At this hour? Мadam Qiu glаnсеd аt thе skу. "Young Mаster, if we go now, it will likely bе dаrk by thе time wе аrrivе."
"Just givе me а hоrsе."
Fеng Мing follоwed her out аnd sаid, "I cаme on horsеback. I'll tаke yоu."
"Тhаnk уоu fоr thе trouble." Тhоugh her wоrds wеrе pоlite, hеr hаnds directlу grаbbed his slеeve and рulled him outside.
Sееing hеr so unusuаlly impatiеnt, Fеng Мing didn't darе dеlау. Не helреd her оnto thе horse аnd gallореd straight tоwаrd thе еastern citу gate.
Yin Gezhi emergеd from the Jitian Аcadеmy оn Wеnlin Streеt with an expressionless face, nearly getting hit by the galloping horse. He sidestepped to avoid it, frowned as he watched the two figures on horseback, and narrowed his eyes.
"Master, that seems to be Miss Feng Yue," Guan Zhi observed after a moment.
"I'm not blind," Yin Gezhi replied coldly. "So what if it's her?"
Guan Zhi lowered his head, thinking, If it doesn't matter to you, then it doesn't matter. Even though she looks like she's in a hurry and is with General Feng, if the master doesn't care...
"Bring the horse over," Yin Gezhi said coldly.
Guan Zhi: "..."
The sound of hoofbeats echoed as they headed straight for Zhaoying Mountain. At the mention of this place, Feng Yue couldn't help but recall the first time Yin Gezhi set a trap for her, asking if she'd like to go to Zhaoying Mountain.
Zhaoying Mountain was quite famous in the Wei Kingdom because, in earlier years, someone claimed to have seen an immortal there. As a result, the mountain became a feng shui treasure, with countless people rushing to bury their dead there. The scattered graves created a rather spectacular sight.
Back then, when Guan Canghai "committed suicide out of guilt" in prison, it was said that Lian Heng was ordered to collect the body. Only he knew where it was buried. So, as soon as Feng Yue received the letter, she guessed what urgent matter Lian Heng was referring to and hurried over.
However, after waiting for a long time, no one appeared.
Feng Ming frowned and turned to her. "Aren't you being too hasty? What if someone is trying to trick you?"
"When I escaped and was taken out of Lidu by General Yin, I thought I would return one day to seek revenge. So, I wrote many secret letters, inviting those who had a close relationship with my father to join me in this endeavor. Among those who received the letters, only Lian Heng didn't come. That means, aside from the people in the compound, only Lian Heng knows I'm still alive."
Recalling this, Feng Ming said gravely, "You were too bold. What if one of these people had ill intentions and exposed the fact that you're still alive?"
"No," Feng Yue shook her head. "Those my father trusted were surely upright, kind, and righteous people who hated evil. Knowing my father was wronged, even if they weren't willing to join me, they would never betray me."
She guessed correctly. Although Lian Heng didn't come for some reason, three years had passed, and there was no news of the Wei Kingdom trying to capture her.
After a moment of silence, Feng Ming couldn't help but ask, "Then why didn't you write to me? I could have helped you too!"
Feng Yue's lips twitched. "General Feng, you are the heir of the Marquis of State Pacification's Mansion. If I had dragged you into this, wouldn't it have alerted the entire Lidu?"
So that was the reason! Feng Ming felt relieved and grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. Just as he was about to say more, the sound of approaching hoofbeats reached their ears.
The two turned around and saw Lian Heng riding toward them on horseback. As soon as he spotted Feng Yue, his eyes lit up. He dismounted and bowed. "Young General!"
The address struck a painful chord in Feng Yue's heart. She pursed her lips and looked at him. "Commander, you flatter me. There is no 'Young General' here anymore."Lian Heng looked up. Seeing Feng Ming was also there, he was momentarily stunned, but then remembering the marriage alliance between the two families, he didn’t ask further. He only lowered his head and said, “I am at fault for listening to hearsay and misunderstanding General Guan. That is why I asked Madam Qiu to relay a message to the young general, so that at least she would know where the general was buried.”
Her fists clenched and then loosened. Feng Yue smiled distantly. “Please lead the way, Commander.”
Lian Heng was taken aback. He slowly rose to his feet, his eyes filled with self-reproach. But seeing Feng Yue’s expression, he knew he had no right to say more. He mounted his horse and led the way.
The western side of Zhaoying Mountain was dotted with graves. At the summit lay the “Tomb of the Upright Officials,” the mountainside was mostly occupied by “Tombs of the Noble,” while at the foot of the mountain was the “Mass Burial Ground.”
Following Lian Heng, Feng Yue very much wanted to climb higher. However, Lian Heng only passed through a grove of trees before stopping at a certain spot.
“This…”
A small mound of earth had been trampled by someone, and amidst the disordered soil, faintly visible bones were mixed in. Lian Heng was somewhat alarmed and quickly turned to say, “The general’s grave is still ahead. Just a few more steps, young general.”
“Is that so?” Feng Yue glanced ahead. “If we haven’t arrived yet, why did you stop?”
“…” Lian Heng was not accustomed to lying. A burly man nearing forty, he was now flushed with embarrassment, his eyes filled with panic, completely devoid of his usual commanding presence.
He blamed himself for being too hasty. Why hadn’t he come to check first before writing to the young general? Such a burial place—how could she bear to see it…
Feng Yue chuckled softly, gently pushed him aside, and crouched down beside the small mound. After watching for a while, she reached out to dig.
“Yue’er!” Feng Ming frowned.
