The woman, unable to hold it any longer, vomited and ran out, not even having time to glare back at Fang Jie. As she ran, she no longer cared about maintaining a masculine posture; her graceful, feminine figure was on full display. Fang Jie watched her retreating figure and smiled, saying, "Probably not many men bend their knees inward when they run."
Hou Wenji sat down in the chair opposite him, looking at Fang Jie with interest, and asked, "Why did you do this?"
Fang Jie smiled and said, "Her father arrested me for no reason and is making things difficult for me, so can't I make things difficult for her daughter too?"
"How do you know?"
Hou Wenji asked.
Fang Jie said, "Isn't it obvious what the identity of this girl disguised as a man is, that the Commander of the Imperial Guards would follow her so respectfully? All the adult princes have been ordered to leave the capital for their fiefdoms, so she can only be someone from the palace. The possibilities are so narrow; you can figure it out with a little thought."
Hou Wenji nodded and said, "You guessed right, but you don't need to offend someone who might save you."
"Is that so?"
Fang Jie shook his head and said, "I really can't think of why she would save me."
"What if?"
Hou Wenji asked. "There's no 'what if'."
Fang Jie shook his head: "His Majesty isn't someone whose decisions are easily influenced by others. Perhaps to save face for important court officials, His Majesty might show respect on trivial matters. But on important matters, His Majesty won't easily change his judgment because of anyone's opinion. Especially…His Majesty's daughter. In a father's eyes, no matter how old a child is, they're still a child. A father will always feel that any opinion his daughter has is immature."
"Your words are disrespectful to His Majesty."
Hou Wenji said seriously.
Fang Jie curled his lip and said: "If I were truly disrespectful to His Majesty, I would have been cursing at the door long ago. Do you think this wretched place is comfortable to live in? If a person with any sense of righteousness were wrongly imprisoned here with no hope of redemption, I think they would rather anger His Majesty and be dragged out and beheaded than live a miserable life in this dark and cold cage."
Hou Wenji said: "Fortunately, you're not a person with any sense of righteousness."
Fang Jie was speechless. Hou Wenji smiled. "Although we've met only a handful of times, and your understanding of me is as shallow as ripples on the surface, I can tell you very seriously that you'd be shocked if you knew how well I really knew you."
Fang Jie opened his mouth and made a swallowing motion.
Hou Wenji looked at him questioningly. Fang Jie smiled and said, "I am shocked."
"You're very boring."
Hou Wenji said somewhat helplessly.
Fang Jie shrugged. "Anyone locked up in a place like this, where even time is chaotic, would find it incredibly boring. If there were an anthill in this room, I could even count how many ants came out searching for food. If it were you, I think you'd be even more bored than me."
Hou Wenji shook his head. "I would never be locked up here. That's the biggest difference between us."
"Then you're really not as good as me."
Fang Jie said seriously, "At least you lack one thing compared to me: life experience."
"You don't seem worried about your life or death at all?"
Hou Wenji asked. Fang Jie said, "How could I not worry? Since you say you understand me, you must know how much I fear death. You can take my current behavior as a pose, or you can interpret it as false pride and self-esteem."
"You fear death, but not necessarily."
Hou Wenji said, looking into Fang Jie's eyes.
Fang Jie was taken aback, and after a moment, couldn't help but sigh, "Now I'm starting to believe you truly understand me. Even those around me might not say that. So… I have to say, you make me feel somewhat afraid."
Hou Wenji said with a hint of arrogance, "You should know my status and position, which dictates that I am the kind of person who inspires fear in others. If I fail to do so, it can only be said that I have failed miserably. There are many people in this world who can be frightened by me, but perhaps only one person can truly frighten me."
"Your words are somewhat disrespectful to His Majesty."
Fang Jie said with a smile. "Why?"
Fang Jie looked intently into Hou Wenji's eyes and said, "You said you can frighten many people in this world, but only one person can frighten you, and that must be His Majesty, right?"
"Yes."
