Ning Guоzhоng wаs a vetеrаn ministеr bу thе emperоr's sidе, and his words аlways саrriеd wеight. Ноwever, hе had never been ablе tо fully grаsp thе Сrоwn Рrincе's tеmреrаment, sо he chosе his wоrds with eхtra cautiоn in his presеnce. Оbsеrving thе Сrоwn Рrinсe's attitudе, Ning Guоzhong dесidеd to sрeаk fаvorablу. Нe сupped his hаnds and said, "Althоugh thеsе two аre young, thеу mаnagеd tо dеfеаt mаny sеаsonеd genеrals without аnyоnе vоicing dissеnt. Тhis оld ministеr finds it truly remarkаble. Today's сontest was witnеssed by аll, and арpоinting these two as officials would surely meet with no objections."
Just as he spoke, a burst of cheers erupted from the stage. Ye Yuqing looked up and saw that the previously predictable match had now become intensely thrilling. The blue-clad youth wielding a sword moved with elegant agility, while the gray-clad young master brandishing a saber displayed formidable strength. The two exchanged blows back and forth. After over fifty exchanges, the crowd applauded enthusiastically, yet neither side could gain a decisive advantage.
"Truly worthy of being Prince Yin's disciples!" Ning Guozhong stroked his beard and sighed. "If only Prince Yin could set aside the prejudices between our two kingdoms and nurture talents for our Wu Kingdom. How wonderful that would be."
Gazing deeply at the stage, Ye Yuqing shook his head with a smile. "Having two such talents is already rare, yet you still crave more."
Ning Guozhong chuckled while stroking his beard. "Your Highness, have you decided how to assign positions to these two?"
Pretending to ponder for a moment, Ye Yuqing reluctantly replied, "After they finish their match, we shall test their knowledge of military strategy. If they truly excel in both martial and literary arts, then we can assign them to the vacant positions in the City Garrison."
Ning Guozhong nodded. "Your Highness's ability to appoint officials based on merit is a blessing for the state of Wu."
Flattered by the praise, Ye Yuqing turned to glance at Yin Gezhi in the distance, intending to share a knowing look of mutual understanding between wise minds. However, one glance nearly infuriated him.
Yin Gezhi stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a nearby wooden post, glancing sidelong at the person before him. Feng Yue hopped around, pleading with her hands clasped together, though it was unclear what she was saying. Both of them were clearly close to An Shichong and Xu Huaizu, yet neither paid any attention to the events on stage.
What kind of people were they? Did it mean he was the only one scheming tirelessly to secure official positions for those two?
Crown Prince Ye was displeased. He snapped his fan shut and gritted his teeth as he ordered the person beside him, "Go and listen to what they're saying!"
"Yes!"
Feng Yue twisted her waist so much she resembled a serpent spirit, yet the person before her remained expressionlessly cold. Annoyed, she puffed out her cheeks and said, "It's just a bowl of noodles! Can't you lower your standards a bit?"
"My standards are already quite low," Yin Gezhi replied indifferently. "Isn't it normal to cook noodles in a prepared broth?"
"How is that normal!" Feng Yue's face fell. "In my family, we cook noodles simply—boil them in plain water, then drain and add seasonings and broth."
"That way, the flavor doesn't penetrate."
"But it's easier!"
Giving her a deep look, Yin Gezhi said, "If you want to cut corners, just say so."
"Then this servant will say it outright!" Feng Yue clenched her fists. "I promised to pick up He Chou tonight, so I want to cut corners when cooking noodles!"
Yin Gezhi: "..."
He let out a long sigh, wondering if he had been too gentle lately, allowing the person before him to grow increasingly bold.
"Bravo—" A sudden roar of cheers erupted from all around, startling both of them into looking up at the stage.Xu Huaizu propped himself up with his sword against the ground, then grinned cheekily at the person lying before him. “Do you yield or not?”
An Shichong rolled his eyes. “I don’t yield.”
“Whether you yield or not, I still won!” Pulling a smug face at him, Xu Huaizu turned and cupped his hands in salute toward the direction where the Crown Prince was seated.
An Shichong grimaced as he stood up and also cupped his hands in salute.
Feng Yue breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s over. Judging by everyone’s reactions, it seems the fight went quite well.”
Yin Gezhi nodded, wearing an expression that clearly said, “Of course my disciple is excellent.” He glanced toward Ye Yuqing’s direction.
“Hmm?”
“What’s wrong?” Noticing his odd expression, Feng Yue followed his gaze.
There, she saw Ye Yuqing wearing an unusually gloomy expression, clearly displeased.
Normally, this lord could conceal his displeasure effortlessly. Who had provoked him this time, making his unhappiness so obvious? Feng Yue blinked, looking in the direction Ye Yuqing was staring, and whispered to the person beside her, “His Highness the Crown Prince seems to be looking our way.”
“Mm.”
“Did we do something wrong?”
“No.” Yin Gezhi replied indifferently, “His Highness the Crown Prince is probably just hungry.”
Checking the time, it was indeed the afternoon hour when hunger often struck. Feng Yue nodded in understanding and cast a sympathetic glance at Ye Yuqing.
After the contest ended, the two young masters were kept behind by Ning Guozhong to talk in the pavilion beside the training ground. Just as Yin Gezhi was about to leave with Feng Yue, they were unexpectedly stopped by a guard.
The guard cupped his hands and said, “Your Highness Yin, the Crown Prince requests your presence.”
Raising an eyebrow, Yin Gezhi glanced at Feng Yue and decisively wrapped an arm around her, leading her toward the direction where the Crown Prince had departed.
