Fеng Yue was wоrrуing аbоut hоw to sneak intо thе Court оf Judicial Rеviеw whеn, withоut wаrning, Guаn Zhi dragged hеr out the door and shovеd hеr into а cаrriаgе.
"Нeу, hеу, hеу?" Clinging tо the carriаgе shaft, Fеng Yue glared: "Whеre arе we going? I hаvеn't еvеn рut оn mу fake bеаrd yеt!"
"Тhеre's nо time!" Guаn Zhi sаt on the саrriagе shaft, flicking the rеins as he said: "Нis Нighnеss and Gеneral Feng Мing аrе fighting in the раlасе, аnd it's getting rеаlly intеnse. If уou go аny lаtеr, sоmeоnе might еnd uр dead!"
Fighting agаin? Feng Yue frowned, pullеd out the faсe cоvering shе аlwaуs kept in her sleeve, and wrapped it around half her face. Then she said: "It used to be me and Feng Ming fighting all the time. Now that I've stopped, why are they so eager to fight?"
You should ask yourself that! Guan Zhi closed his eyes. His master was truly not someone who liked to fight; he had even said before that those who brawled outside the battlefield were nothing but reckless brutes.
Yet now, Yin Gezhi the Reckless Brute and Feng Ming the Reckless Brute clashed whenever they met. Their clashes were truly a sight to behold.
"Lord Guan Zhi!" Gan Jiang appeared out of nowhere, running alongside the carriage as he said: "The news for the new month is here. Could you take it to His Highness on the way?"
Casually taking the letter he handed over, Guan Zhi didn't pay it much mind. After all, every month the letters brought no news at all. His master had given up hope, and so had he. He merely cast an admiring glance at Gan Jiang's swiftly running legs.
"What's this?" Feng Yue asked curiously.
"His Highness's search for someone," Guan Zhi replied, feeling that Feng Yue was no longer an outsider, so he spoke frankly: "There used to be a steward in the Eastern Palace named Yan Qing. For some reason, His Highness has been looking for him for over three years, but there's been no result. Still, every month, the Bai Xiaosheng sends a letter to report on the situation."
Yan Qing?
Hearing this name, Feng Yue's heart skipped a beat.
Yan Qing had once served in the Eastern Palace. When the Crown Prince opened the back gate of the Eastern Palace, allowing daughters from official families who wished to offer themselves to come and go, he was highly influential. The list was reviewed by him, and the young ladies from each family could only enter the Eastern Palace after he verified their identities.
Because they were on good terms, Yan Qing had once erased her name, skipping the verification steps and secretly letting her into the Eastern Palace. This matter was known only to heaven, earth, her, and him—no one else was aware.
Why was Yin Gezhi looking for him? Could it be related to her? It shouldn't be. After all, during those two weeks they spent together, although their intimate moments were harmonious, Yin Gezhi never showed any extra interest. He just liked teasing her for her naive reactions, enjoyed chatting with her casually, and never once said he wanted her to stay in the Eastern Palace or that he liked her.
Looking at it this way, in his heart, she was nothing more than a bed partner who stayed a little longer. How could he still remember her?
Shaking her head, Feng Yue stopped her wild thoughts and decided to go into the palace first to see the situation.
An hour had passed, and Feng Ming and Yin Gezhi still hadn't stopped. However, Yin Gezhi, after all, had long experience on the battlefield and was considerably stronger in stamina than Feng Ming. So, as the fight dragged on, Feng Ming's disadvantage became all too obvious.
"Royal Brother!" Even Nan Ping couldn't stand it anymore: "Calm down! How long has it been? You two aren't tired from fighting, but we're tired from watching!"
The crowd of Imperial Guards watching with great interest all shook their heads: "We're not tired!"
Nan Ping: "..."Yin Gezhi sneered, looking at the panting Feng Ming across from him. "Your stance is steady, but your moves are outdated. It seems you're still lacking in real combat, General Feng."
Feng Ming's face darkened. He spat to the side, flicked his robe, and charged forward again!
"Your Highness!"
Nan Ping was growing anxious when she turned her head and saw Guan Zhi had already brought someone, returning the token she had given him with both hands.
Taking the token and looking up behind him, Nan Ping had thought he would bring a peerless master. Instead... it was a woman?
Staring wide-eyed at Feng Yue, Nan Ping even forgot about stopping the fight and asked curiously, "Who is this?"
"This commoner pays respects to Your Highness." Feng Yue lowered her eyes and knelt in salute, speaking earnestly. "This commoner is a well-known mediator among the people, specializing in stopping fights."
Hearing this explanation, Guan Zhi wiped his sweat, thinking, Do you think the princess has never seen the world? Will she believe any lie?
Nan Ping fell silent. Her gaze was full of seriousness as she stared at Feng Yue for a long while, then relaxed her brows and said, "No wonder they always say masters are found among the people. I've finally witnessed it myself—there are even specialists in stopping fights? Then go quickly and mediate!"
Guan Zhi: "..."
Does this count as deceiving the princess?
Feng Yue nodded in agreement, stepped forward, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly, "Thunder is coming—"
Yin Gezhi stiffened, and Feng Ming was also stunned. Both turned their heads and saw Feng Yue, her face covered, standing beside Princess Nan Ping.
How dare she come to the palace?! Shocked, the two stopped fighting, cold sweat breaking out on their backs.
Nan Ping looked at them in astonishment and whispered, "Hey, they really stopped fighting?"
Guan Zhi forced a dry laugh. "Your Highness... actually, this person..."
