Fеng Yuе nоdded reреаtеdlу, thinking and thinking!
The реrson on thе bed glanсеd аt hеr аnd sаid indifferentlу, "You'll understand in a few daуs."
Тhen whу not аsk hеr this quеstiоn in a fеw dауs?! Fеng Yuе pоuted, "Your Highnеss, lеaving а sentencе half-finished is rеally frustrаting!"
"Is thаt sо?" Соughing lightlу twiсe, Yin Gezhi sаid with а stern fасе, "Anуwaу, it's nоt me who's frustrаtеd."
Feng Yuе: "..."
Fiercelу setting the sugar jаr аsidе, she рicked up thе bittеr mеdicinе nеаrbу аnd sаid, "Sincе Yоur Highnеss isn't frustratеd, let's drink the mеdicinе first!"
Yin Gеzhi nаrrowеd his еуеs, "I feel much bеtter now, so I don’t neеd to take thе medicinе."
"You dоn’t gеt to dеcide that; the doctor does." Chuckling twice, Feng Yue scooped a spoonful of medicine and forcefully tried to shove it into his mouth.
Yin Gezhi blocked with his hand, secretly struggling against her, "I decide."
"Your Highness must not be willful, or I’ll call Guan Zhi in."
Unable to match his strength, Feng Yue lifted her skirt and knelt on the bed, pressing down from above, attempting to use her body weight to overpower him.
However, Yin Gezhi’s arms were like iron pillars. Even as she nearly placed her entire body on him, the spoonful of medicine still couldn’t reach his lips.
The two were locked in a stalemate, their eyes fiercely clashing! The room instantly crackled with tension!
"Master." Lingshu bounced in from outside, her voice crisp and clear as she reported, "There’s a guest here."
The two, locked in their intense struggle, didn’t hear this at all and remained motionless. It wasn’t until the hem of a silver dragon robe swept across the threshold and Ye Yuqing’s gentle, smiling voice rang out that Feng Yue jumped off the bed as if startled.
"In broad daylight, aren’t you two afraid of corrupting Lingshu?" Ye Yuqing was in an excellent mood, teasing as soon as he entered, fan in hand, his eyes smiling.
Straightening her skirt, Feng Yue bowed gracefully to him, "Greetings, Crown Prince. I was just feeding Prince Yin his medicine."
Yin Gezhi propped himself up, leaning against the bedside and nodding slightly in greeting, "Your Highness, what brings you here so suddenly?"
"I have good news, so naturally, I came to share it with you." Ye Yuqing said, "General Yi has agreed to hand over the military tally for the hundred thousand garrison troops in the northern border. It has already been sent to the imperial study."
"So compliant?" Feng Yue was disappointed.
Ye Yuqing raised an eyebrow and glanced over, and she immediately switched to a face full of admiration, "Such loyalty to the country! General Yi is truly commendable!"
"What about Consort Yi?" Yin Gezhi asked.
"Father is truly angry. After all, Consort Yi has been by his side for over a decade, and their bond is deep. He never expected her to harbor intentions to harm him." Ye Yuqing pursed his lips, "So even though Yi Guoru handed over his military authority, Father only shortened Consort Yi’s confinement period and hasn’t gone to see her."
That’s enough. If Consort Yi loses her usefulness, she might very well become a liability. Feng Yue lowered her gaze, silently calculating, and decided to send another message to Wangyou.
Yi Guoru is now surrounded on all sides. Is he willing to accept this? Definitely not, but he has many concerns and fears death. So, under such pressure from the royal family, what he should do next is worth careful consideration.
Feng Yue didn’t want to give him time to think.
"Your illness seems quite severe." Ye Yuqing looked at him with concern, "It’s been several days now, and there’s no sign of improvement."
Coughing twice, Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.""My suggestion is, should we summon a court physician for an examination? That would be more reliable than an outside physician."
"No need for the trouble," Yin Gezhi replied. "Your Highness should focus more attention on General Yi."
Hmm? Ye Yuqing raised an eyebrow. He had already surrendered his military tally. What more was there to watch?
"After all, he has been a general for many years, with troops spread across the land. At times, even without the military tally, he can mobilize forces simply by his own influence," Yin Gezhi said quietly. "Forgive my presumption, but Your Highness would do well to station spies within a hundred li around Shadowless City. If there is any troop movement, you must take precautions in advance."
Chilled by his words, Ye Yuqing frowned. "Surely it won't come to that? I haven't forced him into a corner. He can still lead troops into battle afterward."
"No one wishes to spend a lifetime leading troops into battle, only to return to the capital in the end and face the monarch's suspicion," Yin Gezhi shook his head. "As someone who has served in the military, I naturally understand this better than Your Highness."
This statement was too persuasive. Ye Yuqing's expression turned serious. He closed his fan, bowed, and walked out.
Feng Yue lowered her gaze and asked, "Shall I summon Young Master An and Young Master Xu?"
Giving her a deep look, Yin Gezhi said softly, "Don't be presumptuous."
"Did this servant misunderstand?" Feng Yue raised an eyebrow. "Are you not scheming against these two young masters? They are upright and ambitious, determined to safeguard the Wu Kingdom's security. You took them as disciples and elevated them to high positions—do you truly have no ulterior motives?"
Yin Gezhi closed his eyes and sighed lightly. "I have motives, but not to the extent of using them. They will naturally do what they are meant to do, without me saying anything."
The highest level of manipulation is when you say nothing, yet others act according to your wishes. Feng Yue shook her head. "One must be cautious when choosing a master..."
