Wаtсhing hеr leavе саlmlу, Yin Gеzhi remained silеnt fоr a long whilе beforе саlling оut, "Guаn Zhi."
Rеsponding рromptly, Guan Zhi stood bу thе bedsidе and lооkеd аt him. "What аrе уоur оrders, Мaster?"
"Hаs this mоnth's news аrrived?"
Pausing slightlу, Guan Zhi sighed. "It hаs arrived, but it's nоt gооd nеws."
Yin Gеzhi hаd bеen seаrсhing for аn оld аcquаintanсе, asking the sаmе questiоn every mоnth. Three уеаrs had рassed, and hе wаs still аsking, while Guаn Zhi соntinuеd tо shаke his hеаd.
Glanсing onсe morе at thе dооr, Yin Gezhi sighеd. "Nеvеr mind. Lеt's prepаre for breakfast."
"Yеs."
Feng Yue prеparеd breаkfаst effiсiently, bringing it out shortly after. Her face once again wore a gentle smile, as if the fierce look in her eyes upon waking had merely been Yin Gezhi's illusion.
"There's good news," Yin Gezhi said leisurely as he picked up his chopsticks.
If anyone else had spoken like this, leaving their words hanging, Feng Yue would have surely picked up a chair and thrown it at them! If there was good news, why not just say it outright? Why pause? Was he waiting for applause?
However, since these words came from His Highness Yin Gezhi, she smiled and clapped her hands. "Wow, what good news?"
Yin Gezhi replied, "The news of Zhou Zhenshan's disappearance has already spread."
Her eyes lighting up, Feng Yue smiled. "Then Lord Leng should also keep quiet."
When she had intimidated Leng Yan yesterday, she knew that even if he remained half-convinced and hesitant, once he heard the news of Zhou Zhenshan's disappearance, he would surely stop interfering in Zhao Lin's affairs. After all, a guilty conscience fears accusation. With other accomplices either punished or missing, would the remaining one dare to rescue his partner?
Once Leng Yan fell silent, and with the Crown Prince employing some tactics, she would soon be able to venture out safely and return to Dream Return Pavilion!
"With Zhao Lin eliminated and both the City Garrison commander and captain replaced, the Crown Prince can rejoice for half a month," Yin Gezhi said. "You can also take a break for a while."
"Great!" Feng Yue responded cheerfully, picking up her chopsticks. "It's just the right time to water the plants I've been keeping in my room. Once the news is confirmed, I'll return."
His hand, which had been reaching for a dish, paused. Yin Gezhi turned to look at her. "You're quite self-aware."
"In our line of work, one must have some degree of perceptiveness," she said proudly, lifting her chin. "You, Young Master, are someone who enjoys peace and quiet. I can't always be disturbing you."
So she knew she was noisy? Yin Gezhi pursed his lips and nodded.
The flowers in the courtyard were blooming brilliantly. After finishing her meal, Feng Yue ran around, helping Guan Zhi prune the branches and sweep the yard.
Watching coldly from the sidelines, Yin Gezhi remarked sarcastically, "Why sweep it so clean? It's not like you live here."
Shivering at the sharpness of his words, Feng Yue hopped over to him with the broom in hand and asked with a smile, "Do you want me to stay?"
"Who wants you to stay?"
"Then I won't stay," Feng Yue said seriously, looking at him earnestly. "You are above, and I am below. Whatever you say, I will obey. So, Young Master, if you want me to stay, just say it directly. If you don't want me around, you can also say it directly. I will listen to you."
Frowning as he looked at her, Yin Gezhi crossed his arms and leaned against a pillar, remaining silent.
After a moment of thought, Feng Yue added, "There's another favor I might need Your Highness's help with."
"Speak.""In the City Garrison, there is a man named Zhang Xun. He used to be a centurion in the vanguard camp during the campaign against Wei. After the Battle of Pingchang, he was demoted and sent back to Shadowless City, where he became an instructor for the City Garrison," Feng Yue said. "This man rarely goes out and spends his days drinking heavily. I would like to invite him to Dream Return Pavilion for a visit, but I am of low status and my words carry little weight. I wonder if Your Highness could..."
"Does he have a grudge against you?" Yin Gezhi asked.
Covering her lips, Feng Yue let out a soft, coquettish laugh and flicked her handkerchief, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. "Why must Your Highness think of me as so dreadful? Can't I invite someone out without there being a grudge?"
Gazing at her with deep, penetrating eyes, Yin Gezhi nodded seriously.
If someone specifically named a person and insisted on inviting them out, who would believe there wasn't some underlying enmity?
"Alright," Feng Yue gave up the pretense and spoke earnestly. "There is a bit of a grudge, so I plan to... pay my respects. Could Your Highness lend a hand, considering how diligently I've handled matters for you?"
"Fine," he replied casually, not even bothering to ask about the nature of the grudge before turning and heading back into the room.
Feng Yue thought it over and decided this man likely wouldn't brush her off, so she went back to cleaning with a sense of ease.
Guan Zhi was tidying the guest room when Feng Yue entered. He remarked, "Since you arrived, this courtyard has become much cleaner."
Feng Yue smiled. "When I first came, this place was quite clean too. Were there others living here before?"
"No," Guan Zhi shook his head. "We've lived here for a year, and no one has ever stayed in the guest quarters. Every time I clean, I only wipe away the surface dust in here, just in case we have guests—it would be too impolite otherwise."
A flash of insight crossed her mind, similar to the one she had last time. But this time, with no one to disturb her, Feng Yue seized that spark of inspiration and took a light breath.
"Are you alright, miss?" Guan Zhi asked.
