In the end, Li Fengqi never managed to obtain the reward he wanted from Ye Yunting. On the contrary, after being met with refusal, the sight of his crestfallen expression delighted Ye Yunting more than ever.
Over these last few days, Li Fengqi had been making trouble for Ye Yunting both openly and covertly. Regardless of whether he accepted or rejected the advances, Ye Yunting would always be tricked by him in the end. When Ye Yunting thought back on it now, it would have been better to strike first and secure victory through surprise tactics.
Having achieved this unprecedented win, Ye Yunting's mood was exceptionally high, and he walked leisurely over to greet the guests.
His black-trimmed red brocade robes accentuated his graceful bearing as he gracefully navigated through the guests. He moved calmly among the guests, like a pearl falling among tiles and stones, capturing Li Fengqi's gaze entirely.
Zhu Lie, face flushed from alcohol, approached him with a glass raised. Seeing Li Fengqi staring unblinkingly at something ahead, Zhu Lie looked at him in confusion, lowered himself to follow his gaze, and asked, "Wangye, what are you looking at?" He had drunk too much, and his words were slurred.
"Have you settled it?" Li Fengqi glanced at him briefly, then moved away in disdain upon smelling the heavy scent of alcohol on his body.
"Set-settled..." Zhu Lie counted on his fingers. "We drank seven or eight jars of wine, enough to knock out Qi Shao."
"I'm asking about the money!" Li Fengqi retorted disdainfully.
Qi Shao was the head of the Ministry of War, responsible for all military funding and supplies along the Northern Border. In the past, when he and Li Zong had been allies, he understood the national treasury's coffers weren't overflowing, so whenever possible, he would pay for additional expenses out of his own pocket rather than requesting funds from the Ministry of War. But times had changed since those days: he now requested for what was rightfully owed to him, though he could only hope to recoup some of the past debts.
"Oh." Zhu Lie took a moment to gather his bearings before remembering their current topic. He exclaimed gleefully, "We have money now?" He began dancing around in joy. "Hundred thousand taels! Hundred thousand taels! Pay off our debt, we'll still have—still have..." He faltered again, and began to calculate how much they'd be left with after paying off the debt.
Li Fengqi's face was impassive. "There are still twenty thousand taels left. You spent all this time quarreling with Qi Shao and only managed to dig up one hundred thousand taels?"
In recent years, they had relied on their own resources and had not asked for money from the Ministry of War. One hundred thousand taels was not enough.
Zhu Lie felt quite wronged. "That old fox Qi Shao. How difficult it is to pry money out of him. Whenever I asked for money, he'd started cursing those guys at the Ministry of Revenue, saying there weren't enough military funds..."
Li Fengqi thought about how stingy that Qi Shao was: if he hadn't been drunk today, Zhu Lie probably wouldn't have gotten so much as one hundred thousand taels. He decided to let it slide for now.
After thinking for a moment, Li Fengqi gave instructions. "Don't return these funds yet. Send them to Weizhou and tell Zhu Wen to prepare another supply of provisions."
At the mention of the northern border, Zhu Lie's glazed eyes cleared considerably. He lowered his voice and said, "Is Wangye planning to make a move...?"
Li Fengqi glanced at him and shook his head without elaborating. "This is just speculation for now, but better to be prepared. Go collect the Ministry of War's funding as quickly as possible; don't let them delay."
As the two conversed quietly, Ye Yunting finished seeing off most of his guests and turned back just in time to see them huddled together whispering. Curious, he asked, "What are you talking about?"
"About what the prince is looking at." Zhu Lie recalled their initial conversation as soon as Ye Yunting approached. He hunched over and smiled with empty eyes. "I see now that Wangye is gazing upon the Wangfei!" He muttered under his breath, but not quietly enough to be unnoticable. "Why is he still watching even outside the bedroom when he has already had his fill inside?"
Ye Yunting: "..."
Ye Yunting eyed him warily, unsure if Zhu Lie was merely drunk or acting along with Li Fengqi.
In the end, it became clear that Zhu Lie truly was too drunk. As he was talking, he sat down on the ground without warning.
There was no point arguing with a drunkard, so Ye Yunting could only pretend not to hear him. He said, "I will have someone escort him back to rest."
