Shen Qingli choked on his words, about to make a joke to deflect, when he saw Xie Subai suddenly clench his fist and press it to his lips, coughing heavily. His pale face flushed red from the effort.
Ao Zhi was startled and quickly poured him more tea, handing over a clean handkerchief.
It was obvious that Xie Subai had been holding it in for a long time to not show any signs of discomfort in front of Ji Yuluo. How could he say it was just the same old condition and nothing serious? Nonsense!
The playful expression on Shen Qingli’s face instantly vanished. He asked, “What exactly did Doctor Yue say?”
Xie Subai stopped coughing, his knuckles white as he gripped the handkerchief. Leaning back against the chair, he closed his eyes to recover before reopening them and saying, “We need to act quickly.”
Shen Qingli looked at him in silence, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. Unable to hold back, he abruptly stood up and angrily said, “Can you please take care of yourself first? If not for years of exhausting yourself, how could your health be this bad? Do you really have to, must you really do this?”
Xie Subai paused his hand-wiping, looked up at him, and said, “Yes, it has to be this way. You should understand me.”
Shen Qingli calmed his emotions, rubbed his temples, and sat back down. “Ning Heng, the Commander of the Jiuxuan Camp, you intentionally exposed him. You want to use him to stir up trouble in the court. If the emperor kills him for this, it will cause a lot of dissatisfaction, and these people can be used by you, right?”
Xie Subai did not deny it. “Yes, it’s a pity.”
A pity that Ning Heng did not die and was only temporarily detained in the Zhao Prison.
Not just Ning Heng, all the other implicated people also survived. In this morning’s court session, the ministers pleaded for them, and Emperor Shun’an even relented, earning considerable praise. By the end of the session, he was practically floating.
Shen Qingli stared at him. “Uncle Ning has been loyal all these years. How can you—”
“Why can’t I?”
Xie Subai abruptly raised his eyes, losing his usual gentleness, his voice cold. “Those who achieve great things must wade through blood! Anyone can die if necessary. Since he chose this path with me, he should have expected this!”
He spoke too quickly, causing the veins on his forehead to bulge and he coughed twice into his hand.
Shen Qingli said nothing, watching him for a long time.
Seeing the red in Xie Subai’s eyes and the darkness surrounding him, how unlike the young gentleman who once held ancient books and spoke only of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom he seemed now.
He had once been the most similar to Prince Huaijin, but now he was the least alike.
Shen Qingli looked down at his shrunken reflection in the tea, thinking, yes, everyone changes over the years…
Even the once eccentric Huo Xian could now lounge in taverns and brothels, laughing and drinking with others. He could also navigate the court skillfully, earning the emperor’s favor.
But the second young master Huo, in the past, wouldn’t even deign to smile at people, let alone flatter them.
Xie Subai saw Shen Qingli sighing weakly and said, “Lanxu, I’ve told you, you can leave at any time. I won’t stop you.”
Lanxu—
Shen Qingli’s hand on his knee trembled. He then forced a bitter smile and said, “With you calling me that, how could I leave? How dare I leave?”
He stood up and respectfully bowed to Xie Subai, saying, “I, Lanxu, have not forgotten my family’s vendetta for a single day, and the Shen family owes a great debt to the Crown Prince. I am willing to serve His Highness with all my heart and soul, ready to die ten thousand deaths without regret.”
Xie Subai had already shed his earlier gloom, once again becoming the serene and distant white-clad immortal. “You exaggerate. Have some tea. This is the last pot brewed with snow water; after this winter, we will have to wait until next year.”
Shen Qingli, having no mood to savor the tea, gulped down three or four cups in a hurry, wasting the precious brew.
—
Zhao Yong was furious.
His hawk-like eyes fixated on the person before him. “You have always been reliable in your tasks. How did you let someone escape last night?”
This morning, when rumors slandering the current emperor and praising Prince Huaijin began circulating in the market, Zhao Yong knew that raiding the gambling den was a mistake.
Initially, these rumors were spread only in a small area and were not a big deal. But the Jinyiwei’s heavy-handed actions drew too much attention. When people inquired about the reason for the raid, it inevitably intensified the spread of the rumors. In hindsight, even the little servant caught at Ning Heng’s house seemed like a deliberate ploy to escalate the situation to this point.
But now that things had reached this stage and their actions were exposed, the mastermind had escaped! Zhao Yong was understandably frustrated.
Huo Xian lowered his head and cupped his hands in respect. “It was my fault for not being cautious enough. Our men were ambushed midway, and there was a thief with exceptional skills who matched me in combat.”
