《After Marrying the Disabled Crown Prince of the Enemy Country》 CH 1 Chapter 1 The Grand Wedding The sky was slightly bright early in the morning. It was the middle of winter, and the wind was cold. Even if the doors and windows of the guesthouse of the post station were tightly closed, the cold wind could still get in through the crack of the door. Le Zhi pretended to sleep on the bed until the maid and ceremonial granny woke her up. She was groomed and dressed up in an orderly manner. It did not take long before a delicate beautiful hibiscus face was printed in the bronze mirror. The most eye-catching thing was her charming fox eyes¡­ There was always a happy smile on the ceremonial granny¡¯s face, while the maid, Li Yao, served her a bowl of pear soup. Recently, it has been cold and dry, and Le Zhi¡¯s throat was often dry and hoarse from coughing. But today, she absolutely could not cough. She sipped the pear soup bit by bit with her eyes lifted slightly while looking out of the window. The warm sun gradually brightens, illuminating the yard. The handymen and servants in the post station all got up. There was the sound of light footsteps, and at the same time, some whispered discussions. ¡°Hey, do you think the princess in the room given to Taizi* will be¡­¡± (Taizi* ¨C Crown Prince) ¡°What nonsense! This time, in any case, the marriage was bestowed by His Majesty. No matter how you say it, she is Taizifei*, isn¡¯t it?¡± (Taizifei* ¨C the wife of Crown Prince) ¡°Who knows? Who can guess that Highness Taizi¡¯s behavior.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Unlike the third prince, a modest gentleman and gentle as jade¡­¡± The discussion faded away. Le Zhi¡¯s face still had a faint smile, but a trace of disgust flashed through her drooping eyes. A modest gentleman? Gentle as jade? Ah. Suddenly, Li Yao strode towards her and said softly, ¡°Miss, the third prince is here.¡± Upon hearing this, Le Zhi was slightly startled. Although one month has passed, she was still a little unfamiliar with this title. In the past sixteen years, she has long been used to being called ¡°princess, little princess¡±¡­ But the country Li no longer exists. No, she should not think about it anymore. She pulled her thoughts back forcefully. Li Yao and ceremonial granny have quietly withdrawn from the room, and familiar footsteps sounded from behind her. Today, he should accompany the Emperor and Empress of the country Qi to pray for the blessing at the Huguo Temple. But Le Zhi knew that he would definitely come. Suppressing the dampness in her eyes due to memories, Le Zhi turned around and showed her smile as usual. A man wearing a dark green cotton cloak walked into the room from outside and also brought the cold winter wind into the room. The cold air invaded her nose and mouth, and Le Zhi¡¯s throat felt a pain. She could not help but frown slightly and lowered her head to cough a few times. Seeing this, the man hurriedly closed the door and quickly walked towards her, ¡°Are you all right, Zhizhi?¡± Le Zhi looked up and the handsome face was close at hand. The facial features on this face, although it was impossible to say which one was unforgettable. If combined together, it was really unforgettable. She has seen each and every one of these facial features for twelve years. ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± Le Zhi smiled and called him, ¡°Brother Ah Xu.¡± A hint of surprise flashed across Huo Xu¡¯s face. He had not listened to her call ¡®brother¡¯ for a long time. Today, it sounded like a lifetime ago. His heart was slightly stagnant, silent for a long time, and subconsciously asked, ¡°Do you hate me?¡± The corners of Le Zhi¡¯s curled lips froze there. After a pause, she lowered her eyes slightly and replied softly, ¡°I hated you.¡± The slender black eyelashes covered her drooping eyes, and also covered the flash of light from the bottom of her eyes. This answer was very clever. There was neither the falsehood of not hating nor the determination to hate. Hated, which meant she hated him once, but it has passed. ¡°Zhizhi¡­¡± There was a slight tremor in the gentle voice. Le Zhi raised her eyes, smiled while shaking her head at him, ¡°But I have understood a lot in this month. Brother Ah Xu, although I still blame you, I can understand your difficulty.¡± A warmth flowed through his heart, and Huo Xu¡¯s eyes were finally caught a smile. Apparently, Zhizhi was still the delicate Zhizhi. On the day that the country Li was destroyed, her scarlet eyes and the scene of screaming at him hoarsely seemed to be just a dream. After twelve years of childhood sweethearts, the Emperor of the country Li recruited him as his son-in-law at the hairpin ceremony of Le Zhi¡­ and today, he wanted to watch her getting married without any feeling. The red dress stung Huo Xu¡¯s eyes, and her beautiful face caused a shock in his heart. How he wanted to hug her in his arms, rub her into his bones, and love her well, just like in his dream countless times¡­ However, he could not. The corner of his eyes caught a glimpse of Le Zhi¡¯s empty right ear. Huo Xu slowly approached the dressing table and picked up the remaining red agate eardrop from the north sea on the table to wear it for her. Then he squatted down in front of her with affectionate eyes, ¡°Zhizhi, help me bring the Taizi down. You will be my only Empress in the future.¡± Le Zhi saw his hidden ambition and determination to win from the bottom of his affectionate eyes. And she, to be precise, was her face that everyone admired and was a pawn in his hand that used to clear the road. She smiled and answered him softly, ¡°Yes.¡± After saying that, she saw Huo Xu¡¯s face rise with joy. Then he got up and opened his arms to her as if to come over to hug her¡­ Her stomach suddenly rolled up. Disgusting. Fortunately, someone outside knocked on the door softly, ¡°Your Highness, if you don¡¯t leave now, His Majesty and Empress would be suspicious.¡± Huo Xu¡¯s face sank instantly and put down his arms reluctantly. Today, he sneaked out of the Huguo Temple in order to see her. At this time, he could not delay any more. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first.¡± His face looked worried. ¡°Protect yourself. Hou Du, he¡­ is a vicious wolf.¡± Le Zhi was stunned for a moment, then nodded in response. ¡ª Holding the round fan, Le Zhi was slowly walked out of the room with ceremonial granny and Li Yao¡¯s help. The warm sun was shining brightly, illuminating the round fan in front of her. Le Zhi looked at a pair of flying lovebirds embroidered with gold thread on the fan without any expression. It could be seen that the embroiderer¡¯s embroidery was excellent, and the lingering feelings between the pair of lovebirds were fully revealed on the fan. Le Zhi seemed to have just reacted. Getting married. Today is her grand wedding day. But why there is no joy at all? ¡°Miss, watch your steps.¡± Li Yao¡¯s reminder pulled her thoughts back. Le Zhi saw through the fan the golden-red pheasant sedan chair and the majestic imperial wedding procession. The Empress of the country Qi specially chose to go to Huguo Temple to pray for blessings on the day of Taizi¡¯s wedding. Was not she meant to tell the civil and military officials and common people of the Manchu Dynasty clearly how the Taizi was not valued? She has been in the country Qi for more than one month and Le Zhi knew very little about this Taizi. She knew nothing about him except when she heard the servants talk about his right leg disease and his eccentric temperament. In addition, she knew nothing at all besides Huo Xu¡¯s repeated grave warning. She even dared not ask around. A subjugated princess could not exceed the rules. She just needed to comply obediently. Sitting on the pheasant sedan chair, the procession moved forward slowly. The post station was outside the capital city, and it took a long time to enter the city gate. Magnificent bead curtains were hanging down on both sides of the pheasant sedan chair. Le Zhi glanced faintly at the people standing on both sides watching the excitement one after another. They have different expressions on their faces, including mocking, laughing, and even also pity¡­ It was just that there was no festive color at all. This was very different from when Huo Xu returned in victory a month ago. At that time, she was sitting in the last carriage, covered with blood. The continuous cheers of congratulations on the triumphant return of the third prince from outside made her eyes red. The curtain of the carriage swayed with the carriage, and she looked out. The people made no secret of the joy on their faces and the pride that overflowed from their eyes. That was the pride of the victorious country. Le Zhi withdrew her eyes, and her face became paler. Finally, the pheasant sedan chair passed through the main street, entered the palace, and finally stopped in front of the hall of worship. Le Zhi held Li Yao¡¯s arm to get down from the pheasant sedan chair. At this time, a good-looking guard approached at a fast pace, stopped at a distance from her, and saluted respectfully, ¡°I am An Xuan. Pay respect to Taizifei. His Highness Taizi¡¯s leg is inconvenient, so he sent me to pass on a message to you that he won¡¯t come to perform the ceremony.¡± It was a great humiliation for ordinary women that the groom did not appear on the wedding day. After hearing what was said, Li Yao on the side could not help frowning her eyebrows. However, Le Zhi was calm and said softly, ¡°Sure, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Such a reaction made An Xuan dumbfounded, but after only a short while, he recovered his indifference, nodded, and left after saluting. Humiliation? Maybe it was a humiliation for the other women. But Le Zhi did not feel it, because she had already suffered the greatest humiliation. It was better if Taizi did not come. Otherwise, it would be bad if something went wrong due to her nervousness. Le Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and walked to the platform step by step until she stood at the top. She turned and looked down at the hundreds of civil and military officials below, listened to them as they worshipped without expressions, and then they all expressed congratulations. She completed the conferment ceremony alone without Emperor, Empress and Taizi. ¡ª In the bridal room of the Eastern Palace, red candles flickered, and the room filled with fragrance. Sitting on the bridal bed, Le Zhi listened carefully to the noise coming from the wedding banquet outside with empty eyes. She told Li Yao to retreat. Although Li Yao has taken care of her carefully and thoughtfully this month, after all, she was the person Huo Xu sent to take care of her. How could she dare to believe her? She was the only one in the huge sleeping hall, quiet and lonely. Le Zhi did not know how long it has been, and finally, a subtle sound came from the outside. She quickly picked up the round fan that was placed beside her, covering her face. Until she heard the sound of the door closing, her calm heart got nervous again. Because she knew that Huo Du had come in. The hand holding the round fan trembled unconsciously¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired from holding it?¡± A clear cold voice was accompanied by a chuckle. Since he said so, Le Zhi slowly put down the round fan. She lowered her eyes but did not dare to look at him directly, just raised her eyes slightly. He was actually standing? Le Zhi was dumb. She thought his leg disease must be very serious, and he should be in a wheelchair¡­ But he only leaned on a beautiful white jade cane with his right hand. His body was a little tilted and the back of his hand at the top of the cane was white and flawless against the bright red wedding dress, which was not inferior to the white jade. ¡°Come and sit down.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart trembled slightly. She slowly got up and went to sit down at the wedding table, never daring to look up at him from beginning to end. Until a distinct bony hand passed a cup of red bean soup in front of her. After a moment of shock, she reached out to take it. She raised her eyes while thanking him, and finally saw his appearance clearly. Le Zhi had made mental preparation earlier. Judging by the appearance of Emperor Qi and Huo Xu alone, Huo Du must not be ugly. But she never thought that he would actually have such a banished immortal look like the depiction by a painter. Did not seem like a mortal person. His nose was tall and straight, and his thin lips were slightly pursed up. The most unforgettable thing was his peach blossom eyes that seemed to be drunk but not drunk¡­ On the wedding night, there was no alcohol smell on his body, only a faint refreshing fragrance, which Le Zhi had never smelled before. Maybe she had gazed at him for a long time. Le Zhi found that Huo Du was also looking at her with a faint smile on his lips. She quickly lowered her head, picked up a silver spoon, and drank the red bean soup. But her eyes were still raised from time to time to look at him secretly¡­ Huo Du¡¯s table manners were excellent, and his movement was also composed. Soon, he put down the silver spoon. Le Zhi¡¯s heart was tense and did not have much appetite, so she also put down the spoon. What to do next? Nuptial wine toasting? Intimacy? But Huo Du did not seem to mean that. He just walked to the bathroom with a cane. After a while, he put on his bright red bedclothes and walked out without even giving her a look, and went straight to the bridal bed. Le Zhi was stunned, so she had to go to the bathroom too, change her heavy wedding dress, and then simply freshen up. She felt strange that in such a big Eastern Palace, His Highness Taizi did not even have a maid or eunuch who serve close by? Could it be that he did not like to be served? When she came out, she saw Huo Du leaning on the bridal bed with a book in his hand, looking at it attentively. In the night of the bridal chamber, he¡­ actually reading a book? Le Zhi was puzzled. Her mind recalled what she had learned in the past three days. The palace specially sent an old momo* to teach her etiquette for the Taizi¡¯s wedding. In addition to the imperial etiquette of Great Qi, the momo also told her all the things that she should be paying attention to on the night of the bridal chamber in detail. For example, how to please your husband, how to let your husband do whatever he wants¡­ (momo* ¨C elderly lady or wet nurse) Thinking of this, her eyes were a little sore and her cheeks began to burn. However, she could not shrink back. Nowadays, dignity was too extravagant for her. She slowly approached him, trying her best to pull out a beautiful smile. After a long time, Huo Du seemed to think of her. He raised his eyes to her and reached out to point his finger to a distance. Le Zhi looked along the line of sight, which was the direction of the warm room¡­ Is he going to let her sleep in the warm room? Le Zhi heaved a sigh of relief, nodded, turned, and walked towards the warm room. At the moment she turned around, the person behind her pursed his lips, and a sneer appeared on his face while a very thin silver needle was loosely held between his fingers. He stared at Le Zhi¡¯s footsteps and counted silently, ¡°One step, two steps¡­¡± When the third steps were about to be counted, his fingers were also tightened¡­ However, Le Zhi stopped. She only walked two steps forward, then turned and walked back again. Standing in front of Huo Du again, looking at his expressionless face. Le Zhi smiled lightly, and a pair of fox eyes seemed to be able to speak. Huo Du smiled softly, ¡°Want to sleep with me?¡± Le Zhi was stunned. His tone was casual, and he did not even call himself ¡°loneliness*¡°. She nodded meekly and made a soft hum. (loneliness* ¨C self-proclaimed name of ancient princes) Then Huo Du spread both his hands toward her, revealing the white palms. Le Zhi took a deep breath, lowered her eyes, and placed her slightly trembling hands on his palms, her palms that were sweating slightly touched a cold¡­ ¡°But it will hurt.¡± The clear cold voice came into her ears. The teachings of the old momo and the vivid pictures in those picture books poured into her mind. Then her hands were clenched tightly. Le Zhi¡¯s heart trembled instantly, and her little face was as pale as the moon. CH 2 Chapter 2 Same Bed It was late at night, and there was a muffled low cry from the sleeping hall, accompanied by the slightest forbearance. While the servants waiting outside the hall did not even lift their eyelids. Who would dare to say more about His Highness Taizi¡¯s affair? Le Zhi lay on the outside of the bridal bed, letting tears flow from the end of her red eyes, but did not raise her hand to wipe it. To be specific, she could not raise her hand. She finally realized what Huo Du meant by ¡°it will hurt¡±. But it was different from what she expected. He just clenched her hand and made a sudden effort to twist her arm. It hurts, it hurts too much. She did not want to cry, but it was so painful that she could not hold back her tears and burst out. And the culprit was lying on the side of the bed at the moment, lying on his side with his back facing her. After a long time, neither of them spoke. Le Zhi thought Huo Du was asleep, but she could not fall asleep. Her dislocated arm was so painful, and she did not even have a quilt on her body. The bridal bed was very large, and the folded bridal quilt was neatly placed on the innermost side of the bridal bed. After twisting her arms, Huo Du pulled the bridal quilt and put it on himself, but he did not leave a trace of kindness to cover her with one. Kindness? Will he have this thing? Le Zhi turned sideways to look at the back of his head with bitter eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Le Zhi trembled with surprise and wondered if this person also has eyes on the back of his head? Perhaps he did not hear her answer, and Huo Du spoke again in a lazy tone, ¡°If you¡¯re not used to it, go to sleep in the warm room.¡± The bed curtain swayed slightly after Le Zhi lay on the bed. Huo Du gently waved his hand, and the bed¡¯s two curtains fell and closed, but there was still a gap in the middle. The red candle outside had not burned out yet. On the wedding night, the red candle would not go out and would burn till dawn. The candlelight penetrated into the bed along with the slightly moving bed curtains, changing the brightness and darkness of the bed inside. Le Zhi carefully studied the meaning of Huo Du¡¯s words, but still could not guess his intention. It was just that it would be really silly to go to sleep in the warm room after having her arms twisted. She stopped thinking or responding, but slowly moved her body to the inside of the bed. For every inch of movement, the numbness from the twisted bone increased by an inch. Until she gently pressed her face on Huo Du¡¯s back, separated by a thin layer of bedclothes. This action seemed to tell him silently that she was not going to the warm room, and she wanted to sleep with him. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± This was the first time he called her name in a faint tone, but Le Zhi¡¯s heartbeat was like drumming after being called. ¡°Don¡¯t cause trouble.¡± Le Zhi froze for a moment. With such a clear tone, it seemed as if he was accusing her of doing something that offended him. She pursed her lips, moved her slightly hot snow cheek away, and was afraid that Huo Du would drive her away again, so she whispered softly, ¡°I¡¯ll sleep here¡­¡± She did not know whether it was an illusion, Le Zhi vaguely heard an inaudible chuckle. Then, she saw Huo Du who was facing the outer side turned around. She was so frightened that she quickly closed her eyes. Just now she dared to make such a bold move partly because Huo Du¡¯s back was facing her¡­ But that did not mean she was not afraid of him. The fear of her arm being twisted was still there and Le Zhi was extremely afraid in her heart, so where did she dare to look at him, face to face. As for why she insisted on sleeping with him, it was because she also had a plan in her heart. And whether the plan was feasible, she has not yet figured it out at this moment. Although she closed her eyes tightly, Le Zhi could still feel Huo Du¡¯s scorching gaze, so her black eyelashes could not help but tremble. But after a while, her long eyelashes stopped trembling. Because Huo Du tapped her sleeping point. He lifted his palm slightly, and the bed¡¯s two curtains were swept away by his internal force. A large amount of candlelight penetrated into the red tent, making the snowy cheeks of Le Zhi extraordinarily bright. Huo Du¡¯s eyes twitched slightly. She is indeed a rare beauty in the world. Unfortunately, she is Huo Xu¡¯s person. He hooked his lips and put his palm on Le Zhi¡¯s snowy neck. As long as he exerted a little force, she would never wake up again. His cold fingers bend slowly, but Huo Du suddenly stopped. If I twist your neck, your head will be crooked. The death of beauty can¡¯t be too ugly. He frowned slightly as if he was thinking seriously about a way to die that would have it both ways. Suddenly a meow sounded. A snow-white fluff skillfully jumped onto the bridal bed, but its right hind leg seemed to be limping and almost fell off before it could stand firmly on the bed. Huo Du¡¯s indifferent dark eyes flashed panic. He quickly reached out this hand to carry the snow-white fluff over. The snow-white fluff was frightened, its hair stood up, and cried out ¡°meow, meow¡± several times. ¡°How dare you get angry when you are not careful yourself?¡± Huo Du poked its head lightly and reprimanded softly. The snow-white fluff finally raised its head, revealing its round and innocent cat eyes. This was a snow-white Persian cat. Huo Du looked at it for a moment and suddenly realized. He lowered his eyes and sighed, ¡°Sorry, I said before it¡¯s your toy. Life and death are naturally up to you.¡± After he finished speaking, he put the snow-white fluff to Le Zhi¡¯s side, and then carefully observed its reaction. He saw the little fluffy first look at Le Zhi¡¯s face with some curiosity, then leaned against her arm and rubbed its face. Seeing that the sleeping person did not respond, it yawned and leaned lazily on her shoulder. Seeing this, Huo Du¡¯s face could not help showing a trace of surprise. This little thing had never been closed to strangers, but at this moment it was obediently sleeping peacefully next to Le Zhi. He stretched out his fingertips to tap the little fluffy¡¯s head and scoffed lightly, ¡°A worthless little lame.¡± After a long time, he whispered, ¡°Fine.¡± In the middle of the winter night, there was no warmth in the sleeping hall. The chilliness was piercing to the bone, yet there was no heater in the sleeping hall. The sleeping snow fluffy suddenly trembled. Huo Du easily took a wedding quilt from the side of the bed to cover it. The wedding quilt was very big, only a small corner of the quilt was needed to cover it, and the rest would naturally fall on Le Zhi¡¯s body. ¡ª During these days in the country Qi, Le Zhi could not sleep peacefully every night. As soon as she closed her eyes, those bloody and terrifying images would overwhelmingly appear before her eyes. She could not sleep and she was more afraid of falling asleep. But this time, Le Zhi slept deeply and long and had no dreams all night. The sky was bright, the warm sun was hanging high, and the bright sunlight came in from the window outside and gently stroked Le Zhi¡¯s closed eyelids. Her eyelids trembled slightly, and she gradually opened her eyes¡­ with a dazed expression. Suddenly, there seemed to be a furry touch coming from the neck. Le Zhi turned her head and saw a snow-white fluff rubbing her neck. Seeing her wake up, snow fluffy stopped and looked at her with wide eyes. Le Zhi blinked and could not help but smile, and raised her hand to rub its small head, ¡°Where did you come from?¡± ¡°Meow~¡± Snow fluffy rubbed its head against Le Zhi¡¯s palm, then jumped out of the bed and limped away. ¡°What?¡± Le Zhi got up, the smile on her face froze, and she whispered softly, ¡°Is your leg hurt¡­¡± After a moment of daze, Le Zhi seemed to recall something and suddenly raised her arm one by one. When did her arm become better? Le Zhi train of thoughts gradually returned and looked at the spacious and unfamiliar sleeping hall. The most conspicuous pair of red candles on the wedding table had already burned out. The sun outside the window was getting brighter, but there was not even a single sound outside the hall. She turned and looked inside of the bed. Huo Du was still there. He leaned on the soft pillow and still held the book from last night in his hand. Le Zhi looked at his right leg unconsciously and bit her lip secretly. She woke up so late. Huo Du had inconvenient legs and feet and also slept on the inside. He could not get out of the bed at all, right? With such a fierce temper, unexpectedly he did not push her off the bed directly. She hurriedly got off the bed. Le Zhi put her hand out and said sincerely, ¡°Sorry, I have kept Your Highness waiting for a long time.¡± Hearing this, Huo Du raised his eyelids, put the book down with a weary expression, glanced at the palm of her hand, and laughed, ¡°What? Does Taizifei thinks that this lame person can¡¯t get off the bed by himself?¡± A cold sweat broke out on Le Zhi¡¯s forehead in a split second as she was afraid to touch his taboo. She even forgot to take back her hand for a moment. But the next moment, Huo Du put his hand lightly on her forearm, and said, ¡°I really cannot.¡± Her souls returned to their places. Le Zhi helped him get off the bed and handed him the white jade cane. With the cane as support, Huo Du stood up and thanked Le Zhi with a very gentle smile. Then he walked towards the bathroom. When he came out, he had already changed into a moon-white satin robe, and the hibiscus flower on the cuffs was embroidered extremely delicately, which showed his long stature even more. It was not until he walked out of the sleeping hall that Le Zhi finally felt relieved. She spread out her already slightly sweaty palms. After a while, Li Yao came in to serve her to freshen up and change clothes. When Li Yao tied her hair into a bun, her stomach made a sound. Since yesterday, Le Zhi has only drunk some pear soup and red bean soup. ¡°Master must be hungry.¡± After Li Yao helped her to wear the headpiece properly, she leaned forward to help her to get up, ¡°This slave will take you to the dining hall immediately.¡± ¡ª In a small courtyard of the west of Eastern Palace, several palace servants gathered around. There was laughter one after another, and in the middle was an elderly palace momo. Her face was covered with traces of years of trial and error. She held a cup of tea in her hand, her expression was cold, and she did not speak¡­ Until a childish palace maid walked swiftly from the distance. ¡°Jing Xin, how¡¯s it going?¡± The palace momo opened her mouth, with an imposing manner in her voice. The palace maid who was being called Jing Xin had flushed cheeks and was panting. She lowered her head and said, ¡°Look, see clearly¡­¡± Her breath had not steady yet, and her voice was like the whining sound of mosquitoes. ¡°Then say it quickly!¡± A maid in a pale-yellow palace dress next to her raised her hand to pinch Jing Xin¡¯s arm and said in a stern voice. She pinched very hard, and Jing Xin¡¯s eyes turned red. She trembled and replied, ¡°The snow handkerchief¡­ The snow handkerchief is as white as new.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The palace maid laughed, and then immediately released the hand that was pinching Jing Xin¡¯s arm. Jing Xin hurriedly stepped back two steps away from her. ¡°Momo, I said that the princess is unlikely to be successful! You see, His Highness Taizi is reluctant to touch her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Momo, I think she just has the name only and won¡¯t affect your status.¡± The palace maids were all talking at once and full of flattery. Hearing this, the palace momo took a sip of tea with a contemptuous smile on her face, ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve been worrying too much.¡± After a pause, she deliberately sighed again, ¡°I¡¯m old and useless, so easy to worry¡­¡± Seeing this, several palace maids understood it tacitly and continued to make every effort to please each other. The palace momo smiled with satisfaction, and gradually let go of the big stone in her heart. She had been in the palace for decades and had been serving as a momo who was in charge of the household affairs in the Eastern Palace for more than ten years. This work was really a pleasant job. Taizi lived in the Taizi Mansion outside the palace for a long time and rarely came to the Eastern Palace. In the Eastern Palace, she was practically the one who had the final say. So, after hearing that His Majesty bestowed the marriage to Taizi, she panicked. After Taizifei entered the Eastern Palace, she might live here for a long time after the grand wedding. If this was the case, then the power of managing the household affairs of the Eastern Palace must be handed over to Taizifei. She used to enjoy the benefits of power, but now she had to hand it over. How could she be willing! Fortunately, that Taizifei was not of noble status, but a princess of a subjugated country, and her natal family has no power to rely on, so she was not much better than them. Whether the women in this palace were respected or not depended largely on the power of her natal family. Having said that, however, after she still sent someone to inquire about her, she learned that the princess of country Li looked like a fairy¡­ she was once again distraught. If His Highness Taizi took a fancy to her, it would be different. Even if her natal family has nothing to rely on, the Taizi could be her support. And she was just a slave, how could she compare to her? However, the snow handkerchief was as white as new. On the wedding night, Taizi was not willing to touch her. How disgusting should it be? Her heart finally settled down steadily. ¡°Momo, momo.¡± A palace maid said with a smirk, ¡°Then what shall we do next?¡± ¡°Where is Taizifei now?¡± She looked at Jing Xin again. Jing Xin, who had been drooping her head all the time, raised her eyes slightly, ¡°When I was there just now, Taizifei was still getting ready. Probably she¡¯s going to the dining hall now.¡± ¡°Well, we should naturally prepare a sumptuous breakfast for Taizifei!¡± Several palace maids were stunned for a moment before they reacted. Immediately, they covered their mouths and snickered. It seemed that Momo was planning to establish her power in front of this newly arrived Taizifei. The author has something to say: Du: A worthless little lame. Snow fluffy: Meow, meow? Who will be more worthless in the future, old lame person? (noble face) PS: Little snow fluffy has a name, although it is not so proper¡­ emmm. PPS: The lame person regretted twisting his wife¡¯s arms!!! (There is no next time, he will be a dog to his wife this time!) CH 3 Chapter 3 Establish Power The Empress of the country Qi prayed for blessings in the Huguo Temple and would be returning to the palace tomorrow. While Empress Dowager was lingering in her sickbed and had not been letting people pay respect for a long time. Therefore, today was a free day. Le Zhi wore a thick light apricot skirt, and Li Yao gave her a handwarmer. After she held it tightly, she felt her body gradually warm up. She dared not ask Huo Du why he did not put a heater in the sleeping hall. Could it be he was not cold? Not right. Obviously, his palm was so cold, how could it not be cold. But Huo Du¡¯s temperament was so weird, it was better to avoid trouble whenever possible. After arriving at the dining hall, Le Zhi could not help but be dumbfounded. Where was the slightest bit of heat in here? There was only one plate on the dining table¡­ leaves? The chilly cold wind blew in from outside the dining hall, and the feeling of piercing cold hit Le Zhi¡¯s whole body. ¡°This servant pay respect to Taizifei.¡± Le Zhi turned around and saw an elderly palace momo, followed by a few little palace maids. Le Zhi nodded in response to their greetings, ¡°Who are you?¡± Momo Li was stunned at first. Although she had sent someone to inquire about her before, she did not expect her to be so gorgeous and dazzling, jade-like carving with picturesque features. The person was really more charming than flowers. The country Qi was located in the north, and most women were heroic and magnificent. Unlike the country Li, which was located in the south, women were much gentler and more beautiful. It seemed true that beauty comes from the country Li. It was just that¡­ where was the country Li now? Merely became a territory of country Qi. ¡°This servant¡¯s surname is Li and the steward of the Eastern Palace.¡± Her tone was cold and distant, and with contempt in her eyes. Le Zhi understood clearly in her heart, but did not feel angry, ¡°It turns out to be Li Momo.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t Taizifei eaten breakfast yet?¡± Li Momo¡¯s mouth was filled with a touch of mockery, ¡°Please eat quickly.¡± Le Zhi sat down at the dining table and asked, ¡°Have His Highness eaten?¡± Li Momo did not expect this Taizifei to be so calm at such a young age. She thought that Taizifei recognized her position and did not dare to be arrogant in the Eastern Palace. ¡°Of course, he has eaten. His Highness is used to eating peppermint for breakfast.¡± Le Zhi frowned hearing this, Huo Du only ate these leaves for breakfast? No wonder he was as beautiful as an immortal¡­ She picked up the silver chopsticks, took one piece, put it in front of her nose to smell it lightly. The smell was as if she had smelled it on Huo Du last night. Then she bit the tip of the leaf a little bit with the teeth. The refreshing scent spreads on the tip of the tongue, with a little weird pungency. Unappetizing. Is too unpalatable. She did not expect this thing that smelled so refreshing to be so hard to swallow. Le Zhi put down the silver chopsticks and frowned. Li Yao frowned from the side. It seemed that they were teasing people on purpose. She raised her eyes to Li Momo and said, ¡°Taizifei comes from the south and has different eating habits. Please ask Momo to make some hot food.¡± She spoke with neither humbly nor pushy, let alone arrogant. But Li Momo deliberately said, ¡°This is difficult to do. His Highness Taizi never likes to add hot food to breakfast, if Taizifei insists on adding it¡­¡± This is too much! Li Yao¡¯s hands were trembling with anger that she was showing off her power to her master like this. She wanted to speak again but was held by Le Zhi. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s the same as His Highness.¡± Le Zhi smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes, ¡°Li Momo, thank you for your hard work. You can withdraw.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡± Li Yao gritted her teeth while looking at Li Momo¡¯s back, ¡°She just bullied you on purpose!¡± Le Zhi smiled, ¡°So what?¡± Now, in an enemy country, anyone could step on her as the princess of a subjugated country. Maybe it was Huo Du¡¯s idea to be able to show off her power in the Eastern Palace like this? No problem, no problem. As long as alive, there will be ample time for that later. ¡°There is still some dry food in my room, this servant will go get it right away¡­¡± Before she hardly finished speaking, the little maid had run out. Le Zhi¡¯s face was slightly rigid, sighed while shaking her head¡­ How nice it would be if Li Yao wasn¡¯t sent by Huo Xu. Suddenly, a burst of fish smell came. Le Zhi was suspicious, so she got up and followed the fragrance out of the dining hall. The fish smell reached its strongest when she came to a room. Le Zhi thought for a moment and gently opened the door. The heater in the room was burning hot, warm like spring, and accompanied by a strong fish smell. She looked around and finally saw the person inside. No, it was the cat inside. The little snow fluffy that she had only seen in the morning, was lying lazily on the low table. Seeing her opening the door, the snow fluffy stood up immediately and ran towards her, still limping and running very slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t run, don¡¯t run.¡± Le Zhi quickly walked over, squatted down, and rubbed its little head, ¡°So you live here!¡± ¡°Meow, meow~¡± Le Zhi picked it up and sat down at the low table, looking at the meal made of fish¡­ Fried fish, dried small fish, grilled fish, fish soup¡­ And it was all deboned fish. Smelling the fish smell, the snow fluffy in her arms jumped to the table and started to eat the fried fish, making a satisfying meow while eating. ¡°You little fellow, you are indeed happy.¡± Le Zhi touched her empty stomach and sighed with a smile. She knew that this little white cat must have been raised by Huo Du, otherwise, how could it enter and leave the Taizi¡¯s sleeping hall at will. Seeing its meal at this time, she was even more sure. The snow fluffy ate quickly and suddenly shook its head vigorously as if choked by fish. Le Zhi raised her hand and smoothed the back of its neck, then picked up the silver spoon and fed it a mouthful of fish soup before it swallowed the fish that got stuck in its throat. ¡°Gulu¡­¡± Le Zhi¡¯s stomach made the sound again. In fact, she was not very hungry anymore, probably she was too hungry. But the snow fluffy put down the dried fish and looked at her with round eyes. Seeing this, Le Zhi tapped its head and said it on purpose, ¡°What? You¡¯re sorry that I don¡¯t have any food to eat?¡± The snow fluffy seemed to understand, shaking its head while meowing. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Le Zhi deliberately picked up a small, dried fish and dangled it in front of its eyes, ¡°How about you share some with me?¡± The snow fluffy did not respond, but its round eyes looked towards the door. Le Zhi found it strange. Could it be that someone is coming? Then, familiar laughter sounded behind her, ¡°Fighting over food with the cat?¡± Le Zhi hurriedly turned around and saw Huo Du sitting in a wheelchair made of white jade, looking at her with peach blossom eyes. She was stunned, and the slender fingers holding the dried fish unconsciously loosened. So happened the dried fish fell exactly at snow fluffy¡¯s head. The startled pain meow sounded, and Le Zhi squatted down to see the snow fluffy. She saw that it raised its cat¡¯s paws and wanted to rub its head, but its forelegs were too short to reach. Le Zhi reached out and rubbed its head gently with shame. After snow fluffy nudged her hand with its head, she ran to Huo Du. Huo Du picked up the snow fluffy and put it on his lap. Then he looked at Le Zhi and asked, ¡°How long have you been in the country Qi?¡± Le Zhi stared at his face but could not see any emotion in him. Even since the two met last night, she could not understand every action and every word he said. She walked closer to him slowly, saluted respectfully, and replied, ¡°Your Highness, it has been more than a month.¡± To be exact, it¡¯s thirty-seven days. ¡°One month.¡± Huo Du chuckled, ¡°Do you still remember who you are?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi was slightly startled. During this period, everyone avoided mentioning country Li in front of her, and no one called her princess again. She knew that they all wanted her to forget, and it would be good to forget it completely. Especially Huo Xu. But how could she forget? She was the youngest, the third princess of the country Li. She bore the blood feud of her relatives and people, and she still has relatives to save¡­ How to forget? It¡¯s unforgettable. But was Huo Du¡¯s words remind her not to forget the identity of the princess? Or was it just a test? After thinking for a while, Le Zhi nodded lightly and said softly, ¡°Remember, I am Your Highness¡¯s Taizifei.¡± After a pause, she frowned slightly, realizing she had slip of the tongue, and hurriedly added, ¡°Concubine¡­ the concubine is Your Highness¡¯s Taizifei.¡± She came to the country Qi for more than a month, and she learned the etiquette very well, but it was only the title that she forgot easily. Huo Du looked at her drooping fox eyes and listened to her evasive answer but did not ask any more questions. Only said, ¡°In my place, the title is not important.¡± Ah. It¡¯s so boring that the beauty is so restrained. If she was so afraid of him, when would she dare to attack him? He had to help her. Le Zhi did not answer. Fortunately, An Xuan came at this time. He nodded and reported, ¡°Your Highness, everyone is here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, loneliness¡¯s Taizifei.¡± Le Zhi was puzzled but did not say much until she walked into the main hall of the Eastern Palace. Li Momo and a few palace maids knelt on the ground, their shoulders trembling in fear and their bodies shaking badly. ¡°Your Highness, please give order on what to do with this group of servants who have overstepped the boundaries and offended Taizifei?¡± After finishing speaking, An Xuan waited quietly at the side for instructions. Le Zhi looked at Huo Du and saw that he was also looking at her, with a faint smile on his face. Then he reached out his hand to her. In a scene that seemed to be familiar, the fear of having her arm being twisted unfolded, and a trace of fear flashed across her eyes. But in front of everyone, she did not dare to go against his will. The door of the main hall was not closed, and the cold wind drifted inside. Le Zhi shivered and put her hand on the palm of his hand. The palm was as cold as last night. However, this time he just held her hand lightly and even rubbed the back of her hand gently with his fingers. A picture of an affectionate couple who was completely in deep love. ¡°Since you have offended Taizifei, then let Taizifei deal with it.¡± The gentle voice has the meaning of complete pampering and protection. Everyone kneeling on the ground was shocked, raised their heads, and looked at Le Zhi in panic. In particular, Li Momo obviously did not expect that Taizi would take this subjugated princess seriously. Le Zhi was not fooled by his gentle and pampering appearance. Although she knew that she had a face that everyone admired. But after last night, she was sure that Huo Du was by no means a person that would lose his head over lust. She did not know what he meant by this move. Thus, Le Zhi did not dare to answer him. ¡°I¡¯m new here, and I don¡¯t understand many of the rules of the Eastern Palace, so it¡¯s up to Your Highness to deal with it.¡± She deliberately used the title ¡°I¡±. Firstly, it was just allowed by Huo Du. Secondly, it was to let the people in the Eastern Palace know that she could still ignore the title in front of Taizi, and any slaves with a little brain would definitely not dare to bully her again after that. As for pushing the power of punishment to Huo Du was to show that she would not be arrogant because of her favor. Tell a story without any omissions. Hearing this, Huo Du did not speak immediately. After a while, he suddenly smiled. ¡°Then follow the old rules.¡± An Xuan on the side nodded and said yes. At this time, a palace maid kneeling on the ground in a pale-yellow palace skirt suddenly raised her head with tears hanging on her cheeks, and exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Your Highness, this is all Li Momo¡¯s idea!¡± Then she immediately raised her hand to point to another palace maid, ¡°And her! It¡¯s Jing Xin who said that the snow handkerchief on Your Highness¡¯s wedding bed¡­ The snow handkerchief¡­¡± She wanted to go on, but she did not dare. Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s face blushed slightly, and then immediately turned white again. She knew exactly what the snow handkerchief represented. An Xuan on the side was indifferent all along, but a cold light flashed across his eyes when the maid pointed at Jing Xin. ¡°Noisy.¡± Huo Du spat out a word lightly. An Xuan and the guards outside took all the palace maids out. The main hall returned to cold silence. Huo Du let go of Le Zhi¡¯s hand and continued to caress the snow fluffy on his knees. Le Zhi quickly hid her cold sweaty hands in her sleeves. She did not know where the group of palace maids would be taken, let alone what the old rules Huo Du was talking about. She also did not think she as the Taizifei was much better than them. As long as Huo Du moved his fingers, she would be like those palace maids at any time. Not long after, An Xuan came back. He still saluted respectfully, but what he said the following surprised Le Zhi. She saw him bowing to Huo Du and said solemnly, ¡°Your Highness, I want to protect Jing Xin.¡± He did not beg at all, there was not even a hint of begging in his tone. The author has something to say: Li Momo: woo, woo, woo. I haven¡¯t started yet, so I¡¯m just getting a box lunch??? Zhi: There seems to be a wonderful melon?! Du: It¡¯s so outrageous, she didn¡¯t even look at me after I help my wife out. (Smile) CH 4 Chapter 4 Investigate The main hall was large and empty. An Xuan¡¯s words seemed to be echoed, and his indifferent face was still very unfeeling. Le Zhi looked at Huo Du, wanting to find out how he would react. It seemed that An Xuan was his closest bodyguard, would he allow it? To her surprise, Huo Du chuckled and raised his eyes, but he did not look surprised nor did he ask the reason. He just said, ¡°Yes. Are you clear about the rules?¡± Hearing this, An Xuan¡¯s expression soften as if he was relieved. After nodding his head and saying yes, he turned around and walked away without thanking him. Huo Du glanced sideways at Le Zhi, who was at a loss and had a full view of her puzzle face. It was not surprising that she would be puzzled. He and his subordinates have their own set of rules. He did not like to beg others, nor did he like others to beg him. The word ¡°beg¡± was the most useless. He liked equal value exchange. If anyone wanted to get anything from him, they would have to exchange it for something of equal value. One could only get what one wanted by paying the price. This was very fair. But¡­ Huo Du slightly hooked his lips and looked at the person beside him. In today¡¯s world, the five countries were separated, and the three tribes were attached to country Qi. Everyone said that country Li ruled the country with benevolence and kindness. Even the common people of the country Li were friendly and different from other people. However, the country Li had collapsed now. Just now, he waited for a long time and wanted to wait for the former Princess of Li to plead for those palace maids. But he did not know whether the pain of subjugation wiped out her kindness, or she was not a kind person in the first place, or she wanted to endure the humiliation and do something for Huo Xu. In the end, he did not wait for her to speak. It was a pity. If she spoke, he would let her replace these palace maids by herself. Look, he even planned to do a loss-making business. Ah. In addition to last night, this is the third time. His Taizifei was really lucky. After sitting on Huo Du¡¯s lap for too long, the snow fluffy jumped down with a meow and ran outside the hall to play. Perhaps the incident of Li Momo offended Taizifei spread. At this moment, the dining officer trembled when he entered the hall with the food menu, ¡°This lowly officer pay respect to His Highness Taizi and Taizifei. This is the menu for today¡¯s lunch. Your Highness, if you want to add food, please make it clear.¡± Huo Du waved his hand casually, ¡°Show it to Taizifei.¡± Le Zhi took the meal menu in response, and her eyes widened at a glance. This was too exaggerated. This lunch seemed to be ostentatious like a grand banquet. It seemed that the servants were quite frightened. ¡°The food matches so well.¡± Le Zhi bowed slightly, and showed Huo Du the menu, ¡°Your Highness, take a look. Do you have anything else to add?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that Taizifei is satisfied.¡± The dining officer put down the boulder in his heart and wanted to leave. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Huo Du said again, ¡°Prepare a few more fish meals.¡± ¡ª Le Zhi leaned back softly on the mahogany chair, and Huo Du had been away for a while. Her palms and back were still sweating cold sweat, and the feeling of fear enveloped her whole body. She had self-knowledge, and what Huo Du did just now was definitely not to protect her or establish her power. Then what exactly did he mean? She could not understand. Huo Xu had told her before that Huo Du was a vicious wolf. No, most probably it was more than that. As soon as he sat there, he could bring a suffocating sense of oppression. ¡°Master!¡± Le Zhi returned to her senses, and Li Yao looked at her with a worried face, ¡°What happened? I just saw the guards escorting Li Momo and the others¡­¡± ¡°Can you see where they were taken?¡± Li Yao shook her head, ¡°The guards¡¯ faces were as cold as frost. I didn¡¯t dare to look at them, let alone follow them.¡± After a pause, she said again, ¡°Why don¡¯t I go ask around?¡± ¡°No.¡± Le Zhi commanded in a deep voice, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t know about this, and you shouldn¡¯t mention it again outside. Do you understand?¡± In this huge Eastern Palace, who could play tricks under Huo Du¡¯s nose? Li Momo just said a few words of nonsense, and he was able to know it right away. How could she dare to act rashly? After Li Yao nodded in agreement, she took out the cake wrapped in her sleeve, looked at Le Zhi¡¯s haggard face, and asked softly, ¡°Master, do you still want to eat this cake?¡± ¡°Eat!¡± The cold air was overwhelming, and Le Zhi ordered Li Yao to make a pot of hot tea to eat with the cakes. The cake felt rough, and the taste was not good, yet Le Zhi still ate several mouthfuls. But thinking of a sumptuous lunch, she did not dare to eat completely full. When the hot tea entered her stomach, her body gradually warmed up. The steam wafting from the teacup brushed over her eyes, making her eyes a little blurry. ¡°Zhizhi¡­ live well and forget all this. Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t take revenge.¡± This was the last word Imperial Father said to her. She could only promise half of it. She would live well. From now on, she would not let herself be hungry, cold, or sick. She would work hard to keep on living. However, ¡­ The hatred of subjugation will never be forgotten. The hatred of destroying the country will not cease. When she walked out of the main hall wrapped in a snow-white cotton cloak, snowflakes began to float outside. The inner clothes were soaked in the cold sweat on the back. At this time, there were bursts of cold wind. Le Zhi could not help shivered and also accelerated her pace of walking to the sleeping hall. However, after taking a few steps, a thin figure appeared to stop her. After she stopped, the palace maid knelt down and kowtowed in front of her, ¡°I thank Taizifei for lifesaving kindness!¡± Lifesaving kindness? Le Zhi frowned and wondered, ¡°Who are you?¡± The palace maid raised her head slightly. She saw that the maid have clear and bright eyes. Her eyes were red with a little pale face, but it was not difficult to look at the beautiful appearance at birth. Le Zhi felt a little familiar. ¡°I am Jing Xin.¡± It turned out to be her, the palace maid who specially went to see the snow handkerchief on the wedding bed in the sleeping hall? Unexpectedly, she did not know it was An Xuan who protected her. ¡°Get up first.¡± Le Zhi looked at the cold ground and said, ¡°Who told you that I saved you?¡± ¡°When the guards took us halfway, they released me and said that Taizifei pleaded for me.¡± Before Jing Xin got up, she kowtowed again to le Zhi and choked with sobs, ¡°I was forced by Li Momo to investigate the privacy of Taizi and Taizifei. It is an unforgivable sin. Thank you Taizifei for your great kindness.¡± It seemed that An Xuan deliberately kept it from her. ¡°Get up.¡± Le Zhi asked Li Yao to help her up, and asked, ¡°Where are you on duty now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on duty in the dining room.¡± Le Zhi nodded, ¡°Good, you can go back now. It¡¯s cold outside recently, so wear more clothes.¡± Jing Xin nodded and gave another big ceremony before turning away. The snow was getting heavier and heavier, and Le Zhi¡¯s black hair and eyelashes were covered with snow. She walked to the sleeping hall hurriedly. After stepping into the sleeping hall and looking around, Le Zhi let out a heavy sigh of relief. Fortunately, Huo Du was not in the sleeping hall. Li Yao helped her change the wet clothes and brought her a set of pink palace clothes. After she changed, Li Yao wrapped her in a fluffy snow-white cloak and the chill gradually faded away. Not long after, a palace maid entered the hall and invited her to the dining hall for lunch. Unlike breakfast, there was now a table full of delicious food. Perhaps Huo Du was not used to having people around during his meal, the palace maids who serve inside were all retreated outside the hall to wait for orders. She and Huo Du were the only two left in the dining hall. Le Zhi ate slowly, bit by bit enjoying her meal with a serious look. The person beside him suddenly put down the silver chopstick, ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Hearing him speak, Le Zhi hurriedly put down the silver chopsticks and raised her eyes to look at him, ¡°Your Highness, please speak.¡± Huo Du smiled softly, ¡°Are you not fond of talking at all, or are you too afraid of me?¡± The author has something to say: Speechless¡­ still want to kill my wife in the fourth chapter. Du: ¡­¡­¡­ CH 5 Chapter 5 Lame Cat ¡°I¡­..¡± Le Zhi lowered her eyes and was at a loss for words for a moment. In the past, she loved to laugh and make trouble the most, but now she has to ponder in her head every time before answering a sentence. Huo Du picked up the silver spoon, slowly filled a bowl of soup, and handed it to her, ¡°If it¡¯s because of what happened last night, I apologize and I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Le Zhi suddenly raised her head, and only to see his peach blossom eyes were full of sincerity. There was also a trace of apology in his eyes and a sense of guilt on his face. Until many years later, when Le Zhi leaned on his shoulder to admire the moon, she could not help laughing out when recalling this scene¡­ This person is quite trustworthy. What she did not know was what Huo Du was thinking at the moment. No matter what purpose she came to his side with, it was really impressive to be so calm. It¡¯s worth giving her a quicker way to die. After taking the soup over, Le Zhi showed a smile, blinked again, and said softly, ¡°Your Highness and I are husband and wife. I don¡¯t blame Your Highness, let alone be afraid of Your Highness.¡± Huo Du hooked his lips and smiled even more. As expected of the stunning beauty, having a pair of seductive fox eyes that could speak. No man in this world could escape such a beauty trick, right? However, he had insight in his heart for a long time¡­ The more beautiful things are, the more untouchable they are. As for desire, of course, he had it. People had five desires, wealth, fame, food, sleep, and lust. He had long regarded wealth and fame as nothing, and he had excellent control over food and sleep. Only this dreadful lust was left¡­ Oh. What¡¯s the difficulty? Both of them were not very attentive during lunch. After putting down the silver chopsticks, Le Zhi was still thinking about whether her answer satisfied Huo Du. ¡°Full?¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes, looked at Huo Du¡¯s smiling peach blossom eyes, and nodded with a smile. The person in front of her glanced at the fish dishes on the table and raised his eyebrows, ¡°Then don¡¯t fight for food with Little Lame Huo. Huh?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi was surprised, ¡°Huo¡­ Little Lame?¡± The snow fluffy, who was dozing quietly on Huo Du¡¯s lap, suddenly opened its eyes and looked at Le Zhi with a pair of round cat eyes, as if there were some puzzlement. Huo Du reached out his hand and pressed his head to let it continue to sleep. Then he raised his eyes to look at Le Zhi, as if afraid of disturbing Little Lame Huo again, and said in a softer voice, ¡°Its name.¡± Now, Le Zhi was even more puzzled. She had also seen some people with disabilities before. No matter how optimistic they were in front of others, they would still feel inferior and speechless if others accidentally mention their disabilities. She always thought that Huo Du¡¯s leg disease should be taboo. However, he did not care to mention the word lame and even gave his cat such a name. Little Lame Huo¡­ The name is too¡­ I don¡¯t know why the snow fluffy became lame? ¡°Because I¡¯m lame, my cat naturally has to have a broken leg too.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s smile froze instantly, and she raised her eyes in shock before she even had time to adjust her expression. Looking at each other, she saw Huo Du¡¯s eyes were shining brightly, with a playful smile on his face. Seeing that both of them put down the silver chopsticks, the maid who waited on the outside brought in the hot tea after dinner with great eyesight. Le Zhi quickly picked up the teacup, and the familiar fragrance floated to her nose. She took a sip gently, and the elegant taste slipped into her throat with a hint of bitterness, but the aftertaste was sweet. Thanks to this tea, it gave her a lot of time to suppress the tremor in her heart. ¡°Taizifei, we don¡¯t know what kind of tea you like to drink, so we¡¯ve prepared this tea for you according to His Highness¡¯s preference.¡± The maid bowed and said, ¡°If you are not used to drinking it, I¡¯ll change it immediately.¡± ¡°The tea is very good. You can withdraw first.¡± The maid felt relieved, immediately saluted, and then retreated to outside the door. Le Zhi put down the teacup, looked at Huo Du, and said softly, ¡°Your Highness is joking.¡± It¡¯s a response to his words. After the initial shock, Le Zhi recalled the concern he showed for Little Lame Huo and it did not seem to be pretending at all. More importantly, Little Lame Huo was also very close to him. The natural instincts of an animal were the most genuine. If Huo Du had really hurt it, it would never rest on him as comfortably as it was now. Huo Du did not say anything. He just took the teacup and drank it up. Then he slowly pushed the wheelchair to leave the dining hall. When the wheelchair reached the door, he sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Le Zhi reacted immediately. Came to think of it, he already knew the way she frowned when she ate the peppermint at breakfast, and now her behavior was probably fake in his eyes. No, it should be more than that. She knew in her heart that although Emperor Qi bestowed the marriage, Huo Du would not have not known that she was the person Huo Xu arranged to be by his side, so her every move should be classified as poor performance, right? Unknown to where the courage came from, she got up in a hurry, ¡°Your Highness!¡± The person sitting in the white jade wheelchair did not turn around, but just covered his right palm on the handle, and his slender fingers tapped gently without much regularity. ¡°I do not dislike it. I just wasn¡¯t used to the taste at first, but when I tasted it again, it has a different taste. I really think this tea is excellent.¡± Although she knew he would not believe it, Le Zhi still said it. And these words were indeed true and not false. It was indeed different from drinking peppermint in tea and eating it directly. Drinking it after a meal was very refreshing to the stomach. She really liked it. Besides, the hazy plan in her heart seemed to be getting clearer and clearer¡­ those attitudes of hers towards Huo Xu, and Huo Xu¡¯s purpose of her getting closer to him, she wanted to tell them all together. However, not yet. Now was still not the best time. ¡°Follow me.¡± Not knowing where Huo Du was going, Le Zhi only responded warmly and then quickly followed him. Until he stepped into the sleeping hall, Le Zhi thought he wanted to take a lunch break, but Huo Du turned his wheelchair to the mahogany table in the hall. Le Zhi looked over following his line of sight. The mahogany table was full of things unknowingly. Those things were brand new and luxurious, like wedding gifts? Le Zhi guessed what he meant and pushed him to the table. ¡°Choose your most favorite.¡± There was something out of place among this dazzling array of gold and silver jewelry, gem agate, and famous books and pictures. Then, there was a white jade flute. Le Zhi picked up the jade flute subconsciously and was stunned. Her imperial elder sister, talented and beautiful, was the best at playing the zither and flute. In the past, whenever she was free, she loved to sit in the windy pavilion listening to her sister¡¯s flute and dozed off lazily. Seeing her like this, Huo Du understood clearly. He called out the servants to enter the hall and told them to throw away all the remaining gifts. Le Zhi returned to her senses and could not help but be stunned, ¡°All¡­ throw away?¡± Huo Du bent his lips, took the jade flute from her hand naturally, and said calmly, ¡°Naturally. Except for your most favorite, everything else is useless.¡± After he finished speaking, he pushed the wheelchair towards the bed. Le Zhi was puzzled, how can those precious treasures become useless? She did not understand. She did not understand Huo Du¡¯s words, let alone Huo Du. When she turned around, Huo Du was already lying lazily on the bed, still holding the book he had flipped through last night. While Little Lame Hou has been sleeping on Huo Du¡¯s lap for a long time, it dragged its lame leg back and forth on the bed excitedly when it woke up at this time. Le Zhi slowly approached the bed. She was at a loss all of a sudden and did not know what to do. ¡°Do you want to sleep?¡± Huo Du gave her a quick look. The author has something to say: Du: Wife, do you want to sleep? CH 6 Chapter 6 Interesting That was a random question. Le Zhi shook her head and asked softly, ¡°Can I walk around the Eastern Palace?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Huo Du said lightly, ¡°Besides me, you are the biggest in the Eastern Palace. Do you understand?¡± Le Zhi nodded dumbfoundedly. ¡°Act a bit like a master. Being bullied by a servant¡­¡± He did not continue saying the second half of the sentence. However, Le Zhi seemed to be able to guess what he did not say from the mockery in his eyes. Being bullied by a servant is a waste. Le Zhi pursed her lips and turned around to leave, but Huo Du called out to stop her again. She looked at the bed and saw Huo Du raise his hand to gently pinch Little Lame Huo¡¯s ear next to him. He lifted it up and said it with disgust, ¡°Take it away, too.¡± When someone pinched its ears, Little Lame Huo meowed uncomfortably and stretched out two cat claws to scratch Huo Du¡¯s hand. However, the claws were too short and could only flutter twice in the air, unable to touch Huo Du¡¯s fingertips at all. Seeing this, Le Zhi responded in a hurry, then rescued Little Lame Huo and held it in her arms. Little Lame Huo stuck its round head out of Le Zhi¡¯s arms and continued to meow dissatisfiedly at Huo Du. Huo Du lazily raised his eyelids and glanced at it¡­ Oh, a stupid cat without conscience. ¡ª The country Qi was located in the north which was extremely cold in winter. The burst of white snow came one after another, and it seemed that it never stopped. The snow on the ground was getting more and more. Le Zhi did not let Li Yao follow her. She wrapped in a thick fox fur, held Little Lame Huo in her arms, and wandered aimlessly in the spacious courtyard. Her cotton-padded boots stepped on the snow, making a rustling sound. After walking for a long time, Le Zhi¡¯s arms were also sore. She lifted her arms up and muttered softly with a smile, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that you are quite heavy.¡± Little Lame Huo, who was in her arms, seemed to understand what she was saying, and bumped her palm lightly with its round head. This huge Eastern Palace was surrounded by palaces, but there were not many palace maids, eunuchs, and guards in the palace. When Le Zhi was tired, she went into the stone pavilion beside a plum tree to have a rest. But as soon as she sat down, she heard the sound of footsteps coming from a distance accompanied by a low voice discussion. ¡°What can I do! Lord An is bleeding all over, and half of his life is gone!¡± ¡°What happened? How could His Highness suddenly punish Lord An?¡± ¡°It seems to have something to do with the group of maids who offended Taizifei, otherwise why would Lord be punished with them.¡± ¡°Keep your voice down! Be careful when talking about this! We¡¯d better find a way to get Lord An some medicine.¡± Several red plum trees happened to block the stone pavilion, and the guards did not notice anyone in the stone pavilion. It was not until they got closer that they saw Le Zhi¡¯s figure. They knelt down and saluted in surprise and fear. Their voice was slightly trembling with uncontrollable panic. Le Zhi sighed that now everyone in the Eastern Palace seemed to regard her as a threatening thing. She asked them to get up and asked, ¡°Is Lord An seriously injured?¡± Hearing this, the three guards looked at each other in dismay with a pale face and did not dare to speak. Le Zhi did not force them after seeing this and said, ¡°Go get the medicine. If someone asks, just say it¡¯s my idea.¡± The guards were slightly stunned, nodded, and thanked happily. Then they quickly left to get the medicine. In the Eastern Palace, those who have been punished would not be treated unless the master agreed. Now that Taizifei had spoken, it seemed Lord An could be saved! ¡°Let¡¯s go back too.¡± Le Zhi lowered her head and then tightened the fox fur on her body, so as not to let the cold wind blow Little Lame Huo. But not long after she left, she saw Li Yao rushing over. ¡°Master, His Majesty has returned to the palace.¡± Li Yao gasped a few breaths, and then said, ¡°His Majesty will hold a palace banquet in Yile Hall tonight and sent a verbal order telling His Highness Taizi to attend with you.¡± Le Zhi frowned and nodded. They would always come back sooner or later. After sending Little Lame Huo back to the warm cat room, Le Zhi returned to the sleeping hall. Huo Du had not woken up yet. It was just that¡­ only a corner of the quilt was draped over his waist, and he was wearing only thin sleeping clothes. Le Zhi reached out and touched the back of his hand, and sure enough, there was no trace of warmth. It was still early for the palace banquet, so Le Zhi thought that he could sleep a little longer and did not even wake him up. She unfolded the quilt and wrapped him all over. Then she went to the bathroom and prepared to change into a grander palace dress. Huo Du had always been a light sleeper and had woken up when Le Zhi approached the bed. He did not open his eyes until she covered him with the quilt and turned around. Le Zhi¡¯s thin and slender back was printed on the bottom of his eyes. Huo Du¡¯s face was expressionless, and his heart was full of doubts. Soon, Le Zhi changed into a bright red palace dress and specially chose a gold-plated hairpin to wear. She dressed up stunningly and dignifiedly. When Huo Du saw her coming out, his black eyes darkened and quickly turned his head away. ¡°Your Highness is awake?¡± Le Zhi approached the bed. Huo Du hummed lightly. ¡°His Majesty¡­ Imperial father set up a palace banquet and announced that we will attend the banquet.¡± Le Zhi smiled and extended her hand, ¡°I will help His Highness to get up.¡± Huo Du was very puzzled looking at her jade-like palm. Obviously, he deliberately twisted her arm last night and she looked scared to death. How could she dare to approach him again and again? For Huo Xu, was not this too humiliating? It was a pity not to go to the theater with these performing skills. He suddenly wanted to smash her head to see what was going on in her head. Anyway, it was just merely a thought. It was not pretty for a beauty to have a broken head. He smiled, but did not refuse, and placed his hand on her palm. Le Zhi handed the white jade cane to him. ¡°Can I serve His Highness to wash up?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Huo Du simply refused her. Le Zhi sat on the bed and waited for him. After a while, Huo Du changed into a white gold patterned suit, the most ordinary palace clothing, but it did not look that ordinary on him. Taoist people relied on clothes, but that was not in this case. For Huo Du, there was a feeling of little dependence on clothes for the person. Le Zhi got up to approach him, raised her hand to smooth out the slightly wrinkled collar on his body, and said with a natural expression, ¡°I heard that Lord An was seriously injured, so I made a decision myself to ask someone to get him some medicine. Will Your Highness blame me for being meddlesome?¡± Hearing this, Huo Du did not answer her, but smiled and said, ¡°Did you like An Xuan?¡± The hand on the collar paused, and Le Zhi raised her eyes to look at the pair of peach blossom eyes that were smiling and yet not smiling, but she was not panicked. She hooked her lips and smiled brightly, ¡°It¡¯s not to such extent, at most, it¡¯s the love the house and its crow*.¡± (love the house and its crow* ¨C to love a person is to love the people and things related to him) This time, Huo Du¡¯s face genuinely showed a little smile. If beauty is dangerous, a smart beauty is even more dangerous. But, so what? For the first time in his heart, Huo Du thanked his imperial brother for sending such an interesting person to him. Interesting. This is so fun. The author has something to say: An Xuan: ? ? ? ? CH 7 Chapter 7 Loss or Not The Eastern Palace was not far from the Yile Hall, and Le Zhi knew that Huo Du had no intention of using the sedan chair, so she knew that he was going to walk over. At dusk, the lights on both sides of the palace road were lit. The two walked side by side with a group of servants following behind them who was just a few steps away from them. Huo Du was leaning on the cane, but his back was straight, and he walked leisurely. Le Zhi stood beside him and held one of his hands. Neither of them spoke until they saw Huo Xu¡¯s figure appearing not far away. Huo Xu was wearing a cyan round neck suit and a padded cotton cloak today. There was also a little girl who was jumping beside him, ¡°Brother Ah Xu, you agreed to ask for the peace charm for me!¡± The little girl was wearing a bright yellow palace dress, and her silver bell-like voice was particularly clear in the quiet palace road. Huo Xu apparently saw them too, stopped unconsciously, and his eyes could not help looking at Le Zhi. Huo Du felt a burst of joy in his heart after seeing this. He looked sideways and wanted to see Le Zhi¡¯s expression at this time. Would she be surprised, sad, or angry? Unfortunately, none of them. She did not even look at the two people in the distance. She just looked at him with a smile on her face and stuffed the handwarmer in her hand into his hand, slightly annoyed, ¡°I told Your Highness to wear a big cloak before going out, but Your Highness refused to listen. Is it freezing now?¡± Huo Du¡¯s face changed slightly. Cold? This cold is nothing. After a moment of trance, the person in the distance had come to the front of them. Huo Xu and the little girl beside him all saluted respectfully. ¡°Greets Imperial Brother and Sister-In-Law.¡± ¡°Pay respects to His Highness Taizi and Taizifei.¡± Huo Du smiled lightly and said, ¡°Forego the formalities¡±. Le Zhi only nodded slightly, and the two continued to walk forward. Looking at the back of the two leaving, Huo Xu had a strange feeling in his heart, and suddenly he even felt that the two walking together were very harmonious and¡­ well matched. I must be overthinking it. It is impossible for Zhizhi to like such a gloomy person. She must be just pretending. ¡°Brother Ah Xu, Brother Ah Xu¡­¡± The person beside him tugged at the corner of his clothes. Huo Xu withdrew his gaze and suppressed the irritability in his heart. Then only did he take out the peace charm from his sleeve and handed it to her with a smile. A smile instantly appeared on the little girl¡¯s face. In the Yile Hall, there was a lot of laughter. It was not until the eunuch shouted, ¡°Emperor and Empress arrived,¡± that the hall became quiet. Emperor and Empress Qi sat down in the middle of the hall with a smile at the corners of their eyes, ¡°Although today is a palace banquet, it is also a family banquet, so there is no need to hold back.¡± This was the second time Le Zhi had seen Emperor Qi. She knelt in front of Emperor Qi the last time Huo Xu took her into the palace and Emperor Qi said while looking down at her, ¡°It is common to have casualties when two countries are at war. It was unwise for your Imperial Father and Imperial Mother to choose to kill themselves. I think you are a smart child and should not do anything stupid.¡± Then he said that she would be bestowed to Taizi as his first wife, and the two countries would get married on a beautiful day. They became a family from then on. However, she knew very well that even if she was locked up in the post station, she had more or less heard how the country Qi brutally destroyed the country Li which aroused the anger of the neighboring countries. Thus, Emperor Qi¡¯s move was just to quell the anger of the neighboring countries. Huo Changyun, Emperor Qi was born with a majestic appearance. Even though he was no longer young, it was not difficult to see the heroic and fierceness on his face. As early as when he first ascended the throne and held the power of the emperor, he had a passion for a punitive expedition to the east and wars in the west. He launched a war twelve years ago against the countries Jiang, Wu, and Ning with the strength of the whole country which forced the three countries to resist together and was finally defeated. When the country was almost destroyed, Le Zhi¡¯s father, the young Emperor Li came forward to mediate and persuaded the three countries to stop the war. But the three countries had lingering fears, so how could they agree to let it go easily? After the discussion, they finally decided on a way that could appease everyone which was to let Huo Changyun¡¯s son enter the country Li as a hostage to restrain his behavior. Therefore, the six-year-old Huo Xu came to the country Li like this. When the four-year-old Le Zhi saw Huo Xu, her imperial father held her on his lap and said to her in a warm voice, ¡°This is brother Huo Xu from the country Qi. This brother has left his hometown to come here. Zhizhi has to be nice to him, oh.¡± The little girl blinked ignorantly and nodded happily. Her imperial father, her imperial mother, her imperial elder brother, and imperial elder sister sincerely regarded Huo Xu as a family, and she also regarded him as her own elder brother since childhood. Who knew that it actually took twelve years to raise a living thankless wretch. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Your Majesty and I are not here for Du¡¯er¡¯s wedding.¡± Empress Qi was dressed in a phoenix robe, elegant and noble. ¡°Come, have a drink with Imperial Mother.¡± After Huo Du raised his cup, he put the cup back on the table and did not drink. ¡°You see, I¡¯m so happy until confused that I forget that Du¡¯er never drinks.¡± Empress Qi laughed. Le Zhi drank up the wine and looked at the person beside him. Never drinks? No wonder he did not smell alcohol on his wedding night. He did not even drink a cup of nuptial wine with her. However, this was not a wishful marriage, so it was normal not to drink a cup of nuptial wine. At this moment, Huo Du also glanced sideways at her, and immediately pushed the wine cup in front of him towards her. This was to let her drink for him¡­ Le Zhi smiled, picked up the wine cup, and drank up the wine. This scene fell in the eyes of Empress Qi. She was very happy that this girl was still aware of current affairs! As long as she did not pester her Xu¡¯er, it was all right to keep her alive. Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s blushing cheeks, smiled as he approached her ear, and teased softly, ¡°This loneliness¡¯s Taizifei is pretty good in drinking.¡± Huo Xu, who was sitting on the opposite side, felt his heart was like being twisted by a knife when he saw the two being intimate, but he could not show it on his face. ¡°Your Majesty, now Du¡¯er is married. Shouldn¡¯t Xu¡¯er¡¯s marriage be decided as well?¡± When Empress Qi said this, her tone was full of tenderness and did not have any hypocrisy when she spoke to Huo Du just now. Because this Empress Qi was the successor. Huo Du¡¯s birth mother died early, and the current Empress Qi was nothing more than a guifei* back then, so it was Huo Xu rather than Huo Du, who went to the country Li as a hostage. However, the time has changed, and now Huo Xu had also changed from a concubine-born son to the second son of the first wife. (guifei* ¨C highest-ranking imperial concubine) ¡°Exactly!¡± Emperor Qi was in high spirits today, so he drank a few more cups. ¡°Those good things should be in pairs! Shen Qingyan, the daughter of the prime minister is gentle and graceful. Today, I will make the decision to bestow a marriage to the third prince, Huo Xu. What does the prime minister think?¡± Hearing this, Prime Minister Shen Huai quickly got up and knelt down with a smile to thank him. Huo Xu suppressed the reluctance in his eyes that moment and thanked Shen Qingyan beside him. Shen Qingyan¡¯s face was full of joy and looked at Huo Xu who was beside her with a deep longing in her eyes. Le Zhi sneered in her heart. Emperor Qi bestowed the marriage of the prime minister¡¯s daughter to Huo Xu but stuffed a subjugated princess who had nothing at all to Huo Du. This was clearly biased. After the palace banquet was over, Huo Du dismissed his servants and walked slowly to the Eastern Palace under the winter moonlight with Le Zhi. Le Zhi naturally took his arm and walked beside him. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du smiled softly, ¡°Your childhood sweetheart is going to marry someone else. How do you feel?¡± Le Zhi was slightly startled as she did not expect him to ask so directly. ¡°Does Your Highness believe when I said I don¡¯t feel anything?¡± Le Zhi smiled, knowing that Huo Du probably would not believe what she said. In fact, she really did not feel anything in her heart. ¡°Believe, ah.¡± ¡°Then may I ask Your Highness a question?¡± ¡°Just ask.¡± Huo Du seemed to be in a good mood tonight. ¡°That Miss Shen has a noble status, and her natal family she relies on is the honor of the prime minister. But I have nothing now and can¡¯t give Your Highness any support.¡± Maybe after drinking two cups of strong wine, Le Zhi felt that she had a lot of courage. ¡°Does Your Highness feel that it¡¯s a loss in marrying me?¡± The author has something to say: Du: Very profitable, thank you. CH 8 Chapter 8 Tease ¡°No loss, ah.¡± Huo Du replied straightforward, ¡°You are much prettier than Shen Qingyan.¡± Le Zhi smiled and replied, ¡°Your Highness looks even better.¡± Huo Du stopped after hearing this. Le Zhi had no choice but to stop with him and looked at him puzzledly. The moonlight brightly shone on their faces which made the cheeks of the two people as white as jade. Huo Du leaned against Le Zhi, borrowing her strength to raise his cane and tapped on his right leg gently, and scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s useless to look good. I¡¯m just a lame man after all.¡± Le Zhi smiled while supporting him, and let him lean on herself, ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than walking slower than others.¡± Her eyes were sincere and gentle. Huo Du suddenly felt irritable in his heart. Without saying a word, he just pushed her away gently. After distancing himself from her, he continued to walk forward with a cane. ¡ª After arriving at the Eastern Palace, Huo Du went straight to the study and sat for a long time. It was not until late at night that he returned to the sleeping hall. The person on the bed had already closed her eyes. Huo Du lay down on the outside and looked at her quietly. He saw her eyelashes flutter slightly, it was obvious that she was not asleep. Huo Du did not say anything to expose her. Since she liked acting so much, he would invite her to see a good play tomorrow. Let¡¯s see if she will continue to act. He imagined in his mind the reaction she might have, and the corners of his mouth raised unconsciously. Early the next morning. Huo Du was no longer on the bed when Le Zhi woke up. She got up quickly as today was the first day of the New Year, and she needed to go to pay respects to Empress. She did not have time to think about where Huo Du had gone, so she hurriedly dressed and rushed to Yongning Palace. ¡°Pay respect to Imperial Mother.¡± ¡°Forego the formalities, have a seat.¡± After being seated, Empress showed a gentle smile and introduced everyone to Le Zhi one by one. Those present were mostly the imperial concubines from the harem, along with Shen Qingyan who had met at the palace banquet yesterday. At this time, she was sitting intimately beside Empress. On the other side of Empress sat a young woman who was looking at her with unfriendly eyes. ¡°This is Lin Yuxian, my little niece from my natal family.¡± Empress smiled and said, ¡°Still don¡¯t greet your imperial sister-in-law.¡± Lin Yuxian¡¯s appearance was different from Shen Qingyan¡¯s gentleness. She had a domineering appearance which was a little similar to Empress. She pursed her lips and began to salute Le Zhi reluctantly, ¡°Greetings imperial sister-in-law.¡± Le Zhi smiled lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be too polite.¡± The Yongning Palace was full of joy. Le Zhi smiled and chatted with the people casually, and had some hot tea and snacks. Finally, Empress was a little tired, and everyone resigned one after another with tacit understanding. Li Yao walked out of Yongning Palace with Le Zhi in her arms and only took a few steps when a clear voice came from behind. ¡°Imperial Sister-In-Law, please stay!¡± Le Zhi turned around and saw Lin Yuxian walking quickly to her. She leaned over and saluted slightly before saying, ¡°Imperial Sister-In-Law has just arrived in Great Qi, so there must be some things that are still unclear.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear it in detail.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll say it directly.¡± Lin Yuxian bit her lip, and her face turned a little red, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my uncle who insisted on bestowing the marriage, it should be me who married Brother Taizi now!¡± Le Zhi was stunned for a moment, and then a slight smile appeared on her face. I see. No wonder the little girl did not have a good face towards her. ¡°Although you are Taizifei now, Brother Taizi won¡¯t like you! He will marry me sooner or later.¡± Looking at Lin Yuxian¡¯s angry little face, Le Zhi nodded, ¡°Sure, I understand.¡± Lin Yuxian was dumbfounded when she looked at the back of Le Zhi¡¯s indifferent departure. Isn¡¯t she angry or worried at all? Does this mean that she has no intentions towards Brother Taizi? If so, that will be great! Back in the Eastern Palace, Huo Du still could not be seen. Instead, she saw An Xuan who was pale with a slightly morbid appearance. ¡°Pay respect to Taizifei.¡± An Xuan bowed and reported, ¡°His Highness has returned to the Taizi Mansion. He told me to wait here for you to come back and take you to the Taizi Mansion.¡± Le Zhi nodded and said yes. An Xuan bowed again to express his thanks, ¡°Thank you Taizifei for giving the medicine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. Lord An doesn¡¯t need to be too polite.¡± The Taizi Mansion was not far from the palace, and it arrived quickly by carriage. ¡°Taizifei, His Highness invites you to enjoy a good play together.¡± As soon as Le Zhi¡¯s front foot entered the mansion, she was slightly stunned when she heard his words, and only then did she say, ¡°Then ask Lord An to lead the way.¡± An Xuan looked at Li Yao beside her but did not speak. Knowing what he meant, Le Zhi sent Li Yao away by asking her to go to the bedroom to clean up first. Le Zhi was not in the mood to look at the scenery in the mansion along the way when she was following An Xuan toward the courtyard on the east side. She only thought about what Huo Du wanted her to see? Unknowingly, An Xuan stopped in front of an attic. ¡°I¡¯ll only send you until here. His Highness has an order that Taizifei goes in alone.¡± Le Zhi nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped into the attic. As soon as she entered the room, a familiar smell drifted into her nose. Although it was very light, it made her scalp numb in an instant. It¡¯s¡­ the smell of blood. It was a little dark in the building. Le Zhi suppressed the discomfort in her stomach and called softly, ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°Come up.¡± Huo Du¡¯s voice came from the second floor. Le Zhi walked up the stairs step by step, and her hanging hands trembled slightly. At the same time, the smell of blood drifting into her nose became stronger and stronger. The building was paved with mahogany, even the stairs. As Huo Du listened to the sound of footsteps stepping on the stairs getting closer and closer, the smile on his face became more and more intense. Until a red figure came into view. It turned out that she was wearing a red dress today. That¡¯s just right. Huo Du tapped the mahogany table with the knuckles of his index finger, and said lightly, ¡°Come and sit here.¡± After sitting firmly in the armchair beside the mahogany table, Le Zhi looked ahead. There was a half-height stage that was much smaller than an ordinary stage. There was also a mahogany stake on top. But she did not believe that Huo Du had invited her to a play. On the contrary, a creepy feeling arose in her heart. This building and this stage were full of weirdness. ¡°Do you like sweet food?¡± Le Zhi turned her head to see Huo Du was pouring hot tea for her and still with the familiar refreshing smell. She hummed absentmindedly. Huo Du smiled and reached out his hand to take the small cup on the side. Then he opened the lid, and a thick honey sweetness wafted out. It was a cup of syrup. He frowned slightly, obviously disliking the sweet smell. However, he still patiently poured some syrup into the tea and mixed it with a small silver spoon before pushing it to Le Zhi¡¯s hand. ¡°The wedding was in a hurry, and I didn¡¯t prepare a decent gift for you.¡± Huo Du¡¯s tone was indifferent, ¡°After thinking about it, I would like to invite you to enjoy a good play together. This is loneliness¡¯s favorite pastime. Will Taizifei be willing to do me the honor?¡± He asked an interrogative sentence, but his tone was somewhat indisputable. Le Zhi dared not say no. So, she nodded and said yes. After speaking, a man covered in blood and disheveled hair was dragged onto the stage by his attendants and tied to the mahogany stake. Then the attendant presented a small and exquisite crossbow. Huo Du looked at the slightly stunned person beside him, and said slowly, ¡°You go first, or should I go first?¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes in astonishment, unable to speak. Go¡­ go what? ¡°Sorry, I forgot that you don¡¯t know how.¡± After a pause, he persuaded again, ¡°Then come here.¡± Since he said so, Le Zhi had to comply. ¡°Sit down.¡± Le Zhi stood in front of Huo Du with wide eyes as there was no chair beside him. Could it be that he wanted her to sit on his¡­ Huo Du sneered gently after seeing her stunned face, ¡°Only my calf is disabled. You won¡¯t make it worse by sitting on it.¡± After he finished speaking, he was not in a hurry and looked at Le Zhi¡¯s face calmly with a hint of teasing. Le Zhi had to brace herself and sit on his lap gently, not daring to put her body weight completely. Seeing this, Huo Du raised his hand around her slender waist and slightly forced her to get closer to him. Confusion, panic, embarrassment¡­ All kinds of emotions appeared on Le Zhi¡¯s face all at the same time, and all of that fell into Huo Du¡¯s eyes. Even the palm of his hands that placed around her slender waist lightly could feel the trembling of her body. Oh, he thought she was so calm. Only at this? This hasn¡¯t even started yet! And she already trembles like this? The author has something to say: Wake up, idiot! You scared your wife! CH 9 Chapter 9 Decision Huo Du picked up the crossbow on the table and slowly raised his hand. Le Zhi stared at his face blankly. ¡°Loneliness¡¯s face is very beautiful, but¡­¡± He curled his fingers around Le Zhi¡¯s waist, pinched her waist gently, and raised his eyebrows, ¡°Let¡¯s watch the play first.¡± Le Zhi looked away and looked towards the center of the stage. Immediately afterward, a burst of wind brought by the swift arrow brushed past her left ear, and the cold silver arrow went straight into the man¡¯s thigh, splattering red blood. The man opened his mouth but could not make any sound. Because he had lost his tongue long ago. The stage was not far from them, and the smell of blood immediately wafted up to them. ¡°It¡¯s crooked¡­¡± Huo Du glanced at the stage and shook his head regretfully. Le Zhi covered her mouth and suppressed the rolling in her stomach. After the bloodbath scene a month ago, she thought she would be able to adapt, but she still felt nauseated by the smell of blood. She turned her head, unwilling to look anymore. ¡°So hard to bear, ah.¡± Huo Du patted her back gently and shoved the crossbow into her palm, touching the dampness. He chuckled softly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want him to suffer, then give him a quick death.¡± After he finished speaking, he moved his palm to the back of Le Zhi¡¯s neck and caressed it gently to show encouragement. The two were so close to each other that Le Zhi could not help shuddering, and the hand holding the crossbow trembled. Fortunately, a cold hand grabbed her in time and raised their hands together with the crossbow, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s very fun.¡± Le Zhi looked in the direction of the crossbow and saw Huo Du¡¯s hand deflected. The arrow aimed at the man¡¯s heart deflected to the left side. Huo Du did it on purpose. He did not want that person to die quickly at all! The man was dying, and there was no way he could survive. No matter how many arrows would be shot, he would die eventually. So, before the silver arrow was shot, Le Zhi quickly deflected her hand to the right! ¡°Whew¡± The silver arrow pierced through the heart, killing him instantly. This series of movements were too fast. Huo Du¡¯s black eyes were obviously startled, and then he hooked his lips. Careless, ah. His Taizifei was really incredible. After Huo Du withdrew his hand, Le Zhi loosened her hand that was holding the crossbow, and the crossbow fell to the ground, making a heavy thud sound. Le Zhi shivered and covered her heart with her hands while gasping for breath in horror. Her heart seemed to be jumping out, and her head was buzzing. She really killed someone. ¡°Why are you so afraid?¡± Huo Du¡¯s tone was slightly cold. Instead, he was looking forward to her next reaction. Was it resentment or panic? Or was she holding back her anger aggrievedly? It must be very interesting. After a while, Le Zhi¡¯s breathing gradually calmed down. Then, she turned to Huo Du, put her hands on his shoulders, and her pale snow cheeks leaned closer to him, ¡°Your Highness, is this person a heinous villain?¡± Hearing this, the calm peach blossom eyes could not help flashing a trace of surprise. This was quite different from what he thought. But in a flash, Huo Du¡¯s eyes returned to calmness again. He smiled while shaking his head, ¡°He is a good man, a good man with good conduct.¡± Le Zhi was very close to him, so close that she did not miss his eyes. Just a moment was enough, she guessed it right. That man was definitely by no means a good person. For a long time, neither of them spoke. Huo Du could tell that she did not believe his words. A smart woman is really no fun at all! Troublesome! He impatiently pushed Le Zhi¡¯s waist lightly to motion her to get up, ¡°The play is over, go back.¡± Le Zhi bowed and saluted. After responding softly, she walked away calmly. After walking out of the attic, Le Zhi saw Li Yao waiting outside the door. She closed the door of the attic properly to block the smell of blood inside. After taking a few steps outside, her footsteps became weak. ¡°Master!¡± Li Yao frowned and said, ¡°This servant will help you go back to the room.¡± There was heavy snow from the sky, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground. Le Zhi walked very slowly. She could not get her strength up and her inner clothes had been soaked with sweat from earlier. She shivered coldly when the cold wind blew and half leaned on Li Yao, with a blank mind. Huo Du leaned against the window edge of the building, and his black eyes darkened when looking down at this scene. The little girl is still afraid, ah. No matter how calm she pretended in front of him, her heart was still scared in the end. Was not the purpose of him to invite her to watch this play to make her afraid? But he was not as happy as expected. ¡°Your Highness, what should I do with this dead body?¡± Huo Du glanced sideway at the rotten meat on the stage with disgust and said with a blank face, ¡°Chop it up and throw it in the wild to feed the wolves.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The servant bowed to accept the order. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He suddenly changed his mind, ¡°Burn to ashes and scatter it.¡± Heinous villain? Oh, does this beast deserve to be called a human? Huo Du turned his head and shifted his gaze to the snow outside. That slender figure had been blocked by a large area of the plum trees and could no longer be seen. His eyes darkened suddenly, and no emotion could be seen in his eyes. ¡ª ¡°Li Yao, prepare hot water. I want to take a bath.¡± Li Yao nodded and hurried out of the bedroom to call someone to boil hot water. Le Zhi felt that she had come to life the moment her whole body was immersed in the hot water. She said to Li Yao next to her, ¡°You are also tired today, so go and rest for a while. You don¡¯t need to call me for lunch or dinner.¡± Li Yao looked worried and wanted to open her mouth to persuade but did not say anything in the end. Then, she nodded and left. Le Zhi closed her eyes and held her breath, immersed her whole head in the water, and only raised her head out of the water when she had to breathe. She bathed for a long time until the water in the tub started to become cold, and only then did she finally finish her bathing. Lying exhaustedly on the bed, Le Zhi wrapped herself tightly with a quilt. No matter how long she bathed, she still felt a faint smell of blood on her body. After today¡¯s experience, her head was in a mess, but the plan that rose in her heart became clearer and clearer. She needed to think about it, think about it carefully. The more she thought about it, the more she could not help but get confused. While she was in between half-dreaming and half-awake, she seemed to see her imperial father, imperial mother, and imperial brother, who were still surrounding her with happy laughter. Could it be that the destruction of the country Li was just a dream? She opened her eyes suddenly and saw the strange bed curtain. She raised her hand to touch her cheek, and there was slight dampness on her face. When she looked outside the window, it was already dark outside and a soft knock came from the door. ¡°Master.¡± It was Li Yao. Le Zhi raised her hand to dry the tears on her face, ¡°Come in.¡± Li Yao entered the room and carefully closed the door. She walked to the front of the bed with a grave expression, bowed her body, and said, ¡°Third Prince wants to see you.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart was slightly disheartened that Huo Xu was really impatient. ¡°There are people from Third Prince in the Taizi Mansion.¡± Li Yao said softly, ¡°Master can go out through the east back gate. There will be no guards there.¡± Le Zhi nodded, ¡°I see. You go down first and don¡¯t make others suspicious.¡± Li Yao responded and left the bedroom quickly. A red candle was lit on the table in the bedroom, and the wick of the candle was burning vigorously, making some crackling sounds. Le Zhi stared at the candlelight for a while and made a decision in her heart. She changed her dress and walked out of the bedroom, but she did not walk in the direction of the east back gate. She stopped a maid at random and asked her where His Highness Taizi was at this moment. She was going to find Huo Du. CH 10 Chapter 10 Sincerity ¡°Taizifei, His Highness went into the study after dinner.¡± The maid was respectful and courteous. She did not just give her the directions, but held the lamp in front of her to lead the way, and sent her to the study thoughtfully. She even reminded her in a low voice from time to time to pay attention to her feet. Walking slowly on the zigzag corridor, Le Zhi was finally able to take a closer look at the unfamiliar Taizi Mansion. Perhaps due to the wedding, the mansion was still decorated with bright red lanterns hanging on the eaves, adding a lot of joy to the mansion. Like the Eastern Palace, this place was very big but deserted, with not many maids and servants. Just like how Huo Du made her feel, cold and lonely. When she interacted with him, there seemed to be an invisible barrier around him that separated him from everything in the world. Since she was brought back to the country Qi by Huo Xu, her original plan was to have a pillow talk with Huo Xu and wait for the opportunity to rescue her sister who was under house arrest. Le Zhi knew very well that she had nothing now, except for this body, a body that Huo Xu had never obtained before. Huo Xu had a desire for her, was not he? Even if she could not rescue her older sister in the end, she could use herself as bait and perish together with Huo Xu. The imperial family of Great Li was never afraid of death. If she really got to this point, she believed that her older sister would find a way to kill herself, and then they would meet again in the underworld. Her imperial father, imperial mother, and imperial brother would be waiting for them. However, in order to quell the anger of the neighboring countries, Emperor Qi bestowed a marriage to her to marry the Taizi. Huo Xu also wanted to take advantage of the situation and use her beauty to get rid of his biggest threat. This disrupted her original plan, but it also made another plan emerge from the bottom of her heart. According to Huo Xu, Huo Du was by no means a person easy to deal with, otherwise, he would not suppress the struggle in his heart to let her marry Huo Du. Le Zhi knew that if a hypocrite like Huo Xu deliberately did not want her to marry, he would always have a way to convince Emperor Qi. However, he did not. Furthermore, Huo Xu told her more than once that Huo Du was a vicious wolf. It could be seen that Huo Xu hated him, but also feared him. In addition, the idle discussions of the servants in the post station gave her a general idea that Huo Du must not be a good kind. However, everything was not necessarily true. In the past, as the little princess of country Li, she lived under the protection of her family. There were many things that she did not need to think about. She was happy and unrestrained, too lazy to think about it. When she was a child, her imperial father said that she should treat the little prince from country Qi better, and she listened. After she reached marriageable age, her imperial father promised her to Huo Xu. Her imperial mother, imperial elder brother, and imperial older sister all said that Huo Xu was as gentle as jade and someone they grew up with since childhood. If she married him, she would definitely live a happy and peaceful life. At that time, she did not understand love, but at least she had the friendship she grew up with Huo Xu since she was a child, so she agreed. In the end, the country was defeated, and the family was destroyed. The Great Li governed the country with benevolence, and her imperial father was the kindest person. But in the end, he appreciated the wrong person and believed in the wrong person. Therefore, Le Zhi swore that she would never trust others easily. She only believed in herself, could only rely on herself, and only had herself. Even if those people described Huo Du as such, she was only skeptical. She had to see it for herself. And she saw it very clearly in these two days. Huo Du was not only ruthless and bloodthirsty but also indifferent and self-reliant. Although Huo Xu was hypocritical, she could still detect his inner greed through his hypocritical skin. As for Huo Du, except that Little Lame Huo could enter his eyes, she could not see what he cared about or wanted at all. But Le Zhi was somewhat convinced that with Huo Du¡¯s character, he would not sit still and let Huo Xu invade his territory. In that case, the enemy of the enemy, could she and Huo Du become allies? Once this idea germinates, it grew wildly. Le Zhi thought that what she wanted was not just to perish with Huo Xu, she wanted to avenge and kill too many people. She also wanted to save her older sister, find her missing imperial sister-in-law and her young nephew. At the same time, she could not help worrying about the common people of Great Li who had become subjugated people. How could the country and family, relatives and common people offset each other with only one person, Huo Xu? If her imperial father knew that she had such thoughts, she did not know how he would react. The innocent and kind-hearted Le Zhi died a month ago. Now the only person alive was the little princess of Li who crawled out of purgatory. She could no longer live only for herself. Huo Xu might be right when he said that Huo Du was a vicious wolf. But if it was not for the vicious wolf, who else could defeat a demon like him? She had no idea how dangerous the road she was going to take next would be. Asking a tiger for its skin and dancing with the wolf*. Her every step would be like stepping on the edge of the cliff, and the slightest mistake would make her smashed to pieces. (Asking a tiger for its skin and dancing with the wolf* ¨C A metaphor of conflict of interest with the object one looks for, and it will never succeed. Later discuss with the wicked, asking him to sacrifice his own interest, which will definitely be impossible.) But she has no way back, and she also did not want to turn back. Taking a heavy sigh of relief, Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks were as pale as paper, but the steps she took were calmer and firmer. The maid in front thought she was tired and hurriedly said, ¡°Taizifei, you will arrive at the study in a few more steps.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Le Zhi responded warmly. ¡ª Inside the study. ¡°Your Highness, Third Prince has secretly contacted Taizifei¡­¡± Before An Xuan finished his words, the man sitting by the window turned his wheelchair gently to look at him, and put his index finger on his lips to signal him to silence, ¡°An Xuan, it¡¯s not fun to say some things too clearly.¡± An Xuan was at a loss¡­ What does His Highness want to play? There were sounds of footsteps coming from a distance outside the door, and then followed by a knock on the door, ¡°Your Highness, Taizifei asks to see you.¡± Hearing this, An Xuan was even more shocked¡­ At this hour, isn¡¯t it time for Taizifei to set out from the east back gate to meet Third Prince? Why does she come here? A flash of surprise flashed across Huo Du¡¯s face, but his eyes were filled with smiles. Isn¡¯t the fun coming? Seeing Huo Du nodding, An Xuan immediately went to open the door with understanding. After inviting Le Zhi into the room, he walked out of the study and closed the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± His tone was still cold without warmth. Le Zhi walked up to Huo Du with a serious expression, and slowly bent her knees towards him with her hands folded. Seeing this, Huo Du leaned forward and reached out his hands to hold her, without letting her kneel down. ¡°Why do you want to do such a big ceremony?¡± Huo Du chuckled, ¡°It seems to be a big deal.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Le Zhi nodded slightly. Since he would not let her kneel, she squatted down and looked up at him, ¡°Huo Xu wants to see me, does Your Highness think I should go?¡± On the way to the study, Le Zhi thought about a lot of excuses but finally felt that it was inappropriate. Finally, she decided to throw the problem to Huo Du, let him decide, and let him see her sincerity. CH 11 Chapter 11 Two Zhi The wind on winter night blowing in through the open wide window was freezing cold. Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s pale cheeks. The two were very close that they could smell each other¡¯s breaths. He could even hear her heart beating violently. And her cherry lips were slightly purple as he did not know if she was too nervous or was blown by the cold wind. The cold wind blew the loose hair around Le Zhi¡¯s ear a little messy. Huo Du leaned over and reached out to tuck her loose hair behind her ear. Then he said, ¡°Since Third Imperial Brother invited you, it naturally depends on you to see him or not.¡± Le Zhi was stunned. Was this throwing the question back to her again? After a long time, she nodded and looked directly at Huo Du¡¯s eyes, ¡°Then can Your Highness wait for me to come back? I¡­ have something to say to Your Highness.¡± Huo Du just smiled and did not answer. That being the case, Le Zhi took it as if he had agreed. She stood up and closed the window to prevent the cold wind from blowing in, ¡°The cold wind will hurt your body. Your Highness should take care of your health.¡± After Le Zhi left for a while, the study room gradually warmed up because the window was closed. Without the cold wind, his body gradually warmed up but this comfort made Huo Du extraordinarily irritable. Over the years, he almost treated his body abusively, experiencing the feeling of living in pain. The more pain, the deeper the memory. It¡¯s good if the pain can penetrate into the bone marrow. He leaned on his cane and wanted to push the window open, but he seemed to like to remember something when he pushed the window halfway. His eyes moved slightly, and he finally gave up. He turned around and walked to the desk to sit down, pick up a pen and write a word on the rice paper. Zhi Huo Du set his eyes on this word for a long time, and the confusion he had not seen for a long time rose from the bottom of his heart. There are many trees in the world, tough trees, and fragile shrubs, but it¡¯s hard to escape the destruction once the strong wind and rain come. However, the most easily broken branch* can still struggle so far¡­ (branch* ¨C in Chinese, branch is also called Zhi) After a while, he crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the trash casually. ¡ª There was a hidden inn not far from the Taizi Mansion, and the carriage slowly stopped in front of the inn. Just as Le Zhi got off the carriage, someone came up to greet her. She knew this man and knew him very well. Qin Yu, a personal attendant who accompanied Huo Xu to country Li since he was a child. ¡°Princess¡­ This servant will take you up.¡± Le Zhi nodded, paused a while, and then said, ¡°Qin Yu, the title is wrong.¡± Qin Yu was gentle and neat. He was not tall and looked like only fifteen or sixteen even though he was in his early twenties. After listening to Le Zhi¡¯s words, he realized that he had forgotten to change his way of addressing and hurriedly said, ¡°This servant made a mistake. Thank you Taizifei for reminding me.¡± Qin Yu had not seen her for a long time. He observed her expression from the corner of his eye, but he could not tell her mood. He sighed¡­ After all, the smart little princess would never come back. Qin Yu¡¯s eyes turned red thinking about it. Huo Xu waited anxiously on the second floor of the inn until the familiar and beautiful figure appeared. He was overjoyed and rushed forward a few steps, ¡°Zhizhi!¡± Seeing that Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks were pale, he hurriedly ordered Qin Yu, ¡°Add another heater!¡± There were two heaters in the guest room, and incense was burning on the table. It was Le Zhi¡¯s favorite sandalwood. ¡°Stop being busy.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face was bright, and her countenance was soft. ¡°Brother Ah Xu, we have to speak quickly so that Huo Du won¡¯t be suspicious.¡± Huo Xu looked slightly cold and nodded in agreement. Qin Yu walked out of the guest room consciously and closed the door. Only the two of them were left in the room. Looking at the familiar and beautiful face, Huo Xu¡¯s face was full of love. He approached Le Zhi, took her hand, and asked, ¡°How are you?¡± Enduring the disgust in her heart, Le Zhi said softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Hearing this, Huo Xu laughed heartily. He was happy because¡­ ¡°Huo Du hasn¡¯t touched you yet, has he?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart tightened. In addition to the Taizi Mansion, it seemed that the Eastern Palace also had his spy. Without thinking too much, she opened her mouth softly with a bit of embarrassment in her tone, ¡°Yes¡­¡± The snowy face gradually blushed, and her teeth bit her cherry lips lightly, outlining a delicate appearance. Falling into Huo Xu¡¯s eyes made him even more excited. He was puzzled that how could Huo Du endure such a charming look? ¡°Brother Ah Xu?¡± As his thoughts returned, the smile on Huo Xu¡¯s face gradually faded away. Huo Du did not touch her, which meant that it was difficult for her to get close to him. So, when would his plan be fulfilled? Huo Du was the only obstacle to his ascension to the Taizi position. Only when Huo Du died could he ascend justifiably. But Huo Du acted cunningly and pretended to be indifferent to the world. However, the dark guards and men of sacrifice that he sent out, and even the exotic poisonous beauties his mother pretended to send for his pleasure, all disappeared without a sound, and even the corpse could not be found. And yet he could not get any information that could be used against him! ¡°Zhizhi.¡± Huo Xu hesitated for a moment, then took out a paper-wrapped medicine powder hidden in his sleeve. ¡°This medicine is colorless and tasteless. You can mix it with meals, tea or wine. You can find a way to let Huo Du take the medicine ten times. It only takes ten days, and then even an immortal cannot save him!¡± The more he talked, the more excited he became. After a pause, his eyes darkened again, ¡°Zhizhi¡­ If you have to, you will need to suffer some grievances. It¡¯s doesn¡¯t matter to give yourself to him. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Huo Xu¡¯s chest was even more suffocated. He knew very well that he had told a lie. He cared, cared crazily! Which man could be willing to endure the woman he loved deeply being taken by others! Seeing the struggle at the bottom of his heart, Le Zhi smiled weakly and took the medicine bag, but she was about to cry, ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll listen to Brother Ah Xu.¡± Perhaps he was afraid that Huo Du would realize, Huo Xu did not hold her back for long. Soon afterward, he asked Qin Yu to escort her downstairs. ¡°Princess¡­¡± Just as Le Zhi stepped on the carriage bench, she heard Qin Yu calling her softly, and she turned around with a frown. Qin Yu with red eyes took out a packet of snacks from his chest and stuffed it into Le Zhi, then ran away immediately. After sitting in the carriage, Le Zhi untied the paper bag, and it turned out to be the familiar plum blossom soft cake. When he took it out just now, she could smell the fragrance. It was her favorite dessert before. With a sour nose, she stared at the plum blossom soft cake until the carriage stopped. The coachman outside asked her to get off of the carriage. Le Zhi took one last look at the plum blossom soft cake and left it in the carriage without taking it away. ¡ª Huo Xu returned to the mansion in despair. Counting the time, was Zhizhi having intimacy and expressing love with Huo Du as he said? While he was absent-minded thinking of this, he tripped over the threshold when he stepped into the bedroom. When his body staggered, a pair of soft hands held his wrists lightly to support him. A soft gentle voice sounded, ¡°This servant pay respect to Your Highness.¡± The candlelight in the bedroom was dim. It was specially ordered by Huo Xu. The face in front of him was sixty or seventy percent similar to Le Zhi. In the dim light, it was enough to pass off as real. Since he entered the country Li as a hostage in the past, he strictly abided by the etiquette and treat people with kindness. Even though Emperor Li gave them a marriage at Le Zhi¡¯s hairpin ceremony, he still did not dare to violate the rules in the slightest. Moreover, Emperor Li and Empress Li have a deep love for each other. There were no concubines in the harem of the country Li, only the Empress one person. Therefore, the children of the imperial family of Great Li were not like the imperial family of Great Qi. After a boy reached adulthood, he could take concubines and bedwarmers. No one knew a child better than a mother. Huo Xu¡¯s depressed look could not escape Empress Qi¡¯s eyes. She knew her son¡¯s thoughts about Le Zhi, so she tried every means to find him a bedwarmer with a similar appearance to help him relieve his lust. Huo Xu had sexual intercourse for the first time last night. He experienced it once and wanted it again. Looking at the white cheeks of the person in front of him, he could not help but feel restless. He picked up the person and rudely threw them on the soft bed. He raised his hand to pick up the apricot white silk prepared by the bedside, blindfolded the woman¡¯s eyes, and tied a knot behind her head. The most not alike to Le Zhi was her eyes. Those fox eyes were beautiful and graceful. It was hard to find a second person in the world. After being blindfolded, the face has eighty to ninety percent similar. Huo Xu anxiously tore off the thin clothes on the woman¡¯s body, stretched out his hand to hold her thin shoulder, and bent over to vent his lust unrestrainedly. As the bed curtain shook, a burst of woman¡¯s painful low cry overflowed. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t make a sound.¡± Huo Xu raised his hand to cover her lips and block the gasping from her throat. If she made a sound, it would be even less like her. When he was in a state of ecstasy, Huo Xu murmured dejectedly, ¡°Zhizhi¡­¡± The woman¡¯s body trembled, but Huo Xu did not care. He did not know her name, but it did not matter what he called her. Last night, he had given her a new name¡­ Little Zhi. CH 12 Chapter 12 Embolden The east back gate was still unguarded, and Le Zhi quietly returned to the mansion. Recalling the scene in the study, Huo Du¡¯s reaction, and without anyone around at the east back gate, Le Zhi felt that it was impossible for Huo Du to be without any inkling of the spy in the Taizi Mansion. She was a little afraid thinking of this. If she did not go to him to surrender in advance, what would be the situation now? The corners of her mouth rose slightly. She was very happy. She made the right choice. However, what should she say to Huo Du next? Just now she was desperate to confess to him, but she did not know how much he believed it. Le Zhi knew that she did not have many bargaining chips in her hand, and Huo Du was not a kind person. She asked him to wait for her to come back before she went out. Would he¡­ really wait for her? Feeling flustered, Le Zhi turned around and walked towards the dining hall. She had to be brave. It was late at night and the mansion was quiet. However, there were many guards on duty at night, one in every ten steps. The guards were not surprised to see Le Zhi, only saluted and greeted her. Finally, she reached the dining hall. The maid on duty in the dining hall saw her and was stunned for a moment, but she quickly reacted and hurriedly welcomed and greeted her, ¡°Taizifei, the cold dew is heavy at night, and Master¡¯s body is very precious. If you need anything, just send someone to give an order.¡± The maid gently supported Le Zhi into the dining hall, and after she sat down, she added a few lights in the hall. The hall gradually became brighter, and the beautiful and tender face of the maid was illuminated by the lights. Le Zhi looked at her busy figure and asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Taizifei, this maid¡¯s name is Lin Yue.¡± ¡°Lin Yue¡­ is a good name.¡± Le Zhi nodded with a smile and asked, ¡°Is there any wine here?¡± Lin Yue was stunned for a moment and replied, ¡°Yes. Taizifei please will wait a moment.¡± Le Zhi watched Lin Yue walk out of the dining hall quickly and thought to herself¡­ What a clever girl. Not long after, Lin Yue came back with a jar of wine and a wine cup. She poured the wine into the cup, and the aroma of the wine, accompanied by the fragrance of red plum blossoms, wafted all over the hall. Le Zhi picked up the wine cup and drank it all at once. The warm wine slid smoothly into her throat, not spicy, just mellow. ¡°This maid doesn¡¯t know what kind of wine Taizifei likes to drink, so I took this plum blossom wine on my own accord. This wine is not strong, can Taizifei used to drinking it?¡± ¡°Good wine.¡± Le Zhi praised. After putting down the wine cup, Lin Yue added another cup to her. After drinking three cups, Lin Yue could not help frowning. Although this plum blossom wine is not strong, it has great stamina. I¡¯m afraid it will be inappropriate if Taizifei continues to drink it. Before she could remind her, Le Zhi put down the cup and stood up. Lin Yue hurriedly supported her, ¡°This maid will send Taizifei back to the bedroom.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Le Zhi gently pushed her hand away with a smile, ¡°Thank you for your hard work. You can go get your reward tomorrow.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s snow cheeks were slightly red perhaps due to the effect of the wine, and even the corner of her eyes was dyed red which made her fox eyes even more charming. Lin Yue could not help but stare at her in awe, even forgetting to salute when sending her off. After she regained her sense, Le Zhi had already gone far. Lin Yue thought to herself that Taizifei was really as beautiful as rumored. No! It was more than the rumors and so gracious and kind-hearted. It was not her duty tonight, but Xi Chen who was on duty was not feeling well, so she begged her to take her place. She did not expect to be able to get in close contact with Taizifei because of this, which was an unexpected joy. She had to talk to Xi Chen and the others when she went back! After staring for a long time, Lin Yue yawned before patting her head and turning around to clear the dining table. ¡ª Huo Xu was expressionless, and his eyes were blank when he was unfastening the tie behind the head of the person beside him. The eyelashes of the person lying on the side fluttered, obviously not asleep yet. Her fair and delicate body was covered with mottled bite marks and red marks, which was shocking to see. And a little white trace could be seen at the corner of her mouth. Huo Xu¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and he wiped the corners of her lips with the silk that he took off. He knew that he was a little out of control tonight, but even as a substitute, he did not want to abuse a woman during sexual intercourse. He, Huo Xu was a gentle as a jade type of person, was not he? But the fire of resentment in his heart made him unable to control himself. This face was very similar to Le Zhi. It would be great if it was really Zhizhi lying beside him at this time. Le Zhi¡¯s smiling face suddenly appeared in his mind, and Huo Xu¡¯s heart sunk suddenly. If Zhizhi knew that he had touched the woman next to him, would she be angry or heartbroken? For more than ten years in the country Li, Huo Xu knew that Great Li believed in the word of one person for life, from the Emperor to the common people. In Great Li, it was not that there were no men who took concubines, but very few. In a split second, Huo Xu changed his mind as the country Li was gone now. One must observe the customs of the place. Most men in Great Qi have three wives and four concubines. He assumed Zhizhi would get used to it. Besides, was not that enough for him to only like her the most in his heart? Moreover, Le Zhi may have become Huo Du¡¯s person at this moment. Since he did not despise her, how could she blame him? He sighed calmly, tossed around the bed, and had difficulty falling asleep. Then he turned around to get down from the bed and walked out of the room. The dark guards on the roof knew he must have instructions, so they dropped down together. ¡°Let the spy in the Taizi Mansion keep an eye on Le Zhi¡¯s every move.¡± After a pause, Huo Xu said again, ¡°Tell Li Yao, she must send the news immediately if there is any unusual movement.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The dark guards accepted the order in unison. The cold wind outside the room was rustling and Huo Xu was wearing only thin sleeping clothes. The cold wind went in from the collar and caused him to cough uncontrollably. Suddenly someone put the robe on him from behind. He turned around, and said warmly, ¡°Woke you up?¡± The woman knew that he did not like her voice, and was even more aware that the sound ¡°Zhizhi¡± he called on the bed was not calling her. Thus, she just smiled and shook her head, without opening her mouth at all. This docile and tender appearance fell in Huo Xu¡¯s eyes, which aroused tenderness and shame even more so in his heart. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± He picked up the person in front of him and stepped into the bedroom. He gently placed the person on the bed and raised his hand to unbutton her sleeping clothes. He thought that the silk was dirty and said, ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes.¡± The people under him nodded obediently. Huo Xu smiled with satisfaction. If earlier was just to vent his resentment, then this time was the real desire that overcame his whole body at this time. He bent down and held her swollen lips gently. ¡­ Le Zhi gently pushed open the door of the bedroom, and it was dark inside. She thought that Huo Du had already fallen asleep, so she walked slowly to the side of the bed but found that there was no one on the bed. If he was not in the bedroom, where did he go? Suddenly, a faint sound of the flute came to her ears. Who else could play the flute unscrupulously in the mansion in the dead of the night? Le Zhi walked out of the room and followed the sound of the flute along the corridor to the back garden behind the bedroom, where many plum trees were planted. Finally, she saw Huo Du. She saw him sitting on the wheelchair beside the stone table in the back garden with his back facing her, playing the white jade flute she had selected. Before the song was over, Le Zhi leaned against the corridor pillar and did not come forward to disturb him. The flute sounds were melodious and yet familiar. If there was anything that could be completely interlinked between countries, it would be this melody. At this time, Huo Du was playing ¡°Snowy Wild Plums Song¡±. This song was not famous, but it was her imperial sister¡¯s favorite song. In the past, when she was held by her imperial brother to read, her imperial sister smiled while playing this song. Great Li was located in the south, and it rarely snowed in winter. When they were young, the three brothers and sisters wanted to see the snow-covered sky, the scenery of silver-covered nature between heaven and earth. Now that she came to country Qi, she had seen the snow-covered sky. But her imperial elder brother was gone, and her imperial elder sister was still under house arrest. The song ended, and the memories came to an abrupt end. Le Zhi raised her hand and pressed the wetness at the end of her eyes with her fingers. Then, without hesitation, she raised her leg to walk over to Huo Du. After walking to his side, Le Zhi saw that he was wearing only crimson middle clothes as if he was completely unafraid of the harsh winter. The wheelchair turned slightly, and Huo Du¡¯s face was reflected in her eyes. Le Zhi took off the snow-colored cotton cloak from her body, put it on Huo Du¡¯s lap, and then sat down on the stone chair facing him. The plum blossom wine seemed to have gained some strength. Le Zhi felt her cheeks start to heat up, she lowered her eyes and did not know which words to start with. Her eyes saw Huo Du¡¯s hand casually placed on the cotton cloak and his fingertips had turned white. Unknown to where the courage came from, she stretched out her hands to hold his palm. Huo Du¡¯s hands were cold, and her palms so happened to be burning hot, which could pass on some warmth to him. Le Zhi raised her eyes, looked into Huo Du¡¯s eyes, and said, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You drank?¡± Huo Du interrupted her with a gentle smile. The author has something to say: Du: What if my wife is an alcoholic? (Put his hand up) CH 13 Chapter 13 Crazy The cold wind dispersed the plum fragrance in the plum forest, but this plum fragrance could not hide the smell of plum wine on her body. ¡°En¡­¡± Le Zhi lowered her eyes in embarrassment, her face was even redder, and said softly, ¡°Only three cups, no more.¡± Huo Du did not bother to break free on the hand that was being held by her. He extended his other hand, put the palm of his hand on the back of her neck, and made a slight effort to make her move closer to him. The coldness on her neck made Le Zhi shiver and raised her eyes in panic. Huo Du¡¯s peach blossom eyes were so close that she could see her terrified look in his eyes. Seeing this, Huo Du had a smile on his face, but there was still no emotion in his eyes. He looked at the intoxicating fox eyes in front of him and asked, ¡°Between Imperial Third Brother and me, do you want to choose me?¡± When he asked directly, it made Le Zhi¡¯s heart settle. She nodded vigorously, and answered firmly, ¡°Yes.¡± Huo Du stared at her eyes carefully, as if trying to discern how true her words were. After a long while, he withdrew his hands, leaned lazily against the back of the chair, and sneered, ¡°What conditions did Huo Xu promise you and what did he want you to do for him?¡± Le Zhi took out the medicine bag in her sleeve and put it on the stone table, ¡°He will reward me with the position of Empress and asked me to wait for the opportunity besides Your Highness until I took Your Highness¡¯s life.¡± Huo Du glanced at her again, but he believed it. However, ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re not even moved with the position of Empress?¡± For women, the noblest status in the world should be the position of Empress. Even the position of Empress had not moved her, so what else could catch her eye? Huo Du laughed. Could it be that she wanted to talk nonsense about falling in love with him at first sight? ¡°If I want to be Empress, Your Highness is the Taizi and as long as you succeed to the throne accordingly in the future, I am naturally the Empress. So, why do I have to make such an unnecessary move?¡± After a pause, Le Zhi held Huo Du¡¯s hands slightly harder and said again, ¡°Besides, I have something that I wanted more than the position of Empress.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Huo Du raised his eyebrows and motioned her to continue. Le Zhi said frankly, ¡°Huo Xu¡¯s life.¡± Hearing this, Huo Du really laughed. He naturally knew that Huo Xu had been a hostage in the country Li for many years, but in the end, he cooperated with the Qi army and destroyed the country Li. It was normal for Le Zhi to hate him. Hate. He had seen too many. But how many people could really be completely heartless to hate till the end? Huo Du believed what she said now but did not believe that she would always be like this. Not at all. His face turned cold, and raised his hand to squeeze her chin, ¡°With this face of Taizifei that everyone admires plus the ten-year friendship with the imperial younger brother, isn¡¯t it difficult to kill him?¡± If she really hated him, it was not difficult to kill Huo Xu with her ability. She did not kill him, which meant she still had feelings for him. The fingers squeezing her chin tightened, and Le Zhi frowned in pain, but her eyes were still firm, ¡°Your Highness is right, killing Huo Xu alone is not difficult. But I want to kill not only him but also his associates. Besides that, I want to save my older sister.¡± Le Zhi only spoke half of it. She wanted to take revenge, and her ultimate goal was to kill the Emperor of the Great Qi. After all, he was the main culprit who ordered the destruction of the country Li. Huo Xu was just an accomplice at best. But she could not say it. No matter how much Emperor Qi attached importance to Huo Xu and despised Huo Du, blood was thicker than water and he was Huo Du¡¯s biological father after all. She did not know how Huo Du felt about his imperial father. Looking at Le Zhi¡¯s painful expression, Huo Du let go of his hand, looked away, and stopped asking questions. Le Zhi hesitated in her heart as she wondered how much Huo Du could believe what she said, and also felt that what she said just now was a bit blunt, without any feelings. How to remedy it? She hesitated, but her fingertips lightly squeezed Huo Du¡¯s hand, and asked softly, ¡°Does Your Highness have someone you like?¡± The marriage between Huo Du and her was bestowed by Emperor Qi and he did not even show up for her conferment ceremony. She assumed that he was dissatisfied about it, and maybe he already had a sweetheart in his heart. Huo Du did not answer after listening to her question. Le Zhi continued, ¡°If Your Highness has a sweetheart and when the matter succeeded in the future, Your Highness will ascend to the throne and can find an excuse to depose me at will. Naturally, the Empress position is reserved for the person in Your Highness¡¯s heart.¡± Sweetheart? Huo Du suddenly found it a little funny. He did not even have a heart, so how could he have someone in his heart? But he did not deny it, just asked indifferently, ¡°What if not?¡± ¡°If not¡­¡± Le Zhi curved her lips and raised her eyes slightly, ¡°Does Your Highness believe in fate?¡± Seeing that Huo Du did not answer after asking, she continued, ¡°I believe in fate. Isn¡¯t it because of fate that Your Highness and I who have been separated by thousands of miles away to become husband and wife?¡± ¡°Fate?¡± Huo Du sneered. What the hell is that? He definitely did not believe it. ¡°Yes, ah.¡± Le Zhi smiled brightly, ¡°Although I did not fall in love with Your Highness at first sight, after getting along with Your Highness these past few days, I don¡¯t think it will take long for me to be moved by Your Highness. Although Your Highness has no interest in me now, maybe love will come in time and Your Highness will gradually like me!¡± Le Zhi winked and said with a bit of coquettishness at the end. Huo Du looked at her with burning eyes. Throughout the ages, how many heroes had fallen under beautiful women? Sure enough, beauty was hard to guard against! If what she said tonight were all lies, that would mean that Huo Xu had chosen the right person. Impressive. It¡¯s very impressive. Whether it was true or not, he did not want to kill her, at least for now. Because he really wanted to see what she wanted to do. Looking at the medicine bag on the stone table, Huo Du asked, ¡°What medicine is it?¡± Le Zhi withdrew her hands holding his palms and went to get the medicine bag. Huo Du could not help frowning as his palm suddenly lost its softness and warmth. The tea on the stone table was already cold. Le Zhi took off the tea lid and poured all the white medicinal powder into it. In just a moment, the medicinal powder was completely dissolved in the tea, but the brown color did not change at all. She picked up the teacup and put it under her nose to sniff it, but there was not any peculiar smell. Huo Xu did not lie to her. This medicine was really colorless and tasteless. Le Zhi passed the tea to Huo Du and said, ¡°Huo Xu said that this is a colorless and tasteless poison. Just add it to Your Highness¡¯s food and drink ten times, and Your Highness will¡­¡± There was no need to say the rest, she knew that Huo Du would definitely understand. Then, she saw Huo Du take the teacup from her, glance at it, and then drink it in one gulp. ¡°Such a powerful poison, how can you tell it is genuine or fake without trying it.¡± Huo Du put the empty teacup back on the stone table, and then looked at the stunned Le Zhi, ¡°Does Taizifei say yes, or no?¡± He actually tries the poison himself! Le Zhi¡¯s eyes trembled, and her cherry lips opened slightly. Seeing that Huo Du was still calm and unhurried, she calmed down for the time being, ¡°Looks like Your Highness has an antidote.¡± Huo Du did not respond to her, just lightly tightening the armrest of the wheelchair with his fingertips. It did not take long for acute pain to come from his internal organs, and black blood began to spill from the corners of his lips. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and her voice trembled, ¡°Since Your Highness has tried it, then take the antidote quickly!¡± Huo Du took out the snow handkerchief from his sleeve, slowly wiped the blood from his lips, and enjoyed the pain of tearing his internal organs. He looked at Le Zhi with weary eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t have the antidote.¡± After he finished speaking, he suddenly turned his head sideways and spitted out a mouthful of black blood. Le Zhi stood up in horror. Fear, helplessness, and deep puzzlement showed in her eyes instantly. No, no antidote?! Then, how dared he drank poison casually¡­ Is he crazy? CH 14 Chapter 14 Detoxification Le Zhi did not know that there was such a special pharmacy in the mansion. She pushed Huo Du here according to his instructions. After seeing the arrangement inside, she could not help but widen her eyes. This was completely different from the ordinary pharmacy. There were no wooden cabinets with all kinds of medicinal ingredients, let alone the slightest medicinal fragrance. On the wooden shelf, there were only bottles of different colors porcelain bottles, which dazzled people. ¡°If Taizifei continues to appreciate it carefully, you can collect the corpse for this loneliness.¡± Huo Du joked, but his voice became hoarse due to the poison. After Le Zhi regained her sense, she hurriedly pushed him to the table. She stood in front of the table with a grave expression while holding an empty porcelain bowl in front of her. ¡°Three drops of the fifth bottle in the third row.¡± ¡°Four drops of the seventh bottle in the fifth row.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Le Zhi methodically took down the medicine bottle according to what he said, and carefully dropped the medicine into the bowl. But in the end, her hand holding the medicine bottle was shaking uncontrollably due to panic. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, ah.¡± Huo Du rested weakly against the back of the chair but the smile on his face was even more when his life was in danger, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if there is an extra drop or less a drop. This loneliness is very relieved that Taizifei will collect the corpse for this loneliness.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes to look at him. His face was as white as paper, and black blood continued to spill from his mouth, sliding across his white and slender neck to his crimson-colored middle clothes. And his peach blossom eyes were scarlet. Red and white formed a contrast which made his appearance very captivating. He was poisoned until like this, and still had the time to tease her. Le Zhi was angry, could not help but glared at him, and scolded in her heart ¡®A crazy lame person!¡¯ But she only dared to scold him in her heart, and her tone was slightly resentful, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯d better talk less. Why don¡¯t you save some energy to rest?¡± Looking at the expression on Le Zhi¡¯s face that dared to be angry but dared not say anything, Huo Du thought it was very interesting. Gee, she still has a temper. Yes ah, how could a princess of a country have no temper? He thought that she looked much better when she was angry than when she pretended to be obedient. Huo Du chuckled and stopped teasing her. He just continued to tell her how to dispense the medicine. The slender figure was busy, composed, and calm, with uncontrollable nervousness. Huo Du raised his eyebrows. Are you so afraid? Although this poison looked dangerous, it was really incomparable with the hundreds of poisons he had tasted before. Everyone knew he had a weird personality and acted crazily. Especially his imperial younger brother, who both feared and hated him, sent many people to take his life, but those people never came back, and no corpses had been found in the end. Only a few people in this world knew that this sinister Huo Du was actually a doctor with excellent medical skills. As for the reasons for studying medicine, it was a bit ridiculous. Too many people want his life, but it was difficult to get close to him and the best way was to use poison. Poisons, poisonous gases, poisonous snakes, and poisonous insects¡­ everything that one expected to find. He could only avoid it once or twice, but he could not avoid it every time. In this way, before they started, he had tasted thousands of strange poisons in the world and most of these poisons had no cure. But Huo Du did not believe it. If it was poisonous, there must be a solution. He never left a way out for himself. No matter what poison it was, it was like drinking a sweet syrup and then forcing himself to make the antidote before the poison struck his death. Maybe Heavens did not want him to die, therefore he succeeded every time. But what if he failed? Huo Du naturally thought about this question before. If he failed, then he would die. Since he could not cure the poison, it was better to die in his own hands than to be poisoned by others. Which was much better. The last drop of liquid medicine dropped into the porcelain bowl. The liquid medicine in the bowl boiled rapidly and changed color, becoming a bowl of steaming thick black soup in an instant. Le Zhi walked up to Huo Du with the medicine in hand. The thick and bitter smell of the medicine made her frown. She used to be most afraid of drinking this kind of bitter soup when she was sick. However, she handed the bowl to Huo Du¡¯s lips, and he drank it straight away without even frowning. ¡°Your Highness, is there any candy or candied fruit here? I¡¯ll get some for Your Highness to suppress the bitterness.¡± Huo Du squinted his eyes slightly. Although he had drunk the antidote, the poison in his body would not detoxify quickly. He shook his head. Candy? He hated this kind of sweet and greasy thing most. Le Zhi sighed inwardly, then turned her eyes to look at the pharmacy seriously and found a soft bed in the corner. She breathed a sigh of relief. Now that Huo Du¡¯s body was weak, it would make things worse if he was blown by the cold wind on the way and got a cold when she pushed him back to the bedroom. That¡¯s just right. She pushed the person to the edge of the soft bed and bent down to put his hand on her shoulder. Huo Du¡¯s right leg was crippled and had no strength, so the whole body¡¯s weight was placed on Le Zhi¡¯s body. Le Zhi¡¯s face blushed and finally helped the person to lie down on the bed. The dispensing of the medicine just now had already exhausted her. After doing all this, she sat weakly on Huo Du¡¯s wheelchair and gasped for a few breaths. The consciousness of the person on the collapse was chaotic, but he still said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Won¡¯t Taizifei sleep with me on the bed?¡± Huo Du¡¯s forehead began to sweat, presumably, the poison had begun to detoxify. Le Zhi shook her head as she was about to rest for a short while and then let someone prepare hot water and gave him a simple wipe down. ¡°Afraid?¡± Huo Du hooked his lips, ¡°Afraid of waking up with a corpse lying beside you?¡± Why can¡¯t you shut up! Le Zhi glared at him, raised her hand to press his peach blossom eye, and massaged it lightly with her fingertips, ¡°Close your eyes and rest.¡± After a while, she took her hand away. She did not know if it was because of the poisoning or he was really tired, Huo Du¡¯s breathing became shallow and he seemed to be really asleep. She got up and went outside to call someone to prepare hot water. After all, Taizi being poisoned was a big deal, and Le Zhi dared not say anything. The servants of the Taizi Mansion knew the rules very well and did not ask much, only acting according to her orders. After wiping off the sweat on Huo Du¡¯s forehead and the bloodstain between his lips and neck with a warm handkerchief, Le Zhi propped up her cheeks with her hand and stared at his sleeping face for fear that the poison would not clear, and he would really stop breathing in his sleep. Recalling everything that happened tonight, she drooped her head and felt depressed. What kind of ally did she choose¡­? At this time, he was sound asleep, and Le Zhi dared to open her mouth lightly, ¡°Lunatic!¡± At this time, the eyelashes of the person on the collapse moved slightly, which frightened Le Zhi. She quickly bent over to have a look, but his slender eyelashes trembled a few times and then stopped moving. She breathed a sigh of relief and blinked her dry eyes. Although she was physically and mentally exhausted, she still did not dare to close her eyes and rest. The sky was bright, and the winter sun shone through the window and brushed on Huo Du¡¯s face. He was originally a light sleeper, but he had slept for a long time because of the poisoning. When he opened his eyes, there was a smiling hibiscus face in front of him. Seeing him wake up, a smile appeared between her eyebrows, ¡°Your Highness is awake?¡± Huo Du got up, and a strange feeling rose in his heart. He looked at the person in front of him again, the eyes were bloodshot, and the lower part of the eyelid was black. Apparently, she did not sleep all night. He suddenly became serious, ¡°Le Zhi, are you sick?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s smile suddenly froze. She looked left and right and did not know where she had provoked him. When she lowered her eyes, she remembered that she was sitting in his wheelchair. Could it be that he did not allow others to sit on his wheelchair? She quickly got up and helped him to the wheelchair. But the grievance in her heart was getting worse and worse. This man really had no conscience. She took care of him all night, but he turned against her after sitting in his wheelchair for a while. ¡°Come with me.¡± There was no warmth in his tone again. Le Zhi thought that she should not argue with the lunatic, so she sniffed and followed. Huo Du did not go elsewhere, just returned to the bedroom. Le Zhi was stunned. Is he going to continue sleeping? ¡°Go to bed.¡± Huo Du held her wrist and pulled the person to the bed to sit down facing him. And then leaned over to lift her feet. The author has something to say: Du: Are you sick? Zhi: You are sick, your whole family is sick! Du: I just want to sleep with my wife¡­ (feel wronged) laughing to death¡­ lunatic, as expected of you! CH 15 Chapter 15 Honesty Le Zhi flinched in panic, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. I just don¡¯t like to owe others.¡± He did not get up, just took off Le Zhi¡¯s boots and socks seriously, and lightly lifted her legs to the bed. Then he pushed the wheelchair to get ready to leave. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Le Zhi called out to stop him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Now I am honest with His Highness, whether His Highness believes it or not, I sincerely regard His Highness as an ally.¡± After a pause, Le Zhi frowned slightly, and said cautiously, ¡°Your Highness, can you stop trying the poison with your body like last night? There are obviously many ways to test the poison¡­¡± The little girl¡¯s tone was aggrieved as if she was frightened by the scene last night. Huo Du smiled and said nothing. He would not agree to what he could not do. ¡°Lie down and sleep.¡± Seeing that he did not answer, Le Zhi stopped asking and lay down with a sigh. ¡°Cover with the quilt.¡± Le Zhi was stunned for a moment. Maybe she was so worried that she even forgot to cover herself with the quilt. She hurriedly pulled the quilt beside her, wrapped herself, and closed her eyes tightly. Huo Du raised his hand and threw some sleeping spice into the incense burner beside the bed, and then left the bedroom. ¡ª The prime minister¡¯s mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful hangings, radiant with joy. The maids in the mansion were busy all over, and with cheerful smiles on their faces. The prime minister¡¯s only daughter was getting married to the third prince with the most prestigious reputation in the Great Qi. This was a big happy event! ¡°Qingyan, Qingyan?¡± Lin Yuxian walked into Shen Qingyan¡¯s boudoir cheerfully, but seeing her worried look, she shook her arm and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What are you thinking about until lost in thought?¡± There were not many noble ladies with high status in the Great Qi. Since the two were the same age, they naturally became close friends from a young age. Now that Shen Qingyan¡¯s wedding was imminent, Lin Yuxian was happier than her. Shen Qingyan recovered, pulled a smile, and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of anything.¡± This was the wishful husband that she was getting married to. Logically speaking, she should never have such a worried look. This girl¡¯s mood was very delicate, and Lin Yuxian could see at a glance what she was thinking. ¡°Are you worried about that Le Zhi?¡± Lin Yuxian pouted with slight anger, ¡°Look at her charming foxy appearance. She is a disaster at first glance!¡± Even if Lin Yuxian was dissatisfied, she had to admit that Le Zhi¡¯s beautiful appearance was overwhelming. Shen Qingyan could not help frowning after hearing this, ¡°Yuxian, don¡¯t say that. She¡­ is also quite pitiful.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her pity! Don¡¯t be so sympathetic. In this world, heroes are based on success and failure.¡± Lin Yuxian¡¯s face turned red while biting her lip, ¡°She should have been locked up like her sister¡­ It¡¯s all to blame for His Majesty¡¯s messing with the mandarin ducks, and cousin Taizi doesn¡¯t like her!¡± Shen Qingyan sighed as she did not know what Lin Yuxian thought toward Taizi. His Majesty¡¯s marriage bestowment was a sharp stab in her heart. Even without the marriage bestowment, she never saw that His Highness Taizi treated Yuxian differently. Alas, this silly girl ah. Thinking of this, she could not help but smile bitterly. A bystander saw through everything, these words were indeed true. But what about Huo Xu toward her? Although he agreed to the marriage bestowment, the look on his face when he met Le Zhi before the palace banquet could not deceive anyone. He had not let go of her yet. Shen Qingyan did not know that Huo Xu had a marriage contract with Le Zhi when he was a hostage in the country Li, and the two were also childhood sweethearts for more than ten years. But now things had changed dramatically, and Le Zhi had also become the Taizifei. So¡­ so would she have a chance to slowly replace Le Zhi and become that person in his heart? She was willing to give it a try. From the day that Huo Xu returned home in triumph, he had grown in her heart with just one look and hard to get rid of. And in this month, he had often brought her some novelty playthings and also asked for a peace charm for her at Huguo Temple. Did this mean that he also treated her differently? The corners of her lips gradually raised, and her smile glowed. Shen Qingyan¡¯s heart raised a little bit of confidence. ¡ª After staying up all night, Le Zhi slept in a daze and woke up with some dizziness. It was already dusk outside. The afterglow of the setting sun came in from the window and printed the room with dim yellow. Le Zhi got up and walked to the table and found that there were several plates of exquisite desserts on the table somehow. She touched her stomach and was surprised to find that she had not eaten for a long time. She poured a cup of hot tea and ate it slowly with the pastries. She thought as she ate that Li Yao was really a considerate girl. After eating half full, Le Zhi still remembered the remaining poison on Huo Du¡¯s body, so she went out of the bedroom to see him. But as soon as she opened the door, the maid waiting outside greeted her. ¡°Greetings Taizifei.¡± The maid bowed to salute, and said, ¡°His Highness has instructed that when Taizifei wakes up, let this maid take you to hot spring to find him.¡± Hot spring? Le Zhi took a deep breath and raised her legs to follow the maid who led the way. It was not until the maid closed the door that Le Zhi returned to her senses. The hot mist in the hot springs pool made her vision blurry. She followed the direction towards the pool and finally came to the edge of the hot spring. She also saw Huo Du who was soaking in the hot spring with his eyes closed. She got closer and saw that Huo Du¡¯s complexion was much better, not as pale as last night. Perhaps due to the temperature of the hot spring pool being high, which made his face a little red at this moment. Le Zhi felt relieved that everything seemed all right. ¡°Have you seen enough?¡± The silent atmosphere was suddenly broken, and Le Zhi took a step back subconsciously. She stared at Huo Du in a daze and watched him open his eyes slowly. ¡°What are you doing in a daze? Come down, ah.¡± Huo Du closed his eyes again and smiled softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t Taizifei say to be honest?¡± ¡°Now I am honest with His Highness¡­¡± What she said to him in the morning was deliberately misinterpreted by him like this! The cherry lips were about to be bitten to bleed by her, and the tense string in Le Zhi¡¯s heart suddenly snapped. Why are you being coy? She asked herself this. Did not she prepare earlier? This matter was supposed to happen on the wedding night, and it was not bad to delay until now. It was just¡­ After all, there was still a difference between being in the bedroom and in the hot spring pool. She stopped herself from having the messy thoughts in her head. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and began to untie the belt around her waist. ¡°That¡¯s fine, go¡­¡± Huo Du opened his eyes, but before he could say anything, he saw her clothes fall to the ground in front of his eyes. He originally planned to tease her, to see her at a loss with her face turning red and white. Then drove her out and enjoyed her embarrassing moments of fleeing in a hurry. However, things did not turn out the way he expected. Le Zhi kept her eyes low, so she did not see Huo Du had already opened his eyes. Her outer clothing was all gone, and she reached her fingertips to the back of her neck to loosen the ties of her innerwear. Her graceful body was as white as the bright moon that surrounded by the hot mist and made people even more lost in wild and fanciful thoughts. Her innerwear was loose but had not yet fallen. Huo Du¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly, and the tip of his ear could not help but turn red. For the first time, he hurriedly turned his head to close his peach blossom eyes, stabilized his breath, and covered the panic in his eyes. With all her innerwear gone, Le Zhi hurriedly stepped into the hot spring and the feeling of being naked all over made her panic. The author has something to say: The mouth only can blah blah blah every day, waste! I doubt you can¡¯t do it!!! Du:????? CH 16 Chapter 16 Consummation The water in the hot spring pool rippled. Le Zhi pursed her lips and walked to Huo Du¡¯s side. She leaned against the warm stone wall and distance herself from Huo Du. ¡°Is Your Highness in good health?¡± Huo Du opened his eyes and hummed with a smile, ¡°Thanks to Taizifei.¡± Le Zhi smiled shyly and did not know what to say. There were a lot of food and fruits laid out on the edge of the hot spring pool. Le Zhi watched Huo Du take the cup and hand it to her. She deliberately lowered her body and held out a hand to take it. Inside the ceramic glazed cup was a colorless liquid, which was no different from water. However, the pungent smell was very familiar. It was the smell of night fragrance. Le Zhi opened her lips slightly, but before she could open her mouth, she heard the person beside her say slowly, ¡°Night fragrance is also known as mint.¡± ¡°Mint.¡± Le Zhi murmured, ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful name.¡± Then, she brought the ceramic glazed cup to the tip of her nose, but the slightly strong smell forced her to move the cup away. Huo Du took the cup and drank it in one gulp. Then he sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself. You and I are not the same kinds of people.¡± Le Zhi frowned after hearing this. What did he mean? Could it be that she did all this and only got his words of ¡°not the same kind¡±? This was obviously not the outcome Le Zhi expected. She bit her lip, slowly walked to Huo Du, and raised her eyes to look at him. There was still no emotion in his eyes, and his upper lip was stained with some mint juice. Surrounded by hot mist, there seemed to be a thin layer of water vapor between the two. Suddenly, Le Zhi stepped forward, put both her hands on Huo Du¡¯s shoulders, and pressed her body close to him. ¡°Taizifei, this is¡­¡± Before the words were finished, Le Zhi had already put her cherry lips on his, and the two of them were pressed against each other in an instant. Although the premarital momo had taught a lot before the wedding, it was not easy to actually do it. Le Zhi has never been like this with anyone, let alone know how to kiss. There was only a faint smile in the eyes of the peach blossoms that were up-close, and no other reaction. She had no choice but to gently kiss Huo Du¡¯s lips stained with mint juice. It was not as pungent as she expected, and the tip of the tongue only felt a hint of coolness. She kissed carefully, and the tip of her tongue penetrated slowly until it touched his tightly closed teeth. What should I do next? Le Zhi¡¯s mind went blank. She entered in order, but Huo Du was not moved at all. She suddenly felt defeated, looked down dejectedly, and was ready to back away. However, a palm was suddenly placed on her lower back to make her stick even closer. The softness in front of her chest hit a hard one. Perhaps the water in the hot spring pool was too warm, Le Zhi¡¯s body was instantly tense. And the person in front of her slowly stuck out the tip of his tongue and entangled with her. This was the real kiss at this moment. Le Zhi felt her cheeks burn like fire. Huo Du¡¯s kiss was long, as unhurried as being attentive, but it also took all her breath away. Neither of them closed their eyes, and they just stared at each other. His eyes were filled with ruthlessness and desire, and the kiss was not passionate at all. Until Le Zhi felt that she was about out of breath, Huo Du let go of her as if he had calculated the time. Le Zhi gasped a few times, and then pretended to be calm before commenting, ¡°It tastes great.¡± Seeing that Huo Du was silent, she wanted to reach out to hold his hand. However, his hand was submerged in the water, and it was difficult to find it for a while. Le Zhi was extremely patient, and her little hands carefully groped under the water. ¡­Until she grasped something. What is this? It¡¯s hot and hard. Le Zhi was stunned. Could it be that there was something else in the hot spring pool? She squeezed it with a little caution. She saw the complexion of the person in front of her suddenly sunk, and there was a trace of consternation in his eyes. Le Zhi did not know whether it was an illusion or not, she felt that Huo Du¡¯s eyes were a little red. This is¡­. what¡¯s the matter? ¡°Is it fun?¡± His voice was hoarse. This was the first time that Le Zhi saw him like this, and she squeezed harder in panic¡­ Then she heard a muffled groan. She finally realized what she was holding. Although she has not seen it with her own eyes, she could roughly judge from the portray in the book and the description of the momo. With a low cry, she quickly let go and took two steps back. A state of panic, helplessness, and embarrassment appeared on her snowy cheeks. Her already tense body trembled even more and caused her lower leg to be pulled at this time. The whole person suddenly lost weight and fell backward. The whole body was immersed in the hot spring pool, and a splash of water splashed on Huo Du¡¯s face. Le Zhi, who was struggling in the water, closed her eyes and could not help thinking that she should be the most disgraceful princess who drowned in the hot spring pool without any trace. After a while, she suddenly felt that the hot spring water behind her pushed her upwards as if it had strength. When her head was exposed to the surface of the water, the hot spring strength had not disappeared, and it pushed her straight towards Huo Du. When her thoughts returned, her whole body was already on Huo Du, and her chin was resting on his shoulder. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were sore, and the tears that had been suppressed for a long time fell straight down. She did not know what to do anymore. She had done everything that she should and should not do, but Huo Du kept teasing her. She was really useless. There was a small whimper, and the soft body clinging to him trembled slightly. Huo Du was angry at her but also found it laughable. Obviously, it was her that took the initiative to kiss him, but the kiss was not very good. Her little hand was still grabbing restlessly under the water. But unexpectedly, she felt wronged first? However, this look really looked like a little fox caught in the rain. Strangely pitiful. He did not tease her anymore. He put his hand around her slender waist and patted her back gently with his other hand as if to coax her. ¡°Your Highness always teases me.¡± Le Zhi buried her face in his neck, rubbed lightly, sniffed again, and muttered, ¡°You bully people¡­¡± Hiss. He gave her an inch and she wanted a mile. She was still the villain who had to complain first. Huo Du pulled the person away from his body, stared at her red fox eyes, raised his eyebrows, and asked, ¡°Who throw herself at me like wolves and tigers? Who kissed who first? At the end, who bullied who first?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face turned red after hearing this, hurriedly lowered her head and said aggrievedly, ¡°But Your Highness said that I am not the same kind.¡± Huo Du pressed his palm to Le Zhi¡¯s heart and Le Zhi raised her eyes in puzzled. ¡°If you want to be with me, you can¡¯t be so fragile here. Understand?¡± Le Zhi was slightly startled and then nodded seriously. The palm of his hand moved up slowly, held her white shoulder, and pulled her closer slightly. The tip of their noses touched and Huo Du hooked his lips, ¡°Besides, what kind of bullying is this. At most¡­ it¡¯s just affection between husband and wife.¡± ¡­ After a long delay in the hot spring pool, it was already late at night when the two returned to the bedroom. Le Zhi lay on the bed, feeling puzzled in her heart. Just now, she accidentally grabbed his¡­ If according to momo¡¯s interpretation, Huo Du did not have any desire for her because he still did not touch her, which was strange. No matter what he thought, it was fine like this too. