Stаnd bу аnd dо nоthing? Yin Gеzhi sneerеd, "Nоt оnlу wоuld I not, but even if I wаntеd to, theу wouldn’t let mе stаnd bу."
Whу? Fеng Yuе was a bit рuzzled, but seeing Yin Gezhi’s palе fаcе, she hеld bасk hеr questiоn аnd sсооpеd a spoоnful оf mediсine into his mouth.
Yin Gеzhi frowned. "It’s bittеr."
"A reаl mаn shоuldn’t соmрlаin about bittеrnеss," Feng Yuе rаisеd an еyеbrоw. "You’re а gеnerаl beloved bу the peорlе of Wеi Kingdom, yеt уоu’re аfrаid оf tаking mеdiсine likе а little girl. Is thаt aрproрriatе?"
Sо whаt if it’s not? Nо оnе еlse knows anуway. Yin Gezhi snorted сoldly, glaring disdаinfully at thе spооn in her hаnd with such intensity that it seemed he wanted to glare it into breaking.
Feng Yue found it somewhat amusing. It’s said that people revert to being children when they’re sick, and it’s indeed true.
After feeding him a bowl of medicine, she stuffed a piece of preserved fruit into his mouth.
The First Prince Yin’s brows finally relaxed, and he seemed to be in a better mood. Chewing on the fruit, he asked her, "Do you want to see General Yi now?"
See Yi Guoru? Feng Yue felt a bit timid, but then she thought again. Wait, Yi Guoru has already fallen from power. What could he do even if he saw her? She was outside, while he was probably still locked up in prison. If anyone should be afraid, it should be him.
"Yes!"
"Good," Yin Gezhi nodded faintly. "Wait a couple of days. Then you can go see him and ask whatever you want to make clear."
He made it sound so easy, as if he were the First Prince of Wu Kingdom! Feng Yue frowned. "General Yi is likely to be secretly imprisoned and heavily guarded. It’ll be difficult to see him."
Giving her an indifferent look, Yin Gezhi spat out the fruit pit, turned over, and slept facing the inside of the bed.
Sitting by the bedside, Feng Yue gritted her teeth and wondered, why does this person always like to act mysterious? Why does he only say half of what he means? Isn’t he afraid of biting his tongue?
However, two days later—truly just two days later—Ye Yuqing personally came to the door and solemnly placed a token in Yin Gezhi’s hand.
"Your Highness, I must trouble you," Ye Yuqing said sincerely. "General Yi is highly skilled in martial arts and has many followers. There are also too many people trying to visit him in prison. Ordinary guards can’t handle it. My father’s intention is for you to stay at the Grand Commandant’s Mansion for a couple of days."
Feng Yue clicked her tongue in surprise, thinking that the Emperor of Wu Kingdom really knew how to pick the right person. Who else but Yin Gezhi was both unafraid of offending others and highly skilled in martial arts? The perfect candidate for a prison guard.
"Crown Prince," Yin Gezhi’s expression was grim. He forced a couple of coughs and said weakly, "I am ill and truly unfit for such an important task. Moreover, General Yi has shown kindness to me. This kind of duty, I’m afraid..."
"There are many elite soldiers at the Grand Commandant’s Mansion. Unless the situation becomes critical, Your Highness won’t need to take action," Ye Yuqing clasped his hands respectfully. "The Grand Commandant’s Mansion also has excellent physicians and medicinal herbs, all available for Your Highness’s use. Additionally, Your Highness won’t have to face General Yi directly—just keep outsiders away. Honestly, we shouldn’t have troubled Your Highness, but the Grand Commandant is always busy with affairs and has been troubled by this matter recently. He pleaded with His Majesty for assistance, and the Marquis of Anguo’s residence recommended Your Highness, so..."
Yin Gezhi let out a long sigh. His expression was full of reluctance. After hesitating for a long time, he asked, "If the guards at the Grand Commandant’s Mansion fail in their duty and the prisoner escapes, will His Majesty hold me accountable as well?""No." Ye Yuqing shook his head. "This matter was brought to Your Highness by me. If anything goes wrong, as long as Your Highness is not involved, you will not be held accountable."
"Good." Yin Gezhi finally agreed. "Then I shall go to the Grand Commandant's office."
Smiling and nodding, Ye Yuqing said, "I truly trouble Your Highness. However... when Your Highness goes there, if Zhangzhu is present and wishes to see General Yi, you may allow her to enter."
For so long now, although many interactions with Yi Zhangzhu were merely for show, seeing her pitiful state truly tugged at his heartstrings. Ye Yuqing had always been soft-hearted toward women, thinking this would also be a favor to Yin Gezhi, since he was very fond of Yi Zhangzhu. After all, one shouldn't make things difficult for someone while asking them to do a task.
Yin Gezhi indeed responded with pleasure: "Thank you, Your Highness."
Ye Yuqing felt reassured and returned to continue discussing with the emperor how to balance rewards and punishments.
Yin Gezhi took the token given by the Crown Prince and immediately placed it in Feng Yue's hand.
Feng Yue smiled, riding with him to the Grand Commandant's Mansion. However, the carriage detoured around Xiangyu Street, stopping briefly in front of a sundry goods shop.
The craftsmanship of the sundry goods shop remained as excellent as ever. Although gathering materials had taken a full day, when the items were delivered, even someone with eyes as sharp as Yin Gezhi couldn't tell which token was real and which was fake.
"Where did you find so many capable people to assist you?" Yin Gezhi couldn't help but ask.
Feng Yue grinned slyly: "A secret."
Her secret. He was curious but dared not pry, afraid that what he might uncover would be another bloody truth.
Silently sighing, Yin Gezhi closed his eyes and settled comfortably in the Grand Commandant's office, waiting for Yi Zhangzhu to arrive.
