The days of early summer are long and the nights are short. Even at dusk, the sky remains bright.
The drifting clouds and evening glow envelop the red light, gradually fading away from the west like a richly colored sand painting. The subtle changes in the clouds eventually lead to a grand conclusion as the edges of the evening glow gradually dim.
A flock of geese flies past, breaking the momentary silence.
Huo Xian emerged from the duty room at the corner gate of the imperial palace. The eunuchs outside bowed their heads as he strode out, the curve of his mouth gradually flattening.
Many things have happened recently.
Since he schemed to send Xiao Cheng to lead troops south, Zhao Yong has been more inquisitive towards him. Additionally, the recent actions of the Zhenfu Division have been too significant, taking down several of Zhao Yong’s subordinates. Although they were insignificant roles, many small losses add up. Zhao Yong must have slowly sensed something was amiss, but he had no evidence.
Now, at the most critical juncture, Huo Xian needed to be more cautious than ever.
After Huo Xian walked away, the eunuch pushed the door open and entered. Zhao Yong was gazing out the window, his expression deep.
The eunuch bowed and handed over a battle report, saying, “There’s news from the front line. The battle in Jiujiang Prefecture has lasted for two days and nights. Prince Xingnan has temporarily retreated, but only for a brief rest. There’s still a long way to go. The Duke is not young anymore; who knows if he can endure it… Why did the Supervisor let him go in the first place?”
It was clear Huo Xian had set a trap, but wasn’t Huo Xian still under Zhao Yong’s command? There was no need to risk his life.
The last ray of red light disappeared as the remaining clouds were swallowed by the twilight, and the sky turned clear blue.
Zhao Yong walked to the window and closed it, saying, “Even without Huo Xian’s interference, this battle had to be fought. If he wants to conquer the world, he must clear all obstacles. Moreover, who says this isn’t a way to survive through desperation?”
With that, he wiped the window sill and, noticing the dust on his finger, said, “Have someone clean this.”
The eunuch quickly responded affirmatively.
Huo Xian rode back to the Zhenfu Division.
It was already time for the shift change. The guards outside had been replaced, and the people inside were sparse and somewhat relaxed.
Liyang walked over from a room, handing Huo Xian documents to stamp.
Although the Jinyiwei seemed disorderly to outsiders, they had to follow procedures. However, in their case, the “procedure” was Huo Xian himself.
As he walked, Liyang said, “Madam is inside. She brought you a meal and has been waiting for a while.”
Huo Xian paused, evidently surprised. He quickly glanced over the documents and looked up, only to bump into someone suddenly.
The person hurriedly fell flat on their back. “Ouch!”
When he got up, he quickly said, “Sir, I didn’t see you. Please don’t blame me.”
His eyes were red. After speaking, he hurried to leave again.
Huo Xian turned his head and called out, “Liu Wu, what’s going on? Why are you so flustered?”
The Jinyiwei named Liu Wu turned around, his face flushed red. “Sir, my child is having another seizure. I need to go check on him.”
As he spoke, Liyang’s expression became understanding.
At the beginning of the year, Liu Wu’s wife had given birth to a daughter, but unfortunately, the baby was born with epilepsy. The child frequently had convulsions, foamed at the mouth, and suffered immensely. For the past two months, Liu Wu had been troubled about money, continuously borrowing several months of his salary from the department.
Liyang quickly offered, “Brother Liu, do you have enough money? If not, I can—”
Before he could finish, a waist token was thrown through the air, silencing Liyang instantly. Liu Wu caught it and saw it was Huo Xian’s token. Huo Xian said, “Go to the office and withdraw the money. Take whatever you need. Don’t let a few coins cause the child to suffer.”
With tears in his eyes, Liu Wu choked out, “Thank you.”
Seeing him so flustered, Huo Xian frowned. “You’re just going to walk there? Take a horse.”
“Yes, sir!” Liu Wu perked up and ran out.
Liyang watched and sighed, “Brother Liu’s child is truly pitiful.”
Huo Xian said nothing, stepping up the stairs, but was suddenly stopped by another Jinyiwei who appeared out of nowhere. Annoyed, Huo Xian pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to go in the other direction.
Ji Yuluo had been waiting in the duty room for a long time. Hearing Huo Xian’s conversation with Liu Wu, she stood still for a moment, puzzled.
As she pushed the door open to leave, Liyang, about to leave as well, paused and turned back, “Madam.”
He glanced in the direction Huo Xian had gone and said, “Sir got delayed by something.”
Ji Yuluo nodded, curiously looking in the direction Liu Wu had left. “Aren’t all Jinyiwei officials’ children, living in luxury? What was that about?”
Liyang smiled, “Madam, you may not know, but although many Jinyiwei come from prestigious families, quite a few are also selected through rigorous examinations. Most of these come from poor backgrounds and rely on this job for respect. Liu Wu is one of those. It’s not easy for him. He has a sick mother at home, too. Without Sir’s help, it would be even harder.”
