For the next few days, Ji Yuluo remained in a state of intermittent consciousness, awake less and less frequently. Worried that she would feel too much pain from her wounds when she was awake, Huo Xian had them add a sedative to her medicine. Often, she would feel sleepy shortly after taking a bowl of medicine.
Sometimes she woke at night, sometimes during the day. Whenever she opened her eyes, she would always see Huo Xian sitting by her bedside. When he saw her awake, he would set aside his drawings to talk to her.
Ji Yuluo didn’t know what drawings he was looking at, but he would always make her drink a bowl of medicine, making her drowsy.
This night, Ji Yuluo woke to find Huo Xian’s face very close to hers. He hadn’t expected her to wake up suddenly, and his finger, stained with medicine, paused before touching her bare shoulder.
The clothing had been pulled aside to reveal the bloody, battered flesh beneath.
This was a wound caused by a sharp beam piercing through, and it hadn’t healed after several days. Pulling off the bandages revealed the gory flesh again, which made Huo Xian’s heart clench every time he saw it.
Though he was very gentle, the medicinal alcohol stung too much, making Ji Yuluo frown and wake from the pain.
After applying the medicine and wrapping the bandage, Huo Xian asked, “Does it hurt?”
Anyone could see that it hurt a lot, but he instinctively wanted to ask, as if hearing Ji Yuluo say the word “pain” would lessen her suffering a bit.
But she just stared at him.
Her waking moments were so brief that she felt she hadn’t seen enough of him in the past few days.
Ji Yuluo didn’t want to drink the medicine with the sedative effect, but Huo Xian wouldn’t let her refuse. She had no say in the matter now; lying on the bed, she could only let him have his way.
At that moment, she heard footsteps and smelled the medicine.
Suddenly, Huo Xian felt a scratch in his palm. Ji Yuluo had grabbed his sleeve and tugged it, once, then again.
Huo Xian understood this meant she wanted to speak.
He leaned down and slightly turned his ear towards her, “What do you want to say?”
“Huo Xian…”
She said no more.
Huo Xian looked at her suspiciously and saw her gaze fixed on his lips, trying hard to lift her head.
Huo Xian was momentarily stunned, then smiled, “Do you want a kiss?”
Ji Yuluo responded with a faint “Mm,” the only hand she could still move grasping his palm eagerly.
Like an impatient little beast.
Huo Xian, worried she might strain her wound, pressed her barely lifted head back down, then bent over to touch his lips to hers. He didn’t dare kiss her as fiercely as before, only gently covering her lips with his.
He moistened her dry lips before letting go.
Then he heard Ji Yuluo whisper very close to him, “Can I not drink the medicine today? I don’t want to sleep.”
Ah, so there was another purpose.
Huo Xian immediately raised an eyebrow, “You think you can tempt me? It won’t work.”
He straightened up and sat back down properly, then called out loudly, “Biwu, bring the medicine!”
Ji Yuluo frowned and closed her eyes as if in a huff.
Biwu was already standing behind him. Huo Xian stepped aside, raised his chin to signal her to come forward and give the medicine, then let out a short chuckle.
He was so cruel. He found this pitiful Ji Yuluo particularly endearing, unable to argue back or fight back, her anger evident on her face, every slight change in her expression vividly animated.
But Huo Xian didn’t want her to remain like this forever.
He pulled back the curtains and said, “Get angry if you want, drink your medicine quickly, and get well so you can challenge me.”
Ji Yuluo ignored him and, after drinking the medicine, burrowed herself back into the covers.
“Master.”
A soft voice from outside called.
Huo Xian glanced at Ji Yuluo and, hearing her steady breathing, stepped outside.
For the past few days, Nanyue had mobilized all available resources, turning the capital upside down. Using Chang’an as bait finally lured Xiao Yuanjing out of hiding.
As Huo Xian had anticipated, Xiao Yuanjing hadn’t left the capital. Nor had he contacted Xiao Cheng or Zhao Yong, since the situation was too dire for any contact to be of use, and he couldn’t face Xiao Cheng without explaining the loss of Xiao Yuanting.
He had hidden himself alone in an inconspicuous alley.
Nanyue reported, “I brought him back. Would you like to see him now, Master?”
Huo Xian descended the stone steps in three strides, saying, “I need to visit the palace first. I’ll see him when I return.”
—
The winter fog was thick, making the usually bright clouds seem dim. The towering vermillion palace walls sliced the broad sky into a square, making it impossible to see far, like a trapped beast in a cage.
Xie Subai had a thick blanket draped over his knees and was sketching special patterns on white paper. Many people no longer recognized these patterns, but older generals might find them familiar.
These were the emblems of the previous dynasty’s royal family, once emblazoned on their banners.