“Young Master,” Feng Yue forced a dry laugh, a sense of foreboding creeping in. “When important figures like yourselves discuss matters, shouldn’t a minor person like me return first?”
“If the master hasn’t left, can the maid just go?” Yin Gezhi sneered. “Wishful thinking.”
“But…” Feng Yue blinked. “I have no idea what’s happening. It’ll make me very nervous.”
Walking slowly, Yin Gezhi asked softly, “If you knew, you wouldn’t be nervous?”
“Yes, yes!” Feng Yue nodded eagerly.
“Very well.” Tightening his arm around her, he pulled her closer so he could lean in and whisper in her ear, “The Crown Prince probably saw us discussing dinner plans while he was busy with his schemes, thinking we’re too idle, so he intends to give us some excitement. And judging by recent events in the city, this excitement won’t be small.”
Feng Yue gasped sharply and immediately struggled.
“Then I don’t need to go, right? Huh? It has nothing to do with me, does it?”
Giving her a disdainful look, Yin Gezhi curled his lips. “It has everything to do with you. Let’s go. Now that you know what’s happening, don’t panic. Otherwise, I’ll think you were lying to me earlier.”
Feng Yue: “…”
Although she could probably guess what it was about, seeing his expression truly made her nervous.
Any schemes or plans, when encountering the First Prince Yin, would encounter countless unexpected twists, making it impossible for anyone to outmaneuver him. Her own plans trembled precariously, unsure if they would even succeed.
Why did the world have someone as cunning, ruthless, and shameless as Yin Gezhi? He made even living feel like a heart-pounding ordeal.Ye Yuqing was waiting in a farmhouse courtyard outside the training grounds. Seeing them enter, he waved gently and said, "Please, this way."
Feng Yue smiled and bowed, about to say she would just stand to the side, when she heard Ye Yuqing say, "Feng Yue, have a seat. Didn't you want to eat noodles? There are some right here."
Huh? Blinking at the three bowls of noodles on the table, Feng Yue asked curiously, "How did you know?"
How did he know? Ye Yuqing gritted his teeth. He had someone eavesdrop! He thought these two were discussing some important secret matter, but it turned out they were just talking about what kind of noodles to eat that night!
For a moment, the Crown Prince felt rather foolish. Though nothing was wrong, he still felt insulted.
"Your Highness is all-powerful. Having clairvoyance and clairaudience is nothing strange," Yin Gezhi said calmly as he sat down gracefully. He handed her chopsticks and added, "If there's something to discuss, why not talk while we eat?"
Ye Yuqing pursed his lips, exhaled a breath, and then put on his gentle, watery smile again. Fanning himself, he watched the two people before him who had started eating without hesitation and said, "On the day Zhao Lin was beheaded, many messengers left Shadowless City from the courier stations. What does Your Highness think of that?"
Eating his noodles elegantly, Yin Gezhi replied without looking up, "The City Garrison is Shadowless City's armor. A change in command at such a critical time, especially when General Yi is absent, naturally means someone had to send word."
"But the number of messengers who left far exceeded what I expected," Ye Yuqing said with a serious look. "No matter how distinguished a military officer's achievements, he shouldn't have so many people acting as his eyes and ears."
"It's like Shu brocade—naturally, some like to add flowers to it," Yin Gezhi said. "General Yi's glory was earned by his own efforts, but it was also praised and celebrated by your royal family. The principle of nurturing a tiger only to be devoured by it is something every ruler throughout history should understand."
"Oh?" After a moment's thought, Ye Yuqing smiled. "But a tiger can also have the merit of defending the nation. My Wu Kingdom cannot repeat the mistakes of your country. Killing a Guan Canghai may stabilize the throne, but foreign threats would become impossible to resolve."
Her hand holding the chopsticks stiffened for a moment before she continued picking up noodles as if nothing had happened. Feng Yue lowered her eyes and listened as the person beside her said, "I don't fully understand the specifics of General Guan's case, nor do I intend to comment on it. However, compared to General Guan's act of returning his military tally and obeying the imperial decree back then, your General Yi seems to have more of his own ideas."
Ye Yuqing fell silent.
These two claimed to be united in their stance, but in Feng Yue's eyes, they were still sailing on the same boat but heading in different directions. The Crown Prince wanted to put a leash around Yi Guoru's neck, making it easier for royal authority to control and utilize him for the country's benefit. But Yin Gezhi, while appearing to share the same stance, secretly wanted nothing more than to stab Yi Guoru to death.
Only with Yi Guoru gone could the threat Wu Kingdom posed to Wei Kingdom be minimized.
Sooner or later, they would have to settle things between them. But for now... Feng Yue took a sip of soup and smiled as she looked at them.
She just needed to follow along and do the same things they did. That was enough. When the snipe and clam fought in the future, it wouldn't harm her.
"There should be a roster of disciples in the General's Mansion," Ye Yuqing said after a long pause. "Does Your Highness have the confidence to retrieve it?"
"No," Yin Gezhi refused without hesitation. "Such matters are inconvenient for me."Using him as a covert guard? In a place like the General's Mansion, full of wolves and tigers. And going in to steal something?
As expected, Ye Yuqing laughed softly before turning to Feng Yue and saying, "Zhu'er mentioned she'd like to chat with you. She's been feeling down lately. Could you, Miss Feng Yue, go and comfort her on my behalf?"
Feng Yue nearly choked on her soup and asked pitifully, "May I decline?"
"Not possible," Crown Prince Ye flashed a bright, toothy grin and said cheerfully, "Tomorrow, I'll have someone come pick you up."
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