Ноwеver, loоking wаs оnе thing, but nоw that Feng Yue wаs bу Yin Gezhi's side аnd could nоt sау а wоrd, nаturally nо one on this street cоuld sаve hеr.
Zheng Shi dаwdlеd fоr а long timе bеfоrе finаlly bringing bаck a small аmоunt of gоji berries. Yin Gezhi immеdiatelу took thе gоji bеrriеs аnd stееped thеm in wаter, frоwning аs hе held thе cuр, wаtching the driеd bеrries unfurl аnd swell. Yet he did nоt immediatelу hаnd it tо Feng Yuе.
Feng Yue smiled аnd bоldlу toоk thе сuр frоm him. Shе toоk а largе sip.
Нis pupils сontrасtеd slightly аs Yin Gеzhi stаrеd at her in astоnishment.
"What are yоu worried abоut?" she askеd, setting thе сup dоwn with a smile. "This servant said before that I’m only unafraid of snake venom because my family raised snakes. So what’s the harm in eating a few goji berries?"
The pastry shop was bustling with customers coming and going, all curiously watching these two exceptionally beautiful people and the unusually pale face of the usually smiling shopkeeper. They wondered what had happened.
The incense before the God of Wealth enshrined on the wall had burned down to a stub. Yin Gezhi gazed deeply at the person standing before him. Her expression was as calm as ever, and aside from her slightly pale complexion, there was no trace of pain on her face.
No reaction.
Clenching his fist, Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze. "I overthought it."
Clutching her chest, Feng Yue said pitifully, "Your expression was truly frightening. If this servant couldn’t eat goji berries, what would have happened?"
His palms were drenched in cold sweat. Yin Gezhi pressed his lips together and was about to speak when a deafening roar echoed from afar, slowly reverberating throughout Shadowless City!
"Boom—"
The sound was like thunder, startling Prince Yin into a shudder. The common folk around them rushed into the streets to look. Feng Yue exclaimed, "Ah, it exploded."
Exploded?
Suddenly recalling what she had said at the Envoy's Mansion, Yin Gezhi turned and dashed outside.
Feng Yue did not leave, standing in place with a smile. Only after the man had vanished from sight did she reach out to grasp Zheng Shi’s sleeve, whispering softly, "Please, help me upstairs to sit for a while."
Zheng Shi snapped back to reality and, with a complicated mix of emotions, helped her up to the second floor.
As soon as the door closed, Feng Yue crumpled to the floor, curling up in pain and gasping for breath. Zheng Shi gritted her teeth, pulled a packet of medicinal powder from her sleeve, poured it into a cup, mixed it with water, and fed it to Feng Yue.
"You... how could His Highness let you eat goji berries!"
Struggling to drink the medicine, its effects not yet taking hold, Feng Yue was drenched in sweat from the pain, curling up and stammering, "You... should be grateful I still have the chance to eat goji berries."
"Did he discover something?" Zheng Shi asked anxiously, unsure what to do. She could only carry Feng Yue to the nearby soft couch, gently stroking her back. "Don’t think about anything else for now. Get through this wave of pain—it could kill a person!"
Feng Yue nodded, closing her eyes and breathing heavily. The sight brought tears to Zheng Shi’s eyes. "What kind of sin is this! Heaven is blind, letting all the suffering fall on good people!"
She wanted to console her by saying that the wicked would not fare well either, but waves of excruciating pain surged through her, blurring Feng Yue’s consciousness and leaving her unable to speak. After enduring the pain for a long while, once it subsided, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Yin Gezhi went to investigate near the mill Feng Yue had mentioned. There were no casualties. Instead, many commoners were rushing toward the billowing smoke, shouting as they ran, "Gold! It’s all gold!"However, they were unable to charge in. The Crown Prince's men seemed to have been waiting nearby all along, and now they swiftly emerged to control the scene, deliberately transporting chests of gold out in full view of the crowd, shocking the common people.
"What kind of place is this? How can it be so wealthy?"
"What money could a rundown mill possibly have? It does have connections, though—they say it was opened by the brother-in-law of some high-ranking official's concubine."
"That's quite intriguing."
"Indeed. Look at how the soldiers have surrounded it—there's definitely a good show about to unfold."
Yin Gezhi narrowed his eyes. After a moment of thought, he turned and went to stake out near the General's Mansion.
This earth-shattering explosion had unearthed countless gold and silver, and the news spread rapidly. Two hours later, the entire court was abuzz with discussion, and the Crown Prince personally took a memorial to the imperial study.
Thus, Yang Fengpeng could no longer sit still. He rose from his own residence and slipped out through the back door, heading straight for the General's Mansion.
This was heaven's will to destroy him! That mill had been opened by the brother-in-law of his most beloved concubine. If an investigation were launched, it would inevitably lead back to him. At this moment, only General Yi could save him—otherwise, he was doomed!
In his haste to enter the General's Mansion, he was stopped just as he approached the back gate.
"Lord Yang," Yin Gezhi looked at him calmly. "May I have a word with you?"
At the sight of Yin Gezhi, Yang Fengpeng felt as if his soul had fled. How could he possibly want to speak with him? His first instinct was to turn and run!
Yet before he could take more than a few steps, Yin Gezhi was standing before him again, his gaze noticeably colder. "I have intercepted you at the gates of hell, yet you show such ingratitude?"
Yang Fengpeng wanted to weep. He didn’t know why the General's Mansion was considered the gates of hell, but the man before him—Prince Yin—was the true King of Hell!
"Your Highness," his legs gave way, and he knelt. The esteemed Three Judicial Commissioners, terrified by the earlier explosion, knelt before the prince of another kingdom with startling sincerity. "Please spare this old man!"
Looking down at him, Yin Gezhi said, "If I did not intend to spare you, why would I appear here?"
Slightly stunned, Yang Fengpeng looked up in confusion.
The man standing before him had a compassionate expression, like a benevolent Buddha gazing upon him with pity. "Lord Yang, in the past two years, you have embezzled over three hundred thousand taels of military funds, accepted bribes of one hundred thousand, and offered bribes of two hundred thousand. All the evidence has already been delivered into my hands. If I intended to make things difficult for you, why would I come to find you?"
His face turned pale, and Yang Fengpeng slumped to the ground, stunned.
How could Prince Yin know about these things? He had thought that with Zhu Laicai dead, all these matters would be buried with him! What should he do now? With the evidence in his hands, pleading with General Yi would be useless—after all, he was only a general, not the emperor.
"If you step through the gates of this General's Mansion, I fear you will meet the fate of 'committing suicide out of fear of punishment,'" Yin Gezhi said gravely, glancing at the mansion's walls. "The tactic of sacrificing a pawn to save the king—you used it on Zhu Laicai. Why do you think General Yi wouldn't use it on you?"
If he were convicted of corruption, the funds would inevitably be traced to their source and destination, and the General's Mansion would be the first to be implicated.
But what if he were to die now?A chill ran down his spine. Yang Fengpeng stood up and bowed deeply to Yin Gezhi. "Your Highness, please save me!"
"Please, Minister." Pointing to the nearby alley, Yin Gezhi said, "I am willing to show you a clear path, but whether you take it or not is entirely your own decision."
He took a step forward, then hesitated. Frowning, Yang Fengpeng asked, "Why would Your Highness help this humble official?"
Yin Gezhi replied indifferently, "Because your crimes are not the gravest."
Nor are you the one I most wish to see dead.
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