Zhou Ruiyuan said, "Eunuch Ji, you flatter me. Stabilizing Great Kang's affairs will take everyone working together with one heart. I can accomplish little on my own."
Ji Feihua said, "A lone tree cannot hold up the roof! Unfortunately, most people at court are too consumed by selfish interests to share your thinking, Chancellor." He paused, then added, "By the way, I heard something. General Wen Boyuan has long harbored a deeply rooted love for Princess Anping. He intended to sabotage this marriage alliance and take her away to a distant land."
Zhou Ruiyuan frowned. "Eunuch Ji, some things must never be said lightly."
Ji Feihua smiled. "I never make claims without evidence. Chancellor Zhou, you just asked which side of the river the ship sank on. I can tell you clearly now: it sank in Great Kang's waters. In Cangmu City, Wen Boyuan added two hundred warriors to his force. He never reported this to the Imperial Court; he obtained them by privately asking Zhao Dengyun for help. Many strange things happened along the way after they left Capital City."
Zhou Ruiyuan said, "It seems you did not tell the court everything you learned just now, Eunuch Ji."
"Whether I tell them or not makes no difference. I cannot change anything, and I fear you cannot either, Chancellor." With that, Ji Feihua bowed deeply to Zhou Ruiyuan, turned, and left.
Zhou Ruiyuan watched him go, his profound gaze clouding with utter bewilderment.
While some households rejoiced, others grieved. Even within the Imperial Palace, there were people delighted by Wen Boyuan's death-Empress Jian and First Prince Long Tingsheng among them. Grand Tutor Wen and his son had always been staunch supporters of Third Prince Long Tingzhen. Wen Boyuan's death was like severing one of Long Tingsheng's arms, while Wen Chenghuan