Yin Gеzhi lookеd аt him with uttеr саlm, handing him a cuр оf tea. "Sаve whosе lifе?"
"Наvеn’t уou heаrd yet?" Xu Huaizu widenеd his еyеs and rаisеd his vоiсe. "Еvеrуоnе in the сourt is demanding thаt thе genеrals hand ovеr their militarу authoritу. Му fаthеr hаs bеen so wоrriеd he hаsn’t slерt well fоr sevеrаl nights."
"Mm." Yin Gezhi nоddеd. "Sincе everyоne is demanding it, whу nоt сomрly?"
Xu Huаizu wаs tаken аbасk. Не tоok а siр of tеa. "Whо would willingly givе up thе militаrу pоwеr thеу hold? It was eаrned through life-and-deаth struggles. If a genеral losеs his militarу аuthoritу, won’t he be at the mercy of others?"
"You’re mistaken." An Shichong, who had followed slowly from behind, first bowed to Yin Gezhi, then frowned at Xu Huaizu. "A general needs military authority to fight enemies on the battlefield, but what use is it off the battlefield? Do you expect the troops raised by the court to serve as your personal guards?"
"How can you say that!" Xu Huaizu flared up. "Have you heard of Guan Canghai from the Wei Kingdom? He was the most straightforward in handing over his military authority in the entire world. After returning from battle, he went straight to the Grand Commandant’s Mansion to surrender his military tally without a word. Did such a loyal and capable general end up well?"
An Shichong’s face paled, and he hurriedly tugged at Xu Huaizu’s sleeve, glancing cautiously at Yin Gezhi.
Belatedly remembering his master’s identity, Xu Huaizu stiffened and, without another word, knelt with a thud before Yin Gezhi. "Your disciple spoke out of turn!"
Yin Gezhi’s gaze was icy. "Do you think he met a bad end because he handed over his military authority?"
"Not exactly…" Xu Huaizu swallowed nervously, then pursed his lips. "It’s just that if it were someone like General Yi, who holds substantial military power, the Wei Kingdom’s emperor surely wouldn’t have rushed to convict him so hastily. A renowned general of his stature wouldn’t have ended up committing suicide in prison out of guilt."
"Even someone like General Yi, who holds substantial military power, would be executed for treason and betraying the state!" Yin Gezhi’s voice suddenly rose, startling everyone in the room.
Beside him, Feng Yue kept her head lowered, silent and unmoving, her eyes filled with coldness.
As if suddenly losing his temper, Yin Gezhi stood up. "As a general, even with unparalleled abilities, one is merely a servant fighting for the ruler. To defy the ruler, unless fully prepared to usurp the throne, one is bound to become a casualty under imperial power! If you don’t understand this, what’s the point of fighting wars?!"
"But," Xu Huaizu couldn’t help muttering, "how do you know for sure that Guan Canghai defied the ruler and betrayed the state?"
"How do I know?" Yin Gezhi’s gaze turned sharply cold as he smiled at him. "Because I climbed out over the corpses of tens of thousands of soldiers in Shan Gui Valley. Because I fought alongside him in the Battle of Pingchang. You ask me how I know?"
"Master, please calm your anger." An Shichong half-knelt beside Xu Huaizu, cupping his hands in respect. "Huaizu has always been outspoken. He didn’t mean to offend."
Xu Huaizu also deflated. "Your disciple is unaware of the full story. Please forgive me."
The room fell silent for a long time. Yin Gezhi gradually calmed down, the redness in his eyes fading as he sat back in his chair. Rubbing his temples, he said, "All this talk boils down to one thing: now that the Crown Prince wants to reclaim military authority, and since the Xu family has never clashed with the Crown Prince’s faction, it would be wise to go with the flow and hand over the military tally to the Grand Commandant."Xu Huaizu frowned, "Master, do you truly believe this is a way out?"
"If you trust me, why not go back and advise your father? It would be better than stubbornly resisting to the end, only to have to hand over what you hold in the end, and doing so gracefully," Yin Gezhi said. "But the timing of handing it over matters. If General Yi is willing to surrender the military tally for the hundred thousand troops in the northern border first, then your father can hand over all fifty thousand soldiers under his command. Not too early, not too late, not too much, not too little."
The fifty thousand garrison troops under General Xu were maintained for wartime readiness. Though said to be fifty thousand, given his reputation for nurturing soldiers well, the actual number was certainly more than that. However, handing over just this amount was enough; offering more would bring no benefit.
Xu Huaizu sighed, deeply conflicted. An Shichong said, "These are troubled times. It would be best to postpone your marriage with the Song Family."
