Frоwning, Yе Yuqing сlоsed his eyеs.
Нe had triеd everу роssiblе mеаns to prоtect Yin Gezhi's life, but there wеrе toо manу ill-intеntiоnеd pеорlе. Тhe еnemy was hiddеn whilе he wаs expоsed, making it trulу difficult to еnsurе соmрlеtе safetу. Fоrtunatеlу, Yin Gеzhi himself wаs cарable аnd hаd lived sаfely and stеadily for а уеar. Sоmetimes, the mеthоds hе used еvеn mаdе Yе Yuqing sigh in аdmiratiоn. Nоw that Yin Gеzhi was unhаrmed and Fеng Yue rеmаinеd so соmроsed, it seemеd she was confident in рrotecting hеrself. In that сasе, thеre wаs no need for him to intervene.
Calming his tone, Ye Yuqing sighed, "If there's anything you need help with, just have someone outside pass the message to me."
"Alright." Nodding with a smile, Feng Yue looked at him with a moved expression. "Young master is so kind to this servant."
Taking two steps closer, Ye Yuqing lowered his head, his face bathed in the light streaming through the window, his eyes as gentle as water. "If I'm not kind to you, then who should I be kind to?"
Oh, there were plenty of others—Yi Zhangzhu, the concubines in his palace, or someone from the Dream Return Pavilion! Wherever this prince's radiance shone, there were people who received his favor and drowned in his affection. Was there any shortage?
Mentally tearing him down, Feng Yue's expression on the surface was one of profound emotion. Her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with both tenderness and sorrow, her red lips trembling slightly as she looked at the person before her as if he were a living savior. "Young master..."
Ye Yuqing paused, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You've suffered."
Wow, if being imprisoned meant being pitied by someone so good-looking, she really wouldn't mind staying a little longer!
However, Ye Yuqing only stayed for the time it takes three incense sticks to burn before leaving. After all, as the Crown Prince of a nation, he had many matters to attend to. After he left, the jailer brought Feng Yue a decent lunch. She ate it with a smile and then squatted in the corner, continuing to count the straw.
For some reason, she felt a bit uneasy. Although everything was still under control, whenever she thought of Yin Gezhi's eyes, she couldn't help but feel a chill.
Back when she served in the army of the Wei Kingdom, some said that the First Prince was the most suitable heir to the throne, but it was inappropriate for him to be constantly away on campaigns. After all, governing a country required someone with strategy, not just a mere warrior.
Older soldiers who heard this would laugh and say that when the First Prince was just starting out, General Xu disliked him. As a result, during training, the First Prince trapped him in the city, making it impossible for him to leave. To save face, General Xu challenged him to compare military tactics, literary talent, and the art of governance.
And the result? the young soldiers asked.
The older soldiers laughed and said that afterward, whenever there was another chance for a contest, General Xu would choose without hesitation to continue being trapped in the city by the First Prince, never again discussing literary or governance matters with him.
Everyone sighed in amazement.
At the time, as one of the listeners, Guan Qingyue thought this person was truly remarkable. At such a young age, he had become a legend in people's mouths—and such a terrifying legend at that. So from a young age, she held a kind of reverence for Yin Gezhi in her heart—the reverence of a mortal for a deity.
This current sense of guilt probably stemmed from that reverence. After all, playing tricks in front of him carried too great a risk.
But then again, she had succeeded in playing tricks before, hadn't she? They were all human, all the same. He wasn't a god!Having given herself a dose of reassurance, Feng Yue hummed a little tune as she idly wove straw, continuing to wait.
Outside, the sky gradually darkened. When the last ray of light vanished from the window, Yin Gezhi stepped into the cell.
Feng Yue looked up, her face instantly blooming with an exceedingly joyful smile. "Young master, you've finally come!"
The man at the cell door stood motionless. An invisible pressure emanated from his eyes, instantly binding her entire body. The small cell seemed shrouded by a massive dark shadow, the air growing thin. And the figure at the door was like a ghost or deity descending.
Her heart skipped a beat. Feng Yue blinked, struggling to move her body, ignoring this oppressive force, and recklessly pressed herself against him, smiling seductively. "Has the young master come personally to take me out?"
"I have questions for you," Yin Gezhi said expressionlessly, his gaze lowered as he calmly looked at her.
Their eyes met, and Feng Yue's face paled slightly.
Why did she feel that in his eyes, she saw a dead person?
"...Young master, ask away," Feng Yue said, withdrawing her hands and feet, instinctively taking two steps back until she leaned against the wall, her heart pounding wildly.
Taking a step into the cell, Yin Gezhi's voice was low, yet each word was crystal clear. "The yellow pearwood box—do you know of it?"
Her entire body tensed. Feng Yue's pupils contracted slightly as she pressed herself against the wall, lowering her head and not daring to look at him again. But her mouth immediately refuted, "I don't know."
"I'll give you a chance," Yin Gezhi said, as if he hadn't heard her answer. He reached out, pressing his hand against the wall beside her ear, while his other hand gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Either you explain the whole story and the reasons behind it, or I'll tell you the whole story and send you to the underworld."