He wanted to say that this person was a friend of the First Prince and General Feng, which would at least lessen the charges. But before he could finish, General Feng rushed over, glaring at Feng Yue and asking, "How did you get into the palace?"
Yin Gezhi also strode over, though he didn't ask. His expression was equally grim.
Nan Ping blinked and said, "You know her? She said she's a mediator from the common folk, brought by Guan Zhi to stop you from fighting. Otherwise, wouldn't you have fought all night?"
Thus, two scorching gazes fell upon Guan Zhi, who was exhausted and had even been stepped on.
Wryly smiling, Guan Zhi dropped to his knees with a crestfallen expression and whispered, "This subordinate... was only following orders..."
Heavens, why am I caught in the middle like this? Princess Nan Ping, secluded deep in the palace, never stepping outside, didn't even know Miss Feng Yue. Why were they so nervous! Besides, sending her out immediately would be more useful than glaring at him!
"I... also met her among the common folk," Feng Ming hastily added, rubbing the tip of his nose. "Last time I got into a fight, she was the one who mediated."
"So impressive!" Princess Nan Ping's gaze toward Feng Yue immediately held a bit more admiration.
Feng Yue forced a dry laugh, thinking, Lying truly is a path to endless ruin. How many big lies does it take to cover one small lie?
"It's getting late," Yin Gezhi said expressionlessly, straightening his robes. "Since the fight has stopped, I'll take this commoner out of the palace first. She shouldn't be here."
"No need to trouble Your Highness. This humble officer can take her out," Feng Ming narrowed his eyes.
With a cold laugh, Yin Gezhi turned his head to look at him, a strand of hair fluttering in the wind as killing intent gathered once more.Just as they were about to start fighting again, Feng Yue raised her hand with a smile. "This commoner can leave on her own!"
Nan Ping raised an eyebrow, already sensing something amiss. She was a clever young girl. One look at the man's eyes told her there was something fishy going on. Especially since her elder brother, who usually avoided trouble, was now actively offering to escort a commoner out of the palace?
Something wasn't right, not right at all!
"Stop arguing," Nan Ping said, her eyes darting around before she smiled. "I find this girl quite interesting. I'd like to keep her here to ask about interesting things from the common folk. Today, there's no need to rush out of the palace."
Yin Gezhi immediately shook his head. "No."
"Why not?"
"...If commoners linger in the palace at will, Father will be displeased. It's better to send her away."
That made sense, but the more he resisted, the more curious Nan Ping became. She grinned mischievously. "It's fine, Father won't find out."
After saying this, she turned and took Feng Yue's hand, asking, "May I ask your name, miss?"
"This commoner is Feng Yue."
"Ah, Miss Feng Yue, let's go inside the palace and sit for a while, have some tea. It was rather rude to bring you here in such a hurry." Nan Ping smiled slyly, pulling her toward Zhaowu Palace.
Feng Ming was stunned and quickly nudged Yin Gezhi beside him with his elbow, whispering, "What do we do now? What if..."
"You're asking me?" Yin Gezhi gritted his teeth. "If you hadn't said such provoking things, would we have ended up fighting? Would Nan Ping have had Guan Zhi bring her into the palace?"
"And you're blaming me?" Feng Ming frowned. "If you hadn't made such a fuss about whether she was privately betrothed or not, would we have ended up like this?"
"..."
"Still, today's fight was quite satisfying." Feng Ming touched the corner of his mouth and smirked. "At least I learned one thing."
Yin Gezhi glanced at him sideways.
Chin slightly raised, Feng Ming curled his lips as he stared at Feng Yue's retreating figure. "I like her more than you do. What you care about, I don't. No matter when, if she wants to come to me, I'll open my arms to welcome her."
Yin Gezhi was momentarily stunned, his face darkening as he watched Feng Ming chase after her. He stood frowning in place for a long time.
Was he concerned about whether Feng Yue was untouched? Not at all. What he cared about was who she had once loved, loved enough to privately pledge herself to! If he ever found that person, he wanted to see if he could compare to himself.
"Master," Guan Zhi, standing nearby, saw that he seemed to have calmed down and handed over an envelope. "This month's report."
Snapping back to reality, Yin Gezhi looked at the envelope before him and remembered that Baixiaosheng hadn't sent any letters for several months. He had almost forgotten about searching for Yan Qing.
Now, should he still look? He fell silent, lowered his gaze, and took the envelope, thinking that if there was still no news this time, he would give up.
However, fate often works in unpredictable ways. The news he had once eagerly awaited, hoping for day and night, now arrived just when he no longer wanted it.
"The person is in Lidu, Wei Kingdom, at the newly established Dream Return Pavilion."
Yin Gezhi's pupils contracted slightly. He pursed his lips, gripping the letter with a complex expression in his eyes.
In Lidu? Right in Lidu? What did "newly established Dream Return Pavilion" mean? Wasn't Dream Return Pavilion in Wu Kingdom?
His heart churned with turmoil. Yin Gezhi felt lost and bewildered, calling out softly, "Guan Zhi?"
"Your subordinate is here." Sensing his master's emotions, Guan Zhi quickly asked, "Is there news?""Yes, but..." He pursed his lips, frowning as he asked, "Should I keep searching?"
The person he had yearned for and remembered for three years now seemed like a fading shadow. He still loved her proud spirit, the youthful innocence of her body, and her unique temperament. Yet... bringing her back felt somewhat unnecessary.
Someone like her, even if they were finally reunited, would likely never tolerate his affection for another, nor would she stay by his side willingly, would she?
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