"That's disrespectful."
"Where is the disrespect?"
"You said His Majesty is human."
Fang Jie said, "In my opinion, His Majesty is not human."
Upon hearing this, Hou Wenji's face instantly turned icy cold. In an instant, Fang Jie could even feel the murderous intent uncontrollably overflowing from Hou Wenji's eyes. Fang Jie had no doubt that the next second Hou Wenji's hand would grab his neck, lift him high, and then slam him down. As a person of high rank and power, Hou Wenji's anger, once unleashed, was enough to frighten many people. Just as he was on the verge of exploding, Fang Jie continued with an extremely serious and solemn expression: "In my eyes, His Majesty is a god. My respect for His Majesty is like that for a deity, even greater than that for a deity. A deity can change a person or a matter, but I am certain that if His Majesty were willing… he could change the world."
Hou Wenji was taken aback, then said somewhat angrily, "Is this interesting?"
Fang Jie smiled smugly: "Of course it's interesting… You've kept me locked up here, making me very unhappy, so I have to make you unhappy too, even if it's just for a moment."
"You disgusted Her Highness the Princess before because you…" "I feel disgusted because I feel wronged. You made me unhappy because I made you unhappy. Do you think this vindictive and childish behavior, like playing house, has any meaning? Besides making your situation even more unfavorable."
"Of course it does."
Fang Jie lay down on the stone bed, looking at the ceiling, and said, "In these dull and tasteless days, I have to find some flavor. Finding a little pleasure in unhappiness, even if it's a somewhat hypocritical kind of pleasure, is still pleasure. If I'm going to die anyway… what do I need to worry about?"
...
...
Hou Wenji was silent for a while, looking at Fang Jie lying on the stone bed without saying a word. He suddenly remembered that this boy, now imprisoned in the highest-ranking cell of the Imperial Guard, was only sixteen years old according to the official records. He had previously disgusted the princess, and then made himself unhappy… was it just the true nature of a boy?
Have he and many others never considered Fang Jie a boy from the beginning?
Was the expression on that boy's face one of resentment? Or was he plotting something again? As the Commander of the Intelligence Bureau, he was used to analyzing every person and every matter deeply. Today, however, he suddenly felt a pang of regret. Had he overestimated Fang Jie, even considering him a rival for a time?
"Rest assured, His Majesty is merely somewhat suspicious,"
Hou Wenji said.
As soon as he said this, he regretted it. His previous thoughts had eased his mind, and these words were not something he should have uttered.
But he quickly regretted turning away, feeling that speaking directly might actually help him understand Fang Jie better and see his reaction. So he decided to give the young man some hope and say a few more words. But Hou Wenji didn't immediately see anything, because Fang Jie seemed completely unresponsive to his words, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling, motionless.
"Isn't this good news?"
Hou Wenji asked.
"No,"
Fang Jie replied. "Why not?"
"Perhaps you think I should be happy or relieved? But I really don't see anything to be happy or relieved about. You say His Majesty is just suspicious… but, Commander, don't you think the most terrifying and tragic thing in the world is to make His Majesty suspicious? When suspicion arises, there will be subsequent events, and these events are rarely happy or reassuring."
Fang Jie turned his head to look at Hou Wenji and said, "If His Majesty suspects someone, does that person still have a chance to turn things around?"
Hou Wenji remained silent.
Then he confirmed his initial judgment: Fang Jie was indeed still just a boy, and this boy did indeed possess the innocence and naiveté of his age, but he was far smarter than his peers, although in Hou Wenji's view, this intelligence was somewhat superficial.
"Can you tell me what you regret most?"
Hou Wenji asked.
Fang Jie remained silent for a long time, then shook his head slightly and said, "Perhaps it's because I'm someone who can let go of most things, so there aren't many things I regret. Even if I know I've done something wrong, I rarely feel that way afterward. What good is regret besides torturing myself? I'm already in a situation where many people want to torment me, so why should I torment myself further?"
