It turned out to be a black cat darting across the street, almost becoming a victim under the horse’s hooves. Nanyue instinctively pulled the reins.
No danger after all.
Nanyue breathed a sigh of relief and asked inside, “Master, are you alright?”
There was no response from inside the carriage.
Huo Xian silently watched as a moment of bewilderment flashed across Ji Yuluo’s face. He had never seen such a lively expression on her face before, aside from anger or ridicule. Just as he wanted to take another look, she had already hurriedly sat up straight.
The atmosphere remained silent.
Nanyue continued to ask questions.
After a long while, just when Nanyue thought the people inside might have been knocked unconscious, Huo Xian finally said slowly, “It’s alright, let’s go.”
In front of Ji Yuluo, Huo Xian leisurely untied his belt, took off his long robe, and threw it into the corner.
But throughout these actions, his eyes never left Ji Yuluo.
Ji Yuluo’s gaze was on his hands. It wasn’t until the pitiful long robe fell to the ground that she took a sip of leftover tea and looked up at him, saying, “I’ll wash it for you.”
She considered for a moment, “Or I’ll replace it with a new one.”
Huo Xian was so angry he almost laughed.
He had expected her to say something more, but after a long pause, these were the only two sentences she managed.
Wiping his hands with a cloth, he said, “Answer me a question, and you won’t have to wash the clothes.”
“Are you afraid of the dark, or that environment?”
Ji Yuluo’s face suddenly changed, as if she had sprouted spikes all over her body. Just moments ago, she was still speaking well, but upon hearing this, her face turned cold. She met his gaze for a moment before turning to look out the window.
But her expression was still not good, her eyes tinged with red from the earlier vomiting.
Huo Xian did not press her further, throwing the cloth onto the small table, and ordered outside, “Driving so fast, in a hurry to die?”
Nanyue was puzzled. Fast?
He responded with an “oh” and had to slow down.
No one knew about the previous day’s thrilling experience. Hongshuang and Biwu returned first, using the excuse that the master and mistress had gone to the Xiao residence for a banquet. Nanny Liu did not notice anything amiss. At this moment, seeing the young couple return one after the other, she did not find it strange.
Ji Yuluo silently returned to her bedroom. Huo Xian ordered someone, “Send some porridge to the room.”
After the little maid responded, Huo Xian coldly glanced at the guards standing under a distant tree. Each one was downcast, like stray dogs, feeling too ashamed to face anyone. Their necks were almost bent to the ground.
The guards in the mansion were under Nanyue’s charge; these men were his subordinates. Nanyue also lowered his head. “Master, it was my negligence. I’ll select a few more alert ones.”
Huo Xian said, “No need to look further. If she wants to leave, no one can stop her. But the fact that they are alive today is thanks to someone else’s mercy. Incompetence must be punished!”
Nanyue’s heart tightened, understanding the implicit meaning, and he responded accordingly.
After speaking, Huo Xian was about to move away, but suddenly paused and looked back at Nanyue. “You are so familiar with Cuixue Tower. Do you know the name Ji Yuluo?”
Nanyue was stunned for a moment. He first thought of Ji Yuyao and connected it to Sun Zhixing’s statement, guessing that Ji Yuluo might be her real name.
What does this have to do with Cuixue Tower?
Ji Yuluo… Yuluo… Wait!
Nanyue’s eyes suddenly brightened, and he blurted out, “Miss Yuluo? When I was captured in the dark prison, the one who ordered the torture was a woman. Others called her Miss Yuluo! I definitely won’t forget! Master, do you remember I mentioned that there was a woman always by Xie Subai’s side? That’s her!”
That day, he was tied to a wooden post. A woman came in, and the dim prison suddenly lit up with several torches. He could never forget it. Upon hearing that he was from the Jinyiwei, the voice behind him used a mocking tone, saying, “Jinyiwei, who do you serve, the eunuch faction?”
She said, “Leave him a breath, strip him and throw him at the Zhenfus’s entrance.”
Thinking of this, Nanyue almost jumped in agitation. “It’s her! Master, she—”
Huo Xian’s glance was cold, carrying an inexplicable warning. “What about her?”
Nanyue hadn’t yet figured out why but instinctively shook his head. “Nothing, nothing.”
Huo Xian glanced towards the bedroom and then headed towards the study. “Call Sheng Lanxin over.”
—
Ji Yuluo returned to her bedroom. She thought the maid was considerate. After drinking some porridge to warm her stomach, she went to bed for a nap.
She had a dream. In the dream, there was endless darkness. The heavy iron door made a grating noise as it scraped the ground when opened and closed, a sound that sent shivers down one’s spine.