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Le Zhi returned to her senses and remembered what Huo Xu had said to her earlier in the guest house, so she said to Huo Du, ¡°Your Highness knew that the Eastern Palace also has Huo Xu¡¯s spy.¡± ¡°Oh? Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Because he knew that Your Highness and I have not¡­¡± After a pause, Le Zhi bit her tongue in annoyance. Why did she have to say this at this moment! ¡°Have not what?¡± Huo Du asked with a smile. Le Zhi glared at him. This person clearly understood, but he insisted on me saying it! She vaguely spat out the word ¡°consummate¡±. ¡°What?¡± Huo Du deliberately said, ¡°Say it clearly.¡± ¡°Consummate!¡± Le Zhi was embarrassed. ¡°He knew that we have not consummated yet. How could he know such a private matter if he didn¡¯t have a spy?¡± There was no heater in the bedroom, and the residual heat from the hot spring pool had long dissipated. Le Zhi pulled the brocade quilt up and bundled herself up. ¡°Consummate¡­¡± Huo Du leaned on the embroidered pillow and looked sideways at her, ¡°Do you want to?¡± Le Zhi raised her head in astonishment, thought for a moment, and bit her lip, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Your Highness.¡± Oh. That means not wanting to. ¡°But I will not, ah.¡± Le Zhi was at a loss, ¡°Huh?¡± Will not¡­ Will not what? Will not consummate? Come on¡­ Huo Du smiled softly and gently put the book at the head of the bed next to Le Zhi¡¯s face. Le Zhi got out of the quilt and took the book in her hand. Was not this the book he had been reading? She opened the book with curiosity and flipped through the pages. Gradually, Le Zhi¡¯s cherry lips opened slightly, as if struck by lightning. The description in this book was more detailed than the book shown by momo before the wedding. The illustrations were also drawn more clearly, and the women were mostly on the top. Both her hands could not help trembling, and the book fell on the bed. Huo Du laughed out loud, picked up the book, and said in deadly earnest, ¡°This loneliness¡¯s legs are inconvenient. I am afraid that I have to trouble Taizifei.¡± As he spoke, he shoved the book into Le Zhi¡¯s hand and chuckled, ¡°Study hard.¡± Unexpectedly, there was such a thing! Le Zhi blushed and summoned up her courage to respond to him with a yes. ¡°Taizifei is so smart that it won¡¯t take long to master the secrets.¡± Huo Du leaned over, his breath brushed over the tip of Le Zhi¡¯s ears, and said softly, ¡°Then this loneliness will wait for the day when Taizifei help to take off my pants.¡± Boom! Her brain was buzzing. Purposely, this man did it on purpose! Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s stiff body with satisfaction. Oh, now she just looks like a little fox with fried fur. He waved his hand casually which made the bed curtain fall, and the inside of the bed fell into darkness. Le Zhi lay down. Her heart still beating so fast that she was not sleepy at all. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t thanked Taizifei for detoxifying this loneliness. Is there anything you want?¡± After a long silence, Huo Du said again, ¡°If you don¡¯t have any, then forget it.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Le Zhi said softly, ¡°I want to have two more maids. Can I have Jing Xin from the Eastern Palace and Lin Yue from this mansion?¡± ¡°The internal maids are original in charge by you, which is nothing. What else do you want?¡± ¡°I want to ask Your Highness to borrow some money¡­¡± Le Zhi had long thought about it that if she wanted to take root in Great Qi, she absolutely could not do it without money at hand. Which one did not need money, to recruit people and to bribe people¡¯s hearts? It would not be enough if just relying on Taizifei¡¯s salary alone. She needed capital to do some business. Only in this way could there be a guaranteed return. ¡°Yes. How much do you want to borrow?¡± ¡°Five¡­ five thousand taels?¡± Le Zhi asked cautiously as the amount was obviously not small. ¡°Let the steward bring it to you tomorrow.¡± How could it be so smooth? Le Zhi was speechless, and said doubtfully, ¡°Your Highness, won¡¯t you ask me what I¡¯m going do with this money?¡± Her answer was a laugh. ¡°Commit murder and arson are fine. But¡­¡± Huo Du said lightly, ¡°You have to pay back to this loneliness three times the principal with interest within a year.¡± Three times!? This man was even shadier than a profiteer! Le Zhi was terrified and could not help but say, ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out¡­¡± Huo Du did not answer. ¡°All right! Three times it is!¡± Le Zhi gritted her teeth in response. Inside the dark bed curtain, Huo Du closed his eyes and hooked his lips. He could guess her expression without opening his eyes Ah. If it¡¯s doesn¡¯t work out, you can pay back with something else. The author has something to say: Du: What¡¯s the point of paying the debt! Zhi: That¡¯s it, you cannot even consummate. Tut, is it cannot or unwilling? Du: ????? CH 17 Chapter 17 Asking In the deep dark and narrow alley, there was a small sound. ¡°¡­There is nothing unusual about Master.¡± It was Li Yao¡¯s voice. ¡°Li Yao, you remember it clearly.¡± A young manservant dressed as a man mocked, ¡°Who is your master and who you should be loyal to.¡± Li Yao bit her lip and nodded while fine beads of sweat oozed out of her forehead. Her face was pale, and her eyebrows knitted tightly as if she was suffering from some great pain. The young manservant spat lowly, took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve unhurriedly, and threw it to her, ¡°His Highness doesn¡¯t support useless people. If you can¡¯t find any useful information, there will be no antidote next time.¡± After he finished speaking, the young manservant raised his leg to leave. Li Yao drank the antidote from the porcelain bottle with trembling hands. After a long while, the pale cheeks returned to normal. In the small alley on a long winter night, it was as cold as an ice cellar. Li Yao slowly fell down and sat by the wall as if she had no strength. She closed the sour eyes that were filled with tears. The bitter medicine in her mouth was especially bitter. How could this bitter medicine enter the heart? ¡ª Early the next morning, two maids stood in the front hall of the Taizi Mansion. The two did not know each other, so they did not speak at all. Le Zhi walked into the hall wearing a snow-white fox fur cloak, and slowly sat down in the armchair. Upon seeing this, Jing Xin and Lin Yue hurriedly bowed to salute, and said in unison, ¡°Pay respect to Taizifei.¡± ¡°Forego the formalities.¡± Le Zhi smiled lightly and said gently, ¡°I¡¯ve brought you here because I want you two to work by my side in the future. Would you like to?¡± After a pause, Le Zhi added, ¡°If you prefer your original job, please tell me. I won¡¯t force you.¡± Lin Yue was overjoyed after hearing this as there was such a good thing! She hurriedly agreed, ¡°Yes, this maid is so willing!¡± Jing Xin was not as beaming with joy as Lin Yue, but she was also very happy in her heart. She could not hide the smile in her eyes, and she nodded immediately. So, it was settled. After Jing Xin and Lin Yue withdrew, Le Zhi saw Li Yao standing outside the door and hesitated to enter the hall. So, she opened her mouth to call her in. When Li Yao got closer, Le Zhi was surprised to find that her face was bloodless and revealed her morbid condition. ¡°Are you sick? It¡¯s cold outside. If you¡¯re not feeling well, go back to the room to rest.¡± Li Yao pursed her lips and shook her head, but her eyes gradually turned red. Le Zhi sighed. It was not that she did not know that Li Yao was cautious and thoughtful in everything. If she was not someone sent by Huo Xu, she would definitely use her well. It was exactly because of this that she transferred Jing Xin and Lin Yue over. Although these two were not as meticulous as Li Yao, they were relatively simple. The most important thing in employing people was loyalty. Li Yao¡­ She really did not dare to use her. Looking at Le Zhi¡¯s frowning brows and the talented two maids earlier, Li Yao could probably guess Master¡¯s mind¡­ Is Master no longer trusting her? No, it should be said that Master had never completely trusted her. For more than a month, she had taken good care of Master. Although Master appeared to be resigning to her fate on the surface, Li Yao knew that Master was not really resigning to her fate. She did not know what Master was planning, but she could see the stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat from Master¡¯s heart of hearts. Li Yao made up her mind after taking a deep breath. She did not want to be at the mercy of others anymore. So, she knelt down solemnly facing Le Zhi. Her pale face showed a firm expression and said frankly, ¡°This maid knows that Master doesn¡¯t trust this maid, but this maid wholeheartedly trusts you. Is Master willing to believe this maid again?¡± After she finished speaking, the hall became quiet, and the needles that fell to the ground could be heard. Le Zhi looked at Li Yao¡¯s face carefully. After a while, she said, ¡°Get up. Sit down and talk.¡± Li Yao¡¯s face was full of tears. She stood up and declined to sit down. Instead, she choked with sobs and said everything. Her story was very simple and ordinary in this troubled world. She was an orphan, and she did not know who her parents were since she was a child. Fortunately, a kindhearted granny adopted her. However, the good times did not last long. When she was about ten years old, the granny died of illness, and she was without support again. While she was roaming around the street, she was carried by someone into a carriage. When she woke up, she was in a big confine room. There were many children of her age there, and everyone looked around with confused eyes. Later, a mysterious man entered the room. He had his face covered and began to teach them reading, identifying people¡¯s hearts, making and studying drugs, and using hidden weapons. Those children who cried and refused to learn or learned slowly and often made mistakes would be taken away from the room and never came back. There were fewer and fewer children in the room. Li Yao had a keen mind and knew that being taken away was never a good thing. She had no alternative but to study harder and pray that she would not be taken away. After a few years, only five people remained in the room. And they began to officially accept tasks. Most of these tasks were to sneak into the mansions of courtiers of senior officials to steal information or use poison to assassinate people on the list as instructed. Li Yao was good at understanding people¡¯s hearts but was not good at making drugs. Therefore, her tasks were all about stealing information, and her hands have not been stained with blood. It was not until a month ago that she was sent to Huo Xu¡¯s side for his dispatch. Li Yao knew that the mysterious person who secretly kidnapped and cultivated them must have a lot to do with Huo Xu. It was not that she had not thought about escaping, but they used poison to control her. If she did not take the antidote in time, her life would be worse than death. And the antidote was mixed with a new poison every time, which made it difficult for her to escape. However, she was really tired, physically and mentally exhausted. Li Yao hated the days when she was being controlled and wanted to fight back. Compared with being controlled by Huo Xu, she wanted to choose Le Zhi and choose another way out. No matter how dangerous the road ahead was, even if she could not escape death in the end, she wanted to die with dignity like a person. After Li Yao revealed everything, she was already in tears. Although she was crying, she was a little happy that at least now she could cry as much as she wanted. After listening to all this, Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were sour, and her chest was heaving as if she had used a lot of strength to suppress the huge anger. Beast! Even the children were not spared. They were not as good as a beast! Li Yao actually suffered these hardships since she was a child. The hall door opened wide, and the cold wind from outside came in. This caused Li Yao¡¯s body could not help but shiver uncontrollably. Le Zhi got up and took off her fox fur cloak to put it on Li Yao. Li Yao was shocked and hurriedly declined, ¡°I can¡¯t take it! Master will catch a cold!¡± Le Zhi stopped her hand and fastened the tie of the fox fur cloak before she said, ¡°Li Yao, trust is a thing that can be as strong as iron and as fragile as paper. There is no doubt that I will trust you with all my heart from today onwards. As long as you are sincere, I will never treat you badly.¡± Li Yao¡¯s tears fell straight down, ¡°This maid will never betray Master¡¯s trust!¡± After saying that, she bowed and knelt down again. Le Zhi quickly took her hand and asked, ¡°When is the next poison outbreak?¡± ¡°Around tomorrow night¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Le Zhi patted her on the shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to deal with the poison on your body.¡± ¡ª Speaking of detoxification, Le Zhi immediately thought of Huo Du. The poison that night was extremely dangerous, but Huo Du could still easily solve it. If he was willing to help, it would definitely not be difficult to detoxify the poison on Li Yao¡¯s body. It should be more difficult for her to make a move. But no matter how difficult it was, she had to try. She followed her heart and walked to the back garden even before she knew it. The warm sun dispelled the cold in winter. Le Zhi saw Huo Du sitting in a wheelchair leisurely teasing Little Lame Huo. She raised her legs and walked towards him. When she got closer, Little Lame Huo raised its head and meowed excitedly. It stretched out its front paws to move toward Le Zhi. Seeing this, Huo Du¡¯s face sank and pulled its ears, and then he raised his eyes to give Le Zhi a cold look. Le Zhi curved her lips and picked up Little Lame Huo. Then, she calmly sat on Huo Du¡¯s lap. Unlike the last time she was in the building, this time she leaned her entire body towards him. She could feel herself being surrounded by the scent of mint. The moment she sat down, Huo Du¡¯s black eyes flashed a trace of surprise, but soon returned to normal. Ah. The last time she was scared to death, but now she sits on the lap at ease. Huo Du reached out his hand around Le Zhi¡¯s slender waist and asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you learned it well?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Le Zhi was puzzled, learn what? The hand wrapped around her waist exerted a little force, and Le Zhi could not help but get closer to him. Huo Du leaned closer to her ear and chuckled, ¡°Consummation, ah. This loneliness doesn¡¯t know that Taizifei has such a passion and likes to be in the garden¡­¡± After pausing a moment, he said ¡°tsk¡± again, ¡°Although it¡¯s indecent, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± As he spoke, he raised his hand and tried to untie the belt of Le Zhi¡¯s skirt. Le Zhi was shocked by what he said, and even forgot to stop him for a while. As soon as the hand holding Little Lame Huo was loosened, the little lame cat fell to the ground instantly, meowed discontentedly a few times, and left with its head high. After Le Zhi regained her senses, her snowy cheeks reddened. As she got up, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go bring Little Lame Huo back!¡± But before she could completely stand up, Huo Du pulled her into his chest again. Huo Du tangled Le Zhi¡¯s dress belt around his finger to play with it and said firmly, ¡°See no evil. Could it be that you want it to see our consummation?¡± If possible, Le Zhi really wanted to sew up his mouth! But she dared not. She gently held Huo Du¡¯s hand, then leaned closer to him and kissed the corner of his lips softly, and said coquettishly, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Being diligent for nothing.¡± Huo Du loosened the tangled belt and pinched Le Zhi¡¯s face, ¡°You have something to ask me?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank and raised her eyes to look at Huo Du¡¯s black eyes. At this moment, she suddenly realized that Huo Du might know about some matters entirely. For example, Li Yao¡¯s poison, Li Yao¡¯s identity, and even the purpose of her looking to him. It sent chills down her spine. What kind of person was Huo Du? That that case, she might as well admit it openly. ¡°Yes. I want to ask Your Highness for help with something!¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Huo Du raised his eyebrows with a smile and tangled her belt again with an obvious meaning. Le Zhi bit her lip. This lunatic did not really want to consummate the marriage in the garden, right?! In fact, she was not so afraid of consummation a long time ago. Anyway, it was just a matter of closing her eyes. But in the garden¡­ it was cold and in broad daylight, so shameful! In case there were any servants passed by¡­ She dared not think about it. But Li Yao¡¯s poison¡­ Never mind! Le Zhi bit her lips until a white mark was shown. Was not it just a matter of closing the eyes? There was no difference between closing her eyes in the room and closing her eyes in the garden! Besides, the servants dared not come over casually with Hou Du around. She took a deep breath, and the cold air went into her heart and lungs, making her shiver. She no longer hesitated and reached out her hand to Huo Du¡¯s waist to untie his black belt. The author has something to say: Du: Surprise! My wife is a hooligan!!! Zhi: Shameless!!! CH 18 Chapter 18 Sincerity Sometimes, Huo Du would feel the novelty. This was a marriage bestowment that he did not care about and this person should not be remained up to now. However, she was sitting naturally in his arms now¡­ flirting with him? Although she had a purpose, she still did it very seriously. This was the most special part of Le Zhi. Smart but not self-righteous, arrogant but willing to go all out. Because of this, Huo Du wanted to know even more what exactly she wanted to do. In other words, how far could she go now that she had nothing? Therefore, he was willing to help her a little with his little remaining kindness. Was not this a lot more fun than teasing a cat? Huo Du¡¯s belt was tied in a complicated knot, and it took Le Zhi a while to untie it. Because of the anxiety in her heart, she did not notice a little sweat dripping from her forehead. The belt fell, and the lapel loosened¡­ At this time, a cold white hand covered hers and restrained it gently. Le Zhi raised her eyes and met Huo Du¡¯s eyes which seemed to be smiling yet not smiling. ¡°You want this loneliness to save Huo Xu¡¯s spy?¡± Huo Du rubbed the back of her hand with his fingertips and sneered, ¡°Does Taizifei think this loneliness is a fool?¡± Le Zhi was slightly startled, and immediately shook her head, ¡°Li Yao is not¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Huo Du interrupted her, ¡°Is her past true? Even it¡¯s exactly as she said, don¡¯t you think this might be¡­¡± ¡°Bitter meat trick*!¡± Le Zhi said anxiously, ¡°I thought about it.¡± (Bitter meat trick * ¨C a tactic of deliberately injuring oneself to deceive the trust of others) She was someone who climbed out of purgatory, so how could she not have thought about it. In case Li Yao used a bitter meat trick to deceive her sympathy and trust, and then it was better for her to work for Huo Xu. But¡­ what if Li Yao did not lie? Would it be better to kill the wrong one than let it go? Le Zhi could not do it. People who were born in troubled times were all unfortunate people. Le Zhi was unwilling to kill Li Yao¡¯s opportunity to be good. Le Zhi turned her palm with her eyes lowered, and naturally put her slender fingers through Huo Du¡¯s fingers, interlocking their ten fingers. ¡°I want to give Li Yao a chance, just like Your Highness is willing to give me a chance.¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips and shook his hand lightly, ¡°I beg Your Highness for help.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Huo Du chuckled, ¡°How do you want to solve it? Do you want to solve it completely or slowly?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart froze when she heard that. She understood what Huo Du meant. Slowly solved it was to hold Li Yao¡¯s life firmly in her hands which were even more foolproof for her. ¡°Solve it completely.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes with a firm expression. If she used poison to control and threaten her life, would not she become the second Huo Xu? ¡°Oh?¡± Huo Du became interested and asked, ¡°No poison. What is Taizifei going to use in exchange for her loyalty?¡± ¡°Sincerity, use my sincerity.¡± Le Zhi blurted out without thinking. She wanted to take a gamble and exchange sincerity with sincerity. Compared with coercion, she was more willing to believe that genuine willingness could be exchanged with sincerity. Le Zhi¡¯s cheek showed unprecedented seriousness. Huo Du only found this childish and stubborn look ridiculous. A princess who was betrayed and her country was subjugated, could still believe that sincerity was useful up to now. Hiss. ¡°This loneliness suggested that Taizifei read the book more often when you have nothing to do. There were many stories of treachery and revenge.¡± Huo Du¡¯s tone was full of sarcasm. Le Zhi did not care much, but instead leaned her head on Huo Du¡¯s shoulder, and said tenderly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t there still Your Highness? With Your Highness here, you can¡¯t let others hurt me, right?¡± As the day approached noon, the sun was making the body warmer and warmer. The cool breeze was blowing, and a few strands of Le Zhi¡¯s hair blew to Huo Du¡¯s neck. Her black hair touched slightly as if it was scratching at the tip of his heart. Huo Du raised his hand to push Le Zhi¡¯s head away, but the figure in his arms was sticking to him like a rogue. She even pressed her cheek against his neck and rubbed lightly. Huo Du was amazed at Le Zhi¡¯s level of roguery. He could not understand how this woman could change so quickly. In just a few days, she went from trembling with fear to clingy when she saw him. Although the acting was a bit over the top. ¡°If it hurts, let it hurt. It¡¯s not difficult for this loneliness to marry another one.¡± After a long while, seeing that Le Zhi did not answer, Huo Du pushed her waist, ¡°Get up, clingy spirit.¡± Le Zhi finally straightened up, looking dissatisfied, and pouted, ¡°Does Your Highness really not like me at all?¡± Huo Du opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Le Zhi gently covered his mouth. ¡°No duplicity.¡± Le Zhi smiled while blinking as if there were bright stars in the foxy eyes. Huo Du was amused. This little princess was simply better than the predecessors and was becoming more and more shameless. The palm on his lips was soft and warm, and Huo Du deliberately stretched out the tip of his tongue to touch it gently. Le Zhi¡¯s face froze as her little hand trembled slightly after feeling the numbness in her palm and she quickly retracted her hand. Huo Du raised his eyebrows. Tsk, it doesn¡¯t seem to be better than the predecessors. Le Zhi was embarrassed and thought that she seemed to have gone too far, so she quickly stood up. But after sitting on his lap for too long, a tingling sensation spread from her calf as soon as her toes touched the ground. She could not stand at all, so she could only sit down on the stone bench with the support of the stone table beside her. She lowered her head and her snowy cheeks blushed. She actually sat until she had pins and needles¡­ This is too embarrassing! Huo Du gathered up his loose lapel and fastened his belt after the weight was lifted from his leg. Then he lifted Le Zhi¡¯s legs and put them on his knees, and slowly massaged her calf with his fingers. Le Zhi stared at him in a daze and her eyes moved slightly. She found that his fingers were extremely beautiful with distinct and long joints. As he gently massaged her, the soreness and numbness gradually disappeared. After a while, Huo Du put her legs down, and then tutted softly, ¡°You¡¯ve already become like this only sitting for a while. Do you still want to consummate here?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Le Zhi returned to her senses, did not understand what he meant, and muttered to herself, ¡°The consummation should be very fast¡­¡± She did not understand. Isn¡¯t the consummation just all at once only? It shouldn¡¯t take very long. Hearing this, the corners of Huo Du¡¯s lips twitched imperceptibly, and the faint smile on his face disappeared. His temples suddenly hurt, and some blood swelled up in his chest. Fast? He really wanted her to experience it whether it was fast or not. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the pharmacy.¡± His voice was cold, and then he pushed the wheelchair away after saying that. Le Zhi was stunned for a moment before she quickly followed up. Why is this man so moody? He was fine just now. Why is he angry again¡­ ¡ª Li Yao¡¯s eyes were red when she took the medicine bottle from Le Zhi and was speechless for a moment. ¡°Take the antidote and don¡¯t be afraid in the future.¡± Li Yao choked with emotions and said, ¡°Thank you, Master¡­¡± ¡°There is no need to say thank you between you and me.¡± Le Zhi said while smiling. What should she do next after the poison on her body had been detoxified? Li Yao did not know what Le Zhi¡¯s plan was. ¡°If Huo Xu¡¯s people come to you tomorrow, you can tell them. The plan went well and Taizi is poisoned now.¡± Li Yao nodded in agreement. ¡°Also.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°Li Yao, do you know the current situation of my sister?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The place where Master¡¯s sister is locked up is heavily guarded and ordinary people are not allowed to enter.¡± Li Yao bit her lip and suddenly felt that she was useless as she could not help her master. ¡°But Master can rest assured that this maid will go make some inquiries.¡± ¡°Great, be sure to pay attention to safety.¡± Thinking that Li Yao had just taken the antidote and her body would definitely not feel better when detoxifying the poison, Le Zhi asked her to go back to her room and have a good rest. ¡ª Huo Du really kept his words and let the steward deliver five thousand taels after lunch. Looking at the heavy silver tael, Le Zhi was in a dilemma. Although she wanted to do some business, she had no experience in doing business and knew nothing about business economics. She did not even know what the profitable business was nowadays. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± Just as she was sighing, Jing Xin and Lin Yue entered the room with freshly cut fruits. Le Zhi suddenly had a flash of inspiration, ¡°Lin Yue, have you ever been exposed to the purchases in the mansion?¡± Lin Yue put down the fresh fruit cheerfully, nodded, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been exposed to some, but most are some ingredients such as vegetables and fruits in the kitchen.¡± After listening to her, Le Zhi had an idea, ¡°You two will go stroll around the street in the afternoon to see which shops in town are doing good business recently, and then buy back all the good things from these shops.¡± As a Taizifei, it was not good to go out and showed the face in the public casually. So, she had to let these two clever maids go for her. After they went out, it did not take long for the maid outside the room to come in to report that An Xuan was outside and asked for an audience. Le Zhi curved her lips, just as she expected. If it was about Jing Xin, An Xuan could not sit still. ¡°Greetings Taizifei.¡± An Xuan bowed and saluted, but his face was gloomy and frightening. ¡°Forego the formalities. Lord An is here, presumably there is something important?¡± ¡°This servant will be bold¡­¡± An Xuan¡¯s face was pale and his voice was dispirited. ¡°I request Taizifei to let Jing Xin go and let her go back to work in the Eastern Palace.¡± Le Zhi knew that the relationship between Jing Xin and An Xuan must not be simple. An Xuan cared about Jing Xin, but Jing Xin obviously did not know An Xuan. Le Zhi was still unclear about these twists and turns, but she understood what An Xuan was worried about. ¡°I know what Lord An is thinking. Lord don¡¯t trust me. Are you afraid that I will use Jing Xin to threaten you?¡± Le Zhi said firmly, ¡°But if Jing Xin stays in the Eastern Palace, can Lord protect her? What should you do if there are palace maids like Li Momo who get her involved in a dispute for nothing? Will you take the blame on her behalf again?¡± Hearing this, An Xuan¡¯s face became even more gloomy and speechless. His heart clenched into a ball. Could he¡­ really could not protect Jing Xin? ¡°I¡¯ll make a promise to Lord. I will never treat Jing Xin harshly when she works for me, let alone take advantage of her.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s expression was earnest, and her tone was firm, ¡°Even though she is a maid, as long as I am here for a day, I will definitely let her live with dignity.¡± After a moment of silence, An Xuan¡¯s eyes finally relaxed. He put his hands together, and bowed to Le Zhi solemnly, ¡°Thank you very much, Taizifei.¡± Only after An Xuan left for a long time did Le Zhi lean tiredly on the armchair. She was not completely selfless by making such a promise to An Xuan. Jing Xin was a simple girl. She could only live better with her protection. After some time, An Xuan would inevitably understand that leaving Jing Xin with her was the best choice. And her promise had a precondition which was ¡°as long as she¡¯s here for a day.¡± Yes, the future is unpredictable. In case she encountered danger, An Xuan would definitely save her life because of this favor. ¡°Greetings Taizifei.¡± The maid¡¯s greeting sound pulled Le Zhi¡¯s thoughts back. ¡°His Highness Taizi has invited you to the Treasure Pavilion.¡± ¡°Treasure Pavilion?¡± Le Zhi wondered at what Huo Du wanted to play again. ¡°The third prince will get married in a few days and His Highness invites you to choose a gift together!¡± Oh, so that¡¯s it. I almost forgot about this thing. The author has something to say: Du: An Xuan is so annoying. Why does she have to buy others¡¯ favor? I can save my wife myself!!! An Xuan: You two, husband and wife, don¡¯t mess with me!!! (silent) CH 19 Chapter 19 Overly Sweet There was a rich sandalwood incense burning in the Treasure Pavilion. Although there was no heater, it could make people feel a little warmth. Le Zhi saw Huo Du standing in front of the Bogu shelf* with a white jade cane, wondering what he was looking at. She walked slowly to his side and followed his gaze to the fifth layer of the Bogu shelf. (Bogu shelf* ¨C multilayer wooden shelf for displaying antiques and treasures indoors with different shapes and layer with an open back) There was a delicate mahogany box with two bright luminous pearls inside. Le Zhi¡¯s face sank. The luminous pearl was Huo Xu¡¯s favorite collection. Huo Du took down the mahogany box as if at random, ¡°How about giving this to Third Imperial Brother for his wedding?¡± The light of the luminous pearls was soft, but Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were a little painful when she looked at it. Such a good thing for Huo Xu¡­ ¡°It¡¯ll be wasted.¡± As she said, she took the wooden box and put it back in place. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du chuckled lightly and reached out his hand to hold her wrist, ¡°You are too stingy.¡± However, that dog thing really did not deserve it. Le Zhi declined to comment and followed Huo Du to continue the selection. There were many treasures in the Treasure Pavilion. Le Zhi who had been childhood sweethearts with him for more than ten years was well aware of Huo Xu¡¯s likes and dislikes. Therefore, she deliberately chose the golden utensils and jade wine-jar that Huo Xu disliked the most. ¡ª After coming out of the Treasure Pavilion, Le Zhi saw Jing Xin and Lin Yue come back loaded with food boxes in both hands. After seeing her and Huo Du, the two girls withdrew the smiles on their faces and walked over to salute in a hurry. Le Zhi had no intention to hide the matter of doing business from Huo Du. Moreover, she could not hide it. ¡°What¡¯s the gain today?¡± Le Zhi asked with a smile. ¡°Master, the most prosperous shop in the town recently is this Sweet Kum Kee.¡± Lin Yue replied, ¡°This maid and Jing Xin stayed in the shop together for a long time and found that all men, women, and children passing by would go into the shop to have a look.¡± Perhaps Jing Xin, who had always been reserved, was infected by Lin Yue¡¯s smile also relaxed a lot at this time. She added with a smile, ¡°There are many kinds of candied fruits and nuts pastries in Sweet Kum Kee. This maid and Lin Yue picked some well-selling ones to bring back for you to try.¡± Le Zhi smiled and nodded. She was relieved that the two girls were really smart. Since Huo Du was still on the side, she could not just follow them to leave. She knew that Huo Du had always disliked these overly sweet snacks, so she pretended to be polite and asked, ¡°Does Your Highness want to try it together?¡± Huo Du could see a trace of slyness flashed across her eyes, but he purposely did as she unexpected, ¡°Yes, ah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As the nightfall approached, the sunset took the warmth away and snowflakes began to float in the sky. At first, she wanted to go to the garden to sample the snacks but had to go back to the bedroom. The two girls put the candied pastries on small plates and retired after putting them on the table. Le Zhi took a candied peach and put it in her mouth, and the sweet and sour taste filled her mouth, ¡°It¡¯s delicious, it¡¯s so delicious!¡± In the past, she loved to eat candied fruits. Although the candied fruits in the country Qi were different from that in the country Li, they tasted very good. Le Zhi sampled each kind carefully. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Your Highness eat it?¡± Seeing that Huo Du was just sitting and had not tasted it, Le Zhi tore a piece of candied fruit and handed it to his lips, ¡°Your Highness, try it.¡± The fruity sweet smell floated to the nose, overly sweet. Huo Du glanced at it with disgust and refused, ¡°No¡­¡± However, as soon as he opened his mouth, the little hand near his lips quickly stuffed the candy into his mouth, and the sweet taste overflowed in an instant. Huo Du¡¯s face darkened in a split second. This taste was very similar to the candy he tasted when he was a child. There was a person in his memory who was like this. She put a small box of candy in his hand and said, ¡°Little Du, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± He nodded obediently in response. However, that person did not come back even after he finished eating the whole box of candy. Since then, he had hated candy and even anything sweet. Huo Du¡¯s face became gloomier, and his already cold white complexion looked a little paler at this time. Le Zhi was frightened as she was afraid that her joke made him unhappy. She leaned closer to him while trembling and lowered her head to admit her mistake. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± There was no response. ¡°Since Your Highness doesn¡¯t like to eat it, just¡­ just spit it out.¡± She said softly, and then put her slightly trembling hand near his lips. In the next moment, Huo Du grabbed her hand and pulled it hard. When she regained her sense, Huo Du¡¯s lips were already on hers, and their breath intertwined. She could see her stunned expression in his black eyes. Unlike the last time when they were in the hot spring pool, he kissed eagerly and fiercely this time. Sure enough, he was angry. Le Zhi felt that he used the tip of his tongue to push the remaining candy into her mouth. The lychee candy was soft and fragrant. He did not let go of her until the candy completely melted. Huo Du rubbed her shiny lips with his finger, which made Le Zhi¡¯s face blush even redder. ¡°Do you still dare?¡± His tone was casual. Le Zhi shook her head vigorously. Don¡¯t dare, don¡¯t dare, don¡¯t dare anymore! The temperament of this lunatic is too hard to guess. After a while, Le Zhi decided to change the subject to ease the weird atmosphere. ¡°Your Highness, what do you think of opening a snack shop like this?¡± Le Zhi sighed as she really had no experience in the business. A smile finally appeared on Huo Du¡¯s gloomy face. Tsk, it turned out that she wanted to open a shop. Such a small profit but quick turnover shop was not profitable at all. Coupled with the existence of a time-honored shop, it was even more difficult for new shops to make a profit. An inexperienced person like her would surely suffer. Thinking of this, Huo Du was silent for a moment as if he was thinking seriously and then said with a gentle smile, ¡°This loneliness thinks Taizifei has a very good idea.¡± Did it matter to him whether she loses money or not? Oh, it seemed to matter as she borrowed the capital from him. Oh, that¡¯s even better. It¡¯s better if she loses it and can¡¯t pay it back. It was rare to see such a kind smile on Huo Du¡¯s face, but Le Zhi felt a chill in her heart. ¡ª In order to try these candied pastries, Le Zhi almost filled herself to bursting point and did not even take a few bites during dinner. Jing Xin carefully brought the hawthorn tea and conveniently served her in changing clothes. Le Zhi gave Jing Xin the work of a personal servant. Although this girl did not talk much, she knew how to observe people¡¯s words and expressions very well. Sitting in front of the bronze mirror, Le Zhi gently took a sip of tea and saw Jing Xin who was combing her hair behind her through the mirror. The little girl had a beautiful appearance, revealing a gentle temperament. ¡°Jing Xin, where is your hometown?¡± Le Zhi asked as if she was chatting trivial matters with her, ¡°How many people are there in the family?¡± Jing Xin¡¯s hand that held the wooden comb paused for a while after hearing this. The smile on her face faded, and her eyebrows narrowed slightly. Le Zhi turned her head and said with a smile, ¡°I just asked casually. It¡¯s alright. If you don¡¯t want to say it, don¡¯t say it.¡± However, Jing Xin¡¯s eyes gradually turned red. She choked with sobs and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that this maid unwilling to answer Master. It¡¯s just that this maid¡­ this maid doesn¡¯t know¡­¡± Le Zhi asked her to sit on the chair, took out the handkerchief, and handed it to her, ¡°Take your time, don¡¯t rush.¡± ¡°This maid was seriously ill a few years ago and couldn¡¯t remember anything when I woke up. Later, a person who claimed to be my aunt sold me into the Imperial Palace, and this maid was arranged by the palace momo to work at Eastern Palace as a maid.¡± It turned out to be like this. What Jing Xin experienced turned out to be a rare type of amnesia. So, what did her past have anything to do with An Xuan? Le Zhi suddenly felt a headache. In this unfamiliar Great Qi, everyone around her was a mystery. The author has something to say: Regarding the foreshadowing in the text, it will be revealed little by little later. Zhizhi is not a perfect heroine. She has been growing rapidly since her country was subjugated. She will live more cautiously and suspiciously because of this. It¡¯s even hard for her to trust others. Having said so much, I actually want to say that His Highness has an exceptionally long road in chasing his wife. Hahahahaha! CH 20 Chapter 20 Set a Trap Late at night, the love between the couple was hot. Huo Xu did not know what was wrong with him. His mother had clearly told him that he was not allowed to indulge in his desire for women too much because of the imminent wedding. However, he always found it difficult to restrain himself whenever he entered this room. The softness in his arms exuded bursts of fragrance which made his heart itch. ¡°Knock, knock¡­¡± The knock on the door interrupted Huo Xu¡¯s fanciful thoughts. He got down from his bed irritably and walked to the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± When the door opened, the residual smell of the love-making session in the room wafted out. The dark guard could not help frowning, and reported in a deep voice, ¡°Your Highness, Li Yao sent news that Taizifei has succeeded, and now Taizi is highly poisoned.¡± Huo Xu was stunned for a moment and then burst out laughing. ¡°Hahaha! Indeed Heaven is helping me!¡± After laughing ridiculously, his face sank again. Huo Du had a weird temperament. Since things went so smoothly, Le Zhi must have spent a lot of effort on it. Perhaps¡­ Huo Du had already got her. The anger in his chest ignited, and Huo Xu clenched his fists. He could hardly wait! Since Huo Du has already been poisoned, why should he wait until the poison breakout? He could not stand that Le Zhi had to lie on Huo Du¡¯s bed in the last few days with him¡­ with him¡­ He forbade it! ¡°Let Li Yao tell Zhizhi that no matter what method is used, she must bring Huo Du to the back garden at haishi (9 pm ¨C 11 pm) tomorrow night.¡± Huo Xu ordered in a deep voice. ¡°Yes!¡± Returning to the warm bed, the delicate person burrowed straight into his arms. Huo Xu smiled that his Zhizhi would be able to snuggle up in his arms like this soon. As for Shen Qingyan, he still had to marry her. The power of the Prime Minister must belong to him. As well as Zhizhi, he would use all his love to heal the pain in her heart and make her forget everything about Great Li. As for this counterfeit person in the arms, he would still keep her. Although this little girl had no personality, she was very obedient, unlike Zhizhi who occasionally played with her temperament. Just¡­ continued to keep her like this. As long as Huo Du died, he would be unhindered. ¡ª The Taizi Mansion. Le Zhi fell into a nightmare. She knew she was in a dream, but she could not wake up. In the dream, her imperial father, her imperial mother, and her imperial elder brother all frowned tightly and no longer had the smiling expression as before. Her imperial father kept sighing, and his face was full of disappointment. ¡°Zhizhi, your sister is suffering. Why haven¡¯t you rescued her yet?¡± As soon as the scene changed, her imperial brother appeared beside her. He held her wrist tightly with bloodshot eyes, and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Sister, have you found your imperial sister-in-law and Yu¡¯er? Are they¡­ all right?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were red. She was so ashamed that she could not speak. She was so useless. Huo Du was originally a light sleeper, and the person beside him woke him up with a low whimper. He got up and looked at Le Zhi. He saw that her long black eyelashes were trembling, the hair on her temples was wet with sweat, and beads of sweat were flowing down from her cheeks to her snow-white neck. At the same time, her hands were holding the brocade quilt firmly and kept murmuring in her mouth. Huo Du had to lean closer before he could hear it clearly. She said ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±¡­ One after another without stopping. After a long while, Le Zhi finally broke free from the dream. She opened her eyes and got up, her eyes were sour, and her heart was suffocating that she could not breathe. ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± She turned her head abruptly and found that Huo Du was leaning on the embroidered pillow and looking at her with faint eyes. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to wake up Your Highness.¡± Huo Du ignored her, just lifted the thick bed curtain and took a clean snow handkerchief from the headboard. Then he used the handkerchief to carefully wipe the sweat off Le Zhi¡¯s forehead and neck. Le Zhi was still thinking about her close relatives in the dream, thus did not notice Huo Du¡¯s gentle movements which were out of the ordinary. The sky outside was starting to get bright, and the light came in through the window. Although Le Zhi could not sleep anymore, she continued to lie down. She could not calm her mind and her eyes were sour. But Huo Du was still on the side, so she had to bite her lip. Can¡¯t cry. Can¡¯t cry in front of him and annoy him. At this moment, Huo Du raised his hand to lower the bed curtain, leaving only a small gap and letting only a trace of light in. Le Zhi did not understand his meaning and raised her head to look at him. Unfortunately, it was too dark inside the bed to see it clearly. ¡°Cry if you want to cry.¡± The tip of Le Zhi¡¯s nose felt sour after hearing this. Perhaps the absence of light in the bed could cover up her embarrassment, she finally stopped holding back and let her tears flow down. At first, she just cried softly. Gradually, she let go of her voice and began to sob loudly. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she raised her hand to wipe the tears that ran down her cheeks indiscriminately. Huo Du who was leaning to the side kept watching her crying. He suddenly discovered that Le Zhi, who had shed her disguise, should look like this. A sweet sixteen girl would cry and be sad. If Great Li did not lose, she should still be the little princess who was loved by thousands of people. Carefree and without worries. With a sigh, he reached out his hand to pull up the brocade quilt on Le Zhi and wrapped her up. Then he wiped the tears off her face with her sleeves. After finishing all this, Huo Du was a little surprised at his behavior. He mocked himself with a chuckle. Tsk. Indeed, lust makes one¡¯s mind confused. However, so what? ¡ª When Le Zhi was awakened by Li Yao, her head was still groggy. After the big crying in the early morning, she fell asleep again in a daze. Le Zhi knew that if it were not for something important, Li Yao would never call her. She pressed her sore eyes with her fingers and asked after she got up, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Li Yao replied in a low voice with a solemn expression, ¡°Master, this maid told Three Prince about the poisoning of Taizi as you instructed. Third Prince asked someone to deliver a message, asking you to make sure bring Taizi to the back garden at haishi (9 pm ¨C 11 pm) tonight.¡± After a pause, she continued again, ¡°Third Prince should be going to attack Taizi.¡± Le Zhi smiled after hearing this. Just as expected, based on her understanding of Huo Xu, he would definitely be impatient. ¡°Master¡­¡± Li Yao frowned and said in a puzzled tone, ¡°Do you really want to help Third Prince get rid of Taizi?¡± Li Yao did not understand. Master clearly hates Huo Xu, so why did she help him? ¡°His Highness Taizi is not poisoned.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Li Yao was puzzled, ¡°Is Master¡­?¡± ¡°This is a trap I set for Huo Xu.¡± Le Zhi chuckled lightly. This trap was not only set up for Huo Xu. Li Yao suddenly asked, ¡°Do you need this maid to do anything?¡± ¡°No, you just need to tell Huo Xu¡¯s people that I will act according to his plan.¡± Looking at the back of Li Yao¡¯s departure, the smile on Le Zhi¡¯s face gradually faded. This trap was also her test to Li Yao. If she had pretended before, then she would definitely tell Huo Xu her plan. In this case, she would use Huo Xu¡¯s hand to get rid of her. Now that she had set up the trap, she had to prepare a perfect way out. Li Yao¡¯s loyalty or betrayal, life or death, only depended on how she chose it. As for Huo Du¡­ Le Zhi was puzzled. His tenderness in the early morning did not seem to be pretending. But his temperament was eccentric and moody, which made it really hard to guess. Huo Du did not care much about anything. But what if she could win his love? If she could enter his heart, would the road ahead be much easier? In that case, could she weave a web of love so that he could not let her go? Only in this way she could live. Her plan for tonight was not a fake trap for Huo Xu, and to test Li Yao conveniently which was true. But her ultimate goal¡­ It was Huo Du. Le Zhi closed her eyes. She wanted to see if she had a little weight in Huo Du¡¯s heart now. The author has something to say: Huo Xu: I lose myself in fantasy, and am unable to restrain myself. Du & Zhi: Daydreaming. CH 21 Chapter 21 Block the Arrow Lin Yue stepped into the bedroom with lunch and saw Le Zhi sitting in a daze with a grave expression. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Yue put down her lunch and asked, ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡± Le Zhi shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Have you arranged the things I told you yesterday?¡± Lin Yue nodded after hearing this, but her expression was a little unnatural. She turned around and glanced out cautiously a few times. After confirming that there was no one, she took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve, and then lowered her voice and said softly, ¡°The doctor of Yongchun Hall said this medicine is the most effective.¡± ¡°But Master¡­¡± Lin Yue¡¯s cheeks became redder and redder, and her little hand scratched her head as if there was nowhere to put it. ¡°If, if His highness really has¡­ Isn¡¯t it better to ask the imperial doctor to have a look?¡± ¡°No, Your Highness has self-respect.¡± Lin Yue blinked thoughtfully and sighed in her heart. There were many rules in the Taizi Mansion, but in the past, these maids often wondered themselves when chatting¡­ Which man in the imperial family of Great Qi did not have several concubines and bedwarmers? Why was Taizi always alone? It turned out¡­ It turned out to be like this. She did not expect that it was not easy for Taizi. He already had leg problems and now there was a hidden illness in his body. Fortunately, there was Taizifei now. Taizifei looked like a fairy and had a good heart. She even took into account the dignity of Taizi and asked her to buy medicine secretly. Lin Yue thought that he would always get better. ¡ª In the study. Huo Du pushed the wheelchair to the window without any expression and let the cold wind outside the window blow his face. An Xuan stood in front of the desk with a frown. It had been a long time since his report ended and His Highness had been sitting with a blank face like this, not knowing what he was thinking. He was also puzzled. What exactly does Taizifei want to do? Obviously, Taizifei had surrendered to His Highness before, so why did she join forces with Third Prince to assassinate His Highness now? At the same time, Taizifei did not look like a wavering person. However, if it was true, according to His Highness¡¯s character, he would not let her stay until tomorrow. Then, what about Jing Xin? In these past few days, he had seen more and more smiles on Jing Xin¡¯s face, which was much better than her lifeless appearance when she was working in the Eastern Palace. But if Taizifei was gone, would Jing Xin return to the Eastern Palace? Thinking of this, An Xuan blurted out a little anxiously, ¡°Your Highness, is there any ulterior motive in this?¡± As soon as he said this, he felt it was inappropriate and quickly added, ¡°This subordinate has made a mistake.¡± Huo Du chuckled lightly when he turned the white jade wheelchair around and set his eyes on An Xuan. In the slave market that year, An Xuan who was covered in bloodstains stood out from a group of criminal slaves and was pardoned. Huo Du found him and asked him to follow him but An Xuan did not agree immediately. Huo Du saw his concerns and asked with a smile, ¡°What do you want? This loneliness will grant you one wish.¡± An Xuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°There is a girl who has no one to rely on at the moment¡­¡± In just a split second, Huo Du understood. An Xuan had a weakness. People¡¯s mind was unpredictable. Those who had a weakness were more useful. Over the years, Huo Du has arranged his weakness in the Eastern Palace according to his wish. As for who the girl was and what it had to do with An Xuan, he did not investigate. It was not important. Huo Du did not know that person¡¯s name was Jing Xin until the servants of the Eastern Palace caused trouble a few days ago and involved that person unexpectedly. Obviously, Le Zhi also saw this and deliberately transferred this person to work on her side. Apparently, his Taizifei was better at using people¡¯s hearts than him! In the past few days, even An Xuan, who has always been indifferent and taciturn, would unconsciously speak up for her. Ah. ¡°Withdraw.¡± An Xuan frowned and asked, ¡°Should this subordinate deal with those killers in advance?¡± ¡°No, let them come.¡± Huo Du curved his lips, but there was no smile in his eyes. ¡ª For the whole day, both of them had their own thoughts. At dinner time, Le Zhi sat down at the dining table worriedly thinking about how she would coax the person into the back garden if Huo Du did not come for dinner? While she was thinking about it, a servant¡¯s greeting came from outside the hall. A smile appeared on Le Zhi¡¯s face and stood up to greet him with a smile. She pushed the wheelchair to the table skillfully and then sat down beside Huo Du. The hall was silent as neither of them spoke, only the dishes on the table were emitting steams. Le Zhi picked up the soup ladle and added a bowl of fragrant chicken soup to Huo Du and herself. Le Zhi held the chicken soup in her hands, blew it gently, and took small sips. The delicious taste of goji berries blended into the soup and slid into the throat, both warm and fragrant. ¡°Did Your Highness play ¡°Snowy Wild Plums Song¡± that day?¡± Huo Du did not even raise his eyes and only ¡°en¡± faintly. ¡°Can Your Highness teach me?¡± Le Zhi put down the white porcelain soup bowl and asked, ¡°This song is my sister¡¯s favorite song.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Huo Du put down the silver chopstick and raised his eyes to look at her, ¡°When do you want to learn it?¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips, and her dark eyes made a turn as if she was thinking, ¡°How about tonight? How about going to the back garden?¡± There was no wave on her snow-white cheeks as if she really just wanted to learn the flute. Huo Du curled his lips and drooped his eyes slightly to hide the sadness in his eyes. ¡°Sure, ah.¡± ¡ª After dinner, Le Zhi brewed a pot of peppermint tea by herself and poured all the medicines that Lin Yue brought into the teapot effortlessly. Li Yao entered the room with a solemn expression on her face. She had been worried all day, and her eyelids kept twitching. She did not know what her master¡¯s plan was, but she was always not at ease in her heart. She thought it must be some dangerous plan. ¡°Have you arranged all?¡± ¡°Yes. Master, don¡¯t worry.¡± Li Yao said in a low voice, ¡°This maid and Jing Xin have already brought all the maids in the mansion to the western courtyard.¡± Le Zhi smiled and nodded in relief. Fortunately, Huo Du said that she could decide on the assignment of the maidservants in the mansion according to her wishes. In this way, she could make arrangements in advance. As for Li Yao, there was nothing different today. With such a master and servant relationship, Le Zhi thought that if something happened to her tonight, she would also have to find a way to save Li Yao¡¯s life. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s getting late. Go back to have a good rest.¡± ¡°But haishi (9 pm ¨C 11 pm) ¡­¡± Li Yao bit her lip and said anxiously. Le Zhi got up and patted her on the shoulder to reassure her. After Li Yao left, Le Zhi calculated the time, and it was almost haishi. She picked up the teapot and stepped out steadily after taking a deep breath. The atmosphere outside was quiet, and there was no one else except the night guard. Le Zhi walked to the back garden with no different from that day. Huo Du had arrived earlier. She walked towards him step by step and put the teapot on the stone table. She took off her cotton cloak just like that night and put it on Huo Du¡¯s lap. Then she casually took a teacup and poured the steaming hot peppermint tea into the cup. Her appearance was gentle when she handed the teacup to Huo Du. Huo Du glanced at it. The clear brown color was accompanied by the fragrance of peppermint, the same as before. He laughed, ¡°Did you put poison again?¡± ¡°Not poisoned.¡± Le Zhi curled her lips and blinked, ¡°But something else was added. Your Highness, try it?¡± Huo Du did not answer but drank all the tea with a smile. Le Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. After getting along with each other in the past few days, she could see how proud and responsible Huo Du was. She deliberately told the truth as if it were true or false, betting that he would drink it disdainfully. ¡°Isn¡¯t Taizifei wanted to learn the flute tonight?¡± When the cold wind picked up, Le Zhi, who had taken off her cotton cloak, was wearing only a snow-colored dress, curled up shivering from cold and rubbed her hands together and sat down calmly on the stone chair. Then she hummed softly, ¡°Actually, I want to learn, but I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be enough time tonight.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Le Zhi curled her lips and said candidly, ¡°Didn¡¯t Your Highness know it a long time ago?¡± After hearing what was said, Huo Du raised his peach blossom eyes and stared at Le Zhi¡¯s face carefully. To his surprise, he could not see the expression on her face. What exactly did she want to do? As soon as the palm of his hands warmed up, he saw Le Zhi holding his hands. Le Zhi set her eyes on the roof behind Huo Du, and a few shadows slowly extended their heads out. Huo Du did not even turn his head and still with a calm expression, ¡°Taizifei thought that by grabbing on to this loneliness¡¯s hands firmly, the group of trash on the roof could take this loneliness¡¯s life?¡± Le Zhi shook her head with a smile. The dark guards on top of the roof were strong. While the crossbow aimed at Huo Du, she held down his hands resolutely. The silver arrow was coming in the wind. Huo Du could still feel the wind brought by the swift arrow even though it was behind him. A trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, and he gathered his internal strength in the palm of his left hand. When Le Zhi saw the incoming flying silver arrow, she calculated the timing and got up to throw herself behind Huo Du. The silver arrow happened to pass right through her thin shoulder and splattered some blood. The night was too dark. When the dark guards on the roof saw this scene, they only thought that Huo Du had pulled Le Zhi behind him to block the arrow for him. They looked at each other in dismay and ran away quickly. They all knew that Taizifei was the person at the cusp of Third Highness¡¯s heart, and now they did not know how it would end. That silver arrow was dipped with poisoned! The snow-colored dress was stained with blood, and Le Zhi felt an acute pain in her right shoulder. For the first time, surprise and confusion flashed across Huo Du¡¯s peach blossom eyes. He pulled the person to him, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face was deathly pale, and her cherry lips began to turn purple. She stabilized her breath, ¡°Now it depends on whether Your Highness is willing to save me or not.¡± Huo Du saw the look on her face and knew that the poison on the silver arrow was very heavy. He did not bother to bicker with this crazy woman at this time. ¡°Follow me!¡± His face was gloomy, ¡°This loneliness is a lame person and can¡¯t carry you.¡± Le Zhi laughed and followed him in weak footsteps. Le Zhi followed in after the door of the pharmacy was pushed open. She was unable to hold it any longer, so she sat down on the soft bed to have a rest. Huo Du leaned on the cane to get the medicine, but as soon as he took down the first medicine bottle, a strange heat came from his body. He raised his eyes to stare at the person on the soft bed. Did she really dare to poison him? No, it¡¯s not poison. Based on the feeling of the body¡¯s reaction, this medicine should be¡­ At this time, Le Zhi also looked at him. When their eyes met, she was not afraid, and her tone was innocent, ¡°I told Your Highness earlier that something was added to the tea.¡± It¡¯s not poison, it¡¯s aphrodisiac. After she finished speaking, she grabbed the silver arrow on her shoulder and yanked the arrow out abruptly. Originally, the wound was blocked by an arrow with only blood oozing out. Now, as soon as the arrow was pulled out, the black blood from the wound began to gush out like gurgling water. Huo Du only felt pain in the center of his eyebrows. He put aside the porcelain bottle in his hand away, suppressed the heat in his body, and walked to Le Zhi. Then he squeezed her chin with his cold white fingers and then raised it up. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± He moved his fingertips down to grab her neck. As long as he applied more pressure¡­ ¡°Why bother to do so much.¡± His voice was hoarse, ¡°This loneliness can fulfill you.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Highness can.¡± Fearful expression was not visible on Le Zhi¡¯s face. Instead, she said with a slight smile, ¡°On the wedding night, won¡¯t I have died earlier if I have not turned back to sleep with Your Highness?¡± Although she had never practiced martial arts, her imperial brother taught her before how to judge the palm wind. On the wedding night, she felt it when Huo Du gathered her internal strength behind her. Huo Du¡¯s eyes looked cold, but the hand that was grabbing her neck loosened a little. At this moment, Le Zhi grabbed his hand and pulled him to the soft bed, ¡°Anyway, the aphrodisiac medicine on Your Highness¡¯s body needs me to solve it.¡± Huo Du was angry but also found it laughable, ¡°Don¡¯t take yourself too seriously. There are many women in this mansion.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Le Zhi nodded, ¡°But at this time, they are all in the western courtyard, and it will be too late for Your Highness.¡± Huo Du did not answer but just stared at her face blankly. She seemed to have lost a lot of weight compared to the wedding night. Her white cheeks completely lacked color, and the quick-witted foxy eyes were also sad at this time. ¡°After doing so much, you don¡¯t even want your life. What do you want?¡± ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t like others to beg you.¡± Le Zhi was so angry that she trembled, ¡°Although I have plotted against Your Highness tonight, I read in the book that a man always has a deep impression on their first woman, right? I hope Your Highness will save my sister¡¯s life and set her free for the sake of one spring night.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Huo Du¡¯s face that was always pale began to turn red, and his body was also unbearably hot, ¡°What about Huo Xu? Don¡¯t kill him anymore?¡± Le Zhi smiled with confidence, ¡°Your Highness will kill him.¡± Huo Xu¡¯s killer would definitely report to him what happened tonight. As long as she died, Huo Xu would definitely record this debt on Huo Du. A hypocrite like Huo Xu, who prided himself on being affectionate, would always kill Huo Du in the name of avenging her. In this way, how could Huo Du let him go? Although tonight¡¯s plan could be said based on her life, she did kill three birds with one stone. ¡°By the way, there is also Li Yao. I have tested her, and she is useable. After my death, Your Highness will give her the letter under the embroidered pillow in the bedroom, and she will follow Your Highness. I also hope that Your Highness will treat Li Yao well because she is also an unfortunate person.¡± Beads of sweat dripped from Le Zhi¡¯s forehead, and the wound on her shoulder was already numb from the pain, ¡°And Jing Xin¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Huo Du did not want to listen to her anymore as he did not like to hear her every word. He raised his hand to push Le Zhi to lie on her stomach and tore off the fabric of her back shoulder that was pierced by the arrow with his hand. Her shoulder was already in a bloody state. He took a gulp of cold air. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The person lying on her stomach obviously did not intend to shut up. She said in a leisure tone, ¡°Your Highness likes this posture?¡± Huo Du kept using his internal strength to suppress the effects of the medicine in his body, but this person seemed to be going against him and had to tease him. He gritted his teeth in anger, ¡°Crazy woman!¡± CH 22 Chapter 22 Poppies Le Zhi half-squinted her eyes, and her throat was getting drier and drier. Crazy? How could she not be crazy? In recent days, Le Zhi had fallen into nightmares almost every night. She had the patience and time to take it slow, but what about her sister? On the day when the army of Great Qi invaded, her sister suffered such great humiliation. Le Zhi would never forget those empty eyes when her sister was taken away, and her entire person seemed to fall into a dead silence. She could not wait indefinitely any longer. For the sake of her sister, she also had to fight. There could be no construction without destruction. It was impossible to enter Huo Du¡¯s heart in a short time. In this case, she could only change the method. Even if she died, she had to leave a deep impression on him and made it unforgettable. As for Huo Xu who was a hypocrite, would definitely not treat her sister harshly for her own sake if she really died. Le Zhi wanted to use her life to give her sister a chance. ¡°Does Your Highness think I¡¯m crazy?¡± Le Zhi chuckled, ¡°Is this more suitable for Your Highness?¡± No reply was heard. Le Zhi frowned slightly. When she was about to look back, her eyes suddenly turned black, and then her side face completely leaned on the soft pillow without consciousness. Huo Du¡¯s face was still tinged with redness, but his eyes were so misty that water dripped, and there were a few drops of water on his white fingertips. He only felt a sweetness in his throat, and then he spat out a mouthful of blood sideways. After a long time, his complexion finally recovered as before. ¡°What kind of aphrodisiac?¡± Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s unconscious side face and saw some tears on her long eyelashes. He rubbed it with his fingers and then licked his fingertips. The lingering sweetness in his mouth was mixed with her tears. Bitter. Huo Du sneered. Sure enough, all tears followed their master. They were equally unpleasant and unadorable. He stretched out his hand and patted Le Zhi¡¯s face with some force, ¡°You thought so beautifully, eh?¡± To leave a deep impression on him? She had moved her brain to this level. Only she could think of aphrodisiac. And also, she had put so much. If it was not for his deep internal strength, he would really have consummated with her at this time and she would possibly die too unsightly. At this time, the blood color on Le Zhi¡¯s cherry lips was almost completely white, and almost lost her breath. A trace of panic flashed through Huo Du¡¯s black eyes. He immediately picked up the cane beside him and walked towards the medicine shelf. He could not figure out what he was thinking, and there was no time for him to think so much at this time. The only thing he was certain of was that he did not want her to die. He was calculated, drugged, and then he had to save her. Was he out of his mind? Huo Du took down a dark red porcelain bottle, curled his lips, and smiled. Indeed, he was not normal, to begin with. After feeding the antidote to Le Zhi, Huo Du wiped away the solidified bloodstains on her back shoulder with a warm cotton towel, and then simply bandaged her. The wound on the back shoulder was extremely serious and coupled with Le Zhi¡¯s recklessness in yanking out the arrow made the wound even bigger. When he put on the medicine, the unconscious person frowned in pain, and her face was crumpled into a ball. ¡°Serve you right.¡± Huo Du said coldly, ¡°But don¡¯t die of pain. Are you willing to die before you get consummated?¡± Huo Du felt extremely ridiculous that this girl seemed to regard the consummation as something like experiencing the most severe trials and tribulations. Although he was inexperienced, this matter should obviously be full of pleasure. He purposely did not want to fulfill her wish. He had to make her cheeks blush, and those foxy eyes glowed blurry, entangling with him and begging him for more. ¡°Cold¡­¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips and her body trembled uncontrollably. The excessive loss of blood in her body made her tremble. ¡°An Xuan.¡± Huo Du called in a deep voice. An Xuan, who had been waiting outside the pharmacy, immediately entered the room, ¡°What is Your Highness¡¯ order?¡± ¡°Add two heaters here.¡± An Xuan was stunned after hearing this. He had followed His Highness for so many years and had never seen His Highness put a heater in the room. But now¡­ He did not dare to say more, just nodded to say yes. The heater came quickly. Soon after it was put down, the pharmacy warmed up quickly. Huo Du could not help frowning. He still hated the comfortable feeling of being surrounded by warmth. Staring down at the sleepy person, he saw her breath gradually stabilize and her lips began to regain their blood color. He was surprised to find that his heart, which had been anxious for a long time, was only able to relax at this moment. He pulled up the fleece blanket on Le Zhi¡¯s body and laughed like mocking himself. Huo Du, ah¡­ Huo Du, you are more than abnormal. You¡¯re quite cheap. Stepping out of the pharmacy, Huo Du said to An Xuan, ¡°Call her maid to change her clothes.¡± An Xuan nodded. Looking at Huo Du¡¯s back, An Xuan had a feeling that His Highness seemed to have changed a little. However, he could not tell where exactly had changed. There was a greenhouse in the northern corner of the Taizi Mansion, which was forbidden. Except for Huo Du, no one in the mansion could enter without permission. He pushed the door open and walked in slowly with a cane. There were not many different types of flowers and plants in the greenhouse. On the contrary, there was only one kind of flower here. Although the flower had several colors like red, purple, white¡­ Poppies. When he was a child, the meridian of his right leg was completely broken, which was not only incurable but also painful. The imperial doctor could not do anything to help. In order to prevent him from being tortured to death, Emperor Qi started to use the forbidden drug in the palace which was bailuo powder*. (bailuo powder* ¨C morphine) As soon as this drug was used, he really no longer suffered from the pain. But after he gradually recovered from his leg injury, he became addicted to the drug. Only then did Huo Du know why bailuo powder was listed as a banned drug. Because in addition to relieving the pain, this drug also made people addicted. If he could do it all over again, he would rather die of pain than experience the pain of quitting the addiction. During that time, he did not live like a human being and was like a ghost that was about to fall into purgatory at any time. Even if he tried hundreds of poisons by himself later, it was like a drop in the ocean compared to quitting the addiction. Huo Du closed his eyes as he was unwilling to recall the past again. This greenhouse was set up by him to remind himself. Hatred must not be forgotten, and addiction must not be allowed. He approached the flowers, stretched out his hand to pick a poppy, and stared at it silently. The red petals were bright in color, beautiful yet dangerous. However, Huo Du was never afraid of danger. Not long after, Huo Du chuckled as an answer appeared clearly from his heart. Finally, he seemed to have encountered something more powerful than poppies after so many years. Le Zhi. Since he did not want to dispose of her, he wanted to give her a try. Huo Du wanted to know, could he be addicted? If he was really addicted, then he could quit again. What if he could not quit? The pride in Huo Du¡¯s core made him despise this kind of question. Scoff. How can it be impossible to quit? Must be joking. ¡ª When Le Zhi opened her eyes in a daze, she met two pairs of tearful eyes. ¡°Master finally wakes up?¡± Lin Yue wiped the corners of her eyes, ¡°How could you get hurt until like this? This maid was almost scared to death.¡± Li Yao also wiped away her tears quietly on the side. Le Zhi sat up with difficulty, and the two maids quickly helped her lean on the soft pillow. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and saw that she had changed into new clothing. Except for the pain on the shoulder, there was no pain in other places. Therefore, Huo Du neither consummated nor killed her. What was going on? Could it be that the aphrodisiac medicine was fake? Her head seemed to be in a mess. At this time, there was a faint sound from the door, and Le Zhi raised her eyes to see a familiar person slowly entering the room in a wheelchair. ¡°Go out.¡± The tone was plain and indifferent. This was said to Li Yao and Lin Yue. The two maids retreated after making meaningful glances and closed the door conveniently. Le Zhi was stunned. She had the determination to die last night, only then did she be so bold to say those explicit words. She never thought she would be able to live. Seeing Huo Du at this time, her cheeks burned instantly. She hurriedly lowered her head and did not dare to look at him. The author has something to say: In the beginning, Du: How could it be impossible to quit? Must be joking. Later, Du: Damn! Can¡¯t quit, can¡¯t quit at all!!! CH 23 Chapter 23 Happy Feeling that she was surrounded by warmth, Le Zhi raised her eyes slightly and saw two heaters placed not far away. What was going on? She remembered that there was no heater in the pharmacy! However, Le Zhi was not in the mood to think about these at this moment, and the courage to cut off all means of retreat last night had long disappeared. Since she did not die, she naturally could not boldly offend Huo Du anymore. After taking a deep breath, Le Zhi cowered and raised her head cautiously. The foxy eyes looked at Huo Du skeptically and saw that there was no expression on his face. Since Le Zhi was unable to discern his mood, she thought of¡­ At least apologies first, right? After all, she dug a hole for him. Le Zhi whispered softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The tone was good, and the words were sincere. Huo Du raised his eyelids and stared at Le Zhi, who looked completely different from last night and could not help but felt amused. How many faces did this girl have, or in other words, how many masks did she bring? Huo Du was puzzled, who was the real her? The warmth in the room made Huo Du feel uncomfortable. He frowned impatiently, picked up the cane beside the wheelchair at will, walked over slowly, and finally sat down on the soft bed. Le Zhi¡¯s anxious heart could not settle down while waiting for Huo Du¡¯s indefinite response. Seeing him sitting down, she reluctantly gave an apologetic smile, and then stretched out her little hand to pull his sleeve, shaking it while saying, ¡°Your Highness is not mad at me¡­¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes were cold. Do you still want to fool again? He raised his hand to brush her fingers away and sneered lowly, ¡°Aphrodisiac? You¡¯re very capable.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi moved her body to Huo Du¡¯s side, hugged his arm, and asked with concern, ¡°Is Your Highness alright? Is your body still uncomfortable?¡± Before she lost consciousness, she clearly remembered the abnormal blush on Huo Du¡¯s cheeks and the abnormal warmth in his palms. But he did not seem to have consummate with her. So, how did he resolve it? ¡°This loneliness is very good.¡± Huo Du said lazily, ¡°However, there is one thing this loneliness wants to discuss with Taizifei.¡± He glanced at Le Zhi¡¯s confused expression, and deliberately cooked up nonsense, ¡°Last night, in order to understand this aphrodisiac, this loneliness was fortunate to have a maid. According to Taizifei, does this loneliness have to take her as a concubine?¡± As soon as the words fell, Le Zhi could not help widening her eyes. So, Huo Du did not touch her last night, but rather find a maid at random? It was not that Le Zhi had not thought about this possibility, so she asked Li Yao to move all the maids in the mansion to the west rooms ahead of time. Logically speaking, it should not be. When the effect of the aphrodisiac flared up, Huo Du would not have time to rush to the western courtyard. Could it be that something went wrong? In an instant, suffocation emerged from her chest, her eyes were sore, and burst into tears. Le Zhi hugged her knees and sobbed. Blame her! Blame her for being clever! Now that she had involved an innocent person and ruined the innocence of a girl for nothing. Le Zhi did not know whether there was duration for a maid to work in country Qi. In the past in Great Li, a maid could ask for marriage as long as she was twenty years old. After getting married, she had a choice to stay with her master as before or go to her husband¡¯s house to live her own life. A better master would also choose a suitable husband for the maid around them. This kind of without title and without status unmarried girl was given to a man for¡­ No matter how high the status of this man was, it was indelible harm to the girl. Le Zhi¡¯s heart ached unceasingly. She had made a great disaster. The crying gradually became louder, and Huo Du was panicked. This grievance look as if he had done something to her! Huo Du sighed when he saw Le Zhi crying out of breath and reached out to hold her white wrist. Unexpectedly, as soon as he touched her skin, he was waved away by her with effort. Shortly after that, she lifted up her small fuming little face and the red fox eyes stared at him hatefully. Le Zhi bit her lips, angry and anxious. She obviously had delivered herself to the door, but he did not touch her. He insisted on ruining the girl¡¯s innocent. Beast! But on second thought, she caused this all by herself. How could someone like Huo Du willingly step into her trap? He deliberately did not do what she wanted, and deliberately used this method to hit her in the face. The hatred in her eyes gradually faded, and Le Zhi continued to cry in self-blame. ¡°All right, don¡¯t cry anymore.¡± Le Zhi ignored him and continued to cry. Huo Du¡¯s face became blank upon seeing this, ¡°I didn¡¯t touch any maids.¡± Le Zhi raised her head abruptly, and the light in her eyes flashed past. She choked with sobs and said, ¡°You are lying. If you didn¡¯t touch the maid, how did you resolve the effects of the drug? I added a whole bottle of medicine to the tea.¡± One! Whole! Bottle! The corners of Huo Du¡¯s mouth twitched. No wonder the effects are so powerful! How dare she say it? Also, dare to cry? He held his forehead and sneered, ¡°How about you go to the western courtyard to ask if this loneliness was there.¡± Listening to Huo Du who spoke with certainty, Le Zhi stopped crying and looked at his expression with tears in her hazy eyes. It does seem to be true? Le Zhi¡¯s foxy eyes were spinning back and forth and carefully went through the events of last night in her mind. So, after she calculated and drugged Huo Du, he not only did not consummate with her but also let her suffer and did not even kill her. He even detoxified the poison from the silver arrow for her and bandaged her wound? The reason why she put all eggs in one basket was that she felt Huo Du regarded her as a dispensable plaything and could kill her anytime according to his mood. However, after cutting off all means of the retreat this time, she seemed to have tested one thing. For Huo Du, she was not dispensable. At least for now, he did not want to kill her yet. For her, living was naturally much better than dying and the next best strategy was to trade her death for her sister¡¯s freedom. It was different now. She could finally stop being overly cautious, worrying too much, and afraid of being stabbed in the back by Huo Du at any time. She could deal with Huo Xu wholeheartedly. Joy gradually filled her eyes, and Le Zhi curved the corners of her lips without hesitation. She leaned softly towards Huo Du, rested her head on his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his waist, and said softly, ¡°Your Highness is reluctant to part with me.¡± All of Le Zhi¡¯s reactions fell into Huo Du¡¯s eyes. He watched her indifferently from grievance and anger to joy, and finally to triumphant. She was like a victorious fox waving its arms. He had seen too many calculating women, which one was not cautious and like walking on thin ice? What about Le Zhi? She wanted to show off proudly after she succeeded in her calculations, not at all afraid of her fox tail being seen. She even wagged her tail on purpose. She was cunning and candid, knew how to calculate without pretense. This was the most brilliant method. Huo Du raised his hand to push her, but she pressed at him even tighter instead of letting go. Clingy spirit. He laughed and said mockingly, ¡°Reluctant to part? Le Zhi, you¡¯re so thick skin and shameless.¡± Finally, Le Zhi let go of his hand and distanced herself from him. Then she pulled his hand with a smile on her face, put his hand on her cheek, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not thick skin and shameless.¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes were deep, and Adam¡¯s apple rolled slightly. He did not answer. At this moment, a knock came from the door. Lin Yue delivered the decoction. ¡°Master, drink the medicine while it¡¯s hot.¡± Lin Yue brought the medicine over. ¡°Drink the medicine.¡± Huo Du dropped two words and prepared to get up. Unexpectedly, his fingers were pulled, and he looked at the person on the bed suspiciously. A sly smile appeared in Le Zhi¡¯s eyes. She played with his little finger and said tenderly, ¡°Your Highness, feed me¡­¡± The author has something to say: Du: No feeding. CH 24 Chapter 24 Annoying Seeing this, Lin Yue, who was on the side, put down the medicine bowl cleverly and retreated quickly. ¡°Tsk.¡± Huo Du looked at her inexplicably, ¡°Wasn¡¯t you very capable when you pulled out the arrow last night? What¡¯s the pretentious now?¡± Seeing that he mentioned the wound from the arrow, Le Zhi quickly followed along. She frowned and raised her hand to cover her right shoulder, ¡°It hurts, it hurts so much¡­¡± Although she was exaggerating, the wound really hurts. Just now, she ignored it because of her anxiousness, but now she really felt a little tear-like pain. Huo Du snorted coldly. Aren¡¯t you exaggerating too much? He did not see her feel pain when she hugged him without letting go just now. But in the end, he still picked up the medicine bowl, scooped a spoonful of the decoction, and fed it to Le Zhi¡¯s mouth with a stern face. Le Zhi immediately opened her cherry lips and drank them obediently. The bitter decoction spread in her mouth, and the bitter taste slid from the tip of her tongue all the way to her throat, making her whole face wrinkle. Seeing the little face in front of her wrinkled with bitterness and her eyes also turned red, Huo Du sneered, ¡°Is it so unpleasant to drink?¡± Really squeamish. Hearing this, Le Zhi rubbed her eyes, curled her lips into a bright smile, and shook her head, ¡°It was so bitter when it first entered, but now it¡¯s not bitter anymore.¡± She smiled while blinking, and suddenly realized, ¡°Ah! I know. It must be because Your Highness feeds me, so my heart is so sweet!¡± The hand holding the silver spoon trembled slightly and almost did not hold it firmly. So, even the bitter medicine could not stop her babbling little mouth, eh? Annoying. Huo Du ignored her and finished feeding the medicine under the pressure. Then he put the medicine bowl away casually and stood up with a cane. ¡°Where is Your Highness going?¡± Le Zhi asked hastily. ¡°Go back to the bedroom.¡± As soon as he finished, Le Zhi immediately lifted the fleece blanket and quickly got down from the bed, without even paying attention to the wound on her shoulder for fear that Huo Du would leave first, ¡°I¡¯ll go back with Your Highness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really strange.¡± Huo Du curled his lips and teased her deliberately, ¡°You can¡¯t even drink the medicine just now, but your movements are pretty swift now.¡± He originally planned to call her maid to help her back to the room, but he did not expect her to insist on going with him. Clingy and annoying. Le Zhi smiled and hugged his arm, ¡°Let¡¯s go together¡­¡± Huo Du ruthlessly pulled his arm back, and Le Zhi¡¯s face darkened in an instant. ¡°Go, sit there.¡± Huo Du raised his hand unhurriedly, pointed to the wheelchair, and said to Le Zhi. Le Zhi was slightly stunned. She initially thought he did not like others to sit in his wheelchair, but now it did not seem so. She smiled and sat in a wheelchair obediently according to what he said. An Xuan, who was waiting outside, thoughtfully opened the door as if he knew they were going out. The cold wind outside entered the room, blowing away the warm heat that had been lingering around the room for a long time. Le Zhi¡¯s body could not help shivering from cold. Huo Du raised his eyelids, walked back to the soft bed to get the fleece blanket, and threw it on Le Zhi¡¯s lap. Then he walked slowly out the door with a cane in one hand and a wheelchair in the other. His leg was already inconvenient and now even he had to push her in a wheelchair. Women are really troublesome. ¡°Your Highness, let this subordinate push it.¡± Huo Du glanced at An Xuan, and said quietly, ¡°No need.¡± ¡°¡­¡± An Xuan was stunned. When he reacted, the two of them only left their back view for him. ¡ª In fact, Le Zhi did not want to leave the pharmacy so soon, not for anything else, just for the two heaters in the pharmacy. There was no heater in the bedroom. But after entering the bedroom, the warmth in the room was no different from that in the pharmacy. Le Zhi looked around attentively and saw that there were two heaters in the corner of the room. She got up and looked at Huo Du, and asked softly, ¡°Did Your Highness put the heaters for me?¡± Huo Du¡¯s expression was a little unnatural. He turned his face away and walked towards the bed on his own, ¡°Perhaps only you are cold. This loneliness doesn¡¯t feel cold.¡± Le Zhi rolled her eyes, unable to hide her smile. Don¡¯t want to admit it? Never mind. She followed Huo Du¡¯s footsteps and lay down on the bed with him. Since Huo Du did not close his eyes all night, he was extremely sleepy and closed his eyes to prepare to sleep. However, the corner of the brocade quilt on the body was slightly lifted by someone, and then a piece of softness was stuck to the side of his body. Although the two of them have been sharing a bed for many days, they were basically one person and one quilt, with clear boundaries. Obviously, someone wanted to cross the line now. ¡°Le Zhi, go out if you don¡¯t want to sleep.¡± Huo Du moved his body inward without opening his eyes but his tone was very irritable, ¡°If you make trouble again, you will be responsible for the consequences.¡± The sudden rise in the temperature in this room had already made Huo Du feel uncomfortable and the person beside him had to stick to him. He could feel the flames burning in his body, making him extremely uncomfortable. Huo Du naturally knew what was going on, but the perpetrator did not give up and continued to move closer towards him. Recalling last night¡¯s aphrodisiac and her current provocative behavior, his little patience was instantly burned to ashes by the fire in his body. He sneered. Did she really regard him as a righteous man? Huo Du leaned sideways and pushed Le Zhi¡¯s uninjured left shoulder. He was about to speak, but he saw the snowy cheeks close up flushed with redness, and his cherry lips were slightly parted. That¡¯s right. How can husband and wife sleep together while having their own quilt? The hand that was pressing on her shoulder loosened slightly. Le Zhi seized the opportunity and wormed into his arms, muttering, ¡°Cold¡­¡± Glancing at the wound on Le Zhi¡¯s right shoulder, there was still some bleeding. Huo Du rubbed his temples. In the end, he did not stop her and let her nestle in his arms, neither hugged her nor pushed her away. All right, next time. After a while, there was a shallow breathing sound on the bed, and the two fell asleep together. Le Zhi had already slept through the night, so she was not very sleepy, and woke up quickly. Looking at the person who was still asleep beside her whose appearance was all exhausted. She lowered her eyes to think deeply. In fact, her situation had been much better than she thought since she married Huo Du. The next thing she needed to do was to use her injury in exchange for a chance to see her sister. After a while, Huo Du also woke up. Le Zhi kept thinking about matters but did not realize that the person next to her had opened his eyes and was looking at her. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Le Zhi was startled and turned to Huo Du, ¡°Your Highness is awake? Did you sleep enough?¡± Huo Du hummed lazily. ¡°I was thinking about how to deal with those spies of Huo Xu in our mansion.¡± This was exactly what Le Zhi was most worried about. Even though Li Yao had turned to her now, Huo Xu had more than one Li Yao to monitor her. There were other spies watching her every move beside Huo Du. ¡°No need to deal with them.¡± Huo Du chuckled, ¡°From today onwards, all Huo Xu can know is only what you want him to know.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi was astonished. What do you mean? Huo Du raised his eyebrows, ¡°Because those spies are this loneliness people.¡± To be more precise, Huo Xu¡¯s spies disappeared from the world on the first day they entered the Taizi Mansion. Today¡¯s ¡°spies¡± were just a few people who look exactly the same as those sent by Huo Xu. So, what Le Zhi was worried about would not happen. On the contrary, Huo Du knew every time she went out of the mansion to meet Huo Xu, and every word she said to him. Le Zhi¡¯s mouth was slightly opened. She was surprised by Huo Du¡¯s meticulous thinking and even sweated coldly for her recklessness. She said earnestly, ¡°Then the next thing¡­¡± ¡°With regards to Huo Xu, it¡¯s up to you and this loneliness won¡¯t interfere with your affairs.¡± Huo Du interrupted her and said in a deep voice, ¡°But you must remember that yesterday¡¯s incident is only this time. If you dare to be smart and calculating again, this loneliness¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Le Zhi quickly raised the palm of her hand with three straight fingers beside her face, ¡°I promise, there will be no next time!¡± The fox eyes seemed to be shining, which tempted Huo Du to raise his hand to stroke her head, ¡°Just behave yourself.¡± He thought about it. Although she was a bit annoying, he would not mind keeping her by his side if she was obedient. Just like Little Lame Huo. One person, one cat, and one fox. Yes, it¡¯s quite interesting. ¡ª Perhaps the long-standing anxiety dissipated and coupled with Huo Du¡¯s care where he personally changed her dressing every day, the wound on Le Zhi¡¯s shoulder healed quickly. In just a few days, the wound began to form a scab gradually. During this period, she kept asking Li Yao to pass the news to Huo Xu, saying that she was seriously injured. Huo Xu wanted to see her repeatedly, but she avoided him because of her serious injury. Le Zhi was waiting, waiting for Huo Xu¡¯s wedding day. Just before Huo Du¡¯s wedding, Emperor Qi issued a decree to announce to the world that he conferred the Third Prince of Great Qi as Wang* with the title Jingxian. (Wang* ¨C a monarch, a ruler) This was the first prince in the imperial family of Great Qi to be conferred Wang besides the Taizi. For a while, there were a lot of discussions in the imperial court and among the people. Finally, the day of Huo Xu¡¯s wedding arrived. Unlike the cold and desolate of Huo Du¡¯s wedding that day, there was an endless stream of laughter and firecrackers today. Even in the mansion, Le Zhi could hear the laughter and blessings from the street corners and alleys. ¡°Envy?¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes and saw Huo Du outside the room, with a smile yet not a smile expression on his face. She smiled as she ran to his side, pretending to be angry, ¡°When I got married to Your Highness that day, Your Highness didn¡¯t even come. Your Highness didn¡¯t like to see me at that time?¡± That¡¯s true. Huo Du thought to himself. ¡°You hold grudges like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very generous. I¡¯ve forgiven you long ago.¡± Le Zhi took his palm and walked with him towards the sedan chair outside. Tsk, still needs to be forgiven. Who cares. Huo Du did not answer and let her lead him outward. Both of them enter the palace together to attend the evening wedding banquet. ¡ª Emperor and Empress Qi stood in the center of the hall and left after saying a few congratulations words. They handed over the main venue to Huo Xu. Although today¡¯s banquet was called a wedding banquet, it was actually a palace banquet that allowed Huo Xu to win over the courtiers. Huo Xu was dressed in a bright red wedding dress and smiled proudly. He was congratulated and complimented by the courtiers at the wedding banquet. This made him a little smug and conceited. Until he saw that familiar figure. She was dressed in a light red palace dress, and her little face had become thinner and thinner. Although her face was covered by rouge, it still could not completely cover the haggardness on her face. His heart seemed to be clenched and suffocated with pain. For the past few days, his heart had not been able to relax. The plan failed that night, and she was grabbed by Huo Du to block the arrow for him. Later, Li Yao passed on a message saying that she was seriously injured and had been bedridden for a long time, so could not leave the mansion to meet him. He hated him very much. He did not know how would Huo Du, a vicious villain, abuse his Zhizhi. Every time he thought of this, his heart ached endlessly. Seeing Zhizhi sitting next to Huo Du with a submissive appearance, he felt that she had suffered a lot of grievances. He did not know why his poison had no effect on Huo Du. It seemed that his imperial brother was really difficult to deal with! Huo Xu stared at Le Zhi in a daze without blinking his black eyes. He swore in his heart that he would take Huo Du¡¯s life next time and let Zhizhi get out of the sea of suffering as soon as possible and return to his side. When Huo Xu looked towards Le Zhi, Huo Du saw it. The faint smile in the peach blossom eyes faded away, only viciousness flashed across his eyes. At this very moment, he still dared to covet someone who he should not. Indeed, a damn thing. The author has something to say: Huo Xu: Zhizhi, wait for me to save you from the sea of suffering!!! Zhi: Fool. Du: Damn thing! Look again, I¡¯ll dig your eyeballs out! ¡ª No doubt, he was jealous of him. CH 25 Chapter 25 Wedding Banquet Congratulations were constantly heard at the wedding banquet, and every important minister of the Imperial Court who attended the banquet was full of joy and smiles. On the contrary, the table of the imperial family where Huo Du and Le Zhi were sat, seemed to be much more deserted. Taking advantage of the recuperation past few days, Le Zhi familiarized herself with the members of the imperial family of Great Qi. In addition to the womenfolk of the imperial family and courtiers¡¯ noble daughters whom she met when she paid respects to Empress that day, she also inquired about the deeds of other princes and princesses. She did not have time to observe them one by one at the palace banquet last time, but today she had the opportunity to take a closer look. Apart from Huo Du and Huo Xu, there were also two princes and a princess of the same age. The rest were mostly under ten years old and were not at the same table with them. Unlike the deep affection between Le Zhi and her imperial brother and sister, the brothers at this table were all taciturn. However, Huo Qingyu, the fourth princess, who was sitting beside Huo Du in a blue palace dress, had a playful smile on her face all the time. Le Zhi raised her eyes a few times and could see her secretly glancing at her. In the end, Huo Qingyu could not hold back. She tilted her head and stretched out her fingertips to poke Huo Du¡¯s arm. Huo Du¡¯s gaze was still in the distance, and his thoughts were interrupted by the little girl beside him. He turned his head impatiently and gave her a cold look. But Huo Qingyu did not care. She curved the corners of her lips, her round apricot eyes were shining, and lowered her voice and said to Huo Du, ¡°Hey, Imperial Brother, how does it feel to be newlywed?¡± Seeing that Huo Du was ignoring her, she turned her attention to Le Zhi again, and added, ¡°Imperial Sister-in-law is so beautiful!¡± Although her voice was not loud, Le Zhi still heard it. Le Zhi raised her eyes, smiled lightly at her, and nodded politely. Huo Qingyu was overjoyed immediately, and the curvature of the corners of her mouth became wider. She did not know what kind of temperament this Imperial Sister-in-law had, but now it seemed that she should have a warm and gentle temperament, which was very appealing to her! She hesitantly pulled Huo Du¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Imperial Brother, how about we exchange positions?¡± She really wanted to have a few words with this beautiful Imperial Sister-in-law! ¡°No.¡± Huo Qingyu, ¡°¡­¡­?¡± She wilted in an instant, drooped her head, and muttered in a low voice of dissatisfaction, ¡°So stingy!¡± When it came to disharmony between the members of the imperial family, the brothers did not consider the overall situation and acted according to their own ideas. Although Huo Du was the Taizi, he had not made any meritorious achievements in recent years because of his eccentric temperament and lack of interest in the affairs of the court. Thus, many courtiers had long been dissatisfied with him. However, the strange thing was that whenever a minister requested Emperor Qi to reconsider the matter of the heir to the throne, that minister was bound to die an untimely death. Perhaps it was a coincidence when it happened once or twice. However, once the frequency increased, everyone could not help but speculate that there was a hidden conspiracy. When these courtiers died, Huo Du was undoubtedly the only one who benefited. The Imperial Court of Judicial Review had made many investigations but found nothing each time. Over time, all the ministers even believed that Huo Du was unrighteous and vicious. Since then, no one dared to bring up the matter of the heir to the throne again. Until Huo Xu returned to the court recently, the courtiers seemed to see hope again. But Huo Qingyu never thought so. For her, Huo Du was by no means what outsiders said. Huo Qingyu¡¯s biological mother was Mu Guiren*, and Mu Guiren¡¯s natal family was weak and had an average status in the harem. Moreover, she was always in poor health, so she suffered a great loss of blood after giving birth to Huo Qingyu and passed away soon. Imperial Concubine Hui took pity on her young daughter and took the initiative to ask Emperor Qi for permission to raise Huo Qingyu by her side. (Guiren* ¨C Highest concubine title, second only to the empress) Concubine Hui came from the former Shengnuo Tribe and was of the same clan as Huo Du¡¯s biological mother. She had only one son, named Huo Xiang, who was one year younger than Huo Qingyu. Huo Qingyu¡¯s status had improved a lot because she was raised under the knee of Concubine Hui, and Concubine Hui loved her very much. When Huo Du was eight years old, he accidentally broke his right leg and his birth mother died in the same year. Since then, his temperament had become more indifferent and withdrawn. Huo Qingyu had nothing to do with this imperial brother until one year when she fell off a tree due to her playfulness and broke her leg. Since she sneaked away from the palace servants to play in a remote corner of the palace, no one found her in time after the fall. Because of the broken leg, Huo Qingyu was in pain and scared, starting to cry with a trembling shoulder. Not long after, she noticed a figure leaning on a cane appeared not far away. It was the imperial brother who had not said a few words. In a split second, she seemed to grab a lifeline and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Imperial Brother! Help me, I broke my leg¡­¡± Then, she saw the figure glanced at her, and left without paying attention to her. Huo Qing scolded him secretly in her heart. Hateful! No matter what, we¡¯re brother and sister. This person is too cold-blooded! But before she could finish scolding, Huo Du, who had left, returned with two wooden planks. He skillfully tied the wooden planks to the sides of her injured leg and threw her a walking stick made of a thick wooden branch. Huo Du did not say a word the whole time and left after throwing her the wooden branch. But Huo Qingyu remembered it. Since then, whenever there was a palace banquet, she always liked to sit beside Huo Du and said a few words to him. Although he would not give her any reaction¡­ Huo Qingyu¡¯s thoughts drifted far away, and suddenly her calf hurt. Huo Du kicked her hard under the table! Huo Qingyu frowned in pain and glared with her apricot eyes widened. She grimaced in pain while suppressing her voice, ¡°What are you doing!¡± ¡°Sit on her other side.¡± Huo Du said leisurely. Hearing this, Huo Qingyu was instantly happy, and even forgot the pain in her calf. Yes, ah! How could she forget that if Imperial Brother would not change seat with her, she could go to sit on the other side of Imperial Sister-in-law! Huo Qingyu lifted her skirt with a smile and walked to the side of Le Zhi. She could not be more familiar with the person sitting on the other side of Le Zhi. Huo Xiang. She coughed softly, took out a bit of the majestic Imperial Older Sister, and said, ¡°Xiang¡¯er, you go take Imperial Sister¡¯s seat.¡± Unexpectedly, Huo Xiang did not even lift his eyelids, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Huo Qingyu was snubbed and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m Imperial Older Sister, you have to listen to me!¡± Huo Xiang looked at her coldly, too lazy to quarrel with her, got up and walked to her seat. Le Zhi could not help smiling when she looked at the way they fought with each other. She looked at Huo Xiang for a while just now. Although the 15-year-old boy still had childishness, she could still see the handsomeness in his appearance. Perhaps both their birth mother came from the same clan, Le Zhi found that Huo Xiang¡¯s appearance looked a lot like Huo Du. ¡°Imperial Sister-in-law, I¡¯m Qingyu.¡± Le Zhi nodded and talked to this adorable Fourth Princess with a smile. It was rare to meet a lively and cheerful princess in the imperial family of Great Qi who was the same age as her. The two quickly became acquainted as if they had known each other all along. The noise of the wedding banquet overshadowed the conversation between the two. Huo Qingyu was very excited today and drank a lot of wine, even Le Zhi could not stop her at all. Unknowingly, the topic of the two people went from the funny stories of the women¡¯s boudoir to the people at this banquet. Thinking that the two were the same age, Le Zhi asked casually, ¡°Have you discussed marriage?¡± Huo Qingyu¡¯s cheeks were red, and her manner of speaking was also drunk. She leaned closer to Le Zhi¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get married! Don¡¯t want to get married!¡± Seeing Le Zhi¡¯s puzzled expression, Huo Qingyu said again, ¡°Sister-in-law, look opposite us. That¡¯s Imperial Eldest Brother.¡± Le Zhi looked over following her words and saw an older slightly plump prince holding a wine cup, constantly asking the palace maids to refill wine for him. The imperial concubine, who was sitting beside him, persuaded him several times but was glared back by him. Le Zhi saw that there was a blue color under his eyes, which was the trace left by lust. The Eldest Prince, Huo Jue, was born by Imperial Concubine Li. Imperial Concubine Li came from a palace maid background. When Emperor Qi was young, he was drunk and made a mistake. He had Huo Jue after having one spring night with her. Emperor Qi regarded it as his own stain, and naturally, he would not have kindness towards his son, Huo Jue. Although Huo Jue was the eldest son of the Emperor, who would take him seriously? Over time, he began to give up on himself and indulge in lust, because he would never have a chance to ascend to the throne. Huo Jue knew that everyone had a chance, except him. ¡°Let me tell you.¡± Huo Qingyu leaned on Le Zhi¡¯s shoulder and said softly, ¡°There are dozens of concubines and bedwarmers in Imperial Eldest Brother¡¯s mansion. Sometimes he goes outside to listen to music, and he will take the singer back to the house after listening to her.¡± ¡°Simply ridiculous! Imperial Sister-in-law used to be so beautiful but now, you see, she¡¯s much older.¡± Le Zhi looked at Eldest Prince Concubine again. Indeed, as Qingyu said, her face was full of fatigue and even the makeup could not hide them. ¡°Most of the princes and nobles are like this. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to get married!¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi sighed and could not think of any words to comfort her for a while. She reached out to rub her head. Huo Du¡¯s eyes always fell beside him. Although he could not hear what they were saying, he could feel that they were talking happily. After calculating the time, An Xuan should have done almost everything. He got up with his cane and left the table. After Huo Du left, Huo Xu found the right time to walk towards Le Zhi. He pretended to offer a round of wine and only then did he walk up to Le Zhi. He called ¡°Imperial Sister-in-law¡± softly, and raised his glass to toast her. There was a deep yearning in his eyes. Huo Qingyu could see it clearly from the side. She also knew that Imperial Third Brother and Imperial Sister-in-law had been childhood sweethearts. But after all, Imperial Third Brother did destroy the mother country of Imperial Sister-in-law with his own hands, and still used such a despicable method. She frowned slightly and pursed her lips without saying a word. After all, Huo Xu did not dare to show too many emotions under the watchful eyes of people and left reluctantly after toasting. The wedding banquet was coming to an end, and Huo Xu hurriedly walked to the wedding room at the auspicious time. The guests also gradually dispersed. ¡°Pay respects to Taizifei.¡± A greeting sounded from behind, this voice¡­ Le Zhi was terrified. After she turned around and saw the face with beard stubble, her little face suddenly lost its color. Huo Qingyu saw the hint, got up, and said, ¡°Yang Heng, you¡¯re really unruly. You only know how to greet Imperial Sister-in-law. Don¡¯t you see this princess?¡± Hearing this, Yang Heng¡¯s originally proud smile froze on his face. He bowed and saluted, ¡°This humble servant dare not. Pay respects to Princess.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, withdraw.¡± After Yang Heng left, Huo Du also came back. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± These words were asked to Huo Qingyu, but his black eyes were staring at Le Zhi, who had lost her soul. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Huo Qingyu approached him and said softly, ¡°Yang Heng came over to greet her just now and Imperial Sister-in-law became like this.¡± There were fewer and fewer people in the palace hall. Huo Xiang got up and saluted Huo Du and Le Zhi, and then said to Huo Qingyu, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Huo Qingyu shook Le Zhi¡¯s hand and said goodbye to Huo Du, ¡°Imperial Brother, we¡¯ll leave first.¡± After finished speaking, she left reluctantly with worries. Huo Du was not in a hurry to leave and sat down beside Le Zhi. He had only left for a while, and Le Zhi had become like this. In addition to what Qingyu had just said, he could probably guess the reason. Yang Heng, the Deputy Commander of Shenyi Army of the Great Qi. He was also one of the meritorious officials who assisted Huo Xu in destroying the country Li. CH 26 Chapter 26 Past Events The burning red candle in Yuhua Palace warmed the bed curtain. Huo Xu tried his best to laugh, but when he stepped into the bedroom, he felt like his feet were tied to a heavy stone. He sighed silently and then only did he step in after a long pause. Shen Qingyan held up the round fan, and her heart beat uncontrollably. Until Huo Xu took the round fan from her hand. A pair of beautiful eyes were full of water, and her cheeks were pink with shyness. Shen Qingyan lowered her eyes anxiously, not daring to look at Huo Xu, but she did not want to miss every expression of Huo Xu. The entanglement of two contradictory emotions made her frequently raise her eyes and then lower them, and her hands on her knees were even more nervous and had nowhere to be placed. In comparison, Huo Xu was much more indifferent. With a gentle smile on his face all the time, he took Shen Qingyan¡¯s hand and walked to the wedding table. To perform the ritual of sharing the nuptial cup. When she sat back on the bed again, Shen Qingyan¡¯s pink cheeks blushed more. She wondered if she would be happy making love with her husband, as her momo said. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Huo Xu sat down beside her and rubbed her head. ¡°Still¡­ tolerable.¡± Huo Xu hummed softly and said, ¡°Then have a good rest today.¡± ¡ª Quiet, it was so quiet that even the sound of breathing could be heard clearly. The heavy bed curtains covered the warm light of the red candles, and only darkness remained in the bed. Shen Qingyan opened her eyes in the darkness and listened to the even breathing of the person beside her. Now her beloved one was within reach, but she felt that they were worlds apart. Shen Qingyan lightly pressed her temples with her fingers, trying to squeeze her wild thoughts out of her mind. After a busy day, Brother Ah Xu must be too tired, right? He must not have deliberately snubbed her on the wedding night. In fact, Huo Xu did not sleep yet, but he really was not in the mood to continue pretending tonight. Especially after seeing Le Zhi at the wedding banquet. In addition, he really had no interest in Shen Qingyan. He liked Le Zhi and liked her beautiful appearance. Although Shen Qingyan was more than pure, she was only a little white flower in the end, let alone a delicate rose. She could not even compare to the rose flower that she replaced. Thinking of this, Huo Xu thought of the white and soft body this morning. Because she knew that he was getting married today, the person in his arms entangled him very tightly. Originally, he had already changed into his wedding clothes, but the delicate figure came up from behind and imprinted honey kisses on the back of his neck¡­ In the end, he almost delayed the auspicious time. He did not touch Shen Qingyan tonight because she did not want her to see the hickeys on the back of his neck, back, and chest that had not yet subsided. ¡ª All the guests at the wedding banquet were already gone, but none of the palace attendants outside the palace hall dared to enter the palace to clean up. They did not know why His Highness Taizi and Taizifei had not left for a long time, and they did not dare to ask but waited quietly outside the palace hall. Le Zhi felt as if she had fallen into chaos. Originally, she thought that those fears had long been forcibly suppressed in her heart, but the appearance of Yang Heng ripped open the bloody scene of that day before her eyes again. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and her eyes were sour, but she could not cry. She covered her heart and could not breathe as if her chest were blocked. ¡°If you want to be with me, you can¡¯t be so fragile here.¡± What Huo Du said to her a few days ago suddenly sounded in her ears. Her state of mind broke through the chaos in an instant, and the confused and sad foxy eyes gradually infused with life. Can¡¯t be fragile and fall into sadness. When her thoughts returned, Le Zhi was shocked to realize that the wedding banquet had already long ended. In the silent main hall, people were gone and the silver filament charcoal in the heater was about to burn out, making people feel colder and colder. Only Huo Du sat quietly beside her, with indifferent expression and without saying a word. Le Zhi got up quickly, faced Huo Du, and apologized, ¡°Sorry, I got distracted.¡± Then she reached out her hand to him. Now Le Zhi was already accustomed to this action of helping him to get up. Huo Du did not raise his eyes, and as usual, simply put one hand on Le Zhi¡¯s arm and the other held the cane. He was dumbfounded. In fact, he did not need anyone to help him at all, and now he seemed to be used to her handing her arm to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the mansion.¡± Le Zhi said in a low voice, looking at Huo Du¡¯s expression carefully with both eyes for fear that he would be angry because of her delay. Seeing that he had already stood up, Le Zhi took advantage of the situation and wanted to withdraw her arm. But the hand resting lightly on her arm did not withdraw, instead moved forward naturally, and held her palm. The two remained silent until they got into the sedan chair. Huo Du did not let go of his grip, and Le Zhi naturally let him hold it. It was freezing cold outside, two icy hands were clasped together, and there was a strange warmth generated between the palms. However, this little bit of warmth was hard to be perceived by two frozen hearts. The sedan chair went straight into the Taizi Mansion and did not stop until the bedroom. Jing Xin was waiting outside the room, worried about the wound on the Master¡¯s shoulder, so she hurried to help her. Seeing this, Huo Du let go of his hand, ¡°You rest first and don¡¯t have to wait for me.¡± After he finished speaking, he walked in the direction of the study. After entering the room, Le Zhi was served by Jing Xin to wash and change clothes while she was still in a daze and then lay down on the soft bed. Her body seemed to have lost strength. Jing Xin carefully covered her with the brocade quilt, and then retreated. Suddenly, a snow fluffy jumped onto the bed and got into the quilt easily. Le Zhi smiled weakly, a corner of the quilt on her body was raised, and a snow-white head stuck out. Little Lame Huo stared at Le Zhi with round eyes, as if it could see through her sadness. Then it leaned on Le Zhi¡¯s shoulder obediently, closed its eyes, and slept peacefully. Le Zhi caressed its snow-white fur and closed her eyes next to its little head. ¡ª Study. An Xuan had already returned to the mansion long before Huo Du. As early as the end of the wedding banquet, His Highness and Taizifei had not come out for a long time, so he knew something must have happened. Most of the people in the wedding banquet were their spies, and soon he knew about the episode between Taizifei and Yang Heng. He walked outside the palace hall and waited for Huo Du¡¯s instructions. Huo Du did not say anything, and he knew what His Highness wanted him to do with just a glance. ¡°Have you checked it all?¡± The study door was pushed open. Huo Du walked in slowly, sat down on the armchair, and asked with an indifferent face. An Xuan nodded in response and then reported it clearly. It was actually very simple to find out what Yang Heng did on the day of Great Li¡¯s destruction. His Highness had already long ago planted his people in the Shenyi Army. Moreover, what Yang Heng did was in broad daylight. As An Xuan elaborated, Huo Du¡¯s black eyes became more gloomy. It was unknown whether it was because his spy explained the details too clearly, or An Xuan¡¯s words were too precise, Huo Du felt that the scene of that day seemed to unfold clearly in front of his eyes. On the day when the capital of the country Li was destroyed, both the Emperor and Empress committed suicide and the Taizi was killed. Huo Xu brought the Shenyi Army and took away Le Zhi, who was kneeling beside the corpse of the Emperor and Empress and her clothes were stained with the blood of her loved ones. Regardless of her struggle, he carried her to get on the horse and held her firmly in front of him. Then, everyone saw that the Great Li most beloved little princess struggled like crazy, and the already amazing fox eyes were stained with the most dazzling red. The two people had a significant difference in strength but under Le Zhi¡¯s desperate beating, there existed a small gap. As soon as her waist was loosened, Le Zhi jumped off the horse determinedly and fell to the ground. The battlefield was in a mess with corpses everywhere. A half-broken dagger just happened to be in her hand. She put the sharp blade against her neck and shouted at Huo Xu with hatred overflowing in her eyes, ¡°Shameless villain! Ungrateful! One day you will not be able to die a natural death!¡± She shouted at the top of her voice word by word. After saying that, she resolutely prepared to die. ¡°Zhizhi!¡± Huo Xu stopped her by calling out to her. His eyes were filled with horror and gritted his teeth, ¡°If you dare to kill yourself, your imperial sister will be worse off than dead!¡± Hearing this, the knife clenched tightly in her hand froze, and only a faint blood mark was cut on the white neck and a few blood beads appeared faintly. Immediately afterward, Le Jin, the second princess of Great Li, was dragged forward by several soldiers. In an instant, everyone understood Huo Xu¡¯s intentions. He took Le Jin as a hostage and threatened Le Zhi, so that she could not look for death. However, as a princess, Le Jin had the same blood in her bones as Le Zhi. The country was defeated, and the home was lost, so how could she be afraid of death? ¡°Zhizhi! You don¡¯t have to worry about me. We¡¯ll meet in the underworld!¡± Her vision was blurred, and Le Zhi could not see the expression of her imperial sister, but she could hear the meaning of her imperial sister clearly. She could not make a sound, so she could only silently tell her imperial sister with her mouth shape. ¡°Sure.¡± The tacit understanding between the sisters made Huo Xu skip a beat. After more than ten years of getting along, until today, he suddenly found that he did not seem to know them. In the panic, his eyes flashed fiercely, ¡°Le Zhi! You are not afraid of death, but are you afraid or not that your imperial sister will be tortured?¡± Torture? Le Zhi smiled bleakly. Were not they suffering now? Obviously, she underestimated Huo Xu¡¯s shamelessness. After receiving Huo Xu¡¯s meaningful glances, Yang Heng, who was standing beside the dark horse, walked towards Le Jin with a few fierce generals. The sound of the clothes being torn apart and the screams of her imperial sister stung Le Zhi¡¯s eardrums in an instant. The remnants of the captured soldiers of country Li watched their princess being humiliated helplessly and roared to rush forward, but their hands and feet were bounded by iron chains and unable to move forward. Even some country Qi soldiers could not bear to look at it and turned their eyes away. On the other hand, Yang Heng and his subordinates had lewd smiles on their faces and continued to pull Le Jin¡¯s skirt. The clothes were torn apart, and her imperial elder sister¡¯s arms and shoulders were exposed. Le Zhi bit her lip, letting the blood flow into her mouth, and tasted a tinge of sweetness in her mouth. Soon, she let go of her hand and the half-broken dagger fell to the ground. Then she dragged her injured leg and moved to Huo Xu¡¯s horse. It was easy to seek death, but she could not watch her sister being humiliated helplessly. Then, everyone saw with their own eyes that the little princess, who had been holding her head high, lowered her head. Lowered her head and admitted defeat. ¡°Stop! ¡± Huo Xu turned over to dismount from his horse, supported Le Zhi, and untied his cotton cloak to wrap around her body. Le Zhi quickly ran to Le Jin¡¯s side, and Yang Heng and the others stepped aside. Le Zhi wept silently and covered the exposed skin of her imperial sister with a cotton cloak. Although she had not been substantively insulted, such a thing happened in front of everyone¡¯s eyes, which had drained all of Le Jin¡¯s anger. ¡°Imperial Sister, sister?¡± Le Zhi called out twice cautiously, but Le Jin remained motionless, and her eyes were hollow. Then several soldiers dragged Le Jin up and took her away. ¡°Sister!¡± Le Zhi wanted to chase but was stopped by Huo Xu from behind and had to turn around to face him. ¡°As long as you are obedient, your sister will be fine.¡± ¡ª Even after An Xuan left for a long time, Huo Du still sat by the window and blew by the piercing cold wind. There was no emotion on his face or in his eyes. He just sat like this, not knowing what he was thinking. It was not until he choushi (1 am ¨C 3 am) that he got up and walked to the bedroom. After stepping into the bedroom, he saw Little Lame Huo looking at him with round eyes, ¡°Meow, meow¡­¡± There was innocence and cowardice in the cry. Huo Du frowned and walked to the bed. A faint smell of blood floated to his nose. The sleeping person was shaking slightly from head to toe, and even her shoulders were trembling. Tears flowed silently from the corners of her eyes. Huo Du did not know how long she had been crying, and even her long black eyelashes were wet. The wound on the shoulder that had started to form a scab, was bleeding out again. The author has something to say: Classmate Xiao Du does not want to talk today. PS. I can¡¯t think of words to scold that scum, Huo Xu. CH 27 Chapter 27 Sister ¡°Meow~¡± The cat was suddenly picked up. Its feet were lifted into the air and fell firmly into Huo Du¡¯s arms. Little Lame Huo hurriedly stuck out its head and stared at Le Zhi on the bed with round eyes impatiently. Soon it was put on the ground. The chubby snow fluffy who was worried and dissatisfied, dragged his lame leg to jump on the bed again. But a bony hand pressed against its soft white forehead. ¡°You are not allowed to go to bed these few days.¡± A tone that could not be ignored. The snow fluffy ¡°meow¡± twice unhappily, but still obediently lay down on the side of the bed. When Huo Du brought the medicine box, Le Zhi¡¯s originally pale cheeks turned strangely red. He sat on the bed and reached out to touch her forehead. Sure enough, she had a fever. The heater in the bedroom was burning vigorously, and the burning silver charcoal occasionally made a slight sound. Since Le Zhi was injured, the heater in the mansion had not been stopped. Huo Du lifted the quilt and held Le Zhi¡¯s wrist. His face sank in an instant and directly pushed up Le Zhi¡¯s sleeves. It was the same for her arms. Her whole body seemed to have just emerged from the ice cellar, but her forehead was scalding hot. The ice and fire seemed to flow in her body together. The blood oozing out from the open wound on the shoulder had soaked the sleeping clothes covering the skin, and the blood was half-clotted. Huo Du raised his hand to open the stained clothes on Le Zhi¡¯s right shoulder and pulled her sleeping clothes down slightly. When uncovering, the fabric was separated from the sticky flesh and blood. Even though Huo Du was very gentle in his movements, the person in her sleep was still in pain from the pull. Le Zhi¡¯s eyelids trembled slightly, and her black eyelashes hung with remnant tears as if she was about to wake up from a chaotic nightmare. However, in the next moment, the trembling black eyelashes stopped, and her eyebrows smoothed out as if she had lost all consciousness. Huo Du tapped her sleeping acupoint. For some reason, he did not want to see the emotions in Le Zhi¡¯s eyes at the moment. Whether it was sadness, loss, or pretending to be strong as if nothing had happened, he did not want to see at all. Or maybe, he dared not look at it. Huo Du carefully medicated the wound and bandage it and went to the pharmacy again to get the medicine. The high fever was more critical than the wound. However, why did he have to do it himself? It was not that there were no doctors in the mansion. When he realized this problem, Huo Du was leaning back against the head of the bed, half supporting Le Zhi and hugging her from behind. One hand rested on her shoulder, and the other was holding a soup bowl and preparing to feed her. With a frown, he found the most appropriate word for his behaviors. Inexplicably. Huo Du impatiently removed the silver spoon from the medicine bowl, not wanting to feed her mouthful by mouthful. She already used him as a pillow to lean on. Did he have to feed her medicine mouthful by mouthful again? For what reason? She was not his ancestor! The edge of the porcelain bowl was kept close to Le Zhi¡¯s mouth, and Huo Du tilted the bowl slowly, but the sleeping person seemed to smell the bitter smell of the decoction, frowned, and refused to open her mouth. ¡°Tsk, not drinking?¡± Huo Du chuckled and leaned closer to Le Zhi¡¯s ear, ¡°Then this loneliness will help Yang Heng be promoted to the Commander of the Shenyi Army.¡± Hearing this, the small face of the person in his arms frowned even more severely. Huo Du continued to talk nonsense, ¡°Not only that, but this loneliness must also give up the position of the Taizi to Huo Xu so that he can inherit the great power righteously.¡± When she heard the words ¡°Huo Xu¡±, Le Zhi¡¯s body trembled slightly. Immediately, as if she understood, her cherry lips slightly opened, and she actually drank all the medicine in one mouthful. These two words actually could make her fight with high spirits even in a coma. Huo Du took out candy from his sleeve. On the way to the pharmacy just now, perhaps he was being possessed, he randomly called a servant to get candy. He peeled off the candy paper and stuffed the candy into Le Zhi¡¯s mouth. Her eyebrows frowned because the bitter medicine gradually smooth out. ¡°How much do you hate him?¡± Huo Du asked as he put the person back on the bed and pulled the quilt over her, ¡°If he repents strenuously, will you be softhearted?¡± The person who was asleep due to the effect of the medicine could not hear and answer his questions. Huo Du chuckled lightly. His peach blossom eyes stared at her sickly face and sat quietly all night until dawn. ¡ª When Le Zhi woke up, it was already late in the morning. There was no one beside her. She slept in a daze last night, and she did not know if Huo Du had ever returned to the bedroom. She was surprised that she slept so soundly and even suffered a serious illness in her sleep. She vaguely remembered that an immortal saved her¡­ and all kinds of discomfort on her body also disappeared before falling asleep. The haze brought about by Yang Heng was over. Le Zhi was not a person who would trap herself in sorrow. On the contrary, she would become stronger because of sorrow. After freshening up, she called Li Yao alone. ¡°Li Yao, send a message to Huo Xu right away. Tell him that since the wedding banquet last night, I have been so worried that I have been physically and mentally hurt. Now I have only one wish, begging him to let me see my sister.¡± Le Zhi deliberately chose this excellent time. Huo Xu was already very remorseful as he accidentally injured her when the assassination failed to kill Huo Du. In addition to the meeting at the wedding banquet yesterday, Huo Xu¡¯s guilt toward her had reached its peak at the present moment. She must seize this opportunity. Sure enough, after learning about Le Zhi¡¯s message, Huo Xu was absent-minded for a while. Emperor Qi entrusted Huo Xu with all matters related to the detention of Great Li prisoners of war, and it was not difficult for Le Zhi to see Le Jin. But what he was worried about was that seeing Le Jin would make Le Zhi bring back those bad memories again. Huo Xu was afraid of¡­ the way Le Zhi looked at him that day made him shudder. He did not want to see such strong hatred in Le Zhi¡¯s eyes again. He could not take it. However, after all, he was ashamed of her and also had married someone else. If he did not even satisfy such a small request, would Zhizhi¡¯s heart be farther and farther away from him? No, he must not let this happen. Therefore, when Li Yao came with the news that Huo Xu agreed, Le Zhi was not surprised at all. She had even changed into the clothes for going out and packed herself up properly so as not to delay for a moment. ¡ª Xia Feitai. It was built by Huo Changyun, Emperor Qi, and was especially used to imprison the relatives of the surrendered emperor. This prison was still brand new, and now only a few imperial relatives of the country Li were being held in it. Emperor Qi was ambitious, and his ambition to unify the five countries had never been reduced by half. The imperial family of country Qi even threatened to send the remaining nobles of the three countries of Jiang, Wu, and Ning to Xia Feitai one by one. When the iron gate was pulled open, there was a burst of extremely eerie cold wind blew out. Le Zhi¡¯s shoulders could not help shivering from cold. Seeing this, Li Yao stretched out her hand and tightened the fox fur coat on Le Zhi¡¯s body, and then supported her arm. The two, master and servant, walked slowly into the iron gate. Probably Huo Xu had explained to them earlier as the prison guards inside politely led the way to the deepest part of the prison to the front of a silver-white door. Le Zhi had never seen an iron door of this color before and could not help but reach out to touch it. The icy coldness pierced through her fingertips, causing her to withdraw them abruptly. ¡°This door is made of cold iron. Taizifei should be careful and not let the cold hurt your body.¡± The prison guard said lightly. Le Zhi¡¯s heart stung unbearably. Her sister was imprisoned here day and night? How could her body be able to endure it? As soon as the prison door opened, Le Zhi walked in quickly. Fortunately, the temperature inside was not as cold as the cold iron. There was a heater, soothing incense, and everything that was needed was available. There was even a maid to serve Le Jin¡¯s daily life. Le Zhi saw her sister sitting quietly on the bed at a glance. Her eyes were lowered and did not say a word. She did not even move when someone came in. ¡°Sister!¡± Le Zhi trotted to Le Jin, sat on the bed, and held her hand. Her eyes were sour, and she repeated calling her with choking sobs in her tone, ¡°Sister¡­¡± At this time and place, she could no longer call Imperial Sister. They were no longer princesses anymore. Hearing this, Le Jin finally had a reaction. She raised her eyes slightly and stared at Le Zhi, but there was no expression on her face, and her eyes were still empty. The same as when she was taken away that day. The only difference was that Le Jin had lost a lot of weight, and her already slender body became even frailer. Le Zhi and Le Jin had similar temperaments, but not in appearance. Le Jin was not as bright and beautiful as Le Zhi. She was gentler and more graceful with snowy skin like snow. More importantly, Le Jin was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, which was worthy of the statement talented and beautiful. But now, she seemed to have lost her vitality. Le Zhi wiped away the tears on her face and clasped Le Jin¡¯s hand firmly, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m here. Zhizhi is here.¡± Still, there was no response. The maid on the side could not bear it. She took a few steps forward, and reported, ¡°Taizifei, Master is already doing very well like this today. This maid has never seen Master raise her eyes before.¡± After the maid finished speaking, Le Zhi threw herself on Le Jin and hugged her sister tightly. She approached Le Jin¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Sister, hold on a little longer. I will definitely find a way to get you out of here.¡± ¡ª After a short time, the prison guard outside came to urge her. But all this time, her sister did not say a word. Le Zhi clenched her fists tightly, letting her fingernails sink into her palms, and then stood up. Even if she did not want to, she had to leave. Li Yao gave the money to the maid and the prison guards outside, telling them to take more care of Le Jin. Money could make people feel good. After they took the money, the prison guards immediately put bright smiles on their faces. It was already dusk outside when she got on the carriage back to the mansion. The anger in Le Zhi¡¯s chest was hard to dispel. Now her sister had become like this, she could not calm down at all! And she could not kill the main culprit, Huo Xu, yet. But those accomplices, especially Yang Heng who took the lead¡­ He must die! Le Zhi had inquired before that Yang Heng loved to go to brothels so much and could not refuse a woman¡¯s beauty. If one had a weakness, it was much easier to handle. As the saying goes, there was a knife above the character for lust*. (there was a knife above the character for lust* ¨C lascivious activities can lead to bitter consequences) Le Zhi lowered her eyes and hooked her lips, as a perfect plan appeared from the bottom of her heart. She was very fortunate that she had studied with Huo Xu since she was a child and could copy Huo Xu¡¯s handwriting exactly like his. Then tomorrow would be Yang Heng¡¯s death. It was just that she did not expect that no matter how perfect the plan was, there would still be unexpected. For example, someone was one step faster than her. ¡ª The sky seemed to be painted with black ink, and even the bright moon and stars were hidden. After drinking with a group of subordinates of the Shenyi Army, Yang Heng stepped into a familiar place with a red face. Huanxian Pavilion. When it came to this Huanxian Pavilion, the brothel was different from the ordinary. The girls inside were all from all over the world. The charming, the elegant, the apricot-faced and the peach cheeks*, the delicate like water, there were all here. There were even exotic beauties. (the apricot faced and the peach cheeks* ¨C describe the beauty of a woman with a white and ruddy face) However, common people were not allowed here. They only did business with the nobles of the imperial palace, court officials, and military generals who had status, prestige, money, and power. According to the rules of the Huanxian Pavilion, the newly arrived beauty needed to be determined in advance on a first-come, first-served basis. Whoever paid the money first would be the first one. As a matter of fact, as early as five days ago, Yang Heng¡¯s back foot came as soon as the beauty¡¯s front foot arrived. ¡°Hey Commander Yang, look how anxious you are!¡± Wen Qiu, the female owner of Huanxian Pavilion, greeted him with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Yang Heng was drunk and impatient. ¡°Where is the person?¡± Wen Qiu was used to seeing impatient men and immediately shouted inside, ¡°Little Six, take Commander Yang upstairs!¡± Yang Heng was a little confused when he stumbled up the stairs with the support of Little Six. In this month, he had not been able to forget Le Jin. When he was stopped by Huo Xu that day, his body had already reacted. However, since Master shouted to stop, he had to obey. From that day on, Le Jin¡¯s white shoulders and tender arms had always appeared in his dreams, which had enchanted his soul. Yang Heng had been to Xia Feitai. She was just a princess of a subjugated country. So, what if he acted first and then reported later? However, Huo Xu seemed to have foreseen it in advance, so he stopped him and reprimanded him severely. He had to give up. Was not it just for that little princess! When it came to that little princess, the beauty was beautiful, but she was too beautiful, like a fairy. One would not know which day she would capture the heart and soul. What was so good about her! When it came to women, one had to be like Le Jin. Fortunately, a new beauty had arrived at Huanxian Pavilion recently. He had seen the picture of the beauty, which was exactly the type of smooth and fair with incomparable tenderness. Was not this exactly Le Jin! Thinking that he would be able to intimate with the beauty soon, Yang Heng quickened his pace with half-closed eyes, and laughter overflowed from his lips. The author has something to say: Huo Du¡¯s heart and soul have been captured: Are you laughing at me? Hehe. * Tsk, tsk. It¡¯s not good to provoke anyone. However, you insist on provoking these two, husband and wife. There are only two options: Either die today or die tomorrow. The author said: Early death and early rebirth. (Hehe, Hehe, lite the candle in advance.) CH 28 Chapter 28 Hug Me Suddenly plunged into darkness, Yang Heng had not yet reacted to what had happened, and his back had already touched something cold. What was going on? He was obviously having fun with the beauty. The little beauty had a seductive figure, and her snowy cheeks were half-covered. He had a hard time embracing the person and took the opportunity to fall on the spacious bed. Then he rolled inwards twice, but he did not expect his body to suddenly rise high into the air and fell straight down. Who? Who was calculating him? Yang Heng stood up, gasped a few breaths, and the elegant aroma wafted between his nose and mouth. He cursed loudly, ¡°How dare you! Do you know who this lord is¡­¡± As his voice became weaker, he was surprised to find that his body became softer and softer, and even his throat seemed to be blocked. The propped-up body could not help but fall to the ground, and the fear exploded in the scalp in an instant! ¡°Grunting¡­¡± Accompanied by a clear roar, the dark secret room lit up with bright candlelight. Yang Heng raised his eyes and saw a lot of hedgehogs appearing out of nowhere, rushing towards him like going crazy! Five or ten? More than that. He saw that there were almost dozens of them. Yang Heng¡¯s body was already paralyzed, but his consciousness was very clear, and the outline of the hedgehogs was printed in his scarlet cloudy eyes. Then, the melodious sound of the flute reached his ears. Sure enough! Someone wanted to harm him! Yang Heng did not understand the music, but these hedgehogs seemed to understand it. The hedgehogs tore his limbs apart according to the tune of the flute and spread it out on the ground like the word ¡°big¡±. It was better to directly give him a knife on his neck than this kind of feeling of being played with by animals! Suddenly, the tune of the flute became faster. The hedgehogs hovering around his limbs gathered in an instant, and then rushed towards him violently. Yang Heng¡¯s eyes froze. He knew he was done. The throat that had been blocked was torn open in a dull pain and a scream was made. But that array hedgehogs were indifferent as they only listened to the tune of the flute. They would not stop if the tune of the flute did not stop. Soon, Yang Heng was unaware of the severe pain in his lower body, leaving only the numbness and a strong smell of blood, which was his own blood. And there was wetness passed across his lips. Oh, it turned out to be his tears. Before he passed out, Yang Heng¡¯s chest heaved up and down. He just hoped that all this was just a nightmare and would be fine once he woke up. If it was not a dream, he hoped that he would never wake up. The pleasant scream in the secret room disappeared, leaving only the small biting sound of the hedgehog. Huo Du put down the white jade flute and An Xuan, who stood at the side, pushed open the iron gate. The pungent smell of blood wafted out instantly, making people frown involuntarily. The little hedgehogs happily ran to Huo Du¡¯s feet, circled around the white jade wheelchair, and several of them lay on Huo Du¡¯s boots with their heads held high as if they were asking for credit. This array of hedgehogs was not ordinary hedgehogs. They lived on blood and were called blood hedgehogs. After drinking blood, they would get extremely excited. Huo Du raised his feet in disgust as the little animals were stained with a lot of blood. The filthy blood of the son of the b*tch. ¡°Take it away and wash it clean.¡± The person who fed the blood hedgehog took the order, shook the bell in his hand, and the little hedgehogs left obediently following the sound of the bell. The wheelchair slowly entered the secret room, and his heart, which had been suffocated for a day, finally felt much more comfortable. Huo Du curled his lips while admiring his masterpiece. The man, whose lower body was badly mutilated, still had tears left on his face due to fear and pain. Tsk, it¡¯s so beautiful. Huo Du raised his foot and kicked Yang Heng in the face, and raised his peach blossom eyes slightly, ¡°Waste.¡± His little fox, the little fox who dared to give him aphrodisiacs, was so frightened by such a thing that she had a high fever and even the wound on her shoulder broke open. Thinking about this, the smile in his eyes disappeared, and he could not help but increase his strength under his feet to crush Yang Heng¡¯s face. ¡°Your Highness, is it still the same old rule?¡± An Xuan asked. ¡°No.¡± Huo Du¡¯s thin lips parted lightly and said, ¡°Throw him back to the gate of the Yang Mansion.¡± An Xuan frowned slightly and was a little puzzled. Does His Highness actually want to keep him alive? It¡¯s rare. Huo Du glanced at the ground, curled his lips, and smiled. It would not work to just play to death like this. He had to keep Yang Heng¡¯s life for his little fox to play with. ¡°Don¡¯t let the wise and outstanding Commander Yang lose his breath.¡± As soon as the words came out, Huo Du suddenly felt that he had a slipped tongue. How can there be any Commander Yang now, it should be Yang Gonggong*. (Gonggong* ¨C a eunuch) Scoffed. ¡ª The Taizi Mansion. It was late at night, but the bedroom was brightly lit. Le Zhi copied it over and over again, carefully comparing which one resembled Huo Xu¡¯s handwriting the most. She lowered her eyes to compare earnestly, her eyebrows frowned slightly, and did not even notice that Huo Du had entered the room. The wheelchair slowly approached Le Zhi¡¯s side, and a laugh sounded, ¡°As expected of a childhood sweetheart, the handwriting is really similar.¡± Huo Du picked up the letter paper beside him, looked at the contents, and smiled softly. It turned out that she had this idea. Unfortunately, the person had already been crippled. He shook his head regretfully, crumpled the letter paper in his hand into a ball, and threw it on the table. ¡°You!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were so cold and stood up in anger. What¡¯s wrong with this man! Le Zhi unfolded the letter paper in distress, but the crumpled letter could no longer be restored as new. She bit her lip, and her hands trembled with anger! Time was running out. She must write the letter in the fastest time, so she practiced over and over again. But now, most of it was ruined easily by this lunatic. Le Zhi clenched her fists, took a few deep breaths, and mediated in her heart three times. Don¡¯t squabble with this lunatic, don¡¯t squabble with this lunatic, don¡¯t squabble with this lunatic! Le Zhi glared at him quickly. She rubbed the corners of her eyes with her fingers, sat down, and continued to write. Huo Du liked to see Le Zhi¡¯s appearance of daring to be angry but not daring to speak. The more she was like this, the more he wanted to tease her. He raised his hand and pulled out the piece of paper she was writing and crumpled it into a ball again. ¡°Has Your Highness played enough?¡± Le Zhi put the writing brush down hard and fumed with anger between her gritted teeth. ¡°Write something else.¡± Le Zhi was speechless, so she reached out her hand to hold Huo Du¡¯s hand, and spoke patiently with some coaxing tone, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t make trouble. I must write this letter tonight. How about tomorrow? I will write to Your Highness tomorrow, and I can write anything!¡± ¡°Not good.¡± Huo Du¡¯s tone was faint. Le Zhi lowered her head and pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. How can this person be so stubborn! ¡°Don¡¯t you just want to kill someone?¡± Huo Du spoke in a casual tone with great disdain, ¡°Why do you write so many times?¡± Le Zhi raised her head abruptly. Of! Course! Have! To! She wanted to kill the Deputy Commander of the Shenyi Army, not just any chicken or duck. If there was a mistake in one part, it might lead to failure. ¡°Do you want to kill Yang Heng so much?¡± Le Zhi sighed and murmured, ¡°Your Highness said that Huo Xu¡¯s affairs are up to me.¡± She did not intend to hide this matter from Huo Du. Firstly, Huo Du said before that this matter was up to her, and secondly, she could tell that Huo Du did not bother to take care of these things at all. Thus, she did not think Huo Du was concerned about anything. But tonight, he insisted on making trouble! ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du curled his lips, ¡°Come and hug me.¡± For a moment, Le Zhi thought she had auditory hallucinations, ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Come and hug me, ah.¡± Although she did not know what Huo Du wanted to play again, Le Zhi sat on his lap reluctantly, gently hugged him briefly, and then prepared to get up. Huo Du sneered softly, pulled the person into his arms, and firmly wrapped her slender waist. Then approach the mahogany table, unfold a new piece of letter paper, and held Le Zhi¡¯s hand to pick up the fine writing brush. The tip of the writing brush was lightly dipped in ink, and familiar words fell on the paper one by one. In a short time, a letter was written. Le Zhi¡¯s cherry lips parted slightly. This handwriting was exactly the same as Huo Xu¡¯s and even the few words that she wrote a while ago were not very similar, but now they were all the same! Joy bubbled up in her heart. Le Zhi turned to face Huo Du and the joy in her eyes was about to overflow. This lunatic was quite righteous, and it turned out that he wanted to help her! Le Zhi wrapped her hands around his neck, rubbed her cheek against Huo Du¡¯s neck obediently, and then said sincerely, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Huo Du snorted softly. Just now she was so reluctant but now, she actually threw herself to him naturally. Oh, a hypocritical woman. ¡°You earned it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Le Zhi raised her head and blinked, a little puzzled. Huo Du did not answer. He just raised his hand over the back of Le Zhi¡¯s head and gently pressed to let her continue to stay close to him, ¡°Hold tighter.¡± He put his chin on her head and caressed her black hair with one hand. Huo Du began to think seriously. After a busy night of work, I only get a hug and an understated thank you. It¡¯s really¡­ a loss-making business, ah. The author has something to say: Du: Damn, it¡¯s a big loss. Zhi: Shameless man!!! CH 29 Chapter 29 Firm The candlelight in the bedroom was bright, so as not to hurt the eyes when writing. But at this time, Le Zhi¡¯s side face was close to Huo Du¡¯s neck, and the corner of her eyes could clearly see the two people embracing on the ground. The candle wick flickered, and the shadows on the ground also swayed with it, but what remained unchanged was the posture of the two people, close and inseparable. The shallow smile that spread on Le Zhi¡¯s face was slightly frozen, and her eyes were slightly startled as if she had lost her mind for a moment. The palms circled around her waist loosened, and Huo Du put his arms around Le Zhi¡¯s shoulders, keeping a distance from her, ¡°Can you write something else now?¡± With four eyes facing each other, Le Zhi stared at the pair of peach blossom eyes earnestly, trying to find some different emotions from the bottom of his eyes. No, there is still only indifference and alienation which is no different from the past. Le Zhi breathed out a sigh of relief and broke into a smile. Fortunately, the thoughtful thinking just now was probably just her misconception. Sometimes, Le Zhi felt very conflicted in her heart. On the one hand, she hoped that Huo Du would like her so that she would not be too restrained in doing things. However, on the other hand, she was afraid that Huo Du liked her too much, which made her more worry than that he did not like her. Although they had not been together for a long time, Le Zhi had already sensed the dangerous aura emanating from Huo Du. Moreover, he seemed to be able to see through people¡¯s hearts and his thoughts were meticulous while being composed. How could Le Zhi not know that provoking such a person would easily set herself on fire if she was not careful? In all fairness, Huo Du was really nice to her. So much so that as a princess of a subjugated country, she could still live decently in Great Qi. He even allowed her to take revenge. Le Zhi thought that between her and Huo Du, they could be allies who used each other, or allies with common goals. Other than that, there could be no other feelings. Even though Huo Du did not participate in the war of the country Qi to destroy country Li. But from the day the country Qi army stepped into the capital of the country Li, there was always an indelible wall between the Le clan of Great Li and the Huo clan of Great Qi. However, one thing belonged to one thing and could not be confused with others. In terms of fairness, Le Zhi was surprised to find that she and Huo Du were miraculously similar. Therefore, she thought about helping Huo Du secure the throne as his reward. The premise was that Huo Du would not change and would not prevent her from taking revenge, including killing his father¡­ Huo Changyun. Was it difficult? Blood was thicker than water. She was indeed a little whimsical. So sometimes, Le Zhi hoped that Huo Du could be simpler and cruder and took what he wanted from her. For example, her body and made use of her relationship with Huo Xu to help him gain benefits. In this way, she could feel less guilty when they turned against each other in the future. Huo Du kept looking at Le Zhi¡¯s dazed appearance but did not say anything to urge her. He knew in his heart that her mind was very heavy. Precisely, if someone who had been betrayed was still as naive as before, then that person was called stupid. The candle burned to the heart of the candle, making a subtle crackling sound. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes moved slightly, and her thoughts were pulled back. She lowered her eyes and sighed silently. She really thought too much, perhaps he just treated her purely as a plaything! There was no need to make trouble for herself. Seeing the shadows on the ground again, Le Zhi raised her head, her expression returned to normal, and nodded in agreement. She was still sitting on Huo Du¡¯s lap, slowly approached the desk, picked up a writing brush, and started writing. After a while, she picked up the paper and handed it to Huo Du. Huo Du stretched out his hand to take it unhurriedly and looked at the content on the paper casually. It was a few letter words¡­ The branches are full of the ferry*¡¯s shadow. (ferry* ¨C it is pronounced as Du in the Chinese language) He chuckled lightly as she did not deliberately imitate Huo Xu¡¯s handwriting. These words were probably her usual style of writing. The writing was neat and decisive, unlike the words of ordinary girls, soft and gentle. ¡°This is?¡± Le Zhi blinked and smiled slyly, ¡°A thank you gift to Your Highness.¡± Hearing this, Huo Du glanced at her with a disgusted expression on his cold white face. The meaning could not be more obvious. Do you have the nerve to just give these few broken words as a thank you gift? ¡°It¡¯s not the gift that counts, but the thought behind it, ah.¡± Huo Du sneered lightly. He leaned closer to her ear and said with a smile, ¡°This loneliness didn¡¯t study well when I was young. It¡¯s better for Taizifei to tell this loneliness about it. What does this ¡®full of¡¯ mean in The branches are full of the ferry¡¯s shadow?¡± After a pause, he deliberately tightened the hand around Le Zhi¡¯s waist to bring her closer to him. The thin lips seemed to lightly touch the tip of her ear, and he continued to ask, ¡°The branches are full¡­ How to be full?¡± The cool mint breath swept across her ears, and Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks began to turn red. Here we go again! He deliberately misinterpreted it. Le Zhi knew what he meant, but she did not want to do what he meant every time. She put both her hands on Huo Du¡¯s shoulders, stood up, and took his palms to put them on her heart. She said in a delicate voice, ¡°The full means that Your Highness is now occupying all of Zhizhi¡¯s heart!¡± Huo Du laughed and listened to her nonsense. The heavy worry that got her distracted just now faded away. She could always quickly return to her hypocritical appearance. He knew that from beginning to end, she had her own purpose every time she deliberately approached and tempted him. Without saying more, Huo Du only withdrew his palms and stared at those fox eyes with darkened black eyes. Perhaps Huo Du¡¯s gaze was too hard to guess. Le Zhi got nervous, and the wound on her shoulder stung a little. She could not help but frown. ¡°The wound hurts?¡± Le Zhi hummed, ¡°A little bit¡­¡± ¡°Sit down on the bed.¡± Huo Du was helpless and went to get the spare medicine box in the bedroom. By the time he pushed the wheelchair to the bed, Le Zhi had already taken off her boots and socks and sat on the bed. She unbuttoned the three buttons on the top of her clothing on her own initiative and pulled down the fabric on her right shoulder. Upon seeing this, Huo Du¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled gently. ¡°Le Zhi, do you know how to write the word shame?¡± Le Zhi curled her lips and said in her heart. Didn¡¯t you not want me even when I sent myself to the door before? Even the aphrodisiac is useless. Does it make a difference that I wear them or not now? Of course, she did not dare say it. Huo Du glanced at her. Then he began to untie the cotton cloth on her wound and put on the medicine and bandaged it again. After it was over, Huo Du packed the medicine box aside. Le Zhi suddenly thought of the wound that had been bandaged on her shoulder when she woke up in the morning. She thought that Huo Du had not returned to the room last night, probably Jing Xin helped bandage her. But at this time only did she realize that the bandaging technique was the same. Therefore, Huo Du had been taking care of her personally since she was injured. ¡°Did Your Highness also change the medicine for me last night?¡± Le Zhi asked tentatively. ¡°Not me.¡± Huo Du did not even lift his eyelids and said eccentrically, ¡°Perhaps a ghost?¡± Le Zhi sneered and started talking nonsense in a lively tone, ¡°I see. Your Highness actually cares about me so much. Since I was injured, Your Highness must have been so worried, right? I see that Your Highness¡¯s face is quite haggard.¡± Huo Du was speechless. He held her shoulders and made her lie down. He pulled the brocade quilt to wrap around her, ¡°Taizifei¡¯s delusion is really getting worse.¡± After he finished speaking, he picked up the white jade cane beside him and prepared to get up with the medicine box. Unexpectedly, a slender hand grabbed his sleeve firmly and he turned to look at her. ¡°Your Highness, when the wound on my shoulder is healed, we will¡­¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were firm with a smile on her face, ¡°Consummate.¡± Afraid that he would feel reluctant, she added, ¡°I am very willing.¡± She could see that Huo Du was interested in her, but as for how much, she did not know. However, she did not want to see things go beyond her expectations. Although Huo Du would not fall in love with her, what if? If this lunatic really fell for her, then it would be too serious. It was said that men in Great Qi liked the new and hated the old. They treated women with contempt and would quickly dislike them after they got them. After they had consummated, it probably would not take long before they become pure allies and maintain a safe distance for mutual benefits. When she finished speaking, Huo Xu¡¯s eyes were burning but he did not respond. After a while, he asked, ¡°Le Zhi, how old are you?¡± Le Zhi was puzzled. Huo Du obviously knew her age, but she still answered obediently, ¡°Sixteen.¡± ¡°Sixteen¡­¡± Huo Du chuckled, shook his head with disapproval, and then turned around to arrange the medicine box on his own. Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks were red for a while, then began to turn white again, and her eyes were slightly red. She turned her body to the inside of the bed and bit her lip. It¡¯s too embarrassing. It seems I got rejected again. All right, Huo Du probably just thinks she was a very interesting person and had no interest in her body at all. This seemed like a good thing. Not long after, Huo Du also lay down on the bed. The embarrassment just now had not yet eased, Le Zhi decided to turn her back to him and just sleep like this for one night. However, the brocade quilt on her body was suddenly lifted, her wrist was held, and with a gentle pull, Huo Du hugged her from behind. Then she heard him speak with a bit of hoarseness in his voice. ¡°Have you really thought about it?¡± The author has something to say£º Du: I want to date my wife, but she just wants to consummate with me? Zhi: It¡¯s risky to provoke a lunatic, so I¡¯m starting to panic. CH 30 Chapter 30 Happiness The cool breath of mint was overwhelming, and her back that was attached to the warm chest made Le Zhi¡¯s body stiffen. In her impression, Huo Du had always been cold, from the inside out, from the body to the heart. But at this moment, he was very different from usual. Le Zhi¡¯s mind was blank for a long while, only motionless and startled senselessly. The person behind her did not hear the answer, nor did he urge her. He just let go of her and distanced himself from her. Le Zhi only reacted when the heat source on the back disappeared suddenly. She turned around slowly, annoyed that she did not respond in time. Would not it be too obvious to hug him now? After thinking for a moment, Le Zhi gently moved her hand under the quilt. After finding Huo Du¡¯s palm, her delicate fingers held his fingers gently and interlocked with his fingers. Le Zhi was stunned by the cold temperature coming from the palm of his hand. Did the warm embrace and the cold palm just now really come from the same person? Without thinking much about it, she replied in a low voice, ¡°En.¡± After a long time, it was so long that Le Zhi thought that the person beside her had fallen asleep, and then a burst of soft laughter came to her ear. ¡°All right.¡± Huo Du said, ¡°This loneliness agreed.