“I heard about that. But what about the eldest daughter of the Ji family? How did that happen?” Zhao Yong glanced at him and said, “I’ve allowed you some indulgences, but you can’t neglect your duties. Taking a woman to work—how could you do such a thing?”
Huo Xian lowered his head even more, saying, “Godfather’s criticism is correct. It was my lack of judgment.”
Zhao Yong sighed wearily, “Sometimes you’re meticulous, but other times you’re too unorthodox. After all these years, you should know the balance.”
Huo Xian remained silent for a long time before finally agreeing.
Zhao Yong spoke earnestly, “Don’t resent my nagging. It’s all for your own good. Now, go back and take care of things. Deal with the remaining people—those who need to be interrogated should be, and those who need to be killed should be. It’s better to kill the wrong person than to let one escape.”
He said this while holding his duster and walking back into the house.
Huo Xian slowly raised his head, standing still for a moment.
What Zhao Yong had thought of, he had also considered. Given his years of dealing with various regional lords, the only one with the patience and cunning to play such a game was likely Prince Ning. But it couldn’t be Prince Ning.
At that moment, what came to his mind was that pure, clean face.
A little eunuch handed over a cloak, which Huo Xian took before leaving the palace.
Returning home, he noticed that the guards left in the courtyard were gone, realizing she must have left the mansion. After inquiring with Nanyue, he received Ji Yuluo’s whereabouts.
Just as he was about to step out, Nanny Liu called out to him. She hesitated before finally stamping her foot and saying, “Sigh, master, don’t be so rough in the future. Young girls are at an age where they are easily led astray!”
Nanny Liu sighed and walked away with her arms full of items.
Huo Xian frowned, not having time to ponder her words, and hurried to the theater. Upon entering, a familiar servant came to guide him to his seat, but Huo Xian waved him away. Looking up, he saw Ji Yuluo’s beautiful eyes lost in thought, staring at the stage but not watching the performance.
Who knows what mischief she was planning.
A guard stepped forward to bow, but Huo Xian stopped him, asking, “Where has she been today?”
The bodyguard explained everything in detail, and only then did Huo Xian take a careful look at him and ask, “Your face—did she hit you?”
The bodyguard awkwardly covered his face. Getting slapped by a woman wasn’t exactly a proud moment, so he reluctantly nodded and had to explain the situation.
Huo Xian laughed and dismissed him before heading upstairs.
Meanwhile, Ji Yuluo successfully returned to the opera house just as a performance ended.
She didn’t hurry back to the mansion but instead ordered another opera performance. Leaning back, she used her round fan to cover half her face, revealing only her eyes to watch the energetic actors on stage while she organized her thoughts.
Regardless of whether Xie Qiao and Lou Panshun had any connection, Huo Xian was suspicious but wouldn’t harbor any ill intentions towards her for the time being. She only had three days. During this time, she needed to find a way to avoid entering the palace under Huo Xian’s orders.
There was no need to worry about causing a commotion now; she would leave the capital in three days anyway.
As the drums on stage sounded with a “clang,” Ji Yuluo’s thumb, which had been tapping the cup in her hand, paused, as if she had thought of something. Her eyebrows raised slightly as the opera continued.
Her contemplative expression faded, and she took a sip of tea. Perhaps because she had just tasted fine tea at Xie Subai’s place, she frowned at the ordinary tea, put it down, and didn’t pick it up again.
After a brief rest, Ji Yuluo intended to return to Huo’s mansion. However, just as she was about to call Hongshuang to settle the bill, a shadow loomed over her. She looked up, startled, to see Huo Xian sitting with his legs crossed in the adjacent seat, his peach-blossom eyes glimmering with amusement. “Madam, enjoying the show?”
Ji Yuluo composed herself and sat back down, thinking he must have come straight to monitor her after leaving the palace.
It seemed the Zhenfu Division had no pressing matters to attend to.
Perhaps guessing her silent grumble, Huo Xian poured himself some tea and said, “The people we captured yesterday have mostly escaped. Recently, the Zhenfu Division really has no urgent cases. I have plenty of time.”
Ji Yuluo smirked slightly. “Is that so.”
She then turned back to watch the opera, having lost the intention of returning to the Huo’s mansion. It was better to watch the opera than to sit at home staring at Huo Xian. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Huo Xian was also watching the performance with interest.
He even called over a waiter and ordered some wine and dishes, though he didn’t touch them.
As Ji Yuluo continued to watch, she started to feel bored. Her mind wandered, and her gaze eventually fell on the wrist peeking out from Huo Xian’s sleeve.