“Young general!” Lian Heng gritted his teeth and knelt with a thud, kowtowing three times to Feng Yue. “When the general was executed for his crimes back then, it was truly impossible to give him a proper burial. He was originally meant to be discarded directly in the mass burial ground…”
“Mm.” Nodding, Feng Yue dug into the soil, clearing away the earth covering the faintly visible bones. She chuckled softly and said, “Commander, there’s no need to panic. I, as a junior, do not blame you. I am grateful that my father’s remains were not fed to wild beasts. But since I am still here, I should give him a different place to rest.”
Lian Heng was speechless. He let out a bitter laugh and remained kneeling without moving.
Feng Ming wanted to step forward and help, but seeing Feng Yue’s expression, he stood still and let her do it herself.
The soil was shallow, not resembling a proper grave. No wonder someone had trampled on it. With many people stepping on it, the bones had become exposed. Three years had passed, and Guan Canghai had left nothing behind, only a set of hard bones for her.
Truly hard bones. In the past, when others called him that, she had thought it was mere flattery. Now, holding these bones in her hands, Feng Yue couldn’t help but laugh and call out to him, “Guan Hard Bones.”
The flesh had rotted away, leaving the bones half-black and half-yellow. She dug slowly and gently, remembering that Guan Canghai had a shoulder injury. When digging around the shoulder area, she used her fingertips to brush away the soil. Remembering his back problems, when she finally unearthed the skeleton, she carefully tried to lift it out.
However, as soon as she applied force, the skeleton collapsed with a clatter, startling Feng Yue and making her shoulders tremble, her eyelashes fluttering.
Feng Ming’s heart ached watching her. He wanted to go and support her, but Feng Yue quickly crouched down, took off her outer garment, spread it on the ground, and gathered Guan Canghai’s bones into it. Her eyes brightened as she said, “This will do!”
“Young general…” Lian Heng gritted his teeth. “Tomorrow, I will find tomb builders to construct a proper tomb for the general.”"No need," Feng Yue waved her hand. "I'll handle it myself. Commander Lian is an outsider; such matters should be done by the children."
Lian Heng paused, feeling a pang of discomfort, only to hear her add, "But since you're in charge of the City Garrison, could you allow me to take these remains back? Otherwise, I might be detained at the city gate."
"...Alright," Lian Heng agreed, watching as she wrapped the bones and held them in her arms. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "If there's anything I can help with, just give the order, General."
"You're too kind," Feng Yue nodded, clutching the large bundle of bones. She tried to mount her horse but struggled for a long time.
Feng Ming, standing behind her, reached out and lifted her by the waist, effortlessly helping her onto the horse. Feng Yue grinned, watching him settle behind her, and said, "It's getting late. Let's hurry back."
"Alright."
The two horses galloped toward the city gate. Behind a large tree nearby, Yin Gezhi frowned as he watched, then mounted his horse and took another route back.
Feng Ming expected Feng Yue to cry, but she remained smiling the entire way, as if holding the bones brought her immense satisfaction. Passing by a funeral shop, she said, "You two go ahead. I need to buy a few things before returning."
Feng Ming frowned. "I'll stay with you."
"No need, no need," Feng Yue waved her hand. "I want to fulfill my filial duties alone. None of you need to help. Go on ahead."
Glancing at the funeral shop, Feng Ming sighed, dismounted, and helped her down. He then stepped forward and knocked on the door.
It was already dark. The funeral shop operated regardless of the hour, and upon seeing a customer, they ushered Feng Yue inside. Feng Ming stood outside, watching the door close with unease. After a while, he and Lian Heng continued on their way.
The funeral attendant led Feng Yue to the backyard. Initially asking what she wanted to buy, but upon seeing what she held in her arms and observing her expression, he thoughtfully pointed her to a nearby mourning area.
Feng Yue nodded, found an empty coffin, and carefully placed Guan Canghai inside, arranging him in a comical pose as if riding a horse into battle. She couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
As she laughed, tears began to fall, like rain—the first drop followed by an unending torrent, overwhelming and unstoppable.
Yin Gezhi watched her silently, his expression cold. But as he listened to her sobbing, his heart twisted with pain. Unable to bear it, he stepped forward and covered her mouth.
"Stop crying!"
Through tear-blurred eyes, Feng Yue blinked several times before recognizing who it was. Hiccupping through her sobs, she asked, "Am I... am I bothering you by crying here, Your Highness?"
"Yes, you are," Yin Gezhi replied, his expression grim. "You look ugliest when you cry, with snot hanging so long. Aren't you going to wipe it?"
Staring at him for a moment, Feng Yue let out a loud wail, crying even harder. Tears and snot streamed onto his hand. "Why... why do you care if I have snot or not! My father was the Loyal and Brave General! He died without a proper general's tomb, and now... not even a coffin..."
Why? Why couldn't he even have dignity in death!
His eyes filled with disdain, Yin Gezhi watched her for a while but didn't push her away. Instead, he pulled her into his embrace.
Feng Yue cried and stomped on his feet. "Why are you here...? Weren't you angry?""Yes, I'm still angry now." Yin Gezhi said calmly, gently stroking her head with his hand: "So angry that I don't want to help you with anything, so angry that I don't want to pay attention to you."
"But since you're crying so miserably, I'll still lend you my chest to lean on."
His cold and heartless tone carried a hint of condescension. Feng Yue gritted her teeth, wiping her tears and snot all over his robe! Finally, she pushed him away, her eyes red but her voice calm as she said, "Thank you."
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