¡± In an instant, Le Zhi¡¯s little face became creased. She did not know what other people liked after they got married, but it must not be like her. All right, all right¡­ All right! How reluctant is he with this tone! He made it seem like she begged him to consummate. When she was recuperating from her injuries a few days ago, Le Zhi did carefully read the booklet that Huo Du gave her. Although she was a little ashamed, she really did not understand the affairs between men and women. In today¡¯s situation, Le Zhi did not want to be passive in anything, including bedroom matters. As a result, she studied very carefully. And the content of this booklet was very different from what momo taught. After reading it, Le Zhi felt that the matter of the consummation was not as scary as the momo described that she had to let her husband do whatever he wanted. She wondered where Huo Du found this booklet? Le Zhi remembered that he once said that he would not consummate the marriage. Logically speaking, it should not be. It was said that the imperial family of Great Qi could accept bedwarmers very early and had many beautiful concubines. In addition to listening to Qingyu talking about the deeds of the Eldest Prince that day, Le Zhi did not quite believe that Huo Du, who was four years older than her, had never had a woman. However, there were indeed no bedwarmers, little concubines, and other women in the Eastern Palace and Taizi Mansion. However, Huo Du had a weird temperament. She could not be sure if by chance he kept the woman he liked outside. Who knows! Anyway, that was not something she should be worried about. Le Zhi already had a plan in mind¡­ If, as Huo Du said, he has never had a woman, then she should learn more, and guide him a little more during the consummation. After all, he still had inconvenience in his leg. If he was experienced, then she should learn more techniques, so as not to let herself be at a disadvantage position. In short, the most important thing was not to let herself suffer! She pulled her thoughts back. After all, the matter of consummation was still far away. Le Zhi began to think about the plan to kill Yang Heng tomorrow, for fear that she would make mistakes if she was not careful enough in her consideration. While she was thinking about it, her eyelids closed without even realizing it. The sound of even breathing gradually subsided. Huo Du got up by himself and looked at Le Zhi¡¯s sleeping face. There was a solemn look on her white snowy cheeks and she did not even relax in her sleep. Are you not tired of thinking so much? He sneered slightly and laughed indifferently. Without even realizing it at all, a soft look flashed through the peach blossom eyes. Lying down again, Huo Du felt the hand she used to hold his slightly loose after she fell asleep. He clenched a little tighter unconsciously as if he had moved that part of her strength into his own hands. The long dark night was endless, and the moon had already waned. Unlike the tranquility of the Taizi mansion, there was someone in the Jingxian Mansion who could not sleep alone and sat in a daze looking at the flickering candlelight. ¡°Wangfei*, it¡¯s better to go to bed first.¡± Shen Qingyan¡¯s dowry maid, Lu Ying, comforted her with a worried expression on her face. (Wangfei* ¨C the title given to a prince¡¯s wife) ¡°Lu Ying¡­¡± Shen Qingyan¡¯s eyes were red, and her voice was hoarse. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t like me, why does he marry me?¡± Seeing the appearance of her master¡¯s lost soul, Lu Ying also became sad. She unfolded the cloak in her hand and wrapped it around Shen Qingyan¡¯s thin body. Thinking of what happened just now, Lu Ying gritted her teeth angrily. Wangye* is also too insulting! (Wangye* ¨C the title of a prince) ¡°No, Master is so good. Wangye, he, he just hasn¡¯t seen Master¡¯s best yet.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shen Qingyan curled her lips and smiled sadly. She knew that Lu Ying just did not want her to be sad and tried her best to comfort her. It¡¯s so cold. Shen Qingyan¡¯s eyes were blurred with tears running down her face. She originally thought that Le Zhi was the only one who could not be erased from Huo Xu¡¯s heart, and he did not touch her on the wedding night last night was out of consideration. However, when she returned to the mansion today, Huo Xu disappeared after dinner. She thought he was busy with official duties, so she took Lu Ying to stroll around the mansion. Until she approached the corner of the western courtyard. For some reason, the guards and maids guarding by the side looked weird and prevented her from approaching several times. Out of curiosity, she ignored the obstacles and insisted on going over to take a look. ¡°Who lives here?¡± The maids looked at each other in dismay, did not dare not to answer her, and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Wangfei, the person who lives here is called¡­ is called Jiang Man.¡± After all, it was only a bedwarmer that Wangye had accepted. The maids did not know what to call her since she did not have any title or status. They had no other alternative than telling Wangfei her name. Hearing this, Shen Qingyan swayed and almost lost her footing, but fortunately, Lu Ying supported her by the side. Jiang Man¡­ So, before marrying her, Huo Xu already had a woman a long time ago? Although such things were not uncommon in Great Qi, Shen Qingyan still felt being deceived. She thought that Le Zhi was the only one that Huo Xu could not let go of, but why was there still a Jiang Man? Who is Jiang Man? How many women does he have? She hurried forward with a frown until she reached the door of the room. Lu Ying on the side raised her hand and prepared to knock on the door. There was a low panting sound coming from inside the room, accompanied by a woman¡¯s soft moan. One after another without stopping. The master and servant looked at each other in shock. Lu Ying¡¯s hand paused for a while, neither knocking nor withdrawing. For a moment, shame and anger swept through her body. The etiquette of a noble young woman that she had learned since childhood made Shen Qingyan unable to rush in recklessly. Besides, what could she do if she went in? It just added humiliation for herself. She forgot how she got back to the bedroom. She only felt that her whole body was soaked in ice water, and it hurt from the cold. ¡°Let¡¯s go, go back to the Prime Minister Mansion.¡± Shen Qingyan wiped the tears from her face and said solemnly. Lu Ying¡¯s eyes widened in shock, ¡°Must not, Master. It¡¯s not even the day of bride returning to her parents¡¯ home yet!¡± But Shen Qingyan stood up resolutely and walked out the door. Her back view from behind was absolutely determined. ¡ª The next day. While Le Zhi and Huo Du were having breakfast, Li Yao walked towards the dining hall with an anxious look. When she saw Huo Du there, she waited outside the hall and did not dare to enter. Upon seeing this, Le Zhi¡¯s expression hardened. She instructed Li Yao yesterday to go outside the Yang Mansion to investigate this morning, and if there were no setbacks, she would proceed to the next step. Li Yao was a very measured person. If it was not for a major event, she would definitely not rush here, and could not even wait for after breakfast. Could it be that something happened in the Yang Mansion? With a sinking heart, Le Zhi quickly opened her mouth to call Li Yao in. At this critical moment, if something happened to the Yang Mansion, it would affect her plan today. Li Yao bowed to salute and wanted to say something but then hesitated. Le Zhi thought she was concerned about Huo Du¡¯s presence and did not dare to speak, so she said, ¡°Just speak out what¡¯s on your mind.¡± ¡°Master, this maid has just gone outside the Yang Mansion¡­¡± Li Yao bit her lip and paused before continuing, ¡°Something happened to Yang Heng, the Deputy Commander of the Shenyi Army, last night¡­¡± Li Yao reported clearly. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes widened gradually as if in disbelief. Her hand trembled and even the red bean pastry held by her silver chopsticks fell into the porcelain bowl. With her cherry lips parted slightly, she said, ¡°Was, was¡­¡± Castrated? After all, Le Zhi was still sitting at the dining table, and could not say that word out loud. Looking at Le Zhi¡¯s expression, Li Yao understood her master¡¯s mood very well. Because when she heard the people talking outside the Yang Mansion not long ago, she had the same reaction. ¡°Yes.¡± Li Yao¡¯s tone was firm, ¡°Although this maid did not find out what happened specifically, it was indeed true.¡± Le Zhi nodded slightly. She raised her eyes to look at Li Yao and said, ¡°Today¡¯s plan is canceled for the time being. You should go to have breakfast first, and then have a good rest.¡± She knew that Li Yao was cautious, and definitely did not have a good rest last night. After Li Yao left, it took a long time for Le Zhi to digest this fact. So, Yang Heng was crippled first before she could make a move? After the initial shock faded, a feeling of happiness flashed through her heart. Could it be that evil had its retribution and that the wicked had their own punishment? What a wonderful thing! The curvature of the corners of her mouth became wider and wider, and Le Zhi lowered her eyes, trying her best not to lose her composure. But her shoulders could not help shaking as she could not hold the happiness in her heart. ¡°All right, don¡¯t hold back.¡± Huo Du said faintly, ¡°If you want to laugh, just laugh.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi no longer pretended to be calm. She raised her eyes and smiled brightly. Perhaps she was so happy that even her little canine teeth were exposed with the smile. Huo Du turned his head sideways and stared at her smile. He had never seen her smile so much these days. There was no pretense, no repression, let alone her deliberate appearance. It turned out that this was how she was when she was really happy. Her countenance was glowing, her eyes were innocent and playful and even the little canine teeth showed her happiness. Perhaps Huo Du was infected by her smile, he could not help but curl his lips and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you so happy?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Le Zhi made no secret of it. After holding back for a long time, she finally felt relieved. After a pause, she restrained her smile and murmured in confusion with her chin in her hands, ¡°But who would have done it¡­?¡± ¡°It must be Yang Heng who has done a lot of evil and has grudges with many people!¡± Huo Du laughed, raised his hand to poke Le Zhi¡¯s forehead lightly, and asked inadvertently, ¡°Is that satisfactory?¡± The happiness gradually faded. Le Zhi thought for a moment, and then shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡± Thinking of her sister¡¯s empty eyes, she pursed her lips. Yang Heng must die. If he did not die and even if her sister¡¯s mind returned to normal, seeing him would definitely bring back bad memories. She must remove the thorns that pierced her sister¡¯s heart one by one with her own hands. But now that something happened to Yang Heng, the Yang Mansion must be heavily guarded, and her plan had to be pushed back. But it did not matter, she could wait. Huo Du watched Le Zhi regain her calmness, but the killing intent in her eyes was still firm and obvious. He was slightly startled, was not that her earlier? No matter how excited she was, she would not be carried away by the happiness, and she could always make plans for the next step very quickly. But to make her happy for a while, it could be considered that he did not waste any time last night. Suddenly, Huo Du felt some anticipation in his heart. He wanted to see how Le Zhi would take that dog¡¯s life. Hiss, it must be quite interesting. CH 31 Chapter 31 Disguise The sun had risen a long time ago. The people who slept soundly on the bed were inseparable and had no awaken from their deep dreams. ¡°Bang.¡± The dark mahogany door was pushed open forcefully. The Empress was dressed in a phoenix robe, elegant and poised, but her face was filled with indescribable anger. Her beautiful eyes were round, staring at the unbearable situation on the bed. Lin Wanning was angry and aggrieved, with disappointment in her eyes. Did she do something wrong? As a mother, she had been planning for him wholeheartedly for many years, but she had made him utterly stupid. Conceited, underestimated the enemy, greedy for pleasure. Perhaps, her son was not even as good as the disabled person. ¡°Empress, don¡¯t worry. At least wait until Wangye gets up.¡± Qin Momo had accompanied Lin Wanning for many years and knew what she was thinking. She walked to the bedside and forcefully dragged Jiang Man off the bed. Crying out in alarm, begging for mercy, and sobbing. There was a big commotion in the western courtyard of the Jingxian Mansion. The servants and attendants standing outside the door all lowered their heads and shrank, not even daring to take a breather. After Huo Xu put on his clothes properly, he knelt down to the Empress with a dejected look, ¡°It¡¯s me who can¡¯t control myself. It¡¯s none of her business. Imperial Mother, please don¡¯t embarrass her.¡± Jiang Man had been dragged out by people long ago, and he did not know how she would be dealt with. Lin Wanning nodded slightly to Qin Momo, who immediately understood clearly, took out the spices in her sleeves, and handed them to Huo Xu. ¡°Wangye, have you never thought that why you miss this place so much. It¡¯s because you have been calculated?¡± In an instant, Huo Xu¡¯s face turned blue. It turned out to be that case. No wonder he was spellbound by her and could not even live without her every night. ¡°Xu¡¯er, do you know your mistake?¡± ¡°I know my mistake.¡± Huo Xu¡¯s expression was gloomy. ¡°Alright, this is the end of this matter. The most important thing now is to go to the Prime Minister Mansion to bring back Qingyan. Do you understand?¡± Hearing this, Huo Xu looked confused. Shen Qingyan is gone? Lin Wanning¡¯s eyes turned cold, ¡°Not long after you got married, you ignored your wife and fooled around with a lowly maid. You were even caught red-handed by your wife.¡± Huo Xu as if struck by lightning. It turned out they were caught by Shen Qingyan. But even so, she could not go back to the Prime Minister Mansion, could she? He was a Wangye, so what if he kept some concubines in the mansion? She was obviously the one who came up to him and kept saying that she liked him. He had married her and made her the legitimate Wangfei of Jingxian, was not that enough? Why is this woman so greedy? In contrast, Huo Xu felt more and more guilty towards Le Zhi. His Zhizhi endured humiliation and bore heavy burdens for him until both physically and mentally hurt. As expected, it was the childhood sweetheart¡¯s affection that even Shen Qingyan could not be compared with. Even Huo Xu was not very angry at the ¡°substitute¡± who calculated him. She just loved him and wanted to keep him for the night. She did not ask for any status and had no complaints about the status as a ¡°substitute¡±. Such a woman was so lovely, ah. As for Shen Qingyan who had just passed the door, she was jealous because of her status as a Wangfei and went back to her parents¡¯ home angrily for a trivial matter. This was outrageous! Was she trying to control him because of her status as the Prime Minister¡¯s daughter? Huo Xu gritted his teeth and added a little bit of resentment towards Shen Qingyan in his heart. Lin Wanning could guess what Huo Xu was thinking. Her son was the most favored son of Heaven, and he had been away from home for many years as a hostage in the country Li, so she did not want to punish him too much. With a sigh, she opened her mouth to persuade, ¡°Xu¡¯er, Imperial Mother knows that you don¡¯t like Qingyan. But you just returned to Great Qi, and your foundation is not stable. You must seize the power of Prime Minister Shen.¡± After a long while, Huo Xu nodded in response, ¡°I understand. I will go to the Prime Minister Mansion to bring her back.¡± He got up and turned back only after a few steps with a distressed look on his face, ¡°Imperial Mother, Xiao Zhi, can you¡­¡± The sunlight outside the door shone in. Huo Xu¡¯s complexion darkened with his back to the sun. ¡°As long as you know the propriety, I won¡¯t embarrass her.¡± Lin Wanning waved her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will let her stay with you.¡± After getting a satisfactory answer, Huo Xu was overjoyed and happily went to the Prime Minister Mansion to pick up a person. Looking at Huo Xu¡¯s back in the dark blue fox fur coat, Lin Wanning sighed again. Her son resembled Huo Changyun a lot. Originally, she was afraid that Huo Xu would get caught up in love with Le Zhi and hard to achieve great things. Thus, she looked for Jiang Man. Sure enough, how could Huo Changyun¡¯s son be a person who was devoted to love? Obviously, she worried too much. ¡ª Huo Xu, who wore a gentle jade mask, acted with ease in the Prime Minister Mansion. Shen Xiang was indeed angry. The Prime Minister¡¯s wife died early, and Shen Huai did not remarry. He only had one daughter, Shen Qingyan, who was regarded as the apple of his eyes. But last night, his daughter who had just been married returned to the mansion with tears all over her face. Shen Huai listened to everything that had happened and was full of anger but there was nothing he could do. Could it be to let Qingyan and Huo Xu divorce? Then how would his daughter stand upright in the future? Also, how should he explain to his wife when he arrived in the underworld in the future? Fortunately, Huo Xu came to apologize sincerely. Shen Huai thought that Huo Xu¡¯s character was obvious to all courtiers. He was merely a young man with an uncertain disposition but would get better eventually. He would do his best to assist Huo Xu. When he ruled in the world, Qingyan would be the Empress, Mother of the world. His daughter would become the most honorable woman in Great Qi. Therefore, after only expressing a few dissatisfactions in a heavy tone, Shen Huai allowed Huo Xu to enter the inner courtyard. Shen Qingyan closed her eyes and rested on the embroidered pillow with a deathly pale face. When she heard the door open, she thought it was Lu Ying who entered the room, and did not even open her eyes. ¡°Take it way, Lu Ying. I don¡¯t want to eat it.¡± ¡°How can you not eat?¡± When the gentle voice sounded, Shen Qingyan opened her eyes in disbelief and the gentle appearance was right in front of her eyes. Huo Xu raised his hand and caressed her cheek, ¡°I¡®ll be distressed.¡± The smell of sandalwood wafted all over the room, and the stove was burning brightly. Shen Qingyan¡¯s cold heart warmed up a little bit. Suddenly, there seemed to be a man¡¯s low panting sound and a woman¡¯s soft moan¡­ She suddenly woke up, raised her hand to pull his hand away, and choked out, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me anymore. You don¡¯t like¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Huo Xu approached her and put his lips on hers. With the tremor from the body up to the heart, Shen Qingyan could clearly see her face turning from white to red in Huo Xu¡¯s eyes. She could feel the intentness and tenderness of his kiss. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yanyan.¡± After the kiss, Huo Xu still pressed his lips to hers and murmured. Hot tears ran down her eyes. Shen Qingyan¡¯s heart was sour and bitter, but also warm and hot. Her heart softened because she loved him. The moon was bright, and the stars were few. The bright moon appeared to be rounder than before. After dinner, Huo Xu walked out of the Prime Minister Mansion with Shen Qingyan in his arms and went straight back to the mansion. After a long night, Shen Qingyan stared at the person in front of him with blurry eyes. He and she finally became one. Soft kisses fell on her cheeks, lips, earlobes, and body. The stars were shining brightly, and she hugged her lover to sleep contentedly. Until he was sure that Shen Qingyan had fallen asleep, Huo Xu finally tore off the mask that he had been wearing all day. He stared at Shen Qingyan with an expressionless face, and her face was still flushed with the deep redness that he had lured out. He pulled his arm out of her hand in disgust and distanced himself from Shen Qingyan, unwilling to touch her. Ah, you should be satisfied now, right? Huo Xu suppressed the shame in his chest. Today, he was not the Jingxian Wang of the Third Prince. He was like a male companion who tried his best to please her. It turns out that it feels like this with people who I don¡¯t like. Then, would Zhizhi feel extremely wronged? Huo Xu¡¯s heart ached. He thought that Huo Du must be a hundred times more difficult to serve than Shen Qingyan. It was only one night, and he already felt unbearable, while Zhizhi had been living like this for a long time. He had to compensate her! Although it was still impossible to welcome her into the house justifiably now, he must at least make her happy. He knew that Zhizhi was most worried about Le Jin, so just let her visit her sister more often! ¡ª Slave market. At this time, Le Zhi indeed felt extremely wronged. Ever since she heard the news of Yang Heng¡¯s accident, her plan to murder him had to be put on hold for the time being. However, her plan for revenge could not cease. Jing Xin and Lin Yue were busy on her behalf on the matter of opening the shop. She only needed to compare the prosperous shops they had selected every day, the candidates for the shop assistances and so on, one by one. Within half a month, her shop would be able to open. However, there was another matter that no one could do on behalf of her. That was¡­ to have a highly skilled subordinate in martial arts. Le Zhi thought about it before that she could not rely on Huo Du forever. She must have her own people. In this world, only one with martial skills could have the confidence. However, excellent martial arts practitioners were hard to come by, and this was not something that money could buy. Early in the morning a few days ago, she saw An Xuan training the soldiers in the courtyard. People like An Xuan could defeat a hundred enemies single-handedly. Le Zhi thought that it would be great if she could have ten subordinates like ¡°An Xuan¡±. Even when she had no other choice but to resort to a surprise attack, ten ¡°An Xuan¡± would be enough to take Huo Xu¡¯s dog¡¯s life. ¡°Alas¡­¡± Le Zhi sighed for the tenth time. She poked the pumpkin bowl in front of her with a silver chopstick, then turned to look at Huo Du, and asked tentatively, ¡°Your Highness, where did you find this treasure, An Xuan?¡± Hearing this, Huo Du put the silver chopsticks down, raised his eyes, and glanced at Le Zhi coldly. What kind of treasure is An Xuan? ¡°There is a lot in the slave market.¡± Huo Du¡¯s tone was flat, and he asked again, ¡°Are you interested?¡± Le Zhi curled her lips, her eyes gleamed with joy, and she nodded her head without concealment, ¡°Slave market¡­ Can I go?¡± ¡°You can go. This loneliness didn¡¯t lock you up.¡± ¡°Will Your Highness come with me?¡± Le Zhi asked expectantly. She never thought of secretly raising soldiers under Huo Du¡¯s nose, it was too difficult. That being the case, why not be honest with him and let Huo Du accompany her. The fact that he was able to pick a capable person like An Xuan showed that he had an exceptionally good vision. ¡°Not going.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was nothing she could do since Huo Du refused her coldly. Fortunately, he arranged for An Xuan to accompany her. Therefore, there was excitement in the slave market in the middle of the night. Le Zhi dressed as a wealthy businessman¡¯s wife and sat on the high platform with three maids and An Xuan. The slaves on the field fought one-on-one in close combat, and the slaves who won were eligible to be selected by the nobles on the high platform. If more than one nobleman took a fancy to a slave, the one with the highest price would get them. One after another, Le Zhi did not see satisfactory results. Before she got a little tired, a thin and dark young man about twelve or thirteen years old, came on the field to fight a burly slave. Many people on the platform did not even lift their eyelids, as the difference in strength was too much. As soon as the bugle-horn sounded, merely a moment later, the strong man was knocked down by the young man. Le Zhi was refreshed in an instant. She turned her head as she said, ¡°Xiao An, do you think this child is good?¡± However, An Xuan¡¯s eyes seemed to be looking at Jing Xin¡¯s side. ¡­All right, it seems that An Xuan didn¡¯t watch the fight on the field at all. This was an injustice toward An Xuan. Although his mind was not on the field and was slightly distracted, he was very clear about the situation on the field. ¡°Madam, this person can be used.¡± Le Zhi felt even more relieved after hearing what An Xuan had said. She quickly raised her hand and said the price. However, there were a lot of people who liked the young man. Everyone raised their prices one after another, competed with each other, and refused to give in to each other. However, Le Zhi was determined to win. She gritted her teeth¡­ ¡°Five hundred taels. ¡± Finally, the slave market became quiet. Everyone looked over, no matter how powerful a slave was, it was not worth five hundred taels. ¡°Five hundred taels for the first time.¡± ¡°Five hundred taels for the second time.¡± A smile appeared on Le Zhi¡¯s face. She figured it out that apart from the odds and ends of opening a shop, she only had two thousand taels at most to buy people, and she planned to buy at least five people. So, it was her limit to spend five hundred to buy one person. It seemed that no one had robbed her yet. She waited contentedly for the word ¡°deal¡± to sound out. Unfortunately, there was a voice that was one step faster. ¡°One thousand taels.¡± The voice was so familiar that Le Zhi almost cursed. She looked back angrily. It was rare to see Huo Du in a light purple robe, and the girdle with gold thread embroidery on his waist was particularly conspicuous, which made him look more immortal and noble. Even with a white jade cane in his hand, it was still difficult for the people sitting on the high platform to look away. Le Zhi pursed her lips unhappily. Didn¡¯t he say he won¡¯t come? Oh come on, why does he still want to rob people from her! The author has something to say: Huo Xu: Long time no see. Do you miss me very much? As a heartthrob in the hearts of girls, I know you all love me!! Du & Zhi: ¡­¡­¡­ CH 32 Chapter 32 Disabled Leg The noisy platform quieted down unknowingly. Le Zhi turned around and no longer raised her hand to increase the price, let alone look at him again. Not long after, she caught a glimpse of the maids beside her moved to the right to make room, and then the purple figure took a seat beside her. Shortly after that, the sound of ¡°Deal¡± came. The person was robbed. She was so angry that she scrunched her face. Everyone on the platform was either rich or noble, all of them were elite. They quickly understood. Was not it just that the young couple was at odds with each other! Sitting behind Le Zhi was an older wealthy merchant couple. The noble madam in a soft cotton cloak could not help it and chuckled, ¡°Hey, I said this gentleman, you can¡¯t coax your wife like this. You wasted five hundred taels for nothing, and your wife will only blame you for being a loser. Take a look, isn¡¯t your wife getting angrier? You have to coax her well, ah!¡± ¡°Sorry, you two. Don¡¯t pay attention to her.¡± The elegant man beside the madam hugged her, ¡°Ah Wu, don¡¯t make trouble.¡± Although it was reproachful words, the tone was extremely gentle. Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks flushed. She turned her head and nodded slightly towards the couple. Perhaps due to the appearance of the two being too outstanding and coupled with the words of the madam, the surrounding people look at them one after another curiously. The two sat very closely together, and the light purple hem was on Le Zhi¡¯s snow-colored fox fur coat. Le Zhi raised her eyes and saw that Huo Du still had a casual expression. That¡¯s right, he is always blind to everything. However, the person beside her reached out his arms around Le Zhi¡¯s shoulders the next moment, following the example of the couple behind them. ¡°Didn¡¯t Your Highness say that you wouldn¡¯t come? What are you doing now?¡± Le Zhi asked in a faint voice. ¡°Tsk.¡± Huo Du raised his eyes slightly and said with a deliberate smile, ¡°To coax Madam, ah.¡± Le Zhi thought that it would be nice if he did not make trouble. After a pause, Le Zhi who was still aggrieved, muttered dissatisfiedly, ¡°Then why are you robbing people from me? Obviously, I saw him first¡­¡± ¡°What did you see in him?¡± ¡°That young man has a strong body, and his feet were fast as wind when he made a move.¡± Le Zhi was still shocked when she recalled the scene on the field just now, and could not hide her admiration, ¡°Even An Xuan said he was good!¡± Feet as fast as wind? Huo Du glanced at the cane beside him, and the smile on his face disappeared instantly. Seeing this, Le Zhi instantly regained her senses and her cheeks lost color. She hurriedly held his hand. She wanted to explain but did not know what to say, and her throat seems to be blocked. She really just forgot for a moment, which by no means despised him. ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± Huo Du looked sideways and chuckled, ¡°Why do you apologize, you¡¯re right.¡± A small panicked face appeared in his black eyes. This was her truest feeling for him. After stripping the false flattery, she was only afraid of him. Those bright and beautiful smiles, insincere hugs, and soft whispers were just acted out of desperation. How normal. If she was sincere, it would be abnormal. Huo Du frowned. Don¡¯t you always know it? Then, what¡¯s with the suffocation of the heart? Even just now when he looked at his disabled leg, he had such an absurd idea. He wanted to throw away the cane and healed his leg to become a normal person. His thoughts drifted away and drifted back more than ten years ago. When he broke his leg at that time, his eyes were full of ruthlessness. ¡°Xiao Du, you really don¡¯t want to treat it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you. Anyway, you can treat it anytime you want.¡± ¡°Will never.¡± He took an oath. He would not treat himself and wanted to be a lame person for life. Withdrawing his hand, Huo Du put away his complicated emotions and distanced himself from Le Zhi. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes sank. It was obvious that he did not want to pay attention to her. She hurriedly untied the fox fur coat, leaned closer to Huo Du, and draped the fox fur coat on both of them. The fox fur coat was not small, but to cover two people, they needed to be very close. She hugged Huo Du¡¯s arm tightly as if she was afraid of being pushed away by him. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re angry.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were red, both worried and aggrieved. After a long silence, Huo Du sighed helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you hug me?¡± Huo Du was surprised at Le Zhi¡¯s reckless behavior in full view of the public. He chuckled softly, ¡°This is a public place, please restrain yourself.¡± Although he said that, he still wrapped his arms around her unconsciously. As she intended. Huo Du replaced An Xuan and personally helped Le Zhi pick people in the second half. In the end, Le Zhi picked four young people with extraordinary martial arts skills. Two men and two women. But she still remembered the young man who was bought by Huo Du. After getting into the carriage, Le Zhi hesitated several times. She wanted to speak but was worried about touching his wound. ¡°I¡¯ll give him to you as a gift.¡± Le Zhi widened her eyes and somewhat could not believe it. Seeing Huo Du did not seem to be joking, she cheered a loud and dozed off against his shoulder happily. This trip had been rather fruitful. The slave market was quite far from the Taizi Mansion. Le Zhi fell asleep gradually. Huo Du lowered his eyes and stared at her sleeping face. Clingy. Insisted on sleeping next to him. However, instead of pushing her away, he put his forehead on hers and got even closer to her. ¡ª For the next half month, Le Zhi was very busy. First, Tianle Pavilion opened for business in full swing. Although Le Zhi had chosen a suitable shopkeeper, her daily accounts would be sent to the mansion for her to review. Le Zhi had never read the account books in the past, so she had to learn it slowly. When she did not understand, she went to consult the old housekeeper in the mansion. She learned very quickly and was able to point out some shortcomings in the operation of the shop in a few days. Jing Xin and Lin Yue often went to check on the shop for her. Although the shop had not yet made a profit, it had at least taken the first step. As for the five people brought back from the slave market, Le Zhi did not arrange for them to do things immediately. They were too skinny, as thin as children in their teens. Le Zhi just asked them to rest and recuperate first, and they had to nurse their bodies first. There was one more thing. For some unknown reason, Huo Xu actually granted her the right to visit her sister three times a month. Le Zhi went to visit her sister again. Although her sister¡¯s mind had not recovered as before, her complexion was much ruddier. Knowing that Li Yao was careful, she often asked her to bring some food and drink to the prison guards. After going back and forth, the prison guards who had received a lot of benefits naturally took more care of Le Jin. The heavy snow kept falling non-stop, and the flowers and trees were all covered up with snow. The days were getting colder and colder. The Weaving Bureau sent a lot of fabrics to make winter clothes for Taizifei. It was only then Le Zhi remembered that the clothes of Jing Xin and the others were not thick enough. She was a little upset that she was not an attentive type of person. So, Le Zhi summoned people to order a batch of winter clothes at Jinxiu Cloth Shop and rewarded them to the people in the mansion. For a moment, the atmosphere in the mansion became a little warmer. Speaking of working in the Taizi Mansion, the monthly salary was not low. But His Highness was cold-hearted, and the servants had never received such a heart-warming reward. They were deeply moved. It was really different after Taizifei entered the mansion this year! Huo Du naturally scoffed at this. It was really boring to bestow petty favors to win people¡¯s hearts. Soon, other things ordered by Le Zhi were also delivered one after another. She called Jing Xin and Lin Yue with a smile and pointed to the table. The two girls looked over at the direction she pointed. A table was full of pearl hairpins, bracelets, and beautiful fabrics. Smiles bloomed on their faces, and Lin Yue was overjoyed, ¡°These things¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all for you.¡± Le Zhi winked. She always wanted to be partial to three of them. ¡°We¡¯ll pick them together when Li Yao comes back from work.¡± The two girls responded with a smile and hoped that Li Yao would come back quickly. Jing Xin became cheerful day by day. She poured a cup of hot tea for Le Zhi, a trace of slyness flashed across the apricot eyes, ¡°Master is so nice to prepare these things for us separately. Then, what Your Highness received must be unique!¡± ¡°That¡¯s natural!¡± Lin Yue had an expression of ¡°I understand very well¡± and winked at Le Zhi after saying that. The smile on Le Zhi¡¯s face was slightly dull. She¡­ seemed to have forgotten. But before she could have time to think about it, Li Yao came back. However, her face was somewhat pale. ¡°Master, something happened.¡± Li Yao bit her lip, and her little hands trembled a little, ¡°Yang Heng, he¡­¡± Seeing this, Jing Xin and Lin Yue hurried stepped forward and each grabbed one of her hands to warm her up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Don¡¯t hurry, talk slowly.¡± Hearing the name, Le Zhi¡¯s eyelids jumped unconsciously. She knew that Yang Heng was removed from the position of Deputy Commander of the Shenyi Army the day after the accident. According to his current situation, what else could he do? Li Yao calmed down after she took a few breaths and said slowly, ¡°Master, although Yang Heng can¡¯t continue to be the Deputy Commander, the Emperor remembered his former meritorious deeds and let him work at Xia Feitai.¡± ¡°What!¡± Le Zhi clenched her fists suddenly and her heart sank. Her elder sister finally became more stable. She could not let Yang Heng appear in front of her. Absolutely not! ¡°Did he just start work today?¡± ¡°Listen to what the prison guards said, it should be.¡± Li Yao nodded with a grave expression, ¡°They received the insider news from the palace ahead of time, and it is estimated that Yang Heng will go over after the morning court.¡± Le Zhi made a decision right there. Her eyes were cold, and she said each and every word, ¡°Great, then let¡¯s go meet this Lord Yang for a while.¡± The author has something to say: Du: Why don¡¯t I have any gifts?! Zhi: Get down to business! Do not cut cue. Du: (Nosey) Do you want to kill someone? I¡¯m good at this! Zhi: Don¡¯t you want to be a lame person for the rest of your life? Go take a hike. Du: ¡­ Die of laughter, your wife is going to make a big job! CH 33 Chapter 33 Anger When stepping into the gate of Xia Feitai, Le Zhi looked up at the dark sky. It was obviously daytime, but the sky was gray as if heavy rain was brewing. Yang Heng sat in the center of the main hall of Xia Feitai with a gloomy face. His eyes were cloudy, and his dry lips were slightly white. His vitality was obviously severely damaged. He stared at a group of prison guards kneeling on the ground and carefully discerning whether there was a sneering look on their faces. If there was even the slightest bit, he would kill one to set an example! After losing the dignity of a man, Yang Heng¡¯s temperament became more and more sinister. A guard came in from outside to report that Taizifei had arrived. Yang Heng was not at all surprised as he knew that Huo Xu had given Le Zhi the right to visit. If she came today, it would be the last visit of the month. Oh, what¡¯s the use! During the period of recuperation, Yang Heng sent the best spies to investigate the person who harmed him to this point but found nothing. As the Deputy Commander of the Shenyi Army, he had formed grudges with many people, but he knew that those people did not dare to do anything to him. He had thought carefully that it was probably the pair of sisters whose country was subjugated recently who had a deep grudge against him, right? However, Le Jin had been imprisoned here, and Le Zhi was so frightened that her hands trembled at the wedding banquet of Jingxian Wang. How could it be possible? Unless¡­ Yang Heng had a hypothesis that Le Zhi used beauty tricks and filled Huo Du with ecstasy drugs and asked Huo Du to hurt him. After all, the Taizi with a crippled leg was a person that neither the Empress nor Jingxian Wang could eliminate. Over the years, they could not even get to the bottom of him. Huo Du was like a monster who was dormant in the dark night, and no one could find out anything. They were at a loss what to do. But Yang Heng knew that Huo Du¡¯s methods were bound to be ruthless. Otherwise, how could those spies and dark guards disappear completely, as if there had never been a trace of them in the world? Now that Le Zhi was here, he also wanted to see her reaction. The prison guards kneeling on the ground were very grateful for Le Zhi¡¯s arrival, or else they would not know how long they would have to kneel. Everyone saluted Le Zhi respectfully and then asked for leave to withdraw. The hall became quiet. Although Xia Feitai had the word Xia* on it, it was icy cold that pierced to the bone. (Xia* ¨C mean summer in the Chinese language) ¡°Pay respect to Taizifei.¡± ¡°Lord Yang doesn¡¯t have to be polite.¡± Le Zhi pretended to be concerned, ¡°I see that Lord¡¯s complexion is not good, so why don¡¯t you rest for a while?¡± Yang Heng stared coldly at the seductive face in front of him, extremely beautiful and hypocritical. He sneered, ¡°Since I receive the official salary, I should share the Emperor¡¯s worries. So, how dare I take a rest.¡± After a pause, he said again, ¡°Taizifei and I have known each other for a while. Now that I have been assigned here, I will definitely take more care of your sister.¡± In an instant, coldness permeated Le Zhi¡¯s whole body. She gripped the dagger in her sleeve tightly. He dared to provoke her openly! However, if she made a move in the Xia Feitai, she would have no chance of winning. Besides, the visitation was almost over, and Le Zhi could only play along with him first. At least it had to be delayed until the evening, otherwise, only her elder sister would suffer if he got annoyed! ¡°Xia Feitai is cold and gloomy all the year round which is really not suitable for Lord Yang to recuperate. Why don¡¯t you request a transfer to another place?¡± Le Zhi thought to lure him first, so she said softly, ¡°I recently got a rare thing, Beihai Golden Coral. This thing has the effect of calming the nerves and refreshing the mind. It will be delivered to Lord¡¯s mansion in a while, which is considered as my intention.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s flattering tone made Yang Heng extremely happy. It seemed that he thought too much. She was nothing more than a young lady who lost her country and family and could be manipulated by others. She was so timid that she got afraid when she was frightened. ¡°I¡¯m just a layman and can¡¯t use such a precious thing.¡± Yang Heng sneered and turned his eyes to Li Yao¡¯s body and sized her up, ¡°Now that I¡¯m like this, I just want to have a caring intimate person.¡± This was what Yang Heng planned. To cast a brick to attract the jade. It was false to use Le Jin as a threat, but it was true that he wanted Li Yao. He did not want to use Le Jin to test Le Zhi. Firstly, Huo Xu had ordered that Le Jin could not be touched. Secondly, Le Jin was too important to Le Zhi, and he also did not want to push her to a dead end. After all, an anxious rabbit would bite. It was enough to use a personal maid to test her. Besides, Li Yao did look pure and lovely, indeed an innocent girl, which was really seductive. Although the root was broken now, the desire in his heart was hard to eliminate. Looking at Li Yao¡¯s little face, Yang Heng felt very itchy. Moreover, there were many tricks for castrated people. He fantasized about it in his mind, and his body could not help but heat up. He stared straight at Li Yao like a poisonous snake, which made Li Yao feel uncomfortable all over. She lowered her eyes and trembled in fear, feeling a little overwhelmed for a while. After a moment of silence, Le Zhi clenched both her fists and suppressed the discomfort in her stomach. She sneered in her heart that some beasts were useless even if they were castrated and that living was a disgrace in the human eye. Since he was in a hurry to court death, he saved her from forging the letter and leading him into the trap. ¡°I understand what Lord Yang means.¡± Le Zhi stretched out her hand to cover the back of Li Yao¡¯s hand and said as if she was embarrassed, ¡°How about this¡­ Lord, please give me some time.¡± She could not agree outright, which would make Yang Heng suspicious. At this time, a prison guard hurried in and knelt down to make a report, ¡°Lord, Jingxian Wang requests you to go over to his mansion for a chat.¡± Le Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll wait for the good news from Taizifei.¡± Yang Heng¡¯s tone was full of determination, ¡°I also ask Taizifei not to make me wait too long.¡± ¡ª Li Yao¡¯s heart was full of mixed feelings when she walked out of Xia Feitai with Le Zhi. She and the master met by chance, from the beginning of the suspicion to the present companion. In these days, Li Yao kept all the kindness of her master to her in her heart. Her master detoxified her, took care of her body, and even ate and wore the best. After her grandmother passed away, no one had treated her so well. But Li Yao knew that there were too many things in her master¡¯s mind, and she knew her master¡¯s feelings for her sister even more. Yang Heng was despicable and shameless and even threatened her with this. After thinking about Li Yao, she could not make things difficult for her master. ¡°Li Yao, Li Yao?¡± Since getting on the carriage, Li Yao had been absent-minded. Just now at Xia Feitai, some words could not be explained to her in time. Le Zhi knew that this silly girl must have thought too much. Le Zhi held Li Yao¡¯s hand and patted it lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Don¡¯t pay attention to the filthy words Yang Heng said just now. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here!¡± A warm feeling poured into her heart, and Li Yao¡¯s eyes were sore. She could not speak for fear that she would cry as soon as she made a sound. So, this was the feeling of being protected by someone? ¡ª ¡°Li Yao is back!¡± Just as she entered the room, Lin Yue¡¯s crisp and pleasant voice came, and Li Yao was pulled to the table to sit down. Although Lin Yue and Jing Xin did not know much about the matter between Yang Heng and Le Zhi, they also knew more or less. Seeing that Li Yao¡¯s complexion was not good, she hurriedly asked, ¡°Are things not going well?¡± Li Yao shook her head, ¡°It went well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Jing Xin raised her hand and touched the medicine cup on the table, ¡°The tonic is still warm, so drink it quickly.¡± Hearing this, Lin Yue nodded, ¡°Master is afraid that you¡¯ll forget, so she told us to watch you drink every day! Although it¡¯s a bit bitter, it¡¯ll be over in two more days!¡± Li Yao opened the lid, and the familiar smell of medicine wafted through the air. Since her detoxification, Le Zhi sent someone to check her pulse. The doctor said that she was weak, and it was best to drink some tonics. She drank it all in one gulp. Who said the medicine was bitter, she did not feel it at all but felt a sweet taste in the bitter medicine. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired and want to rest.¡± ¡°All right, you go to sleep for a while.¡± Lin Yue smiled, ¡°When you wake up, let¡¯s pick the pearl hairpins together!¡± After Lin Yue and Jing Xin left, Li Yao did not rest. She stared at the empty medicine cup in a daze. She knew that her master was going to do something to Yang Heng. But Yang Heng just had an accident not long ago, and it was too dangerous to do it at this time. She did not want her master to take risks. Could she remove a threat for her master if she followed Yang Heng¡¯s wishes and used her body as bait? After a while, a slight smile appeared on Li Yao¡¯s face. She had made a decision and did not regret it. ¡ª Le Zhi was sorting out her thoughts in the bedroom, and she wanted to make the most appropriate plan. She unfolded the paper and listed clearly what needed to be done every hour. Suddenly, there was a sound coming from outside the door. She raised her eyes and saw Huo Du holding the snow fluffy in his arms and slowly pushing the wheelchair into the bedroom. At this time, Le Zhi really did not have time to pay attention to him. She bluntly said, ¡°Your Highness, I am a little busy today.¡± The meaning of the spoken words to drive someone away was obvious. Go some elsewhere for fun! Huo Du chuckled lightly and said in a casual tone, ¡°Taizifei is so busy that you didn¡¯t even notice that your personal maid is missing.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart trembled greatly as the writing brush fell suddenly. She had a faint bad premonition. Li Yao¡­ Are you going to do something stupid!? Yang Mansion! She had to stop her! Le Zhi raised her leg and rushed out of the room, but when she ran past Huo Du¡¯s side, she was grabbed by the wrist. ¡°Let me go!¡± She was anxious and distressed, and said with a sobbing tone, ¡°It¡¯s too late. I want to save her.¡± Huo Du frowned and did not let go, ¡°What are you panicking about? I¡¯ve caught her back for you.¡± Is it necessary? She looks like the sky is about to collapse. Scoff. The worried heart fell heavily. Le Zhi heaved a sigh of relief, and her panicked expression calmed down. She asked in a deep voice, ¡°Where is the person?¡± ¡°In the main hall.¡± Huo Du let go of her hand and watched her changing expression calmly. Le Zhi¡¯s complexion became darker and darker. She bowed and saluted Huo Du, ¡°Thank you Your Highness, and has caused trouble for Your Highness.¡± After saying that, she left the bedroom and walked quickly towards the main hall. Huo Du did not stop her, only stared at her back view quietly, and even her back view could reveal her anger. This was the first time he saw her angry. Her foxy eyes glowed gloomily. Tsk, it¡¯s really scary. CH 34 Chapter 34 Relieved At noon, the sky was depressingly gloomy. Le Zhi walked quickly to the outside of the main hall. An Xuan stood in front of the door and reported in a deep voice, ¡°Taizifei, this subordinate intercepted and brought Li Yao back from a mile away from the Yang Mansion. Your Highness said your maid should be at your disposal.¡± ¡°Yes. Lord An, you can withdraw first.¡± An Xuan bowed his head and left with a group of attendants outside the hall. The wind picked up. The piercing wind blew into the hall and brushed Li Yao¡¯s back, who was kneeling on the ground. Le Zhi looked at her back view, thin and shivering. Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, she strode into the main hall and sat on the armchair in the middle. For a moment, neither the master nor the servant spokes. Perhaps the atmosphere was too depressing, Li Yao could not bear it any longer and raised her scarlet eyes, ¡°Master, I¡­¡± With only two words, her voice was already choked with sobs. ¡°Do you know where you did wrong?¡± When the cold tone of voice reached Li Yao¡¯s ears, her heart froze, and spoke in a tearful voice, ¡°This maid is wrong. This maid should not make a decision without your approval¡­ But Master, please believe in this maid. This maid is sure to take Yang Heng¡¯s life.¡± Li Yao knew that Master was very thoughtful, and thought that she was worried something bad would happen to her. But what she could do well, she could definitely do it. Hearing this, Le Zhi frowned. This girl obviously hasn¡¯t figured it out yet. With a suffocated chest, Le Zhi brushed her hands off angrily and caused the teacup placed on the table to fall heavily. Unexpectedly, the hot tea was boiling hot, and the tea that was brushed off from the sleeves, most of it, spilled on the back of Le Zhi¡¯s hand. The cup shattered all over the place, and the back of her hand also burnt red. Le Zhi could not care less about the pain on the back of her hand and said, ¡°Of course, you can. Li Yao, I never doubted your ability.¡± Li Yao suddenly raised her eyes. If that¡¯s the case, then why¡­ don¡¯t let her go? ¡°So? You just want to die with that beast?¡± Le Zhi clenched her fists and was deeply saddened when she thought of Li Yao¡¯s plan. ¡°I like your capability, and I hope you can help me. But I never thought of asking you to use your life to help me pave the way.¡± ¡°You are a person, not a tool.¡± Le Zhi leaned weakly on the back of the chair. She could not help asking herself if she had done something wrong? In the beginning, Li Yao, Jing Xin, and Lin Yue were chosen more or less because of their respective advantages that could help her. However, the current situation was obviously not what she wanted to see. The loyalty she wanted was not like this. She did not want innocent people to use blood to build the road of revenge for her. Everyone had the right to live and the meaning of their own life. Thinking of today, without Huo Du¡¯s help, Li Yao might have disappeared into this world without any sound like nothingness. Le Zhi covered her heart and sighed, ¡°Li Yao, you can leave. I¡¯ll prepare some traveling expenses for you. Don¡¯t worry about Huo Xu. From now on, you are you, and no one will control you anymore.¡± Li Yao had been dazed since Le Zhi spoke. When she finally came to her senses, she threw herself on Le Zhi¡¯s lap, and wept, ¡°Li Yao is wrong. I really know I¡¯m wrong. Master, don¡¯t drive me away. This maid promised that I¡¯ll never do this again. This maid will cherish oneself.¡± Li Yao had long been used to being at the mercy of others and sacrificing herself for others. She had completely forgotten that she was also a person, a person with flesh and blood that would hurt too. Every word of Le Zhi just now hit her heart and finally reminded her that¡­ How can she leave such a good master? The sobbing whimper and the powerful resounding words of assurance made Le Zhi heave a sigh of relief. She did not really want to drive away Li Yao, but she had to make Li Yao realize how wrong this was. It was impossible for her to stare at Li Yao forever. She must let Li Yao really understand so that she could put things right once and for all. ¡°Do you really understand?¡± Li Yao raised her head and nodded earnestly. ¡°Alright.¡± Le Zhi helped her up, ¡°There can be no next time. You can withdraw now.¡± ¡°But¡­ but Yang Heng it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Li Yao¡¯s face was full of worries, ¡°Master, tell me the plan. At that time, you can watch it from the side and let me do it, alright?¡± Le Zhi shook her head in refusal. She knew that Li Yao was worried, and she also knew that if it was left to Li Yao, she would not miss it. But¡­ the humiliation suffered by her sister and the hatred in her sister¡¯s heart made her unable to use someone else¡¯s hand. This was something she had to do herself. Seeing this, Li Yao had no choice but to retire. Exhaling a sigh of relief, Le Zhi lowered her eyes and looked at the mess, a little annoyed. Just as she was about to call someone to clean up, she saw Huo Du leisurely pushing his wheelchair into the hall. Le Zhi frowned. How long has this person been here? ¡°Is it fun to throw the cup?¡± Seeing Huo Du¡¯s gaze fall on the shards of porcelain on the ground, Le Zhi hurriedly said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll call someone to clean it up right away.¡± ¡°Come back.¡± The foot that had just taken a step had to be taken back. Le Zhi walked over to Huo Du with her head down, and apologized again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really didn¡¯t mean to throw things. There¡¯ll be no next time.¡± There was no reply. After all, there would be always the first mistake, and Le Zhi did not dare to look up. Her left hand was lifted suddenly, and then there was an icy cold feeling on the back of her hand. Le Zhi raised her eyes in surprise and saw Huo Du holding an ointment jar. His cold white fingers dipped in the creamy white ointment, and gently applied to the back of her burnt red hand. She was stunned and could not speak for a while. ¡°You can hurt yourself by teaching the maid.¡± Huo Du did not raise his eyes and sneered, ¡°You are really promising.¡± ¡°I¡­ I was just careless.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face flushed slightly as it was indeed embarrassing. Huo Du closed the ointment jar, then grabbed Le Zhi¡¯s right hand and placed the ointment jar in her palm. ¡°This?¡± Le Zhi picked up the ointment jar and was a little puzzled. Huo Du laughed and raised his eyelids slightly, ¡°Three times a day, apply it yourself. What? Do you want this loneliness to help you apply it?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ no need.¡± Le Zhi held the medicine jar and shook her head, ¡°Thank you.¡± At this moment, An Xuan came in. He respectfully saluted Huo Du, ¡°Your Highness, everything is ready.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Le Zhi did not know what he was going to do but thinking that she still had important things to do today, she thought of taking the opportunity to be excused, ¡°Your Highness, I¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, Huo Du pushed the wheelchair out. The white jade wheelchair glowed with a cold light and gave people a sense of oppression. Le Zhi did not dare to refuse, so she could only bite the bullet to keep up with him. As she walked, the doubt in Le Zhi¡¯s heart grew bigger and bigger. This direction¡­ was toward the maid¡¯s quarters. As they got nearer, Le Zhi saw from a distance that Li Yao walking out of the room with her baggage and the two guards. Le Zhi¡¯s breathing was a little stagnant and her heart was filled with fear. What did Huo Du want to do with Li Yao? Did not he say to let her deal with it? ¡°Your Highness, where are they taking Li Yao?¡± Le Zhi reached out her hand to gently tug at Huo Du¡¯s sleeve and asked anxiously. ¡°Can you feel relieved just by throwing one cup?¡± Huo Du asked rhetorically instead of answering. ¡°I¡¯m relieved.¡± Le Zhi nodded, ¡°I¡¯m really relieved!¡± ¡°But this loneliness thinks it¡¯s not enough.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi was dumbfounded. She looked anxiously in the direction of Li Yao and saw that Li Yao had lowered her head, while the guard walking in front of her had a stern expression. She was shocked. What exactly is Huo Du trying to do?! ¡°Your Highness, tell them to stop.¡± Le Zhi was anxious, and her voice quivered a little, ¡°Don¡¯t make it difficult for her!¡± But Huo Du still smiled indifferently and did not answer. ¡°Huo Du!¡± Seeing his indifference, Le Zhi blurted out and called out his name angrily. Regardless of his reaction, she raised her legs and chased in the direction of Li Yao. ¡°You let her go!¡± The guards and Li Yao turned around together, all with a surprised look. ¡°Master? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Li Yao was a little confused. ¡°Where are they taking you?¡± Le Zhi said with a serious face, ¡°Why are you carrying baggage?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The brother guard said that His Highness was going to move the quarters of the maids to the northern courtyard. Jing Xin and the others have already gone over.¡± ¡­how can this be! The corners of Le Zhi¡¯s mouth froze. She laughed twice and let Li Yao follow the guards away. She lowered her eyes and turned around. Her feet felt like weighed thousands of pounds. She seemed to have called him by his first and last name just now. Walking slowly to Huo Du, Le Zhi raised her eyes suddenly and ran into a pair of peach blossom eyes that seemed to be smiling yet not smiling. The author has something to say: Zhi: Bigmouth¡­ It¡¯s over¡­ Du: Heh. CH 35 Chapter 35 Farewell Today, Le Zhi was wearing an apricot-colored dress. She smiled apologetically, which softened her expression. Huo Du picked up the cane beside him and stood up. Le Zhi hurriedly stepped forward to support him, and took the opportunity to change the topic, ¡°Why did Your Highness let them move to another place?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips. How could she know! ¡°It¡¯s not enough to smash the teacup.¡± Huo Du looked straight ahead and said with a smile, ¡°How about tearing this place down?¡± His tone was calm as if he was talking about something trivial. Le Zhi was unable to calm down. Her eyebrows frowned and her cherry lips were slightly opened in shock. Tearing down the rooms¡­ Don¡¯t have to, ah! Huo Du continued to ask, ¡°Do you want to do it yourself, or watch others tear it down?¡± Could she not choose? ¡°Of course, there is a third option.¡± At this time, Le Zhi let out a sigh of relief and knew that this lunatic was probably just talking only. But the next moment¡­ ¡°Or tear down those maids of yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no other way as none of the three choices were normal. She could only choose a slightly more normal one. The guards acted swiftly as if their job was not to guard the mansion but to tear down the rooms. Soon, Le Zhi saw all kinds of decorations, tables, chairs, beds, and even the doors of the rooms had been broken into pieces and thrown into the courtyard. All kinds of shattering sounds did not stop for a moment. In a short time, the courtyard was a mess. ¡°Are you happy?¡± Huo Du raised his eyes slightly and said with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t it more interesting than throwing a cup?¡± Le Zhi glanced at the broken pieces on the ground and was helpless. She realized that some of the anger in her heart due to the incident with Li Yao had dissipated. In the past, her imperial father had taught her that she should not vent at will because of emotional disturbance. She had been following it since she was a child, and today she was so angry that she threw a cup for the first time. Could it be that getting close to bad people could make people bad, and her temperament had become more violent? Before she could answer, An Xuan came over. He looked serious as if he had something important to report to Huo Du. Huo Du understood clearly, raised his hand to rub Le Zhi¡¯s head, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to do? Go ahead.¡± After he finished speaking, he walked with An Xuan in the direction of the study. Le Zhi looked at his dark blue back view and was a little dazed for a moment. In the scene just now, aside from the identities of the Taizi and the Princess of the subjugated country, she and Huo Du seemed to be really just an ordinary couple. Farewell¡­ Le Zhi suddenly remembered tonight¡¯s plan. Although she was ninety percent sure, there were no absolutes in the world. In case of a miscalculation, just now may be the last time they saw each other. And she did not say anything just now. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Le Zhi shouted without thinking too much and at the same time, her footsteps had already stepped forward. If this is really the last time. I have to say goodbye properly. Huo Du paused in his footsteps and turned to look at the person who trotted over with a trace of surprise in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Le Zhi gasped after standing still and raised her eyes to look at the person in front of her. Her eyes were burning and suddenly did not know what to say. Then Le Zhi raised her arms around Huo Du¡¯s waist to hug him and put her chin on his shoulder on a slight tiptoe. The words she wanted to say finally merged into two words, and she murmured softly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Upon seeing this, An Xuan on the side took a few steps to the side knowingly and then turned his head away. The faint fragrance of hibiscus spread to Huo Du¡¯s nose. He stared at her black hair on the side, and chuckled, ¡°Are you really so happy to tear down the rooms?¡± Le Zhi let go of her hands and distanced herself for a while. She clenched the medicine jar in her hand and smiled without saying anything. The familiar scent of mint wafted in the air. Le Zhi suddenly remembered something and advised, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s better to eat some hot food for breakfast.¡± You have to take care of yourself. Finally, she bowed slightly, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± After Le Zhi left, Huo Du stood still without any expression. What she said just now sounded like her last words, and he did not like them very much. After a long time, Huo Du looked sideways and seemed to ask An Xuan, ¡°You say, can she do it?¡± ¡ª Yang Mansion. Yang Heng was not surprised at all to receive a secret letter from Le Zhi. With Le Jin as a threat, he had a hundred percent chance of a sure win. Yang Heng frowned when he looked at the contents of the letter and a moment of worry flashed across his heart. Le Zhi said that Taizi was too suspicious and could not send Li Yao directly to the Yang Mansion. Instead, she would take Li Yao to a hot spring villa on the outskirts of the town and invite him to meet her at the villa. However, Yang Heng was unexpectedly calculated half a month ago which made him a little afraid. What if it was to draw him into a trap? The letter was crumpled by Yang Heng. He gritted his teeth as he looked at the wooden box on the bed. All kinds of tools in it reminded him of the fact that he was now castrated and the pain in his lower body wound tormented him every day. A warm feeling rose inside when he thought of Li Yao¡¯s innocent face. Never mind. Aren¡¯t they just young ladies, what can they do? He decided to go to the hot spring villa. Despite that, Yang Heng still decided to bring a few secret guards to protect him secretly. In order to avoid being calculated again. ¡ª Hot Spring Villa. Le Zhi had already asked Li Yao to book the whole place in the name of a wealthy businessman¡¯s wife. At this time, she and Li Yao were the only people in this huge villa. She sat on the swing in the backyard, looked at the gloomy sky, and made estimations in her heart. There should be a boundless heavy rain tonight and thought that Heaven was helping her. ¡°Master, everything is arranged.¡± Li Yao walked to Le Zhi¡¯s side and learned about her master¡¯s overall plan. While she was marveled at the meticulousness of the plan, Li Yao was still a little worried. ¡°Let Li Yao stay with you.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi shook her head with a smile, then took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Li Yao, ¡°You have to go back to the mansion. If I haven¡¯t returned to the mansion by the time of yinshi (3 am ¨C 5 am), you¡¯ll hand this letter to His Highness.¡± Li Yao¡¯s eyes turned red in an instant. She took a step back and was unwilling to accept the letter. She was very scared. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Le Zhi stuffed the letter into her and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not saying any depressing words. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll come back safely.¡± At the urging of Le Zhi, Li Yao left the hot spring villa step by step while looking back over and over again. The atmosphere seemed to quiet down. Le Zhi raised her eyes and looked around, the eaves, along the edges of the doors, and even every window was not missed. There was also a prepared pool of warm hot springs. Le Zhi straightened her lapel and approached a red plum tree. She twisted off a petal randomly and sniffed it lightly. Everything was ready. This charming and gentle outskirt would eventually be dyed red with blood. Back at the Taizi Mansion, Li Yao was restless with the letter in her hand. Seeing that the sky gradually getting darker, Li Yao was extremely anxious. The time passed little by little. She could no longer sit still, got up, and walked toward the study. She could not see through where Taizi placed her master in his heart, but since her master had left a letter to His Highness, at least¡­ she trusted His Highness. Huo Du stood quietly by the window of the study. He looked at the dark cloudy night sky and estimated the time. Not long after, a faint smile appeared on the cold white face. He raised his legs to walk towards the door. If he went over now, he should be able to see her murderous appearance. But when An Xuan opened the door, there was a figure kneeling down outside. ¡°Pay respect to Your Highness.¡± Li Yao presented the letter with shaking hands, ¡°My master is now in the hot spring villa on the outskirts. She said that if she does not return by yinshi, she will ask this maid to give the letter to His Highness. But¡­ but this maid¡­¡± Li Yao¡¯s voice trembled and unable to speak. She was also betting that Huo Du could send someone to protect her master after reading the letter. As long as he was willing to help, her master would be in less danger. Huo Du took the letter but did not answer. Seeing his expression slightly frozen, An Xuan asked Li Yao to withdraw first. After being blocked by Li Yao, Huo Du was in no hurry to go to the villa. He walked to the desk with the letter and sat back in the armchair. Recalling Li Yao¡¯s timid face just now, she was obviously scared but still came to look for him for the sake of Le Zhi. Huo Du remembered what Le Zhi had said not long ago when she begged him to save Li Yao. ¡°Sincerity, I use my sincerity.¡± At that time, he was still laughing at her naivety in his heart. Thinking of this, Huo Du curled his lips, and his smile grew stronger. His little fox won the bet. Opening the letter, Huo Du looked at the familiar handwriting on the letter. The smile on the corner of his lips dissipated, and his black eyes gradually became gloomy. The author has something to say£º Zhi: Why is he angry again??? (Hands up) Du: !!! CH 36 Chapter 36 Stabbed to Death The moment he stepped into the hot spring villa, the fragrance of flowers wafted to his face. But for some unknown reason, Yang Heng was a little terrified, and a chill gathered in his heart. He looked back and was a little relieved when he saw the secret guards were hidden by the eaves. Once bitten, twice shy. He cursed and grumbled to himself for becoming timider and timider nowadays. ¡°Lord Yang is here.¡± A gentle and pleasant voice pulled back Yang Heng¡¯s thoughts, and soon a red begonia dress came into view. The corridors in the villa courtyard were all brightly lit, illuminating the snowy cheeks of Le Zhi. Yang Heng was stunned on the spot, staring at the faint blush outlined in the corner of Le Zhi¡¯s eyes, as if his heart was moved. Beautiful and charming, like a demon spirit. Although Yang Heng preferred gentle and innocent women, which kind of man could resist this look? In other words, even if he was not a man, he could be seduced. Even though he reminded himself that this woman could not be seen, let alone touched, his mind rippled endlessly. Le Zhi curved the corner of her lips, took a few steps closer, and said again, ¡°Lord Yang?¡± Only then did Yang Heng return to his senses. He coughed softly and saw that there was no one around Le Zhi, and asked, ¡°Taizifei, where is Li Yao?¡± ¡°My lord, follow me. Li Yao is waiting for you in the hot spring pool.¡± Le Zhi turned around to lead him the way, and Yang Heng stepped in to follow. The wind suddenly turned violent as if the mountain rain was about to come. After all, Yang Heng came from a military background and had an extraordinary vigilance beyond ordinary people. He looked around and saw that there was not a single maidservant serving in the huge villa. Looking at the hot spring pool that he was about to walk to in the distance, there was warm light from the door, but a gloomy feeling rose in his chest. Thus, he stopped and no longer moved forward. When Le Zhi saw the person behind her stop, her heart froze slightly. She thought that things might not go as smoothly as she thought. After a pause, she also stopped and turned around, and saw Yang Heng staring at her with a wary look. At this time, she must not mess up. She gave a soft smile and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why is there no one here?¡± ¡°There are things that my lord doesn¡¯t know. There will be more gossip with more people. Taizi must not know about the meeting between you and me here. That¡¯s why all the people were sent to the rear courtyard of the villa.¡± Knowing that his suspicion had arisen, Le Zhi did not urge him, but said instead, ¡°If my lord still has doubts, then sit here for a while, and I will go call Li Yao here.¡± Yang Heng thought for a moment as he walked toward the pavilion but did not sit down after he entered the pavilion. There was a stone table in the center of the pavilion with warmed sake on the table. Le Zhi picked up the wine cup at random, poured a cup, and handed it to Yang Heng, ¡°My lord, please drink.¡± Yang Heng took the wine cup and only glanced at the wine faintly, without drinking it. At this moment, Le Zhi looked behind Yang Heng with her eyes flashing brightly and exclaimed, ¡°Li Yao, why did you come out?¡± Without taking time to think, Yang Heng almost subconsciously turned around to look following her voice. When Yang Heng turned around, Le Zhi quickly took out the handkerchief and dagger from her waist, and she stared closely. There was only one moment of opportunity, and she must hit it with one blow! Fortunately, Yang Heng still had old injuries now. Without the slightest hesitation, Le Zhi raised her leg and kicked this lower body hard! The wound suddenly burst open, and the piercing pain caused Yang Heng to stumble out of the pavilion. He cursed angrily in his heart but could not fight back immediately. He raised his head to look at the eaves and shouted in pain, ¡°Come¡­¡± Before the word ¡°someone¡± could be shouted, his mouth and nose were covered with a wet handkerchief that had a strong smell of wine. The white palm covered him firmly through the handkerchief! There is dizziness in my head¡­ This wine is mixed with medicine! While there was still a little bit of consciousness left, Yang Heng raised his hand and pulled Le Zhi¡¯s arm in an attempt to release her grip. He was at a loss. Even if he could not make a sound, the secret guards could not be completely unaware of such a big movement. At this time, the four secret guards, who were lying on the eaves, were severely poisoned and were struggling painfully. After they got on the eaves, they smelled the heavy fragrance. They did not think much about it because they were observing Lord Yang¡¯s movements with all their heart. However, their head gradually became confused. In the end, there was a sweetness in the throat, and black blood overflowed from the corners of their mouth. Le Zhi firmly pressed Yang Heng¡¯s chest with her knees, ignoring his scratching and pulling, covering his mouth and nose with both hands, and staring at his panicked eyes. She sneered in her heart. Now, Yang Heng should be able to understand the horror feelings that her sister felt when she was humiliated that day, right? Gradually, Yang Heng¡¯s pupils became cloudy. Le Zhi let go of one hand, picked up the dagger, and thrust it into his left heart. In an instant, Yang Heng¡¯s eyes widened, as if his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Apart from being forcibly held by Huo Du to take someone¡¯s life with a crossbow, Le Zhi had never killed anyone. She did not know if she had stabbed in the wrong position but felt the sticky hot blood splashed on her face, then gushed out of his chest and soaked her right hand. After a short while, Yang Heng lost his breath with his eyes opened. ¡°Thump.¡± The sound of someone falling to the ground behind her. Le Zhi stood up and saw a secret guard dressed in black struggling for his last breath, trying to save his master. She stared silently at the man¡¯s distorted expression and hateful eyes. He walked toward her with a knife, but after only two steps, he spat out black blood and fell to the ground. The villa fell into silence again. One man and five corpses, as well as a strong smell of blood. At this time, the heavy rain came, and Heaven had poured down all the rain that had accumulated for a day. Le Zhi stood dazedly in the pouring rain, letting the rain pour through her. Sure enough, even Heaven was helping her. Heavy rain could wash away all traces in the surroundings. She had succeeded. However, Le Zhi¡¯s head was a little muddled, as if she had lost all five senses. She squatted down weakly and raised her face after closing her eyes. The freezing rain washed her cheeks and washed away all the blood. Suddenly, Le Zhi seemed to hear a burst of footsteps. She had long been familiar with the subtle sound made by the cane touching the ground. Could it be that she had auditory hallucinations? But the next moment, the raindrops that fell on the top of her head seemed to be cut off. Le Zhi raised her eyes and saw Huo Du holding an umbrella while looking at her silently. ¡°Can you stand up by yourself?¡± Le Zhi did not know if the rain was too cold, but she suddenly felt that the voice had a lot of warmth. She nodded, and then stood up. The umbrella was not big, and Le Zhi was afraid of passing the wetness to him, so she stepped back hastily and stepped into the rain. She knew how embarrassed she was as her whole body was dirty and wet. Huo Du dressed in a crimson straight shirt, neat and clean, which was in stark contrast to her. Le Zhi was extremely confused. Why is he here? Huo Du¡¯s eyes were heavy and moved the umbrella forward, ¡°You come to hold the umbrella.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi nodded and took the umbrella, but she still did not move her body a little bit. Huo Du without any better way had to walk quickly in the direction of the hot spring pool. When the two walked into the corridor, Le Zhi still held up the umbrella senselessly. Huo Du sighed softly, took the umbrella, and threw it aside. ¡°Go in and change your clothes.¡± Huo Du raised his hand to push the door, but was stopped by Le Zhi holding his wrist, ¡°Go to another place, the hot spring inside is poisoned.¡± The crimson sleeves were soaked by her wet palm, and the water stains spread out on the cuffs. Le Zhi quickly let go of her hand. She saw bloodstains left under her nails and felt a little apologetic, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Your Highness, come with me and change into a new one.¡± Huo Du glanced sideways at the corpses on the eaves and on the ground, and then at the door beside him. How much effort did she spend to kill this son of the b*tch? Even the suicide note was written. The moment Le Zhi turned around, a voice sounded behind her, ¡°Le Zhi, are you tired?¡± Tired? Le Zhi suddenly wanted to cry. Since early this morning, her body and mind have not stopped for a moment. Seeing that she did not answer, Huo Du continued to ask, ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± Le Zhi understood what he meant. In addition to Yang Heng, there were also several despicable and shameless Shenyi Army that she had to get rid of. But killing Yang Heng had exhausted her physically and mentally. The next road would be even more difficult, right? But she could not retreat. Le Zhi looked at the reflection on the ground swaying gently in the wind and hummed firmly. After a short silence, Huo Du stepped forward and hugged Le Zhi firmly from behind. He wrapped a hand around her slender waist and held her tightly in his arms. But he still felt that it was not enough. He could not wrap her tightly with one hand, which was far from enough. He looked down at his other hand on the cane, and his face became cold. Le Zhi felt his strength and was startled that her wet clothes had stained Huo Du¡¯s clothes. Her heart fluttered slightly and raised her hand to cover the arm around her waist. She did not know why Huo Du wanted to hug her, she only felt the fear and uneasiness in her heart disappear at this moment. The frozen limbs seemed to have consciousness again. Then, a warm breath came close to her ear, and the familiar tone was mixed with a hint of seduction. ¡°Le Zhi, do you want to¡­ take a shortcut?¡± CH 37 Chapter 37 Grievances £¨Part 1/2£© The hot spring pool in the villa had a unique design. The pool was very large, but it was separated by a semi-transparent silk curtain in the middle. It gave a little hazy feeling. Le Zhi took off all her drenched clothes, stepped into the hot spring pool, and submerged half of her body in the water. It took a long time before her mind gradually returned to clarity. She remembered what Huo Du had just asked her, and the tone was so bewitching that she could hardly help but respond. ¡°Yes.¡± Then Huo Du led her here. Because of that tight embrace, Huo Du¡¯s clothes were also wet. Thinking of the inconvenience of his leg, Le Zhi wanted to help him undress, but when her fingertips touched his belt, he held it. Huo Du used the hand on her shoulder to gently push her into the inner side of the other half of the pool. Le Zhi heard the sound of undressing on the other side of the curtain, slowly and clearly. She recalled in her mind that Huo Du did not seem to have the habit of letting people undress him. Why? After a while, the water rippled slightly, but soon the pool water returned to calmness. Across the silk curtain, neither of them said anything. However, the storm outside was pouring on the windows, making terrifying noises. The courage to kill people not long ago had long gone. When Le Zhi thought that the bodies were not far from the hot spring pool, her heart thumped wildly. At this time, a dark shadow seemed to flash past the window, and the candlelight in the room also swayed. Could it be that the ghosts are asking for their life? The chill climbed all over her body, and even in the warm pool water, she could not get rid of the bone-chilling coldness. Le Zhi subconsciously walked towards the end of the silk curtain, but when she raised her hand to touch the silk curtain, she did not dare to push it aside and walk over. What if Huo Du did not like her disturbing him? But the fear in her chest grew more and more intense. She hesitantly raised her hand and lowered it down, and then raised her hand and lowered it down again. Huo Du, who leaned against the stone wall of the other half of the pool, looked at her struggling figure back and forth from the beginning to end through the semi-transparent silk curtain. At last, he said, ¡°Come here.¡± The hand that was just lowered was raised instantly, and Le Zhi hurriedly opened the curtain with a panic-stricken look on her pale cheeks. She walked to Huo Du¡¯s side as fast as she could, found his hand in the water, and clenched it a little harder. Le Zhi clearly felt that the frozen blood in her body began to warm up, and her fearful heart gradually calmed down. She raised her eyes to look at the pair of peach blossom eyes that were close up and found that his eyes were also looking at her. Her peaceful face was printed in his black eyes. After seeing her own appearance, Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank little by little. Because she realized at this moment who was the source that made her feel at ease. She wanted to let go of her hand, but she could not let go no matter what. Le Zhi closed her eyes weakly as she was really tired. Every hour of today seemed could be divided into several days in calculations, and now she was both physically and mentally exhausted. She must have been delirious, grabbing the only driftwood beside her recklessly and trying to catch her breath in vain. The water in the hot spring pool was misty and entangled between the breaths of the two people. Huo Du stared at Le Zhi earnestly, every expression of her tonight flashed through his mind. Calm, brave, timid, vulnerable, fearful, and even dependent and struggle. Originally, he just wanted to admire her murderous appearance, but unfortunately, he was delayed by her letter. Only the ghost knew how impatient he was when he rushed to the hot spring villa. Although An Xuan had sent people to keep watch on the movement in the early morning, as she said in the letter, there was nothing absolute in the world, only what if? However, his spy was trembling when he made the report and said that he was almost poisoned by the poison that Taizifei had spread all over the villa. If it were not for the pills he gave to the spies that could cure hundreds of poisons, the people he sent would probably have died of poisoning just like Yang Heng¡¯s secret guards. Hearing this, his chest filled with joy instantly. She had fought a beautiful first battle, and for some reason, he seemed happier than her. Huo Du already felt regretful for missing the scene of her action. He hurried in, not wanting to miss her joyful expression again. However, he did not see the joyful Le Zhi as he expected. On the contrary, he saw was a weak figure amid a rainstorm, with her face turned upward and deathly pale. Huo Du only realized that Le Zhi was only sixteen years old, which should be as simple-minded as Qingyu. But she had endured so much. She must have spent a lot of time implementing such a meticulous killing plan tonight to have caused so many injuries. Huo Du closed his eyes and tried to recall how he felt when he killed someone for the first time. Unfortunately, the time was so long ago that he could not remember it anymore. He just stood there and dared not go forward for a while. Because he knew very well who had brought Le Zhi to such a circumstance. It was Huo Changyun, Huo Xu¡­ The sins were created by the Huo clan of the Great Qi. And were not the Huo clan¡¯s malicious deeds far more than these? Huo Du knew perfectly well how much he hated the Huo clan as the Taizi of the country Qi. So much so that he was walking on the crazy road of no return. As early as he decided on the path he wanted to take, Huo Du watched everything in the world indifferently and heartlessly. Anyone¡¯s pain was abandoned by him. Including himself. Because he also regarded himself as a chess piece. However, his dead heart seemed to be awakened at this moment, then it was torn apart severely. After he broke his leg more than ten years, he felt the dull pain of life again. The slight movement between his fingers pulled Huo Du¡¯s thoughts back. The hand hanging in the hot spring was probably held by Le Zhi for a long time and began to feel numb. But he curled his lips and smiled. It was not just his hand that was held firmly by her. Huo Du looked down at the small distance between him and Le Zhi. He knew that although Le Zhi held his hand tightly, she was not close to him. And her tightly closed eyes and her long delicate black eyelashes fluttered slightly, all of them were telling him about the contradictions in her heart. Not long after, Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were stained with red. Huo Du pulled her in front of him, pressed his cool lips to her slightly swollen eyelids, and then took her into his arms. With the whole body closed to each other, he had to suppress his lust with his internal strength. He stroked Le Zhi¡¯s back with the palm of his hand and his movements were unbelievably gentle. ¡°Cry if you want to.¡± Huo Du lowered his voice and coaxed softly. Le Zhi buried her face in Huo Du¡¯s neck, slowly opened her eyes, and listened to his words without resisting anymore. She let the tears flow and rubbed against the skin of his neck lightly. At first, she just sobbed softly, but the more she cried, the more grievances she felt in her heart, and gradually she cried louder and louder. In addition to grievances, there was also self-blame. After a long time, Le Zhi stopped crying and slowly opened her eyes. She stared blankly at her hand resting on Huo Du¡¯s back and a ridiculous idea floated from the bottom of her heart. The heavy rain just now must have been mixed with medicine. Otherwise, how could she be so greedy for Huo Du¡¯s embrace? Yes, it must be like this. Even Huo Du, who was soaked in her wet clothes, was delirious. Such gentle movements, coaxing tones, and soft kisses had moved her. It seemed that both of them should be seriously sick. That being the case¡­ Why not get sick for a while? Le Zhi closed her eyes, tightened her arms, and hugged him tighter. ¡ª The side room was located next to the hot spring pool, and the room was full of fragrance. The two changed their clothes and sat side by side on the bed. Perhaps the two were too intimate in the hot spring pool just now, and in retrospect, Le Zhi felt a little embarrassed afterward. However, Le Zhi had not forgotten that she had to get out of here quickly. The five corpses outside would be found early tomorrow morning. This hot spring villa should be sealed off by the local official authorities soon. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Le Zhi prompted in a low voice, ¡°Shall we go back to the mansion?¡± ¡°No hurry.¡± Huo Du slowly leaned on the embroidered pillow, casually took the clean cotton towel beside the bed, and took the opportunity to embrace Le Zhi, letting her lie on his lap. Then he began to wipe her half-wet hair. Le Zhi looked at his face in surprise as he seemed to have a little tenderness at the moment. This is too abnormal! She could not help but feel a little panic and nervousness in her heart. She put her hands on the bed, trying to prop herself up. Unexpectedly, Huo Du was one step faster than her and held her shoulders to prevent her from getting up. ¡°Have a good rest.¡± Le Zhi blinked suspiciously, ¡°Didn¡¯t I rest just now?¡± I have soaked in the hot spring pool for so long, and I have rested enough! Hearing this, Huo Du glanced at her, threw away the cotton towel, raised his hand to stroke her forehead, and then gently pressed it. He chuckled softly with obvious meaning, ¡°Have you rested here?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s body tensed instantly. She rubbed the corners of her eyes unnaturally to cover up a little dampness. She could not deny it. Over the past few days, her heart had never really calmed down and even in her sleep, she was still worried about many things. Was it so obvious? She was still too immature to hide her emotions well, so she was easily seen through by Huo Du. Her eyes darkened, and the ends of her eyes drooped. This was Le Zhi¡¯s habit which was the same whenever she thought about something. A habit that even she had not discovered. But Huo Du had long remembered it in his heart. Seeing that she was silent, Huo Du helped her up and sat facing him. He extended out his fingers and tucked Le Zhi¡¯s loose hair behind her ears before he chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s all right not to rest. It¡¯s still early, anyway. Let¡¯s settle the accounts.¡± In a split second, all the charm and tenderness disappeared! Le Zhi closed her eyes hard and then opened them again. The corners of the lips of the person in front of her were filled with playful smiles and the gentle appearance had long since disappeared as if it was just her illusion. She pursed her lips, knowing that this person was too uncertain. Settle account? What kind of account to settle with her? She also did not provoke him! Although she was certain in her heart, Le Zhi still felt guilty for no reason when she met Huo Du¡¯s eyes. She shrank her head and moved to the side of the bed, unwilling to continue to look face to face with him. After sitting next to him, she murmured, ¡°You scared people again, what¡¯s account to settle¡­¡± Huo Du took her hand, rubbed the back of her hand with his fingertips, and said with a slightly cold tone, ¡°Don¡¯t remember?¡± After being together for so long, Le Zhi would not be easily intimidated by him. She sat upright confidently and hummed in dissatisfaction, ¡°There is no such thing!¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Huo Du hooked her little finger and smiled softly, ¡°Unlucky one.¡± Le Zhi was stunned, with a look of astonishment. How could he know the contents of that letter? According to her plan, if she has not returned by yinshi (3 am ¨C 5 am), the letter would be handed over to Huo Du. However, he looked like had obviously seen it. So, there was only one possibility, that was, Li Yao gave him the letter in advance. ¡°Li Yao is disobedient again.¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips aggrievedly. She held Huo Du¡¯s hand and shook it gently, ¡°Your Highness, just take it as if you have not seen it.¡± Huo Du ignored her. Le Zhi blinked, and after thinking about it for a moment, she suddenly realized. She curved her lips into a smile and her eyes filled with cunningness, ¡°So Your Highness came after reading the letter as you were worried about me?¡± Huo Du burst into laughter. He reached out his hand and pulled her into his arms, not letting her take a closer look at the emotion leaking from his eyes. He knew very well that his little fox could always find information in her favor in the fastest time. She advanced step by step, taking advantage of everything available. She was extremely measured and never crosses the line, endangering the interests of others. Even the last words left to him were full of hope. Huo Du had a highly retentive memory since he was a child, and he could already recite that letter backward. ¡°Your Highness, if you saw this letter, then I should be no longer alive. In fact, I am ninety percent sure of the plan to kill Yang Heng tonight. It seems very unfortunate that an accident happened. I¡¯m such an unlucky one. Fortunately, it is also considered a clean death, and it will not implicate Your Highness. However, it was not completely useless when I died. Now it should be just past yinshi (3 am ¨C 5 am), Your Highness can send someone to the hot spring villa to find my body, in case Yang Heng destroys the body. Then ask Your Highness to enter the palace as quickly as possible, gain the upper hand, and put all the blame on Huo Xu. Yang Heng is Huo Xu¡¯s person, and he can¡¯t clear himself. This is the last thing I can do for Your Highness. As for my wish, Your Highness should be very clear. I haven¡¯t known Your Highness for a long time, but it¡¯s time to bid farewell. By the way, don¡¯t break the bride¡¯s arm next time you get married. It really hurts! I will bless Your Highness in the underworld for everything to go smoothly and achieve whatever you desire. Le Zhi¡± This splendid last letter, like herself, was straightforward without any sloppiness. Even death, she could even use to her advantage. She was right that he knew her wish very well. In this world, the only thing she could not rest assured of was her imprisoned sister. It was not that Huo Du did not know Le Zhi do not trust him, but she still had to put the final bet on him. Therefore, she would not tell him the plan, nor would she implicate him in the slightest, or even let him suffer a loss. Even if she failed to kill and died, she could devise a perfect plan to defeat Huo Xu for him. The country Qi¡¯s despicable method of destroying country Li had already aroused the anger of neighboring countries. At this time, if Le Zhi died at the hands of the imperial family of Great Qi, it would definitely cause an uproar among the countries, and Huo Xu would also become the target of criticism from neighboring countries. This kind of person was doomed to have no opportunity to the throne. This allowed him to sit firmly in the position of the heir to the throne and succeed the throne justifiably. This was Le Zhi, in exchange for his bargaining chip to save Le Jin. Huo Du understood, he understood too well. Tonight, regardless of life or death, Le Zhi could win. He watched what she did out of playfulness, not interfering or stopping, just watching quietly. But when he saw the letter, the blood flowing in his body froze in an instant. The suffocation in the chest was getting heavier and heavier, and a fear that he had never had before rose from the bottom of his heart. The long silence made Le Zhi a little uncomfortable. Huo Du ignored her, only picked out a strand of her long hair and wrapped it around his fingers to play with. She raised her eyes slightly and used the remaining light to look at his face from the corner of her eye, but she still could not guess what Huo Du was thinking. ¡°Those nonsense are not allowed to be written in the future.¡± Le Zhi was a little dazed, and this dissatisfied tone seemed to have some distressing meaning. Tonight was really weird. Her abnormality could also be attributed to the bewilderment after the killing spree, but what about Huo Du¡¯s abnormality? She secretly thought to herself that she would not come to this hot spring villa again. ¡°What nonsense, ah? I have been thinking about it for a long time¡­¡± Le Zhi muttered in a low voice. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to write anymore.¡± Huo Du let go of her hair, put his hand on her back, and said in a deep voice. ¡°Alright.¡± Le Zhi was the most observant. She withdrew from Huo Du¡¯s arms, stretched out her hand to hold his gloomy face, and smiled obediently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your Highness also saw how smooth it went tonight. I¡¯m not unlucky at all, maybe I¡¯m still a lucky star!¡± Huo Du restrained all the emotions in his eyes and stared at her quietly. He knew that she had bounced back from her fear and began to seriously pretend to make him happy again. She was smart enough to know when to advance and retreat, deliberately approaching him but not completely. She controlled the distance between them extremely well, not too close, not too far, not too estranged but also not too intimate. He understood that it was difficult for a heart with a lot of holes to carry too many emotions. It did not matter. Anyway, it would be up to him to cure her. He was exceptionally good in medicine, was not he? Thinking about this, Huo Du hugged her in his arms again and repeated her words softly, ¡°Indeed very lucky.¡± It was unknown whether he was talking about her or talking about himself. Two negatives make an affirmative. Huo Du thought that if the two unlucky ones got together, they might really beget some luck. The storm outside gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of rain dripping from the eaves. Le Zhi still remembered to get down to business. She rubbed Huo Du¡¯s neck and asked, ¡°Are we really not leaving? People from the local official authorities may come at dawn.¡± Although he was the Taizi, he could not be so rampant, right? ¡°What¡¯s the hurry. Don¡¯t want to take shortcuts?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes widened and sat up with a look of surprise. Although she knew that Huo Du would not talk casually, it was too fast, right? How did he suddenly become so good? Huo Du chuckled and said unhurriedly, ¡°There are conditions for taking shortcuts. You don¡¯t think you can walk away with nothing, do you?¡± Sure enough! She knew it! This person was very shrewd. Even borrowing money from him had to pay back three times the interest. So, how could he help her for nothing! However, Le Zhi felt more at ease in this way. ¡°What are the conditions?¡± Le Zhi asked delicately while pulling his sleeves. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s very easy for you.¡± Huo Du did not say it explicitly but pulled her to lie down together, and then pulled the brocade quilt over the two of them, ¡°Sleep for a while, and the shortcut will be laid when you wake up.¡± Hearing what he said so confidently, Le Zhi heaved a sigh of relief and closed her eyes obediently. But the sound of raindrops outside made her unable to sleep peacefully. She frowned, tossed, and turned. Suddenly, a pair of cool hands covered her ears, and the noise in her ears faded away instantly. She opened her eyes, met with the familiar eyes, and saw his silent mouth shaped ¡°Sleep.¡± She hummed softly and closed her eyes again. She was exhausted from the long day¡¯s work and soon fell asleep. Le Zhi never expected that she would dream of her imperial mother. Even more, she did not expect her mother, who had always loved her, would look at her with strange eyes, and said to her with a cold face, ¡°Zhizhi, do you still remember the beliefs of the people of Great Li?¡± ¡°Of course, I remember!¡± she replied. The people of Great Li believed in the God of Good Deeds. Gentleness, kindness, benevolence, and obedience. ¡°Then what is in your hand?¡± Le Zhi suddenly lowered her head and saw her blood-stained hands. Her heart was pounding and was at a loss what to do. ¡°Zhizhi, people who are covered in blood cannot be blessed by the God of Good Deeds.¡± Her imperial mother¡¯s expression was sad and wept bitterly, ¡°You and us will not meet in the underworld in the future.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± She shook her head while shouting. But as soon as the scene changed, the figure of her imperial mother disappeared. The surroundings suddenly darkened. A low-pitched evil laugh sounded behind her. Le Zhi turned around in shock to see Yang Heng and the four secret guards with a fierce look, ¡°You¡¯re just like us, not a good person! Hahaha, we are waiting for you here!¡± As they spoke, black blood flowed down the corners of their mouths¡­ It was terrifying! Le Zhi kept retreating, but there was a sticky feeling under her feet. She lowered her head and found more and more blood was pooling around the ground, almost spread over her ankles. She struggled, but she could not move her feet, she could only watch helplessly the blood came up little by little. There was only despair left in her heart¡­ ¡°Le Zhi, Le Zhi¡­ Wake up!¡± Who was calling her? Who else could it be? There was only one person in the world who would call her by first name and last name. Le Zhi opened her eyes. There was a mist in front of her eyes and she saw the familiar silhouette from the haziness. She could no longer distinguish between dreams and reality, or rather, she deliberately did not want to distinguish them. ¡°Would you like some water?¡± Le Zhi found her throat parched, but she shook her head. Because she saw some droplets of water left on Huo Du¡¯s lips, which meant he should have just drunk some water. She could not help but leaned closer to him and saw the way she kissed intensely from his black eyes. She did not dare to look again. She closed her eyes with a guilty conscience and let the remnant tears in her eyes fall. There was no doubt that she was crazy. For fear of being dragged into hell by evil spirits, she chose to hold on to a wolf. It seemed that as long as she held on to him, those evil spirits would not be able to get close to her. What a crazy and dangerous thing to do. It was undoubtedly drinking poison to quench thirst. After a long time, she released the hand around his neck and ended the unexpected kiss. Le Zhi opened her eyes cautiously and raised her eyes timidly to look at Huo Du¡¯s face. He raised his hand and gently pressed the lips that were kissed swollen by her with his fingers, and then looked at her. She quickly lowered her eyes, not daring to continue looking at her ¡°masterpiece¡±. ¡°Not bad.¡± Huo Du commented leisurely, ¡°Compared to the last time, you have made great progress.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Le Zhi bit her lip, thinking that since it had already become like this, it was useless to be embarrassed anyway, so she took the compliment generously, ¡°It will be better next time.¡± Huo Du was amused by her. He stretched out his fingers to lift Le Zhi¡¯s chin, stared at the tear stains on her cheeks, and then gently wiped them off with his fingertips. Thinking of her petrified look just now, he asked, ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± Le Zhi hesitated for a moment before nodding gently. ¡°Tell me about it?¡± Although it was a questioning tone, it had a coaxing meaning. Le Zhi lowered her head and leaned her body softly on the embroidered pillow before speaking wearily, ¡°Has Your Highness ever heard of the legend of God of Good Deeds of Great Li?¡± Huo Du raised his hand and put her head on his shoulder to let her rest comfortably on his shoulder. Then he hummed, ¡°I¡¯ve heard some.¡± He lied. He knew nothing of the beliefs of the other four countries and three tribes except for Great Qi. Only Great Qi had no gods to believe in, let alone faith. Even the annual ritual prayers of the imperial family were nothing more than pretenses. An emperor without faith had nothing to restrain his behavior. ¡°When I was a child, my father told me that since the founding of Great Li, the Le clan has believed in the God of Good Deeds. Because the ancestors of the Le clan were always kind and generous to others. After they passed away, they turned into the God of Good Deeds in Heaven, blessing the Le clan and the people of Great Li. Do you know? In Great Li, the doors of every household are not locked at night, and the neighbors are like close relatives and friends. The people live and work in peace, stealing and cheating rarely occur, and the evil act of killing has never happened before.¡± Le Zhi pressed her heart and continued to say, ¡°Because the people of Great Li know that if their hands are stained with blood, it will be difficult to obtain protection from the God of Good Deeds, so no one dares to kill people.¡± As soon as the conversation changed, she smiled sadly and choked with emotions, ¡°My Great Li¡¯s military isn¡¯t bad. Until the day Qi soldiers besieged the city, Li soldiers didn¡¯t intend to kill ruthlessly, but Qi soldiers were deadly. My imperial brother is highly skilled in martial arts, but he can¡¯t bear to hurt people¡¯s lives. Do you know how many holes there are in his body when he closed his eyes? So many, so many that I can¡¯t even count them.¡± Huo Du¡¯s heart sank, raised his hand to caress her back, and said in a dull tone, ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore.¡± He did not want her to relive it again and cut the wound open once more. ¡°Does Your Highness think it¡¯s ridiculous? I also think it¡¯s ridiculous, very ridiculous.¡± Le Zhi curled her lips and smiled brightly, but her eyes were full of pain, ¡°If there really is a God of Good Deeds, why didn¡¯t He save us at that time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fake, it¡¯s all fake. I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Huo Du hugged her, felt her body tremble, and his eyebrows tighten. ¡°But just now, I dreamed of my imperial mother, and she said¡­ She said that my hands were full of blood. I won¡¯t be able to see them after I die.¡± Le Zhi finally cried. She was not afraid of killing people, nor was she afraid of losing the protection of the God of Good Deeds. But she was afraid that she would not be able to see her relatives again after death. She would fall into hell alone forever, in the company of evil spirits. Thinking of this, she trembled all over. She knew that she should not have said this to Huo Du. Would he laugh at her? But her heart was so overwhelmed that she had no one to complain to except Huo Du. It was so pathetic. Was not it? Even now, she actually wanted to confide in the Taizi of the enemy country. Never mind. Too many things have happened today. Le Zhi thought secretly in her heart, just this time, she only allowed herself to be vulnerable this time. When the sun rose tomorrow, she would put away these useless vulnerabilities and never mention them again. ¡°You¡¯re able to meet them.¡± CH 38 Chapter 38 Strange On the outskirts after the rain, the wildflowers and weeds were covered with water droplets. The dark clouds dissipated, and the rising sun gradually revealed, awakening all things everything in the world. After a long silence, Le Zhi¡¯s arms were a little sore, and she really did not have much strength left in her body. After holding Huo Du for so long, he did not react at all. She used her actions to tell him clearly that she did not dislike him! With Huo Du¡¯s mind, it was impossible not to understand what she meant. But he did not respond, which only showed that he did not believe her, and he might even think she was acting. With a sour heart, Le Zhi let go of her hand and let her arms fall down slowly. But when the palm of her hand fell to Huo Du¡¯s waist, he stretched out his hand to hold it. The temperature in Huo Du¡¯s palm had always been cold. Le Zhi recalled how she felt every time she touched his palm and felt that today was the coldest one. He just held her hand and turned around, staring deeply at her with black eyes, as if looking for something in her eyes. At this time, An Xuan arrived with a carriage, and he parked the carriage not far from them, without getting near them or disturbing them. Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s eyes which were full of redness. He noticed that her standing posture was slightly slanted to one side, so he lowered his eyes to examine carefully. Sure enough, Le Zhi seemed to put all the strength of her body on her right foot, and her left foot was just stepping in the air. He was a man with a broken hamstring, and he could tell from this appearance. It must have been twisted or sprained. Since she was already like this, Huo Du held her hand and wanted to walk in the direction of the carriage, but Le Zhi threw his hand away fiercely. The road under his feet was originally a slope. When Huo Du was suddenly flung aside by her, his body staggered as he did not pay attention for a while, but he was able to stand firmly on the cane with his right hand after a short while. However, Le Zhi was not much better. Her twisted ankle hurt so much that she lost her center of gravity and stepped back a few steps. For some reason, her chest was filled with pain. Annoyance appeared in the pair of misty fox eyes. Le Zhi asked herself that she was by no means someone who cares, but his understatement made her uneasy. Obviously, he misunderstood her, but now he did not even say a word. What does this mean? ¡°Get on the carriage first.¡± The low-pitched voice was tinged with subtle distress. Naturally, the person who was surging in anger was unaware of it. Le Zhi glared at him with pursed lips, then turned around in anger despite the pain, and walked in the opposite direction of the carriage. Did he really think that everyone has no temper? Was not it just walking back on foot? If the dead lame person could do it, so could she. She did not want to ride the carriage with him! Since he liked to think so much, then went with it. Did not Huo Du think she hated him? Then she would let him take a good look, what was called hatred! ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du frowned, calling while chasing in a deep voice. But the troublesome figure turned a deaf ear, dragging her injured foot and walking away resolutely. She walked so fast regardless of the pain, and for a while, Huo Du could not catch up with her. He glanced at the white jade cane with a cold face, and the thoughts that had already grown in his chest grew wildly at this time. The lousy cane was so much of a hindrance that he really wanted to throw it away. An Xuan, who was standing and waiting by the side of the carriage in the distance, watched this scene with a look of astonishment on his face. He did not understand what His Highness and Taizifei were doing! One moment she was chasing him, and the next moment he was chasing her. Was that fun? An Xuan, who was busy all night, arresting people and cleaning up the mess, was really sleepy! He just wanted to go back to the mansion to sleep. His eyebrows tightened together as he looked at the two people who were getting farther and farther away. After tossing for so long, would not they get tired! The warm sun gradually appeared, and the sky brighten. But after all, it was still a harsh winter, and the cold wind was blowing. Le Zhi hurried away angrily, and the cotton cloak was blown behind by the wind, unable to wrap around her slender body. Suddenly, she stopped. A look of surprise crossed her face, and she was forced to stop. Her footsteps could not be moved as if they were glued to the ground, and even her dangling hands could not be lifted. Le Zhi stared at the empty space in front of her in a daze, obviously, there was nothing, but it was like there was a wall in front of her. It appeared in her mind that when she was soaking in the hot spring in the mansion before, she fell into the pool weightlessly, a strange force lifted her up and made her involuntarily pounce on Huo Du. In the past, she had heard from her imperial brother that those who practiced internal strength could control people or things within a certain distance by condensing qi and turning qi into force. Her imperial brother had been practicing internal strength since he was a child, but he could only control objects, let the objects rise into the air, and flew around with internal strength. Therefore, how powerful should Huo Du¡¯s internal strength be? At this time, Huo Du had already walked in front of her, and the invisible blocking force in front of her also disappeared in an instant. Perhaps she had walked in a hurry just now and inhaled too much cold air. Le Zhi¡¯s throat became dry, and she turned her head and coughed lightly. Upon seeing this, Huo Du reached out his hand and patted her back. When she was almost done coughing, he put his hand on the back of her neck and rubbed it gently. Before Le Zhi had calmed down, she raised her hand to push his arm and scolded him discontentedly, ¡°Let go, let go, it¡¯s freezing cold!¡± Where would Huo Du be willing to let it go? He chuckled lightly and added some force to let Le Zhi get closer to him. The tip of their noses touched slightly, and the warm and cool breaths intertwined. He inadvertently rubbed the tip of her nose lightly with the tip of his nose, and then said in a coaxing tone, ¡°Stop making trouble.¡± The warm sunlight shone on Huo Du¡¯s face, illuminating his silhouette. Le Zhi took the tenderness in his eyes into her eyes, and her heart moved slightly. She lost her mind for a moment. She lowered her eyes and took two steps back in a panic, distancing herself from him. I can¡¯t watch it anymore. Now that the first light had arrived, she could no longer be like last night. Le Zhi pursed her lips and put her little temper away, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the mansion.¡± She turned wearily and faced the direction of the carriage, but Huo Du reached out his hand to grab her wrist, forcing her to turn her head once again and faced his burning eyes. ¡°Still angry?¡± ¡°En.¡± Le Zhi nodded. The appearance of telling the truth made Huo Du a little stunned. He had no experience with women. In the past, he only heard Old Man Yin nagging, saying that most women were duplicitous, and even if they were angry, they would deliberately say that they were not angry. But his little fox did not seem to have those twists and turns. ¡°Your Highness, are you tired?¡± Le Zhi stretched out her fingertips to tap at Huo Du¡¯s heart through his clothes, and then asked him back, imitating his tone from yesterday. Seeing that he was silent, Le Zhi sighed, and she continued, ¡°Is there anything you can¡¯t say? There is no need to hold back in your heart. I told Your Highness before that I regard Your Highness as an associate. If you have anything unhappy, you can tell me directly.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes to look at the sky, thinking about her next path. The road she walked was extremely dangerous, and she did not know which day it would come to an end. Therefore, she did not want to waste time on these senseless misunderstandings at all. ¡°The smell of blood in the secret room is so heavy that I feel uncomfortable and can¡¯t wait to spit it out. When I return to my sense, you were gone.¡± After a pause, she spoke again with a sad tone, ¡°I thought we were together. Although we did not come together, we will always leave together. However, you left me there¡­¡± Le Zhi lowered her eyes, not letting Huo Du see the sadness in her eyes. When she looked back and saw the empty space in the secret room just now, a painful feeling suddenly aroused. She always seemed to be left behind. Once the country was destroyed, her imperial father, imperial mother, and imperial elder brother passed away. The imperial elder sister still did not remember who she was, and she did not know the whereabouts of her imperial elder sister-in-law and Yu¡¯er? Alone and helpless, there was no one around her. Le Zhi had already made plans to walk alone, but that did not mean she would not be sad. Even though there was a high wall between the Le clan and Huo clan, Huo Du had repeatedly helped her, and she truly regarded him as a friend. Huo Du¡¯s heart ached even worse. The feeling of being left behind and being abandoned, he knew it all too well. But why did he do it today? He strode forward and embraced Le Zhi into his arms. An apologetic heart was throbbing wildly, he leaned close to her ear and apologized in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Only this time, never again. Le Zhi let him hug her, and the haze of grievances gradually dissipated. After a while, she raised her hand to pat his back, and hummed softly, ¡°I forgive you.¡± She thought that friends should not fuss so much. As the sound of the horse¡¯s hoofs approached, An Xuan carefully observed the situation and judged that the two of them should be reconciled before slowly driving forward. Hearing the sound, they remembered that there was a third person there, and the two of them let go coincidently. The cold wind blew past, but it could not dispel the redness on the tips of their ears. When the two got into the carriage, An Xuan exhaled a breath and his eyebrows relaxed. With a yawn, he whipped the horse and smiled facing the wind. ¡ª Taizi Mansion. Li Yao paced back and forth in the courtyard anxiously. Although Lin Yue and Jing Xin did not know what happened, Taizifei and His Highness had not returned overnight, and they could see some clues from Li Yao¡¯s expression. The hearts of all three hung in the air. Until the snowy figure appeared. The three stepped forward quickly and saluted respectfully. They all set their eyes on Le Zhi, especially Li Yao, for fear that their master would be hurt. The old injury was not yet healed, and if she added a new injury, was it worth it? But because of the presence of His Highness, they did not dare to go forward. ¡°All retreat.¡± Huo Du said. The three of them stared at each other and nodded. But their gazes did not leave Le Zhi for a moment, and their footsteps did not move a little bit. Le Zhi saw their worries, smiled and said, ¡°You all retreat first.¡± Li Yao breathed a sigh of relief, and the three of them turned to retreat together. Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s side face with deep meaning in his eyes. There seemed to be a kind of magic about her, which made people willing to put all their minds on her. He took her hand and walked into the bedroom, walking directly to the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t have to take bath first?¡± After taking off their outer clothing, the two of them lay on the bed. Although they had soaked in the hot spring for so long last night, after going to the secret room, their body always felt some bloody smell on them. ¡°Bathe after waking up.¡± Huo Du said lightly. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Le Zhi blinked, remembering the current time, and asked again, ¡°Then Your Highness won¡¯t be going to the morning court today?¡± Le Zhi wondered about this question for a long time. Huo Du did not seem to go to court every day. Was being the heir to the throne so idle? Does he really want to be the emperor? ¡°Not going.¡± Huo Du reached out his hands to pull her into his arms, and conveniently stopped her endless chattering, then closed his eyes after finding a comfortable position. Le Zhi buried her head in his arms, while her snowy cheeks were pressed to his chest making her cheeks burn with redness. How did it become like this between them? She tried to push Huo Du¡¯s chest but could not. Forget it, she was really tired. It did not matter. It did not matter to be closer between friends. After a long time, the sound of even breathing sounded. Huo Du lazily opened his eyes and stared down at Le Zhi¡¯s sleeping face, imprinting her expression in his eyes. Then he unconsciously hooked his lips, hugged her tighter, and fell asleep with her. From early morning to noon, the warm sun shone brightly, and then to the setting sun, two people who had always been light sleepers embraced each other, slumbering without waking up. ¡ª The next two days were rare tranquility. With something weighing on her mind, Le Zhi loosened her tense nerve slightly. But she knew in her heart that such tranquility was only temporary. On the evening of the third day, Li Yao walked up to her with a grave expression, ¡°Master, Huo Xu sent a message saying that he wanted to see you.¡± After confiding with the master, Li Yao began to call Huo Xu by his full name according to Le Zhi¡¯s words. Indeed, such a hypocrite was not worthy of an honorary title. Le Zhi was not surprised, just nodded in agreement. Yang Heng and those three men had been missing for a few days, and there was no news about them, whether alive or dead. They were all prominent people in the Shenyi Army and their disappearance would inevitably cause an uproar. Emperor Qi ordered a thorough investigation of the matter but found nothing. It could be assumed that Huo Du must have wiped the traces cleanly which made it impossible for people to investigate. However, Huo Xu, the culprit, was naturally clear about the grudges between these people, and her and her sister. There were coincidences in the world, but when it was too coincidental, it was due to man-made. Le Zhi knew that sooner or later, Huo Xu would definitely suspect her. ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± After a while, Le Zhi simply cleaned up the front of the dressing table, counting the hours and preparing to go to the appointment. But before she got up, she saw Huo Du enter the room leisurely. Shouldn¡¯t he be in the study at this hour? Huo Du slowly approached the dressing table and looked at the hibiscus face in the bronze mirror. Before Le Zhi rolled up her hair, he smiled and reached out his hand to pick up a strand of her black hair to play with. ¡°Are you going to see Huo Xu?¡± He spoke suddenly. ¡°Yes.¡± Le Zhi smiled, knowing that he was not interested in her meeting with Huo Xu. Anyway, she would tell him what Huo Xu said when she came back. After a pause, she just asked casually, ¡°Does your Highness want to go together?¡± ¡°Sure, ah.¡± Le Zhi turned around in astonishment. After returning from the hot spring villa, she always felt that Huo Du seemed a little strange. It seemed to be different from before. But after thinking about it carefully, she could not think of a reason. The author has something to say£º Zhi: Friends go together for a lifetime! Du: Who wants to be friends with you!!! An Xiaoxuan: Still sleeping, don¡¯t disturb. === Huo Xu: I know everyone must miss me again. All: Get lost!!! CH 39 Chapter 39 A Good Show Jingxian Wang Mansion. ¡°What?¡± Lin Yuxian patted the table and got up. Shen Qingyan quickly grabbed her wrist, fearing that she would do something extreme. When Lin Yuxian learned that Qingyan was ill, she could not help but frown. Today she came to visit her specially, only to hear that her good friend had suffered so much grievance. Although she had heard that Cousin Ah Xu had accepted a bedwarmer before, after all, it was just a rumor, so she did not care. So, it turned out to be true. ¡°It¡¯s absurd! How long have you been married? How can my cousin be so confused?¡± Lin Yuxian bit her lip, sat down reluctantly, and asked, ¡°Then, what does my aunt say? Doesn¡¯t she care?¡± Hearing this, Shen Qingyan smiled helplessly. Her face was as pale as paper, and her morbidity was obvious. After that night, Shen Qingyan thought that Huo Xu really liked her, but unexpectedly, he could not let go of the bedwarmer and even continued to keep her in the mansion. She was getting more and more depressed, but Huo Xu softly persuaded her, ¡°Yanyan, the Great Qi imperial family is composed of wives and concubines. As Jingxian Wangfei, you cannot be without tolerance. Moreover, no matter how many side concubines and bedwarmers I have, my Wangfei will always be you. Your position in my heart is the only one.¡± The Empress was Huo Xu¡¯s mother, what else could she say? Shen Qingyan knew that Huo Xu was right. Even her father persuaded her to turn a blind eye. Huo Xu was a Wangye now, and her future was limitless. It was impossible for such a man to have only one woman. She knew, she really knew. However, the soreness in her chest made her lose her mind. It was not that she could not accept it, but it was too fast. How many days had they been married? She could not even understand why a man who clearly had someone he loved could still be tempted by a different woman? Men and women, were not they all human beings? Why did she only have Huo Xu in her heart and had no place to share with others. Could it be that she was really too petty? ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Shen Qingyan turned her head and coughed relentlessly. The imperial doctor said that she was suffering from depression. The cough caused by anxiety was difficult to treat unless she could relax. In order to avoid passing on her illness to Huo Xu, Huo Xu would still come to see her at night these days and then stay in the western courtyard. She was sick and could not serve her husband, so naturally, she could not stop him. She also wanted to get better soon, but her heart knot was difficult to express, and her condition became even more serious. Lin Yuxian¡¯s expression froze, she stretched out her hand and patted her good friend¡¯s back slowly, and then helped her to lie down on the bed, ¡°Qingyan, you have to rest well and take care of yourself.¡± Leave the rest to me. ¡°Alright.¡± Shen Qingyan nodded weakly. She looked at the darkening night outside, knowing that it was getting late, ¡°Yuxian, go back earlier, and we¡¯ll talk next time.¡± Lin Yuxian said yes with a smile. The night was getting darker, and Lin Yuxian¡¯s face darkened when she stepped out of the room. She did not walk towards the gate but hurried to the western courtyard with her maids and servants. Unexpectedly, there were so many guards in the western courtyard that Lin Yuxian was stopped before she even got close to the door. These guards were ordered by Huo Xu to guard the western courtyard. He was worried that if he was not in the mansion, Shen Qingyan would attack Xiao Zhi due to jealousy. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± The guards looked troubled. They were no strangers to Lin Yuxian. She was the Empress¡¯s niece, the cousin of Wangye, and the beloved daughter of the Taiwei*. They could not afford to provoke any of these identities. (Taiwei* ¨C the highest official in charge of military affairs) However, Wangye had solemnly ordered again. Lin Yuxian was used to being tyrannical, and no one dared to stop her. She said angrily, ¡°You won¡¯t let me pass, right? Someone comes!¡± Her maids and servants were all proficient in martial arts, and when they heard her give orders, they immediately stepped forward. The guards did not dare to really do anything with Lin Yuxian¡¯s people and within a moment, Lin Yuxian saw the opportunity and rushed in. ¡°Bang¡± Lin Yuxian pushed open the door vigorously, causing a great disturbance. Her eyes looked around, and she finally saw the delicate figure trembling in the corner. The woman was like a frightened deer, ¡°Who are you¡­¡± With just one glance, Lin Yuxian¡¯s eyes widened as she was stunned. The appearance of this woman was too similar to Le Zhi. It turned out that this was the reason why her cousin could not let her go. Thinking of this, Lin Yuxian returned to her senses, and frowned, ¡°Someone, tie her up for me.¡± Jiang Man¡¯s eyes turned red, unable to resist. She could only let others tie her hands behind her back and her mouth was being gagged with a cloth ball. After the servant brought the person in front of Lin Yuxian, she looked at her face carefully. On a closer look, there was actually quite a significant difference between Le Zhi. The most obvious was her eyes, which were incomparable to Le Zhi¡¯s seductive fox eyes. Also, even if Lin Yuxian hated Le Zhi so much in her heart, she had to admit that Le Zhi¡¯s natural princess dispositions were undoubtedly revealed in her mannerism. Looks could be similar, but dispositions could not be learned. A fake is a fake after all. But even if she was a fake, she could still hook her cousin¡¯s heart and made him treat Qingyan coldly. Thinking of this, Lin Yuxian¡¯s eyes appeared disgusted. This woman must go. ¡°Take her away!¡± she snapped. The guards did not dare to stop them, so they could only send someone to find Wangye. Lin Yuxian led Jiang Man towards the gate. She must send this woman away tonight so that her cousin could never find her again! Only in this way could Qingyan¡¯s illness get better. But before she reached the gate, she saw her cousin hurriedly lead Qin Yu towards the outside of the mansion. With this appearance of his, it looked like something fishy at first glance. Could it be that in addition to this bedwarmer, my cousin also had a concubine? Lin Yuxian frowned. She did not have time to settle this bedwarmer, so she had to quietly follow Huo Xu with her. If her cousin really had a concubine, then she would clean them all tonight! In order not to be discovered by Huo Xu, she ordered the coachman to drive the horse quietly and keep a certain distance from Huo Xu¡¯s carriage. She lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the direction in which the carriage was going, only to realize that this direction was the same as the route to the Taizi Mansion. A bold guess came to mind in an instant. Not long after, Lin Yuxian saw Huo Xu¡¯s carriage stop outside a hidden inn. Her cousin stepped out of the carriage and entered calmly. This did not seem like it was his first time here. But Qin Yu did not go in together. He stood outside the inn as if waiting for someone. Soon, an unfamiliar carriage drove slowly, and after it stopped, a familiar figure got out of the carriage. Le Zhi wore a snow-colored fox fur coat and seemed to be wearing an apricot-colored dress. Even in the dark night, her outstanding appearance was difficult to conceal. Lin Yuxian pursed her lips tightly, with a resentful look on her face. This vixen, after marrying Brother Taizi, actually did not abide by the morals of a woman and came here late at night to have a tryst with my cousin! At this time, the feelings of injustice for her good friend gradually dissipated. Instead, she felt distressed for Brother Taizi. Lin Yuxian had been in love with Huo Du since she was a child, and she could not understand why she liked him so much. Obviously, they had nothing to do with each other. Perhaps it was because of his appearance that no one else in the world could match. Since the first sight of him, no one else could enter her eyes. Her aunt loved her since she was a child, and she knew that her aunt did not like Brother Taizi. But she persisted and begged her aunt again and again. It was not easy to get her to yield, and be willing to facilitate her marriage with Huo Du. At that time, a marriage bestowed by Emperor had ruined her dream. However, Lin Yuxian still did not mind. Even if she could not be the Taizifei, a side concubine would do. But her father disagreed as to how could the daughter of Taiwei be a concubine? Even though that person was Taizi. Besides, this Taizi was still disabled. But Lin Yuxian was madly in love with Huo Du, and no one could stop her from running toward him. Moreover, there was nothing more than a bestow marriage between Brother Taizi and Le Zhi. Brother Taizi treated everyone coldly, and he would not like Le Zhi. Lin Yuxian was full of confidence, and only her passion could melt this piece of ice. When she saw this scene tonight as if Heaven was reminding her. She could not wait any longer, she must marry Brother Taizi quickly. She could not let Le Zhi hurt Brother Taizi, even if he did not like her. Once Le Zhi¡¯s unruly behavior spread, it would inevitably make Brother Taizi the talk and joke of others during leisure time. Her thoughts returned, and she stared intently at the woman shrunk in the corner of the carriage. A sneer emerged from the corners of her mouth. ¡ª Le Zhi stepped into the inn once again and followed Qin Yu upstairs. Just now, Huo Du said he wanted to come with her. Although she was a little surprised, she did not stop him. Anyway, it was the same whether he came or not. However, she wondered, how could he be with her? After all, this was Huo Xu¡¯s place, so it should be difficult for Huo Du to come in, right? But Huo Du chuckled softly, and even deliberately kept the suspense without telling her. Just let her be one step ahead, saying that he could naturally be with her. Le Zhi did not bother to pay attention to him. As Le Zhi got closer to the guest room, she suppressed her inner nervousness and pretended to smile. Today was a tough battle, and she must do things very carefully and cautiously, without flaws to dispel Huo Xu¡¯s suspicions. When the door of the room opened, Le Zhi stepped in, and Qin Yu closed the door from outside. Le Zhi raised her eyes to take a look at the surroundings of the guest room. This huge guest room had many furnishings and screens. She could not help wondering if Huo Du was already here, maybe he was secretly observing now. Forget it, business is more important. Don¡¯t worry about him! Le Zhi set her eyes on Huo Xu, and saw him with a weary expression, sitting on the armchair with his eyes lowered. ¡°Brother Ah Xu?¡± She lowered her voice and called softly. Hearing the voice, Huo Xu raised his eyes and looked foolishly at the person whom he had been thinking about him for a long time. At this time, the hidden figure behind the screen moved slightly, and the black-colored eyes were gradually covered with a layer of coldness. Brother, Ah, Xu? Huh. Huo Du took these words apart and recited them word by word in his heart silently. His cold white face was so cold that it could drip with water, he hooked his lips and sneered silently. Did Le Zhi call him like this every day during the years when Huo Xu went to Great Li as a hostage? Unpleasant. It¡¯s really unpleasant to hear. However, Huo Xu¡¯s heart trembled slightly at this call. Every time Le Zhi called him like this, his heart softened. ¡°Zhizhi¡­¡± He stared at her snowy cheeks and called her with a gentle tone of voice. The affairs of Yang Heng and a few of the Shenyi Army troubled him for several days. They disappeared for no reason, and Huo Xu had sent many people to look for them, but they could not find them. He remembered what happened on the day he attacked the capital of country Li, and there was faint speculation in his heart. But now facing her, he did not dare to ask. At this time, the door of the guest room was pushed open from the outside. ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t go in!¡± Qin Yu shouted anxiously. He opened his arms to stop the angry person, but he could not stop her. ¡°Move aside!¡± Lin Yuxian charged into the guest room, and the servants behind her dragged Jiang Man¡¯s arm and pulled her inside. Jiang Man¡¯s mouth was gagged with a cloth ball, her eyes were full of moisture, and she looked at Huo Xu aggrievedly. Upon seeing this, Huo Xu turned pale with fright. He first stepped forward and protected Le Zhi behind him to prevent Lin Yuxian from doing any crazy moves toward her. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Huo Xu shouted furiously. ¡°Hehe, cousin.¡± Lin Yuxian snorted in a low voice, stretched out her hand to pull Jiang Man over, and sneered, ¡°There are so many women around you!¡± Looking at the tearful face of ¡°Xiao Zhi¡±, Huo Xu felt a burst of pity in his heart. He pushed Lin Yuxian away, pulled Jiang Man to him, removed the cloth, and untied her bounded hands. ¡°Wangye¡­¡± Jiang Man choked with sobs and threw herself into Huo Xu¡¯s arms, wrapping her hands tightly around his waist. Huo Xu froze but could not bear to push her away at this moment. However, Zhizhi was right behind him. Huo Xu frowned, not knowing what to do. He did not dare to turn around to look at Le Zhi¡¯s expression. Needless to say, Zhizhi must be very heartbroken. How could he explain to Zhizhi? Le Zhi looked at this sudden scene in amazement. When Lin Yuxian pulled that woman into the room, she was stunned for a moment. This woman looked so much like her. It was not until the woman hugged Huo Xu with teary eyes that Le Zhi suddenly realized. It turned out that she was Huo Xu¡¯s woman. Le Zhi¡¯s heart let out a sigh of relief. At this time, she really wanted to thank Lin Yuxian. Huo Xu would not ask her Yang Heng again after she made such a fuss. Tsk. Huo Xu, who always faced her with an infatuated look, must be very nervous now that he was exposed in front of her! It seemed that she was lucky again, joy welled up in her heart, and Le Zhi wanted to laugh. Fortunately, she tried her best to hold back. If she laughed out loud, she certainly would be exposed! Le Zhi thought about it, at this moment she should pretend to be sad and hurt. So, she showed a sad expression on her face. This expression fell in Lin Yuxian¡¯s eyes, making her feel so unhappy! She just wanted Le Zhi to have a hard time! ¡°You vixen! Being able to marry Brother Taizi is a blessing that you have cultivated in several lifetimes. However, you still don¡¯t cherish it, and do not abide by the morals of a woman!¡± Lin Yuxian looked at Le Zhi with hatred, ¡°Don¡¯t you like my cousin? Unfortunately, there are too many women around him, and you are just one of his playthings! Hahaha!¡± The person behind the screen original had a playful smile due to the banters, watching the sudden blow in the room. But the harsh words instantly stained his eyes with insidiousness. Vixen. Not abiding by the morals of a woman. Very good. It seems that someone is tired of living. Also¡­ Brother Taizi? Through the screen, he could not see the woman¡¯s face clearly. But listening to her voice, Huo Du was pretty sure that he did not know this person. Could it be Huo Changyun¡¯s illegitimate daughter among the commoner? Really unlucky. ¡°Pa¡­¡± A loud and clear slap sounded. Huo Xu pushed Jiang Man away and raised his hand to slap Lin Yuxian¡¯s face fiercely. This slap used a lot of strength until Lin Yuxian¡¯s head was flung aside. She covered half of her face and turned her head in disbelief. Tears had already fallen, ¡°You dare to hit me¡­ How dare you hit me!¡± She rushed towards Huo Xu like crazy, scratching him recklessly. It was only because Lin Yuxian¡¯s words were too unpleasant that Huo Xu became angry, but at this time he did not dare to really hit her again. But she scratched his face and neck with her nails. ¡°You let go of Wangye!¡± Jiang Man stepped forward and tried to stop her. Lin Yuxian¡¯s servants and Qin Yu also went over, trying to separate them. Screams, cries, and angry shouts were mixed together, and the scene was chaotic. It took a long time before they calmed down. The servants supported the exhausted Lin Yuxian. Huo Xu¡¯s clothes were wrinkled, his face and neck were lacerated from the scratching, and Jiang Man¡¯s hair bun was scattered messily. Huo Xu ordered the two women to be taken out first, and then turned to Le Zhi with a guilty expression on his face, ¡°Zhizhi, today¡¯s incident¡­ I, I will explain to you on another day, all right?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi nodded obediently and said with a distressed tone, ¡°Brother Ah Xu, go back and apply medicine to the wound first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Huo Xu glanced at Le Zhi deeply, with bitterness in his heart. Then, he turned and walked out of the guest room. Not long after, the sound of horseshoes outside sounded. Huo Xu had left. Le Zhi finally did not have to hold back her smile anymore, she smiled with her lips and eyebrows curved. But she still did not dare to laugh out loud. After all, this inn belonged to Huo Xu, maybe the shopkeeper and the shop assistant were both his spies. ¡°If you want to laugh, just laugh.¡± A familiar voice sounded. Huo Du walked out from behind the screen with a white jade cane. Le Zhi turned to look at him, not surprised. He possessed remarkable abilities that it was not strange to see him appear here. She approached him and asked, ¡°Is it convenient to talk here?¡± Huo Du hummed, held her wrist with a smile, and sat down at the table with her. ¡°Tsk. Let me guess¡­¡± Le Zhi blinked and looked at him again, ¡°This is also Your Highness¡¯s place, right?¡± Huo Du raised his eyebrows and did not deny it. ¡°Have Your Highness seen what happened just now?¡± ¡°Um.¡± ¡°What a good show!¡± Le Zhi smiled happily, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that they don¡¯t join the theatrical troupe.¡± ¡°Just them?¡± Huo Du chuckled and said disapprovingly, ¡°They¡¯re far worse than you.¡± Le Zhi heard the eccentric meaning from his tone of voice. She suddenly remembered what Lin Yuxian said just now, so Huo Du also heard it? She learned his tone and chuckled, ¡°How is it? Lin Yuxian is obsessed with Your Highness and her heart is full of you!¡± Hearing this, Huo Du set his gaze on Le Zhi¡¯s face. Although not much, he still found a trace of displeasure in her expression. That was enough to make him extremely happy. However,¡­ there was something he had to figure out first. ¡°Le Zhi, that one called Lin, Lin what Xian.¡± Huo Du really could not remember such an unpleasant name. He asked irritably, ¡°Who is she?¡± The author has something to say£º Du: Very good! My wife is jealous! Zhi: ??? * Lin Yuxian: Brother Taizi¡­ Du: Who are you? (Don¡¯t touch me!) CH 40 Chapter 40 Fall Deeper ¡°Huh?¡± Le Zhi widened her eyes in disbelief and cast her eyes suspiciously on Huo Du¡¯s face. Lin Yuxian, the admirer, was very deeply in love with him, but he did not even know her? How could this be possible? Le Zhi did not believe it. But there was no trace of lying in Huo Du¡¯s impatient expression. ¡°Lin Yuxian¡­ She is Huo Xu¡¯s cousin, and the Empress¡¯s niece.¡± Le Zhi frowned, still thinking that this fact was too absurd, ¡°Moreover, her father is still the Taiwei. Does Your Highness really don¡¯t know her?¡± Hearing this, Huo Du snorted and sneered, ¡°It turned out to be Lin Qi¡¯s daughter.¡± The Lin clan indeed had a solid foundation in Great Qi, and there had been three prime ministers in their ancestors. But in Lin Qi¡¯s generation, most of the family members were mediocre, and could not even compare with the Shen family, which had a shallow foundation. If it were not for the younger sister who was the Empress, who had a good means to give advice to the Lin clan, Lin Qi, this bastard, probably would not even be able to sit firmly in the position of Taiwei. Lin Qi was not only mediocre in qualifications, but also lustful and a gambler. The number of concubines in the Lin Mansion was almost catching up with the Emperor¡¯s harem. If one counted the children born from the concubines and secretly born by some dancers and singers whom he had a fling with, perhaps Lin Qi himself did not know how many children he had. Among his many children, only Lin Heng, the eldest son from his first wife who served as a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, was a righteous person. The rest were all unscrupulous and untalented people. Thinking about this, Huo Du was puzzled by Le Zhi¡¯s puzzled tone. He raised his eyes to glance at her and spoke leisurely, with a casual tone, ¡°Why should I know her?¡± Was it possible for him to know every one of the complicated and chaotic family members and children of Lin Mansion? Was he that free? Le Zhi had carefully learned about the political achievements and family affairs of many courtiers in the Great Qi through various channels when she was recovering from her injury. She also knew something about Lin Qi, the Taiwei. But no matter what, the words that Lin Yuxian said to her after she paid respect to the Empress last time, as well as the way she was full of anger towards her today, all show that she had a deep feeling for Huo Du. Le Zhi thought that with Lin Yuxian¡¯s temperament, she would definitely let the person know if she liked him. She did not expect that she loved him secretly. ¡°She¡­ should have liked Your Highness for a long time.¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips, looked at him again, and asked, ¡°When Your Highness was behind the screen just now, you should have heard it.¡± The guest room fell into a moment of silence. Le Zhi stared at the person in front of him and saw that his originally indifferent expression gradually became colder. After a while, he nodded to Le Zhi, then hooked his lips and sneered, ¡°So, do you want to deal with her or me?¡± Originally, with Huo Du¡¯s temperament, he could make her disappear silently with just the two words that Lin Yuxian scolded Le Zhi. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to making decisions on his own. But Le Zhi said to him that day, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with saying it out? Why keep it all in your heart.¡± At this moment, Huo Du suddenly wanted to know what it felt like to discuss it with someone. ¡°What?¡± Le Zhi looked confused, not understanding what he was talking about, ¡°What to deal with? To whom?¡± ¡°Lin Yuxian.¡± Huo Du¡¯s words were concise and to the point. Le Zhi finally heard what he meant. Her face was full of surprise, very confounded. Based on her current understanding of Huo Du and his tone just now, she could roughly judge that he did not like Lin Yuxian. However, just because people who did not like them like themselves, did he have to kill them? This too¡­ This was too¡­ She bit her lip and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t have to go that far, right?¡± Seeing Huo Du silent, Le Zhi plucked up the courage, pulled his sleeves, and said what she thought, ¡°If Your Highness doesn¡¯t like her, just ignore her. There¡¯s really no need¡­ Isn¡¯t it?¡± Huo Du stared at Le Zhi with cold eyes, knowing that she misunderstood. His tone was even more unkind, ¡°You don¡¯t mind being scolded. You are really generous.¡± So that was it, the corners of Le Zhi¡¯s mouth froze. She recalled what Lin Yuxian scolded her just now, which was indeed vulgar. However, people who did not know would misunderstand when they see Huo Xu and she met here alone, right? If she just had scolded her, death should not be her crime. ¡°No, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m also angry. But it¡¯ll be enough to find a chance to teach her a lesson next time.¡± Le Zhi smiled, then frowned again and added, ¡°It¡¯s too cruel to kill people because of this.¡± Cruel? Huo Du stopped talking. Le Zhi looked at him cautiously but could not see the emotions hidden in his eyes. After a long time, Huo Du stood up with the cane in his hand and said indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi hurriedly stood up and walked to his side to support him. She knew that he could walk by himself, but she was used to doing this subconsciously. However, Huo Du gently pushed her away and kept some distance from her, ¡°No need.¡± With such an obvious rejection, Le Zhi immediately realized that this man was angry again. She lowered her eyes and recalled the conversation between them in her mind, thinking about which words she had made him unhappy again. Soon, Le Zhi somewhat guessed the reason. Probably her phrase of ¡°It¡¯s too cruel to kill people¡±. She thought Huo Du wanted to kill Lin Yuxian because she did not like Lin Yuxian, but listening to what he said later, it seemed that it was because Lin Yuxian scolded her. Although it was a bit extreme, it was to seek injustice for her after all. Le Zhi thought that although Huo Du appeared to be icy and cold and had a bad temper, he would still uphold justice for her. She silently followed him beside him, followed his footsteps around the screen, and walked to the side of the bed. Then she watched Huo Du pull the red rope that fastened the curtain to the bed, and in an instant, the bed¡¯s wooden board moved backward, revealing the dark secret passageway. The two walked down the secret passage silently. Candles were burning on both sides of the secret passage. Although the candlelights were dim, people could still see the road under their feet clearly, so that they would not be hurt by stumbling. Le Zhi looked at the figure walking in front of her who always kept a distance from her. Her eyesight was excellent that she could see all around her clearly, even in dim light. However, she suddenly stopped. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s too dark here. Can you lead me along?¡± Huo Du did indeed stop. Le Zhi vaguely heard an inaudible sigh. After a while, she saw Huo Du turn around and take two steps towards her, without any expression on his face, but he still stretched out and handed his hand to her. Seeing this, Le Zhi hurriedly held his hand, as if she was afraid that he would regret it. She turned his fingers gently, passed between his fingers, and intertwined both their ten fingers. In this way, he should not be able to get rid of her, right? She lowered her head and smiled slyly. It was impossible for Huo Du to miss any of her subtle expressions, but said nothing, just led her forward. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Your Highness.¡± Le Zhi shook his arm lightly as she walked, with a tender voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean Your Highness was cruel. I¡¯m actually very happy that Your Highness wanted to vent his anger for me because others scolded me.¡± The intertwined hands swayed in the air as they walked, and gradually, the temperature of the two hands became the same. Huo Du felt Le Zhi¡¯s soft fingers gently rubbing the back of his hand, either intentionally or unintentionally, and the slight tickle touch reached his heart. In a dazed, he felt that her fingers were not rubbing against the back of his hand but gently scratching his heart. Actually, he was not angry. Le Zhi was right that he was cruel and apathetic. There was nothing to be angry about. Huo Du did it on purpose, purposely pretending to be angry. Because he knew that as long as he was angry, whether it was out of gratitude or helplessness, Le Zhi would come to coax him. He enjoyed her coquettishly coaxing him immensely. Most people would inadvertently fall deeper and deeper into people or things that they could not resist. But Huo Du was different, he was not inadvertent. On the contrary, he was very sober. He watched soberly as he got stuck, and even pushed himself into it. Not long after, Huo Du chuckled softly. A lunatic like him still had this day. Hiss, interesting. Le Zhi heard his laughter and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that this man¡¯s temper came and went quickly. ¡ª This narrow secret passage actually led directly to the Taizi Mansion. Le Zhi walked out of the secret passage with her cherry lips opened in surprise. What exactly was Huo Du¡¯s brain made of? It seemed that as long as he wanted, he could play everyone in the palm of his hand. She stared at his side face with an entrancement and reached the bedroom unknowingly. ¡°Have you seen enough?¡± Huo Du said hopelessly, ¡°Someone is waiting for you.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face blushed suddenly. She followed Huo Du¡¯s words and turned her head to look ahead, only to see the housekeeper and Li Yao were pacing back and forth outside the bedroom anxiously. Seeing her coming back, the two hurriedly stepped forward and reported the matter in detail. The night was getting darker, and everything was so quiet. It had been a long time since Li Yao and the housekeeper left. After Le Zhi took a bath, she wore apricot-colored bedclothes, held the abacus and account books, and sat on the armchair to calculate carefully. She did not believe how could the shop lose so much? But as time passed, her face became heavier after she finally read all the account books. As the housekeeper said, the shop management was really bad. It was not the problem of the shopkeeper or shop assistant, but the business itself, which was a small profit but a quick turnover business. When it first opened, common people flocked to the store, creating the illusion of good business. Therefore, the shopkeeper increased the number of stock purchases. But when the freshness wore off, they went to visit the old shop again. As a result, too many goods were stocked up, and sweets and pastries could not be stored for long, so a lot was wasted. According to this trend, the shop that had yet to make much profit would soon start to lose money. Le Zhi was so worried that she was dazed while holding the account book. Suddenly, the abacus and account books in her arms were taken away and thrown onto the table casually. ¡°Sleep.¡± Huo Du, dressed in crimson bedclothes, pulled the dazed Le Zhi to the bed, and then lowered the bed curtain. After a long time, Le Zhi still tossed and turned and could not sleep. The money she used to do business was borrowed. If the money was done, how could she pay it back? Besides, she had to pay it back three times. Le Zhi was in a depressed mood and sighed involuntarily. Suddenly, the curtain of the bed was pulled open silently, and the candle lights from outside shone into the bed. Le Zhi looked at Huo Du who was sitting up, feeling a little guilty. Perhaps because she had affected his sleep. She also sat up and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t sleep because the shop is losing money?¡± Le Zhi frowned and nodded. ¡°Do you want to turn a loss into a profit?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s dim eyes flashed a glimmer of light, ¡°Of course, I want to!¡± ¡°All right, I can teach you.¡± Huo Du approached her and hooked his lips, ¡°Then, come and kiss me first.¡± These words were too sudden, and Le Zhi¡¯s heart was shocked. She looked at the person in front of her with wide eyes. She saw a clear gleam in the peach blossom eyes, and it was getting darker and darker. The author has something to say: Du: Wife, kiss me quickly!!! Zhi: ¡­I¡¯m stupid. CH 41 Chapter 41 Imperial Decree There was a heater burning in the bedroom. Since Le Zhi was injured, heaters had been placed all over the mansion. But at this time, Le Zhi, who had always been afraid of the cold, felt that the temperature was a little overheated. She was so embarrassed that she had nowhere to put the two hands hanging by her side. She looked at Huo Du quietly and was speechless for a while. He must be happy, right? Did not the fact that the clear and undisguised gleam in his black eyes meant she was successful? Le Zhi did not really understand the relationship between men and women. On the day when she reached the marriageable age, her imperial father promised her to Huo Xu. At that time, there were no waves in her heart, but most of the husbands and wives in the world were like this. Mutual respect and no feelings between husband and wife for a lifetime. But what about between her and Huo Du? Le Zhi originally knew very well that the relationship between the two of them was nothing more than an arrangement by Emperor Qi to take advantage of Huo Du. She walked cautiously and walked on thin ice every step of the way. In the beginning, she made Huo Du like her was for survival, and later was to make her path go more smoothly. According to Le Zhi¡¯s expectations, she hoped that Huo Du would like her a little bit would be enough for her. But she was really not a person who could play with her feelings skillfully and easily. Even now, some things were out of her control. However, Le Zhi thought about it, with Huo Du¡¯s meticulous and thoughtful temperament, he would not let himself be in a vulnerable position, let alone be so foolish enough to fall into the myth of love between men and women. She believed that Huo Du would definitely be more rational than her. Thinking of this, Le Zhi curled her lips into a smile and let out a slow sigh of relief. Worry for nothing! Le Zhi stared at the face of the person in front of her. Huo Du still looked at her, without worry nor urging. He was always so composed and calm. Unlike when she was at the hot spring villa, her mind was not very sober that day. But today, her mind was sober and clear. Le Zhi reached out her hands and gently put them on his shoulders, then her little face leaned forward, slowly pressed her lips to his lips, and gently kissed at the corners of his slightly curled lips. This was not the first kiss between them, but Le Zhi felt a strange feeling in her heart. Soon, she felt Huo Du¡¯s slightly cold lips begin to warm and immediately stepped back and hurriedly ended the short kiss without hesitation. When Le Zhi retreated, she saw Huo Du¡¯s brows frowned noticeably, but he did not say much. After a while, Huo Du pressed his lips with his fingertips and smiled softly. ¡°Barely adequate but it¡¯s all right.¡± Barely adequate? Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were full of resentment. She glared at him with wide eyes, then turned her head away from looking at him. There was a rustling sound from her side, and then Huo Du¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Get off the bed.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Le Zhi turned her head with a slightly startled expression, ¡°Now?¡± Huo Du chuckled lightly, like a smile yet not a smile, ¡°Otherwise? Can you fall asleep now?¡± Le Zhi shook her head, moved her body quickly, and then got off the bed. In the dead of night, the lights in the bedroom were brightly lit. The two sat at the table in their bedclothes and opened the shop¡¯s account books once again. After a long time, Huo Du finished the last page of the account book, and he raised his eyes to look at Le Zhi beside him. She held her head with her hands and stared at the account books on the table. He smiled. He initially wanted to mock her a few words, but when he saw her frown, he toned down his voice, ¡°Le Zhi, you really¡­ don¡¯t know how to do business.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s little face turned red. She bit her lip and lowered her head. He was right that she really did not know anything about business. Huo Du glanced at her and continued, ¡°It can still be saved. However, pastries and candies are small businesses. Even if they don¡¯t lose money, it¡¯s hard to make big profits by simply relying on these businesses alone.¡± Le Zhi frowned and said softly, ¡°I can¡¯t even do a small business, how dare I make a big business.¡± Besides, she even borrowed the capital. ¡°Wrong.¡± Huo Du picked up the writing brush and put it in Le Zhi¡¯s hand, ¡°You grew up in the court, and most of the pastries and candies were probably made by the imperial chef in the palace and delivered to you to eat, which was naturally different from what common people eat. They are looking for high-quality and cheap things, and you don¡¯t even have the concept of money. Naturally, you can¡¯t find a way.¡± ¡°Then I will study hard from tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh, good.¡± Huo Du raised his eyebrows and sneered, ¡°After you¡¯re done learning, the shop will be lost long ago.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks were red with complicated expressions. Huo Du took a piece of paper, spread it on the table, and tapped two or three times with his finger, ¡°Write down the things you used to use every day, including food and clothing.¡± Le Zhi was puzzled but still started writing according to the words. She recalled the things she used the most every day from waking up to going to bed and then wrote them down on a piece of paper. After a while, she put down the writing brush and pushed the paper in front of Huo Du. Huo Du lowered his eyes, quickly picked up the writing brush and circled a few places on the paper, and then handed the paper back to her. Le Zhi looked at those places. Flower tea, bird¡¯s nest, fish maw¡­ This is? ¡°Most of the things you write are things used by the imperial family, courtiers, and wealthy merchants. Although the eating habits of each country are different, the few I have circled are also indispensable in the lives of the nobles of country Qi.¡± Le Zhi instantly understood. Instead of starting from scratch to learn things she did not know, it was better to just do what she was good at. Several things that Huo Du circled were all produced in the country Li. Compared with the merchants of country Qi, she knew how to distinguish the quality of these things. ¡°Understand?¡± Huo Du knew that she was smart, so there was no need to say more, just a little bit of pointer was enough. Le Zhi nodded, but she was still fearful, ¡°I understand. Since I have already failed once, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du interrupted her in a deep voice. ¡°Business can rarely be achieved overnight. Even if you adjust your direction this time, no one can guarantee success. However, how do you know if you don¡¯t try?¡± Le Zhi stared at Huo Du¡¯s eyes, a little startled. This was the first time she saw his serious appearance, and there seemed to be a resolute force in his black eyes. She seemed to be infected and nodded unconsciously, ¡°Yes.¡± The red candle was about to burn out, and the wick of the candle flickered slightly. ¡°Can you sleep now?¡± Huo Du glanced at her, stood up leisurely, and walked lazily towards the bed. After Le Zhi lay down on the bed and put down the curtain, she leaned on the embroidered pillow and said softly facing the inside, ¡°Thank you.¡± In the darkness, a familiar chuckle sounded. A strange feeling flashed through Le Zhi¡¯s heart. Usually, whenever he laughed like that, there must be not a good thing. Huo Du tutted lightly, ¡°Le Zhi, you are really heavily in debt now.¡± Le Zhi bit her lip and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. The money owed to you will definitely be paid back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry for the money. Just pay back the rest first.¡± ¡°What?¡± Le Zhi was confused, what else did she owe him? Huo Du snorted softly and said slowly, ¡°Do you think you can take the shortcut in the hot spring villa for nothing?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s head went blank with a bang all of a sudden. She almost forgot! Taking shortcuts comes at a price. Le Zhi was not a person who liked to take advantage of others. She asked in a low voice, ¡°The shortcut¡­ How do you want me to do to pay it back?¡± Huo Du originally forgot about this matter, but just now she gave him a half-hearted kiss, which made him very dissatisfied. He suddenly thought of what he wanted her to do. ¡°It¡¯s simple, kiss me a hundred times.¡± He lowered his voice, and his tone extremely serious, ¡°Also every time you have to kiss it differently.