Chapter Eighteen: Shameless Yin Style

  The brilliant sunshine that enveloped the entire Xuchang was like scattered gold in every corner, at this time the weather was not too hot yet, and people in the imperial city were all working hard in the cool morning, it seemed that only these two men standing in the crowd were leisurely, the white-clad man as spotless as snow.

  Fei Yan decided to ignore Rui Wang's teasing and continued to search for the location of Gu Shifu's residence, crossing over the human wall as if no one was there.

  When he brushed past Rui Wang, Fei Dian caught a glimpse of Rui Wang's eyes fixed on him out of the corner of his eye, with that hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth that made Fei Dian feel uneasy.

  He turned his face with a flash of electricity and asked coldly, "What are you looking at, foolish mortal."

  "My name is Yin Jizhong." said Rui Wang calmly.

  "So?" Fei Yan retorted, "Are you telling me to beware of you?"

  "Huh? Why ask that? I just told you his name." Yin Ji Yun looked puzzled.

  "Because you're a Yin, aren't all Yins treacherous and cunning?"

  "Haha... yeah."

  "...You actually have the nerve to admit it." Fei Yan took a step back, creating some distance between himself and Yin Jue.

  "But... I think 'hiding a knife in a smile' is a compliment, isn't it? It's those who can't hide their emotions and just show everything on their face that are the foolish commoners you're talking about, right?"

  Is he being sarcastic? Fei Yan didn't bother arguing with him anymore and walked away expressionlessly.

  "Where are you going?" asked Yin Jie.

  Fei Yan originally didn't want to bother with him again, but after walking two steps, he found that the so-called Guoshi Fu really had no clue where it was. He turned his head and told Yin Jue, "I'm going to Guoshi Fu, but I couldn't find out where it is. Do you know?"

  "Going to the State Master's residence?" Yin Ji was slightly surprised, but still maintained a warm and gentle smile, asking, "Isn't the State Master already returned the official seal to Yin Sheng, and also retired due to illness, no longer inquiring about court affairs?"

  "What? You think I'm here to investigate the illicit relationship between you and Guoshi?" Fei Dian asked coldly. "Hmph, I'm just here to investigate Wan Liang's death, you don't have to worry."

  This answer made Yin Jue surprised, he suddenly found that this man was just simple and not foolish.

  "What do you want to ask about Wan Guifei? You can ask me, I think I know more than the national teacher." Yin Jiheng said.

  "Really?"

  "Why don't we find a place to sit down and talk slowly?" suggested Yin Jie.

  Fei Yan thought for a moment and felt that this so-called Rui Wang, who loved to laugh so much, couldn't be too bad. It wasn't right to subjectively judge someone's character based on what Yin Chen and his subordinates said. So, it should be fine to find a place to chat with him.

  "Let's go." Flying Electric nodded.

  ……

  Leaning on the railing of the second floor of the elegant building, Yin left a cup of pear blossom wine for Fei Dian, and the wine glass overflowing with fragrance reflected the intricate carvings and painted beams around it, exuding an air of serenity and elegance that seemed even more noble than the imperial palace.

  "I'm really curious, with so many suspicions about you, why haven't I killed you yet?" asked Yin Zheng, taking a small sip of wine.

  "I'm really curious, you look so lazy and don't seem to pose any threat at all, why is Yin Chen so afraid of you." Fei Dian asked back while shaking his wine cup.

  "How about it? Do you want to hear?"

  "Can't say?"

  "It's not that it can't be done..." Yin Jie said, "It's just that the story is too long."

  "Anyway, I'm free, you say." Fei Dian brought the wine cup to his mouth and took a sip of this pear-flavored wine... it seemed not bad. This Rui Wang was indeed not a bad person.

  "Yin Sheng dislikes the king and is afraid of the king because he snatched the throne that belongs to the king," Yin Jihui said, "The former emperor was my imperial brother, who was weak and incompetent before Yin Sheng's birth, indulgent and dissolute, and had no children under his knees."

  "It seems that the throne will be yours sooner or later," Fei Dian said.

  "At that time, I was only ten years old, Yin Chen was born, and my imperial brother changed into a different person, began to rectify military discipline, handle state affairs, reform the system, and forced me to hand over the Tiger Tally, because he wanted to pass the throne to his own son."

  "This is also reasonable, how can it be said that Yin Chen robbed you of the throne, originally the throne was passed on to whoever, it all depends on whether the previous emperor was happy or not."

  "Are you speaking on behalf of Yin Sheng?" Yin Ji smiled and said, "The former emperor had countless concubines. Do you know why he remained childless for so long until later giving birth to Yin Sheng and Yin Huan?"

  "What did you do to his body?" Fei Dian asked.

  "Haha, you're right," Yin Jie said with a smile. "The emperor's empress was my person, she gave the emperor medicine to make him infertile, but later the emperor brought back a woman from Beibei State, who was Yin Chen's mother. He was skilled in using medicine and discovered the empress's plot, cured the emperor, and gave birth to Yin Chen and Yin Huan."

  "...... Didn't you say you were only ten years old at the time? How could you do something so vicious?" Fei Dian furrowed his brow and asked.