Those banners had ultimately fallen before the Yong uprising army but had never completely disappeared. Like hidden snakes and rats, remnants of the previous dynasty lingered in the shadows, always seeking a chance to strike a blow against the Yong dynasty. Even after a century, these remnants still dreamed of a comeback.
But the historical grievances were too distant. Most of Xie Subai’s generation had no knowledge of those feuds, even Xie Subai had only heard snippets from Huaijin.
It was a coincidence he had come across this pattern.
It had been traced from Mu Lei, Xiao Cheng’s strategist.
Xie Subai frowned slightly, asking without looking up, “Still not here?”
Just then, Yin Zhuang walked around the screen, saying, “He’s here, waiting outside. Should I let him in?”
Ao Zhi glanced at Xie Subai’s expression, then nodded to Yinzhuang.
Soon, Huo Xian entered from the side hall.
Ao Zhi dismissed the others, leaving only herself to serve tea for the two.
Xie Subai invited Huo Xian to sit, placing the drawing on the table, and asked a different question first, “How is Luo’er recovering?”
Huo Xian replied, “She needs rest.”
That meant she wasn’t in serious danger. Xie Subai nodded slightly and moved on to the main topic, “You had this pattern presented to me. Did you find something? Is the Xiao family involved with the remnants of the previous dynasty?”
Huo Xian said, “Have you heard about the scandals in the Xiao family’s inner quarters?”
Xie Subai, who kept his ears open to all matters in court, had never shown any interest in the scandals of inner quarters, especially the gossip among women. Even in his youth, he had harshly scolded anyone who tried to bring such gossip to him.
Huo Xian seemed to anticipate this reaction and continued without waiting for a reply, “It is said that Old Madam Xiao was involved with an illegitimate child of the Xiao family, and Xiao Cheng is not the biological son of the old Duke.”
He paused here, then asked, “Do you know why Zhao Yong works for Xiao Cheng?”
He specifically said Zhao Yong works for Xiao Cheng, not the other way around.
This distinction was significant.
Everyone believed that Xiao Cheng was Zhao Yong’s pawn, just as Emperor Shun’an and Huo Xian were pawns of Zhao Yong, chosen to consolidate his power. Even Huo Xian had thought so.
After all, how could the powerful eunuch Zhao Yong be manipulated by others?
It wasn’t until Ji Yuluo infiltrated the Xiao family estate and observed the peculiar dynamic between Xiao Cheng and Zhao Yong that Huo Xian began to sense something was amiss.
The nuances were subtle but worth pondering.
Having been by Zhao Yong’s side for a long time, Huo Xian knew well that Zhao Yong would not tolerate anyone acting presumptuously in his presence.
Silent insolence was still insolence.
This defied logic.
Zhao Yong discarding the foolish Emperor Shun’an in favor of a harder-to-control Duke of Zhenguo was even more illogical.
Unable to find an explanation, Huo Xian instructed Liyang to investigate the Xiao family thoroughly but found no leads, as Liyang had overlooked the contemptuous inner scandals.
Later, Ji Yuluo secretly commanded Chaolu to investigate the illegitimate children of the Xiao family but found no clues since the people of Cuixue Tower were not as effective in the capital as the Jinyiwei.
Liyang followed this lead more efficiently.
The matter dated back sixty to seventy years.
At that time, remnants of the previous dynasty were causing trouble in the south, and the Duke of Zhenguo, Xiao Jinming, was ordered to quell the rebellion. Xiao Jinming, unlike the current Duke, was a true military general who upheld the Xiao family’s martial heritage and earned great merit on the battlefield. The emperor of that time held him in high regard.
Xiao Jinming never disappointed the emperor; wherever he went, no rebellion went unquenched. His southern campaign was no exception.
“However, few knew that Xiao Jinming saved a woman named Su Yang during that campaign and brought her back to the capital with the army. The Duke’s wife, coming from a prestigious family, had long been left alone in the capital. Xiao Jinming, unwilling to upset his wife, settled Su Yang on an estate,” Huo Xian’s eyes darkened. “A year later, Su Yang bore Xiao Jinming a son named Xiao Yong.”
Xie Subai’s gaze lifted sharply, his grip tightening imperceptibly on the tea bowl.
This illegitimate child, Xiao Yong, was the brother of the former Duke. Judging by the age, he would be around the same age as Zhao Yong.
If Zhao Yong were Xiao Yong, everything would make sense. He helped Xiao Cheng because he was helping the Xiao family; he also bore the Xiao family’s blood. But how did this connect to the remnants of the previous dynasty?
Unless…
Despite the passage of years, there was still a tacit understanding between the two.
