Still somewhаt dаzеd, bеfоre she cоuld vоice hеr question, shе hеаrd thе реrson besidе her say: "By the lаtе emрerоr's dесrеe, а mаusоlеum is tо be built fоr the generаl hеre. I didn't hаve anyоne touсh the tombstоnе, wаiting fоr уоu tо comе bеforе dесiding what tо inscribе."
Fеng Yue pаusеd brieflу, lowering her hеad to loоk аt hеr hands. Нer hands no lоngеr рossеssеd thе strеngth thеу onсе had—whаt should bе inscribed оn this tombstоnе, аnd how shоuld it bе dоnе?
A look оf confusion filled her еyes as shе instinctivelу raisеd hеr heаd to gaze at the person before her.
Her clear, deer-like eyes, tinged with helplessness and sorrow, struck Yin Gezhi's heart, stirring ripples in his calm, lake-like gaze. He turned away somewhat awkwardly.
"Come with me."
Her hand was taken. Feng Yue's eyes regained focus, and she casually placed her other hand on his as well, then leaned her entire weight onto his hand, bending over and walking behind him in a rather shameless manner.
The person ahead glanced back with clear disdain before turning to walk into the half-built mausoleum. In the flicker of his gaze, a captivating smile quietly emerged.
A stonemason working on the construction happened to look up and, upon seeing that face, lost himself in a daze. The hammer in his hand slipped and fell to the ground with a loud clang, startling the person beside him, who scolded in a low voice, "Be careful!"
Flustered, he snapped back to reality and picked up the hammer. When he looked up again, the elegant gentleman's face was calm and unruffled, as if the breathtaking beauty he had just witnessed was merely an illusion.
"Do you have paper and brush?" Finding the foreman, Yin Gezhi politely inquired after presenting his token.
Trembling, the foreman handed him the paper and brush used by the stonemasons for inscriptions, filled with terror.
Why would Prince Xiao personally come to inspect the general's mausoleum?
With a slight nod, Yin Gezhi led Feng Yue to sit by a pile of square stones nearby. He spread out the paper and said softly, "You write, I'll carve."
The corner of her mouth twitched as Feng Yue shot him a sidelong glance. "Does Your Highness take me for a fool? How can an outsider carve the tombstone?"
"Outsider?" Yin Gezhi raised an eyebrow. "It seems the betrothal gifts were insufficient, as you don't even acknowledge me as family."
At the mention of the terrifyingly abundant betrothal gifts, Feng Yue's face paled, and she quickly shook her head. "Enough, enough. You carve it—your craftsmanship must be even better than that of the master carvers."
"You flatter me."
Though he humbly uttered these words, his face wore an expression of pride that clearly said, "Of course I'm the best." Yin Gezhi turned to select a carving knife.
With a complicated look, Feng Yue shook her head in disdain, then composed herself, focusing intently on the semi-transparent rice paper as she picked up the brush to write.
The epitaph needed to include the deceased's name, birthplace, family background, and life experiences. Feng Yue smiled, straightening her back. Her father was the Loyal and Brave General Guan Canghai, a native of Lidu, born into a family of military generals!
As for his experiences...
Pursing her lips, she glanced at the grand mausoleum being constructed around her. After a long silence, she finally let out a soft sigh.
Guan Canghai was born to be a general, loyal to his sovereign and devoted to his country, with countless achievements over ten years on the battlefield. Though he ultimately died unjustly in prison, those who harmed him met no good end. After four years, the wrongful case was overturned, and the Guan family's unwavering loyalty was finally laid to rest. Future generations, in their judgment, should sigh for him, filled with reverence!
This outcome was actually better than she had imagined. What she had been unable to accomplish, someone had done for her.The ink spread slightly on the paper. Feng Yue grinned and carefully wrote down her father's past achievements, his grievances and injustices. One sheet of rice paper wasn't enough, so she added another.
Yin Gezhi returned with a carving knife, glanced at her, didn't approach, and instead turned to whisper a few words to the foreman.
Thus, while waiting for the rice paper to dry, three tombstones were placed before Feng Yue—dragon-headed tortoise-based, with the middle one being the longest. The two on either side were slightly shorter, apparently intended to stand side by side like a screen.
Blinking, she asked, "How did you know one tablet wouldn't be enough?"
Glancing at her, Yin Gezhi said indifferently, "Because you always have a lot to say."
Feng Yue: "..."
She had hoped to hear him say something like, "General Guan's life cannot be encompassed by a single tablet," or "Your literary talent is so great, a small space cannot confine it." That way, she could have been moved or something, especially since he had personally come here—his sincerity was truly evident.
Yet, this man's words remained so unpleasant!
