Тhе rооm wаs aglow with cаndlеlight, the two оf them loсkеd in а gаzе full оf affeсtion for the time it takes аn inсensе stick tо burn. Yin Gеzhi’s еуes wеrе соld, whilе Feng Yuе’s smile was gentlе.
Аfter thе incense hаd burned down, Yin Gеzhi releаsеd hеr, turning his hеаd аwаy as hе sаid, “Thаt’s gооd enоugh.”
What wоuld trulу be goоd is if уou сould rest eаsy! Feng Yue, еvеr thе syсophant, hаndеd him а cuр оf tеа аnd thеn obеdiеntly stоod bеhind him, massaging his shоulders.
Withоut drinking thе tеa, Yin Gеzhi stаrеd аt the lid and askеd softly, “In the past, did уou reallу often sеe mе nеar thе North Xuan Gate?”
Feng Yue nodded with a smile. “Yes, didn’t I already say so? You often went to the training ground outside the North Xuan Gate, and I would often watch you from a distance.”
“Then, when you saw me, was I followed by an entourage of eighteen people or six?”
Another trap? Feng Yue narrowed her eyes, thinking carefully for a long time before replying, “It should have been six.”
The First Prince never made a show of grandeur when going to the training ground, so it was obvious he wouldn’t bring many people. Though she had never actually seen it, even if she guessed wrong, she could always claim a poor memory!
However, after hearing her answer, Yin Gezhi said nothing more. Feng Yue wondered—had she guessed correctly?
With the Three Judicial Commissioners imprisoned, many in the court would have trouble sleeping tonight. After dinner, An Shichong and Xu Huaizu even brought their bedding directly to the Envoy’s Mansion.
“What is it?” Yin Gezhi glanced at them sideways. “Planning to sleep here?”
“Master!” Xu Huaizu wailed. “The entire Wu Kingdom court is in chaos. People are coming and going at my house, and they have no intention of letting me sleep well tonight! I had no choice but to come here, hoping for a good night’s rest!”
An Shichong nodded with a worried expression. “Minister Yang had many dealings with people in the court. The matter of the gold hidden in the mill’s cellar has yet to be settled, but with Minister Yang arrested, it’s inevitable others will be implicated. I heard General Yi has already entered the palace and hasn’t come out yet.”
Settling comfortably onto the soft couch, Yin Gezhi asked, “Are General Xu and the Marquis of An’s estate also involved?”
Startled for a moment, An Shichong immediately frowned and shook his head. “Although my father is not exactly a refined scholar, he is neither greedy for wealth nor driven by profit. I’ve recently taken over managing the family’s social connections, and they are all honorable dealings—there’s not a single coin of ill-gotten gains in the accounts.”
Xu Huaizu also shook his head. “My old man may not be well-read, but he’s not wicked either. He never accepts gifts during festivals—instead, he gives festival allowances to the family.”
“Then that settles it,” Yin Gezhi said. “This matter is none of your concern.”
“Master,” Xu Huaizu pouted, “we now hold official positions, so it’s only natural for us to care about court affairs. Besides, that cellar was filled with gold and silver, most of it likely squeezed from the people. Such an unforgivable crime—we also want to see the outcome.”
Feng Yue handed them pastries with a smile. “You two young masters are truly pillars of the state.”
“You flatter us,” An Shichong said, pursing his lips. “Both Huaizu and I are still too young to shoulder great responsibilities. If Wu Kingdom goes to war again someday, at most we could only serve as vanguard soldiers.”
Hearing this, Yin Gezhi looked up at him. “You think quite far ahead.”
“Not that far,” An Shichong replied, his eyes suddenly clouded with worry. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Master, do you think Wu Kingdom is considered powerful among the nations today?”Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze, his fingers gently stroking the teacup. "To be able to live peacefully in one corner is enough to be called prosperous."
After the great victory over the Wei Kingdom a year ago, the Wu Kingdom had become untouchable. Even though the Great Song Dynasty was now waging wars north and south, with minor frictions against Wu, they dared not actually mobilize troops to attack. From this perspective, Wu was already quite formidable.
"But," An Shichong frowned, "this disciple feels that Wu has been far too complacent over the past year. There have been no major battles, yet they have surprisingly lost quite a few minor ones. The court's official conduct is corrupt, with many exposed for embezzlement. Even the Three Judicial Commissioners have swallowed so much gold and silver—this surely means the people suffer daily hardships, and soldiers struggle to stay warm. If this continues, Wu will likely be destroyed by this complacency."
Xu Huaizu glanced at him in surprise. "You're overthinking things."
Feng Yue lowered her eyes.
An Shichong was right—this was the current state of Wu. The war between Wu and Wei had lasted several years, with both sides equally matched in strength and expenditure. In fact, Wei had originally been stronger. Wu's victory came only through underhanded tactics: they eliminated Wei's Guan Canghai, then somehow stole Wei's military secrets, catching them off guard. Wei lost several cities in succession and was utterly defeated in the end.
After victory, arrogance easily sets in. In the eyes of Wu's ruler and people, they had completely defeated Wei, even bringing back Wei's proud First Prince as a hostage. The First Prince had even willingly changed his name to "Gezhi," expressing a wish to end the conflict between the two nations. This was enough to prove that Wu was among the top-ranking kingdoms, and it wasn't impossible for them to win even against the Great Song Dynasty.