¡± Since the kiss was so half-heartedly, kiss a few more times. A hundred different times. Light kisses, deep kisses, suck kisses, ¡­ Just thinking about it, Huo Du felt damn wonderful. Le Zhi was shocked by his crazy words. Does he really know what he¡¯s talking about? ¡°Why, don¡¯t you want to?¡± Le Zhi bit her lower lip, moved towards the side of the bed with the faint light from the gap between the bed curtains, wrapped around Huo Du¡¯s waist, and kissed him with embarrassment. Huo Du closed his eyes and felt the kiss carefully. It was not until the tip of his tongue was bitten that he reacted and responded with a smile. Sure enough, she¡¯s angry. But she did not even bite through his tongue, how could that be enough? He curled his lips. Don¡¯t worry, there are still ninety-nine times. ¡ª Yongning Palace. ¡°What?¡± Lin Qi looked surprised as if he could not believe what he heard. The Empress was dressed in a phoenix robe, dignified and graceful. She looked at her brother helplessly, sighed, and said, ¡°At this point, someone in the Lin family must make a sacrifice.¡± Lin Qi frowned, but he did not dare to disobey his sister, ¡°Can¡¯t you change to someone else? I have so many daughters, why does it have to be Yuxian?¡± He had many children, but Lin Yuxian¡¯s birth mother was his most precious concubine. Lin Qi was not afraid of anything else, just her delicate tears. Lin Wanning sneered, ¡°Because her mind is the most unclear.¡± The niece she had loved since she was a child was born with a good appearance, but she liked Huo Du out of all people. It was almost like being bewitched. According to the initial plan, it would the best if Xu¡¯er could use Le Zhi to remove this serious threat, Huo Du. But after this period, Huo Du still live well, and looked like Le Zhi did not have many abilities. In that case, she must change her plans. Since that girl, Yuxian liked Huo Du, why not she pushed the boat along and fulfilled her wish to marry in as a concubine. Of course, Lin Wanning would not be so stupid as to directly ask Lin Yuxian to kill Huo Du. With that girl¡¯s unswerving stubbornness, she would definitely not be willing. However, Yu Xian was very stupid. As long as she told a lie, the girl would definitely fall for it. Putting Yuxian by Huo Du¡¯s side was equivalent to a reminder from her. It was just that once the game started, there was no turning back. This niece, as a pawn, must be abandoned after making the best use of her. Fortunately, there were many children in the Lin family, and one less Lin Yuxian was nothing. Seeing Lin Wanning¡¯s imposing smile, Lin Qi did not dare to say anymore. He nodded in response, then bowed and retired. ¡ª Taizi Mansion. Cui Gonggong, who came from the palace to announce the imperial decree, finished reading the decree in sweat and looked at His Highness Taizi sitting in a white jade wheelchair trembling with fear. He also came to announce the marriage decree last time. At that time, His Highness just contemplated expressionlessly for a moment, and then silently took the decree. But today, his face was so gloomy that it seemed to be covered with a layer of ice. After a long time, Huo Du did not even have the intention to take the decree. Because of his disabled leg, Huo Du never had to kneel to receive orders. Cui Gonggong moved his eyes and saw Taizifei kneeling beside him. He remembered the instructions from Empress before the decree was announced. He turned his feet, took two steps towards Le Zhi, and presented the golden imperial decree with both hands, ¡°Pay respect to Taizifei. Since you are the first wife of His Highness Taizi, it¡¯s the same for you to receive this imperial decree.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes, and instead of looking at Cui Gonggong, she turned her head to Huo Du. He was also looking at her, with deep and cold eyes. Somehow, the pain of breaking her arm on the wedding night came to her mind, and Le Zhi unconsciously hid her hands behind her back. The warning in Huo Du¡¯s eyes was too obvious. Le Zhi shrank her shoulders. She was almost certain that as long as she dared to accept this imperial decree, Huo Du would definitely break her hand. Not accepting it. Can¡¯t accept it even if it means death. The author has something to say: Du: Hahaha. It¡¯s alright, you can accept it. (Kiss me a thousand times and I will forgive you.) Zhi: You dare! Isn¡¯t this entrapment? I¡¯m not stupid! CH 42 Chapter 42 Benefits Changqiu Hall. Huo Changyun, Emperor of Qi sat at his desk with a cold expression and was engrossed in reviewing the memorial. When Lin Wanning saw this scene outside the door, she could not help but lightened her steps. She gave a wink to the attendant beside Huo Changyun, and then picked up her skirt and walked in. The sweet fragrance filled the air. Huo Changyun slowly raised his eyes and smiled at Lin Wanning gently. ¡°Your Majesty has been working hard on state affairs and didn¡¯t think about food or drink. I¡¯m very worried.¡± Lin Wanning pretended to be angry and handed a bowl of stewed snow swallow with golden dates to Huo Changyun. Seeing this, Huo Changyun¡¯s expression loosened, and a soft color appeared in his black eyes. He laughed softly and stretched out his hand to get the soup bowl, ¡°It¡¯s my fault to let you worry.¡± But Lin Wanning was one step ahead of him. She took a few steps closer, picked up the soup spoon, slowly scooped the clear and fragrant sweet soup, and delivered it to Huo Changyun¡¯s lips. When Huo Changyun was about to open his mouth, a dark blue figure approached from a distance with a bow, standing outside the hall in a daze, not daring to enter the hall. ¡°Cui Feng.¡± Huo Changyun put away his smile and said coldly, ¡°Come in.¡± Hearing this, Cui Feng, who was outside the hall, entered the palace hall swiftly, but he seemed a little uneasy. When he stepped in, he stumbled and almost fell. He staggered twice, knelt in front of the desk, and said in a trembling voice, ¡°Your Majesty, this slave deserved to die. Please punish me, Your Majesty!¡± Cui Feng presented the marriage imperial decree above his head with both hands, but his forehead was on the ground, not daring to lift it up. Huo Changyun understood in his heart, but he still said it indifferently, ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Yes. After this slave announced the decree, His Highness Taizi did not say a word and refused to accept the decree.¡± Cui Feng¡¯s usual shrill voice carried a frightened tone, ¡°This slave originally wanted to ask Taizifei to take the decree on his behalf, but before this slave could finish speaking, His Highness Taizi¡­ His Highness Taizi sent someone to drive this slave out.¡± The hall was completely silent, and the palace maids and attendants standing on both sides did not even dare to exhale, for fear that they would be burned by the anger of the Emperor if they were not careful. Lin Wanning¡¯s face did not look good either. She glanced at Huo Changyun from the corner of her eyes, and then gave instructions to the inner palace hall, ¡°All of you retreat.¡± Everyone was relieved, especially Cui Feng, who got up after kowtowing on the ground a few times and withdrew from the hall trembling. Lin Wanning bowed towards Huo Changyun slightly and frowned, ¡°Your Majesty, the words and deeds of Taizi have become more and more insolent over these years. As the heir to the throne of the country, he even arrives and leaves as he wished in the morning court. Today, he actually defies the imperial decree. Does Your Majesty still want to let him be like this?¡± She stared into Huo Changyun¡¯s eyes as she spoke, but his eyes were cold, and she could not see any emotions. After a pause, Lin Wanning continued, ¡°Could it be that Your Majesty has forgotten? Before Xu¡¯er went to country Li back then, you said before¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten. Empress doesn¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll arrange the way for Xu¡¯er.¡± Huo Changyun said in a deep voice, ¡°It¡¯s just that the heir to the throne was set by the former Emperor himself when he was still there. If I want to hand over the throne to Xu¡¯er fairly and honestly, it will take a lot of effort.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Lin Wanning said in a warm voice. Lin Wanning came out of the Changqiu Palace and faced the warm winter sun as the breeze blew across her cheeks. But the bottom of her heart was icy cold. The phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of Lin Wanning¡¯s mouth evoked a seemingly innocent smile. Her husband was the most heroic monarch in the world but was also the coldest person. Even though Huo Changyun repeatedly promised that Xu¡¯er would succeed to the throne in the future, Lin Wanning was not entirely convinced. As long as Xu¡¯er did not ascend the throne for a day, she could not take it lightly for a day. Did not the former Empress, Huo Du¡¯s birth mother, be deceived by him completely? At this moment, Huo Changyun, who was sitting at the desk with a blank face, had a sorrowful smile in his eyes, but the smile became stronger and stronger. His son, who became cold-hearted after self-mutilating his leg, now seemed to have a weakness? As a father, Huo Changyun felt that this was a good thing, but as the monarch of the country Qi, this was not a good thing. Huo Du¡¯s appearance appeared in front of his eyes, and those eyebrows gradually overlapped with the obliterated face in the depths of his memory. He still looked more like his mother. Huo Changyun curved his lips. After a short while, his face returned to solemnity, as if he had never smiled before. ¡°Call Taizi to enter the palace.¡± He ordered coldly without any expression on his face. ¡ª The news of Huo Du¡¯s refusal to accept the marriage imperial decree quickly reached the Taiwei Mansion. Lin Yuxian, who had been trying on the wedding dress in front of the high mirror in the bedroom, lost her joyful expression in an instant after hearing the maid¡¯s report. She felt as if she had been drenched in a basin of ice water. The chill penetrated to the core of her bone. How can it be? Lin Yuxian could not believe it. Brother Taizi was even willing to marry a princess of the subjugated country, but now he would defy the imperial decree not to marry her. Presume that he refused because there were not many interactions between her and Brother Taizi in the past, but Le Zhi and he did not even have a trace of interactions. There must be a reason why he resisted the imperial decree. Did Brother Taizi have something to hide? Or maybe, Le Zhi played some kind of foxy trick to force Brother Taizi to defy the imperial decree. Thinking of this, Lin Yuxian was burning with anxiety. After finally waiting for her father¡¯s approval and her aunt¡¯s consent, she could not wait any longer. In the past, she did not dare to go over and say a word to him every time she saw him because she rigidly adhered to the etiquette of the noblewoman. She was always on the side and behind him, watching him silently. Lin Yuxian figured it out that she had already wasted too much time, and maybe the woman next to him had gotten ahead of her. Therefore, she needed to correct this mistake as soon as possible. She threw away her modesty and the bashfulness of a young girl. She must go to make known her feelings towards Brother Taizi. She absolutely could not miss it again! She got to follow her heart. Lin Yuxian took a deep look at the wedding dress in her hand, then lightly lifted the skirt and ran out of the room. Brother Taizi, who lost his mother at an early age, was depressed and lonely. And she, Lin Yuxian, was the brightest sun in summer, only she could warm him and kept him from falling into darkness. ¡ª Taizi Mansion. Ever since Huo Du sent his men to drive out Cui Gonggong, who came to announce the imperial decree, out of the mansion, the atmosphere in the mansion had become much more depressed. Defying the imperial decree was not a trivial matter. Le Zhi dismissed the maids around her, and slowly followed Huo Du to the rear courtyard alone. On the stone table in the middle of the courtyard, there were still uncollected tea leaves and dried bird nests. Before Cui Feng came, she asked Jing Xin and Lin Yue to buy all kinds of fine tea leaves, dried bird nests, and dried fish maw. Then, took advantage of the rare good weather to study the quality of these tea leaves carefully in the rear courtyard. Even Huo Du who rarely had a good mood accompanied her leisurely. But for a moment, the quiet and pleasant state of mind disappeared. ¡°Continue, ah.¡± Huo Du raised his eyes to look at Le Zhi, who was stunned, with his faint eyes, ¡°Isn¡¯t it not finished yet?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s cherry lips parted slightly and looked at Huo Du in surprise. Is a major event like defying the imperial decree nothing in his eyes? Is there not one thing in the world that can make his heart ripple? With a sigh in the bottom of her heart, Le Zhi approached Huo Du and slowly sat on the stone chair. The porcelain white teapot on the stone table was boiling, making a ¡°gurgling¡± sound. Le Zhi silently took two empty cups and placed them in front of her, then took some rose tea and put it in the cup. Then she picked up the teapot and poured the water into the teacup. After pouring a cup, Le Zhi was a little absent-minded and restless. While she poured water into another empty cup, she looked sideways at Huo Du¡¯s expression. But with this side look, the teapot in her hand was also off a little bit. The hot water was poured directly on the back of Le Zhi¡¯s other hand on the stone table. Le Zhi turned her eyes back almost instantly, because the back of her hand was covered with a cold palm, and then she saw with her own eyes that she poured boiling water on the back of Huo Du¡¯s hand! She used the fastest speed to remove the teapot, but it was too late. The back of Huo Du¡¯s cold white hands was burnt to red. Le Zhi widened her eyes and grabbed his hand, feeling anxious and panicked. She raised the back of his hand up and checked it carefully. She stretched out her fingers to touch it, but she was afraid that it would make him more painful. For a while, she even forgot that there was something in the world called scald ointment. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± As soon as the words came out, Le Zhi was shocked by the choking in her voice. Huo Du did not answer, only stared at her expression earnestly. ¡°I¡¯ll get the scald ointment.¡± Le Zhi got up and wanted to leave in a hurry. But her white wrist was being pulled, and with a gentle tug, she fell into Huo Du¡¯s arms again. ¡°Why are you distracted?¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips and moved her body slightly to avoid pressing the back of his hand, ¡°Will there be trouble if Your Highness refuses to accept the imperial decree?¡± Huo Du chuckled lightly and raised his eyebrows indifferently. Le Zhi frowned slightly. She looked at Huo Du¡¯s black eyes and found herself printed in his eyes. At this time, she had an expression that was hesitant to say anything. After struggling for a moment, she finally asked, ¡°Why did Your Highness¡­ want to defy the imperial decree?¡± Then, she saw the smile on Huo Du¡¯s face fade away. He stared into her eyes and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Taizifei means, you hope that I will accept the imperial decree and marry a side concubine?¡± Le Zhi was stunned. She! Did! Not! Ah! She just asked why. Why did Huo Du always interpret her meaning groundlessly! ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Le Zhi was so anxious that she yanked his hand in a hurry and said in a slightly angry tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t let you marry a side concubine!¡± Her heart was blocked, unconsciously raised the volume again, and repeated, ¡°I didn¡¯t let you marry a side concubine!¡± Huo Du looked at her blowup appearance and found it very interesting in his heart. He chuckled softly and said, ¡°You won¡¯t let me marry, so I defy the imperial decree.¡± His tone was so natural that Le Zhi was confused and nodded subconsciously. After a long time only did Le Zhi react. No, she was obviously asking him why he defied the imperial decree. Why did he say it as if she made him defy the imperial decree! She could not outspeak Huo Du, and also did not want to fall into his verbal trap again. She could only stare at him hard. An Xuan walked hurriedly from a distance, looking at the figure of the two people entangled, a little reluctant to get closer. But he had no choice but to go over to report, so he had to turn his head and moved forward. ¡°To inform Your Highness, someone outside the mansion is asking to see you.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s snowy cheeks were a little red, and she was still sitting in Huo Du¡¯s arms, which was really indecent! She pushed Huo Du¡¯s shoulder and wanted to get up. But the hand wrapped around her waist tightened even tighter. Huo Du would not let her get up. He asked lazily, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Daughter of Taiwei, Miss Lin.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s expression froze. This Lin Yuxian was too impatient. Did she not know that if a woman who had not yet married came to the Taizi Mansion rashly would hurt her reputation? Huo Du raised his eyes to look at An Xuan in dissatisfaction, ¡°Drive her away.¡± An Xuan looked miserable and said helplessly, ¡°All the methods that this subordinate can use have been used, but she just won¡¯t leave. Moreover, she is still calling you out loud outside the gate, this¡­¡± What would Lin Yuxian call? They all knew very well. Le Zhi looked at Huo Du¡¯s face becoming more and more gloomy, and even those peach blossom eyes were stained with killing intent. She said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll go deal with it. It¡¯s not good that she keeps messing around outside the gate like this.¡± This time Huo Du let go of her, and she stood up smoothly. But he still held her wrist and would not let her go. Le Zhi looked at him puzzledly. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Huo Du raised his eyes with a heavy look, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Last time he failed to stop the filthy words uttered by that person. Could it be that he wanted Le Zhi to listen to it again today? Must be joking, it¡¯s impossible. ¡°But aren¡¯t you annoyed with her?¡± Le Zhi said. ¡°Yes, ah.¡± Huo Du said slowly, with killing intent in his black eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t¡­¡± Le Zhi squatted down and rubbed the back of his scalded hand lightly with her fingers. ¡°She is a little annoying. If Your Highness is really unhappy, then just scold her a few words, and if she is still messing around, let An Xuan beat her twice. Kill a person¡­ let¡¯s forget it, all right?¡± The killing intent gradually faded, and Huo Du raised his hand to rub her head. Then he leaned closer to her, and asked with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t kill her¡­ It¡¯s not impossible. But what benefits is it for me to keep such a troublemaker?¡± Le Zhi stared into his eyes, knowing the crooked idea in his heart very well. This person never wants to suffer any loss. All right. She curled her lips with a smile, winked at him, then pressed her lips close to his ear, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re done, Brother¡­ Taizi.¡± The author has something to say: Du: Ah, ah, ah, ah, I¡¯m dead¡­ Zhi: ¡­¡­ An Xiaoxuan: I didn¡¯t see anything. I was so tired and sleepy. Lin Yuxian: What do you take me for!!!! CH 43 Chapter 43 Embarrassed The cold wind picked up, and the sky darkened as if the snow was about to fall. Lin Yuxian followed the attendant who led the way and walked in the direction of the main hall of the Taizi mansion. She tightened the light pink cotton cloak that was draped over her body and her heart as if there was a drum beating loudly. Obviously, when she was outside the mansion, she still had full courage in her heart, but as soon as she stepped into the mansion, her whole heart seemed to be stuck in her throat. But no matter how nervous Lin Yuxian was, she was not timid. Since she had already come this far, she naturally would go all out. Besides, Brother Taizi did not want to see her just now, but did not he send someone to bring her in in the end? This should be a good start. Thinking of this, a very sweet smile appeared on her face, and she stepped into the main hall. Huo Du was wearing a satin dress with a deep green lotus purple diamond pattern with landscape embroidery on the narrow sleeves, and the belt in the same color as the robe was buckled with white jade hooks. The cold and white appearance of the banished immortal showed a cold and alienated expression. Lin Yuxian was attentive and saluted respectfully, ¡°I am Lin Yuxian, pay respect to Your Highness Taizi.¡± Lin Yuxian had long been familiar with this common courtesy, but in front of Huo Du, she always felt that she had not done her best. She bit her lower lip, lifted her blushing cheeks, and carefully examined Huo Du¡¯s eyes. For a split second, she felt her heart skip a beat in her chest, and even her breathing stopped. In the past, she could only look at him from a distance, but now, this was the closest distance between them. The clear face and seductive peach blossom eyes were clearly imprinted in Lin Yuxian¡¯s stunned eyes. Without blinking, Lin Yuxian greedily hoped that she could keep looking at him. At this moment, she seemed to have become an insatiable cat. Huo Du raised his eyes lazily, and Lin Yuxian felt his eyes at her. The eyes that could not see the emotion made her heart bitter, and she could not help pursing her lips tightly. ¡°I beg Your Highness to allow me to say a few heartfelt words, good or not?¡± Huo Du did not answer, not even moving his eyes. Lin Yuxian thought that he was staring at her, so she took a deep breath and said in one breath, ¡°I¡­ I have admired Your Highness for a long time, so I came here boldly today and want to ask why Your Highness refused the marriage bestowed by Emperor? If Your Highness is dissatisfied with Yuxian, Yuxian is willing to change, as long as Your Highness can give me a chance.¡± When it came to feelings, Lin Yuxian¡¯s voice trembled, and there was an unconcealable panic in her soft powerless tone and also¡­ affections. An Xuan, who was standing on the side, saw this scene of expressing heartfelt feelings and could not help but glance sideways at His Highness Taizi. He had been following His Highness for a long time, and he could naturally see what this expression meant. His Highness¡¯s eyes seemed to fall on Lin Yuxian, but in fact, his mind had drifted away. His Highness might not have heard a word of Lin Yuxian¡¯s heartfelt confession. An Xuan was silent, lamenting for her in his heart. Huo Du was indeed absent-minded. The sound of ¡°Brother Taizi¡± that Le Zhi called when she leaned over to his ear just now tickled his heart. Even until now, he could not really calm down. The last time he heard the unpleasant voice shouting these words outside the screen, Huo Du only felt chills and bored at that time. But when it was called out from Le Zhi¡¯s mouth today, he was surprised to find out that¡­ The combination of the words Brother and Taizi could be so beautiful. Brother Taizi. It was much better than Brother Ah Xu. A trace of heat evoked by Le Zhi¡¯s final syllable seemed to gently caressed Huo Du¡¯s ears, making the tips of his ears slightly hot. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± The person beside him deliberately coughed lightly, intending to remind Huo Du. With his thoughts returned, Huo Du finally glanced at Lin Yuxian. He did not hear what she said just now, only vaguely saw her lips open and close. She¡¯s too noisy. Huo Du always remembered that the words that insulted Le Zhi last time also popped out of her mouth. A layer of frost gradually gathered in the black eyes. Hu Duo tightened his brows, and his cold eyes were about to be stained with killing intent. However, his heart swayed, and he had to force himself to suppress the killing intent. If I kill her, I won¡¯t get any benefits. This will not work. He endured. ¡°You are Lin¡­¡± Huo Du opened his mouth only to spit out the Lin family name, but he could not remember her name. Hearing Huo Du¡¯s cold voice, Lin Yuxian was overjoyed, and said anxiously, ¡°Brother Taizi¡­ Your Highness, my name is Yuxian.¡± ¡°Lin Yuxian.¡± Huo Du sneered, and said slowly, ¡°The daughter of Taiwei, Lin Qi?¡± Lin Yuxian was shy and hummed softly. ¡°Frivolous behaviors, shallowness, and thought-provoking feelings. Is this the style of the noblewomen of Great Qi?¡± His tone was still unwavering, but every word was tinged with a hint of mockery and¡­ contempt. Lin Yuxian¡¯s feet softened, and she fell straight to her knees on the ground. Frivolous behaviors, shallowness, and thought-provoking feelings, just these few words were able to stab her heart. She was badly hurt. Lin Yuxian¡¯s brain was in chaos. She hurriedly opened her mouth and wanted to explain, but her words were out of tune, ¡°I, I¡­ Your Highness, I¡­¡± ¡°This loneliness don¡¯t want to see you again. If you see this loneliness in the future, it¡¯s best to take a detour.¡± Huo Du picked up his cane and said while walking away. When he passed by Lin Yuxian, he glanced down at the ground covered by her knees and ordered with displeasure, ¡°Let someone change the floor tiles in the main hall.¡± An Xuan responded in a deep voice. He looked at the back of Huo Du¡¯s departure and then turned to look at the desolate figure kneeling on the ground. He was a little curious, if Taizifei saw this scene in person, would she regret not letting His Highness kill Lin Yuxian? After all, death was just a matter of one knife. And His Highness¡­ was a heartbreaker! ¡ª Le Zhi sat on the stone chair, looking at the scald ointment in her hand. The dark brown medicine jar was slightly cold, spreading a hint of coldness to Le Zhi¡¯s palm. Her expression was solemn. Although Huo Du chuckled lightly and hummed when he left, it could be considered as he agreed with her. But with Lin Yuxian¡¯s temperament, if she got anxious and angered him, perhaps this vague promise would not work. Suddenly, a familiar figure stepped into the courtyard. Le Zhi got up eagerly and ran a few steps in the direction of Huo Du. Finally, standing in front of him, she opened her eyes wide and walked around him. Fortunately, there were no traces of bloodstain on his clothes. Just after heaved a sigh of relief, Le Zhi¡¯s heart moved. How could Huo Du kill someone with his own hands? He always watched from the sidelines. Thinking of this, Le Zhi hurriedly leaned closer to him and sniffed lightly with the tip of her nose. No bloody smell at all. The corners of her lips curled up, and Le Zhi smiled reassuringly. She backed away, looked at Huo Du with a smile, and deliberately asked again, ¡°Your Highness didn¡¯t kill anyone, right?¡± Huo Du snorted softly, walked around her to the side of while jade wheelchair, and sat down. If she had something to ask for, she would call Brother Taizi softly and tenderly. After everything had been done, she addressed Your Highness straightforwardly. Scoff. When Huo Du made a displeased look before, Le Zhi¡¯s heart trembled with fear. But now that she was used to it, she naturally was not afraid anymore. She followed him slowly and sat down beside Huo Du. Without saying anything, she just gently pulled his scalded hand by boiling water in front of her. Because it was not dealt with in time, the scalded red marks turned dark red as if they were engraved on the back of his hand. Le Zhi¡¯s heart tightened. Huo Du¡¯s hands were so good-looking, and it would be bad to leave a burn mark. As the culprit, she guiltily took off the lid of the medicine jar and dipped some cold ointment on her fingertips. Just as she was about to apply to the back of Huo Du¡¯s hand, An Xuan rush overhastily. Even brought the cold wind together. ¡°Your Highness, there is an order from the palace. Your Majesty calls you to enter the palace immediately.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart which had just relaxed started to worry again. She knew that the matter of defying the imperial decree would not be turned over so easily. The ointment on her fingertips penetrated into her skin, and it was cool and refreshing. She looked at Huo Du at a loss. Huo Du held her hand and said nothing. Then he just picked up the cane, stood up, and prepared to enter the palace. ¡°Apply¡­ go after applying the ointment.¡± Le Zhi eagerly grabbed his sleeve, panicked in her tone. But Huo Du took the medicine jar from her hand and threw it on the stone table. Then, he raised his injured palm and gently pressed the scalded red mark over Le Zhi¡¯s lips. The back of his hand moved slowly, smearing her warm breath along the line of her lips little by little. Le Zhi was startled. She stared foolishly at the soft look in Huo Du¡¯s eyes. Does he even know what he¡¯s doing? ¡°Tsk.¡± With a turn of his palm, Huo Du rubbed Le Zhi¡¯s slightly hot snowy cheek with his fingertips and then smiled casually, ¡°Worried about me?¡± ¡°En.¡± Le Zhi nodded heavily. The world was unpredictable. She was someone who had personally experienced the sudden changes. She was afraid of the unexpected and afraid of the parting. Emperor Qi had a ruthless temperament, and it could be seen that he did not care about Huo Du. Now that Huo Du openly defied the imperial decree, Huo Changyun hastily called him to enter the palace. Le Zhi was worried. If something happened to Huo Du, her revenge plan would definitely be greatly affected. Maybe she had to go back to the old way of luring Huo Xu. But now, when she thought of Huo Xu¡¯s face, she felt terribly disgusted. Le Zhi could not help but think, could she really seduce Huo Xu with a calm expression? No¡­ ¡°Then say something nice.¡± With her thoughts gathered back, Le Zhi pursed her lips. She raised her hand around Huo Du¡¯s neck, pressed her cheek to his face, and then said softly, ¡°Brother Taizi, Brother Taizi, Brother Taizi¡­¡± She knew exactly what Huo Du wanted to hear. Then, she just did as he wished. Le Zhi had too many regrets hidden in her heart, the sudden death of her close relatives, her unfulfilled filial piety, the thoughtful words she did not have time to say to them, and many, many more. If this was her last time with Huo Du, she hoped he would be a little happier. But Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank a little each time she called out. Her heart was firmly grasped by an invisible force, and tears seemed to flow from the end of her eyes. In a trance, Le Zhi heard a voice asking from the bottom of her heart. ¡°You are so scared, is it really just because of your revenge plan?¡± A bitter smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. ¡°All right.¡± Huo Du raised his hand, put his palm on the back of Le Zhi¡¯s neck, and caressed it gently. Not long after, he also leaned closer to her ear and whispered something. Le Zhi stood there stupefied even though Huo Du had left for a while. But his words echoed in her mind repeatedly. ¡°Don¡¯t call yet. Wait for me to come back, leave it for tonight¡­ call me when we¡¯re on the bed.¡± ¡­ Lots of nonsense! Le Zhi bit her lip, a hint of embarrassment mixed with worry. She suddenly hoped that Huo Du¡¯s punishment for defying the decree would be¡­ To, sew, his, mouth. The author has something to say£º Zhi: I strongly suspect that this dead lame person¡¯s leg was broken off by a riot! Du: Meow, meow, meow??? CH 44 Chapter 44 Fear The sky was already cloudy when Huo Du stepped into the palace gate. The white snow finally fell one after another. He raised his eyes to look at the sky, deliberately letting snowflakes fall into his eyes and melt into them. The world changes day by day, and only the temperature of ice and snow will remain unchanged forever. Huo Du leaned on a white jade cane and walked slowly on the palace road. His back was always straight, without the slightest hunch. The palace maids and eunuchs who passed by on both sides of the palace road all stopped when they passed Huo Du and saluted respectfully with their eyes lowered. There were too many rumors in the palace about the Taizi, and most of them were terrifying rumors. And his usual gloomy and cold appearance seemed to confirm those groundless rumors. Even so, the palace people still have to admit that the majestic presence exuded by His Highness Taizi in his every movement was beyond the reach of other princes. Even if¡­ He had a disabled leg. The wind and snow were getting heavier and heavier, and Huo Du¡¯s hair was covered with a layer of snowflakes. He stared coldly and walked towards the imperial garden. Everyone, including Le Zhi, thought that Huo Changyun called him hurriedly to enter the palace due to defying the imperial order. While Huo Du was very clear in his heart that this was not the reason. The snowflakes melted, and Huo Du¡¯s black hair became wet fast. The corners of his lips gradually curled up, and his heart was clear that Laba* was around the corner, and it was the day when his imperial father would show affection once a year. (Laba* ¨C A traditional Chinese festival on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month every year) In the imperial garden, red plums bloomed, which looked even redder in the silvery-white snow. Huo Du easily spotted Huo Changyun¡¯s back view at glance, who was standing in front of the red plum tree with his hands folded behind his back. That red plum tree was planted by his imperial mother. He approached slowly and stood beside Huo Changyun, neither speaking nor saluting. Huo Changyun did not care about him either. His eyes still fell on the plum blossom tree in a daze, not moving at all. The imperial guards patrolled the palace, passing through the imperial garden wave after wave, but Huo Changyun and Huo Du stood there all the time. There seemed to be a cold and hard barrier surrounding the two people, which made people afraid to get closer. The palace maids, the eunuchs, and the imperial guards were all cautious, not daring to make a sound, and even the sound of footsteps was lightened. It was not until dusk that the night lights began to light up in the palace. ¡°Du¡¯er.¡± Huo Changyun finally spoke, his voice as if coated with frost, ¡°It¡¯s almost your imperial mother¡¯s death anniversary again. Are you still unwilling to see her this year?¡± Huo Du curled his lips and said casually, ¡°It¡¯s enough to have Imperial Father to see her.¡± Hearing this, Huo Changyun lifted his eyelids and glanced sideways without saying anything. Huo Du was used to being unbridled, and he did not bother to accompany this person who pretended to be affectionate but hypocritical to continue acting. The cotton boots turned slightly, and he turned around and was ready to leave. ¡°That Le Zhi, do you even like her?¡± ¡°I like her, ah.¡± Huo Du stopped as if he was in high spirits, and his tone was filled with smiles, ¡°Thanks to imperial younger brother¡¯s willingness. Otherwise, how could I be intoxicated by the land of warmth and tenderness*?¡± (land of warmth and tenderness* ¨C a place where a man can find solace in feminine charms) Huo Changyun frowned and snorted coldly, ¡°Oh, is that right? Now that you have experienced the passion between a man and woman, then why did you defy the imperial decree today? Isn¡¯t it good to have the blessing of the Qi people*?¡± (the blessing of the Qi people* ¨C the happy fate of the man from Qi who had many wives) ¡°Tsk.¡± Huo Du smiled disdainfully, and mocked in a low voice, ¡°Imperial Father first gave me a real beauty, and then an ugly one. Are you having poor eyesight due to old age?¡± After a pause, he stared at his eyes, as if he had seriously thought about it, ¡°If Imperial Father really wants to bestow more than one wife to me, why don¡¯t you give me the one in Xia Feitai as well? A pair of the stunning beauty from the Le clan, then that¡¯s called the blessing of the Qi people.¡± ¡°You bastard! Get out!¡± Huo Changyun was so angry with his lecherous expression that he felt suffocated. Huo Du did not care. He just left. It was not until Huo Du walked out of the palace door that he finally let go of the fist hidden in his sleeve. Due to too much force, a deep red mark was embedded in the palm of the hand by the fingernails. The fake smile faded, and his expression was as cold as water. Huo Changyun¡¯s words just now seemed casual, but in fact, there was hidden probing. Huo Changyun did not care that he refused to accept the marriage imperial decree. What he cared about was why he refused the imperial decree. When Huo Changyun said the words Le Zhi, Huo Du¡¯s heart sank suddenly. Over the years, he did not even care about his life and death, but just now, his chest was filled with fear, and it hurt from suffocation. It seemed that his ribs were hurting. If he hesitated for a moment just now, with Huo Changyun¡¯s keen and suspicious personality, he would definitely be able to detect his thoughts. Huo Du¡¯s opponent had never been Huo Xu, but his imperial father, Huo Changyun. He had been planning for many years, and naturally imagined the outcome of a defeat. It was just death, nothing more and he could afford to lose. Anyway, even if he won, he would have to die. Regardless, it was death. Then just took it as having fun. But today, the suffocation pain in the chest made Huo Du suddenly wake up. He could not afford to lose anymore. ¡ª Taizi Mansion. ¡°Meow.¡± Le Zhi sat leaning on the bed, staring blankly, until the little snow fluffy in her arms pressed its head against her palm, waving her paws and tail mischievously. Le Zhi regained her senses after the soft fur stroked her palm, and looked at the burning candle on the table. This was the red candle that Lin Yue had lit after serving her to freshen up, and most of it had been burned at this time. Le Zhi hugged Little Lame Huo and got out of the bed, walked to the window, and looked out into the darkness outside the window. Her eyes were dazed. Why hasn¡¯t Huo Du come back yet? Fortunately, there was no other news coming from the palace. No news was the best news. Suddenly, there was a sound of heavy footsteps outside the door, accompanied by a soft sound of a cane knocking on the ground. Le Zhi turned around suddenly, put down Little Lame Huo, and hurried to the door. When she reached out to open the door, the door was pushed open from the outside. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± The tone was tinged with uncontrollable happiness. Le Zhi reached out and grabbed his wrist through the narrow sleeves. She could feel a burst of icy cold wetness and could not help but frowned. Seeing the familiar figure, Little Lame Huo also rushed to Huo Du¡¯s feet excitedly, holding its head high and rubbing him lightly. However, Huo Du¡¯s clothes had long been soaked with melted snow. When the dry and fluffy fur was dampened with cold wetness, the soft fur was instantly clumped into a ball. ¡°Meow, meow!¡± Little Lame Huo cried out unhappily, then turned and ran away in disgust. Le Zhi did not run. On the contrary, she clasped Huo Du¡¯s wrist tightly with one hand and touched his forehead with the other. After touching a piece of ice, a slight irritation appeared on her face, ¡°It¡¯s snowing so heavy outside, why doesn¡¯t Your Highness take an umbrella!¡± Hearing the familiar gentle voice, Huo Du smiled and brushed away Le Zhi¡¯s hand with a calm demeanor to avoid passing the cold to her. He walked slowly in the direction of the bathroom, ¡°I¡¯ll go to bathe first.¡± ¡°The water in the bathroom is already cold, and it¡¯s too long to wait for the water to boil.¡± Le Zhi grabbed his drenched clothes tightly again, and said, ¡°Shall we go to the hot spring pool?¡± Huo Du smiled, put his hand on the back of Le Zhi¡¯s hand, and patted it lightly, gesturing her to let go, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi frowned, and the worries that had been accumulated for most of the day turned into anger in an instant. The person who was talking nonsense before entering the palace has now become calm and serious. All right. Le Zhi snorted lightly, but did not let go, ¡°What? Does Your Highness Taizi dislike me for touching you? All right, as long as you say it, I promise I won¡¯t touch you again.¡± Oh, there are ninety-nine times left. Dream about it! Huo Du did not know whether to laugh or cry. She still had the nerve to talk about him, obviously, her own temperament was also very strong. This was a good thing. It showed that in front of him, her fear and timidity were getting less and less. He could not help thinking that Le Zhi might have been like this in the past. Coquettish and sassy. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Huo Du let her continue to pull him outside. ¡°Wait!¡± Le Zhi let go of his hand, quickly ran to the wardrobe, took a thick cloak, and draped it over Huo Du. Standing in the snow for most of the day, both his body and heart were frozen. But at this moment, Huo Du felt the surging warmth coming into his heart. He did not know if it was because of the cloak or because of her. It was getting late when the two returned from the hot spring pool. After putting down the bed curtain, Le Zhi covered her cheeks, and there was still some remaining heat that had not faded. She regretted it a little bit that she should not be impatient just now and insisted on following him. Whatever his seriousness was, it was all fake. As soon as he took off his outer clothing, he came up to her with a pair of smiling eyes. Want my benefits. ¡­¡­ The scenes just now appeared clearly in front of her eyes. Le Zhi took a deep breath, it must be that the temperature of the hot spring pool was too high. Luckily, her sanity still existed. Fortunately, she ran fast. Closing her eyes hard, Le Zhi forced herself to stop thinking about it. Just go to sleep, it will be alright after sleeping. Perhaps Le Zhi was frightened all day, she fell asleep quickly. Unknown how long it took, the person breathing next to her gradually slowed down, and there were some muffled painful breath sounds. Le Zhi had been a light sleeper for a long time and would wake up as long as there was a slight sound. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and raised her hand to touch Huo Du¡¯s arm. She touched a piece of cold through his bedclothes. Obviously, he just soaked in the hot spring pool. Le Zhi woke up with a trembled heart in an instant. She got up and pulled the bed curtain apart, allowing the dim candlelight from outside to penetrate into the bed. She approached Huo Du and asked softly, ¡°Is Your Highness feeling uncomfortable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you sleep first.¡± Huo Du answered lightly without even opening his eyes. Le Zhi did not believe it. She raised her hand to touch his cheeks, forehead, and neck. Huo Du¡¯s body was unbearably cold, and there was still a little cold sweat on his forehead. Where¡¯s nothing, this is clearly a big deal! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? ¡°Le Zhi¡¯s face turned pale with fright, and her voice trembled. For a long time, Huo Du still did not speak. She was so anxious that she grabbed the belt of his crimson bedclothes, bit her lip, and asked, ¡°If Your Highness doesn¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll just look at it one by one.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s question was aggressive, but her heart was actually very weak. If he still refused to say anything, she really would not dare to take off his bedclothes. Hearing the words, Huo Du opened his eyes, and a layer of darkness appeared in his eyes. He stared at Le Zhi deeply, finally compromised, and said concisely, ¡°Leg.¡± On the eve of the Laba Festival every year, Huo Du was in excruciating pain, whether it was the pain in his leg or the pain in his heart. He could not tell the difference long ago. This year, the pain was even worse, perhaps because of standing in the cold snow for too long today. Le Zhi hurriedly leaned over and pushed his trouser legs up. This was the first time she took a closer look at his disabled leg, which looked no different from a normal calf. But Le Zhi could feel the weakness of his calf and she reached out her hand to touch it gently. Finally, she found the source of the cold all over his body. His legs were as lifeless as ice cubes that had just been taken out of the ice cellar. There was a deep dark red scar on the calf, and Le Zhi unconsciously reached out to caress it. Her movement was very lightly, for fear of hurting him. But the mist in front of her eyes was getting heavier and heavier. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes were always on her face, and before she could ask, he answered first. This was the truth. The meridians had been broken, and his calf had long been unable to feel anything. There would be a dull pain occasionally, but it was nothing more than a phantom pain after the leg was disabled. ¡°Who hurt you?¡± Le Zhi herself was stunned as soon as the words were spoken. Obviously, she lost her sense of propriety when she asked the question. It was her that was out of the line. The author has something to say: Du: So, 99 times, how many times are there left now? Zhi: No more, 0 times! Du: ???? CH 45 Chapter 45 Laba There was a moment of silence. Le Zhi hurriedly lowered her eyes and retreated, then immediately got up. Huo Du subconsciously held her hand and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Le Zhi looked at his pale face, gently pulled out her hand, pressed his shoulders to make him lie down, and then bundled him in the brocade quilt, ¡°Wait for me for a while.¡± Le Zhi ran quickly to the door and opened the door to call Jing Xin, who was on duty at night, ¡°Jing Xin, get some hot water quickly, the more the better.¡± Jing Xin hurriedly responded. She lifted her skirt and ran quickly towards the boiling water room. Because she was in such a hurry, she even forgot to take her umbrella. When she thought about it, she was already in the snow. Suddenly, an umbrella was above her head, covering a large area of flying snow. Jing Xin looked back and was astonished to see the person, ¡°An, Lord An?¡± An Xuan hummed lightly and said nothing. After all, he was the person next to His Highness Taizi, and Jing Xin had rarely had contact with him, so she could not help but feel a little nervous, ¡°Is Lord also on duty tonight? The servant is going to the boiling water room, Lord doesn¡¯t have to¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± The two walked side by side. Jing Xin, who originally had a reserved temperament, had never walked so close to a man before. She was grateful for An Xuan¡¯s kindness in her heart, but she still distanced herself from him. An Xuan, who was beside her, caught a glimpse of her small movements from the corner of his eye, and his heart was full of sadness. It was not a coincidence. Whenever Jing Xin was on night duty, he would be waiting not far away, just because he was afraid that something unexpected would happen at night, and he could be used as help. An Xuan knew that Jing Xin¡¯s thoughtfulness was always towards others, and often very thoughtless with herself. He sighed silently, and quietly moved the umbrella towards her side more. Le Zhi replaced the incense burner in the bedroom with citrus fragrant pieces and the sweet fruity fragrance wafted through the air, making the room warm with fragrance. She took the ginger powder, mixed it with the tea, and then walked back to the bedside. ¡°Drink some ginger tea.¡± Le Zhi helped Huo Du up against the embroidered pillow. Although he was tightly bundled in a brocade quilt, he was still icy cold, ¡°Your Highness must be very cold, drinking ginger tea is the best.¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes were on her from the beginning to the end. Looking at her busy appearance, he only felt as if his heart was blocked by cotton. He opened his mouth and said in softly, ¡°It¡¯s just an old illness, I¡¯ll be fine in a while.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi frowned in dissatisfaction and handed the teacup to his lips, ¡°Your Highness is not a child anymore, why are you still so willful? Drink quickly.¡± This time, Huo Du did not say anything, just opened his mouth obediently and drank all the hot ginger tea. Not long after, there was a knock on the door outside the room. Knowing that Jing Xin was back, Le Zhi immediately went over to open the door and brought a large bucket of hot water into the bedroom. ¡°Must be exhausted, right? Go back to the room to rest.¡± Le Zhi stuffed a handwarmer into Jing Xin¡¯s hand and said with concern. ¡°Unacceptable. This maid can¡¯t use Master¡¯s things.¡± But Le Zhi insisted on giving her the thing, and Jing Xin could not refuse, so she had to accept it. She walked towards her room with the handwarmer in her arms, but after walking a few steps, she met An Xuan with a lantern. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± ¡°No need, no need¡­¡± Jing Xin frowned and replied in a trembling voice. Seeing her nervous appearance, An Xuan could not help but smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m on night duty today and it¡¯s my duty to protect the safety of everyone in the Taizi mansion.¡± Having said all that, Jing Xin could no longer find an excuse to refuse, so she agreed. The two were silent all the way until they entered the northern courtyard. An Xuan stopped and said, ¡°If you need any help in the future, you can come to me.¡± Jing Xin was stunned as to when did she become so familiar with Lord An? However, she just wanted to quickly go into the room now, so she nodded, ¡°Sure, thank you Lord An for tonight.¡± An Xuan watched her enter the room until the candlelight in the room was blown out, making sure that Jing Xin had rested, only then did he walk away. ¡ª Le Zhi took a clean and soft cotton towel from the bathroom and watched the hot steam emit from the bucket. She only waited for a while before squatting down to soak the cotton towel in the water. To wipe the body, it needs to be slightly hotter. After soaking her slender hands in the hot water, Le Zhi could not help but ¡°hiss¡±. She quickly picked up the cotton towel and wrung it dry while enduring the slight pain in her hands and then walked quickly back to the bedside. She lifted the quilt and reached out her hand to untie the belt of Huo Du¡¯s bedclothes and without being ashamed, she put the hot cotton towel on his body and wiped it gently. From the chest to the shoulders, to the arms and back¡­ As soon as the temperature of the cotton towel was a little cold, Le Zhi soaked it with hot water and wrung it dry again, and cycled back and forth until she wiped Huo Du¡¯s whole body. Finally, she put a hot cotton towel on his injured leg and pressed it down with her hand. Unexpectedly, Huo Du was beyond obedient and cooperated with her obediently from beginning to end. ¡°Is it better now?¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes to look at him. Just now she wiped his body for him with all her heart and did not look at his expression. When she raised her eyes at this time, she ran into his scorching gaze. She did not know if it was because of the ginger tea that Huo Du¡¯s eyes became warmer. After waiting for a long time, he did not answer. Le Zhi did not mind either, just turned her eyes and continued to look at his legs. She moved the cotton towel away and saw that the original cold white skin on his leg began to turn red. Although she knew that his legs might still not feel the slightest warmth, at least the cold blood should start to revive, right? Suddenly, the cotton towel in her hand was taken away, and Le Zhi¡¯s white wrist was being held back and pulled to the bed. The whole person was pulled into a warm embrace, and her whole body was covered with a brocade quilt. Only then did Le Zhi realize that her body was unbelievably cold. Huo Du raised his hand, and the bed curtain was spontaneously lowered, blocking out the light of the candlelight. After a while, Le Zhi exposed her head a little and exhaled a few breaths. She was bundled up tightly just now, which almost made her out of breath. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± With heat passing across her ears, Le Zhi let out an ¡°oh¡± and closed her eyes with fatigue. After being busy working most of the night, she was really tired. After a long time, Huo Du slowly let go of her, listening to her gradual even breathing, and said, ¡°Le Zhi, tomorrow is Laba.¡± But the sleeping person could not respond to him. ¡°Will you accompany me?¡± This sentence was asked even more softly. For him, Laba Festival was his darkness. For so many years, he had gone through this day alone. But this year, he suddenly hoped that Le Zhi could accompany him. Even if she did nothing, as long as she was there. ¡°Um¡­¡± The person in her sleep seemed to hear it and murmured twice. Huo Du leaned closer to her, as if he was afraid of waking her up, and gently kissed her forehead with his gentle movements. Since you don¡¯t refuse, then I¡¯ll take it as you agreed. He closed his eyes, held her hand that was red from handling the hot water under the quilt, gently caressed her fingertips, and felt her warmness with his heart. They slept all night. When Le Zhi woke up, she was surprised to find that Huo Du had not woken up yet. She gently pulled her hand out of his palm, and then she saw his eyebrows frown slightly. She stared at his sleeping face and found that he was a little less cold and a little more gentle when he was asleep than when he was awake. She raised her hand to caress his eyebrows, then got down from the bed softly and closed the bed curtain. Huo Du rarely had a good night¡¯s sleep, and Le Zhi naturally hoped that he could sleep a little longer. And she still had something to do today. Le Zhi walked towards the bathroom, changed her clothes, and dressed up simply. When she gently opened the door, Li Yao was already waiting outside the room. ¡°Master, Laba porridge is ready.¡± Li Yao said softly. ¡°Great.¡± Le Zhi nodded. Just as she finished speaking, she heard the sound of the bed curtain being lifted. She instructed Li Yao to put everything in the carriage first and then turned around to walk to the bedside. Huo Du just woke up, and a pair of sleepy peach blossom eyes stared at her in a daze. Le Zhi wore an aquamarine chest-length dress today, and a snow-white cotton cloak was already draped over her shoulders. She curled her lips and said, ¡°Your Highness is awake? Today is Laba and the kitchen has made a lot of Laba porridge. Your Highness will also eat some later.¡± ¡°Are you going out?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyebrows curved, and her smile was like a flower, ¡°I¡¯m going to Xia Feitai to spend the festival with my sister.¡± Not knowing whether it was an illusion or not, Le Zhi suddenly saw a lonely expression on Huo Du¡¯s face that she had never seen before. But it disappeared in just an instant. He was still as usual, with a cold expression. Le Zhi vaguely felt that there was something wrong with Huo Du. So she asked cautiously, ¡°Does Your Highness have something to tell me?¡± ¡°No, you go ahead.¡± Le Zhi nodded and repeated once again, ¡°Then Your Highness remembers to drink the Laba porridge!¡± Without hearing the reply, she lowered her head helplessly and turned to leave. She¡¯s not willing to delve into his moodiness. Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s departing back view until she stepped out of the bedroom. He curled his lips and smiled lightly and continued to lie down on the bed. This is normal, isn¡¯t it? It was the lack of sobriety of last night that made him have delusions that he should not have. ¡ª After not seeing Le Jin for a long time, her complexion became better and better. Because Li Yao often brided Xia Feitai¡¯s wardens and prison guards, they all took care of Le Jin a little bit more. Money could indeed get through a lot of things. ¡°Sister, eat more.¡± Le Zhi scooped a spoonful of Laba porridge with a smile and brought it to Le Jin¡¯s lips. Le Jin¡¯s consciousness was still chaotic, but a smile gradually appeared on her face. When she saw the porridge handed by Le Zhi, she naturally drank it. Le Zhi was so happy that even the end of her eyes could not help but redden. She put the porridge bowl aside, hugged Le Jin, and whispered, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s not very dangerous outside anymore. There will be Zhizhi to protect you in the future.¡± Can you stop closing your heart? On the other side, Li Yao chatted with the prisoner guards familiarly. From a young age, Li Yao learned to understand people¡¯s hearts and feelings, and soon found out a lot of things from these people. ¡°I heard that after Jingxian Wang got married, he has been neglecting Wangfei and only shows favor to a maid, his bedwarmer.¡± ¡°All right, all right! Who doesn¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Another prisoner guard, who looked disdainful, said with a smile, ¡°I heard that Wangfei is so heartbroken that she is clamoring for divorce!¡± ¡°Really or not? It cannot be?¡± ¡°Really! Why did I need to lie to you?¡± The prison guard felt unhappy when he was being questioned, so he straightened his face, ¡°Even Shen Xiang was alarmed. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know, our Shen Xiang has a very stubborn temper. He has only one daughter who is Jingxian Wangfei, how can he not be angry?¡± ¡°¡­¡± On the way back to the mansion, Li Yao told Le Zhi all the news she had found. Le Zhi curled her lips, no wonder Huo Xu never wanted to see her recently, it turned out that he was busy with these things. She remembered that in the inn that day, Huo Xu closely protected the woman who looked like her. He really lost his head over lust. Le Zhi lowered her face, thinking whether she could use this opportunity to attack Huo Xu. At least, let him no longer manage the affairs of Xia Feitai. Only in this way could she find an opportunity to rescue her sister. Shen Xiang, Shen Qingyan¡­ Le Zhi knew that Huo Xu married Shen Qingyan just for Shen Xiang¡¯s power, but it was self-defeating to make such a fuss up to this point. The prisoner guard¡¯s words, although some were based on rumors, might not be very accurate, but also could make a rough conclusion that Shen Qingyan was definitely a woman with a strong personality. Heh, Huo Xu, a hypocrite, is trying to take advantage of a woman. Perhaps he would eventually set fire to himself. The noise outside the carriage pulled Le Zhi¡¯s thoughts back. She could not help but lift the curtain to look out, only to see a lot of people outside a shop, ¡°Li Yao, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Master, this is the tradition of Great Qi. On the day of the Laba Festival every year, this Laba shop will open for business, and only open for one day. This shop has everything, and people can buy their favorite things or choose gifts for their loved ones or relatives and friends.¡± Only open for one day? This is interesting. Le Zhi could not help but think of the loneliness on Huo Du¡¯s face when she left in the morning. Without giving it much thought, she lifted the curtain on the side and said to Li Yao, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and have a look too.¡± Le Zhi finally squeezed into the shop and took a closer look through the curtain hat. Until she saw a purple stone. She walked over curiously, picked up the stone, and a burst of warmth suddenly spread in her palm. This purple stone actually emits heat. ¡°Madam has a good vision.¡± The shopkeeper walked over with a smile and said, ¡°This amethyst stone is warm and pleasant, and the warmth will never dissipate. If you carry it on your body for a long time, you will not be cold in winter!¡± Le Zhi nodded in appreciation and asked, ¡°How much is this?¡± The shopkeeper smiled and said the price. Le Zhi¡¯s smile froze, this¡­ was not this too expensive? She was still in debt now. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t think it¡¯s too expensive. This amethyst stone is really a treasure!¡± After thinking for a moment, Le Zhi gritted her teeth, ¡°Alright, I want it!¡± Le Zhi got onto the carriage carrying the mahogany box. She could not help thinking that if she did not pay the 5,000 taels owed to Huo Du in a year, she wondered if he would give her more time at his discretion. Because she was thinking about this matter, she did not realize that in a corner not far from her, a man dressed in white with a scholarly look had been watching her for a long time. But Li Yao found out, she frowned and looked over, only to see the man lowered his head and left. Looking at the man¡¯s appearance, he did not look timid but was full of righteousness. Perhaps, she was thinking too much? Li Yao withdrew her gaze, without taking it into the heart. When they returned to the Taizi Mansion, it was already past noon. ¡°Has His Highness eaten lunch?¡± Le Zhi asked casually when she happened to meet An Xuan when she entered the mansion. But An Xuan shook his head and sighed softly. ¡°Didn¡¯t have lunch? What about breakfast?¡± An Xuan still shook his head. Le Zhi frowned and her small face showed a displeased look, ¡°Can¡¯t be he didn¡¯t even drink the Laba porridge, right?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t eat anything.¡± ¡°Where is His Highness?¡± An Xuan wanted to say something but then hesitated. After thinking for a while, he replied, ¡°Study room.¡± Le Zhi immediately walked towards the study, but thinking of Huo Du¡¯s strangeness in the morning and An Xuan¡¯s solemn expression, she stopped again, turned around, and asked, ¡°Did he¡­ order not to be disturbed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± An Xuan said solemnly. Every year during the Laba Festival, His Highness would lock himself in the study, not eating or drinking, and not let anyone disturb him. However, he always felt that if Taizifei went over, His Highness would not be angry. ¡°Taizifei should go see His Highness. This subordinate thinks that if you go, His Highness will be very happy.¡± After contemplating for a moment, Le Zhi nodded, ¡°Then you go prepare some food and bring it directly to the study.¡± ¡ª Study room. Huo Du was sitting by the window, with the cold wind blowing and his eyes stared blankly. In the morning, Le Zhi went out with a smile and said that she would spend the festival with her sister. Only then did Huo Du remember what was the distance between them. As the princess of country Li, she would treat him well because she was grateful to him, but that was all. The more they spent time together, the more he understood her. Previously, he would have worried that she would be soft-hearted towards Huo Xu, but now it was impossible to think about it. She was such a principled and responsible person. Her affection for Huo Xu from childhood had long been cut off by Huo Xu personally. Le Zhi was soft on the outside and tough on the inside. She would never allow herself to be trapped in love. Even though she might have a little feeling for him now, compared to the pain of subjugation, this feeling was very little. She would never allow herself to like people from the Huo clan, let alone Huo Changyun¡¯s son. Even if she had a bit of liking in her heart, she would not hesitate to erase it after she realized it. For the first time in Huo Du¡¯s twenty-year life, there was a deep sense of regret in his heart. When Huo Changyun wanted to destroy the country Li at the beginning, he was aware of it. But he watched everything with cold eyes at that time. He did not even care about himself, so, how could he have predicted and foreseen the current situation? Now, Huo Du watched Le Zhi live in the pain of subjugation every day. Sometimes, he could see her looking at him with pain and struggle in her eyes. From the beginning, he was not qualified to be liked by her. As long as there was Huo Changyun¡¯s blood flowing in his body, he would never be qualified. Yes, not qualified. He closed his eyes as if accepting his fate and let himself go. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. Huo Du thought he was hallucinating and ignored it. But soon after, the door was pushed open a little, and a familiar voice came through. ¡°May I come inside?¡± Huo Du opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the door. Le Zhi did not enter the door, just poked her little head in, and looked at his face while blinking. He stared at her eyebrows, and his dead heart of his seemed to start beating again. Again and again, happiness and suffocation. The author has something to say: I suddenly remembered that someone wanted to kill his wife at first! Du: It¡¯s not me. (Poker-faced) CH 46 Chapter 46 Kiss Huo Du did not answer. Le Zhi looked at him earnestly, only to see that his deep eyes were always focused on her face. She breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Such a reaction should not exclude her from entering, right? The hand on the door exerted a little force, and the door of the study was pushed wide open. Le Zhi stepped into the room and closed the door gently. Turning around again, she found that Huo Du had turned his head away and continued to look out the window¡­ as if he had not looked at her just now. Le Zhi held the mahogany box in her hand and hid it properly in her sleeve. She lightened her footsteps, took a soft stool with her, and walked to Huo Du¡¯s side. She took off her cotton cloak and sat beside him unhurriedly. She followed Huo Du¡¯s gaze and looked out the window with him. The sky was clear, and the golden sun shone brightly. Although it was bitterly cold Laba, there was also a slight warmth in the breezy cold wind. After a while, Le Zhi withdrew her gaze from the outside and turned to look at Huo Du¡¯s side face. His face was pale and there was chilliness in his cold jawline. She lowered her voice and asked cautiously, ¡°Can I speak? If Your Highness finds it annoying, then I won¡¯t speak.¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes moved, and he looked sideways at Le Zhi again, taking a closer look at the emotions that appeared at the bottom of her eyes. Cautious, a slight fear with a trace of courage. This was the most common emotion she had when facing him. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Somehow, Le Zhi heard something spiritless from his reply. But fortunately, he did not shut her up. Le Zhi curled her lips and smiled slyly. She took out the mahogany box, opened it, then reached out her hand to take out the purple stone inside, and waved it in front of Huo Du as if presenting a treasure. Seeing his mediocre reaction, Le Zhi made a mysterious expression and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at its ordinary appearance. It¡¯s not an ordinary stone.¡± After she finished speaking, she grabbed Huo Du¡¯s wrist so that his palms were spread out. Then she put the purple stone on it, and then covered it with her hands. She gently held his hand across the warm stone. After a while, Le Zhi felt Huo Du¡¯s cold hands begin to warm up. She raised her eyes and asked with a smile, ¡°How is it? It¡¯s a treasure, right? Does Your Highness like it?¡± Huo Du looked at her smiling eyes, the frost that was originally covered in the cold eyes gradually dissipated, and his eyes gradually became darker. The warmth from the purple stone in his palm was hard to ignore. He looked down and the delicate, soft, and white hand were printed into his eyes. ¡°Loved it.¡± He simply said two words. He seemed to be answering Le Zhi¡¯s question, but it seemed to be more than that question. Huo Du¡¯s expression was always faint, but the smile in his downcast eyes became stronger, and there was a compromise in addition to the smile. He could not help sighing inwardly. It was more than just a treasure, more like a soul-sucking poison. And he enjoyed it. After getting the affirmative answer, Le Zhi instantly became proud of herself. However, when she thought of the price of this stone, she could not help but pout, ¡°Does Your Highness know how expensive this is?¡± With distress all over her face, she said word by word, ¡°It¡¯s very expensive!¡± Huo Du raised his eyes and put away the emotions in his eyes, the original coldness faded in the end. He looked at Le Zhi¡¯s vibrant cheeks, chuckled lightly, and then patted his leg with the other hand that was not held by her. Le Zhi naturally knew what he meant. She got up, sat down on his lap as he wished, and put a hand on his shoulder. A set of actions with which she was awfully familiar. This made Le Zhi¡¯s heart tremble slightly. When did it start? Now she could sit on Huo Du¡¯s lap so naturally. There was no resistance, and even the initial fear was gone. The cold wind that was blowing from the window was blocked by Le Zhi¡¯s body. Huo Du casually raised his hand, and the window closed slowly to block out the cold wind. Huo Du looked closely at the person in front of him and found that the corner of her eyes was still red. He had noticed a long time ago that as long as she cried, the redness at the end of her eyes always dissipated very slowly. It was not difficult to guess that Le Zhi would cry every time she went to Xia Feitai. Obviously, she was not happy, but she still had to coax him. Is it really just to please? ¡°It¡¯s so expensive.¡± Huo Du chuckled and said in a deep voice, ¡°But I didn¡¯t prepare a gift for you today.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks blushed, and said anxiously, ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it on purpose. I just happened to see it and thought it was suitable to buy it for Your Highness.¡± She said it was expensive, but she did not mean to ask him for a gift in return! If Le Zhi was more attentive, she would realize that Huo Du¡¯s words had a deeper meaning. He did not mean that there was no gift prepared, rather he did not prepare it ¡°today¡±. But she was in a hurry to explain and did not study his words carefully. Suddenly, the hand on the side of the waist tightened, and Le Zhi followed his force into Huo Du¡¯s arms, nestling the side of her face on his neck, and it actually felt warmth. Le Zhi praised silently. It is a bit more expensive, but this purple stone is really the right one to buy! Huo Du looked at her black hair silently. They were so close that the faint scent of hibiscus flowers from her hair wafted into his nose. He glanced at the bun she had rolled up simply, then raised his hand to remove the hairpiece inserted in the bun and threw it on the windowsill casually. The black hair fell down and fell on his shoulders. Huo Du leaned closer to her, closed his eyes, and inhaled it lightly. In the midst of indulgence, he absurdly wanted to keep the smell of her body. With his palms closed, Huo Du held both the purple stone and her delicate hand firmly. Today was really not a good day. But he would prepare a big gift for her very soon. She would definitely love it. ¡°Knock, knock.¡± There were soft knocks sounded on the door. Le Zhi was suddenly clear-headed. She pushed Huo Du away against his chest and stood up quickly. She looked at the wrinkled fabric around her waist and the somewhat messy loose hair and glared at the initiator angrily. She straightened her clothes and put her hair together before walking toward the door. She obviously did not do anything, but she inexplicably felt guilty and embarrassed. The door of the room opened, and after seeing the person who opened the door, a look of astonishment flashed across An Xuan¡¯s solemn face. After being stunned for a moment, he delivered the tray in his hand forward, ¡°Taizifei, is this enough food?¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Le Zhi took it and said calmly, ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Lord An.¡± An Xuan nodded slightly and closed the door. He turned around, and suddenly recalled in his mind the appearance of His Highness when he lectured Lin Yuxian with seriousness, which was in stark contrast to the blush that lingered on the face of Taizifei just now. He frowned and shook his head. Although An Xuan¡¯s birth was ordinary, he was as restrained and polite as a scholar. These days, because of Jing Xin, he would also observe Taizifei intentionally or unintentionally. An Xuan knew that Taizifei was very dignified and self-restrained, but on the contrary, it was his own Taizi who had an unrestrained manner. Although they were husband and wife, in the study room¡­ it was too frivolous. He raised his eyes and looked at the guards outside the study with an unsettled expression. He finally sighed and found an excuse to send them elsewhere. Le Zhi put the tray down heavily and sat at the table angrily. Just now, An Xuan¡¯s eyes were obviously misunderstood, but she could not explain it yet. How can this be explained clearly! Her image of decency and dignity was gone! Looking at the food on the tray, Le Zhi raised her hand to get a chestnut cake but pulled the old wound due to too much force. In fact, the old wound on her shoulder was actually almost healed, but too much force was exerted due to her anger. With a groan, she changed her hand, picked up the chestnut cake, and bit it hard. Huo Du, who had watched the entire process, smiled and pushed the wheelchair to Le Zhi¡¯s side. He looked at her injured shoulder and asked, ¡°The wound is not healed yet?¡± It was originally just a question of concern, but when it was said at this moment, it bore some inexplicable charm. ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Le Zhi was choked and coughed violently. She almost could not help thinking about it. ¡°When the injury on my shoulder is healed, let¡¯s consummate.¡± The words she had said came to her mind evidently. Huo Du patted her back, poured her a cup of tea, and handed it to her. Le Zhi coughed a few times, picked up the teacup and took a few sips of the tea, then finally calmed down. It was just that the redness on her face was getting deeper and deeper. She muttered in a low voice, ¡°Soon, it¡¯ll get better soon.¡± Huo Du was angry but also find it laughable by her. He stretched out his finger and poked her head, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi glanced sideways, and when she saw his expression was sober and calm, she scratched her head with some annoyance. Knowing that she was in the wrong, she obediently picked up the Laba porridge, scooped half a spoonful and handed it over, and said in a coquettish tone, ¡°Will Your Highness eat it?¡± Huo Du did not say anything, just looked at the corners of her raised lips, opened his mouth, and swallowed the Laba porridge he hated the most. At the end of the meal, although Huo Du did not eat much, he still took a few bites. Le Zhi pursed her lips in satisfaction. Huo Du tossed the purple stone in his hand up and down, playing with it seriously. Seeing that the coldness on him had faded, Le Zhi thought of a batch of tea that was arriving in the afternoon, and she needed to go to inspect the goods in person! Her business had not improved yet, so she could not relax. Le Zhi stood up with a smile on her face, ¡°Then Your Highness play slowly? I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Huo Du took her hand and said with a puzzled expression, ¡°There seems to be something wrong with this stone.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Le Zhi frowned, squatted down, leaned close to his hand, and took a closer look at the purple stone, ¡°What¡¯s the problem¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, the purple stone had been placed on the cherry lips. A smooth and warm touch came from her lips, and Huo Du took the stone away in just a split second. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°My mistake, there is no problem.¡± Huo Du said unhurriedly. Le Zhi never understood his strange behavior, so she did not bother to argue with him and walked away. Huo Du smiled while staring at her blushing back until she left his sight. After a while, he picked up the warm stone, stared at the side where Le Zhi¡¯s lips had been, and then placed it onto his lips. The warmth covered the cold lips. He did not know if it was the warmth of the purple stone or the warmth left by her. The whole heart was filled, and the black fog that had gathered initially had been driven away. He thought about Le Zhi¡¯s slightly curled lips, but he could not help but curl his lips and smile. After a while, Huo Du picked up his cane and walked toward the door. The haze of Laba was gone, and he did not want to trap himself in the study. Le Zhi should have gone to try the tea. Huo Du gently rubbed the stone in his hand. All right, for the sake of the gift, he could go help her. But when he walked out of the door, he saw An Xuan standing not far away, waiting for him. An Xuan also did not expect that His Highness would come out so quickly. He walked over and said in a deep voice, ¡°Your Highness, every time Taizifei goes to Xia Feitai, the man who has been quietly following behind Taizifei¡¯s carriage has been caught.¡± After a pause, An Xuan raised his eyes to look at Huo Du¡¯s expression, and then added, ¡°He¡¯s from the country Li.¡± The light smile that rarely appeared on Huo Du¡¯s face disappeared in an instant. The author has something to say: An Xiaoxuan: Unexpectedly, in the study room¡­ (10,000 words are added here) What a scandal!!! Zhi: ??? Du: You may not believe it, let alone in the study room, I didn¡¯t do anything in the bedroom too! Ha, ha!!! CH 47 Chapter 47 Dazed There was an underground secret prison in the Taizi Mansion. Huo Du calmly walked down the steps with a cane. Step by step, he walked to the handsome man who was tied up. There were chairs in the secret prison, but he did not sit. A pair of black eyes swept across the man¡¯s face. The man was about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a blue long shirt and dressed like a scholar. Even if he was caught and his face was dirty, it was not difficult to see his handsome facial features. Especially his pair of clear eyes, revealing a clear light. Even though his hands were tied, he still straightened his back. Huo Du chuckled. He has the character of those scholars. He lowered his eyes and saw his hand resting on the cane and then glanced at the tall and straight figure of the man. His eyes moved slightly, and he smiled. ¡°You¡¯re from the country Li?¡± Huo Du said leisurely. The man snorted coldly and did not answer. Huo Du laughed, ¡°Why, you don¡¯t even dare to speak?¡± He knew the common problems of these scholars. The most effective method was the use of the goading method. ¡°Why don¡¯t I dare?¡± The man sneered, looking directly at Huo Du without any fear, ¡°I know who you are. Since I fall into your hands today, if you want to kill or chop, do whatever you like.¡± ¡°Tsk, don¡¯t worry.¡± Huo Du clenched the purple stone in his hand, and said in a light tone, ¡°You came to Great Qi for the princess of country Li?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The man¡¯s eyes were firm. Huo Du raised his hand slightly, motioning the secret guard to untie the rope on the man¡¯s hand. After that, he took a few steps closer, grabbed the man¡¯s wrist, and felt his pulse. He is weak, without even a little internal strength. ¡°Want to save people?¡± Huo Du sneered with a disdain look, ¡°Just by you?¡± Hearing this, the man¡¯s proud face finally crumbled. He gritted his teeth and his face turned red, could not think of anything to say. Because he had nothing to refute. In the current situation, the ink in his stomach* was really useless! (the ink in his stomach* ¨C referring to the culture and knowledge of a scholar) ¡°Even if you can save people¡­¡± Huo Du laughed and continued to interrogate, ¡°Do you think she is still the superior princess of country Li of the past?¡± Finally, the man showed pain on his face and his eyes dimmed. Huo Du did it on purpose. He said this on purpose, just hoping to hear what he wanted to hear. He hoped that this useless scholar would wake up to his senses and stop acting in this kind of pretentious and affectionate drama, just like those scholars who were ruthless in their words. Then he could have no qualms of conscience to send him on his way. However, ¡­ The man raised his eyes suddenly, word by word, with stubbornness and perseverance in his tone, ¡°Whether she is the princess of country Li or not, in my heart, she will always be my princess. I am useless, but as long as there is a breath left, I will never give up!¡± Silence, a long silence, as if the atmosphere had frozen. ¡°Let him go.¡± The secret guards standing on both sides looked at each other in astonishment and disbelief. Did His Highness make a mistake? Or did they hear it wrong? No one moved for a long time. Huo Du raised his cold eyes, and said impatiently, ¡°Are you all deaf?¡± Now, everyone was clear. They hurriedly dragged the man towards the stairs. The man glanced at Huo Du suspiciously and finally followed the secret guards out of the secret prison without saying much. An Xuan stepped forward and asked, ¡°Your Highness, do you want to investigate the relationship between this person and Taizifei?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Huo Du said coldly, and he commanded with a facial expression, ¡°All go out.¡± Soon, Huo Du was the only one left in the secret prison. Huo Du sat down on the soft chair silently, recalling the man¡¯s stubborn expression just now. He could probably guess who this person was. After the fall of the country Li, the imperial families and courtiers of Great Li were all given death, and those who were wise and prudent to protect themselves were recruited¡­. also, those who escaped while taking advantage of the chaos to escape had long been scattered all over the place. Looking at that man¡¯s appearance, he was neither a wealthy nor nobleman. Listening to what he said, it was even more certain that he and Le Zhi knew each other. His little fox was so good, besides the son of the b*tch Huo Xu, there must be many people who like her. He knew it. So, he purposely tempted him, but unexpectedly heard a vow of repentance until death. Huo Du remembered the legend that Le Zhi told him about the God of Good Deeds of Great Li when they were in the hot spring villa. He could not help but associate with that man¡¯s clear eyes. He suddenly felt that there should be such a person besides Le Zhi. He was gentle, kindhearted, and his hands had never been stained with blood. If she had not been dragged into hell by the Huo clan, she should have been like this. For a split second, he really wanted to kill that man. However, he could not. Even though this was Huo Du¡¯s first love, he would not make such a low-level mistake. Regardless of the relationship between this man and Le Zhi, whether he was close or not, as long as he was from country Li, a person who had done nothing wrong, he could not kill him. Because no secret could be kept forever in the world. Once Le Zhi knew about it, she would definitely distance away from him. Even though she could not leave, her heart would still go further away. He was not stupid, how could he allow such a thing to happen? ¡ª It was a sunny day. Le Zhi was enjoying tea in the rear courtyard. At this time, Li Yao came over. ¡°Master.¡± Li Yao Yu was delighted and excited, ¡°Good news. Recently, there have been more and more people talking about Jingxian Wang in the imperial court. Since Huo Xu successfully returned to Great Qi, he has made no achievements. Moreover, the news about spoiling his bedwarmer and ignoring his wife has been spread. Shen Xiang¡¯s face was gloomy, and he actually presented a memorial to the emperor in the morning court today!¡± ¡°Really? Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s add more fire to him.¡± Le Zhi curled her lips, and a light flashed across her eyes, ¡°Li Yao, get a writing brush and paper.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yao responded happily. ¡¸Jingxian means peace and virtue. In fact, he is without peace and without virtue; A nobleman in the light, but a demon in the dark; ¡­¡­ Shameless and ungrateful; If the virtue does not match, it¡¯s hard for the country to be at peace. ¡¹ When the last word was landed, the last stroke almost pierced the paper. Le Zhi put down the writing brush and handed the paper to Li Yao. Next, it was up to the common people to sing this ballad. Returning to the country with the victory was only temporary. No matter how well he did, over time, he would inevitably be judged. Besides, there were too many places that could be criticized by people for what Huo Xu had done. The common people needed this kind of remediation the most over their leisure time. As long as the children spread this ballad, Emperor Qi would be alarmed in the future. Coupled with the fact that Huo Xu was entangled in many things today, there must be a good show to watch when the time came. Le Zhi sneered. She quietly waited for the good news, and then looked for opportunities to attack him little by little. She must walk steadily and accurately at every step. Picking up the teacup, Le Zhi gently sniffed the delicate tea fragrance. When she was about to take a sip, a slender hand took away the teacup in her hand. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Le Zhi could not help but frown and look sideways. Huo Du came over in a wheelchair at some point, and after snatching her teacup, he took a sip unhurriedly. ¡°Meow, meow.¡± Little snow fluffy, who was lying on Huo Du¡¯s lap, was very excited when it saw Le Zhi and extended its paws for a hug. Le Zhi curled her lips, naturally hugged the little snow fluffy into her arms, and then touched its soft little head. Huo Du put down the teacup, picked up the book just above his knees that was held down by Little Lame Huo, and opened it. ¡°Your Highness is really in good mood. What book are you reading?¡± Le Zhi lightly poked Little Lame Huo¡¯s restless paw with her hand, then turned slightly towards Huo Du and glanced at the title in his hand. Huo Du casually put the book down and said, ¡°I¡¯m reading an interesting story.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The story of a princess choosing a consort.¡± Huo Du chuckled and said with sarcasm, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that she actually chose a top scholar.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°She really has no vision.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a story. Don¡¯t read it if Your Highness doesn¡¯t like it.¡± Le Zhi did not know the twists and turns in Huo Du¡¯s heart. She only thought he was really commenting on the story, ¡°How nice to bask in the sun and drink tea!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Huo Du raised her peach blossom eyes and looked at Le Zhi, ¡°I forgot that Taizifei is also a princess. Do you like a top scholar too?¡± Le Zhi frowned. She hated studying the most since she was a child and did not know how many times she had been told about this. She was going to lose her teeth by those sour poems of those scholars! She was about to say she did not like it. But something suddenly came to her mind, she swallowed the words ¡°did not like¡±, and reluctantly said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. They¡¯re not too annoying.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s tangled little expressions all fell into Huo Du¡¯s eyes. He lowered his eyes and smiled. Sure enough, she likes them. ¡ª In the morning court three days later. Huo Du, who rarely came to court, caught up with the wrath of the emperor. ¡°Bang!¡± Huo Changyun closed the memorial abruptly and made a loud noise in the quiet hall. ¡°Jingxian Wang, you are really capable!¡± Hearing this, Huo Xu¡¯s feet trembled. He took a few steps forward and kneeled in the hall, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, so I ask Imperial Father to make it clear.¡± Huo Changyun threw the memorial to Cui Feng beside him, ¡°Read, read to him.¡± Cui Feng took it with sweats and read out the words written in the memorial with a trembling voice and Huo Xu¡¯s face became paler as he read along. Huo Changyun snorted coldly. Originally, destroying the country Li was a great victory and joy. However, despite the well-known reputation of the country Li, the neighboring countries all expressed regret for her destruction. In recent days, the country An had even pointed the finger at Huo Xu, slandering him for being ungrateful in their country. If only country An was like this, it would be fine. But somehow, the rumors turned into ballads and spread among the people of Great Qi. In addition, Huo Xu had indeed been restless recently, lingering in the brothels and always in a drunken stupor. Huo Changyun had already long dissatisfied with him. Just took the opportunity to beat him today. ¡°I know my crimes and ask Imperial Father to punish me.¡± After a long while, Huo Changyun pretended to sigh, ¡°I think you have done meritorious deeds in destroying country Li. This time I won¡¯t punish you. Go back and reflect on your misdeeds behind closed doors.¡± After a short pause, he looked at Huo Du again and said, ¡°All affairs of Xia Feitai will be taken care of by Taizi.¡± All the people detained in Xia Feitai were from the country Li. With this arrangement, Huo Xu could be relieved of some verbal abuse. But Huo Xu did not think so. There was a deep sense of unwillingness and resentment in his eyes. ¡°Dismiss court. Taizi stays.¡± When the people in the hall were gone, only the father and son were left. ¡°Du¡¯er, Xia Feitai will be handed over to you, but don¡¯t let me down like your imperial brother.¡± Huo Du chuckled and said unhurriedly, ¡°It seems that Imperial Father has taken my words to heart. According to your intention, is it clear that you want to give me the one from Xia Feitai too?¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Huo Changyun scolded angrily, and his hands trembled with anger. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯m retiring.¡± Huo Du turned around with a cane. ¡°Wait.¡± Huo Changyun said coldly, but his tone softened a lot, ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Huo Du did not answer and left on his own. Looking at his cold back, Huo Changyun¡¯s eyes sunk. Over the years, he had not discovered much about what his son was doing behind his back, but he was not completely unaware. Huo Changyun was very satisfied that he had exceeded his predecessor. But he knew even better Huo Du hated him. He wished that his most capable son was not him. If it was Huo Xu, it would be much easier. After all, he was old and did not know if the move to unify the four kingdoms and three tribes could be realized in his lifetime. Huo Du¡¯s back disappeared from sight. Huo Changyun sneered. It would be a good thing if he really just covets the unparallel beauty of the Le clan, which was better than having real feelings. It doesn¡¯t matter if he resembled his mother, but if he¡¯s like her emotionally, it will certainly¡­ ¡ª ¡°What? Say it again!¡± Jing Xin¡¯s face was full of smiles, looking at Le Zhi¡¯s dumbfounded appearance, she repeated it patiently, ¡°During the morning court today, His Majesty handed over everything in Xia Feitai to His Highness Taizi to take care of.¡± Le Zhi was still startled, with a look of disbelief on her face. ¡°Are you happy?¡± The familiar voice pulled her thoughts back, and Le Zhi hurried over to grab Huo Du¡¯s sleeves, choking with emotion in her voice, ¡°Is it true?¡± Huo Du rubbed her head and hummed. ¡°Great!¡± She shook his sleeve and asked softly, ¡°Then, can I¡­ can I visit her every day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Huo Du laughed softly, and said, ¡°An Xuan has already been sent to pick up your sister, and she will live in the mansion from now on.¡± This was the gift he prepared for Le Zhi. Surprise after surprise, Le Zhi almost fainted happily. She had nowhere to put her hands, and she did not know what to do for a while. Suddenly, she said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchen first and prepare some of my sister¡¯s favorite food!¡± Huo Du frowned discontentedly as he watched Le Zhi disappear without a trace of smoke. That¡¯s it? With such a big gift, she actually did not say anything at all? Even a hug would do. Scoff. After a while, An Xuan came back but with a solemn expression, and his clothes were a little crumpled, which was obviously a sign of after a fight. ¡°What happened?¡± Huo Du asked in a deep voice. ¡°Reporting to Your Highness, someone wanted to hijack the carriage on the way back to the mansion, but fortunately, he was beaten back and captured by this subordinate.¡± An Xuan raised his eyes and glanced at Huo Du¡¯s face, and then said, ¡°It¡¯s the same person as last time. He should be trying to save Taizifei¡¯s sister.¡± Is it him again? The ghost still lingers. Huo Du was expressionless. It seemed that this person knew Le Zhi very well and knew what she cared about most, so he wanted to help her save her sister just like him, right? At this time, Le Zhi came back. Seeing An Xuan, she smiled, ¡°Lord An is back, so is my sister here too? Where is she now?¡± Huo Du stood up and held Le Zhi¡¯s wrist, ¡°Your sister is resting in the guest room. You go with me to a place to meet someone first.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Le Zhi frowned, and she muttered, ¡°Can¡¯t I go to see my sister first?¡± Huo Du¡¯s face became cold and did not speak. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with Your Highness first.¡± Le Zhi softly coaxed him. This time, instead of being taken to the secret prison, the man was tied up and stood in the rear courtyard. ¡°Who are we seeing? Why so mysterious¡­¡± Le Zhi muttered while being led away by Huo Du. Until she saw that man, being held and standing under the sun. The muttering stopped abruptly. Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s face and there was a confused look appeared on it. Sure enough, as he expected, they knew each other. ¡°Brother Fu Xian¡­¡± Le Zhi called out almost subconsciously. Fu Xian obviously saw her too, ¡°Zhizhi!¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes became colder and colder. He looked at Le Zhi and the other men coldly and met his gaze. Brother Fu Xian? Why does she have so many brothers? ¡°Your Highness!¡± Le Zhi looked at Fu Xian who was being tied up and immediately regained her senses and grabbed Huo Du¡¯s palm. ¡°Why arrest him? There must be a misunderstanding. He¡¯s a good man.¡± ¡°A good man?¡± Huo Du carefully carved these two words and repeated, ¡°He¡¯s a good man.¡± He hooked his lips and looked at Le Zhi with a gloomy expression on his face. So, you like good man, don¡¯t you? ¡°Zhizhi, don¡¯t beg him!¡± Fu Xian felt angry when he saw Le Zhi¡¯s submissive appearance. He glared at Huo Du, ¡°Come at me if you have anything, why making things difficult for a little girl!¡± The smile on Huo Du¡¯s face was even worse, and he looked at Fu Xian. Tsk, love to be a hero? The hands gradually closed and clenched tightly. Le Zhi hurriedly reached out her hand and covered his fist, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry. He¡¯s talking nonsense. Your Highness, don¡¯t argue with him.¡± ¡°Zhizhi, don¡¯t beg him!¡± ¡°Can you please stop talking first¡­¡± It would only add more chaos! Le Zhi was really speechless, why does my sister like this nerd! After a pause, she looked at Fu Xian¡¯s drooping eyes and the sad look on his face, so she could only call him earnestly, ¡°Brother-in-law¡­¡± Brother¡­ in-law? Huo Du had lived for 20 years, and for the first time, he almost lost his footing due to being stunned. The author has something to say: Fu Xian: Speechless. So, only your wife is a princess? Du: I couldn¡¯t hold back. Why brother-in-law didn¡¯t say earlier that we¡¯re relative? Do you think I still have a chance? Zhi: ¡­ don¡¯t be disgraced. (drag away) CH 48 Chapter 48 Half an Hour The guards once again untied Fu Xian, with skillful movements and as swift as possible. After untying the hemp rope, they quickly left the rear courtyard as per the instructions of His Highness Taizi. Soon, only Le Zhi and Fu Xian were left in the huge courtyard. Le Zhi stared in dazed at the direction Huo Du had left, greatly puzzled. Just now, she clearly felt the anger in his eyes, but for some reason, after he staggered slightly, his eyes lit up again. He quickly gave a few orders to the guards, and then dropped a sentence ¡°You two talk¡± at her, and hurriedly away. That attitude of his was like fleeting an escape. Le Zhi frowned, more and more confused about what he was thinking. ¡°Zhizhi.¡± Fu Xian¡¯s call brought Le Zhi¡¯s thoughts back. She took a few steps forward and asked, ¡°Brother Fu Xian, what¡¯s going on? Why are you here?¡± Fu Xian looked at Le Zhi¡¯s face and was shocked to realize that this little princess, who was so delicate in everyone¡¯s eyes, now had an air of maturity in her countenance, but it was not due to her age, but the result of a dramatic change in her state of mind. His heart was pricked. On the day the Qi soldiers attacked the city, he was not in the capital but was writing a local journal in Fengyang City. Later, when the Qi soldiers besieged the city, he desperately wanted to go back. The one he loved most and his relatives were all in the city! But the governor of Fengyang City stopped him and even did not hesitate to knock him out and placed him in a secret room. When he came out, everything changed. Country and home were gone. These days, Fu Xian gathered the people of Li who were scattered everywhere, trying to come to Great Qi to rescue their relatives. However, after lurking in Great Qi for so long, Fu Xian understood how difficult it was to rescue them after seeing the powerful troops of Great Qi and the few remaining soldiers of the country Li. However, ever since he knew the humiliation Xiaojin had suffered on the day the capital was defeated, his heart was twisted in an unbearable pain all the time. He hated himself that he read all the sage books in vain. To this day, it was useless. If he had known earlier, he would have studied martial arts and not literature since he was a child. If so, would he be able to protect his beloved? Xia Feitai was heavily guarded. Fu Xian went to investigate several times, but he could not find any breakthrough. However, he saw Le Zhi who went to visit her sister. Only then did he know that Huo Xu, the bastard, brought Le Zhi back to country Qi, but he turned around and let her marry the Taizi of country Qi. He did not know how many horrible things had happened to Xiaojin¡¯s most beloved sister. Fu Xian did not dare to think about it. He could only follow her quietly, but he did not dare to come forward to acknowledge her. Firstly, he was afraid that his appearance would bring trouble to Le Zhi, and secondly, his guilt made him unable to face Le Zhi. When Xiaojin and Le Zhi were in the most painful period, he could not accompany them. Until he was caught by Huo Du, Fu Xian thought he was doomed, but Huo Du just let him go after asking him a few weird questions. Since he was not dead, Fu Xian came up with a bold plan. Breaking into Xia Feitai to save Xiaojin. Fu Xian was already in a tight spot. He did not know what crimes Xiaojin would suffer inside. Instead of waiting painfully and suffering every day, he might as well make one last desperate bet. Why be afraid of death? He could not bear to wait anymore. This despair was endless. When Fu Xian was about to act, he did not expect someone to help Xiaojin out of Xia Fei Tai and got into the carriage. And the carriage was surrounded by guards, and Fu Xian recognized the leader who was the person with Huo Du that day. Fu Xian knew that most people in Qi were lecherous, and the imperial family was even more unbearable. Therefore, when Huo Du picked up Xiaojin, could it be that he wanted¡­? He no longer hesitated. Xia Feitai was like an iron wall. Since Xiaojin had come out, he must seize this rare opportunity and act on the journey! ¡­ But he still failed and was even captured by Huo Du¡¯s people again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zhizhi.¡± Fu Xian lowered his head as he was filled with struggle and self-blame, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m useless. I can¡¯t save your sister¡­ and I¡¯ve also implicated you.¡± Le Zhi looked at his haggard expression and sighed. How could she blame him? What did the current situation have to do with Fu Xian? He¡­ had done all he could. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Brother Fu Xian. We¡­ have to look forward.¡± Hearing this, Fu Xian raised his eyes and asked cautiously, ¡°How about you, Zhizhi, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. But sister, she¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xiaojin? Where is she, I want to see her!¡± Fu Xian was burned with impatience, but as soon as he thought of where he was now, his eyes darkened, ¡°Can I¡­ go? That Taizi of country Qi¡­¡± Le Zhi thought for a moment, thinking that it would be better to talk to Huo Du about this, and then said to Fu Xian, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask him.¡± After saying that, she turned to leave. ¡°Zhizhi¡­¡± Fu Xian stopped her by calling out to her, ¡°If you going to beg him under the premise of seeing your sister, I¡¯d rather die.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°I believe Xiaojin will think the same as me.¡± Le Zhi shook her head and comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡­ he¡¯s not a bad person.¡± Hearing this, Fu Xian frowned, and he snorted in a low voice, completely disbelieving. This was probably Le Zhi¡¯s nonsense because she was afraid that he would be worried. When he was in the secret prison last time, Huo Du¡¯s aggressive, contemptuous, and mocking words really made him unforgettable. How could such a person be a good person? Besides, his family name was Huo and he was the son of Huo Changyun. Le Zhi did not know the reason, and she was puzzled. How could Fu Xian have such a big resentment against Huo Du? It should be more than because Huo Du simply had arrested him. After all, Huo Du had not done anything to him yet! ¡°Brother Fu Xian, why do you hate him so much?¡± Fu Xian did not intend to tell Le Zhi about the secret prison, but when she asked, he did not hide from her. With Fu Xian¡¯s words, Le Zhi¡¯s face became more and more surprised. ¡°He ridiculed Xiaojin, saying that she was no longer a high-ranking princess of the country Li.¡± Fu Xian said angrily. It did not matter how Huo Du humiliated him, but he could not stand someone saying unpleasant things about Xiaojin! Le Zhi was stunned, and after sorting out her thoughts, she roughly understood. So that day in the secret prison, these two men talked for a long time, but they were not talking about the same princess. She suddenly understood why Huo Du left in a hurry after she called out ¡°brother-in-law¡±. ¡°He must have misunderstood.¡± Le Zhi muttered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t explain it in the meantime.¡± Le Zhi sighed softly, ¡°Brother Fu Xian, sit here for a while, and I will definitely let you see my sister.¡± Fu Xian nodded. Now that he was under other people¡¯s roof, he could not act rashly and implicate Le Zhi. Le Zhi looked all the way from the study to the main hall to the bedroom, but could not find Huo Du at all. She thought he had gone out of the mansion, so she went to the gate to ask, but the guards all said that they had never seen His Highness Taizi. So, where did Huo Du go? ¡°Is Taizifei looking for His Highness?¡± An Xuan came from a distance and said in a deep voice, ¡°Please come with me.¡± Le Zhi nodded and followed An Xuan¡¯s footsteps until he reached the greenhouse in the north corner. ¡°Here is?¡± ¡°When His Highness is upset, he will come here alone. This is a restricted area in the mansion, no one can enter without authorization. Taizifei can wait here for His Highness to come out.¡± After Le Zhi nodded in response, An Xuan walked away. When the north wind picked up, Le Zhi tightened the lapel of her clothes, sat down on the steps, and waited slowly. Since this was his restricted area, she would not go in. Everyone had their own way of resolving their worries, and she respected him and would not disturb him. Fortunately, it did not take long for Huo Du to come out. Seeing Le Zhi sitting on the steps with her knees in her arms, he was obviously taken aback and then turned to frown. Le Zhi rubbed her hands and stood up, ran a few steps towards him, and deliberately said half-jokingly, ¡°Your Highness has been inside for a long time. You won¡¯t be hiding any beauties inside, will you?¡± The cold wind blew in her ears and blew up her skirt along. Le Zhi was wearing a warm apricot-colored skirt today. At this time, her skirt was blown by the wind, and it was closely attached to Huo Du¡¯s blue robe. Huo Du¡¯s eyes darkened, but he did not speak. Suddenly, her wrist was tightened, and Le Zhi was pulled by Huo Du into the greenhouse together. As soon as the door was closed, the cold wind outside was blocked, and the warm fragrance in the greenhouse spread all over the body. Le Zhi stared blankly at the unknown flowers of various colors. He did not expect Huo Du to like flowers and plants. She quietly looked sideways and found that he was still staring at the flowers in silence. She also lowered her gaze to the petals, and said to herself, as if she was talking to the flowers, ¡°Fu Xian, the son of the Grand Scholar of Hall Pavilion of country Li, was the top scholar at the age of fifteen. He and my sister were betrothed since they were young and very much in love with each other. Although they are not married yet, I call him brother-in-law in private.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes twinkled and felt that she did not miss anything, but she still added, ¡°Is there anything else Your Highness wants to know?¡± At this moment, Huo Du smiled, but there was a slight sneer in his smile, ¡°Why are you telling me this? Who is Fu Xian and what does it have to do with me?¡± Le Zhi turned to face his side face and smiled softly, ¡°Well, Your Highness doesn¡¯t want to know at all. It¡¯s just me who wants to say it.¡± In an instant, Huo Du clearly realized that¡­ His own emotions, happiness, anger, and sorrow, had long been easily held in her hands and moved as she wished. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and looked at his hand hanging beside him. Then, she reached out to hold his hand and said softly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Huo Du smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. She only had gratitude towards him, did not she? Le Zhi suddenly felt like crying. Just now, she saw everything clearly. She knew that what Huo Du wanted was more than gratitude. But the bitterness in her heart forced her to face her heart honestly. What was hidden in that heart that wrapped in the cloak of gratitude? Le Zhi raised her eyes and looked around. The greenhouse was very large and quiet, and it seemed to be isolated from the world in the corner to the north. Suddenly an absurd thought came to her mind. Intense and uncontrollable. She walked slowly to Huo Du, raised her arms around his waist and embraced him, and gently pressed her face to his neck. She felt a momentary tension in his back, a slightly puzzled cool breath came from his ears, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± Le Zhi stopped him from speaking. She leaned on his shoulder and contemplated inwardly. Half an hour, just for half an hour. She only allowed herself to be greedy once. During this half an hour, there was neither the Princess of country Li nor the Taizi of country Qi. Just him and her. He stroked her back with his hand with a slight force, making her press to him even closer. Le Zhi felt the temperature on his body and Huo Du becoming one, and quietly listened to the intertwined heartbeat of the two of them. She closed her eyes slowly, hiding her tears well. The author has something to say: Du: I¡¯m a little confused¡­ Did my wife take the initiative to hug me? (Still, no sense of reality) CH 49 Chapter 49 Pride The greenhouse was warm, and the air was humid. Perhaps the temperature and humidity were maintained for these colorful flowers. The faint breath of peppermint still lingered. Le Zhi calculated the time in her mind, and her mind was very sober. But her heart was a little bit uncontrollable, the violent beating heart was grasped by two opposing forces, tearing it painfully. She closed her eyes, and in the darkness, she suddenly saw those shocking and bloody scenes. Le Zhi suddenly snapped back to reality, and slowly opened her eyes to see her hands tightly clutching the fabric of Huo Du¡¯s waist. She stared and watched as the bent fingers loosened little by little and fell weakly on her side. She lost all her strength. At the same time as she let go, the hand at her back increased its strength and tighten even more. As if trying to make up for her lost strength. An agonized smile spread across Le Zhi¡¯s lips, and she suddenly really understood what the price of shortcuts was. In the beginning, Le Zhi just wanted to make her path to revenge easier. She tried to take advantage of her feelings when she did not understand them and thought she had mastered them. She calculated carefully, trying to control Huo Du¡¯s feelings for her within a reasonable range. Unexpectedly, in the seemingly hypocritical temptation again and again, in the kisses one by one, she had lost her heart. Burnt herself while playing with fire. Le Zhi raised her hand, placed it on Huo Du¡¯s shoulder, and pushed him slightly harder. But the hand that was pressed on the back did not move even a little bit. She had to push harder. Huo Du hugged her with one hand and had to support himself on a cane with the other. Because of his disabled leg, he could not use all his strength to hug her, so he could only let her retreat from his embrace helplessly. Of course, if he used his internal strength, Le Zhi would not be able to escape, but he did not want to. Le Zhi¡¯s expression and her eyes were calm, but Huo Du could feel it. She is blaming herself. She is in pain. The joy that originally came from knowing the affection in her heart disappeared in an instant. Le Zhi¡¯s affection for him was inappropriate, burdensome, and unspeakable for her. Huo Du grew up under scheming since he was a child, and over time, he would naturally be able to understand people¡¯s hearts at a glance. When Le Zhi came to him and told him that she would choose him over Huo Xu, he knew that this was just her helpless move. But she fell step by step due to her wisdom, courage, and perseverance. He thought that since she chose him, she would naturally have to bear the consequences of her choice. Huo Du had been proud of everything since he was a child, even if he was disabled, his pride would not even be reduced by half. Even though he was disabled for a lifetime, he would be the proudest lame person. Therefore, even if he had feelings for her, he would not force her. What he wanted was her willingness. Today, Huo Du felt her heart so close to him for the first time. It was precisely in the close proximity that he could even see the wound in her heart, which was still bleeding. Huo Du had been planning and plotting for many years, even Huo Changyun had difficulty controlling him, and even his thoughts were unpredictable. Oh, his imperial father even had a beautiful dream of a well-thought-out plan! Ridiculous. He was proud that there was nothing in this world that he could not do. However, there was one now. How hard was the deadlock between him and Le Zhi? He could not solve it. He felt helpless for the first time. Following the force of Le Zhi¡¯s pushing away, his arms gradually loosened, and the two were separated by some distance. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and retreated to Huo Du¡¯s side, not daring to look into his eyes. She was afraid that she would be caught in his burning eyes again. Le Zhi secretly scolded herself for her uncertain behavior in her heart. If she said that she was playing with fire and setting herself on fire, she deserved to bear this, but it was bad luck for Huo Du to meet someone like her. The two of them at the same time adjusted their breaths that were disturbed by hugging each other just now. After a long silence, Le Zhi looked at the flowers and changed the subject abruptly, ¡°What kind of flowers are these?¡± Her voice was soft and weak. Huo Du put away the emotions in his eyes and cooperated with her, just as if the hug had never happened. He smiled casually, ¡°Poppy.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°So this is the poppy.¡± Le Zhi had only read about this flower in books. Just because it was one of the flowers and plants prohibited from being planted in Great Li¡¯s law. Le Zhi also knew a little bit about the usefulness of this flower. The flowers that could have been used as medicine were classified as forbidden flowers because if they were misused in large quantities, it would cause hallucination and addiction. She turned to look at Huo Du, wondering why he wanted to plant so many poppies in the mansion. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Huo Du pulled her up and said as he walked out, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to see your sister?¡± Le Zhi then turned her head and followed him out of the greenhouse. The cold wind outside was much lighter, but it was still breezy. Le Zhi¡¯s loose hair was blown up and brushed on her face, but she was startled to feel the slight scent of peppermint on her hair. No, it was not just on her hair. There was more on her dress that was impossible to get rid of. Huo Du stopped, loosened Le Zhi¡¯s hand, and slowly raised his hand to straighten her loose hair. Le Zhi stared at him in a daze, unable to ignore the tenderness in his countenance. So, did he plant so many poppies because the flower represented himself? Before one realized it, one had already become addicted. Dangerous and irresistible. She should not think anymore! Le Zhi forced herself to look away, and shook her head gently, trying to drive away all the messy thoughts in her mind. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t Your Highness come with me?¡± Le Zhi asked. Huo Du cast his gaze on her face and said nothing. In what capacity was he going to go? Taizi of country Qi? Son of an enemy? Or¡­ Brother-in-law? ¡°My sister¡¯s illness is very serious.¡± Le Zhi tugged at his sleeve and batted her eyelashes, with a hint of coquettishness in her aggrieved tone, ¡°Your Highness¡¯s medical skills are brilliant, can you¡­¡± Huo Du was angry but also found it laughable, ironically that he had been thinking about it for a long time, but other people simply wanted to use him as a doctor. ¡°Are you blatantly using me?¡± He deliberately raised his face and asked, ¡°Le Zhi, do you think that as long as you act coquettishly, I will do anything for you?¡± Le Zhi loosened his sleeve, her cheeks flushed red. She bit her lip as she lowered her head. She also realized that taking shortcuts could be addicting. She began to ask him more and more naturally relying on his liking towards her. She was done. She was becoming more and more like the bad woman who took advantage of others wantonly as written in the storybook. Her nose was sour, and her eyes were turning red. She quickly turned around and wanted to leave, but her palm was caught, and she could not break free. She heard Huo Du give a soft tut, walked in front of her, and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Le Zhi¡¯s voice was muffled, and she did not know what she was feeling, ¡°If Your Highness is reluctant, you don¡¯t have to force it.¡± ¡°Le Zhi, why are you¡­¡± Huo Du raised the corners of his lips and said in a leisurely tone, ¡°Are you getting more and more hypocritical?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face was so hot that she tried to break Huo Du¡¯s hand with her other hand, but he put his cold white fingers through hers, and then held them tightly, entwining their fingers. ¡°Not reluctant.¡± Huo Du rubbed the back of her hand with his fingers, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ very willing to do it.¡± Le Zhi was stunned, letting him pull her and walking slowly in the direction of the dining hall. Huo Du used the afterglow to look at her crumpled face from the corner of his eyes and curved his lips. Even if he had not found a way to unravel the deadlock between the two of them, he could not let go. In this case, he could only use this stupid method to make her more and more dependent on him, and more and more inseparable from him. What did taking advantage consider? He was only afraid that there was nowhere in himself that she could use. Could this method work? Huo Du did not know, so he could only give it a try. ¡ª In the dining hall. Le Jin sat at the dining table in a daze, drinking the hot sweet soup silently. After Le Zhi calmed down, she asked Huo Du to wait outside the door for a while, and then raised her leg to enter the door. ¡°Sister¡± she called softly. Le Jin raised her eyes, and her eyes were soft. Although she was still dazed, she nodded slightly towards Le Zhi. In an instant, Le Zhi¡¯s eyes turned red. She sat beside Le Jin and held her sister¡¯s hand. After a pause, she said again, ¡°Sister, I found a very good doctor to help you check your pulse, all right?¡± Hearing this, Le Jin frowned slightly, and her shoulders shrank a little unconsciously. Seeing this, Le Zhi patted her on the back and comforted her softly. Huo Du stood outside the hall, looking at the mountains in the distance. At this time, An Xuan brought Fu Xian over. On the way here, Le Zhi asked him if he could let Fu Xian come to see Le Jin, and he agreed without even thinking about it. Remembering the secret prison that day, Huo Du turned his head unnaturally and did not look at him. And Fu Xian was thinking about Le Jin, he hurriedly stepped in, and even An Xuan could not stop him. ¡°Xiaojin!¡± The people in the hall were obviously frightened. Le Jin shrunk her head and drilled into Le Zhi¡¯s arms. She had an inexplicable fear of men. But she could not help but look at Fu Xian, and her eyes were full of panic. Huo Du was forced to enter the door when Fu Xian made such a fuss. He glanced at Fu Xian impatiently, then lowered his voice and said to Le Zhi, ¡°Cover your sister¡¯s eyes.¡± Le Zhi immediately understood what he meant. She raised her hand and gently covered Le Jin¡¯s eyes. After a while, Le Jin¡¯s body relaxed a lot. Huo Du walked to her side, while Le Zhi cooperatively put Le Jin¡¯s hand on the table, and then looked at Huo Du, only to see him silently saying the words to her. ¡°Handkerchief.¡± She was stunned for a moment, lamenting at his carefulness and propriety. Then she took out the handkerchief and put it on her sister¡¯s hand. Huo Du put two fingers on Le Jin¡¯s pulse, but after a while, he withdrew his hand. He nodded to Le Zhi, then left the hall. He had to ask someone for some medicine. Soon, a carriage rushed out of the Taizi mansion and ran in the direction of the suburbs. Not long after, the carriage left the city and entered the suburbs, getting closer and closer to the imperial mausoleum. But before he arrived at the imperial mausoleum, he stopped in front of a bamboo house. Huo Du got off the carriage, went straight inside, pushed open the door of the bamboo house, and called out, ¡°Old Man Yin.¡± The man inside walked out quickly. He was about forty years old, with a little bit of heroism in his elegance. Seeing Huo Du, he looked surprised but quickly regained his indifference. ¡°Tsk, a rare guest.¡± In an eccentric tone, ¡°Why, finally willing to see your mother this year?¡± Hearing this, Huo Du¡¯s face darkened a little bit. ¡°Didn¡¯t you come to see your mother? Then what are you doing here?¡± The man understood what he wanted and yet asked deliberately, ¡°Is it possible to treat your leg?¡± After a long while, Huo Du did not speak. The man knew the knot in his heart, so he stopped talking about it. He waved his hand and let Huo Du go into the back room and he turned around and walked inside. ¡°En.¡± The man¡¯s footsteps stopped. He thought he had heard it wrong, but Huo Du, who was standing behind him, continued to speak. ¡°Come to treat the leg.¡± The author has something to say£º Du: I¡¯m tired of holding my wife in one hand!!! Reader: We all remember that someone said that he would be a lame person for the rest of his life. Du: It¡¯s not me anyway. (Indifference) CH 50 Chapter 50 Hug The fragrance of medicine in the bamboo house was overflowing, which was a smell that Huo Du was familiar with. When he was young, he first lost his leg, and later became addicted to Bailuo powder. He locked himself in the mansion, with all his thoughts in despair, and left himself to fend for himself. But one night, a man in black quietly sneaked into the Taizi Mansion and brought him to this bamboo house in a half-conscious state. This man was Yin Changshuo. Huo Du watched him turn around in astonishment, his face full of disbelief. He could not help frowning, because he found that Yin Changshuo¡¯s face actually had wrinkles. Although Huo Du kept calling him an old man, in his subconscious, he always felt that Yin Changshuo would never grow old. It turned out that he would get old too. It turned out that so many years had passed. Huo Du lowered his eyes, suppressed the fleeting emotions, ignored Yin Changshuo¡¯s astonishment, and walked slowly towards the back room. Even though Huo Du had not been here for a long time, he was still no stranger to this place. He walked straight to the mahogany medicine cabinet, skillfully opened a few drawers, took out a few herbs, and threw them on the table. Then took a few more steps to the right and open the spacious drawer on the far side. Seeing this, Yin Changshuo said angrily, ¡°Hey, hey¡­ you stinky brat. You rummage through the boxes as soon as you come here!¡± Huo Du turned a deaf ear and continued to search. After a while, he still could not find what he was looking for. ¡°Old man, where is the snow bone lotus?¡± Huo Du turned around and asked. He was used to Huo Du¡¯s indifference, and it was rare to hear a nervous tone in his questioning, which made Yin Changshuo very surprised. ¡°What? Seriously?¡± Yin Changshuo smiled, ¡°Do you really want to treat your leg?¡± Seeing that Huo Du did not answer, he took a few steps forward and glanced at the medicinal materials on the table, ¡°Purple lingzhi, moss grass, and divine sand. Is someone frightened?¡± The backroom had an elegant layout. A low wooden table was placed beside the windowsill, with plush mats on both sides. The herbal tea brewing on the table was boiling, and the lid of the pot was vibrating. Huo Du did not answer. He walked slowly and sat on the velvet mat. He stretched out his hand, slowly picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and slowly brought it to his mouth to take a sip. Yin Changshuo knew his temperament well and did not care. He sat down on the other side and finally said, ¡°Xiaodu, you¡¯ve changed a lot.¡± Huo Du raised his eyelids and sneered softly, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell¡­¡± Yin Changshuo smiled, ¡°I felt you have a little more human in you.¡± Hearing this, Huo Du¡¯s face darkened. Was this old man scolding him in a different way? ¡°All right, all right, let¡¯s be serious. You come here in such a hurry¡­¡± Yin Changshuo waved his hand and asked tentatively, ¡°Is it because of your new wife?¡± With Huo Du¡¯s temperament, there was almost no possibility of being frightened by the other. But he pulled out these calming medicinal materials, obviously for the other person. Yin Changshuo knew that he had been alone for many years and did not care about anything. If there was any change now, it was probably only the matter of marrying a wife not long ago. Yin Changshuo pondered for a moment and suddenly realized. ¡°Stinky boy! Did you act dead again to frighten your wife?¡± Huo Du pursed his lips, gave him a rather indescribable look, and said with a light tone, ¡°It¡¯s not her, it¡¯s her sister.¡± Even though he stayed far away from the hustle and bustle of the imperial city and lived here for a long time, Yin Changshuo had always been very concerned about Huo Du. He knew who Huo Du had married, the little princess of country Li. The country Li had a clear consciousness of law and order. Emperor Li was even more generous and benevolent, and his reputation was far and wide. His children must be all excellent. However, what Huo Changyun did¡­ Yin Changshuo shook his head and sighed, he had not asked about the world for many years, and the only one he could not rest assured was the child in front of him. Chu Yu¡¯s son. They all said that sons were like their mothers. Huo Du¡¯s peach blossom eyes were born exactly like his mother¡¯s. Through these eyes, Yin Changshuo seemed to be able to see the little girl who smiled like a flower and grew up with him. He could not help but tilt his head to look out the window, overlooking the misty mountain, and smiled with his lips curved. The imperial mausoleum of the Great Qi was located on top of the Wushan mountain, which was the mountain of immortals of the Great Qi. It was surrounded by clouds and mists all year round, which seemed to have the shadow of an immortal. Yin Changshuo¡¯s bamboo house was the closest place to Wushan Mountain. In this way, he guarded Wushan, guarded the imperial mausoleum, and accompanied Chu Yu in the imperial mausoleum year after year. His eyes passed through the mist, and he conveyed the news to the person who was sleeping forever inside. Ah Yu, Xiaodu is married. It¡¯s rare for him to come here. It¡¯s rare¡­ to be so close to you. You take a good look at him. After a while, Yin Changshuo put away his emotions, turned his head to look at Huo Du, and said with a smile, ¡°Are you in love?¡± He knew that Huo Du hated coming here because the imperial mausoleum was too close here. Xiao Du hated Ah Yu so much that he did not even want to admit that he had this mother. But today, he actually came here for the first time for a few medicines. He was even so worried just for the little princess¡¯ sister, who was her family member. What else could Yin Changshuo not see? After a long while, Huo Du hummed, which was a response to Yin Changshuo¡¯s question. He has nothing to deny. Le Zhi was so good that it was normal for him to like her. Even the moment he confessed, his chest was overflowing with pride. Even just thinking of her, a soft place in his heart seemed to be caressed by the breeze. Getting warmer, and getting hotter. Yin Changshuo clearly felt the change in Huo Du¡¯s mood, and he slowly lowered his gaze to his disabled leg. There was no need to ask anymore, he could already guess the reason why Huo Du wanted to treat his leg. Just that¡­ ¡°Snow bone lotus, which grows in dense jungles, takes three years to grow and it takes three years to bear fruit. It must be medicated within ten days after the fruit is picked, otherwise, it will lose its medicinal effect.¡± Yin Changshuo sighed, ¡°This thing cannot be planted, only grow in the wild. Over the years, snow bone lotus has become rarer and rarer.¡± After a pause, he increased his voice and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with your Uncle Yin here, I will definitely find it for you!¡± Huo Du did not speak, just stared at him blankly. This man passed on most of his internal strength to him after he disabled his leg, regardless of his own safety, and taught him medical skills, folk art, and strategies. Compared to Huo Changyun, Yin Changshuo seemed to be his father. Even if he did not want to admit it, Huo Du had hoped that Yin Changshuo was his father when he was young. But he felt that Chu Yu was not worthy, and as the son of Chu Yu, he was not worthy of his life to save him. Yin Changshuo, who was well-versed in both literary and martial arts, and had mastered the arts of music and medicine, would spend his whole life here for a woman. Originally, how could Huo Changyun be willing to let him live here, how could that selfish and cunning man let him be so close to his woman? He sent heavy troops to encircle and suppress him, but even if he lost most of his internal strength, Yin Changshuo¡¯s skills were still unfathomable. Insufficient resistance was more like self-preservation. He would always use flying skills to leave when Huo Changyun sent troops, and he would still return to the bamboo house after the soldiers left. Over time, Huo Changyun could not do anything about him. Like an iron heart, he stubbornly stayed here to accompany Chu Yu. Huo Du finally turned his head and looked at the misty mountain in the distance with a blank face. He frowned, his eyes darkened but with less hatred, only left indifference. After a while, he opened his mouth. ¡°Old man, get out of here.¡± Huo Du turned his head back, looked at Yin Changshuo, and said, ¡°You don¡¯t owe her anything.¡± There¡¯s no need to trap yourself here. Yin Changshuo¡¯s face froze for a moment, and then returned to normal. ¡°Stinky boy, you don¡¯t have to care so much!¡± He stood up and walked to the table to wrap the few herbs Huo Du took out in the paper, ¡°Hurry up and go!¡± Huo Du picked up the white jade cane beside him and stood up without saying anything. After taking the medicinal materials, he walked out. ¡°Xiao Du.¡± Yin Changshuo stopped him. Huo Du stopped but did not turn around. ¡°Bring her with you next time.¡± After a long silence, only did Huo Du nodded solemnly, and then continued to walk outward. Yin Changshuo watched Huo Du¡¯s back until he disappeared from sight. He smiled and continued to sit by the window, staring into the distance in a daze, letting himself relax for a long time. ¡ª Inside the dining hall. Since Le Jin shrank into Le Zhi¡¯s arms, Fu Xian never dared to approach her again. Xiao Jin was afraid of him. After Huo Du left, Le Zhi slowly put down the hands covering her sister¡¯s eyes, Le Jin calmed down a lot and looked around in confusion. Until she saw Fu Xian leaning against the door. A familiar feeling rose in Le Jin¡¯s heart, but she could not remember him. She looked at Le Zhi at a loss. Although she did not know who she was, she somehow trusted this little girl who had been protecting her. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be afraid. His name is Fu Xian. He is your¡­¡± Le Zhi bit her lip, afraid of scaring her, so she did not dare to tell the truth, ¡°He¡¯s your good friend, and you two grew up together.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Le Jin nodded and continued to take a sip of the dessert soup. After she put down the bowl, she yawned. Le Zhi quickly supported her and walked toward the guest room. As for Fu Xian, he followed behind them, keeping a short distance from them. It was not until Le Jin was settled down that Le Zhi walked out of the guest room. Fu Xian, who was standing outside, looked worried, and the appearance of Xiao Jin just now made his heartache. ¡°Brother Fu Xian, my sister has come out from Xia Feitai, she will definitely recover gradually.¡± Fu Xian nodded and hesitated, ¡°But I¡­¡± Le Zhi understood what he meant. He did not know how Huo Du would deal with hijacking the carriage today. Next, how to help Fu Xian to settle down? At this time, An Xuan, who was standing in the distance, came over, as if he could read Le Zhi¡¯s mind. He bowed and said, ¡°Taizifei, His Highness has an order to let Master Fu also stay in the mansion temporarily.¡± Le Zhi nodded, knowing that he could always arrange it appropriately. She looked at An Xuan and asked, ¡°Did His Highness leave the mansion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± An Xuan replied in a deep voice, ¡°His Highness said that he will come back later so that you don¡¯t have to wait for him to have dinner together.¡± Fu Xian, who was on the side, listened to the conversation between the two and recalled that the attitude of the people in the manor towards Le Zhi was all respectful and courteous. Looking at Zhizhi¡¯s dress and demeanor, she did not look like she had been tortured by grievances. What was going on? ¡°Master Fu, please.¡± An Xuan¡¯s words brought Fu Xian back to his senses. He looked at Le Zhi. Even though there were many doubts in his heart, he knew that he should not ask more at this time. So, he nodded to Le Zhi and followed An Xuan to another courtyard. Le Zhi was restless and suddenly walked to Little Lame Huo¡¯s room. She stepped in. When the little snow fluffy saw her, it ran over excitedly dragging its lame leg and rubbing against her ankle. Le Zhi squatted down, picked it up and sat on a soft chair, picked up the dried fish on the side to feed it. She touched its soft head and murmured unconsciously, ¡°Where did you say your father Huo go?¡± ¡°Meow~¡± Little Lame Huo raised its head and batted its round cat eyes. Le Zhi smiled and picked up the milk from the side to feed it. She teased the cat in the cat room for half a day, and then came out at dinner to accompany her sister to eat. But she was still restless and did not eat much at all. After coaxing her sister to sleep, she went back to her bedroom. But Huo Du had not come back even after she had finished washing and came out of the bathroom. Le Zhi leaned against the embroidered pillow in a daze, her heart could not help being nervous. Although she knew that with his ability, nothing would happen. But she still worried for him subconsciously. Suddenly, there was a sound outside the door, and then the door was slowly pushed open. Le Zhi felt as if her heart had been touched. She got up from the bed and hurried to Huo Du. Huo Du put the medicine bag in his arms on the table, then looked at the person walking toward him with a worried look on her face. He thought she was worried about Le Jin¡¯s condition, so he said with a serious face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your sister is muddle-headed due to excessive fright. Use these medicines to slowly nurse her health back, and with your company to ease her anxiety, it will not take long for her to get better.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart was a little more at ease, but she knew that she was waiting for him restlessly, not just because of her sister. She approached him and sniffed lightly on him. The familiar peppermint fragrance had a touch of medicinal fragrance. So, he went out for most of the day to find medicine? She raised her eyes and looked at his countenance, keenly capturing the sadness in his eyes. Where did he go? Why was he not happy? Le Zhi subconsciously reached out to hold his hand, but he avoided it. ¡°I¡¯ll take a bath first.¡± Huo Du turned sideways to prevent her from touching him. He had just come in from outside and was cold all over. He was afraid of passing the cold to her, as he knew how afraid she was of the cold. However, Le Zhi did not let him get his wish fulfilled. She stepped forward to hold his cold palm and pulled him to sit on the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re very happy.¡± Her voice was muffled. Hearing this, Huo Du smiled while caressing her head, and withdrew immediately. She could always see through him easily, maybe he was not good at disguising himself in front of her? Then, he saw Le Zhi open her arms towards him and said softly, ¡°Hug.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in such a hurry to ask brother for a hug?¡± Huo Du chuckled, reaching for the cane beside him and preparing to get up, ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll hug later.¡± Unexpectedly, before his hand touched the cane, his waist was tightly wrapped by a pair of warm hands, and her warm little head was pressed to his heart. Huo Du was stunned for a moment. Le Zhi just felt that at this time, he would prefer her to hug more than a hot bath. She felt his unhappiness, but she was very happy today, and her happiness was all given by Huo Du. So, she could not be stingy. She had to share the happiness with him. Defeated by her stubbornness, Huo Du put his hand on her back and hugged her gently. After a while, Le Zhi raised her head as if thinking of something and released him slightly. Then, she pressed her forehead gently to his forehead and whispered. Just like in the hot spring villa that day, Huo Du pressed against her forehead and transferred her killings sins to himself. So today, she would also want to pass on her happiness to him. The author has something to say£º Zhi: I suspect that this lame person just likes to brag, and he still has to rely on me at the critical moment. Little Lame Huo: Mother Le is right! Waste¡­ Father Huo, I look down on you! Du: Meow, meow, meow? CH 51 Chapter 51 Aroused Huo Du felt the warmth in his forehead and quietly looked at the face that was close by. She had her eyes closed and her black eyelashes were slightly curled up, making the corners of his lips unconsciously draw the same curve. Le Zhi¡¯s soft whispering came to his ears, as tiny as mosquitoes, but Huo Du could still hear it clearly. It was just that he was talking nonsense, and she really believed it. Huo Du laughed at her stupidity in his heart, but seeing her serious expression, a burst of happiness rose in his heart. It seemed that he really received the happiness that she conveyed. Soon, the hands around his waist loosened, and Le Zhi moved back a little. Before she fully opened her eyes, Huo Du quickly put his palm on the back of Le Zhi¡¯s neck, leaned close to her face, and dropped a light kiss. A soft fragrance was pressed against the warm lips, a quick peck kiss. Le Zhi opened her eyes in panic, and the redness on her snowy cheeks spread to the tips of her ears. She looked into Huo Du¡¯s eyes, and her heart trembled slightly because of the burning desire in his eyes. She looked away embarrassedly, and raised her hand to push his arm away, ¡°Quickly, quickly go take a bath.¡± Huo Du laughed and deliberately teased her, ¡°You don¡¯t recognize people after hugging?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi was ashamed and annoyed. She pushed him hard, then turned over to get on the bed, buried herself in the quilt, and wrapped her head tightly. Huo Du tugged at the quilt on her body, exposing her head a little so that she would not be out of breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to the pharmacy.¡± He leaned over and whispered, and after seeing Le Zhi nod lightly across the brocade quilt, he picked up the cane beside him and walked out of the room. Le Zhi only thought that he was taking the medicinal materials, but it was not all because of this. Huo Du went to the pharmacy, ground all the medicinal materials he brought back into powder, packed them in porcelain bottles of different colors, walked to the edge of the medicine cabinet, and took down a sea-blue porcelain bottle from the highest point. He sat on the armchair and stared at the medicine bottle. After a while, he poured out a black pill and put it in his mouth. The bitter medicinal smell penetrated the tip of the tongue and slid down the throat. When the bitterness spread to his whole body, Huo Du curved his lips and smiled slightly. This medicine was developed by Huo Du a few days ago. Sleeping with Le Zhi every night was to let down her guard at the beginning, but the torment of unbearable heat was increasing day by day. Once, he scoffed at the world¡¯s seven emotions and six desires. But now, he was drawn to her and had desired. Thinking and craving for desire became one of the many sentient beings in the world. Huo Du knew that with Le Zhi¡¯s temperament, as long as he said he wanted it, she would definitely not refuse him. He knew she was a very open-minded person. But he did not want to get her body like a deal as she wished and then push her heart away. He would never do such a stupid thing. He had already fallen in love with her and was naturally very greedy for her. He wanted both her body and mind. But, if he still could not understand the subtle feelings that Le Zhi¡¯s eyes could not suppress when he was in the greenhouse today, and the warm embrace just now, then he was really a fool. When he did not know her feelings, his desires and thoughts could still be suppressed with his inner strength. But now, he was not sure how long he could suppress it. Therefore, while sanity was still alive, he must start taking medicine. Because Huo Du knew that it was possible to enjoy the pleasure, he would never allow Le Zhi to conceive a child. Even the slightest heartbeat for him could make her entangled endlessly. If she was pregnant with his child, how painful would it be for her? His little fox was so smart, Huo Du knew that she would definitely take the child avoidance soup and would not allow herself to fall into this kind of suffering. But things like child avoidance soup were too harmful to a woman¡¯s body. Huo Du could not bear it. Instead of letting her avoid it, it would be better for him to do it. As long as he took it for one month, and then take one tablet every month, then he could ensure its effectiveness. Until all the obstacles between them were removed, the child would only be a burden. Besides, the road they were taking now was full of danger on every side. Especially for him, he took a road of no return. He could keep her safe, but he did not want to leave a child with the Huo clan¡¯s bloodline to her, leaving her trapped in self-blame for the rest of her life. The bitterness in his mouth gradually faded, and Huo Du stood up with satisfaction and walked slowly towards the bedroom. As for Le Zhi who got up and rummaged through the books after he left, was reading carefully against the embroidered pillow. It was not until the door was pushed open again that she shoved the book into the quilt in a panic. She raised her eyes to look at Huo Du, and she could see a little snow had fallen on his clothes across the distance. It¡¯s cold outside, and I wonder if his leg hurts again? Her heart jumped and she turned her head back. Huo Du looked at her slightly blushing side face, and a strange feeling flashed in his heart. But he did not think much, he just raised his leg to walk toward the bathroom. After he went in, Le Zhi took out the book again, finally browsed through it, and put the book back in its place. She touched the scabbed wound on her shoulder and secretly made a decision. Le Zhi had not been a diligent person since she was a child, but her ability to act was far better than most people, and she was very reliable. Since she had said before that she would consummate when her injury was healed, she would not be coy about it. Especially since Huo Du gave her such great happiness today, she felt that today was an extremely suitable day. In addition, he was a little unhappy when he came back just now. Since a hug could make him a lot happier, let him be happy to the end. Le Zhi thought her idea was superb! When Huo Du came out of the bathroom, the candlelight in the bedroom had dimmed a lot, and he raised his eyelids. There was only one red candle left on the table, and the incense burner was not the fruit incense that Le Zhi loved to use on weekdays but had changed to the richer fragrance of rose incense. Even the bed curtain was put down, leaving only a faint gap. A strange feeling in his heart grew more and more. Huo Du slowly walked to the side of the bed, and the people inside seemed to be asleep. He smiled, it seemed that he had thought too much. He lifted the bed curtain and laid down, feeling the warm fragrance on the bedding. He could not help but smile. He used to think that he controlled his desires very well, but now he had begun to like the warmth and avoided the cold, and longed to be trapped in the land of tenderness and warmth with her. He stretched out his hand and wanted to take Le Zhi into his arms for a hug, but he was afraid of disturbing her good dream. After thinking for a moment, he finally retracted his hand. But in the next instant, Huo Du¡¯s heart was startled when a soft arm wrapped around him, and his eyes showed a bit of bewilderment in it. Soon, Le Zhi leaned her body over. A trace of candlelight shone into the dim bed. Le Zhi put her hand on Huo Du¡¯s chest, propped up slightly, and looked into his eyes with a sweet smile. Huo Du looked at her foxy eyes, which were as bright as stars. His breathing became chaotic, and he knew exactly what she wanted to do. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened as she watched him, and she leaned over and gently kissed the corners of his lips, from one side to the other. Then she pressed her lips on his face again, and finally put her lips on the tips of his ears, and said softly, ¡°The wound on the shoulder has healed.¡± Only fools could not understand such an obvious invitation. There were only thin bedclothes covering each other, and the hearts were so close to each other. The hearts pounded violently again and again, and the rhythms were different. Neither of them could tell which heartbeat belonged to them. Le Zhi had never felt such a scorching body temperature on Huo Du, and even the breath he exhaled was hot. But when she touched his leg¡­ the temperature seemed to be hotter. She could not help but shudder. After reading so many books, Le Zhi naturally knew what it meant. However, once she started, there would be no turning back. She had thought about it that since Huo Du had a leg problem, she had to take the initiative in this matter. Fortunately, she had learned well, and her mind kept thinking of which position should make both of them more comfortable, then moved slightly and kissed his moving Adam¡¯s apple intensely. ¡°Le Zhi¡­¡± Huo Du groaned, the voice he called out was also hoarse. Le Zhi¡¯s heart pounded loudly. She raised her face, no longer hesitated, and kissed his lips. However, when the lips were about to touch, Huo Du, relying on the last remaining rationality, reached out his hand against her thin shoulders. The blocking action was too obvious. Le Zhi was stunned and looked at him at a loss, completely bewildered. Using the dim light, she opened her eyes wide and looked into Huo Du¡¯s eyes carefully. The desire in his eyes was clearly overflowing, and even the temperature of his palms was hot. Then, why? Huo Du gently pushed her down on the other side of the bed, pulled the quilt and wrapped her around her, and hurriedly got off the bed. Even when he pulled the bed curtain, his hands seemed to be filled with anger. Le Zhi heard the familiar sound of the cane touching the ground and knew that he had gone to the bathroom again. The heat source on her side left, but the heat on her body had yet reduced. She frowned and lifted the quilt that was wrapping her to dissipate the heat through ventilation. Gradually, the warmth on her body subsided, but a wave of anger rose in her heart. She! Was! Being! Refuse! Again!! She took so much initiative, and he was also aroused. Why did he reject her!? Was he sick! Le Zhi scolded him inwardly, but after the scolding, she calmed down a bit. Illness¡­ She thought about it carefully and remembered that nothing happened when she gave him an aphrodisiac. Originally it was just an angry scolding, but now that she thought about it, it seemed to be true. Once the idea had popped up, it grew rapidly. The more Le Zhi thought about it, the more she felt that it was true. Because other than that, she could not think of any other reason to explain it all. It turned out that in addition to his leg problems, he also had a hidden illness. His medical skills were obviously so good, but she also knew an old saying¡­ Doctors do not treat themselves. Her anger dissipated, the color of her eyes gradually darkened, and the tip of Le Zhi¡¯s heart seemed to be pierced by a thin needle, spreading out a burst of pain. At this moment, the person who hurriedly entered the bathroom gathered his inner strength with his fingertips and tapped heavily on several acupuncture points. But the suffocation in his chest was unbearable. His throat was filled with sweetness, and he spits out a mouthful of blood. He had used internal force to suppress desires too many times, and it was normal to vomit blood. What happened tonight was completely beyond his expectations. He was almost driven crazy. The lust in his eyes had dissipated, leaving only gloominess. What kind of lousy medicine that had to be taken for a month! His brilliant medical skills were bullshit. He could not even develop a better medicine! One month¡­ This is simply living torturously for a year! Huo Du slumped into the chair disappointedly and dropped his cane for the first time. He looked at his powerless leg and remembered the gentle look of Le Zhi who pressed on him and took into consideration of his disabled leg just now. He gradually closed the palms, clenching his fists tightly. The irritability in his heart increased, and he began to feel anxious. He had to find the snow bone lotus quickly! The author has something to say£º If Great Qi has a hot search, then the number one hot search must be¡­ #Huodu can¡¯t do it# * Du: See you in a month! I hope to get your apology by then. CH 52 Chapter 52 Great Blow None of them knew how long it had been when Huo Du came out of the bathroom. Huo Du walked out with a sullen face, the rich rose fragrance disappeared, and the faint sandalwood fragrance wafted to his nose, making his heart slightly relaxed. He really could not think of how to explain what had just happened to Le Zhi. It seemed that there was no fair explanation. Annoying. He walked over slowly and lay stiffly on the bed, without even putting down the bed curtain. Quietly listening to the breathing beside him, Huo Du knew that she had not slept. Suddenly, the brocade quilt moved slightly, and Le Zhi slowly moved her little hand to his side, covering the back of his hand. Then she would slowly approach him, resting her head on his shoulders and cradling his arm with both hands, and whisper, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Full of soothing tones. Huo Du¡¯s expression was extremely unsightly, and he turned his head to look into her eyes. His gloomy face along with his frown fell into Le Zhi¡¯s eyes, which even more confirmed her conjecture. This kind of thing is really a great blow to a man¡¯s self-esteem. Le Zhi sighed silently. She obediently buried her face in Huo Du¡¯s neck, and rubbed gently, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± She knew that it was useless to talk more at this time, and she could only comfort him in this way. She also secretly said in her heart that she must find a way to help cure him. Only then did she gradually fall asleep with determination. And the warm and light breath brushed Huo Du¡¯s neck, subtle but hard to ignore as if tickling his heart. He lowered his eyes and fixed his eyes on the top of Le Zhi¡¯s head, feeling his gradually unstable heartbeat and breathing. Little fox, this brother will be killed by you sooner or later. Huo Du laughed. He approached her head, kissed her gently, and put his face on her black hair. He slowly closed her eyes in the joy and intolerable torment, accompanied by the faint fragrance of hibiscus flowers in her hair. ¡ª Before dawn, the horizon plunged into the deepest night. And in the Jingxian Wang mansion, someone stayed up all night. Shen Qingyan leaned on the headboard weakly, her eyes were empty and tired. The bedclothes on her body were loose, and her neck, shoulders, back¡­ almost all over her body were covered with bruises. The most frightening was her lips which were slightly red and swollen, and it was a bit hard to close. She looked at the man who had long fallen asleep on the bed with resentment in her eyes. The smell of alcohol in the room was so strong that it was difficult to dissipate, and there was also the heavy smell after the love affair, which was mixed together and made it unpleasant. In Shen Qingyan¡¯s mind, all kinds of things that happened in recent days appeared in her mind, and she could not help but feel dizzy. She really hoped this was a nightmare. A few days ago, because Yuxian made a big fuss, many things came to light. It turned out that Huo Xu had never cut off contact with Le Zhi, except for that time when Yuxian bumped into them, how many times had they met in private? He could even slap Yuxian for a bedwarmer that looked like Le Zhi. Shen Qingyan¡¯s heart was cold, and she could not stand it any longer. It was true that she loved him, but she was not a person without dignity. She proposed for divorce, but Huo Xu refused, so she had to ask her father for help, but the Empress interfered as they just refused to let her go. No, it should be said that Huo Xu was unwilling to give up the support brought by her father¡¯s position as the Prime Minister. For her sake, her father tried all kinds of methods and even deliberately confronted Huo Xu in court. But after all, taking her into consideration, his father just scolded him, in order to force him to be better himself. In this world, it seemed that the woman¡¯s life would be ruined if she married the wrong person. Because of her father, Huo Xu had restrained a lot in front of her, but Shen Qingyan could see that he really did not like her from the bottom of his heart. Yesterday, Huo Xu was reprimanded by His Majesty in the morning court, and he lost control of Xia Feitai. He was so angry that he returned drunk. Huo Xu this person could still maintain a gentle hypocritical appearance when he was sober, but it was difficult to suppress his true nature once he was drunk. He blamed Shen Qingyan for the recent misery. He hated Shen Huai for toppling him for Shen Qingyan. Moreover, he did not say a word for him when he was being reprimanded! Shen Qingyan had just recovered from a serious illness. Her menses had only passed, and her body was still weak. But Huo Xu was drunk, despite her rejection, he just pulled off her thin shirt and approached her rudely. ¡°What are you pretending to be? Isn¡¯t this what you want?¡± This was the only thing he said to her after entering the room. After speaking, he pressed Shen Qingyan to the bed. Previously, Huo Xu pretended to be gentle in sexual affairs, but this time, he completely revealed his true nature. Shen Qingyan turned her head, and her eyes were wet and red. She did not want to recall, but those embarrassing scenes always popped up in her mind and would not go away. Huo Xu fiddled and kneaded her wantonly, using several gestures that made her feel humiliated. In the end, he actually pressed her shoulder tightly and forcibly forced her to use her mouth. She had wiped away the white marks on her lips with a handkerchief long ago, but when she thought of those, Shen Qingyan could not help retching. When she had love in her heart before, she was willing to do this for him. Now that the love was smashed to pieces, all that was left was full of disgust. The red candle went out, and the first ray of light appeared. The hangover person muttered and frowned as if he was about to wake up. Shen Qingyan quickly pulled over the quilt and lay down, pretending to be asleep. She could not face him. Fortunately, Huo Xu also did not want to pay attention to her either. After he woke up, he rolled over and got out of bed immediately, and did not cover her with the quilt he had lifted. Shen Qingyan closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the person at the bedside getting dressed. After he was dressed, he walked away. At the moment when the door was closed, Shen Qingyan opened her sour eyes and tears fell uncontrollably. At this moment, she felt that she was not the noble Jingxian Wangfei, but someone that was trampled and insulted at will, just like the poor brothel women mentioned in the book. Lu Ying, who was guarding not far from the door of the room, stayed up all night until she saw Huo Xu leaving, she hurriedly ran over and opened the door. The muddy smell in the room made Lu Ying frown, and she raised her legs to enter the room. After seeing her master¡¯s face clearly, her heart was tightened. She walked quickly to the bedside and squatted down, took out a handkerchief with her trembling hand to wipe Shen Qingyan¡¯s tears, ¡°Master, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Lu Ying persuaded with a choking voice, but when she saw the shocking bruises on Shen Qingyan¡¯s body through her loose bedclothes, she could not help but burst into tears. ¡°Master, shall we go back to the Prime Minister¡¯s mansion?¡± Lu Ying sobbed, and her voice trembled, ¡°Let¡¯s go tell the Prime Minister and ask the Prime Minister to find a way.¡± Lu Ying was extremely distressed. Her master was the treasure of the Prime Minister¡¯s mansion since she was a child. When did she ever suffer such a huge grievance? She clenched both her fists tightly, if the Prime Minister knew, he would never let go of the person who hurt her! But Shen Qingyan shook her head weakly. She could no longer go back to the mansion recklessly and embarrassed her father. She was no longer a little girl who had not grown up and could not rely on her father thoughtlessly. She wanted to rely on herself, leave the Jingxian Wang mansion in a dignified manner, and withdraw herself from this wrong and absurd marriage. ¡°Lu Ying, prepare hot water for me.¡± She had to wash away the filth that the man had shed and even had to wash all her affection for him away. ¡ª The morning sun had only just risen, and the morning fog had not yet dissipated. ¡°Quick! Ah Chan shoot him!¡± Lin Yue stood on the side of Le Zhi, dancing happily, talking and laughing. The five people in the yard held different weapons and learned from each other. They were the three men and two women that Le Zhi brought back from the slave market. The woman who was called Ah Chan by Lin Yue held a crossbow in her hand and shot it steadily towards the young man on the right. The young man did not panic, and threw a stone at casually, deflecting the silver arrow away. Seeing this, Ah Chan¡¯s face turned cold, and she raised her crossbow again, unwilling to concede. The three on the other side, one was holding a sword and the other was holding a knife, and the youngest woman was holding a flexible whip, fighting with each other, unable to tell the difference for a while. After a while, the panting sound in the courtyard became heavier and heavier, Le Zhi smiled and shouted to stop, ¡°Let¡¯s take a break before continuing practicing.¡± Hearing this, all five of them stopped, but their eyes invariably looked at An Xuan standing on the left, as if waiting for him to speak. And An Xuan lifted his sleepy eyelids without saying a word. Seeing that he was silent, the five of them did not move. They were the best in the slave market, but after all, they had not undergone proper training. Taizifei bought them and brought them back to the mansion, and also took care of their health. They were all abandoned or sold by their families from a young age, wandering around, hungry for a meal and full for a meal, without names and identities. They thought they would be slaves to be beaten and scolded for life, but they never thought that Heaven would still give them such a circumstance. Although they were not good at words, each of them secretly vowed to repay their master¡¯s kindness. These days, An Xuan was responsible for taking them for morning exercises and teaching them according to the martial arts they were good at. The five of them were extremely diligent. If An Xuan did not say that they met the required standard, they would not stop to rest. They must work hard and contribute to the cause as soon as possible! The yard suddenly became quiet. Le Zhi rolled her eyes, glanced at the pastries on the stone table, and deliberately raised her voice to ask Lin Yue, ¡°Who made this jujube paste cake?¡± ¡°Master, it was Jing Xin who got up early in the morning to do it!¡± ¡°Like this, ah.¡± Le Zhi reached out to touch the edge of the plate and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s getting cold. Jing Xin made it with great difficulty, and it¡¯s really a waste that no one eats it!