"I beliеvе Рrinсе Xiao bеаrs the heаvy resроnsibilitу оf fоstеring friendship bеtween the Wu Kingdom and Wеi. Тo rаshly stер dоwn fоr the реорlе is truly inаpproрriаte!"
"Нmph, does thе friendship bеtween Wu аnd Wеi dереnd sоlеly on Рrinсe Хiао? Mоreоvеr, if the prinсе himself hаs no desire tо continue shоuldеring this rеspоnsibility, forcing him tо hоst thе upсоming еnvоуs frоm Wu might leаd tо evеn greаter chаos."
"Мinistеr Qin sрeаks wisеlу. Sinсe the prinсe has voluntarily рroposеd this, even if Нis Mаjеsty dоes not grant permission, the prince will no longer be fit for his role."
Listening to this cacophony of voices, the emperor roared, "Have you all argued enough?!"
The court instantly fell silent. Emperor Wen of Wei, frowning and stamping his foot in anger, said irritably, "Yin Chenbi has betrayed Our trust, lacking the responsibility befitting a prince. He is disloyal and unfilial, a traitor to the throne! What more is there to argue?"
"By decree, Prince Xiao Yin Chenbi, having disgraced his position and offended the sovereign, is hereby stripped of his princely title and demoted to a commoner. He is forbidden from entering the imperial palace for life!"
"Your Majesty!" Half the court knelt, pleading, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Originally, it was only demotion to commoner status—why add a lifetime ban from the palace?
Amidst the gasps of shock, Emperor Wen of Wei calmly declared, "If you no longer wish to bear the burdens of the imperial family, you shall no longer enjoy any of its honors or privileges. Your mansion and assets will be seized. We shall act as if We never had this son, and you need not regard Us as your father!"
His calm voice severed the bloodline without a hint of pain. Emperor Wen was not surprised. Ever since Yin Chenbi returned and proposed to overturn the Guan family's case, he knew this son would no longer serve him. Coupled with the actions Shi Hongwei had reported in his memorial, it was clear Yin Chenbi intended to oppose him, to stand against him! Such a person was better removed sooner rather than later, eliminating a threat.
The only slight regret was that Yin Gezhi was truly a sharp blade, and now he had no choice but to bury it in the earth, never to wield it again.
But compared to the blade turning against him, discarding it was of little consequence.
"This commoner thanks Your Majesty for your grace." Yin Gezhi placed his hands together and bowed deeply, his forehead touching the back of his hands. Raising his head, he looked at Emperor Wen and said, "Henceforth, may Your Majesty take care. If you encounter difficulties, you may seek this commoner's assistance."
Hearing this, Emperor Wen sneered, "We, the emperor, would seek help from a mere commoner? Yin Chenbi, without your imperial status, you are nothing! Do not overestimate yourself!"
With a slight nod, Yin Gezhi showed no anger. Calmly, he stood up, turned, and walked step by step toward the court's main door. As he stepped over the threshold, his white robes were tinged with the golden light of the rising sun outside. With a flutter of his sleeves, he vanished beyond.
The court officials sighed in lament, while the emperor sat on his dragon throne, his eyes fierce and filled with constant cold snorts.
Just wait and see. Without wealth, without supreme power, without even a single coin, what would Yin Chenbi have left to be so arrogant?!
"Guan Zhi."
Once outside the palace gates, Yin Gezhi suddenly felt lighthearted and said cheerfully, "Go back and pack our things. Take Feng Yue and move to the residence we prepared earlier. Then send word to Shi Chong and Huaizu, telling them they may continue their journey.""Yes!" Guan Zhi responded excitedly, turning to drive the carriage.
Without the title of prince, Yin Gezhi was simply himself—a shrewd businessman and an elegant scholar. The emperor didn't know, nor did the court officials, that Yin Gezhi had begun dabbling in commerce at eighteen, studying the intricacies of trade and profit, finding it fascinating. He started making money for fun, and before he knew it, he had earned too much, hurriedly depositing it in a bank under Guan Zhi's name.
In the hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, court officials looked down on merchants. As a prince, he couldn't possibly engage in such lowly pursuits, so the former Yin Gezhi always found himself in a dilemma. Even when he wanted to support military funds or weapons, he had to send them through others in convoluted ways.
Now, he was at ease. No need to hide or conceal anything, he could take Feng Yue to a restaurant for a lavish meal first. Thinking this, Yin Gezhi felt elated throughout the journey, even starting to plan what dishes to order and what to buy afterward.
However, this lighthearted joy was utterly shattered when they returned to the Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion.
Gan Jiang knelt at the entrance with a group of people, silent. The guards had all placed their swords on the ground, as if pleading for forgiveness.
His heart tightened painfully. Yin Gezhi gripped the carriage curtain, staring at them for a long time before finally stepping down and standing before them. In a low voice, he asked, "She's gone?"
Gan Jiang replied gravely, "I am incompetent, but... there were too many of them, all skilled in martial arts, and they used deception... I couldn't stop them."
His body stiffened slightly. Yin Gezhi looked up at the open gates of the Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion.
Was she so desperate to leave that she seized every opportunity when he was away? How could she truly not care at all about how he would feel upon seeing this scene?
