Feng Yue wаs сomplеtely unаwаrе оf thе hiddеn confliсts behind the scenes. As sооn as shе brought thе Вlооd Lettеr bасk, еvеryоne in the cоurtуard wаs stirred into eхcitemеnt. Madаm Qiu wеnt tо рrераre pарer аnd ink, whilе Shi Сhong bеgan саrving charасters. Нowever, Fаn Zhu, the generаl stоrе manаger who shouldеrеd thе main rеsроnsibilitу, wоrе a wоrriеd eхprеssion.
"Young Мastеr," hе whisрerеd, "whаt dоеs the First Princе intend by this move?"
"Isn't he sаying he wants tо help оverturn thе Guаn familу's case?" Feng Yue replied. "He seems sincere."
"But will this truly aid in overturning the case? After all, the empire belongs to the emperor. If the emperor refuses to acknowledge something, stirring up public unrest will likely only lead to the 'Crime of Defying the Sovereign.'"
Setting down what she was holding, Feng Yue smiled carelessly at him. "Manager Fan, we are outlaws, aren’t we? We’re already doing things that could cost us our heads. What’s there to fear about being charged with a crime?"
Fan Zhu was taken aback. Thinking about it, he realized she was right. It was just that the First Prince had carried the hopes of countless officials and commoners since childhood. He had always believed the prince would walk the path of Loyalty, Filial Piety, Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Justice, Integrity, and Shame for his entire life. He never expected...
"Young Master!" Madam Qiu returned from outside, looking astonished. Clutching a stack of papers, she approached Feng Yue and asked in a low voice, "Have you met Feng Ming?"
Before Feng Yue could answer, Luo Hao chimed in, "Of course she has! That Feng kid chased our Young Master for half the day!"
With concern in her eyes, Madam Qiu frowned. "In Lidu, every additional person who has seen the Young Master increases the danger. Why didn’t you cover for her?"
Luo Hao felt wronged. How could he have covered for her? It happened so suddenly. He thought the Young Master would be fine once she ran away. Who would have guessed that running would actually lead to her being recognized?
"Feng Ming is no concern," Yin Yanzhong interjected from the side. "He has always protected the Young Master since childhood. Even if it meant his own death, he would never let harm come to her."
These words left everyone momentarily stunned. Feng Yue scratched her head awkwardly and forced a dry laugh. "Madam Qiu, how did you know he had seen me?"
Waving the papers in her hand, Madam Qiu explained, "I was wondering where to find paper and ink at this hour. Just as I reached Wenlin Street, I saw Feng Ming and a few attendants loading things onto an ox cart at Congwen Pavilion. I was about to leave when Feng Ming called out to me. He told me to bring the entire cart of paper and ink to you and mentioned he was going to Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion to collect silver."
Not sleeping in the middle of the night and still busy with all this? Feng Yue pursed her lips. Recalling the look in his eyes earlier that day, she felt uneasy. Turning to Yin Yanzhong, she asked, "Has he married?"
"No," Yin Yanzhong shrugged. "After the Guan family was exterminated, the emperor implicated the Marquis of State Pacification's Mansion. Many officials from marquis households were exiled. It was only after the Prime Minister interceded that the emperor appointed Feng Ming as a general to defend against foreign enemies. After he distinguished himself in battle, the Marquis of State Pacification's Mansion gradually received leniency. Given such circumstances, it’s naturally difficult for him to marry."
Relieved, Feng Yue patted her chest and laughed. "Fortunately, it’s not because he’s been pining for me and refusing to marry. Otherwise, I’d bear a heavy burden of guilt."
Glancing at her, Yin Yanzhong added seriously, "It’s possible that his refusal of the Empress’s matchmaking this year was because of you."
Feng Yue: "..."
Amused and exasperated, she casually picked up a mirror to look at herself. As she examined her reflection, she muttered, "Am I so breathtakingly beautiful that I could outshine the moon and put flowers to shame? With so many fine young ladies in Lidu, why would he dwell on someone like me, who’s supposed to be dead?""Once you've seen the ocean, no other water can compare."
"Pah, pah, pah, pah, pah!" Feng Yue frowned, grinding her teeth. "Forget that I never got along with him before—even if we did, after all these years and everything that's happened in between, who has time to care about oceans or mulberry fields? If it's really because I'm not getting married, then he's just making trouble for me!"
That made sense. Matters of the heart could be a real hindrance! Everyone nodded in agreement.
Outside the courtyard wall, someone gently tapped the wall, chuckled softly, and walked away.
The people in the courtyard began to work earnestly. By the break of dawn, the movable type printing was ready. Sheets of the "Proclamation of Guilt" fell like snowflakes, filling the entire courtyard and soon every corner of Lidu.
Few commoners were literate. Seeing these papers fall from the sky, they assumed it was a heavenly decree and flocked to nearby schools for explanations. The schoolmasters read the text word by word and explained to everyone that it was not a heavenly decree but a document seeking justice for a loyal minister.
At the end of the proclamation was printed: "A blood letter in my own hand hangs at the palace gate, begging to reach the Emperor's ears."
It was midsummer. The commoners had some free time and loved to gather for excitement. Seeing such a spectacle, they naturally rushed to the palace gate.
"Hey, there really is a blood letter! Look at the color of the blood—it looks like human blood!"
"Helan Changde, isn't he the Censor? I heard he went missing. Was he afraid the Emperor would punish him, so he hid away to write this proclamation, thinking he could avoid punishment?"
"Pah! Traitor! I always said a brilliant and heroic general like General Guan couldn't possibly betray the country. So he really was framed by villains!"
"I always believed in General Guan!"
"Cut it out! A few years ago at the execution ground, you were cursing the Guan family as a traitorous clan. Don't act wise after the fact now!"