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Lin Yue just wanted to say no as the jujube paste cake was just as delicious when it was cold. But her master held her wrist and prevented her from speaking. That¡¯s really weird! Le Zhi glanced at An Xuan¡¯s face, and as she expected, his stiff expression gradually loosened. Then she heard him speak indifferently, ¡°Rest for a quarter of an hour.¡± The five of them were relieved, quickly ran to the stone table, and began to eat snacks happily. Ah Chan, who did not do well just now, stared at the person next to her unhappily, ¡°Stay away from me!¡± The young man shrank his neck. This Ah Chan smiled at everyone else, but she stopped smiling at him. This was too much! But he did not dare to confront her, so he moved a few steps to the side obediently, just in time to see the short girl drinking tea. ¡°Xiao Xi, you¡¯re swinging this whip softly. Are you hitting mosquitoes?¡± ¡°You!¡± Xiao Xi, the smallest in stature, pulled her face down and made a gesture to hit him. ¡°Xiao Ming, don¡¯t always bully Xiao Xi.¡± Another prudent young man said in a deep voice. Xia Ming laughed, ¡°Ah Yu, why are you always protecting this girl?¡± ¡°Can you shut up!¡± Ah Chan said annoyingly and poked Xia Ming¡¯s back with a crossbow. Le Zhi smiled and watched them fight. They were only one or two years younger than her, only Dong Yi, who was not very talkative, was three years younger than her. Although they were masters and servants, she also regarded them as younger brothers and sisters. She named them¡­ Ah Chan, Xiao Xi, Xia Ming, Qiu Yu and Dong Yi. Apart from the time for practicing martial arts, Le Zhi also taught them how to read when she had time. She hoped that when everything was over, they could all have a bright future. Perhaps Le Zhi¡¯s life was incomplete, she hoped that the people around her could live a more complete life. ¡°Xiao Yiyi, why haven¡¯t you spoken yet?¡± Xia Ming shifted his target again, ¡°I heard that you made a contribution yesterday! The leader of the carriage robbery was caught by you personally. You¡¯re so amazing!¡± Dong Yi, who stood quietly biting the pastry on the side, blushed and said nothing. Le Zhi looked at him. The skinny and dark youngest young man on the slave market that day looked much better. She was indeed right. Although Dong Yi was the youngest of the five, his aptitude was the best. Thus, An Xuan arranged for him in the escort team yesterday, originally to let him learn through experience, but unexpectedly there was a sudden accident, and this boy¡¯s reaction was really beyond An Xuan¡¯s expectations. In less than a moment, Dong Yi had subdued Fu Xian. In addition to being responsive, he also had keen insight, and could accurately judge that Fu Xian was the leader of the team. After being reminded by Xia Ming, Le Zhi remembered this. Originally, she planned to ask An Xuan, but now it seemed that there was no need to be so bothersome, just ask Dong Yi. She wanted to figure out one thing. ¡°Xiao Yi, when you were fighting yesterday, how many people were around? Did many people see you fight?¡± Hearing Le Zhi¡¯s question, Dong Yi raised his eyes and revealed his clear eyes. He recalled for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Master, although we subdued them very quickly, many people are passing by on the street, and many people should have seen it.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi smiled and nodded thoughtfully. At this time, Huo Du slowly came over pushing his white jade wheelchair. When the five little ones saw his figure, they could not help but become silent. Even though they were separated by quite a distance, the sense of oppression on him made them cower. They unanimously saluted Huo Du in the distance, then hurriedly faced Le Zhi and said, ¡°Master, we¡¯ll continue to practice first!¡± After that, they each picked up their weapons and ran to another yard. Lin Yue also found an excuse to retire first. Le Zhi broke into laughter. She raised her eyes to look at Huo Du, only to see that he was wearing a light gray straight robe today, with silverfish white patterns embroidered on the side, which seemed to glow softly in the warm sun and his outermost was a star blue robe. While his cold and white face was also a little less gloomy than usual. She looked at the navy-blue dress again and her little face blushed a little. Did this person deliberately choose the same color as hers? Recalling what happened last night, Le Zhi was still a little embarrassed. It was because of this that she got up early, lest he would be a little embarrassed to see her when he woke up. She lowered her eyes and shook her head. Stop thinking about it! Business is more important. Le Zhi raised her eyes and saw Huo Du looking at her from not far away. He deliberately did not come over, sat quietly, put his hands on the armrest, and clasped it lightly with his fingertips, with obvious meaning. Asking her to go over to push him. The dead lame person was really hypocritical. She bit her lip, stood up, and walked over, pushing him to the stone table according to his wishes. Then she sat down beside Huo Du and said softly. ¡°Your Highness, Brother Fu Xian robbed the carriage yesterday. According to you¡­ will Huo Xu knows about it?¡± Huo Du was stunned for a moment, then curled his lips. He held Le Zhi¡¯s hand casually but frowned at the coolness of her palm. ¡°Your Highness took over from him yesterday the control of the affairs of Xia Feitai. He must have been hit hard.¡± Le Zhi said with a smile. She knew very well how competitive Huo Xu was. When he was a child, he would be too agonized to eat because his homework was no better than Fu Xian. So now, he must be very agonizing. The more agonized Huo Xu was, the happier she became. ¡°So what?¡± Huo Du smiled. ¡°So¡­¡± Le Zhi unconsciously put her other hand on his hand, with a smiling appearance and a sly light appearing in the foxy eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t Your Highness want to take this opportunity to beat the underdog?¡± CH 53 Chapter 53 Darkness The warm sun rose, and the sun shone on Le Zhi, making her whole person sparkle. Huo Du watched her expression seriously. He liked her like this the most, full of vigor and vitality. But when he thought that her vitality stemmed from being full of hatred, his heart sank again. ¡°Any idea yet?¡± he asked casually. Le Zhi nodded and rolled her eyes slightly, ¡°If Brother Fu Xian makes a lot of noise when he hijacks the carriage, it is impossible for Huo Xu not to notice it. He just wants you to make a mistake!¡± After a pause, she cast her gaze on Huo Du¡¯s face and asked with certainty, ¡°Your Highness didn¡¯t report Fu Xian¡¯s identity to Emperor, right?¡± Huo Du hummed unhurriedly. Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Le Zhi¡¯s lips. If it was just an ordinary bandit robber, Huo Du would handle it as he wished with his identity, and naturally, no one would intervene. But Fu Xian¡¯s identity was special. He was the nobleman of country Li who was on the wanted list. The impact of country Qi¡¯s extermination of country Li was quite large, and Emperor Qi was very cautious about the remaining imperial family and nobles of country Li. He had given order as early as a month ago that if the surviving family members of the country Li were caught, they must be brought before Emperor, and he would personally interrogate them. Firstly, he wanted to win over the senior officials of the country Li to quell the anger of the neighboring countries. Secondly, he was also worried that the senior officials of the country of Li would gather together and form a counterattack. Huo Changyun was cautious about them. Therefore, as long as Huo Du did not report, it was equivalent to giving Huo Xu a chance to turn defeat into victory. If the surviving family members of the country Li were found in the Taizi Mansion, Huo Xu could make a big fuss regardless of life or death. If the person was dead, he could spread the rumors that the heir to the throne of Qi abused and killed the people of the country Li to arouse public anger. If the person was still alive, he could say that Huo Du was hiding the surviving family members of the country Li, and harbored ill intentions. Huo Changyun was suspicious, so Huo Xu could take advantage of this. However, Huo Xu was slow to take action. Le Zhi knew that the failure of the last assassination and the recent bad luck made Huo Xu hesitate. Are not uncertainty and indecisiveness Huo Xu¡¯s biggest weaknesses? If he was decisive enough, the day he attack the capital of the Li Kingdom, he should slaughter all the members of the Le clan. Since he forced her to survive, Le Zhi must live up to his good intentions. Heh. The breeze blew up Le Zhi¡¯s loose hair, and the smile on her face gradually disappeared. Huo Du stared at the corners of her cold lips, and unbearableness flashed through his heart. He was originally a person who liked to play with torture, but he asked unprecedentedly, ¡°That bastard, why don¡¯t you just kill him?¡± Why bother to toss like this. At first, he was a bystander, leisurely watching Le Zhi¡¯s plan step by step. But now, as he watched her injured and concerned, the suffocation in his chest became worse. Those deep in the quagmire of revenge know this feeling best. When the blood of the enemy was stained on the hands, the heart was full of joy. At the same time, one would become less and less aware of oneself. With the disappearance of the enemy, there was also the former self. The person, as before, still had their own self. Huo Du did not want Le Zhi to sink deeper and deeper, just because he knew that he was already trapped inside, he wanted to push her out. With the light still on her, she should not sink into the darkness. Therefore, Huo Du was willing to change his plan slightly and gave Huo Xu a straightforward death. However¡­ ¡°No.¡± Le Zhi shook her head firmly, and she said coldly, ¡°How can it be so cheap for him.¡± The resentment in her chest pooled together, and she was overwhelmed. If Huo Du had said this earlier, she would have been very happy. At that time, she simply wanted Huo Xu to die. But that day, after she personally killed Yang Heng, the joy in her imagination did not last long¡­ especially every time she saw her sister, Le Zhi felt from the bottom of her heart that Yang Heng died too easily. Even Yang Heng made her feel that way, let alone Huo Xu. What Huo Xu owes Great Li was more than just his life? Death was the simplest thing. Le Zhi hoped that Huo Xu would lose the things he wanted most, power, the throne, and the woman he thought he loved. The taste of working in vain could make him completely collapse¡­ only then he would be entitled to die. There seemed to be a layer of mist in front of her eyes, and Le Zhi lowered her eyes to prevent Huo Du from seeing the wetness in her eyes. The coldness emanating from Le Zhi¡¯s heart made her tremble all over. She knew very well that she could not turn back. If someone told her a year ago that she would become like this one day, she would never have believed it. Not only her, but her imperial father, her imperial mother, and her imperial elder brother also would not believe it either. Le Zhi, who used to be soft-hearted, warm, and did not care about anything, would become hard-hearted, cold, and vindictive now. A person who grew up surrounded by love since childhood could actually grow up like this. Le Zhi suppressed the sourness in her eyes, and her heart was sad. She knew exactly why she had changed. It was because of growing up in love and kindness that once these were destroyed, her heart distorted uncontrollably. The demon devoured the warmth around her, so she had to become fierce and vicious in order to fight the demon. Even after winning, those loves would never come back. She also wanted to use the blood of the devil to pay homage to all this. A smooth warmth suddenly came from the palm of her hand and made Le Zhi return to her senses abruptly. She hid the stern look in her eyes, showed an ordinary gentle smile, raised her eyes to look at Huo Du, and shook his hand as if she was coquettish. ¡°Got it.¡± Knowing that he had promised her that he would cooperate with her, Le Zhi curled her lips, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she leaned toward Huo Du¡¯s shoulder and deliberately rested her head on his shoulder to prevent him from seeing the emotion in her eyes. Her eyes darkened because she knew that the Le Zhi, who Huo Du liked, was disguised by her. Maybe it could not be called a disguise, but except for the hot spring villa, what she showed in front of him was mostly the former self, gentle and obedient. If Huo Du knew about the huge dark side she had hidden in her heart, and her ultimate plan and goal, most probably he would be shocked, maybe even kill her without trouble. No matter what the road ahead was, they always stand on the opposite ends. A lunatic and a lunatic were not compatible after all. Huo Du stared at Le Zhi¡¯s side face for a long time. In all fairness, she concealed her expression and the emotions in her eyes very well. On the contrary, he could sense her struggle and pain through her heartbeat. Because they were the same kind of people. He sighed silently. Never mind, if you insisted on stepping into the darkness, then I¡¯ll let you be. Anyway, I¡¯m here to protect you. ¡ª The Jingxian Wang Mansion. Huo Xu was smashing things irritably in the study. He did not know what happened to him last night until he would do those things to Shen Qingyan. Although he did not like her, he was definitely not someone who treated women harshly. It¡¯s all Shen Huai¡¯s fault! Otherwise, he would never have done such an outrageous thing. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door outside the study, and a sweet and gentle voice came, ¡°Wangye.¡± Just listening to the voice could make one¡¯s body sensitive. Suppressing the throbbing in his heart, he coughed lightly, ¡°Come in.¡± Jiang Man pushed open the door, twisted her waist, and slowly entered the room. She put the tray in her hand on the desk and untied her cloak and put it aside. Then he walked to Huo Xu¡¯s side and said, ¡°I heard that Wangye hasn¡¯t eaten breakfast yet, and already locked himself in the study. I was so worried.¡± The rich fragrance wafted through the air, and Huo Xu¡¯s heart fluttered slightly. He raised his arms around Jiang Man¡¯s waist and let her sit on his lap. ¡°Wangye¡­¡± Jiang Man put her hand on his shoulder and pretended to push him away, but her body leaned closer to him. Huo Xu could not help but started to get aroused. At Shen Qingyan¡¯s place last night, although he tossed a little too much, he was not enjoying himself at all. How could a noblewoman like Shen Qingyan knew how to serve people? She¡¯s so not exciting at all! Holding soft fragrance in his arms, Huo Xu¡¯s hand on the soft waist gradually moved down, then his eyes darkened, and he took a deep breath. He leaned close to Jiang Man and nibbled at her earlobe, ¡°Are you not wearing panties?¡± He was answered by a low murmur. ¡°Minx!¡± Huo Xu carried her to the table eagerly, lifted her thin skirt, and was about to put his hand in when there was a knock on the door. ¡°Wangye, I have something urgent to report!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Huo Xu flushed as his desire could not be quenched. ¡°Wangye, it¡¯s¡­ a secret letter to you.¡± In an instant, the dry heat on Huo Xu¡¯s body was extinguished. He calmed down and carried Jiang Man off the table, ¡°You go back first.¡± But Jiang Man felt wronged, pulled her front lapel, and shook her head reluctantly. ¡°Go back!¡± Huo Xu raised his voice slightly. Seeing this, Jiang Man had no choice but to bow and withdrew. When she opened the door and saw Qin Yu, she glared at him with a displeased look. Jiang Man knew who wrote that letter, and she knew who she substituted for. She pretended to be obedient for so long, but she still could not shake that person¡¯s position in Huo Xu¡¯s heart. She was not reconciled! Gritting her teeth, Jiang Man tightened her cloak and walked out of the study. After getting Le Zhi¡¯s letter, Huo Xu hurriedly opened it. After reading the contents of the letter, he felt that most of the anger in his heart had receded. ¡°Qin Yu, pass my order to regroup the soldiers of the mansion!¡± There was a happy smile on his lips, and tonight, he would definitely raise his head high. Initially, he was worried that the embarrassment during the last meeting would make Zhizhi unhappy, but fortunately, she always had him in her heart. However, in Great Qi, who else could she rely on besides him? As matter of fact, in order to save Fu Xian, she had to ask him for help. In fact, Huo Xu received the news yesterday, but because of Huo Du¡¯s cunningness, he did not dare to act rashly. But with this letter from Zhizhi, he knew exactly where Huo Du imprisoned Fu Xian in the Taizi Mansion. This time, he would be able to hit it with one strike! Rescuing Fu Xian was secondary, what he wanted was to get hold of evidence against Huo Du. Huo Xu smiled and continued to look at the letter, looking at the familiar handwriting and thinking of that face that could make him flutter. His heart was full of excitement. He felt that Zhizhi would soon be able to return to his side. At that time, he would definitely embrace her to sleep every night, very intimately and lovey-dovey. He vowed that he would never let go of her hand again, and never let her leave him again. The author has something to say: Zhizhi: Tweet, tweet, tweet. He won¡¯t like the real me. Du: I just like the way my wife plots to kill people. I like lunatics! A lunatic and a lunatic are the best matches in the world! My wife is the number one awesome in the universe!!! * Huo Xu: I and Zhizhi blablabla¡­ (Imagine the future) Du: Bastard! Nonsense! Just kill him!!! CH 54 Chapter 54 Night Raid It was not a trivial matter to surround the Taizi Mansion at night. But to get hold of the evidence, the key was to get the stolen goods. It was at night that Huo Xu gave an order to let the carefully selected soldiers break into the Taizi Mansion. He had already wiped away the last hesitation in his heart. Huo Du pushed his wheelchair slowly to the front courtyard and saw that the guards of the mansion and Huo Xu¡¯s soldiers were already at a stalemate, he hooked his lips and laughed. ¡°Third Imperial Brother came here late at night. This is¡­?¡± The crimson bedclothes were mostly covered by the moon white cotton cloak, and only a little of the front of the shirt was faintly exposed, making his skin even whiter in the night. Huo Xu hated Huo Du¡¯s calm appearance the most as if he did not care about anything. He sneered in his heart, but there was a gentle smile on his face, ¡°There is an important thing to disturb Imperial Brother late at night. I heard that Imperial Brother had captured a remnant of country Li yesterday, but you have not reported it to Imperial Father. Therefore, I specially came here to confirm that Imperial Brother won¡¯t do such a stupid thing, right?¡± Hearing this, Huo Du chuckled and said, ¡°Just because of the groundless rumors, Imperial Brother led troops into this loneliness mansion. Have you ever thought about the consequences of breaking into the Taizi Mansion?¡± Although the voice was not loud, the cold tone came into Huo Xu¡¯s ears which still made his heart sink by three points. But he thought that the reason why Huo Du was so unscrupulous was that he thought he could not find the secret prison in the Taizi Mansion? But now, he had a secret letter from Zhizhi. Thinking of this, his heart became even more confident. ¡°I ask Imperial Brother for permission. This move is also for the sake of Imperial Brother. If this is really a misunderstanding, it can also save Imperial Brother from those groundless rumors.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Huo Du raised his eyelids, glanced at him lazily, then waved his hand, signaling the guards to make way, ¡°Third Imperial Brother search slowly.¡± Such a casual gesture made Huo Xu even more baffling. He set his eyes on Huo Du¡¯s disabled leg and gritted his back teeth. He was obviously a lame person, but he had never seen any look of inferiority on his face. On the contrary, the disabled leg was like something remarkable to him. For which reason does he always look so arrogant? For which reason was he born a Taizi? For which reason! Huo Xu stared at his disabled leg firmly, with a trace of regret in his expression. He should not have been soft-hearted back then. He should have disabled both of his legs. No, he should have killed him directly at that time! Huo Xu moved his gaze up and saw that the guards standing around Huo Du spread out. They really made way for him. Take retreat as advancement, right? Want to use this to attack my psychological defense? You must be dreaming. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to disturb Imperial Brother.¡± Huo Xu took two steps forward, and then ordered in a deep voice without hesitation, ¡°Search for me.¡± The elite soldiers walked in neatly along the narrow road that was vacated. Following Huo Xu¡¯s instructions before they set off, small groups of four people scattered around and searched at random. The rest of the soldiers centralized and rushed towards the eastern courtyard! Huo Xu walked at the end, quietly waiting for his mansion soldiers to find the secret prison deep in the eastern courtyard according to the instructions given in Zhizhi¡¯s letter. Not long after, the frontline of his mansion soldiers came hurriedly. ¡°His Royal Highness, there is a discovery! There is indeed a secret prison in the eastern courtyard.¡± The big stone in his heart landed, and Huo Xu followed his mansion soldiers into the dark passage of the secret prison with confidence. There was a faint smell of blood floating in the dark secret prison, and the more they went further down, the eerier their feeling became. Finally, walking down to the bottom, there was only a weak man with disheveled hair tied up in the empty cell. Judging from the figure, he was very similar to Fu Xian. Huo Xu was beaming with happiness and sent someone to pull aside his hair to take a closer look. It¡¯s not Fu Xian! He¡¯s just an ordinary prisoner. Huo Xu was shocked. He had fallen into a trap! ¡°Withdraw!¡± The footsteps turned sharply, and Huo Xu walked upward quickly. He only entered the secret prison to search for a while, but the outside seemed to have changed a whole lot. Except for the few mansion soldiers who followed him to the secret prison, the rest of the people who were waiting on the top were all lying on the ground weakly at this moment, not knowing whether they were alive or dead. The originally frail guards of the Taizi Mansion had long since disappeared. And standing beside Huo Du, surrounded by layers upon layers of cold and solemn imperial guards. The victory had been decided. ¡°What? Third Imperial Brother didn¡¯t find an old friend?¡± Huo Du smiled, playing with the purple stone in his hand. Huo Xu still wanted to fight back. He tried his best to keep his face calm and calm his tone, ¡°Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, then I won¡¯t bother Imperial Brother.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the few soldiers standing beside him slumped and fell straight to the ground. In an instant, fear climbed all over his body. Only then did Huo Xu remember that the secret guards who had been sent to the Taizi Mansion to inquire in the past had never survived. He looked up at the dark night sky, just now the moon was still bright, and now even the stars were hidden by the thick clouds. Could it be that he was going to die here today? ¡°Brother Ah Xu, the person who hijacked the carriage yesterday was Brother Fu Xian, and now he is locked up in the eastern courtyard of the Taizi Mansion¡­¡± Huo Du recited a few words of the secret letter without expression, and then looked at Huo Xu¡¯s unpredictable expression with great interest. ¡°You!¡± Huo Xu suddenly felt dizzy. After barely standing still, he covered his aching heart, gritted his teeth, and said, ¡°You set up a trap to harm me!¡± The handwriting on the letter was not mistaken, but Huo Du actually knew it all. This showed that Zhizhi¡¯s dealings with him have been discovered by Huo Du. He did not know what method he used to force Zhizhi to write this letter. Unable to resist the blackness in front of his eyes, Huo Xu suddenly knelt on the ground. Before losing consciousness, he frowned and worried about Le Zhi¡¯s current situation. Even if he could not get out of the Taizi Mansion today, he did not care. When he was on the verge of death, he realized that the only thing he could not let go of was Zhizhi. ¡°Deal with them.¡± The secret guards were ordered to act quickly to drag away all the people who fell to the ground. Not long after, Huo Xu was the only one left, lying quietly on the cold ground. An elegant and delicate shadow hidden in the dark came out, walked to Huo Du¡¯s side, naturally grabbed the clothes on his shoulder, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did he really pass out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no different from dying.¡± Huo Du said leisurely, ¡°He won¡¯t wake up even if you kick him.¡± It was originally a joke, but Le Zhi took it seriously. She took a few steps forward and tried to touch Huo Xu¡¯s arm with the toe of her boot. Seeing that he really did not respond, she took the courage and kicked his side face hard. This scene fell into Huo Du¡¯s eyes, which made him feel a little happy. He missed the way she killed people before, but today he saw her kicking a person. It was truly¡­ Damn good-looking. But he still pushed the wheelchair over, held her wrist, and asked, ¡°Really not going to kill him? There¡¯s still time if you want to change your mind now.¡± After a short moment of silence, Le Zhi shook her head, glanced at the person on the ground again, and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not going to be fun anymore if to kill him now.¡± Huo Du looked at her face with fascination and was shocked to realize that the words she said were becoming more and more like him. So, he also imitated her just now, stretched out one foot, and kicked Huo Xu¡¯s face on the other side. Sure enough, it was very interesting. However, he quickly retracted his feet and frowned. Dirty. ¡ª When Huo Xu opened his eyes again, he met Huo Changyun¡¯s angry gaze. Regardless of the pain in his cheeks, Huo Xu quickly got up and knelt on the ground. He was shocked to realize that he was in the imperial study. ¡°Breaking into the Taizi Mansion, with the intention of murdering the Taizi of the dynasty.¡± Huo Changyun threw a stack of papers at Huo Xu, ¡°After the defeat, your mansion soldiers took poison to commit suicide, and you took the fake death medicine in an attempt to lay the blame to frame Taizi!¡± After a pause, Huo Changyun suddenly laughed, but his tone was cold, ¡°Great, what a great Jingxian Wang! You are indeed my good son!¡± Huo Xu, who had just woken up from a blackout, was confused, and he looked at Huo Changyun with a puzzled look on his face. What is Imperial Father talking about? In addition to breaking into the Taizi Mansion, which one of the latter that he said was made by him? Huo Xu glared at Huo Du, who was standing beside him, marveling at his shamelessness! ¡°It¡¯s true that I have broken into the Taizi Mansion, but I just went to search for the remnant of Great Li, and absolutely never intended to murder Imperial Brother. Imperial Father, please investigate this matter!¡± ¡°Where is the remnant of Great Li?¡± Huo Changyun snorted coldly, ¡°How dare you make excuses! How can such morality be worthy of the word Jingxian!¡± Huo Xu swept his eyes over the paper on the ground. He picked it up and looked at it, and he was shocked. His carefully selected mansion soldiers had all signed on the unwarranted confession. The defeat was decided, and he lost completely. ¡°Someone, pass on my order to abolish the title of Jingxian Wang from Huo Xu, the third prince. From today onwards, the third prince will be confined to the mansion, and cannot come without an imperial order.¡± Huo Xu could not hear what he said later. His body and mind were exhausted and painful, and he fainted in the imperial study. He did not even know that the little eunuchs carried him back to the mansion. The imperial study finally calmed down again. Huo Changyun watched Huo Du and wanted to say something but hesitate. In the end, he did not say anything and waved him to retreat. In today¡¯s event, he could see clearly who was right and who was wrong. But right or wrong was not important, winning or losing was important. What Huo Changyun needed was a most capable son. Whether it was Huo Du, Huo Xu, Huo Xiang, or the young princes, he only needed the most powerful son among them. It did not matter to be merciless and ruthless. Only in this way could he hand over Great Qi to him with confidence and fulfill his wish to unify the five kingdoms and three tribes for him after his death. Thinking of this, Huo Changyun got up and walked into the inner room of the imperial study, where there was a sand table, and the flags of the five countries and three tribes were planted on their respective territories. It¡¯s just that the flag of Great Li has been replaced with a flag with the word Qi, and another territory that has been replaced with the flag of Great Qi was¡­ Shengnuo Tribe. Huo Changyun¡¯s eyes gradually darkened, and his heart was a little stuffy, but he tried his best to ignore this uncomfortable feeling. Then turn his greedy eyes to the remaining three countries and two Tribes. He had to be faster. ¡ª The sun was shining brightly, and the New Year ambiance was everywhere. Le Zhi sat in the garden, looking at the people in the mansion busy shopping for New Year¡¯s goods, and could not help but curl her lips. Just now Li Yao had already told her about Huo Xu¡¯s abolition, and Huo Du would be returning home soon in a while. Again¡­ a victorious battle. Huo Xu was grounded, so she would not have to see his disgusting face again for a long time. And during this time, she could help her sister to recuperate. Also, she was going to send Xia Ming and Ah Chan to find the whereabouts of her sister-in-law and Yu¡¯er. At this time, Lin Yue passed by the garden holding boxes of various sizes. When Le Zhi saw her, her heart moved, and she suddenly remembered something and called out to her. ¡°Master, is there anything you want to tell Lin Yue?¡± Lin Yue put the box in her hand on the stone table and asked after taking a few breaths. But Le Zhi pulled her hand, let her sit down, and said in a low voice, ¡°The medicine you bought at Yongchun Hall last time¡­ the effect is not very good¡­¡± Le Zhi thought about it over and over again and felt that this matter still had to be explained to Lin Yue. Firstly, she was the one who bought the aphrodisiacs last time, and secondly, she was smart enough to do this. ¡°Ah?¡± Lin Yue was startled. After all, she was a girl who had not yet married. She could not help but blush. ¡°The doctor from Yongchun Hall said that the medicine was the best. His Highness, he¡­¡± Still cannot? For some reason, Le Zhi¡¯s heart was choked up with anxiety. She shook her head softly, and instructed earnestly, ¡°You go ask again if there are any milder herbs or prescriptions that are best to regulate slowly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Yue nodded seriously. When she stood up, her hands hanging by her side clenched into fists, Lin Yue secretly swore that she would definitely do this for her master! She walked towards the gate and when she was about to step out of the mansion, she ran into Huo Du who was returning to the mansion. Apart from the calmness and respect when she saw His Highness Taizi in the past, Lin Yue felt sorrier in her heart at this moment. She bowed respectfully to salute and then quickened her pace towards Yongchun Hall. Huo Du, who did not fully recognize the maids in the mansion, had a vague impression of the maids serving Le Zhi. Therefore, when entering the mansion, he glanced at Lin Yue who was saluting. At this glance, he happened to see her eyes. Strange eyes. He frowned subconsciously, and an unpleasant emotion rose in his heart for no reason. CH 55 Chapter 55 Nonsense Although displeased, Huo Du did not take it to heart. Until dinner a few days later¡­ The table was full of dishes, completely different from the usual. Upon a closer look, every dish had a hidden mystery. Three-wire braised blackfish, okra roasted chicken heart, saut¨¦ed beef, and mutton¡­ Even the chicken soup had a lot of fungus and ginseng added to it. Huo Du swept over each dish expressionlessly, and his heart was clear. Then he turned his head to look at Le Zhi, who was serving soup, only to see her blushing face, not knowing whether it was because of the heat of the chicken soup, or because of something else. ¡°Your Highness, quickly taste it.¡± Le Zhi smiled and put the soup bowl in front of Huo Du. The chicken soup was well simmered without any excess oiliness. But Huo Du did not like meat and fishy food, only reluctantly drank two mouthfuls before putting down the silver spoon. Then he frowned slightly and glanced at the dishes on the table again, without any interest in taking the silver chopsticks. Le Zhi quietly looked at him from the side, and when she saw his expressionless face, she could not help but feel a little annoyed. It seemed that she was trying every means when she was desperate. She clearly knew his eating habits, but still prepared these meat and fishy dishes for him. While she was thinking about whether to call someone to remove these dishes and replace them with some lighter dishes, the person beside her quietly picked up the silver chopsticks and began to eat them in small bites. But his brows were furrowed, obviously not used to eating these things. When Huo Du went to pick up the mutton again, Le Zhi stopped his hand hastily, ¡°¡­ don¡¯t eat it.¡± Huo Du seized the opportunity to put the silver chopsticks down, then glanced at her, and said lightly, ¡°It was specially prepared for me, right? Why didn¡¯t you let me eat it?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s eyes widen in surprise, and she immediately shrank her neck. Yes, his medical skills are so brilliant, how can he not know the function of each ingredient? Her heart seemed to be beating like a drum, and Le Zhi¡¯s little face turned from red to white, and then from white to red. She did this out of good intentions, but it was indeed a little careless. She even sprinkled salt on the person¡¯s wound, which was really unkind. The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she became. This illness seemed to have no effect on Huo Du in the first place. On the contrary, she behaved too unusual. Compared with this hidden disease, Le Zhi found that her actions were even more hurtful. Under the excuse of treating his illness for his own good, it actually reminded him of his own shortcomings. Hidden disease¡­ Did it have to be cured? It was she who did not take his feelings into consideration, so it was her fault. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Le Zhi sincerely apologized. She lowered her head, and her voice was getting lower and lower, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be shrewd.¡± I will not do it again in the future. After a while, Huo Du hummed softly, as if accepting her apology. Le Zhi heaved a sigh of relief in her heart, only taking that this matter was over. Le Zhi never thought that at night, when she was teasing the little show fluffy on the bed, Huo Du came out of the bathroom as usual and walked to the bed. Seeing him getting onto the bed, Le Zhi lifted the brocade quilt on her body and covered it on Huo Du. Not knowing when they began to get used to the same quilt. Perhaps because the quilt was too big, the two of them covered it just right together. The bedroom was warm, accompanied by a touch of sandalwood, but soon, the sandalwood was overshadowed by the faint mint fragrance. Le Zhi¡¯s eyelids gradually closed. She looked at Huo Du, who was reading a book seriously, and hugged snow fluffy under the quilt. When she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly felt that a strand of her hair had been twirled and played by his fingers, which made the top of her head itchy. But she was used to it. Huo Du always liked to play with her hair before going to sleep. Just let him be. He played his and she slept hers. But¡­ ¡°Le Zhi, shall I find you a few little lovers?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s sleepiness disappeared in an instant, she sat up in horror and looked at the person leaning on the embroidered pillow in disbelief. He was also looking at her with a half-smile, and her hair was still wrapped around his fingers, circle after circle. She was a little lost, wondering if she had auditory hallucinations or entered a dream? ¡°What?¡± Huo Du rolled his eyes slightly, and said with a smile, ¡°Are you happy?¡± This time, Le Zhi was completely awake. She was not dreaming. It was this lunatic who started talking nonsense again! ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡± Huo Du chuckled, leaned closer to her, and asked, ¡°Come on, tell this brother. What kind of young man do you like? Is it a martial artist like An Xuan, or a scholar like Fu Xian?¡± After a short pause, he curled his lips as if thinking of something, ¡°This year¡¯s top scholar is quite handsome. If you like it, how about I¡¯ll help you seize the person?¡± With four eyes facing each other, Le Zhi clearly saw herself imprinted in Huo Du¡¯s eyes and saw how shocked her expression was. ¡°You, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± She looked incredulous and even reached out her hand to touch his forehead. If it weren¡¯t for the burnt-out brain, a normal person would definitely not be able to say this nonsense! But her hand was held by Huo Du when it was only reached midair. He lowered his head and kissed her fingers lightly. Then, he moved closer to her ear and said in a low voice, ¡°Else, what should I do? After all, this brother is willing but unable to¡­¡± The fingers that had been kissed trembled slightly and the warm breath brushed the tip of the ear. Le Zhi felt a strange tingling sensation across her body. She bit her lip, put her hand on Huo Du¡¯s shoulder, and pushed him away. Then she retracted into the quilt like a quail, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes staring at him. But Huo Du raised his eyebrows, obviously not intending to let her go. He imitated her and also got into the quilt, putting his hand on her soft waist through the bedclothes, feeling every tremor on her body. Then he leaned closer to her and said, ¡°Think it through. This brother only gave you this chance, and if you don¡¯t want it, you won¡¯t have another chance later.¡± ¡°No!¡± Le Zhi suppressed the inexplicable heat in her body and refused angrily. Huo Du looked at Le Zhi¡¯s current appearance with great satisfaction. Her cheeks were flushed, her body was hot, and her eyes were blurred. But the little girl doesn¡¯t seem to know why she is like this. He suddenly let out a low chuckle, and slowly moved the hand on her waist downward. While she was unprepared, he stroked his finger round in a circle. Le Zhi was originally stunned, but the sudden feeling was so intense that her heartbeat almost stopped at the moment. ¡°Huo Du!¡± She gripped his restless hand tightly and pushed it away with force. In addition to embarrassment, there were many strange feelings that she did not know. Huo Du did not want to do anything to her, so he moved his hand away just as she wanted. The hand moved away, but the mouth did not stop. Tonight, Huo Du was just teasing her, and he would not allow it. Anyway, he was just talking about it and nothing more. ¡°This brother has to find a way, right?¡± He kissed the tip of Le Zhi¡¯s ear, bit it lightly, and then asked a question next to her ear. Le Zhi¡¯s face instantly burned beyond words. She pushed away from the person next to her, tears streaming from the end of her eyes, ¡°You bully me, you bully me¡­ How can you do this!¡± This man is so bad¡­ Big bad wolf! Her hands pushed him away with all her might, trying to keep him away. Her heart was pounding like it was about to jump out. What was wrong with her? Looking at Le Zhi¡¯s gradually reddened eyes, Huo Du realized that he had gone too far. But he did not regret it at all. Since he was going crazy¡­ Did she still want to stay out of it and be content? How was that possible? Of course, he had to pull her along. Then, that was fair. However, he did not mean to make her cry. He thought she knew. Even though she had read so many books, she still did not seem to understand why she had such a reaction. Scoff. So stupid. Huo Du reached out his hand and pulled Le Zhi into his arms, stroked her back gently, and said, ¡°I won¡¯t bully you, just go to sleep.¡± But the person in his arms struggled, and said with a muffled voice, ¡°Don¡¯t hold me, I¡¯ll sleep by myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be hugged by this brother?¡± Huo Du chuckled, drawing a circle on Le Zhi¡¯s back with his fingertips. Le Zhi¡¯s back froze for a moment. She really could not figure out where she had provoked Huo Du and made him so strange tonight! Brother, what brother, is this person addicted to being a brother? But at this time, she no longer had any strength, and she did not dare to provoke this lunatic anymore. What¡¯s more, nesting in his arms is¡­ quite comfortable. The uncomfortable feeling gradually dissipated, and drowsiness hit her. Le Zhi¡¯s side face just pressed against Huo Du¡¯s heart and fell into a deep sleep with the sound of his heartbeat. ¡°There are still twenty-four days left.¡± He stared at Le Zhi¡¯s sleeping profile, smiled, and whispered. ¡ª Huo Xu locked himself in the room, in a drunken stupor. Suddenly, the door of the room was pushed open, and the sunlight from outside instantly shone into the room, making his eyes feel uncomfortable for a moment. ¡°Whoa.¡± The cold water poured down from his head, completely waking him up from his drunkenness. ¡°Who!¡± Huo Xu wiped the water from his face and raised his eyes angrily, ¡°Are you tired of living?¡± A phoenix robe stood against the backlight, and the Empress¡¯s face was gloomy. ¡°Imperial Mother.¡± Huo Xu lost his imposing manner in an instant, but he could not help but feel wronged in his heart, ¡°I am useless.¡± Lin Wanning sighed softly, raised her hand, and signaled the maid beside her to help Huo Xu dry his body. After he was clean up, Lin Wanning said, ¡°Xu¡¯er, have you ever thought about why you lost to Taizi this time?¡± Hearing this, fierce hatred appeared in Huo Xu¡¯s eyes, and he unconsciously clenched his fists, ¡°Huo Du is despicable and set up a trap to frame me!¡± ¡°What else?¡± Huo Xu froze in place. Else? What else¡­ Seeing this, Lin Wanning snorted coldly and reminded in disappointment, ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Xu suddenly reacted. He was grounded in the mansion, and drunk all day long, unaware of the news outside. He also did not know what happened to Zhizhi. Would Huo Du hurt her? Although his life was saved, Huo Du would definitely not let her go easily. He still did not know what kind of abuse his Zhizhi would be subjected to. ¡°Imperial Mother, do you know the situation of Zhizhi?¡± Huo Xu frowned, and his heart ached, ¡°Is she alright?¡± Lin Wanning could not bear it any longer. She raised her hand and slapped Huo Xu¡¯s right face with force, and a crisp slap sounded immediately. ¡°Idiot!¡± Huo Xu, whose cheeks were slightly swollen, was slapped again. He covered his right face and looked up at Lin Wanning¡¯s angry face in shock. He really could not understand why his mother wanted to slap him. CH 56 Chapter 56 Improvement ¡°Up to this point, do you still think Le Zhi is on your side?¡± The Empress slammed every single word into Huo Xu¡¯s heart and Huo Xu froze in an instant. After returning to Great Qi, no matter how unfavorable his situation was, he had never doubted Le Zhi. Even if it was about Yang Heng, he only had a little, a very little bit of conjecture. He was held hostage in the country Li at the age of six, and Zhizhi was only four years old at that time. They grew up together and were genuine childhood sweethearts. Huo Xu asked himself that there was definitely a connection between them¡­ even though something had happened between them. But now, as far as Le Zhi was concerned, besides Le Jin, he was only her relative! Was not Zhizhi on his side? How could that be possible? ¡°Naturally!¡± Huo Xu raised his eyes, and his tone was serious and affirmative. Not knowing whether he was trying to convince the Empress or trying to make himself more convinced. In order to dissipate the smell of the alcohol in the room, the door was left open all the time. At this time, the wind outside began to get stronger, blowing into the room, making people shiver with coldness. But Lin Wanning¡¯s heart was colder than this cold wind. She looked at Huo Xu indifferently and looked at his face carefully. She suddenly could not understand him. Even if he left her when he was a child and went to the strange country Li alone, Lin Wanning was fairly certain that Huo Xu¡¯s selfishness and self-interest were deeply engraved in his bones as he was too much like Huo Changyun. Otherwise, how could a child under the age of six help her do so much? At that time, she was still young and was only immersed in the joy of successfully becoming the Empress of Great Qi. But after that, she slowly fell into a deep fear. Her son seemed to be born with innate evil in his heart. So, when Huo Changyun decided to let Huo Xu go to Great Li as a hostage, although Lin Wanning was reluctant on the surface, she was relieved and even had a faint trace of joy. Because the country Li was a country full of kindness. The instinct of being a mother was uncontrollable. Deep in Lin Wanning¡¯s heart, she always hoped that her children would be all kind. Just let this mother of his do all the evil things. But now, she regretted it a little. Because Huo Xu was not completely assimilated by the kindness of the country Li, Lin Wanning knew it when he joined forces with the Qi army to slaughter the country Li without hesitation. Twelve years in the country Li, his son had not changed at all. But in the end, he was still bound to the imperial family of the country Li, and he was still somewhat bound to that woman. Lin Wanning sneered in her heart. Instead of being like this, it was better to be exactly like his father. Cold-hearted and always for himself only. She did not want to argue too much with Huo Xu, as she only had a son like him. Since he hesitated, some things had to be smoothed out by her for him. ¡°All right.¡± Lin Wanning sighed lightly, and then changed the subject, ¡°Xu¡¯er, now you are confined in the mansion, you must not slack off. You are depressed all day long in a drunken stupor.¡± Seeing her mother¡¯s sad face, Huo Xu felt sad too. He nodded, but there was still indignation and powerlessness in his tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t slack off on purpose, but I can¡¯t do anything if I¡¯m locked up in the mansion!¡± The hands hanging on his side gradually closed, clenching his fists tightly. Hearing this, Lin Wanning smiled instead, ¡°There is at least one thing you can do now.¡± Huo Xu was puzzled, ¡°Imperial Mother, please make it clear.¡± ¡°Take advantage of this time to mend the relationship between you and Qingyan.¡± Huo Xu¡¯s face collapsed in an instant. He and Shen Qingyan were probably the most hated couples in this world, right? He hated her, and when she was aware of it, she proposed to divorce him. Divorce? Only Heaven knew how willing Huo Xu was. He wanted a divorce earlier than Shen Qingyan did. No, he was the one who wanted to divorce her! However, if he were to divorce her at this time, with Shen Huai¡¯s temperament, he would definitely oppose him in the morning court. Just because he doted on the bedwarmer and made his daughter unhappy, he started getting back at him openly and secretly. Hateful! He really did not match the eight characters of the family name Shen. ¡°Think about your current situation, do you still have to be willful?¡± Lin Wanning could see Huo Xu¡¯s reluctance from his expression, so she reminded him sternly, ¡°If you don¡¯t know the importance, I will execute Jiang Man so that you can concentrate on more serious things.¡± ¡°Imperial Mother!¡± Huo Xu was shocked. His expression was panic, and he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling, but Shen Qingyan has a strong temperament. Is it that you want me to give in and beg her again and again?¡± Huo Xu thought Shen Qingyan was just a little girl who adored him, and no matter what he did, she would love him as always. But Huo Xu did not expect that she was so resolute, and when she knew that he really did not like her, she started to reject him! How could he do what she wanted? There was only Huo Xu who did not want a woman and had never been a woman who would reject him. Huo Xu thought that this was probably Shen Qingyan¡¯s means of half push and half yield. That being the case, he also did not bother to pretend anymore. Was not she pretending to reject him? So, he insisted on touching her, and deliberately humiliated her in bed. He wanted her to understand that she must submit to him forever. Even if she did not want to, it must be he who did not want her! ¡°Why need to beg her?¡± Lin Wanning¡¯s voice pulled back Huo Xu¡¯s thoughts, and then he clearly heard her say, ¡°It¡¯s actually very simple to bind a woman¡¯s heart. Let her conceive your child quickly¡­ Understand?¡± Once she is with a child, she will never be able to leave you again. As long as Shen Qingyan cannot leave you, Shen Huai has to be used by you. The bond between this kind of bloodline is the strongest. Child? Huo Xu murmured the word in his mouth silently. Since he matured, he had thought more than once about what would his and Zhizhi¡¯s children look like? He had already acquiesced in his heart that his eldest son must be born from Zhizhi for him. But now, there seemed to be no other way. After a moment of silence, Huo Xu suppressed the depression in his heart and responded in a deep voice. When he thought of Huo Du, anger and deep jealousy filled his heart again. It was all thanks to him that he was confined here and his woman was now sleeping beside him on the bed. He hated it! ¡°You just do your own thing. As for the rest, I will help you.¡± Huo Xu raised his eyes, saw Lin Wanning¡¯s nonchalant expression, and asked in surprise, ¡°Could it be that Imperial Mother already has a way to deal with Huo Du?¡± Lin Wanning hummed lightly. ¡°I would like to hear the details.¡± ¡°Xu¡¯er.¡± Lin Wanning chuckled, ¡°To deal with the enemy, sometimes you don¡¯t have to do it yourself. You have to learn¡­ to use leverage as strength.¡± Huo Xu was puzzled. Leverage as strength? Whose strength to borrow? ¡°Shengyang City.¡± Lin Wanning spit out three words softly. After a moment of confusion, the corners of Huo Xu¡¯s lips curved slightly. He understood what his imperial mother meant. Apart from him, the people who hated Huo Du the most in this world were probably all in Shengyang City, right? Shengyang City was the former Shengnuo Tribe. Before the tribe was seized by Great Qi. Was not the culprit responsible for all this Huo Du¡¯s mother? Although Chu Yu was dead, the hatred would not fade. The people of Shengyang City, the people of the former Shengnuo Tribe, must turn all these hatreds to Huo Du. However, how to lead Huo Du there? Huo Xu was about to ask, but he saw Lin Wanning get up and walk outside, without any intention of telling him the plan. He did not dare to ask any more questions and just saluted to see her off. ¡ª In the dining room of the Taizi Mansion, even the air was filled with warmth. Le Zhi and Fu Xian sat on both sides of Le Jin and ate lunch with her. A few days passed and Le Jin gradually accepted Fu Xian¡¯s existence and no longer rejected him like that day. And Fu Xian just quietly accompanied her. Unlike Le Zhi, who was very close to his sister, he kept a distance from Le Jin in a very measured way, so as not to make her panic. But he kept looking at her from the corner of his eye, and silently serving her dishes. ¡°Sister, have some soup.¡± Le Zhi handed Le Jin the fresh mushroom soup and watched her drink it with a smile. Le Jin did not like to drink bitter medicine, so Le Zhi could only come up with this method and boil the medicinal ingredients into the soup. The fresh mushroom soup did not conflict with the medicinal ingredients, and the umami flavor of the mushrooms could cover the medicinal fragrance well. In the past few days, her sister had improved a lot. The darkness in her eyes also began to fade, and slowly became clearer. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and suppressed the mist that rose from her eyes with joy. Suddenly, a pair of silver chopsticks picked a piece of milk cake into her bowl, ¡°Zhizhi, eat more.¡± Hearing the sound, Le Zhi suddenly raised her head and looked at Le Jin in disbelief. She thought she had heard it wrong. But Le Jin continued to smile at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t this your favorite food?¡± Le Zhi rubbed her eyes and shifted her gaze to Fu Xian¡¯s face. Seeing that he was also surprised, made her certain that she had heard it correctly. ¡°Sister¡­¡± Her heart was up and down with excitement, which might frighten Le Jin, so she suppressed her voice and asked, ¡°Do you remember?¡± ¡°Remember what?¡± Le Jin frowned slightly, then she covered her forehead, feeling a little uncomfortable and confused. ¡°Alright, alright, we don¡¯t think about it anymore.¡± Le Zhi quickly rubbed Le Jin¡¯s temples for her. Soon, Le Jin returned to calmness and continued to eat with her head down in small bites. Even so, Le Zhi was still very happy. Her sister¡¯s situation had improved, even if she only remembered a little this time, she would definitely remember it all over time. However, was it a good thing for her to remember it all? Could her sister really bear the pain of the subjugation of the country, the death of her Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, and Imperial Brother? Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank, and her eyebrows still frowned slightly even after she sent her sister to the room to rest after lunch. She walked absentmindedly around the mansion and unknowingly walked to the rear garden. She saw Huo Du sitting in the white jade wheelchair with his head slightly lowered and playing with the purple stone in his hand slowly. Le Zhi was startled. Since she gave him this warm stone, she had seen him play with it almost every day. It¡¯s just a stone, do you really like it so much? She walked over slowly and sat on the stone bench beside him. Thinking that she had just finished her lunch, she asked casually, ¡°Has Your Highness eaten lunch?¡± ¡°No.¡± Huo Du did not even lift his eyelids. ¡°Why not?¡± Le Zhi could not help but frown. Huo Du let out a chuckled, then raised his eyes to look at her, and replied in a casual tone. ¡°There¡¯s no one to accompany me.¡± The author has something to say: Du: If my wife doesn¡¯t eat with me, I¡¯ll be hungry. CH 57 Chapter 57 Sweetness The sun shone on Huo Du¡¯s eyes, even his usual emotionless eyes seemed to be stained with warmth. Le Zhi was dumbfounded, not knowing whether it was because of what he said or because of the rare tenderness between his cold eyebrows. ¡°Then I¡¯ll eat with Your Highness, all right?¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips, feeling a little guilty in her heart. Since her sister came out from Xia Feitai, she had put most of her mind on her sister, and the rest was mostly spent on the shop¡¯s business and looking for her sister-in-law and Yu¡¯er. Except for dinner and bedtime, she and Huo Du hardly had time to talk. Huo Du gave a low hum, agreeing with her proposal. Le Zhi raised her head and saw that the sun was just right and did not push him to the dining room. Instead, she called Li Yao and asked her to bring the dishes to the garden. The warm sun in winter could not be disappointed. The two of them did not talk much during the meal, they just ate quietly. Li Yao was holding a bowl of sweet dessert soup in her hand, seeing this peaceful and beautiful scene from a distance, she stayed in place for a while, not wanting to come forward to disturb them. At this time, Lin Yue happened to pass by and saw Li Yao¡¯s back. She turned around and walked to her side, and looked at the center of the garden together with her. Anyone who saw such a scene could not help but stop to take a second look. It¡¯s so beautiful! Lin Yue could not help feeling deeply moved in her heart. In the past, the mansion was filled with coldness. Although His Highness Taizi looked like an immortal, his body seemed to be coated with a layer of ice, which made people terrified. But since her master came, she found that the ice on His Highness seemed to have melted a lot. The premise was when her master was by his side. Her master was really powerful, not only a woman of great beauty but also had good character and a pure heart. From the beginning of their acquaintance to later becoming her master¡¯s personal maid, Lin Yue¡¯s admiration for her grew day by day. Therefore, she was not surprised by the changes in His Highness Taizi. Which man would not like her master? Unless he is blind. It was just that¡­ Lin Yue suddenly remembered something. She glanced regretfully at His Highness Taizi next to her master and let out a long sigh. The sigh was too heavy until Li Yao turned her head in confusion and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing, nothing.¡± Lin Yue came back to her senses and her eyes twinkled to avoid the problem, ¡°Hurry up and send the soup over, it won¡¯t be good if it gets cold.¡± This matter was too private, it was a secret between her and her master, and she naturally could not tell anyone! Li Yao did not say anything, but slowly walked over and gently placed the soup bowl on the stone table, trying her best not to make any sound when putting down the bowl on the table. After putting it down, she immediately walked away quickly. Le Zhi put down the silver chopstick, took the soup bowl, and slowly scooped the soup with a silver spoon to drink. Since she had already eaten lunch, naturally she could not eat much more. She shifted her eyes slightly and used the corner of her eyes to secretly look at the person beside her. She saw him holding the silver chopsticks in his right hand and slowly picking up the vegetables. While the purple stone that he had just played with earlier was placed on the stone table at this time and was covered with his left hand. Le Zhi subconsciously fixed her gaze on his cold white fingers. Suddenly, she saw his index finger curled slightly, and unintentionally touched the purple stone with his fingertip. The fingertip touched lightly ¡­ Her heart tightened, and the feeling from last night swirled instantly. The hand holding the silver spoon trembled slightly. ¡°Boom.¡± The silver spoon fell into the soup bowl, and Le Zhi could not dodge in time, and a few drops of warm sweet dessert soup were splashed on her face. Her mind was so chaotic that she forgot to wipe them. Huo Du had just taken a sip of tea when he heard the sound and raised his eyes to look over. He put down the teacup, pulled out the silk handkerchief from Le Zhi¡¯s sleeves, and raised his hand to wipe off the soup stains on her face. Through the thin handkerchief, his fingers touched a burning hot surface. He stared at her and watched the snowy cheeks in front of him gradually turn red. Huo Du knitted his eyebrows, put the handkerchief away, and touched it directly with his palm. From her cheeks to her forehead, it was surprisingly hot. Huo Du was puzzled that how did she suddenly become a small stove in the cold winter month? With his worries, he lowered his hand and put it directly on her white wrist. She isn¡¯t sick either. Even if he held the warm stone all day long, Huo Du¡¯s palm was still a little cold. But even so, with his touch, the blush on Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks deepened even more. Feeling his fingers touching her wrist, she felt that her palms were also getting hotter. Before the heat could reach Le Zhi¡¯s heart, she hurriedly pushed Huo Du¡¯s hand away, lowered her eyes, and fell into contemplation with the violent beating in her chest. What¡¯s wrong with her? It was clear that she had done more intimate things with him. Bathing and kissing with each other, which was more intimate than this! How could there be such a big reaction if she was just being touched? She bit her lower lip and wondered why her sudden intense feelings were. Huo Du had been watching her from the beginning, not missing any of her subtle movements. He also felt a little strange that why his little fox suddenly became awkward. Then he looked at her hands clasped together at a loss, and her drooping eyes only showed a few black eyelashes. He leaned closer to take a closer look at her and saw that the end of her foxy eyes was red. But it was not red due to crying. There was a strange sweetness in his heart, and he seemed to understand the reason for her abnormality. It was just that¡­ he needed to confirm it again. ¡°Le Zhi, is the sweet dessert soup delicious?¡± Hearing his inquiry, Le Zhi had to raise her eyes and bumped into his eyes. There seemed to be a whirlpool hidden in the depths of those peach blossom eyes. If she looked at it a few more times, she was afraid that she would fall into it and be unable to get away from it. She looked away with a guilty conscience and then said, ¡°It¡¯s very delicious. I¡¯ll ask Li Yao to bring another bowl for Your Highness to taste.¡± As she spoke, she stood up to call someone and took this opportunity to calm herself down for a while. But her arm was pulled, and the whole person was held down by a force, unable to get up. Le Zhi did not understand what Huo Du was going to do again, so she could only look at him in astonishment. Then she clearly saw his face leaned closer to her, with a smile on his lips, and whispered to her in return, ¡°Why so troublesome.¡± His eyes moved down and landed on her cherry lips, with obvious meaning. Le Zhi knew very well that she should push him and run away quickly. Even if she could not run away, she should turn your head. But she did not move and even had a faint expectation in her heart. Her gaze could only stay for half a moment, and this half a moment was also the time Huo Du left for her to escape. Half a moment passed like a blink of an eye, and the curvature of the corners of his lips gradually increased. Without any hesitation, Huo Du raised a hand around Le Zhi, put his hand on the back of her neck, and kissed her firmly. There was sweetness on her lips which was left by the sweet dessert soup. Huo Du was a person who did not like sweetness but at this time he was hooked by this sweetness. He gently sucked it and let the sweetness spread all over his body. The sweetness in his mouth and sweetness in his heart finally collided with each other, creating a sweeter taste. Huo Du smiled and deepened the kiss. He did not like sweetness, but at this moment he just wanted to indulge in this sweetness. Le Zhi was stunned, feeling the faint mint smell coming over. His lips were warm, but his kisses were extremely hot and intense. Gradually, his lips began to heat up, which was consistent with the temperature on her lips. She lost her breath in the deep kiss, almost out of breath. Huo Du released her in time, and Le Zhi panted for a moment to ease the suffocation in her chest. But before her heart was completely calmed down, the familiar breath struck again, and it was even hotter than before. It turned out that he was just giving her time to breathe, not to end it. Amid dizziness, she felt as if she was stepping on the clouds, light and weak, and her hands had to hold his clothes tightly in order not to fall from the air. Li Yao and Lin Yue, who were standing in the distance waiting for the order, were stunned for a long time. Although they were far apart, they could still see. After all, they were two girls who had not married yet and when they suddenly saw this scene, they could not react for a while. How come it become like this when they were just having a meal together? When they regained their senses, the two hurriedly turned around. See no evil! At this time, Jing Xin walked in their direction with several maids. Li Yao and Lin Yue looked at each other¡¯s flushed faces at the same time, with a bit of serious countenance. Soon, they looked at each other and nodded, and hurried towards Jing Xin. ¡°Jing Xin, Master is looking for us. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go there together.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ I have to help the housekeeper to check on the decorations in the mansion first!¡± Before Jing Xin could react, she was being half-dragged and half-turned her steps by the two. Her arms were clenched so tightly that she could not move and had to be dragged away by them. But after walking for a while, she suddenly remembered. Isn¡¯t Master eating in the garden? Are they going in the wrong direction? ¡ª Le Zhi did not know how long the kiss lasted. She only knew that in the end, her head was still chaotic. But Huo Du¡¯s palm still fastened to the back of her neck and never retreated. Her back stiffened. Huo Du narrowed his eyes and took a closer look at her rosy cheeks and charming red lips. He reached out his hand to gently rubbed the line of her lips with his finger, feeling the warmth he left on her lips. Then he leaned closer to her ear and pressed his side face to her face. He did not have to think about it, her shyness and the warmth of her cheeks were enough to confirm his suspicions. The charming little fox, who seduced people, was seduced instead. But he still had to ask, ¡°Does this brother look good when eating?¡± Seeing that she was silent, he deliberately rubbed the back of her neck with his hand, ¡°Compared to this brother¡¯s hand¡­ which one looks better?¡± Le Zhi really could not stand his such, such bare seduction. It¡¯s still daylight, even in the garden! Does this lunatic completely have no bottom line at all? She pushed him away and glared at him fiercely again. Then lie down on the cold stone table and cool herself down. After a while, Le Zhi regained her composure. But the quiet atmosphere made her feel a little embarrassed. She looked around and thought about what to say to ease the embarrassment of the two. No, she did not think that Huo Du would be embarrassed, and she might be the only one who was embarrassed. After thinking for a while, Le Zhi suddenly remembered that the medicinal ingredients that Huo Du brought back from outside to heal his sister were running out. She coughed lightly, turned to look at him sideways, and started the topic bluntly, ¡°Well, my sister¡¯s medicine is almost used up¡­¡± As soon as the words came out, Le Zhi regretted it a little. She seemed too deliberate to say this now as it seemed that she had a purpose to accompany him to dinner. She pursed her lips in annoyance and then cursed him a few words in her heart. It¡¯s all his fault¡­ He made her muddle-headed and now she started talking without thinking in front of him. At this time, the person beside her picked up his cane and got up. Le Zhi lowered her head and heard him stopped after taking a few steps. She raised her head cautiously to look at him and saw that his eyes were looking at her at the same time. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Huo Du said leisurely to her, ¡°Go get the medicine.¡± Does this mean to let her go together? Le Zhi stood up suspiciously and walked slowly to his side. She raised her hand slightly, hung it in the air for a moment, and then lowered it. When the two walked together, she always used to support him. But after just now¡­ looking at his hand again, she was a little embarrassed. Huo Du¡¯s face suddenly sank as he watched her little movements. He stretched out his hand in displeasure and ordered, ¡°Hold it.¡± Le Zhi was surprised by his moodiness, pursed her lips, and then gently held his hand. But Huo Du was obviously dissatisfied with her half-hearted grip. Turning his palm slightly, he locked his long fingers between hers and clasped all ten fingers tightly. The two walked toward the gate together. Le Zhi followed in his footsteps and walked a little behind him. She looked down at the clasped hands. She just held his lightly, but Huo Du held her tightly. Her heart seemed to be held tightly by him. She looked away. When she looked up, she accidentally saw the tip of his ear, which was glowing strangely red. She blinked and looked at his other ear, which had the same redness. Her shyness slowly dissipated. It turned out that he was not as calm as he appeared. She was just caught in her emotions that she did not take a closer look at his reaction. So, he¡¯s also shy, isn¡¯t he? After realizing Huo Du¡¯s hidden emotions, Le Zhi¡¯s heart was filled with inexplicable joy. Even the hand that was lightly holding him was tightened unconsciously. The corners of her lips were slightly raised, and a soft smile appeared in her eyes. The author has something to say: Du: Wife, did I kiss well? Zhi: Put on some clothes!!! * Lin Yue & Li Yao: Crazy! Carry the CP banner!!! Jing Xin: What did I miss?!! CH 58 Chapter 58 Twin Le Zhi lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked out, accompanied by the clattering sound of horses¡¯ hoofs. After leaving the city gate, the noise outside gradually faded away. In the outskirts, there was only the sound of grass and trees being blown by the wind. There was silence in the carriage. Le Zhi withdrew her eyes and then looked at Huo Du on her side. She noticed that his expression was getting colder and colder, and even the hand she held began to get colder. Even without saying a word, Le Zhi could also sense that he had a clear repulsion toward the destination. She almost subconsciously put her other hand over the back of his hand, and when she saw him look over, she said softly, ¡°The place to get the medicine¡­ How about Your Highness don¡¯t have to go and let An Xuan go with me?¡± Finally, Huo Du¡¯s eyes lit up with a slight smile. He sighed in his heart, sighed at her sensitivity, and sighed that he did not know how to pretend in front of her more and more, which made her see-through him easily. He caressed her head, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much.¡± After he said that, Le Zhi stopped talking. She lowered her eyes and continued to ponder in her mind. Huo Du looked at the very light dark circles under her eyes and it would not be possible to see them without looking closely and carefully. He always knew that she was overthinking and depressed. Even though he secretly added conditioning herbs to her meal, her heart was still unresolved, and her worries were difficult to dispel in the end. He furrowed his brows helplessly, released his hand that was holding hers, and switched to hug her shoulders, letting her rest her head on his shoulders. Le Zhi pondered for a long time but could not figure it out. When she finally regained her senses, she was already in Huo Du¡¯s arms. She was surprised how she and Huo Du became what they were now? Her head was extremely clear, and she could feel her body and mind approaching him willingly. This distinct awareness made her body tense instantly, and at the same time, circle after circle of panic filled her heart. Not long after, the carriage stopped. Le Zhi opened the carriage door and saw an elegant bamboo house. Such an elegant house on such a remote outskirt was somewhat out of place with the surrounding environment. She thought for a moment, then turned around and held her hand out to Huo Du very naturally. After getting off the carriage, An Xuan kept watch on the outside and the two walked forward step by step and stepped into the bamboo house. ¡°Old Man.¡± Huo Du called lazily facing inside. Le Zhi frowned subconsciously and then went to pull his sleeves to express disapproval of his impolite address. But Huo Du chuckled lightly, not caring at all. It did not take long for footsteps to come from inside the room, but the voice came out first before the person showed up. ¡°Let me tell you, little boy, either you don¡¯t come once in several years, or you come one after another. Are you coming to get¡­¡± There was an obvious impatience tone in his words, but before he could finish speaking, Yin Changshuo was already stunned in place. He first looked at Huo Du, and then his eyes fell on Le Zhi, and then he smiled. ¡°Old Man Yin.¡± Huo Du turned his head to the person beside him and said, then looked at Yin Changshuo, and introduced succinctly, ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Yin Changshuo looked at them standing side by side and their clothes sticking with each other in the wind. They were really a pair of beautiful couples. The mist gradually formed in his eyes, but the smile on his face became bigger and bigger. For a while, no one spoke. It was Le Zhi who reacted first. She stepped forward slowly, saluted respectfully, and then called out, ¡°Uncle Yin.¡± Yin Changshuo regained his senses and suppressed the emotions in his eyes. He hurriedly greeted them to enter the room, ¡°Don¡¯t be too polite. Don¡¯t be too polite, quickly come in and sit down.¡± The two followed into the room, and Huo Du walked to the medicine cabinet to get medicine as usual. Le Zhi stood beside him and looked at him quietly. Yin Changshuo brewed a cup of tea and handed it to Le Zhi. Le Zhi thanked him and took it with both hands. She glanced at Huo Du and then at Yin Changshuo, and saw the close relationship between the two. Even though both of them were not polite in their mouths, Yin Changshuo only brewed her a cup of tea. But this further showed that the relationship between the two was not estranged. He did not treat Huo Du as a guest at all and they were more like¡­ family. ¡°Don¡¯t spend it here with him, it¡¯s boring.¡± Yin Changshuo smiled at Le Zhi, ¡°Would you like to go to this Old Man¡¯s back garden?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi did not answer immediately but looked at Huo Du. After all, he came to get the medicine for her, and it seemed a bit unreasonable if she did not accompany him. ¡°Go play.¡± Huo Du looked at her and spoke. He thought that since Le Zhi liked to play with Little Lame Huo so much, she would definitely like it here. She was always so worried, and he hoped she would be happy, even for a little while. Now that he opened his mouth, Le Zhi did not refuse. She smiled and walked towards the back garden with Yin Changshuo. As soon as she stepped into the back garden, Le Zhi was stunned in place. Kittens, bunnies, puppies¡­ There were so many cute little ones in the garden. Le Zhi took off the moon white cotton cloak in the room. Standing in the warm sunlight at this time, her light pink skirt seemed to glow with a layer of soft light, which made her look extra gentle. She had an affinity for animals, so the furry little ones ran towards her excitedly, surrounded her, and carefully stretched out their paws to touch her cotton boots. She walked slowly to the middle of the garden, sat down on the low stool, and leaned over to touch them. Their bodies were all soft, making the tip of her heart soften, and the corners of her lips curled into a smile unconsciously. Yin Changshuo also took a stool and sat down beside her at a distance, ¡°Bring a few back if you like it.¡± Hearing the sound, Le Zhi turned her head to look over and Yin Changshuo had a gentle smile on his face. Le Zhi was stunned. For some reason, she suddenly remembered her imperial father, who used to talk to her with such a smile. But she shook her head and refused, ¡°It¡¯s better to let them stay here.¡± It was quiet and beautiful here, away from the hustle and bustle, which was more suitable for these little ones to live. Yin Changshuo nodded, then changed the subject. He remembered what Huo Du said last time, and asked, ¡°Is your sister sick?¡± ¡°En¡­ She was frightened.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s expression darkened, but she still kept smiling, ¡°Thank you Uncle Yin for the medicine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± After a pause, Yin Changshuo cast his gaze into the distance, as if remembering something sad. His eyes darkened, and he sighed softly, muttering as if he was talking to himself. ¡°If Xiao Du¡¯s sister was still alive, it should be time for her to get married now.¡± Hearing that, Le Zhi was shocked, and the carrot used to feed the rabbit in her hand fell to the ground. Sister? Does Huo Du have a sister? Listening to Uncle Yin, was his sister no longer alive? Le Zhi suddenly discovered that she knew very little about him. In addition to knowing that he was the Taizi, his birth mother was the former princess of the Shengnuo Tribe, who passed away when he was young. As for the others, she knew nothing at all. I don¡¯t even know how he got his leg injured. She looked into the room, the strong fragrance of medicine wafted to her nose, and her heart was a little stuffy. ¡°Does His Highness have a sister?¡± Le Zhi asked cautiously. Yin Changshuo nodded, ¡°Xiao Xiao and Xiao Du are twins, but she passed away many years ago.¡± He did not plan to go into details. This matter was a pain in his heart, and every time he thought about it, it would make him feel the unbearable pain in his heart. If he could have come back one step earlier that year, would he be able to save Xiao Xiao¡¯s life and saved Xiao Du¡¯s leg? Unfortunately, there was no if. Le Zhi looked at Uncle Yin silently, somewhat regretting the question she asked. She could feel the deep sorrow in Uncle Yin¡¯s expression and tone. She should not have asked. Yin Changshuo recovered and looked sideways at Le Zhi. Seeing her face full of self-blame, he said again, ¡°It¡¯s better for Xiao Du to tell you these things.¡± There was unbearableness in his eyes. He knew very well what the child in front of him had just experienced not long ago. He did not want to add another weight to the child¡¯s heart. Le Zhi nodded in response. But her heart sank, Uncle Yin¡¯s solemn and painful expression had already told her that this matter was wrapped in pain. Even if some things were only recalled once, the heart seemed to be torn open again. She knew it, she knew it too well. ¡°Since you came all the way here, don¡¯t look miserable. Let Uncle Yin tell you a happy thing?¡± Yin Changshuo changed his words, ¡°That kid is finally willing to treat his leg.¡± ¡°Treat his leg?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes lit up and asked in surprise, ¡°Can His Highness¡¯s leg be cured?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yin Changshuo frowned, a little angry, ¡°If he had figured out earlier, he would have been cured a long time ago. Now¡­ it¡¯s very troublesome!¡± Listening to Uncle Yin¡¯s words, Le Zhi¡¯s heart was a mess and when she heard the word trouble, her heart froze and asked, ¡°Is it difficult to cure?¡± Yin Changshuo did not answer but got up and went to the room to get a medical book, opened it, and handed it to Le Zhi. Le Zhi took it and saw a flower was drawn on the page that was turned, and the shape of the petals seemed to be a bit like snowflakes. It was a breed she had never seen before. ¡°This flower is called the snow bone lotus, and it grows in dense jungles.¡± Yin Changshuo continued to sit on the low stool and sighed, ¡°If he wants to regenerate the bones of the disabled leg, he must use this snow bone lotus. There are so many snow bone lotuses in the earlier years, but that dead kid refuses to treat it. Isn¡¯t it great now? It¡¯s hard to find the flower.¡± Le Zhi somewhat understood, but at the same time, she did not understand. ¡°Why¡­ why did he suddenly realize this?¡± Le Zhi murmured. Listening to Uncle Yin¡¯s meaning, Huo Du clearly refused to treat his legs, so why did he suddenly want to cure his legs? Yin Changshuo smiled and asked her, ¡°What do you think?¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes and turned her head, just in time to see Huo Du coming out of the inner room with a white jade cane. As if he had telepathy, he also looked in her direction, facing each other at a distance. Both of them were startled. It was Le Zhi who looked away first. She lowered her eyes and continued to look at the snow bone lotus drawn in the medical book, trying hard to remember the appearance of the flower in her mind. Through his eyes that were looking at her, she seemed to have guessed the reason why he wanted to treat his leg. Huo Du just stood there and did not come over. He looked at Le Zhi quietly, wondering what she was thinking. Then Yin Changshuo got up and walked over, standing beside him. After a moment of silence, Yin Changshuo turned his head slightly, and asked in a muffled voice, ¡°Have you ever thought about taking her away from Great Qi?¡± The black eyes that had been looking at the light pink figure from the beginning moved slightly, and Huo Du¡¯s long-silent heart moved with it. The author has something to say£º Zhi: I don¡¯t know anything about my husband. (sad) Du: Then you can ask me! CH 59 Chapter 59 Pray for Blessing Huo Du admitted that Old Man Yin¡¯s proposal was really tempting. Le Zhi, who was under the sun, looked warm and bright. He was stunned for a moment, and even really started to consider this suggestion seriously. However, it was only for a moment. How could two people who survived on the ground of hatred allow themselves to be immersed in their dreams? Huo Du laughed and did not answer Yin Changshuo¡¯s words. And his silence and expression already gave Yin Changshuo the answer. After a pause, he walked to Le Zhi¡¯s side, quietly following her gaze to the snow bone lotus depicted in the medical book. A shadow overshadowed it, and the bright snow lotus on the page instantly darkened. The fragrance of mint was blown along by the breeze. Le Zhi closed the medical book, then stood up and looked at Huo Du. Perhaps due to Uncle Yin¡¯s words she unconsciously took a closer look at his appearance, and subconsciously painted in her mind what his twin sister would look like. Le Zhi would never forget the bloody holes in her imperial brother. Every time she thought of it, she was in constant pain. Was not the blood connections between brothers and sisters could feel each other¡¯s pain? Thus, was not the bond between twins deeper? ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Huo Du¡¯s voice pulled her thoughts back, she nodded and walked towards the room with him. ¡°Alright Uncle Yin, I¡¯ll say goodbye to you here.¡± Le Zhi said goodbye to Uncle Yin with a smile. Yin Changshuo sent them to the gate and watched them leave. He sighed silently until the carriage disappeared from sight. He hoped that these two children could stay away from the rights and wrongs and have a happy life. But he could also see that they had too many things on their backs, and they could not just walk away. He looked up at the sky, the sun was obscured by thick clouds, and the worry in his heart became heavier. ¡ª On the way back, the state of mind between the two seemed to be reversed. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and looked at the medicine bag beside her. This time, Huo Du took a lot, which could probably be used for a long time. Maybe before the medicinal materials were used up, her sister would have recovered. Her heart fluttered, and she had no strength, so she could only sway gently with the carriage. The wandering gaze inadvertently caught a glimpse of Huo Du¡¯s right leg, and the image of the snow bone lotus instantly appeared in her mind. Was that flower really that hard to find? Huo Du stared at her silently, and it was not difficult to judge from her worried expression that Old Man Yin must have said something to her. But he knew better that Old Man Yin knew the propriety and would never tell her everything. Le Zhi¡¯s head was in a mess, she did not know what she wanted to do, let alone what she should do. Her heart felt uncomfortable for a long time and did not know why it was so uncomfortable. She raised her eyes in a daze, looked at the person sitting opposite, and said what she was thinking without thinking about it. ¡°Can I hug you?¡± The carriage suddenly fell into silence, and even the sound of their breathing seemed to disappear. Huo Du¡¯s eyes grew deeper and deeper, and his heartbeat seemed to stop for a moment. He stared into her reddish eyes, forgetting to answer her words for a while. The quiet time was a bit long, and Le Zhi turned her face a little unnaturally, reaching out to lift the carriage curtain and letting the outside cold wind blow her cheeks. It will be great if it can blow away messy emotions. ¡°Come here.¡± The hand on the carriage curtain lowered down. Le Zhi looked over following the voice and set her eyes on his deep eyes. She could not see through his emotions, only regarded his words as approval. She moved to his side and hugged him tightly around his neck. The carriage happened to pass through a road covered with gravel, and the carriage shook a little too strong. Huo Du raised his arms and wrapped his arms around her waist so that she could hold him firmly. Feeling the force around her waist, Le Zhi burst into tears. She did not know why she was crying, but her heart could not stop aching. She buried her face in his shoulder, rubbing her tears lightly on his neck. She cried for a long time as if she wanted to cry out the grievances in her heart. But how could she cry all her grievances out? Gradually, Le Zhi stopped crying and lifted her head up with some embarrassment. She withdrew a little from his arms and raised her sleeve to wipe the tear marks from his neck. Her tears stained his neck, making his neck wet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Her voice was a little hoarse and a little soft. Huo Du looked down at the corners of her red eyes, raised his hand to touch the back of her head, and asked, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Le Zhi lowered her head to evade his eyes, and lied in a soft tone, ¡°I¡¯m worried about my sister¡¯s health.¡± Huo Du¡¯s expression was faint, and he hummed in a low voice. He did not expose her lies at all. He put his hand on her head, lightly push her head to rest on his shoulder, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Sleep for a while.¡± Le Zhi was not sure if she was tired from crying, but after she closed her eyes, it did not take long for her to fall asleep. With shallow breathing lightly brushing Huo Du¡¯s neck, he stared sideways at her cheek. Then he raised his hand to gently wipe away the tears that remained at the end of her eyes with his fingertips. As for the tears on her eyelashes, he lowered his head slightly and kissed them gently. The taste of her tears touched the tip of his tongue and it turned out that her tears were bitter. The bitterness gradually spread and spread to his heart. He carefully hid this taste in his heart. When the two returned to the Taizi Mansion, it was already dusk. As soon as he stepped into the gate of the mansion, An Xuan greeted him with a serious expression, and he bowed to report. ¡°Your Highness, the palace has issued an order asking Taizifei to leave tomorrow with the imperial concubines to go to Fuxi Temple to pray for blessings.¡± Hearing this, Huo Du¡¯s eyes became cold. He almost forgot this tradition of the Great Qi over the years. Le Zhi frowned and looked at An Xuan with a puzzle. ¡°Taizifei, this is a tradition in Great Qi. Before the New Year, the womenfolk of the court need to go to Fuxi Temple to pray for blessings. This has been the case over the years, rain or shine.¡± ¡°Send someone to the palace to tell the Empress that Taizifei is not feeling well and will not go this time.¡± Huo Du ordered casually. An Xuan nodded and prepared to retreat. ¡°Wait!¡± Le Zhi stopped him, ¡°Don¡¯t refuse first.¡± After thinking for a while, Le Zhi tugged at Huo Du¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°Your Highness, I have to go.¡± Huo Du looked at her for a while, and said without any expression, ¡°All right, it¡¯s up to you.¡± An Xuan nodded and retreated with great insight. The two walked back to the bedroom in silence, and no one spoke a word along the way. Le Zhi knew what he was thinking as it was dangerous to go on a journey with the Empress. However, if she did not go, would not it make the Empress even more suspicious? The path she chose was already dangerous. There were some things she could avoid once, but she could not avoid them every time. Le Zhi wanted to have a good discussion with Huo Du, but after he got to the bedroom and washed up, he went straight to bed and did not give her a chance to talk at all. He made it clear that he did not want to talk to her. She had no choice but to lie down beside him and said softly, ¡°I will be very careful.¡± Unfortunately, there was no response. He seemed to be really asleep. They did not even have dinner. Both of them pretended to close their eyes, but in fact, they did not sleep all night. The next day. When Le Zhi was about to set off, Huo Du still maintained a sleeping position with his back to her, without any intention of paying attention to her. She sighed in her heart, walked to the bedside, tucked the corner of the quilt for him, and then turned around and walked towards the door. After she gently closed the door of the bedroom, within a moment, the person on the bed lifted the brocade quilt with force, angrily pulled the white jade cane on the bedside, and got up and walked step by step towards the bathroom with a serious face. The sound of the cane touching the ground was extremely loud in the silence. ¡ª Fuxi Temple was far from the capital and the terrain was high, so the closer they were to the destination, the lower the surrounding temperature was. When a group of majestic imperial womenfolk arrived, the sky was already dark. The abbot of the temple arranged the residences for them to live in the morning so that the nobles could rest first and wait until tomorrow to officially hold the blessing ceremony. At dinner time, everyone gathered and ate vegetarian food in the temple. After a long day¡¯s journey, everyone was tired, and all went back to their room to rest after dinner. Li Yao walked in front of Le Zhi with a lantern, illuminating the path on the ground for her. But after walking for a while, they saw someone standing not far away waiting for them. It was Shen Qingyan and her maid. Le Zhi frowned suspiciously, wondering why she came. On the side, Li Yao instantly guarded Le Zhi behind her with vigilance. After all, Shen Qingyan was Huo Xu¡¯s person and had to guard against her. Li Yao was afraid that she would do something bad to her master. Seeing this, Shen Qingyan smiled instead. She took a few steps forward and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, I just want to have a few words with you, is it possible?¡± With the help of the light, Le Zhi¡¯s gaze fell on Shen Qingyan¡¯s face. It has only been a short time since she met her at the last palace banquet. How did the lively girl in the bright yellow palace dress at that time become so haggard? The fatigue in her appearance was undoubtedly revealed, and her face was morbidly pale. Shen Qingyan saw that Le Zhi had not spoken for a long time and thought that she did not want to talk to her. That being the case, she did not force her. After nodding slightly, she said, ¡°Sorry to have bothered you.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Le Zhi hurriedly stopped her. The night wind chill was cold, and she tightened the cotton cloak on her body and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡± The two walked quietly side by side until they entered Le Zhi¡¯s room. Li Yao and Lu Ying waited outside the room in tacit understanding, be on the lookout for their master. ¡°Sit down.¡± Le Zhi said softly. Shen Qingyan was not punctilious just now, and Le Zhi naturally did not stick to it. After Shen Qingyan was seated, Le Zhi asked, ¡°Do you have something important to find me?¡± Shen Qingyan covered her heart and coughed twice before she lifted her pale face and nodded. She wanted to say something, but after opening her mouth silently, she stopped again. After a moment of silence, she stood up and raised her hand to untie the lace of the dark red cotton cloak on her body. She let the cotton cloak fell to the ground and spread out on the ground. The cold and hard ground seemed to be stained with blood. Then she tore off the light red collar and pulled the sleeves up. The red marks on her neck and arms were clearly revealed in front of Le Zhi¡¯s eyes. She widened her eyes in shock. She covered her slightly opened cherry lips and looked at Shen Qingyan in disbelief. The author has something to say£º Du: I¡¯m angry, very angry! CH 60 Chapter 60 Debt Collection On the contrary, Shen Qingyan had no emotions on her face. She straightened her collar and sat down again. Then she smiled at the stunned Le Zhi and said, ¡°Have you seen it clearly? This is the man you have been helping.¡± Le Zhi recovered slightly and asked in a trembling tone, ¡°Is it¡­ made by Huo Xu?¡± Those dark red marks were ghastly. It did not look like it was beaten¡­ But it was a little familiar? The memories welled up in her mind, and Le Zhi suddenly remembered that before the wedding, momo had shown her those books. There were a lot of patterns and postures painted inside, all of which were twisted and hideous. This also made her tremble on the wedding night. The traces on those women¡¯s bodies in the book were very similar to Shen Qingyan¡¯s red marks. So instead of being beaten, she was brutally abused during sexual intercourse. ¡°Since you and I are both married, you can naturally understand some things.¡± Shen Qingyan¡¯s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile, then looked at Le Zhi and said, ¡°I have eyes but fail to see, but you¡­¡± Shen Qingyan¡¯s eyes were full of doubts. She did not understand that in the eyes of this princess of country Li, the hatred of destroying the country and the blood feud of her parents still could not be compared to a man? But what qualifications did she have to speak to others? She had been infatuated with Huo Xu before, knowing that he disregarded the kindness and righteousness and wiped out the country Li. She actually dreamed that she could warm such an ungrateful person¡¯s heart. It was just a fool¡¯s dream! Le Zhi probably understood what Shen Qingyan meant. Shen Qingyan certainly was not kept in the dark the last time Lin Yuxian made such as fuss during the private meeting between her and Huo Xu. Therefore, was she here today to persuade her to stop being so obsessed? After a moment of silence, Le Zhi suppressed the emotions in her heart, and then pretended to ask calmly, ¡°Since you all know that I am in contact with Third Highness, why did you come to tell me this today? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I will tell him all this?¡± Hearing this, Shen Qingyan was obviously startled, but it was only for a moment, then she laughed lightly, ¡°Since I came tonight, I have already anticipated all the possibilities.¡± Now that she was in torment every day, what else was there to be afraid of? Death? She was looking forward to death. But Huo Xu would not let her die, and she did not dare to commit suicide, which would hurt her father¡¯s heart. ¡°It seems to be the worst kind of possibility.¡± Shen Qingyan let out a low laugh, then stood up and wanted to leave, ¡°Tell him or not, it¡¯s up to Taizifei.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Le Zhi stared at her side face and asked, ¡°You told me this, not just to let me know the character of Third Highness, right?¡± With the friendship between her and Shen Qingyan, if it was just to warn her, she would not let herself take a risk. The candles in the room swayed slightly by the wind and the flames burned the candle wicks, making some crackling sounds. Shen Qingyan bent down to pick up the cotton cloak on the ground, shook it casually, and then draped it over her shoulder. She reached out her hands to carefully tie the bright red laces of the cotton cloak and looked solemnly at Le Zhi and replied, ¡°I want to make a deal with you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Le Zhi blinked, showing a look of interest, ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°I want to divorce him, but he refuses. I know he will listen to you. As long as you can get him to sign the divorce paper, in exchange, I will let my father help you leave Great Qi and promise to never let Huo Xu find you.¡± Shen Qingyan frowned and continued without hesitation, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you have no resentment towards him. If you are forced to stay here, why not consider my suggestions to find a way to free yourself.¡± Le Zhi looked at Shen Qingyan quietly, and her words came clearly into her ears word by word. The candlelight printed the cotton cloak on her body bright red, and Le Zhi felt that she was more beautiful at this moment than on the day she first saw her. Shen Qingyan like this had the demeanor of the daughter of the Prime Minister and the noble daughter of Great Qi. She sighed in her heart, but she could not answer Shen Qingyan immediately. Just listening to superficial words was not enough, she needed proof. ¡°I see. It¡¯s dark outside, be careful on the road.¡± The meaning of her words was obvious. Shen Qingyan nodded slightly, then straightened her back and headed towards the door. The wooden door opened and closed once again. Li Yao came in from outside the room and walked to Le Zhi. ¡°Sit.¡± Le Zhi pulled Li Yao¡¯s wrist and asked her to sit down. After standing outside for a long time, Li Yao¡¯s hand was cold, and Le Zhi quickly stuffed the handwarmer into her hand. Except in front of outsiders, Le Zhi had always did not like to adhere to the propriety of master and servant. ¡°Master.¡± Li Yao sniffled her frozen red nose and said solemnly, ¡°Lu Ying has taken precautions early on, and her mouth is very tight. I made some indirect inquiries, but couldn¡¯t find any useful information. But there is one thing that is certain, her master has not had a good life since she married Huo Xu. Because Lu Ying always has some sighs in her tone when she speaks.¡± The more details laid out, the harder it was to feign. Le Zhi nodded, but her face turned colder. Although she had already believed most of them just now, she still hoped in her heart that Shen Qingyan lied to her and helped Huo Xu to test her, or for her own peace of mind. She hoped that Li Yao could detect Lu Ying¡¯s flaws and see through the plot of the master and servant. She even hoped that the red marks on Shen Qingyan¡¯s body were the marks she smeared with something, rather than real scars. She would rather Shen Qingyan was a stupid woman who was deeply in love than suffer from that kind of terrible thing. The mottled blood marks lingered in Le Zhi¡¯s mind. She could not imagine how Shen Qingyan felt when Huo Xu did those things to Shen Qingyan. ¡°Bastard!¡± Le Zhi clenched her right fist tightly, and shouted in anger, ¡°Do you think he is still a human being?¡± In any case, Shen Qingyan was the wife he willingly married. Even if it was just for Shen Huai¡¯s power and even if he did not like her, he should not have done that to her. The more Le Zhi thought about it, the angrier she became. Slowly, she felt a chill in her heart, and her body could not help trembling. Such a bastard had been in Great Li as a hostage for twelve years, but none of them could see his selfish, cruel and dirty mind. Were they too stupid and slow-witted, or were Huo Xu too good at disguising? Li Yao¡¯s heart was slightly stagnant, and she knew who her master was talking about. ¡°Master, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s late at night, let¡¯s rest first.¡± Li Yao advised. Le Zhi hummed softly, then looked up at Li Yao and asked, ¡°Will Xiao Xi and Qiu Yu be cold outside?¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I have sewn a special layer of material into their clothes to keep them warm and windproof. They¡¯ll never freeze.¡± Hearing what Li Yao said, Le Zhi was relieved. Her brows relaxed, and she finally instructed Li Yao, ¡°You must be careful as the temple is unlike the mansion, especially after nightfall.¡± The words she said to Huo Du yesterday were not without thinking the matter through, she was really cautious. That was the reason why she brought Qiu Yu and Xiao Xi along. Xiao Xi was very good at crossbows, Qiu Yu¡¯s darts were excellent, and the two were very good at martial skills. With the two of them secretly guarding, she could absolutely ensure her safety. Even if she was outnumbered, she could keep herself and Li Yao out of danger. Li Yao nodded solemnly and then withdrew. Fuxi Temple was located halfway up the mountain, and there was not enough water source. Le Zhi could only simply wash up and change into bedclothes. Although she had barely slept last night, she was still not sleepy at this time. Even if the arrangements were in place, she was still a little worried. Turning her eyes slightly, Le Zhi carefully looked at this simple and unfamiliar room. She felt a little scared being here alone. Somehow, she suddenly thought of someone, someone who should still be angry. She frowned and bit her lip. How can someone have such a big temper! He might as well change his name to Unhappy Huo! After a while, Le Zhi shook her head and was unwilling to think about him anymore. Just let him be angry by himself in the mansion. Even if she was not sleepy, she still walked to the bed. Even if she could not fall asleep, she could lie down and rest on the bed. But when she opened the bed curtain, she saw a person who should not have appeared there. ¡°Unhappy Huo¡± was leaning lazily on the cotton pillow at this time. Le Zhi quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth, hiding the exclamation. Then the whole person stood there stupidly, motionless. Huo Du raised his eyelids and glanced at her, not intending to pay any attention to her. Le Zhi suddenly laughed. This person came all the way, would not he still be angry, right? Or was he pretending to be angry on purpose and waiting for her to coax him? Fine. She climbed onto the bed gently and leaned against the cotton pillow with him. The bed in the temple was not as soft as the bed in the Taizi Mansion, and Le Zhi¡¯s back was sore that she could not help frowning. But she did not have time for that. She tilted her head and set her eyes on Huo Du¡¯s face, then looked down to see him holding the purple stone with his left hand and rubbing it lightly. So, she reached out to hold his long finger, and then asked gently, ¡°Your Highness came here, are you worried about me or miss me?¡± Although Le Zhi¡¯s asked directly, she was a little embarrassed, so she lowered her eyes and did not look at him after asking. Huo Du did not answer, just raised his right hand, and pinched Le Zhi¡¯s cheek with his thumb and index finger. He used some strength so that she could feel a slight pain in her face. She frowned in displeasure and reached out to swat the back of his hand. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Huo Du let go of his hand, and his stern face finally loosened. He sneered and said, ¡°I just want to see how thick your skin is.¡± Le Zhi really did not hear this kind of eccentric tone for a long time ago. She smiled while approaching him, looked at his eyes, and then asked tenderly, ¡°Has Your Highness seen it clearly? Do you want to¡­ pinch again?¡± After a pause, she raised her hand to rub her red cheek that was pinched by him. She shrank her head in fear, and then added, ¡°Don¡¯t use too much force!¡± Hearing this, Huo Du really stretched out his hand, as if he really wanted to pinch her cheek again. However, her fingers just caressed her soft cheeks gently. Then, he got up slightly and touched the tip of her nose with the tip of his nose. ¡°Want to know why I¡¯m here?¡± he asked. The warm breath brushed against the cherry lips, and Le Zhi¡¯s eyes moved slightly. She looked into his eyes quietly, waiting for his answer. Huo Du was stunned by her obedient look. After a while, he chuckled. ¡°Come to collect debts.¡± She owed him dozens of kisses, and she was not done yet. The author has something to say£º Du: I¡¯m angry, and I¡¯m fine again! Zhi: ¡­? (outrages) CH 61 Chapter 61 Coax People Only one piece of the bed curtain hung down. When Le Zhi stepped out of Huo Du¡¯s embrace with a steady breath, her eyes just fell on the calves of the two of them next to each other. Through the fabric, she felt his cool body temperature. Then she unconsciously rubbed her lips with her fingers, the warmth still lingering on them. ¡°Still reminiscing?¡± A melodious tone of voice sounded. Le Zhi turned her head to look at him in disbelief, and he was also looking at her. He even fiddled his lip line with his fingers as she did. Sell it cheaply and play it vividly. ¡°Is today¡¯s debt paid off?¡± She bit her lip, raised her flushed cheeks, then reached out to grab his sleeve, and tugged hard, ¡°Your Highness, go back!¡± Huo Du stared at her and was extremely pleased by her puffed-up appearance. Gradually, a faint smile appeared in the cold eyes. He held her hand, gently pulled her into his arms, and asked with a low smile, ¡°You¡¯re driving me away?¡± Le Zhi put her palm on his chest and tried to push, but after finding that it was useless, she simply gave up. ¡°How dare I drive away Your Highness Taizi.¡± She said sullenly. He was always so unpredictable. When he said he was angry, he got angry, and when he wanted to tease her, he teased her. He had always done whatever he wanted. The more Le Zhi thought about it, the more aggrieved she became. She blinked her sour eyes and shed tears silently. Huo Du thought she did not speak as she was holding back until he heard some sobbing sounds. He put away his smile. The hand on Le Zhi¡¯s waist tightened slightly, hugging her even tighter. The other hand stretched out to her back and patted gently¡­ again and again. Unexpectedly, the person in his arms not only did not stop crying but cried even harder. Her face was pressed against his heart, and tears fell down like rain, wetting his thin shirt. Huo Du¡¯s hand froze, and his eyes, which had always been unfathomable, seemed to appear stunned. He did not know how to coax people, and he had never coaxed people. In the past, he never thought of coaxing people one day. If he knew it earlier, he would not tease her. No, it should be said that he should not have sulked with her yesterday. He was indeed shooting at his own foot. His expression sank, his eyes fixed on her hanging hand. Then he reached out and took her soft, feeble hand. ¡°Pa¡­¡± The crisp slap sounded particularly loud in the silent late night. Le Zhi was so shocked that she stopped crying and stood up slightly to withdraw from Huo Du¡¯s embrace. Her wrist was still held in Huo Du¡¯s hand, and her palm was slightly painful. Then, she raised her eyes in a daze and looked at Huo Du¡¯s face. She saw a shallow five-fingerprint on his cold white left face and a thin long red line. Le Zhi¡¯s finger moved slightly and thus was scratched by her fingernails. Huo Du raised his hand, wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingers, and asked, ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± Le Zhi did not understand what he was asking. Could it be that he was coaxing her in this way? This is not a normal way to coax people! Seeing that she did not speak for a long time, Huo Du clenched her wrist expressionlessly, with a little force in his hand. He wanted to hold her hand again and smacked it on his face. Fortunately, Le Zhi was in time this time and deflected when her palm was about to touch his face, leaving only the wind grazing his cheek. ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± Le Zhi said, her voice was a little hoarse, and her eyes were still red. Huo Du leaned over and looked at her red fox eyes seriously. Then he released her wrist and said nothing. He moved toward the end of the bed as if he was going to get off the bed. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Huo Du said. The cold tone was the same as usual, but Le Zhi heard a different meaning from usual. Her heart seemed to be suddenly crushed, stuffy, and a little uncomfortable. Before she could sort out her state of mind, she had already reached out and grabbed Huo Du¡¯s arm, trying her best to say in a calm tone, ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside¡­¡± Don¡¯t go. The hand that had just touched the bed curtain paused, and the action that wanted to lift the curtain changed, unexpectedly lowering the other side of the bed curtain down instead. The bed was instantly plunged into darkness. Huo Du hugged her and lay down silently, bending his lips in the darkness, showing a successful smile. He deliberately lowered the curtain of the bed so that he would not be seen by her. Le Zhi quietly rested her head on his heart, hesitated for a moment, but still said softly, ¡°Can Your Highness not get angry easily in the future?¡± After a while, Huo Du made a low hum. He knew that yesterday he was too much. But Le Zhi did not know how dangerous it was to go on a journey with Lin Wanning. Although he had ordered the dark guards to protect her in secret all the way to Fuxi Temple, he was still restless. When he thought of Lin Wanning, those bloody images followed, making his heart suffocate and unbearable. His sister was covered in blood and bled all over the place. He could only watch her helplessly, unable to do anything. The reason why Lin Wanning was not killed was that it was too cheap to simply let her die. She must be tortured. Otherwise, how could he go to see his sister? After all these years, his good show had just begun. How could they just die so casually? But yesterday, his long-lost killing intent returned. He wanted to save their lives and play slowly. But what if this gave Lin Wanning a chance to hurt Le Zhi? He fell into an endless struggle. At this time, Le Zhi muttered in a very low voice, ¡°Your temper is really bad¡­¡± As his thoughts returned, he reached out his long fingers to twirl her black hair and wrapped it in his fingers, loop after loop. He chuckled softly and said, ¡°Is your temper better?¡± It did not work at all coaxing while cuddling. If she had coaxed him like this yesterday, she would have gotten out of the difficult situation long ago. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my temper!¡± Le Zhi muttered in dissatisfaction. She did not even realize it herself, now she had begun to make a small temper in front of Huo Du. Hearing this, Huo Du laughed. He touched her head and said, ¡°Everywhere is good.¡± His little princess should just lose her temper at will. It was rare to hear him say such coaxing words, and Le Zhi smiled. However, the next moment, she suddenly thought of Shen Qingyan. Propping herself up, Le Zhi pulled one of the bed curtains away, looked at Huo Du with serious eyes, and asked, ¡°Your Highness should have come over a long time ago, did you hear what Shen Qingyan said just now?¡± The candlelight shone in, illuminating the bed a little bit. The black eyes narrowed slightly by the bright light, and Huo Du looked back at her with a complicated expression and nodded lightly. ¡°According to Your Highness, how true are her words?¡± Le Zhi still did not dare to trust her easily, so she just wanted to hear Huo Du¡¯s opinion. ¡°The bruises on her body were indeed caused by Huo Xu.¡± Huo Du continued to raise his hand to twirl her long hair, and then slowly said, ¡°As for how true her words are¡­ I can only say that she was sincere when she said that.¡± But a person¡¯s heart was fickle, who could guarantee that she would not turn against each other in the future? Huo Du stared at his long fingers that were entangled in her black hair and curled his lips. However, in the next moment, the back of his hand was slapped hard, and the black hair that was entangled in him had pulled away. He raised her eyes in confusion and bumped into a pair of angry eyes. ¡°How do you know there are bruises on her body?¡± Le Zhi asked coldly, her anger had reached the bottom of her eyes, and it could not be concealed away. Those ones? Obviously, they were hidden in the bed, if he relied on their conversation, how could he know so clearly that Shen Qingyan had bruises on her body? Could it be that¡­ he raised the bed curtain and peek at it secretly? He must have seen it! And saw it very attentively and very seriously! Ah. Ah! Le Zhi turned her head, not wanting to look at him again. Huo Du really did not expect that Le Zhi would be so inexplicably angry, and even the way she looked at him changed as if she was looking at some wild person. He frowned. ¡°I know everything that happened in Huo Xu¡¯s mansion, no matter how big or small.¡± He explained with a blank face, ¡°I put a lot of spies in his mansion.¡± ¡°Le Zhi.¡± He continued to speak word by word, and his voice was cold, ¡°I¡¯m here to collect debts today, not to see other women.¡± The moment he spoke, Le Zhi regretted it. In fact, she did not really think he was debauched. She did not know what was wrong with her and became suddenly so angry. She was so angry without thinking seriously. Could it be true, as he said, that her temper was also very bad? Pooh! How could that be possible? Even if she really had a bad temper, she was led badly by him. But¡­ After all, she was still in the wrong. She turned her head, moved her body in front of Huo Du, raised her arms to hug him, and raised her face with a gentle smile. Then she batted her eyes at him again and asked, ¡°Do you want to collect some interest?¡± Huo Du was really annoyed by her flattering appearance. He put his hand on her shoulder and pushed gently, ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± However, Le Zhi did not listen to him. She leaned forward and kissed the corner of his lips lightly. Then she opened her arms to hug him, rubbed her face against his neck, and kissed again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Huo Du was a man of his word, and he had promised her that he would be less angry in the future so that he would not be as moody as she was! Holding the person in his arms again, he asked directly, ¡°You want to help her?¡± Le Zhi thought seriously for a moment and finally nodded. Shen Qingyan did not do anything wrong, she just chose the wrong person. But the price had to pay was too heavy. ¡°Firstly, I want to help her.¡± Le Zhi rolled her eyes as if she was thinking about something, ¡°Secondly, ¡­ it¡¯s not just about helping her.¡± She was not a saint who could help others without expecting anything in return, and she also had her own thoughts. ¡°Shen Huai.¡± She said two words softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t Huo Xu marrying Shen Qingyan for the power of Prime Minister? Now that Shen Qingyan hates him and loathes him, why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to make friends with Shen Huai?¡± The fox¡¯s eyes glowed slyly. Her eyes were curved. This was the result Huo Xu deserved as he used a bamboo basket to draw water*. (Used bamboo basket to draw water* ¨C using the method that is not suitable) Huo Du was trapped in her smiling eyes and leaned over to kiss her eyes. The way she looked when she was thinking and planning her own plans on the bed was really touching. The author has something to say: Du: My wife hit me again!!! Zhizhi: ¡­This lunatic did not reveal anything, did he!?! * Ps. Stupid straight guy Du, the girl is so obviously jealous, and can¡¯t you see through it!?! Rubbish! CH 62 Chapter 62 Angry at Her With the warm breath coming over, Le Zhi lowered her head in a panic, and his kiss fell on her forehead. It was just a light kiss, leaving only a little warmness. At night, even with a heater burning in the room, it was still a little cold. Huo Du lightly hugged Le Zhi and lay down together, then pulled the quilt and covered the two of them. The quilt in the temple was a bit rough, not as soft as in the mansion. Le Zhi tossed around and frowned slightly. Her neck was a little uncomfortable being rubbed by the rough quilt. Seeing this, Huo Du pulled the quilt off her body and stared at her neck. In just a short moment, her tender white skin was rubbed red. Without giving it much thought, he took off the crimson shirt on his body, covered her exposed neck, and then covered her with the quilt. His clothes were wrapped around her, and the faint familiar smell was wrapped in her nose, making her a little daze. But she did not want to think about the reason why she was in a daze. Le Zhi continued to think about Shen Qingyan¡¯s affairs after gently closing her eyes and then opening them again. She detailed all the plans she had in mind and compared them carefully. ¡°But if this is the case and if Shen Qingyan changes her mind halfway, it will be very unfavorable for us.¡± Her voice gradually weakened. She finally could not hold back her sleepiness and closed her eyelids and fell asleep. With the long breathing sounded came to Huo Du¡¯s ears, he got up, fixed his eyes on her sleeping face, and watched quietly for a long time. Le Zhi suddenly fell into a nightmare when she was about to wake up. There was an invisible force dragging her in, and she had returned to Great Li and was in the bustling street of the capital in her unconsciousness. She lowered her eyes and saw that she was wearing the clothes of ordinary people. ¡°Zhizhi!¡± A string of sugar gourds suddenly appeared in front of Le Zhi¡¯s eyes, and she looked up in amazement and saw a familiar face. Imperial Brother. ¡°Why are you dumbfounded? Take it quickly!¡± Le Zhi raised her hand to wipe the wetness from the corners of her eyes and then took the sugar gourd. Le Xun turned around with a smile and walked to the end of the street to buy her a candy figurine. This was the scene of the previous summer when her imperial brother secretly took her out of the palace to visit the city center. Le Zhi was instantly clear-headed. She understood that she was in a dream, but she did not want to wake up as she wanted to see her imperial brother¡¯s face again. Feeling suffocated, she raised her legs to quickly follow. But suddenly, there was a strong wind, and she was blocked by the wind and could not move forward. She shielded the sandstorm with her sleeves until the wind subsided. When she opened her eyes again, there was no longer any hustle and bustle around her. All the people who were joking and laughing on the street side just now fell to the ground and were covered in blood. They looked up weakly and looked at her. ¡°Princess, have you forgotten?¡± There was no anger on their faces, only utter sadness. Le Zhi¡¯s face turned deathly pale, and she shook her head vigorously. She did not forget, not a single moment. But the expressions of the people had not changed. The people of Great Li had always been kind. They did not blame her. They just close their eyes in disappointment. Upon seeing this, Le Zhi¡¯s heart ached. She turned around hurriedly and went to find her imperial brother. Finally, she saw Le Xun standing at the end of the street looking at her. She ran towards him quickly, and when she was about to reach him, she saw Le Xun suddenly fall to the ground, and blood holes appeared on his body one after another, blood flowing out nonstop. ¡°Imperial Brother!¡± Le Zhi ran over crying, half-kneeling to hug Le Xun¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t, shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Shouldn¡¯t have let myself fall in love. No matter how many reasons and excuses she found for herself, it would not work. The blood stained Le Zhi¡¯s clothes and the palm of her hand touched the warm blood flowing from Le Xun¡¯s body, and her vision was blurred. Blood spilled from the corners of Le Xun¡¯s lips. He could not speak, he could only smile and shake his head, his eyes were full of consolation and understanding. No matter what she did wrong, her imperial brother would never be angry or blame her. The temperature in her arms was getting colder and colder bit by bit until it was completely cold. Le Zhi opened her eyes in the middle of coldness, and her neck was wet with tears. She turned her head and found that the person beside her was long gone. She breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps, Huo Du never came last night? Could it be that he was also just a part of her dream? She propped up in confusion, the crimson shirt around her neck slid down and landed on the quilt. The bright red stung her eyes. She stared blankly at the tears that fell on the crimson shirt, wetting a large area of the shirt. Even so, the faint mint smell had not dissipated. The stuffiness in her heart was getting heavier and heavier, and she spat out a mouthful of blood while surrounded by the mint smell. The tears on the crimson shirt blended with the blood, creating a dazzling red. ¡ª ¡°Have you found out clearly?¡± The Empress sat on the soft chair and took a sip of tea. After Qin Momo entered the room, she closed the door carefully. She walked up to the Empress and said, ¡°Yes, as expected by Empress, someone is protecting her secretly.¡± Hearing this, Lin Wanning raised the corners of her lips slightly. This time, she did not plan to do anything on this trip. She just wanted to determine something through this trip. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Qin Momo showed a look of distress. ¡°What?¡± Lin Wanning put down the teacup and asked with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s just that there seems to be more than one person protecting her. The spies said that there are many hidden guards scattered around outside her room, some of them are so skilled that they can¡¯t even locate their figures. There are also some who are not so skilled. They look like they are not from the same group of people at first glance.¡± ¡°Who are the ones who are not so skilled?¡± ¡°It should be from Concubine Hui.¡± Lin Wanning could not help laughing, ¡°Meddling into other people¡¯s business. She deserves to be from the same clan as Chu Yu, they¡¯re both just as stupid.¡± As for the ones with good skills, Lin Wanning knew who they were without asking. In Great Qi, apart from the secret guards that Huo Changyun had trained, the only people who could avoid her spies were Huo Du¡¯s people. The more rewarding this trip was, the stronger the smile on her face. For so many years, she could not get rid of Huo Du and paved an unimpeded road for Xu¡¯er to the throne. But now, Huo Du had a weakness. Oh, he¡¯s already lame, and then added a weakness. He became useless. The vixen that Xu¡¯er brought back had some effect after all. Then let¡¯s keep her for now. Since Huo Du liked her, let her die with him when the time came which could be regarded as a gift to the underworld from her as an imperial mother to him. ¡ª The prayer lasted for three days, but nothing special happened and the Empress did not even summon her to speak alone. This trip seemed to be really just to pray for blessings. However, except for the day when Huo Du first arrived, he never came again in the next few days. Le Zhi, on the contrary, was relieved. The nightmare haunted her, making her not know how to face him. She wanted to take advantage of these few days to think about what she should do next, but the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. They were going back at noon today, what should she do? ¡°Li Yao.¡± Le Zhi put down the silver spoon in her hand and raised her eyes to look at the person next to her, ¡°Accompany me for a walk outside.¡± Now was the time to clean up and pack. The two master and servant walked out of Fuxi Temple slowly, looked at their position where they were standing halfway up the mountain, and walked up the mountain. The warm sun shone brightly, and the sky was clear. She was praying in the temple a few days ago and missed this wonderful scenery. After walking for a while, she met Shen Qingyan head-on. Because of what happened that night, both of them were obviously taken aback. In just a moment, Le Zhi reacted, and she nodded to Shen Qingyan. Seeing this, Shen Qingyan bowed slightly and saluted, ¡°Taizifei.¡± Le Zhi already had a plan in her heart, but now was not a good time to talk to Shen Qingyan. So, she only smiled, then took Li Yao¡¯s hand and continued to walk up the mountain. But after only two steps, the voice behind her sounded. ¡°Taizifei, this Cangyan Mountain is getting hotter as it goes higher. Don¡¯t stay too long at the top.¡± When Le Zhi looked back, Shen Qingyan had already turned and walked down the mountain. Looking at her distant back, Le Zhi sighed silently. After a while, she turned to look at the top of the mountain again, thinking of Shen Qingyan¡¯s words, she realized that the temperature around her had indeed risen a lot, and even her palms were slightly sweaty. This mountain was so strange. Ordinary mountains would get colder as it got higher, but this mountain would get hotter. ¡°Master, let¡¯s go back.¡± Li Yao frowned, apparently feeling a little strange here, and muttered in a low voice, ¡°Which mountain is so hot at this time of the year?¡± Le Zhi wanted to agree with Li Yao initially, but when she saw the lush trees on the mountain, which contrasted sharply with the depressed trees on the lower mountain. She suddenly remembered Uncle Yin¡¯s medical book. Was not the lush jungle and hot and humid temperature the best environment for snow bone lotus to grow? She did not realize that she had memorized that page by heart. ¡°Let¡¯s go up and have a look.¡± Seeing that Le Zhi insisted on going up, Li Yao did not stop her and walked up the mountain with her. Qiu Yu and Xiao Xi quietly followed them not far away, carefully observing whether there was an ambush around them. When she finally reached the top of the mountain, Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks were a little red. She took a few breaths and felt a little stuffy. Sure enough, the temperature at the top of the mountain made her feel like it was back in summer. She looked at the wildflowers and plants around her and was shocked. She broke off a twig, pushed aside the long grasses under her feet, and rummaged carefully. Li Yao finally understood something that her master was looking for something? ¡°What is Master looking for? I¡¯ll help you to find it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for a flower whose petals are like snowflakes.¡± Le Zhi continued to lean over and pushed aside the grasses. The two people in the distance looked at their figures silently but could not come forward. Le Zhi had told them that they should not show up unless there was danger. ¡°Master, it¡¯s almost time to leave. We have to go back.¡± Li Zhi¡¯s hand that held the twig paused for a while and her footsteps stopped, straightened up, and nodded. Forget it, she was not a lucky person, how could she find the snow bone lotus that even Uncle Yin could not find? Throwing the twig away, she prepared to go down the mountain. But at the moment she turned around, there was a little white cone that looked like snowflakes that appeared on the north side of the jungle. Le Zhi¡¯s heart moved and strode over to check. ¡°Slow down!¡± Li Yao quickly followed, but she tripped on her foot and sprained a little, so she had to drag her feet to chase after her. When she finally reached the side of the white cone, Le Zhi squatted down and carefully pushed aside the grass outside, and finally saw a flower that was as white as snow. Exactly as depicted in the medical book. She also remembered that the flower must be picked carefully, and its root must not be broken. Because the rootless snow bone lotus was useless. She did not dare to use the twig to poke it. She reached out her hand to push aside the soil under it. There was a slight pain in her fingertips, and Le Zhi thought she had stuck some small rocks, so she did not care. The delicate roots that had been buried in the soil were exposed and Le Zhi gently breathed a sigh of relief. She dug out the snow bone lotus together with the roots, took out a handkerchief, and gently wrap it in the wide sleeves. Not daring to delay any longer, the master and servant went straight down the mountain. The carriage set off and headed in the direction of the capital. ¡°How did it get swollen?¡± Li Yao stared at Le Zhi¡¯s index finger, feeling very uneasy. It was all her fault. If she had not sprained her foot and kept up, her master would not have been bitten by bugs. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter.¡± Le Zhi smiled, ¡°It¡¯s just that I was bitten by a bug, how can I be so delicate.¡± She did not care at all about her red and swollen finger. Gently peeling off the handkerchief, Le Zhi stared at the snow bone lotus, and the panic and confusion in her heart faded a lot. With it, Huo Du¡¯s leg can be cured. She had seen how good he had been to her these days. She knew better what he wanted. However, she could not give him what he wanted. With regards to love and hate, she was very clear-headed. Therefore, she knew very well in her heart. Le Zhi could like Huo Du, but the princess of Great Li could not. How could there be a way to satisfy both sides of the world? To live up to Le clan¡¯s and Great Li¡¯s people, and to let him no longer rely on the cane to walk, was the best way to satisfy both sides of which she could think of. Because of her responsibilities and feelings, she could never satisfy both sides. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax in the chaos. It was not until the carriage stopped that Li Yao called Le Zhi softly to wake her from her slumber. She thought she might have caught a cold as her body was a little heavy and her head hurt a little. After getting off the carriage, Li Yao hurriedly went to invite a doctor. Jing Xin supported Le Zhi and walked towards the bedroom, but after entering the gate for only a few steps, she bumped into Huo Du who was walking slowly towards her with a cane. Not seeing him for three days, Le Zhi was stunned for a moment. Then she walked in front of Huo Du, took out the item in her sleeve with a smile, and handed it to him. ¡°Here, I found it.¡± As soon as the words came out, Le Zhi frowned. Why did her voice become so hoarse? Huo Du looked at the dark red on her snowy cheeks, and his heart skipped a beat. Then he lowered his eyes on her hand, only glanced at the snow bone lotus, and his eyes were all fixed on her red and swollen finger. He raised his hand to pull her wrist and put his long fingers on it. The hot body temperature, the chaotic pulse, and the abnormal red complexion¡­ Huo Du¡¯s heart froze for a moment. ¡°Who told you to meddle in other people¡¯s business?¡± He stared at the snow bone lotus she was holding in her hand and felt his eyes being pricked with pain. Le Zhi was startled and did not understand what he meant. ¡°Who told you to meddle in other people¡¯s business!¡± Huo Du raised his eyes and repeated again. It was just that the volume had increased a lot this time, with anger and a trace of trembling hidden in his tone. This was the first time since the two met that Huo Du had spoken to her in such an angry tone. Le Zhi lowered her eyes, trying to hold back the uncomfortable feeling of hot and cold entanglement on her body, and looked at the snow bone lotus in her hand. The petals as thin as snow were blown slightly by the wind. She suddenly felt like a joke. The author has something to say£º Du: I think I¡¯m going to die¡­ (the back is having chills) CH 63 Chapter 63 Mind Jing Xin on the side was obviously also frightened by this sudden anger. She looked at her master¡¯s straight back and remembered the abnormal heat from her arm when she was holding her master, and she could not help but feel even more worried. She wanted to quickly help her master to the bedroom to rest. But Taizi was in front, and the two were in a deadlocked, neither of them was willing to take a step back. What can be done about this, ah! She turned her eyes slightly and looked at An Xuan, who was standing next to Taizi, and found that his eyes were also looking at her, and she could not help being startled. Lord An¡­ Jing Xin thought that she would often run into Lord An when she was busy recently. Although Lord An did not talk much, he really helped her a lot. She would also make some pastries as a thank you gift to him over time. She thought that she and An Xuan were also on friendly terms, right? She had no choice but to try to ask An Xuan for help with her eyes. Without words, An Xuan practically understood what she meant immediately. His face was calm, but his emotions were flipping in his heart. From the past to the present, from before she lost her memory to now she had forgotten everything, even in her most difficult times, Jing Xin had never begged anyone. This was the first time. It was impossible for An Xuan not to help her. He bit the bullet and took a step forward, and said to the unpredictable Taizi, ¡°Your¡­¡± ¡°Withdraw.¡± Huo Du turned his head slightly to interrupt him, then still set his eyes on the person with her head hanging low in front of him, and said expressionlessly, ¡°All withdraw.¡± Jing Xin frowned, not only did she not step back, but also took two steps forward to stand beside Le Zhi. She also did not know what was wrong with her. She was obviously scared to death, but her worry drove the fear back. Seeing her like this, An Xuan did not move either. He looked at the sick Taizifei, then looked at His Highness Taizi, and his heart swelled with a feeling of helplessness. How did it become like this? The atmosphere was solemn, and it just so happened that the sky had changed. The sunny day instantly drifted with light snow. ¡°Withdraw first.¡± Le Zhi turned her head and said to Jing Xin. When Le Zhi spoke, Jing Xin had to listen. She frowned, nodded, and stepped back. An Xuan sighed silently, also nodded, and left. Snow fell on the top of Le Zhi¡¯s hair, and it made her a little cold. But her body was getting hotter and hotter. She thought that the cold she had this time was really severe. She shook her groggy head, and when she saw snow falling on the snow bone lotus, she put it back into the wide sleeves to protect it. He could lose his temper whenever he wanted, but she could not show her temper as she pleased. Just let him think of her as meddling in other people¡¯s business. Turning to the side, Le Zhi walked around Huo Du and walked slowly toward the bedroom. She did not look up, let alone look at him, so naturally, she could not see the redness in his eyes. The snowfall gradually became heavier, and a thin layer quickly accumulated on the ground. Le Zhi¡¯s cotton boots stepped on the ground, leaving footprints one after another. She had no strength left for a long time, but there seemed to be a force behind her pushing her forward. She knew very well who this force came from and who else could be not far behind her? She did not know why he was angry and why he still wanted to follow her. She felt so tired that she did not want to guess anymore. Huo Du stared at her back and stepped on every footprint she left behind. Her footprints were small, and after he stepped on them, the footprints of the two overlapped to form a new one. He raised his hand, sent the mellow internal energy over to drag her unsteady body, and sent her forward. The chaotic pulse lingered in his ears for a long time, and the strange heat seemed to envelop him. Since he studied medicine, he has never missed a disease or a poison. Huo Du raised his head and looked at the gray sky. Heaven had never favored him, and he also did not believe in Heaven¡¯s will. But at this moment, he actually began to beg for a ridiculous Heaven¡¯s will, hoping that he was wrong. Finally entering the bedroom, Le Zhi used her last strength to pick up a porcelain bottle and went to the washroom to get some water to immerse the roots of the snow bone lotus in the water. Although her head was groggy, she had not forgotten that this flower needed water. After doing all this, she lay down on the bed and leaned on the embroidered pillow. She half-squinted her eyes, and her gaze accidentally fell on the person sitting at the table, only to see that his face was still gloomy, and she did not know what he was thinking. At this time, Li Yao finally returned with Doctor Jiang. Jiang Ci was the most famous old doctor in the capital. Emperor Qi wanted to call him into the palace as a doctor, but Jiang Ci did not like to be restrained by nature and declined him. Huo Changyun did not want to force him, so he just gave up on this matter. The bedroom was silent. Jiang Ci had lived for a long time and naturally he had seen a lot. Li Yao was also clever, so after the two respectfully saluted Huo Du, they walked silently towards the bed. ¡°Pay respect to Taizifei.¡± Jiang Ci bowed slightly, then calmly took out a handkerchief and placed it on Le Zhi¡¯s hand. But when he saw the redness and swelling on her finger, his complexion changed drastically. When he was on the way, he heard Li Yao talk about the situation a little bit. He thought it was an ordinary mosquito bite, but the redness, swelling, and the wound¡­ Jiang Ci hurriedly put his finger on Le Zhi¡¯s wrist, and his expression became more and more grave. ¡°Doctor Jiang, Taizifei¡¯s cold came so sudden, please prescribe the medicine without delay.¡± Li Yao was anxiously on the side. ¡°This¡­¡± Jiang Ci stood up and hesitated to speak. He could only stare blankly at His Highness Taizi, who had already stood up. Jiang Ci¡¯s appearance fell into the eyes of both of them, and their hearts froze. The last hope in Huo Du¡¯s heart was completely extinguished. Le Zhi was also a little stunned, she probably guessed that what she got was not an ordinary cold. ¡°Take Doctor Jiang to the main hall to sit for a while.¡± Li Yao also saw some clues, and her worries were about to reach the highest. She bit her lip and took Jiang Ci out. ¡°Tell me.¡± Le Zhi said, her voice was hoarse, ¡°What¡¯s¡­ the matter with me?¡± But Huo Du just stared at her for a moment, then turned around and walked out. She did not have the strength to chase after him to ask, and her body could not hold it any longer. She closed her eyes and fell into unconsciousness. ¡ª Main hall. All the servants were driven away by Huo Du, except for him and Jiang Ci. ¡°Since it¡¯s malaria, why the sudden onset?¡± Hearing this, Jiang Ci was stunned. It turned out that His Highness Taizi was actually skilled in medicine. ¡°Everyone¡¯s physique is different, so the time of onset is also different.¡± Jiang Ci¡¯s expression was also a little flustered, ¡°Generally, people who have a sudden onset are most seriously ill.¡± Huo Du did not say anything. ¡°I¡¯ll immediately write a prescription for Taizifei, but¡­ I hope Your Highness will be mentally prepared. And under the laws of the Great Qi, those who suffer from malaria¡­¡± ¡°Doctor Jiang.¡± Huo Du finally spoke, looking at Jiang Ci, ¡°Taizifei has an ordinary cold, got it?¡± The cold voice did not have a trace of warmness and without showed any state of anger or arrogance. Jiang Ci understood what he meant. As a doctor, he always thought that the law of country Qi was too merciless. The law of country Qi stipulated that once contracted malaria, the person would be taken away by the authorities and executed, and then burned to ashes. Malaria was indeed terrifying, but after all, it was not transmitted from person to person like a plague. As long as those mosquitoes were eliminated, transmission could be avoided. In recent years, fewer and fewer people contracted malaria in Great Qi. One was that Great Qi was located in the north, and there were not many mosquitoes as the hot and humid season was short. The other was due to the malaria outbreak in the early years, the people were very nervous about it, and they were even more cautious about not going to those damp places. Especially the nobles of the imperial families paid more attention to these, so how could they still get this disease? With his thoughts returned, Jiang Ci nodded and solemnly promised, ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± When he walked to the door, Jiang Ci seemed to remember something, turned around again, and said profoundly, ¡°Since Your Highness is proficient in medical skills, you should be even more clear of how painful the patient will be when the disease flares up, especially when it became severe¡­ During the disease, there will be many different symptoms of the disease, and even if they are cured, most of them will have sequelae for life.¡± After practicing medicine for many years, the saddest thing was to see patients tortured by their ailment. Jiang Ci often thought that if this was the case, it would be better to prescribe them a pair of medicine and send them away safely. But doctors were benevolent, and he really could not do it. With a sigh, he only wished that his medical skills could be more refined so that he could save more people and save them from suffering. ¡ª Le Zhi was trapped in chaos, she only felt that her body was hot and cold, and her head was hurting badly. When she struggled to open her eyes, she saw a familiar face for the first time. The black eyes were so deep that she could not see the bottom of them. She propped up and wanted to get the tea by the bed, but one hand was faster than her, took the cup, and fed the water to her mouth. The cold tea ran down the throat, soothing the burning sensation in the throat. Only in this way could she speak, ¡°Your Highness still refuses to tell me?¡± ¡°Malaria.¡± Huo Du stared at her and said in a deep voice. What, what? Le Zhi was stunned, and her face suddenly lost all color. Malaria¡­ She knew it. Great Li was located in the south, and it was warm and hot all year round. There were many mosquitoes, especially in the rainy season. Her imperial father had thought of many ways, but he could not make the disease disappear in Great Li. They could only try their best to prevent and cure it. If someone was infected with this disease, the person would only have a slim chance of surviving. Le Zhi once thought about how she would die, whether she would be seen through and killed in midst of revenge or died with the enemy in a critical situation. She had thought about it a lot, but she never expected that she would die of illness in the end. There was nothing to be afraid of, but she still had a lot to do. In this way, she had no time to lose. She breathed a sigh of relief, got out of the bed, took the writing brush and paper, and walked towards the table. When she spread out the paper, she raised her eyes and saw the white snow bone lotus. After a little trepidation, she picked up the writing brush and began to write. She had to make future arrangements for her sister. Therefore, the first thing to write was how to make Shen Huai become a helpful strategy. Le Zhi hoped that Huo Du would continue to take care of her sister for a while, and then let her and Fu Xian escaped faraway places for the sake of snow bone lotus and this strategy. Some footsteps sounded behind her and then followed by Huo Du sitting down beside her. He glanced at the snow bone lotus. ¡°Regrets?¡± he asked, ¡°For such a thing.¡± The hand holding the writing brush paused, and Le Zhi knew that in the current situation, she should say no regrets in exchange for more pity from him. Raising her eyes, she looked into his eyes and said instead, ¡°I regretted it.¡± ¡°But the matter has come to this point, I hope Your Highness will not regard it with disdain, so use it.¡± At any rate, I traded my life for it, so use it to heal your leg. I hope you have everything goes well from now on. Huo Du did not say anything. He just got up and left. The moment the door was closed, Le Zhi suddenly regretted that she should not have annoyed him so quickly. In any case, she should have asked him for a bottle of poison first, so that she could suffer less. After all, this disease was quite torturous. Although she should only have three or five days left, it was also difficult to endure. But this was also good, he could be worry-free. Le Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. Even if he was emotional, he did not lose his mind. So very good. There was not much time left, and Le Zhi did not know when the disease would flare up, so she could only speed up and explain all the future events. For my sister, for Jing Xin and the others¡­ and even for An Xuan. Only there was none for Huo Du. She should leave cleanly and not leave him any thoughts to miss her. She did not know how long she had been writing. Until her eyes were a little sore, she stopped writing and leaned against the table for a while. After a while, the door was pushed open. Le Zhi raised her eyes, and when she saw the incoming person, her eyes were quickly filled with doubts and disbelief. Why did he come back? The sky was already dark, but the candles had not yet been lit in the bedroom. In the darkness, Huo Du¡¯s peach blossom eyes glowed with a firm light. He opened his mouth and said word by word, ¡°Le Zhi, I won¡¯t leave.¡± Tears that had been suppressed for a long time rolled down instantly. Le Zhi lowered her eyes and bit her lip tightly. Why did he lose his mind just when he shouldn¡¯t have done so? The author has something to say: Zhi: Woohoo. Du: Wait, don¡¯t cry yet. One matter belongs to one matter and can¡¯t be confused. Why even An Xuan has it, but you don¡¯t write for me??? Zhi: ??? CH 64 Chapter 64 Sarcasm The room was so quiet that even the sound of tears falling on her knees could be heard clearly. Le Zhi raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face and then turned sideways to the light of the red candle on the table. She took a few deep breaths and said in a very calm tone, ¡°Your Highness shouldn¡¯t have come.¡± Huo Du did not speak, even the expression on his face had not changed. However, the hand holding the white jade cane suddenly tightened, then he slowly walked to the table and picked up one of the many pieces of paper. ¡°Prime Minister Shen still has to make this move, which is very beneficial to Your Highness.¡± Le Zhi saw clearly which one he was holding and then spoke of her plan casually, ¡°And if you want to win over Prime Minister Shen, you must start from Shen Qingyan. Your Highness can first¡­ You!¡± The whole piece of paper was torn up by Huo Du¡¯s hands and fell to the ground, and unable to see what was written on it. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes widen and fell into despair, all the words she wanted to say were blocked for a while. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say anymore?¡± Huo Du sat down and faced her face to face. His black eyes stare at her all the time. After waiting for a while, seeing that she was still silent, he moved his eyes to the rest of the paper on the table and scanned it lightly. Huh, what¡¯s this? A will? There was also a tone of voice in which she seemed to explain the future events. Huo Du¡¯s eyes grew colder and colder until they became ice. He continued to set his eyes on Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you.¡± He hooked his lips, but there was no smile on his face, and his tone was full of sarcasm, ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Le Zhi stared at him blankly and did not understand his meaning. ¡°Tsk.¡± Huo Du sneered softly, reached out his hand and pressed her chapped lips with his fingertips, then lightly clasped the table with his long fingers, and continued to speak coldly, ¡°Let me tell you, if you die, I will not only not cooperate with Shen Huai, but I will also help Huo Xu to ascend to the throne. As for your sister, I won¡¯t care at all. And your people will naturally be sent back to the slave market.¡± There was no warmth in his voice, and there was a hint of intimidation in his voice. It was as if they were back to when they first met. Cold and ruthless. But he could not hide the panic and cowardice in his eyes for a long time. The tip of Le Zhi¡¯s nose turned red, and the tears that had accumulated in her eyes rolled down her pale cheeks. She was obviously not afraid, but his panic and cowardice evoked the fear in her heart. ¡°Why are you like this¡­¡± She finally could not help it. She clenched her fist and hit him on the shoulder, but she was already out of strength, so she stopped after only two hits, ¡°First, you¡¯re angry at me, and now you scare me. You¡¯re doing it deliberately, deliberately don¡¯t want to let me feel at ease.¡± Huo Du looked at her, and his eyes were getting darker. Le Zhi was right that he was doing it deliberately. He could not make her feel at ease, absolutely could not. Once she was at ease, she would no longer have the will to live. He knew what the most important thing to her was. It was her loved ones, the responsibilities, and those people to whom she wrote her last words. Not including him, was not it? He knew too well that even if she had such a little affection for him, it would be only insignificant to her. He could not keep her. Huo Du lowered his eyes and caught a glimpse of her slightly trembling fingertips as if they were touching his heart. He took her hand, looked at the red and swollen finger, and then opened his mouth to suck it. The itchy and sore finger was wrapped by the warm and soft tongue, which shocked Le Zhi into a cold sweat. She was so frightened that she pushed him without delay, but she did not dare to pull her fingers out hard. She was afraid, afraid that the wound that had just healed would open again. Would this infect him? Why does he still go crazy at a time like this! When Le Zhi recovered, she was already held in Huo Du¡¯s arms. After she regained her senses, she put her hand on his shoulder to resist him with red eyes, ¡°What are you doing? Are you reluctant to part me, or are you deliberately trying to get me angry¡­¡± If Huo Du was infected by her, it would really be over. Her heart trembled violently, and she was about to die of fright. ¡°Le Zhi, you are a liar.¡± Huo Du¡¯s voice came to her ears, Le Zhi clutched his front lapel and asked with a choking feeling, ¡°What did I lie to you again?¡± ¡°You said that there is a fate between us.¡± Huo Du¡¯s voice was a little soft, his tone a little stuffy, ¡°Do you want to give up without fighting?¡± How can there be such a cheap thing? Hearing this, Le Zhi suddenly froze. As her thoughts drifted away, she remembered¡­ ¡°I believe in fate. Isn¡¯t it because of fate that Your Highness and I have been separated by thousands of miles to become husband and wife now?¡± This was what she said that day when she confessed to him. ¡­ She was indeed lying at the time. But listening to him say it at this moment made her heartache. She was finally able to determine the reason for his madness. She rested her chin on his shoulder and asked softly, ¡°Are you afraid?¡± The hand on her waist stiffened. Is there anything she doesn¡¯t understand? ¡°I¡¯m not giving up, I¡¯m just¡­ just afraid of the pain.¡± She endured her sobbing, and her voice was getting more and more hoarse, ¡°I¡¯ve read books and this disease is very torturous. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet.¡± Huo Du interrupted her. Feeling that his arms were loosening, Le Zhi stepped back a little, opening the distance between the two. She followed his gaze to the snow bone lotus on the table and then heard him say, ¡°Just ten days. Within ten days, I will definitely cure you.¡± The time for snow bone lotus to be used as medicine was also ten days. Le Zhi looked sideways to stare at his side face, and her eyes moved slightly. She suddenly felt that Huo Du was right and that she was a liar. She asked him if he was reluctant to part with her, and she asked him if he was afraid. It was just to hide her panic. Because she was actually very reluctant to part with him. ¡°Very good.¡± She answered him. At this moment, a knock on the door sounded. Li Yao brought the boiled decoction. ¡°From today on, this loneliness and Taizifei will not see outsiders, just send the meals and decoctions to the bedroom.¡± Li Yao was stunned for a moment, then bowed in response, and withdrew cautiously. She keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the room was unusual. In addition, Jing Xin told her about what happened at noontime, and Doctor Jiang¡¯s strange reaction. She knew that her master¡¯s illness would not be as simple as a common cold. Her heart tightened. After closing the door of the room, Li Yao bit her lip and walked toward her room. After Le Zhi drank the decoction, she went into the washroom to wash up. After seeing her enter the washroom, Huo Du opened the door and called An Xuan, who was not far away, and handed him the letter in his sleeve, ¡°Let the secret guard send this to the country Ning.¡± An Xuan replied in a deep voice, and then said, ¡°Your Highness, Cangyan Mountain has¡­¡± When Le Zhi walked out of the washroom, she saw Huo Du talking to someone outside the door, and based on the voice, it should be An Xuan. Did they seem to be talking about burning or not? Perhaps Huo Du heard her footsteps, he quickly said a few words and closed the door. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did somewhere catch a fire?¡± ¡°No.¡± Huo Du walked over and touched her wet hair, ¡°Go dry your hair.¡± Le Zhi said ¡°oh¡± softly and then walked towards the bed. Huo Du walked sideways to the bathroom, remembering Le Zhi¡¯s question just now, and his eyes turned cold. She did hear it right. He asked An Xuan to burn Cangyan Mountain. No matter what hurt her, it could not stay. When he came out after changing his bedclothes, he saw the person on the bed was holding a cotton towel and looking at him aggrievedly, ¡°I¡¯m running out of strength¡­¡± Huo Du smiled, sat down on the bed, supported her shoulders, and let her rest her head on his shoulder. He took the cotton towel from her hand and slowly wipe her hair. In winter, wet hair dried very slowly, so he raised his hand to concentrate his internal force to help her dry the wet hair. After a brief moment, his hand touched her forehead like touching a piece of ice cold. He lowered his eyes and saw her beautiful eyes frown. She¡¯s fighting it. The transition from scorching heat to cold, alternated repeatedly, which was the pain that must be experienced by people suffering from malaria. Feeling that the hand on the hair stopped, Le Zhi got up a little confusedly. Looking into his eyes, she remembered his gentle movements just now, and his cold and ruthless appearance when they first met. There were many different types of him circling in her mind, which made her forget the unbearable pain in her body for a while. She raised the corners of her lips to laugh, even her eyebrows and eyes became curved. Huo Du hugged her and lay down on the bed, bundling her ice-like body with the quilt. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Huo Du asked with a frown. With this appearance, she still could laugh. Could it be that she was sick until became foolish? ¡°I¡¯m thinking about what Your Highness looked like before.¡± Le Zhi said weakly, ¡°I can¡¯t seem to remember.¡± Huo Du did not answer, just poked her in the head, then hooked a strand of her hair, and wrapped it around his fingers. ¡± Shall we play a game?¡± Huo Du¡¯s long finger paused and looked at Le Zhi suspiciously. He felt that she talked a lot more tonight than usual. ¡°What to play?¡± he asked. ¡°Say the opposite.¡± A brilliant smile appeared in the foxy eyes, and Le Zhi said the rules of the game in a soft tone, ¡°Just say what you want to say in the opposite.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first.¡± She twinkled her eyes and said, ¡°Your Highness is really ugly.¡± ¡°En, you¡¯re so stupid.¡± Le Zhi giggled, but after a while, she stopped laughing and said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not afraid at all.¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes deepened, and he replied, ¡°I won¡¯t be with you all the time.¡± ¡­¡­. The two of them talked until they were tired. The bedroom gradually became quiet, and only the candlewick made some crackling sounds. Le Zhi¡¯s forehead was sweating, but her body was shivering from the cold. She listened quietly to the long breathing of the person beside her, not sure if he really had fallen asleep. But her throat was gagged uncomfortably, as if¡­ as if she was about to lose her voice. She did not know if she could really make it through. If she could not make it through¡­ Her heart gradually sank. She slowly approached Huo Du¡¯s ear, not knowing where her strength came from, and gently pressed her cherry lips to the tip of his ear, and said with the last bit of her strength, ¡°Meeting you makes me very unhappy¡­ I don¡¯t reluctant to part with you. I don¡¯t like you at all.¡± After saying that, her throat seemed to be really gagged with cotton, and could not make a sound anymore. She clearly felt relieved before sinking into the darkness. It turned out that the feeling of declaring was so good. However, the person who was lying beside her with his eyes closed, his eyelashes trembled because of her words. The author has something to say: Guess whether Brother Du wants to laugh or cry? CH 65 Chapter 65 Entangled Tightly When the whole person was pulled into the darkness, the body seemed to be split into two halves, one half was placed in the ice, and the other half fell into the raging flames. However, Le Zhi¡¯s thoughts were extremely clear. Amid the hot and cold, her body was pulled into a familiar embrace. She pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. A stream of warm infusion went into her body, surrounding her beating heart and gently comforting her. Idiot¡­ No matter how much internal strength you have, you shouldn¡¯t use it indiscriminately. Le Zhi wanted to speak to stop him, so she tried her best to open her mouth, but found that she could not make any sound. If she remembered correctly, when malaria flared up, it could cause symptoms of aphasia. Therefore, was she unable to speak anymore? Suddenly, the warm lips came over and gently kissed her lips, as if comforting like a soft caress. In the pain and numbness, she felt his kiss on her lips carefully. Gradually, the pain eased a little, and Le Zhi only felt sweaty all over her body, and the thin bedding was sticking to her skin, which made her feel very sticky and uncomfortable. She felt Huo Du gradually loosening his hand around her, and then there was a soft sound came to her ear, which was the sound of him getting off the bed. Le Zhi thought he would call Li Yao to clean her, but he just called for water. The closed eyelids were finally able to open up, and all her eyes fell on the crimson figure. She watched him gradually approach her, holding a steaming hot cotton towel in his hand. Huo Du sat down on the bed, staring at her weak eyes, and raised his hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± He asked. Le Zhi subconsciously wanted to speak, but still could not make a sound when she opened her mouth, so she had to shake her head. This appearance fell into Huo Du¡¯s eyes, suffocating his heart, and he stretched out his hand and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The frowning brows due to fear gradually smoothen out, and this was the first time Le Zhi heard him coax her softly in a very gentle tone. The anger accumulated by him during the day disappeared cleanly in an instant. She was really useless. She looked at him and nodded slightly. ¡°So obedient.¡± Huo Du smiled and touched her head, and then said in a coaxing tone, ¡°I¡¯ll help you wipe your body?¡± Perhaps his peach blossom eyes were too bewitching, Le Zhi continued to nod her head mysteriously. Huo Du looked at her obedient expression and was stunned for a moment, then he moved his hand to her waist to loosen the belt of her bedclothes. The lapel was loosened, revealing the apricot color innerwear. Only then did Le Zhi react, her snow cheeks flushed red, and she raised her weak hand against his wrist, ashamed and embarrassed. Upon seeing this, Huo Du raised his hand. The burning candle was immediately extinguished, and the room instantly fell into darkness. ¡°What about this?