Dеаling with а mаn аs dull аs Yin Gezhi, beаting аrоund thе bush wаs useless. Onе hаd to shamеlessly sреаk thеir mind—thе mоre shamеless, the more he found it sаtisfуing.
Sure еnough, аs sооn аs she finishеd sреаking, thе First Prinсe raised his hаnd, рersоnally toоk down the lаntern hanging аt thе shор еntrаnсe, cаsuаlly hаndеd оver sоme silvеr, аnd then glanсеd at hеr sideways, sаying, "A rewаrd fоr уou."
"Тhank you fоr thе rеward, Yоung Маstеr!" Fеng Yuе curtsiеd, lоoking аt the lаntern in her hаnd, and smilinglу lеаned сlоsеr tо him. "Since yоu've already rеwarded me, whу not aсcоmрanу me to the riverbank to release it? Let's see it through to the end."
Glancing toward the riverbank, Yin Gezhi frowned. "It's too crowded."
"Then let's go somewhere less crowded." Feng Yue stood on tiptoe, scanned both sides of the moat, and pointed toward a dimly lit area in the distance. "That spot will do."
Women are so troublesome! Yin Gezhi was extremely impatient. He glanced at the moat again but still accompanied her as they walked over.
Just as they moved, the riverbank grew even more crowded, with girls lining up to release their lanterns. Those ahead were dawdling, drawing curses from those behind. Some careless ones even got their skirts wet, creating a noisy and unpleasant scene.
Yin Gezhi's face darkened. "Must this lantern be released?"
Feng Yue blinked, nodding earnestly. "Yes, for blessings! Not releasing it would be inauspicious!"
Standing on the bridge, Yin Gezhi thought for a moment, then wrapped his arm around Feng Yue and leaped straight into the river!
Their sleeves fluttered, and gasps erupted from both sides of the riverbank. Feng Yue was also startled, clutching the lantern with one hand and tightly gripping his belt with the other, her eyes wide as she stared at him.
Was this a lovers' suicide? She wasn't ready to die yet, and even if she were, she’d want to stay as far away from him as possible!
Just as they neared the water's surface, Yin Gezhi hooked his hand around a red silk ribbon hanging from the bridge railing, gradually halting their descent. Feng Yue felt a sudden tug, and then she was left dangling just above the water.
"...Young Master," she swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "If you had said earlier that this was how we’d release the lantern, I really could have chosen not to."
"Didn’t you want blessings?" Yin Gezhi said coldly. "Hurry up, light the lantern."
Many lit lanterns floated on the water. After giving him a deep look, Feng Yue let go of his belt, took out the candle from the lantern, and borrowed a flame from a nearby lantern. She placed it back inside and gently set the lantern on the water's surface.
A breeze swept by, scattering sparks across the river. The moon peeked from the clear water, blinking at the pair dangling from the bridge.
The onlookers were stunned, only finding their voices after a long while, chattering and discussing animatedly. Some kind-hearted souls hurried to pull the ribbon to haul the two back up.
Feng Yue giggled, her eyes reflecting the candlelight as she looked up at Yin Gezhi. "Your Highness, we look like monkeys fishing for the moon."
Yin Gezhi gave her a cold glance. "Are you saying I shouldn’t have held you by the waist but should have hung you upside down by your ankles instead?"
"No, no, no!" She immediately shook her head. "I was just making a poor analogy. Please don’t take it literally!"
With a scoff, Yin Gezhi tugged the red silk ribbon, using the momentum to soar gracefully back onto the bridge, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.The feeling of solid ground beneath her feet was immensely reassuring. Feng Yue thought to herself that tonight had been quite a gain. After all, this lord usually didn’t engage in such trivial matters. For him to accompany her in releasing a lantern, even if the method was a bit terrifying, she should still be grateful.
So she turned and bowed to him: “Thank you, young master.”
Yin Gezhi was quite satisfied with her attitude: “Let’s go back.”
“Yes!”
They descended the bridge one after the other, enduring the intense gazes of the onlookers, and both walked back to the Envoy’s Mansion in good spirits.
Yi Zhangzhu, however, was in a terrible mood. Standing by the riverbank, still holding her lantern, tears threatened to fall once more.
Why? She couldn’t understand. In what way was she inferior to that courtesan? Why could Brother Yin buy her a lantern, accompany her to release it, yet not even accompany her to the lantern shop?
“Crown Prince Brother,” Yi Zhangzhu turned and asked Ye Yuqing plaintively, “does Brother Yin not like me anymore?”
After a silent glance at her, Ye Yuqing replied with a smile as usual: “Someone like Prince Yin is not suited for you.”
“Why isn’t he suited?” Yi Zhangzhu frowned.
Ye Yuqing said, “Prince Yin has a rather cold temperament. He doesn’t speak much and won’t actively try to make you happy or give you an easy way out. You, on the other hand, are proud and unwilling to speak your mind directly. Being with him would naturally make you unhappy.”
Looking at him disapprovingly, Yi Zhangzhu said, “If a man likes a woman, shouldn’t he become gentle and considerate in every way? Once he becomes like that, I might not be unhappy with him.”
Ye Yuqing closed his eyes.
Reasoning with Yi Zhangzhu was truly a draining task. He’d rather return to the palace to pay his respects to the Empress.
Perhaps because she had experienced too much today, Feng Yue was so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as she sat down in the main courtyard. Yin Gezhi looked at her with disdain: “You really have no sense of caution.”