Why were the veins there black?
Not completely black, but more like a very dark red, blood-red.
It looked as if he had been poisoned…
Ji Yuluo wondered if she had seen wrong and slightly tilted her head for a closer look. Just then, Huo Xian subtly moved his hand, and his sleeve fell back down, hiding it from view.
She quickly averted her gaze, pretending she hadn’t noticed, but doubt lingered in her heart.
At that moment, a voice interrupted her thoughts—
“Hey, Huo Cong, isn’t that your second brother?”
“It looks like it. The woman next to him, could she be your second sister-in-law? The eldest daughter of the Ritual Minister?”
“Huo Cong, I heard that the marquis is still imprisoned in Zhao Prison, otherwise…”
Clearly, Huo Xian also heard this, and Ji Yuluo noticed from the corner of her eye that his hand, which had been fiddling with a thumb ring, paused.
When Huo Xian arrived, he had lifted the curtain beside him, and at this moment Huo Cong was standing not far away. It looked like he had just come down from the Imperial Academy. Several boys and a little boy carrying a bookcase walked past this elegant seat and took a place at the adjacent one.
Before the tea and snacks were served, the curtain had not yet fallen, and it wasn’t soundproof. The sound came through clearly—
It was still that weak young voice they heard last night, cold and indifferent: “I have no second brother. His name isn’t even on the Huo family ancestral hall. What kind of Huo family member is he? Moreover, my father is upright and unafraid of being framed!”
Students of the Imperial Academy receive the most orthodox education and hate treacherous ministers who harm the country. They are at such a young age; it’s said that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. Hearing Huo Cong speak this way, they all gathered courage:
“Yeah! The Marquis of Xuanping expelled that person long ago. Huo Cong’s brother should be Huo Shizi, who sacrificed for the country. How can someone like Huo Xian be compared? It’s simply a disgrace to the marquis’ residence.”
“Huo Cong, if he hadn’t poisoned you back then, your health wouldn’t be so poor. It’s not that you don’t study well, it’s just a pity for the family business your father built.”
“If you were in good health, you might have earned glory for the Huo family like your eldest brother. What a pity.”
“Alas, Huo Cong…”
With everyone talking at once, Huo Cong’s face became increasingly unpleasant.
He had heard these words since childhood. When Huo Xian poisoned him, he was only twelve or thirteen years old. When his health improved, his mother held him and cried. After his mother passed away, the nannies also held him and cried. His mother never spoke ill of Huo Xian, but the nannies’ words were filled with hatred for him. Everyone said he was pitiful, that Huo Xian made him a person who would get winded after walking too much.
At that time, his father had beaten Huo Xian half to death. Huo Cong had sneaked a peek at the ancestral hall, and through the door crack, their eyes met, but Huo Xian showed no remorse, only lowering his eyelashes lightly.
After he recovered, his father often kept him by his side for instruction. Inevitably, the two brothers had to meet, but regardless of the occasion, Huo Xian always maintained his arrogant demeanor!
Huo Cong was furious and wanted to fight but was no match for him. Instead, Huo Xian easily grabbed his collar and lifted him, looking him up and down and saying, “With your condition, you’ll only be able to study in the future. If you can’t even manage that, you’ll truly be a useless person.”
Fearing he would really become someone even Huo Xian could disdain, Huo Cong put great effort into his studies. Now, he excelled in them.
But he still hated Huo Xian. He had despised this person since childhood, hated his sharpness, and hated that as an illegitimate son, he was so proud and arrogant!
When his mother hosted banquets during his childhood, a few young noblemen, seeking excitement, had a shooting competition. His elder brother hit the bullseye, and the arrow was firmly lodged in the target. But as soon as Huo Xian came up, he knocked his brother’s arrow down!
But his elder brother always smiled and said, “Ah Xian is truly skilled. It seems it won’t be long before you surpass me.”
How could that be acceptable?
In Huo Cong’s heart, Huo Jue was the most formidable. How could Huo Xian surpass him!
From then on, Huo Cong extremely disliked this illegitimate brother.
The events that followed pushed the brothers’ conflict to the extreme. As they grew older and the voices around them increased, Huo Cong hated him more and more, even forgetting that he was born weak and blaming his current situation entirely on him.
The play on stage was changing scenes, and it was a quiet moment.
Huo Cong clenched his fist, tightened his lips, and said, “Things have come to this; there’s nothing to regret. Even if I can’t wield a sword or spear, studying is still good.”