¡± He asked, ¡°Are you still embarrassed?¡± The hand against his wrist slowly loosened. Huo Du leaned over slightly, put his palm around her neck, and used his long fingers to untie her innerwear. The person on the bed froze, her body was tense, and even the sound of her breathing seemed to be stopped. ¡°Exhale.¡± Huo Du reached out to caress her cheek and chuckled, ¡°What are you nervous about? This brother won¡¯t bully you.¡± Did you bully any less? Le Zhi muttered in her heart. But in the end, she relaxed her body. She let him take off her innerwear, wipe the sweat off her body with a warm cotton towel, and then pull the brocade quilt to bundle her whole body. Le Zhi heard him get off the bed as if he had opened the wardrobe next to him and after a while, he returned to the bed. He lifted the quilt from her body and helped her change into clean bedclothes. Immediately afterward, she felt a gust of wind blowing across her cheeks, and then the bedroom lit up again. She saw Huo Du check her pulse, then looked up at her and asked, ¡°You can¡¯t speak?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened, and she nodded gloomily. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright with me here.¡± He put down the bed curtain and lay down with her in his arms. The palm of his hand rested on her back and tapped against her upper back, which was very coaxing. Hearing the sound, Le Zhi¡¯s heart trembled slightly. The hand around her waist tightened suddenly and made her snuggle with him closely. She pressed her whole body against him and buried her cheeks deeply into his neck. ¡°Tsk.¡± The soft snort in the silence and darkness was particularly clear, and then the tip of the ear was gently covered, and a low voice entered the ear, ¡°Clingy spirit.¡± Le Zhi turned a deaf ear. She nestled in his arms with peace of mind, found the most comfortable position, and fell asleep. ¡ª The days passed by were particularly long. Le Zhi did not know how many days had passed and had experienced several episodes of pain. When she woke up from sleep, day and night seemed to have nothing to do with her. There was only pain and tiredness on her body, and there was only one person next to her. When she woke up again, she did not know what time it was. When she opened her eyes, there was only darkness in front of her and she thought it was not yet dawn. But¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem right! Even if the sun was not out yet, there were still candles in the bedroom, and moonlight and starlight outside the window. In short, it could never be pitch black. She closed her eyes hard, then opened them again, closed and opened them again, and after several repetitions, it was still pitch black in front of her eyes. Le Zhi¡¯s heart became colder and colder. So not only did she lose her voice, but she also lose her sight. So, what was the difference between her now and a crippled person? She got up with difficulty and carefully stretched out her fingertips to touch the person next to her. Unfortunately, she only touched the residual warmth on the embroidered pillow, and panic crawled all over her body. She hugged her knees in a daze, not knowing what to do. In the next moment, the bed curtain was lifted, and the familiar mint smell accompanied by a strong medicinal fragrance came to her face. The faint smell made the tip of her nose sour, and tears of fear instantly fell from her eyes. Then she heard a loud thud of the porcelain bowl on the side table. It turns out that he went to get medicine. Huo Du stared at the little one curled up on the bed, and the helpless foxy eyes lost their former brilliance, leaving only dimness. He felt that his heart also fell into the abyss. To make matter worse, he saw her body start to tremble violently again, more serious than any time before. He hugged her tightly and gave her all the little internal strength left in his body. Although she was in his arms, he seemed to feel that he was holding a weak leaf and would slip away from his arms at any time. Dread and fear bit Huo Du¡¯s heart little by little, causing a tinge of sweetness to pour into his throat. He once thought that he was isolated from the world and had long been alone. There was nothing in this world that could make him afraid, and there was also nothing worth remembering. Until she appeared. In his dark life, she was the only color. Because of her, he became greedy. After seeing the beauty, he did not want to go back to the darkness. If this color disappeared, he could only wipe out all the colors in the world. All those who hurt her and made her cry must be buried with her. The reason why these people have survived to this day was that he wanted to keep their lives for her to play with. The pain in her body was getting stronger and stronger, and Le Zhi bit her lip in pain. She felt that she could not make it through, so what if she could make it through? She was dumb and blind now, a complete waste. How could she take revenge like this? Why should she stay with Huo Du when she was so useless? Thinking of this, Le Zhi stretched out her hand and fumbled, and then held the familiar palm. With trembling hands, she opened Huo Du¡¯s palm and wrote a few words on it with her fingertips. When she finished writing the last word, she felt that his hand had lost all its warmth, and the icy palm tightened suddenly, gripping her fingertips and refusing to let go. She wrote three words that were not difficult for him to do. ¡°Just kill me.¡± Le Zhi knew that as long as he moved his fingers, she would no longer suffer from this torment. She knew he tried his best and did everything he could. It was her uselessness. She could not hold on anymore. She was really in pain and tired. However, the strength that held her tightly behind her did not loosen at all. Suddenly, a few drops of coldness fell on her hot shoulders, causing her chaotic breath to stop. Then, she heard his hoarse voice. ¡°I can live without you.¡± Say the opposite¡­ Le Zhi¡¯s tears fell even more. The heart that was about to give up seemed to be held by him, and it was difficult to get rid of it. How could she die with peace when he persisted like this? Le Zhi took a deep breath, turned slightly, and hugged him with determination and strength. She was willing to try again and endure once more. After an unknown amount of time, Le Zhi¡¯s body softened when the last pain subsided. She closed her eyelids and fell asleep. When she woke up again, her eyes were bright, the light of the candle flickered in her eyes, and the gag in her throat seemed to be removed. Le Zhi looked at the person beside him and saw that he was looking at her with a tired face and deep eyes. ¡°Huo Du¡­¡± She tried to whisper. Huo Du took her pulse, and when she saw that her complexion had recovered a lot, he hummed softly. He touched her head, ¡°Sleep for a while.¡± Then he turned his back to her, not wanting her to see his exhaustion. But Le Zhi had already seen it. She stretched out her arms and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, pressing her face to his back, as before, but not completely the same. ¡°Clingy spirit.¡± Huo Du said faintly, with fatigue in his tone. He patted the hand around his waist, ¡°It¡¯s dirty. Go take a bath, then eat something, and come back to sleep again.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi whimpered and shook her head, tightening the arms holding him like a rogue. The fragility of recovering from a serious illness swept through her body. At this moment, she just wanted to stick to him willfully and was unwilling to let go. ¡°Le Zhi, be nice.¡± Huo Du seemed to be really tired, his voice was hoarse, and the volume gradually dropped. Le Zhi let go of him, got out of the bed, and obediently walked towards the bathroom after listening to him. When passing by the snow bone lotus, her gaze stayed on it for a moment. She originally wanted to use this flower to end the relationship between them, but unexpectedly, the two of them entangled even tighter. CH 66 Chapter 66 Relieve Pain It was late at night, and the prince¡¯s mansion was very quiet. Since Huo Xu was grounded, the whole mansion had been covered with a layer of haze. In the bedroom, Shen Qingyan sat on the soft bed with a slight frown. Lu Ying just went to get the rose syrup, but how could it take her so long? Suddenly, her eyelids twitched, and her whole heart jumped. She got out of the bed hastily and walked towards the door quickly. Walking along the long corridor and passing the tearoom around the corner, she heard several muffled whimpering sounds. Shen Qingyan¡¯s heart trembled, and she pushed the door open with force. The smell of wine made her stomach roll, but she did not care, because she saw Huo Xu pressing Lu Ying on the tea table, and the tea sets were scattered on the ground messily. Shen Qingyan rushed forward and pushed the drunk Huo Xu away with all her might, and then saw Lu Ying with messy hair, the clothes on her body were torn apart, revealing the thin innerwear, and there were faint red pinch marks on her shoulder and wrists. ¡°Master¡­¡± Lu Ying burst into tears, her voice quavered, and she could hardly speak. Shen Qingyan helped her up, gathered her clothes together, and protected Lu Ying behind her. At this time, Huo Xu also staggered to his feet. His face was flushed red, and his feet staggered a few more steps, which obviously showed that he was already drunk. Shen Qingyan¡¯s hands trembled with anger. She took a step forward and raise her hand to slap his face with full force. ¡°Pa¡­¡± A heavy slap sounded and it dispelled Huo Xu¡¯s drunkenness at the same time. Because he was unprepared, his face was flung to the side, and he had an unbelievable expression when he turned his face back. But soon, he recovered, and his flushed face showed a little more anger. Perhaps he was driven by his drunkenness, he stretched out his hand to grab Shen Qingyan¡¯s neck and shouted angrily, ¡°Slut! You dare to hit me?¡± An extremely angry person had no weight under their hand. Shen Qingyan was clutched so hard that she was breathless and could only speak while hammering his arm, ¡°Let go, let go of me! You actually did this¡­ this kind of bastard thing. Don¡¯t tell me that I¡­¡± Can¡¯t hit you? But the fingers on her neck tightened gradually, making it impossible for her to finish her words. Upon seeing this, Lu Ying was so frightened that her whole heart was a mess. She stepped forward to break Huo Xu¡¯s fingers, and began to plead, ¡°I beg Your Highness to let go of my master. Please, please¡­¡± Her master¡¯s face turned red due to suffocation, and if this went on¡­ Lu Ying did not dare to think about it anymore and could only desperately beg him to let go of her master. ¡°Get out!¡± Huo Xu raised his hand to push her away and Lu Ying was pushed to the ground by his hand. Thus Huo Xu¡¯s hand eventually moved away from Shen Qingyan¡¯s neck. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Shen Qingyan bowed slightly, panting and coughing, the suffocation in her chest gradually eased. Seeing her distressed appearance, Huo Xu finally became a little sober. He looked down at his palm, and then looked at Shen Qingyan¡¯s neck, the fingerprints on it were clearly visible. Some guilt emerged in his heart, but the slight pain from his left face suppressed this little bit of guilt. ¡°She¡¯s just a maid. So what if I let her be my bedwarmer?¡± Huo Xu¡¯s lips curled into a casual low smile, with contempt and sarcasm in his tone. Shen Qingyan, who had just calmed down, felt gloomy again when she heard this. She stared at Huo Xu and raised her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Hearing this, Huo Xu lowered his face and laughed sarcastically. He originally just wanted to scare her as he did not like such a vulgar maid. However, he drank a little bit more wine today, happened to run into her in the corridor, and smelled the strong aroma of rose syrup in her hand that hooked his restless mind. However, Shen Qingyan¡¯s attitude made him very angry. How dared she slap him for the sake of a mere maid? Slut! What a jealous woman! Lu Ying stood up from the ground and caught a glimpse of Huo Xu¡¯s eyes flashed with hostility. Her heart tightened, and hurriedly pulled Shen Qingyan¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Master, let it be¡­¡± She was terrified that if Huo Xu was really ruthless to her master¡­ who else could come to save her master? Huo Xu was most annoyed by the woman¡¯s crying appearance, so he waved his hand to drive people away impatiently, ¡°Go out!¡± Shen Qingyan took Lu Ying into consideration and did not make unnecessary arguments and entanglements with Huo Xu, so she turned around and left angrily. Looking at her resolute back, Huo Xu leaned his forehead against the soft chair. The headache caused by drunkenness made him irritable. His heart was filled with remorse. Every step he took since returning to Great Qi seemed to be wrong. If time could be reversed, he would definitely not marry Shen Qingyan, let alone let Zhizhi marry Huo Du. Zhizhi, Zhizhi¡­ Whenever he thought of his Zhizhi, his heart was always aching. How long would it take for Zhizhi to return to him? He missed her so much, so much, as if a piece of his heart was missing, and it hurt so badly. ¡ª After Lu Ying changed her clothes, she brought the ointment and squatted down beside the bed with red eyes. She looked at the red and swollen five fingerprints on her master¡¯s neck, choking and sobbing, ¡°I¡¯m not good. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Shen Qingyan interrupted her and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a white handkerchief, ¡°I¡¯m the one who got you involved. If you didn¡¯t follow me, how could you suffer such grievance.¡± Fortunately, she arrived in time, and Huo Xu had not yet had time to do anything. But an innocent girl¡¯s clothes were torn apart by a man. How much of a shadow would such a thing have on her? Lu Ying had followed her since she was a child and had already reached marriageable age. Before she got married, Shen Qingyan knew that Lu Ying and Li Chu, the attendant in the mansion, were in love with each other. She wanted to help her settle the marriage, but Lu Ying was worried that she would alone after married and that there was no useful person around her, so she insisted on following her to take care of her. In this way, it delayed her. Today, she almost lost her innocence. ¡°No, no, you must not blame yourself. You¡¯ve suffered enough grievances.¡± Lu Ying bit her lip as she never imagined that the famous Third Prince was such a beast! ¡°Tomorrow morning, you will go back to the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion, and I will write a letter to my father. I have already instructed the housekeeper to prepare your dowry long ago. In the future, you will continue to work in the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion and live a good life with Li Chu.¡± ¡°No!¡± Lu Ying said anxiously and shook her head vigorously, ¡°I won¡¯t leave!¡± How could she leave her master in such a situation? In case¡­ In case the Third Prince went crazy again one day, what should her master do? Looking at Lu Ying¡¯s pale face, Shen Qingyan¡¯s heart suddenly sank. A lot of thoughts flashed through her head, including giving up, resigning to fate, and grievance¡­ But more than that was the irreconciliation. ¡°Lu Ying, bring the writing brush and ink.¡± Finally, Shen Qingyan took a deep breath and got out of the bed with firmness and determination in her eyes. Today¡¯s event was really a wake-up call for her, and she could not sit still anymore. Otherwise, not only her, but the people around her would fall into such dire straits. ¡ª A heavy snowstorm at night covered everything in a layer of silver-white. But the warm sun followed shortly and decorated the silver snow with golden color. In the pharmacy of the Taizi Mansion, there were some low trembling voices. ¡°Are you done¡­ done yet?¡± Huo Du could not help but smile when he saw Le Zhi holding his arms tightly with both hands and not daring to look at him, ¡°Turn around.¡± Hearing the sound, Le Zhi¡¯s stiff neck turned her head slowly. But her eyes were still half squinted, and she did not dare to fully open them. The tip of her heart could not help but tremble until a light flash passed from the knife in Huo Du¡¯s hand dazzled her eyes and she opened her eyes completely. Seeing that he had not made an incision yet, her heart was tugged again, and her brows tightened even more. Because of Huo Du¡¯s careful care, he had almost exhausted his internal strength. In just six days, malaria in her body was really cured. It was just that she had just recovered from a serious illness, and her body was very weak, she needed to nurse her health properly. However, Le Zhi was anxious. Six days had passed, and the snow bone lotus had to be medicated within four days. Under her urging, Huo Du quickly made the medicine. However, making the medicine was not difficult, but the process of regrowing bones was the difficult part. If a person who had broken a bone and wanted to recover as before, he must use a knife to cut the old wound again and then put the medicine to it. The snow bone lotus let the broken bones regrow into new bones. After repeating the incision three times and putting the medicine three times, the new bone could only grow properly. Just listening to it, Le Zhi¡¯s hands and feet were cold due to fright. Such a method must be very painful, right? Huo Du knew what she was thinking and did not want her to accompany him from the beginning, but she insisted on following no matter what he said. He had no choice but to let her watch from the side. But when he had all the tools ready and was ready to make the incision, she did not dare to look at it and still held his arm tightly, making it impossible for him to start. Clingy and timid. ¡°Don¡¯t look. Just go back to the bedroom and have a rest.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s small face was wilting, unsure if it was because of illness or because of nervousness and worry. She lowered her eyes and continued to mutter, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Seeing that she did not mean to let go of her hands, Huo Du chuckled, ¡°This brother will not be healed?¡± ¡°How can that be!¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes anxiously, bit her lip and put her hands down, frowned, and asked, ¡°Have you taken the pain-relieving purple pill?¡± Huo Du stared at the panic in her eyes and reached out to touch her head. She already asked this question three times. ¡°Afraid I¡¯ll get hurt?¡± He stroked her black hair downward and rested his hand on the back of her neck. Then why don¡¯t you kiss me? With their eyes looking at each other, Le Zhi saw some obvious meaning in his burning eyes. What time is it! How come this man is always not serious? ¡°Do it quickly.¡± Le Zhi pulled his restless hand off and said softly, ¡°I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± Huo Du did not say a word, only raised his eyes, and the peach blossom eyes flashed a little dissatisfaction. Not even a kiss. Really stingy. A light flashed past, but Le Zhi still did not dare to look directly. She turned her head slightly and glanced at it from the corner of her eye. The red blood was dripping, the air was filled with the smell of blood, and her fingertips trembled along with her heart. After an unknown amount of time, she only felt that the blood in her whole body seemed to have frozen. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Hearing Huo Du¡¯s words, Le Zhi hurriedly turned her head and looked straight at his leg, which was wrapped with thick gauze to cover the wound as much as possible. Only a few drops of blood remained on the ground. She raised her eyes to take a closer look at Huo Du¡¯s expression. Although there was a faint smile on his face, his pale face and the fine sweat on his forehead could not deceive anyone. He must be in pain. It hurts so much. Tears welled up at the end of her eyes, and she suddenly felt pain. Her heart felt like it was being torn apart, and it hurt so much. ¡°I usually look quite courageous.¡± Huo Du hooked his lips, and his tone was as usual. His black eyes were deep, with a tenderness that could not be concealed, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt¡­¡± He was only halfway through his words, and a pair of soft hands held his face, making him stop talking. Before he could realize what she was going to do, his lips were warm-up, and her eyelashes were close by. His cold lips were gradually covered with warmth, Huo Du raised his arms around her slender waist and kissed her back intensively. Originally, he just wanted to lie to her and tell her that it did not hurt, but now it really did not hurt anymore. Sure enough. Her kisses do relieve the pain. The author has something to say£º Dog Xu: I really miss, really miss, really, really miss Zhizhi¡­ Du: In the middle of kissing, do not disturb. (Shaking his legs) Zhi: Are you sure your leg is okay? (It won¡¯t be broken by you again, right? £© CH 67 Chapter 67 Lipstick The long deep kiss lasted as long as a gust of wind and rain, and the hands that held Huo Du¡¯s cheeks fell weakly, resting on his shoulders. Although it was not as breathless as last time, it was still a little suffocating. Le Zhi gently nudged his shoulders, trying to get him to loosen. Feeling her refusal, Huo Du loosened the hand around her waist, but a deliberate smile appeared on the corner of his lips. When their lips were about to be apart, he suddenly leaned over to suck her upper lip and backed away after nibbling it lightly. Le Zhi¡¯s snow cheeks were red, and her slightly swollen cherry lips were also glistening. She coughed lightly, her eyes twinkled but she pretended to be calm and said, ¡°Shall I push Your Highness to sit in the garden?¡± Huo Du chuckled but did not even open his mouth to tease her. He reached out and pressed her soft lips with his fingers and responded with a ¡°yes¡±. The warm sun shone on her body, and the sickness seemed to dissipate unconsciously. Le Zhi held a large stack of account books and sat at the stone table to read carefully. Have been sick for so many days, and there are so many accounts to check, ah! She excerpted some of the questions with a writing brush while reading, and every once in a while, she reached out for the candied fruit on the table. After drinking the bitter medicine for so long, she wanted to eat more sweetness to make up for it! The orange candy in her mouth melted, and before she could get another, a crystal-clear grapefruit candy appeared in front of her. She opened her mouth and took the candy in her mouth almost without thinking. The sweetness spread in her mouth, and the mint flavor seemed to pass into her nose. Only then did Le Zhi realize who was feeding her candy. She raised her eyes in a daze, looking at the person beside her. Her heart was full of panic and confusion, which made her tremble uncontrollably, and she suddenly became a little lost. What kind of relationship between them up to today? She felt that she was caught in a huge whirlpool, going around in circles, and it was about to engulf her. Turning her head to the side, Le Zhi deliberately avoided his gaze as she could not look at him calmly anymore. At this time, Li Yao¡¯s figure approached from a distance, but she stopped when she reached the corridor, not daring to come forward to disturb them. Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank when she saw the anxious look on her face. There must be something important with Li Yao¡¯s appearance. Le Zhi got up and walked toward the corridor. When she got close, Li Yao lowered her voice and said, ¡°Master, you have a letter.¡± Li Yao took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Le Zhi. ¡°Jing Xin and I went to the shop early this morning. When we came back, we saw Lu Ying wandering outside the mansion gate. She didn¡¯t dare let anyone pass the letter, so she just kept waiting for me there. She should have been waiting for a long time.¡± After receiving the letter, Le Zhi put away the smile on her face. Since it was Lu Ying who came, this letter must have been written to her by Shen Qingyan. ¡°I looked at Lu Ying¡¯s appearance, it was very haggard. When she gave me the letter, her wrist was vaguely exposed, and it was bluish-black.¡± ¡°What?¡± Le Zhi was stunned as Lu Ying was Shen Qingyan¡¯s personal maid and no one should dare to make things difficult for her. Then her injury should be done by Huo Xu. Shameless! She nodded heavily, letting Li Yao retire. Turning around and walking back, Le Zhi lowered her eyes and stared at the letter in her hand, not daring to open it for a while. ¡°Oh, which little lover¡¯s letter is it?¡± The familiar sound of teasing made Le Zhi regain her senses. She raised her eyes to look at Huo Du who was sitting in the white jade wheelchair, glared at him, and threw the letter directly into his arms. Huo Du chuckled lightly and put the letter on the stone table, ¡°Since you¡¯ve got better, your temper has also gotten bigger.¡± Didn¡¯t I learn from you! Le Zhi sat down and sneered in her heart. Then she opened the letter immediately and read the letter carefully after taking a deep breath. ¡°Beast!¡± She scolded in a low voice, and her eyebrows tightened. Huo Du turned his head to the side and set his eyes on her gloomy cheeks. It just so happened that Le Zhi also raised her eyes and turned over. She felt entangled and after thinking about it over and over again, she said to Huo Du, ¡°It¡¯s Shen Qingyan¡¯s letter, and what she said that day at Fuxi Temple was not everything. She wrote everything down in this letter. It turned out that she has lived like this since she married Huo Xu.¡± The fingers tightened suddenly, and the thin letter paper was crumpled. Swearing, sneering, abusing, clutching¡­ Le Zhi did not dare to think more about how much Shen Qingyan had suffered. ¡°Have you figured it out?¡± Huo Du held her hand and patiently loosen her tightened fingers with great patience and put them in his palm. Then he uncrumpled the letter, and asked after glancing at it, ¡°Do you really want to help her?¡± ¡°En¡­¡± Le Zhi nodded, but there was some hesitation in her expression, ¡°But I¡¯m also worried that in case¡­¡± ¡°In case she turns her back after the incident and does not honor the terms she promised you. In case you help her, she changes her mind halfway and tells Huo Xu everything. Also, in case of Shen Qingyan deliberately test you to help Huo Xu.¡± ¡°How do you, how¡­¡± Le Zhi was stunned, too shocked to speak. Was he the roundworm in her stomach*? How did he know everything she thinks? (the roundworm in her stomach* ¨C metaphor for a person who knows the hearts of others very clearly) If everything in the letter was true, she really wanted to help Shen Qingyan. But what if Shen Qingyan really chose to help Huo Du unconditionally after all this? She really did not dare to be gullible. She could not ruin her own arrangement just because of carelessness, and maybe it would also implicate Huo Du. ¡°If you want to help, just help.¡± Huo Du smiled and conveniently brought a piece of candied fruit to her lips. Le Zhi lowered her head and conveniently ate the candied fruit. His casual tone reassured her a lot. She curled her lips, twinkled her eyes again, and asked, ¡°What if it¡¯s really a scheme?¡± Huo Du glanced at her with cold eyes but said nothing. ¡°All right.¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips and said in a humming voice, ¡°If it implicates Your Highness, then don¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Huo Du said in a flat tone, ¡°It won¡¯t implicate me.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi pulled the letter on the table, stood up angrily, and turned to leave. But her wrist was tugged so hard that she had to turn her head and meet those captivating peach blossom eyes. ¡°What a big temper.¡± Huo Du tutted softly and pulled the person to his knees and wrapped around her to stop her. Le Zhi was frightened by his actions. He has just bandaged his leg, has he gone crazy? She took into consideration of his injured leg and put her weight on the other leg. In order to support her body, her hands had to wrap around his shoulders. ¡°You have to ask even though you know it, don¡¯t you?¡± In fact, Le Zhi expected that he would help her and became more confident when she heard this, so she snorted softly. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du put his hands around her waist, pinched her waist casually, and asked, ¡°Does it feel good to be insatiable?¡± Le Zhi raised her face, bent her eyes, and responded, ¡°How can this be considered insatiable?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Huo Du laughed, ¡°Then tell me, what counts?¡± Le Zhi blinked as if she was really thinking seriously. After a while, she raised her hand to pick up the teacup on the table and took a sip. Today, in order to cover her sickly face, she put on some lipstick which she rarely used. The cherry-colored lipstick left on the rim of the cup made it exceptionally charming. She deliberately handed the teacup to Huo Du¡¯s lips with her eyes moving slightly. Huo Du raised the corners of his lips, knowing her intention, leaned against the rim of the cup, and drank the rest of the hot tea. Le Zhi looked at the disappearing lipstick on the cup, and her cheeks became hot. She put the teacup back on the table, and looked at Huo Du again, ¡°Is the tea sweet or not?¡± He stared at her moist lips and said earnestly, ¡°Your mouth is sweeter.¡± Le Zhi was startled, she finally understood one thing. If she wanted to win Huo Du in words, it was simply harder than reaching the sky! After a pause, she smiled indifferently, leaned over to his ear, and said softly, ¡°I want to find a safe place to meet Shen Qingyan. Brother, can you help me?¡± After speaking, she moved back a little to look at him with smiling eyes. This is called insatiable. The bright sun shone on Le Zhi¡¯s face, making the touch of redness at the end of her eyes extraordinarily bright. She smiled at him with the corners of her lips curled, a smile that was both adorable and cunning. Huo Du raised his hand and moved up along her waistline, stopping only when he touched her upper back. He made her stick to him with a little force and then responded delightedly. She softened her voice and called her brother with sweetness. He would not even refuse her if she asked him to pick the stars in the sky, let alone help her. The silhouettes of the embracing figures lengthened under the warm sun, and the smile on the two of them was getting bigger and bigger. ¡ª When Shen Qingyan woke up from her lunch break, she saw a note on the small table next to the bed at a glance. She reached out her hand suspiciously and when she saw the contents of the paper clearly, a look of surprise instantly appeared on her face. The mansion became quieter and quieter as the sunset and the moon rose, and even Lu Ying had already gone to bed. She followed the instructions on the paper, walked out of the bedroom quietly, and closed the door gently. She hurriedly walked toward the rear courtyard, and soon came to the corner of the dry well mentioned in the letter. She went around to the left side of the dry well and crouched down, reached out to touch a raised mechanism, and pressed it down hard. The sediment in the dry well sank instantly, revealing a long and dark passage. Shen Qingyan was shocked, but in just a moment, she walked in after taking a deep breath. There was only a faint light in the dark passage, and after walking for a while, Shen Qingyan walked into a bright dark room. And Le Zhi was sitting in the dark room waiting for her. No matter how surprised she was, Shen Qingyan still maintained her composure as a noblewoman and saluted respectfully to Le Zhi. ¡°No need to be polite, sit down.¡± In fact, when Le Zhi first learned about this secret path, she was no less surprised than Shen Qingyan. She never expected that Huo Du even had dug out a secret passage leading to Huo Xu¡¯s mansion. Was there any place he could not go to in this vast Great Qi? ¡°Many thanks, Taizifei.¡± Shen Qingyan sat down according to her words, and without beating around the bush, she said directly, ¡°Taizifei should have read my letter. Since you are willing to come to see me, does that mean¡­¡± ¡°I can help you.¡± They did not have much time to exchange pleasantries, not to mention that they were not close friends to begin with, so Le Zhi also explained her intentions directly. Shen Qingyan was stunned for a moment as if she did not expect her to be so refreshing. ¡°Thank you.¡± She nodded slightly, and then said again, ¡°Then how can I help you? How about I ask my father to help you leave Great Qi?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi shook her head and refused, ¡°I will not leave Great Qi.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Shen Qingyan was puzzled. ¡°If you really want to help me, why don¡¯t you do something else.¡± Le Zhi smiled and said, ¡°I hope you can convince your father to let the Prime Minister help Taizi successfully inherit the throne.¡± Hearing this, Shen Qingyan did not seem too surprised. She had already thought a lot when she was in the secret passage just now. With Le Zhi¡¯s ability, how could she have created such a long secret passage in the days when she first arrived in Great Qi. Also, how could she be able to put spies on Huo Xu¡¯s mansion, and able to send the note to her bedroom quietly. Sure enough. As expected, Le Zhi had long chosen to stand on Taizi¡¯s side. It seems that the most ridiculous thing was Huo Xu, who foolishly thought that his childhood sweetheart would always be on his side. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you this. As for my father, he only wishes to be a benevolent official. When he chose Huo Xu at the beginning, he was also blinded by his gentle and virtuous appearance. He would not choose people at will for his own personal gain.¡± Shen Qingyan said with a serious expression, ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush anymore, His Highness Taizi has a bad reputation outside.¡± Le Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. If Shen Qingyan agreed to her easily, she would be suspicious. Such a reaction was normal. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to help Taizi, it¡¯s fine. However, Prime Minister needs to stumble Huo Xu more in the morning court. This shouldn¡¯t be difficult, right?¡± Shen Qingyan nodded. She also saw clearly these days that Huo Xu was definitely not a benevolent monarch. Even if her father did not assist Taizi, he would never help such a despicable person to ascend to the throne. ¡°The world is deceived by the superficial appearances and so have my relatives and me too. Isn¡¯t the gentle appearance we saw cloaked in pretenses? There are some people, despite their poor reputation, are misunderstood by others and just unwilling to dispute back.¡± Le Zhi sighed in her heart. After experiencing so many things, she really realized that it was not enough to just rely on the eyes to get to know people but also had to do it with the heart. Shen Qingyan smiled wryly. Did not she make herself embarrassed before she could see a person clearly? ¡°It¡¯s getting late today, go back and rest first. After this, I¡¯ll pass the news to you as I did today. If you have anything to look for me, just pass the message to De Shun, who works in the dining room in your mansion. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you get out of this place as soon as possible.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Shen Qingyan¡¯s eyes were slightly red, stood up and said with choked emotion, ¡°Thank you.¡± She seemed like she could only thank her. Le Zhi also stood up, held her hand, and said, ¡°It will get better soon.¡± It will get better soon. She said this to herself over and over again on countless nights when her heart was aching. Now, she passed this sentence to Shen Qingyan, hoping that she could survive this. Shen Qingyan nodded gratefully, turned around to leave but turned around again as if she had remembered something, and asked, ¡°I believe what you said and will also let my father see clearly what kind of person His Highness Taizi is.¡± After a pause, she asked hesitantly, ¡°Forgive me for talking too much, I have a question. Are you helping Taizi now just because you think his character is worthy of a benevolent monarch, or because¡­ you like him?¡± Ever since Yuxian was rejected by His Highness Taizi, she had locked herself in the room all day without seeing anyone. Shen Qingyan was very worried as she hoped that her best friend could find a good match and would not make the wrong mistake like her. But the relationship between Taizi and Taizifei today did not look like just a simple marriage? ¡°I¡­¡± Le Zhi was stumped by this sudden question. She stood still for a moment and was unable to answer. ¡°I see.¡± Shen Qingyan smiled, raised her foot, and left. Le Zhi sat down in annoyance. Why did she suddenly ask her such a question when they were obviously talking about business? How does she know? What does she know? ¡°So, do you like him?¡± When the familiar voice reached her ears, Le Zhi raised her eyes in amazement and watched Huo Du come out of the shadows in a wheelchair, staring at her with burning eyes. The author has something to say: Du: My wife¡¯s lipstick is so delicious!!! Zhi: How come the poison did not make you mute? CH 68 Chapter 68 Uneasy Le Zhi bit her lip lightly, her heart seemed to be squeezed tightly. ¡°¡­ You eavesdrop!¡± She said with a frown. Obviously, when she asked him if he wanted to come along, he refused straight out. Who knew he would follow her secretly? Huo Du did not care. He even hummed confidently, and continued to ask, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Like him!¡± Le Zhi stood up suddenly, stomped her feet, and replied to him angrily as she walked away, ¡°I like him a lot!¡± As soon as the voice fell, she also happened to walk in front of him. The light in the secret passage was dim, and Huo Du looked at her cheeks, a little unclear, only saw that her lips purse tightly. As if questioning him silently¡­ Are, you, satisfied? Satisfied? How could that be possible? That night she leaned against him and spoke ironically in his ear, and he could hear every word clearly. But he was getting more and more greedy, how could it be enough to just listen to the irony? Even in such dim conditions, even if she said it in an angry tone, it was good already. He was very patient with her. He believed that one day, she would say these words to him with a smile under the bright lights. ¡°All right.¡± Huo Du¡¯s smile grew stronger, but his tone was very reluctant, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Le Zhi did not say a word, just walked silently behind him, put her hands on the white jade wheelchair, and pushed him back quietly. The secret passage was long and quiet, only could hear the sound of the wheels touching the ground and the light breathing of the two of them. Le Zhi¡¯s heart was getting heavier, and her mind was chaotic. She looked at the secret passage as if she could not reach the end. Suddenly, the back of her hand warmed up. She lowered her eyes and saw that Huo Du put his palm on her hand, and his long fingers slowly intertwined with her fingers to hold her hand. His palm was not as cold as it used to be, it should be because he held the purple stone every day. The warmth she gave him, circled around, and returned back to her hand. ¡ª It was late at night when they walked out of the secret passage. Le Zhi yawned unconsciously, with sleepiness on her face. But when she was about to reach the bedroom, she saw a familiar figure from a distance, which instantly made her sleepiness disappear without a trace. ¡°Sister?¡± she called with uncertainty. Le Jin was wearing a soft white skirt and a light blue cloak. She had a light smile on her face with clear and bright eyes. When she heard Le Zhi¡¯s call softly, she smiled and nodded, ¡°Zhizhi is back?¡± She said it with a clear and gentle voice, without any confusion. Only then did Le Zhi really believe that her sister was completely healed. Her heart tightened, subconsciously pulled her hand back from Huo Du¡¯s palm, and her movements were panicky. With the tenderness in his palm disappeared, Huo Du frowned in dissatisfaction and his face became gloomy. He moved his hand slightly, and the wheelchair was stirred toward the study. Li Zhi¡¯s heart sank suddenly, she looked at his distant back uneasily, and her nose was a little sour. But she suppressed all these emotions, and immediately turned around and ran towards Le Jin. She hugged Le Jin¡¯s arm tightly and choked, ¡°Sister, let¡¯s talk in the room.¡± Le Jin touched her younger sister¡¯s head and entered the room with her. The heater in the bedroom was burning hot, accompanied by a strong smell of medicine. When she was seriously ill a few days ago, she took a lot of decoctions. Although the room was ventilated after her illness, the smell of the medicine dissipated very slowly. ¡°Are you sick?¡± Le Jin knew it at a glance with the medicinal smell and coupled with Le Zhi¡¯s tired look. ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary cold, and I¡¯m better now.¡± Le Zhi lied casually while pulling Le Jin to sit down, and asked cautiously, ¡°Sister, do you remember everything?¡± Looking at Le Zhi¡¯s worried appearance, Le Jin could not help but laugh. It was because she was not strong enough that she shut herself in her own world and made her loved ones worry for nothing. She could not imagine how difficult her sister¡¯s life had been during this period. Great Li¡¯s most playful little princess, who had been carefree and willful since she was a child, was now struggling to survive in this enemy country. She even tried her best to protect and look for her loved ones. She raised her arms, hugged her little sister, and hummed softly, saying in a distressed tone, ¡°I¡¯ve made Zhizhi worry.¡± Le Zhi shook her head vigorously, hugged her sister tightly with red eyes, and tears welling up in her eyes. She could finally have a good cry. When Le Zhi finished crying, the two chatted for a while. Finally, the topic inevitably talked about a person. ¡°Zhizhi, that Taizi of country Qi¡­¡± ¡°Sister, I¡­¡± Le Zhi¡¯s voice trembled, and her face turned pale instantly. She wanted to tell her sister that she had no choice but to choose to rely on Huo Du to take revenge. To this day, the desire for revenge had not been shaken at all. It was just that toward Huo Du¡­ She could not lie to her sister against her will, saying that she only taking advantage of him. She could deceive herself and lie to anyone. But for her loved ones, she could not do it. She had lost too many loved ones, and she could not even say a word of deception to her sister. Seeing Le Zhi¡¯s expression full of pain, plus what Fu Xian told her after waking up, and also the subtle look between Zhizhi and the Taizi of country Qi just now. Her silly little sister, no matter how fast her hand was pulled back, Le Jin could still see it clearly and already saw it when they came from afar. In the past, even if she grew up with Huo Xu, even if her imperial father bestowed her a marriage, Zhizhi was still a little estranged when facing Huo Xu. She thought that Zhizhi was just abiding by the etiquette between men and women and was unwilling to go beyond the rules. Now that she thought about it, it was because she did not like him. When a person liked someone, it was difficult to hide their desire to be close to them. From childhood to adulthood, from beginning to end, Zhizhi just regarded Huo Xu as a brother and a playmate. So even if it was a joke, she deliberately kept a distance from him. ¡°Alright, alright, it¡¯s my fault.¡± Le Jin patted Le Zhi¡¯s back and comforted her softly, ¡°I won¡¯t ask anymore.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s tears became even more intense. She whimpered and shook her head, lowered her eyes, and apologized repeatedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Le Jin silently picked up the silk handkerchief to wipe her sister¡¯s tears. But as she wiped, her eyes also turned red, and her heart became sour. She would not blame her. She believed that her imperial father, imperial mother, and imperial brother would not blame her either. She was only sixteen years old and had undergone tremendous changes. It was not easy to get to today step by step. What did she do wrong? It was her who was useless as a sister and could not protect her. She was the one who should say sorry. Her vision gradually blurred. Le Jin suddenly recalled that her imperial father was always partial toward Zhizhi in the past and was a little strict with her imperial brother and her. Once, she and her imperial brother were really unconvinced and asked her imperial father angrily. ¡°Why don¡¯t you punish Zhizhi who often goofs off to sleep? We just make banter once in a while, and you punish us to copybook. This is not fair!¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t know that she helps the palace people clean the palace together at night. When the maids are sick, she will go to the Imperial Hospital to get medicine for them, and then send someone to send it. Even if she sneaks out of the palace to play, she will also deliberately help some people who are not rich enough, instead of giving them money directly, she will buy some food seeds and let them be self-reliant.¡± Her imperial father¡¯s smile was always so gentle, and he said, ¡°Your imperial sister is someone who has a big heart.¡± At that time, she still did not understand the profound meaning of her imperial father¡¯s words. Now, she finally understood. Zhizhi, who seemed weak, had the toughest heart. It was because of her deep love for Great Li and her people that she was in pain because she liked the son of her enemy. She could not let it go, so she blamed herself. Le Jin shed tears silently. She could only hug her sister, not knowing how to comfort her. If only her imperial brother was here, he would be the best at making her sister happy. The two of them wept all the tears they had accumulated for a long time. When Le Jin left the bedroom, the morning glow on the horizon was just gradually unveiled. Le Zhi took a good bath and wiped away the tears on her face. She sat quietly on the bed, without feeling sleepy at all. She recalled what her sister said to her when she left and was a little puzzled and¡­ distressed. What does my sister want to do? At this moment, the door of the room was pushed open, and a familiar person entered the room. Le Zhi¡¯s eyebrows twitched, she hurriedly got off the bed and ran towards him, pushing him towards the side of the bed. Before the sun rose, it was the coldest time outside. She could not help recalling the injury on his leg. Sitting on the bed, she leaned over and gently rolled up his trouser, taking a closer look at his leg. Fortunately, the wound on the leg was not opened by the cold. ¡°Your Highness, quickly sleep for a while.¡± She held his hand. Huo Du was originally annoyed by her eagerness to pull out her hands and tried to distance herself from him, but when he saw her red eyes and eyelids were slightly dark, no matter how angry he was, they disappeared instantly. He let her support him and lay on the bed with her strength. Le Zhi pulled the quilt, covered herself and him firmly, turned her head on the embroidered pillow, and asked, ¡°Does your leg hurt?¡± She was worried that the weight of the quilt on his leg would hurt a little. ¡°No.¡± Huo Du said lightly. Then, there was a long silence. Neither of them closed their eyes, just looked at the ceiling of the bed, not knowing what they were thinking. Finally, Huo Du sighed softly and broke the silence. He asked in a casual tone, ¡°Did you have a good chat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Le Zhi replied softly, ¡°My sister is finally healed.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Huo Du chuckled, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Le Zhi could not sleep at all as she remembered her sister¡¯s words. She originally wanted to ask her when she woke up, but the more she thought about it, the more she could not sleep. She reached out her hand hesitantly, and tugged Huo Du¡¯s sleeve gently under the quilt, ¡°My sister wants to meet you.¡± She really had no confidence, let alone knew the reason why her sister wanted to see Huo Du. She was a little afraid, but she did not know what she was afraid of. She had to pray in her heart that Huo Du would reject her so that she could explain to her sister. But after a moment of silence, Huo Du¡¯s voice sounded and said, ¡°I see.¡± Just like this, Le Zhi could not sleep anymore. But Huo Du seemed to know that she was a little lost. He put his arm around her shoulders and took her into his arms, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± Perhaps his tone bore some light coaxing, or maybe her body was really tired. In the warm embrace, Le Zhi finally closed her eyes slowly and fell asleep. It was just that after she entered a deep sleep, the person next to her got off the bed gently, tucked her in the quilt, and headed outside the house. ¡ª Study. Huo Du sat quietly by the window, with deep eyes. Not long after, there was a knock on the door. Then, the door of the room was pushed open, and An Xuan¡¯s voice came. ¡°Please go in.¡± Then there was a soft sound of the door closing. Huo Du suddenly felt uneasy. He was obviously in his study, but such emotions appeared in his heart out of nowhere. He smiled self-deprecatingly and turned the white jade wheelchair to face the person who wanted to see him. Le Jin. On the contrary, Le Jin was much more at ease. She was still dressed in plain clothes, with a faint smile on her face. However, she was also a little distressed, not knowing what to call the Taizi of country Qi. Your Highness? Brother-in-law? All seemed to be a bit wrong. ¡°Sit.¡± Huo Du gestured, breaking the silence in the study. Le Jin nodded slightly and walked slowly to the soft chair to sit down. Her movements were calm, and her gestures carried the grace of a princess. She raised her eyes to look at Huo Du with a calm face and could see that he was controlling his emotions extremely well. But upon closer inspection, it was not difficult to see that there was a trace of panic hidden in his eyes. She could not help but smile and asked bluntly, ¡°Tired of loving Zhizhi?¡± Huo Du did not expect Le Jin to ask so directly, which made his face, which had always been composed, appear a little stunned. The author has something to say: Du: I didn¡¯t sleep all night and still had to see my in-laws. I panic a lot¡­ QAQ (scared to death) Zhi: Rarely, you will also get panic? An Xuan: You also have today? (The revenge of all-nighters is avenged) Du: ??? CH 69 Chapter 69 Foot Up Fortunately, this stun only lasted for a moment. Soon, he returned to normal and replied, ¡°Not tired.¡± It was just that the voice was a little hoarse. He did not know whether it was because he did not sleep all night or for other reasons. Le Jin understood thoroughly but said, ¡°With the status and ability of Taizi, no matter which woman you choose, it will be easier than loving Zhizhi. So, why bother?¡± Yeah, why bother? However, for him, Le Zhi was not just one of the thousands of women. It was not after weighing and comparing that he fell in love with her; it was only because of her that he was aroused. So, it was not a matter of easy or not. He had no choice at all. Huo Du¡¯s eyes moved slightly, but he did not answer. ¡°I understand.¡± Le Jin gave him a meaningful look, then got up to leave. When she walked to the door, she said again, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t hate me?¡± Huo Du asked. With a hand on the door, Le Jin turned around with a complicated look. She should naturally hate the enemy¡¯s son. However, without him, Zhizhi¡¯s situation would never be better these days. And she, at this time, should still be in Xia Feitai and muddled head. It was the Taizi of country Qi who preserved the dignity of their two subjugated princesses. During these days she lived in the Taizi Mansion, the maids and servants in the mansion were all respectful and courteous, especially when referring to Taizifei. Also, just now after she came out of Zhizhi¡¯s bedroom, she asked Fu Xian to inquire about Zhizhi¡¯s condition a few days ago¡­ as there were still a lot of medicinal residues in the decoction pharmacy. After a little investigation, how could she not know that Zhizhi did not catch a common cold? If it were not for the person in front of her, the two sisters would not have a chance to meet again. Hatred and gratitude collided intensely in the bottom of her heart, making it difficult for Le Jin to sort it out. Therefore, she was even more worried. Even she could not straighten it out. What about Zhizhi, would not Zhizhi be even more tormented? That was the reason why she thought of seeing Huo Du and trying to get him to give up. But his expression clearly told her that he would never let go. Indeed, how could a person who was not afraid of malaria let go easily? As an elder sister, she was very happy that her younger sister could find such a good person, but as a princess of Great Li, she could not ignore the hatred between the two countries. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know.¡± Le Jin¡¯s eyes were slightly red, and she sighed. After a pause, she added, ¡°I only have one request, no matter what happens in the future, please don¡¯t force her. Can you?¡± Huo Du could not believe it for a moment as he never thought that Le Jin would say these words to him. Without any hesitation, he replied firmly to her, ¡°Yes.¡± From the moment he fell in love with Le Zhi, he put the decision in Le Zhi¡¯s hands. Between them, she had the final say. ¡°Thank you.¡± Le Jin smiled, then turned around to open the door and walked away slowly. Looking at the back of her leaving, Huo Du was a little dazed. In fact, Le Jin was not older than him, on the contrary, she was two years younger than him. But what she said reminded him of his sister. If his sister was still there, she should be the same as Le Jin. Friendly and gentle. He would never forget that his sister shouted at him with her last breath before she closed her eyes, telling him to run¡­ Was this the case with all sisters? Always thinking about younger siblings. His sister was like this, and so was Le Zhi¡¯s sister. After all, it was Great Qi who wronged them, and it was Huo Changyun¡¯s sin. Gradually closing the palm and clenching the hand into a fist, Huo Du turned his head to look out the window and his eyes were getting darker. There was light snow floating outside, and Le Jin stopped when she reached the rear courtyard. She raised her head and let the snowflakes fall on her face, spreading the coldness. The end of her eyes was wet and it blended with the melted snow, which made the original tears could not be seen. Her imperial father was right, her sister was a person with a big heart, but she was not. She was a little selfish, and just wanted to protect the little love in her heart, as long as her sister could be genuinely happy, that was enough. Le Jin believed that her imperial father, imperial mother, and imperial brother would understand her. Because their love for their sister would never be less than her. ¡ª After meeting Le Zhi, Shen Qingyan¡¯s heart became calmer than ever. She understood the truth that she could no longer feel sorry for herself. Even if she cooperated with Le Zhi, she had to cheer herself up and could not put all her fate in the hands of others. The next day, when she had breakfast, she did not take two bites as usual but ate a lot seriously, and even Lu Ying was surprised. But she was very happy that her master had such a change. After breakfast, she did not go back to the bedroom directly but walked around the mansion randomly. But this time, she saw a young manservant walking towards the western courtyard with a twinkle in his eyes. Western courtyard? Isn¡¯t it Jiang Man¡¯s residence? Shen Qingyan frowned slightly, turned her head to look at Lu Ying for a moment, and then followed along. These days, Huo Xu was confined in the mansion, feeling very depressed. He felt that he had no face, so he dismissed many of the guards and servants in the mansion, unwilling to let the subordinates see his depressed look. During the day, he drank until he was intoxicated and would not come out of the study until night. Usually, he would go to the western courtyard to sleep, and occasionally he would go to Shen Qingyan¡¯s residence. And now, Shen Qingyan wished that he would live in the western courtyard forever. The smell of alcohol on his body, and the ferocious appearance when he forced her, made her sick. The young manservant was born handsome, but instead of approaching the west courtyard directly, he slipped through the back window into Jiang Man¡¯s bedroom. Shen Qingyan followed not far away, covering her lips in shock, and almost cried out in surprise. She looked sideways and found that Lu Ying was also frightened. ¡°You keep watch here, and I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± She lowered her voice and said to Lu Ying. There were no guards in the western rear courtyard. Judging from the fact that the young manservant was familiar with the way, it must not be the first time he came here. Shen Qingyan approached quietly, leaning against the window, and listening quietly. After a while, there were some women¡¯s murmurs and men¡¯s wanton laughs, ¡°Manman, Manman¡­¡± He called more and more affectionately, and the woman whispered softly in answering him. ¡°Ah!¡± The woman let out a coquettish cry. Although her tone was broken, she was still pleased. ¡°It¡¯s so good.¡± The man¡¯s smile became even stronger, and his tone softened. Jiang Man¡¯s appearance was really captivating. Shen Qingyan¡¯s face flushed with anger when she heard it outside. The upbringing of a noblewoman made her raise her legs several times to walk away, but she still held back. She wanted to figure out, what was going on? Finally, after messing around for a while, the two made a muffled sound together, and the room was quiet for a while. ¡°What are you busy with recently?¡± Jiang Man hummed in dissatisfaction, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since you came to see me.¡± ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s a big deal!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°Want to know?¡± The man leaned over and bit the woman¡¯s soft tofu-like skin, and said with a smile, ¡°It depends on what Manman exchanged it for?¡± Jiang Man let out a low snort, then leaned forward delicately, letting him take anything he wanted. With softness in his hand, his mouth was relieved in the end, ¡°Our Third Prince, who has been confined, seems to be unable to hold back.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Little baddie, aren¡¯t you complaining that I didn¡¯t come to you recently?¡± The man pinched her face and said, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything either. I made two trips to country Jiang for our Third Prince!¡± ¡°Country Jiang?¡± Jiang Man¡¯s eyes rolled, and she suddenly understood what he meant. She whispered, ¡°You mean, he wants to¡­ um¡± The man covered her mouth and said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s enough to know.¡± Jiang Man was too shocked to speak, so she could only nod her head obediently. The man let go of her hand when he saw her well-behaved appearance. ¡°How dare he¡­¡± Jiang Man murmured. The man took Jiang Man by the hand, held her under his body, and said, ¡°What do you care about this? With this effort, it¡¯s more important to do something happy.¡± After a pause, he said again, ¡°I hope our master can succeed. When the time comes, you will become the imperial concubine and then give birth to a son for me. Our son will be a prince¡­ If you are lucky, he might even be a Taizi. Hahaha¡­¡± The man was completely immersed in his own beautiful fantasies, and even unconsciously increased the strength of his hand. Jiang Man could not stand it anymore and whimper softly. Shen Qingyan¡¯s face on the outside turned from red to white, and her palms gradually became colder. She lowered her hand unconsciously, but unexpectedly touched the edge of the window and made a small sound. ¡°Who!¡± The ear tip of the man on the bed moved, and he turned his eyes to the back window alertly, even more, wanting to get off the bed to take a look. Shen Qingyan was so frightened that her heart trembled and did not dare to move her feet. At this time, Lu Ying walked over quickly, threw the black cat in her hand to the ground, and then pulled Shen Qingyan out of the western rear courtyard. ¡°Meow, meow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a wild cat, why are you panicking?¡± Jiang Man hooked his neck, her body was uncomfortably tight, and groaned in dissatisfaction. The man breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and leaned over to kiss the woman¡¯s soft lips, swallowing all her dissatisfaction. ¡ª Shen Qingyan did not know how she returned to the bedroom, she just felt that her steps were weak. It was not until Lu Ying helped her to the beauty couch that she felt relieved after leaning on the pillow. ¡°They, how dare they¡­¡± Her thoughts were a mess, and Jiang Man¡¯s boldness was inevitably too big. Compared to Jiang Man, Huo Xu was even more so. How dared he formed an alliance with another country? What did he want to do? Plotting to usurp the throne? Shen Qingyan¡¯s cold sweat came out drop by drop. Suddenly, she remembered something, so she quickly looked at Lu Ying, ¡°Who gave you the little black cat just now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see very clearly. I vaguely saw De Shun from the dining room.¡± Lu Ying was also a little confused, ¡°He just stuffed the cat into my arms and hurried away. Seeing you suddenly panicked in front of the window, I came over.¡± De Shun? Shen Qingyan remembered Le Zhi¡¯s words. Therefore, was Huo Xu¡¯s every move under the control of His Highness Taizi? ¡°Lu Ying, help me up.¡± She did not have time to think much about it, whether Taizi knew Huo Xu¡¯s intentions or not, she had to seize this opportunity. ¡ª Le Zhi fell asleep dazedly, and her sleep was not peaceful. When she woke up, there was no one beside her. She reached out dazedly and touched the mattress on the side but found that there was no warmth at all. So, Huo Du got up a long time ago. Where did he go? Her eyes turned left and right, and she suddenly remembered something. Oh no! She bit her lip, lifted the quilt, and got off the bed anxiously that she even forgot to wear shoes and socks and ran towards the door. Coincidentally, the door of the room was pushed open, and the familiar figure sat in a wheelchair and entered the room leisurely. Looking at each other, Huo Du glanced at her bare little feet. He frowned and raised his eyes, and his gaze fell on her anxious face, ¡°Put your shoes and socks on.¡± Le Zhi could not care less about this, she took two steps forward, looked at him, and asked, ¡°You went to see my sister?¡± Seeing her disobedience, Huo Du¡¯s face turned gloomy and made a light hum. ¡°Are you alright¡­¡± Le Zhi became more and more worried. Her sister was a well-known talented girl in Great Li. She could crush people to death by reading the verses from the book of sages. If she wanted to ridicule a person, that person definitely would not be able to get off lightly. She thought about Huo Du¡¯s temperament, and if the talk between the two of them did not turn out well, would not it be¡­ Huo Du snorted coldly, ignored her, and went straight to the edge of the bed. What was her expression? Did he do anything to her sister? Why did not she know how to care about him? What if he was scolded or beaten by her sister? Really no conscience! Hearing this cold snort, Le Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and it seemed that she was thinking too much. But she could not be blamed for that. If he had not gotten angry at every turn, she would not have been so worried! ¡°Is it cold outside?¡± She ran to the bedside, supported Huo Du, and helped him lie down on the bed. Sure enough, this person started ignoring her with a flat face. But she was not afraid of him long ago. She stood on the bedside but did not get on the bed, only lifted her little foot off the ground and looked at him aggrievedly. ¡°It¡¯s so cold on the ground, can I sleep with you on the bed?¡± The author has something to say: Du & Zhi: Emmm, it turns out that Dog Xu is starting to turn green, so let¡¯s call him Green Xu¡­ Huo Xu: ?!? CH 70 Chapter 70 Gratitude The soft tone made Huo Du¡¯s eyebrows could not help but twitch. He suddenly wanted to grab her and take a good bite. But he deliberately said, ¡°After sleeping for so long, haven¡¯t you slept enough?¡± This tone sounded like a complete rejection to Le Zhi. She pursed her lips and said ¡°oh¡± softly, then sat down on the bed and leaned over to pick up shoes and socks to put on. However, before her fingertips reached halfway, her waist was tightened suddenly, and the whole body was pulled back by force. As the sky swirled, the quilt fell and covered her whole body tightly, leaving only a pair of spinning foxy eyes exposed. The corners of the lips that were hidden in the quilt turned up, and Le Zhi curved her eyes, suddenly in high spirits. Although there was an exaggeration in what he said just now, it was indeed a little cold after standing barefoot on the ground for a long time. She blinked and moved her feet carefully. First, she touched Huo Du¡¯s foot lightly. Seeing that he did not respond, she stuck both feet on his foot as if unintentionally. A warm feeling came from the soles of his foot, and Le Zhi curved her lips in satisfaction. ¡°Comfortable?¡± The slightly hot breath skimmed over her ears, and Le Zhi could not help but feel a little flustered. She hurriedly wanted to shrink her feet back, but after only moving a little, she was slightly hooked by his two feet, and her feet were entangled with his. Le Zhi¡¯s snow cheeks burned red in an instant. Obviously, it was just their feet stuck together, but the warmth seemed to reach the tip of her heart, causing her heart to tremble slightly. ¡°Let go, let go¡­¡± She put her hand on his chest and pushed back softly. On the contrary, Huo Du held her tighter and sneered, ¡°You stuck it yourself.¡± Had not it always been like this between them? She always provoked him on purpose, stretched out her little paws to tease him, and when he found out, she wanted to slip away. How could he allow it? Now that she had provoked him, she must continue it to the end. Le Zhi knew that she was wrong, and did not dare to say more, only hummed twice and gave up. But her feet were tightly wrapped. Her brows moved, suddenly thought of something. ¡°Your Highness, your legs¡­¡± She looked at Huo Du¡¯s eyes in surprise and asked, ¡°Can move already?¡± The right leg, which had no strength before, seemed to have strength at this time. Her foot could feel it most vividly. Huo Du did not answer, just stared at her excited smile quietly, maybe he was infected by her, and before he knew it, his eyes gradually stained with a little smile. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Le Zhi let out a soft sigh, her hand on his chest gradually loosened, and then she snuggled softly into his arms, with unspeakable joy in her heart, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you thank me?¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Huo Du chuckled, raised his hand, and rubbed the back of her head, ¡°Certainly thank you.¡± Perhaps she did not sleep well at night, but now that she calmed down, the person in his arms quickly fell asleep, breathing lightly and gently. Huo Du released her and placed her cheek on the soft pillow. He leaned closer to her, counted her curled eyelashes, and then leaned over to kiss her eyes. Then, he put his head on her embroidered pillow and closed his eyes to sleep peacefully. Not long after, the bedroom was completely quiet, and only the intertwined breathing of the two of them was left. Le Zhi¡¯s eyelids trembled slightly, and finally slowly opened her eyes, staring deeply at the person close at hand. The soft hand in the quilt stretched out as if trying to touch his cold white side face, but after a pause, she finally withdrew her hand back into the quilt. Her heart was suffocating, then she closed her eyes and emptied her mind. However, the tail of her eyes was slightly red, and there was still wetness. ¡ª Now that Le Jin had recovered, Le Zhi thought about letting her sister leave the capital of Great Qi. As far as she was concerned, if her sister stayed with her, she had to worry about her sister¡¯s safety. Therefore, she needed to get her sister to a safe place as soon as possible. In this way, she could continue to plan for the next step. Coincidentally, Xia Ming and Ah Chan also came back at this time. After searching for a long time, they finally found some traces of her sister-in-law and Yu¡¯er in the small remote town at the border of country Qi and Ning. Thus, Le Zhi and Le Jin immediately decided that Le Jin would personally go to find them. On one hand, Le Zhi could use this as a pretext to let her sister leave the capital, and on the other, she would be more at ease if her sister went to find their sister-in-law. ¡°Sister, take good care of yourself.¡± Le Zhi raised her hand to tighten the cotton cloak on her sister¡¯s body, with her voice choked up. Le Jin smiled and touched her sister¡¯s face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, you have to be safe.¡± She wanted to say something, but finally stopped and did not go on. Turning her head, Le Jin set her eyes on the person sitting in the wheelchair. Needless to say, she believed that he would remember what she said. So, she smiled and nodded slightly to bid farewell. After this period, Fu Xian was also full of contradictions toward Huo Du, but after all, the kindness of saving them was real. Before leaving, he also cupped his hands and bowed to Huo Du. Huo Du was stunned for a moment, then nodded to the two of them. The curtains fell, and the carriage began to move. Le Zhi stood for a long time until the carriage shadow disappeared from sight. Her expression was solemn, and her heart was sour. Not long after the reunion with her sister, they had to separate again. Feeling her fingertips warming up, she lowered her eyes and saw a pair of hands holding her fingers. ¡°Thank you.¡± She thanked him earnestly, and then she became a little worried, ¡°Can you really hide the truth by using the words of illness and death?¡± Huo Du did not say a word, he just dragged her into the mansion through the back door. It was the safest way to quietly let Le Jin and Fu Xian leave through the back door when the twilight was all around. ¡°Fifty-one time.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes in amazement and puzzled at his meaning. Huo Du did not explain, but said, ¡°There are secret guards following around the carriage, which will definitely protect your sister¡¯s safety.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi heaved a sigh of relief. Although she asked Dong Yi to escort her sister, she was still uneasy. Now that Huo Du¡¯s people were secretly protecting her, her heart was completely relieved. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Fifty-two times.¡± At this point, Le Zhi could not understand what he was talking about. She bit her lip and murmured in a low voice, ¡°What are you counting this for¡­¡± She was answered by Huo Du¡¯s laughter, and then she heard him say word by word, ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to say thank you every time, do you?¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°You have to pay it back, understand?¡± In an instant, all the moving gratitude dissipated. Le Zhi glared at him with a sullen face and wanted to shake his hand away even more. It was a pity that he held it too tightly to break free. Fortunately, Li Yao ran over at this moment with a hurried expression, and after saluting, she presented the letter in her sleeve to Le Zhi. ¡°Master, it¡¯s a letter from Deshun.¡± Le Zhi took the letter, looked at Huo Du, and only then did she open the letter to see. Gradually, a faint smile appeared on her face. ¡°Your Highness.¡± She raised her eyes, handed the letter to Huo Du, and smiled, ¡°Some people seem to be playing with fire and setting themselves on fire.¡± These things, if it were not for Huo Du¡¯s help, with the power of her and Shen Qingyan alone, would never have gone so smoothly. Therefore, she never intended to hide from him. Besides, even if she hid it, would not he know? ¡°So?¡± ¡°Naturally, we can¡¯t miss this opportunity.¡± Le Zhi smiled even more, ¡°Your Highness is just waiting to watch a good show.¡± The stars were gradually revealing, but no matter how bright the stars were, it was not as bright as the one in her eyes. Huo Du smiled along, his palms gradually closed, and held her hand tightly. He raised his eyes, looked into her bright eyes, and said, ¡°Good.¡± Wait and see. ¡ª After being grounded for many days, Huo Xu could hardly believe it when the order to lift the ban came. Imperial father finally forgave him! After all, he was the most valued son of his imperial father, and it was only a matter of time before the ban was lifted. Therefore, Huo Xu straightened his back when he entered the palace for the morning court the next day. However, he tripped over the threshold when he entered the palace hall and staggered a few steps before he could stand firmly. His eyebrows twitched, and some bad premonitions floated in his heart. But with just one breath, he shook his head and put aside all the nonsense in his mind. He must have been grounded for too long, making him timid. After calming down, his expression became calm. What was so scary about it? He, Huo Xu, naturally was still the most well-regarded Third Prince of Great Qi! The author has something to say£º Huo Xu: Yo ho! I¡¯m back!!! Du: Excuse me, the green light is piercing my eyes. Zhi: Puff. CH 71 Chapter 71 Disdain On the throne room, civil and military officials stood respectfully on both sides. Emperor Qi looked gloomy, and after discussing all matters, he said, ¡°Dear ministers, if you have anything please report, else please withdraw from the court.¡± Seeing his gloomy expression, the officials did not even dare to breathe, let alone start reporting. However, Prime Minister Shen Huai, who was standing in the first place on the right, stepped forward resolutely and calmly, ¡°Your Majesty, I have something to report.¡± Seeing this, all the officials on both sides trembled, and then they all lowered their eyes and shrank. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Recently, this official has learned of an incident. This matter is related to the country, and I did not dare not to report it.¡± Shen Huai bowed and stood, with a steady and firm tone, ¡°The Third Prince secretly has close contacts with the imperial family of country Jiang.¡± ¡°You, venomous slander!¡± Huo Xu was shocked, and his cheeks were flushed. He did not have time to find out how Shen Huai learned about it. He could only interrupt him swiftly, trying to cover it up. ¡°Shut up!¡± Huo Changyun opened his mouth, but his tone was not angry. He shot a glance at Huo Xu, then set his eyes on Shen Huai, and said, ¡°This regards the prince, does Prime Minister have any evidence?¡± Shen Huai took out the letter from his wide-mouthed sleeves, presented it with both hands, and responded with a serious expression, ¡°If there is no evidence, I will definitely not dare to talk nonsense casually.¡± The silence in the hall made his voice even more pronounced. Cui Feng, who was standing beside Emperor Qi, walked down the steps quickly, took the letter from Shen Huai¡¯s hand with a solemn expression, and then walked to Emperor Qi tremblingly, presenting the letter with shaking hands. Emperor Qi took the letter, lowered his eyes, and read it lightly. The officials below did not even dare to let out the air. They shrank their necks and waited for the thunderous anger to sound. Unexpectedly¡­ ¡°Third Prince, what else do you have to refute?¡± Huo Changyun¡¯s tone was calm, which was beyond everyone¡¯s expectations. Hearing this, Huo Xu gritted his teeth and refused to admit it no matter what, ¡°Imperial Father! I did not¡­ Someone, someone wanted to frame me!¡± ¡°Xu¡¯er.¡± Huo Changyun persuaded and gently said, ¡°If I give you a chance, do you know what¡¯s wrong?¡± Huo Xu choked, and his eyes flickered. Just this moment was enough as his hesitation was telling everyone. He admitted it. Idiot. Huo Du, who always stood quietly at the first place on the left, sneered indifferently. He could not help thinking that if his little fox could see this scene with her own eyes, she would be very happy, right? She would definitely try her best to hold back her laughter, and when no one was around, she would bend her foxy eyes wantonly, and smile so much that she would show her little tiger teeth. Huo Du¡¯s black eyes stared blankly. He placed his palm on the top of the white jade cane and tapped the handle of the cane with his index finger lightly. New bones were growing on the disabled leg slowly, and he no longer needed the support of the cane. However, he did not want others to know that his disabled leg was gradually healing, so he continued to rely on the cane and the wheelchair. Huo Xu was at loss over and over again, and finally knelt with his head hung down, ¡°I was confused. Imperial Father, please punish me.¡± He thought, after all, he was the son of his imperial father. Since the emperor said before that he was willing to forgive him, as long as he admitted his mistakes properly, this matter would definitely be over. ¡°Huo Xu, the Third Prince¡¯s words and deeds are insolence, and his mind is evil. Starting from today, he will be removed from his post as the commander of the Shenyi Army. He will be confined in the mansion and will not be allowed to leave without an imperial order.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡± Huo Xu knelt on the ground in disbelief and muttered. The icy tone knocked the words into his heart word by word. So, his gentle persuasion just now was all an illusion. His imperial father deceived him. Huo Changyun stared at Huo Xu without any expression. He knew about the affairs between his two sons, Huo Xu and country Jiang, and Huo Du and country Ning, much earlier. The reason why he did not intervene was just to see what they could do. Plotting to usurp the throne? He was looking forward to it. If his son really could kill his father, and be able to drag him down from the throne¡­ If there was such a day, he believed that the unification of the five countries and three tribes would be possible. Under the sky, everything could be seen was ruled by the Huo clan. Then he would really die in peace. Unfortunately, it was difficult for Huo Xu to succeed in such a major event. He confessed without duress with just some intimidation and a few more lies. Alas. At this time, Shen Huai took two steps forward and knelt down, ¡°My daughter has been lingering on the sick bed for many days, and afraid that she may not endure the pain of confinement. I boldly ask Your Majesty for mercy and allow my daughter to return to the Prime Minister¡¯s Mansion to recuperate.¡± Huo Changyun¡¯s black eyes gradually sank. He had also heard about Huo Xu¡¯s rear courtyard matters. He gave Huo Xu the best marriage and the most useful assistance, but he messed it up like this. He was truly a rotten wood that could not be carved! He could not even pacify his wife and the rear courtyard, so how could he rule the world? ¡°Granted.¡± ¡°I thank Your Majesty.¡± Shen Huai bowed heavily, almost crying. He knew that Emperor bestowed the marriage, and was not it easier for him to say it if he wanted them to divorce? Now it was better to take Qingyan back to the mansion first, and then make plans. ¡ª Huo Xu did not know how he got back to the mansion. He stood in the front of the courtyard in a daze, watching the servants in the mansion being transferred away, and the mansion that used to be as busy as a marketplace fell into a dead silence. Even Shen Qingyan had left, and when she stepped out of the mansion, she did not even have a trace of nostalgia or even looked at him. How could this be? Did not she like to be around him and talk sweetly the most? At this time, should not she come over to hug him and give him comfort? Hypocritical woman. The love in her mouth was really superficial. With Huo Xu¡¯s thoughts drifting away, he thought of his imperial father in the morning court today, and his heart was depressed. He vaguely remembered in those years when he was in Great Li that Emperor Li was kind and gentle, and even if he did something wrong, he never said a harsh word to him. In his childhood memories, Emperor Li always smiled and said to him, ¡°Xiao Xu, this is your home¡­¡± It was him who ruined it all with his own hands. The winter wind blew away the mist in front of his eyes. Huo Xu tilted his head, unwilling to think about it anymore. He raised his legs and walked in the direction of the western courtyard. He pushed open the door of the room, and the familiar sweet fragrance wafted into his nose. Huo Xu took a deep breath, and when he looked up, he saw Jiang Man wearing thin clothes and was about to come over. Before she could get close, he quickly stepped forward and hugged her in his arms. ¡°Zhizhi, Zhizhi¡­¡± Huo Xu¡¯s eyes were blurred, and the kiss was fierce and intense. The manic restlessness and resentment in his heart turned into a fire at this time. He picked up the weak and boneless person and fell into the bed with her. Let himself be lost in the sea of desire. The bed curtain shook violently a few times and soon calmed down. After the enthusiasm subsided, there was nothing but emptiness in his heart. Only then did Huo Xu realize that the stand-in was a stand-in after all, and she could not help to calm his mind. He wanted to see Zhizhi, he must see her. Thinking of this, he suddenly turned over abruptly to get off the bed, put on his clothes, and strode towards the door. The woman on the bed looked at his departing back and evoked a contemptuous smile. She snorted in disgust, pulled the quilt to cover herself, and closed her eyes to sleep peacefully. ¡ª Le Zhi was not surprised at all to receive Huo Xu¡¯s letter. Coincidentally, several fireworks exploded in the night sky, which was gorgeous and dazzling. Her eyes moved from the letter to the sky. ¡°The dog thing wants to see you?¡± Huo Du also looked at the night sky. ¡°En.¡± Le Zhi responded, threw the letter on the stone table, and smiled, ¡°I suffered such a big loss today, can¡¯t you see me complaining?¡± Hearing this, Huo Du smiled and ¡°tsk¡± softly, ¡°Are you happy?¡± That¡¯s it? Where¡¯s enough? ¡°Not bad.¡± Le Zhi said reluctantly, and then she got up to prepare to meet Huo Xu. But after she turned around, she turned her head back and asked in a low voice, ¡°Can Your Highness tell me which acupuncture point on a person¡¯s body can make a person go limp?¡± She was a little scared as Huo Xu wanted to see her at this time. Under the indignation, it was inevitable to make some actions that went beyond the norm. Although she knew that Huo Du would follow, she had to be on guard. She did not want to be touched by the dirty things. ¡°Acupuncture points? Why bother so much.¡± Huo Du chuckled, raised his hand to hold her palm, gently tugged at the person, and then said to the tip of her ear, ¡°Brother will teach you. Kick at one place is the most effective.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face turned red suddenly as she knew which place he was talking about. It was true that the book had its golden knowledge. She was forced to read so many messy books that now she knew what he said as soon as she heard it. Pulling her palm away, she glared at him fiercely, turned, and walked away quickly. ¡ª When stepping into the inn, Le Zhi felt like she was separated from the world. The previous two times, she came in trembling with fear, but this time, it was clear to her that she came to see some people¡¯s jokes. When Huo Du asked her if she wanted to kill Huo Xu directly, she refused. What she wanted to see was exactly what he looked like now. Just like a lost dog. In the side room, Huo Xu was sitting on a wooden chair. He tugged at his collar irritably, the servant¡¯s clothes were rough, and he could not get used to it. However, now that he was confined in the mansion, it would be difficult for him to get out if he had not dressed up as a servant. He was terribly upset. Why hasn¡¯t Zhizhi arrived yet? ¡°Squeak.¡± The door of the room was pushed open, and the figure he was thinking of finally appeared in sight. She was wearing a light blue dress and a fluffy cloak that reached to the ground. After not seeing each other for many days, Huo Xu felt that Zhizhi¡¯s appearance became more and more beautiful. ¡°Zhizhi!¡± He could not bear it any longer, got up, and stepped forward, wanting to hold her tightly in his arms. Seeing this, Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank, Huo Xu¡¯s speed was so fast that she could hardly react. But as soon as his breath approached, her stomach rolled up, and became very sick. She clenched her fists, ready to pretend to kick accidentally. However, before Huo Xu touched her cloak, he seemed to trip over something under his feet and threw himself straight toward the ground. ¡°Bang!¡± He fell suddenly. His chin hit the ground, and the unbearable pain sounded. While his back foot hooked on the wooden chair, knocking it over, and made another sound. Le Zhi looked at this sudden scene in surprise and felt a little funny. But she could not laugh at the moment, so she bent over and pretended to give him a hand. After the two sat down, Huo Xu was still rubbing his chin. ¡°Hiss.¡± The skin of his chin was torn apart, and blood oozed out, causing him to grin in pain. ¡°Zhizhi¡­¡± Huo Xu felt a little aggrieved. ¡°Brother Ah Xu, let¡¯s talk quickly. Huo Du put a lot of spies around me, so I can¡¯t come out for too long.¡± Huo Xu felt sour in his heart, ¡°I¡¯ve wronged you.¡± But Le Zhi smiled and shook her head, showing a pure and obedient smile. The irritability in his heart gradually dissipated, Huo Xu made a long story short and told Le Zhi all the trouble of the past few days. ¡°Brother Ah Xu¡­¡± Le Zhi hesitated, ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You say.¡± ¡°I went to Fuxi Temple earlier, and I asked for a sign for you. At that time, I thought that the master was wrong. Now that I thought about it¡­¡± Huo Xu was shocked and asked, ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°The master said, because the person you marry is not your good match, it will affect your luck. Only by cutting ties with her can your good luck return.¡± Le Zhi said seriously, and then the conversation changed. She lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°I was afraid that you would think I was jealous, so I didn¡¯t tell you. I didn¡¯t expect¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± It turned out that it was because of Shen Qingyan! Huo Xu frowned. He must divorce that woman as soon as possible. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Huo Xu¡¯s eyes showed a firm look, and said solemnly, ¡°Even if the emperor bestowed the marriage, I have to divorce her!¡± ¡­¡­ After chatting for a while, Huo Xu reluctantly left the inn. After he left, Le Zhi hurriedly got up and walked to the water basin. I touched his sleeve when I was pretending to help him. Dirty. She leaned down slightly, dipped her hands in the water, and scrubbed hard. She was more like scrubbing her hands than washing her hands. She used so much force that her soft white hands turned red from her scrubbing. Suddenly, a pair of familiar hands reached into the water basin, held hers, and stopped her movements. Huo Du held her hands, rubbed them gently for her, and his cold white fingers carefully helped her wash. Then he took the cotton towel on the side and helped her dry it. But the skin that she had scrubbed so hard was still red. His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked up at her, somewhat displeased, ¡°What are you doing? If you don¡¯t know how to wash your hands, just wait ah.¡± Le Zhi stared at him blankly. Because of his words, her eyes were a little sour. The author has something to say: Du: Dog thing. Zhi: Dirty thing. Qingyan: Green thing. Jiang Man: Disgusting¡­ Huo Xu: I am not Sister Li??? CH 72 Chapter 72 Implicated After returning to the Taizi Mansion from the secret passage, it was already late at night. An Xuan was waiting outside the bedroom, and when he saw them coming back, he took a few steps forward and said, ¡°Your Highness, someone from the palace has arrived.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi frowned slightly. Why does Cui Feng come to the mansion at this hour? But Huo Du¡¯s expression did not change, as if he knew it. Le Zhi glanced at him suspiciously and followed him to the front hall. ¡°Pay respect to Your Highness and Taizifei.¡± Cui Feng was very polite. The last edict left a deep impression on him. He must be careful about this Highness Taizi. Huo Du responded lightly. ¡°It¡¯s really urgent for me to disturb you late at night. The drought in Shengyang City is severe this year. Although the court has pulled out a lot of relief funds, it has not improved in the slightest, and now there is violence and chaos in the city. By His Majesty¡¯s order, Your Highness Taizi is requested to go to Shengyang City tomorrow morning to quell the riots.¡± Cui Feng paused slightly as if thinking about something. ¡°Tomorrow morning?¡± Le Zhi was shocked. How can it be so sudden? Hearing this, Cui Feng lowered his eyes and smiled, and turned toward Huo Du, ¡°There are some things that I shouldn¡¯t have said, but since Taizifei asked, I¡¯ll say a little more. This errand, His Majesty originally planned to let the Third Prince go, but you also know what happened today¡­ and the other princes are still young now, so have to trouble you to work hard for this trip?¡± After thinking about it, again and again, Cui Feng still said it. A eunuch like him who had been immersed in the palace for most of his life naturally knew the truth that misfortunes came from their mouths. However, from the day the Third Prince returned to the court, he completely belonged to the Empress¡¯s side. Although this was said by him, it was actually the Empress¡¯s behest. Le Zhi froze in place with the hands that were hidden in the sleeves hanging by the side tightly clenched and unable to react for a while. Now that the edict had been passed, Cui Feng also bowed and retired tactfully. ¡°Cui Feng.¡± Huo Du stopped him without raising his eyelids, ¡°You knew you shouldn¡¯t have to say it, but you still said it anyway¡­¡± That¡¯s it, you¡¯re looking for death. He smiled and waved his hand, ¡°Someone, send Eunuch Cui off.¡± Cui Feng¡¯s brows twitched, his whole body trembled for no reason, and some inexplicable fear and remorse suddenly appeared in his heart. But the words have been spoken, and could not be reversed. He frowned and followed the servant out of the mansion. ¡°Let¡¯s go, go back to the bedroom.¡± Huo Du said slowly. At this time, Le Zhi finally regained her senses. She quickly stepped forward to bar the way, looked straight into his black eyes, and asked word by word, ¡°The edict, Shengyang City, quelling the riots¡­ you already expected these things early on?¡± Her voice trembled a little, but her eyes did not shift. ¡ª The Yongning Palace was brightly lit. The empress who should have been sleeping peacefully under the quilt was all neatly dressed, with no sign of sleepiness on her face. ¡°Is Empress satisfied?¡± Huo Changyun said with a smile, but there was a coldness in his tone. Lin Wanning knew she could not hide it from him, but she still pretended to act stupid and said, ¡°What does Your Majesty mean by this? I don¡¯t understand.¡± The heater in the bedroom was burning vigorously, and the silver carbon inside made a little spark sound. The soothing fragrance of tranquility seemed to be ineffective at this moment, and it was useless, unable to soothe anyone¡¯s mind. Huo Changyun, who was standing beside the incense burner, suddenly turned around and walked toward the beauty¡¯s couch at a fast pace. Lin Wanning sat upright on the couch. He approached her, raised his hand, and squeezed her chin, staring at her intently, ¡°Empress has done so much, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t believe in me?¡± With some effort between his fingers, he squeezed until some red marks on the delicate skin. Lin Wanning frowned slightly and said softly, ¡°I naturally believe in Your Majesty. It was Xu¡¯er who disappointed Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Huo Changyun heard the complaint hidden in her words, and then let go of his hand and laughed, ¡°Empress, let¡¯s think about it. Since he returned to Qi, has he ever done a commendable thing?¡± Hearing this, Lin Wanning pursed her lips sadly. Indeed, there is none. ¡°Now he has the heart of being a traitor and has been layout in public.¡± Huo Changyun said in a deep voice, ¡°But even so, I still forgive him.¡± After a pause, he raised his eyes and continued, ¡°About Shengyang City and Cui Feng¡­ Does Empress still want to act stupid with me?¡± Lin Wanning¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She was not surprised that he knew about Shengyang City. But to win over Cui Feng, she had already done it without leakage. How on earth did he learn about it? Huo Changyun admired her changing expression with satisfaction. He stretched out his right hand to hold her side face, and gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. His hand was icy cold and when it touched her face, it made Lin Wanning tremble uncontrollably. Soon, he withdrew his hand and turned to walk outside the hall. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Lin Wanning was so frightened by his actions tonight that she fell to her knees and asked tremblingly, ¡°Since you already know, why did you let Taizi go¡­¡± Since you saw through my poor plan early on, why did you let me push the boat with the current as smoothly as I thought? Huo Changyun paused slightly but did not answer. After half a breath, he lifted his legs and left without hesitation. Not long after Emperor Qi left, Qin Momo anxiously walked into the bedroom. When she saw Lin Wanning sitting in a daze, she ran over in shock and helped her up to sit on the bed. ¡°Why is Empress sitting on the ground in this cold winter.¡± Lin Wanning shook her head weakly. She caught a glimpse of Qin Momo¡¯s face and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Empress, Cui Gonggong went to the Taizi Mansion to deliver the edict, but he hasn¡¯t returned to the palace at this moment.¡± ¡°No need to wait.¡± Lin Wanning hooked her lips and pulled out a sad smile, ¡°He won¡¯t be coming back.¡± Hearing this, Qin Momo was stunned, ¡°You mean, Taizi has¡­¡± The smiling expression on the pale face gave people a sense of uneasiness. Lin Wanning shook her head affirmatively, ¡°It¡¯s not Taizi.¡± Cui Feng, who has been serving beside Huo Changyun since he was born, had worked hard for decades for nothing. Even so, did not he just kill him with just a word? The person beside her pillow¡¯s heart and blood was cold. ¡°Qin Momo¡­ Qin Momo!¡± Lin Wanning suddenly grabbed Qin Momo¡¯s arm tightly, a little out of control, and her tone was frightened and panicked, ¡°Since he is so cruel and if he knew about Huo Xiao¡¯s matter, will he, will he¡­¡± Her heart tightened, and fear spread all over her body, ¡°Do you think he already knew that the accident back then was¡­¡± ¡°Empress!¡± Qin Momo raised her volume and pulled Lin Wanning out of her panic in time. She patted her back with her hand and comforted her in a low voice, ¡°Empress, don¡¯t worry. There is this servant in everything. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Under the comfort of Qin Momo, Lin Wanning finally fell asleep. Looking at the haggard face of the person on the bed, Qin Momo frowned in distress. Over the years, she had taken care of the Empress. Although they were master and servant, she also regarded her as her own daughter. When Madam brought her back from the street, she treated her very well. After Madam left, she had taken responsibility as a mother for her. The Empress had spent most of her life managing the Lin family and her son, and without her, the Lin family would have fallen a long time ago. If the events of that year were revealed, she would bear all this for the empress. She had absolutely no regrets. ¡ª It was late at night, and the imperial garden was silent. Huo Changyun walked to the familiar red plum tree unconsciously and stood still. The palace people stood behind him, trying their best to keep their breathing low, not daring to disturb the emperor¡¯s tranquility and anger him. Lin Wanning¡¯s question just now was still echoing in his ears. Huo Changyun looked at red plums that could not see the color clearly in the dark with heavy eyes. Why did he let Huo Du go even though he knew that Lin Wanning had laid a trap in Shengyang City? His eyes moved slightly, and he suddenly did not dare to look directly at the red plum tree. But in just a moment, his expression returned to normal. The cold wind suddenly rose, the thick clouds were blown away, and the bright moon and stars spread the cold light on the earth. The red plums were more like fire than blood. Fire¡­ Huo Changyun thought of the fire in Cangyan Mountain. His hands clenched, and the anger on his face was covered by the night. Every mountain range in Great Qi was related to the faith of the national. That bastard dared to burn it. For the sake of a woman, his mind was no longer clear. Then the trip to Shengyang City should be regarded as the punishment given to him by his imperial father. It was a punishment and a test. If he could survive this calamity, he would be worthy to sit in the position of the heir apparent to the throne. If not¡­ He, Huo Changyun, did not need a useless son. His thoughts gradually returned. He took a few steps forward, broke off a red plum, and put it on his nose to smell it lightly. ¡ª ¡°Yes.¡± Huo Du looked at the foxy eyes full of surprise and admitted. Looking at each other, he could not possibly lie to her. It felt as if the tip of a knife had been stabbed in the heart, and the pain of fine numbness spread out. Le Zhi could not help but take a step back and almost bumped into the door. Seeing this, Huo Du subconsciously stretched out a hand to help her. But she immediately raised a hand to block him, she raised her eyes, and her black eyelashes trembled, ¡°Let me¡­ let me be alone.¡± Without waiting for Huo Du to answer, she turned and walked out of the hall. The cold wind was blowing outside, but Le Zhi did not feel cold at all. She tried her best to calm herself down and sort her thoughts from the beginning. She thought that her plan was seamless. She cooperated with Shen Qingyan to use Prime Minister¡¯s power to attack Huo Xu, and also let Shen Qingyan free. In fact, she was still complacent until Cui Feng appeared. Huo Xu¡¯s current situation, the tragic state of his downfall, and the stupidity of not suspecting her at all, all made her feel happy. Unexpectedly, the joy turned to sorrow. The harem of the previous dynasty was full of turbulence. She did all the calculations but missed Huo Xu¡¯s good mother, as well as the shrewd Emperor Qi. Compared to them, she was still too immature. The mist in front of her eyes accumulated more and more, and after the long eyelashes were wetted, they fell one by one. She stubbornly raised her hand to wipe it hard, but the more she wiped it, the wetter it became. She simply could not wipe it all. Why is the bedroom so far away? She had not arrived after walking for a long time. She finally could not bear it, squatted down, and buried her face in her knees, crying softly. Suddenly, a warm hand caressed the top of her head. Le Zhi slowly raised her head and stared at the person sitting in the white jade wheelchair in a daze. Her emotions were complicated, and the bottom of her eyes went from confusion to anger. She was immature and ill-thought-out. But Huo Du obviously had it all figured out and even knew about the chaos in Shengyang City. He clearly could have told her earlier and let her revise her plan. If so, he would not be implicated in this matter, and he would not have to go to the place where riots were everywhere. ¡°Why?¡± Le Zhi raised her voice and asked him. ¡°To see you smile, ah.¡± Huo Du stared into her eyes and said naturally. The author has something to say£º Du: What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t I put love first? Zhi: I can¡¯t fix it anymore¡­ CH 73 Chapter 73 Distressed He had always been this crazy. Le Zhi told herself over and over again in her heart. She stopped crying gradually. Then she raised her hand to remove his hand from the top of her head and stood up slowly. ¡°Your Highness Taizi calculated very well.¡± Le Zhi commented calmly, ¡°Empress¡¯s scheme, the riots in Shengyang City, Emperor¡¯s edict, everyone, and every step are in Your Highness¡¯s plan. Even my reaction, you expected it all, right?¡± Was the joy of Huo Xu being punished, to the shock after learning the edict, to the self-reproach and sobbing after she suddenly realized all in his plan? Well-planned and never fails. Huo Du frowned and remained silent, the color in his eyes was getting darker. Le Zhi took two steps back and stared at his face seriously. Snow drifted at night, fast and soundless. Snowflakes fell on the top of their hair, eyelashes, and shoulders. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Huo Du asked. Le Zhi looked at him and smiled slowly. The snowflakes on the black eyelashes gradually melted, wetting her eyes, and making it impossible to see the mood at the bottom of her eyes. ¡°What? According to Your Highness¡¯s prediction, how should I react?¡± Her smile grew brighter, and her eyes moved slightly. She glanced at his injured leg lightly, and said, ¡°You have to set off early tomorrow morning. Just go back to the bedroom to rest.¡± After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked in the direction of the mansion gate. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Your Highness guess it?¡± Le Zhi asked with her back to him with a smile. After being choked twice in a row, Huo Du felt like he was shooting himself in the foot. Knowing her temper, he really deserved it now. Seeing that the person behind him stopped talking, Le Zhi paused for a moment and continued to walk toward the mansion gate. In the snowstorm, the person sitting on the white jade wheelchair stared in the direction where she left for a long time with deep eyes. Where got a well-planned and never fails scheme. He would never be able to guess her mind, right? ¡ª As the night grew darker, a carriage galloped out from the back door of the Taizi Mansion. Le Zhi sat in the carriage and her mind became heavier. Not because of anger, but because of some anxiety. Why does Huo Du have to go to Shengyang City? After this incident, she felt deeply that she did not know him at all. She did not know what he was thinking, what he was doing, let alone what he was going to do. These days, apart from her own affairs, she really cared too little about Huo Du. Rather than saying it was too little, it was better to say it was too superficial. She avoided him, not daring and not willing to ask him. Even now, she subconsciously chose to ask Uncle Yin instead of asking him directly. Where did she have the right to be angry? Essentially, they were the same kind of people. ¡°Hush¡­¡± Xia Ming tightened the reins, and the horse let out a neigh and quickly stopped. ¡°Master, we are here.¡± When Xia Ming¡¯s remarks came from outside, Le Zhi tightened the cotton cloak on her body, lifted the curtain, and stepped out of the carriage. Le Zhi frowned. She would never have chosen this time to disturb Uncle Yin unless for pressing time. She pursed her lips and was about to raise her hand to knock on the door when she saw the lights in the bamboo house lit up. Then she saw Uncle Yin walk out after opening the door and looking at her with a smile. As if he had known she was coming. She saw him wave his hand, and the courtyard door opened automatically. Despite Lezhi¡¯s astonishment, she stepped in. After taking a few steps closer, she saluted solemnly, ¡°Uncle Yin, I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, come in quickly.¡± Uncle Yin¡¯s voice was as gentle as ever. Le Zhi nodded and led Xia Ming and the others into the house together. A lot of refreshments were prepared in the front room. Le Zhi left them there and followed Uncle Yin into the tearoom by herself. ¡°Does Uncle Yin know I¡¯m coming?¡± Le Zhi sat on the soft cushion and took the hot tea from Yin Changshuo. Yin Changshuo said with a smile, ¡°I heard the sound of horses¡¯ hooves.¡± Le Zhi looked puzzled. If he only knew it when he heard the sound of horses¡¯ hooves, then how to explain the refreshments in the front room and the fragrant tea that had been brewed here a long time ago? These things could not be prepared in a short time. Unless¡­ She suddenly remembered that her imperial brother once said that a person with a unique martial skill could hear voices from a hundred miles away. At that time, she thought her imperial brother was bluffing her. It turned out that there were such people in the world. Looking at Le Zhi¡¯s surprised expression, Yin Changshuo smiled. If he did not have the ability, how could he survive until now? Probably he would have been wiped out by the heavy troops sent by Huo Changyun a long time ago. ¡°Have you quarreled with Xiao Du?¡± He asked directly without beating around the bush. Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks turned red, and she shook her head, ¡°No, I just don¡¯t quite understand him¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, she stopped when she saw Uncle Yin gesturing at her. Then she saw Uncle Yin push open the low window on one side, picked up an empty teacup, and threw it into the dark night. A few shadows fell from the eaves along with a few muffled sounds. ¡°Go back and tell that stinky boy that he¡¯s already a grown man and still couldn¡¯t say anything. He deserved to have his wife run away.¡± Several secret guards in black looked at each other in dismay, not daring to answer. How could they dare to say that? Yin Changshuo picked up another teacup, ¡°Still not leaving?¡± After the stifling defeat, several secret guards quickly got up and left after hearing this. The bottom of the cup touched the wooden table and made a soft sound, the low window was shut, and the outside returned to silence. Retracting his gaze, Yin Changshuo glanced at Le Zhi¡¯s unperturbed expression and say, ¡°Are you used to it? This is how the stinky boy behaves.¡± Le Zhi nodded. She was not surprised that Huo Du would send someone to protect her in the secret. He was always like this, arranging everything, but never told to her in advance. Although she did not blame him, she still felt stuffy in her heart. ¡°Zhizhi, do you know? In fact, you are very similar to him.¡± Yin Changshuo smiled, ¡°You¡¯re smart and dexterous, you can understand just by a little bit, and you don¡¯t talk much like Xiao Du. Even when you¡¯re unhappy, you try your best to hide and suppress your emotions and never reveal them, right?¡± The heart was pricked, and Le Zhi lowered her eyes, unable to say anything. Those unspeakable suffocations were all seen through by Uncle Yin. Yin Changshuo continued, ¡°You don¡¯t say it, and he doesn¡¯t say it either. The more you pretend not to care, the more he wants to make you angry. Don¡¯t think he seems to be very strong, but he¡¯s just pretending to be fine. It¡¯s not easy for him to like a girl, but he can¡¯t read her mind, so isn¡¯t he worry to death? He can¡¯t think of a good way, so he has to make you angry. In his opinion, if you are angry, it means you care about him.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi raised her eyes blankly. She suddenly understood why Huo Du was so angry with her a few days ago, it turned out to be this reason. He was already so old, still¡­ childish, ah. ¡°To put it bluntly, he¡¯s stupid.¡± Yin Changshuo took a sip of tea, and his tone was quite disgusting. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Le Zhi lowered her head and said softly. If Huo Du was said to be stupid, she was not much better. She could not see the reason behind his anger, and she could not surmise his intention of not telling her. Both of them were also so stupid. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t be.¡± Yin Changshuo shook his head in disapproval, ¡°You did the right thing. How could you let the stinky boy succeed so easily? Now that you come out, the stinky boy must be very depressed. That¡¯s how it should, make him feel uncomfortable.¡± ¡°But Uncle Yin, why does he have to go to Shengyang City?¡± Le Zhi finally asked. She frowned, and looked puzzled, ¡°The Empress has ulterior motives. She must have laid a trap in the city to wait for him. Since he knew all about it, why did he insist on going?¡± Shengyang City¡­ Yin Changshuo¡¯s eyes darkened a little. He slowly raised his hand, opened the low window again, and looked into the distance. Le Zhi turned her head and looked at the distant mountains like Uncle Yin. If she remembered correctly, that was the location of the Imperial Mausoleum of Great Qi. ¡°Want to hear this old man tell a story?¡± Yin Changshuo said lightly without moving his eyes. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear more about it.¡± ¡°Once upon a time, there was a country that had been friends with a small tribe for generations. From generation to generation, the tribe grew stronger¡­¡± And the bridge that bound the two sides was through marriage. In a certain generation, the tribe was blessed with the twins of a dragon and a phoenix. The little prince was majestic, and the little princess was beautiful. When the princess reached the marriageable age, they went to the friend country to propose marriage according to the usual practice. The little princess had a childhood sweetheart since she was a child. He had always admired the princess but dared not say anything. He just followed the wedding procession quietly and escorted the princess all the way. Originally thought it was just an act of intimacy to maintain the friendship between the two sides. The princess was anxious about this marriage. It was not until the night of the wedding, when her red veil was lifted, that she could clearly see the appearance of the Taizi of the friend country, which was her husband. Her husband was born handsome and smiled softly at her. The little princess lowered her eyes after a glance and smiled. And the childhood sweetheart who sneaked into the Eastern Palace, listening to the whispers and chuckles as well as the light touch of the formal exchange of cups of wine, finally felt at ease and left swiftly. The days after marriage were joyous and happy until Cefei* entered the mansion. Although she knew early that her husband would not be her only one. But in the end, it was really hard. (Cefei* ¨C side imperial concubine) Fortunately, Cefei was a gentle person, and easy to get along with. After entering the mansion, she also got along well with the princess. Soon after, the princess became pregnant, perhaps with tribal heredity, and the princess also gave birth to a pair of extremely cute dragon and phoenix twins. Two years after the birth of the dragon and phoenix, Cefei also gave birth to a son. Later, the old emperor died and left an imperial edict. When the Taizi succeeded the throne, the princess¡¯ son must be quickly established as the heir. So, on the day Taizi took the throne, he also made his eldest son from the first wife the heir apparent to the throne. After the young emperor ascended to the throne, his deep ambitions were undoubtedly revealed. He used the power of the whole country to wage war on the neighboring three countries, trying to annex the three countries. However, he was repelled by the combined efforts of the three countries and finally had to agree to send his child to another country as a pledge hostage. But his mind was meticulous, treacherous, and cunning. Although he promised, he was not convinced in his heart. There was still some time left before the agreed deadline for sending the child as a pledge, so he came up with a method. Borrowing the power of the empress¡¯s tribe to make a final counterattack. At that time, the princess¡¯ tribe was already succeeded by her elder brother. Tribal people were all kind and righteous people, and they do not want to make enemies with other countries. But because of the princess, they finally agreed to the emperor¡¯s request to help him. But he still ended in failure. However, the emperor still did not give up. He was beyond control and borrowed troops everywhere. He did not admit defeat, nor would he admit defeat. The princess blamed herself for causing so many of her people to die in the war. She had long been disheartened by what the emperor had done. She began to be depressed, did not eat or drink, and became thinner day by day. And her childhood sweetheart had been silently watching her live. What he thought was that he would never show up if she lived a peaceful and happy life. However, she was getting more and more unhappy. So, he appeared. He told the princess that as long as she wanted, he could take her and her children out of this icy palace. The princess agreed. But somehow the emperor found out about it. The emperor did not get angry. He just calmly begged the princess to forgive him and give him another chance. He no longer obsessed with the war, and no longer dreamed of dominating the world. His words were sincere with profound affections. After all, they had been a married couple for so many years, and the princess was a kindhearted person, so she believed in him. She did not go to her childhood sweetheart appointment. As for her childhood sweetheart, he knew what she meant when he saw that the princess had not come to the appointment for a long time. Since it was her choice, he naturally respected it. Who would have expected that those earnest assurances were nothing more than coaxing words from the emperor? He loved the princess, so the moment he learned that the princess wanted to leave him with her childhood sweetheart, the jealousy grew wildly and seized his heart. He would never let her leave him. Since she wanted to fly, he would break her wings. So, the emperor pretended to accompany the princess to go back to her tribe to visit relatives and friends but actually was to deploy troops secretly, taking advantage of the tribe¡¯s unpreparedness to capture it in one fell swoop. He wanted to hold her tribe firmly in his hands so that she could never leave him. He even included the cousin of the princess in the palace as a concubine. The princess knew that he did it on purpose. He deliberately humiliated her and her tribe. This was to warn her that she could never think of leaving him. The princess was devastated and almost wanted to die. But thinking of her two young children, she could not be so selfish and abandon them. Even if she died, she had to send her two children out of this cruel palace first. She did not want her children to be stuck here like her, at the mercy of others for the rest of t their lives. She knew that she had no face to look for her childhood sweetheart, but who else could she turn to for help besides him? She sent one letter after another, but no reply. She thought that he must be very angry, right? When she wanted to give up, Cefei came. Cefei, who was as friendly as ever, had now become a Wenxian Guifei*. She kindly told her the truth. (Guifei* ¨C Imperial Consort, senior concubine) It turned out that it was not that her childhood sweetheart ignored her, but that her letters could not leave the palace at all. The emperor sent people to watch her every move, and no matter how cautious she was, her carrier pigeon would be caught. The princess collapsed after learning the truth. Fortunately, the Guifei had a good heart. She proposed to help the princess pass the letter, and she was more than willing to help her send the two children out of the palace and bring them to her childhood sweetheart. When the two children were handed over to the Guifei, the princess¡¯ heartache was bleeding. But she had to do it, she had to set her two children free. However, the two children did not seem to be very close to the Guifei, especially the youngest son, who was the Taizi, was firmly holding his imperial mother¡¯s hand and unwilling to leave. He seemed to smell danger and cried terribly, ¡°Imperial mother will take us away, otherwise I won¡¯t go¡­ I don¡¯t want to go with her¡­¡± The princess only thought that he was crying because he was reluctant to be apart from his mother, so she reluctantly pulled his hand away. She looked at her daughter on the side, reached out and touched her head, and said in a trembling voice, ¡°Both of you have to stay together and be good, understand?¡± The gentle little princess nodded with red eyes and responded softly. The Guifei took the little prince and the little princess out of the palace under the pretext of praying for blessing while the emperor was busy discussing official matters. She also brought along her own child to avoid suspicion. The princess thought her wish had been fulfilled until the bad news came. Her children, one dead and one injured. Blood, she had never seen so much blood. Basin after basin of blood water came out from the Eastern Palace. It was the blood of her son. While her daughter¡­ remained in the woods forever. The blood in the princess¡¯ whole body froze, freezing to the bone. She walked into the Eastern Palace tremblingly and saw the little prince reeking of blood. The little prince¡¯s face was full of tears, but there were no tears in his eyes. Perhaps was the mother and son connection, the little prince turned his head and looked at her through the palace people. The eight-year-old child had only sadness, despair, and deep¡­ resentment in his eyes. He only glanced at his mother, then turned his head away and closed his eyes. The princess understood that her son hated her. She felt that her son was right to hate her. During her whole life, she was indecisive and gullible, unable to protect her people, and harmed a pair of children. If possible, she wished she could exchange her own life for her daughter¡¯s life. However, there was no if. In the end, she returned to her palace in a daze. The emperor was waiting for her there. The eyes of the young emperor finally reddened, and he strode forward, hugging his empress tightly. He said, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s my fault¡­¡± The princess was like a walking corpse, being held by the emperor without feeling the slightest. The emperor was afraid that she would commit suicide, so he sent the palace people to take away all the sharp objects in her palace, even the beams were smashed, and the hard walls were made into soft walls. However, a withered heart could not be awakened. There was no need to seek death. The princess¡¯s life deteriorated little by little, and it did not take long for her to die with guilt for her son and her tribe people. She could finally go to see her daughter. But she did not know if her daughter was willing to see this irresponsible mother. If she could make atonement in the underworld, she wished her son a happy life. If there was an afterlife, she wished that her children would meet a good mother. Never met someone like her. Until the princess died and was buried in the imperial mausoleum, the little prince did not even look at her. The childhood sweetheart just left the country for a few months because he was disappointed. He never imagined that these things would happen during his absence. He was in so much pain and remorse that he almost wanted to die with the princess. However, he could not. The princess¡¯s unfinished responsibilities would be his responsibility. He took the completely disheartened little prince out of the mansion and took good care of him. ¡°You are so smart, should know all the people in this story.¡± Yin Changshuo turned his eyes back to Le Zhi. The cold wind from the mountains blew in through the low windows, making it so cold. Le Zhi felt as if her face was frozen. She raised her hand to touch it, only to realize that her icy cheek was full of tears, almost covering her whole face. She wiped the corners of her eyes hard, but the tears seemed to be endless, and the more she wiped, the more they flowed. The people in the story were not hard to guess at all. The emperor was Huo Changyun, the princess was Huo Du¡¯s mother, and the concubine was the current empress, Lin Wanning. In fact, Le Zhi had always wanted to know how Huo Du¡¯s leg injury came about, but now it seemed that it was not an accident. And he never mentioned a single word about Huo Du¡¯s sister. When Uncle Yin was speaking just now, he also deliberately did not mention the cause of her death. Come to think of it, it should be a¡­ heart-wrenching cause of death. ¡°Xiaoxiao was, was¡­¡± Yin Changshuo choked and tried to say it several times, but he could not say it again. ¡°Uncle Yin, don¡¯t say it.¡± Le Zhi turned around and said in a choked voice. There were some things that it would be too cruel to recall again and to say them was like tearing the wound open again. It would only be even more devastating. ¡°Xiao Du hated his mother because of Xiaoxiao. Over the years, he never went to worship her once. Even if he saw the Imperial Mausoleum in the distance when he was healing here, he would be gloomy and not say a word.¡± Yin Changshuo lowered his eyes and looked sad, ¡°I know that the pain of the broken tendon in the right leg is less than one-tenth of the pain in Xiao Du¡¯s heart. He was watching Xiaoxiao in front of him¡­ He couldn¡¯t let go. He blamed himself. But at that time, he was only eight years old¡­¡± Seeing ones loved one die in front of them was a feeling that Le Zhi would never forget. Just because she knew it, her heart hurt so much, as if she had experienced this kind of pain again. Piercing pain. ¡°Shengyang City is the former Shengnuo tribe.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes abruptly and finally realized why Huo Du was going there. ¡°The deep hatred is true, and so is the love for his mother.¡± Yin Changshuo sighed and looked tired, ¡°That silly boy always looks cold, and distances people thousands of miles away. He doesn¡¯t know that Lin Wanning has set a trap in the city, but he will still go. Because he is like his mother, and his heart is softer than anyone else. Even if the people there hate his mother and hate him, he will not abandon them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­¡± Le Zhi sobbed softly. It was all her fault. It was because she was unwilling to let go of Huo Xu as she could not eradicate them all in one fell swoop, which gave Lin Wanning a chance to counterattack, and deliberately used this trick to lure Huo Du into the tiger¡¯s den. ¡°Foolish child.¡± Yin Changshuo shook his head, ¡°Even without you, Lin Wanning will not let Xiao Du go. He always needed to go to Shengyang City, whether it¡¯s earlier or later.¡± After speaking, Yin Changshuo got up and went to the cabinet to get a wooden box and handed it to Le Zhi. ¡°It¡¯s somewhat useful to take this to go to Shengyang City.¡± Le Zhi stood up and took the wooden box. She did not open it, but she was a little puzzled. Why was Uncle Yin so sure that she would follow Huo Du? The sky in the east gradually turned bright, and the morning sun began to appear. Le Zhi saluted Uncle Yin and bid farewell, walked out of the bamboo house, and boarded the carriage. Looking at the carriage galloping away, Yin Changshuo showed a small smile on his face. He slowly turned his head to look at the imperial mausoleum. Ah Yu, are you happy? ¡ª When the morning sun rose, Le Zhi finally rushed back to the mansion. She could not help but breathe a sigh of relief as the long-distance carriage outside had not left yet. On the way back, her heart was anxious as she was afraid that he would leave without waiting for her. She entered the mansion gate anxiously. She hurried back to the bedroom, but when she pushed open the door of the bedroom, there was no one inside. Unable to find Huo Du, she hurriedly summoned her three personal maids. Li Yao could not go with her as she had to stay in the capital to deal with Huo Xu¡¯s people and always help her monitor Huo Xu¡¯s movements. If Shen Qingyan wanted to find her, she would naturally have to go through Li Yao. She originally wanted to bring Lin Yue and Jing Xin along. However, thinking of An Xuan, she hesitated again. Although she was sure that nothing would happen, Shengyang City was in crisis after all, and An Xuan would definitely not want Jing Xin to go. ¡°Jing Xin, you stay in the mansion with Li Yao¡­¡± ¡°No, Master.¡± Jing Xin shook her head, ¡°I want to follow you to take care of you.¡± Jing Xin had always been submissive, but this time she was unusually resolute. She had long been used to following her master and taking care of her daily life these days. Since her master was traveling far away, how could there be enough with an only maid? ¡°But¡­¡± Le Zhi looked embarrassed. ¡°Taizifei.¡± A voice interrupted the conversation between the master and the servant. Le Zhi turned to look outside the room, and saw An Xuan standing outside the room saluting her, ¡°His Highness Taizi asks whether you want to go with him?¡± ¡°Let him wait!¡± Le Zhi deliberately replied to him angrily. He only knew to let others ask her! An Xuan was stunned for a moment before nodding and saying yes. He pretended to look at Jing Xin inadvertently, then turned around and walked out. Unable to persuade Jing Xin, Le Zhi had to agree to bring them both. The two girls immediately began to pack for her, and soon they were ready for the trip. After Le Zhi bid farewell to Li Yao, she walked toward the outside of the mansion. When she ran into An Xuan at the gate, she deliberately stopped and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord An. I couldn¡¯t stop Jing Xin.¡± When An Xuan heard their conversation just now, he was relieved and nodded, ¡°Thank you, Taizifei.¡± He always knew what Jing Xin¡¯s temper was like. Forget it, she would be safe and sound with him around anyway. With a sigh of relief, Le Zhi stepped onto the carriage, lifted the curtain, and sat in the carriage. Huo Du looked at her quietly, without saying a word. The carriage set off slowly. Le Zhi wanted to cold-shoulder him for a while and ignored him. But when she saw him, her heart could not stop feeling sour, and her eyes filled with tears in a short while. She turned her head, not wanting him to find out. But Huo Du had already seen it, he moved towards her cautiously and sat beside her. But before he could sit down properly, Le Zhi turned around and threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Huo Du¡¯s body stiffened for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re trying to make me angry by deliberately hiding it from me and not telling me, right?¡± ¡°En.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really angry, very angry, very angry.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s voice was small but full of anger and grievance. Huo Du hummed ¡°en¡± again. ¡°Apologize to me.¡± Huo Du stroked her back and answered her obediently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Le Zhi did not speak, just hugged him tighter. There was a moment of silence in the carriage. ¡°Forgive you.¡± She finally spoke. It was just that there was a heavy sob in her voice. The author has something to say: Woo, woo, woo¡­. Xiao Du¡¯s childhood was really miserable. *This two-in-one fat chapter made me cry¡­ QAQ CH 74 Chapter 74 Generous Gift She rested her chin on his shoulder and sobbed in a low voice. Huo Du sighed silently and asked, ¡°Do you know everything?¡± Le Zhi did not answer, just reaching out her hand to wipe away the tears from the end of her eyes. After a while, she slowly released him and distanced herself from him. Because of some gaffes just now, she was a little embarrassed now that she had calmed down. She lowered her eyes, looking embarrassed. Suddenly, her lips were lightly touched by his fingertips, and then a piece of honey candy was fed into her mouth. The sweetness spread between her lips and teeth, causing her to raise her eyes in surprise. ¡°Sweet?¡± Huo Du stared at her with deep eyes. The honey candy was crunchy and flavorful, sliding down her throat, trying to surround her bitter heart. She nodded, but her nose was indisputably sour, and tears fell straight down. Huo Du came closer to her, looked at the residual tears on her eyelashes carefully, and leaned over to kiss her tears away. He held her tears and savored them carefully. A bitter taste spread on the tip of his tongue. He frowned and took out another candy of another flavor and fed it to her lips. But Le Zhi shook her head and did not eat it. ¡°Then don¡¯t cry anymore. Hmm?¡± Huo Du pinched her face and coaxed softly. Le Zhi did not answer, just raised her hand and took the candy from his hand and stuffed it into his mouth, ¡°You can eat it too.¡± Her voice was low and hoarse, probably because she had cried. Both of them had not slept all night, and it was hard to hide the slight dark circles under their eyes. Huo Du put his arm around her and let her lean on his shoulder, ¡°Sleep for a while.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s arms were encircled by his arm. Hearing this, she raised her hand to cover his eyes with her palm, and said, ¡°You sleep too.¡± ¡°All right.¡± He took her hand and kissed her fingertips on his lips. Then the long fingers passed through her fingers and interlaced their ten fingers. The carriage went westward. When it reached the mountain road, the horse¡¯s hooves stepped on the uneven crossroad, causing the carriage to be a little bumpy. Le Zhi was already sleeping uncomfortably, and thus, she frowned and her eyelids trembled as if she was about to wake up. Huo Du had been looking at her eyes that were swollen like walnuts and when he saw this, he supported her side face with his palm so that she would not be shaken. He kept this posture all the time, worried but not feeling tired. Gradually, her breathing became shallow and steady. Huo Du breathed a sigh of relief and quietly watched her tired sleeping face. He had thought about it for a long time that he could not hide it from her for too long as she would know it sooner or later. But knowing his past was not a good thing for her. She was already carrying too many heavy burdens, and with his, he was afraid it would crush her. He could not give her a lot of sweetness, and yet he added a bit of bitterness to her heart. Huo Du felt that his heart was torn in half. On the one hand, he always wanted to make her angry on purpose to test her feelings for him, but on the other hand, when she cried because she felt sorry for him, he felt suffocated. His heart had long been out of his control but varied with her joys and sorrows. Like this also seemed to be very good too. ¡ª It was not until twilight that they finally arrived at the first post station of the journey. The local officials had been waiting outside the inn early in the morning. When they saw the carriage from a distance, they all knelt down to greet them. After the carriage stopped, the head of the local officials kowtowed and reported, ¡°This lowly official welcomes Your Highness Taizi and Taizifei. The post station is simple and would like to request Your Highness move to the city. This lowly official has arranged a proper residence.¡± After speaking, the people in the carriage did not speak. The official who reported the words could not understand the Lord¡¯s temper and could not help but sweat a little. ¡°No need.¡± An Xuan took a few steps forward and said in a deep voice, ¡°His Highness has ordered that he will rest at the post station today. Lord can go back first.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The officials¡¯ faces were ugly as they had prepared a beautiful lady in the city early on. It was rare to meet the Taizi of the current dynasty. So, this was a good opportunity for them to be promoted, how could they let it go easily? ¡°Is there anything else, Lord?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± The official looked at An Xuan¡¯s slightly gloomy face and felt terrified. ¡°In this case, this lowly official will send someone to bring the prepared special dishes to the post station, and I hope Your Highness will not dislike it.¡± After rushing for a day, An Xuan thought that the two masters in the car should be very tired, and he was too lazy to talk to this person. After casually responding, he sent them away. Everyone entered the post station and went to their respective room to have a rest. Le Zhi slept very well along the journey, and now she was in good spirits. She put those heavy past events about him in the bottom of her heart for the time being and no longer showed any sign of anything. She knew in her heart that the sadder she was, the more she would invoke his memories of the past. Therefore, she had to hide her sadness. Even if it hurts, she had to remain silent. When night fell, the two came to the dining hall. Le Zhi looked at the table full of dishes in front of her and could not help but open her lips slightly in surprise, ¡°This is¡­ too much.¡± Huo Du frowned as soon as he pulled her to sit down, and when he was about to call An Xuan, An Xuan happened to enter the hall. His face was rather indescribable. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± An Xuan hesitated before continuing, ¡°In addition to these meals, Lord Li also prepared for you¡­ prepared a generous gift for you.¡± ¡°What generous gift? Bring it in.¡± Huo Du snorted coldly. What a good exemplary official, only thought about these cheap tricks every day. An Xuan was slightly startled, he looked at Le Zhi cautiously, and was a little embarrassed, ¡°This¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, a charming figure entered the hall. This person was dressed in purple, the clothes were transparent and thin and there was a heavy fragrance on the body. The woman¡¯s waist was slender, her snowy cheeks flushed red. She was a rare beauty. ¡°Presumptuous!¡± An Xuan said coldly, ¡°How can you enter without being summoned. Withdraw!¡± But the woman in purple turned a deaf ear. After entering the hall, her eyes had always fallen on Huo Du¡¯s face. The bright eyes looked dazzling, and the meaning in her eyes could not be more obvious. More importantly, it was the self-confidence and fearlessness in her. When she entered the hall, she glanced at Le Zhi, and her heart tightened a little. This Taizifei, even without makeup on her face, was still better than her, which really made her a little nervous. But on second thought, was not the most important thing was freshness for men? No matter how beautiful her face was, he would get tired of looking at it for a long time. She had been preparing for so long, and today she must climb onto his person with high status and live a prosperous life. ¡°Pay respect to Your Highness Taizi and Taizifei.¡± The voice of the woman in purple was soft. Normally, men were afraid that their bodies would go weak after listening to it. Le Zhi turned her head to look at Huo Du¡¯s expression, which happened to meet his gaze. She smiled, completely understanding the woman¡¯s intention. She reached out and tugged at his sleeve and made a silent mouth gesture to him. ¡°Don¡¯t kill people.¡± Then, she stood up, ready to lift her legs to leave the place. But before she could take a step, her wrist was suddenly pulled. Le Zhi turned around doubtfully and looked at Huo Du, whose eyes were unclear, not knowing what he was going to do for a while. CH 75 Chapter 75 Shocking Change ¡°Master Li has a heart, so why don¡¯t Taizifei share this reward with this loneliness?¡± The tone was frivolous and full of ridicule. Le Zhi had no choice but to sit back in her seat, and leaned her head over to ask silently, ¡°What are you doing?¡± But Huo Du just looked at her with a smile and said nothing. An Xuan, who was on the side, understood clearly. However, this situation was somewhat incomprehensible to the woman in purple. However, after thinking about it carefully, she suddenly realized that¡­ It seems that His Highness Taizi and Taizifei are not on good terms, ah! When Taizifei saw her entering the hall just now, she got up and was about to leave, but His Highness refused to let her, and even deliberately told her to stay. Was not this deliberately to make her lose face? In this case, it was a good opportunity for her! ¡°I¡¯m not talented and dare to offer a dance to cheer up His Highness and Taizifei.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she untied her outer jacket and revealed her transparent inner clothing. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were drawn over. As the woman in purple danced, her thin transparent inner clothing gradually slid down to her shoulders to reveal her white and delicate skin. Le Zhi was stunned. This dance is too, too¡­ She looked at the person beside her with her cherry lips slightly open but saw that he did not seem to turn his head over, still staring at her with a smile. ¡°Does it look good?¡± he asked softly, word by word. Le Zhi bit her lip and replied, ¡°See for yourself!¡± But Huo Du still did not turn his eyes to look over, he just lifted his hand casually. To her surprise, the jacket that fell on the woman in purple feet flew up from the ground and suddenly wrapped around the woman¡¯s upper body. Her hands were tied tightly, and the dance had to be forced to stop. Only then did Huo Du raise his eyes to glance over. However, he was not looking at the woman in purple, but at An Xuan, who had his head lowered. It just so happened that Jing Xin had finished cleaning up her bedroom and stepped into the dining hall to serve her master. Seeing this scene, she was puzzled when she heard Huo Du ask An Xuan, ¡°An Xuan hasn¡¯t married yet, right? How about rewarding you with such a beautiful woman?¡± Hearing this, Jing Xin¡¯s heart trembled, and clenched her hands subconsciously. She pretended to walk to her master¡¯s side unintentionally, but the corner of her eyes fell on An Xuan inadvertently. How will he answer? When the woman in purple saw Taizi speak, her heart felt suffocated, and could not help but glance in the direction of An Xuan. It seemed that His Highness Taizi did not take a fancy to her. However, this Highness¡¯s attendant also looked refined and handsome, and it was not a loss to follow him. Moreover, there would be opportunities to come in contact with Taizi in the future following him. Thinking of this, her eyes moved slightly, and a gleam of light flashed, ¡°I thank Your Highness.¡± ¡°Your Highness, absolutely impossible! This, this is absolutely impossible!¡± An Xuan was extremely depressed, he looked at Jing Xin in panic, and then bowed to Huo Du in a big ceremony. His face was full of helplessness and conflict. ¡°Oh?¡± Huo Du lifted his eyelids and said slowly, ¡°You don¡¯t want to, but let her dance this unsightly erotic dance in front of this loneliness. An Xuan, you¡¯re really getting better and better at doing your job now.¡± As he spoke, he tapped the table with his fingertips. Then, a gust of wind hit the stiff woman. When she finally reacted, the whole person was already outside the dining hall, and the hall door closed heavily before her. The hall was silent. An Xuan knew that he was wrong as he did not take the woman away in time, which made His Highness unhappy. Thus, he dared not say more. ¡°Hey.¡± Le Zhi tugged at Huo Du¡¯s sleeve, leaned closer to him, and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t bully An Xuan!¡± ¡°Jing Xin, give that girl a thick robe.¡± Then, she spoke to An Xuan, ¡°Lord An, send that girl back. By the way, beat that Lord Li. If he has these thoughts again, he will be severely punished.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The two of them got the order, turned around, and walked out hurriedly. ¡°It¡¯s just a trivial matter, don¡¯t scare people at every turn.¡± ¡°Trivial matter?¡± Huo Du frowned. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I bullied An Xuan?¡± Le Zhi seemed a little strange when she heard this tone, so she answered obediently, ¡°Just, just don¡¯t be so fierce.¡± Hearing this, Huo Du raised his eyes lightly, ¡°I¡¯m fierce when I bully people. So you let others bully me at will?¡± ¡°Bully you?¡± Le Zhi was dumbfounded. Who dares to bully him! But Huo Du hummed confidently and said, ¡°You don¡¯t care about me, let the messy people dance here.¡± After a pause, he laughed again, ¡°You still want me to see it.¡± Le Zhi was dumbfounded by his words that she could not cry or laugh. His tone was really aggrieved and a little¡­ coquettish. ¡°How can people be bullying you when they dance for you? Is Your Highness still unreasonable?¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and muttered, ¡°Also, didn¡¯t you send her away? Where got I don¡¯t care about you¡­¡± ¡°Oh, are you going to care about me in the future?¡± he lowered his voice to coax her. Le Zhi was at a loss because of his words, and after hearing his question, she blurted out without thinking much, ¡°Sure.¡± As soon as the words came out, she felt something was wrong. Raising her eyes, she saw a pair of peach blossom eyes that seemed to be smiling yet not smiling and looking at her with a happy face. ¡°You!¡± Le Zhi glared at him angrily, and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯ll ignore you!¡± She turned her head and looked at the delicious food on the table, but she did not have the slightest appetite. Was not the drought in Shengyang City serious? Why was it so extravagant and wasteful here? ¡°This is the real Great Qi.¡± Huo Du smiled and said solemnly. Le Zhi did not understand what he meant. It was not until she traveled westward, passing cities and villages along the way, that she could more and more understand the meaning of Huo Du¡¯s words. After leaving the capital and the neighboring cities, she realized that the Great Qi she had seen before was only the prosperous part, and only at that corner. All she saw along the way were poor and desolate families. She could not help being shocked. Everyone knew that the Great Qi was rich, and the people were strong, but how could these Great Qi cities be in such a situation? ¡°Because of war, munitions and taxes.¡± The familiar voice pulled her thoughts back, and Le Zhi lowered the curtain and turned her eyes back to the inside of the carriage. Just now she saw the people walking outside the carriage, they were all shivering in their clothes were thin. She distributed the clothes and money she brought along the journey to the poor and hungry people, but it was still far from enough. ¡°Every city has to pay taxes, but why is the capital so prosperous?¡± Le Zhi was really puzzled. Huo Du sneered after hearing this, ¡°Because of corrupted officials, a large scale construction is carried out at all costs to construct the illusion of prosperity in the imperial capital.¡± Anyway, the remote places were beyond the reach of the emperor and as long as the prosperity was in front of the emperor, it was enough. ¡°What about the people all over the country? Did he just leave it alone?¡± Le Zhi frowned and asked, ¡°Could it be¡­ he doesn¡¯t care?¡± This he naturally refers to Emperor Qi, Huo Changyun. Huo Du smiled, but there was no smiling expression on his face, ¡°He? Even if these people died, to him, it was no different from a colony of dead ants.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± Le Zhi looked unbelievable. She originally thought that Huo Changyun was cruel and was against the imperial family and people of other countries. She never thought that he did not even care about the people of the country Qi. Virtue was not matched. How could such a person be the monarch of a country? ¡°Great Qi rules the country by force. Men will join the army when they turn 12, and every family is left with some old, young, sick, or disabled. Day after day, year after year, it will naturally become what it is today.¡± Yes, how could a family farm without young labor? And the heavy taxes were pressing on the top of the head every day. How could their life get better when this continued like this? Le Zhi¡¯s brows furrowed even tighter, ¡°Since Your Highness knows everything, you must already have a good plan in mind?¡± ¡°No.¡± Huo Du¡¯s tone was casual as if it had nothing to do with him. Seeing that Le Zhi was no longer speaking, he changed the subject and asked, ¡°Does it matter whether the people of Great Qi live or die?¡± Yes ah, what did they have to do with her? Le Zhi asked herself: On that day, when she stepped into the land of Qi in a state of embarrassment, all those arrogant and smug words came from the mouths of these Qi people. At that time, she hated it so much that she wanted to vomit blood. However, these people were not the culprits. They just ignorantly listened to the words of the monarch of the country and used violence as a weapon to fight in the four directions, just to be complacent. The difference between the Qi people and the Li people was nothing more than ideology. If Qi people grew up in Great Li and were influenced by Great Li culture, they would definitely not be what they were today. They would also become kindhearted people. So, what she had to do was not spread hatred toward these people. She did not want another destruction. Instead, she wanted to change them. ¡°Has Your Highness ever thought about changing all this?¡± she asked tentatively. Huo Du raised his eyes and stared at her soft white cheeks seriously. He clearly saw a firm expression gradually appear on her face. He knew what she meant. But he could not answer her. He never promised anything that he could not do easily. ¡°What about you, do you want to?¡± Huo Du asked her back. Le Zhi was stunned for a while, then nodded earnestly. She wanted revenge, and she wanted, even more, to let the people of Great Li return to the rich life they used to be. But now Great Li was gone, even if she did not want to, country Li was now a part of country Qi. Only by letting all the people have a good life could the people of the country Li live a good life. ¡°Good.¡± Huo Du took her into his arms and smiled softly. He believed that she could do it, and she would definitely turn this desolate land into a prosperous place. And a person like him could only accompany her halfway at most. Destroy all that was filthy. Of course, this also included himself. ¡ª The horses were on full speed, and they finally arrived outside of Shengyang City in a few days. Inside the carriage, Le Zhi gathered her cotton cloak. As the New Year was approaching, she felt colder and colder every day. Wu Zhiyuan, the governor of Shengyang City, and several officials were waiting outside the city gate early in the morning to greet the Taizi. ¡°This lowly official pay respects to Your Highness Taizi and Taizifei.¡± Wu Zhiyuan could be regarded as clean, but his pupils were muddy, and at first glance, he was not a person with a clean and honest official. An Xuan, who rode on the horse, said lightly, ¡°His Highness and Taizifei have been exhausted all the way. Please ask Lord Wu to lead the way.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Wu Zhiyuan responded with a smile. Immediately, the city gate opened wide, and the carriage slowly entered. When the carriage entered the city gate, a sudden change occurred. A sharp arrow shot straight at the carriage. An Xuan drew his sword to block it, but it was too late. When the arrow was about to break through the curtain, it stopped abruptly, and then there was a cracking sound, and the sharp arrow shattered and fell to the ground. Not a sound to be heard. Only then did Wu Zhiyuan react and shouted, ¡°Someone, protect His Highness!¡± At this time, a group of people rushed out and surrounded the carriage with long knives. These people were dressed differently from the common people, and they were all wearing clothes made of animal skins. With mocking expressions on their faces, they ran around the carriage and shouted in unison, ¡°Evil seed! Evil seed!¡± Le Zhi sat in the carriage and stroked Huo Du¡¯s back. If he had not used his internal strength for that arrow just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable. It was just a few days ago, because of her, he had consumed too much internal strength, and now his body had not been fully recuperated. The blades of the soldiers outside were clanging together, and the sound of fighting was everywhere, but the shouting did not stop, instead, it was louder than before. Le Zhi clenched both her fists tightly, and her face turned cold. Suddenly, a cold white hand covered her small fist and held it lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes and saw a pair of smiling black eyes. She turned her head and rubbed her eyes. She was not afraid! It was just that it was too noisy outside, and the filthy words made her angry. ¡°What? Still hiding in the carriage as a shrinking tortoise?¡± A contemptuous chuckle came. Huo Du raised his hand, and the curtain of the carriage was lifted. Le Zhi glanced at his side face and looked out along his line of sight. She saw a man riding a white horse not far away, also looking at them. And on his face, there was a deep contempt and disdain. Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank. With just one glance, she was sure who that person was. Because those peach blossom eyes were exactly the same as Huo Du. The author has something to say£º Du: Wife, someone bullied me again! CH 76 Chapter 76 Have Her ¡°Chu Yan! Presumptuous!¡± Wu Zhiyuan shouted angrily. Wu Zhiyuan¡¯s words confirmed what Le Zhi had in mind. The person not far away was not someone else, but the former leader of the Shengnuo tribe, Huo Du¡¯s uncle. Chu Yan. Seeing the situation around the carriage clearly, the group of people was just shouting arrogantly. Even if the two sides fought, it did not seem like they really wanted to fight to the death. ¡°Withdraw!¡± Chu Yan ordered in a deep voice, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth. He glanced at Huo Du with sarcastic eyes, then pulled up the reins, turned around, and left with his men. ¡°Someone, chase them!¡± ¡°No need to chase, Lord Wu.¡± An Xuan said lightly. Anyone could see that if they really fought, they would never be able to take advantage of Chu Yan. The curtain was drawn down, and the carriage slowly drove towards the Governor Mansion. There was silence all around, and the vast Shengyang City was like a lonely city. The incident just now seemed to have never happened. But Le Zhi felt that this was not just a brief interlude, but a beginning. When they first arrived in Shengyang City, Chu Yan could not wait to declare war with them. This was a demonstration. Le Zhi turned her head and looked at Huo Du cautiously. He remained silent all the time, but his eyes became darker and darker. The shout just now still seemed to linger in his ears. Evil Seed¡­ His own uncles hated him so much, even though they had similar blood on them. His heart suddenly ached. Le Zhi leaned closer to him, put her arms around his waist, and snuggled in his arms. His body was icy cold. She pressed close to his chest and could barely hear his heartbeat. ¡°Forget all those words,¡± she rubbed her cheek against his heart and whispered. Le Zhi¡¯s words interrupted Huo Du¡¯s wandering thoughts. He lowered his eyes, looking at the top of her hair. After a while, he patted her head and smiled, ¡°Actually, they are right.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi could not help frowning. She put her hands on Huo Du¡¯s shoulders to distance herself from him. She set her eyes on his face, and the foxy eyes were full of displeasure. ¡°Wrong.¡± Her eyes were firm, and she said again, ¡°You are not!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Huo Du always had a smile on his face and asked rhetorically, ¡°What about you? What did you think when you saw me for the first time?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Le Zhi was at a loss for words and a little stunned. At the first meeting¡­ She recalled for a moment. At that time, she was afraid and fearful, and more than that, the hated¡­ Hated Huo Changyun, hated Huo Xu, and hated Great Qi. Hatred almost filled her heart. As for Huo Du, even if they had never met or even said a word, the overflowing hatred inevitably poured on him. Just because he was Huo Changyun¡¯s son. Therefore, she subconsciously thought that he was a bad guy, subconsciously feared him, and subconsciously¡­ hated him. Thinking of him this way, what was the difference between her and those people just now? ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡± Huo Du could not bear to see her struggling, so he interrupted her thoughts. It was normal for the Li people and the people of the tribe to hate him. It was reasonable for the son to pay for the father¡¯s debt. Even if he hated being the Taizi of Great Qi, and even more hated being the status of Huo Changyun¡¯s son, what could he do? Huo Changyun could slaughter the country for his own selfish desires, and his mother could weakly choose to use death to escape all this. They all had a choice, only he did not. He could not choose his family background, he could not choose his parents, nor he could not even have the chance to choose. Ridiculous. Only he could not choose. Le Zhi pursed her lips, and her head was chaotic. She had long been confused about her feelings for him. It was too complicated. She moved her hand down and held his hand softly. Then she hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. She needed to think about it properly. ¡ª ¡°Your Highness, Chu Yan is really deceiving people too much!¡± When they arrived at the Governor Mansion, Wu Zhiyuan hurriedly knelt down and reported. His facial features were crumbled together, his chest was heaving, and there seemed to be a fierce flame burning inside. The more he talked, the more angry he became as if he had accumulated a lot of grievances. Although the Shengnuo tribe was captured by Huo Changyun, Huo Changyun did not kill all the remaining forces in the tribe or imprisoned them after being captured alive but left them free. In this way, even if Chu Yan had no official position, the people of the tribe in the city still only obeyed his orders. Wu Zhiyuan¡¯s position as the governor was nothing but an empty position. The dignified governor of the city naturally felt oppressed. But the troops His Majesty gave him were only enough to protect himself but could not remove Chu Yan. People¡¯s heart was unpredictable, so how could he guess His Majesty¡¯s mind? But this time, when His Highness Taizi came in person to control the chaos, Wu Zhiyuan was wondering whether His Majesty finally going to deal with Chu Yan? Coupled with the incident just now, even if there was any kinship relationship, it would be wiped out by Chu Yan. Thinking about this, the more he talked, the more excited he became. He wanted to join forces with Huo Du¡¯s soldiers to capture Chu Yan. ¡°Although Chu Yan is Your Highness¡¯s uncle, Your Highness is the heir to the throne. He is no more than just a commoner. He really doesn¡¯t know how to respect his superior. It¡¯s too presumptuous!¡± ¡°Lord Wu, are you finished?¡± Huo Du glanced at him and said lightly. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Huo Du smiled, ¡°Someone, take him out.¡± The two guards on the side moved quickly and suddenly restrained Wu Zhiyuan. ¡°Your Highness, what is this?¡± Wu Zhiyuan was stunned for a moment and asked with a trembling voice, ¡°What crime has this lowly official committed?¡± At this time, An Xuan stepped into the hall, and the attendants behind him moved several mahogany chests into the hall. Seeing this, Wu Zhiyuan¡¯s face changed greatly. When the wooden chests were opened, the dazzling jewels glowed with piercing cold lights. Le Zhi did not find it strange at all. When she entered the Governor Mansion, she had a vague premonition. The drought in the past year had caused the people in the city to suffer from hunger and cold. Of course, among the causes were natural disasters, but they were definitely not just caused by natural disasters. Because in this desolate and dilapidated Shengyang City, unexpectedly there was a Governor Mansion that was even more magnificent than the Taizi Mansion. Did not Wu Zhiyuan already engrave the four big characters of ¡°filling one¡¯s own pockets¡± on his face? ¡°Your Highness, you have to think clearly as this is not the capital. If there are no this lowly official¡¯s mansion soldiers, the soldiers brought by Your Highness alone will definitely not be enough to resist Chu Yan¡¯s forces.¡± Seeing that the embezzlement of disaster relief funds was exposed, Wu Zhiyuan simply did not cover it up, ¡°After the incident just now, Your Highness should know how much Chu Yan hates you. This lowly official was only confused for a moment. I beg Your Highness to give me a chance to atone for my sins by making a contribution to help Your Highness to clean up the chaos in the city!¡± He used both carrot and stick, with sincere words. Wu Zhiyuan deserved to have been immersed in the officialdom for many years. Since he could sit on the position of Governor, his glib talk should be exceptionally good. But¡­ ¡°Take him out and execute him on the spot.¡± Huo Du waved his hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°The body will be hung on the city gate and displayed to the public for three days.¡± ¡°You¡­ uh, uh.¡± Wu Zhiyuan struggled while being dragged out with his mouth covered. Suddenly, there was a burst of noise outside. After a while, a guard entered the hall in panic and said, ¡°Your Highness! All of Wu Zhiyuan¡¯s mansion soldiers¡­ have committed suicide.¡± ¡°What!¡± Le Zhi stood up in shock, with an unbelievable look on her face. But Huo Du responded faintly as if he had known it for a long time. After the guards withdrew, Le Zhi could not help but ask, ¡°How could this happen? Wu Zhiyuan is guilty and deserves to be punished, but why should those mansion soldiers¡­¡± ¡°After following Wu Zhiyuan for many years, they only recognize Wu Zhiyuan as the master, and they have long forgotten who they are anymore.¡± Not only these mansion soldiers, but all Qi soldiers were like this. They have no ideology of their own. Since they entered the military camp when they were young, they have become the puppets of Emperor Qi, the imperial family, and courtiers. They were like cold weapons, but they were just tools for the superiors to realize their ambitions. Le Zhi sat down on the chair dejectedly but could not calm down her mind. What kind of world is this? Emperor did not act like the emperor, the official did not act like the official, and the people did not act like the people. ¡°Your Highness, all the granaries in the mansion have been counted. Wu Zhiyuan took advantage of the drought to stockpile.¡± An Xuan frowned with a face full of anger. ¡°Open the granaries and release the grain.¡± Huo Du said concisely and comprehensively. ¡°Yes!¡± An Xuan bowed to the order. The hall finally quieted down. However, small snowflakes gradually floated outside, and the cold wind blew in with the white snow and fell into the heater. The silver carbon melted the snow and made some crackling noises here and there. Not long after, An Xuan returned from the outside with a grave expression and hurried into the hall. ¡°Your Highness, no one in the city went to receive the provisions for disaster relief. No one went to drink the hot porridge in the porridge shed.