Fengyue wanted to say: Have you become an immortal fox? How do you even know they’ll send an invitation tomorrow? What if the General is busy with other matters and wants to send it the day after?
However, early the next morning, a servant from the General’s mansion respectfully delivered an invitation: “General Yi requests Prince Yin’s presence at his residence for a discussion.”
When Guanzhi brought in the invitation, Fengyue was helping Yin Gezhi dress. Upon hearing the news, she was so startled she tied his sash into a dead knot. “It came?!”
Looking down at his clothes, Yin Gezhi said disapprovingly, “Can’t you focus?”
Having served the Great Demon King for so long, Fengyue felt she shouldn’t act so shocked – it made her seem inexperienced! So she nodded, picked up another two sashes, and very attentively tied them into another dead knot.
Yin Gezhi shook his head slightly, sighing in resignation at something unknown. Once dressed, he immediately pushed Fengyue far away and swept out the door: “Guanzhi, guard the residence well.”
“Yes!”
Watching his graceful figure disappear, Fengyue clutched the doorframe and marveled at how true nobles carried themselves differently. He was so calm walking into the wolf’s den as if going on a spring outing. Unlike her – she wouldn’t dare appear before General Yi at all.
Yi Guoru was probably the only person in all of Wu Kingdom who could recognize who she was.
As fate would have it, while following her old man in battles, Fengyue had encountered Yi Guoru twice. Both times were during confrontations between commanders when their forces were few. Yi Guoru wielded a long spear, while Guan Canghai favored a great sword. These two middle-aged men would often stand in the most conspicuous positions during the chaos of battle, striking the most dazzling poses as they faced off.
Back then, she had no sense of propriety. Encountering such a scene, she would charge at Yi Guoru with her blade without a second thought.
At the time, Yi Guoru had been speaking grandly about something like “heroes respecting heroes” and “having no regrets dying in battle with the General” – the usual rhetoric. Everyone around them had left the two to their standoff, not daring to interfere, allowing them to put on airs as generals and showcase their heroic presence.
However, he hadn’t expected the Wei camp to have someone as unorthodox as Guan Qingyue, who struck his arm with her blade. If not for his sturdy armor, that arm would have been severed.
General Yi was shocked. He looked at his attacker in astonishment.
Guan Qingyue looked up, smiling disrespectfully: “Why do you talk so much? If you want to fight, then fight!”
That face was full of heroic spirit, yet clearly belonged to a woman, and the great sword in her hands gleamed coldly, its power no less than any man’s! In his shock, Yi Guoru permanently committed those features to memory.
Thinking about it now, Fengyue deeply regretted it. If she was going to strike him, she should have struck and fled! Why stand there raising her face to argue with him? Although she had made that old man’s face turn green with anger, in the current situation… if she ran into Yi Guoru, she would be as good as dead!
One should do more and talk less! Fengyue wrung her hands in regret.
In flowing white robes, Yin Gezhi elegantly stepped through the main gate of General Yi’s mansion.
The moment his foot touched the ground, over a dozen cold blades rushed toward him! Killing intent filled the air, the atmosphere tense! However, being someone who had seen it all, Yin Gezhi didn’t even twitch an eyebrow. He planted his feet firmly and raised his head with a bewildered expression: “Have I come to the wrong place?”
The surrounding blades immediately withdrew. Yi Guoru, dressed in casual clothes, came forward smiling: “Please don’t take offense, Your Highness. My household staff are poorly trained, drawing weapons at every visitor.”
He then made a show of scolding behind him: “Withdraw immediately!”
“Yes!” The unified, thunderous response made Yin Gezhi frown and cover his ears.
“My apologies for the rudeness.” Yi Guoru clasped his hands and said, his narrow eyes squinting: “Please come inside Your Highness.”
What an intimidation tactic – clearly setting up a trap. If you behave, it’s just the subordinates being ignorant and offensive; if you don’t behave… well after the subordinates are done with their weapons, I’ll simply discipline them afterward.
Yin Gezhi sneered inwardly. General Yi lacked confidence, adding over thirty guards in his residence even after returning – did he think Yin Gezhi possessed some heaven-defying abilities?
“Brother Yin!” Yi Zhangzhu was waiting in the main courtyard, and smiled upon seeing him: “Father truly values you, going out to welcome you personally.”
Yin Gezhi nodded, giving her an indulgent look before taking a seat.