"Why bother? He's tough; he'll be fine sleeping here tonight," Li Fengqi grabbed him, raised an eyebrow and said, "Why does Young Master want to leave so badly? I haven't had my fill yet."
Ye Yunting: "..."
Can this man not be serious for once?
He maintained his smile and tugged his sleeve from Li Fengqi's grip. "As long as Wangye doesn't speak, I won't hurry to depart."
Li Fengqi put on a wounded expression. "But if I don't speak, how can I let the Young Master know my feelings?"
He sighed softly and said, "If the Young Master doesn't like to hear it, I will just say it in my heart." Then he turned his affectionate phoenix eyes toward Ye Yunting.
Ye Yunting broke out in goosebumps under that gaze.
He reached out with an expressionless face and grabbed Li Fengqi's wheelchair, turning it around. "Wangye, please return to your room first," he said dismissively. "I'll take care of things here before returning." With that, he strode away without looking back.
Li Fengqi turned to watch him go, smiling deeply.
How many days can he last?
*
By the time Ye Yunting finished handling matters at the front courtyard, it was already dusk. He returned to the main residence draped in the glow of twilight, only to see Li Fengqi polishing his blade in the courtyard. The glinting surface of the Xiaoxue sword reflected a pair of icy eyes beneath its palm-wide blade.
The last time Li Fengqi had took out this weapon was when they went to welcome the elder Wangfei back to the estate.
Ye Yunting's heart skipped a beat. Waving away the servants who had come to assist him, he spoke to Li Fengqi. "Has there been any changes lately?"
The Xiaoxue sword was Li Fengqi's favored weapon; whenever that cold blade left its sheath, calamity would follow.
"Yin Chengru's case has been decided," Li Fengqi said calmly as he sheathed the blade.
Five days ago, the Prince Qie had visited the palace. By then, he had already amassed sufficient evidence proving Yin Chengru had indeed ordered the mobilization of troops without authorization. Li Fengqi added more fuel to the fire by submitting the letters detailing Yin Chengru's transactions with Xihuang merchants. Now, with undeniable proof of Yin Chengru's crimes and no grounds for defense, the Dali Temple would soon sentence him.
Mobilizing troops without authorization carried the implication of treasonous intent,.
The sentence of death penalty was inevitable.
The Dali Temple investigated the case, the Ministry of Justice reviewed the sentech, and the Supervisory Commission made the final judgments. Once three branches delivered their verdicts, even Li Zong himself could not overturn the decision.
Ye Yunting quickly grasped the implications within this case. "Do you think the Yin family will admit to it so easily?"
If Yin Chengru were sentenced to death, the charge of treason would be conclusively pinned upon him. Even if Li Zong chose not to pursue further punishment, it would be a large stain on the Yin family name. Given the Yin family's current influence and power, it didn't seem likely that they would accept this outcome without a fight.
"Given Yin Xiaozhi's disposition, he wouldn't readily confess," Li Fengqi said slowly. "Our spies reported that Han Chan's subordinates have been visiting with members of the Yin family recently."
Yin Xiaozhi was nearing sixty years of age, yet had sat on the position of Grand Commander for decades, demonstrating his decisiveness and extraordinary abilities. The greatest defeat in his life thus far may very well be this one. Moreover, the individual who stood to lose his head was his youngest son; there was no way he would yield without a fight.
On top of this, he had been having frequent dealing with Han Chan as of late. If Li Fengqi's analysis proved correct, the man probably intended to prove the treasonous nature of the Yin family.
Ye Yunting looked slightly surprised, and he lowered his voice. "Does he really dare to rebel?"
Li Fengqi's expression was unreadable. "Whether or not he dares to revolt, he will carry the stigma of treachery either way. It wouldn't be surprising for the Yin family to take this desperate gamble." What's more, there was Han Chan instigating this.
Beizhou had endured for centuries, but by the time it reached the Chengzong Emperor's reign, it was already on a downward trajectory. The Xianzong Emperor's extravagant and indulgent lifestyle, his negligence of government affairs, and exacerbation of internal conflicts further increased the internal friction. Under Li Zong's leadership, despite the steadying presence of Li Fengqi, the army gradually revealed its brittle facade.
