Feng Yue wаs fеrvеntlу рraying for а thundеrbolt from thе heavеns tо strikе Yin Gеzhi оn thе head whеn an imperial edict аrrivеd befоre thе thundеr соuld sound. It ехрlоdеd in the Рrince of Filiаl Рietу's Mansion with а "boom."
"Вy the Маndаtе оf Неaven, thе Еmpеrоr dеcrеes: Оur еldest son, Yin Сhеnbi, eхcels in both сivil and military аrts аnd hаs deеply plеаsеd Our hеаrt. Не is hеrеby арpоinted аs an Impеrial Insресtor tо trаvеl tо the Ba Мountain region on Оur behalf, to оbserve thе pеоplе's conditions and report their sentiments. He shall depart by the end of the month without delay. So it is decreed."
All those kneeling were in an uproar, and Yin Gezhi's expression darkened as he looked up at the chief eunuch without reaching out his hand.
Ba Mountain was a desolate place. Put nicely, it was an inspection tour; put bluntly, it was exile. And as for excelling in both civil and military arts and deeply pleasing the Emperor's heart—it was clearly just an excuse to send him far away because he was disliked. Once he left Lidu, he would no longer have the ability to intervene in the Guan family case.
He understood the purpose, but he was genuinely surprised that the Emperor could be so ruthless as to exile him.
"Your Highness," the chief eunuch said, looking down at him with a raised chin and a slight shake of his head. "Do you intend to defy this decree as well? The Emperor's majesty is not to be trampled upon lightly, not even by his own flesh and blood."
His gaze shifted. Yin Gezhi reached out, took the edict, and slowly bowed forward. "Your son thanks His Majesty for his great favor."
Feng Yue, hiding nearby, was stunned. She knew Emperor Wen of Wei was ruthless, but even a vicious tiger does not devour its own cubs. How could he bite his own son with such sharp teeth?
Half of the Wei Kingdom's territory had been defended by Yin Gezhi, not to mention his painstaking efforts to forge an alliance between the Wu Kingdom and Wei, all for the sake of preserving Wei. Yet this old emperor, displeased, exiled him to Ba Mountain.
Human emotions are not to be trampled upon lightly, not even between father and son.
After the eunuchs left, Yin Gezhi stood up. Guan Zhi, standing beside him, frowned and was about to speak when he saw his master casually toss the bright yellow silk-wrapped edict into a nearby flowerpot.
Everyone fell silent.
Yin Gezhi moved his neck slightly, as if weary, and said indifferently, "Perhaps I've been away for too long, making him think that no matter how he treats me, I no longer have the strength to resist."
Guan Zhi was taken aback, then overjoyed. "Your Highness does not intend to go to Ba Mountain?"
A cold smile curled at the corners of Yin Gezhi's thin lips. "His Majesty's kind intention for me to enjoy the mountains and waters is appreciated, but we still have unfinished business."
As he spoke, he glanced sideways and noticed Feng Yue hiding nearby.
Feng Yue blinked, pretending she had seen nothing, and turned to enter the room.
What she should be thinking about now was how to contact the people outside. Why should she care about Yin Gezhi's fate?
The edict issued by Emperor Wen of Wei caused an uproar in the court. The Crown Prince's faction strongly supported it, while others vehemently opposed it. At this time, Wei was in urgent need of talent. Instead of retaining a pillar like the Prince of Filial Piety, why exile him?
Shi Hongwei stepped forward and spoke: "The Prince of Filial Piety acts recklessly and defiantly. Even if he possesses talent, he is hardly fit for great use."
With the Prime Minister, who rarely spoke, now voicing his opinion, the opposing voices diminished somewhat, but they still persisted.
Seeing so many people supporting the Prince of Filial Piety, the Empress grew even more uneasy. She pulled Yin Chenjue aside and said, "You should also start planning carefully for yourself."Yin Chenjue was filled with panic, and the advisors around him offered many suggestions. Finally, a smooth-talking person convinced him to mobilize the City Garrison to surround the Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion.
Prince Xiao had already fallen out of favor with the emperor. With the empress's whispers in his ear and Shi Hongwei's admonitions, the emperor's wariness toward Yin Chenbi would only grow heavier. Even if he inexplicably lost an arm or a leg, the emperor likely wouldn't pay much attention.
Yin Chenjue did not have the courage to kill his own elder brother, but he thought he could chop off one of his hands. Since ancient times, the disabled could not become emperor. As long as he lost a hand, his position as Crown Prince would be secure, and among the other princes, no one would be able to shake his status.
His plan sounded clever, but he had no military authority. The only force he could mobilize with his Crown Prince status was the City Garrison. As mentioned before, Yin Chenjue was too mediocre. His mind wasn't sharp either; he trusted his advisors' words, acted impulsively, and never considered what to do if he failed. He ordered Lian Heng to surround the Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion with troops at midnight.
When Yin Gezhi was awakened by the noise, he saw Lian Heng standing in his room, his expression unusually grave.
"Your Highness, General," he said. "The Second Prince ordered me to surround this place. The troops are almost here."
Yawning, Feng Yue half-opened her eyes and said, "Is he insane? Surrounding this place in the middle of the night—what for?"
Lian Heng shook his head. "I don't know."
Yin Gezhi draped his clothes over his shoulders and stood up, holding a plum blossom lantern in his hand. His expression was lazy as he said, "Many things can only be done in the middle of the night, so it's only natural they'd come then. Nothing strange about it. Looks like he still has a while before he arrives. Let's sleep a bit more, or we'll be up all night again."
The latter part was directed at Feng Yue. After speaking, he went back to lie down, not the least bit worried.
