Fеng Yuе nоddеd: "Тhen yоu саn fоllоw him propеrlу. Oncе this matter is оvеr, thеrе will bе nо need tо have any further deаlings with mе."
Wangуou trеmblеd аll оver, thе smilе оn hеr fаcе vanishing comрlеtelу: "Boss?"
"What's wrоng?" Feng Yue blinkеd: "I truly meаn thеsе wоrds. I'm nоt driving уоu awaу, nоr am I blаming уоu. You'vе sufferеd fоr so manу уeаrs; if the rest of уour life is still entаnglеd in thеse mаtters, that would bе tоо tragiс."
Неr liрs раle, Wаngуou shоok hеr head: "Тhis servаnt's lifе wаs savеd bу thе bоss, and the chаnce for revengе was also givеn by the bоss. Hоw сould I..."
"Yоu will always belong to yourself." Feng Yue clicked her tongue, speaking in a roguish tone: "Don't dwell on gratitude. We can be considered mutually beneficial, after all. Your enemy's death is also a good thing for me. So you don't owe me anything. Mama Jin has already destroyed your deed of sale. You are now a free person; just call me Feng Yue."
Wangyou was stunned, staring at her in a daze for a long time. Lowering her eyes, she said: "When Mama Jin first told this servant that you were the boss, I thought she had gone mad. From the moment I stepped into Dream Return Pavilion, I felt the mastermind behind it was formidable—managing such a large brothel, having connections with various nobles, and even tolerating so many girls filled with resentment. The boss should at least be a man of integrity, with a noble status and deep cunning."
Rubbing the tip of her nose, Feng Yue said sheepishly: "I've disappointed you."
"No." Wangyou looked at her with burning eyes, took a deep breath, her eyes slightly red: "The boss is even more formidable than this servant imagined. More formidable than all men. You have nothing, even falling into this brothel just like this servant, yet you still freed Duanxian and liberated this servant as well."
Gently lifting the hem of her skirt, Wangyou knelt heavily before her and kowtowed three times.
Feng Yue jumped aside in fright, hurriedly pulling her up: "Alright, alright, do you know why I directly threw Duanxian out? It's because all this thanking and crying is too annoying! I don't like this. Let's stand straight and talk properly. Now that you're following the Crown Prince, he is indeed a good master, but the situation in the palace is complex. Remember to make the Crown Prince beware of Consort Yi. The things I gave you must also be carefully considered by His Highness. That is what you should do."
Wangyou pursed her lips: "This servant understands."
"This place is also not suitable for lingering. Pack your things and return quickly."
"Alright." Giving her a deep look, Wangyou turned to go upstairs. After two steps, she couldn't help but look back, smiling at her: "I hope the boss can also free herself in the end."
Feng Yue paused, grinning with gleaming white teeth: "I will."
There will surely be such a day.
General's Mansion.
The moment Yi Guoru stepped into the guest room, his expression changed, and he sternly demanded: "Who came in to clean? Didn't I order that no one is allowed to enter this place?"
Yi Zhangzhu, who was bringing over some snacks, was startled and whispered: "This... was cleaned last time by the servants I sent. There was too much dust..."
His face stiffened, Yi Guoru sighed deeply: "Zhu'er, why can't you listen to your father's words?"
"It's just a guest room. You never said there was anything here that couldn't be touched." Yi Zhangzhu was aggrieved: "If you had said so in advance, Zhu'er would never have dared to let anyone clean it.""I..." Wiping his face, Yi Guoru shook his head: "Forget it, first tell me, where is that servant who came in to clean?"
"She's not from our mansion." Yi Zhangzhu bit her lip: "She's a maid by Brother Yin's side."
"What?" Yi Guoru was stunned: "You had Prince Yin's maid come clean our mansion? Zhu'er, is that proper?"
Yi Zhangzhu bit her lip and lowered her head: "A lot has happened recently, you don't know. That maid by Brother Yin's side is very annoying. I made her clean to teach her a lesson."
Furious to the point of dizziness, Yi Guoru said: "Enough, enough. Go back to your room and rest."
"Yes." Glancing at the pastries in her hand, Yi Zhangzhu, eyes red, carried them back exactly as they were.
Yi Guoru, with a stern face, lifted the floor tiles to check. Yet everything he had hidden was still there, as if it hadn't been discovered.
But no, if the things here hadn't been found, then Leng Yan and the others would have no evidence to be convicted. There were many things here he kept to control these people in the future, but now, the people he wanted to control were already half-dead in the Crown Prince's hands, useless.
"Xue Liang." He called out.
Someone entered from outside, cupping his hands in salute: "General."
"Where are the people I told you to capture?"
His head lowered further. Xue Liang whispered: "The Envoy's Mansion has hidden guards. It was our miscalculation, we failed to capture them."
He didn't mention that not only did they fail to capture them, but two elite soldiers returned in a sorry state, covered in oil and wine, reportedly tricked by that maid.
Too humiliating.
His expression darkening further, Yi Guoru turned to look at him: "I've always told you to keep an eye on Yin Gezhi's movements. When did he get such a maid by his side? How come I didn't know?"
"The news was slow." Xue Liang said: "That girl came to Prince Yin's side only about two months ago. She was sent by the Xu family. We didn't know how to investigate."
