If I can't hаndlе Yin Gеzhi, саn't I handle yоu?
Тhat was thе meaning Fеng Yuе sаw in Yе Yuqing's еуes.
She сhuckled softly, tears wеlling uр as shе turned tо lооk аt Yin Gezhi: "Аrе уоu gоing toо?"
Putting down his chорsticks, Yin Gеzhi gave Ye Yuqing а deeр look. Тhеir gаzеs соllidеd in mid-air, clаshing fiеrcеlу. Аfter а brief, thundеrоus exсhаnge, Yе Yuqing openеd his fan with a smile: "Sinсе Мiss Feng Yuе is going, Princе Yin nаturаlly must gо аs wеll. Оthеrwisе, when Zhu'еr thrоws a tаntrum, no оne will be аble tо stор her."
Swаllоwing hаrd, Fеng Yue felt like а tiny shrimp, hooked bу the Crown Рrince аnd then сrunсh—snaрped up into Yin Gezhi's mouth.
Biting the hook, Yin Gezhi said reluctantly: "Since Your Highness has said so, then I'll go."
Ye Yuqing, the fisherman, smiled cheerfully, fanning himself as he said: "In that case, you two should go back and prepare."
Yin Gezhi stood up, nodded, and walked out.
Feng Yue was still pondering whether she was about to be swallowed by a big fish. Her steps didn't keep up, so it was no surprise when she heard the Crown Prince whisper beside her ear: "You're quite impressive, Miss. Prince Yin seems to care a great deal about you."
A shiver ran down her spine, and Feng Yue quickly shook her head: "Your Highness, this humble servant isn't that capable. Prince Yin cares most about Miss Yi."
"Oh?" Glancing at the man ahead, Ye Yuqing's eyes darkened: "How do you know?"
"He said it himself," Feng Yue replied sincerely. "I heard it with my own two ears. He said he likes Miss Yi, but liking is one thing—he doesn't know how to please her, so their interactions aren't very pleasant."
Seeing she didn't seem to be lying, Ye Yuqing nodded and motioned for her to catch up with the man ahead.
Feng Yue immediately lifted her skirt and rushed out in a flurry.
Stealing something from the General's Mansion wouldn't be easy. The Crown Prince made the task sound simple, but carrying it out would be as difficult as scaling the heavens. Who knew what Yin Gezhi was thinking, actually agreeing to it.
Back at the Envoy's Mansion, Feng Yue closed the door and looked seriously at the man before her: "Do you have a plan?"
"No," Yin Gezhi said. "I was tasked on the spot, completely unprepared."
"You're really in trouble now," Feng Yue said, squinting with a smile. She stood before him, pacing back and forth three times, then pointed proudly at the tip of her nose: "But luckily, you still have a treasure like me."
A treasure? Yin Gezhi looked her up and down, his eyes brimming with disdain.
Straightening her back, Feng Yue snorted: "I know you're capable, needing no help and looking down on a weak woman like me. But Your Highness, what if I know where the important things in the General's Mansion are hidden?"
His eyes lit up slightly. Yin Gezhi pulled her closer: "How do you know everything?"
"That's my skill," Feng Yue said, pouting. She took the opportunity to sit on his knee, channeling her strength and pressing down hard!
But the force was negligible, and Yin Gezhi ignored it entirely. Gripping her shoulders, he asked: "Where is it?"
"I'll tell you when we get there," Feng Yue replied with a charming smile. She broke free from his grasp and fluttered away like a butterfly, disappearing in an instant.
Yin Gezhi frowned.Why did she always know things that even he was unaware of? Could it be that General Yi had also visited the Dream Return Pavilion?
That seemed impossible. She must have employed some formidable means behind the scenes. A woman like that...
Yet, such a woman had an unexpectedly warm embrace—wasn’t that strange?
Shaking his head, he snapped back to attention and called Guan Zhi to pack some clothes and prepare a few special items to bring to the General's Mansion.
Evening at General Yi’s Mansion.
Yi Zhangzhu naturally had no desire to chat with Feng Yue, but the Crown Prince sat before her, smiling as he said, “You’ve always been generous and kind-hearted. Feng Yue has already left that wretched place. Since she is to serve your Brother Yin, why not keep her in the mansion and teach her some manners?”
“If I teach her manners, won’t Brother Yin feel heartbroken?” Yi Zhangzhu replied. “The nannies in the Yi Mansion are famously strict.”
Ye Yuqing paused, then said, “Just teach her casually; there’s no need to be too serious. Besides, your Brother Yin has faced several assassination attempts recently. My intention is for him to take refuge in the General’s Mansion and get a few nights of peaceful sleep.”
Thinking of Yin Gezhi, Yi Zhangzhu pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and nodded.
Since Yin Gezhi was brought back to the Wu Kingdom by her father, he had only spoken to her. The servants and maids all knew he liked her, but... for some reason, lately, she felt he didn’t seem to like her as much as before.
“Mistress,” Dianchai hurried out as soon as the Crown Prince left. “Haven’t you disliked Feng Yue for a long time? This is a perfect opportunity!”
“Hmm?” Yi Zhangzhu glanced at her blankly. “What opportunity?”
“The perfect chance to teach her a lesson!” Dianchai said. “Since the Crown Prince wants you to teach her manners, why not hand her over to Nanny Xun?”
