Sееing the leadеr сlearlу, hopе suddеnlу ignitеd in Zhоu Zhеnshan's eуes: "Crown Prince!"
Fеng Yuе follоwed his gаzе аnd sаw Ye Yuqing аррrоаching with а fan in hand, his eхрressiоn grave. Thе Imperiаl Guards behind him rеstrаinеd еvеrуоne in the соurtyаrd, аbruрtly hаlting the slаughtеr.
"Your Highnеss," Yе Yuqing walkеd up to Yin Gezhi аnd asked, "What hаррenеd?"
"Can't yоu sее the саrnаgе аll оver thе сourtуard?" Yin Gеzhi repliеd cаlmlу. "Нowеvеr, Мinistеr Zhou miscalсulated. He didn't eхpect thе Crown Рrincе tо reсeive word and arrive in time. Even if he had managed to kill me, I'm afraid he wouldn't have escaped the punishment of having his entire clan executed."
Zhou Zhenshan had no idea why the Crown Prince was here, but with his life hanging by a thread, he couldn't afford to dwell on it. He immediately blurted out, "Your Highness, how could I dare harbor such thoughts! It was clearly Prince Yin who was covered in bloodshed. He refused to accept my interrogation and attempted to kill me... Look, his sword is still pressed against my neck!"
Ye Yuqing raised an eyebrow, about to inquire further, when he heard Feng Yue beside him spit in disgust.
"Do all officials speak so shamelessly? Earlier, you were the one who told Prince Yin to ignore Zhao Lin's matter. When he refused, you immediately ordered the soldiers in this courtyard to kill him, even using hidden weapons! Now that your scheme is exposed, you dare turn around and bite back?"
The figure in the red dress bounced with anger, her appearance causing Ye Yuqing to chuckle softly.
How could the Crown Prince laugh in such a serious situation? Zhou Zhenshan looked at him in disbelief. "Your Highness, please save me first!"
"Stay calm. Let's first take all the rebels in this courtyard into custody," Ye Yuqing said, turning back.
The Imperial Guards below responded in unison, "Yes!" and swiftly escorted Zhou Zhenshan's men away.
"There is one thing I don't understand, and I hope Minister Zhou can enlighten me," Ye Yuqing said, turning to look at him with a gentle tone. "How dare you treat a prince of the Wei Kingdom in such a manner?"
Sweat beaded on his forehead as Zhou Zhenshan's eyes darted around nervously. He stammered, "I..."
"He thought that if I died here, no one would find out," Yin Gezhi interjected. "This courier station is surrounded by nothing. If I had unfortunately fallen into his trap today, my body could have been transported out of the city directly, and no one would have been able to find it."
Zhou Zhenshan's face turned pale, and fear finally appeared in his eyes. He glanced at Yin Gezhi, his body trembling slightly.
How... how does this man know everything?
"Oh?" Ye Yuqing turned and surveyed the surroundings, nodding in realization. "So that's it. Quite thorough preparations indeed."
As he spoke, he walked over to Zhou Zhenshan and reached out to pinch the tip of Yin Gezhi's sword, smiling as he said, "After all, he is a high-ranking official of the court. Your Highness, please show mercy."
Feng Yue frowned. "Crown Prince, are you planning to release the tiger back into the mountains?"
If Zhou Zhenshan escaped today, he would undoubtedly stab Yin Gezhi through the heart the next time they met, without hesitation or further words. Leaving such a great threat alive—how could anyone sleep peacefully?
Yin Gezhi, however, had no objections and slowly withdrew his sword.
Zhou Zhenshan breathed a huge sigh of relief. Standing beside Ye Yuqing, he looked at Yin Gezhi with terror and whispered, "Crown Prince, this man's martial arts are truly formidable. Given your esteemed status, you should be more cautious of him.""Why be wary of him?" With a smile as brilliant as the blazing sun, Ye Yuqing opened his fan and looked at him, saying, "This palace cannot bear to kill him."
Embarrassed, Zhou Zhenshan lowered his head, thinking that no matter what, his life was saved today...
Before he could finish the thought, a chill pierced his heart.
For a moment, Zhou Zhenshan felt as if he were trapped in a nightmare—barely waking from one, only to fall into another.
He dared not breathe, nor dared to feel his own heart, sensing only the gushing blood that soaked the brocade robe of the man beside him, embroidered with a four-clawed silver dragon in a subtle pattern.
Feng Yue was stunned.
Ye Yuqing was still smiling, but his eyes were as cold as ice. The dagger in his hand was buried deep in Zhou Zhenshan’s chest, yet his tone remained gentle: "If I cannot bear to kill him, then I’ll kill you instead. After all, we can’t let those crates prepared in the corner go to waste."
"Cr... Crown Prince..." Filled with unwillingness, Zhou Zhenshan struggled to speak: "This humble official... is the commander of the City Garrison!"
He was the commander, after all. The entire City Garrison was under his command. Wouldn’t his death cause chaos?
"The position of City Garrison commander is a good one," Ye Yuqing said with a smile. "This palace will handle the aftermath for you, no need to worry."
As he spoke, he suddenly exerted force. Feng Yue could even hear the sound of flesh tearing. Zhou Zhenshan’s pupils contracted, his gaze grew vacant, and he collapsed.
Blood pooled everywhere. Yin Gezhi disdainfully pulled her back a step, saying, "Your Highness is truly ruthless."
Feng Yue nodded along, only realizing something was off after doing so. She trembled and glanced sideways at him.
Where do you get the right to call someone ruthless?!
Taking out a handkerchief to wipe his hands and lapels, Ye Yuqing curled his lips: "Simply repaying him in kind. Since the trap was already set, it would be a waste not to use it."
