Chapter 203 What A-Jiu, the chivalrous one, can do, he can also do.
“Father was a loyal minister and a good general. He guarded the gate of a city, so how could he not guard his own gate? Father was a loyal minister and a good general. He guarded the gate of a city, so how could he not guard his own gate?” Feng Shisan repeated this over and over, his mind blank and almost insane. He had held onto his pride until today, all for the sake of upholding the reputation of the Feng family, and one day he would prove to everyone that his father had been framed and the Feng family was innocent. But today, his father’s past had been exposed in public by Wan Qixi. The evidence was irrefutable and there was nothing more to say. Feng Shisan was so ashamed that he wanted to die.
"Feng Shisan!" Guan Ye shouted.
Feng Shisan shrank back slightly, and his voice became lower.
Guan Ye gritted her teeth: "Speaking of which, my parents also went through the Vermilion Bird Gate. My father said that he had a good friend who was a guard general, who also happened to be surnamed Feng. It turns out that he was your father."
Upon hearing this, the people in the room exchanged bewildered glances. "He's going to die...he's going to die..." Ji Fang's heart leaped into his throat. One was gone, and another came to finish him off. With double swords slashing, it seemed Feng Shisan was truly going to prove his innocence with his death.
Feng Shisan nearly bit his tongue off. He paused for a moment and said, "How much silver did I take from your family? If this is enough, you can count it and take it."
Guan Ye didn't even glance at the silver ingots on the ground, and continued, "It's not much silver, but he tricked my mother out of her most treasured gold bracelet, and you don't have that here..."
"That means it was confiscated by the soldiers." Feng Shisan's sharp edge had vanished, and he looked like a helpless chick with his head drooping.
"Guan Ye..." Ji Fang couldn't help but call out, but was so frightened by A Jiu's gaze that he shut his mouth tightly.
Guan Ye squatted down and sat opposite Feng Shisan. "Father said he was complaining at the time, how did Feng Shouzhen know you had a pair of gold bracelets? How did he get tricked into giving them away? Mother said that being able to exchange the gold bracelets for the lives of three family members is still a win for our family... Feng Shisan? Are you listening?"
"Uh," Feng Shisan's voice was so low it was barely a whisper.
Ajiu stood behind Guan Ye and saw that Feng Shisan didn't seem to understand. She gently patted his back with her sword sheath. "What Guan Ye means is that your father took money from people, but he did save lives. If it weren't for him, how would the Lu family and the Guan family of Tianhufang still have descendants? They would have been strangled in Rongdu City twenty years ago."
Feng Shisan stiffly raised his head. This resolute swordsman, who had never frowned even when his black robes were stained with blood, now had his eyes redden with tears after a few words from someone. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and he suddenly grabbed Ajiu's wrist. "Is that really so?"
"Otherwise what?" Guan Ye said irritably, "Do you expect me to kneel down and kowtow to you to thank your father for saving my life back then?"
Feng Shisan waved his hands frantically, sniffed, and said, "I know... you're saying all this just to make me feel better, but..." Feng Shisan choked up, "I'd rather my father were a righteous man; he made a mistake, but he also... saved people..."
"In the eyes of the Guan family, Feng Shouzhen is a righteous man." Guan Ye clasped his hands together and looked up at the sky, then winked at the others.
"Yes, yes, yes." Xiao Ma followed suit with a fist and palm salute, and Mei Xiaojing quickly imitated the gesture, "Sir Feng is remarkable."
The situation changed too quickly, and Ji Fang couldn't quite accept it. He wanted to pretend to be asleep, but he was afraid of hurting Feng Shisan's fragile heart, so he could only look up at the sky and clasp his hands in a respectful gesture, saying, "Feng Yishi is remarkable."
Feng Shisan looked at Mu Chenbi, "Your Highness, they're all lying to me. I need you to tell me how my father's case is actually being handled, and whether he can be exonerated in the future."
When asked directly, Mu Chenbi couldn't pretend to be blind or deaf. He lowered his phoenix-feather eyelashes and thought for a moment, "The city's garrison commander accepted bribes. This matter... the evidence is irrefutable, and it seems there's no possibility of clearing his name. But..." Mu Chenbi glanced at Guan Ye, "Those who survived back then all received your father's kindness. Now that they've all gathered at your home, your father's spirit in heaven will surely feel gratified."
Feng Shisan smiled gratefully, clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Mu Chenbi. He bent down to pick up the silver ingots from the ground, put them into the broken wooden box and stuffed it back into the hole in the wall. He grabbed a handful of pebbles and filled the gap. Buying land and a house? Feng Xiang hadn't mentioned it.