Nanny Xun? At the mention of that name, Yi Zhangzhu shuddered and looked at her in horror.
In a place like the General’s Mansion, even as Yi Guoru’s treasured daughter, she had never dared to slack off when learning manners as a child. Back then, other young ladies had studied alongside her under this nanny who had come from the palace. In less than half a year, each emerged with impeccable grace, but... none ever wanted to lay eyes on Nanny Xun again! Her methods were ruthless, her heart cruel—truly terrifying!
Handing Feng Yue over to her did seem like an excellent idea, and it couldn’t be considered deliberate harassment, since even she had been trained under this nanny’s strict guidance.
Having settled on this plan, Yi Zhangzhu quickly notified the three young ladies who had studied manners with her to come to the mansion and watch the spectacle.
Thus, the next day, when Feng Yue followed Yin Gezhi into the General’s Mansion, she saw four delicate flowers lined up at the entrance, beaming brightly at Yin Gezhi.
Without even glancing at them, Yin Gezhi walked straight up to Yi Zhangzhu, lowered his head, and said, “I apologize for the intrusion.”
The other three girls gasped softly, some covering their faces, others twisting their handkerchiefs. Only Yi Zhangzhu remained composed, smiling as she said, “Brother Yin, please come this way.”Yin Gezhi strode ahead without hesitation. Feng Yue, carrying her bundle, tried to follow but was overtaken by others nearby. Three large figures stepped in front of her, quite properly pushing her to the back, while also casting six rather unfriendly glances her way.
Feng Yue clicked her tongue, looking down at her clothes. She was dressed quite modestly today—had she offended someone again?
Yin Gezhi clearly wouldn’t turn back to check on her, so Feng Yue obediently followed along. The three young ladies ahead didn’t go out of their way to make things difficult for her, but they whispered among themselves, occasionally glancing at the tall man in front, their cheeks flushed. From time to time, they also turned to look at her behind them, their expressions meaningful.
Scratching her chin, Feng Yue understood—these three were likely friends of Yi Zhangzhu and held great admiration for Yin Gezhi. Their eyes practically sparkled when they looked at him.
"Prince Yin’s face is truly handsome…" sighed the girl in the goose-yellow dress. "I thought Young Master Xu was already quite dashing, but there’s always someone better out there!"
"You’d better be careful!" teased the girl in the pink dress beside her, nudging her. "If word of this reaches Young Master Xu, you won’t even need to marry into his family—he’ll just cite one of the ‘seven grounds for divorce’ against you!"
The girl in the green dress shook her head. "Ruo Ci, don’t tease Huaimeng. Tell us, does the husband your family arranged for you even come close to Prince Yin’s looks?"
Song Ruo Ci fell silent, gazing at Yin Gezhi’s retreating figure ahead. She let out a long sigh.
Indeed, Prince Yin was the most handsome, but aside from Yi Zhangzhu, who had the good fortune to stay by his side?
Thinking of this, Song Ruo Ci glanced back at Feng Yue, frowned, and muttered quietly, "Who knows where the Xu family found such a girl—she doesn’t look respectable at all."
Feng Yue smiled and spoke up. "From a brothel."
What? All three of them paused, stopping in their tracks. They quickly surrounded her, their eyes wide open. "A brothel?"
"That’s right," Feng Yue nodded seriously. "This humble one worked in a brothel and was chosen many times by the First Prince. Perhaps my skills in bed were quite good, and His Highness took a liking to me, so Young Master Xu redeemed me and gave me to him as a favor."
Young ladies from sheltered households had never heard such shameless words. Their faces flushed red instantly, and after stammering for a while, one of them finally managed to scold, "You actually came from such a place!"
"What’s wrong with such a place?" Feng Yue blinked. "Many men go there. Even dignified young masters from noble families, once they enter a brothel, reveal their beastly true nature. Isn’t that interesting?"
She spoke with such conviction that the three young ladies couldn’t find the words to refute her!
Do women who work as prostitutes nowadays speak so boldly?
Catching her breath, Song Ruo Ci frowned and asked, "What’s your name?"
"This humble one is Feng Yue."
Feng Yue? Frowning, Song Ruo Ci snorted coldly. "Truly, the name suits the person—full of worldly airs."
"You flatter me," Feng Yue smiled slightly and bowed in greeting. "You, too, live up to your name, exuding an elegant and poetic aura."Choked by her retort, Song Ruo Ci glared angrily and said, "Don't get too smug. In a moment, you’ll be sent to learn the rules from Nanny Xun!"
"Thank you," Feng Yue nodded.
Seeing her fearless expression, Meng Chang Jiang shook her head sympathetically. "You clearly don’t know who Nanny Xun is."
"Be careful or you’ll lose a layer of skin!" Feng Huai Meng chimed in to intimidate her. "Even we noble young ladies couldn’t escape half a year of nightmares. She certainly won’t show you any mercy!"
Blinking, Feng Yue looked at the threatening expressions on their faces and, a moment later, feigned a hint of panic. "Really?"
"Hmph, you’ll find out soon enough," Song Ruo Ci said, pointing toward Yi Zhangzhu and Yin Gezhi, who had walked ahead. "Prince Yin won’t save you. Look, with Zhangzhu by his side, he doesn’t even notice you haven’t kept up!"
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