Due to the strange celestial phenomenon, Ruicheng hadn't seen rain for a long time.
The commoners were kneeling on both sides of the road. Suddenly, a dull thunderclap roared, and the rain started to patter down.
Sadly, no one felt joy at this long - awaited rain. Everyone was deeply sorrowful.
Feng Xingzhi had already brought the body of the Prince of Rui back to the Prince's Mansion without getting a single drop of rain on him.
The Princess of Rui was crying uncontrollably and could hardly stand without the support of the people around her.
Feng Xingzhi's eyes were sore, but at this moment, he had to take charge. He arranged for mourning cloth to be hung all over the mansion. He also prepared the Prince's body for burial and placed it in the coffin sent by the commoners.
The Princess of Rui dared not go forward to take a look, yet she refused to leave even a single step.
Ji Yunxi wanted to step forward to console her. Suddenly, the princess let out a sob and fainted backward.
Feng Xingzhi was startled and quickly called for a doctor. Fortunately, it was just a shock and excessive grief.
A series of unexpected events cast a shadow over everyone's hearts. Ji Yunxi comforted Feng Xingzhi, "The prince had no children. You and Jiuge have to observe mourning properly. You need to take care of yourself. As for the princess, I and my brother will look after her."
Feng Xingzhi pulled her into his arms, buried his head in her neck, and took a deep breath before finally regaining his composure.
The heavy rain lasted for two whole days. When Feng Jiangming heard the news, he was furious. He directly summoned Sang Qingzhou into the palace. Whether Sang Qingzhou would live or die was uncertain.
Ji Yunxi pushed open the door of the Princess of Rui's room. Seeing the princess getting up, she quickly stepped forward.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
The princess turned her head. Seeing Ji Yunxi, she gave a weak smile, "It's Miss Ji. Thank you for your hard work these days."
She was still gentle, but there was no longer the previous vitality in her tone. Instead, it was somewhat lifeless.
Ji Yunxi helped her sit down and handed her a cup of hot tea. "Your Highness, the emperor has sent the imperial guards to take the prince back to the capital. Please come back with us."
The princess thought for a while, "I don't really want to go back. Without the prince, where else can I go? "
She forced a bitter smile. She had been married to the Prince of Rui for decades, and they had a deep affection for each other. However, they had no children. Now that her husband was gone, even if she returned to the capital, she would only have the empty title of a princess.
Rather than going back and being bullied, it was better to stay in Ruicheng for the rest of her life.
Ji Yunxi guessed her thoughts. "Your Highness, Azhi and I promised the prince that we would take good care of you in the future. I know you don't like disputes. Coincidentally, there are no elders in the Ji Mansion except my brother, sister - in - law, and me. I'm being presumptuous, but I'd like to invite you to live with us. I wonder if you'd be willing?"
The Princess of Rui looked at her for a long time. A faint smile suddenly appeared on her pale face. "No wonder Xingzhi likes you so much."
With Ji Yunxi's company, the princess's condition improved a lot.
Just as the sky was clearing up, someone suddenly came from Su Ningyuan who was far away in Huacheng.
"Miss Ji, the general invites you to the prefectural yamen in Ruicheng."
Ji Yunxi thought that Ye Minghua was being held there. Presumably, after Su Ningyuan had settled the affairs in Huacheng, he was going to deal with Ye Minghua.
When she arrived at the door, she met Feng Xingzhi who happened to be going back to rest.
"Azhi, General Su asked me to go to the yamen. The princess has already gone to rest."
Although Feng Xingzhi was reluctant to part with her, he knew she had important matters to attend to. "Go ahead. I'll stay here and wait for aunt to wake up."
"Okay. You should also take a good rest."
When she arrived at the yamen, the guard led Ji Yunxi to the cell where Ye Minghua was being held.
There were many soldiers guarding outside his cell, but they were all Su Ningyuan's men.
"General Su, why are there so many guards? Have you received any news of a prison break?" Ji Yunxi was puzzled. Logically, the soldiers of the Ruicheng prefectural yamen should be the ones guarding, which would be more legitimate.
Su Ningyuan rubbed his forehead. "No. It's just that Ye Minghua killed the Prince of Rui. The soldiers in Ruicheng are more angry than rational. If we didn't guard so strictly, Ye Minghua would probably be dead by now."
Ji Yunxi looked into the cell. The once - dapper man was now almost on the verge of collapse. His body was covered in blood, and his clothes were in tatters. He hung his head, and Ji Yunxi could hardly recognize him.
Su Ningyuan walked in. "Repeat what you just said."
Ye Minghua seemed to be terrified. Hearing Su Ningyuan's voice, he trembled slightly and said hoarsely, "This rebellion was instigated by the Empress of Beidi. She said that as long as I sent troops towards the capital, she would send reinforcements. After the success, I would be granted the title of a prince."
Ji Yunxi never expected that all Ye Minghua had strived for was just the title of a prince.
"Ye Minghua, is the title of a prince really worth the infamy of being unfaithful and unfilial?"
Ye Minghua raised his head and looked at Su Ningyuan maliciously. "You young fool, what do you know? I've guarded the southern part of the Yan Kingdom all my life, but I don't have many descendants, and my children are all good - for - nothings. If I die, they'll have nothing but to sit and eat their fortune. What's wrong with being a prince? At least it's a hereditary title."
Then he sneered. "But until now, I haven't received any reinforcements from the Empress of Beidi. They're all liars!"
Ji Yunxi watched coldly. Su Ningyuan asked, "What else did the Empress of Beidi ask you to do?"
"Nothing."
"She only asked you to lead troops towards the capital? Then how were you supposed to deal with the royal family? How about the court?"
"She didn't say anything."
Ji Yunxi was now sure that Ye Minghua must have been deceived. From the moment he mentioned the Empress of Beidi, Ji Yunxi had suspected that there was something wrong with this matter. She had written a letter to the Empress of Beidi before. If the empress had intended to attack the southern part of the Yan Kingdom, she wouldn't have recalled Sang Yuanyi.
Su Ningyuan found that Ye Minghua's rebellion was ridiculous from beginning to end.
"Ye Minghua, you started this rebellion for someone, but you don't know anything? Who was the go - between?"
"The person who first contacted me wasn't from the royal family of Beidi. It was an organization called the Moon - watching Pavilion. It was the Moon - watching Pavilion that introduced me to the Empress of Beidi."
The Moon - watching Pavilion.
Ji Yunxi had a physical aversion to these three words. This organization was like a shadow that haunted every dirty business.
After a long silence, Ji Yunxi said in a low voice, "General Ye, how can you be sure that the person you contacted was really the Empress of Beidi and not someone else?"
Ye Minghua paused. "What do you mean?"
Ji Yunxi took a deep breath and slowly said a sentence that almost made Ye Minghua collapse. "How can you be sure that the Moon - watching Pavilion really contacted the empress?"
"The person who sold you the military supplies was Sang Qingzhou, right?"
Ye Minghua's hands tightened violently when he heard Ji Yunxi's words. "How do you know?"
Su Ningyuan already knew the whole story. With a hint of mockery, he said, "It seems that General Ye is ill - informed. Sang Qingzhou has already been captured by the Prince Feng and is now in the prison of our southern Yan Kingdom!"
Ji Yunxi quickly followed up. "The Empress of Beidi has never intended to damage the friendly relationship between the southern Yan Kingdom and Beidi."
As soon as these words were spoken, the last trace of Ye Minghua's pride vanished.
What else didn't he understand? He had gambled the lives and reputations of his nine generations of relatives and had been made a fool of!