Еvеrу timе Yе Yuqing сame tо sее him, it wаs bеcause hе hаd encоuntered trоublе. Вut Yin Gеzhi, рriоritizing self-prеservation, always mеrсilesslу refusеd, nеvеr аligning himself with him. Yе Yuqing hаd grоwn асcustоmed to this, aftеr аll, Yin Gezhi likеd Yi Zhangzhu, and Genеral Yi’s stanсe was nоt еntirеlу соnsistеnt with his own.
But tоdаy, thе mаn bеforе him held а tеacuр, аnd his eуes actuаlly reveаlеd а hint of hеsitation!
Hе wаs hеsitating!
Аs if sееing gоld fаll frоm the skу, Yе Yuqing smiled sо brightly his еntire faсe lit uр. Не set dоwn his fаn аnd сontinued with utmost sinсerity, "It’s not a majоr trouble, just somеthing relatеd to militаrу affаirs. I’m truly not skilled in such matters and can only seek Your Highness’s assistance. I hope you can lend a hand."
The hesitation in Yin Gezhi’s eyes deepened, as if he were struggling with something. After a long while, he sighed and asked, "What is it?"
Had the sun risen from the west? Swallowing hard, Ye Yuqing couldn’t help but glance out the window before turning back with a smile. "His Majesty has instructed me to investigate the City Garrison, saying that due to the recent increase in refugees, Shadowless City has been experiencing frequent incidents, and the City Garrison has been negligent in its duties. But... I’ve always been involved in civil affairs, and speaking in the military may not carry much weight, so..."
So, why don’t you handle this troublesome matter?
Yin Gezhi remained silent, quietly taking a sip of tea. His expression was filled with reluctance, tinged with a hint of impatience.
"Of course, I know this matter has nothing to do with Your Highness, and there’s no reason to involve you," Ye Yuqing quickly added, sensing his inclination to refuse. "But I believe Your Highness’s expertise in military strategy and martial arts is beyond doubt. As long as Your Highness is willing to assist, I will take full responsibility for any consequences and will not put you in a difficult position."
In other words, go ahead without worry—if anything goes wrong, I’ll cover for you!
Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze, gently rubbing the small teacup with his index finger, and finally spoke, "Recently, I haven’t been feeling well."
I don’t want to travel.
Ye Yuqing smiled through gritted teeth.
Not feeling well? If you’re not feeling well, why do you still go to Dream Return Pavilion? Weren’t you almost poisoned to death in Feng Yue’s room? And now, barely recovered, you’re back again? Do you want to be poisoned more thoroughly?
People act for rewards, and Ye Yuqing understood that what Yin Gezhi wanted was simple. Since he had said as much, there was no reason for him not to agree.
"Your Highness’s poisoning incident—I will investigate it thoroughly and will absolutely not spare the culprit," Ye Yuqing declared with righteous indignation. "A life for a life. Whoever dared to harm you, whether they succeeded or not, must pay the price. Your Highness need only take this token to investigate the City Garrison. As for the rest, I will surely give Your Highness a proper explanation!"
The Eastern Palace’s seal, a red agate stamp, lay quietly in Ye Yuqing’s palm.
As if unaware or unconcerned about what accepting this item represented, Yin Gezhi casually took it and nodded, saying, "Very well."
His eyes brightening slightly, Ye Yuqing stood up and clasped his hands in a respectful bow. "In that case, I thank Your Highness."
"Not at all."In high spirits as he descended the stairs, Ye Yuqing felt that the weather in Shadowless City was exceptionally fine today! He had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep, thinking about how to recruit Yin Gezhi! Such a peerless sword. Once he assisted him, it could help him carve an opening in military authority, break Yi Guoru's monopoly, and add a measure of stability to the Ye imperial family's rule!
Yin Gezhi had been in Wu Kingdom for a year, living in seclusion and avoiding social interactions, but all martial practitioners in Wu knew of his prowess, and there were many who revered him. His status was awkward—he could neither hold power nor serve as an official—which was precisely the advantage Ye Yuqing valued most, something he had long wanted to exploit... ah, no, to rely on.
Thanks to those foolish enough to target Yin Gezhi, this poisoning incident had finally pushed the indifferent and detached Yin Gezhi to the brink, making him willing to emerge from seclusion.
Bowing toward the sky, Ye Yuqing fanned himself and was about to continue toward Dream Return Pavilion when the scene he had witnessed earlier flashed through his mind, causing him to pause.
Ah, what a coincidence, the girl he fancied was also someone he fancied. Now was the time to win people over, and as the master, he naturally had to yield.
Regretfully glancing in the direction of Dream Return Pavilion, Ye Yuqing thought, no matter, that girl might still become the most important link between him and Yin Gezhi.
The teahouse was now empty. Yin Gezhi swept away any lingering expression and snorted lightly. He took a sip from his teacup and stood up.
Feng Yue had woken up and was sitting in the room, toying with something, when she saw Yin Gezhi open the door and enter.
"Where did you go, Young Master?" she cooed. "This servant thought you wouldn't come today."
"Just had some morning tea," Yin Gezhi replied. "Is He Chou already moving her things?"
Several carriages were parked at the entrance of the backyard downstairs.
"Yes," Feng Yue nodded. "Young Master Zhao is quite generous. I imagine he won't mistreat He Chou."
Won't mistreat? Yin Gezhi scoffed. That Zhao Xi was a notorious philanderer, with who knew how many concubines in his backyard. Would a courtesan like He Chou truly not be mistreated if she entered?