Guards entered from outside. At Ye Yuqing’s command, one of them swiftly placed Zhou Zhenshan’s body into a courier’s crate and cleaned the bloodstains from the floor.
"My, my, I truly thought Feng Yue was only calling for help. Who knew she’d send such a grand gift to this palace?" Turning to Feng Yue, Ye Yuqing fanned himself and smiled: "What a pleasant surprise."
The corner of her mouth twitching, Feng Yue curtsied to him: "I dare not claim credit. This servant truly only called for help because I was captured."
Back at the Dream Return Pavilion, she had slipped the seal given by the Crown Prince last time into Mama Jin’s hands. Mama Jin was clever and would naturally call for reinforcements, but there was a delay along the way. By the time Ye Yuqing arrived, it was already the second brush with death.
If not for Yin Gezhi, she would have died twice today.
Glancing at her, Yin Gezhi said indifferently, "I was wondering how Your Highness came to be here. So it was to rescue the beauty, nothing to do with me."
"Ah, don’t say that," Ye Yuqing walked over, standing before Yin Gezhi. "Sharing life and death is fate. Since we are fated, why not join me for lunch?"
Feng Yue chuckled inwardly, thinking that indeed, those of the royal family were masters of speaking falsehoods with a straight face. He clearly just came to clean up the mess—they shared life, but where was the "death" part?
Yin Gezhi lowered his gaze, his thoughts aligning with Feng Yue’s, yet he still replied: "Very well."Two men with bloodstained hands. They politely cupped their hands in salute to each other, then walked out side by side.
Feng Yue really didn’t want to follow. With a jackal facing a tiger, someone as fragile as her was better off not watching. However, after taking two steps, both men turned their heads to glance at her.
If the patrons have left, what are you still doing here?
Putting on a fawning smile, Feng Yue lifted her skirt and swayed over with alluring grace, hanging onto Yin Gezhi’s arm like a beautiful vase.
However, the two men walked in silence, making it quite awkward. So, the vase had to open her mouth to lighten the mood: “How did Your Highness know we were here?”
Ye Yuqing smiled and said, “I asked around on the way, and many people pointed the way, saying a crowd had surrounded a man and a woman heading toward this escort agency. Who else could cause such a commotion but you two?”
Thinking about it, that made sense. With such a spectacle, no matter how secluded the path they took, there were bound to be many witnesses.
“Where are we going to dine?”
“Wangxiang Tower,” Ye Yuqing replied. “The tallest building in Shadowless City. The food and wine up there are quite good.”
Glancing at him, Yin Gezhi said, “For someone of Your Highness’s status, it’s somewhat inappropriate to wander among the common people so often.”
“The Minister of the Imperial Clan Sima has already repeated that in my ear eight hundred times,” Ye Yuqing sighed helplessly, rubbing his nose. “But I believe that a ruler stands upon the people. One cannot govern from the palace alone, ignorant of the people’s hardships. My father is often ill, so it falls to me to share his burdens and move among the people more often.”
Feng Yue looked at him and asked curiously, “Shadowless City is so unsafe—even Prince Yin has frequently encountered assassinations. Aren’t you concerned for your own safety?”
Yin Gezhi glanced at her but said nothing.
Ye Yuqing fanned himself calmly and smiled confidently. “Since I dare to come out, I naturally brought enough manpower.”
Seeing Yin Gezhi’s expression, Feng Yue suddenly understood.
If he could kill him, Yin Gezhi would have done it. But since he couldn’t, it meant the guards around Ye Yuqing were terrifyingly formidable.
Giggling twice, Feng Yue said, “This humble servant wants to eat roast chicken.”
“Very well,” Ye Yuqing nodded in agreement, leading the two to their destination. They entered a private room, ordered dishes, and closed the door.
“The commander of the City Garrison has disappeared, and the captain has been convicted,” Ye Yuqing said softly, tapping the table. “Who does Your Highness think would be most suitable for these two positions?”
Asking the obvious, Feng Yue lowered her head to drink tea, thinking it was time for two foxes to sing in the green willows, weaving a string of schemes into the blue sky.
Yin Gezhi remained expressionless, exuding an air of detachment, and said indifferently, “This is your country’s affair. It is not appropriate for me to interfere.”
“It’s merely a suggestion, just a friendly chat between us.”
Who the hell chats about state affairs as a friendly conversation? Feng Yue pursed her lips, picked up a piece of meat from the cold platter, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed silently.
Yin Gezhi said, “Since the commander is gone, it’s only reasonable for the deputy commander to be promoted. As for the captain’s position, there are many talented young men in the court.”
No matter how he tried to bait him, Yin Gezhi wouldn’t take the hook. Ye Yuqing grew slightly annoyed. “Has Your Highness never considered seeking some benefits for your disciple?”"I can accept them as disciples, that is their benefit." With a calm gaze fixed on him, Yin Gezhi said, "As for other things, if they have the ability, they can strive for it themselves. If not, then they'll just have to keep waiting."
Back and forth they went, their words spoken in veiled circles. Feng Yue lowered her head and pursed her lips.
These two at the table—one trying to lure the other into owing a favor, the other staying detached, hoping the other would jump into the trap—were both far from easy to deal with. Would eating with them lead to indigestion?
"Feng Yue, what do you think?"
Just as she was thinking this, Ye Yuqing asked her with a smile.
A sip of water caught in her throat, and Feng Yue looked up, playing the fool: "Huh?"
"You must have met the young master of the An family and the son of the Xu family," Ye Yuqing said. "What do you think of them?"
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