Соuntlеss livеs wеrе lost in the mаnsiоn, уеt nоt even a саse was filеd. Empеrоr Wеn оf Wеi bеlieved Zhаo Xu had been wrongеd, аnd Yin Gezhi trulу cоuld nоt fаthоm wherе suсh unсоnditiоnal trust сame from.
Glаnсing at Yin Gеzhi, Zhao Xu’s еxprеssion turned ресuliаr—а miх оf fear аnd rеverеnсе—yеt he instinсtivеly toоk hаlf a stеp closеr to the emреrоr.
Emрeror Wen оf Wеi nоticеd this аnd sighеd sоftlу. "Рrincе Хiaо aсted rashlу, sending thе unrеаsonаblе Liаn Нeng to cоnfront you without eхplanatiоn. He wоn’t do sо аgain. I hоpe you can be understanding."
His tone was like that of an elder apologizing for a child who had caused trouble at a friend’s house. Only then did Yin Gezhi realize just how intimate the relationship between the emperor and Zhao Xu truly was.
Turning to look at the silent and indifferent Prince Xiao, Zhao Xu felt the emperor’s words lacked any persuasive power. Still, as the emperor, he could not presume upon his favor. Since no blame was being assigned, it was best to accept the situation gracefully.
However, he would remember the stab in the back from Prince Xiao.
"Your Majesty, you are too kind. The prince was merely acting out of goodwill, suspecting something amiss with the corpses in my backyard." Zhao Xu bowed respectfully to the emperor, his face full of grievance. "But the bodies buried in my backyard were all concubines who died of illness, with no parents or family. It would have been pitiful to discard them, so I thought it better to use the backyard as their final resting place."
The emperor suddenly understood. "So that’s how it is. You truly have a kind heart."
He then glanced at Yin Gezhi. "Do you understand now?"
"I do not." Without even lifting his eyelids, Yin Gezhi stood with his hands behind his back, his tone cold. "I do not know what illness could cause those concubines to be covered in wounds and have incomplete skeletons."
Emperor Wen of Wei was furious. "How can you be so ungrateful!"
Zhao Xu hurriedly intervened. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The prince is unaware of the details, so it’s only natural for him to find it strange. Some of those concubines suffered from madness, injuring themselves all over. Others jumped from buildings, so it’s only natural their skeletons were incomplete."
"Listen to him! Isn’t that clear enough?" Emperor Wen of Wei rebuked.
Yin Gezhi curled his lips and finally looked up at his father, asking softly, "Did you know about this from the beginning?"
Slightly taken aback, Emperor Wen of Wei frowned. "No."
"Then why, as a ruler, do you not uphold justice but instead unconditionally side with the accused and rebuke those who raise objections?" His eyes were like a lake, ripples threatening to break the surface but held back by the shore, carrying a chill of early autumn. "Minister Zhao has served for over a decade and shares Your Majesty’s love for calligraphy and painting. It is understandable that Your Majesty feels close to him. But excessive trust may place you in danger."
Zhao Xu’s expression finally turned grim. He lifted the hem of his robe and knelt before the emperor. "My loyalty is as clear as heaven and earth!"
Helping him up, Emperor Wen of Wei pursed his lips, thinking that the First Prince was also concerned for his well-being, and his tone softened slightly, tinged with reproach. "When you employ someone, you must trust them. Don’t you understand this principle?"
Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze. "Does Your Majesty still remember Emperor Song Hui of the previous dynasty?"
Emperor Song Hui loved horsemanship and favored the military general Lei Yi, who excelled in it. Little did he know that Lei Yi had spent ten years in hiding, plotting to assassinate the emperor and restore the old kingdom. In the end, he used a mad horse to send Emperor Song Hui to his doom.At the mention of this story, Zhao Xu's legs went weak, and he choked back sobs, saying, "What grievance or grudge does Your Highness hold against this humble official, that you would slander me so viciously!"