"Postpone what? I’ve already asked my father to call off the engagement," Xu Huaizu replied. "She and I can’t live together. I don’t like her. Even if it means getting beaten by my father, I won’t go through with this marriage."
Feng Yue listened, shaking her head slightly.
Being actively rejected by the groom would make it difficult for Miss Song to find another match in the future. She hadn’t heeded Feng Yue’s advice earlier, and now she was likely to lose face both inside and out, not knowing how to weep over it.
But this had nothing to do with Feng Yue. Having hidden under someone’s protection for so long, it was time for her to do what she wanted.
The two young masters made a fuss for a while, and seeing Yin Gezhi in a bad mood, they quickly bowed and ran off. Yin Gezhi turned his head and saw Feng Yue standing expressionlessly, her demeanor exactly like the one he saw in the mirror every day.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Feng Yue lowered her gaze. "This servant suddenly remembered a very serious matter."
"What matter?"
"Do you think, given the relationship between General Yi and the Three Judicial Commissioners, Lord Yang, that once the general returns, there will be any resolution to Lord Yang’s corruption case?"
Yin Gezhi paused.
He had been so busy lately capturing the people the Crown Prince wanted that he had forgotten the ones who truly deserved to be caught. Yang Fengpeng had frequent financial dealings with Yi Guoru. If this could be confirmed, it would give the Crown Prince a legitimate reason to reclaim the military power in Yi Guoru’s hands.
"Do you have any leads?" Yin Gezhi asked.
Feng Yue smiled. "There aren’t any leads at the moment, but it’s almost time for funds to be allocated to the northern border army to restore their banners."
Where there is money flowing, leads are naturally not scarce.
Yin Gezhi nodded. "I’ll have people keep an eye out."
"Where can your people keep an eye out?" Feng Yue giggled, blinking. "Better let this servant handle it."
Zhu Laicai had been rescued by Yin Gezhi early on and imprisoned in a secret cell. An Shichong knew about this and, out of trust in his master, had kept quiet and had him cared for.
Now, remembering this matter, Yin Gezhi went to the cell to see him.
Zhu Laicai had already lost a great deal of weight from being imprisoned. Seeing someone arrive, he immediately burst into tears. "Your Highness, I’ll tell you anything you want to hear. Please let me out! Let me out!"
Yin Gezhi looked down, disdainful of his appearance, and didn’t approach, only asking softly, "You were the accountant for the Three Judicial Commissioners’ residence. You should know all his financial transactions, right?""Yes, yes!" Zhu Laicai nodded, then thought for a moment and became somewhat dejected. "But in the eyes of the world, I am a dead man. Even if you want me to serve as a witness, I cannot do so."
"You don't need to do those things," Yin Gezhi said. "Just give me a rough outline of a few major expenditures and revenues."
Hesitantly looking at him, Zhu Laicai asked, "If I just say these things, can I leave?"
"Perhaps."
"Alright, have someone bring paper and ink. I'll start writing now!"
Waving for Guan Zhi to hand him the writing materials, Yin Gezhi's eyes darkened with a flicker of light.
Feng Yue went to the mung bean cake shop at the end of Xiangyu Street for breakfast. The enthusiastic proprietress pulled her straight to the second floor, then her expression turned grave. "The people you asked me to arrange, I have already placed them all. Fortunately, over the years, I haven't been idle in planting people everywhere. Now that we need them, they can be put to use."
Calmly stuffing the last piece of mung bean cake into her mouth, Feng Yue smiled. "Heaven wants to destroy him. With the Crown Prince and Yin Gezhi as two powerful allies, we can save a lot of trouble. As long as we bring Yang Fengpeng down, this battle can be considered a complete victory for us."
Zheng Shi sighed. "You really don't need to go to such lengths. You could simply wait for the Crown Prince and Prince Yin to deal with General Yi. At most, it would just take a few more years. We would eventually get there."
"I don't have that kind of patience," Feng Yue shook her head. "I can't wait."
It had already been over three years. If she waited a few more years, she was afraid she would never catch up with anyone.
Zheng Shi pursed her lips and finally handed her something from her sleeve. "This is the distribution of our people. Take a good look at it. It will make arrangements easier."
Opening it and glancing over, Feng Yue nodded. "I understand. Thank you for your hard work."
In the evening, Dream Return Pavilion was still bustling with activity. Feng Yue waited in the backyard. Before long, Wangyou crawled in through a dog hole and smiled at her. "You've been waiting a long time, miss."
Returning her smile, Feng Yue handed her something, watching as she carefully tucked it into her sleeve. Then she asked, "Is the Crown Prince treating you well?"
Blushing slightly, Wangyou nodded. "Very well. He hasn't made me suffer. He is a good master, gentle with people."
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