Тhе рoisonоus wееd in his hеаrt, without being pullеd оut by him, seеmed to strugglе tо lеаvе оn its own. Its tiny rоots, spread throughout thе еntire hеart, slоwlу withdrеw оutward. Тhе lаrgеst rоot wаs conneсtеd to thе heart's vessеls, causing wаves of раin thаt mаdе his сhеst convulsе.
Yin Gеzhi had suffеrеd mаny injuriеs—somе dаngerouslу сlosе to the heаrt, others neаrlу fаtal. Нe thought he wаsn’t аfrаid of раin, hаving grоwn асcustоmеd to it.
Вut now, bеcausе of this оnе indiffеrent rеmаrk frоm thе person bеfore him, he felt such intеnse pain thаt his vision blurred, аnd he wishеd hе cоuld pound his chest a few times to feel better!
He looked up at the person before him. How composed her expression was! She even wore a smile, as if completely unaffected, eagerly waiting for his response.
Only he was the fool.
Realizing this, Yin Gezhi scoffed, forcibly suppressing all his emotions, and asked in a low voice, “What gives you the right to kill Yi Guoru?”
What gives her the right? Feng Yue raised an eyebrow and immediately laughed so hard her slender waist swayed. “Your Highness, I’m standing right before you, saying I want to kill someone for revenge. Do you still think the Guan family was completely innocent? Over all these years, you’ve had many nightmares, haven’t you? Haven’t you ever thought of freeing yourself from them?”
Yin Gezhi closed his eyes.
What he least wanted to face was the matter of the Guan family. On one hand, there was what he had witnessed with his own eyes. On the other, there was Guan Canghai’s unyielding integrity. Even if he had to make the judgment again, he would likely still have no choice but to send him back to the capital for trial.
That was the only decision he could make.
The problem lay in the trial process. He was stretched too thin and had no idea what had happened. But in her eyes, he was probably an accomplice in the extermination of her entire family—utterly wicked and deserving of death.
How hard it must have been for her, enduring such deep hatred while pretending to be subservient before him.
The pain in his chest throbbed violently, growing even more intense. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, “I’m waiting for an opportunity. When it comes, you can kill Yi Guoru. But…”
Turning his gaze elsewhere, he said, “Killing him is easy. Finding evidence of his slander against your father is difficult.”
“I know,” Feng Yue nodded with a smile, her eyes filled with mockery. “From the start, I never intended to clear the filth you’ve smeared on the Guan family’s name, nor do I have the patience to do so. Whoever harmed us, I’ll seek revenge from them.”
“Who do you think harmed your father?” Yin Gezhi sneered. “The evidence for the verdict was provided by me.”
Feng Yue nodded. “I know. In the battle at Pingchang Mountain’s Ghost Valley, Your Highness watched as fifty thousand Wei Kingdom soldiers were slaughtered to the last man. The killing intent was too heavy. Returning from hell, you questioned my father, who couldn’t speak for himself. Unable to get a clear answer, you naturally flew into a rage and sent him back to the capital for trial. I can understand all of that.”
“But after returning to the capital, the Wei Kingdom’s Chief Justice, acting on someone’s orders, hastily closed the case, forced my father to die in prison, slandered him before the Emperor, and caused the Emperor to angrily order the execution of my entire Guan family! The evidence was provided by you, but did anyone ever seriously examine it? Did anyone investigate? Did anyone in the court ever question why the Guan family would betray the kingdom?!”
“No! They’ve long disliked the Guan family. Our achievements overshadowed the ruler, making the Emperor uneasy. Coincidentally, the First Prince knows how to fight and could replace General Guan’s position. So, dragging General Guan back to be executed allowed everyone to sleep soundly. Why not do it? Hahaha!”Laughing until tears welled up in her eyes, Feng Yue glanced at the man before her and spoke word by word: “Favoring treacherous ministers, tolerating petty men, harming loyal bones, extinguishing heroic souls—the Great Wei imperial family does it so well! Surely, they will endure for millennia, flourishing generation after generation. And all I can do is avenge my father and the destruction of my family. As for the rest, what does it have to do with me?”
She was rational. Even though she clearly hated him as well, she cleverly absolved him of guilt, indicating she wouldn’t seek revenge against him, so he could let down his guard.
Yet, when truly speaking of the past, she couldn’t help but redden her eyes.
The man before her finally looked up at her, his expression too complex to decipher. He was always like this—even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, his face would show no emotion. As if nothing in this world was worth moving him.
Truly, the cold and heartless Crown Prince Yin.
However, as Yin Gezhi looked at her, he was thinking: So she really is a member of the Guan family. The way she spoke was just like the Guan family’s second young master back then—that youth with a straight back, who, with shackles on his wrists, had said mockingly: “May Your Majesty’s reign last forever, with no more loyal ministers!”
The Guan family’s generation was clearly eloquent, so why couldn’t Guan Canghai speak clearly? In his moment of rage, why did he only say, “With what did I collude with the enemy? How could I collude with the enemy?” Why couldn’t he be sharp-tongued and persuasive like this Guan Qingyue?
Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, he said wearily, “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Glancing at the sky outside, Feng Yue pursed her lips, wiped her face, and nodded. “Alright.”
With that, she turned to leave.
Perhaps her turn was too decisive, her departure without a backward glance, that Yin Gezhi instinctively reached out and grabbed her wrist.
Slightly startled, Feng Yue stopped and looked back at him in surprise.
Even after all this… he would still reach out to stop her?
Frowning, Yin Gezhi seemed not to understand his own actions either. Yet, as soon as she made a move to break free, he tightened his grip. “Sleep here tonight.”
What? Feng Yue blinked, unable to resist digging at her ear. “What did you just say? I didn’t hear clearly.”
Dragging her toward the bed, Yin Gezhi’s back was tense, his voice cold and rigid. “Your identity is special. To prevent you from playing any tricks, from today onward, you’ll stay under my watch. Wherever I go, you go.”
Feng Yue: “??”
What was this? Close surveillance?
Seeing that the man no longer carried killing intent and everything had been laid bare, Feng Yue’s courage swelled. She fearlessly asked, “With me by your side like this, aren’t you afraid you’ll be constantly reminded of Guan Canghai?”
His grip on her hand stiffened, and then Yin Gezhi grew agitated, gritting his teeth. “He’s your own father! How can you call him by his name so directly?”
“Guan Canghai has no grave. There’s no epitaph. If I don’t call his name often, he’ll surely forget what he was called down below.” Feng Yue shrugged, smiling wickedly. “This is my way of showing filial piety. Does Your Highness forbid even this?”
From their earlier conversation, it was clear that Yin Gezhi still had a conscience and wasn’t absolutely certain Guan Canghai had colluded with the enemy. It was just that with evidence before him, he didn’t believe Guan Canghai was necessarily framed.
Well, she might as well deepen his guilt. It’s often said that pillow talk is effective, so she would strive to whisper a little more.Without answering her, Yin Gezhi flung her onto the bed. He then climbed up himself, removed his outer robe and set it aside, pressing her firmly against his chest.
For a moment, Feng Yue sensed his body trembling slightly. But upon closer observation, his back felt as cold and rigid as iron—it all seemed like an illusion.
And it could only be an illusion. What could the esteemed First Prince possibly take seriously?
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