With arrogance comes chaos. Without external threats, internal troubles arise: corrupt officials, generals hoarding troops, a ruler indulging in extravagance, and a suffering populace. If this continues, once Wei recovers its strength, disaster will befall Wu.
Yet, no one in the Wu court realizes this. Even the most clear-headed Crown Prince Ye is only curbing corruption, without awakening the people of Wu to the danger.
An Shichong had thought of it, but unfortunately, he could change nothing.
Yin Gezhi rarely looked at him with approval. Sitting up straight, he said, "If you can think this way, then Wu is not beyond saving."
Xu Huaizu was taken aback. "Master, you actually think Shi Chong is right?"
"Naturally, he is right," Yin Gezhi replied. "The world's situation is ever-changing. Only those who remain vigilant in times of peace are wise. If those in power could think like Shi Chong, they wouldn't sit idly by while the southern border is harassed by the Great Song."
An Shichong's eyes brightened. "Master also believes Wu should adopt a tougher stance?"
"Of course. With Wei in decline, if there is no new adversary, Wu will gradually weaken in this complacency," Yin Gezhi said earnestly. "Rather than swallowing insults and watching Wu descend into internal strife, it's better to create an external threat—internal troubles will then resolve themselves."
An Shichong nodded. Xu Huaizu frowned thoughtfully and also found it reasonable. "Now that Wu and Wei have reconciled, if they could jointly resist Song, it might not be a bad thing. But none of us are in charge. With this scandal involving the Three Judicial Commissioners, the court is bound to suffer greatly."
It was indeed a heavy blow, Feng Yue thought with a faint smile. Even if it didn't cripple the kingdom, it was enough to cause a headache.Originally, General Yi's defeat was a minor matter, but unfortunately, it coincided with the affair of the Three Judicial Commissioners. The Crown Prince, filled with righteous indignation, immediately attributed the cause of Yi Guoru's defeat entirely to the substandard military supplies and the failure to keep up with provisions.
Regarding this explanation, Yi Guoru found it difficult to argue. If he claimed it wasn't an issue with provisions, then the blame would fall solely on him. Comparatively, he would rather attribute it to the provisions.
However, this only added to the severity of Yang Fengpeng's crimes. In his fury, the Emperor ordered an immediate raid on the residence of the Three Judicial Commissioners, a thorough audit of the court's accounts over the years, and an investigation into the sources and destinations of the funds.
Yi Guoru's expression turned grim. That very night, he went to Death Row to see Yang Fengpeng.
Yang Fengpeng was in a wretched state, having already been tortured. His eyes lit up upon seeing him. "General."
"Lord Yang." With a pained expression, Yi Guoru said, "I have done everything in my power, but under the Crown Prince's pressure, I truly cannot save you. I can only protect the lineage of the Yang family. They will be sent out of the capital tonight."
"Thank you, General!" Yang Fengpeng's eyes dimmed slightly, but he still smiled. "You are thoughtful."
Such thoughtfulness naturally ensured he would not betray him. Matters had reached this point, and Yang Fengpeng had given up struggling. He only hoped to protect his family; his own death was of little consequence.
Carefully observing his expression, General Yi said, "On the day of your departure, I will surely see you off."
"Thank you, General."
With Yang Fengpeng's family in his hands, even if Yang Fengpeng wanted to turn against him, it would be impossible. Yi Guoru felt reassured. After offering a few more words of comfort, he left the prison.
No sooner had he left than An Shichong opened the cell door.
"It's good to have connections," Xu Huaizu remarked as he walked in, sighing. "Even a place like Death Row can be entered and exited freely."
An Shichong pursed his lips. "Thanks to my ancestors' legacy."
Since the Marquis had stopped managing affairs, those who had long been friendly with the Anguo Marquis's household often sought him out. In many ways, he indeed had much greater convenience.
Yin Gezhi walked at the forefront, accompanied by two women in cloaks.
On the way, An Shichong had watched Feng Yue go to a courtyard to fetch someone—a young woman, though he did not know who she was. He only heard the woman call her "Boss," before Feng Yue smilingly covered her mouth.
Xu Huaizu, being straightforward, paid no attention to such details, but An Shichong suddenly felt that Miss Feng Yue was far from simple. If nothing else, the fact that his master was willing to bring her to such a place meant she must be someone who understood the situation.
"We're here."
The recently closed gate was opened again. Yang Fengpeng looked bewildered, lifting his head weakly, only to see a face streaked with tears.
"Xiang'er!" he cried out in shock, pulling her behind him and glancing at the others in the room.
"Lord Yang seems to have already accepted his fate," Yin Gezhi said calmly as he stepped into the cell. "It's just a pity that your innocent family will be implicated and perish alongside you."
"No... how could this be?!" Yang Fengpeng shook his head, looking at Xiang'er behind him. "Didn't the General take you all away?"
Yu Hexiang wept bitterly. "My lord, General Yi only took the young master, as he is only five years old and knows nothing. But the rest of us... if not for Prince Yin's rescue, I would already be dead!"His body jolted violently as Yang Fengpeng stared at Yin Gezhi in disbelief.
The light outside was dim, making Yin Gezhi's expression difficult to discern. He spoke softly, "Sir, trapped in Death Row, you are unaware of the outside world. It is only natural that you have been deceived. I have come to see you off and to let you meet your family one last time."
Yang Fengpeng's hidden wealth was concealed in the mill run by Yu Hexiang's brother. He had taken this concubine only a year ago, showering her with favor. Aside from his son, she was the one he found hardest to part with.
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