А dеlicatе wоmаn, trulу а delicatе wоman? In ovеr twenty уеаrs оf his lifе, nо one hаd ever dared to threаtеn him like this! Whаt was еvеn mоrе infuriating wаs thаt hе hаd nо chоice but to еndurе this threаt!
As fellow сitizens of thе Wei Kingdоm, shе соuld guеss his thоughts—еven if onlу bу chаnсе—and thеn resоrt tо mutual destruсtiоn. If she diеd, he wouldn’t be аble to cоntinuе his sсhemеs either.
"Somеоnе like уоu, саn уоu evеn bе cоnsiderеd a citizеn of thе Wеi Кingdom?"
Нis tоnе wаs calm yеt filled with hatred. Heаring this, Feng Yue lifted hеr sleevе and lаughеd evеn more joyfully, her eyes curving into crescents like the moon. "This humble servant is like duckweed, without roots."
Who hadn’t once loved their country with their life? But the passion of her entire family had cooled on the execution platform. What was there left to say about being a citizen of the Wei Kingdom?
To her, the Wei Kingdom now held no meaning whatsoever. The old man’s stubborn loyalty to the nation—she hadn’t inherited even a trace of it. So what? Bite her?
Looking at her with disgust, Yin Gezhi’s eyes churned with turbulent emotions.
Feng Yue knew that those he hated never met a good end. It wasn’t that retribution wouldn’t come—it was just a matter of time. Now, he endured her threats, but once she could no longer threaten him, he would surely make her vanish without a trace.
That was fine too. She wouldn’t even have to lift a finger to die.
"This boldness and shamelessness of yours could indeed be of use to me." After a long pause, the First Prince spoke, his tone calm again, as if nothing had happened. He looked at her with the scrutinizing gaze of someone appraising goods, half-mocking and half-sarcastic. "Since you’re so desperate to survive, it wouldn’t be impossible for me to protect you."
Relieved, Feng Yue blinked and said, "In that case, this humble servant thanks Your Highness."
"No need for thanks," he replied. "Since you’re so capable, I’ll entrust all tasks to you. If you want my protection, you should prove your worth."
"This humble servant understands." She nodded with a smile, then looked up and gave him a flirtatious glance. "My worth in bed can also continue to be demonstrated."
Snorting with laughter, Yin Gezhi reached out and pinched her chin. "No need. I find it dirty."
Before he finished speaking, his fingers suddenly felt scalding hot.
Pausing slightly, Yin Gezhi frowned and instinctively reached out to touch her face.
It was truly burning hot, like charcoal on fire. He had thought her fair complexion tinged with red was due to excessive rouge, but it turned out she was running a high fever.
"If you find it dirty, why are you still touching me?" Pouting, she stood up on her own. "Then this humble servant will save the trouble. With the recent tense situation outside, I’ll stay under your protection until Commander Zhao falls from power."
With that, she turned and walked toward the guest courtyard.
"Hey." Clenching his hand, Yin Gezhi frowned and asked, "Can you even walk?"
Feng Yue paused, blinking. "Ah, I forgot to act delicate!"
But glancing back at him, she thought for a moment and smiled. "Acting delicate wouldn’t help anyway. You don’t believe I’m a delicate woman, so there’s no need to put on an act. It’s exhausting."
He opened his mouth to speak but swallowed his words. Seeing her nonchalant demeanor, Yin Gezhi turned his head away.
If she didn’t see a problem with it, why should he care?
Turning to look beside him, the fresh-faced little maid seemed to be watching a play, still dazed and unable to grasp the meaning of their conversation. She hadn’t even helped her own mistress up.
Such a young maid, and she was used to serve others? Snorting lightly, the First Prince walked toward the main courtyard without looking back. Guan Zhi followed obediently, whispering, "That’s fine too. At least I won’t have to eat my own cooking."Recalling those meals with the homely taste of Wei Kingdom, Yin Gezhi felt a flicker of compassion and turned to give an order: "Bring a physician back."
"Huh?" Guan Zhi looked at his master curiously and asked, "Bring him back?"
"To check if she has any illnesses, so they won't spread." Keeping a straight face, Yin Gezhi spoke seriously.
Thinking it made sense, Guan Zhi nodded and immediately went to handle it.
Zhao Lin's men failed to capture anyone at Dream Return Pavilion and instead offended many high-ranking officials. Upon learning that Feng Yue had already been redeemed, Zhao Lin had no choice but to let Dream Return Pavilion go and return to give Zhao Xi a severe beating.
Having been beaten, Zhao Xi naturally wanted to vent his anger on He Chou, only to find He Chou's courtyard already empty.
Truly, lust is a blade hanging over one's head! Zhao Xi regretted it so much his guts turned green. He hurriedly tried to please his father, studying diligently and practicing martial arts with great effort. After much work, he finally managed to improve Zhao Lin's mood slightly.
However, it was at this moment that Yin Gezhi arrived with the Wind-Hearing Order. With an expressionless face, he suspended Zhao Lin from his duties and confined him to his mansion pending investigation.
Facing imminent disaster and dealing with the utterly untouchable Yin Gezhi, Zhao Lin was both furious and enraged. He took a stick and beat Zhao Xi half to death, right in front of Yin Gezhi.
First Prince Yin watched with a gentle expression, even having Guan Zhi step forward to intervene slightly, praising, "Young Master Zhao's righteous act of turning against his own is a model for all under heaven. Why must Lord Zhao be so harsh?"
At these words, Zhao Lin beat him even harder! Model his grandmother's leg! It was his own son he was turning against!
Thus, cries of agony echoed throughout the Commandant's Mansion. Everyone found it unbearable to watch, except for First Prince Yin, who sat in his chair, watching with great interest.