Yi Guoru observed the exchange of glances between his daughter and Yin Gezhi without expression. His brow furrowed slightly before smoothing out as he sat in the main seat and smiled: “This old man thanks Your Highness for taking care of my daughter during my absence.”
“It was my duty,” Yin Gezhi said. “For any shortcomings in my care, I can only ask the General’s understanding.”
“With Your Highness’s capabilities, how could there be any shortcomings?” Yi Guoru smiled lightly. “I hear Your Highness obtained the Wind-Hearing Command and has been quite prominent in the capital lately.”
So he had indeed come to question guilt. Yin Gezhi lowered his eyes, gently fingering the jade ring on his thumb, and let out a long sigh.
Yi Guoru raised an eyebrow: “What’s wrong? Did this old man say something incorrect?”
“The General spoke no wrong. I merely sigh at how brilliant the Crown Prince is, that’s all.”
“Oh?” His expression shifted slightly as Yi Guoru asked: “In what way is the Crown Prince brilliant?”
“Can’t the General see?” With a slightly bitter expression, Yin Gezhi shook his head. “I have long been content to live in seclusion, with no desire to involve myself in Wu’s politics. Even when Your Majesty invited me to tutor the princes, I strongly declined. So why would I accept this Wind-Hearing Command now?”
This question troubled Yi Guoru throughout his journey. He could only assume that Yin Gezhi harbored thoughts of revenge. But now, sitting before him and seeing that righteous face, Yi Guoru couldn’t help but think he had overthought things.
How could someone as upright as Yin Gezhi, who could accept defeat and willingly return to Wu with him after losing, seek revenge? After all, in Yin Gezhi’s eyes, he had legitimately conquered ten cities of Wei through proper warfare – surely one hero should respect another.
So why did he accept the Wind-Hearing Command?
Thinking of the City Guard in the northern suburbs and the Crown Prince’s increasingly artificial smile, Yi Guoru rubbed his fingers, his gaze growing profound.
Yin Gezhi didn’t say more, sitting quietly with lowered eyes. He gave him half an incense stick’s time to contemplate before speaking softly: “The Wind-Hearing Command is merely a token to me. The General knows well that without the Crown Prince, it would have been impossible for all of the General’s people to fall within such a short month.”
Not even with ten Wind-Hearing Commands would that be possible!
Yi Guoru pressed his lips together and smiled lightly: “Is Your Highness suggesting that the Crown Prince used your special status as a hostage to break this old man’s right and left arms?”
“Not at all.” Yin Gezhi shook his head, removing his jade ring and holding it in his palm as he looked up at Yi Guoru: “What the Crown Prince wanted to exploit was the General’s trust in me. What he wanted to break was also my feelings of closeness to the General.”
With the Wind-Hearing Command in Yin Gezhi’s hands, the Crown Prince’s slaughter of Yi Guoru’s faction meant that Yi Guoru would inevitably develop suspicions toward Yin Gezhi upon his return. The harmonious friendship they had built over the past year would dissolve into nothing in this bloodshed.
How could one not say the Crown Prince was brilliant?
Yi Guoru closed his eyes and gave a light laugh: “That child of yesterday has truly grown into the kingdom’s heir.”
But he dared not fully trust Yin Gezhi’s words.
Gone for half a year, and Bu Yin City had turned upside down. Yi Guoru deeply felt he had miscalculated. After calming down for a moment, he opened his eyes again, his gaze toward Yin Gezhi becoming gentler: “Your Highness being dragged into this dispute is truly like a fish caught in a drying pond.”
“I cannot claim innocence,” Yin Gezhi said flatly. “After all, it’s true that the General has protected me much, true that there was much trust and closeness. The Crown Prince finding this weakness was only natural. I should naturally bear responsibility for the consequences of the Wind-Hearing Command.”
“Brother Yin!” Before Yi Guoru could speak, Yi Zhangzhu couldn’t bear to listen anymore: “What does this have to do with you? You were even staying at the General’s mansion to avoid suspicion during that time… Father, Brother Yin did nothing wrong, it was Crown Brother who acted too presumptuously!”
Yi Guoru had only this one daughter, whom he had doted on since childhood. Hearing her speak, his heart couldn’t help but soften three degrees: “Is that so?”
“Yes, yes!” Yi Zhangzhu nodded repeatedly: “When Pearl was forced into a corner, Brother Yin was very worried too, but he could do nothing. The Wind-Hearing Command… sounds nice, but it’s just a token. Someone of Brother Yin’s status couldn’t do anything with that token anyway.”