"That's pretentious, very fake," Hou Wenji sighed. "I've said it before, I have self-respect, even if it's a hypocritical one."
Fang Jie said solemnly, "In this dark and hopeless place, I have plenty of time to reflect on the past. I can understand many of the mistakes I made, but I can't bring myself to regret them. To sum it up... I desperately wanted to climb higher, to experience the feeling of being at the top. I wanted to break free from the shackles of my original destiny, to become a superior person like General Li Xiao during the reign of Emperor Taizong. But I underestimated the dangers of the climb and overestimated my abilities. There's nothing to regret... I was just too foolish and naive."
Hou Wenji shook his head: "Actually, you should understand that the reason His Majesty hasn't made a decision yet is because he's still unsure... The students in the Martial Arts Academy have all been told that you're in seclusion in the back mountains, so they're still envious and jealous of your situation. His Majesty's attitude is to investigate carefully, and Dean Zhou's attitude is that a judgment cannot be easily made... You can understand this as an attempt to clear your name."
Fang Jie sat up, his expression slightly changing. "Really?"
"I don't like lying to people casually."
Hou Wenji said seriously, "When I lie, I must get something in return. A lie without reward is as shameful as wasting food."
He stood up and even reached out to pat Fang Jie's shoulder: "Staying here for a while might not be a bad thing for you. If... I mean, if you are truly innocent and eventually walk out of this prison, then if you encounter such suspicion again, those who suspect you will surely remember that you were also wronged before... Wouldn't that be a good thing?"
Fang Jie was silent for a moment and said, "I really have no mood to thank you."
Hou Wenji laughed heartily, turned and walked out: "But I can tell you very seriously that you just offended someone you absolutely cannot afford to offend. Admittedly, you said His Majesty wouldn't easily change his judgment because of other people's opinions. But he is also a father... When his most precious daughter is bullied, what do you think this father will do?"
Fang Jie smiled bitterly: "Impulsiveness is the devil."
Hou Wenji laughed happily, then strode out of the prison. Long after his figure disappeared, Fang Jie seemed to finally emerge from his shock and unease. He slowly lay down, his back to the iron door. So naturally, no one could see that his face showed no unease or shock. It was calm, a calmness that was hard to comprehend.
Lying on the bed, Fang Jie carefully recalled the previous conversation, his own reactions, and the emotions displayed on his face. He felt his performance was passable; he shouldn't have given anything away. Chatting with someone like Hou Wenji was by no means an easy task. Fang Jie had been waiting for such a conversation, waiting for such an opportunity. Fortunately, fate seemed to be truly kind to him, sending him a foolish princess.
He could imagine that once the princess returned to the palace, she would definitely complain about him to His Majesty the Emperor. This was exactly what he wanted, so he felt no worry or fear. If the Emperor knew that he had disgusted the princess, would he be angry?
No!
Because this was the humble, childish resentment and defiance of a young man in the midst of grief and indignation. What kind of person would feel resentment and anger? Naturally, he was someone who had been wronged… Fang Jie was using the princess to express his innocence to the emperor. Using childish methods and dull language to provoke a princess was obviously idiotic, but His Majesty might not be angry. Sometimes, idiotic methods can be surprisingly effective.
Then came the conversation with Hou Wenji, which was far more difficult than provoking that foolish princess. It required far more refined acting skills to conceal his true thoughts.
Fang Jie portrayed two completely opposite personalities: the rebelliousness and naiveté of a youth, and the wisdom and thought beyond his years. Only in this way could he make Hou Wenji feel that he was someone difficult to deal with but manageable. He wanted Hou Wenji to remember that, ultimately, he was still a young man, not someone with deep-seated cunning… Deceiving someone like Hou Wenji was no easy task.
At the very least, he needed to be a good actor.
Fang Jie thought back for a long time, and only after confirming that he hadn't made any mistakes did he feel more at ease.
Life is a grand play; it all depends on who can act and who can act better. Everyone is acting, and everyone is watching others act.