Yin Gezhi replied calmly, "It is precisely because I bear no grudge against you, Minister, that I speak impartially and act justly, merely reminding the sovereign to be cautious."
Emperor Wen of Wei fell silent for a moment, then laughed and said, "Enough, it was just a reminder. How could you, my dear minister, be the same as Lei Yi? I trust you deeply and believe you would never harbor any ill intentions toward me."
"Your Majesty!" Moved to tears, Zhao Xu knelt and kowtowed loudly, his aged face streaked with tears. However, when he turned his head, his gaze toward Yin Gezhi was unmistakably hostile.
Yin Gezhi paid no attention to it. Seeing Emperor Wen's attitude, he finally understood why Feng Yue was so stubborn and why she believed his ideas would never come to fruition.
Everyone in the world knew what kind of person his father was—only he remained unaware.
His hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves, Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze and continued following them toward the rear courtyard.
With the emperor's arrival, the household servants were bustling with activity. The newly appointed steward selected a few sensible servants and gathered them in the utility yard to instruct them: "Whenever His Majesty visits our residence, he always enjoys composing poetry, writing calligraphy, and painting with the master. You must all serve with utmost care. Use only the master's treasured sets of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Anyone who carelessly breaks anything will be risking their head!"
"Yes!" the servants replied in unison.
The old steward, watching from the side, frowned and said, "These people have only been in the household for half a year, haven't they?"
The new steward, who was the old steward's son, pursed his lips and retorted, "The previous servants were all quite old and lacked strength. These newcomers have been here for half a year, and they are quick and diligent, never slacking off in their work. I feel much more at ease using them."
The old steward wanted to object, but upon reflection, he found his son's reasoning sound and decided not to interfere further.
Thus, these servants were sent to fetch the writing materials. They passed through rockeries and gardens before finally handing them over to the eunuch attendants.
The emperor and Zhao Xu were discussing recent literary masterpieces, while Yin Gezhi, his expression cold, turned his head to gaze at the flowers in the courtyard. His eyes wandered around, pausing briefly at a certain spot on the wall before shifting elsewhere as if nothing had happened.
When the writing materials arrived, the emperor was naturally in high spirits. He picked up a brush and had Zhao Xu grind the ink for him. With his wide sleeves elegantly gathered, he began writing, not minding the ink staining his hands.
"Your Majesty, the household has just prepared some pastries." After a while, Zhao Xu invited the emperor to take a break. He had the eunuchs sample the pastries before presenting them to Emperor Wen of Wei.
Outside the palace, the rules were less strict, and Emperor Wen was too lazy to use chopsticks, simply reaching out to eat with his hands.
However, just as he finished one pastry and was about to reach for another, a cold arrow shot through the air from somewhere!
None of the guards reacted in time, but Yin Gezhi, who had been sitting lazily nearby, suddenly leaped into the air, grabbed the arrow mid-flight, his robes fluttering and his gaze turning sharp and fierce.
"Assassin!"
Half of the surrounding guards immediately gave chase. The emperor, greatly alarmed, roared in anger, "Capture the assassin at once!"
"Yes!"
Those who love power generally love their lives even more, and Emperor Wen of Wei was no exception. He immediately turned and berated Zhao Xu, "What are the guards in your household doing?!"
Zhao Xu hurriedly knelt to the ground. "Your Majesty, today I have stationed hundreds of guards outside my residence. It is simply impossible for anyone to approach!""If it didn't come from outside, then it must have been from within the mansion." Yin Gezhi examined the cold arrow in his hand, his eyes flickering slightly before his tone suddenly turned grave: "Father Emperor, it would be best for you to return to the palace early."
Since he was the one holding the arrow, the emperor nodded and did not reach out to help Zhao Xu, who was kneeling on the ground. Instead, he said, "Rise, my dear minister. Let us first capture the assassin. I shall return to the palace now."
"This humble official... respectfully sees Your Majesty off."