The chatter and debate continued. Among the crowd, someone stirred emotions, demanding justice for General Guan. In no time, thousands echoed the call, their clamor reaching deep into the palace.
Emperor Wen of Wei was furious. If Helan Changde wanted to confess his guilt, why post it at the palace gate? He didn't want to see it, nor was he willing to!
Thus, the Imperial Guard arrived at the palace gate to remove the blood letter.
"Halt." Clad in silver-black armor, Feng Ming pointed his longsword at the ground, his eyes icy. "Without an imperial decree, no one may approach!"
The Imperial Guard commander laughed. "General, I am here on the Emperor's verbal order to remove this thing."
"Verbal order?" Feng Ming smiled faintly, cradling his sword. "How do I know you're not falsely relaying the order? I bear the heavy responsibility of guarding the Palace City. Aside from His Majesty, anyone who wishes to approach this gate tower must present a written imperial edict!"
Wasn't this unreasonable? He guarded the Palace City, but the Imperial Guard had come from inside the Palace City! They were allowed into the Palace City, so why couldn't they approach the gate tower?
Feng Ming crossed his sword. I am being unreasonable—do you dare to force your way through?
The Imperial Guard commander was furious and immediately returned to the Emperor to lodge a complaint. Just as the Emperor was about to erupt in anger, Prime Minister Shi Hongwei beside him smiled and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty."
"With such a rebellious subject, what congratulations are you talking about?" Emperor Wen of Wei was incensed.
Shi Hongwei cupped his hands and replied, "How is this rebellious? With a loyal and unwavering subject like Feng Ming guarding the Palace City, no one with ill intentions could succeed. He only recognizes Your Majesty's written edict. How can this be considered rebellious?"Emperor Wen of Wei listened and found it quite reasonable, so he indeed wrote an Imperial Edict for the Imperial Guard commander, ordering him to go and remove that thing again.
Knowing you were coming to remove it, would something so painstakingly written by the First Prince Yin Gezhi be wasted for nothing? Of course not. Feng Ming had already arranged for the item to be sent back to the Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion in advance.
However, Yin Gezhi was not at the mansion. Compared to the lifeless Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion, he still preferred Feng Yue's bustling courtyard.
Public discussions continued unabated, and with some incitement, public sentiment boiled over. There was even a Petition of Ten Thousand People demanding that Emperor Wen of Wei restore justice to the Guan family. Emperor Wen did not know who was behind this. He suspected Yin Gezhi, but given the already tense father-son relationship, he could not confront him directly. All he could do was resort to violent suppression.
The more he suppressed, the greater the chaos. Many court officials who had previously refrained from commenting on the matter now stepped forward, urging His Majesty to heed the will of the people.
"The will of the people, the will of the people!" Emperor Wen sneered, slamming the table in anger. "Where is there so much 'will of the people'? Three years ago, when I executed the entire Guan family, didn't you also say it was the trend of public sentiment? What does the will of the people amount to? I am the ruler of this nation!"
These words shocked the entire court. The Prime Minister removed his official hat to plead for forgiveness, and the officials knelt and refused to rise.
"Our Emperor is truly formidable!" Feng Yue sighed. "The world is his alone, and he has the final say."
Yin Gezhi looked displeased. Sipping his tea, he said calmly, "Although Feng Ming often acts without thinking, there is one thing he said that is very true."
"A nation prospers by heeding broad counsel and accepting remonstrance; it perishes by autocratic and arbitrary rule."
Feng Yue raised an eyebrow. "Prince Xiao, this is your father's nation. Wouldn't you feel heartbroken if it perished?"
Yin Gezhi sneered. "If this were truly his nation alone, I wouldn't feel heartbroken at all if it perished."
Unfortunately, there are still the common people, the masses of the realm. What wrong have they done?
Feng Yue shrugged, not intending to discuss state affairs with him, and only said, "I have something to attend to tonight. If you still want tea, help yourself."
Swirling the tea leaves in his cup, Yin Gezhi said calmly, "Going to harm someone?"
"Yes," Feng Yue narrowed her eyes, smiling like a fox spirit. "Some people who deserve a wretched death must be properly dealt with."
Glancing sideways at her, Yin Gezhi said, "Be careful on the way."
Just these four words? Feng Yue raised an eyebrow and clicked her tongue twice. "Your heart is truly broad!"
"The person you want to deal with happens to be someone I also want to trouble. If it saves me effort, why should my heart not be broad?" With deep eyes, Yin Gezhi slightly curved his lips. "Go early and return early."
Seeing his all-knowing, condescending demeanor, Feng Yue really wanted to kick him in the rear!
"Yue'er." Feng Ming's voice sounded from outside, slightly impatient. "Hurry up!"
"Coming!" The address gave her goosebumps. Feng Yue hugged her arms and shivered, then stood up to leave.
But then her wrist was suddenly pinned to the table!
Feng Yue was stunned, turning her head in confusion to look at the person beside her. She saw that Yin Gezhi, who had just moments ago looked like a detached sage, now had a darkened face as he softly asked her, "You're going with him?"
"Of course. Who else could take me to visit the Grand Commandant's Mansion?"
I could! But clearly, this infuriating person did not have him in mind.
Taking a deep breath, Yin Gezhi said expressionlessly, "I'm going too.""Why would you go and cause trouble!" Feng Yue waved her hand dismissively: "The general only needs one maid by his side!"
"..."
Half an hour later, General Feng had an extra maid behind him and an extra master beside him.
Feng Ming was quite puzzled: "Your Highness, what are you going there for?"
Yin Gezhi replied coldly: "The flowers in the Grand Commandant's Mansion's backyard are blooming beautifully. I wish to go see them. Is that not allowed?"
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