As the fire gradually dimmed, seeing that the firewood was almost burned, A-Jiu got up to go to the yard to add some more. Just as he sat up, Guan Ye, who had been dozing against him, grabbed his arm and softly called A-Jiu's name, afraid he would leave and disappear. Mu Chenbi watched sadly, then, leaning on his sword, got up to add firewood for A-Jiu.
The courtyard was desolate, with only withered branches scattered on the ground. The moon was bright and the stars were silent, with only the cries of crows. Looking back at his companion in the inner room, Mu Chenbi lowered his eyebrows in self-mockery and bent down to pick up the withered branches on the ground, one after another.
Suddenly sensing someone approaching from behind, Mu Chenbi slowly straightened up and lowered his voice, saying, "You're with her, what are you doing out here?"
Ajiu bent down and scooped up a large handful of firewood, coldly looking at Mu Chenbi and saying, "The fire is about to go out. Waiting for you? How long will it take?" As she spoke, she stuffed the firewood into Mu Chenbi's arms, looked up at the sky, and said heavily, "It's getting late, I should... go." As she spoke, she raised the sword in her hand to Mu Chenbi, "I'll borrow your sword for a moment."
The Twin-Dimpled Sword. Mu Chenbi recognized his sword at a glance. "You entered the palace in your own capacity, so why did you borrow my sword?"
"Who said I was going to enter the palace as A-Jiu?" A-Jiu pulled off his headband, arrogantly raising his eyebrows, a strand of loose hair just enough to cover his left eyebrow. "Your left eyebrow was also injured by Lou Cangyu. Once the wound heals, apart from your closest relatives, I'm afraid no one will be able to tell us apart." Seeing Mu Chenbi standing there stunned, A-Jiu continued, "You revealed your identity on the execution ground, and Cui Jin also saw Lou Cangyu injure you. If I enter the palace looking like this, Cui Jin will be suspicious but won't dare to act rashly. Don't worry, as long as I have the courage of the Crown Prince, they will only see me as the Crown Prince when I walk around the palace. I can't take your place for a lifetime, but I can handle it for three to five days..."
“Father is already dissatisfied with me. He knows that I have already stood on the opposite side of him... If you go back as I am... aren't you afraid…” Mu Chenbi suppressed his emotions. “Ajiu, I don’t need you to protect me. I chose this path myself... I, Mu Chenbi, will crawl to the end.”
Ah Jiu clicked her tongue and shook her head. "I already said it would be at most three to five days. Once your wounds have healed, you'll still have to brave mountains of knives and seas of fire on your own. Guan Ye is still waiting for me to come back. What are you thinking about?"
Mu Chenbi instantly understood, his handsome face turning red. Ajiu chuckled dryly, placed her palm heavily on Mu Chenbi's shoulder, and gazed at Guan Ye, who was fast asleep in the inner room. Her eyes were filled with complex emotions. "When I'm not here, please take care of Guan Ye... Tell her that the Emperor likes Ajiu very much, and that Ajiu will be fine."
"Aren't you afraid of me..." Mu Chenbi whispered to Ajiu's retreating figure.
Without hesitation, Ajiu pushed open the courtyard gate and turned to the side, saying, "If you're not afraid... why should I be?"
"Luo Yichen is a trustworthy person. He can take on ten men out of a hundred Black Hawk Guards. Seeing the Twin Dimples Sword is like seeing the Crown Prince. If you are in danger..." The courtyard gate creaked shut. It was unclear whether Ajiu heard it or not.
The campfire gradually grew stronger, filling the inner room with warmth. Exhausted, everyone was already fast asleep. Guan Ye groggily opened her eyes and reached out her hand to Mu Chenbi, "A-Jiu..."
Mu Chenbi walked towards her as if possessed. Just as he bent down to examine her closely, Guan Ye had already wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against his firm chest. "A-Jiu." Guan Ye's murmur in her dream was like a seductive drug, making Mu Chenbi unable to resist. He tried to break free, but it was as if he was entangled by creeping seaweed, pulling him deeper and deeper.
"Go to sleep." Mu Chenbi gently turned Guan Ye's head, his hot palm stroking her ribs, trying his best to restrain himself again and again.
