Chapter 407: A Helpless Move
Before Ning Fengzhe left Zhexi Residence, he had already learned from watching on the mountain that Feng Yihe and his men had arrived in secret.
He did not leave in a hurry. He hid nearby and took advantage of Feng Yihe's time to check out their residence to quietly tamper with their horses, and then rode back to Beijing.
Feng Yihe's men had a sick horse, and it happened to be in a deserted place in the deep forest, so their journey was delayed. By the time Feng Yihe returned to Gao's house, it was almost noon.
Walking into the South Courtyard, she heard a melodious sound of a piano. Feng Yihe went to look for the sound, only to see people living in the hall of Qiheju. A scene like a poem or painting appeared in her mind: an elegant gentleman in a snow-white robe with dots of ink, playing the piano leisurely.
She brushed away the servants, walked over quickly, and forced a friendly smile.
"Is the emperor done discussing the strategy?"
Before the song was over, Ning Fengzhe kept plucking the strings of the zither, the melodious sound was just like the elegance of Gan Tang.
"If you don't return to the capital, who can I discuss strategies with?"
Thinking that all the horses had accidents, it was very strange. Feng Yihe had been suspicious all the way, and naturally he was unwilling to believe it now.
"You know best what my brother is thinking, why do I need my younger sister to say more?"
"Excuse me, my royal brother, have you ever touched my beloved horse?"
After the piece of music ended, Ning Fengzhe slowly let his fingertips leave the strings. He raised his eyes to look at Feng Yihe and smiled.
"Why are you standing in the hall? Sit down."
Feng Yihe took a seat as she was told, her expression expressionless.
"Please answer my question, brother."
Ning Fengzhe smiled calmly and was unhurried.
"The maid at Qiheju saw it with her own eyes, and you also heard and saw it. I have been playing the zither the whole time, patiently waiting for you to return home. How could I have the time to touch your beloved horse?"
There was a hint of coldness on Feng Yihe's lips.
"Are you just going to play dumb and fool me?"
Ning Fengzhe poured a cup of tea and took a sip.
"I know very well that I can't hide it from you."
Feng Yihe's eyes were filled with a hint of anger.
"Brother, are you admitting that you are loyal to King Dijin?"
Ning Fengzhe handled the situation with ease, giving her some pointers and leading her to a deeper level.
"I did erase all traces of living in Zhexiju and injured your horse. If not, how could Xi'er believe it?"
"Only if she deceives you will she be able to trust you, right?"
Feng Yihe suddenly understood.
"You...this...does it have such a deep meaning?"
Ning Fengzhe raised his eyebrows slightly.
"In your opinion, I am not smart enough to be so profound?"
Feng Yihe thought about it and gave a response.
"That's not the case. My brother is very talented and resourceful."
"It's just that this line of thought caught me off guard."
Ning Fengzhe's smile was dark and unfathomable.
"Do you think it's easy to plot against Fang Zhixuan, gain Xi'er's trust, and successfully hide inside?"
"It was not my deliberate plan, it was just a helpless move."
Feng Yihe was slightly convinced by him.
"Well, that makes sense."
Ning Fengzhe sighed softly and imitated his mother, with a look of melancholy and self-pity on his face.
"All along the way, I firmly believed that brothers and sisters are connected by heart. After careful consideration, you will not doubt me. I didn't expect it. Alas."
Driven by family affection, Feng Yihe felt a sense of guilt in his heart.
"I……"
Ning Fengzhe looked out the window, shivering and helpless.
"When I met Xi'er earlier, she chose to believe me without hesitation. You are my biological sister, how come you are inferior to an outsider?"
"How can I not feel sad about the reality?"
"Am I, in your eyes, a person who has no king or father, who doesn't love his sister, and who has no integrity?"
Listening to Ning Yunxi's performance, Feng Yihe reflected on herself and felt even more guilty.
"No, why would I mean that? Brother, you really misunderstood."
Ning Fengzhe withdrew his gaze and stared at his sister, feeling somewhat lonely and sad.
"Then why are you so worried?"
He was methodical and reasoned.
"Yu Qin, my father and you are my family, how can I bear to abandon you? Yu Li, following King Di Jin, even if I regain my status as a prince, I am still a minister, and I have missed the honor of the throne. Do you think that I have no intention of seeking a high position?"
Feng Yihe frowned slightly and lowered his eyes in disappointment.
"It makes sense for the sake of family and benefit, but this is exactly what I find most puzzling. Only by being filial to your father can your brother be given a position of honor and power. Why would you abandon everything and follow the will of a woman who doesn't love you?"
Ning Fengzhe remained calm and composed, and used complaints skillfully to dispel her doubts step by step.
"When I first approached her, I told her that this was all fake. But you refused to believe me and insisted that it was real. No matter what I said, it didn't make sense."
Feng Yihe pursed his lips to show his dissatisfaction.
"You are always so soft-hearted and caring towards her, how can I trust you?"
Ning Fengzhe asked back as a matter of course.
"Isn't this how you should act when you are pretending to be nice?"
"Think about it carefully. If I had any sincerity, why would I have lied to her for more than 20 years to gain her trust today?"
Feng Yihe disagreed and raised doubts.
"You have so many opportunities to get rid of her, why don't you do it?"
"Without her restraint, wouldn't it be easier for you to lie dormant now?"
Ning Fengzhe's rebuttal was blunt and to the point.
"Why are you so short-sighted?"
"Prince Dijin has always been suspicious, but now he is willing to trust me without a doubt. Why?"
As if something had suddenly dawned on her mind, Feng Yihe suddenly raised her eyes, her pupils trembled, and she suddenly realized.
"Because... you are the brother of Princess Yuexi."
Ning Fengzhe was calm and composed, with a reason for his actions. His demeanor was the same as usual, always with a hint of slyness in his eyes.
"So, I guessed that Xi'er was Fang Renshu's daughter, and I started to set up a trap."
"After several years of fighting, you know that without lying in wait, we can't hurt King Di Jin at all."
"With Fang Zhixuan's true identity and having shown his sincerity for many years, he still cannot gain the trust of King Di Jin, let alone you and me?"
"Fortunately, my father was far-sighted and allowed me to set up a false plan early on, which led to today's opportunity."
"What is the current situation? Do you understand?"
Every word he said was brilliant and to the point, Feng Yihe was completely convinced by him.
"Brother, your words are very enlightening. It's all my fault. I was jealous of Princess Yuexi's favor, so I suspected you many times."
Ning Fengzhe's face was gentle, as if spring rain was falling, or willow branches were swaying.
"It's good that you figured it out. There's no need to be so serious about such trivial matters between siblings. Just laugh it off and forget it."
Her brother was usually strict and rarely showed concern for her. Feng Yihe smiled sweetly and spoke in a respectful and humble tone.
"Thank you for your tolerance, my brother."
"Excuse me, my royal brother, what plan can you give them?"
Ning Fengzhe's eyebrows changed from contemptuous, and he controlled his expression just right. It could be interpreted as disdain for Ning Yunxi, or it could be interpreted as disdain for Feng Yihe. Although it was revealed, it was still elusive.
He smiled coldly and asked back, which seemed to be a test of her strategic ability.
"Oh, what do you think? If you can ensure your own safety, who else can you point the finger at?"
The clue was obvious, and Feng Yihe guessed the answer in an instant.
"Could it be that they are plotting to seize the throne?"