In recent years, Xihuang's military power grew increasingly fierce while Nanyue continued to rise, and the Dongyi made no shortage of small moves toward the border. Surrounded by wolves, the Beizhou Army suffered heavy casualties. The regional commanders stationed near the borders amassed great strength, gradually assuming the characteristics of vassal lords who governed their own territories during past dynasties. With such authority over vast military forces, grand commanders who held military power were became no different from the princess.
Throughout history, weak emperors engendered powerful ministers.
Li Zong was young. With Li Fengqi's assistance, he had achieved much in terms of political accomplishments and methods—but they were still not enough to suppress these old ministers. At first, Li Zong had been able to keep the old ministers under control through Li Fengqi's steady influence, but now that their relationship had become openly strained and hostile. These veteran ministers' thoughts began to grow restless.
No one dared make any sudden moves, though, simply because no one wanted to be the first to bear the title of traitor.
Yet the Yin family was being driven ever closer to the precipice of rebellion.
Ye Yunting's brows furrowed slightly. If the Yin family were to rebel, then his life's trajectory would diverge entirely from that of his past lifetime. He couldn't immediately tell whether this was for good or ill, but he felt uneasy nonetheless.
"What does Wangye want?"
"I want to take Young Master to the northern border for a tour." Li Fengqi looked up at him and smiled, his gaze filled with both tender affection and bold ambition. "I will not be the one to deliberately break this brief peace. But if conflicts and dispute prove inevitable, I shall claim my place within this vast Beizhou."
He extended a hand toward Ye Yunting. "Is the Young Master willing to go with me?"
Ye Yunting lowered his lashes as he stared at the offered hand, hesitating briefly before taking it. "I have never seen the grasslands and fierce horses of the northern border."
"I'll show you," Li Fengqi said with a smile. "I promise you won't be disappointed."
Caught up in the firm grip enveloping his own hand, Ye Yunting felt warmth radiating from Li Fengqi's palm, his heart unconsciously quickening its pace. Li Fengqi's gaze was filled with emotions that could not be concealed, and the excitement in his heart faded away. Ye Yunting looked away, uncomfortable, and withdrew his hand.
The warmth from Li Fengqi's hand lingered on his own. Ye Yunting's gaze drifted as he searched for something to talk about. "If the Yin family were to rebel, wouldn't Ye Wang..."
Ye Wang had just spoken of wanting to train with the Yin family's army in their earlier conversation.
Only now did Ye Yunting understand why Li Fengqi had suddenly spoken up to dissuade him previously.
"Madam Yin is a married woman. Even if the Yin family were to rebel, it's unlikely they'd involve the Duke of Qi's estate. However, if Ye Wang were to go to Yunrong at this time, things would become difficult," Li Fengqi said with a shake of his head. "I'm afraid that even if you tried, your words might not have much effect."
For many years, the Qi and Yin families had been closely connected through marriage. If Ye Wang truly wished to gain military experience, neither logic nor reason pointed toward any destination other than the Yin family.
Ye Yunting pursed his lips, thinking of Ye Wang's childish face, and sighed. "I have to try."
I was fin even if the relationship between the two brothers had been tepid in the past. Although they could never make up for the missed connections and shortcomings of over ten years, Ye Yunting certainly viewed Ye Wang as his younger brother. As such, he felt compelled to protect him to the best of his ability.
*
After his earnest discussion with Li Fengqi, Ye Yunting had been thinking about how to find an opportunity to remind Ye Wang about the consequences of his actions. But before he could take any action himself, he received an invitation from the Duke of Qi's estate.
The invitation was still delivered by the housekeeper, but this time with much greater respect and deference. "My lord and madam say that the Second Young Master will soon be joining the military, and his return is uncertain. They have asked me to invite Wangfei back to the manor for a small gathering, just as a farewell party for the Second Young Master."
Ye Yunting accepted the invitation and exchanged glances with Li Fengqi. "When does Ye Wang depart?"
"In five days," replied the housekeeper.
Five days later would be the twenty-third.
Ye Yunting accepted the invitation and said, "I understand; I'll go."
=== Author's Notes ===
77: I am the most powerful horse in the northern border. Do you want to ride me?
Tingting: ...?
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