In thе dim рrisоn сеll, sоmеone hаd оnсе рleaded with him dеsрeratеly: "Lord Shi, I bеg уоu tо hоld а trial, I beg уou to pass judgment, I beg уоu to rеstorе justiсе tо my Guаn fаmilу!"
Yеt аt that timе, Shi Youxin stoоd аloоf, sneering cоntemptuоusly from оutsidе thе сеll: "Gеnеral Guan hаs аlreаdу сommittеd suicidе оut of guilt. What mоrе justicе do you wаnt? The chаrgеs аre аlready sеttlеd. Just wаit for dеаth!"
Whеn mаttеrs dо not соncеrn onеself, pеoрlе сan аlwауs viеw injustices cаlmly, even with a hint of sсhadenfreudе. Manу laсk rеverеnce in their hearts, believing retribution does not exist. If it truly existed, why would so many wicked people still live well?
Yet when retribution truly arrives, their expressions become particularly spectacular.
"That had nothing to do with me! The entire court wanted the Guan family destroyed. The Guan family had to perish!" Shi Youxin trembled, his lips quivering, eyes filled with a desperate longing for survival: "Even if I wronged General Guan, I had no choice, no choice at all!"
What a fine "no choice"! Feng Yue sneered. Turning her head, she asked the people standing and sitting around: "Do you want him dead?"
"Yes!" A unified voice echoed through the room, startling Shi Youxin into a daze.
"You see, I also have no choice." Turning back to look at him, Feng Yue said: "Enjoy these last few days of life. When public sentiment boils over, that will be your time to descend to the underworld and atone for your sins."
If people do not know their own death date, they may not feel fear. But once they know and cannot escape, they become like chickens and ducks caged in a restaurant kitchen—utterly despairing and perpetually terrified.
Shi Youxin broke down, roaring: "I am a dignified Chief Justice! You mountain bandits, have you all lost your minds? Once I am found, you will all be beheaded! Your entire families executed!"
"Sorry, but my entire family is just me." Standing up and kicking the cage, Feng Yue narrowed her eyes: "Don’t even mention those useless fools finding you. Even if they do, you’ll die by my hand first!"
"Ah—" Eyes wide with fury, Shi Youxin grabbed the massive dog cage with both hands, shaking it violently. The iron bars clanged loudly, accompanied by his maddened roars, a sound that brought immense satisfaction to those listening.
"Shout, go ahead and shout." Feng Yue laughed: "When you run out of strength to scream, you’ll die~"
Her light, ethereal voice, paired with that sinister expression, frightened Shi Youxin into screaming even more fiercely. The people in the room covered their ears and went out, beginning to print his list of crimes.
Standing in the courtyard, Feng Yue looked up at the sky, feeling that the sky of the Wei Kingdom had become unusually clear, greatly lifting her spirits.
Helan Changde was dead, Zhao Xu was also dead. After dealing with Shi Youxin, she could probably contact Yan Qing to enter the palace.
Just as she was thinking this, Lingshu ran in to report: "Master. Outside, there’s a man dressed in crane robes, with an immortal-like demeanor, looking only in his thirties. He says he’s looking for you."
They were staying at a farmhouse beneath Zhaoying Mountain, where by rights no one should have found them. But upon hearing the description of this person, Feng Yue smiled: "Perfect timing. I have questions for him. Quickly invite Lord Yan inside."
Yan Qing, the former Eastern Palace steward, a friend she had met by chance. After the Guan family’s downfall, he resigned and left the palace, claiming he would return to his hometown. Yet he clearly remained in Lidu all along, handling affairs on her behalf."Lord Yan." Watching the man dressed as a Taoist priest stroll in, Feng Yue smiled and asked, "Are the arrangements in the palace all set?"
Yan Qing had originally come upon hearing that Shi Youxin had been captured, hoping to join in the excitement. Who knew that as soon as he arrived, he would hear such words? His face immediately fell, and his Taoist hat tilted to one side: "Why are you in such a hurry? Emperor Wen of Wei has been in poor health ever since the assassination attempt. Perhaps you won’t need to take the risk—he might just..."
Raising an eyebrow, Feng Yue smiled, "If he dies on his own, then I won’t be able to live in peace."
"..." Sighing deeply, Yan Qing shook his head, "After all these years, the obsession in your heart hasn’t lessened—it’s only grown deeper. It seems those who have been by your side haven’t offered much guidance."
Rolling her eyes, Feng Yue ignored the joy of reuniting with an old friend. She stepped forward, grabbed his robe, and narrowed her eyes, "Guidance? Guidance to lay down my sword and become a Buddha on the spot? Bah! Every time you come, you spout these grand principles. What’s the point? Aren’t you still helping me seek revenge?"
Held in her grip, Yan Qing instantly abandoned his ethereal demeanor. His eyebrows drooped as he spoke gently, "I was just saying the usual pleasantries. Calm down, calm down! It’s been so many years since we last met. Can’t we sit down and have some tea first?"
"No tea!" Feng Yue wrinkled her nose, "First, tell me if things are settled. I’m counting on you to get me into the palace!"
Mentioning this, Yan Qing couldn’t help but recall certain events from three years ago. His expression immediately turned serious as he asked in a low voice, "If you truly assassinate the emperor, how will you face Prince Xiao?"
Face Yin Gezhi? Feng Yue raised an eyebrow, "Why would I need to face him?"
Once the deed was done, she likely wouldn’t survive anyway, so there was no need to consider such a question.