His tone was icy and merciless, without the slightest fluctuation. Feng Yue's teeth couldn't help but chatter. Pressed against the wall by his presence, she felt like a lamb beneath a butcher's knife, ready to be slaughtered in the blink of an eye!
"After all, we've slept together several times. Is the young master truly so heartless?" Her mind in turmoil, Feng Yue had no idea why this man was asking her about the yellow pearwood box. She could only steel herself and continue to act coquettishly. "I don't understand what you're talking about!"
His eyes were dark and profound, filled with millennia of snow and ice. No matter how Feng Yue batted her eyelashes, twisted her body, or tugged at his belt, there was not the slightest change.
And so, Feng Yue knew that things had truly taken a turn for the worse.
The man before her wasn't bluffing. He truly would kill her. No matter how intimate they had been in bed, no matter how many delicious meals she had made for him, no matter how she had seduced or teased him—when he decided she deserved to die, she would undoubtedly die.
What a heartless man...
With a low chuckle, Feng Yue withdrew her claws, tidied her hair, and looked up at him seriously. "Since I can't hide it any longer, then First Prince Yin, shall we sit down and talk?"
Prey chased by a wolf should be running for their lives, panicked and trembling. But when she tore off this sheep's skin, the person before him actually stopped calmly and said, "Let's sit down and talk."
"Do I have any need to talk with you?" he asked, though it was unclear whether he was asking her or himself.Yet the person before him gave a very persuasive answer: "If the contents of the pearwood box can be of help to you, then there is a need to talk."
Having spent a night in the cell, Feng Yue's makeup was somewhat smudged, and she looked disheveled. Yet when she spoke these words, a light flashed in her eyes, making him feel as if the surroundings brightened slightly.
Disdainfully withdrawing his hand, Yin Gezhi took out a handkerchief to wipe away the dust he had picked up from the wall.
The suffocating atmosphere around them instantly dissipated. Feng Yue smiled again, looking like a seductive fox spirit. She snatched his handkerchief to wipe her own face and, using his eyes as a mirror, tidied her disheveled hair.
"Do you think I have a good temper?" Seeing her flirtatious demeanor, the First Prince Yin’s expression darkened.
Feng Yue smiled, kneeling properly on the pile of straw as she looked up at him. "This humble one knows Your Highness’s temper has never been good, so I will keep it brief."
"If Your Highness has my assistance, it will be much simpler to investigate anyone, find their weaknesses, enter their mansions, or deliver their tokens. The pearwood box was sent to Your Highness by my orders because the person you wish to eliminate is also the one I desire to remove."
His eyes deep as an abyss, Yin Gezhi leaned down and asked her in an extremely soft voice, "Do you wish to help me, or do you wish to use me?"
A chill ran down her spine, but Feng Yue laughed, her body trembling with mirth. "When people assist each other, it is mutual benefit. If it benefits everyone, why speak of using or being used? For me, obtaining these things is simple, but for you, it would require great effort and may not even succeed. Will Your Highness choose the shortcut or the long road?"
Yin Gezhi remained unmoved, watching her with undiminished killing intent in his eyes.
He had things he desired, but that did not mean he would allow himself to be manipulated for them.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Yue softened her expression. Her clean face looked exceptionally sincere under the moonlight. "I am not threatening Your Highness; I only wish to seek your protection. Many things in my hands cannot be turned into anything significant, given my lowly status. But in your hands, it is different, Your Highness."
She had the knife, but only he could wield it to kill.
The cell remained silent for a long time, so long that Guan Zhi outside almost thought no one was there, before he heard his master’s voice again.
He asked, "What do you wish to do?"
A flicker of light danced in Feng Yue’s eyes. She licked her lips and looked at him with intense excitement. "I wish to kill!"
"Why?" Yin Gezhi sneered. "Aren’t you an ordinary commoner?"
"Can ordinary commoners not have a heart to serve their country?" Tilting her head, Feng Yue swayed her slender waist and smiled. "The soldiers of Wu Kingdom trampled upon the lands of our great Wei, causing my family to be destroyed, my parents lost, and my siblings all gone. Tell me, should I not kill?"
A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes. Yin Gezhi raised his chin slightly, his gaze still fixed on her. "Do you wish to slaughter all the people of Wu Kingdom?"
"I do not have that capability." Looking deeply into his eyes, Feng Yue curled her lips. "But as long as it is someone Your Highness wishes to eliminate, I will certainly assist."
"Oh?" Yin Gezhi looked at her coldly. "Simply because I am the First Prince of Wei Kingdom?"
"There is another reason." Covering her lips with her hand, Feng Yue’s eyes suddenly overflowed with boundless affection. "Because I admire Your Highness. To be of use to you, I am willing from the bottom of my heart!"The tense atmosphere was completely shattered by her flirtatious words. Yin Gezhi scoffed, reaching out to grab her by the neck and pulling her close. "Tell the truth!"
"This... is the truth!" Blinking pitifully, Feng Yue said, "Your Highness is so heroic and mighty. Is it wrong for this humble servant to admire you?"
That seemed reasonable, quite logical indeed.
His grip loosened, and the person in his hand fell back into the haystack with a thud. Yin Gezhi turned around, gazing at the moon outside the window, lost in thought.
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