtain to ask Guanzhi, “Has General Yi returned to the city?”
Wet Nurse Xun’s face turned pale with fright, and she quickly pulled down the curtain, holding it tightly. Guanzhi remained calm, saying quietly, “Keep driving forward, we’ll talk when we reach the village.”
“Alright.” Lingxu nodded, gripped the reins, and copying Guanzhi’s manner, called out, “Hya!”
The horse, which had been moving slowly before, suddenly broke into a gallop, carrying them past Yi’s army and safely out of the General’s sight.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, Bu Yin City was in an uproar, but the two people in the Envoy’s residence were unhurriedly getting dressed and washing up, not showing any sign of urgency.
“Master!” Guanzhi returned from outside, anxiously saying, “Something big has happened!”
“Have some tea.” Fengyue continued eating while passing him a teacup.
What time is it to be drinking tea? Guanzhi’s eyes widened. “General Yi has returned!”
At the table, one person was serving rice while the other ate elegantly. Neither showed any surprise.
“The Crown Prince mentioned this yesterday,” Yin Gezhi said leisurely as he served Fengyue a bowl of rice. “His return should worry the Crown Prince, what does it have to do with idle people like us?”
Fengyue nodded. “Exactly!” Then she took the bowl and continued eating.
Guanzhi was stunned, looking from one to the other, suddenly feeling like he had indeed overreacted. Yes, why was he so worried?
The streets of Bu Yin City echoed with continuous hoofbeats, mixed with the clanking sound of armor, all heading toward the palace.
The palace gates slowly opened, and Crown Prince Ye Yuqin, dressed in his formal court robes, smiled as he went to meet the deep blue banner in the distance.
“General, you must be tired from your journey.”
General Yi, who was rumored to be severely injured, now stood with a stern face. His thick eyebrows and fine eyes were covered in dust. His armor seemed unwashed for days, and the strong smell of sweat could be detected even from afar.
“I dare not trouble the Crown Prince to come so far to meet me.” Yi Guoru dismounted and knelt with clasped hands. “This old servant has failed His Majesty’s grace and has come specifically to beg punishment.”
“Why would the General say such things?” Ye Yuqin stepped forward, bending low to help him up with both hands, his face full of admiration. “You have already given your all for the country. Father Emperor won’t blame you for one defeat.”
“The Crown Prince is benevolent.” Yi Guoru finally smiled slightly, clasping his hands. “Having such a Crown Prince is Wu Kingdom’s blessing.”
“Not at all, having such a general is Wu Kingdom’s true blessing.”
The two exchanged pleasantries with artificial smiles and courteous gestures before finally entering the palace gates together.
At the Envoy’s residence, in the main courtyard’s pavilion.
Fengyue hugged a pillow and asked, “What will General Yi do?”
Yin Gezhi, holding both Fengyue and a pillow, replied, “He’ll bide his time and recover.”
“Won’t he be angry at the Crown Prince?” Fengyue blinked. “Especially since you had An Shichong move the City Guard’s training grounds to the northern suburbs, right in General Yi’s path home! Someone as suspicious as the General will surely think the Crown Prince has grown wary of him, and once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, his position as General won’t end well.”
Resting his chin on his hand against the armrest, Yin Gezhi looked at the person in his arms. “You’re quite clever.”
Feeling a chill down her back, Fengyue immediately leaned against his chest, looking up with a smile. “It’s all thanks to your good teaching!”
“Oh?” Yin Gezhi said, “I don’t remember telling you about the City Guard’s training grounds being relocated.”
Her smile froze, and Fengyue lowered her head. “Your servant merely heard some rumors.”
Narrowing his eyes, Yin Gezhi grabbed the person in his arms and turned her to face him, staring at her as he asked, “Besides the mung bean cakes, how exactly do you pass messages?”
To conduct such activities right under his nose without him noticing – that was no small feat!
Fengyue’s face fell. “How can you ask so directly? You’re not leaving your servant any way out?”
Unable to figure it out himself, and now demanding she tell him? On what grounds? That was her bargaining chip.
Somewhat annoyed, Yin Gezhi said, “I dislike people playing tricks around me.”
“Don’t worry,” Fengyue smiled. “Your servant only plays tricks on others, never daring to do so in front of you. But there is one thing – Your Highness, do you know if there’s anyone important in the Wu Kingdom named Qilin?”
Qilin? Yin Gezhi lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then said, “That’s quite a grand name. No one would dare use it as a given name, though Yi Guoru was known as the ‘Qilin General’ in his youth. I haven’t heard of anyone else.”
Qilin General? Fengyue was startled, her expression suddenly turning very unsightly.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing her expression, Yin Gezhi became serious. “Is something the matter?”
“Something big.” Blinking as she looked at him, Fengyue asked, “Do you know about Noble Consort Yi?”
“Yes, she’s General Yi’s full sister.”
With a dry laugh, Fengyue took a deep breath and frowned. “Wet Nurse Xun told me before she left that Noble Consort Yi had a lover called Qilin.”
His expression turned strange as Yin Gezhi sat up straight, looking at her. “Really?”
“Wet Nurse Xun wouldn’t lie to me.” Fengyue thought for a moment. “She also said Noble Consort Yi often sent letters home, dozens bundled together every half month. We don’t know how they were sent out, but we probably have the contents now.”
After pondering for a moment, Yin Gezhi carried her up and walked to the flower rack opposite. Fengyue naturally reached for the iron box placed on the rack.
Inside were the strange letters they had copied earlier.
As they opened the letters one by one, a dark light flickered in Yin Gezhi’s eyes. Fengyue didn’t ask anything, just waited quietly.
After a while, Yin Gezhi’s jaw tightened slightly. “What a thousand-year-old fox.”
“What is it?” Fengyue blinked. “Is something wrong?”
“I hope I’m overthinking it.” Yin Gezhi said, “But better safe than sorry. Quickly find a way to contact the Crown Prince and warn him about Noble Consort Yi.”
Fortunately, they still had the seal given by the Crown Prince. Fengyue immediately had Guanzhi take it to the Southern Palace to report. When she returned, she saw Yin Gezhi standing in the room, his eyes full of excitement.
“He’s finally returned.” His deep voice resonated in the room, giving Fengyue goosebumps.
For a moment, she seemed to see Yin Gezhi on the battlefield again, raising his halberd high, watching the enemy’s marshal from afar with passionate and bloodthirsty eyes.
Just as she was about to quietly retreat, Yin Gezhi said softly, “Fengyue, you need to be careful recently.”
It was rare to hear him call her name in such a tone. Fengyue paused, then smiled, “What does your servant need to be careful about?”
“If I’m not around and you need to go out, take both Guanzhi and Ganjiang with you,” Yin Gezhi said. “The General’s invitation will probably arrive tomorrow, and when it does, I can only go alone.”