¡± He paused, as if awkward. ¡°And¡­ Chu Yan stood in front of the porridge shed with people and said he wanted to see you.¡± Hearing this, Huo Du picked up the white jade cane beside him, stood up, and walked out. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Your Highness.¡± Le Zhi hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, stay in the mansion.¡± Huo Du smiled and patted her head, then coaxed softly, ¡°Be good.¡± Le Zhi in a daze watched him turn around and walked into the snowflakes with An Xuan. She stared at his back, watching the snowflakes fall on his cotton cloak one by one, dyeing his dark green cotton cloak with a layer of white. Her heart moved slightly, and then she lifted the skirt and ran out. The wind was surging, and before the person arrived, a soft white hand had already covered the back of Huo Du¡¯s hand, making his heart move and stopping his footsteps. Le Zhi took away his cane, handed it to An Xuan, and then supported him with both her hands. In fact, his injured leg was healing, and as long as she was holding him, he did not need the cane. She knew he did not like the cane. She always knew about it. Then, as long as she was there, she would not let him use the cane. On the contrary, he did not refuse anymore. Huo Du let her support him and walked forward with her. He glanced sideways at her side face, and then lowered his eyes to look at her delicate hands, ¡°Clingy spirit.¡± Le Zhi was not annoyed, instead she ¡°en¡± softly. Huo Du chuckled, and his eyes were deep. It would be great if she could cling to him for the rest of his life. The drifting snow that was falling from the sky was getting heavier. An Xuan was about five or six steps behind them. He quietly watched the snow fall on their hair bit by bit, as if they had white hair. The author has something to say£º An Xuan: Damn, I¡¯m full of dog food*! (dog food* ¨C internet slang for public display of affection) CH 77 Chapter 77 Protected Bursts of heat rose from the porridge shed, and the aroma of rice permeated the surroundings. Chu Yan led the crowd to stand in front of the shed, contemplating intently. The cold wind was gusty, wrapped in the faint warm rice aroma. No matter how spineless a person was, it was difficult to fight against nature. The hungry feeling made them restless endlessly. Finally, they waited for the person they wanted to see. ¡°Some people really think of this place as a place to hang out.¡± Chu Yan sneered, his eyes swept across Huo Du¡¯s right leg, and then looked behind him. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t even bring a soldier with you, are you not afraid that I will kill you?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes instantly turned cold. But Huo Du did not mind at all. He smiled contemptuously, looked at Chu Yan, and asked, ¡°With just you?¡± Their expressions were very similar, and their similar tone made Le Zhi sigh in her heart. As the saying goes, a nephew is like an uncle, which was indeed true. Chu Yan was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting this to be the first sentence Huo Du said to him. But soon, he came back to his senses and said, ¡°As expected of Huo Changyun¡¯s son, with good schemes and good tactics.¡± After a pause, he chuckled again, ¡°Do you think that if you kill Wu Zhiyuan and do this, you can buy people¡¯s hearts for Huo Changyun?¡± Hearing this, the people around were all fired up. ¡°That¡¯s it! Stop being hypocritical!¡± ¡°Save it, don¡¯t do this same old stuff. Do you really think we are so easy to deceive!¡± ¡°And set up a porridge shed, who knows if there is any poison in this porridge!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The more they talked, the more exaggerating they were. Le Zhi¡¯s hand on Huo Du¡¯s arm suddenly tightened, and the fabric on his sleeve was also wrinkled by her. ¡°Poisonous?¡± Le Zhi sneered, and then said to the servant in the shed, ¡°Bring me a bowl.¡± The servant accepted the order and served the hot porridge. Le Zhi reached out and took it, not caring whether it was hot or not, and sent it directly to her lips and drank it up. ¡°Bang.¡± She put the empty bowl down heavily, and when the bottom of the bowl collided with the wooden table, it made a dull sound. Huo Du had been looking at her all the time and when she went to pick up the porridge bowl, he wanted to stop her, but he did not in the end. Perhaps the porridge was a little hot, her cherry lips seemed to be burned and slightly swollen. While her soft white snowy cheeks were also tinged with a thin layer of red at this time. Not knowing if it was due to the burn or anger. His arm was firmly grasped by her, and he could feel her tension. His heart trembled violently, and the strange sweetness and bitterness intertwined, a feeling that he had never felt before surged in his heart. So, is this what it feels like to be protected? Without too many words, she used practical actions to erase those unwarranted slanders and accusations against him in front of everyone. Because of Le Zhi¡¯s actions, everyone shut up. ¡­the atmosphere seemed to be frozen. At this time, a man with bright eyes in the crowd raised his voice maliciously and said loudly, ¡°I know who you are. Aren¡¯t you the princess who lost her country?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s breathing froze, and her red face was instantly bloodless. After the country Li was wiped out, Emperor Qi bestowed her a marriage and married the little princess of the subjugated country to the Taizi, to block everyone¡¯s mouths. This was no secret. Speaking of which, these people shared the same affliction with Le Zhi. The people around the man could not bear seeing this, so they all went to pull him and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t say it anymore.¡± But the man turned a deaf ear. He narrowed his eyes, and smiled more wantonly, ¡°It¡¯s really strange. Huo Changyun wiped out Great Li and slaughtered the people, and now you are here to speak for his son.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s so amusing! Princess, if the emperor of country Li knew, how would he feel when he saw you today?¡± The man became more and more excited as he talked and even laughed out loud, ¡°No, no, you shouldn¡¯t be called a princess anymore. Should you change your name to Taizifei?¡± There was a lot of sarcasm and disdain in the words. The blood on Le Zhi¡¯s body did not seem to be flowing anymore. She clenched the hand hanging by her side tightly, letting her nails dig deep into her palm. But she did not feel the slightest pain. Chu Yan watched all this in silence. He glanced at that man and frowned in displeasure. The man looked at Le Zhi¡¯s expression with satisfaction, and the joy of success suddenly rose. He opened his mouth and was about to continue to turn his words into sharp blades, but suddenly his eyes widened, and his mouth stayed wide open in place. Then he watched the empty bowl on the wooden table soar into the air, shattered into pieces, and flew towards him abruptly! No one reacted. Until all the shards pierced into his chest, arms, legs, and¡­ throat. His body fell straight back without any more breath. Chu Yan immediately looked at Huo Du in astonishment and saw the madness overflowing in his eyes. After a while, everyone came back to their senses. Although the man was just blabbing, he was killed because of this. They guessed it right, Huo Changyun¡¯s son was also a lunatic! ¡°Brothers, let¡¯s go together to kill him and kill her!¡± Not knowing who had shouted this loudly. The pain of being wiped out, the despair of being bullied, and the resentment of being humiliated all erupted at this moment. Everyone clenched the long swords and short knives in their hands and shouted as they stepped forward, ¡°Kill him, kill him! Revenge, revenge!¡± ¡°Withdraw!¡± Chu Yan suddenly spoke up and interrupted them. Although the anger in everyone¡¯s hearts was hard to dispel, they still obeyed Chu Yan¡¯s order and stepped back. Huo Du narrowed his cold eyes and glanced at everyone in front of him. He paid the debt for that weak person, the evil seed, the lunatic¡­ No matter how much verbal abuse they hurled at him, he could still take it. He admitted it. However, Le Zhi could not, no matter what, not a single word could be imposed on her. Not allowed. He would not allow it. ¡°The porridge shed, and the rest of the disaster relief food are up to youshi (5 pm ¨C 7pm) today.¡± Huo Du looked sideways and instructed An Xuan. In short, if there was still no one to appreciate the kindness when it reached youshi, he would not bother to be a good person anymore. He had never been patient. He was used to being a villain, so he was not used to being a good person even occasionally. Still, want him to beg them? Were they dreaming? Love to live but did want to live. ¡°Huo Du!¡± Chu Yan looked at his departing back and called out to him. Seeing that Huo Du stopped, but did not look back, he said, ¡°Have you ever heard of raising a tiger is a disaster? Although you helped us today, we will not let you go when we meet tomorrow.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Huo Du threw down two words lightly, then held the cold hand and raised his legs to leave. After he left, everyone finally relaxed and walked towards the porridge shed. The long-term hunger and cold had made them lose most of their strength. They could not help it, even if it was humiliation, they had to endure it in order to survive. ¡ª Back at the mansion, both of them lost their appetite and went straight back to the bedroom. Le Zhi supported Huo Du and let him sit on the soft chair. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Jing Xin to make a pot of hot tea.¡± But as soon as she turned around, her wrist was grasped and pulled into his arms. Huo Du held her waist firmly, and in the next moment, he leaned over to kiss her. Unlike other previous kisses, Le Zhi could feel that there was some hidden fear in the strong and domineering kiss. Soon, she could no longer think anymore. She was dragged by him and indulged in a stormy kiss with him. His warm lips kissed her repeatedly, tossing and turning. When the kiss was over, Le Zhi panted slightly, and her cherry lips became even more swollen. Huo Du stared at her in his arms and raised his hand to caress her cheek. Then he leaned closer to her and kissed the end of her eyes, the tip of her nose, and her cheek. Finally, he kissed her lips gently, from side to side. Again and again, he tasted a little and stopped, not tiring at all. Gradually, Le Zhi¡¯s pale cheeks were tinged with red again, and she reached out and pushed him embarrassedly, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t kiss¡­¡± The tips of her ears were burning red. Huo Du naturally stopped, but the tenderness in his eyes could not melt away. As long as she was by his side, she would always be criticized. He could kill those who blabber, but he could not let the secret verbal abuse and slander disappear. He always felt like he had no choice. But he thought about it carefully, was it not the same for Le Zhi? When she came to Great Qi and married him, she also did not have a choice. Le Zhi looked at the eyes in front of her, only to see him dim little by little. A strange feeling arose in her heart. She always felt that something was wrong with Huo Du today, but she could not think of a reason. ¡°Knock, knock.¡± When someone knocked on the door, Le Zhi got up and withdrew from the warm embrace to open the door. ¡°Master, here is your letter.¡± Le Zhi took the letter and nodded toward Lin Yue. Lin Yue quietly exited and closed the door. After being separated for a few days, her sister¡¯s letter finally arrived. She hurriedly opened it, unfolded the letter, and read the contents carefully. Looking at it, water mist seemed to be rising in front of her eyes, Le Zhi blinked and shed tears. The letter was wet with a few drops of clear tears, and a few words were blurred. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Yu¡¯er is still alive.¡± She muttered to herself, crying tears of joy. Le Jin mentioned in the letter that she and Fu Xian found the traces of her sister-in-law and Yu¡¯er in a small border town in the country Ning. But her sister-in-law seemed to be avoiding them on purpose and was always unwilling to meet them. Once, Le Jin was about to walk in front of her, but she picked up Yu¡¯er, turned around, and ran away. What is this? Le Jin could not figure it out, so she sent a letter to Le Zhi to ask for some advice. The two were separated for a few days, and Le Jin still did not know that she had come to Shengyang City. Shengyang City, located on the westernmost side of Great Qi, was not far from the small border town of country Ning mentioned by her sister in the letter. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes moved slightly, looked at the letter again, and then raised her eyes to look at Huo Du. She walked up to him and said softly, ¡°Your Highness, I, I¡­¡± She wanted to go there in person to figure out the matter. But now in Shengyang City, Chu Yan and his people were staring at them and were ready to declare war on them at any time. Leaving at this time¡­ But Yu¡¯er, and her imperial brother¡¯s entrustment¡­ Le Zhi pursed her lips and told Huo Du what was in the letter. Then, she said, ¡°Your Highness, I want to go to Huaxi City.¡± Huo Du stared at her knitted brows, and then looked down, watching her clutching the letter in one hand, and the other hand hanging down with slightly mottled bloodstains on the palm of her hand. He knew that she did it herself. ¡°Sure.¡± Huo Du lowered his eyes silently and smiled suddenly. This time, he must let her choose. The author has something to say£º One after another¡­ So how many times did you kiss??! (Dog) CH 78 Chapter 78 Make A Wish ¡°Then you¡¯ll be here alone.¡± Le Zhi lowered her eyes and hesitated to say something. She clearly knew in her heart that even if she stayed here, she could not help him much. However, her heart was still stuffy with indescribable worry and discomfort. Seeing her tangled and struggling appearance, Huo Du just looked at her quietly without saying a word. After a while, Le Zhi slowly raised her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ll come back after I find my sister-in-law and Yu¡¯er and settle things out.¡± After a pause, she reached out and took Huo Du¡¯s hand, and repeated, ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible!¡± Huo Du nodded. ¡°And this.¡± Le Zhi seemed to remember something, took out a wooden box from her sleeve, and handed it to him, ¡°Uncle Yin gave this to me and he said it will be useful when we come to Shengyang City.¡± Huo Du took it and opened the wooden box. There was a piece of the white jade pendant inside. He did not say anything, just reached out his hand to pull Le Zhi to stand up slowly. ¡°You?¡± Le Zhi looked surprised, watching him pull her along toward the outside. Although his steps were still a little unsteady, he also did not walk fast. She could see that¡­ his right leg had gained some strength. Amazing! She looked at him, slowly curved her eyes, and smiled. The back garden of the Governor Mansion was beautifully decorated, with snow on the red plums, plum fragrance, and a beautiful swing beside the plum tree. The two sat on the swing, slowly swung along with the night breeze, and their hearts also fluttered. Le Zhi looked up at the sky and saw the crescent moon that seemed to be absent, and suddenly remembered what day it was today. The first day of the New Year. The stars in the night sky were covered by thick clouds, and only a faint light could be seen. Le Zhi frowned slightly, and a sense of sadness appeared in her heart. There was no ambiance of the New Year here, let alone the festivity of the New Year. Yes, the people were hungry, so how could they enjoy the New Year? She recalled the New Year¡¯s Eve of last year when she took a night tour with her imperial brother and sister to the bustling capital of Li. There were fireworks and laughter, and the smiling faces of the people were still vaguely in front of her. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Her thoughts returned, and she turned her head to look at Huo Du. A pair of fox eyes were filled with mist, red and wet. Huo Du looked at her with a smile and said, ¡°Seventeen.¡± Le Zhi was stunned as her heart was far away. Who would have thought that the year after she reached the marriageable age seemed to have experienced a terrible dream? Suddenly, her left hand was held up, and Le Zhi lowered her eyes and saw that there was an extra bracelet on her wrist. She raised her arm, raised her wrist to her eye level, and looked carefully through the night. Each sandalwood bead was carved with branches of different trees, and the beads were hollow and exquisitely carved. And every two sandalwood beads were separated by a warm red bean. She leaned closer and sniffed the smell of sandalwood, as well as a faint medicinal fragrance. Is this¡­ a New Year¡¯s gift from him? Did he do it himself? Le Zhi could not help raising her other hand to rub the hollow beads carefully with her fingertips. Tiny sandalwood beads, lifelike branches¡­ How much effort did it take? Her heart quivered slightly. Her eyelashes also trembled. She raised her eyes and carelessly forgot to cover the emotions in her eyes for a moment. Biting her lip, she said with some embarrassment, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t prepare a gift¡­¡± Hearing this, Huo Du smiled, raised his hand and patted her head, and said in a casual tone, ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Suddenly, the thick clouds were blown away by a gust of wind, and the starlight that had been hidden for a long time was finally revealed. ¡°Make a wish quickly!¡± Le Zhi shook Huo Du¡¯s hand, then looked up at the bright stars, clasped both her hands in front of her, closed her eyes, sniffed the faint medicinal fragrance, and made a wish quietly. Huo Du turned his head sideways and stared at her moon-like side face with deep eyes. His heart ached suddenly. She should have made a beautiful New Year¡¯s wish under the gorgeous fireworks and bright lanterns, instead of praying for the future on this dark night with sadness. After a long time, Le Zhi opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to look at Huo Du and was surprised to find that he had a calm face. ¡°Didn¡¯t Your Highness make a wish?¡± she asked. Make a wish? Heavens had not treated him kindly, and he did not believe in Heavens. Huo Du did not answer, but asked her, ¡°What wish did you make?¡± ¡°How can I say my wish?¡± Le Zhi hugged his arm and leaned softly on his shoulder, ¡°It won¡¯t work if I said it!¡± Actually, this was just an excuse. It was not that she could not tell her wish, it was just that she could not tell him her wish. ¡°Will it work if you don¡¯t say it?¡± Huo Du obviously did not believe it. He sneered and coaxed again, ¡°It¡¯s better to tell me than to believe in an illusory deity. Let me help you realize it, how about that?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I want to kill Huo Changyun, can you help? Le Zhi calmed down her erratic mind, as she almost blurted out just now. She believed what he said and so far, he had done everything as long as she said it. She must not say it. But she could not be like this. She could not rely on the basis that he treated her well and made such unethical demands. She could take revenge, even if she killed Huo Changyun herself, it was the right thing to do. Huo Changyun was guilty and deserved to be punished, and this was what he owed Great Li. But not Huo Du¡­ If he was not Huo Changyun¡¯s son, just relying on the fact that Huo Changyun slaughtered the Shengnuo tribe, he could naturally avenge his relatives like her. But, but¡­ Huo Du was Huo Changyun¡¯s son. This fact could not be changed, and no one could change it. If he killed Huo Changyun, it meant he killed his own father. Then, when he pushed Huo Changyun into hell, would he also fall into darkness forever? No way! Just thinking about it made her heart suffocate and unable to breathe. She did not know how Huo Du managed all these years, nor did she know what kind of feelings he had for Huo Changyun. But she was sure that he must have suffered terribly. What should he do? Also, what should she do? Feeling her body stiffen, Huo Du clearly saw the struggle and pain in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Cold¡­¡± Le Zhi lied and whimpered. Huo Du knew she was lying, but he still pulled her into his arms, let her cold cheeks nestle in his warm neck, and asked, ¡°Is it still cold?¡± The warmth spread from her cheeks to her heart, accompanied by the faint mint scent on his body, making Le Zhi¡¯s sour eyes burst into tears. She hugged him tightly, rubbed her cheek against his neck, and sobbed softly. Huo Du hugged her soft waist and tutted deliberately to tease her, ¡°Why? Are you crying because of the cold?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi hummed softly twice, then rubbed his neck harder, and said coquettishly, ¡°Can you just make a wish, just make one¡­¡± Although she also knew how unrealistic it was to rely on making a wish to achieve her wish, wishing meant believing, and believing meant hope. She had seen more than once the lifelessness and emptiness on his face, which was the last thing she wanted to see. So, she stubbornly wanted him to make a wish. She hoped that he would believe too, and never be lifeless again. Huo Du¡¯s neck was wet and cold. He raised his hand to caress her back and patted her gently. Looking down at the softness, who was obediently snuggling in his arms, a certain thought that had been in his mind had changed a little bit. It was not that Heavens never treated him kindly. Otherwise, how could she come to him? ¡°All right.¡± He finally yielded and smiled, ¡°Then I¡¯ll make one.¡± After a while, Le Zhi withdrew from his embrace and asked, ¡°Have you made one?¡± Huo Du made an ¡°en¡± and led her to stand up from the swing. Their legs were a little numb after their feet were off the ground and dangling in the air for so long. When they stood up suddenly, their bodies swayed unsteadily. Fortunately, there was a pole on the side. Huo Du supported himself by holding on to the pole with one hand and helped her stand firmly by wrapping around her waist tightly with the other hand. Their eyes looked at each other. Although they were a little embarrassed, they could not help bending their lips and smiling. While they were walking back slowly, Le Zhi looked at the sky again and was a little unhappy looking at the incomplete moon. ¡°Don¡¯t like the crescent moon?¡± Le Zhi nodded. The incomplete crescent moon looked imperfect, and she did not like it. Just like they were about to separate, there was always some depression in her heart. ¡°Are you stupid? The moon will be full in a few days.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Le Zhi curved her eyes and said, ¡°I will definitely come back when the moon is full. Then, shall we enjoy the moon together then?¡± Huo Du smiled, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then you have to take good care of yourself.¡± ¡°En.¡± ¡°Have a good breakfast too.¡± ¡± En.¡± ¡°You must wear a thick cotton cloak when you go out.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡­¡­ The figure of the two snuggled and walking forward together was drawn very long by the moonlight. ¡ª Early the next morning, Le Zhi took Jing Xin, Lin Yue, Xia Ming, and the others, as well as a small team of guards assigned to her by Huo Du, left Shengyang City, and headed toward Huaxi City. The two cities were not far apart, and after weishi* (1 pm ¨C 3 pm), the carriage drove into Huaxi City. Le Zhi quickly found the courtyard where her sister lived according to her letter. Seeing Le Zhi, Le Jin was extremely surprised, ¡°Zhizhi, why are you here?¡± Le Zhi happily threw herself into her sister¡¯s arms, and said sweetly, ¡°I miss my sister, so I came.¡± After being coquettish for a while, the two sisters entered the room to talk. After Le Zhi explained the whole story, Le Jin suddenly realized. It turned out that Zhizhi set off from Shengyang City, no wonder she came so quickly! ¡°Sister, where are sister-in-law and Yu¡¯er?¡± Le Zhi frowned, very puzzled, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t my sister-in-law want to see us?¡± Le Jin sighed as she was puzzled too, ¡°I asked people to search in the city, and I found several places where sister-in-law would go every day. But sister-in-law would hide every time she saw me, and I don¡¯t dare to show up rashly again. I fear scaring her, in case she leaves Huaxi City¡­ it will be even more difficult to find her again.¡± After thinking for a while, Le Zhi said, ¡°I will go to see sister-in-law with sister tomorrow. We are a family. I think sister-in-law must have something to hide.¡± Le Jin nodded. Now, all they could do was try it out. Sister-in-law had always loved Zhizhi and hoped that she would be willing to have a good chat with them when she saw Zhizhi. After rushing around for days, Le Zhi did not have a chance to have good rest. After dinner, she went back to the bedroom to get ready to have a good sleep. Thinking that Jing Xin and Lin Yue were also exhausted recently, she hurried them to have a rest and refused to let them serve. Sitting on the bed and opening her bag, Le Zhi wanted to take the bedclothes to the bathroom to wash up. However, there were two more things in the bag. The one thing that she was very familiar with was the wooden box given by Uncle Yin. She gave it to Huo Du yesterday but did not know when he put it back into her bag. Although she did not know the usefulness of the jade pendant given by Uncle Yin, he stayed in Shengyang City alone and gave it to her. Isn¡¯t he a fool! And there was also a small white jade jar. Le Zhi opened the lid and saw candies inside. Stars, flowers, fishes, bunnies¡­ A jar was full of cute candies in various shapes. She pulled one out and put it in her mouth. The sweet taste was accompanied by a hint of mint coolness, lightly fragrant. Le Zhi remembered the scene when Huo Du asked her to drink mint juice before. At that time, she could not get used to the minty smell, so she moved the cup away. ¡°Don¡¯t force it, you and I are not the same kinds of people.¡± This was what Huo Du said to her at that time. So, what did he mean by making these mints to her now? The sweetness melted between the lips and teeth, leaving a faint mint fragrance that lingers around the body for a long time. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes turned red in the sweet aftertaste. She thought she had tasted what he meant. It was too easy to guess, was not it? CH 79 Chapter 79 Fragile ¡°Your Highness, Taizifei has arrived at Huaxi City safely.¡± An Xuan arched his hands and reported, ¡°In addition, Chu Yan and the people have received food, and they are gradually recovering. This subordinate is afraid that he will soon¡­¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Before An Xuan could finish speaking, Huo Du interrupted him loudly. An Xuan was slightly startled, then nodded and withdrew. The moon was dark, and only one day later, this huge mansion seemed to be even more desolate. Huo Du sat alone on the swing, swinging slowly. He lowered his eyes, looked at the small candy jar in his hand, and took one to put it in his mouth. Very sweet. He did not like anything sweet in the past, but now he was slowly getting used to it. He always knew that he and Le Zhi were not the same kinds of people. She grew up surrounded by love. She was tough and brave, warm and kind. And he was the exact opposite, he would never have those things in him. How do two completely different people match? The tip of his tongue was wrapped in sweetness, gradually a touch of coolness emerged. Huo Du smiled suddenly. Since mint could be blended with honey and it made a beautiful taste, who could say that different people could not match? ¡ª The next day, the sun was shining brightly. Unlike the desolation of Shengyang City, Huaxi City¡¯s atmosphere was full of New Year. In the bustling market, the street vendors shouted, and the people came and went with happy smiles, choosing ingredients to go home to cook a sumptuous meal for their loved ones. At this time, a woman walked to the vegetable stall with her head down and quickly selected¡­ ¡°Sister-in-law.¡± Le Zhi ran quickly from the entrance of the alley to the woman¡¯s side and hugged her arm. The woman raised her eyes, and a little panic flashed in her eyes. After seeing the incoming person clearly, she could not help showing a bit of joy on her face. Seeing that she did not mean to dodge anymore, Le Jin walked out slowly and called her softly. The woman sighed softly after seeing this and said, ¡°Follow me.¡± The two sisters naturally responded, and the group followed the woman. After a while, they came to a simple roof-tiled house. The woman welcomed them into the house. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± A cheerful and familiar male voice could be heard. Le Zhi and Le Jin watched a tall and straight man come out from the inner room with Le Yu in his arms. When the man saw them, he was stunned and stopped in place. They were all too familiar with this person. Great Li¡¯s youngest imperial physician, Xu Yang. How could he¡­ how could he live with my sister-in-law? ¡°Auntie¡­¡± The cute little child¡¯s voice was full of childishness. After not seeing each other for a long time, Le Yu spoke to them timidly. It was Le Jin who reacted first. She forced a smile, walked over, and raised her hand to touch her little nephew¡¯s head, ¡°How is Yu¡¯er doing recently?¡± Le Yu smiled and nodded to Le Jin, but his eyes looked at Le Zhi unconsciously. He felt a little strange. The little aunt liked him the most. Why did she not even smile today, and stood so far away without coming over to hug him? ¡°You take Yu¡¯er in first.¡± Xu Yang nodded, holding Le Yu awkwardly, and walked back to the inner room. Le Zhi¡¯s face turned pale little by little, and her whole body seemed to be poured by a bucket of ice-cold water, shivering with cold. She stared at the woman not far away in a daze. Fang Yin was the daughter of Great Li¡¯s most heroic General Zhenyuan. She was also the woman whom her imperial brother loved the most. ¡°Sit down.¡± Fang Yin said lightly. Le Jin pulled the stiff Le Zhi to sit down, took a deep breath, and asked, ¡°Sister-in-law¡­ What¡¯s going on here? Xu Yang, why is Xu Yang here¡­¡± ¡°Xu Yang and I are together.¡± Fang Yin said in a deep voice, her face was calm and not a bit embarrassed. Le Zhi, who was sitting at the table, clenched her hand suddenly and widened her eyes as she looked at Fang Yin in disbelief. She never thought of letting her sister-in-law stay widowed for the rest of her life. But how long had it been? Also, according to her sister-in-law, she seemed to have never loved her imperial brother. ¡°Zhizhi.¡± Fang Yin smiled bitterly and explained, ¡°Your imperial brother and I were originally a mistake.¡± This was a simple story¡­ The young Taizi fell in love with the general¡¯s only daughter at first sight at a palace banquet. Shortly after the palace banquet, an imperial decree to grant marriage arrived. But the general¡¯s only daughter already had a sweetheart, and the two had already secretly exchanged their feelings, only waiting for the sweetheart to propose marriage but an imperial decree broke her beautiful dream. Knowing that the Taizi was gentle, the general¡¯s daughter wrote a letter and asked someone to send it to the Eastern Palace. But there was no reply for a long time, and her heart gradually became disappointed. Until the young Taizi lifted her veil on the wedding night, she raised her head and saw a pair of gentle smiling eyes and heard him say, ¡°Yinyin, I¡¯m only despicable this time in my life.¡± He admitted his despicableness in the warmest tone. Despicable magnanimously. Fang Yin was shocked. It turned out that he knew everything¡­ Hearing what she said, Le Zhi frowned deeper and deeper. Impossible! Imperial Brother would not be such a person! ¡°You lied!¡± Le Zhi stood up with trembling hands, ¡°Imperial Brother, he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing!¡± Perhaps the movement outside was too loud, the little Le Yu stuck out his little head from the inner room at some point and looked at them with a puzzled expression. Le Zhi glanced sideways and found him, could not help feeling sour. If this is true, then Yu¡¯er¡­ what is Yu¡¯er? Her body trembled, her eyes turned red, and she choked, ¡°No, it cannot be¡­¡± She could not stay any longer in this room. Le Zhi¡¯s heart felt suffocated and almost breathless. Turning her toes lightly, she ran out of the house, ignoring the screams behind her. Walking on the street in a daze, the joy and noise around her seemed to have nothing to do with her. Le Zhi¡¯s footsteps gradually became weak, and soon she could no longer support them. She slowly squatted down and began to cry softly. She was born beautiful. So, even if she squatted on the corner of the street, she could attract the attention of many people. It was New Year¡¯s Day, and everyone was beaming with joy. Naturally, they could see the beautiful girl crying pitifully. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t cry during the New Year.¡± ¡°Did you quarrel with your husband? Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. How can a young couple not quarrel!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s a cold day, go home quickly. Your husband must have cooked a lot of dishes waiting for you at home!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The warm-hearted people rushed to comfort and Le Zhi¡¯s tears were forced to withdraw abruptly. It was really embarrassing to be in full view of everyone! The moment she raised her eyes, she saw the bracelet on her wrist, and the little red beans were shining brightly under the warm sun. She could not help being startled. Husband¡­ People always wanted to return to the place where they felt the safest when they were vulnerable. When she felt the saddest just now, the person who came to her mind was him. Huo Du. She really missed him. It would be nice if he was here. Crying in his arms must be much better than squatting crying alone. Thinking of this, Le Zhi¡¯s eyes red again. At this moment, Lin Yue and Jing Xin hurried over and finally found their master, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Master.¡± The two helped her up, ¡°Let¡¯s go back first.¡± When the people gathered saw her maids came, they were relieved and dispersed to go home. ¡ª Perhaps it was because this matter was too unacceptable, Le Zhi developed a high fever that night. Her face was pale, and in her muddled dreams, she dreamed of many things in the past. In her dream, her imperial brother was still alive, and she saw her imperial brother and her sister-in-law enjoying the flowers in the imperial garden. Obviously, it was such a beautiful scene. Her throat was dry and painful, and finally, someone brought tea into her mouth. The warm water slid down her throat, making her a lot more comfortable. Le Zhi¡¯s eyelids were too heavy to open, her mind was confused, and she did not know where she was. Who was feeding her water? It must be Huo Du. She remembered that when she had malaria, Huo Du stayed with her, gave her water and medicine, hugged her, and coaxed her. But this time, why did he leave after feeding the water? Why did he not hug her? Even in her drowsiness, she was still aggrieved, sobbing and murmuring, ¡°Huo Du, Huo Du¡­¡± After putting down the teacup, Le Jin approached the bedside and heard her sister¡¯s murmur. She was stunned for a long time, and her mood was a little complicated. After a short while, seeing that the redness on Le Zhi¡¯s face had faded, Le Jin tucked her into the quilt. The unspeakable emotion finally turned into a low sigh, and she turned to walk out of the door. ¡°Xiaojin, how is Zhizhi?¡± After Le Jin closed the door, Fu Xian, who was standing outside the door, stepped forward and asked. ¡°The fever has subsided a little, but¡­¡± Le Jin lowered her eyes and looked worried. Despite desperately suppressing on weekdays, when she was at his weakest, her emotions were naturally difficult to suppress. Her silly sister could not live without him at all. ¡°Where¡¯s sister-in-law?¡± ¡°She was worried about Zhizhi but unwilling to come in to see her. She only sat in the front hall for a while and then left.¡± Le Jin nodded, and her face turned a little pale. She looked at Fu Xian in a daze and asked, ¡°Ah Xian, in the past¡­ can you see the strangeness between imperial brother and sister-in-law?¡± ¡°¡­I can see a little.¡± ¡°Actually, I saw a little too.¡± Le Jin¡¯s eyes reddened and choked, ¡°But I always felt that I was wrong and deliberately ignored those¡­¡± At that time, she and Fu Xian exchanged their hearts, which was naturally different from Zhizhi, who knew nothing about feelings. So sometimes when she saw the subtle expressions of her imperial brother and sister-in-law when they are together, she keenly realized that something was wrong. However, she did not want to think badly of them. She always felt that she was over-caring. ¡°How could this happen?¡± Le Jin¡¯s tears streamed down. During the day, she had to repress her emotions as she was worried about her sister who had collapsed, and her stunned nephew. But now, she really could not bear it any longer, she was so sad, really sad. She did not know what to do next. She never thought that her sister-in-law and her imperial brother would be like this. She did not even know why her imperial brother, who had always been gentle and easy-going, was so demanding when it came to love? However, her imperial brother was no longer alive. So, this question would never have an answer. Seeing his beloved cry into tears, Fu Xian took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, then stretched out his hands to hug her into his arms and comforted her softly. Inside the room, Le Zhi, who was still asleep, was sweating profusely on her forehead. Her little face was wrinkled as if she had seen something terrible in her dream, which made her nervous endlessly. Perhaps she was worried. What she saw in her dream was happening quietly, and all those scenes got into her mind. In the starless dark night, a group of people surrounded Shengyang City by taking advantage of the darkness. The city gate was held against two large wooden stakes and could no longer be pushed open. The author has something to say£º Long-distance relationship is so hard. QAQ CH 80 Chapter 80 Rush There were no stars and no moon, not a sound to be heard. When Chu Yan pushed open the gate of the Governor Mansion with the tribesmen holding torches, he saw Huo Du standing in the front yard in a dark green cotton cloak and staring at him coldly. It seemed that their night attack had been expected a long time ago. Obviously, there were just a few soldiers by his side, but his calm appearance made everyone stunned when they saw him. Chu Yan suddenly laughed. This kid is too arrogant, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Huo Du, I told you a long time ago that raising a tiger is a disaster.¡± Chu Yan smiled, and the smile reached the bottom of his eyes. He said word by word, ¡°So today, you ask for it.¡± Huo Du hooked his lips and said slowly, ¡°Really?¡± After a short pause, he raised his eyes, and there was a bit of hostility and mockery in his black eyes. Then he repeated what he said to Chu Yan last time, ¡°With just you?¡± Chu Yan looked at his face that looked like his little sister, but on this face, he had such an arrogant demeanor. Just like Huo Changyun. He clenched the cold handle of the knife and put away his smile. ¡ª Closing the city, besieging the mansion, meeting swordsmen, fighting swords¡­ Le Zhi¡¯s nightmares were full of these scenes, but they were not pieced together. Finally, she opened her eyes in panic but found that she had no strength in her body. ¡°Master, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Lin Yue¡¯s eyes flashed with tears of joy. She took a warm cotton towel to wipe Le Zhi¡¯s forehead, ¡°Finally, the sweat came out.¡± Le Zhi felt sweaty all over her body, and the bedclothes on her body were stained with her sweat. But she did not care, the pictures in her dream were too vivid as if they were happening right now. Her heart could not help but worry. Thinking of this, she struggled to sit up and asked, ¡°How long have I slept?¡± ¡°Master¡¯s fever is really serious this time. Today is the sixth day, and I was scared to death!¡± Lin Yue had lingering fears and trembling in her voice. ¡°What¡­¡± Did she actually sleep that long? Le Zhi¡¯s eyelids twitched, and her heart was restless, unable to calm down. She looked at Lin Yue and asked, ¡°Shengyang City¡­ Did Your Highness send someone to deliver a message?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Yue shook her head. In the past few days, everyone¡¯s heart was all on the master and did not pay attention to the situation in Shengyang City. But His Highness did not send someone to deliver a message, so there should nothing wrong with it. But why is Master so nervous? ¡°Quickly!¡± Le Zhi frowned, leaned forward, and ordered, ¡°Let Xia Ming make a trip to see what¡¯s going on in Shengyang City. Be sure to tell him to come back before dark.¡± Lin Yue responded at once as she helped Le Zhi to lean against the embroidered pillow and nodded strongly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go immediately!¡± After Lin Yue left, Le Zhi got up and walked toward the bathroom. When she was immersed in the tub, she exhaled heavily. She shook her head in hindsight thinking of her gaffe just now. She was really not composed. It was just a dream, and this reaction of hers was indeed a bit oversensitive. She must be thinking too much¡­ It must be! She reached for the warm water and patted her cheek, trying to wake herself up. After finally tidying up properly, Le Zhi walked out of the bathroom feebly, only to see her sister enter the room at some point in time and saw her busy wrapping a thick fleece blanket around her. ¡°Quickly, go and lie down for a while.¡± Le Zhi nodded and looked at her sister apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I made sister worry.¡± Seeing that she was still sick, Le Jin reached out her hand to touch her head and said, ¡°Take good care of yourself.¡± She just had a major illness, and now she had a high fever for several days, Le Jin was very worried that she would leave behind some root of the disease. ¡°Regarding sister-in-law, I made a gaffe that day.¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips, raised her eyes, and said, ¡°Please invite sister-in-law to come over later. Let¡¯s have a good chat with her and ask her what she plans to do next. Also, Yu¡¯er¡­¡± Her nasal voice was getting heavier and heavier, and her voice was getting smaller and smaller. Thinking of her little nephew Le Yu, she could not go on. What her sister-in-law said that day was hard for her to accept. If it was true, then what was the relationship between her imperial brother and her sister-in-law? Le Zhi had always felt that children were the continuation of the love between parents. If the parents never had love, then what was Yu¡¯er? As far as her sister-in-law is concerned, was Yu¡¯er just a mistake and a burden? ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve thought about it. If sister-in-law doesn¡¯t want Yu¡¯er.¡± Le Zhi said with red eyes, ¡°Then let¡¯s take care of Yu¡¯er, all right?¡± After years of getting along, she believed in Fang Yin¡¯s conduct and would not deliberately lie to deceive them. So, it was really her imperial brother who forced her. It turned out that her imperial brother and her sister-in-law were just a mistake. In that case, how could she blame Fang Yin? She must have had a hard time over these years with a marriage against her will and a husband she did not love. The will of Heaven messed with people. Since now she could renew the former love with her beloved, it may also be destined divinely. But what about Yu¡¯er? Her sister-in-law would have a new life, and there may be a new child soon, a child born out of love. So, she thought that if her sister-in-law felt that seeing Yu¡¯er would arouse her sadness, then she would be willing to take care of Yu¡¯er. Even without the love of his parents, Yu¡¯er still had two aunts who love him very much. ¡°Good.¡± Le Jin nodded in agreement. She had been thinking about it for the past few days, which just happened to coincide with what Zhizhi was thinking. Let them make up for the mistakes of their imperial brother. Maybe they could not do much, just made up some of it. ¡ª At dinner time, the family was finally able to eat together. In the past few days since she came to Huaxi City, she had been sick, and this was the first time Le Zhi had eaten at the table. Unlike in the mansion, there were not so many rules in this courtyard. The sisters asked Jing Xin and the others to sit at the table and have dinner together. But Xia Ming had not come back yet, and Le Zhi¡¯s heart was still restless. The silver chopstick picked up the vegetables into the porcelain bowl, absent-mindedly. ¡°Jing Xin, remember to drink the medicine after dinner while it¡¯s hot, understand?¡± Hearing her sister¡¯s words, Le Zhi suddenly returned to her senses, ¡°What happened to Jing Xin?¡± ¡°Master, I just have some headaches, it¡¯s nothing big.¡± ¡°What¡¯s nothing big?¡± Lin Yue pouted and murmured softly, ¡°It hurts so bad that she can¡¯t sleep at night.¡± Le Zhi frowned, put down the silver chopsticks, stood up and walked to Jing Xin¡¯s side, raised her hand to touch her forehead lightly, and asked, ¡°How could it be so serious? Have you seen the doctor, what did the doctor say?¡± Seeing this, Jing Xin hurriedly supported her, fearing that she would bump into something just after recovering from her illness, ¡°It¡¯s really nothing big, don¡¯t listen to Lin Yue¡¯s exaggeration!¡± ¡°All right, all right.¡± Le Jin smiled and said helplessly, ¡°Both of you master and servant are sick, so hurry up and eat more to keep your body healthy.¡± Le Zhi blushed and sat back in the chair with some embarrassment. But just after picking up the silver chopstick, she saw Xia Ming hurriedly enter the room with a grave expression. The hand trembled, and the silver chopstick fell on the table, making a muffled sound. ¡°Master, something happened to Shengyang City.¡± Just a few simple words had made Le Zhi¡¯s heart sink to the bottom. The cold wind from outside the dining hall poured in and when it was inhaled into the lungs, it triggered a violent cough. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Le Zhi stood up with the support of the table and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Everyone in the hall looked solemn, and gathered around Le Zhi, supporting her so that she would not collapse. ¡°Master, the gate of Shengyang City is closed, and the city is in lockdown. I sneaked into the city and found that everyone in the city was carrying weapons and surrounded the Governor Mansion heavily.¡± Xia Ming looked embarrassed and a little guilty, ¡°I¡¯m incompetent and unable to sneak into the mansion. I don¡¯t know what the situation is now with His Highness. But judging from the cautious appearance of those people outside the mansion, the two sides should still be at a deadlock, and there is no victory or defeat yet.¡± ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Xia Ming, pack up and we¡¯ll set off immediately!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face was pale, but her tone was firm, and the hand hidden in her sleeve clenched tightly. She has to go back, go back to save him. ¡°Zhizhi, you can¡¯t go.¡± There was a familiar voice outside the hall. All the people who looked worried were shocked and looked outside. Fang Yin was standing outside the hall with Le Yu in her arms, and her eyes fell on Le Zhi. At this time, Xia Ming also dissuaded, ¡°Master, we can¡¯t go. At least, we can¡¯t go like this.¡± What do you mean? Le Zhi was confused and puzzled. ¡°I heard the people surrounding the Governor Mansion talking about it, saying that country Jiang¡¯s soldiers will arrive in Shengyang City within the next few days. The team of soldiers we brought may be enough to resist those people in the city, but once the soldiers of country Jiang arrive, we will definitely lose.¡± The soldiers of country Jiang? How could they have a connection with Chu Yan? Could it be, could it be¡­ this is Lin Wanning¡¯s trap in Shengyang City? ¡°You already knew.¡± Le Zhi looked at Fang Yin, who was approaching the hall, with a positive tone. Fang Yin did not hide it, ¡°Yes.¡± That¡¯s it. Le Zhi finally understood why she hid when she saw her sister earlier, it was just to let her leave Shengyang City. Her sister-in-law really cared about old feelings. ¡°What deal did you make with country Jiang?¡± Le Zhi suppressed the ups and downs in her heart and asked tremblingly, ¡°Is it Yu¡¯er?¡± Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Le Jin hurriedly winked at Lin Yue and Jing Xin, and Lin Yue hurriedly walked to Fang Yin¡¯s side. Fang Yin also did not want little Le Yu to hear this, so she let go and handed her child to Lin Yue. It happened so suddenly that no one noticed. When Jing Xin heard the words ¡°country Jiang¡±, her brows twitched. She held her forehead and took Le Yu out of the dining hall with Lin Yue. Fang Yin shook her head and denied, ¡°No.¡± The country Jiang people indeed found her and offered attractive conditions, saying that they would help Great Li to recover the country. As the only heir of Great Li¡¯s Taizi, Le Yu was naturally the object of contention among those with ambitions. With Le Yu, there was an excuse to raise troops to attack country Qi. But since Fang Yin was not stupid, how could she let her child become a pawn for others to realize their ambitions? Even if she did not love Le Jun, she would not do it. Because Yu¡¯er was also her child. However, although she did not promise, she would not stop other countries from attacking country Qi. As a person from country Li, there was no one who did not hate Great Qi. Now that she knew about this, she also learned from the people of country Jiang that Zhizhi had also come to Shengyang City. It just so happened that Xiaojin had been looking for her, so she came up with this plan to trick Zhizhi away from Shengyang City. Of course, Fang Yin knew that the people from country Jiang would not be reconciled, and she must send Yu¡¯er to a safe place as soon as possible. And his two aunts were the most suitable candidates. ¡°Zhizhi, don¡¯t you hate Great Qi?¡± Fang Yin was deeply confused and puzzled by her fierce reaction. If the Taizi of Great Qi died at the hands of the people from country Jiang, would not it be a happy event for them? ¡°You don¡¯t know, you don¡¯t know anything!¡± Le Zhi was so sad that she did not want to talk to Fang Yin anymore. It was too late. She was too late to save him. She broke free from her sister¡¯s hand and ran out. The cold wind whistled in her ears, what should she do next? She definitely needed to count the number of their soldiers and then? Then what should she do next¡­ ¡°Zhizhi!¡± Le Jin caught up, grabbed her wrist, and raised her voice, ¡°Calm down!¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m calm, I¡¯m calm.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks were full of tears. She raised her hand to wipe it hard and murmured with a helpless look, ¡°Sister don¡¯t stop me, all right? I have to go. I certainly have to go.¡± ¡°Sure, sister won¡¯t stop you.¡± Le Jin¡¯s eyes were red and wiped her tears gently. Sister will not stop you. Also, can¡¯t stop you, can I? Le Zhi finally felt at ease. What she feared most was that her sister would not let her go, then she would really be in a dilemma. She lowered her eyes, trying to calm her heart and trying to regain the rationality that was drifting away. Finally, she found a way in the misty mist. ¡°Borrowing soldiers.¡± She opened her mouth, articulating clearly. Le Jin frowned and wondered, ¡°Where can you borrow them?¡± ¡°Country Ning, at the border.¡± Hearing this, Le Jin¡¯s heart sank little by little. Huaxi City was located at the border, south of country Ning. Country Ning, on the other hand, had friendly relations with Great Li in the past. However, it was only in the past. Now the present was different from before. Why should country Ning borrow soldiers to save the Taizi of Great Qi? Moreover, the borrower was the former princess of Great Li. But the resolute expression on Le Zhi¡¯s face made her suppress all her worries. She believed that her sister would definitely have a way. ¡°Good.¡± Le Jin raised her hand to arrange her cotton cloak. Le Zhi was stunned for a moment, then stretched out her arms to hug Le Jin. She sobbed and muttered, ¡°Thank you, sister.¡± ¡ª Due to the urgency of the matter, Le Zhi only took Xia Ming and his people, leaving Lin Yue and Jing Xin in the mansion, and even leaving her soldiers to protect them. The hooves of the horses rumbled, and Le Zhi headed southward against the wind. She could not take a carriage as the carriage was too slow. The cold wind filled her lungs from her nose and mouth, and she could feel the fishy sweetness surging in her throat. However, she could not stop. Must not stop. She had to compare her speed with the soldiers of country Jiang and she could not be even a moment late. She traveled through the night sky and arrived outside the military camp at the frontier of country Ning in just a few days. When the soldier of country Ning saw a weak woman with two or three people asking to see the general, he was amused, ¡°Where did you come from? Don¡¯t you know that women are not allowed to enter the military camp?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be a spy from another country, right?¡± said another soldier. ¡°Presumptuous!¡± Le Zhi said in a deep voice and frowned, ¡°I have an urgent military report to report to the general. Can you afford to delay the military information?¡± Several soldiers looked at each other in dismay and were stunned by Le Zhi¡¯s imposing manner for a while. They thought that the military situation should not be delayed. If these people were talking nonsense, His Highness would deal with them personally! ¡°Wait a while!¡± After a while, the little soldier who went to report came back and let them enter the tent to speak. Le Zhi heaved a sigh of relief and dismounted from the horse. Her footsteps were weak, but fortunately, she held onto the horse and did not fall down. ¡°Master, are you alright?¡± ¡°No worries, let¡¯s go in.¡± It was Li Sui, the fourth prince of the current dynasty, who was stationed at the border of the country Ning. He was both a prince and a young general, with great military achievements and a prominent figure in the country Ning. Le Zhi brought her subordinates into the tent and gave a military salute, ¡°Pay respect to Your Highness.¡± ¡°Princess of country Li?¡± A burst of soft laughter sounded, with a hint of inquiry. Le Zhi looked up and saw a smiling face. Unlike Huo Du, Li Sui¡¯s appearance was tougher and it was indeed a majestic appearance that had been fighting for many years. She nodded and said yes. ¡°I heard that you have an urgent military report?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing that he went straight to the topic, Le Zhi did not say much, and replied bluntly, ¡°The country Jiang colluded with the Empress of country Qi with the intention to assassinate the Taizi of country Qi in Shengyang City.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Li Sui smiled indifferently, ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi also curved her lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s naturally related. If their scheme succeeds, Huo Xu will ascend to the throne in the future, and country Qi and country Jiang will form a siege. In Your Highness¡¯s opinion, where will their next target be?¡± Li Sui was startled, looked at Le Zhi¡¯s face again, and took a closer look. Interesting, really interesting. After a pause, Le Zhi continued, ¡°Huo Xu is ruthless and selfish. He even betrayed Great Li, where he has lived for more than ten years. If he becomes the emperor in the future, he will definitely be more ruthless than the current emperor Qi.¡± ¡°But what good is it for me to save Huo Du?¡± ¡°If Your Highness comes to aid today, the day Taizi succeeds to the throne smoothly, I guarantee that the country Qi and country Ning will be united forever.¡± Seeing her burning eyes, Li Sui asked, ¡°Princess Li, for what reason do you guarantee?¡± Le Zhi took a deep breath and said calmly, ¡°I am the Taizifei of Great Qi.¡± There was a moment of silence in the big tent. Le Zhi¡¯s heart tugged together, suffocating unbearably. ¡°All right.¡± Li Sui finally yielded and asked with a smile, ¡°How many soldiers do you want?¡± The fists hidden in the sleeves loosened slightly. Le Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and felt that everything became clear at once. ¡ª The sound of horses¡¯ hooves and wind were heard at the same time, and the cloak on her body was blown by the cold wind behind her. Le Zhi did not have the strength to grab it back, and she did not know how many days she had been on the road. She could not figure it out, and she did not have the energy to do so. She did not even have time to close her eyes. Moreover, she really could not rest in peace. Along the way, even the soldiers of country Ning, who has been fighting all year round, were shocked by her appearance. The noble girl who they thought was soft and weak was bursting out with extreme perseverance. Gradually, the time for the large troops to stop and rest became less and less. The soldiers had great self-respect, so how could they call out tired when the girl did not even need to rest? When the gate of Shengyang City came into sight, Le Zhi thought she had hallucinations. Seeing that there was no trace of the soldiers of country Jiang outside the city gate, she immediately felt a little relieved. She finally arrived. When she was almost at the city gate, she reached out and picked up the crossbow from the horse¡¯s back. That day, Huo Du held her hand, but today, her eyes were gloomy, and she pressed down without hesitation. The silver arrow flew out and hit accurately onto the city gate! Several old tribesmen who were guarding the city gate immediately took precautions, staring at the incoming people with wide eyes. ¡°Open the city gate!¡± Le Zhi spoke with a loud but raspy voice. Then, she saw that the city gate slowly opened from the inside, and Chu Yan rode a red-maned horse toward her leisurely. Her eyes were focused on Chu Yan, and naturally, she did not see the familiar figure on the city wall. When Le Zhi rushed over with the soldiers of country Ning, Huo Du stood on the city wall and stared at her from a distance in a daze. In the boundless silent world, there was only her in his eyes. She. His princess came to save him without hesitation. CH 81 Chapter 81 Full Moon Le Zhi tied the transparent jade pendant around her waist. Although she did not know the use of Uncle Yin¡¯s jade pendant, she still understood the principle of making the best use of everything, and it might have a deterrent effect. Sure enough, Chu Yan was obviously stunned when he saw the jade pendant on her waist from a distance, but it was only for a moment. ¡°Tsk.¡± Chu Yan said with a smile, ¡°Taizifei, why such a big battle ah?¡± ¡°Chu Yan, you are so bold to secretly lock down the city and besiege the Taizi!¡± Seeing Le Zhi¡¯s pale face, Chu Yan also lowered his voice and said, ¡°So what? Huo Changyun slaughtered my tribe, and what I did today was just tit-for-tat.¡± ¡°What nonsense!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were cold and raised her voice, ¡°Since it¡¯s what Huo Changyun did, then go to Huo Changyun to get revenge. Don¡¯t say empty words like the son has to pay for the father¡¯s debts. This is just an excuse for your incompetence!¡± Hearing this, Chu Yan was speechless. After a pause, he sneered, ¡°You said so much, isn¡¯t it just to save Huo Du? If I just want to kill him, what can you do?¡± Huo Du, who was walking down from the city wall, heard this. His footsteps on the steps froze suddenly, and he frowned. What act is this? Isn¡¯t Chu Yan¡¯s nonsense a little too much? ¡°If anything happens to His Highness Taizi, all of you will have to bury him with him.¡± The foxy eyes were red, and she looked both devil and demonic on her pale face. She was obviously a stunning beauty, but she had a murderous spirit. When the old tribesmen saw this, their hearts were all frightened, and they all took half a step back for no reason. Only Le Zhi herself knew how baseless this was. But she really had no choice. Apart from deterrence and intimidation, she could not think of any other way. Huo Du was still in the city. If she insisted on attacking, and in case it really annoyed Chu Yan¡­ She did not dare to think about it. Seeing Le Zhi was really annoyed, Chu Yan stopped deliberately provoking her. He smiled, and just as he was about to explain, he saw a team of roaring hooves coming towards them. The soldiers of country Jiang have arrived. Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank. Just as she was calculating the chances of winning the battle with the soldiers of countryJiang and Chu Yan, she saw Chu Yan leading his tribe toward the soldiers of country Jiang. She pulled the reins and looked toward the place where the two sides were fighting. What¡¯s going on? Did not country Jiang unite with Chu Yan to send troops to encircle Huo Du? Why did the fight begin now? Not only Le Zhi, but even the soldiers of country Ning was dumbfounded and froze in place. ¡°What are you waiting for? Come and help!¡± When Chu Yan¡¯s shout came, Le Zhi frowned and somewhat hesitated. ¡­What if, what if it was Chu Yan and the soldiers of country Jiang¡¯s scheme? She could not rashly give an order and harmed a troop of innocent soldiers of country Ning. At this time, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and a sudden gust of wind stirred up the yellow sand all over the sky. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Le Zhi raised one hand to cover her mouth and nose, but her body was already unstable. After one hand loosened the reins, her eyes suddenly became dizzy, and her upper body leaned sideways and fell downward. Before the expected pain came, Le Zhi only felt a force holding her and letting her sit back firmly on the horse. At the same time, her body fell into a familiar embrace, and she almost burst into tears instantly. She lowered her eyes and heard Huo Du¡¯s commanding voice in the middle of the haze. ¡°All soldiers, surround the soldiers from country Jiang from west to east and leave no one behind.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± the soldiers of country Ning shouted in unison. Le Zhi wondered, why did the soldiers of country Ning obey Huo Du¡¯s orders so much? But her eyes were lowered and did not see the black gold token held high in Huo Du¡¯s hand. Her weak body was wrapped in a thick cotton cloak, and the person who hugged closely behind her stroked her side face and let her lean against him. The horse turned its front hooves and galloped towards the city. The cold wind passed over the tip of the ears, and there was only silence surrounding them, except for the sound of the wind and the clear heartbeat of the two of them. No one broke the silence. Le Zhi was too tired to speak. Her body was wrapped in a cotton cloak, but her cheeks and ears were exposed, and she was in pain blown by the wind. In order to hasten her journey in the past few days, she knew that her cheeks, earlobes, and neck had been scratched by fine sand. But because she was worried, she could not care about it. Now that she had calmed down, the numb pain was emerging. She frowned and hissed softly. Suddenly, there was a hot and wet feeling on the neck. Le Zhi opened her eyes wide and realized that he was licking her scratches with the tip of his tongue, and her mind was stunned for a moment. When she regained her senses, his lips and tongue had left her neck and turned to suck her earlobe. The stinging pain in her ears gradually turned into a subtle tickle, and Le Zhi stiffened as if she had been frozen. Her slender fingers tightly grasped his arms around her waist, feeling a little overwhelmed. He, what is he doing! Although there were not many people in the city, they were on the horseback in broad daylight, was not this person ashamed at all? Le Zhi blushed, her eyelashes trembled, and she pushed him with all her remaining strength, ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°All right.¡± He responded in a low voice, then turned to suck her other earlobe and kissed her tenderly. ¡°¡­¡± Le Zhi felt that the road from the city gate to the Governor Mansion was too long. By the time they arrived at the gate of the mansion, her eyelids were almost closed due to exhaustion. She opened her eyes and was about to dismount when the person behind her rolled over to the ground. Then he held her by the waist and helped her to get down from the horse. She landed firmly in his arms. Le Zhi¡¯s expression was a little stunned, but her hand subconsciously wrapped around Huo Du¡¯s neck and clenched his shirt tightly. Their cheeks were so close together that their breaths intertwined. She smelled the faint scent of mint, put her side face on his heart with ease, and then closed her eyes. When Huo Du carried Le Zhi into the bedroom and put her on the bed, the person in his arms was already sleeping peacefully and breathing shallowly. Huo Du sat on the side of the bed and stared at her sleeping face for a long time. After a long time, he got up and brought the medicine box. However, after not seeing her for more than ten days, his little fox had lost a lot of weight, and her pale face was full of tiredness. He took the ointment and rolled up her sleeves. ¡°Bang.¡± The sound of the candy jar falling to the ground made the person on the bed frown in her sleep. Huo Du picked up the candy jar and opened the lid, only to find the last remaining mint candy was left inside. He put the sugar in his mouth and looked at Le Zhi quietly. But the sleeping person unconsciously reached out her hand to touch her sleeve. She could not find anything after touching it for a long time, and her eyebrows tightened deeper. It was not until Huo Du stuffed the candy jar into her hand that she stretched her brows and continued to sleep with ease. Huo Du looked at her holding the candy jar tightly but felt that his heart was being held tightly and could no longer be pulled away. From then on, his heart no longer belonged to him. He leaned down slowly and dropped a gentle kiss on her lips. Le Zhi smelled a trace of sweetness in her dream. It was her favorite flavor. In the past few days, she had eaten almost nothing, only relying on the cool sweetness to support her. However, the more candy she ate, the less it became. Since Shengyang City had not arrived yet, she could only save it and when there was only one left, she dared not eat it. She was afraid. Afraid that the person who made the candy was gone. In that case, how could she find this flavor? Thus, she dared not eat it. Unexpectedly, she could taste such a flavor in her sleep. Le Zhi was very happy. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the mint in her dream was not so cold but seemed to be wrapped in warmth. She clung to the source of the sweetness tightly, her cherry lips sucked hard, and the tip of her tongue deftly hooked the sweetness into her lips and teeth. ¡ª It was already late at night when he came out of the bedroom. Huo Du stepped into the main hall with a calm face. He saw Chu Yan leisurely sitting on the soft chair, and asked, ¡°It¡¯s all wiped out?¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± Chu Yan scoffed, ¡°Just a group of trash from country Jiang, they still want to rule the world. Must be dreaming!¡± Huo Du hummed and said, ¡°I see, you can leave first.¡± ¡°Hey, I said you kid, what a stinky temper!¡± Chu Yan looked at him discontentedly, and then asked after a pause, ¡°How is she? Is she all right?¡± ¡°Nothing serious.¡± All right. They were destined to be abnormal uncles and nephews. Although Huo Changyun¡¯s actions had nothing to do with Huo Du, for Chu Yan, it was a knot in his heart after all. And Huo Du did not want to see him either. Thinking of this, Chu Yan smiled helplessly, got up, and walked out. When he reached the door, as if thinking of something, he turned around and said to Huo Du, ¡°Your wife is also too temperamental.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Huo Du responded quickly this time, he frowned, and his eyes were cold. Chu Yan shrugged needlessly and turned to leave. Same bad temper. It¡¯s a perfect match. Scoff. ¡ª Le Zhi slept until the next night. She struggled to open her sleepy eyes and stared at the warm candlelight in the room, stunned for a moment. Then she lowered her eyes and found that the clothes on her body had been changed, and the feeling of sticky sweat on her body had disappeared. Rubbing her eyes, she got up from the bed and walked out of the room. The melodious sound of the flute drifted to her ears. She curved her lips and followed the flute to the back garden. A familiar figure stood under the moon. Le Zhi remembered that he was also playing the flute on a snowy night that day when she came to look for him. But at that time, she was depressed, and he was sitting in a white jade wheelchair. Now that she thought about it, it felt like a lifetime away. Finally, the song was over. Le Zhi lifted the skirt and walked towards him slowly but saw that he also turned around and looked at her with a gentle smile. ¡°Your leg¡­ is completely healed?¡± Originally, there were many questions in her heart that she wanted to ask him, but when she stood in front of him, only one question came up. Huo Du hummed and asked, ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Le Zhi was a little embarrassed, lowered her eyes, and murmured softly, ¡°I slept too long¡­¡± ¡°Not long.¡± Huo Du looked at her with a smile and his eyes were burning. Because tonight, you can¡¯t sleep anymore. Le Zhi raised her eyes and saw his scorching eyes, her heart skipped a beat. With a blushing face, she started the subject bluntly, ¡°I travel day and night to save Your Highness! Why don¡¯t Your Highness thank me properly?¡± Hearing this, Huo Du nodded. Then he put his hands together, bowed to Le Zhi, and said seriously, ¡°Thank you for saving me, Your Highness Princess.¡± Le Zhi was only kidding with him. Seeing him thank her so seriously, she was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly helped him, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m kidding¡­¡± Huo Du took advantage of the situation to hold her hand and looked up at the sky with her. The round bright moon hung high, shining brightly. Le Zhi remembered what she said before leaving that day and was overjoyed in her heart, as if saying to herself, ¡°I didn¡¯t break my promise.¡± She said she would come back when the moon was full, and now they were really enjoying the moon together again. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Le Zhi curved her lips and looked at him. ¡°Is the moon round?¡± ¡°Round, ah.¡± Le Zhi frowned slightly. What kind of silly question is this? Such a big round moon! While she was pondering, her body suddenly rose into the air and was hugged horizontally. She let out a soft cry, hugged Huo Du¡¯s neck tightly, and looked at him puzzledly. Huo Du pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, ¡°All right.¡± This is what you said yourself. When the moon was round, people naturally must be round too. Le Zhi was completely stunned, and when her back touched the soft bed, she realized what Huo Du meant. This round is not that type of round. ¡°But, but aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Her words were out of tune. She looked down at Huo Du and he was using his cold white fingers to open the tie around her waist. The scorching breath brushed the tip of her ear, and his lips pressed against her earlobe, teasing, ¡°You want to say that I¡¯m not able to? Or¡­ not capable?¡± He bit the last two words extremely hard, but his tone was full of smiles. Le Zhi¡¯s face reddened after hearing what was said, and her eyes were full of shock. She did not know when the clothes on her body loosened and fell to her shoulders. Her hand was pulled by him, and she did not know where he was going. Finally, she pulled back her fingertips and her heart skipped a beat. Then Huo Du released her slightly, stared into her eyes with a pair of peach blossom eyes, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. It¡¯s not too late to refuse now.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± But she only uttered a word, and he held her face and kissed her hard. Liar! The cotton mattress was wrinkled by her, and the whole person was tightly surrounded by the scent of mint, which was inevitable. Her body stiffened, unable to think. When their breathing became more and more chaotic, Le Zhi felt his fingers pass through hers and interlaced with hers. ¡°Relax.¡± Huo Du comforted her softly in his ear. Before falling into confusion, she heard him whisper two words. ¡°Baby.¡± The candlelight was dim, but it could not hide the emotion in his eyes. Le Zhi fell into his black eyes and indulged together with him. The author has something to say£º Du: Finally, I can lose myself!!! And can I see the apology in the comments area? (smile) CH 82 Chapter 82 Craziness The bathroom was filled with hot mist, bright red rose petals were floating in the bathtub and the steaming water vapor filled the room, condensing into beads on the petals. Le Zhi¡¯s white back was softly pressed against his chest, making her consciousness a little chaotic, and even though it had been a while, she was still panting slightly and adjusting her breath. The scene just now gradually appeared in her mind. Apart from the initial shock and timidity as well as the slight pain she felt in the panic, she gradually relaxed following Huo Du¡¯s rhythm. She seemed to have entered a wonderful place. It was a strange world she had never set foot in. ¡°Still reminiscing?¡± The fine sound seemed to brush her eardrums, making her tremble uncontrollably. ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡­¡± She blushed in the steaming hot mist and reached out her hand to push Huo Du¡¯s arm around her waist. Instead, he hugged her even tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t let me hug anymore, huh?¡± Huo Du said in a low voice, with residual heat still in his voice. He gently rubbed her upper back with his cold white fingers, and pressed his warm lips to her white shoulders, ¡°Who was holding me just now and wouldn¡¯t let go?¡± Le Zhi pursed her lips and said nothing. She knew this person too well. If she responded to him just now, he would definitely have hidden something even more bottomless words waiting for her. So,¡­ Absolutely, could, not, reason, with, him! ¡°What? Was it uncomfortable just now?¡± As if he knew what she was thinking, Huo Du approached her deliberately, pressing his palm on her neck, making her head slightly tilted towards him. Then, he stared at the corner of her wet red eyes and kissed along the side of her neck. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to comment?¡± He held the tip of her ear, and his soft tongue wrapped around her softly. In the careful kiss, he whispered again, ¡°Is this good, baby?¡± Le Zhi was so stimulated by the sound of ¡°baby¡± that her whole body trembled. In her messy memory, he also called her baby softly again and again until ecstasy. Just¡­ very good. Le Zhi¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she answered silently in her heart. Thinking that she thought he had a hidden illness before, she even made so many supplements for him. She was so regretful that her bowels were turning green. This bastard, not sure how many times he made fun of her in his heart! ¡°You, have you ever had a bedwarmer or a concubine in the past?¡± As soon as the words came out, Le Zhi felt that this question was a little wrong, so her voice became softer and softer. She never intended to explore his past when she asked this, just because he was too proficient just now. Previously, due to his leg disability, Le Zhi read a lot of related books by herself, but when she really got there, she was still difficult to withstand and extremely jerky. Unlike him, step by step, in sequence¡­ which did not look like the first time at all. In the moment of anger, her mouth was faster than her brain, so she asked so stupidly, and now she could not take it back. She clearly felt the breath skimmed across her neck suddenly, and then the person behind pinched her waist slightly, making her face him. Huo Du chuckled, ¡°Can you say it again?¡± The low hoarse voice was obviously somewhat suppressed. Le Zhi raised her eyes and bumped into his dark unclear eyes. She saw that his eyes narrowed slightly, and gradually stained with deep craziness. Le Zhi panicked and shrank back, ¡°I¡¯m wrong¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Huo Du raised his warm wet hand and clasped her chin, pressed his wet fingertip against her cherry lips, and rubbed repeatedly¡­ while his other hand clasped her waist tightly so that she could not retreat, but stuck closer to him. ¡°You know you¡¯re wrong?¡± Le Zhi nodded almost without hesitation, but she forgot the finger on her lips, and as she nodded, it slipped into the gap between her lips slowly. Her white teeth inadvertently bumped on his fingertip. ¡°Ah!¡± Le Zhi quickly raised her head, which made her lips brush against his finger again. Because of the slippery conditions, the lamps in the bathroom were much brighter than those in the bedroom. So, at this time, even though was separated by a hazy mist, Le Zhi could still clearly see that Huo Du brought his fingers to her lips and held them gently. The senses were magnified infinitely, and Le Zhi wanted to escape in a panic. She smelled a strong sense of danger. But he took her into his arms, holding her lower back with one hand and the back of her head with the other so that she could not escape. He approached her slowly, slightly raising his lips. ¡°Too late.¡± The overwhelming kiss descended, not as gentle as before. This time he kissed hard and intense. The warm water in the bathtub was surging, and Le Zhi suddenly froze in the gap of suffocation. Something touched her leg. Immediately after, he leaned forward. Le Zhi¡¯s eyebrows twitched. When she regained her senses, her weak hand rested on his shoulder and her eyes were half shocked and half angry. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± She bit her lip, trembling all over. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any doubt? Then feel it well¡­¡± Huo Du kissed her again, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°What is the difference between just now and now.¡± Le Zhi listened to her own heartbeat with both her hands on his shoulders. The corner of her eyes was reddened by his force, and she kept murmuring and begging. The mist in the air was densely intertwined, while Le Zhi¡¯s heart was gloomy and indescribable. If she could turn back time, she would not ask that stupid question. She finally knew what he meant. It turned out that the first gentle entanglement was just because he took her into consideration and deliberately restrained himself. And now, was the real him. Crazy and¡­ a*shole! The hot water in the bathtub had already become warm, but at this time, the water temperature seemed to be hot again, as if it was about to boil in the next moment. For a long, long time. After a long time, Le Zhi felt that her lower leg was starting to weaken, and her waist was sore and unbearable. If it was not for Huo Du supporting her, she would probably sink into the bathtub against the wall. Finally, the heavy gasping on the side of the ear gradually calmed down. But he did not let go of her, instead, he raised his hand to put the black hair that was wet with sweat on her forehead and cheeks behind her ear, patiently caressing every inch of her skin with warm water and rubbing her sore waist. Then, he approached her and touched her forehead. Looking at her tired eyes, Huo Du suddenly smiled. ¡°If you have examined it carefully, it¡¯s indeed not the first time.¡± Le Zhi was stunned, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and then she lowered her eyes and made a muffled ¡°oh¡± sound. She had imagined it many times and knew that the deeply rooted tradition of three wives and four concubines in the imperial family of Great Qi, but when she heard this, her heart was still uncontrollably sour. The hand hanging in the water clenched into a fist tightly, and with the movement of her hand, the water in her palm drained away. It seemed she was holding tightly, but in fact, she could not hold anything. Suddenly, another hand in the water covered hers, held her fists, and separated her clenched fingers one by one. Then he put his fingers between hers, interlaced with hers, and clenched tightly without letting go. Le Zhi raised her eyes in confusion and saw herself in his eyes, as well as the tenderness in his eyes. ¡°For the first time, it was in a dream.¡± Huo Du put a soft kiss on her forehead and smiled, ¡°With you.¡± Then he took the stunned person into his arms and pressed his lips to the tip of her ear. He said, ¡°Le Zhi, I only have you.¡± From the past to the present, from the present to the future. You will always be the only one. Le Zhi rested her chin softly on his shoulder, and his words clearly sunk to the bottom of her heart. She bent her lips unconsciously, leaned against the side of his neck happily, and kissed him gently. ¡ª After tossing for a long time, it was already the middle of the night when the two of them lay on the bed. Le Zhi opened her eyes and looked at the curtain on top, and her eyes were clear. She also felt very strange. She was obviously sore and tired, but her mind was very clear, without any sign of sleepiness. It¡¯s not good to sleep too long the day before! Perhaps they had broken through the last barrier between them. It was obviously the usual posture of hugging each other to sleep on weekdays, however, it made Le Zhi blush a little bit. She shrank her neck and drilled into his arms, trying to hide the embarrassment on her face. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Thinking that her actions disturbed him, Le Zhi moved her body outward and withdrew from his embrace. But he put his hand over her and pulled her into his arms again. The long fingers picked up her black hair and wrapped it around a few times, and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Le Zhi recalled for a moment and said, ¡°What happened to Chu Yan and soldiers of country Jiang?¡± Hearing this, the hand on her shoulder tightened lightly, and his eyes darkened. Huo Du lowered his eyes to look at her face. She was also looking at him, with some redness on the snowy cheeks, but the foxy eyes returned to clarity. Huo Du was angry but also found it laughable. The long night was full of sweetness. She was snuggling in his arms, so how could she still think of these things? Also¡­ was not it too unromantic! ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Huo Du raised his hand to poke her forehead. Le Zhi let out a soft snort and muttered in dissatisfaction, ¡°You¡¯re the stupid one.¡± Seeing that she was really not sleepy, Huo Du simply helped her up and let her lean on him. Then she brought her legs over, rolled up her trouser legs, and massaged her lower legs while explaining the whole sequence of events to her. From beginning to end, Chu Yan never had the heart to unite with country Jiang. After experiencing the extermination of the nation, how could he not know that for a big country, they were just chess pieces? How could it be possible for them to be a steppingstone for country Jiang? However, there were inevitably some people who have different hearts among the old tribesmen. They were secretly tempted by Lin Wanning and became Lin Wanning¡¯s chess pieces. The man who insulted Le Zhi in front of everyone before was one of them. Bribed the old tribesmen, united with country Jiang, and removed Huo Du. This was the chess game played by Lin Wanning in Shengyang City. However, after thousands of calculations, she did not expect that Chu Yan was just pretending to surrender. He just wanted to take this game to clean up the fraction. Regarding Huo Du, Chu Yan could not treat him like a family member, but he could not treat him coldly either. After all, blood was thicker than water. ¡°I see.¡± Le Zhi suddenly realized. Feeling that the hands that were massaging her legs gradually moved up, Le Zhi raised her eyes in astonishment and saw a pair of peach blossom eyes that gradually darkened. ¡°If you¡¯re really not sleepy, then¡­¡± ¡°Sleepy!¡± Le Zhi pushed his hand away and burrowed into the quilt. She shrank herself into a ball and buried her head in the quilt. Originally was to avoid the scorching gaze, but with the soft pillow, she gradually relaxed and closed her eyelids to fall asleep. Huo Du pulled the quilt to expose her little head to prevent her from suffocating in her sleep. Afterward, he turned over to get off the bed, brought a jar of ointment, and continued to push up her rolled-up trouser legs. Sure enough, both knees were a little red. His eyes moved slightly and scolded himself a few words in his heart. Then, dip some ointment on his fingertips and gently apply it to her. ¡ª The morning sun gradually revealed, and the warm sun leaked in a few rays through the window. Le Zhi opened her eyes and suddenly felt severe pain in her body. Turning her head, she looked at the culprit who was still asleep, and glared at him angrily. I really want to beat him up! However, his sleeping appearance added a little warmth compared to usual. She stretched out her palm and gently pressed his cheek, and a delicate softness came out of her heart. After a while, she carefully removed his arm from her waist and got off the bed softly and quietly. Le Zhi originally wanted to wash up in the bathroom, but as she stepped into the bathroom, the messy floor brought back the memories of last night. Her heart shrank, and her eyes fluttered to a high mirror standing on the right. The whole person was reflected in the mirror, and her eyes flickered, and she could clearly see the remaining handprint on the mirror. It was left behind by him. The broken images were gradually put together, and the knees seemed to be able to feel the coldness when they were touching the mirror. As soon as her lower legs softened, her body fell backward. She was firmly caught by a familiar embrace. Le Zhi pushed his hands away like a frightened bird, turned around, and saw the smile on his lips and the deepening eyes. She took two steps back and said vigilantly, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± The smile on Huo Du¡¯s face became even stronger. He nodded solemnly and responded with ¡°fine¡±. Then he took two steps toward her, hugged her gently, leaned over, and kissed the corner of her lips without desire. ¡°This mouth says no.¡± He let go of her, stepped back a little, his eyes slowly moved down, and chuckled, ¡°What about the other one?¡± The author has something to say£º Du: Scoff. I don¡¯t understand why the comment area is anxious about it. (Spreading hands) Zhi: Shameless!!! CH 83 Chapter 83 Scold Him ¡°Huo Du!¡± Le Zhi glared at him with anger, her face turned pale, and then gradually revealed a flush of redness, ¡°If you keep talking nonsense, I¡¯ll ignore you!¡± Seeing that she was really annoyed, Huo Du did not dare to tease her anymore. He just stepped forward and hugged her lightly, rubbing her head slowly. Like stroking her hair. After a short while, Huo Du carried her up. Le Zhi let out a low cry of surprise when her body suddenly rose in the air. Her eyes were flustered, and her tone of voice was aggrieved, ¡°I, I¡¯m still in pain¡­¡± She lied, except for the slight soreness and numbness in her waist, there was not much pain anywhere else. However, she was really tired, and it was daytime now. She did not want to go crazy with him! Huo Du let out a soft laugh, carried her to the edge of the dressing table, put her on it, and said, ¡°You this young lady, what are you thinking about in the broad daylight?¡± ¡°You!¡± Le Zhi choked, turned her head angrily, and ignored him. The warmer sunlight shone on the high mirror, reflecting brighter light. Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks were slightly hot, and she could not help but raise her eyes to stare at him. What a big tail wolf! When the bathing was over last night, she thought it was really ¡°over¡±. Who knew that when he raised his hand, all the cotton towels in the bathroom fell to the ground and spread out. Then he slowly tugged the cotton towel wrapped around her. This was the absurdity in front of the high mirror. Now he pretended to be dignified and awe-inspiring. At first glance, it could be seen that he was pretending! ¡°Tsk.¡± Huo Du took the toothpick and looked at her, ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s outstretched hand hung in the air. She was stunned for a moment and opened her cherry lips slightly. Huo Du carefully cleaned her teeth, cleaned her face, and cleaned himself up too. Then he took her hand and wiped her hands with a warm handkerchief. He wiped it very carefully with very little force as if he was afraid of hurting her tender white fingers. Le Zhi stared at his face, and the soft light was printed on his cold white skin, revealing a little warmth. An absurd idea suddenly appeared in her heart. If she and Huo Du were just two ordinary people, how great it would be if they could continue like this. Just thinking about it made her feel so wonderful that she yearned for it. This was the first time since the subjugation of the country, Le Zhi felt from the bottom of her heart that it seemed interesting to be alive. However, the wonderful thing was illusory after all, just like the warm sunlight outside which was covered by thick clouds and would disappear in an instant. Le Zhi saw that his face darkened a bit, and he turned to put the handkerchief away. The tip of her heart suddenly moved and she opened her arms and leaned around his neck, buried her soft cheeks in his neck, and rubbed hard. Struggling and wandering in the sad reality and sweet delusion, she was trapped in the meticulous love net laid out by her own hands, and it was difficult to escape. The overflowing sourness and grievances filled her heart, and she suddenly felt suffocated and uncomfortable that she wanted to cry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Huo Du hugged her and asked, ¡°Not feeling well?¡± Le Zhi shook her head, buried her face deeper, and said in a feeble voice, ¡°Let me hug you for a while.¡± A long time. After a long time, Lezhi felt that she was torn, pieced together, and torn again. She felt that she was about to be pulled beyond recognition. But rationality eventually prevailed and it was hard to ignore. She released him and put some distance between them. Then, she tentatively asked, ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t like children, do you?¡± Huo Du looked at the way her eyes were dodging and knew what she was thinking. He followed her expectations and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi was obviously relieved. She blinked away the inexplicable emotion in her eyes, and asked, ¡°Then, that child avoidance medicine¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Huo Du picked her up and walked to the bedroom. After Le Zhi got dressed, a small bright red porcelain bottle appeared in front of her. ¡°This is?¡± She took it and opened it, and saw small red pills. Le Zhi raised her eyes and saw Huo Du smiling at her, and she immediately understood what it was. She poured one out and put it in her mouth. The sweet taste melted between the lips and tongue. It was fragrant and sweet with a hint of rose honey, and the aftertaste was also slightly bitter with red ginseng. Is this the taste of the child avoidance medicine? Seeing that she was suspicious, Huo Du calmly explained, ¡°The improved one doesn¡¯t hurt the body.¡± I see. For the first time, Le Zhi thought that medical skills were so useful that she did not have to send someone to prepare the medicine. She put away the small porcelain bottle, and when she got up, she saw Huo Du¡¯s smiling appearance and her heart choked for no reason. If they had children, would they be more like Huo Du or more like her? There was no doubt that they would be a lovely children. The melted medicine slid into the throat, and the sweetness in the mouth gradually dissipated. Le Zhi recalled the bitterness at the corner of her lips and smiled silently. There would be no children between them. Fortunately, Huo Du did not like children. But in fact, she really liked children. Seeing her struggling with a sad face, Huo Du did not speak and just stared at her quietly. The night before she left, facing the seemingly endless crescent moon, his wish was that she could choose him. Huo Du, who never believed in Heaven, used great devotion when making this wish. Then, the wish really came true. During the days when he and Chu Yan locked down the city to lure the soldiers of country Jiang into the city, Huo Du had thought about this question. If Le Zhi knew the situation in Shengyang City, would she come to rescue him? He was sure that she would save him. But, with her rationality, she should not come by herself. Before the great revenge was avenged, she would not impulsively disregard her own life. However, she still came. She still came even with the long windy yellow sand, the cold wind like a knife, and the dangerous and uncertain road ahead. In this case, he would not give her another chance to leave. Her thoughts stayed on the matter of the child, and Le Zhi suddenly thought of her imperial brother¡¯s child, Yu¡¯er¡­ who was still in Huaxi City. ¡°Will you accompany me to Huaxi City?¡± She reached out to tug at Huo Du¡¯s sleeve and asked him softly. Huo Du pulled her up and said as he walked out, ¡°If you want to go, you have to go after breakfast.¡± The morning air carried a pleasant fragrance, Le Zhi walked beside him, looked down at the hands holding them together, and curved her lips unknowingly. Now, he had finally developed the habit of having breakfast. So good! ¡ª Because of Le Zhi¡¯s worries, the two set off for Huaxi City after breakfast. Unlike the last trip by herself, this time they brought a lot of soldiers in case of a rainy day. Someone from the country Jiang had already approached her sister-in-law, and Le Zhi worried that they would be unsafe if they stay in Huaxi City. Along the way, her eyelids twitched, and her heart could not calm down. After entering the city, the carriage headed towards the courtyard and Le Zhi¡¯s heart tightened when she lifted the curtain of the carriage to look at the gate of the courtyard. There was a group of strangers outside the gate, who seemed to know martial arts. Then she saw that Jing Xin was forcibly pulled out the gate, and her sister and Fu Xian were restrained. The soldiers she left in the courtyard were obviously no match for this group of people and could not stop them. ¡°Quick! Quickly!¡± Le Zhi turned pale and urged the coachman. But someone was faster than the coachman. An Xuan took the reins and galloped away with a gloomy face. When Le Zhi jumped out of the carriage, An Xuan was already fighting with the group of people and the sword movement made people frightened. ¡°Get someone to help An Xuan!¡± She looked at Huo Du anxiously. Huo Du looked at her leisurely with a calm expression. Initially, he wanted to tell her that these few people could not pose a threat to An Xuan, but seeing her cheeks reddened with anxiety, a teasing thought suddenly came to his mind. ¡°Help him?¡± He smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the benefit?¡± Le Zhi gave him a fierce look, feeling indignant in her heart. So good, so what good, it¡¯s all pretentious! She grabbed his palm angrily, scratched his palm fiercely with her slender fingertips, and threw his hand away fiercely. ¡°Someone.¡± Huo Du waved his hand, and the guards behind him were ordered to step forward and joined the fierce battle. Seeing the person beside him breathe a sigh of relief, he slowly raised his palm, looked at the slight red mark scratched by her, and smiled triumphantly. Tsk. What an unexpected joy. Finally, the fighting stopped, and the group of people was beaten to the ground. Le Zhi ran to the gate with her skirt up, held Jing Xin¡¯s trembling hand tightly, and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± But Jing Xin¡¯s lips were still trembling, and there was a hint of hesitation in her flustered eyes. At this time, a golden-brown sedan chair was slowly approaching, and after it stopped, the sedan curtain was lifted, and a tall elegant man walked out. ¡°Does His Highness Taizi want to interfere in my household affair?¡± The man looked in the direction of Jing Xin and then asked Huo Du with a smile. Seeing this, Huo Du sneered, ¡°Zhao Hengqi, when it¡¯s your turn to tell about this loneliness¡¯s mansion people?¡± Hearing this, the man¡¯s face darkened. How could his own sister become the maid of his mansion? Still so righteous, really hateful! But he knew in his heart that if he had a head-to-head confrontation with Huo Du, he would have no chance of winning, and he could only give up after thinking about it. ¡°I live in Pingyi Pavilion for the time being, and come find me after you thought about it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go back with you!¡± Jing Xin bit her lip and finally summoned the courage to shout at Zhao Hengqi. However, Zhao Hengqi just smiled indifferently, glanced at Jing Xin, sat back in the sedan chair, and left indifferently. But his arrival was enough to set off a wave, and countless mysteries hung in everyone¡¯s hearts. ¡°Let¡¯s go into the house first.¡± Le Jin said to the group of people who were standing outside the door in a daze. Le Zhi nodded and asked Lin Yue to support Jing Xin to go in. She had a bunch of questions in her heart that she wanted to ask Jing Xin. However, Jing Xin¡¯s face was pale, and still crying softly. Her incoherent appearance made her unable to bear to ask. Fortunately, An Xuan was called away by Huo Du, thinking that many things could be answered by asking him. After comforting Jing Xin, the sky was already pitch black. ¡°Take good care of her.¡± Lin Yue nodded earnestly, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry.¡± Le Zhi was anxious and hurriedly walked toward the bedroom. Pushing open the door, she saw a familiar figure in the dim candlelight. She hurried forward and asked, ¡°What did An Xuan say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not urgent, I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Not urgent? She was dying of anxiety. ¡°What are you doing in a daze?¡± Huo Du said with a bewitching tone, ¡°Come here.¡± Le Zhi immediately understood what he meant. There was no other way as she promised him during the day, and now she could only bite the bullet and step forward. The dimmer the candle, the hazier the room was. She sat on his lap, humming softly and turning her head away from him. ¡°Tsk, how to untie this?¡± He bit her ear tip and asked deliberately. Le Zhi scolded him a hundred times in her heart. A*shole, shameless, big tail wolf! He obviously untied it so quickly last night. She bit her lower lip, pulled the innerwear lace tie around the back of her neck with some force, and threw the innerwear into his face fiercely! Huo Du by no means was angry. He picked up her innerwear and put it in front of his nose to sniff it, and then leaned into her ear to whisper, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, it¡¯s just three times.¡± CH 84 Chapter 84 Moved Le Zhi could not remember when she fell asleep. When she woke up in a daze, she felt warm all over her body and still had the light fragrance of bathing on her body. Even her hair was spread out comfortably, and the fragrance of hibiscus flowers lingered in the nose. It was Huo Du who washed her after she fell asleep, and even dried her hair. Through the dim light in the curtain, she saw that Huo Du was putting on her bedclothes. His movements were very gentle as if he was afraid of waking her up. He carefully raised her arms and slipped them into the sleeves, then fastened the belt around her waist. Le Zhi¡¯s heart was sour and soft. He was always like this, bullying her wantonly when he was acting out, but he would be extremely gentle in countless details, making her irresistibly addicted. The next moment, Huo Du raised his eyes and looked over. When he saw that she was staring at him quietly with her eyes open, a smile gradually emerged from the bottom of her eyes. The four eyes were facing each other, and the wet foxy eyes glowed brightly, imprinted on the bottom of his eyes which was brighter than the stars. After looking at each other for a while, Le Zhi suddenly reached out her hand to wrap her arms around his waist and pulled him towards her with a slight force of her hand. Only in a semi-dazed state, she could obey her heart without any hesitation. With their lips pressed together, Le Zhi first kissed lightly, then opened his teeth gently, and then kissed him passionately. It was not until the breathing of the two people started to become chaotic that Le Zhi¡¯s heart trembled, and then she released him after realizing it. ¡°Just now you cried and shouted tired.¡± Huo Du smiled as he hugged the person, bit the tip of her ear, and asked, ¡°And now come to seduce me again? Huh?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Le Zhi buried her face against his chest and shyly denied it softly. ¡°No what?¡± Huo Du deliberately misinterpreted her meaning, ¡°No crying or no tiring?¡± There was no chance of winning a quick argument with him. Le Zhi knew this very well, so she pursed her lips and did not say anything. Even if she got a bargain, he would even deliberately tease her. The more Le Zhi thought about it, the more unhappy she became, and the bolder she became. She nestled in his arms and said in a serious tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I just want to kiss you, can¡¯t I?¡± Not sure if it was an illusion or not, Le Zhi felt the body of the person holding her freeze slightly, but it was only a moment before he returned to normal. After a long time, she did not hear Huo Du¡¯s answer. Le Zhi gradually closed her sleepy eyelids, and when she was about to fall into a deep sleep, a burst of warmth suddenly brushed her ear. The gentle voice came to her ear as if a soft feather fell on her heart. He only said four words¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a great honor.¡± ¡ª The next day. Before Huo Du could tell her the whole story, Jing Xin waited outside the bedroom door in a daze, waiting to see her. Le Zhi saw that the sky was getting brighter outside, so she took Jing Xin to the back garden to talk about it in detail. ¡°Master, I, I remembered everything¡­¡± Jing Xin¡¯s eyes were swollen, she obviously had been crying all night. At this moment, she was standing in front of Le Zhi with her hands twisting the handkerchief, and her voice was hoarse. Hearing this, Le Zhi pulled her to sit down on the stone chair and nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t b anxious, speak slowly.¡± ¡°That person yesterday, he is¡­ he is my brother.¡± ¡°Zhao Hengqi?¡± Le Zhi was a little surprised. When she woke up in the morning, Huo Du told her some legends about the Zhao family in the country Jiang when he held her in his arms to wash up. Among the five countries, the country Jiang was located in the northwest with barren land and an unpleasant climate which was at a disadvantage over other countries. Now that the country Li had been wiped out and the Shengnuo tribe had long since been embezzled, Huo Changyun had not yet attacked the weak country Jiang. The reason lay in the Zhao family. Since the founding of the Great Jiang, the Zhao family had been the barrier guarding the Great Jiang. The Zhao family was loyal and had been the commander in chief for generations. Zhao Lin, the father of Zhao Hengqi, was the resounding general of the country Jiang. However, when it came to Zhao Hengqi¡¯s generation, he did not follow the path of military generals that the Zhao family had followed for generations. He was fond of literature and became the youngest top scorer in the country Jiang. At present, he served as the Taifu* of the country Jiang. (Taifu* ¨C the official responsible for teaching the prince, assists the monarch) The emperor of the country Jiang was old, while the Taizi was young. The Zhao family¡¯s father and son occupied the two major positions, a court official and military general, which inevitably caused a lot of suspicions. There had long been rumors that the Zhao family had a different intention and attempted to usurp the throne. Whether the rumors were true or false, no one knew. Unexpectedly, Jing Xin was the daughter of the Zhao family. The corners of Jing Xin¡¯s eyes turned red, and she nodded, ¡°I have had an unbearable headache recently, and I finally remembered everything a few days ago. My father, my father arranged a marriage for me and promised me to the eldest son of the imperial censor. I didn¡¯t want to, but my father insisted on it. My brother has a cold temperament and has not been close to me since he was a child. I have no other way than to think of a way to escape the marriage.¡± Speaking of the sadness, she lowered her eyes and wept. Le Zhi reached out and patted her shoulder lightly, trying to comfort her. After she calmed down a bit, she continued to tell the whole story. The reason why she resisted this marriage so much lay in the son of the imperial censor. This person was a well-known dandy son of Great Jiang, with numerous concubines and a frequent visitor to brothels. These were not the most important things. The most terrifying thing about him was that he had some special hobbies. The corpses of the concubines were often carried out from the back door of the imperial censor¡¯s mansion and thrown into the mass graves. Some people saw that those corpses were covered with bruises, some were whipped, and some were scalded. ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid, I¡¯m really afraid.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened, she held Jing Xin¡¯s trembling palm and said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t let them bully you with me here.¡± She did not know why Zhao Lin had to give Jing Xin to such a beast, but as a father, he would push his daughter into the fire pit which was really hateful! ¡°No!¡± Jing Xin shook her head suddenly, her tears falling one by one like a broken thread, ¡°Master, I can¡¯t implicate you.¡± Following Le Zhi these days was the happiest time since she lost her memory. But she knew that the situation of the master was also full of crisis, and she did not want to make the master enemies with her brother because of herself. Her brother¡¯s responsibilities had been heavy since childhood. Her master¡¯s very step was already difficult enough, and she could not cause trouble for her master. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I have never regarded you as a burden.¡± Le Zhi frowned and said, ¡°And An Xuan¡­¡± The sobbing gradually stopped, and Jing Xin¡¯s face became more worried. An Xuan¡­ Jing Xin always thought that he did not like her. But all this time, he was always by her side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it all to me.¡± After Le Zhi calmed Jing Xin down, she then carefully understood the relationship between An Xuan and Jing Xin from Huo Du. After thinking about it, again and again, she decided to go to Pingyi Pavilion after dinner to have friendly chat with Zhao Hengqi. She would definitely take care of Jing Xin¡¯s matter. But just after finishing the dinner, Lin Yue hurried into the dining hall with an anxious face, ¡°Master, Jing Xin is gone!¡± ¡°What?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face sank as she stood up and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. In the afternoon, Jing Xin said that she wanted to take a break. But I didn¡¯t see her leaving her room until dinner time. So I pushed the door in, and the bed was neat, but Jing Xin was gone.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart tightened. The silly girl would not go to her brother, would she? What if¡­ what if she was caught and forced to go back! She faced Huo Du and was about to speak, but a voice was faster than hers. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me. This subordinate must go. If there is still life to come back, this subordinate will definitely repay Your Highness for your hospitality in the past few years.¡± After he finished speaking, before Huo Du could reply, An Xuan hurried out and disappeared into the darkness. ¡°Xiao Ming, hurry up and keep up with him!¡± Le Zhi hurriedly called people and asked them to rush to help An Xuan. But she felt that the people Zhao Hengqi brought were not limited to those outside the mansion yesterday. She was afraid that it would be difficult for Xia Ming and the others to deal with when they went over. ¡°Your Highness, I¡­¡± Le Zhi wanted to ask him to borrow soldiers, but it was a little hard to speak out. After all, it involved two countries and became an enemy with Zhao Hengqi rashly might not have a very good chance of winning. She wanted to help Jing Xin, and she did not want to put Huo Du in danger. ¡°What do you want? Say it.¡± Huo Du stood up and smiled wantonly, ¡°Give me a kiss, and I¡¯ll promise you.¡± She was so anxious that her little face was wrinkled into a ball. He¡¯s still in the mood to tease! Le Zhi bit her lip and looked at him resentfully. ¡°Tsk, your temper is really getting bigger and bigger.¡± Huo Du took a few steps forward, put his arms around her shoulders, and led her out, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take you to see a good show.¡± ¡°What?¡± Le Zhi was at a loss, but she felt a lot more settled in her heart. ¡°You¡¯ll know in a while.¡± ¡ª On the outskirts of Huaxi City. A gorgeous carriage was surrounded by a group of secret guards, and standing outside the circle was An Xuan who was full of murderous spirits. At this moment, a dark blue figure stepped out of the carriage, passed the secret guards, and faced An Xuan. He hooked his lips, ¡°An Xuan, you still dare to come?¡± ¡°Let her go.¡± An Xuan said concisely. The smile on Zhao Hengqi¡¯s face grew stronger, but the coldness in his eyes was bottomless, ¡°What qualifications do a slave who raises horses in the General Mansion to say such a thing?¡± A slave who raises horses. An Xuan¡¯s heart was stabbed. Yes, there was no match between him and her. Thoughts drifted away, An Xuan recalled the day when he first arrived at the General Mansion when he was young. Jing Xin, no, her name should be Zhao Jingyu, the only daughter of General Zhao. That day, she wore a blue and white dress and flew a kite with her maid in the backyard. From then on, the kite had taken root in his heart. As a noble girl, she had no friends since she was a child. The young master of the family was aloof and the relationship between the brother and sister was indifferent. An Xuan thought that he would not interact with her until the day she came to the stable. ¡°Your name is An Xuan, isn¡¯t it? I want to learn to ride a horse, can you help me choose a more docile horse?¡± She smiled at him, and he always remembered how warm the sun was that day. Later, she often came to the stable to talk to him, and their interaction gradually increased. But An Xuan knew in his heart that the distance between them was just like the kite, it looked close, but actually far away. They would not have the slightest possibility. He did not care either as he just hoped that she could marry a good husband and live a good life. However, the old general promised her such a person. She came to him with red eyes. Although she did not say it clearly, he could understand her meaning, and she hoped he could take her away. How could he not want to? However, without name and status, how could he do this? She finally left in disappointment, and late at night a few days later, he saw her secretly leaving the General Mansion with a bag on her back. He was shocked and quickly followed. But he dared not step forward, only dared to follow her from a distance. When she was walking on the mountain road, she accidentally stepped into an empty space and fell down the hill. She forgot everything. But the people from the General Mansion followed closely, and he could only think of a way to let different people lead her to Great Qi along the way. From beginning to end, he dared not show up. But this was not the way to go on. So, after arriving in Great Qi, he came up with an idea. He was deliberately caught and sold to a slave market. To avoid the people from the Zhao family, he had to find greater shelter. In Great Qi, apart from the emperor, which had great shelter than the taizi? ¡­But in the end, they were still found by Zhao Hengqi. An Xuan was not afraid at all and said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m not qualified, but no one can force her.¡± ¡°Oh, after staying with Taizi of Great Qi for a long time, you¡¯ve learned to be so arrogant.¡± Zhao Hengqi raised his hand, and the secret guards raised their swords and thrust at An Xuan. With all the top masters, An Xuan could not resist, and even Xia Ming, who had rushed over, was blocked outside and could not get close to the carriage. Not long after, An Xuan was beaten half to his knees, and a lot of blood oozed from the corners of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance, get out immediately and I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Zhao Heng¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. But An Xuan touched the ground with the tip of his sword, stood up tremblingly, and did not take a step back. ¡°You really don¡¯t want your life?¡± ¡°Cut the crap and give your order.¡± Zhao Hengqi narrowed his eyes, stared at An Xuan for a moment, then raised his hand to let the guards retreat. The person in the carriage was finally released, and she hurriedly got off the carriage and ran to An Xuan¡¯s side. Seeing the blood on his body and lips, Jing Xin¡¯s eyes were covered in mist, ¡°How are you? Does it hurt?¡± But An Xuan just stared at her in a daze and shook his head. Upon seeing this, Zhao Hengqi smiled, then turned around with peace of mind, and prepared to leave with the secret guards. ¡°Brother!¡± Jing Xin called to him. Zhao Hengqi paused, turned his head slightly, and said coldly, ¡°After tonight, there will be no longer Zhao Jingyu in the world.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The faint thanks reached his ears, and Zhao Hengqi did not stop but continued to walk with his legs raised. An Xuan will do. Although he was not very satisfied with this silly brother-in-law. If it were not for his secret help, this fool still did not know if he could bring his sister to the country Qi. But in the end, he was wholeheartedly devoted to his sister, and after seeing it over the past few years, he was relieved. He would do his best to prevent his sister from returning to the devil¡¯s cave in the Zhao family. Those demons naturally needed demons to stop them. Now, he had nothing to worry about anymore. After Zhao Hengqi was far away, Jing Xin turned her head and looked at the person in front of him. She could not help but threw herself into his arms. The tall figure was stunned, and after a long time, he slowly raised his hand and carefully wrapped his arms around her waist. The moonlight was quiet, falling on them and pulling the hugging figures very very long. From the moment An Xuan gave her his heart, there had been no Zhao Jingyu in the world. I give you my heart, from now on, there is only Jing Xin. In the distance, two people were looking at this beautiful scene quietly. ¡°Is the show good?¡± The corners of Le Zhi¡¯s eyes had been wet and red for a long time, and a few tears fell down when she nodded her head. She raised her hand and wiped away those tears casually. She said in a thick nasal voice, ¡°Finally, their hardships are over.¡± After a pause, she said with emotion again, ¡°An Xuan is not bad!¡± She was really happy for Jing Xin from the bottom of her heart. Hearing this, the man standing beside her frowned and turned his head to look at her with a bad complexion, ¡°Not bad?¡± Is it necessary to be so engrossed in watching a play? Why are you so moved? Tsk. The author has something to say£º Du: That¡¯s it? That¡¯s it? That¡¯s it? CH 85 Chapter 85 Mischief ¡°Yes, ah!¡± Le Zhi was still immersed in the joy, unaware of the other meanings in the words of the person beside her. After a while, she realized something was wrong. She turned her head to see Huo Du¡¯s indifferent expression, and her black eyes were looking at her with a solemn expression. Knowing it, she hurriedly took a few steps closer to him. But it obviously did not work. Huo Du reached out his hand to hold her face and turned it gently. ¡°If it¡¯s not bad, then watch him a little more.¡± After a pause, he tutted softly as if regretfully, ¡°Unfortunately, he belongs to someone else.¡± These words simply made the night breeze sour. Le Zhi could not bear it any longer and burst out laughing. Seeing that the corners of her eyes and brows were curled up with joy, Huo Du withdrew his hand, and his complexion became even darker. Seeing this, Le Zhi quickly hugged his arm, and a pair of smiling foxy eyes stared at him. ¡°This is?¡± Huo Du¡¯s tone was cold, puzzled. ¡°Look at you.¡± Le Zhi curved her lips and said, ¡°What Your Highness said is right, there is nothing to see in others.¡± Huo Du was slightly startled. Her smiling eyes seemed to be soaked with honey, and even her words were sweet. He turned his head away unnaturally, unwilling to let her discover the curve at the corners of his lips. This awkward look fell into Le Zhi¡¯s eyes, and her mood became cheerier and cheerier. She was about to reach out to tug at the tips of his slightly red ears, but she heard a burst of soft laughter not far behind her. Huo Du obviously heard it too, turned around at the same time as her, and saw Zhao Hengqi walking towards them. ¡°Your Highness and Taizifei are in good mood.¡± Le Zhi was stunned for a moment, not understanding why he returned after he left. Huo Du, on the other hand, was much more indifferent. He said slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t I have to thank Lord Zhao for putting on such a good show?¡± Zhao Hengqi smiled, opened his mouth to Huo Du, and said concisely, ¡°I owe Your Highness a favor. If there is a need in the future, please send someone to pass me a message at any time.¡± After a pause, he looked at Le Zhi again, ¡°Same for Taizifei.¡± Le Zhi was puzzled. In the past few years, Jing Xin had been hiding in the Eastern Palace and the Prince Mansion, which could be considered as shelter. He said that he owed Huo Du a favor, which was reasonable. But for her, was not it seemed unacceptable? Seeing Le Zhi¡¯s doubts, Zhao Hengqi explained lightly, ¡°Thank you Taizifei for teaching my sister.¡± His younger sister, who has lost her memory these years, had been hiding in the Eastern Palace of country Qi. He knew that she was bullied by the palace maids, but he could not take any action. Until Great Li was destroyed, and the princess of country Li married Huo Du. Unexpectedly, she asked Jing Xin to be her personal maid. Zhao Hengqi was suspicious since he was a child, and secretly sent someone to stare at this Taizifei, fearing that she had the intention to use her sister. However, she just wanted to use Jing Xin to exchange favor with An Xuan, other than that, she did not take advantage of Jing Xin. More importantly, she treated people with sincerity. Since she followed her, her younger sister¡¯s mood had improved a lot and her smile had increased. She even began to have her own thoughts and ideas, and she was no longer the fragile little girl. He put spies in the country Qi and was vaguely aware of Le Zhi¡¯s plans. He had heard rumors that the princess of country Li was very beautiful, but he was not very interested. Her beauty was not attractive to him. But the things she did after the subjugation of the country and her help to her sister made him very curious. So, this time he came to Huaxi City, in addition to dealing with his sister, he also wanted to see the former princess with his own eyes. Outside Shengyang City that day, the yellow sand was all over the sky, and the unwavering figure of her leading the mighty soldiers outside the city gate lingered in his mind. Such a woman was described as beautiful and gorgeous, which showed that the world was really superficial. Just now as he watched the two laughing under the bright moonlight, he could not help but feel sad. It¡¯s a pity. Such a pity. Zhao Hengqi admitted that he admired and was moved, but it was really irrational to be the enemy of the Taizi of country Qi for the sake of mere emotions. He would never do such a foolish thing. Moreover, there should be no one by his side. He should walk alone all his life. Zhao Hengqi put away all the emotions that should not have been in his mind and said, ¡°Farewell.¡± Huo Du nodded expressionlessly, but Le Zhi smiled politely at him to say goodbye. Looking at his departing figure, Le Zhi was puzzled. She remembered that the country Jiang¡¯s people had found his sister-in-law, intending to use Yu¡¯er, and even joined forces with Lin Wanning to make Huo Du die in Shengyang City. But Zhao Hengqi¡­ did not seem to have such intention. ¡°Strange¡­¡± she frowned and muttered in a low voice. Huo Du seemed to see the confusion in her heart and said, ¡°The one who joined forces with Lin Wanning is Zhao Hengqi¡¯s father, Zhao Lin.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes in surprise, unable to understand the complexity of the Zhao family. ¡°From the beginning to the end, it was only Zhao Lin who intended to rebel.¡± Seeing the little fox in front of him with a rare expression of confusion, Huo Du smiled and squeezed her cheek, and then asked back, ¡°Otherwise, how do you think that the old emperor and the frail prince of country Jiang could sit firmly?¡± Le Zhi finally understood. Naturally, it was because of Zhao Hengqi. It turned out that the rumors were indeed true and that the Zhao family had long been plotting to rebel. However, even Zhao Lin did not expect that his only son would be so loyal to the monarch. Even if he did not know about martial arts, his father was no match for him. Therefore, he had to unite with other countries. The distant figure gradually blurred, Huo Du raised his eyelids, and his eyes darkened. He understood Zhao Hengqi¡¯s eyes just now, but fortunately, he stopped in time. Huo Du was not surprised at all that he would like Le Zhi. Who doesn¡¯t like his little fox? It was just that they could like her, but if they had other thoughts, they would be courting death. Fortunately, Zhao Hengqi was a smart person and knew how to weigh the pros and cons. Thinking of this, Huo Du smiled suddenly. Weigh the pros and cons? If one really likes a person, the heart is full of that person, how can one separate the mind to weigh the pros and cons? Ever since he brought An Xuan back from the slave market, Huo Du had not cared much about his and Jing Xin¡¯s original identities. It was not until Jing Xin went to work by Le Zhi¡¯s side that he deliberately went to check it out. He could not leave a hidden danger besides the little fox, right? Later, Zhao Hengqi sent someone to inquire about the situation of his sister, and he also knew it. The reason why he let it go was that he knew a fact. For Zhao Hengqi, it was more beneficial to be a friend than an enemy. Just because he had no martial arts skills, he could make many martial arts masters in the country Jiang willingly be his secret guards, which showed his subtle scheming. Huo Du was certain that in the near future, Zhao Hengqi would be able to defeat Zhao Lin, help the young emperor, and establish a new order for the Jiang country. Now, in addition to being in alliance with the country Ning, there was also favor from Zhao Hengqi in his hands. Then, his plan should be smoother. ¡°Are you still watching?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Le Zhi was still thinking about all things between Zhao Hengqi and the country Jiang. When she heard Huo Du¡¯s question, she was stunned for a while. Following his eyes, he saw two people embracing each other in the night, with their foreheads touching as if they were saying something sweet and tender. If they continued to look more, perhaps it would be disrespectful! Le Zhi¡¯s snowy cheeks flushed red, and hurriedly tugged at his sleeve, ¡°Don¡¯t look anymore, let¡¯s go back.¡± However, the carriage that had just brought them here was too conspicuous, so they let the driver go back first. Now it looked like they had to walk back on foot. Fortunately, Huaxi City was only a small town, and the outskirts were not far from the city. Perhaps she was in a happy mood, Le Zhi felt that the moonlight tonight had become much softer. Taking advantage of the white cool moonlight, she lowered her eyes to look carefully at Huo Du¡¯s right leg. Step by step, he walked very steadily. There was no sign of the feebleness of the past. She curled her lips, and the smile on her face became even more intense, and along the night breeze, she suddenly had some ideas in her heart. ¡°Aiya!¡± She staggered deliberately, then stopped and said aggrievedly, ¡°I twisted my foot.¡± Huo Du held her with great cooperation, looking at her poor acting skills with complexity, but he still followed her intention, walked to her, and squatted in front of her, ¡°Come up.¡± ¡°En!¡± The corners of Le Zhi¡¯s lips curved, and she climbed onto his back as she wished. Huo Du carried her on his back and walked slowly along the forest path. Even with her on his back, he still walked steadily, which finally reassured Le Zhi. When passing through a plum forest, she also broke a red plum branch. ¡°Does it look good?¡± She held the plum branch in front of his eyes, ¡°Shall we take it back and put it in the bedroom?¡± Today was the happiest day, and people always wanted to keep the joy a little longer. So, she broke the plum branch, as if looking at it, she could think of the happiness at this time. ¡°Sure.¡± Huo Du also had a smile in his voice. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes curled up, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the tips of his ears seemed to be redder than before. Out of curiosity, she reached out her hand to pinch it gently. A touch of warm feeling came from the fingertips. She was so playful that she went to pinch his other ear. Until both ears became the same red. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du said, his voice a little hoarse, ¡°Don¡¯t be mischief.¡± Le Zhi turned her head and saw a rare trace of embarrassment on his face. She was instantly overjoyed and planned to continue to be mischievous. But this time, she did not pinch it with her hands, but put her face close to him and gently touched his earlobe with her soft lips. After playing for some time, Huo Du¡¯s ears gradually became burning hot, so hot that even the neck was stained with a layer of red. As soon as his footsteps stopped, he turned his head slightly and said in a deep voice, ¡°You are so bold that you think I won¡¯t do anything to you here, do you?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s heart tightened, she shyly hugged his neck in panic and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m wrong.¡± Continuing to walk forward, Le Zhi instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking of what she had just done, she was a little embarrassed to continue to lie to him. She leaned her head closer to his and admitted her mistake softly, ¡°Put me down. I didn¡¯t¡¯ twist my foot¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± But Huo Du did not stop, just chuckled. It seemed that he knew it long ago. Le Zhi retracted her arms and hugged him tighter with a smile. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± ¡°Um?¡± He smiled and commented, ¡°Your acting skill is very bad.¡± Le Zhi snorted in dissatisfaction, her eyes moved slightly, and she quietly leaned down to bite the tip of his ear. Just like how he had bitten her. This time, Huo Du completely sank his face, and the color in his eyes became darker. He suddenly quickened his pace, walking faster and faster, and whispered a warning as he walked, ¡°Are you sure?¡± She really overplayed it. Le Zhi¡¯s heart was clear, it seemed that she could not escape tonight. Even if she stopped now, he would not let her go. In this case, it was better to play for a while. So, she moved her lips to the side of his neck and kissed it hard. The author has something to say£º Zhi: Exciting!!! Du: ¡­ very good (smile) CH 86 justforfuntrans12-15 minutes 38 Chapter 86 Uncle After Le Zhi had enough fun, she used Huo Du¡¯s shoulder as a pillow and fell asleep in a daze. Her cheeks were against the side of his neck, and the warm breath she exhaled brushed against the skin on his neck, making his body stiffer. The back of the white hand was resting in front of his eyes, he lowered his head slightly, and kissed her fingers. Because of her mischiefs just now, Huo Du¡¯s cool lips were stained with a slightly hot temperature. Touching the back of her hand at this time made the sleeping person tremble instinctively and let out a soft murmur unconsciously. But in the end, she was surrounded by the familiar faint scent, and instead of awakening, she held him even tighter. Following Huo Du¡¯s footsteps, the person on his back could not help but sway slightly, and her lips lightly pecked on his neck as she swayed. The moonlight was intoxicating, and the plum branches were fragrant in the wind. Huo Du¡¯s peach blossom eyes were filled with tenderness and¡­ burning strangely. The long and sweet breath was close to his ears. He turned his eyes slightly, curved his lips, and a little light gradually emerged from the bottom of his eyes. The little fox sleep really well. Then, you don¡¯t have to sleep tonight. ¡ª He had planned to carry her directly back to the bedroom, but, when he walked to the gate of the courtyard, he unexpectedly heard the cries of a child coming from inside. Huo Du frowned, and before he could cover her ears, the person on his back had already woken up. ¡°¡­It¡¯s Yu¡¯er!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she woke up suddenly. She hurriedly jumped off Huo Du¡¯s back and rushed in. But her eyes were still dazed, she did not pay attention to her feet, tripped over the gate threshold, and fell inward. Fortunately, a pair of big hands wrapped around her waist and held her back. ¡°Be careful.¡± Huo Du¡¯s voice was a little heavy but seeing the person in front of him with her head lowered aggrievedly, he lost his breath in an instant. He sighed in his heart, took her hand, and walked in steadily. There was chaos in the front hall, and everyone was at a loss looking at Le Yu¡¯s crying. Neither Le Jin nor Lin Yue had any experience in raising children, and the other men did not know what to do either. They had to take turns coaxing him incompetently, but with little success. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Le Zhi walked in with her skirt lifted, her face full of anxiety. ¡°Zhizhi! You¡¯re finally back.¡± As if seeing a savior, Le Jin hurried to Le Zhi¡¯s side and said to her in a low voice, ¡°Sister-in-law left a letter and left.¡± Left? Le Zhi took the letter from Le Jin and opened it with a frown. The more she looked at it, the more somber her expression became. Sister-in-law¡­ Does she really don¡¯t want Yu¡¯er? Le Yu¡¯s cry became louder and louder and kept calling his mother, mother¡­ Because he cried for too long, his voice became hoarse. Le Zhi¡¯s heart tightened when she heard this, extremely agonizing. She walked to Le Yu and squatted down, took out the handkerchief and wiped the tears on his little face. Looking at her little nephew¡¯s red eyes, her eyes could not help but reddened too, and said in a choked voice, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. Yu¡¯er is a good boy, there¡¯s little aunt here¡­¡± ¡°Woohoo¡­ little aunt, woohoo¡­¡± Although Le Yu was small, he was already a little sensible. In his ignorance, he also realized that his mother did not seem to want him anymore. Over the past few days, his father disappeared, his mother took him to hide, and now his mother was gone too, his whole being was enveloped in fear. There was only infinite fear. Therefore, he could not stop crying. Le Zhi was also suffocated with pain in her heart and could not help crying as she could not think of any way to stop Yu¡¯er¡¯s crying. She could only wipe his tears and comfort him softly. At this moment, a familiar figure crouched down beside her. Then she saw Huo Du turn Yu¡¯er¡¯s body towards him and asked, ¡°Do you still want to cry?¡± Le Yu stared blankly at the unfamiliar handsome face with teary eyes and nodded. Hearing this, Huo Du picked him up, sat on the soft chair, put the little man on his lap, and said, ¡°Then continue.¡± Le Zhi, who was held up by Lin Yue at the aside, and everyone in the hall looked a little stunned. Xiao Yu¡¯er was also stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and sobbed softly. But this time, after a while, he stopped crying. The little head swayed, and his thoughts were a little chaotic. Just now, the big aunt and the little aunt kept comforting him in a low voice, but he felt uncomfortable and could not stop crying if he wanted to. But this good-looking uncle allowed him to cry, and he did not want to cry anymore. ¡°Have you finished crying?¡± Le Yu timidly ¡°en¡± and wiped his face with his chubby little hand, but the tears and snot on his face were mixed together, which was dirty and difficult to wipe off. Suddenly, a large sleeve appeared in front of him. It was the good-looking uncle¡¯s sleeve. He pulled over carefully and wiped his own face. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Huo Du put his palm on his head and asked softly. Le Yu blinked and sniffed, ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°Then go back to the room and sleep.¡± Huo Du stood up with him in his arms and handed him over to Lin Yue. Everyone was surprised to see this scene. Xiao Yu¡¯er let Lin Yue hold it peacefully, but his eyes kept looking at Huo Du, and there was a novelty in his doubts. ¡°Who, who are you?¡± Children could not hide things in their hearts, so he asked directly when he had any doubts. Huo Du just looked at Le Zhi and did not answer. None of the people present made a sound. This question was too difficult to answer. Between the country Li and the country Qi, between the Le family and the Huo family. The resentment between them was really hard to explain now. But the child did not know the reason, and no one knew how to explain all this to him. Huo Du naturally knew their entanglement, but all he cared about was Le Zhi¡¯s thoughts. So, he did not answer, just waited patiently for Le Zhi to speak. However, she did not speak for a long time. Huo Du smiled knowingly, and instructed Lin Yue, ¡°Carry him in first.¡± It did not matter. He never wanted to force her. ¡°Wait!¡± Le Zhi suddenly made a sound, stopping Lin Yue who had just turned around. She walked to Le Yu¡¯s side, raised her hand to rub his head, and told him clearly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, he is your little uncle.¡± Little uncle? Le Yu still did not fully understand the addresses of his relatives, but there was only a one-word difference between the little aunt and the little uncle, so he should be very close to his little aunt, right? So, he turned his head and blinked at Huo Du, and said softly in a childish tone, ¡°Little Uncle¡­¡± Hearing this, Huo Du¡¯s heart flashed a feeling he had never felt before. He suppressed the emotions in his heart, took a few steps forward, imitated Le Zhi, reached out his hand to rub Le Yu¡¯s head, and then ¡°en¡± softly. It was late at night, and everyone was tired, so Le Yu¡¯s matter had to be discussed tomorrow. Le Zhi was listless and had no strength at all, so she let Huo Du bathe her by holding her, wipe her body, and put on her bedclothes. Then she sat blankly on the soft chair, staring blankly at the red plum that was brought back. It turned out that happiness was really hard to keep. After a while, Huo Du came out of the bathroom. He walked slowly to Le Zhi¡¯s side, put one arm around her shoulders, and the other under her knees, and picked up the absent-minded her. Until the two of them leaned against the soft pillow together and lay on the soft bed. Le Zhi leaned against his chest, and the corners of her eyes turned red, but she tried her best to endure it and did not want to cry. Also¡­ she could not cry. Many people were depending on her now, and she needed to be strong. The more she was like this, the more she could not cry. ¡°Why is it the little aunt worse than the nephew?¡± There was a voice above her head, and Le Zhi lifted her head to look at him. She was confused and did not understand the meaning of his words for a while. ¡°Even children know that they have to cry when they are sad. For what are you holding back?¡± She knew that Huo Du had seen it. She thought that her expression must be ugly at this time, and he could easily see through her. Or maybe she did not plan to hide it from him at all, so she showed her truest vulnerability in front of him. But she still held back with great difficulty, she said in a low, hoarse voice, ¡°But I¡¯m not a child anymore.¡± ¡°Indeed you¡¯re not a child anymore.¡± Huo Du took her into his arms, caressed her soft hair with his palm, and said in a clear and soft, ¡°You¡¯re my baby.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°So, you can cry in my arms.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were boundless, and her heart was both startled and sour. He always had a way to draw out her tears. So, she leaned on his heart and shed the tears that had been held back for a while. She cried for a long time, the suffocation and pain in her heart dissipated with the tears. She just felt bad for Yu¡¯er, he lost her parents at a young age. ¡°What about Yu¡¯er? He¡¯s still so young¡­¡± She whimpered, not knowing what to do. Even with her aunt, it was difficult to replace the mother¡¯s position. ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about it? I¡¯ll send someone to get her back.¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Le Zhi hurriedly raised her eyes and shook her head vigorously, ¡°Sister-in-law, sister-in-law is also suffering¡­¡± She told Huo Du the past of her imperial brother and sister-in-law in detail. It was her imperial brother who made the mistake first. She could understand her sister-in-law¡¯s decision and did not want to force her sister-in-law to take care of Yu¡¯er. Her sister-in-law had the right to choose her own life, and Le Zhi did not want to delay her anymore. It was just that Yu¡¯er was really pitiful, and her heart was uncomfortable. The child was the most innocent. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say, he still has this little aunt?¡± Huo Du leaned over slightly, kissed her hair, and said, ¡°Now there is an extra little uncle.¡± Le Zhi raised her tearful eyes and looked at him deeply with her teary eyes. Huo Du had a faint smile on his face. He raised his hand and wiped away the remaining tears from the corner of her eyes with his fingers, and then calmly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Don¡¯t worry, and don¡¯t be afraid. There is me here. Le Zhi immediately stopped crying, and her messy heart gradually calmed down. Almost unconsciously, she leaned over, gently kissed the corner of his lips, and then backed away. Seeing that she was much better, Huo Du let her lie down, pulled the brocade quilt over to cover her, then held her face and leaned over to kiss her. He lowered the curtain of the bed, hugged her, and muttered, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± In the dim bed, only a trace of candlelight streamed in through the gap. ¡°Is the little uncle not bullying me tonight?¡± A soft voice came to his ears, and Huo Du could not help but chuckle in the darkness. His little fox was really stupid, she was indeed stupid at times. In such a situation today, it would be too unreasonable for him to bully her again, right? ¡°No bullying.¡± He curved his lips and said, ¡°Just owe it first.¡± Le Zhi did not answer. After a while, Huo Du thought that she must have fallen asleep, so he closed his eyes. However, ¡­ ¡°But I still want you to bully me.¡± The low, humming sound came from being buried in the quilt. Huo Du almost suspected that he heard it wrong. When he opened his eyes to look at the person beside him, a warm breath reached him. Even in the dark, Le Zhi could accurately find his lips and kiss them passionately. Huo Du was stunned for a moment. Until a soft hand wrapped around his waist and used her fingertips to untie the belt of his bedclothes. The author has something to say£º Zhi: Surprised or not surprised? Du: My whole body is burning¡­ (Shocked plus) CH 87 Chapter 87 Bid Farewell The heater in the room was burning brightly, and the faint soothing incense mixed with a trace of red plum blossoms drifted into the bed. And the breath of the two people who were entangled in the bed was a little chaotic, and the temperature on each of them was getting higher and higher. At this time, there was a knock on the door sounded, low but clear. Le Zhi became lucid almost instantly, she panted and pushed him away, her cheeks were so red like blood was dripping, ¡°I¡¯ll open the door.¡± After that, she put on her bedclothes loosely, opened the curtain of the bed, and was about to get off the bed. But her wrist was held back, she turned her head and saw the redness in Huo Du¡¯s eyes that had not yet faded, and her heart trembled slightly. ¡°Let go of me! There must be something urgent coming at this hour.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Huo Du said in a deep voice, pulled her back, rolled over to get off the bed, straightened his clothes, and walked out. When the door opened, he was met with a pair of timid eyes instantly. ¡°Your Highness, the young master can¡¯t sleep well, and he wants to find Taizifei.¡± Lin Yue said with a troubled face. ¡°Little Uncle¡­¡± Huo Du frowned, looked down at Le Yu with a sullen face, and looked at Lin Yue with disgust, but in the end, he still stretched out his arm to pick up the person, and then said lightly to Lin Yue, ¡°You can withdraw.¡± When he carried Le Yu to the bed, Le Zhi looked at his shrinking nephew and asked in a gentle voice, ¡°Is Yu¡¯er scared?¡± Le Yu hummed in a low voice, and his eyes were red, so pitiful. Le Zhi raised her hand and rubbed his little head, and said, ¡°Then little aunt will sleep with Yu¡¯er tonight.¡± Hearing this, Le Yu¡¯s eyes lit up, and his heart was much calmer. He lay between Le Zhi and Huo Du, closing his eyes obediently. On this day, he was frightened and panicked and cried for a long time, so he was already exhausted. Now he soon fell asleep after lying on the soft pillow. However, Le Yu, who was asleep, moved toward Huo Du unconsciously. Until his little head was next to Huo Du¡¯s arm, and his little hand tightly grabbed the sleeve of his bedclothes. The two grownups were completely awake by the sudden arrival of this little guy. Le Zhi¡¯s expression was slightly stunned when she looked at Yu¡¯er who was about to hang onto Huo Du, recalling that he said that he did not like children when she asked Huo Du before, plus his face was not very good when they were interrupted by Yu¡¯er tonight. Thinking of this, she hurriedly stretched out her hand to gently break Yu¡¯er¡¯s fingers, trying to move him to her side. But for some reason, Yu¡¯er seemed to be conscious, clutching Huo Du¡¯s sleeve firmly, and would not let go. ¡°No worries, let him sleep like this.¡± Le Zhi looked at him a little unexpectedly and then lay down with him. Because she was worried about waking up Yu¡¯er, she whispered, ¡°Then, have to trouble little uncle tonight.¡± Huo Du was amused by her serious expression of thanks, and he whispered back, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, little aunt.¡± The long night was quiet, and the candlelight was waning. Le Zhi fell asleep mistily but soon woke up again, she was surprised. It turned out that the sound sleep in recent days was only because she was in Huo Du¡¯s arms. Once she lost his embrace, she returned to her usual shallow sleep. Using her elbows as support, she got up and looked at the two people, one big and one small, in the dim candlelight. The sleeping Yu¡¯er rested her whole head on Huo Du¡¯s arm. The child¡¯s sleeping posture was very poor, and his head shook left and right. Fortunately, Huo Du put a hand on his head to prevent him from knocking his head during his sleep. Le Zhi¡¯s heart seemed to be stuffed with a ball of cotton, and it rose softly. She leaned closer, stared at his eyebrows carefully, and relaxed her mind. After a long time, she leaned over slightly and placed a light kiss on his forehead. ¡ª The next day. ¡°Jing Xin, since you have recovered your memory, you and An Xuan don¡¯t have to go back with us.¡± Le Zhi shook Jing Xin¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°Look for a livable place and live a good life.¡± But Jing Xin seemed to have known what she meant long ago. She smiled and shook her head, and said with a firm tone, ¡°Master, I have discussed with An Xuan, that we will not leave.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s lips curled into a bitter smile. In the whirlpool land of Great Qi, anyone that could leave was better than no one. But Jing Xin insisted, and Le Zhi could not persuade her, so she let her follow them back. Going back this time, the road ahead was endless. Since Lin Wanning knew that her plan was ruined, there would definitely be a second move waiting for them. As for Yu¡¯er, she had to take him with her. Since Zhao Lin of country Jiang intended to use Yu¡¯er¡¯s identity, she could not put Yu¡¯er by her sister¡¯s side which was too dangerous. A careless move was like sending a sheep into a tiger¡¯s den. Why did not she know that there was no danger in bringing Yu¡¯er to Great Qi? But she had no other choice. After packing her bags, she bid farewell to her sister. ¡°Zhizhi, didn¡¯t you ever think of going the other way?¡± Le Jin looked worried, her eyes filled with distress, ¡°You should know that Imperial Father and Imperial Mother would prefer you to live in peace rather than revenge.¡± Le Zhi curved her lips and shook her head. How could she not know? But the torment of hatred accompanied her day and night, and only by sacrificing the blood of the enemy could all this be quelled. Besides, how could it be so easy forsaken now that she was in the chess game? ¡°Sister, I will keep Dong Yi here to protect your safety. You and Brother Fu Xian leave Huaxi City as soon as possible and find a safe place.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Le Jin nodded and hugged her stubborn sister. She knew that she could not persuade her, the only thing she could do was not to give her any worries. After leaving Huaxi City, they returned to Shengyang City again. After this trip, all the corrupt officials in the city were removed, and all the food and money for disaster relief were given to every citizen. Chu Yan originally did not want to start a riot. Too many people from the old tribe died. For everyone that was left, he could not bear to let them be slaughtered again because of the riot. It was enough to maintain relative peace. More importantly, the words of his nephew, who was not close to him, the solemn vowed when he conspired with him to besiege the city, had been lingering in his heart. Can he really do it? The yellow sand filled the sky. The carriages were in groups, and the groups majestically left Shengyang City and returned to the capital. And on the hillside not far away, a woman in a hood stared at the direction they were leaving for a long time. ¡°Are you really willing to part with Yu¡¯er?¡± The eyes hidden under the hat with a veil were dim, she said softly, ¡°Yu¡¯er will be safer following Zhizhi.¡± ¡°Why do you deliberately lie to them? About me and you¡­¡± The woman shook her head slightly but did not answer. It was not until the carriage in her sight was gone that she took her eyes back, and turned to walk down the hillside. ¡°Yinyin!¡± The man called her, with a sad face, ¡°Can¡¯t we really¡­¡± Fang Yin stopped and said, ¡°Cannot.¡± ¡°Then at least let me take care of you.¡± ¡°Brother Xu Yang.¡± Fang Yin¡¯s voice was cold, she turned her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me anymore. Find a good girl and live a good life.¡± After speaking, she lifted her footsteps without any nostalgia and continued to walk forward. Xu Yang stared at her departing figure with a sad expression, but he did not catch up. The cold wind picked up, and large snowflakes fell. It fell on Fang Yin¡¯s white clothes and blended with the clothes. Before she knew it, there was a mist in front of her eyes, and in this mist, she seemed to see the person who she had hated countless times again. Countless pictures flashed through her mind and finally stopped at someplace. When the enemy attacked the palace wall in one stroke, the man pushed her and Yu¡¯er into the secret passage. He smiled at her and said, ¡°If there is a chance to start over, I will definitely not force you.¡± Before the secret door closed, she saw him silently mouth a few words to her. ¡°Ah Yin, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The wind was blowing so hard that Fang Yin could not walk anymore. She squatted down slowly and hugged her knees quietly. The wind blew the veil in front of her face, and then the veil gradually became wet. She sobbed softly and murmured, ¡°Bastard!¡± Soon, the soft scolding was blown away and drifted by the cold wind. Not knowing if it could float into that person¡¯s ears. The author has something to say£º PS. The brother and sister-in-law are sadomasochistic¡­ QAQ CH 88 Chapter 88 Flirting In the early morning, the bedroom of Yongning Palace was already bright when the sky was not yet bright. ¡°Empress, Taizi¡­ Taizi is back.¡± ¡°What!¡± Lin Wanning¡¯s eyelids had been twitching these few days, and her heart had always been filled with inexplicable worry. When she heard this, her whole body swayed, and her tone was also very unbelievable, ¡°Didn¡¯t Wu Zhiyuan send a letter a few days ago saying that everything was going well?¡± In the letter, Wu Zhiyuan mentioned that Shengyang City was about to be besieged, and as soon as the soldiers of the country Jiang arrived, it would be extremely easy to trap Huo Du to death in the city. What has changed in this? Qin Momo supported Empress with a gloomy expression on her face. She whispered, ¡°Empress, it seems that Wu Zhiyuan and the insider you set up in Shengyang City may have already been eliminated by Taizi.¡± Lin Wanning¡¯s body froze, the blood in her whole body seemed to freeze. A coolness spread from her heart and even her hair was oozing with coldness. Yes, ah. Huo Du was able to see through her plan and easily cracked it without her even knowing it at all, and even prevented her from hearing the slightest bit of news. How capable is he? Lin Wanning lost her strength and slumped down on the beauty couch disappointedly. Shengyang City was her last chance, but she could not get rid of him. Could she still have a chance now? At this time, the palace maid¡¯s voice came from outside the palace, ¡°Empress, Imperial Physician Jiang wants to see you.¡± Lin Wanning frowned slightly. What is he doing coming here early in the morning? Can it be¡­ a long-awaited hope poured into her mind, making her brighten up unexpectedly. She handed out her hand to Qin Momo to support her and walked to the bronze mirror to put on makeup. ¡ª ¡°This official pays respect to Empress.¡± Lin Wanning just arrived at the front hall, and as soon as she was seated, she saw the people in front of her respectfully saluting her. She bowed her head slightly and asked, ¡°Why is the Imperial Physician Jiang come to see me in a hurry today?¡± ¡°Empress, this official goes to the Prime Minister Mansion every five days according to your instruction to check the pulse. When I went to check the pulse yesterday evening, I found out that the third imperial concubine is more than a month pregnant.¡± Imperial Physician Jiang reported in a deep voice and added, ¡°Because the third imperial concubine has been weak recently, plus her pulse has been unstable, so only now could find the happy pulse*.¡± (happy pulse* ¨C pregnant pulse) The dead heart gradually returned to life. Sure enough, there was always a silver lining. A smile appeared on Lin Wanning¡¯s lips, she looked at Imperial Physician Jiang and said, ¡°Who else knows about this?¡± Imperial Physician Jiang¡¯s expression was slightly restrained, and he answered in a loud voice, ¡°The third prince is still grounded¡­ so he should not have known yet. Whereas Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°I will talk to His Majesty about this.¡± Lin Wanning interrupted him, ¡°You just need to take care of the third imperial concubine¡¯s unborn child, understand?¡± Facing the tone that could not be ignored, Imperial Physician Jiang¡¯s eyes darkened, and he sighed silently in his heart. If it was not for the fact that his brother was doing bad things outside and was used against him by Empress, how could he be manipulated by others? Over the years, he had done so many dirty things for Empress openly and secretly, that which had long lost the original intention of being a physician. In the silent night, he had struggled numerous times. However, there was no turning back. Once he had taken the wrong step, he had to keep going until the day he stepped into the abyss. ¡°Jiang Lin?¡± Hearing his name, Jiang Lin suddenly returned to his senses, he silently nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡ª After going away for a while, and stepping into the Taizi Mansion again, Le Zhi¡¯s heart was a little sour, and some strange feelings gradually bubbled up in her heart. It was the joy of returning home. It was hard to imagine that she had regarded this place as her home. ¡°Master!¡± Li Yao had been waiting outside the bedroom early in the morning, and when she saw Le Zhi¡¯s figure, she could not stand any longer and ran over to her. Seeing this, Le Zhi was also a little emotional. Looking at Li Yao¡¯s somewhat thin cheeks, she raised her hand to shake hers and asked, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yao nodded with a smile, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry.¡± At this time, the housekeeper came over with a large stack of account books, and so happened to hear these words, he stroked his beard as he smiled softly, and said after saluting Le Zhi, ¡°Taizifei does not know anything. This girl gets up at maoshi (5 am ¨C 7 am) every day and goes to the shop whenever she has time!¡± So, that¡¯s the reason. No wonder this silly girl lost so much weight. Le Zhi looked at her in distress, but Li Yao smiled indifferently, and scratched her ears a little embarrassedly, ¡°No, don¡¯t listen to the housekeeper¡¯s exaggeration.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not exaggerating!¡± The smile on the housekeeper¡¯s face became deeper. He weighed the account books in his hand and said, ¡°Taizifei will know by looking at this.¡± Le Zhi blinked suspiciously. It was not until she had roughly flipped through the account books that she knew the meaning of the housekeeper¡¯s words. Previously, she had changed the types of goods in the shop, and with Li Yao¡¯s diligent daily care during this period, her shops not only did not lose money but also made a lot of money. Unexpectedly, all the principal was earned back! ¡°Li Yao, you are so amazing!¡± Le Zhi praised sincerely. Jing Xin and Lin Yue on the side were also amazed and could not stop praising. On the contrary, Li Yao was embarrassed by the praise, her cheeks reddened and lowered her eyes with a shy smile. The master and servants chatted for a while, and Le Zhi could not help but ask about the condition of the people in the capital. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. The third prince is confined to the mansion and is very peaceful.¡± As soon as the conversation turned, Li Yao was a little stunned and said, ¡°However, I don¡¯t know why since the third imperial concubine went back to the Prime Minister Mansion, the palace has sent an imperial physician to the Prime Minister Mansion from time to time.¡± Imperial physician? It was fair to say that it made sense to check the pulse for the third imperial concubine¡¯s health reason. But so often¡­ Le Zhi frowned slightly, thinking of Lin Wanning¡¯s treacherousness, and a burst of worry rose in her heart. ¡°I will write a letter later. Tomorrow, you will go to the Prime Minister Mansion and hand it over to Lu Ying in person.¡± Li Yao nodded her head in response. After they left, Le Zhi wrote the letter and pondered quietly for a moment. There were too many uncertainties in the future, and she had been worried. If one day she suddenly met an accident, what should these three girls do? Jing Xin would be accompanied by An Xuan, so she was not too worried. Lin Yue was a smart person, so she should not suffer any loss. But Li Yao¡­ had no one to rely on since she was a child. If she was gone, what should Li Yao do? Now, she was not worried anymore. That shops could be set aside for the three of them in the future. Girls, it was always more at ease with money and silver on them. Thinking of this, she curled her lips and smiled reassuringly. ¡ª Third Prince Mansion was peaceful. Huo Xu sat in the study with a bad expression on his face. It had been so many days, and his imperial father had not calmed down yet. Not only forbade him from leaving the mansion but also forbade others to visit him. He almost forgot what day it was today. He also did not know what happened to Zhizhi. Recently, he frequently thought about those years when he was a hostage in Great Li, and every time he felt like a needle pricked deeply in his heart. He missed it and regretted it. Yes, he regretted it. If he was given another chance, he would definitely not be that ungrateful person. So, he would not be trapped here now. Counting the days, if those things had not happened, he should have married Zhizhi at this time, maybe there would be his child in Zhizhi¡¯s belly. So beautiful! Huo Xu was immersed in his own fantasy until the door of the study was pushed open. Qin Yu entered the room with a face full of panic, saluted, and said, ¡°Your Highness, the western courtyard¡­ the western courtyard¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so panicked?¡± Huo Xu frowned and stood up. Qin Yu hurriedly replied, ¡°The person in the western courtyard just fainted. The doctor in the mansion checked the pulse and said it was a happy pulse.¡± Jiang Man had always had no name or no status. She was only favored in the mansion as a bedwarmer. The servants also found it difficult on normal days and did not know how to address her. They had no other choice than to address her with ¡°that one¡± instead. ¡°What!¡± Huo Xu was a little surprised, but then a little happy. The corners of his lips curled up unknowingly. He was going to be a father! Thinking of this, he quickly walked towards the western courtyard. ¡ª Le Zhi stood outside the hot spring pool for a long time, and the hot mist inside floated out of the door a little as if it had a seductive feeling when it fell on her eyes. Her heart was pounding. These days, because of traveling and taking care of Yu¡¯er. It had been a long time since they had not¡­ She gasped. So, there should be a wolf inside now, right? ¡°Still not coming in?