Ji Yuluo leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and nodded at his words. “Your Sir has such a kind heart?”
Liyang seemed to remember something and nodded vigorously, coughing lightly. “Our Sir is very kind. Though he has a bad temper and can be quite sarcastic, many brothers in the Zhenfu Division have benefited from his help. Sir comes from the Xuanping Marquis’ family, but he didn’t rely on them to get into the Jinyiwei. He got in through his own efforts and knows how hard it is. He often uses his own money to help others.”
Liyang spoke with deep emotion. Ji Yuluo listened quietly and then said, “But your Sir’s salary isn’t much. Isn’t most of it from embezzlement and bribery?”
Liyang was momentarily stunned, “…”
Ji Yuluo, growing more curious, asked, “Does he really keep the money from embezzlement and bribery?”
Liyang hesitated, lowering his voice, “In his position, sometimes he has no choice. Sir said that to be a bad person, you have to rot from the inside out and make it convincing.”
Ji Yuluo laughed, “So he’s robbing the rich to help the poor?”
Liyang scratched his nose, momentarily speechless.
But seeing Ji Yuluo’s unrestrained smile, Liyang suddenly realized that he was trying to prove his integrity to someone from Cuixue Tower, who was not exactly a paragon of virtue herself.
Ji Yuluo seemed to read his thoughts and smiled. “You’re quite loyal to him. If you ever find you can’t stay with the Jinyiwei, why not work for me? Our place is much more comfortable, and there’s no need for daily attendance.”
Liyang was startled, but before he could respond, a voice came from behind him, “Hurry up and thank Madam.”
He turned around abruptly to find that Huo Xian had returned.
Huo Xian looked at Ji Yuluo with a half-smile, “Perhaps there will be a day when we all have to rely on Madam to make a living, right?”
Liyang bowed his head, sensing a flirtatious undertone, and hurriedly found an excuse to leave. Ji Yuluo entered the room, with Huo Xian following close behind.
As the door closed, she leaned against it, turning her head to look at Huo Xian.
Huo Xian walked over, his tall figure looming over her, and he cupped her chin to kiss her. When he let go, her lips were a deeper shade, looking even more alluring than before.
She looked at him with a calm, faintly enigmatic gaze, the kind that was enough to ensnare someone, though for Ji Yuluo it might have been just a usual look. To Huo Xian, she seemed like someone casting a spell.
He asked, “What urgent matter brought you here?”
Ji Yuluo wouldn’t have come to the Zhenfu Division without a reason.
She took a box out of her sleeve and said, “I was asked to deliver medicine to you.”
The box was very familiar, and Huo Xian immediately realized it was the new antidote prepared by Master Jingchen.
He paused, took the box, and looked at Ji Yuluo. Her face showed no signs of surprise, indicating she wasn’t just finding out about this.
She walked calmly to the table, sat down, and continued eating the bowl of lean pork congee that was originally brought for Huo Xian.
The bowl was nearly empty, suggesting it wasn’t really brought for him. Or perhaps it was meant for him, but she changed her mind.
After a few bites, Ji Yuluo said, “Take it and see if it works. Sheng Lanxin said Master Jingchen is very close to finding the complete antidote. There’s a good chance it will cure your poison.”
She paused for a moment, then looked up at him. “Did you know about this?”
Huo Xian took the medicine, raised an eyebrow, and said, “Of course I knew—”
“You didn’t know.” Ji Yuluo interrupted him.
Until today, she had been fooled by Huo Xian’s confident demeanor. He had arranged everything so meticulously, making it seem like he had a secure escape route for himself. Despite Ji Yuluo’s confusion about how he could force Zhao Yong to provide the antidote before his death, she had believed Huo Xian must have had a plan.
But in reality, he didn’t. That’s why he had been swiftly gathering evidence these days, cutting off Zhao Yong’s escape routes without alerting him, and planning to trap him completely.
As for him, it was no longer important at that point, because he had arranged for more suitable candidates for Prince Ning—Xuanping Marquis and Wen Bin. If an enemy army ever besieged the palace, the forces from Prince Ning’s residence would support Wen Bin and Xuanping Marquis.
Ji Yuluo tugged at the corners of her mouth and smiled. “Sacrificing oneself for the country, truly touching. Huo Xian, you certainly live up to your family name.”
Ever since Sheng Lanxin left, Ji Yuluo had felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of anger. As she walked, that anger dissipated, but it turned into a sense of frustration.
She increasingly realized that Huo Xian was, in fact, a very uncontrollable person. He wasn’t like Chaolu or anyone in Cuixue Tower who would follow her orders without question.
He might even disappear without a word. It seemed as if he didn’t particularly care about living.
But why?
Ji Yuluo knew she didn’t have that kind of saintly spirit in her bones, so she feared she would never understand Huo Xian.
Indeed, she didn’t want to.
She just felt that Huo Xian was like a wild horse that couldn’t be tamed, and it was particularly annoying.
