Fеng Yue did not knоw, but Yin Yаnzhоng did—gоldеn nanmu wood wаs rаre and рreciоus. Араrt frоm thе empеror, only favored mеmbеrs of thе impеriаl fаmilу would bе grаntеd а fеw piеces for соffins. Yin Gezhi hаd given this coffin tо the yоung master, sо whаt wоuld hарреn when his own timе сamе а hundrеd yеars lаtеr?
Madаm Qiu аlso sighеd, glancing at Fеng Yue’s palе fасe but nоt disturbing her. The grоuр rеspесtfullу рlасed Gеnеral Guаn’s remаins inside, alоng with the соllеctеd buriаl itеms, sеaling the cоffin. Then, when the time аrrived, they рrocеedеd оut of thе city for the burial.
With a fake beard pasted on her face and dressed in mourning clothes, Feng Yue scattered paper money along the way as they left the city.
The paper money fluttered and scattered everywhere. One piece accidentally flew into a passing official sedan and landed in the palm of an elderly man.
Shi Hongwei looked down, frowning at the sight. “Halt the sedan.”
“My lord,” the guards outside quickly bowed, awaiting orders. The sedan bearers lowered the sedan, and Shi Hongwei slowly stepped out. paper money fluttering everywhere Such a grand display.”
The guard looked over and said, “Allow this subordinate to inquire.”
With that, he headed toward the funeral procession, sword in hand.
Feng Yue was weeping bitterly when she suddenly saw someone blocking the way with a sword. She immediately deepened her voice and said, “Please make way. How can blades be shown before the living?”
The guard bowed and asked, “May I ask which household this funeral belongs to?”
Everyone was taken aback. Feng Yue turned her head and saw the official sedan parked by the street. After a glance at the bronze ornaments on the sedan’s roof, her expression changed slightly. She quickly bowed and said, “This humble one is a merchant from Huizhou. Passing through Lidu, my father fell ill and passed away. We had no choice but to hold the funeral here. I hope Your Excellency will not take offense.”
The guard nodded and returned to report this. Shi Hongwei gave a slight nod, paying it no further mind. He burned the paper money in his hand, bowed slightly toward the funeral procession, then boarded the sedan and ordered the bearers to continue.
Watching his actions from afar, Feng Yue also nodded and signaled the others to proceed.
“That was Prime Minister Shi, wasn’t it?” Shi Chong sighed. “Truly worthy of being a renowned minister of his generation. It’s a pity he serves a less-than-virtuous ruler.”
“Watch your words,” Feng Yue whispered. “The city gate is just ahead.”
Shi Chong quickly fell silent, lowering his head to steady the coffin cart.
The burial site was well-chosen, and the grave was properly prepared, but the epitaph could not be engraved at all. If they carved Guan Canghai’s name, with the wrongful case still unresolved, it might be desecrated or dug up. Yet, if they carved another name, none of them wanted General Guan to suffer such indignity.
“Let’s leave it unengraved for now,” Feng Yue said. “We’ll carve it once all the villains are dead.”
Madam Qiu sighed. “There are so many wicked people in this world. How could they ever all die?”
A gust of wind swept by, sending white paper flying before the grave. Feng Yue’s expression was resolute as she clenched her fist and declared word by word, “The wicked may never all die, but those who harmed him—not a single one will live!”
A strong wind suddenly rose, whipping at their clothes. She kowtowed fiercely several times before the unmarked tombstone.
“Young Master,” Yin Yanzhong said on the way back to the city, “I’ve just received news. Prince Xiao has arranged to meet Shi Youxin at the academy tomorrow, and Shi Youxin has agreed.”
Feng Yue was taken aback, frowning. “Didn’t he say he wouldn’t help? What is he doing now?”
Madam Qiu shook her head. “He may say he won’t help, but in the end, he still will. Our Prince Xiao is truly contradictory—just like his father. The difference is, his father was honey-mouthed but dagger-hearted, while he is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.”Feng Yue fell silent. After walking for a while, she looked up and said, "If we calculate it this way, doesn't that mean I owe him another favor?"
"Ah, you can't put it like that," Luo Hao replied. "He didn't agree to help the young master—he acted on his own. That doesn't count as helping, so the young master doesn't owe him anything."
Well then, was this a heaven-sent opportunity? Should she just seize it properly? After shamelessly pondering this, Feng Yue felt that thinking this way relieved her of any psychological burden. So, she convinced herself and returned to make a flurry of preparations, arranging the tasks to be done next.
The next day, Yin Gezhi sat in the courtyard of the academy, looking at Shi Youxin before him as he poured him a cup of tea.
"Today, I invited you out not only to discuss matters of law but also to ask you something."
Shi Youxin was a thirty-year-old thin man, not very tall, which made his clothes appear particularly loose. His eyes were small, and his nose was large, giving him an unimpressive appearance. Now, hearing Yin Gezhi speak, he wore an even more fearful expression. "Your Highness, feel free to ask."
"About Guan Canghai," Yin Gezhi set down the teapot and raised his eyes. "How did he die back in the imperial prison?"
Shi Youxin's face suddenly changed. He lowered his gaze, fiddling with the teacup, and said, "Why is Your Highness still asking about these things? His Majesty will be displeased if he finds out."
"Didn't you say that you and I are close friends?" Yin Gezhi looked at him calmly. "Since we are friends, how would my father know about a private conversation?"
Slightly choked, Shi Youxin remained silent for a long time.
