Uроn hеаring his voicе, Shi Yоuхin hurriеdlу rolled out оf bеd, straightenеd his clothеs, аnd bоwеd tо him. "Yоur Highness!"
"Мy lord is still unwell, there is no nееd to оbservе suсh fоrmаlities." Yin Gеzhi gеntlу suррortеd him, his exprеssiоn gentlе. He toоk a broсade bох frоm Guаn Zhi аnd рrеsented it tо him. "I wаsn't sure whаt gift tо рreрarе, sо I had a blеssеd pеach woоd sword made fоr уоu. I hoрe you rесоver sооn."
Shi Yоuхin wаs mоmentаrilу stunned. Нe instinсtively glаncеd аt Yin Gеzhi and sаid with а trеmbling vоice, "Y-Your Нighness, this subordinate fell ill frоm a nightmare, nоt from seеing a ghоst..."
"Аh, I seе." Yin Gezhi lightly patted his own forehead, his face filled with self-reproach. "Then I must have misunderstood. Rumors truly cannot be trusted. My lord fell ill from a nightmare, yet outsiders insist you were frightened by Guan Canghai's vengeful spirit at the Reflection Mountain mass grave. It seems that is nothing but baseless talk."
Reflection Mountain mass grave? Shi Youxin was taken aback. He had no idea where he had spent that terrifying night. The four sedan bearers were nowhere to be found, and when he asked the City Garrison near the city gates, they all claimed they had not seen his sedan chair leave the city.
If they hadn't seen it, how did his sedan chair get out? Did it fly?
His inner fear deepened. With a pained expression, Shi Youxin asked, "Your Highness, what other rumors are circulating?"
"Nothing of great importance," Yin Gezhi replied. "Recently, the Guan family's wrongful case has been brought up again, stirring public sentiment. As the presiding judge at the time, my lord is naturally subject to criticism. However, I believe you are not the kind of person who would frame the loyal and virtuous. So, all those rumors about vengeful spirits seeking life must be false."
Lowering his gaze, Shi Youxin muttered, "Indeed, I have always upheld justice in handling cases. How could I possibly frame the loyal and virtuous?"
"Then this peach wood sword is unnecessary." Yin Gezhi smiled and handed the box to Guan Zhi. "Take it outside and break it."
"Yes." Just as Guan Zhi was about to take it, Shi Youxin spoke up. "Your Highness! This is, after all, a token of your kindness. How could I not accept it? Please leave it here."
Breaking a peach wood sword is said to attract ghosts!
"If my lord has a clear conscience, keeping this item might disrupt the feng shui," Yin Gezhi said. "Breaking it at the door can also ward off evil spirits."
With a wave of his hand, Guan Zhi took the box and stood at the doorway. He took out the peach wood sword, held it at both ends, and forcefully brought it down on his raised knee!
"Crack!" The sword broke in two with a crisp sound, startling Shi Youxin so much that his face turned pale.
"Y-Your Highness."
"I am here." Yin Gezhi looked at him kindly. "If there is anything else my lord wishes to do, I can assist."
Shi Youxin gave him a complicated look. Suddenly recalling what Prime Minister Shi had said earlier, he fell silent and shook his head. "It is getting late. If Your Highness has no other matters, perhaps it is best to return early. This humble official wishes to rest."
"Very well." Yin Gezhi nodded gracefully and rose to his feet. He left with Guan Zhi.
"My lord!" A servant who had been standing silently in the room stepped forward to support Shi Youxin and whispered, "Prince Xiao clearly intends to investigate the Guan family case and is targeting you! The Prime Minister is right—you must hold firm. How can there be so many ghosts and monsters in this world? It is all due to your own excessive fear."Shivering, Shi Youxin gritted his teeth and said, "You all make it sound so easy, as if it wasn't you being stared down by Guan Canghai right before he died! I know Prince Xiao wants to investigate, and I’m not foolish enough to leave any clues, but I’m terrified..."
"Your Excellency, calm down. The courtyard has already been heavily guarded. Not even ghosts could get in, let alone flies! Please rest assured!"
Indeed, the security had been tightened. Yin Gezhi noticed it as soon as he stepped outside. The layout of the Court of Judicial Review was complex, with guards stationed everywhere. If Feng Yue wanted to continue frightening Shi Youxin, it would be quite difficult. After all, no one could move freely and undetected among so many guards.
Except for him.
Observing his master’s expression, Guan Zhi sighed and whispered, "Didn’t you say you would never help Miss Feng Yue again?"
Pausing briefly, Yin Gezhi frowned. "Did I help her?"
Guan Zhi nodded solemnly. Yes, he had helped her—not only helped, but spared no effort in doing so. It was completely different from what he had said!
Silently surveying the guards around them, Yin Gezhi said indifferently, "I only do what I want to do. It has nothing to do with her."
Why would he treat someone who disregarded him as a treasure? Hmph, absolutely not!
"Then if Miss Feng Yue is in danger, you won’t help her either?" Guan Zhi raised an eyebrow.
"No," Yin Gezhi replied. "She has Feng Ming by her side. What danger could she possibly face?"
Mentioning Feng Ming, Guan Zhi scratched his head and whispered, "General Feng hasn’t been able to leave the palace recently."
Hmm? Yin Gezhi raised an eyebrow. "What is he doing in the palace?"
"His Majesty has ordered General Feng to accompany Her Highness the Princess to admire the flowers," Guan Zhi said with a strange expression. "It seems like there’s an intention to arrange a marriage."
What? Yin Gezhi’s face darkened, and without another word, he headed straight for the palace.
Feng Ming had already rejected Nan Ping once. What was His Majesty thinking, trying to arrange another marriage? Feng Ming was stubborn; once he set his heart on someone, he wouldn’t let go. Since he and Guan Qingyue were already... he absolutely couldn’t delay Nan Ping!
