Whеn thе secrеt guаrd rероrted this matter bасk, Shi Hongwеi was deерlу shосkеd. Even аfter calming himself for so mаnу daуs, prераring tо use this tо triсk Yin Gеzhi, his hаnds still trеmbled slightlу as he spоkе.
Somеone from thе Guan familу was still alivе, аnd nоt just аnуоnе, but preсisеly Guаn Саnghai's lеgitimatе dаughter, the Guаn fаmily's оnly femalе general, Guаn Qingуuе!
At this сritical juncturе whеn thе Guan fаmilу's саsе wаs abоut tо be оverturnеd, the revеlatiоn оf this mаtter wоuld undоubtеdlу shock and unsеttle many in the cоurt. Even His Мajestу on thе drаgon thrоne would likely lose sleep over it. Yin Gezhi seeking to overturn the case was not frightening at all; after all, it was merely his sense of justice acting up, his excessive righteousness. But if Guan Qingyue was still alive, how could that be allowed? With the blood debt of the entire Guan family on her hands, would she ever let it go?
What if... what if Guan Qingyue and Yin Gezhi were colluding...
"The imperial prison, of all places, allowed a death row prisoner to escape?" Without showing a trace of shock or panic on his face, Yin Gezhi sneered, "How was she released? Who was released? And who was behind the bribery?"
Puzzled by his seemingly unaware expression, Shi Hongwei pondered for a moment before saying, "The specific details are still under investigation. However, the person released was Guan Qingyue, the legitimate daughter of the Guan family. She should be pursued, captured, and returned to the imperial prison to await sentencing after the case is overturned."
"What do you mean by telling me all this, sir?" Yin Gezhi chuckled lightly and waved his hand dismissively. "It would be better to say this to His Majesty."
"This..." Seeing him about to leave, Shi Hongwei hurried after him, staring intently as he said, "Your Highness is currently the chief judge of this case. Matters related to it naturally fall under Your Highness's jurisdiction."
"Are you truly leaving it to me to decide?" Yin Gezhi raised his chin slightly. "Then I believe the Guan family is innocent, Guan Qingyue is innocent, and there is no need for pursuit or capture."
"How can that be!" Shi Hongwei frowned. "Escaping from prison is a grave crime!"
"Then what crime is it to have wronged the Guan family, and who should make amends?" Yin Gezhi stopped walking and glanced at him sideways. "Will the Prime Minister step up?"
Frowning slightly, Shi Hongwei was left speechless. He stiffened for a moment before stepping aside, lowering his head as he watched the white robe swagger away, feeling quite annoyed.
He had always acted with caution. Back when the Guan family stood high and mighty, only to collapse overnight, everyone else was busy throwing stones at them while he refrained from getting involved. Now, at this critical moment, he should avoid involvement once again.
However, Yin Gezhi had returned to his position as prince, and not only that, he had also gained a golden seal. The emperor's actions were a harsh slap in the face to the Crown Prince's faction. If he continued to stand by and do nothing, allowing Yin Gezhi to rise to power, the Shi clan would truly face decline!
Taking a deep breath, Shi Hongwei brushed his sleeves and strode toward the Dragon Saliva Palace.
As soon as Yin Gezhi left the palace, he went to the tenement courtyard. Ignoring the others present, he looked at Feng Yue and asked, "Who rescued you when you escaped from the prison back then?"
Caught off guard by the question, Feng Yue thought for a moment and replied, "General Yin rescued me."
Yin Yanzhong, who was sitting nearby, nodded. "It was I who led the men to bring the young master out of the imperial prison."
"Was it also you who bribed the prison guards to release her?"
The question struck her as odd. Feng Yue pursed her lips and said, "Of course. Who else would risk their lives to save me besides them?"His expression somewhat grave, Yin Yanzhong glanced at Feng Yue and asked Yin Gezhi, "Has something happened?"
"If it's about you all, then nothing much." Sitting down beside them, Yin Gezhi let out a slight sigh of relief. "After all, you've been missing for a long time. No one knows where you went, so even if they wanted to hold you accountable, they wouldn't know where to start. Today, Shi Hongwei said he found evidence that someone in the imperial prison back then accepted bribes to release Guan Qingyue."
Everyone was startled, gasping in unison. Feng Yue blinked and asked, "Am I going to become a wanted criminal?"
"Not with me here." Yin Gezhi said calmly. "But the person who bribed back then will definitely be dragged down by Shi Hongwei. The news will spread soon."
Madam Qiu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and everyone looked at Feng Yue in unison, their gazes strange.
"What's wrong?" Feng Yue asked, bewildered. "Do I have food on my face?"
"Young Master, there's something we never told you." Madam Qiu said in a heavy tone. "The one who secretly bribed the prison guards to rescue you back then was actually General Feng..."
What? Feng Yue was shocked. Yin Gezhi was also taken aback, but he reacted quickly, turning to Guan Zhi and saying, "Go to the Marquis of Anguo's residence and bring Feng Ming here!"
"Yes!" Guan Zhi responded and left. Only then did Yin Gezhi turn back, frowning as he stared at the people before him.
"What's going on?"
Wiping his face, Yin Yanzhong also looked worried. "Back then, I only felt the Guan family was wronged, but there was nothing I could do, so I didn't plan to take any action. It was the then heir of the Feng family who found me, saying he had a way to rescue the Young Master and asked for my help. That's why I went to pick him up. I don't know how the bribery was done. He only told me not to tell the Young Master. At the time, the Young Master truly didn't want to live alone while others died for him, so I..."