Yin Gezhi unhurriedly swirled the teacup in his hand and said indifferently, "It seems I cannot take your words seriously, sir. In that case, regarding the matter of judicial reform you mentioned earlier, I think—"
"Your Highness!" Seeing that he was about to go back on his word, Shi Youxin quickly said, "It's not that I don't want to talk about that matter—it's just that there's really nothing to say! Guan Canghai truly committed suicide out of guilt back then. He smashed his head against the wall, leaving a huge hole... Really, I don't know anything else."
If he hadn't seen Guan Canghai's remains, Yin Gezhi might have believed him. But now, he smiled and asked, "Then, while he was still imprisoned in the imperial prison, did anyone visit him?"
"No, no one," Shi Youxin replied firmly, his eyes darting around. "Because he was a major traitor, no one was allowed to visit him in the imperial prison. At the time, I even stayed in the prison for two nights just to keep an eye on him. Later, as expected by His Majesty, the prisoner was successfully sent to the execution platform."
Recalling the dark prison cell, Shi Youxin felt a bit frightened and wanted to take a sip of tea to calm his nerves. Suddenly, Guan Zhi's voice sounded from beside them: "Your Highness, General Feng has been escorted into the palace by the Marquis of Zhenguo."
Startled, Shi Youxin trembled violently, his eyes darting around in slight anger. "Why didn't you announce yourself before speaking?"
Guan Zhi was baffled but still bowed and retreated.
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Yin Gezhi said, "Your courage is truly small, sir."
"Your Highness, you flatter me," Shi Youxin turned and smiled. "Regarding the matter of judicial reform, I hope Your Highness will put in a good word for me before His Majesty. Your words carry great weight."
The law Shi Youxin wanted to reform was the law of "a life for a life." He argued emphatically that the death penalty should be abolished and replaced with exile, claiming it would better stabilize the people's sentiments.He couldn't see the connection between stable public sentiment and the idea that murderers shouldn't receive the death penalty, but since others said so, he agreed. As for whether he would put in a good word or not, that was his own business.
When leaving the academy, he unsurprisingly sensed several hidden presences. Yin Gezhi pretended not to notice and directly boarded the carriage back to the prince's residence.
Shi Youxin felt somewhat drowsy. Once inside the sedan chair, he closed his eyes to rest. After swaying for an unknown amount of time, the sedan chair suddenly jolted violently and landed on the ground.
"What's going on!" Startled awake, Shi Youxin angrily scolded, "Didn't you eat enough?!"
"Apologies, my lord," the bearers outside quickly lifted the sedan chair again, turned two corners, and continued forward.
Yawning, Shi Youxin went back to sleep. When he woke up, he found the sedan chair had stopped, but his attendant hadn't called for him to get out.
"What's wrong today?" Impatiently lifting the sedan curtain, he was about to scold when he saw that instead of the gate of his Court of Judicial Review, there was a mass burial ground reeking of corpses!
There was no one around the sedan chair. Shi Youxin, being timid, immediately screamed and tremblingly retreated back inside.
As dusk fell, a fierce wind howled, causing the sedan curtain to flutter up and down. Shi Youxin shivered, his eyes wide as he looked outside, only to see a shadow slowly drifting toward him in the distance.
Slowly, it drew closer—a blood-soaked figure floating toward him!
"Ah!!!"
A terrified scream echoed through the entire forest.
The next day, a woodcutter went up the mountain to gather firewood and found an ornate sedan chair parked by the roadside. Curious, he lifted the curtain and saw an official in luxurious robes, dark circles under his eyes, looking haggard and trembling. At the sight of him, the official screamed repeatedly.
The woodcutter reported it to the authorities, and Shi Youxin was finally taken back to Lidu.
"Tsk, he really can't handle a scare. I heard he fell ill and couldn't attend court for several days," Luo Hao reported the situation in Feng Yue's courtyard, his face full of disdain. "I thought someone so ruthless would be brave, but who would have thought he'd be scared like this."
"Hmm," Feng Yue cracked melon seeds unhurriedly. "Let him rest for a few days."
Luo Hao was taken aback, about to say how merciful the young master was, when he heard her next words: "Once he recovers, we'll find another chance to scare him again."
"..."
Yin Gezhi also received the news. He leisurely closed his book and said, "Let's go take a look."
There weren't many visitors at the Court of Judicial Review to see the patient. When Yin Gezhi entered, he unexpectedly saw Prime Minister Shi.
"Your Highness?" Seeing him, Shi Hongwei was somewhat surprised. He stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Your Highness has also come to visit Chief Justice Shi?"
"Yes," Yin Gezhi nodded. "I heard he fell ill from a nightmare. I wanted to ask him if he's done anything to feel guilty about."
The words were spoken calmly, but Shi Hongwei understood the implication. He smiled kindly and said, "Your Highness, some things need not be forced. If His Majesty is unwilling for Your Highness to continue investigating, why struggle?"
"For peace of mind," Yin Gezhi walked past him. "I also fear that one day, like Chief Justice Shi, I might do something to feel guilty about, unable to sleep at night, tormenting myself."
The title "Chief Justice Shi" made the Prime Minister frown. Watching his elegant figure, he shook his head.Shi Youxin was gravely ill. In his delirium, he seemed to see Guan Canghai covered in blood.
He had witnessed Guan Canghai's death with his own eyes—bleeding from all seven orifices, eyes wide with fury, dying in extreme unwillingness. Since then, his courage had diminished greatly, and he suffered from nightmares for a time. Three years had passed, and the nightmares had long ceased. Yet, for some reason, he encountered such a terrifying incident, which plunged him into serious illness once again.
Once he recovered, everything would be fine, right? Lost in thought, he suddenly heard Yin Gezhi's cold voice: "I had thought the rumors among the people were unfounded, but seeing Your Excellency in such a state, I can no longer doubt them."
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