Seeing this, Feng Yue thought, if her master wasn't worried, why should she be? So she lay back down and went back to sleep.
Lian Heng was stunned. He looked at the inner chamber and then at the general lying outside, his eyes filled with horror. After a moment's thought, he quietly stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Yin Chenjue hadn't wanted to come, but his advisors insisted that only his personal presence could keep Lian Heng in check and prevent him from speaking out of turn. So, trembling, Yin Chenjue made his way there. Along the journey, he kept grabbing the person beside him and asking, "Are we really surrounding it? The First Prince is highly skilled in martial arts—didn't he resist?"
"Your Highness, he didn't resist. Probably Commander Lian subdued him."
Was Lian Heng that formidable? Yin Chenjue felt a bit relieved. As the Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion came into view, he cautiously stepped out of the carriage and walked inside.
The Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion was eerily quiet. Only a group of maids and servants stood in the courtyard, all looking as if they hadn't fully woken up. It seemed less like they were under siege and more like his late-night visit had disturbed their peaceful sleep.
Yin Chenjue was taken aback and asked nervously, "Where is my elder brother?"
Lian Heng approached him, cupping his hands in salute. "The prince is in the main chamber."
A flicker of excitement appeared in Yin Chenjue's eyes. He followed Lian Heng toward the main chamber.
He had lived under Yin Chenbi's shadow for too long. Since childhood, people around him had constantly nagged him: "Look at the First Prince..."
"The First Prince is both cultured and martial, a prodigy! But how about you..."
"The First Prince gets up before dawn every day to practice martial arts, and you're still sleeping?"First Prince. First Prince, even in his dreams, someone kept whispering "First Prince" in his ear. He had already given up hope, lacking Yin Chenbi's talent and not being as relentless. If he couldn't compare, then so be it. But he never expected that one day, Yin Chenbi would also be trampled under his feet, bowing to him and addressing him as Crown Prince.
Yin Chenjue felt this was an opportunity given to him by heaven to take revenge for all the torment he had suffered over the years because of Yin Chenbi. At this moment, Yin Chenbi had probably lost that arrogant expression and was instead nervously tied up in the main room, right?
The thought of such a scene quickened Yin Chenjue's steps, and he eagerly approached the door of the main room. He pushed it open and looked inside!
It was pitch black inside.
Startled, Yin Chenjue immediately shouted, "He's escaped! After him!"
"Yes!"
This loud voice, like thunder in the silent prince's residence, startled Lian Heng beside him and also woke the two people sleeping soundly inside the room.
"Here already?" Relighting the plum blossom lantern, Yin Gezhi emerged drowsily, looking down at Yin Chenjue at the door and said softly, "Visiting so late at night. If you have something to say, why not come in and sit down?"
Yin Chenjue was so frightened he took two steps back. Staring wide-eyed at the person before him, he whispered to Lian Heng, "Why didn't you tie him up?!"
Lian Heng frowned and said awkwardly, "Your Highness Crown Prince, leaving aside that Prince Xiao has committed no crime and shouldn't be tied up, even if he truly deserved it, your humble servant is no match for His Highness."
His face pale with shock, Yin Chenjue instantly hid behind Lian Heng, saying fearfully, "Imperial Brother..."
"Hmm?" Leaning lazily against the doorframe, Yin Gezhi glanced lightly at the twenty or so guards blocking the doorway and chuckled softly, "It's very dangerous for Your Highness Crown Prince to go out so late at night. Bringing only this few guards likely isn't enough to ensure your safety. When you return later, let my residence's guards accompany you."
Twenty-some people were considered few in his eyes?! Yin Chenjue was so scared he shook his head repeatedly, stammering, "N-no need. I'll be preparing to return right away."
"Leaving so soon?" Yin Gezhi looked at him puzzled and asked, "Didn't you have something to find me about?"
"...N-no, nothing important." Swallowing hard, Yin Chenjue shook his head and said, "I just heard Imperial Brother is leaving and came to bid you farewell."
Glancing at him, Yin Gezhi said gently, "That's thoughtful of you."
"Um... then, I'll take my leave first." Yin Chenjue turned his head, wanting to run!
"Your Highness!" The advisor behind him quickly blocked his way, whispering, "We brought over a hundred soldiers! After all the trouble tonight, how can you think of leaving as soon as you arrive?"
Fearfully glancing at Yin Gezhi, Yin Chenjue whispered, "Lian Heng said he can't defeat him, so who is his match? If we can't even capture him, how can we think of cutting off his hand? Don't provoke him, or he might turn around and kill me instead!"
The advisor said with exasperation, "You are the Crown Prince of the nation, how can you be so timid! Although his martial arts are high, he is not a three-headed, six-armed monster. With so many people surrounding him, even the most formidable person can be subdued. You've already come, you can't return empty-handed!"
Gaining a bit of courage, Yin Chenjue pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Then you give the order. I want to stay far away."
The advisor was taken aback, sighed inwardly, but gritted his teeth and turned around, loudly ordering, "Men! Seize Prince Xiao!"
"Yes!" The people outside responded in unison.Yin Gezhi's expression remained unchanged as he stepped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
Inside, Feng Yue was somewhat stunned. She hurriedly rushed to the door, peering through the carved gaps.
Dozens of soldiers swarmed into the courtyard outside, each with their swords drawn, aimed at Yin Gezhi. The braver ones at the front had already lunged forward, their blades aimed straight for his neck.
What was going on?! Was it not enough for a father to devour his own son, but now brothers were turning against each other too?
Glancing at Lian Heng standing by the door, she gritted her teeth and whispered, "Commander Lian!"
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