"Does that mean Grandfather doesn't agree with Father getting involved in this mess?"
As soon as the words left her lips, a flicker of surprise crossed Feng Jinxu's calm face. He had only said one sentence, and his sister had already guessed his grandfather's thoughts! Such acuity, he felt a pang of inadequacy.
Noticing her elder brother's confusion, Feng Jinyao explained.
"Otherwise, why would Grandfather have instructed Father to recuperate for half a year, isn't that right?"
Feng Jinxu chuckled. Everyone said his mind was meticulous, but compared to his sister, he felt he was falling short.
He increasingly felt that sharing this matter with her was the right decision. He even began to think that many of the Feng family's future affairs might require her participation for better solutions. With this thought, he continued.
"Yes, Father has served in the Ministry of Revenue for many years and has dealt with the漕运司 (Cao Yun Si - Imperial Water Transport Commission). The previous commissioner died suddenly of illness, which is why this position has become vacant. His Majesty intends to appoint Father to it, but Grandfather feels it's unwise. A single misstep could lead to the annihilation of our entire family. So, he originally planned for Father to feign illness. Who knew that Father would be attacked just as he left his study?"
Upon hearing this, both siblings felt the assassination attempt was too coincidental. Could someone have known the Emperor's intentions in advance and not wanted Father to take the post, thus resorting to such a ruthless act?
For a moment, they mentally reviewed past enemies, but found no answers.
In the previous life, the faction of the Ninth Prince, led by the Duke of Wei, had pushed Father forward to shield them. Therefore, it was absolutely impossible for them to have sent assassins. But who else could it be?
While thinking, they walked towards the courtyard. Even at the entrance, she hadn't figured it out.
Feng Jinxu, however, offered comfort, "Rest early. I'll handle the other matters."
Knowing her elder brother cared for her, she didn't refuse. Smiling, she said, "Thank you for your concern, Big Brother. Tomorrow, I'll go keep Sister-in-law company. It's inconvenient for me to care for Father, and it might be more appropriate for you and Second Brother to be there."
Feng Jinxu nodded. As a son, this was his duty.
After bidding farewell to Feng Jinyao, he turned and walked towards his own courtyard. Under the moonlight, his retreating figure was cast in a faint white glow, which Feng Jinyao couldn't see clearly.
Meanwhile, Feng Jinlin hurried back to his courtyard, claiming he was tired, and went to sleep after blowing out the lamp.
His attendants, Song Nan and Song Bei, dared not disturb him and took their lanterns to guard outside.
A short while later, a dark figure quietly scaled the wall and left the Feng residence, heading towards another mansion.
In the dead of night, servants patrolled the vast mansion according to regulations. Feng Jinlin, clad in black, blended with the darkness. Coupled with his excellent Qinggong (lightness skill), he easily evaded many sentries, heading towards a side room in the rear courtyard of the mansion.
The courtyard was silent, save for the moonlight bathing the ground and the occasional rustle of wind in the branches. Not a single breath of life could be felt otherwise.
Feng Jinlin kicked open the door and found the person inside was not yet asleep. Instead, they were seated by a tea table, pouring a freshly brewed pot of hot tea into a cup, as if waiting for him.
"You've come?"
Upon seeing that the person was not who he was looking for, Feng Jinlin's expression soured. He pulled off his black scarf and asked in a low voice.
"Yang Zhao, where is the Prince?"
"The Prince is occupied. He asked me to wait for you here before he left."
Wait for him? The way he said it made it seem as if he had known he would come. His doubts began to clear, and he narrowed his eyes, asking, "So, you were the one who assassinated my father today?"
"Yes."
He admitted it readily and without any explanation.
He took out a sharp blade from his embrace and handed it to Feng Jinlin. The blade was made of fine steel, its sharp edge glinting with a cold light. The moment Feng Jinlin saw the blade, his anger flared.
He kicked Yang Zhao's arm, then stood up, grabbed the blade, and lunged at him.
With a "plop," the blade sank into Yang Zhao's left shoulder. Yang Zhao grunted in pain but did not cry out.
Feng Jinlin's eyes widened. "Why didn't you dodge?"
He was furious. His "friend" had assassinated his father, and now he was brazenly showing him the weapon used. If he could stand this, was he still Feng Er?
However, seeing Yang Zhao make no move to retaliate, allowing him to stab him directly, his resentment began to dissipate.
"Is there a hemostatic medicine on this blade?"
Yang Zhao gave a bitter smile. This task was truly difficult, not only having to turn against a brother but also nearly being stabbed to death. My Lord, next time, please let the dark guards handle such matters. He was done!
"Yes. Is your father alright?"
"What do you think?"
As soon as the words fell, he swiftly pulled the knife from Yang Zhao's shoulder. There was no gushing blood as he expected, only a little trickled down the wound, which quickly coagulated.
Even so, he was in real pain.
Gritting his teeth, he took out a small porcelain bottle from his embrace and sprinkled powder on the wound. With a hiss, he gasped in pain.
"Are you less angry now? If you are, come and bandage me."
"Hmph, I should have stabbed you in the chest just now, see if you'd still have the strength to say such things." His words were venomous, but he still bent down to help Yang Zhao with his wound.
He was truly unlucky. If it weren't for Yun Li's illness, how would he have gotten involved with the Prince of Ding's mansion?
That fellow Su Cheng was a true chameleon. On the surface, he seemed even more dissolute than him, but who would have known he was the deputy leader of the dark guard camp of the Prince of Ding's mansion.
If not for his introduction, how would he have boarded this treacherous ship?
He felt like crying without tears. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He didn't even care about the force he used when bandaging, causing Yang Zhao to cry out in pain.
"You brat, why are you so rough? If you're worried I'll be too injured to move, you'll have to handle all those unsavory tasks yourself." His words were full of threats, infuriating Feng Er.
From now on, if anyone dared tell him that the Prince of Ding's mansion stayed away from court and sought no worldly affairs, he would beat them until they were spitting teeth.
In his opinion, they were all detestable!
After haphazardly bandaging the wound, Feng Jinlin helped Yang Zhao sit down. As a soldier, such a minor injury was nothing. He then asked Feng Jinlin, "How is Lord Feng? His injuries should not be too severe, right?"
"Hmph, it's easy for you to say. My father is old and not a martial artist. When you stabbed him, you almost took half his life."
Impossible, Yang Zhao tried to recall the situation. He had deliberately aimed for that spot. It looked dangerous, but in reality, it wasn't serious and only required rest.
How could it be as severe as Feng Er claimed? He looked at him suspiciously, even doubting the accuracy of his own strike. It wasn't until he saw the hidden smile in the corner of his eye that he realized he had been tricked.
Alas, he sighed.
Following the Prince was already a life lived on the edge of a blade. Now, with this troublemaker added, his future days would be anything but peaceful.
He shed a tear of self-pity.