The person with no sense of caution slept soundly and peacefully. Lingshu cautiously glanced at him, then tried to wake her mistress and help her back to the guest courtyard. Who would have thought that as soon as she stretched out a hand, Guan Zhi grabbed both her and her hand, dragging her out.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Lingshu stomped her foot angrily, glaring at Guan Zhi. “I’m taking my mistress back to rest!”
“No need,” Guan Zhi replied with a strange smile. “I can sense that our master is in an excellent mood. It’s fine for your lady to sleep in the main courtyard.”
Where did he sense that? Lingshu was bewildered. “I don’t sense it at all.”
“Be good, you’re still young,” Guan Zhi patted her head, smiling. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”
That made sense! Lingshu nodded and decided to return to the guest courtyard to rest by herself.
All the stone lanterns in the Envoy’s Mansion were lit, casting a warm orange glow outside the courtyard. Inside, the flowers and plants thrived, and even under the moonlight, there was no sense of desolation.
Guan Zhi sighed with emotion, glanced at the main room, placed a basin of water outside, and then went to rest as well.
Feng Yue had a dream. She dreamed she was in a pitch-black room, with red silk curtains overhead and a faint, dim light.
Someone sat beside her, speaking softly. He said, “After the next battle is over, I’ll mention the matter of establishing a consort to His Majesty.”
“Establishing a consort?” Feng Yue didn’t speak, but she could hear her own disguised voice, asking him strangely, “Whom does Your Highness intend to establish as consort?”"I used to believe that women should be gentle, kind, respectful, and obedient—well-versed in etiquette and content to manage the household," he said. "But now I think... livelier ones are acceptable too."
Livelier ones? Feng Yue thought, she was quite lively herself. It was just a shame she could no longer become his consort. The Empress Dowager had arranged her marriage to the heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo, and in six months, the wedding would take place. There was no use resisting. It was precisely because of this that she was lying here now.
That scoundrel Feng Ming wanted to marry her? Well, she’d give him a cuckold’s horns first! Once the marriage fell through, she wouldn’t have to be cooped up in a courtyard embroidering flowers anymore—hahaha!
"What are you laughing about?" The voice beside her suddenly grew tense. "I wasn’t talking about you."
"Hmm?" She snapped back to reality, reached out to wrap her arms around the man’s neck, planted a loud kiss on his lips, and said in a deliberately sweet voice, "Nothing, I just really like Your Highness, that’s all."
The room fell silent. The person beside her seemed to vanish instantly, and then the room was flooded with bright light, so bright that she panicked and closed her eyes.
"You like me?" Yin Gezhi looked at her expressionlessly, his eyes filled with disdain. "What do you, someone like you, have to offer to like me?"
Her heart clenched. Feng Yue stared at him in a daze.
He stood on the execution platform, dressed in a prince’s embroidered dragon robe, looking down at her from above. "The Guan family has committed treason by colluding with the enemy. Their crime extends to nine generations. Today, they shall be executed as a warning to others!"
Guan Qingmu knelt proudly beside her, his noble bearing undiminished, and spoke each word clearly and loudly: "We thank His Majesty for his grace!"
The blade rose, and heads fell. Blood splattered across the filthy execution ground, staining everyone’s faces and clothes.
"Second Brother!" The cry was trapped in her throat, unable to escape. All she could see was a sea of crimson.
Guan Qingmu fell, and Ling’er collapsed beside him. Even without their heads, their bodies remained close together. Their blood flowed out, merging into one. She opened her mouth wide, trying to breathe, but was choked by the overwhelming stench of blood.
The executioner’s blade was even faster than the swords on the battlefield. Stumbling to her feet, she tried to shield her third sister on the left, but her second aunt’s head fell on the right. She tried to protect the youngest master of the Guan family in front, but the wet nurse behind her closed her eyes forever. She rushed around the execution ground, but she couldn’t stop anything. The pain made her whole body tremble!
And the old man? The old man who always spoke of loyalty to the sovereign and serving the country? Where was he when his family was dying?
After a long moment of stunned silence, Feng Yue remembered. Guan Canghai had committed suicide in prison out of guilt for his crimes. In recognition of his past merits, the Emperor had allowed him to be buried with his body intact.
Hahaha... buried with his body intact, thank His Majesty for his grace, thank His Majesty for his grace!
She threw her head back and laughed wildly, her eyes bloodshot. Looking up at the person standing on the execution platform, her hands clenched until they turned white. Finally, she snatched a sword from a nearby guard and lunged straight for his heart!
"Feng Yue!" The person standing there frowned and called out her name.
The surroundings blurred, and her body trembled violently. Feng Yue opened her eyes, her gaze still blood-red, filled with overwhelming hatred.
Startled by her expression, Yin Gezhi looked at her in confusion. "Did you have a nightmare?"
A nightmare? Her eyes were dazed for a moment before Feng Yue took in her surroundings. Slowly sitting up, she took a long time to calm down before closing her eyes and smiling. "Yes, this humble servant had a very frightening dream."
"What did you dream about?" Yin Gezhi frowned.Only the two of them remained in the room, with no other presence around. For a moment, Feng Yue felt a strong urge to pull the hairpin from her head and plunge it straight into his heart!
Yet, glancing down at her still-unhealed hand, she opened her eyes and replied with a lively, adorable smile: "I dreamed that my entire family had died! Then, Your Highness descended from the heavens, rescued me from the depths of suffering, and helped me avenge that irreconcilable enmity!"
Gazing at her with profound eyes, Yin Gezhi said, "It will happen."
"Then I shall wait." Turning to look at the brightening sky outside, Feng Yue said, "Ah, it's time to prepare your breakfast. I shall take my leave now."
OpenNovel