  "Because I'm a Yin," the smile at the corner of Yin's mouth never faded, "men with the surname Yin are born calculating."

  Fei Yan nodded, this is also true.

  However, at the beginning of this king's reign, he gave Fei Dian a good impression as a person. Now that I understand him, I realize how terrifying he is. But upon further reflection, I discovered some illogical points. He asked, "You tell me these things, aren't you afraid I'll go back and tell Yin Chen?"

  Or did Yin Zhenxian tell him these things just to indicate that Fei Dian had reached the end of his road and could never turn back?

  "It's not like he didn't know these things," Yin Jue said nonchalantly. "Not only did he know all this, but he also knew why his mother had died, and that after Yin Huan was born, the king had been trying to kill him until he got his hands on the late emperor's will and the imperial seal first, becoming emperor and thus saving his own life."

  "You..."

  "Are you wondering why I, the king, treated Yin Chen like that in the past and didn't kill him even after he became emperor?" Yin Chen noticed Fei Dian's doubts and explained, "Because the Tiger Symbol is still in my hands. If he makes a move on me, I'll have a perfect excuse to send troops and usurp the throne, haha..."

  "You actually said the two words 'usurpation' so naturally......" Fei Dian suddenly felt that Yin Chen was quite pitiful, with his imperial uncle controlling him like this, he was just a puppet emperor who couldn't do anything.

  "In this country of mine, I can say whatever I want."

  "But you can't move either, can you, Yin Sheng?" Fei Dian narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Yin Ji Kuang, seeming to see into the deepest recesses of his heart. "You two are like the yin and yang that make up the universe, forming a balance in this Lu Guo. You restrain and counterbalance each other, ordinary citizens can't see the underhanded struggles between you, but the high-ranking officials in the court all understand it clearly. So if I'm not mistaken, when you said you knew more than Guo Shi, and didn't let me go see Guo Shi, the reason was that you thought Guo Shi was useless, or would even drag you down, so why not just kill him?"

  Yin Jie finally put down the smile that had been hanging on his face, and a dangerous aura flashed in his eyes, just like when he was looking at Fei Dian... He stared at Fei Dian for a long time, but Fei Dian simply looked back at him calmly, without a hint of fear or complacency. His face was expressionless, as if he were even more fearless than Yin Jie himself.

  After a long time, Yin Zheng finally smiled again. He found the man in front of him even more lovely and extraordinary, with an inexplicable air of pride and wise eyes that knew how to seize the moment. Yet, he didn't hide these qualities with cunning intentions. He was clever yet simple, an extremely easy person to take advantage of.

  But someone as easily exploitable as this, Yin Chen definitely wouldn't let him idle around.

  "Yes, you're absolutely right," said Yin Jue.

  "Was I right?" Fei Dian suddenly looked surprised, as if he still hoped he had guessed wrong somewhere. "You really killed Guoshi?"

  "This king didn't," Yin Jie said, "Yin Sheng visited the national teacher last night after he handed over the official seal, and died suddenly this morning. Do you think it was I who killed him or Yin Sheng?"

  If it weren't for the fact that Fei Dian was with Yin Chen last night, and then ran into Yin Zhen this morning, one would normally think it was Yin Chen.

  Fei Yan suddenly became worried about Yin Chen, although he was the ruler of Li Guo, but if the people of the world knew that Yin Chen killed someone to regain his own power, what would they think of him?

  "You're really despicable..." Fei Dian coldly said to Yin Ji Chu.

  "Yes, 'despicable' is indeed a fitting word."

  The intense anger that rose up in his heart startled Fei Dian himself, he calmed down and told himself that he was only responsible for seducing Yin Chen, not helping Yin Chen deal with Rui Wang. The main reason why Fei Dian encountered Rui Wang this time was just because he wanted to investigate the death of Wan Ling, no need to get angry...

  "But you killed Guoshi, how can I continue investigating Wan Rong's case?" Fei Dian asked, as if this was the real reason for his anger.

  "The king said more than Guoshi knew," Yin Jue said, "When Wan Rong fell into the water for the first time, it was indeed Guoshi's doing, because she had heard Guoshi and Gufei Gongzhu secretly plotting to control Yin Sheng. However, after Guoshi pushed Wan Rong into the water, he thought she was dead and left the palace himself. But I estimate that Wan Gui Fei didn't die at that time, it was she who climbed up herself. As for what the maid said about the second fall into the water and the purple mark on her neck, I don't know."

  "...The maid's matter, and what you just said, how did you know? Did you also send someone to investigate?"

  "I'm not as bored as you think, it's just that the people I sent to follow you told me about these things."

  "Did you send someone to follow me?" Fei Dian's usually calm voice rose a notch.

  "Are you angry or do you feel that I, the king, value you so much that it's embarrassing? " Yin Ji Xun continued to tease, "You don't have to be humble, for I was already full of curiosity about you from the moment I first saw you."

  "Despicable and shameless mortal..."

  "Do you think Yin Sheng is not curious about you?" Yin Ji said, "Do you think he didn't send someone to follow and investigate you? It's just that it seems neither I nor that poor nephew of mine can find out anything about you. You are indeed a... mysterious man."