"You..."
Yun Xi rarely found herself at a loss for words.
She mentally cursed Zongzheng Fengyi and his whole family. Gritting her teeth, she said firmly, "I can afford to take this gamble!"
"Master Qingyi is extremely powerful. He prepared a pill to seal the Gu for me several years ago, just to help me out of this predicament today."
"I don't believe that such a capable and meticulous person would only leave me this one way out. So..."
With a more and more determined look on her face, Yun Xi declared forcefully, "I can afford to take this gamble!"
"Puhahaha..."
Looking at the trusting Yun Xi with pity, Zongzheng Fengyi laughed so hard that he bent forward and backward.
"Master Qingyi's pill to seal the Gu?"
"You're so naively cute. Didn't Hunyuan tell you? The reason why the Yin Gu in your body suddenly started to erode your heart meridian faster is precisely because you took that pill from Master Qingyi!"
"What did you say!?"
One unexpected thing after another. Even Yi Yuan, who had experienced so much and was usually so calm, couldn't help but let out a surprised cry. But he quickly forced himself to calm down, suppressing the suspicion in his heart as he defended, "Do you think I'll believe you? Don't think I don't know what tricks you're playing. Aren't you just after Xiaoxi?
"Master Qingyi's things are not for you, a prince from another country, to slander!"
Zongzheng Fengyi shrugged indifferently. He wasn't angry at all. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Hunyuan returning from afar with the Bone Amulet in hand. He said, "Believe it or not, it's up to you.
"Master Qingyi's talent is undeniable, but our national master of the Ying State is no incompetent person either. It's easy to tell whether that pill is good or bad for Miss Yun."
"Look..."
Tilting his head slightly, Zongzheng Fengyi showed a look of anticipation on his face. "Your Master Hunyuan is back. Go and ask him carefully yourself."
"National master, let's go."
Ignoring Yi Yuan and Yun Xi, Zongzheng Fengyi and his entourage tugged at the reins of their horses and rode away.
"Ayuan."
Yi Yuan's face was terribly gloomy, like the omen of a coming storm on a summer field. Yun Xi couldn't help but call out to him worriedly and comforted him, "Don't let him disrupt your mind. Don't you know better than others? Weren't you often with Master Qingyi when you were young..."
"Have they left?"
Yun Xi's remaining words were suddenly interrupted by Hunyuan, who had just rushed back. She hesitated for a moment, looking at Hunyuan several times before answering, "They've left."
Hunyuan slapped his thigh angrily and cursed to himself for a good quarter of an hour. Finally, he noticed the strange expressions on Yi Yuan and Yun Xi's faces.
"What's wrong with you two? Why are you looking at me with such strange looks?
"I'm just a mortal, even though I'm a person who practices Taoism. Even the great immortals get angry sometimes. I just cursed them a few times. You two don't have to look at me as if I've committed a heinous crime."
Yi Yuan didn't respond. Only Yun Xi gave Hunyuan a helpless look. Shaking her head heavily, she said, "It's not that. Sigh... This is not the place to talk. Come on, let's go back to the Zhaogan Hall first."
After saying that, she tightly held Yi Yuan's cold hand and turned towards the palace gate.
On the other side, Zongzheng Fengyi and his entourage, who had ridden about half a mile, were stopped again.
"All you people from the Great Yin are really the same,"
Zongzheng Fengyi was so angry that he laughed. "One after another stops me. What? Does the Fourth Princess want to keep this prince in your palace?"
"The Seventh Prince is joking,"
Yi Zhen leaned lazily on the simple and unassuming carriage seat. Her eyes met Zongzheng Fengyi's through the curtain lifted by the maidservant without any avoidance. "This princess took the liberty to stop the prince, all for the sake of helping the prince achieve his wish."
"Oh?"
Leaning forward with interest, Zongzheng Fengyi crossed his arms over his chest and said with a smile, "The Fourth Princess doesn't hold a grudge against me for publicly embarrassing you? And you're so magnanimous as to come and help me on your own initiative. It's really... touching this prince."
Yi Zhen ignored the sarcasm in his words. Smiling faintly, she said, "It's reasonable for the Seventh Prince not to believe me. But you won't know until you try, right?"
Not wanting to beat around the bush with him anymore, Yi Zhen said straightforwardly, "You want to marry Yun Xi, and I, more than anyone else, hope that she will leave the Great Yin and never come back.
"I won't ask about your real reason for wanting to marry Yun Xi, and you don't have to care about why I hope she leaves. In short, our goals are the same.
"Since our goals are the same, what's wrong with reaching a temporary cooperation?"
"Hahaha..."
Zongzheng Fengyi clapped his hands and laughed. "The Fourth Princess is truly a wonderful person. If it weren't for the fact that I must marry Miss Yun, this prince would really like to propose to the princess."
"Don't say such delusional things,"
Yi Zhen waved her hand impatiently. "Will you agree or not?"
"Of course I agree,"
Zongzheng Fengyi gently stroked the mane of his beloved horse. With a devilish smile, he said, "Why wouldn't I agree to such a good thing that comes to me on its own?"
"However... I don't know what brilliant plan the princess has?"
Very satisfied with Zongzheng Fengyi's answer, Yi Zhen casually tucked a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her forehead behind her ear. She said, "It's not a brilliant plan. It's just a simple and crude method, that is - to make raw rice into cooked rice. Make her..."
With a look of venom in her eyes, Yi Zhen said menacingly, "If she doesn't marry, she dies!"
Zongzheng Fengyi was briefly surprised by Yi Zhen's extreme measures.
Before he could say anything, Yi Zhen quickly regained her composure. With a charming smile, she said, "Hunyuan took a mute as his apprentice before. Originally, he was going to hold an apprenticeship ceremony, but it has been postponed until now due to various reasons.
"Now is a perfect opportunity. Five days later will be a lucky day. I can persuade the emperor to let Hunyuan hold the apprenticeship ceremony on that day. On the day of the ceremony, the Seventh Prince just needs to wait in the room where the heirloom treasure is kept. I will send someone to lead Yun Xi there. As for the rest..."
Yi Zhen giggled and continued, "It's up to the Seventh Prince himself."
"Good, good, good,"
After secretly calculating in his mind, Zongzheng Fengyi said with a smile, "As expected of the Fourth Princess. Your plan is really well thought out and meticulous."
Yi Zhen pulled the corner of her lips without any emotion. Letting out a disdainful snort, she said, "You don't have to try to test me with your sarcasm.
"I know they're investigating someone. Using this person as a bait, I'm sure I can bring Yun Xi in front of you. The Seventh Prince doesn't have to worry about other things..."
Her eyes swept down to Zongzheng Fengyi's lower body. Yi Zhen smiled meaningfully. "Just make sure you... can do it."
After saying that, she didn't wait for his answer. Gracefully waving her hand, the maidservants on both sides immediately lowered the curtain. Then they turned the horses around and rode away.
Watching the carriage getting farther and farther away, Zongzheng Fengyi put away his smile and looked at the national master beside him. He said in a deep voice, "Is it feasible?"
"Feasible."
The national master replied briefly.
"After all, if they don't believe us, we'll be at a disadvantage. With that stupid Yi Zhen's help, it's beneficial to us and harmless."
"You're right,"
Zongzheng Fengyi rode forward on his horse. His voice was full of contempt. "The descendants of the Shen family are all incredibly stupid..."
Every word fell on the deserted street and into the ears of a blurry figure in the shadow of the corner.