The Xu family? The Xu family had always remained neutral and never had any conflicts with him. They often visited during holidays, so their relationship was quite good. If she was sent by them, then it might be fine. But...
"Only that maid entered this room, right?"
"Yes."
"Then capture her and bring her back. If you really can't capture her, just silence her."
Better to kill by mistake than let go. If she really discovered the secrets in this room and remained by Yin Gezhi's side, that would be bad.
Xue Liang acknowledged and left.
Feng Yue returned to the Envoy's Mansion, kneeling beside Yin Gezhi and said: "Something will happen in the city today."
Yin Gezhi looked up at her: "How so?"
"Yang Fengpeng buried all the gold, silver, and treasures he collected in the cellar of a mill in the southern part of the city." Feng Yue said: "This servant has already sent people to bury gunpowder there. When there are fewer people in that area, we'll blow open the cellar."
In just a few days, she actually found out where he hid the stolen silver? Yin Gezhi was somewhat surprised, and at the same time, he rarely looked at her with an appreciative gaze: "Impressive.""Your Highness flatters me too much." Feng Yue smiled. "Once the cellar is blown open, the Crown Prince will request the Minister of Justice to personally investigate the source of this silver. Yang Fengpeng won't have time to cover his tracks—there will be many witnesses among his subordinates."
Closing the book on the table, Yin Gezhi looked at her deeply and said, "You've been planning this for a long time?"
"Just well-prepared, that's all." The woman before him smiled. "If Yang Fengpeng is implicated, the General's Mansion will inevitably be affected. At that point, it will depend on the Crown Prince's and Your Highness's abilities."
Feeling a slight tightness in his heart, Yin Gezhi suddenly asked, "What is it that you truly want?"
"Can't you tell?" Blinking, Feng Yue reached out and embraced him, her smile brimming with charm. "This servant wants to make you happy. Going to such lengths to please you and do things for you—I just want you to like me."
Glancing sideways at her, Yin Gezhi took her hand and placed it in his palm. "Someone like you... actually deserves to die."
Pausing briefly, Feng Yue laughed. "This servant knows you can't bear to part with me."
"How do you know that?"
Extending her other hand to trace over his heart, Feng Yue giggled uncontrollably. "From here."
The spot touched by her finger stirred slightly, and Yin Gezhi grew somewhat annoyed. "You're far too confident."
"Giggle, giggle." Feng Yue shook her head while laughing, about to tease him further when she noticed his pupils suddenly contract. In the next moment, her waist tightened as he pulled her down with him onto the soft couch.
A sharp gust of wind swept past from behind—small but chilling enough to make the back of her head ache.
Frowning, Feng Yue turned her head and heard a sharp "clang" from the wall beside her. A small arrowhead was embedded in the wall, gleaming with a cold blue light.
Gasping sharply, she clutched Yin Gezhi's lapel and cried out, "Your Highness, save me!"
Such assassination attempts were nothing new to Yin Gezhi, but this was the first time one had occurred inside the Envoy's Mansion.
Holding her up with one arm, the First Prince shouted, "Guan Zhi!"
Someone outside responded and entered, sounding tense. "Master, intruders have broken in—there are many of them. You and Miss Feng Yue should go to the Marquis of Anguo's residence for now."
If they were being asked to relocate, the situation was truly critical. Without a second thought, Yin Gezhi prepared to leave, but Feng Yue paled. "Lingshu! Bring Lingshu with us!"
"Guan Zhi will save her..." Yin Gezhi didn't even lower his head, yet he felt a tightness in his chest.
The woman in his arms gripped the fabric over his heart, her eyes filled with an intense, indescribable emotion, and she spoke word by word: "You must save her."
Anyone else could abandon Lingshu, but he could not.
Frowning deeply, Yin Gezhi wanted to ignore her words—just a maid, how dare she act so entitled!
Yet, for some reason, seeing the look in her eyes, his feet changed direction. He went to the guest courtyard and took Lingshu along as well.
Exiting through the back door, Feng Yue pursed her lips. "Your Highness, neither Lingshu nor I know martial arts. It would be safest for you to hide us in a nearby shop first. You can go to the Marquis of Anguo's residence alone."
"We're already out," Yin Gezhi said impatiently. "Let's just go together."“The intersection ahead is easily defensible but difficult to attack. If the pursuers are clever, they will surely set an ambush there.” Feng Yue said gravely, “To delay two while outnumbered is not the action of a wise general.”
Slightly taken aback, Yin Gezhi couldn’t help but glance down at her.
Such words—easily defensible but difficult to attack, outnumbered, the action of a wise general—should not have come from the mouth of a courtesan’s maid. He wondered if he was overthinking it, but it sounded more like the language of someone accustomed to the battlefield.
Glancing at a nearby shop with its door half-open, Yin Gezhi casually tossed Lingshu inside, then wrapped an arm around Feng Yue and continued hurrying forward.
“Your Highness?!” Feng Yue stared wide-eyed. Why only toss Lingshu? She wanted to be thrown in too!
His gaze fixed calmly ahead, Yin Gezhi said word by word, “If I die, you die. If I live, you live.”
OpenNovel