"It's... nothing," Feng Yue rubbed her head and smiled. "I'm probably just a bit tired. I'll go rest for a while."
Not suspecting anything, Guan Zhi turned back to wiping the table. Feng Yue pursed her lips, held her head, and walked out into the courtyard, thinking slowly.
Last time, when she sent people to search the General's Mansion, they bypassed numerous traps and combed through the entire study. They found nothing, and she had always thought there might be a hidden compartment they missed. But now, upon reflection, perhaps Yi Guoru never kept anything important in the study. All those traps might have been nothing more than a bluff.
The problem lay in the guest room.
The guest room in the main courtyard of the General's Mansion was said to have never been occupied, hence covered in dust. Yet, here in the Envoy's Mansion, with only Guan Zhi as the servant, he still made sure to clean the dust from the guest room while tidying up. The General's Mansion was filled with servants—could it be that no one thought to clean the guest room? Even if no one stayed there, opening the door to a cloud of dust didn't seem to fit Yi Guoru's character. The mansion itself was meticulously maintained, so why would the guest room be left dusty and neglected?
The only possibility was that something important was stored in that room, and Yi Guoru had ordered it not to be cleaned, which explained the accumulated dust.
Feeling a surge of excitement, Feng Yue clenched her fists, steadied her mind, and then continued sweeping the courtyard as if nothing had happened.One attempt failed, and the General's Mansion had already tightened its security and changed its mechanisms. To succeed again, they would have to wait longer.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Yue looked up at the sky.
Shadowless City was soon hit by a thunderous storm. After the heavy rain, the weather cleared, and summer arrived.
Public discussions about the corruption of the City Garrison commander had reached a boiling point. Seizing the opportunity, the Crown Prince reported the matter to the emperor, leading to a verdict. Pleas for leniency within the court gradually faded. In early June, Zhao Lin was sentenced to be executed as a marquis. All his family property was confiscated, and his descendants for three generations were exiled from the city, forbidden to return to the capital.
Upon hearing the news, Feng Yue spun around three times on the spot and planted a loud kiss on Yin Gezhi's face!
Wiping her saliva away with disgust, Yin Gezhi said, "You can return to Dream Return Pavilion now."
Just as she was about to express her gratitude, he added, "But stay there quietly. Don’t even think about taking clients."
"Why?" Feng Yue was taken aback.
Snorting, Yin Gezhi tapped her forehead. "Bad memory? Weren’t you supposedly redeemed by Xu Huaizu?"
Feng Yue: "..." This was truly a case of lifting a stone only to drop it on one’s own foot. She had only said that to stay at the Envoy's Mansion—who would have thought it would prevent her from working openly?
Pursing her lips, she said, "Fine. If I can’t be an open courtesan, being a covert thief isn’t bad either."
"Covert thief?" Yin Gezhi glanced at her. "What do you plan to steal?"
Making a fierce tiger pounce gesture, Feng Yue raised her claws and bared her teeth. "Steal lives!"
A flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes. Yin Gezhi reached out and patted her head. "Go ahead, but be quick. Don’t let anyone notice."
With a playful "Awoo!" Feng Yue turned and ran outside.
In summer, the girls wore even less, their skin faintly visible beneath thin gauze. Their gestures as they waved their handkerchiefs were even more enchanting. Even during the day, the entire Flamboyant Street was filled with a lively, joyful atmosphere.
When Feng Yue and Lingshu crawled through the dog hole, she looked up and saw Duanxian enjoying herself in the backyard.
Since this wasn’t the first time she had encountered such a scene, Feng Yue remained exceptionally calm. She immediately covered Lingshu’s eyes behind her.
Duanxian, however, was far from calm. She let out a startled cry, hastily gathered her clothes, gently pushed away the client in front of her, and glared at Feng Yue with a twisted expression. "Can’t you use the front door anymore?"
Apologetically smiling, Feng Yue grabbed Lingshu and ran! As they fled, Lingshu asked, "What was Duanxian doing in the backyard in broad daylight?"
"Children shouldn’t ask questions they shouldn’t!" Feng Yue flicked Lingshu’s little head and slipped back into her room. In high spirits, she watered the weeds in the flowerpot.
Not long after, the door was kicked open, and a familiar voice rang out sarcastically, "Well, if it isn’t Miss Feng Yue? I heard you were redeemed by a wealthy family. Why are you slinking back here?"
With a smirk, Feng Yue replied, "If I didn’t come back, who would you pick on?"
Glaring at her, Duanxian snorted. "Who cares about picking on you? With you and He Chou gone, my business has been great. I’ve even saved up enough for my funeral expenses."
"Is that so? Then I’m relieved," Feng Yue said. "He Chou will be back soon too. Since you have your funeral savings, it won’t matter if you earn less in the future."What?! Duanxian’s face turned green. "Your return is already enough to make people sick at heart. Why is she coming back too? What? These days, prostitutes who’ve been redeemed are all being sent back?"
Handing silver to Lingshu and sending her off to buy mung bean cakes, Feng Yue pulled Duanxian into the room with a smile, tilting her head as she asked, "Still want revenge?"
Hearing this, Duanxian froze for a moment, giving her a startled look. "How do you know..."
"Don’t worry about how I know. Call me ‘Grandma,’ and I can invite your enemy over for a drink. What do you think?" Lifting her chin, Feng Yue asked in a deliberately provoking tone.
Her expression turning serious, Duanxian pursed her lips, took a step back, and knelt directly before her, her knees hitting the carpet with a dull thud.
No longer smiling, Feng Yue crouched down to look at her and said softly, "Tomorrow at dusk, I’ll go with you to meet him. How about that?"
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