Feng Yue's eyes reddened, and he couldn't help but glance at Lingshu beside him.
Lingshu looked utterly innocent, letting them discuss the matter without any interest in listening, still hugging her dried fruit and nibbling away.
Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze. His face showed no extra expression, just as it had been in front of Shi Hongwei, making him utterly inscrutable.
Feng Yue asked, "Will Feng Ming be implicated because of me this time?"
"Yes." He replied.
Feeling somewhat heavy-hearted, Feng Yue pursed his lips. "Will you save him?"
Raising his eyes to look at her, Yin Gezhi said, "If I don't save him, wouldn't he be getting off too easily?"
It's just that it won't be easy to save him, and they must act quickly. Otherwise, if both of them are targeted, the outcome won't be good.
"Don't go out running around lately. Lidu will definitely tighten searches for people." Standing up and tapping the stone table, he looked at Feng Yue and said, "Behave."
Feng Yue frowned.
A short while later, Feng Ming was brought over, looking utterly confused at them. "What's going on?"
Feng Yue lifted the hem of his robe and knelt before him, kowtowing three times.
Startled, Feng Ming jumped aside, eyes wide. "What's this? Are you possessed?"
"It's the proper courtesy to thank you for saving my life." Raising his head, Feng Yue looked at him and said, "You should have told me earlier."
Slightly taken aback, Feng Ming forced a dry laugh. "How did you find out about that? Actually, there's no need to thank me. It was a small matter..."Before the words had even finished, the person who had just been kneeling on the ground suddenly sprang up. She grabbed his neck and began choking him with all her might! As she choked him, she roared with a twisted expression, "Did I ask you to save me? Hah! Not only did you waste a life for nothing, but you also made me endure the agony of living? What kind of grudge do you have against me? Hah! What grudge!"
Choked to the point of gasping for air, Feng Ming was stunned, instinctively grabbing her wrist. He was both angry and amused as he said, "Is this how you treat your savior?"
Feng Yue gritted her teeth. "Let me choke you for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and I’ll kowtow to you three times before continuing!"
"Hey, calm down." Reaching out to pat her head, Feng Ming’s smiling eyes held a dazzling light as he stared unblinkingly at her, sighing, "I truly couldn’t bear to see you die. So I acted selfishly once."
Her eyes red, Feng Yue glared at him, choking back sobs. "Do you know how much disaster your selfish act will bring upon the Marquis of State Pacification's Mansion?"
"I understand everything." Lowering his gaze, Feng Ming gently stroked the top of her head, his voice unusually soft, like water warmed by the sun, gently enveloping her. "The sins I’ve committed, I will bear them myself. In fact, I’ve thought about it long ago—if anyone finds out, it’s nothing more than a charge of disloyalty. The emperor is wary of the Marquis of State Pacification's Mansion precisely because he fears the Feng family still has ties to the Guan family and could threaten the imperial family. I’ve already thought of a way to deal with this."
"I haven’t come to see you these past few days—I’ve been a bit busy. But there’s some news you’ll be happy to hear." Smiling at her, Feng Ming’s eyes seemed to shimmer with something, and as he grinned, that light almost spilled out. "I’m going to marry Princess Nan Ping."
Everyone in the courtyard was stunned, and even Yin Gezhi gave him a rare, direct look.
Feng Yue was speechless, blinking in disbelief.
"Aren’t you happy? Finally, you can be rid of me." The man before her was tall and handsome, wearing an iron jade crown. Sunlight poured down from above his head, filtering through his eyelashes to fall upon her. "Consider it my final gift to you. Since childhood, you’ve never liked me, and I’ve always stubbornly wanted to marry you, saying I’d never let you go, scaring you into always running away."
Remembering the playful chases of their youth, Feng Ming laughed heartily.
A spirited young man of fifteen or sixteen, riding his horse and chasing after a girl, shouting as he went, "Guan Qingyue, come home with me!"
"No way!" The rough-mannered girl, also on horseback, turned and yelled, "Who wants to go home with a scoundrel like you? I’m not marrying you! Hear me? I won’t marry you!"
"Even if you won’t marry me, I’ll still marry you! If you won’t marry now, I’ll marry you at twenty! If not at twenty, then at thirty! If all else fails, when you’re old and can’t run anymore, I’ll just carry you home!"
The evening glow was just right. Those two figures, bickering and chasing, turned into two shadows in their memories, growing farther and farther away until they were finally out of sight.
Chuckling softly, Feng Ming looked at Feng Yue and said hoarsely, "I truly do like you."
But the mistakes he had made—if they could be remedied, he couldn’t be selfish a second time. Nor could he defy the emperor’s decree a second time. By marrying Nan Ping, the emperor would lower his guard against the Marquis of State Pacification's Mansion. Even if this old matter were brought to light, he had already spoken with his father—they would blame it on his youthful ignorance, and no great calamity would befall them.Looking up at him, Feng Yue felt her throat tighten. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. Her hands clutched his clothes, tightened, then loosened again.
"After you get married, don't dwell on the past anymore." She let out a long breath, cleared her throat, and said, "Princess Nan Ping is a very kind girl. You can't let her down. Since you've decided to marry her, you must treat her well for the rest of your life. Otherwise, forget about anyone else—Yin Gezhi will be the first one not to let you off."
Feng Ming chuckled softly and turned to look at Yin Gezhi. "His Highness should be the happiest, with one less rival like me."
Frowning slightly, Yin Gezhi shook his head. "I won't be happy. Someone like you can't bring Nan Ping happiness."
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