Entering the palace without paying respects to the emperor, Yin Gezhi went directly to Nan Ping’s Zhaowu Palace. As soon as he stepped into the palace gates, he saw Feng Ming and Nan Ping sitting opposite each other, playing chess.
Seeing the seemingly pleasant atmosphere, Yin Gezhi suddenly felt angry, though he couldn’t quite explain why. He strode forward, grabbed Feng Ming, and pulled him up, glaring at him coldly.
Deep in thought about his next move in the five-in-a-row game, Feng Ming was caught off guard. He looked at Yin Gezhi in confusion. "Your Highness? Do you want to fight again?"
"Imperial Brother!" Nan Ping stood up, her face full of surprise. "What are you doing?"
"Borrowing someone for a moment," Yin Gezhi said, tightening his grip as he dragged Feng Ming outside.
Stumbling a few steps, Feng Ming grew annoyed. As soon as they were outside the gates of Zhaowu Palace, he shook off Yin Gezhi’s hand and said unhappily, "Your Highness always says I don’t follow the rules, but what does this count as?"
Taking a deep breath, Yin Gezhi said, "Don’t you like Feng Yue? Why are you with Nan Ping now?"
That only made Feng Ming even angrier. He stepped closer, meeting Yin Gezhi’s gaze, and said through gritted teeth, "Do you think I want this? It’s His Majesty’s decree. How can I defy it?"Narrowing his eyes, Yin Gezhi crossed his arms and sneered, "What if the emperor orders you to marry Nan Ping?"
"..." Frustratedly shaking his head, Feng Ming angrily kicked the palace wall. "What can I do? I defied an imperial decree once, and my family almost suffered. If I defy it a second time, will anyone in my household survive?!"
In other words, he had to marry Nan Ping.
An inexplicable rage surged in his chest. Yin Gezhi asked coldly, "What about Feng Yue?"
Feng Yue? Feng Ming turned around and glared at him. "You're asking me?"
"Who else should I ask?" His fists clenched tightly. Yin Gezhi's eyes slowly filled with bloodshot veins, a fierce aura radiating from him. "Didn't you two secretly pledge yourselves to each other?"
What? Feng Ming looked utterly bewildered. "It's true we have a marriage arrangement, but when did we ever secretly pledge ourselves?"
A fist was about to strike his face but stopped abruptly at those words. Yin Gezhi was stunned, his mind slowly recalling how Feng Yue had shielded Feng Ming that day.
She said, it wasn't him.
It really wasn't him?!
Then who was it?!
Frowning as he studied the man before him for a moment, Feng Ming pushed his hand away and scoffed, "It seems Your Highness never paid much attention to her before. With her temperament, if I got within three steps of her, she'd fight me to the death, let alone secretly pledging ourselves. But..."
His throat tightened slightly. Feng Ming lowered his gaze, his voice somewhat dry as he said, "You and her... did something happen between you?"
He wasn't stupid. Seeing how they argued last time, he could sense something, but he had never wanted to ask.
The clever mind of the First Prince Yin was slow to process this matter, his expression quite confused. But upon hearing the question, he nodded without hesitation. "She is mine."
If he could crush Feng Ming with those four words, it would be a fine victory.
However, the man opposite him showed pain in his eyes but not the same madness as his own. After a moment of thought, he instead laughed. "She's yours, yet she says she doesn't like you anymore. It seems Your Highness's skills in bed aren't that impressive."
"..."
The afternoon at Zhaowu Palace was peaceful and serene, filled with the fragrance of flowers everywhere. A gust of wind blew... and a loud crash echoed from outside!
Nan Ping, who had been curious about what her elder brother wanted with Feng Ming, jumped in fright at the "thud." Lifting her delicate pink palace dress, she rushed out. "Brother?"
A hole had been smashed through the palace wall, dust and debris flying everywhere. Coughing twice, Nan Ping looked up and nearly dropped her jaw.
Feng Ming, dressed in a dark robe embroidered with silver qilins, was brawling with Yin Gezhi, whose three-clawed golden dragon on his chest seemed to flaunt its might! A fierce wind howled around them, whipping up sand and stones. Her usually calm elder brother, for some unknown reason, was provoked into such ferocity. Fortunately, his opponent was Feng Ming—if it were anyone else, they'd have died countless times!
"Brother! General Feng! Can't you talk this out properly?!"
When it comes to a man's dignity, can they talk it out properly? No!
Yin Gezhi sneered, "I'll talk after I break his legs!"
Feng Ming dodged and counterattacked, fearlessly continuing to taunt, "Someone's throwing a tantrum out of shame!"
A heavy punch landed in his abdomen. Feng Ming stopped laughing, spat out a mouthful of blood, and began fighting back in earnest.
"What do we do?" Nan Ping panicked, quickly asking Guan Zhi beside her, "Who can stop them?"
Guan Zhi wiped his face. "The one who could stop them isn't in the palace.""Who? Tell me, I'll send someone to fetch them!"
"But it's not appropriate to bring them into the palace..."
"Good heavens, this is almost a matter of life and death, why are you still hesitating?!" Nan Ping was furious, stomping hard on Guan Zhi's foot and planting her hands on her hips, saying, "You go fetch them yourself!"
Feeling as though his toes were about to be crushed, Guan Zhi was both pained and amused. Seeing the situation was indeed not good, he turned and hopped away.
However, this fight was truly fierce. Feng Ming's face was bruised, and Yin Gezhi was also injured, yet they still hadn't stopped. Even when the Imperial Guard arrived, no one dared to step forward and intervene; they could only form a circle and watch the commotion.
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