She соuld undеrstаnd whу none of thеsе high-ranking offiсials and nоblеs hаd gоnе tо Dream Rеturn Pavilion. If Yin Gezhi was taking disсiрles, thеn anуоnе wоuld want tо squееzе intо the Еnvoy's Mаnsiоn—evеn if they didn’t want tо becоme his disciрlе, thеу’d surеlу wаnt to witness thе sрeсtасle.
Whеn Yin Gezhi first аrrivеd in Wu, the emреror оf Wu Kingdom had intеnded for him to instruсt thе уoung рrinces in the раlаcе, but Yin Gеzhi hаd роlitеly dесlined, сiting "awkwаrd circumstаncеs." Nоw, whу had hе suddеnlу dеcided to tаke disciples?
Whatеver the reаson, as lоng as оnе beсame his disciple, it would be much easier to be recommended for an official position, and perhaps even gain the emperor’s favor. For this, the officials present competed eagerly, bringing many gifts in hopes of winning his favor.
Feng Yue watched coldly from the sidelines, thinking the man in the host’s seat was in a difficult position. With a room full of dignitaries, it would be improper for him to reject anyone.
Why would Yin Gezhi do something so self-destructive?
"Thank you all for your kindness," the man in the host’s seat finally spoke as the noise subsided. "Your enthusiasm puts me in a difficult position. I will only accept three disciples; any more would be beyond my capacity. If everyone wishes to contend for a spot, I will await your esteemed presence tomorrow evening at the West City Drill Ground."
There was even going to be an exam? Everyone fell silent, weighing their options, their expressions uncertain. However, the blue-clad youth who had earlier given his name stepped forward without hesitation and bowed. "Shi Chong will certainly attend and respectfully request Your Highness’s guidance!"
Feng Yue glanced at him a moment longer. He looked like a scion of a noble family, but she didn’t pay him much mind.
With him taking the lead, the others also agreed one after another, then scattered to take their seats at the banquet. Looking at the numerous seats arranged around the hall, Feng Yue cursed under her breath.
He claimed to have sent only three invitations, yet so many seats were prepared—clearly, he had anticipated this many people would come.
Shameless!
"Although Your Highness’s mansion is tranquil, it feels somewhat lonely without a beauty to accompany you," the fat man who had just sat down spoke up again, smiling toward Yin Gezhi. "This humble official has quite a few dancers who could bring a bit of liveliness to Your Highness’s residence."
The three great routines of official socializing: dining, gift-giving, and offering women. The others were still contemplating, but he had spoken first.
Picking up his wine cup, Yin Gezhi calmly replied, "It is my neglect. The dancers in my mansion were too busy enjoying the spectacle and forgot their duties."
There were dancers in the mansion? Feng Yue raised an eyebrow and looked around, about to ask where these foolish girls were who had forgotten to dance while watching the excitement. But when she looked up again, she met the clear, piercing eyes of the man in the host’s seat.
"Are you still standing there?" As if he had noticed her long ago, Yin Gezhi spoke with composure. "With so many guests here, shouldn’t you welcome them with a dance?"
What? Feng Yue was stunned.
Leaving aside the fact that she wasn’t a dancer in his mansion and he hadn’t paid her, even if she were, her hands were as stiff as blocks of wood—they hurt when touched and would hurt even more with vigorous movement. How could she dance for him?
"Your Highness," she forced a dry laugh and slowly raised her hands. "I can’t dance."
As if unaware of this, Yin Gezhi’s face instantly darkened. He rebuked angrily, "Utterly lacking in discipline! Guan Zhi, take her to the woodshed to reflect. She will be dealt with after the banquet.""Yes." Guan Zhi acknowledged, stepping forward to murmur an apology before seizing Feng Yue and pushing her out like a chicken.
"Hey, hey?" Feng Yue panicked. "I'm not..."
She wanted to say, "I'm not someone from your mansion, why are you locking me in the woodshed?" But before she could finish, Guan Zhi moved like lightning, striking her acupoints. She felt a sharp pain in her throat, and the rest of her words were silenced.
Yin Gezhi sipped his wine, watching her being taken away with an expressionless face.
Feng Yue was furious. She had only come to watch the commotion—why single her out and not anyone else? Did they think she was easy to bully?
She looked down at herself. Both hands were wrapped, and her slender frame was draped in a red gauze dress, making her look delicate and vulnerable. Indeed, she seemed easy to bully.
Sigh.
Resigned, she entered the woodshed, found a relatively clean corner to sit in, and blinked at Guan Zhi.
Guan Zhi said apologetically, "My master ordered it. I'm just following instructions."
Feng Yue shook her head, blinked again, and lifted her chin to expose her neck.
Don't misunderstand—she wasn't trying to seduce him. They were already in the woodshed, so shouldn't he release her mute acupoint now?
Guan Zhi suddenly understood and quickly unsealed her acupoint. Then he went out to fetch water and brought it to her to drink.
"You all love to bully weak women like me," Feng Yue said as soon as she could speak, tears streaming down her face. She leaned sideways against the firewood pile, looking utterly pitiful. "I was just passing by and saw the crowd, so I came to take a look. How could you treat me like this..."
Large, glistening tears rolled down her charming face, making Guan Zhi feel a pang of sympathy. He crouched down and said, "I don't know why my master wanted to lock you up, but please don't cry. Once the banquet is over, you'll probably be released."
