Chapter 214 Can I be imprisoned forever? I will eventually get out...

The night was as dark as ink, and in the camp, the footsteps of patrolling soldiers sounded rhythmically.

Ying was holding two jars of wine in his arms and walking towards the tent of Deputy General Shi with a clear goal.

Arriving in front of the tent, Yingyi coughed lightly and announced, "Deputy General Shi, are you ready to rest?"

From inside the tent came the somewhat rough voice of Deputy General Shi: "Who is it? Come in."

Yingyi lifted the curtain and walked in.

Deputy General Shi was sitting at the desk, wiping the sword in his hand under the dim light.

Seeing Yingyi come in, he was slightly startled: "Master Yingyi, what are you doing?"

Ying Yi gently placed two jars of wine on the table. "Deputy General Shi, the night is long, and I thought I'd come over to have a few drinks with you and reminisce about the past."

Upon hearing this, Deputy General Shi frowned immediately, his face showing embarrassment: "Master Ying, drinking is strictly prohibited in this military camp. You..."

Ying Yi seemed not to have heard his refusal. He just stood there quietly, looking at Deputy General Shi calmly without moving an inch.

Deputy General Shi and Ying Yi looked at each other for a moment, then sighed helplessly: "Forget it, since Master Ying Yi is interested, let's go out for a drink."

After saying that, he hung his sword back on the wall, and left Dongying with Yingyi and came to a small hill not far away.

The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on the two of them. Yingyi opened a jar of wine and handed it to Deputy General Shi. He also picked up another jar, tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

Deputy General Shi hesitated for a moment, took the jar of wine, and started drinking as well.

With a few "gulps", the jar of wine was quickly finished.

Deputy General Shi wiped the wine stains from the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked at Ying Yi with respect in his eyes: "Master Ying Yi, if you have anything to say, just say it directly."

Ying Yi put down the wine jar, his eyes instantly becoming as sharp as an eagle. He stared into Deputy General Shi's eyes and asked word by word, "How did the princess die?"

When Deputy General Shi heard this, his body shook violently, and a few drops of wine splashed onto the rough back of his hand.

"Master Ying, why do you suddenly ask this? Didn't the eldest princess back then..." He swallowed his words back halfway.

Under the moonlight, Ying Yi's eyes were fixed on Deputy General Shi, not missing any subtle changes in his facial expression.

"Deputy General Shi, do you really think that the death of the eldest princess was as simple as everyone knows?" Ying Yi's voice was low and powerful, echoing on the silent hills.

Deputy General Shi's Adam's apple rolled up and down. He avoided Ying Yi's gaze and looked at the dark night sky in the distance. He was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke.

"The princess fell seriously ill and died in the palace. This is known to the whole country. My Lord, why did you..."

He paused, then asked the question in his mind, "Could there be another reason for the eldest princess's death?"

"This... this is impossible! How could the news from the palace back then, as well as the imperial physician's diagnosis, be false?"

His voice was trembling, and he was obviously deeply shocked.

Master Yingyi wouldn't do anything without a purpose...

Ying Yi stood up, walked over to Deputy General Shi, and looked down at him: "That's why I came to ask you. You were once the eldest princess's personal guard, and later promoted to deputy general. Do you really know nothing about this?"

Deputy General Shi stood up suddenly, his expression excited: "Master Ying, I swear to heaven, I really only know that the eldest princess died of illness."

“After the eldest princess died, the royal guards were disbanded and merged with the soldiers from the East Camp. It was only after I performed meritorious service in suppressing bandits that I was promoted by General Feng.

"If I tell even a single lie about the eldest princess's death, I'll be struck by lightning!" He said, clenching his fists tightly, and veins bulged on his forehead.

Ying Yi looked at Deputy General Shi's excited expression, frowned slightly, and fell into deep thought.

Judging from Deputy General Shi’s reaction, he really seemed to be unaware.

After a long time, Ying nodded and the expression on his face returned to calm.

He turned around and prepared to leave. After taking a few steps, he turned back and looked at Deputy General Shi deeply.

"Neither you nor I should make any statement about what happened today." Deputy General Shi quickly clasped his fists and replied, "Yes, Master Ying, rest assured."

Watching Yingyi's back disappear into the darkness, Deputy General Shi sighed heavily, raised his head and drank the rest of the wine.

If the eldest princess' death was not an accident, then who buried the truth behind it?

Deputy General Shi's heart was full of doubts. That night, he sat on the hill for a long time before slowly getting up and returning to the camp.

Back in the tent, Lieutenant General Shi lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep...

Yingyi and Gu Junze sat opposite each other in the tent, and the atmosphere was solemn.

Ying Yi frowned slightly and spoke first: "Judging from Deputy General Shi's reaction, he probably knows nothing. It seems that we need to find another direction for our investigation."

Gu Junze nodded slightly, tapping the table rhythmically with his fingers, his eyes filled with thought.

Ying Yi continued, "Little Stone was still young back then, so he really had no experience with these things."

At this point, he changed the subject and said, "It was Feng Shaoyu, who started out as a soldier, who was able to rise all the way to the position of General Weiyuan."

"I've secretly investigated and found that he hasn't achieved any military achievements. I'm afraid there's something mysterious going on in his path to promotion."

"So, there is someone deliberately supporting his promotion?" Gu Junze's eyes turned cold.

"Very likely." Ying nodded.

"Sir, I'll go and get him."

"The prison is heavily guarded, so there's no need to take risks. Furthermore, we currently lack sufficient evidence, and any rash action could put us in a passive position."

"Can he be locked up forever? He'll eventually get out..."

He can wait...

Ten days later

Lu Ge'er passed the imperial examination and became the youngest scholar in the Great Jin State.

The news spread throughout the capital.

After Gu Chen left the court, a group of officials immediately surrounded him with smiles on their faces, and all kinds of flattering words were heard.

"Brother Gu, congratulations!" A middle-aged official in a fifth-rank official uniform spoke first, his smile almost overflowing.

"Your grandson is truly a promising young man with a bright future ahead of him! He is indeed worthy of being taught by the prince of Anyang Marquisate. A great teacher produces a brilliant student!"

"Yes, yes," another official quickly agreed, "The prince is highly educated and well-known throughout the capital."

"Your grandson is so envious..."

Gu Chen suppressed the upward curve of his lips, but still pretended to be humble, and said with a cupped hand: "Thank you for your praise. It is a blessing for Lu Ge'er to receive the careful instruction of the prince."

Gu Chen was very excited as he responded to the officials' compliments. After finally finding an excuse to get away, he hurried back home.

Gu Chen walked quickly forward, raised his hand and gently patted Lu Ge'er's shoulder, his face full of relief.

"Good boy, you have brought great honor to our family by passing the high school entrance exam! You are worthy of being my grandson!"

Lu Ge'er bowed slightly, raised his head, but a trace of loneliness hung on his face: "Grandfather, I owe everything to you and the elders in the family to be where I am today. But..."