Angrily blowing the stray hairs from her forehead, Feng Yue turned and went to wait nearby, watching him carve the tablets.
Today, Yin Gezhi wore a white autumn brocade robe, slightly thick in texture, with a hidden dragon pattern. A jade-inlaid belt cinched his waist, making him truly resemble a noble son of gold and jade. Even as he bent and crouched before the tombstones, his dark hair cascaded slightly over his robe, and his features were astonishingly handsome.
Unintentionally losing herself in thought, Feng Yue rested her chin on her hand and wondered: Why has this man grown increasingly handsome lately? She had always known he was imposing and striking, but his aura was too intense, like an iron blade carrying a murderous air that made people dare not look directly at him. Now, it seemed that murderous aura had vanished. He had softened, pure and gentle like a rosy-lipped, white-toothed youth from some family, untouched by any stain.
Yin Gezhi looked up, inadvertently catching her gaze. He slightly lifted his eyelids, a glimmer of light flashing briefly before disappearing. Then, he lowered his head and began carving the epitaph with even greater focus.
One doesn't necessarily fall for another person solely because of their face, but if that face reaches a certain level of beauty, it can indeed be used to entice someone. Three years ago, he and Feng Yue had little interaction. As for why she had climbed into his bed, it was undoubtedly tied to this face.
Since she liked it, he would let her look a little more.
Times change, fortunes shift. Yin Chenbi, who once viewed women as playthings, was now finally going to great lengths to seduce a woman.
The high-hanging sun gradually tilted westward. The epitaph was carved but not yet polished. The wind had already picked up on the mountain, and Yin Gezhi frowned, saying, "Let's go back."
Somewhat reluctantly looking around, Feng Yue asked, "How long will it take to finish building this place?"
Reaching out to fasten her cloak, Yin Gezhi said indifferently, "By the time your child is born and you come to see it, it will be finished."
Her face flushed inexplicably. Feng Yue gritted her teeth, "You needn't do this. My hands aren't broken."
"Your hands aren't free."
"Where aren't they free?" Unconvinced, she waved her left hand before his eyes and glared.
Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze to look at her, suddenly curling his lips. He reached out, clasped her hand, and tucked it into his wide sleeve, then turned to walk forward.
"Like this, they aren't free."
Feng Yue: "..."How much experience with seducing decent women did it take to develop such skills? Staring at the road ahead, Feng Yue thought, no wonder so many young girls lined up wanting to sleep with him. Look at how sweet his mouth was—even she couldn’t resist it.
Shivering, she pursed her lips. Following him step by step into the carriage, she saw the interior was lined with thick, soft blankets. He sat down and directly reached out to pull her into his arms, settling her comfortably.
The wind outside was a bit cold, but it couldn’t lift the heavy carriage curtains. Feng Yue narrowed her eyes, suddenly feeling very at ease.
She couldn’t explain why she felt so secure, but in this place, the wind couldn’t reach her, and the rain couldn’t beat down on her. There was someone behind her to protect her, shielding her from a life of wandering and ensuring she would never be left with nowhere to turn.
However, she would never tell Yin Gezhi about these feelings!
All the belongings from the Prince of Filial Piety’s Mansion had been moved into the palace. The group in the large courtyard was discussing where to go next.
Madam Qiu said, "I don’t want to sell lanterns anymore. How about opening an inn? The inn the prince asked me to help look after was quite good. If I open one just like it, business is sure to be prosperous."
Yin Yanzhong nodded, "An inn works. I’ll be the head chef."
"I’ll be the waiter!" Luo Hao raised his hand.
"Then what should I do?" Shi Chong asked with a worried expression, "Continue blacksmithing?"
Everyone burst into laughter. Just as they were teasing each other in various ways, they unexpectedly heard Yin Gezhi’s voice say, "Warrior Shi is exceptionally talented and is still best suited for the battlefield."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the courtyard was shocked, looking around for where Yin Gezhi was. They even lifted the low stools they were sitting on to check underneath.
Feng Yue shook her head, feeling both pained and exasperated, "With you all like this, how can you even think about opening an inn? It’s far too unreliable!"
Madam Qiu was taken aback and turned to look toward the entrance. There stood Yin Gezhi and the young master, both draped in cloaks for going out.
"Hey, what kind of trick is this?" Shi Chong exclaimed in amazement, "I clearly heard His Highness’s voice coming from the ground!"
"I heard it from near the water vat!"
"Enough already!" Feng Yue wiped her face, "You all get completely lost just because someone uses ventriloquism. You’re all people with illustrious military achievements—isn’t it embarrassing?"
Standing beside them, Yin Gezhi said with grace, "It was merely a whim of mine to play a trick. Please do not take it to heart."
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