Guan Ye was truly exhausted. She curled up and lay face down on Mu Chenbi's lap, still trying to hold onto his hand tightly. Mu Chenbi saw the sword that Ajiu had left for him. The simple hilt was made of leather, its original color worn away by the swordsman's daily grip, but it was still a rare and fine sword. Mu Chenbi gripped the hilt. He would take good care of Guan Ye and everyone in the house. What Ajiu could do, he could do too.
Royal Palace
Stepping into the deep palace, Ajiu knew that his thoughts were correct. As long as he had the courage of the Crown Prince, everyone in the palace would regard him as Crown Prince Chenbi. If there was anything wrong with that, it was that, let alone three or five days, it was not impossible for him to replace Mu Chenbi for a lifetime if he wanted to.
In the shadows of the night, all the palace servants who saw Mu Chenbi could not hide their fear. Ajiu knew that the news of the Crown Prince colluding with the remnants of Xingguo Ward to storm the execution ground had already reached the palace. The palace servants did not know if it was true or not, but they were still wary of this face.
At the entrance of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, Luo Yichen's figure was faintly visible in the night. He paced back and forth outside the palace, glancing around from time to time. When he saw someone approaching in the distance, Luo Yichen was startled at first. He was about to meet the person but then stopped abruptly, staring at the approaching person from afar, unsure whether they were friend or foe.
Ajiu was dressed in Mu Chenbi's black casual clothes, her black hair covering her eyebrows, and she held two dimples in her hands. Everyone along the way mistook her for the Crown Prince returning to the palace, and no one dared to look her in the eye. However, Luo Yichen, who was waiting outside the East Palace, was different from others. He had been by Mu Chenbi's side since he was a teenager, and he was almost always by her side. Others might mistake Mu Chenbi for someone else, and Luo Yichen might be impatient, but as long as he paid a little attention, he could recognize him at a glance.
After a brief standoff, Ajiu watched as Luo Yichen's hand slowly moved toward the hilt of his sword at his waist, hesitated for a moment, and then reluctantly let go. Ajiu chuckled to herself, "Chief Luo has quite the eye for talent today."
Luo Yichen stepped forward and scrutinized Ajiu's face, then snorted, "Last time I made a mistake in my haste, that's why I mistook you. I will never make the same mistake twice. If it happens again, I will have no choice but to atone with my death." Seeing that no one was around, Luo Yichen frowned and lowered his voice, "Where is my prince? Is he alright? What happened at the execution ground during the day... was the Grand Preceptor just making things up? My prince... how could he... how could he have gone to break into the execution ground?"
"You've asked so many questions at once, which one should I answer first?" Ajiu deliberately kept him hanging. "There are priorities, you ask one and I'll answer one."
Luo Yichen was helpless. "Crown Prince... you didn't go to the execution ground to break up the execution. The person the Grand Preceptor saw... was it you?"
Ajiu couldn't help but laugh and shook her head, saying, "I thought what you cared about most was whether Mu Chenbi was alright, but what you really wanted to know was... whether he went to the execution ground to break up the execution? It seems you don't care much about your prince's life or death."
Luo Yichen showed no anger at being questioned, but sighed sadly and said, "If His Highness really went to storm the execution ground... even if he is safe for the time being, he will not be able to escape the bloodshed that follows. It seems that what the Grand Preceptor said is true... His Highness..." He suddenly asked urgently, "Quickly answer, where is His Highness? Is he injured?"
Ajiu said calmly, "You're asking me? The Crown Prince committed such a treasonous act. I'm too busy distancing myself and avoiding him. Are you sure I'd know whether he's alive or dead?"
Luo Yichen was usually a blockhead, and Ajiu's rapid-fire questions had left him somewhat bewildered. But tonight, he seemed to have suddenly had a breakthrough. "The Crown Prince committed a serious crime, and you impersonated him and walked around the palace. You... are you tired of living and want to die in his place?" As soon as he said it, Luo Yichen wanted to applaud himself. His brain was working perfectly today.
Ajiu seemed quite satisfied with the answer, holding the Twin-Haired Sword horizontally and presenting it to Luo Yichen. "Mu Chenbi said that Luo Yichen is a trustworthy person. Although the Black Eagle Guard only has a hundred men, each of them is capable of fighting ten men and can be of great use. I wonder how much of what he said is credible?"
Upon seeing the Twin Dimples Sword in Ajiu's hand, Luo Yichen suddenly knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and said, "Your subordinate Luo Yichen sees the Twin Dimples Sword as if he were seeing His Highness the Crown Prince. The Black Hawk Guard is willing to go through fire and water for the Crown Prince, even unto death."
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