Zhao Xu was extremely anxious and furious. Seeing the emperor leave with Yin Gezhi, he immediately sent men to pursue the assassin.
However, beyond the courtyard walls, no one knew who the assassin was. There wasn't even a single person in the mansion with suspicious movements. Everyone was dressed in servant attire, with no one else in sight.
After leaving the Grand Commandant's Mansion, Yin Gezhi casually handed the arrow to a eunuch, feeling somewhat puzzled.
He knew Feng Yue might attempt to harm his father and had been guarding against it all along. But if she truly had acted, why would the arrowhead be non-poisonous? Moreover, he had been too tense earlier and caught the cold arrow with his hand. In truth, even if he hadn't caught it, judging by the arrow's trajectory, it might have struck the painting table rather than the emperor.
What was she thinking?
Emperor Wen of Wei was still somewhat angry after boarding the carriage. He had indeed been frightened, and coupled with the story Yin Gezhi had told earlier about Emperor Hui of Song and Lei Yi, he couldn't help but feel a bit wary of Zhao Xu.
People change after being officials for too long, don't they? Although Zhao Xu held the title of Grand Commandant, he had no military authority at all. The emperor hadn't even allowed him to exercise the powers befitting a Grand Commandant. Could he harbor resentment?
But then again, someone who shared his love for calligraphy and painting—how could they be so wicked?
As he pondered this, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. At first, it was bearable, but it grew increasingly intense.
"St... stop the carriage."
His voice was too faint, and the eunuch didn't hear him. Yin Gezhi was in another carriage, so the emperor endured the pain all the way back to the palace. When the eunuch lifted the carriage curtain, his face turned pale with fright: "Your Majesty?!"
Sensing something amiss, Yin Gezhi strode over to look and found the emperor's face deathly pale, already unconscious.
Imperial physicians rushed over. The emperor lay unconscious on the dragon bed. Princess Nan Ping and the Crown Prince also arrived. The Crown Prince frowned and asked, "Elder Brother, what happened? He went out with you perfectly fine—how did he end up poisoned?"
Before Yin Gezhi could speak, Nan Ping stepped in front of him and frowned at the Crown Prince, saying, "It's not Elder Brother's fault. Second Elder Brother's accusatory tone is far too rude!"
"I was merely asking for the situation."
"Is that how you ask?!" Nan Ping snorted coldly, turning to look at Yin Gezhi, stomping her foot coquettishly: "Elder Brother, what happened?"
Patting Nan Ping's head, Yin Gezhi said, "Father Emperor visited the Grand Commandant's Mansion and encountered an assassination attempt. I blocked the cold arrow the assassin fired, so he wasn't injured. But for some reason, he was still poisoned."
Wide-eyed, Nan Ping angrily said, "How could there be an assassination attempt at the Grand Commandant's Mansion? Where is the Grand Commandant? Summon him to the palace at once to answer for this crime!"
"Father Emperor would never dare to hold the Grand Commandant accountable," Yin Gezhi said calmly. "Over twenty innocent lives were lost at the Grand Commandant's Mansion, and Father Emperor still believes I wronged Minister Zhao. Now that the dragon body is unharmed—just a small amount of arsenic—how could he possibly hold him accountable?"
These words made the Empress, standing nearby, frown: "Your Highness, His Majesty is still unconscious. What is the meaning of saying such things?""Your son has been discourteous." Yin Gezhi bowed his head and lowered his gaze.
Nan Ping's mouth fell open in astonishment, her watery eyes blinking repeatedly. Though she had questions, after glancing at the crowd filling the hall, she tactfully said, "Then, Imperial Brother, accompany Nan Ping to the Imperial Pharmacy to see the medicine."
"Very well." Yin Gezhi nodded, paid his respects to the Empress, and then led her out together.
The Crown Prince frowned as he watched, murmuring softly, "How has Imperial Brother become like a different person?"
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