Giving her a surprised look, Yan Qing whispered, "You and he, after all, pledged yourselves to each other. I’ve only ever heard of men abandoning women after taking advantage of them. I’ve never seen a woman so indifferent..."
Moreover, three years ago, Guan Qingyue was different from the other girls who entered the Eastern Palace. She never wanted to become Yin Gezhi’s concubine—she truly loved him.
Rubbing her nose, Feng Yue didn’t shy away, nodding as she said, "I admit, I really liked him back then. I even did plenty of shameless things. But that affection drowned long ago in the blood that flowed from the Guan family. I can’t blame or hate him, but I also can’t love or respect him as I once did. It’s just mutual exploitation. Once the deed is done, he and I are destined to become enemies, never to meet again."
Yan Qing stared at her, looking at her as if she were a monster.
What woman could be so ruthless? Being ruthless to others was one thing, but she was clearly planning to perish together with him, like jade and stone shattered in mutual destruction!
"Don’t look at me like that," Feng Yue said, scratching her cheek. "I figured this out a long time ago, from the moment I first laid eyes on him. You all don’t need to worry about me. I know what I’m doing."
She was actually quite shameless. Logically speaking, now that she had returned to the Wei Kingdom, if she were to settle accounts with everyone, she should include Yin Gezhi. After all, even if he had no ill intent, he was directly responsible for the Guan family’s tragedy.However, considering Yin Gezhi's monstrous martial skills and profound cunning, it wasn't that she was cowardly—she simply couldn't bear to sacrifice more of her brothers' lives.
Let him live well on his own, then. Let him live well, carrying his hatred for her and a vengeance he could never fulfill.
With a long sigh, Yan Qing tossed the whisk in his hand onto the table and sat down helplessly. "I've never understood what goes on in your mind, but Qingyue, don't blame me for not warning you. Even if Prince Xiao holds a grudge against his father, he would never stand by and watch Emperor Wen of Wei be assassinated. So, it's best to postpone your plan for a while and think it through carefully."
Feng Yue fell silent, sitting beside him at the table and staring thoughtfully at the tea leaves in her cup for a long moment. Then, with a serious expression, she asked, "What if I try to seduce Prince Xiao with a beauty trap? Do you think it's possible to take him down first and then enter the palace to carry out the assassination?"
Yan Qing looked at her with immediate skepticism. "Over three years ago, you couldn't even bewitch the First Prince. Where does this confidence come from now?"
Feng Yue: "..."
It wasn't confidence—it was that she wasn't foolish. She could sense that Yin Gezhi treated her differently. Who had ever seen the esteemed Prince Yin bend down to kiss a woman? And on the back of her hand, no less, which she had used to cover her mouth. No matter how she looked at it, it felt strange! Perhaps someone like Yin Gezhi, who appeared so proper on the surface, actually disliked prim and proper girls and instead favored someone like her—a seductive and coquettish woman from the pleasure quarters?
"But..." Yan Qing's tone shifted as he frowned. "To say you didn't bewitch the First Prince three years ago isn't entirely accurate. After all, it's been nearly four years, and he's been sending people to look for me. If it weren't for my extensive connections and ability to hide well, he would have dug me out long ago. He wouldn't be looking for me for any other reason. Among the tasks handled back then in the Eastern Palace, aside from yours, everything else was officially recorded. If he wanted to ask about anything else, he might as well just check the records."
In other words, the person he had been searching for over three years was actually the woman who had served in the Eastern Palace for half a month back then.
Feng Yue was stunned. She stared at Yan Qing, pointing at herself in disbelief. "You mean... he's been looking for me all this time?"
"Exactly." Yan Qing rolled his eyes inelegantly and shook his head. "Out of all those refined ladies and noblewomen, how did he end up fancying someone as rough and unruly as you?"
A sudden warmth surged in her chest. Feng Yue opened her mouth wide and wiped her face with her hand.
All these years, she had thought her admiration for Yin Gezhi was one-sided—not only had she failed to win his favor, but she had also witnessed the execution of her entire family. Just thinking about it made her feel pitiful, as if she had offered up an innocent, youthful heart only to have it shattered, trampled, and thrown back at her.
Now, she suddenly realized it wasn't like that. It wasn't just her who had been pining alone. Yin Gezhi, or rather Yin Chenbi, though cold and distant to her three years ago, had actually reserved a place for her in his heart?
Yes, that man was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, always reticent and stern-faced. In her youthful ignorance, she had mistaken that for dislike. But looking back now, any woman sent to the Eastern Palace, whether favored or not, was only allowed to stay for one night. The only one who had stayed for half a month consecutively was her.
Grinning, Feng Yue met Yan Qing's strange gaze and chuckled. "I'm not happy about anything else—I'm just happy to know I wasn't the only fool back then. That makes me feel a little better."Is that truly the case? Yan Qing shook his head. In this world, there are always those who are foolishly devoted to love—yet here he was, laughing at others while being just as foolish himself!
As she laughed, Feng Yue gradually found herself unable to continue. Thinking of the events that were destined to unfold in the future, she lowered her gaze and fell into a long, silent contemplation.
When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with resolve. She looked at Yan Qing and said earnestly, "Your Excellency, please arrange for me to enter the palace as soon as possible."
A breeze swept through the courtyard, brushing past her brows and eyes, swirling over the courtyard wall, and causing the white robes of the person standing outside to flutter fiercely.
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