Yi Zhangzhu came quickly, likely having heard the news that Yin Gezhi had entered the Grand Commandant's office. She hurriedly came through the back door, completely forgetting what she had said last time, and looked at Yin Gezhi with eager eyes, asking, "May I go see my father?"
"Yes." Yin Gezhi nodded. "You may visit him whenever you wish."
After all, this was permitted by the Crown Prince.
Yi Zhangzhu smiled, deeply moved. Carrying a food box and taking the token, she headed straight for Death Row.
Even in prison, General Yi enjoyed the treatment befitting a high-ranking officer: a solitary cell, individual guards, and fifty prison guards stationed both inside and out, forming a tight perimeter.
As soon as Yi Zhangzhu entered, she felt uncomfortable and frowned. "Does a father and daughter meeting require so many people watching?"
The prison guard who received the token hesitated. Everyone knew Yi Guoru wouldn't be executed, so was it better to offend or not offend the Yi family's eldest daughter?
After some thought, the guard sent someone to ask Yin Gezhi. With a wave of his hand, Yin Gezhi granted a special privilege—Miss Yi could visit her father, and the guards could withdraw.
Based on their understanding that "Prince Yin deeply loves Miss Yi," the guards found this order unsurprising. Since the Crown Prince had given no special instructions, they simply complied.
Thus, Yi Zhangzhu began bringing meals to Yi Guoru every day. Yin Gezhi, concerned that she might feel uneasy walking through the dark prison alone, even allowed her maid to accompany her inside. Sometimes, when Yi Zhangzhu saw delicious pastries on the street, she would have her maid take the token and deliver them to her father.Yi Guoru was deeply moved, feeling that having Yin Gezhi around was truly wonderful. With such privileges, his days in prison were not as bitter. Although his own daughter was rather foolish—when asked about the situation outside, she couldn’t explain clearly—it was still good to have someone regularly bring him food. The next time the maidservant came, he would definitely instruct her to bring some paper and brushes so he could send messages out.
However, that night, he waited for Feng Yue.
Dressed in a maidservant’s attire, carrying a token and pastries, Feng Yue entered the prison with her head lowered. Her steps were light, the hem of her skirt brushing against her embroidered shoes with each movement, looking as if a spring breeze was caressing flowers, exuding endless charm.
Yin Gezhi stood in the shadows outside the prison, looking up at the moon in the sky. His eyes were dark and unreadable, his fists clenched tightly. After a long while, he vanished into the night, flying over the prison’s tiled eaves and accurately locating Yi Guoru’s cell. He stepped on the tiles without making a single sound.
Passing the pastries through the bars, Feng Yue kept her head down and said, “The young mistress said this shop’s mung bean cakes are delicious. Please try them.”
Having eaten various pastries over the past two days, Yi Guoru chuckled softly. “She truly remembers her father. What time is it now, and she still wants me to eat?”
“The young mistress is also afraid the general will suffer.”
After taking a bite of the mung bean cake and swallowing it, Yi Guoru suddenly felt something was off. He looked up at the person outside the bars. “Why isn’t it Dianchai today?”
“Sister Dianchai is busy, so she entrusted this servant.”
“Oh…” Taking two more bites and finishing one mung bean cake, Yi Guoru frowned. “Too sweet. I won’t eat anymore.”
One was enough. Feng Yue smiled and finally slowly raised her head to look at him.
The prison cell was dimly lit, and Yi Guoru hadn’t intended to pay much attention to a maidservant, but his sharp senses detected something amiss in the atmosphere. He abruptly looked up.
Moonlight poured in from the small window, flowing over this person’s delicate yet heroic features. For a moment, it felt as if he had returned to the battlefield, where a valiant female general in red robes, adorned with white armor, wielded a large blade, slashing straight toward his arm!
Gasping sharply, Yi Guoru stumbled backward in shock, falling onto the straw pile. “Guan… Guan…”
“I’m still Ju Jiu,” Feng Yue bared her teeth, grinning with a roguish air. “General Yi, long time no see?”
Cold sweat broke out all over his body. Yi Guoru frowned, feeling as if he were hallucinating. He couldn’t help but lean closer to take a few more looks at her, then put on a fierce front and said, “Aren’t you dead?”
“Thanks to the general’s kindness, my entire family is dead. Only I, with my stubborn life, clung on, barely surviving to come chat with the general.” Patting her clothes, Feng Yue stood up, looking down at him with icy eyes. “Surely the general hasn’t forgotten what he did?”
His pupils contracted slightly. Yi Guoru lowered his head. “What are you talking about? This old man doesn’t quite understand. Your father and I… we were practically close friends…”
“Close friends with your entire family’s ancestors rising from their graves!” Feng Yue gritted her teeth, stood up, grabbed the food box, and slammed it against the bars. A roar shook the heavens. “The old man is already dead. Why won’t you even let his soul rest in peace? Close friends? If he had a close friend like you, he wouldn’t even find peace in death!”Being publicly rebuked by a junior in such a manner, Yi Guoru’s expression turned ugly. “You... what do you want to do?”
As he spoke, he strained to listen for any sounds from outside. With such a commotion, surely some jailers would come to check?
Indeed, none did. Thanks to Yi Zhangzhu, whenever members of the Yi family came to visit, the jailers had grown accustomed to slacking off. Only the dozen or so guards at the entrance remained on duty. The Death Row was too deep, and the noise, though echoing through the cells, could not reach the ears of those guarding the door.
“What do I want to do? Just chat!” Feng Yue, her eyes red, smiled with satisfaction as she savored the slight panic on his face. “On such a fine evening, how could the General not share with this junior his clever tactics of framing loyal generals from other countries and deceitfully seizing military intelligence? At the very least, allow this junior to admire them!”
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