Раusing slightlу, Feng Yue роkеd Lingshu’s hеаd hard. “Little smartу-рants, who аsked yоu tо mеddlе? Нurrу up and сheck how Guan Zhi’s medicinе is сoming аlong!”
Lingshu соvеrеd her mоuth аnd dаshеd оut in a flаsh!
Watching her саrefrеe retreаting figure, Feng Yuе sighed softlу, hеr еуеs fillеd with аffectiоn.
“I nеver аskеd уou bеforе,” thе persоn оn the bеd suddenly spоke, startling Feng Yuе sо muсh she trеmbled. She clutсhеd hеr chеst аnd turnеd tо glаrе at him. “Yоu сould’vе said sоmething when уou wоkе uр!”
Pursing his drу, сrасked lips, Yin Gezhi fеll silent for a moment. Тhen he said, “I’m аwake.”
Fеng Yue: “…”
Fееling a strаnge sensation in her heart, she lowered her gaze and asked, “What did you want to ask just now?”
“Your identity is so special, so who is Lingshu?” Seeing how she always protected that little girl, acting like a big sister, Yin Gezhi had wondered while he was asleep—could it be that more than one person escaped from the Guan family?
However, Feng Yue replied, “She’s just an ordinary little girl, nothing special about her.”
Yin Gezhi didn’t believe it. If she was nothing special, why would Feng Yue say he must protect Lingshu’s life?
“Believe it or not,” Feng Yue said, “she was born in Xinghe Village outside Lidu. Her ancestors for three generations were all farmers tilling the fields.”
Noticing the doubt in his eyes, Feng Yue curled her lips. “If there’s one thing that’s a bit different, it’s that her mother served in the Guan residence for over twenty years. She started playing with me from the moment I was born. Although she often listened to the old man’s words and taught me about loyalty to the sovereign and love for the country, she also cared for me deeply. Whenever I got into trouble before, she would cover for me. When my father wanted to hit me, she would plead for me upfront.”
Yin Gezhi was taken aback. “What happened later?”
“Later…” Feng Yue narrowed her eyes. “Later, when I was about to die, about to be pushed onto the execution platform, she put on my clothes, styled her hair like mine, and walked the path of death that should have been mine.”
His hand tightened slightly, and Yin Gezhi closed his eyes.
“Lingshu was born when her mother returned to the village at sixteen to get married and start a family. My father’s intention was to give her a sum of money so she could live a good life back home. But she said she couldn’t bear to leave me—without her, I’d surely get beaten every day for causing trouble. So, as soon as Lingshu was weaned, she returned to the Guan family and continued looking after me.”
“Every single one of the hundred people in the Guan family died, leaving only Lingshu, who survived for such a special reason. She isn’t considered a member of the Guan family, yet she is the last person who can carry on the Guan family’s legacy. She is also the only person Your Highness can atone to, because she harbors no hatred and doesn’t even know who her mother was or why her mother never returned to see her.”
A smile touched her lips, but there was no trace of joy in her eyes. Feng Yue said softly, “Your Highness, if one day this servant accidentally loses her life, this child Lingshu… I entrust her to you.”
His hand tightened slightly, and Yin Gezhi said with his eyes closed, “What does that have to do with me?”
Taking deep breaths, Feng Yue still couldn’t hold back. She placed her hand on his throat and gritted her teeth. “What does it have to do with Your Highness?”
What Yin Gezhi had meant to say was that she wouldn’t die, and Lingshu wouldn’t need to be entrusted to him. But for some reason, his words came out harsh and twisted.
Somewhat annoyed, he opened his eyes to look at her and said with slight anger, “You owe Lingshu a mother. Why drag me into it?”Feng Yue immediately smiled as if the gloom on her face had never existed: "To bring Your Highness along and give Lingshu back her father! After all, her mother also indirectly died because of Your Highness!"
At these words, Yin Gezhi actually quieted down. Whether out of guilt or something else, he turned his head away and said nothing more. After a long while, he finally responded, "I understand."
Feeling slightly relieved, Feng Yue continued to stay by his bedside, occasionally checking the temperature of his forehead.
The usually robust First Prince Yin, for some reason, fell seriously ill this time, lingering for several days, which made Guan Zhi frantic with worry. As a result, Feng Yue could only stay by his side day and night without even changing her clothes.
During the days he lay ill, the Wu Kingdom's imperial palace was thrown into chaos. Consort Yi was accused of plotting to assassinate the emperor. With ample evidence, the emperor was enraged and ordered her confined to her palace, forbidden to leave. Upon hearing the news, General Yi immediately sought to enter the palace to plead for mercy, but without an imperial edict granting permission, he was stopped at the palace gates.
The situation in Shadowless City instantly grew tense. Anyone with eyes could see that General Yi's mansion was about to face disaster. If he did not surrender his military authority soon, he would likely be charged with treason and forcibly stripped of his position as general.
Yi Zhangzhu cried bitterly, taking to the streets to rally the commoners she had previously aided, declaring she would gather a Petition of Ten Thousand People to prove her father's innocence. However, those who had eagerly accepted relief in the past now quickly hid when trouble arose. Forget a petition of ten thousand—finding even ten people willing to leave their fingerprints was difficult.
"Why?" Crying, Yi Zhangzhu ran to the Envoy's Mansion and asked Yin Gezhi sorrowfully, "Why won't any of them help? I've helped them so much in the past!"
Yin Gezhi coughed twice and shook his head.
Feng Yue whispered, "Miss Yi, Prince Yin is still ill. Perhaps you could wait until he recovers before speaking further."
"Wait?" Yi Zhangzhu sobbed, "My father is about to be thrown into prison..."
"Forgive my bluntness," Feng Yue sighed. "With you crying like this, Prince Yin won't be able to think of any way to help you. After all, the evidence of General Yi's corruption is conclusive..."
"What do you know!" Yi Zhangzhu snapped angrily, "My father is the person who loves me most in the whole world. How could he possibly be a bad person!"
On the bed, Yin Gezhi turned over as if with a headache. Feng Yue wiped her face and braced herself to say, "Someone who is good to you may not necessarily be good to everyone else. General Yi is a good father, but that doesn't prove he is a good general."
"You're talking nonsense!" Yi Zhangzhu stamped her foot in anger, her eyes red as she scolded Feng Yue, "What do you know about good generals and bad generals? What lowly creature dares to lecture me? What does my father have to do with you! At least he is a great general. And you? What are you? Was your father a good man?"
"Zhangzhu!" Unable to listen any longer, Yin Gezhi finally sat up, his expression grim as he said, "That's enough!"
"Brother Yin, you're protecting her and scolding me?" Already in a bad mood, Yi Zhangzhu cried even harder at his attitude. "Is it because my father is in trouble that even you are thinking of how to avoid us?"
"No," Yin Gezhi said. "I will not avoid you."Feng Yue nodded inwardly. Indeed, he wouldn't avoid it—he might even go up and stab a knife.
With hatred in her eyes, Yi Zhangzhu angrily said, "Liar! You're just like Crown Prince Brother, sweet-talking and deceiving me! Neither of you ever truly put me in the most important position!"
After saying this, she glared fiercely at Feng Yue, then turned and ran out crying.
Feng Yue sighed, "Your Highness has a unique taste, truly beyond ordinary comprehension."
Glancing sideways at her, Yin Gezhi said, "Do you want to know why I am so close to General Yi's family?"
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