Her hands and feet were bound painfully.
The coarse rope had chafed her skin.
That dungeon held many girls, the youngest about six or seven, the oldest fifteen or sixteen. They were all crying, calling for their parents.
Ji Yuluo didn’t understand why they called for their parents. Did they think their parents would come to save them? She didn’t know, but her parents certainly wouldn’t.
The darkness in the dungeon was unending. Only when food was delivered did the iron door open slightly, allowing a sliver of light to enter.
And then it was gone.
Eating was not just about eating. They would throw the food on the ground, forcing them to scramble for it like wild animals. Whips would lash out, and in the darkness, no one knew who would be hit next.
The darkness wasn’t the most terrifying part. The most terrifying part was the unknown danger.
She could only smell the damp, cold air mixed with blood, like the scent of rust. Even after eating the food, it made her want to vomit.
Ji Yuluo felt a spasm in her stomach. When she opened her eyes, it was already dark. She was fully awake when she saw the faint light from the night pearl above her head.
Hongsuang heard the sound and came in to light the lamp.
Ji Yuluo asked, “Has Huo Xian been here?”
Hongsuang shook her head. “No, Miss, are you looking for him?”
Ji Yuluo responded with a simple “Hmm,” drinking some water.
Hongsuang was worried, hesitating, wanting to ask about the events of the previous day. Ji Yuluo, seeing through her, said, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Ji Yuluo didn’t want to leave yet. There was still room for negotiation between her and Huo Xian. Earlier in the secret passage, she had sown discord between Zhao Yong and him, but there was no need for deliberate effort; the two already had underlying conflicts.
As she said, even biological fathers and sons cannot completely trust each other, let alone them.
Ji Yuluo paced around the room, then asked Nanny Liu about Huo Xian’s whereabouts and headed to the study, where Nanyue stopped her at the door.
However, Nanyue’s tone was quite different from before. He smiled insincerely, “Madam, please go back. The master is busy. Yiniang Sheng is inside, and I dare not disturb them.”
Ji Yuluo didn’t delve into his sarcastic tone. Frowning, she said, “When he’s finished, tell him I have something to discuss.”
Watching Ji Yuluo leave, despite his many prejudices against Cuixue Tower, Nanyue still felt uneasy and entered the room, saying, “Master, the madam was just here.”
The conversation inside paused for a moment. Huo Xian said, “Got it.”
Hearing this, Sheng Lanxin glanced at the jade silver ring on the table and continued, “Recently, the rumors about Crown Prince Huaijin in the capital have been growing. They say if he were still alive, he would be the rightful heir to the throne. If Cuixue Tower is behind this, could it be related to General Lou? But if he were truly alive, why wouldn’t he—”
She stopped abruptly.
As the saying goes, different paths do not lead to the same goal. With Huo Xian on his current path, how could someone as discerning as General Lou agree with him? He would likely be greatly disappointed.
“But what does he want to do?” Sheng Lanxin’s voice was faint. “After all, the Eastern Palace is gone.”
Huo Xian remained silent. He and Sheng Lanxin seemed to have fallen into a shared silence.
In this silence, Sheng Lanxin often felt a sense of confusion and helplessness, not knowing what she was doing or where her future lay. It was like drifting at sea, always feeling lost. But she had nothing left to lose, while Huo Xian was different; he still had a family, at least.
She didn’t dare ask him if he regretted it. After all, the former emperor had forcibly pushed him onto this path, leaving him no choice or chance for regret. Asking now would only add to the troubles.
Thinking of this, Sheng Lanxin changed the subject to Zhao Yong and the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence. She continued talking until the candle burned halfway down before getting up to leave.
—
A piece of clothing was drying on a bamboo pole in the courtyard, fluttering in the wind. It was the one soiled earlier that day.
When Huo Xian entered the room, Ji Yuluo had already bathed and changed into a light purple dress. She was sitting at the dressing table, playing with a jade hairpin. The hairpin spun in her fingers, forming a shadow. At the sound of his entrance, it suddenly stopped and fell onto the table with a “plop.”
Ji Yuluo walked up to him, and knowing what she wanted to say, Huo Xian spoke first, “I’ll bathe first.”
Ji Yuluo frowned, clearly thinking that their conversation could take precedence over bathing.
But Huo Xian knew this would not be a quick conversation. Glancing at the tables, chairs, and bed, he realized that these items were likely at risk.
He said, “You threw up all over me. Can’t you let me clean up first?”
“…”
Fine.
Ji Yuluo stepped aside.