After sobbing for a while and using her hands to shield her eyes while observing her surroundings, Feng Yue finally sighed and stopped crying. "This place is so dark. Do you have any maids or servants in your household? It would be nice to have someone keep me company."
Guan Zhi shook his head. "I'm the only one serving my master in the entire Envoy's Mansion. There are no maids."
"Huh?" Feng Yue raised an eyebrow. "No cook either?"
"No. I prepare all the meals for my master," Guan Zhi replied, sounding a bit worried. "They're edible, but not very tasty. My master has been eating them for a year now."
Sometimes, he feared his master might fall ill from the food.
Feng Yue lowered her gaze, thinking that Yin Gezhi was far too cautious. Such a large estate, and all the work was left to Guan Zhi? And Guan Zhi hadn't rebelled—truly, he was Yin Gezhi's most loyal subordinate.
Living as a hostage in another country, enjoying excellent treatment and freedom, it was only natural to guard against those who might harm him. Feng Yue understood this but still gave Guan Zhi a sympathetic look. "You've worked hard."
Guan Zhi paused, then smiled lightly. "Serving my master isn't hard work."
Glancing outside, Feng Yue said, "Since you're the only one serving him, why are you still here with me? Shouldn't you be assisting your master at the banquet?"
"Well..." Guan Zhi rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking embarrassed. "My master just ordered me to keep a close eye on you."
Feng Yue: "..." How ruthless of him!
Taking a deep breath, tears welled up in her eyes again. She sobbed, "I'm just a weak woman. What is your master trying to do?""I don't know either," Guan Zhi mumbled. "Earlier, after returning from Dream Return Pavilion, he told me to investigate your identity. Unfortunately, you're from a brothel and have no acquaintances or relatives, so I couldn't find anything."
Guan Zhi, known for his straightforwardness as Yin Gezhi's attendant, once again demonstrated his honest nature by actually telling her all this! Feng Yue couldn't cry anymore; a cold sweat broke out on her back.
She had been too naive, thinking Yin Gezhi had never suspected anything about her and that she could fool him. But how could she forget? The First Prince, who won nine out of ten battles, always acted meticulously and thoroughly. Once he became suspicious, he would definitely investigate her down to the last detail.
But so what? Everyone who knew who she was had already died. If he had the ability, let him go to the underworld to investigate!
"Don't get agitated," Guan Zhi quickly tried to soothe her. "Our master is looking for someone, so he's a bit sensitive toward anyone acting suspiciously. He investigates everyone around him like this, not just you."
Feng Yue said hoarsely, "You don't need to comfort me. I'm not agitated."
Looking at her bloodshot eyes, Guan Zhi shrugged. If she said she wasn't agitated, then she wasn't agitated. Whatever she said went.
After a moment of silence in the woodshed, Feng Yue remembered to ask, "Who is your master looking for?"
Guan Zhi said, "An old acquaintance. I don't know exactly who, but the master has been searching for three years."
Three years? Her heart skipped a beat. Feng Yue was stunned: "A man or a woman?"
After thinking seriously, Guan Zhi said, "A man, I think. Three years ago, many major cases happened in Wei Kingdom, and many people were implicated. The master seems to have had a friend who was also involved and disappeared, so he's been searching ever since."
A man.
A sigh of relief escaped her, pulling at the pain in her hand bones. Feng Yue, her face pale, thought to herself: Why was she being sentimental again? Three years ago, the women Yin Gezhi had slept with could form a second Dream Return Pavilion. How could she expect him to search devotedly for someone for three years?
Might as well expect Dream Return Pavilion to one day become a school.
"Why are you so willing to tell me all this?" Feng Yue looked up and suddenly asked Guan Zhi.
Guan Zhi smiled. "It's not really a secret. Since we have nothing else to do now, I'm just treating it as a chat."
"Oh?" Feng Yue perked up. "Then can we talk about your master's current situation in Wu Kingdom? I'm curious why he's still so formidable."
She couldn't bear to see someone once as noble as a god fall into ruin, but seeing Yin Gezhi so successful didn't please her either.
Upon hearing this question, the straightforward Guan Zhi immediately shut his mouth, pinched his lips, and shook his head at her.
This couldn't be said.
Rolling her eyes, Feng Yue muttered under her breath: "Even his subordinates are trained to be so meticulous. What a pervert!"
"Either keep your words in your belly without making a sound, or if you make a sound, no matter how soft, I can still hear it."
The light at the doorway darkened, and a chilling breeze blew in. Feng Yue choked on her breath, instinctively shivered, and then looked up.
Yin Gezhi stepped into the woodshed, his white robes spotless and pristine, like an immortal standing aloof from the world, looking down at her, a mortal covered in dust. "Cursing me?"
"No, no!" Feng Yue quickly shook her head. "This servant was just praising how well-behaved the people around you are, hehehe."With eyes half-lowered, Yin Gezhi slowly bent down, bringing his face close to hers. His gaze was dark and sinister as his slender finger lightly tapped her stomach. "Next time you curse, put it in here. Otherwise, I'll help you put your tongue in here."
This man was clearly a ruthless and bloodthirsty king of demons, yet he insisted on wearing pristine white robes! Feng Yue sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she dared not act recklessly again. Kneeling properly, she flattered, "This humble servant will never dare again. But may I ask, Your Highness, why have you locked me up here?"
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