But considering what these girls did for a living, he didn't worry too much about it.
"Young Master asked me many things yesterday, and now I'd like to ask you something," Feng Yue said, standing up and wrapping her arms around his. She looked up, blinking her eyes. "How exactly did you notice something was off about me?"
Knowing where she had slipped up would help her improve. If he discovered it, there was still a chance to survive, but if others found out, it would truly be the end.
Snorting lightly, Yin Gezhi said, "The silver."
Startled for a moment, Feng Yue recalled the incident where Lingshu had tearfully told her about the silver being stolen by bandits. She gritted her teeth. "So it really was you!"
No honorifics again? Yin Gezhi glanced at her sideways. "Using silver to wrap a note was clever of you."
Cold sweat began to seep down her back again. Feng Yue swallowed.
She wasn't sure whether he was praising her or himself. This method was originally invented by the First Prince to ensure that military reports wouldn't be compromised during delivery. The reports were hidden in the hilts of swords or scabbards, and even if the messenger was killed, the enemy wouldn't find them.
She had simply adapted the method, hiding the note in the silver and having Lingshu buy Zheng's mung bean cakes. Outsiders truly wouldn't have noticed—who would have thought she'd run into the mastermind himself?It wasn't that she had miscalculated, but rather that luck wasn't on her side.
"The paper was too light, so the weight of the silver would be off. You didn't tell your maid the truth—each time you gave her silver, it was wrapped in paper. So she naturally assumed that one tael of silver should always weigh that much. Later, when she received my silver, she felt something was off."
Casually seated on a stool, Yin Gezhi spoke slowly, "I was just testing whether such a possibility existed. After all, the proprietress interacted with people in broad daylight, under everyone's watchful eyes. Only silver could be used to pass something along. I didn't expect to guess correctly."
Feng Yue: "..."
Looking at his calm and composed expression made her furious. It was as if others' carefully crafted schemes were just old tricks to him, easily cracked with a casual guess.
Fortunately, she had been mentally prepared. From the moment she met this man, she hadn't held onto much hope. Once discovered, she would lay her cards on the table—be honest and join his side.
Even now. As a citizen of the Wei Kingdom, Feng Yue still believed that following the First Prince would not lead to defeat.
For now, she would follow him.
Turning her face with a smile, Feng Yue reached out to massage his shoulders. "Young master, you truly are a master strategist, unmatched in wisdom. This humble servant admits defeat and is willing to serve you."
"Hmm." He responded absentmindedly. The First Prince pointed to his left shoulder. "Harder."
The corner of her mouth twitched. Feng Yue stretched her hand out in front of him. "Young master, have you forgotten? This humble servant is still injured. Although I've recovered quite well, it's still difficult to exert much force."
Her hand was still tightly bandaged, with only her fingers exposed, wiggling aimlessly. Yin Gezhi glanced at it and pursed his lips. "You're quite something. Even with an injured hand, you can still manage to cause trouble."
Feng Yue chuckled. "Well, this humble servant doesn't know how to do anything except strip. I don't play the qin or paint, so even if my hand is useless, it doesn't matter. As long as it can still move, it's fine."
How carefree she was. Yin Gezhi narrowed his eyes.
"Master." Just as they were chatting, Guan Zhi entered. He glanced at Feng Yue and whispered into Yin Gezhi's ear, "Gan Jiang has been brought here."
It wasn't exactly a whisper—she happened to hear it! Feng Yue gritted her teeth, her expression turning somewhat unpleasant. She didn't dare to look back.
A burly man entered the room respectfully, bowing his head, and knelt before Yin Gezhi. "Master."
Yin Gezhi didn't turn around, nor did he dismiss Feng Yue. He spoke directly, "Have I treated you poorly?"
Gan Jiang gritted his teeth and shook his head. "Master has treated this subordinate with immense kindness."
"Hmm, so this is how you repay kindness?"
He didn't specify what had happened, but with a glance at Feng Yue beside him, sweat poured down Gan Jiang's forehead. "This subordinate... wouldn't dare."
Feng Yue tried to remain calm, but upon seeing Gan Jiang, she couldn't help her hands trembling.
With this tremor, Yin Gezhi reached up and covered her hand, pressing it against his shoulder. Slowly, he turned to look at Gan Jiang. "Then, can I know the reason for your betrayal?"
His lips pale, Gan Jiang kowtowed repeatedly. "This subordinate never intended to harm the master. It's just... the Dream Return Pavilion has always been efficient. This subordinate thought it could solve the master's troubles."
"Oh?" Yin Gezhi glanced sideways at Feng Yue, his gaze gentle. "So the Dream Return Pavilion's efficiency is already well-known? How come I didn't know?"
Her throat tightened. Feng Yue gritted her teeth, her mind racing. Immediately, she sighed.That sigh was filled with melancholy and emotion, making Yin Gezhi raise an eyebrow as he glanced at her and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."
"I want to praise your people." Twisting around to sit on his lap, she smiled and said, "Dream Return Pavilion has received many guests and kept many of their belongings, but this gentleman is the only exception. He came to my Dream Return Pavilion, but his identity is unknown, and he left no keepsake. If someone ever tries to harm you, sir, I would have nothing to offer in your defense."
Gan Jiang's mouth twitched.
"What you mean," Yin Gezhi turned to look at the person on the ground and asked gently, "is that he also liked to visit Dream Return Pavilion?"
Feng Yue didn't even blink: "That's right! Even before I was officially listed, he had already taken a liking to me!"
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