For so many days, she had been obedient, not even attempting to escape, which had put his mind at ease. Gradually, he no longer dreamed of her fleeing figure.
But now, she was truly gone. Just after his inadvertent turn, she vanished without a trace, like a sudden, unexpected blow to the head, leaving him no chance to react.
Who taught her to be so heartless?
Yin Gezhi shook his head, his thoughts sluggish. He immediately turned and headed for the tenement courtyard.
Feng Yue had just been brought back and was preparing to deal with Shi Youxin when Shi Chong's voice came from outside: "Yin Gezhi is heading this way!"
"What is there to fear from him?" Madam Qiu fumed. "Didn't he renounce his title as prince? Could he still take our young master away and lock her up?"
Shi Chong was taken aback, then realized she was right! So, he and Yin Yanzhong, along with the others, armed themselves and waited at the main gate, intending to beat him up first before letting him in to talk!
However, even in his anger, the great demon Yin Gezhi still had his wits about him. He didn't use the main gate but scaled the wall instead. Feng Yue was sharpening her knife when a pair of boots suddenly appeared before her.
"You're here?" Feng Yue blew on the blade irritably. "I knew they couldn't stop you."
His chest heaved slightly. Yin Gezhi couldn't believe how calm she was, as if she hadn't just fled the Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion. Seeing him, she uttered only this casual remark?
"If you wanted to escape, why didn't you go farther?"Rolling her eyes, Feng Yue held the knife and looked at him calmly. "Your Highness, I just want to leave the Prince of Filial Piety's Mansion and escape your control, not avoid you. Lidu is only so big—wherever I go, you can find me, so I won’t bother with that effort. But let me make this clear upfront. I live for revenge. If you don’t let me take revenge, it’s like telling me to die. Then don’t blame me for not being polite."
Furious yet amused, Yin Gezhi crossed his arms and asked, "How do you plan to be impolite to me?"
"Simple. I’ll have someone forge a secret letter claiming you’re colluding with the Wu Kingdom to seize Emperor Wen of Wei’s military power and deliver it to the Prime Minister’s residence. Then your plan to use the joint Wu-Wei alliance against the Song Kingdom to turn things around will fall apart." Feng Yue snorted. "I’ve already stolen your seal."
Earlier, when she had been rummaging around his room, he hadn’t paid much attention, thinking she could take whatever she wanted. Who would have thought she’d target the seal!
Lowering his gaze, Yin Gezhi’s tone darkened. "You know what I intend to do?"
"Aren’t you just trying to avoid going to Ba Mountain, so you’re scheming?" Feng Yue curled her lip. "Abandoning your position and demoting yourself—you’ve really mastered the act. Let me guess, you’ll probably even make a grand, righteous speech in court, saying that if the emperor needs you in the future, you’ll still help, right?"
His face turned pale, and Yin Gezhi stared at her with a strange expression. "You have people in court too?"
"How could I? I’m not a deity." Shrugging, Feng Yue said, "At most, I have some connections among the people stationed outside the court... but this isn’t something I heard—just a guess. With your cunning, deceitful, infuriating nature, and with Wu Kingdom envoys about to arrive, how could you not stir up trouble?"
The tone sounded like praise, but the words felt odd. Yin Gezhi remained silent, signaling her to continue.
"Wu and Wei want to ally against Song. Crown Prince Ye values your abilities—we know this, but the people of Wei don’t. That’s why the Wei Crown Prince dared to cut off your hand, and the emperor, in a fit of anger, dared to truly strip you of your status. Your plan is simply to wait until the envoys arrive, clarify the conditions for the alliance between the two kingdoms, and then make Emperor Wen of Wei regret it deeply and come begging to you, right? At that point, you’ll be the one setting the terms."
As she spoke, she stroked her chin and shook her head. "So devious, utterly shameless!"
Narrowing his eyes, Yin Gezhi found it strange. "How do you always guess what I’m thinking?"
"Because if I were in your place, I’d think the same way." Feng Yue said, "Think about the coldness of those who once showed you no mercy, who pushed you away without regard for kinship, and then wait to see their regret and frustration driven by self-interest. How satisfying!"
Yin Gezhi paused, gave her a deep look, then chuckled softly, his entire face softening.
"I really am better suited to descend into the eighteenth layer of hell with you."
The words that left his lips carried an inexplicably lingering, sentimental tone. Feng Yue frowned and snorted coldly. "If you want to succeed, don’t lock me up again. Otherwise, we’ll both be destroyed, and no one will come out unscathed!""None of your concern," Yin Gezhi said. "Do whatever you wish. I won't interfere. However, since I've been expelled from the prince's residence and have no place to stay for now, and your courtyard is spacious with many empty rooms, perhaps..."
"No!" Feng Yue quickly shook her head. "This humble temple cannot accommodate such a great Buddha."
"Is that so?" Yin Gezhi nodded. "Then I'll sleep outside the door."
Feng Yue: "..."
Wouldn't that be like hanging a giant lantern right at her doorstep? One that waves to everyone in Lidu, shouting: "Come and see! This residence won't let the former prince stay inside! The owner must be incredibly powerful—investigate their identity now!"
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