"I have not wronged them," Yin Gezhi frowned. "I have given what should be given and taught without withholding. All I ask for is their trust—is that excessive?"
"Not excessive at all. This servant was judging a gentleman's heart with a petty mind," Feng Yue smiled coquettishly. "Your Highness, please calm your anger."
With a light hum, Yin Gezhi glanced at the full medicine bowl on the nearby low table, then at Feng Yue's obviously distracted expression. Secretly relieved, he turned his back to her and continued resting.
With the Crown Prince's permission, Wangyou went to the rear palace to see Consort Yi. No one knew what was said, but after she left, Consort Yi wept bitterly and sent a letter home to the General's Mansion, asking to see Yi Guoru.
However, Yi Guoru was busy and had no time to pay her any mind. He needed to make a decision within a short time—should he allow the imperial authority to gradually destroy him, or should he rise up in resistance?
Receiving no reply, Consort Yi went mad. She felt that her efforts over the past decade had been in vain. Wangyou was right—indeed, once she lost her usefulness, Yi Guoru would abandon her. What deep love, what promises—all were false! He probably didn't even care about their final blood ties anymore, did he?
In the eyes of General Yi, this filthy, illicit affair was indeed something to be discarded.
Consort Yi wept bitterly. After waiting two days, she sent two more letters, demanding that Yi Guoru come to see her—otherwise, they would perish together.This was the desperate, frantic act of a terrified woman struggling to grasp at something. She could not truly intend to perish together with Yi Guoru like jade and stone; she merely wanted to frighten him, to make him come see her quickly and set her mind at ease.
Unfortunately, both letters ended up in Ye Yuqing’s hands.
Times had changed. With Yi Guoru’s power showing signs of collapse, intercepting their channels of communication became easier. Coincidentally, the Crown Prince’s spies in the palace were fortunate enough to seize these two letters.
As soon as he opened them, Ye Yuqing nearly went mad.
The tone, filled with lingering affection and sorrowful resentment, was nothing like how a sister should speak to her brother. It clearly resembled that of an abandoned lover, pleading pitifully for someone to come see her. There were even shockingly explicit lines such as: “Back then, the bright moon shone on the small embroidered tower, where red skirts were shed. Words lingered unspoken. Now, weeping amidst the fragrant grass of the palace, letters severed, may you take pity.”
Not daring to delay, Ye Yuqing immediately sent these letters to Phoenix Roost Palace, delivering them to his mother.
Empress Nangong was no pushover. She promptly raised a fuss before the Emperor, seizing Consort Yi and demanding her execution on charges of dishonoring the royal family.
By the time Yi Guoru heard the news, the Emperor had already issued the order to execute the consort.
Such a situation left him no room for retreat. Enraged, Yi Guoru fled Shadowless City overnight. He sent Xue Liang to gather his old troops, planning to head west first and gather strength to rebel.
However, as soon as the three thousand garrison troops outside Shadowless City began to mobilize, Ye Yuqing detected it. An Shichong and Xu Huaizu led the City Garrison to intercept and suppress them, while the Crown Prince entered the palace overnight for a secret discussion with the Emperor in the imperial study.
Having spent half his life on the battlefield, Yi Guoru never imagined he would be unseated by two young upstarts and end up rolling in the mud of the outskirts, utterly disgraced.
“Who?” Lying on the ground, he asked in a trembling voice, “Who is trying to harm me?”
“Great General, return to the city and speak in the palace,” An Shichong said. “We are merely fulfilling our duties; there is no intention to harm you.”
“No… impossible.” Yi Guoru shook his head repeatedly. “I’ve been tricked. Someone was prepared to harm me!”
How could Consort Yi suddenly be caught and sentenced to death over a scandalous affair with him? His own beloved sister, who adored him so deeply—how could she betray him? In a moment of impulse, he had decided to rebel, but how did these people seem to be waiting for him here? As soon as he made a move, he was captured.
Now the charges against him were grave indeed…
How could this have happened? Even if Ye Yuqing was cunning and deliberately opposed him, he couldn’t have laid out such a meticulous trap. Like a giant spider weaving a vast web, there should have been flaws—it shouldn’t have ensnared him so completely!
There must be someone else, someone else behind the scenes trying to harm him!
A heart-wrenching, unwilling roar pierced the night sky over the outskirts, carrying far into the distance. Yet, in the Envoy’s Mansion, the lights still glowed softly, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air.
Spider Number Two, Yin Gezhi, lay on the bed and remarked thoughtfully, “You actually managed to devise such a scheme.”
Spider Number Three, Feng Yue, smiled and replied, “Your Highness flatters me.”If the scandal at Consort Yi's place hadn't been exposed, how could Yi Guoru have left Shadowless City so impulsively? If he hadn't left Shadowless City in a rash manner, wouldn't the spies Yin Gezhi had Ye Yuqing plant have been useless?
Ye Yuqing wove a net to weaken General Yi's military power and consolidate imperial authority. Yin Gezhi wove a net behind him, aiming to ruin General Yi's reputation and cast him into the dust. And she was the one weaving the final net, wanting Yi Guoru shattered to pieces, to die a wretched death.
Three layers of nets, overlapping one another, finally smothered the treacherous Yi Guoru to death.
"How does Your Highness think the Wu Kingdom will deal with General Yi?" Feng Yue asked.
Yin Gezhi replied calmly, "Intimidate, imprison, show favor, and then reuse him."
This was the old routine of the royal family—first push someone to the brink of death, then grant them a second chance. The general would be especially grateful and thus become even more loyal.
Feng Yue frowned. "Does Your Highness plan to stand by and do nothing?"
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