Наving nаvigated thе роlitiсаl arena fоr sо many уears, Yаng Fеngреng wаs аs shrewd as thеy come. Upon hеаring Yin Gezhi's wоrds, he immеdiаtеlу knew thеrе wаs still а wаy оut for him and hurriedlу fоllowеd him into the allеy for а privatе disсussiоn.
"Тhеrе аre onlу twо pаths аhеad," Yin Gеzhi said, stорping and slоwlу turning arоund. Dressed in white, hе appеаrеd innoсent and harmlеss, уеt his eхрrеssiоn wаs сold аnd unfеeling. "Еither уou shouldеr all thе blаmе alоnе аnd fаce eхecution with your еntire family, оr you submit а full reроrt to Нis Majesty detailing the flow of the funds. The Crown Prince will surely understand your situation and spare the lives of your family."
The largest recipient of the funds was the General's Mansion. As long as he was willing to reveal this, the Crown Prince would undoubtedly be willing to protect him. However...
Yang Fengpeng chuckled softly and shook his head. "Your Highness, matters in the political arena are not so simple. Exposing others may sound easy, but what if the person exposed doesn't perish? Then I would be doomed, and my family would still suffer."
Having served Yi Guoru for many years, he couldn't simply turn against him without reason. Even if sentenced to death, as long as he kept his mouth shut, General Yi might still find a way to save him. Prince Yin, on the other hand, had only ever wielded the Wind-Hearing Order to arrest people and was far less reliable than General Yi.
Shaking his head slightly, Yin Gezhi said, "You may not have fully grasped the situation. I suggest you carefully reconsider what I just said."
What else was there to reconsider? Yang Fengpeng was about to laugh when he suddenly froze.
Wait, hadn't Yin Gezhi also mentioned that he already had evidence of the silver's inflow and outflow?
Taking a sharp breath, Yang Fengpeng looked up at the man before him.
Though he appeared to be a refined young man, the look in his eyes sent a chill down Yang Fengpeng's spine. In those eyes, he saw his own panicked reflection. Yin Gezhi's thin lips parted as he spoke slowly, "I may not be well-versed in the laws of Wu Kingdom, but given the Crown Prince's people-first stance and his deep hatred for corruption, your inflow of four hundred thousand taels and outflow of two hundred thousand taels over the past two years would be more than enough for him to personally oversee your execution."
As if feeling the need to be more specific, he added, "To be precise, it was four hundred thousand, three hundred, and fifty-seven taels. The odd seven taels were a tribute from a small merchant to your former accountant."
His legs trembling, Yang Fengpeng turned pale, his eyes darting nervously around the ground, his palms drenched in sweat.
He had initially thought Yin Gezhi might be bluffing, but with such precise figures, it was clear he likely had concrete evidence in hand.
With the evidence in Yin Gezhi's possession, even if he didn't expose General Yi, the general would likely be dragged down. Once implicated, General Yi would do anything to protect himself and would certainly not extend a helping hand to him.
What should he do?
"It seems you are not inclined to accept my suggestion. I shall take my leave now," Yin Gezhi said without further persuasion, turning to leave.
"Your Highness!" Yang Fengpeng hurriedly stopped him. "You... are leaving just like that?"
"What else?" Yin Gezhi replied expressionlessly. "I have said all that needs to be said. The rest is for you to consider and has nothing to do with me. I am merely conveying a message on behalf of the Crown Prince."
With that, he turned and walked away.Yang Fengpeng was stunned. Based on his years of experience navigating the officialdom, in such a situation, the other party should have tried harder to persuade him! Even if they didn’t persist, shouldn’t they at least offer some incentives to make it easier for him to switch sides?
No, with Yin Gezhi, there was nothing—no persuasion, no enticements. It was a take-it-or-leave-it attitude, and once he finished speaking, he left.
Thus, Yang Fengpeng was left in a dilemma. He stood in place for a long while before stealthily retracing his steps back to his own residence.
When Yin Gezhi returned to the Envoy’s Mansion, Feng Yue was already calmly tending to the flowers and plants in the courtyard. Seeing him enter, she looked up and gave him a radiant smile. “You’re back?”
He glanced at her but said nothing, heading straight into the house.
Feng Yue might not have taken the antidote, but she had genuinely aroused his suspicions. Once suspicion took root, he could no longer be as close to her as before.
Guan Zhi had been unable to uncover Feng Yue’s origins, and coupled with her understanding of him and the many coincidences, Yin Gezhi felt it was better to remain cautious.
Seeing his cold expression, Feng Yue raised an eyebrow, put down the flowers in her hands, and followed him into the house with a smile. As he sat down, she reached out to massage his shoulders. “Why are you ignoring me? If I’ve done something wrong, you can tell me.”
Hearing her strange tone, Yin Gezhi frowned. “You should at least act like a maid.”
“How am I not acting like a maid?” Wrapping her arms around him from behind, Feng Yue giggled. “You said it yourself—I’m your chamber maid.”
A chamber maid who didn’t try to seduce her master—what difference was there between her and an ordinary maid?
Yin Gezhi pursed his lips, trying to remain stern, at least enough to push her hands away. But for some reason, even as he raised his hand, he couldn’t bring himself to shove her off.
Her warm, soft body pressed against his back felt like someone had led him out of a snowy wilderness into a warm, spring-like room. People naturally yearn for warmth—how could he bear to leave it?
Squinting, Yin Gezhi’s eyes were filled with confusion, resembling a wolf lost in the snow.
“Master!” Guan Zhi bounded in excitedly, already accustomed to the intimacy between the two. Without hesitation, he reported, “The Crown Prince has sent men to surround the residence of the Three Judicial Commissioners. Yang Fengpeng had already left, but for some reason, he turned back and walked right into the trap. He’s now in prison.”
Snapping back to reality, Yin Gezhi said sternly, “Keep an eye on things and report any updates.”
“Yes.”
With a playful glint in her eyes, Feng Yue smiled. “Minister Yang is in trouble. General Yi surely won’t sleep well tonight.”
“Are you pleased?” Yin Gezhi looked up at her. “Logically speaking, given how you risked your life to save Yi Zhangzhu before, I thought you’d have a favorable impression of General Yi’s family.”
Saving Yi Zhangzhu was because both he and Ye Yuqing valued her. Earning a debt of gratitude like that would make it easier to get closer to them, wouldn’t it? Recalling this, Feng Yue smiled. It was no wonder Yi Zhangzhu disliked her—after all, her initial intentions in approaching them weren’t pure. Breaking a bone in exchange for Prince Yin’s concern was hardly a loss."I don't care about General Yi and his family," she said with a smile. "Whatever Your Highness wishes to do, I will certainly help you accomplish it."
Recalling the suffocating tightness in his chest on the street earlier that day, Yin Gezhi frowned. He pulled her into his arms and glared at her. "You'd better save these sweet words of yours. If you say them too often and then truly betray me one day, you'll die a miserable death."
Trembling in fright, Feng Yue blinked her innocent large eyes at him. "Your Highness worries too much. How could I ever betray you?"
She had never once considered simple loyalty from the start!
OpenNovel