He naturally didn't want to disturb He Miaoqing, on whom he already felt immense guilt. He instinctively closed his mouth, ceasing to argue with Feng Jin over petty words.
"Are there any other ways out of this mansion that Sun Shi doesn't know about?"
Lingering here was not a solution. They had to find a way out, or else when Sun Shi found them, they would be trapped like fish in a barrel, easily captured.
Feng Yuanping shook his head, "There are no other exits. How did you get in?"
Only then did he remember to ask Feng Jin how they entered. With Sun Shi's people guarding everywhere, they had managed to get in without being detected and even found the secret room.
"We climbed over the wall. How else could we have gotten in, unless we flew?"
"I am your father, after all. Can't you speak to me properly, must you always be so sharp-tongued?"
Feng Jin rolled her eyes and retorted grumpily, "Now you remember you're my father? When you abandoned me in the countryside and paid no heed, why didn't you remember you were a father then? When Sun Shi bullied me, why didn't you remember you were still my father? Now you want to lecture me with a father's tone, but it's too late!"
Feng Yuanping was rendered speechless by her retort, his face turning a mottled red and purple.
"The immediate priority is to leave this place. Stop this bickering."
Ling Mohan interrupted their argument. These two, upon meeting, would immediately launch into aimless disputes that served no purpose.
Feng Jin snorted and turned her head away, no longer bothering with Feng Yuanping. She instantly regretted coming here, finding herself in such a predicament, caught in a dilemma.
"Right, you still haven't told me why Sun Shi tied you up, and what caused your rift. I clearly heard Sun Shi demanding something from you earlier?"
Feng Jin pressed him with a barrage of questions. There had to be something more between Feng Yuanping and Sun Shi, and she intended to get to the bottom of it.
"This... this..." Feng Yuanping hesitated and tried to change the subject, attempting to gloss over the matter. "This can't be explained in a few words. Let's talk about it after we leave here."
"Then you can stay here and ponder it slowly. At this point, you're still stubborn and helping Sun Shi conceal things. I don't need to waste any more time saving you. You can wait here for Sun Shi's people to arrive. Whether you live or die is no concern of mine."
Feng Jin's anger completely ignited, fueled by Feng Yuanping's refusal to speak the truth. She wouldn't bother rescuing him if she were out of her mind.
With that, Feng Jin grabbed Ling Mohan's hand and left decisively.
"I'll... I'll tell you... I'll tell you everything!"
Feng Yuanping suddenly panicked, shouting loudly behind them. His legs were weak, and as soon as he stood up, he fell to the ground.
The loud thud finally made Feng Jin turn her head. She looked down at the disheveled Feng Yuanping, "This is your best chance. If you don't tell the truth, I won't care about your life or death!"
She threatened him fiercely, not out of heartlessness, but because Feng Yuanping's backtracking made him untrustworthy.
Ling Mohan stood calmly behind Feng Jin, showing no intention of interfering.
Feng Yuanping paused for a moment before speaking, "Sun Shi wants to obtain the border defense troop distribution map from me."
"How do you have this map!" Ling Mohan's composure wavered, and he spoke with slight agitation. The border defense troop distribution map was classified information. How did Feng Yuanping obtain it? And what would Sun Shi, a mere woman, want with it?
"I... I also..."
"Prime Minister Feng, this map is of great importance. Your unauthorized possession of it is already a grave offense. If it were to fall into the wrong hands through you, it would be an act of treason. Your entire clan's nine generations would be implicated. As the Prime Minister, I shouldn't need to elaborate on the severity of this matter!"
"I am naturally aware of this matter... that's why I haven't handed this map over to Sun Shi..."
If he hadn't known the gravity of the situation, he would never have given the map to Sun Shi.
"Why does Sun Shi insist on this item... Could it be..." Feng Jin's eyes narrowed sharply, a terrible thought surfacing in her mind.
Feng Jin's scrutinizing gaze fell upon Feng Yuanping. "Who exactly is Sun Shi?"
"When I first met Sun Shi, she was an orphan whose parents had died. She performed on the streets, begging for alms. I took pity on her, helped her bury her parents, and brought her to the capital, housing her in a separate courtyard. I didn't thoroughly investigate Sun Shi's background..."
How audacious! He dared to take her in without even knowing Sun Shi's origins. Now that he had fallen into such a state, it was entirely his own doing.
Feng Jin's last shred of pity for Feng Yuanping vanished. If it weren't for his lustful recklessness, He Miaoqing wouldn't have died of depression, the original owner wouldn't have suffered so much, and ultimately wouldn't have perished.
"You deserve it. I shouldn't have saved you. If Sun Shi is a woman from an enemy country, you won't escape responsibility. The entire Feng family will be implicated because of you. You are the sinner of the Feng family. Let's see what face you'll have to meet your ancestors!"
Knowing that Feng Yuanping valued the honor of his family above all else, Feng Jin deliberately struck at his most vulnerable point, aiming to make him regret it for life.
"It's all my fault. I was bewitched and brought this scourge, Sun Shi, into the Feng family, harming Miaoqing, and causing you to suffer for so many years. I have failed my ancestors!"
Feng Yuanping wept profusely, filled with regret. If he could choose again, he would never have brought Sun Shi into the mansion.
"It's too late for all that now!"
He had wronged the long-dead Feng Jin. If Feng Yuanping knew that his own biological daughter had already been killed by Sun Shi, what would his feelings be then?
A tear involuntarily fell from Feng Jin's eye. Her chest filled with a bitter ache, making it hard to breathe.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Ling Mohan was the first to notice Feng Jin's distress. He reached out to embrace her, asking with concern.
"I... I'm fine..."
After a while, the discomfort within her body subsided. Feng Jin placed her hand on her chest. She could feel the emotions of the original owner.
Perhaps she, too, had heard Feng Yuanping's apology and had finally found peace.
"Search... search everywhere thoroughly! Leave no stone unturned!"
Sun Shi's voice echoed from outside the door, and figures rushed past.