Feng Yue developed a high fever. The physician said it was because the wound on her hand hadn't been properly cared for, medicine hadn't been changed on time, and she had overexerted herself, so she fell ill.
When he came to report to Yin Gezhi, his eyes were wide with astonishment. He said that in over a decade of practicing medicine, he had never seen a young lady with such a severe fever still so lively. The wound on her hand should have been very painful, but she didn't seem to mind.
Yin Gezhi replied with a cold laugh, "That's not a person. She's a demoness, so naturally she wouldn't feel discomfort or pain."
The physician suddenly understood: "No wonder she looks so beautiful."
Then he was politely shown out by Guan Zhi.
The Envoy's Mansion was large. For over a year, it had only been him and Guan Zhi, so it felt very empty. But now, with two more people, it somehow suddenly felt lively.
He investigated Zhao Lin. When he went out in the morning, Feng Yue had prepared breakfast. Her fever hadn't broken, her face was flushed, yet she still grinned at him cheerfully.
When he returned in the evening, she had lit all the lanterns in the courtyard, claiming it was too dark and she was scared, and she had also left dinner for him.
Before, she knew to have others help, but now that her hand was a bit better, she took charge of the cooking herself. The dishes suited his taste perfectly, which did much to soothe his temper.
So that evening, while sitting at the table for dinner, Yin Gezhi glanced at Feng Yue. He reached out and touched her forehead.
"You didn't take your medicine?"
Feng Yue blinked, her voice very hoarse but her tone still lively: "I did!"
"Then why hasn't the fever broken after three days?"Was he actually concerned about her? Feng Yue's heart swelled with excitement. She had been working hard these past few days to please this lord, hoping he wouldn't be too quick to finish her off. Heaven rewards the diligent—First Prince Yin Gezhi wasn't one to hold grudges too deeply after all! Look, he even remembered to ask if she had taken her medicine!
"My fever broke last night. Lingshu kept wiping me down with water," Feng Yue replied, her face blooming like a flower. "But then, in the afternoon, it flared up again somehow."
Yin Gezhi glanced sideways at her. "The physician said if a high fever persists, a person could become a fool."
So serious? Startled, Feng Yue immediately tossed her bowl aside and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Lingshu! Medicine!"
Lingshu brought the medicine over. Watching her gulp it down in one go, she sighed in relief. "Mistress, you're finally willing to take your medicine properly."
Feeling a cold gaze from the side, Feng Yue quickly covered Lingshu's mouth and flashed a smile at the others. "Hehe, this girl is talking nonsense. I'm always very obedient about taking my medicine."
Blinking innocently, Lingshu pulled her hand away. "Since you've taken your medicine, may I go out tonight?"
Hmm? Turning to look at her, Feng Yue asked curiously, "Where to?"
Guan Zhi beside them suddenly erupted into a violent coughing fit. However, the naive and innocent Lingshu didn't notice and blurted out, "Guan Zhi said once you two are asleep, he'll take me to see the moon. He said the moon at the Envoy's Mansion looks different from outside, and it's really beautiful."
Yin Gezhi: "..."
Feng Yue: "..."
His face instantly turned pale. Guan Zhi hurriedly waved his hands. "Master, please let me explain."
"Let you explain?" Before he could continue, Feng Yue kicked him out with a flying kick. "Daring to flirt with my maid? Are you tired of living?"
Yin Gezhi sighed as he observed the force behind her kick.
From outside came Guan Zhi's pained voice, "I'm wronged... I really just wanted to take her to see the moon."
"See your ass!" Feng Yue roared. "My Lingshu is only twelve years old! Have you no shame?"
"You have no shame yourself, yet you criticize others?" Yin Gezhi leisurely picked up some food with his chopsticks. "They can handle their own affairs. Why are you meddling so much?"
She was meddling? Feng Yue gritted her teeth. Returning to the table and sitting down, she glared at him. "You're raising pigs, and I'm growing cabbages. So when the pig roots up the cabbage, you think I'm meddling too much?"
Glancing at the pig slowly crawling back inside, Yin Gezhi pursed his lips and said nothing.
Lingshu tugged at Feng Yue's sleeve and whispered, "Mistress, I've grown up already. You don't need to worry so much."
Picking her up and looking her over left and right, Feng Yue asked with a grin, "Where exactly have you grown?"
Blushing, Lingshu struggled. "Mistress!"
"It's not that you can't go see the moon," Feng Yue said, baring her teeth and pointing at Guan Zhi. "But whatever he says to you, you have to come back and tell me everything."
"Okay!" Lingshu immediately agreed. "That's not hard at all!"
Guan Zhi: "..."
This girl was truly too naive!
"Eat properly," Yin Gezhi said. "Huai Zu and Shi Chong are coming over tonight. I have to give a lesson."
"Yes." Turning her face and nodding, Feng Yue picked up her rice bowl and continued shoveling food into her mouth. After finishing one bowl, she added another, eating three bowls in a row before finally putting down her chopsticks and waiting for him to finish so she could clear the table.
Staring in astonishment at her appetite, Guan Zhi whispered, "How do you eat so much and still not gain weight?"Yin Gezhi said, "She moves around a lot."
What kind of activities could a young lady have? Guan Zhi and Lingshu both looked bewildered, while Feng Yue blushed with a smile. Summoning her courage, she stepped on the foot of the person beside her.
Yin Gezhi stared at her coldly, making her withdraw her hoof and sit obediently.
He was about to give a lesson, and Feng Yue felt bored just sitting there. These past few days, she hadn’t planned on doing anything, so she could only find amusement in the courtyard.
"This place feels too empty," Feng Yue said, pointing to the guest courtyard. "We should plant some flowers."
Lingshu nodded, "Yes, but aside from us, no one lives in this courtyard. That gentleman surely wouldn’t bother to take care of it."
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