As soon as Xie Subai raised his eyes, Huo Xian nodded and said, “Yes, Su Yang had the blood of the previous dynasty’s royal family. If the previous dynasty hadn’t fallen, she would have been a princess. Zhao Yong also carries the royal bloodline. Before Su Yang died, she entrusted the restoration organization to him. But—”
Huo Xian smiled contemptuously, finding the situation too dramatic. “Xiao Yong, also known as Zhao Yong, had no intention of restoring the kingdom. He only wanted his father’s recognition and to return to the Xiao family to reclaim his heritage.”
Unfortunately, Xiao Jinming did not like him.
Xiao Jinming felt that this son had a crooked heart. Bringing him into the Xiao family might cause great trouble. After living a peaceful life for many years, Xiao Jinming no longer wanted any upheaval. Xiao Yong’s return would undoubtedly create chaos in the inner quarters, which Xiao Jinming was unwilling to endure.
He preferred Xiao Yong to remain an illegitimate child, hidden away.
But Xiao Yong wouldn’t accept that.
Youth is often rebellious and unyielding. The more he was unrecognized, the more trouble he caused to attract attention. Even when confined to the estate, he caused no end of trouble for the Xiao family.
During that time, rumors about an illegitimate child in the Xiao family spread far and wide.
But Xiao Yong’s efforts were in vain; Xiao Jinming didn’t even glance at him.
Feeling utterly disheartened and realizing the futility of his efforts, Xiao Yong stopped expecting anything from Xiao Jinming and turned his focus to his elder brother, Xiao Ye, the old Duke.
He maneuvered to become Xiao Ye’s advisor.
He had an affair with Xiao Ye’s newlywed wife—now the old Madam Xiao.
This affair went undiscovered, but Xiao Yong was eventually expelled from the Xiao residence by Xiao Jinming. He changed his name and became Zhao Yong.
By then, he was already past the age to enter the palace as a eunuch. But by a stroke of luck, during a hunting expedition, he saved the then-Crown Prince, Emperor Xianzhen.
Thus began his rise as a powerful eunuch and the start of Yong’s nightmare.
In the silence, Xie Subai glanced at him.
He fully understood now why Zhao Yong had extended a helping hand to Huo Xian during his weakest moment, grooming him into his most capable officer, and even showing an almost indulgent affection towards him. Because in Huo Xian, Zhao Yong saw himself.
Both were illegitimate children, unacknowledged and expelled from their families at a young age. They shared the same defiant nature. They were so similar.
At least in Zhao Yong’s eyes, Huo Xian was his younger self.
He believed they shared the same pain and could understand each other. He thought he knew Huo Xian completely—his ambitions, his hatred, the malice running in his veins.
This malice, evidently, was something Zhao Yong greatly admired.
Huo Xian knew what Xie Subai was thinking, but he didn’t intend to dwell on those unpleasant memories. He rotated the tea bowl in his hands and continued, “The former royal family needed a leader. Compared to Zhao Yong, who had no plans for restoration, they chose someone more ambitious—Xiao Cheng. This revelation allowed Xiao Cheng to understand his true identity.”
The subtle tension between Xiao Cheng and Zhao Yong stemmed from this.
Xiao Cheng found it difficult to accept such a stain on his origin. His father was not the brave old Duke, but a despised eunuch. It was absurd, but he had no choice but to accept it because it was the truth. This was also the fundamental reason why Xiao Cheng could amass a large private army. Without this connection and the support of the former dynasty’s remnants, he wouldn’t have reached that point; he wouldn’t even have had the opportunity.
His grandmother carried the bloodline of the former royal family, and so did he. This blood nurtured ambition, sprouted desire, and left him increasingly insatiable.
Thus, he began to plot everything in Yunyang, keeping it hidden from Zhao Yong.
But eventually, things went awry. Huo Jue, who was leading the troops, discovered the clues.
Huo Xian’s voice was deep and steady, “They killed Huo Jue.”
The reason for the defeat at Yunyang was because the general leading the army had already been killed!
Before the battle began, he had been murdered by his so-called “own people.” The soldiers and officers were leaderless, the border gates were wide open to the enemy, who plundered, burned, and killed, leaving the people in misery.
Afterward, they threw Huo Jue’s body onto the corpse-strewn streets.
He had thus “died in battle” in a manner that seemed perfectly logical.
Everything appeared to be a vicious cycle.
Xie Subai could piece together the rest. He put down his tea bowl and adjusted the blanket on his legs, saying, “After Yunyang was pacified, the court sent officials to audit the accounts. But at that time, Yunyang’s treasury had already been emptied by Xiao Cheng. Zhao Yong, upon hearing the news, hurried over, attempting to clean up his son’s mess.”
He paused and said, “They set their sights on the immensely wealthy Qiao family.”