¡± A familiar voice came, low and deep as if tugging at her heartstrings. She calmed down and pushed the door in. Thinking of the last time she and Huo Du shared a bath here, Le Zhi could not help curving her lips. It felt like a lifetime! But what about the person who should be immersed in the hot spring? Where did he go? ¡°Ah!¡± The next moment, the waist was encircled, and her back was pressed against his warm chest. Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks burned red suddenly, and she pushed his arm with her little hand, and said softly, ¡°Take¡­ take a bath first!¡± She did not have any hope that Huo Du would listen to her, but as soon as her waist loosened, he really let go of her and said, ¡°All right.¡± Le Zhi turned around and saw that he was wearing only a thin scarlet shirt, loose and baggy. However, it covered all the places that should be covered. Pooh! What was she thinking? What should be covered¡­ The room was hot and misty, and Le Zhi was neatly dressed, but she really felt hot right now, and even thin beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. ¡°What are you doing in a daze?¡± Huo Du smiled slowly. Le Zhi put her hand on the lace at her waist, pursed her lips, and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bathe?¡± Le Zhi regretted it right after asking. He looked like he had already finished bathing. Not knowing what bad thought she had! ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go upstairs and wait for me?¡± The second floor was a warm room full of fragrance. It was the most comfortable to rest there after soaking in the hot spring. But how could some people do what she wanted so easily? He took a soft chair calmly, sat beside the hot spring pool, and said earnestly, ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Who, want, your, company! Le Zhi was in full gloom. The feeling of cutting flesh with a blunt knife was really uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and thought it would be better to take off her clothes quickly and jump into the hot spring pool. But the clothes she was wearing today were complicated with many buttons. She had to unbutton it for a long time, even though her hands were sore, she had not finished yet. But she was so anxious that she did not even stop and continued to unbutton. The busier she got, the more chaotic she became. When she was unfastening her innerwear, she accidentally made a dead knot. Le Zhi had never been so embarrassed, she bit her lip and tried to pull it. Suddenly, a warm palm covered her hand and gently took her hand away, ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± There was some helpless sigh in his voice, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? I won¡¯t run.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s pupils tightened. Was he talking to himself again? Who¡¯s in a hurry? Really shameless! The warm breath brushed against her neck, which was warm and hot. He seemed to be doing it on purpose, slowly untying the knot. Moreover, his fingers always seemed to rub her soft skin gently. Finally, the innerwear was undone, but the hand on her waist did not let go, rather going downward. Le Zhi raised her head in shock and shrank her shoulders abruptly. But her shoulder had long been held down by Huo Du. He pressed against her from behind and kissed the tip of her ear with his thin lips. ¡°Do you want to bathe first?¡± His fingertips moved slightly, he chuckled in a muffled voice, and asked softly, ¡°Or do you want me first?¡± The author has something to say£º Zhi: It¡¯s over. . . QAQ Du: Tsk. CH 89 Chapter 89 Stars and Moon The outcome was naturally to proceed at the same time, regardless of the order. When Huo Du walked out of the hot spring pool with her soft body in his arms, Le Zhi¡¯s whole body was almost out of strength. Her hands hugged around his neck tightly, her legs wrapped around his waist, her chin rested on his shoulder, and her whole body hung on him like a lazy cat. The two hugged each other closely as if they were one. Le Zhi was shy and embarrassed in her heart. Although they had done all kinds of intimate things, she still felt shy and embarrassed. ¡°Help me put on my bedclothes.¡± She whispered softly. Huo Du supported her with one hand and stroked her back with the other. Hearing her words, he raised his hand and rubbed the back of her head, a chuckle overflowing between his lips and teeth. ¡°Is it necessary?¡± His breath brushed the side of her neck, tickling and tingling, ¡°But I¡¯ll have to take it off later.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face suddenly burned, her palms clenched tightly, and her fingernails ran across his back. ¡°Hiss.¡± A low hum sounded in her ear. Le Zhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and hurriedly lowered her eyes to look. Sure enough, there was a long thin red mark, and a few fading ones around¡­ mottled, printed on the cold white back which was particularly distinct. They were all scratched by her. ¡°Le Zhi, are you a cat?¡± The smiling tone made Le Zhi feel more guilty. She spread out her palm and gently rubbed his red marks. Although Huo Du was happy to tease her, he still carried her to the long table, put her down, and then took out the bedclothes for her to put on. ¡°You wear it too!¡± Le Zhi grabbed the corner of her clothes tightly, blushing and turning her head not to look at him. Huo Du tutted lightly, picked up the innerwear on the side and put it on him casually, looked at her with her head stuck to a side, and said with a smile, ¡°If you turn more, you¡¯ll sprain your neck.¡± Le Zhi turned her head back and coughed unnaturally. The air around was hot and humid, and there was still some lingering seductive smell. Le Zhi did not want to stay here any longer, so she opened her arms and winked at Huo Du with obvious meaning. ¡°You can¡¯t even walk?¡± Huo Du reached out and pinched her earlobe. Seeing that he did not carry him, Le Zhi lowered her arms, glared at him with dissatisfaction, and whispered angrily, ¡°Who made you keep pulling my leg just now¡­¡± Huo Du caressed her head, hugged her, and picked her up horizontally, then lightly bumped her forehead with his forehead. Looking at each other, he hooked his lips to expose her, ¡°Lying.¡± Le Zhi smiled slyly, hooked his neck, and leaned against him cheerfully. Huo Du did not care and strode toward the second floor. As soon as the sore and tired body hit the bed, Le Zhi closed her eyes comfortably, and let out a satisfied groan between her lips. Feeling the person next to her lying down, she moved to the side carefully and muttered, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± But the little hand was still held by him, and with a gentle tug, Huo Du pulled her into his arms again. ¡°Ah!¡± She pushed him subconsciously, muttering, ¡°You¡¯re so annoying.¡± Huo Du held her down gently, straightened her head, and said, ¡°Open your eyes.¡± Le Zhi was not sleepy at all, but just because she was afraid that Huo Du would disturb her, she deliberately closed her eyes to pretend to be sleepy and opened her eyes when she heard the words. The bright moon with the sky full of stars, filled with brightness, all of them were printed in her eyes. Le Zhi was stunned for a moment, feeling as if she was in a dreamland, and everything in front of her was too beautiful to be real. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes always fell on her face, staring at her stunned lovely naive appearance, and a smile could not help appearing in his black eyes. Although he asked her whether she liked it or not, he was already certain that¡­ She would definitely love it. When he enjoyed the moon with her that day, he knew how much she liked the moon and stars. So, he asked people to find this monocular. Although it looked no different from ordinary monoculars, this piece of monocular could enlarge the scenery in a distance, as if moving the scenery to the front. Since she liked it, he found the moon and stars for her. Accompany her to sleep and give her a good sleep. Le Zhi slowly turned her head and looked at him deeply. Her nose was a little sour, she nodded and hurriedly drilled into his arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck. After a long time, she suddenly remembered something, and whispered closed to Huo Du¡¯s heart, ¡°My shops are making money.¡± ¡°En?¡± She said coquettishly, ¡°The money I borrowed from you before¡­¡± Huo Du was amused by her incomprehension. At such a romantic moment like this, she actually talked to him about paying back the money! Did he seem to be the type of person who was short of money? ¡°Ready to pay back the money?¡± However, the person buried in his arms shook her head silently. Huo Du gently pulled the person away and lowered his gaze to her face, only to see a pair of shimmering lovely smiling eyes. He was a little puzzled, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Suddenly, the palm on his abdomen suddenly moved down. The black eyes suddenly shook, Huo Du grabbed her restless wrist, his Adam¡¯s apple rolled, and he asked with his only remaining reason, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were tired? Are you being possessed?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s long eyelashes trembled a little, but a flirtatious smile appeared on her flushed cheeks. Leaning closer, she said softly in his ear, ¡°I think, Your Highness would prefer something else than money.¡± The last word, together with her breath, was swallowed up by Huo Du. The hand that grabbed her wrist tightened, and took advantage to hold her down. In the deep desire, Huo Du laughed softly and leaned against her. I really underestimate her, ah. ¡ª The chaos in Shengyang City really surprised the civil and military courtiers in the morning court. Nobody could figure out that this Taizi actually had some real skills. During the morning court, Emperor Qi praised Huo Du with a big smile on his face, and then changed the subject, taking advantage of the happiness at this time to casually find an excuse to relieve Huo Xu¡¯s restraint. Huo Du stood before His Majesty with his cane but did not smile. After the court, the courtiers who had previously avoided Huo Du came to congratulate him one after another for the first time. Was not normal for this group of people to sail with the wind? But seeing that His Highness Taizi was in no mood, they also returned with embarrassment. But after this time, they could not understand His Majesty¡¯s thoughts in their hearts. The third prince, who was originally thought to be very promising, was now gradually declining, but Taiz, who has always had a bad reputation, seemed to be rising again. But his leg¡­ As the monarch of the country, if he was disabled, he would be disrespected by all the countries. Who did His Majesty prefer? They looked at each other and were in a dilemma in the end. And Prime Minister Shen Huai, who was walking at the end, looked at the dark-colored departing figure with a slightly frozen expression. What Qingyan told him a few days ago, coupled with the achievements of Taizi this time, had made him wonder. Did he really misjudge Taizi in the past? Was he really blindsided by his judgment of others¡¯ temperament through superficial appearances? Therefore, just now he also wanted to come forward to say a few words with Taizi. But suddenly thinking of his daughter in the mansion, he stopped again. It was his ignorance that made his daughter suffer so much injustice. Now, it seemed too late to regret it. Thinking of this, the man who had passed the age of forty turned red in his eyes. At the same time, Shen Qingyan, who was in the Prime Minister Mansion, was also restless. After the imperial physician detected the happy pulse, she was stunned and could not recover for a long time. She raised her hand and put it over her lower abdomen. Shen Qingyan¡¯s eyes moved slightly. Was there really a little life here? She could not distinguish the complicated feelings in her heart. This child came at the wrong time and should not have come at all. But the motherly nature in her made her unable to give up this little life mercilessly. She did not know what Empress¡¯s intention was to let Imperial Physician Jiang check the pulse. Was this what she really wanted? Shen Qingyan could not be clearer. Empress was not really happy with the arrival of the child. She was happy that she had the weakness that she could grasp between her and her father. ¡°Master!¡± Lu Ying jogged into the room, her breath was still unsteady, and she hurriedly said, ¡°This is a letter from Taizifei to you.¡± Shen Qingyan took the letter and opened it to take a closer look, her eyes sank a little. After a long while, she looked up as if she had made up her mind with resolute eyes, ¡°Send a letter to Taizifei for me, saying that I want to meet her.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lu Ying responded, turning around and hurrying out. Coincidentally, at this time, the silver charcoal in the furnace in the room burned out. The surrounding temperature gradually cooled down, but Shen Qingyan did not feel cold at all. Not knowing whether it was the determination in her chest or the strength given to her by the child in her belly, which made her whole body warm. Shen Qingyan thought to herself that Empress might be disappointed. Having this child strengthened her determination. The child brought her not weakness, but strength as a mother. She must never allow herself and her child to be coerced. This was her own child alone, and she would definitely protect him well. Would not let anyone take advantage of or harm him. Her eyes were clear. After living for so long, Shen Qingyan felt that now was her most logical moment. ¡ª In the imperial study, Emperor Qi sat in front of the desk with his eyes darkened. ¡°Report to Your Majesty, Empress is here.¡± As if he knew it earlier, Huo Changyun said faintly, ¡°Let her come in.¡± With the phoenix robe floating gently, Lin Wanning approached with a smile and saluted respectfully, ¡°Pay respects to Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Empress is exempted from the ceremony.¡± Huo Changyun smiled and asked, ¡°What makes Empress so happy, please tell me about it.¡± Lin Wanning was waiting for his words, and she smiled even brighter when she heard the words, she said, ¡°I just found out that the third imperial concubine is expecting!¡± Hearing this, Huo Changyun was obviously startled, and then he curled his lips into a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good news, certainly a happy event!¡± Lin Wanning saw every expression on his face. She came here to find out Huo Changyun¡¯s reaction. After all, this was his first imperial grandson. For the sake of bloodline, he would definitely re-examine Xu¡¯er. Lin Wanning was betting that he would keep his promise and pass on the throne to Xu¡¯er. In Huo Changyun¡¯s eyes, her careful thoughts were really a little trick. But he still cooperated with her, pulling the curvature of the corners of his lips deeper. ¡°That being the case, I will give Xu¡¯er a big gift in advance.¡± Huo Changyun unbuttoned the newly drawn imperial decree on the table with his fingers, signaling Empress to come and take a look. Lin Wanning understood it, walked to Huo Changyun¡¯s side with a shallow smile, and then stared at the words on the imperial decree. Suddenly, her pupils shrank a little, and her body swayed slightly in shock. She opened her eyes wide and looked at Huo Changyun in disbelief but saw that he was still looking back at her with a clear expression. Lin Wanning¡¯s thoughts were a little chaotic. Could it be that she misread it? She turned her eyes and looked at it again, making sure that she did not miss a word. Lin Wanning¡¯s heart was deeply puzzled. Did Huo Changyun want to abolish Taizi? He actually wanted to abolish Taizi at this moment. The author has something to say£º Du: Just abolish it, who cares [smile]. I want to watch the stars and the moon with my wife, hee, hee! Zhi: I don¡¯t like romantic people. Du: ??? CH 90 Chapter 90 Care The next day. Shen Qingyan put on the dark blue cloak and hurried to the mansion gate to go to Le Zhi¡¯s appointment. But as soon as she stepped out of the mansion, she ran into Huo Xu who was getting off the carriage. Their eyes met, and both of them were stunned. Shen Qingyan frowned as her stomach surged, and suddenly turned her head to retch a few times. Not knowing if was it due to the nausea of morning sickness or due to seeing someone who she did not want to see. ¡°Are you alright?¡± With her arm held, Shen Qingyan turned her head suddenly and saw Huo Xu looking at her worriedly, ¡°Follow me back to the mansion.¡± Her heart sank suddenly, and her face turned pale. She broke free from his hand with force and took two steps back, full of rejection. But after all, outside the mansion, she could not make it too obvious. Seeing this, Huo Xu naturally understood. The worried look on his face instantly dissipated, replaced by deep sullen anger. He really could not understand the woman in front of him. Before, she desperately wanted to marry him, and after entering the mansion, she made a big scene out of jealousy toward the bedwarmer. Was not it all because of him? Now that she was pregnant, he had also come to pick her up in person, should not she be crying tears of joy? What with the look of avoiding him? ¡°There must be a limit to the nonsense.¡± Huo Xu stepped forward and approached Shen Qingyan, his eyes were gloomy, and there was oppression in his deep voice, ¡°You¡¯re already a mother, don¡¯t be like a child.¡± Shen Qingyan¡¯s body trembled and felt dizzy. Fortunately, Lu Ying, who was beside her, supported her in time to prevent her from falling. She did not want to be entangled with Huo Xu and knew in her heart that she might be unable to escape now. Thinking of this, she turned around and prepared to go back to the mansion until he left. But the man behind her seemed to be deliberately opposing her, bypassing her and blocking the road in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble, go back with me!¡± This time, his tone was more impatient than before. Shen Qingyan frowned and replied coldly, ¡°I won¡¯t go back with you. It was His Majesty who allowed me to live with my father.¡± Today, her father was invited by an official of the Minister of Rites to discuss important matters after the court, and now no one in the Prime Minister Mansion could suppress Huo Xu. She thought that using His Majesty should be able to deter Huo Xu a little, right? However, Huo Xu remained unmoved, and there was even a proud smile on the corner of his mouth. He grabbed Shen Qingyan¡¯s wrist forcefully and said with a smile, ¡°Imperial Father is only temporarily allowing you. Now that you are pregnant, what would it look like to continue living in the Prime Minister Mansion?¡± After saying that, he dragged her and strode in the direction of Che Yu. Even though she already had a baby in her womb, Huo Xu still showed no pity. The force exerted on her hand was quite strong until she sat in the carriage, and Shen Qingyan¡¯s wrist had a circle of red marks when he released her hand. Because of the child, she did not dare to break free forcefully just now for fear of hurting him. But at this time, a feeling of despair gradually rose in her heart. ¡ª The Baoxiang Pavilion. Le Zhi waited in the side room for a long time, but Shen Qingyan still had not arrived. ¡°Li Yao, did you tell Lu Ying the wrong time yesterday?¡± ¡°No, I told her chenshi (7 am ¨C 9 am) several times, and there should be no mistake.¡± Le Zhi nodded and she naturally knew that Li Yao would not be so careless. But if this was the case, could something happen to Shen Qingyan? ¡°Let Xiao Ming go to the Prime Minister Mansion to investigate.¡± Le Zhi said. ¡°Yes!¡± After waiting for another hour, Shen Qingyan still did not show up for the appointment and on the contrary, Xia Ming, who went to investigate, came back. ¡°Master, she was picked up by Third Prince when Miss Shen left the mansion this morning.¡± ¡°What!¡± Le Zhi stood up abruptly, her whole person trembled. She clenched her fists tightly and frowned. It was her carelessness. She should have thought of this when she heard that Huo Xu was released from his confinement yesterday. She should have met Shen Qingyan yesterday. But why was Huo Xu in such a hurry? With his temperament, he should not be so eager to take Shen Qingyan back to the mansion. Unless¡­ there was a reason to pick her up. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the mansion.¡± The Baoxiang Pavilion was located in a corner, and Le Zhi also came out in an ordinary carriage, so it would not arouse the thoughts of others. On the return trip, Le Zhi was struggling to understand. She raised her eyes to look at Li Yao and asked, ¡°Li Yao, when you met with Lu Ying yesterday, did you find anything unusual about her?¡± Hearing this, Li Yao lowered her eyes and pondered, recalling all the expressions Lu Ying had yesterday. ¡°It seems that there is something she wanted to say but didn¡¯t.¡± Li Yao thought carefully and murmured, ¡°I also asked a question at the time, but she didn¡¯t say anything, just said that you¡¯ll know when her master meets you.¡± It seemed that something must have happened to Shen Qingyan. Suddenly, the horse¡¯s hoof seemed to have stepped on something, and it skidded suddenly, and even the carriage shook violently. Le Zhi was thinking about things wholeheartedly and was thrown forward by the sudden shock. ¡°Be careful!¡± Li Yao held her up. ¡°Bang.¡± A small porcelain bottle fell out of Le Zhi¡¯s sleeve and made a sound. Li Yao bent over, picked up the small porcelain bottle, and handed it to her. The red porcelain bottle stung Le Zhi¡¯s eyes. Looking at this porcelain bottle, the mysteries in her heart seem to piece together one by one. Imperial Physician Jiang, Lu Ying¡¯s hesitation to speak, and Huo Xu¡¯s impatient. Could it be because Shen Qingyan was pregnant? She suddenly clenched her palms tightly, and the coolness from the porcelain bottle penetrated into her palms. Le Zhi frowned. If it was true as she guessed, Lin Wanning and Huo Xu would definitely use this child to coerce Shen Huai. At this moment, the coachman tightened the reins, and the carriage slowly stopped. Le Zhi was so anxious that after getting off the carriage, she hurried to the mansion. But when she stepped into the gate, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and had a bad premonition. Although the Taizi Mansion was usually quiet, there were always some busy figures and gentle voices of maids and manservants, never had been so silent. She looked around and found that more than half of the original guards and soldiers were missing. Something is wrong. Something is really wrong. Following her heart, Le Zhi raised her legs and hurriedly walked toward the inner courtyard. After walking a few steps, she saw An Xuan approaching, and her heart was a little calm. Since An Xuan is still there, things may not be so bad. ¡°An Xuan, what happened?¡± An Xuan¡¯s face was not good either, and he talked to her about the whole event with his voice lowered. ¡°Abolish, abolish Taizi?¡± Le Zhi froze in place, her back stiff until painful. She stabilized her breath and asked in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± She could not understand and believe it. Such a shocking change took place overnight. Obviously, Huo Changyun was still full of praise for Huo Du in the morning court yesterday. ¡­there must be something wrong with this. ¡°The reason is that this trip to Shengyang City to quell the chaos was set up by Chu Yan and His Highness to accumulate fame for His Highness.¡± Complete nonsense! Le Zhi sneered, ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence? Who dares to talk nonsense and implicate Taizi casually?¡± An Xuan¡¯s eyes became even darker, and he said, ¡°Is¡­ His Majesty.¡± Huo Changyun? The hands hidden in the spacious sleeves clenched into fists tightly, and the foxy eyes flashed with anger. He can frame people just like that. ¡°The imperial decree only abolish His Highness¡¯s position as the taizi and removed some of the mansion soldiers. Everything else was the same as before.¡± An Xuan frowned and said, ¡°His Majesty has not issued a confinement order, nor has he sent troops to guard.¡± Le Zhi raised her eyebrows slightly, not understanding what trick Huo Changyun was trying to play. ¡°Where is His Highness?¡± she asked. ¡°In the greenhouse.¡± She nodded and walked towards the greenhouse. ¡ª After a few days, Shen Qingyan returned to her familiar and unbearable bedroom. Her body was so uncomfortable that she leaned weakly against the embroidered pillow, and the whole person had no strength. Only when she returned here did Shen Qingyan find out that Jiang Man was also pregnant. For a moment, she had so many thoughts. She really did not want to stay here as this was not her home after all. Even her unborn child was being taken advantage of. Huo Xu¡­ could he be even more shameless? At the same time, another person was fidgeting in the room in the western courtyard. ¡°What should I do!¡± A soft murmur floated to the window, and a figure outside the window jumped into the room. Jiang Man panicked and almost cried out in surprise. She covered her lips and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why are you here!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I miss you.¡± The man hugged her tightly, his hot breath approaching her, ¡°And our precious child.¡± Hearing this, Jiang Man froze all over. She pushed him away and reprimanded, ¡°You¡¯re crazy! You clearly know it¡¯s not safe here as Huo Xu will come over at any time. In case, in case he finds out¡­¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? It¡¯s too late for him to be happy!¡± The smile on the man¡¯s face could not be hidden when he thought that the aloof Third Prince raised his son for him! So comfortable! ¡°Stop making trouble. This is not a joke. Hurry up and go!¡± Jiang Man looked panicked. For some reason, she had been particularly frightened since she was pregnant. After all, the flesh in the stomach was not Huo Xu¡¯s, if the deeds were revealed¡­ How could she not be afraid? ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± The man said sternly, he took out a packet of medicinal powder from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Man. Jiang Man reached out to take it and wondered, ¡°This is?¡± ¡°Do you know that Huo Xu brought Shen Qingyan back to the mansion today?¡± Jiang Man nodded. After all, it was normal to take Shen Qingyan back to the mansion before they divorced. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant too.¡± The man said concisely. What!? Jiang Man was startled, feeling a little lost. If Shen Qingyan was also pregnant, then her child would not stand a chance. Seeing this, the man laughed and tapped the medicine packet in her hand, ¡°Our son¡¯s future depends on you, the mother.¡± ¡°You, you mean¡­¡± ¡°This is abortion medicine.¡± The man approached Jiang Man¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Look for an opportunity and slip it in Shen Qingyan¡¯s food.¡± The hand holding the medicine packet suddenly trembled, but fortunately, the man held her hand before letting the medicine packet fall. Seeing her gloomy face, he opened his mouth to remind her, ¡°If her child is born successfully, what status do you think our child will have in the future?¡± After speaking, the man gave her a serious look, then jumped out the window and left. After a long time. Jiang Man slumped down on the soft chair disappointedly. She looked at the medicine packet with her lips quivering. ¡ª After running all the way to the greenhouse, Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks and hands were reddened by the cold wind. Without hesitation, she pushed open the door of the greenhouse and walked in with her legs raised. Her frozen body was suddenly surrounded by warmth and she frowned a little uncomfortably. She raised her eyes and saw Huo Du sitting on the edge of the gardener¡¯s table in front of the poppies. At this moment, did he still have time to paint? Knowing that she came in, Huo Du got up leisurely and walked toward her. His face remained calm as if being abolished had no effect on him. Le Zhi was dumbfounded as she did not understand. Did he know of this long ago or did he not care about it at all? She suddenly remembered that when she first met him, he was like this and did not care much about everything. For some reason, this realization made her heart, which had always been calm, suffocated. ¡°In this world, is there anything that makes His Highness care about?¡± She looked at him with gloomy eyes. Huo Du did not speak for a long time. Le Zhi lowered her eyes, walked past him, and sat down on the edge of the gardener¡¯s table. A white mark was bitten out of her cherry lips by her. She obviously came here to talk to him about it. She was really possessed to suddenly ask him such a question? With the cool mint scent approaching, Huo Du stood in front of her and leaned over to stare at her. His figure blocked some of the light in the greenhouse. After a while, Le Zhi heard him speak. ¡°You, ah.¡± Her heart seemed to stop for a moment. She raised her eyes in astonishment and saw her flustered appearance in his peach blossom eyes. Unable to look at it anymore, she hurriedly lowered her eyes, but saw the drawing paper on the gardener¡¯s table. It was not poppies or anything else painted on the paper. It was her. CH 91 Chapter 91 Ask in Person The painted Le Zhi in the picture sat on the swing with curved eyebrows and eyes, looking up at the bright moon in the sky. This was the scene where she and Huo Du watched the moon together when they were in Shengyang City that day. The only difference was that in the painting, her side was empty. Without him. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes gradually showed a little puzzlement. Whether it was his paintings or his words. Over the past few days, the two had experienced many things, and Le Zhi naturally knew that Huo Du had her in his heart. However, she did not know how much she weighed to him. Also, in other words, she deliberately did not want to think about it. The same for this moment. Le Zhi hid the confusion in her eyes, turned to stand up calmly, and asked him with a serious face, ¡°Your Highness already knew about the decree of dethroning the taizi, right?¡± Huo Du chuckled, but there was a little sigh hidden in this laughter. ¡°Le Zhi, I¡¯m not an immortal,¡± he said. Planned strategies, calculated people¡¯s hearts, distinguished the surrounding covetous schemes and traps and thought of countermeasures early. This was what he had been doing every day since he could remember. And these were nothing more than just games, again and again. It was just that he won every time in the gamble, but who could guarantee that he would win every time? Those who walk on the edge of the cliff would fall into the abyss forever if they were not careful. Le Zhi was stunned, and her heart suddenly felt suffocated for a moment. She had never seen him like this. So, she slowly approached him and hugged him gently. Her soft cheeks rubbed against his chest as if comforting and also soothing him. After a long while, Le Zhi let go of him and asked, ¡°Then what are you going to do next¡­¡± Huo Du looked at her with unconcealed tenderness in the bottom of his eyes. Le Zhi¡¯s words were asked halfway, and she suddenly did not dare to ask anymore. She dared not ask him about his plans, for fear that his plans run counter to her own. ¡°Does Your Highness know about Shen Qingyan?¡± Le Zhi changed the topic and asked with a frown, ¡°Today Huo Xu forcibly took her back, is she¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes were deep, and his words were concise. Still, say he¡¯s not an immortal? Obviously, he knows everything. As if seeing the meaning in Le Zhi¡¯s eyes, he said again, ¡°I also learn about the news this morning.¡± Le Zhi nodded, not surprised at all, but was very anxious because she confirmed her guess in her heart. ¡°Is there nothing else to ask me?¡± Huo Du did not ignore half of the questions that Le Zhi had not to ask just now. He knew what she wanted to ask, and he did not intend to hide it from her. He just wanted to hear her asking personally. Huo Du knew exactly what she was afraid of. No one dared to mention the dead knot that lay between them, but the dead knot would not disappear just because it was not mentioned. Even if the love was strong, it could not dissolve this knot. They had known each other for so long and had experienced all kinds of things. Could it be that he still did not understand her ultimate goal was not only for Huo Xu but for Huo Changyun? Huo Du understood, he understood it all. He knew all her fear and weakness. He laid out the most perfect game he could imagine, and he was confident he could untie the knot between them. However, he stubbornly hoped that she could still ask him. He looked at everything coldly but tied his lifelong paranoia to her alone. ¡°No more.¡± Le Zhi shook her head and said softly, ¡°I know that Your Highness must have made a comprehensive arrangement. But I still want to help Shen Qingyan. As far as Your Highness is concerned, maybe there will be more support from Shen Huai, which is not a bad thing.¡± After saying that, she bypassed Huo Du and walked out. Just as when she turned her back to him and walked away, the calm reasoning on her face disappeared instantly. Everything in front of her became misty, but she did not dare to raise her hand to wipe it as she did not want Huo Du to know that she was crying. The steps under her feet were getting faster and faster, and she almost ran out of the greenhouse as if fleeing. If she stayed a little longer, Le Zhi was afraid that she could not help but ask him, could not help telling him her plans, and could not help but force him to choose between his biological father and her. She even greedily hoped that he would choose her. Outside the greenhouse, the continuous white snow seemed to fall with ice crystals between it. The tears at the corners of her eyes were blown away by the cold wind, and Le Zhi pressed her red eyes with her hands, letting the cold wind blow away the uncontrollable greed in the bottom of her heart. Not long after, she walked into the wind and snow quickly. She had to hurry up to understand Shen Qingyan¡¯s current situation. The heater in the greenhouse was warm, and Huo Du stared at the drawing paper like falling into an ice cellar. After a long time, he picked up the painting brush on the gardener¡¯s table and broke it. Then, he closed his dark gloomy eyes. ¡ª Since the decree of dethroning the prince spread, the whole court was in an uproar, and the civil and military officials suddenly felt that the monarch was unpredictable. And the happiest person was Huo Xu. Having just been released from confinement, Huo Xu was elated to learn of such a happy event. Sure enough, his imperial father¡¯s favorite person was still him. The previous anger and confinement were just toughening him. Now that the position of taizi was up in the air, it must be him who would be occupying the Eastern Palace next! ¡°Your Highness, do you still go to the western courtyard for dinner?¡± Qin Yu¡¯s questioning pulled back his thoughts. Huo Xu wanted to answer, but a pale weak face suddenly appeared in his mind. His heart moved slightly as he remembered the words of his mother, and decided not to be willful anymore. After all, he was the one who wanted to be the emperor. ¡°Not going to the western courtyard,¡± he said. A trace of stunned expression appeared on Qin Yu¡¯s face. If he did not go to the western courtyard, then did he want to eat with the third concubine? ¡°Tell the kitchen to cook more dishes that she likes to eat.¡± The recent series of happy events made Huo Xu happy, and even his impatience with Shen Qingyan was reduced to some degree. In fact, he did not hate her that much. It was just that when he married her at that time, he was unwilling and poured all his anger on her. Now, Shen Qingyan¡¯s resistance and rejection of him made him miss the little girl who followed him and cheerfully called him ¡°Brother Ah Xu¡±. Anyway, they were even having a child now. Huo Xu did not believe that she could treat him coldly all the time. As long as he took the initiative, she would surely return to the past. He was convinced. Let bygones be bygones. He would still confer Shen Qingyan as an imperial concubine in the future. As long as she was obedient, he did not mind being nice to her. As for Jiang Man, to be honest, his joy was particularly strong when he first heard that she was pregnant. Since Jiang Man looked so much like Zhizhi, she and his child must be very similar to him and Zhizhi. But things were different now. Huo Du had been abolished, and it was hard to hinder him anymore. Zhizhi would soon be able to return to his side. When the genuine one came back, the fake one naturally looked a little disgusting. In addition to the previous farce, even if Zhizhi was kind and considerate, the more women care, the more jealous they would become. In the future, when Zhizhi sees Jiang Man and her child every day, she was bound to remember the past again and again. Huo Xu did not want a thorn between Zhizhi and him. Therefore, he planned to keep Jiang Man and her child outside the palace after he ascended the throne in the future. Although she had been wronged a little, she was not a woman of noble birth after all. She should be satisfied that she could live a life of luxury without worry, right? Thinking of this, Huo Xu smiled with satisfaction. Qin Yu¡¯s expression was complicated. He only responded softly and went out to call someone to prepare the meal. At dusk, the dining hall was filled with the aroma of dishes. Shen Qingyan sat quietly at the dining table, not knowing what to eat. She did not understand why Huo Xu came to accompany her for dinner. Should not he be more unscrupulous in the current situation? Why did he still put on an act? Soon she put down the silver chopsticks and sat quietly with a gloomy expression. ¡°Are these dishes unpalatable?¡± Huo Xu raised his eyes to look at her and asked, ¡°Are you still feeling unwell?¡± Such a warm and gentle tone, to Shen Qingyan, seemed like a lifetime away. Before she married Huo Xu, he always spoke to her in such a gentle tone, letting her indulge in his gentle appearance which made her fall deeper for him until unable to pull herself back. She did not answer, just looked at his face silently. How many masks were there on this gentle and calm face? Shen Qingyan did not know and also could not count them. She felt only awkwardness and disgusted. The chicken soup on the table had a strong aroma, floating to her nose and causing Shen Qingyan to turn her head to retch. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Huo Xu hurriedly got up and walked to Shen Qingyan¡¯s side, reaching out and patting her back lightly. But as soon as he touched her, he was surprised. How can she, how can she lose so much weight? Because of the winter, she wore thick clothes, so he could not see anything. Only when he touched her with his hand did he realize that she was so thin. ¡°Who prepared the dinner today?¡± Huo Xu suddenly became angry, and his voice became heavy, ¡°Remove these greasy dishes and replace them with lighter ones!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The servants on the side were all trembling with fright and walked out quickly. Shen Qingyan sneered in her heart. This was the real him, moody and hypocritical. It¡¯s disgusting. To avoid Huo Xu¡¯s anger at the innocent servants, Shen Qingyan had no choice but to say lightly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Seeing that she was finally willing to speak, Huo Xu secretly happy in his heart, moved his hand up. He rubbed Shen Qingyan¡¯s head, and said softly, ¡°You eat too little, eat some more later.¡± Shen Qingyan did not want to have a pointless argument with him, so she nodded her head in agreement with him. At this time, a maid came hurriedly from outside. But she did not dare to enter the room, she just stood hesitantly outside the hall, looking anxious. Huo Xu naturally saw her. He recognized this maid, who was from the western courtyard. But he did not call her in. Could it be that Huo Xu did not want to destroy the harmony and tranquility of this moment as Shen Qingyan¡¯s attitude towards him had eased a little? However, Shen Qingyan opened her mouth to call the maid into the hall, and she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Your Highness, Prince Concubine.¡± The maid saluted respectfully and said, ¡°The master of the western courtyard has been suffering from abdominal pain, and she shed a lot of blood just now.¡± ¡°Has the doctor gone over?¡± Huo Xu frowned and asked. ¡°Already, but Master keeps crying pain again.¡± The frowning brows tightened even more, and Huo Xu looked at Shen Qingyan worriedly. For some reason, he suddenly cared about Shen Qingyan¡¯s attitude and did not want to go to the western courtyard to accompany Jiang Man at this time. But, after all, that was his child too. He was in a dilemma for a while. ¡°Your Highness, go and have a look.¡± Huo Xu could not help but be startled by the gentle tone of voice. He looked at Shen Qingyan¡¯s indifferent expression, and his heart was a little suffocated. After a while, he still nodded and walked out. Shen Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief. She really wanted to thank Jiang Man for calling him away, otherwise, it would be suffocating and uncomfortable to stay under the same roof with him. ¡°Lu Ying, let¡¯s go back to the room.¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t you want to eat anymore?¡± Lu Ying looked worried. Although she also hated Huo Xu very much, she felt that he was right this time that her master should eat more. These days, her master had been having severe morning sickness and had been vomiting, the whole person had lost a lot of weight. She was distressed by just looking at her master. But Shen Qingyan still shook her head, ¡°No.¡± Here, she really had no appetite at all. The master and servant walked to the bedroom together, Lu Ying held her in one hand and the lantern in the other, watching the road ahead carefully. Suddenly, a figure passed by, and his speed was so fast that neither of them had time to cry out in surprise. When they regained their senses, he had disappeared into the night. It was De Shun. Lu Ying clenched her hand tightly because he shoved a note into her hand just now. The two did not say much, just quickened their pace and returned to the bedroom. Shen Qingyan kept her eyes on the paper for a long time. Then, she gradually closed her palms and made a fist. There were only two simple sentences on the note. The child in Jiang Man¡¯s womb was not Huo Xu¡¯s. Watch out for Jiang Man. Previously, she had heard Jiang Man with another man¡¯s voice in the room in the western courtyard. After learning that she was pregnant, Shen Qingyan did not think that the child in her womb might not be¡­ But at that time, she could not even take care of herself, so naturally, she was lazy to care about these things. Now it was different. If Jiang Man had the intention to hurt her, then she brought it on herself. There was a candle burning on the table, Shen Qingyan handed the note to the candle and watched it burn to ashes. ¡ª Early the next morning. Jiang Man asked the maid to carry the food box and walked toward Shen Qingyan¡¯s room. The hand hanging by her side was clenched tightly, and a red mark was bitten out of her soft lips. She originally did not want to take this step, but yesterday, Huo Xu started ignoring her to accompany Shen Qingyan. Even if she deliberately pretended to have abdominal pain to attract him later, he was impatient with her. In the past, she was Huo Xu¡¯s substitute for his sweetheart which naturally oppressed Shen Qingyan everywhere. But now, he had begun to waver, and he had begun to care about Shen Qingyan. Even if she was pregnant, she still could not get his attention. No way! She had been a substitute for too long and wanted to continue to enjoy Huo Xu¡¯s tenderness towards true love. How could she accept now that it was gone? Jiang Man thought that it would be fine as long as Shen Qingyan disappeared. At least¡­ her child should not exist. It was a great threat to her. That child should not have come. As her thoughts drifted away, she already walked to the front of the room. In the bedroom, Shen Qingyan was wearing a sapphire blue dress, and she even put on some lipstick today, which was enough to cover her weak complexion. Because of the news from De Shun last night, she was not surprised that Jiang Man came to greet her for the first time ever. Her eyes suddenly turned cold as the corners of her lips rose. ¡°Let her in.¡± Jiang Man came in slowly with the goose-yellow skirt lifted. She saluted gently at Shen Qingyan, and said, ¡°Pay respect to Prince Concubine.¡± Although the two knew each other¡¯s existence, this was the first time they had officially met. ¡°Free of the ceremony.¡± Shen Qingyan smiled lightly, ¡°Sit down.¡± Jiang Man sat down according to her words. After a pause, she called the maid next to her and opened the food box she brought. Then she showed a well-behaved smile to Shen Qingyan, and said softly, ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been having severe morning sickness for the past two days. And I also heard that this supplement is very good for pregnant women. This slave came uninvited, just to bring you this soup.¡± She called herself a slave and was extremely submissive. Although this move was deliberate, Jiang Man thought about Shen Qingyan¡¯s unrelenting temperament in the past and that most noble girls were innocent, so she came over impatiently. Moreover, she really could not wait. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten breakfast already, and I can¡¯t eat it anymore now.¡± Shen Qingyan sighed softly and said regretfully, ¡°It¡¯s a pity to waste such a good soup. Why don¡¯t you drink it?¡± Hearing this, Jiang Man¡¯s heart tightened, and a chill swept through her body. She could not tell whether Shen Qingyan really could not eat it, or she was testing her due to suspicion. ¡°This¡­ this slave has already eaten today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good supplement, so why not eat more?¡± Shen Qingyan smiled gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, you are also pregnant, so you should eat more.¡± Jiang Man was stunned, completely panicked. Originally, she did not think that Shen Qingyan was her rival. A noble girl who had been raised in a boudoir since she was a child, how could she know that people¡¯s hearts were unpredictable? When she was a rough servant girl in a rich family in the past, she had long understood the childishness of those indulged young ladies. She thought that Shen Qingyan was like that, but she did not expect¡­ It was she who underestimated the enemy. ¡°Many thanks to Prince Concubine. This slave really can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± Jiang Man¡¯s eyes were flustered, and stood up tremblingly, ¡°This slave is a little uncomfortable, so I will go back first, and I will come to greet you another day.¡± After speaking, without waiting for Shen Qingyan to reply, she turned around and walked out. There was a bad premonition in her heart for no reason, Jiang Man walked out embarrassingly, wanting to get out of here quickly. Shen Qingyan¡¯s face sank when she turned around. If it were not for her guilty conscience, why did she leave in such a hurry? ¡°Someone, hold her.¡± The cold voice came into Jiang Man¡¯s eardrum, her feet softened, and she almost tumbled out of the door. Fortunately, the two servants caught her and brought her to Shen Qingyan. ¡°What do you mean? Could it be that you will punish this slave because I refuse to drink this soup?¡± Although Jiang Man was afraid, she was pregnant, so she had some confidence in the end. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal if you don¡¯t drink the soup, but it¡¯s a big deal if you added something else to it.¡± Shen Qingyan did not beat around the bush with her, and said directly, ¡°If you drink it, today¡¯s matter will end here. How about it?¡± With the rim of her eyes starting to redden, Jiang Man trembled and said, ¡°You, you¡­¡± For some reason, she suddenly felt that she had been seen through by Shen Qingyan. ¡°Go and invite Third Prince.¡± Not long after, Huo Xu came. As soon as he entered the room, the whimper fell into his ears. He frowned and looked at Jiang Man who was crying. Doubts appeared in his eyes. ¡°Presumptuous!¡± This was said to the two servants holding Jiang Man. Despite she did something wrong, his woman should not be held by other men. After being yelled at like this, the two servants let go of their hands. ¡°My Lord!¡± Jiang Man rushed into Huo Xu¡¯s arms with tears streaming down, ¡°Woo¡­¡± Huo Xu frowned tighter and looked straight at Shen Qingyan, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°She put an abortion medicine in the soup and especially brought it for me to drink.¡± ¡°What?¡± Huo Xu was shocked. He let go of the person in his arms with a look of disbelief, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°This slave has been wronged. This is just an ordinary bowl of soup.¡± Jiang Man bit her lip and vowed not to admit it even to her death, ¡°How can Prince Concubine wrong me with empty words?¡± Hearing this, Shen Qingyan curved her lips and sneered, ¡°Whether you¡¯ve been wronged or not, we can find out by checking with the doctor.¡± ¡°Call the doctor.¡± Even if Jiang Man insisted strongly, she would not admit it. Even if the doctor found out, as long as she refused to admit it, she would push everything to the kitchen. Without any evidence, plus the flesh in her belly, what could they do to her! ¡°While the doctor hasn¡¯t come yet, there is another thing I don¡¯t think Your Highness knows yet?¡± This early in the morning, Huo Xu was invited here before he had breakfast. It was so noisy that it really annoyed him! ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Jiang Man, the bedwarmer, is having an affair with someone.¡± This time, Huo Xu¡¯s face turned completely dark. He opened his eyes and looked at Jiang Man, only to see her eyes staring blankly as if she was stupid. Seeing this, he had no choice but to turn to look at Shen Qingyan, ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡± Shen Qingyan remained expressionless and raised her finger to point to Jiang Man¡¯s belly, ¡°The evidence is in her belly.¡± ¡°You, you venomous slender!¡± Jiang Man was on the verge of collapse, she could not believe it, how could Shen Qingyan know! Must¡­ It must have been to fool her! ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Shen Qingyan said lightly, ¡°Your Highness, there is a secret method in the court to test the kinship between the baby and the father. Later, send someone to invite Imperial Physician Jiang to have a test and we will know.¡± After a short pause, she continued, ¡°To ensure fairness, the baby in my belly can also be tested.¡± ¡°Bang.¡± Jiang Man fell to the ground, and her eyes were as dead as ever. She was completely finished. With this look, even if she did not test it, who else could not see it? Huo Xu¡¯s face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He naturally knew that there was no secret method in the court, how could a child still in the womb be tested? It was merely Shen Qingyan who fooled her. However, this woman dared to betray him!? He treated her so well, not only did she not know how to be grateful, but she actually dared to betray him! ¡°Who is that man?¡± His eyes were like sharp arrows and were about to shoot through the woman kneeling on the ground. ¡°He, he¡­¡± Jiang Man¡¯s eyes were red and trembled in fear. But that was the child¡¯s father, how could she tell him? ¡°Huh!¡± Huo Xu laughed angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t want to tell me? Do you think I won¡¯t be able to find him if you don¡¯t tell me?¡± ¡°Someone, drag this slut out and flog her to death!¡± ¡°No!¡± Jiang Man suddenly rushed forward, clutching Huo Xu¡¯s trousers tightly. She was not afraid of death, but her child should not have had no chance to come into the world, ¡°I beg you. This slave begs you! Forgive me this time!¡± ¡°Look at me, look at me! I¡­ I¡¯m Xiao Zhi!¡± She began to panic, trying to use this face that looked like Le Zhi in exchange for his compassion. Sure enough, Huo Xu¡¯s eyes moved slightly. His icy eyes merely changed to an even more gloomy face. ¡°Xiao Zhi?¡± He sneered coldly that she dared to compare with Zhizhi. Since this vulgar slut liked wild men so much, he would fulfill her! ¡°Someone, sell her to the secret prostitute establishment.¡± Secret prostitute establishment? The person who was sent to that place could no longer be called a person. Jiang Man fainted all at once. Then a few servants drag her out. Shen Qingyan originally looked at all this indifferently, but when she heard about the secret prostitute establishment, her heart could not help but shrink. She stared at Huo Xu in a daze, a feeling of sadness rose in her heart. This man was really cruel. Jiang Man¡­ Being sold to that kind of place was worse than death. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside. Huo Xu was rubbing his brows and had a headache, walked out with a gloomy expression when he heard the sound. Shen Qingyan also followed to the door and listened carefully. Vaguely heard some familiar voices. Can it be¡­ my father is here? A trace of joy appeared in her heart, and she lifted her legs to walk out. ¡ª ¡°How?¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. De Shun has sent me the latest news. Miss Shen is fine and Jiang Man has been sold to a secret prostitute establishment.¡± Le Zhi frowned. A secret prostitute establishment? Before she could think more, a person sat on the stone bench beside her. ¡°Withdraw first.¡± She said to Li Yao. Then, she turned her gaze to her side. Huo Du ignored her, just poured a cup of tea on his own, and sipped it gently. Since the greenhouse yesterday, the two had tacitly ignored each other. Obviously, there was no quarrel, but for no reason, the two suddenly began to stiffen. Therefore, she had to hold Little Lame Huo to sleep last night. The result was obviously that she had not slept well. Le Zhi quietly watched Huo Du drinking tea. He also looked paler now. He surely must not have slept well last night. Suddenly, he looked up at her. She turned away with a chill in her heart. In fact, Le Zhi could not figure out what she was hiding. But there was a voice in her heart that was getting clearer and clearer. Between them, it seemed that they were about to come to an end. At this time, An Xuan came over, and he said in a deep voice, ¡°Your Highness, he is here.¡± He? Who is he? Le Zhi lowered his eyes, a little curious. Then, she heard the footsteps of Huo Du getting up and leaving. She slowly raised her eyes and looked at his departing figure. But after taking a few steps, Huo Du stopped, turned around resolutely, and walked back towards her. He turned suddenly, and before Le Zhi could react, he had already walked in front of her. ¡°Who is the person, what is he here for, his relationship with me, and my next plan.¡± Huo Du stared straight at her and asked word by word, ¡°You really don¡¯t want to ask any questions?¡± He asked in a casual tone. But Le Zhi could hear that he should be very angry. The author has something to say£º Du: I advise you to ask me quickly, don¡¯t force me to kneel down and beg you! Zhi: ??? CH 92 Chapter 92 Hope Huo Du¡¯s eyes were burning, and Le Zhi faintly felt a little warm between her brows. Ask? Actually, I¡¯ve always wanted to ask. Just that¡­ ¡°Your Highness trusts me so much?¡± Le Zhi slowly got up and looked straight at him. She finally knew what she was afraid of. She was not afraid that Huo Du would not tell her, nor that he would lie to her, rather he would tell her everything. She was afraid that he would let her know every detail of the plans, the loopholes, and all the uncertainties. If Huo Du did not tell her, she could follow her own plan, and even if they walked different paths in the end, she could still walk her own path confidently, even if it hurt the feelings between them, and even if it hurt him. Le Zhi told herself repeatedly that it did not matter, she could do it as long as she was ruthless enough. But if Huo Du had told her everything, and if she had known his flaws earlier, would she still be able to continue in such a dignified manner? She did not know. ¡°What do you think?¡± Huo Du asked her rhetorically, with complicated emotions in his calm eyes. There was a long silence. Le Zhi gradually lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him or answer his question. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± She heard Huo Du¡¯s emotionless tone, heavy and cold, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡± Not only did not know but also did not trust him. She did not even believe her position in his heart. She even refused to ask a question. Huo Du looked at her cowered appearance, like a small snail shrinking into its shell. He glanced at her one last time, no longer hesitated, and turned to move forward. He walked in such a hurry that he did not even notice that when he turned around, the person in front of him stretched out her hand and tried to pull his sleeve. Maybe the corners of the satin cotton were too silky, or maybe he walked too decisively that the sleeve slid across her slender fingers quickly without stopping. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were red and filled with tears. She withdrew the hand hanging in the air and turned her eyes to look at the hurried departing figure, feeling sad and aggrieved. She clenched her little hand tightly, letting her fingernails embedded in her palm. Can¡¯t you wait a little longer? At this moment, Li Yao came in a hurry with a solemn expression, ¡°Master, something happened.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s heart sank. She raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Lord Shen went to the Third Prince Mansion and wanted to take Miss Shen away, but Huo Xu refused to let him. There was some pushing around in the back for some reason, and Miss Shen was pushed to the ground in the chaos¡­ a lot of blood was shed.¡± ¡°What!¡± Le Zhi swayed, thinking that Shen Qingyan was pregnant now, her tone trembled slightly, ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Lord Shen brought her back. I don¡¯t know what is the situation right now.¡± Le Zhi frowned, and said, ¡°You can ask someone to check it out later. If possible, I would like to go to the Shen Mansion.¡± Li Yao responded with a yes. ¡ª Yongning Palace. ¡°You bastard!¡± Empress was breathless, leaning on the soft chair and panting while clutching her heart, looking helplessly at Huo Xu who was kneeling in front of her. ¡°How did I know she would fall¡­¡± Huo Xu said with an innocent face and said resentfully, ¡°It¡¯s all that old Shen Huai¡¯s fault. If it wasn¡¯t for him, how could things become like this!¡± ¡°You know that Shen Qingyan is pregnant, why do you still want to provoke her?¡± Empress frowned, ¡°If something happens to her, Shen Xiang¡¯s support will probably become your challenge!¡± After a pause, she murmured again, ¡°If I had known this, I might as well not let you marry her that time.¡± It¡¯s better than getting angry like this now. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have married her in the first place, and I don¡¯t like her.¡± Huo Xu lowered his eyes, a little aggrieved, ¡°I always only wanted Zhizhi.¡± ¡°What Zhizhi!¡± Empress was so angry that her eyes turned red. She could not believe her son would be so stupid, ¡°She¡¯s already Huo Du¡¯s person long ago. What are you dreaming about? She wants you to die now!¡± The harsh words made Huo Xu frown. ¡°Impossible!¡± Huo Xu was very firm. ¡°Imperial Mother, you don¡¯t know her. She just pretending in front of Huo Du.¡± Empress stared blankly at the person in front of her who had been bewitched and did not want to talk to him anymore. Yesterday, Huo Changyun called her to the imperial study and showed her the edict of conferring Xu¡¯er as the taizi. It was supposed to be a matter of great joy, but she could not help trembling all over. It went smoothly. It went too smoothly. Were the positions of the taizi and the emperor really so easy to take? She did not believe Huo Changyun. ¡°Imperial Mother think too much.¡± Huo Xu smiled suddenly, he evoked a triumphant smile, ¡°Imperial Father has been praising me recently. The civil and military of the whole imperial court are tacitly aware that the position of the taizi must belong to me.¡± ¡°What is Shen Huai? After I enter the Eastern Palace, will not that old man send his daughter over without hesitation?¡± Huo Xu, who was originally worried about Shen Qingyan¡¯s affairs, suddenly got over it. It was naturally good that her baby was saved. After all, this was his first child. If the baby was really gone, it did not matter, just let Zhizhi give birth to him which should have been like this, to begin with. If Shen Huai was still not tactful at that time, then his position as the prime minister was not a matter of his words? ¡°All right, go back first.¡± After Huo Xu left, Lin Wanning slowly got up and walked to the window, looking at the white snow drifting away. Huo Changyun¡¯s words from yesterday were still fresh in her ears. He smiled and said to her, ¡°The position of the taizi will be Xu¡¯er¡¯s, so don¡¯t worry.¡± But until now, instead of feeling relief, she had always been in an anxious state. She really hoped that she thought too much. Tomorrow, after the edict was announced to the world, her heart could settle down. ¡ª Shen Qingyan¡¯s child still could not be saved. Le Zhi handed over the invitation, without any hope, but Shen Xiang agreed. Huo Xu¡¯s people found out that she entered the Prime Minister Mansion through the side door after dark. A distinct smell of blood overflowed into Le Zhi¡¯s nostrils when Lu Ying led her to Shen Qingyan¡¯s boudoir. Le Zhi walked slowly to the bedside and looked at the person with a pale face and dazed eyes. Lifeless, like a ghost. ¡°The day the soldiers of country Qi attacked Great Li, my relatives left me in an instant.¡± Le Zhi sat down on the soft bed and tucked the quilt for Shen Qingyan, ¡°At that time, I was just like you, completely disheartened. But you have to think about how heartbroken your relatives who are still alive will be if they see you like this.¡± ¡°Think of your father.¡± The dead pupils trembled slightly, and then the eyes filled with tears, rolling down. She cried louder and louder gradually. Le Zhi picked up the clean silk handkerchief, wiped Shen Qingyan¡¯s tears quietly, and then patted her back gently. ¡°I, I thought I didn¡¯t like that child, but¡­ but when he really left me little by little, I was really in pain.¡± Shen Qingyan burst into tears and sobbed, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. He must have left because he thought I didn¡¯t love him¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s no! It¡¯s not your fault, don¡¯t blame yourself for other people¡¯s fault.¡± Hearing this, the tearful Shen Qingyan gradually stopped crying. Had to say that Le Zhi was very persuasive. It was not her but Huo Xu who caused her to lose her child. ¡°I hate him.¡± Shen Qingyan clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Huo Xu, he¡¯s a beast hated by everyone.¡± Le Zhi sneered and said concisely, ¡°Have a good rest. You have to take good care of your body, and then watch his end with a smile.¡± ¡°You mean?¡± Shen Qingyan murmured. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Le Zhi smiled and helped her lie down, ¡°I heard that your embroidery is very good, so don¡¯t bury your talent. Don¡¯t worry, you will have a bright future.¡± Future? Would she still have it? Before Le Zhi came, Shen Qingyan was completely disheartened. But now, some hope was gradually rising in her heart. With these hopes, she closed her heavy eyelids to sleep. When she closed the room door, she saw Shen Xiang at a distance. Le Zhi stepped forward and gave a farewell ceremony. But Shen Huai suddenly joined hands and gave a big ceremony to Le Zhi. ¡°Lord Shen, this is¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, princess, for my daughter.¡± Princess¡­ Le Zhi was taken aback for a long time as she had not heard anyone call her that for a long time. With a faint smile and a slight nod, she lifted her legs to leave. But¡­ ¡°As long as my daughter¡¯s wish can be fulfilled, the old minister is willing to listen to your instruction.¡± ¡­¡­ On the carriage back to the mansion, Le Zhi looked blank and suddenly lost her mind. Obviously, everything went according to her expectations, but her heart seemed to be empty. ¡°Master, my elder brother will act according to your instructions.¡± Le Zhi turned her eyes, looked at Jing Xin, and said softly, ¡°Jing Xin, am I bad?¡± ¡°What are you saying, Master!¡± Jing Xin frowned in disapproval and shook her head, ¡°You are a very good person.¡± ¡°But when I asked you to be by my side, it was a selfish move. I wanted An Xuan to owe me a favor.¡± Le Zhi laughed self-deprecatingly. She was not a good person, everything she did had a purpose. Whether it was Jing Xin or going to the Shen Mansion today, she had selfish motives. It was true that she wanted to persuade Shen Qingyan, and it was also true that she wanted to use this matter to win over Shen Xiang. Le Zhi knew that she was no longer the simple and kind princess of the country Li she used to be. She was not a bad person, but she was not a simple good person either. ¡°Even if you are selfish, you are a good person too.¡± Jing Xin took her hand and said, ¡°Those who are good to us are all true.¡± Le Zhi did not answer, just lowered his eyes. Jing Xin felt that her master was good everywhere, but she was too demanding of herself. Was this the innate sense of morality and responsibility as a princess? Master¡­ it¡¯s really tiring for her to live. It was already late at night when they arrived back at the mansion. Le Zhi asked Jing Xin to rest first, but instead of going back to the bedroom, she walked towards the back garden. It was rare for the snow to stop, and the bright moon and the stars were all over the night sky. She stared blankly at the moon which shone the cold light down. Just like her and Huo Du, how did two icy cold people keep warm? After experiencing all kinds of things and learning about Huo Du¡¯s childhood experience, Le Zhi was distressed but could not do anything, nor could she promise him anything. Just like even though she liked him, she would not let go of her hatred because of this love. No matter how much she liked him, she still wanted to kill his father. She was like a cold moon without warmth. If possible, Le Zhi hoped that the bright warm sun would be standing beside Huo Du. Year after year, warming him. Let him come out of his childhood¡¯s pain and had no worries for the rest of his life. Unlike her. Even did not dare to have the basic honesty and trustworthiness, what a selfish coward. Suddenly, her waist was tightened, and her back was pressed against a warm chest. Under the familiar scent, Le Zhi slowly lowered her eyes, covering the redness at the corners of her eyes with her long eyelashes. Rationality told her that she should not indulge, but her heart leaned against him uncontrollably. I want to be held a little longer. Just a little longer. The author has something to say£º Du: I just like the moon. CH 93 Chapter 93 Same Ending ¡°Is it cold?¡± Le Zhi shook her head silently and turned around in his arms after a moment, slowly hugging him again. She stared at his eyes and said softly, ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Huo Du looked at her quietly and then closed his eyes as she said. Moonlight shone on the two overlapping figures. Le Zhi loosened him, held his face instead, and kissed him slowly but firmly. For the first time, she let herself go and kissed him wholeheartedly. Between the entangled lips and tongues, it was impossible to tell whose breath wrapped who. They were like two little animals snuggling together on a snowy day. If they were not entangled with each other, they might not be able to survive the harsh winter. Not knowing how long it took until the two people¡¯s breath was unstable, and they finally let go of each other. Le Zhi buried her face in his neck, feeling his temperature at the moment. No matter what happened tomorrow, she could only hold on to this moment. Therefore, this moment was the most important. ¡°Shall we go to the conservatory to see the stars?¡± Huo Du carried her up and ¡°en¡± softly. In the conservatory, the four seasons were like spring. The two hugged each other and leaned on the soft pillow. Huo Du pulled the fleece blanket and put it on Le Zhi. Looking at the bright stars through the glass, Le Zhi sighed softly, ¡°Tomorrow must be a good day.¡± Huo Du did not answer, just rubbed her head, and said, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± But Le Zhi turned her head and stared at his side face in a daze, unwilling to look away, let alone sleep. Tonight may be the last time. The last hug, the last kiss, the last time we sleep together. Clearly thinking of not sleeping, a burst of warm fragrance swept across, and Le Zhi¡¯s eyelids closed uncontrollably, gradually losing consciousness and falling into a deep sleep. Huo Du hugged Le Zhi¡¯s shoulders and gently let her lie down on the soft pillow, then he put his hand on her wrist to check her pulse. Weak and depressed in her heart. As his eyes darkened, Huo Du raised his hand to caress her soft cheeks. His strength was very light as if he was caressing a treasure carefully. After a long time, he leaned down and touched her forehead. ¡°Am I making things difficult for you?¡± he asked the sleeping person in a low voice. These days, how could he not know that Le Zhi was struggling painfully between the hatred for the enemy country and him? What she did not know was that the path they took from beginning to end had the same ending. The only difference was that there was no way back for him. This was the ending that Huo Du had paved for himself from the beginning. Huo Du had no nostalgia for the world. But why did she appear? She made him addicted and unable to extricate himself and made him start to have nostalgia for life. Where there was nostalgia, there was the expectation. He was expecting Le Zhi to ask him. In that way, he could naturally give himself a chance, a chance to continue to accompany her to watch the moon. Sadly, she did not. ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t force you.¡± Huo Du smiled and lay down beside her, holding her hand, looking at the dazzling stars, and suddenly warned softly, ¡°If you dare to bring another man here in the future, I will¡­¡± He paused and turned his head to stare at her peaceful sleeping face, with an inescapable tenderness in his eyes. ¡°If you want, just bring him.¡± He approached her ear as if to bless and say goodbye, ¡°As long as my little fox can be happy.¡± ¡ª Le Zhi had a long, long dream. Only this time, the wailing, questioning, and accusations were no longer in the dream. The dream was very peaceful, only she and Huo Du. Huo Du took her to see the world, and she was very happy. But suddenly, he let go of her hand and said, ¡°Le Zhi, that¡¯s all for now.¡± That¡¯s all for now? Why? She was puzzled and anxious, ¡°Where¡­ Where are you going?¡± Hearing this, Huo Du just smiled and patted her head, then turned around resolutely and left¡­ Le Zhi panicked immediately and hurried to catch up, but Huo Du¡¯s figure was getting farther and farther away. She tried her best to catch up but could only watch him disappear into the mist. ¡°Huo Du!¡± Le Zhi had a sharp pain in her heart and suddenly sat up from the soft bed calling his name. After sitting for a while, she pulled her thoughts back from the nightmare. Ignoring the tears on her face, she turned her head to her side and found that it was empty. The warmth of the warm room gradually dissipated, and she touched the cotton mattress beside her with her palm, which had long lost the trace of warmth. For a moment, her heart seemed to fall into an ice cellar. The warm sun outside filtered through the windowsill, and it looked as if it was almost noon. How could she sleep so deeply? Deep sleep and nightmare, all these made Le Zhi¡¯s heart more and more afraid. She suddenly regretted, why did not ask him yesterday? What exactly is he going to do? Thinking of this, she hurried off the bed and ran to the first floor. After Le Zhi opened the door, An Xuan, who was outside, was obviously surprised when he saw her. According to His Highness, the princess should not wake up until sunset. But now it was not even noon, how could she wake up? ¡°An Xuan, where is he?¡± ¡°His Highness¡­ has entered the palace.¡± ¡°Take me into the palace!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were red, and her voice was hoarse, ¡°Hurry up!¡± An Xuan was a little awkward, ¡°But His Highness has ordered, you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Something bad is going to happen to him.¡± Le Zhi covered her heart, her voice trembling in pain. She finally understood the meaning of husband and wife being of one mind. It turned out that one person could really perceive what the other person was about to encounter. To this day, she had long been unable to escape. Le Zhi was not just the princess of the country Li. Also, his wife. This was the first time that An Xuan saw Le Zhi in such a flustered state. He carefully recalled His Highness¡¯s demeanor before entering the palace in the morning, and the words that were instructed to him, which were indeed a bit abnormal. When he thought about it at this time, it did have the meaning of leaving a will. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this subordinate will take you there!¡± ¡ª ¡°By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decreed that Huo Xu, the third prince, has an excellent qualification. Now he is awarded this imperial edict. He will be established as the crown prince and will reside in the Eastern Palace. Accept this.¡± Huo Xu knelt in the main hall, listening to the coveted conferment of the imperial edict, and his whole person was a little elated. The heart was overflowing with joy as the position of the taizi and Zhizhi were about to be his! ¡°Thank you!¡± He raised his hands high to take the imperial edict. But when the hand was about to touch the imperial edict, a force sucked the edict backward, followed by a mocking laugh to his ears. Both the civil and military courtiers and Huo Xu looked back, only to see Huo Du walking leisurely while looking at the imperial edict. When he walked to Huo Xu¡¯s side, Huo Du glanced at him and threw the edict on him. Everyone was so shocked that they were speechless, including Huo Xu. One was because of Huo Du¡¯s boldness and arrogant behavior, and the other was because of his legs which were no different from an ordinary person. Where could one see that he was disabled? What was going on? Only Huo Changyun¡¯s expression did not change, as if everything was within his expectations. He looked at Huo Du with a smile and asked, ¡°Du¡¯er, how many soldiers did you bring today? Are you sure?¡± Huo Du laughed and replied slowly, ¡°Rather than asking me, Imperial Father should come down and have a look.¡± Hearing this, Huo Changyun nodded, really got up from the high seat, walked down the throne room, and walked outside the hall. Outside the throne room, the original imperial guards were completely under control, and the entire palace was surrounded by Huo Du¡¯s troops. Huo Changyun looked at all this with satisfaction, and counted them in detail, ¡°Soldiers from country Ning, soldiers from country Jiang, and Shengyang¡¯s old tribes¡­ Very good, very good!¡± If Huo Du could unite the country Ning and country Jiang in the future to first swallow the weak country Wu, then take the Moqiang and Yizhen tribes, and finally defeated country Ning and country Jiang. Then, the Great Qi would be able to dominate the world! The path Huo Du was taking now was the best path he had ever imagined. Huo Changyun could finally feel at ease. ¡°Someone, declare the imperial edict.¡± The eunuch declaring the decree calmly took out the real imperial edict and declared word by word. ¡°By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decreed that Huo Du, the former Taizi is now reinstated the position as Taizi and acting as the monarch of the country. Accept this!¡± Huo Du did not even kneel, only took the imperial edict with one hand. Huo Changyun did not reprimand him but instead showed a gratified smile. From the beginning to the end, what he wanted was a son who could fulfill his wish for him. Only those who were capable could be in this position. Today, he finally waited for such a person. All the courtiers looked at all of this in disbelief, thinking that the former Taizi had launched a palace rebellion, but now this looked like¡­ His Majesty¡¯s test? What about Third Prince? Huo Xu was dizzy all over. Is there a mistake? What is Imperial Father saying? He opened the imperial edict in his arms with shaking hands and read every word carefully, which was no different from what was just read. Just¡­ there was no jade seal on this imperial edict! It turn out this was a scam! His imperial father, the Emperor, made him the last steppingstone for Huo Du to ascend the throne. ¡°Bang!¡± Huo Xu threw the imperial edict hard at Huo Changyun, he almost collapsed and shouted, ¡°Why! Am I not your son?¡± ¡°For the sake of Great Qi and for you, I broke my promise and massacre the country Li in exchange for this fake conferment imperial edict?¡± Huo Xu¡¯s eyes were about to bleed, ¡°Imperial Father, you are not being fair!¡± ¡°No, Xu¡¯er. I gave you a chance.¡± Huo Changyun looked at the hysterical man on the ground and said calmly. ¡°Up to now, you still lie to me!¡± Huo Du had no interest in this kind of confrontation between father and son. He threw the imperial edict in his hand to Huo Xu, ¡°Since you like being a taizi so much, then I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± ¡°Huo Du!¡± Huo Changyun finally got angry, ¡°Don¡¯t be too presumptuous!¡± Huo Du waved his hand and asked someone to drag Huo Xu out first. ¡°Three, two, one.¡± At the end of the speech, all the ministers in the throne room collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness. At this time, Huo Changyun started to be a little panicked, ¡°What are you going to do? The position of the taizi and even the imperial throne of the emperor has been given to you. What else do you want to play?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Huo Du smiled casually, ¡°Isn¡¯t Imperial Father well aware of everything? Can¡¯t you figure out what this son wants to do?¡± ¡°Can it be that you still want to kill the emperor, your father?¡± Huo Du stopped smiling. He looked at the person in front of him with a heart as cold as ice. Why was he the son of such a person? In an instant, he returned to normal. ¡°Imperial Father, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Huo Du lowered his voice and said to him, ¡°I just want to give away this Great Qi.¡± Huo Du knew best what Huo Changyun cared about the most. It was to unify the world and let the flag of Great Qi be planted in every corner of the world. Ruined his dreams. Was worse than killing him. ¡°Are you mad at me? Because of your imperial mother, because of Xiao Xiao?¡± ¡°What qualifications do you have to mention Xiao Xiao?¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes darkened, his hands clenched into fists, ¡°I¡¯m not angry at you. Didn¡¯t you wipe out Great Li? Then I¡¯ll compensate them the entire world.¡± Huo Changyun¡¯s heart was stifled, and his body swayed. Sure enough, it was for that woman. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡± he said angrily. ¡°Imperial Father only just knew I was crazy?¡± ¡°When you rule the world, what woman you can¡¯t have? Do you want to give away the great country for that woman?¡± Huo Changyun suddenly felt a little regret. If he knew that Huo Du would be trapped by a woman, he might as well give the country to Huo Xu. Although he could not unify the world, at least he would not hand over his own country to others, right? Unfortunately, it was too late. He took two steps back and spat out a mouthful of blood. Huo Du turned his head, too lazy to talk to him anymore. At this time, the soldier of the country Jiang who was closest to them saw the opportunity and was about to fulfill the favor owed by his master to others by killing the emperor of the country Qi for her. The fingers under the sleeves held the hidden weapon tightly and were about to attack next. Suddenly, a person who looked like a eunuch rushed out with a dagger, and the tip of the knife stabbed straight at Huo Changyun. Under the palace cap was the face of the Empress! Lin Wanning was restless today, fearing that something would happen, so she pretended to be a eunuch and stood outside the throne room, listening to the movement inside. Who would have thought that Huo Changyun was really so heartless! Xu¡¯er¡­ What does he take Xu¡¯er for? Since he was heartless, did not blame her for being unjust! Anyway, they had no chance anymore. When the tip of the knife hit, Huo Changyun avoided it, and only managed cut a corner of the imperial robe. He clenched the person¡¯s wrist tightly and smelled a familiar scent. He took a closer look and was a little stunned, ¡°Empress?¡± ¡°Huo Changyun, you are a heartless bastard!¡± Even though her wrist was held back, Lin Wanning still tried her best to continue stabbing him. Huo Du watched all this coldly from the sidelines, he did not make a move, nor did he let anyone step forward to drag Lin Wanning away. He just wanted to see whether his imperial father had ever had feelings for anyone in his life. Finally, Huo Changyun was enraged, he grabbed Lin Wanning¡¯s wrist and snatched the dagger from her hand. Unexpectedly, Lin Wanning suddenly pounced forward and sent her heart to the tip of the knife. The flesh was pierced instantly, and blood splattered! At the same time, Huo Changyun also spat out a mouthful of blood! ¡°Hahaha!¡± Lin Wanning fell to the ground, laughing crazily, ¡°Tongxin Gu, I have planted this poison on Your Majesty long ago. You have to live and die together with me. Hahaha!¡± Soon, Lin Wanning stopped breathing. And Huo Changyun fell to the ground, using his last breath to grab Huo Du¡¯s pants. ¡°Du¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry¡­ I leave Great Qi to you.¡± Huo Du squatted down, looked at the man who was dying, and closed his eyes expressionlessly. Even when he died, he did not feel that he did wrong. How ridiculous, how sad? ¡°Someone, bring these courtiers back to their respective mansions.¡± After a while, only him and two corpses were left in the huge throne room. The thick smell of blood mixed with the faint smell of gunpowder permeated the air. Huo Du finally glanced at the people on the ground. If there was a next life, he should not have any relationship with these people anymore. Then he slowly walked to the door, looking at the bright warm sun outside, as if thinking of something, he curved his lips and smiled. Then he took out the lighter from his sleeve. This place would be reduced to ashes in no time. All the filth would be taken away by him for her. The Great Qi would be handed over to Le Yu. Huo Du had made arrangements for the civil courtiers and military generals to assist her. His little fox was so smart that it must not be difficult for her. This was Huo Du¡¯s gift to Le Zhi. From then on, her world would be clean and bright. He raised his hand to the lighter and was about to start it. ¡°Huo Du! Come out for me!¡± The familiar voice was extremely sharp and hoarse, with a fit of unprecedented anger and a faint sobbing tone. The author has something to say£º Oh no, someone¡¯s leg is going to be broken! CH 94 Chapter 94 Promise For a while, Huo Du could not tell whether she was really here, or hallucinations caused by what he was thinking. But soon, he was certain. The lighter in his hand was suddenly taken away. Even though her fingertips only touched him a little, Huo Du could still feel the coldness on her fingers. No warmth, as cold as frost. Le Zhi clenched the lighter tightly, and her right hand trembled uncontrollably. The smell of gunpowder, lighter, and the soldiers who were sent to a distance by Huo Du. If she arrived half an hour later, would this throne room along with him¡­ Her heart ached so much that she could not think about it. Although the corpse of her most hated enemy lay on the ground not far from her, Le Zhi was not happy at all. The joy of avenging the great hatred could not make up for the piece of heart that was cut out. Le Zhi raised the lighter forward, stared into Huo Du¡¯s eyes, and asked calmly, ¡°Have you figured it out clearly?¡± Huo Du¡¯s heart seemed to be pierced suddenly. Her face was as pale as paper, and the foxy eyes were red, but she stubbornly held back her tears. For a long time. Before Huo Du could answer, Le Zhi suddenly laughed. ¡°All right.¡± Two clear words floated past Huo Du¡¯s ears, and in front of him was her silence and desperate smile. Huo Du felt inexplicably flustered, and he took a step forward to grab Le Zhi¡¯s hand. But she took a step back as if she knew in advance. Then, she resolutely started the lighter. The flame danced in the still air, instantly burning Huo Du¡¯s eyes. ¡°Le Zhi!¡± At the moment she threw the ignited lighter, fear spread to Huo Du¡¯s whole body. He grabbed her hand suddenly, hurriedly took the lighter, and threw it out with force. It had snowed for half a day outside, and a layer of white snow had already accumulated on the ground. The lighter fell to the ground, the flame instantly extinguished and cooled down, and soon covered with white snow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you figure it out clearly?¡± Le Zhi looked at Huo Du¡¯s anxious scarlet eyes and pressed him, word by word. Don¡¯t you want to die? What, are you afraid too? When the eyes of the two met, the pain of the two fell into the other¡¯s eyes, which was unavoidable. Le Zhi slowly lowered her eyes and wept, tears falling one by one on the back of Huo Du¡¯s hand. Even though he was holding her so tightly now, she still felt that he would disappear in front of her eyes at any time. The pain of the day when her country was defeated seemed to have returned. She was still the one who was left behind. Left behind by relatives, left behind by him. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Her tears were going to burn his hands and were going to burn a big hole in his heart. Huo Du held up her face helplessly and wiped her tears with his fingers. However, Le Zhi raised her hand to push him away. Her eyes were misty and blurry, but she could still see those peach blossom eyes through the mist. ¡°Huo Du, you don¡¯t know anything.¡± After saying that, Le Zhi turned around decisively and walked out of the throne room, exposing herself to the boundless snow and ice. Quiet, so quiet that even the sound of snow falling could be heard. Le Zhi stepped on the snow, her footsteps were weak, and she walked aimlessly on the palace road. The sounds of the footsteps behind her gradually met with hers, following her rhythm faster and slower. She knew that he would definitely follow her. The snow was getting heavier and heavier, just as Le Zhi intended. When she entered the imperial garden, she was almost out of strength. Seeing the stone bench on the side of the road, Le Zhi walked over and saw a thick layer of snow on top of it. She smiled and sat down directly on it. Huo Du was shocked. He hurried forward, took off the cloak on his body, and wrapped her thin body. Then he squatted down in front of her, held her hands, and stared at her bloodless cheeks with agonizing eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry¡­ How about going back to the mansion first?¡± Le Zhi raised her hand to caress his face, then shook her head with a smile. No, that was not what she wanted to hear. The cold wind was gusty, but Huo Du felt as if his heart was being scorched by fire. He was trapped between the ice and fire and was about to be suffocated. Huo Du knew that he could bring her back to the house forcefully, but then what? If she was not happy, there were plenty of ways to torment herself. He conceded. There was nothing he could do about Le Zhi. Seeing the snow build up on her shoulders and hair, Huo Du had no choice but to get up and brush the snow away for her and then raised his hand to block the snow for her. Time passed by in a flash. It was a sunny afternoon when Le Zhi entered the palace, but now the sky was getting darker. When An Xuan found these two masters, he almost fainted from fright. Is this¡­ don¡¯t want their life anymore? He hurriedly propped up his umbrella and walked to them. ¡°Go back.¡± Huo Du refused coldly. An Xuan frowned, worried in his heart but still raised his legs and left. Le Zhi raised her eyes to look at the dusky sky, and she did not feel much anymore. She asked in a low, angry voice, ¡°Huo Du, does it hurt?¡± ¡°It hurts.¡± Huo Du knew what she was asking. She stabbed him in the heart mercilessly, how could he not hurt? Le Zhi pursed her lips in satisfaction. Her eyes turned red. It¡¯s right to be hurtful. ¡°It hurts so much from when I woke up today until I saw you in the palace.¡± So, Huo Du, is it fair? Hearing this, Huo Du slowly closed his eyes and mulled over her words again and again. This was the first time that she had been so honest in front of him. It turned out that without him, she would be so hurtful. Huo Du opened his eyes and looked at the top of Le Zhi¡¯s hair, with the corners of his eyes red. His chest seemed to be filled with something. He suddenly carried her up, supported her weak body, and stared straight into her eyes. ¡°You never told me these¡­¡± In the past, he did not understand love, nor did he believe in love. How could someone like him fall in love with someone? Until he met her. As if the bright moon fell into his dream. Even if there was an insurmountable hatred between them, he did not want to let go. The only desire in this life, how could he be so easy to let go of? Besides, he could also feel her heart gradually getting closer to him. However, she never said it, not even once. No matter how well she pretended to be, Huo Du had to admit that he cared, and cared terribly. The greed for her was as much as he loved her. The feeling was not enough, he just wanted to hear what she had to say. From the desire to paranoia. Le Zhi saw the love and hurt in his eyes, the tip of her nose suddenly became sour, and the tears streamed down uncontrollably. It turned out that was all he wanted. Simple as that. She slowly stretched out her arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and brought her cold lips to his ear. ¡°Le Zhi likes Huo Du, I like you very much¡­¡± Her tears fell into Huo Du¡¯s neck as if the tears were never-ending. ¡°I like you so much that I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± When she realized that she loved him, she once resisted it, rejected it, and even tried every means to strip, hide or ignore this love. However, it was impossible in the end. Knowing that she could not, knowing that she should not, she still fell deeply for him. It was not until today that she suddenly realized. Not knowing when that Huo Du had already become a part of her heart, without him, her heart would not be complete. Could one live without a complete heart? Le Zhi thought, probably not. The arms around her waist became tighter and tighter. Although Huo Du did not speak, Le Zhi could feel the trembling on his body. And the warmth he left on the side of her neck. ¡°Huo Du, are you afraid?¡± Le Zhi whimpered and asked him, ¡°If you die today and watch me freeze here alone, but you can¡¯t hug me, will you regret it? If I freeze to death¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Huo Du¡¯s voice was hoarse, frowning to prevent her from cursing herself bluntly. However, he did not need to stop her anymore, Le Zhi¡¯s body could no longer stand the cold, and before he finished speaking, she leaned on his shoulder and fainted. ¡ª Huo Du returned to the Eastern Palace with Le Zhi in his arms. Le Zhi had a high fever at night. Pots of hot water were sent into the bedroom, and Huo Du wiped her body over and over again, but her forehead was still hot, and her eyelashes were trembling. He just sat at the bedside, guarding her. In the middle of the night, when everything was silent, the person on the bed suddenly started to cry. ¡°Woo, woo¡­¡± Sweat dripped from Le Zhi¡¯s forehead, and tears flowed from the corner of her eyes. She seemed to have fallen into a terrifying nightmare, her eyebrows tightened, and she kept mumbling. ¡°Be good.¡± Huo Du wiped her tears with a warm handkerchief. Although he knew she could not hear him, he still comforted her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Suddenly, the sleeping person raised her hand and grabbed his wrist tightly, ¡°Don¡¯t go, don¡¯t go¡­¡± Huo Du had seen her cry before when she had a nightmare at the hot spring villa. Are you dreaming about your dead loved ones again? However, the next moment¡­ ¡°Huo Du¡­¡± Huo Du¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he was stunned. It was not until his hand was clenched tighter and tighter that did he gradually return to his senses. ¡°Huo Du.¡± She held his hand to her heart and continued to murmur his name. Huo Du leaned over immediately and answered her softly, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Then, he heard her choked with emotion and asked cautiously, ¡°Don¡¯t go, all right?¡± The black eyes became redder and darker. He kissed her eyes and said, ¡°Sure.¡± Then, he closed his eyes and lay down beside Le Zhi. Accompanied by her whimpering and muttering, he cursed himself over and over again in his heart. Huo Du, Huo Du. You are a total as*hole. When Le Zhi woke up muddle-headed, she rubbed her aching head, not knowing where she was for a moment. Fortunately, a familiar cool fragrance always lingered by her side, which made her feel a lot at ease. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± She turned her head and saw Huo Du looking at her with burning eyes. She wanted to answer him, but her throat was so dry that she could not make a sound, so she nodded. Huo Du seemed to see her discomfort, turned around and took the teacup by the bedside, and fed warm water to her lips. The warm water comforted her dry throat, making Le Zhi a lot more comfortable, and also pulling most of her thoughts. She raised her eyes and looked at Huo Du in a daze. There seemed to be a thousand words to say to him, but for a while, she did not know where to start. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du stared into her eyes and asked, ¡°Are you clear-headed now?¡± Le Zhi was puzzled, but still ¡°en¡± softly. ¡°Great, then listen carefully.¡± He pressed his forehead against her forehead. With the eyes looking at each other, he said earnestly, ¡°I make a promise to you. From today on, I will not get sick, I will not be injured, and I will never have the idea of leaving you again.¡± From now on, I gave my life to you. The author has something to say£º Du: I dare not, I dare not. CH 95 Chapter 95 Affectionate Le Zhi was stunned, her eyes filled with disbelief. Huo Du looked at her with a smile and asked in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡± The heater in the room was burning brightly, and Le Zhi felt that her body was getting hotter and hotter, and her head was a little dizzy. Not sure whether it was because of the fever, or because of his words. Was not it really a hallucination caused by her burning confusion? She nodded confusedly, then shook her head again. The color in Huo Du¡¯s eyes gradually deepened, he sighed softly and pulled Le Zhi into his arms. He brushed her soft hair with his palm and pressed his warm lips to the tips of her ear, ¡°I can say it once every day.¡± His breath was warm, and Le Zhi finally felt the real feeling. She buried her cheeks in his neck. ¡°You scared me today.¡± Her voice was muffled, with a lot of grievances. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Huo Du caressed her back, and assured her in a warm voice, ¡°Never again.¡± After a long time, Le Zhi finally rubbed his neck with her soft cheek and ¡°en¡± softly. Huo Du¡¯s eyes gradually got a smile, and he asked, ¡°Forgive me? Hmm?¡± Le Zhi withdrew from his arms, did not answer, only snorted softly. Then she raised her hand to rub her red and swollen eyes, and whispered, ¡°It hurts.¡± Crying for nearly a day, could it not hurt? Huo Du picked up the wet handkerchief on the side, got up, and walked towards the hot water basin. But his wrist was tightly held, he turned to look at the person with red eyes, and smiled, ¡°Be good, I¡¯ll give you a hot compress.¡± However, Le Zhi shook her head, reached out to take the handkerchief in his hand, and threw it aside, ¡°Don¡¯t want this.¡± ¡°Just kiss me.¡± Her voice fell, and her cheeks flushed. Then she looked away embarrassedly, not daring to look directly at the person in front of her. In an instant, the world was spinning. When she regained her senses, the whole person was already lying on the soft bed. He blocked all the candlelight in front of her. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Le Zhi curved her lips unconsciously when his warm lips touched her eyelids. How nice! Gradually, Huo Du¡¯s kiss fell on her lips, and at the moment when the lips entangled, Le Zhi felt that the missing corner of her heart was filled up. The two indulged in the sweetness and embraced each other to sleep. ¡ª Overnight, the Emperor and Empress of Great Qi both collapsed and passed away. The whole imperial court was greatly affected, and the whole country was in turmoil. But Taizi seemed to have made preparations long ago. The soldiers and generals guarded the imperial palace, and the city without leaking any news, and there was no change in the border areas. More importantly, at this time, the neighboring countries had no intention of invading the territory. The entire Great Qi seemed to be stronger than when the late emperor was there. In this way, the courtiers were relieved. And under the careful care of Huo Du, Le Zhi got better very quickly. Although the high fever was due to the cold this time, it was basically caused by depression. Now that the knot in her heart was untied, the illness would naturally heal. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du dressed her familiarly, and when the last knot was tied, he asked her in a low voice, ¡°Are you ready to meet an old friend in a while?¡± Le Zhi was slightly startled, but instantly understood what he meant. An old friend¡­ it was time to meet him. The reason why Huo Xu was not dealt with immediately that day was naturally to leave him to Le Zhi. The debt owed by Huo Xu should be paid. Le Zhi nodded firmly, ¡°Yes.¡± Huo Xu was locked in Xia Feitai. The prison where Great Li¡¯s imperial relatives were imprisoned in the past was now empty, with only him imprisoned. Indeed ironic. There was a wide-open space in Xia Feitai, on which stands a prison column covered with fine thorns, which had never been used before. Now, Huo Xu had been tied to it for several days. The thorns were very short and could not kill people, they could only make the person bleed all over. Huo Xu¡¯s back, legs, and arms were oozing with blood, and his face was completely bloodless. He hung his head dejectedly, and his eyes were dead silent. To this day, he still could not figure out why his imperial father chose Huo Du. Even if he chose Huo Du, he would not treat him like this, would he? No, it can¡¯t be Imperial Father. It must be Huo Du! The pain in his body merged with the resentment in his heart, causing Huo Xu to clench his fists and grit his teeth. Suddenly, a gentle sound of footsteps came to his ears. Someone is coming. Huo Xu raised his eyes, and his first reaction was that Huo Du was coming. But the footsteps were a little soft, not like the footsteps of a man. Huo Xu¡¯s heart was a little stifled until the familiar figure came into view. The light pink skirt matched her as always, showing her gentle beauty to the fullest. His thoughts drifted back to the day when she reached the marriageable age, and she was also wearing a pink palace dress that day. At the time, they were all so happy. ¡°Zhizhi¡­¡± Huo Xu called to her weakly, his heart full of softness. Through adversity, he saw the truth. His Zhizhi came to save him. Then Huo Xu saw Le Zhi walking towards him slowly. When she walked in front of him, she curved her lips and smiled at him as before. Then, she put her hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, a deep hatred appeared in Le Zhi¡¯s eyes. She pressed Huo Xu hard towards the prison column. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The shrill cry resounded throughout Xia Feitai, and the flesh was deeply embedded in the thorns. Huo Xu¡¯s whole body trembled with pain. And his heart hurt even more. When he looked up, Le Zhi had already walked away from him. Huo Xu could not believe it, why? Why does Zhizhi want to¡­ At this time, Huo Du came in with a knife and walked slowly toward Le Zhi. ¡°Why are you walking so fast?¡± Huo Du turned his head and glanced at Huo Xu, then turned to look at Le Zhi again. He bent his lips, handed the knife in his hand to Le Zhi, and said with a smile, ¡°Kill him. You can stab as many times as you want.¡± Huo Xu stared blankly at this scene, unable to think in astonishment. But Huo Du grabbed Le Zhi¡¯s hand holding the handle of the knife, and suddenly became playful. He reversed the tip of the knife pointed at Huo Xu and pointed directly at his heart. Isn¡¯t his little fox unbelievable? She should believe like this. He handed his life to her genuinely. His smile deepened, and glanced at Huo Xu again, said slowly on purpose, ¡°Or do you want to kill me first? That¡¯s fine too.¡± Huo Xu¡¯s pupils tightened, hard to believe. Did he hear it wrong, or was Huo Du crazy? Or was he in a dream at this time? Le Zhi did not like Huo Du¡¯s casual joking about his life, and her face sank suddenly, ¡°Have you played enough?¡± Seeing her displeased, Huo Du hurriedly let go, and immediately softened, ¡°I¡¯m not playing anymore.¡± Le Zhi glared at him faintly, and the meaning in her eyes was obvious. I¡¯ll settle the account with you later! The eye movements and interactions between the two fell into Huo Xu¡¯s eyes. It turned out that they had already¡­ ¡°Why! Even you chose him instead of me?¡± Huo Xu was heartbroken and could not accept it, ¡°You were forced, right? Zhizhi, tell me that this is not true. We have known each other since childhood, how can there be someone else in your heart.¡± ¡°Huo Xu, I really regret not seeing through you earlier.¡± Le Zhi looked at him coldly and said word by word, ¡°You are a complete animal.¡± Animal? Zhizhi said he was an animal? Huo Xu suddenly felt that something exploded in his head, and the pain was unbearable. He did not know why Le Zhi hated him, but¡­ ¡°You said before that you can understand my difficulty. You clearly said that everything was in the past!¡± How can you lie to me? Le Zhi turned her head, not wanting to look at this person again. She felt sick. And her appearance fell into Huo Xu¡¯s eyes, which aroused his emotions even more. That¡¯s not the case. Zhizhi must have been bewitched by Huo Du. It¡¯s all his fault! He took away his taizi position and took away Zhizhi which belonged to him. ¡°I¡¯m an animal?¡± Huo Xu suddenly laughed, ¡°Hahaha, do you think the person beside you is good?¡± He laughed louder and louder and was about to burst into tears. But his eyes were filled with hatred, staring at Huo Du closely, ¡°I really regret letting you go when I was a child.¡± Huo Du¡¯s eyes moved slightly, his heart sank, and he immediately raised his hand to cover Le Zhi¡¯s ears. ¡°Hahaha, you should be like Huo Xiao, be eaten by wild animals with nothing remains! Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Bang.¡± It was the sound of the tip of the knife hitting the ground. Huo Du¡¯s heart trembled, knowing that she must have heard it. He let go of his hand and walked in front of her, watching her eyes gradually turn red. He suddenly regretted letting her come. He should have cut Huo Xu¡¯s body into ten thousand pieces! ¡°He¡¯s talking nonsense.¡± Huo Du comforted her softly, ¡°Don¡¯t listen.¡± Le Zhi stared at him in a daze, and her heart was stabbed again and again. After a while, she took a deep breath, walked to the place where the torture instruments were placed, and took a crossbow. Facing Huo Xu, she succinctly detailed his crimes. ¡°Huo Xu, you massacred my Great Li, killed my relatives, humiliated my eldest sister, and hurt my husband. This debt should have been repaid long ago.¡± Then, without hesitation, she aimed at his leg and shot the silver arrow out. After the cry out in pain, Huo Xu had sharp arrows pierced in both legs, and blood flowed all over the place. Le Zhi suddenly did not want to kill him. Death was too cheap for him. He should live, live in pain, the longer the better. Huo Du had suffered from the pain of his disabled leg for more than ten years, and he needed to pay it back hundreds of thousands of times. After throwing away the crossbow, Le Zhi turned around and took Huo Du¡¯s hand, interlaced her fingers with him, and walked out. Huo Xu was at the death¡¯s door, he kept looking at the corner of the pink dress that was getting further away, with tears in his eyes. Gradually, he closed his eyes and hid the wetness. Zhizhi, I really want to, really want to start all over again¡­ ¡ª The two remained silent all the way back to the Taizi Mansion. Until Huo Du carried the weak Le Zhi to the bed, she was still wilting. ¡°If I knew this would happen, I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Huo Du sighed softly. Le Zhi had been holding back her tears, dyeing the corners of her eyes red. She did not want to cry, because if she cried, he would be sad too. She did not want to make him sad again. Therefore, she did not cry. Huo Du felt even more uncomfortable seeing her holding back her tears. He touched her head and said, ¡°Just cry.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s tears came out all of a sudden, she raised her hand and wiped it casually, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t cry¡­¡± But the more she wiped, the more tears streamed down. Huo Du took her into his arms and stroked her back, again and again. After a long time, the person in his arms finally stopped crying. All of a sudden, Le Zhi hugged his neck tightly, put her lips to his ear, and apologized softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± How many wounds do you have in your body and mind since you were a child? It must be hurtful. And that day, I deliberately made you hurt. ¡°Fool.¡± Huo Du hugged her tightly, tilted his head, and kissed her neck, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± With you. There will be no more pain. ¡°But I feel hurt¡­¡± Le Zhi¡¯s voice was as thin as a mosquito buzzing. She felt distressed. This time, Huo Du immediately understood what she meant. He gently placed the baby in his arms on the soft bed and pulled her clothes down a bit. A gentle gaze fell on the corners of her red eyes, and said, ¡°With your husband kissing, you won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Then, he leaned over and placed a kiss on her heart. A deep kiss. The author has something to say£º Kiss! Kiss all night! CH 96 Chapter 96 Hand in Hand Spring came when winter left, and the earth was renewed. The warm spring sun melted all the icy snow, and the mountains showed tender new green. However, the country Qi still had no emperor. Even though the civil and military courtiers all pleaded together, Huo Du was still indifferent and had no intention to ascend the throne. Nevertheless, the usual urgent memorial was sent to the Eastern Palace, and handled by him, without any problem. It was just that there was no monarch in the great country, which was really weird. Seeing that it was useless to persuade Taizi, the courtiers thought about detouring back to beg Taizifei. And the Prime Minister, who had some connection with Le Zhi, was proposed as that person. After seeing Shen Xiang, Le Zhi walked into the study while rubbing her slightly sore temple. The candlelight was illuminating brightly, and the fragrance of agarwood was floating. She lightened her footsteps and walked to the person who reviewed the memorial at the desk. And on his side, a small head rested, looking very tired. Even Little Lame Huo in his arms fell asleep. The person who had originally lowered his head to review seemed to be able to sense her and raised his eyes to look at her. The two looked at each other and smiled, neither spoke in a tacit understanding. Huo Du put down his writing brush, got up and carried Le Yu up, and sent him back to his bedroom with Le Zhi. Coming out of Le Yu¡¯s bedroom, the two of them interlaced their fingers and walked slowly towards the bedroom accompanied by the moonlight. Although it was already spring, the night was still a little cold. Huo Du took the person beside him into his arms, half hugging her and blocking some of the coldness for her. ¡°Are those old men bothering you again today?¡± Le Zhi smiled and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not too annoying either.¡± Huo Du rubbed the back of her hand with his fingers, and asked slowly, ¡°Do you blame me for letting Yu¡¯er learn so late every day?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi paused and stopped to look at him. She looked at his face carefully under the moonlight, which showed some tiredness. These days, he not only had to handle national affairs, but also personally thought Yu¡¯er, and there were only a few hours left to rest every day. Le Zhi knew that he wanted to let Yu¡¯er learn the responsibilities of an emperor as soon as possible so that he could succeed to the throne as soon as possible. This was the reason why he refused to ascend the throne for a long time. However, Le Zhi was worried that it would break his body if continued like this. ¡°The words of those old courtiers are not completely unreasonable.¡± Le Zhi stared at his eyes and said, ¡°And I never thought that Yu¡¯er must be¡­¡± The ultimate purpose of revenge was not to take the world back into the Le clan¡¯s hands. Since the founding of Great Li, every person in power had not been a person with a lust for power. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± Huo Du straightened his expression and asked, ¡°What do you think of the world?¡± World? Le Zhi blinked and said, ¡°Naturally it belongs to the people.¡± ¡°So does it matter who takes that seat?¡± Huo Du chuckled. In the past, Huo Changyun had a strong desire for power, and he regarded the world as the possession of the Huo clan. This was a big mistake. Those who occupy that position should not be from the same origin, but wise men. ¡°But I think you did a good job.¡± Le Zhi said softly. Huo Du raised his hand and rubbed her head, the soft color in his eyes gradually deepened, ¡°Yu¡¯er is very suitable.¡± Regarding his intention to pass the throne to someone with a different surname, the imperial family and nobles dared not say anything on the surface, but they all talked about it in private. They all thought that he was crazy. For the sake of a woman, he handed over the throne to someone else. But actually, that was not the case. It was Huo Du¡¯s decision to give the throne to Le Yu after careful consideration. Just like what Le Zhi said, Huo Du asked himself if he could do well, but he was not interested in that. In the first twenty years of his life, he had nothing else in mind apart from overthrowing Huo Changyun. But now, he had other plans for the rest of his life. He wanted to share happiness like ordinary people with her. As for the other Huo family members, except Huo Xiang, no one could be of great use. And Huo Xiang¡¯s ambition was to be in the army and led a military life. These days he personally taught Le Yu, and found that although Yu¡¯er was young, the emperor¡¯s appearance was already prominent. Many keen ideas were not like what a five-year-old child could think of. As long as he was pointed in the right direction, Le Yu would be able to become a worthy monarch in the future. ¡°However, Yu¡¯er is still too young.¡± Le Zhi knew what he was thinking, but she could not bear to leave his nephew to live the life they wanted at this time, ¡°How about a few more years?¡± After a long time. Huo Du nodded and replied with a chuckle, ¡°Sure.¡± Seeing his promise, Le Zhi immediately curved her lips and tugged at his sleeve, ¡°Then when will you ascend the throne?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± The smile on Huo Du¡¯s lips was even greater, ¡°So eager to be the empress?¡± Le Zhi was stunned, then glared at him fiercely, and turned around to leave. Ignore him! But her wrist was suddenly being held, her feet suddenly dangled in the air, and the whole person was carried in his arms. Le Zhi let out a low cry and wrapped her hands around his neck subconsciously. Then she was lightly pecked on the lips. Le Zhi blushed, hummed softly, and turned her head. Then came a low laugh. ¡°Your temper is really getting bigger and bigger.¡± Le Zhi hummed unhappily, ¡°Being close to a bad person can make a person bad.¡± ¡°It makes sense.¡± Huo Du approached her ear and asked, ¡°But¡­ how close it is?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s lips parted slightly in shock at his words. This man is shameless! In the next instant, he lowered his head to kiss her lips, swallowing all her breath. It was a silent answer to her words. ¡­¡­ When Le Zhi woke up dazedly, the person beside her propped up and looked at her with a smile. She pushed him angrily to keep him away from her. ¡°What? Like to be farther away?¡± There was a bang in her head. Le Zhi¡¯s cheeks turned red, and her body shrank straight into the brocade quilt. Near and far¡­ The broken scenes were reorganized, and with his snort and a chuckle in her ear, he said, ¡°Being close to a bad person can make a person bad¡­ So, from which place to be close?¡± This man! Is really shameless! Seeing this, Huo Du leaned over and fished her out, smiling to comfort his angry baby. He kissed her hair and said, ¡°Before ascending the throne, I want to take you somewhere.¡± Le Zhi was extremely sleepy, hummed vaguely, turned to hug his waist, and continued sleeping. ¡ª She thought that Huo Du was going to take her somewhere in the capital, but when the carriage left the city, Le Zhi saw that there were many clothes in the carriage, and only then did she realize he was going to take her far away! All the way to the south. On the road all night, the carriage was getting closer and closer to the destination. Looking at the familiar scenery outside the carriage, Le Zhi knew exactly where he was going to take her. But it was probably due to the complex mood of returning to her hometown, the previously shattered images of the city keep popping up in her mind. She was suddenly a little scared. Were the surviving people of the country Li doing well? It was not that she did not want to come, but the fear in her heart had been holding her back, making her dare not come. It turned out that Huo Du knew it all. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Huo Du held her hand and said softly. His voice seemed to have power, and Le Zhi found that the fear in his heart was gradually dispelled. Finally, the carriage stopped outside the city gate. Le Zhi got off the carriage and looked at the three words ¡°Fan Le City¡± on the city gate that was no different from the past, and her eyes suddenly became a little sour. The former capital of Great Li. She had come back. Seeing her hesitation to go in, Huo Du took her hand and walked slowly into the city. The warm wind was gusty, and the fragrance of the flowers was lovely. The city was very boisterous. The bustling lively market, the shouting shopowners, and the people who came and went with smiles. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, a little in disbelief. Because she missed them that she asked Li Yao to buy goods from here when purchasing for her shops¡­ thinking that it would make them all live a better life. Now it seemed that their days were no different from those before Great Li was destroyed. What¡¯s going on? Before she could react, the passersby people recognized her. ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°Is it the princess?¡± ¡°The princess is back?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Le Zhi watched them stop and looked at her with a smile, instead of being angry and accusing like in her dreams. With tears in her eyes, she bent her lips and smiled, looking back at them. Once upon a time, the imperial family of country Li and the common people were like a family. At this time, the relationship between them was not a monarch and subjects, but family members. Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, ¡°Today is the princess¡¯ birthday!¡± Le Zhi was stunned. After so many things, she had long forgotten about her birthday. It was actually today. Voices of congratulations on her ¡°Happy Birthday¡± resounded in her ears one after another, and a little girl stuffed a hydrangea into her hand. ¡°Sister princess, happy birthday.¡± Her seventeenth birthday. It was very special and warm. After the crowd dispersed, Le Zhi let Huo Du lead her to the end of the street. She stopped suddenly and asked, ¡°You prepared all of this?¡± Huo Du smiled, ¡°Some are, and some are not.¡± It was indeed his hand to make the people here prosperous. But it was also the wisdom of these people that made life better and better. ¡°Le Zhi, in addition to here, other cities will become richer and happier in the future.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes were full of tears. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly, and he also took advantage to hug her. ¡°Happy birthday.¡± He kissed her gently and whispered in her ear, ¡°My princess.¡± Le Zhi tightened her arms, and she wanted to hold him tightly. Then she leaned into his ear and said word by word, ¡°I love you.¡± Huo Du¡¯s body stiffened, and his head was dazed for a moment. He did not expect her to say what he wanted to hear most so directly. Not long after, he was also close to her ear. ¡°I love you too.¡± ¡ª The enthronement ceremony and the conferment of the Empress ceremony were on the same day. Le Zhi would always remember that day, the sun was high with blooming spring flowers. The gorgeous phoenix carriage walked around the capital three times, surrounded by lively and joyful sounds. Le Zhi sat in it, and suddenly recalled the day of her big wedding. Those resentments, unwillingness, hatred, and fear had disappeared, and her heart had only been full of expectations. Looking forward to spending the rest of her life with him. On the dark corner of the street, there was a man who looked like a beggar, lying on the ground like mud. He crawled forward slowly, eager to see her again. Just one glance was fine. But¡­ ¡°I finally found you!¡± Huo Xu¡¯s whole body trembled when the eerie and crisp voice came. He turned his head with difficulty and saw a familiar face. It was Jiang Man. ¡°You, you¡­¡± With his crippled legs, he was suddenly enveloped in fear. Jiang Man¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. She leaned over and grabbed Huo Xu¡¯s hair and lifted it up, laughing wildly, ¡°Hahaha, you didn¡¯t expect it, right? I escaped from there, hahaha!¡± She laughed louder and louder, her whole face distorted. Then, she took out the dagger on her body and stabbed Huo Xu¡¯s back without hesitation. The inhuman days in the secret prostitute establishment were all thanks to him. So, he must die! ¡°Ah!¡± The pain of the cracked spine made Huo Xu scream out, but soon he no longer felt the pain. He watched his blood turn the dirty ground red. Finally, he exhaled a murky breath and lost all consciousness. ¡°What are you doing!¡± The soldiers patrolling the city in the distance noticed something wrong and rushed over to capture Jiang Man. But the almost crazy woman just burst into tears and laughed, not afraid or regretful. ¡­¡­ The phoenix carriage landed under the high platform in the palace city. Le Zhi was led out of the phoenix carriage by Li Yao. Thinking of her wedding day, she could not help but smile. At that time, someone refused to come to perform the wedding ceremony with her! Thinking of this, she raised her smiling eyes and looked at the high platform. But there was no one on the platform. Suddenly, a figure appeared beside her. Le Zhi turned her head and saw that Huo Du was also smiling at her. In the ceremonies of conferring Empress in all dynasties, the monarchs were all on the high platform waiting for the empress to come up. But Huo Du was under the high platform and walked up to the high platform hand in hand with her. The platform was very high and there were many steps. But, Le Zhi was not afraid at all, because there was a warm hand holding her firmly. She knew that he would always hold her. Under the high platform, the civil and military courtiers paid tribute in unison. While the emperor and empress on the high platform did not care much about these. With their eyes facing each other, they were the only light in each other¡¯s eyes. After the conferring ceremony was over, the sky darkened. Huo Du originally wanted to take Le Zhi to rest, but Le Zhi excitedly pulled him out of the palace and returned to the Taizi Mansion. She had one thing in her mind that she must do today. Huo Du followed her and let her lead him away until she stopped in front of the greenhouse. ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Huo Du was puzzled. ¡°Go in and have a look.¡± Le Zhi pushed him into the door of the greenhouse, but she did not go in. Huo Du walked into the greenhouse skeptically, only to see that all the poppies that had been planted were replaced by sunflowers at this time. Sunflowers bloomed towards him as if smiling at him. He curled his lips and looked with pleasure. But the intuition told him that there was more to this. Sure enough, when he walked to the gardener¡¯s desk, he was stunned. The previous painting had long been completed by someone. In the painting, Le Zhi, who was swinging on a swing, still with a happy face, but there was one more person beside her, hugging her with a smile and looking up at the stars with her. That person was him. His chest was filled with warmth, and Huo Du turned around and walked out of the greenhouse. The lights were bright, which made Le Zhi look extraordinary gentle. Huo Du strode towards her and hugged her hard. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes and brows were full of bright smiles. She hugged him back and looked up at the night sky. Regretted that the clouds were too thick tonight, hiding the moon. ¡°There is no moon tonight.¡± She sighed softly, with a little regret. But Huo Du smiled contentedly. He let go of Le Zhi, held her face dearly, and lowered his head to kiss her lips. When their lips were pressed together, he said¡­ ¡°There is.¡± How can there be no moon? The clear and bright moon was in his arms at this moment. ¡¾End of text¡¿ Psst.. don¡¯t forget the upcoming extras.. CH 97 Chapter 97 Extra 1 After Huo Du succeeded to the throne, he changed the name of the Great Qi to Great Xin, and the reign name was Xinhe. Since then, a new chapter had begun. All kinds of fierce battles had become a thing of the past, and the country had entered a state of reducing taxes and giving benefits to the people. In the third year of Xinhe, Great Xin joined with the three countries, making people richer and the country stronger. The neighboring countries praised nonstop, and many people from other countries came to settle in the country Xin. In the same year, Le Yu succeeded to the throne, but the new emperor, who was only eight-year-old, convinced everyone. Then, was the beginning of the flourishing period of the Great Xin Dynasty. ¡ª Feng¡¯an City in the south. This small southern town, where birds chirped and flowers smiled like spring all the year round, had simple folk customs, which were tranquility and beauty. Today, a very fresh candy shop opened in the city, and the candies sold in it were not only delicious but also beautiful. Candies were made into various different shapes, making the children in the city unable to move away. Not only that, but the material used in this candy was even better, even if eaten a lot greedily, it would not cause cavities in the teeth. In that case, the parents were more at ease. Of course, the best-selling candy in the shop was the refreshing and good-looking Yile mint candy. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± A smiling madam took the candy wrapped in paper and smiled from ear to ear, ¡°You don¡¯t know, that kid at home is very snarky, except for the mints here, he doesn¡¯t want any other mints. He refuses to drink the medicine these days¡­ Fortunately, I bought this today!¡± ¡°Since the child likes it, that¡¯s good.¡± A gentle soft voice said. When the madam left, another family came in with their child to buy candy. When the child heard that the mints were sold out, the little child¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. ¡°Wuwuwu¡­ I, I want to eat candy, wuwuwu¡­¡± When the child started crying, he could not stop, and it was useless no matter how the parents appease him. At this time, a white jade hand handed a string of candied haws over. The navy-blue dress against the skin made the person extremely bright, and the sunlight outside was printed on the face, making the person look softer and gentler. And this string of candied haws was also different from ordinary candied haws. It was wrapped in honey with different fruits, and it was glistening brightly that the child could not take his eyes off and even forgot to cry. ¡°How about you eat this today?¡± The child bent his eyes with tears still in them and responded childishly with a yes. He immediately took the candied haws and ate them. The parent next to him felt relieved and said with a smile, ¡°Thanks to the landlady, otherwise I really don¡¯t know what to do with this little brat.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The child¡¯s mother sighed again, ¡°What¡¯s so good about your candy shop? It¡¯s just that the candy sold too fast and can¡¯t be a little late.¡± The landlady curved her lips and smiled, ¡°Then I can prepare more!¡± After sending the family away, the landlady looked at how many candies were left in the shop, smiled, and walked back to the counter, ready to close the shop. While concentrating on writing the account, she did not notice a shadow stepping in. ¡°Knock, knock.¡± A slender cold white finger lightly knocked the counter twice, ¡°Landlady, do you have any more candy?¡± Le Zhi raised her eyes, and the person in front of her was wearing a light gray straight shirt with a light blue muslin robe, and the sleeves on the counter were embroidered with silverfish patterns. And his peach blossom eyes were looking at her with a smile. ¡°No.¡± Shaking and smiling slyly, ¡°Come again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± The visitor chuckled, leaning slightly across the counter to get closer, ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t have candy, I can also eat the landlady¡­¡± Le Zhi covered the rest of his words with her hand, and her cheeks were flushed with a thin layer of red, and the tips of her ears were a little hot. This person is getting more and more shameless in the broad daylight! As if to confirm what she thought, the color in the peach blossom eyes gradually deepened. He smiled and suddenly felt a little wet in her palm that covered his mouth. He touched it with the tip of his tongue. Le Zhi hurriedly pulled her hand back, lowered her eyes, and her face became even hotter. Seeing this appearance, the visitor who came here laughed even more. He walked slowly around the counter to the side, raised his hand, and pinched the red earlobe, ¡°Why are you still shy?¡± After being a husband and wife for almost four years, his little wife still could not stand the teasing, and she blushed after a few words. Really¡­ Too cute! ¡°You¡¯re so annoying¡­¡± Le Zhi slapped his hand away angrily and continued to start to write. Ignore him! The shop suddenly quieted down, and the visitor stopped making fun of her. He went to the sugar cabinets to clean up. Le Zhi slowly raised her eyes and looked at his busy figure, his movements seemed to be plated with a layer of light. It was hard to take her eyes off. Le Zhi could not help looking at him with a smile on her cheeks, and asked softly, ¡°Why is Doctor Huo so free today?¡± As soon as she said it, she felt annoyed again. Nowadays, Huo Du had opened a medical clinic not far away. He was not busy as there were fewer sick people in the small town, which was a good thing! Hearing this, Huo Du paused and walked toward her immediately. He rubbed her head and smiled, ¡°I miss the landlady.¡± Le Zhi caught his hand with a smile. Miss him too! ¡°Then let¡¯s go home.¡± The two closed the shop and walked slowly towards the house, hand in hand. ¡°What soup do you have tonight?¡± Le Zhi shook his hand, looking forward with twinkling in her eyes. Since the two of them left the palace and came to this small town, it was Huo Du who made soup and cooked. No, no, he really could do everything very well. Le Zhi thought that if he did not want to be a doctor, he could also open a restaurant. His craftsmanship was even better than that of a famous restaurant chef! ¡°You¡¯ll know when you go back.¡± Still keep me on tenterhooks! Le Zhi did not care about the humming and did not notice the faint smile that flashed across the eyes of the person on the side. They bought a beautiful small courtyard in a small town. As soon as they entered the house, Le Zhi could smell the rich and sweet aroma of the soup. With a smile on her face, she walked quickly into the dining hall and opened the lid cover to take a look. Sure enough, it was the rose donkey-hide gelatin candied jujube soup that she was thinking of! This was Le Zhi¡¯s favorite nourishing sweet soup. However, Huo Du felt that she ate enough candy every day, so he rarely made this soup for drinking. He only made it several times a month before her menstrual period started. Today was exactly the second day after the end of her menstrual period. No wonder! With a craving in her eyes, Le Zhi said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll serve the soup!¡± Huo Du took the lid cover in her hand and put it down. Then took a closer look at her hand he picked up. He saw that the fingertips of the two fingers that had held the lid cover of the casserole were scalded red. ¡°Go and sit down.¡± He frowned. Le Zhi naturally knew the reason why his face suddenly turned gloomy. He¡¯s angry again? She rolled her eyes, raised her hand, and pressed her reddish fingertips to his lips. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt anymore like this!¡± After speaking, the eyes of the person in front of her darkened and closed on her waist. Until the waist touched the cold table, Le Zhi trembled, and an image flashed across her mind, making her face hot. ¡°Don¡¯t want to drink soup?¡± Huo Du leaned close to the side of her neck and chuckled, ¡°Huh?¡± Le Zhi felt remorse in her heart, raised her hand to push him away, and said with her voice trembling slightly, ¡°I¡¯m wrong.¡± Knowing that he had endured hard work in the past few days, she still wanted to provoke him at this time. She really asked for it. But she was really hungry, if now¡­ maybe she would faint halfway through? Bah! What halfway through, what fainted¡­ She was really spoiled by him! Suddenly, Huo Du loosened her waist, led her to sit at the dining table, and then turned to serve the soup. Huh? It shouldn¡¯t be! He actually let it go like this, it was not like him at all! The more Le Zhi thought about it, the more strange she felt. Even her favorite sweet soup did not smell as good. There was no reason for him to look at the person on the side while drinking one mouthful at a time. ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you want to drink for a long time?¡± Huo Du looked at the person who suddenly became listless and laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to¡­¡± ¡­with me for a long time. Le Zhi bit her lip and did not continue on. Being close to a bad person could make a person bad! Now it was really happening¡­ ¡°Be good, open your mouth.¡± Huo Du took the soup bowl, scooped a spoon of sweet soup, and fed it to her mouth, ¡°Drink a little more.¡± His voice was low and clear, with a hint of sweetness. Bewitched, Le Zhi opened her mouth and drank obediently. At night, the cicadas chirped in summer. After the two finished grooming, they walked slowly to the courtyard in their bedclothes to watch the stars. ¡°Yay!¡± Le Zhi suddenly found that there was an extra swing in the courtyard, and ran over happily, ¡°When did you build it?¡± What a beautiful swing! It was made of mahogany, covered with a soft fleece blanket and two pillows. Huo Du hugged her waist from behind, pressed his warm lips to her earlobe, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± However, Huo Du hugged her, and sat on it together. Using the wind and internal force to make the swing freely. In summer, even the night wind was warm. The wind brushed her cheeks, making her heart warm. After swinging for a while, Le Zhi¡¯s forehead was sweaty. She muttered perplexingly, ¡°Why do you want to lay a fleece blanket on the swing on a hot day?¡± ¡°Are you hot?¡± The warm breath caressed her with the faint mint fragrance. Le Zhi¡¯s shoulders trembled slightly, and she turned over to suggest, ¡°A little¡­ stop, take off the fleece blanket.¡± Stop? It can¡¯t be stopped. Huo Du¡¯s lips overflowed with a soft smile, and he said, ¡°It¡¯ll be cooler later.¡± Le Zhi was even more confused, how can it be cool in the scorching summer? Until the tie at her waist was untied and her dress was loosened. Le Zhi¡¯s eyes moved, and her heart was shocked. Holding the front of her dress tightly, she looked to the person beside her with a panicked expression, only to see a leisurely look at the bottom of his eyes. It was obviously intentional. ¡°You, you¡­ you can¡¯t even think about it!¡± Huo Du suddenly encircled her waist with a little force, and let her straddle on his lap. He smiled leisurely, ¡°Look, what do you think I¡¯m thinking? As soon as Le Zhi sat firmly, she felt that her legs were being poked by something. She felt her skin go numb. But the swing kept swinging, without any intention to stop at all. ¡°Stop, stop!¡± She randomly went to grab his clothes, and the whole person became nervous. This lunatic! How can you be crazy? Courtyard, on the swing¡­ No way! Huo Du, on the other hand, covered her back with the palm of his hand and pressed the person toward him. He chuckled and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s try it?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face was about to ripen like a tomato. She pressed against his shoulder to distance herself from him a little. Pulling at the front of his shirt, she shook it vigorously, ¡°No, no!¡± Perhaps she used too much force, the lapel of his shirt was pulled loose, and it looked as if she was taking off his shirt. Seeing this, Huo Du raised his eyebrows with a smile and hugged her tightly while kissing her. With their breath intertwined, he deliberately teased, ¡°So impatient. Why are you still lying?¡± Le Zhi¡¯s lips were covered, so she could not refute it even if she wanted to. A cool feeling hit when her dress was pushed to the waist. With the swinging of the swing, she lost focus as she was afraid and annoyed in her heart, but she only could hold on to the nuisance in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, relax.¡± Huo Du kissed her neck and held her firmly. As the swing went up and down, the corner of Le Zhi¡¯s eyes became redder and redder. Although she bit her lip, she still missed a few moans. When she reached the climax, her body could not help but tremble. Leaning on the shoulder of the culprit, she bent her head to bite him. When it was over, Huo Du wrapped the tired person with a fleece blanket and carried her back to the bedroom. The fleece blanket still came in handy. ¡ª The next day at dusk. The family came to buy candy again, and there were plenty of Yile mints today. When the little boy took the candy, he laughed happily and blossomed. ¡°Beautiful sister, why are you green here?¡± The little boy pointed to Le Zhi¡¯s eyes thoughtfully, ¡°Oh, I see! You must be like me, you don¡¯t sleep well, right?¡± He also often slept with his parents and sneaked up to play. His eyes would turn green like this the next day! Le Zhi was stunned, and then her face turned red. It was not that she did not sleep well, it was because someone did not let her sleep. Bad guy! ¡°Xiao Jun, sister is not as naughty as you are.¡± The little boy¡¯s mother poked his forehead with a smile. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Xiao Jun thought about it for a while and felt that his mother¡¯s words made sense. This sister is so good! Thinking about it, his eyes lit up, ¡°Sister, there have been a lot of swings in the outskirts recently, shall we go play together?¡± Swing¡­ Le Zhi¡¯s legs were weak unconsciously, and she almost knock the table in an instant. Fortunately, the madam gave Le Zhi a hand and patted the back of Le Zhi¡¯s hand, ¡°Are you tired? Your business is so good that you can¡¯t do it all by yourself. I saw Doctor Huo the other day. I can ask him to look for help!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± A familiar voice came, and everyone¡¯s eyes looked out the door at the same time. Huo Du walked in with a smile and said to the madam, ¡°Madam Liang is right, it¡¯s my thoughtlessness.¡± The madam smiled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s good you knew. Please hire someone quickly!¡± After chatting for a while, the woman picked up the child and said goodbye to them. When they walked to the door, the little boy leaning on his mother¡¯s shoulder was still chattering, ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go play together! The swing is really fun.¡± ¡°Silly child, if sister wants to play, she will be playing with brother¡­¡± The voices of mother and son drifted away. Le Zhi knew that they were talking about the swing, but her face was red with a guilty conscience, and her hand hanging on the side clenched the sleeves. At this time, the person on the side approached with his lips hooked, smiled, and hugged her shoulders, then asked earnestly, ¡°Landlady, do you want to play on the swing?¡± The author has something to say: Zhi: Bastard!!! Du: Huh? Don¡¯t you like it? You were obviously enjoying it. Zhi: Shut up!!! CH 98 Chapter 98 Extra 2 Le Zhi raised her hand and pinched him, murmuring in her mouth, ¡°Huo Du, you¡¯re a bastard!¡± Obviously, he had a cold immortal appearance but had such a habit in private. Really¡­ so indecent! ¡°I should sew up your mouth with an embroidery needle.¡± ¡°Sew it up?¡± Huo Du tutted, pinched Le Zhi¡¯s red-hot cheek, then leaned into her ear and whispered. ¡°You!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s face seemed to be on fire, and she pushed him away with a displeasure expression. Never going to speak to him again. Humph, he was so annoying! Le Zhi glared at him and went around the counter to go into the inner room to tidy out. But the little tail behind her would not be left behind, so he followed her to the inside. Seeing her on tiptoe struggling to get down the account book from a high place, Huo Du went over to get it for her, took advantage of the situation, and circled her from behind, ¡°Are you angry?¡± A warm breath brushed the back of her neck, accompanied by a deep and low voice. Le Zhi¡¯s heart trembled and murmured as if bewitched, ¡°No¡­¡± Instantly, behind her came a soft chuckled, and then Le Zhi felt his lips pressed on her soft hair. ¡°I knew that my Zhizhi likes bastard the most.¡± Le Zhi did not deny it, but just snorted gently, then pushed away his arm around her waist, walked to the table, and sat down. Then she raised her eyes and glanced at him coldly, imitated his tone, and said, ¡°You are really clingy.¡± Huo Du smiled calmly, sat down beside her, and said resignedly, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Who makes the bastard like Zhizhi more?¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi¡¯s eyes moved slightly, and she turned her head and could not help but bent her eyes. Haiya! This guy is really getting¡­ annoying. Huo Du saw her giggling, but he did not expose her, lest she blew up again in embarrassment. But he suddenly remembered something serious. He took out the letter from his sleeve and pushed it in front of her. ¡°A letter from the capital.¡± Hearing this, Le Zhi hurriedly turned her head, picked up the letter, and opened it carefully. Even if they came to the south, they did not cut off contact with their old friends in the capital. Jing Xin, Li Yao, and Lin Yue all corresponded with her through letters, telling each other about their circumstances. Whenever festivals or to purchase goods, they would also come with the convoy to get together with her. So Le Zhi always felt that they never seemed to leave her side. At the same time, they also had their own good lives. It was very good like this. Today¡¯s letter was sent by Jing Xin. Jing Xin mentioned in the letter that everything was fine in the capital. After they left, An Xuan took up the position of commander of the Imperial Army. With him beside Yu¡¯er, she was more relieved. Li Yao and Lin Yue managed the stores in the capital very well. The two little girls got married last year, and their husbands were gentle and considerate. Both of them were pregnant this year, and Jing Xin and An Xuan¡¯s son could walk a long time ago. When writing this letter, she just happened to be diagnosed with a baby again. Also, Shen Qingyan had made a name for herself in the world with her excellent embroidery skills. It was said that a wealthy young businessman from the country Ning had taken a fancy to her for a long time, but she had no intention of getting married and kept rejecting him. But the young man had no intention of giving up. What surprised Le Zhi the most was that Qingyu, who kept saying that she would never marry, actually got engaged! Since the countries had traded, there had been more and more exchanges between countries. After the chaos in the country Jiang last year, Zhao Hengqi used his own strength to fight back and reprimanded his relatives with great righteousness, helped the young taizi succeed to the throne, and eliminated the ruling politics of the country Jiang. Not long ago, he personally went to Great Xin as an ambassador to discuss trade matters. Not sure what had happened. In short, Zhao Hengqi tried his best to marry Huo Qingyu, the princess of Great Xin, and his methods shocked everyone. Anyway, in the end, the princess finally agreed. After seeing this long letter, Le Zhi could not help but gasp slightly. She frowned slightly as she turned her head to look at Huo Du, and asked, ¡°Zhao Hengqi and Qingyu¡­ Should we send someone to ask Qingyu, what if she doesn¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know what kind of temperament Qingyu has?¡± Huo Du chuckled lightly, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to, who can force her?¡± His younger sister was so willful. Originally, Huo Du felt that according to her idea, if she did not meet her fated person, it also would be good to be carefree and unrestrained all her life. Now that she had found a good husband and her husband had enough ability to protect her whole life and keep her willful nature forever. Huo Du was very relieved. Zhao Hengqi was meticulous and never invested too much in feelings. Thinking about it now, it could be that he had not met the right person. Or could it be that he had lost his rationality? In this marriage between Great Xin and Great Jiang, Great Xin was the one that made a profit. Le Zhi thought for a while and felt that Huo Du¡¯s words made sense. She bent her lips, ¡°It¡¯s good, everyone is doing well.¡± Putting away the letter, the two closed the shop. Although she was a little shy in her heart, Le Zhi went to the outskirts with him. It rained a lot in summer, and there were still droplets of water left on the grass in the outskirts, filled with the fragrance after the rain. As Xiao Jun said, there were many swings in the outskirts. Many parents brought their children here to play, and the constant cheers and laughter made Le Zhi feel a little emotionally moved. She suddenly remembered what was written in the letter just now, Jing Xin and the others were all expecting, and not long ago, my sister also wrote to her telling her that she was expecting. Why is everyone expecting? Since running the candy shop, Le Zhi had been able to see many lovely children every day, and over time, some expectations had arisen in her heart. In the years after marrying Huo Du, they were busy with court affairs every day when they were in the imperial palace, which was really not a good time. Now that their lives were comfortable and contended, was not time to have a child? Only that Huo Du did not seem to have this plan all along. As she had asked him earlier, did he really dislike children? But he clearly taught Yu¡¯er so well, and the children of Feng¡¯an City also liked him very much. Le Zhi did not understand. What exactly is he thinking? Perhaps he could see something was wrong with her complexion, Huo Du asked in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Le Zhi was about to speak, but a child in the distance suddenly shouted, ¡°Look! There is a rainbow in the sky!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were attracted to it, and they looked up at the sky. Le Zhi was interrupted and stopped talking and looked at the rainbow, like everyone else. After the rain, the rainbow appeared lightly in the air, dazzling and fascinating. However, within half an hour, the rainbow slowly vanished. The beautiful thing gradually vanished, always making people feel a little regretful in their hearts. ¡°Do you like it very much?¡± Huo Du embraced her, watching every little emotional change in her eyes. She had something on her mind. Le Zhi hummed softly and said, ¡°The time when the rainbow appears is too short.¡± ¡°How about husband help you catch the rainbow?¡± Le Zhi smiled, raised her hand to hug him back, and responded softly. Although she knew that it was absolutely impossible to capture the rainbow, she just believed that her husband could do anything. ¡ª After dinner the next day. Le Zhi was dragged into the candy room by Huo Du. This room was especially used to develop all kinds of candies. ¡°Do you want me to try some new candies again?¡± Huo Du smiled and handed the candy box to her, ¡°Open it and take a look.¡± Opening the delicate lock, Le Zhi lifted the lid, and then her eyes widened. There were seven colors on different shapes of candies, and each one was a rainbow in different shapes. Her husband really brought down the rainbow. Also turned the rainbow into sweet candies. Huo Du patted her head, ¡°Try it.¡± Le Zhi took one and stuffed it into her mouth, and the sweet taste melted on the tip of her tongue, making her whole body wrapped in sweetness. Not sure if was it because of sugar or because of him. ¡°Is it so delicious?¡± Huo Du chuckled and raised his hand to try one. But before his hand could touch the candy box, Le Zhi took it away and put it aside. ¡°Tsk, so stingy¡­¡± Before the teasing words were finished, the soft lips pressed against his lips. Huo Du was stunned for a moment, and then he felt that she was gently opening his teeth with her eyes closed. His eyes deepened, he hugged her tightly and deepened the shallow kiss. The lips intertwined, melting the last bit of sugar on the tip of the tongue. But the two of them did not mean to stop, and the entangled breath became more and more chaotic. Le Zhi suddenly returned to her senses, ¡°Go back, go back to the room¡­¡± Fortunately, the candy room and the bedroom were not far from each other. Huo Du picked her up and kissed her as he walked quickly back to the bedroom. Between the ups and downs, the thin mattress was crumpled by Le Zhi. Not long after, Huo Du¡¯s palm covered the back of her hand and slowly interlaced their ten fingers. After a long time, the moaning and groaning finally subsided. Huo Du hugged the person in his arms tightly and pulled a thin blanket to cover her. The blush on Le Zhi¡¯s face had not faded yet, still panting lightly to calm her violent heartbeat. Then, she rubbed his heart with her soft cheeks and asked softly, ¡°From today onwards, I will not take the medicine, all right?¡± The body that hugged her became stiff evidently. Le Zhi slowly raised her eyes and looked into his eyes, only to see that he was also looking at her. There were emotions in his eyes that she could not understand. She was not in a hurry and quietly waited for his answer. It took a long time for him to speak, but his voice was a little hoarse, ¡°Is it bad just the two of us?¡± Since both of them were smart people, the meaning of rejection in these words could not be more obvious. Le Zhi was stunned, then nodded, buried her face in his chest, and muttered ¡°yes¡± sullenly. Having been together for so long, Le Zhi would never doubt his love at all. But he did not want children, which only showed that he really did not like children. Never mind, Le Zhi comforted herself. In this world, some people like children, and some people did not like children. She could not force him to have children just because she liked them. Since he did not like it, then forget about it. But there was still some regretful dejection in her heart. She shrank in his arms and adjusted her emotions. She did not expect with this adjustment she could not fall asleep until the sky was a little brighter. And Huo Du, like her, stayed up all night. Seeing the sunlight shining into the room, Le Zhi got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. After she came out, she saw Huo Du leaning on the bed, dazed without the intention of getting up. In fact, she had almost adjusted her emotions. It was nothing more than like children, and it was not a big blunder. On the contrary, she felt that Huo Du¡¯s refusal was right, and it was better than having a child reluctantly because he followed her wish. In this way, she would really regret it in the future. Thinking of this, Le Zhi smiled relievedly. She walked to the bedside, picked up the small medicine bottle by the bed, and ate one. Although the taste of red ginseng was bitter, it was accompanied by sweetness. Then she sat at the bedside and pinched Huo Du¡¯s ears with a smile, ¡°Get up! It¡¯s not a big deal not to have children, but it¡¯s a big deal not to have breakfast. Get up and have breakfast with me!¡± The hand pinching his ear moved down, took his hand, and pulled him up. And Huo Du also let her drag him out of the bed. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Le Zhi led him to the front, but suddenly her right hand was tightened, and she was pulled into his arms, tightly bound. She sighed silently in her heart. Why was her husband so sensitive? She turned around in his arms with difficulty, hugged him, and then whispered in his ear, ¡°It¡¯s enough for me to have you!¡± This was what Le Zhi wanted to say from the bottom of her heart. She loved him more than children. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like children.¡± Huo Du pressed against the tip of her ear and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± Le Zhi asked in confusion. ¡°Le Zhi.¡± He released her, stared into her eyes, and murmured, ¡°I, I may not be a good father.¡± He was born into an imperial family, and his father was the most unworthy person in the world to be a husband and a father. It was said that children were the mirrors of their parents, and he knew that Le Zhi would definitely be the best mother. But what about him? With Huo Changyun¡¯s blood on his body, could he really be a good father when he grew up in such an environment since he was a child? Huo Du did not know. As much as he loved Le Zhi, he was also afraid of her disappointment. With their eyes looking at each other, Le Zhi could clearly see the pain in his eyes. It turned out that he cared so much. The corner of her eyes gradually turned red, and Le Zhi threw herself into his arms and said firmly, word by word, ¡°You will be the best father.¡± She could be absolutely sure. He would definitely be. ¡°Why?¡± Le Zhi kissed the side of his neck, ¡°Because you are already the best husband.¡± No one was better than him. Huo Du was stunned for a moment. Le Zhi¡¯s words gave him so much confidence. A child¡­ a child liked her was something to look forward to. ¡°Yes.¡± With his words, the corners of their lips curved up in unison. ¡°Yeah!¡± Le Zhi suddenly let go of him, and murmured in annoyance, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t eat it if I knew it earlier.¡± What a waste of opportunity. ¡°No worries.¡± Huo Du smiled, ¡°It¡¯s all right to continue eating.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Le Zhi was a little confused. Huo Du raised his feet and walked toward the bathroom. As he walked, he said, ¡°That¡¯s not a child avoidance pill, it¡¯s a medicinal candy to recuperate your body.¡± Le Zhi¡¯s expression was stunned, and it took a long time for her to regain her senses. No wonder! She was wondering how this medicine could be so sweet, and after taking it, it would not hurt the body as he said. She thought it was Huo Du who improved the child avoidance pill, but she did not expect that it was not at all. The reason why over the years, her body had been conditioned better and better, and her complexion had become more and more ruddy. Thinking of this, she hurried into the bathroom, approached the man who was washing, jumped on his back, and put her arms around his neck. ¡°Big liar!¡± she hummed. Huo Du just smiled and did not answer. She was not wrong either. Le Zhi rubbed her face against his neck. Over the years, she did not eat the child avoidance pill, but she had not been expecting a child. Obviously, he took the medicine himself. ¡°But I really like a big liar.¡± After saying that, she got off his back, took his hand, and walked to the high mirror. She carefully looked at the rare immortal appearance in the mirror and expressed her heartfelt thoughts. ¡°How beautiful our children will be!¡± Huo Du looked at the beautiful person in the mirror, only to feel that her whole body was glowing. Her words filled his heart with endless warmth and a trace of urgency. So, with the force of his hand, he pushed the person beside him onto the mirror. Before Le Zhi could react, the hot lips covered hers. He kissed so urgently that she could not withstand it, so she had to hold his shoulder tightly. Until her back was attached to the mirror, the cold feeling made her tremble. The person in front of her felt her trembling, and immediately pulled her closer, then adjusted her posture so that she faced the high mirror sideways. In this way, from the corner of her eyes, she could clearly see the person in the mirror. It¡¯s better to lean on the mirror! As if seeing the embarrassment in her heart, the person in front of her suddenly raised his eyes slightly. Then he leaned over suddenly. Le Zhi¡¯s originally hazy eyes opened instantly. She pushed his forehead subconsciously, but her hand was held by him. Her toes could not help but curl up, trying to close together. But he refused to let it go, and insisted on¡­ Going crazy. Le Zhi was almost forced to cry by him, and her whole body was stiff and unable to move. But gradually, she followed his rhythm and filled the fear in her heart. There were moans between her lips, and she looked sideways slightly, unable to believe herself from the corner of her eyes. Is that still her? In the end, she with her soft legs was carried to the bed by him. The sun poured into the room. With him leaning over her and blocking all the light, he brought her to enjoy the novelty of the world. ¡­¡­ When she woke up later, it was already past noon. Le Zhi woke up in a confusion, looking sideways at the smiling person beside her. Seeing that she woke up, he hooked his lips and asked her silently with his lips. ¡°Do you still want to sew?¡± Le Zhi remembered the previous joke that she wanted to sew his mouth. He, he just¡­ In an instant, her face was burning hot and was completely awake. Le Zhi really did not want to feel embarrassed by him all the time. Anyway, it was already late today, so might as well close the shop for a day. Moreover, since they planned to have kids, then how about¡­ With a decision in her heart, Le Zhi suddenly became more courageous. She moved her weak body, hooked Huo Du¡¯s neck with her soft arms, and approached him with her curved lips. ¡°One more time? Huh?¡± Her actions and words in one go made Huo Du¡¯s eyes flash with disbelief. Before he could react, she raised her eyes and smiled, then lowered her head to kiss Huo Du¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple. Sucking lightly. The author has something to say: Du: !!! Zhi: You are not tired (not allowed), right? Du: ??? * Everyone said that the chapter was sweet yesterday, but what about today? [Doge] CH 99 Chapter 99 Extra 3 (Final) In summer, incense was never burned in the bedroom, only a few jasmine plants were placed. The fragrance of jasmine was strong, and it blended with the charming interior. Surrounded by fragrance, the two fell asleep hugging each other on the soft bed. After a long time, Huo Du woke up. Although it was summer, the room was not cold, but he carefully took the bedclothes on one side and put it on for the person beside him. When he fastened the lace around the waist, he looked up and saw Le Zhi looking at him quietly. Huo Du paused at the hand that was going to put on the underpants for her, and smiled softly, ¡°Do you still want more?¡± Le Zhi felt that her whole body seemed to be falling apart, and her whole body was aching everywhere. Hearing his words and remembering her absurd behavior just now, her face instantly blushed, and she curled up trying to bury herself in the thin blanket. ¡°No more¡­¡± A muffled whisper came out. Huo Du smiled and pulled the blanket down, exposing her head. It was true that she deliberately provoked him just now, but it was he who lost control later. Looking at the tiredness on her face now, he could not help feeling a little ashamed. ¡°Sleep again.¡± He patted her head, then took the robe on the side and put it on him, ready to get her some food. But just he was standing up, the wrist hanging by his side was held back. ¡°Sleep with me for a while.¡± Huo Du could never refuse any of her requests. The two of them leaned together on the soft pillow, quiet and beautiful. Le Zhi hugged Huo Du¡¯s arm and leaned against his shoulder, thinking about the future in her mind, and blurted out some words after muttering. ¡°When do you think the child will come?¡± As soon as the words came out, she laughed a little. This thing, who can say for sure? But Huo Du was very sure, ¡°At the end of summer.¡± ¡°You know this too?¡± Le Zhi murmured in surprise, a little disbelieving in her heart. If this matter could be calculated accurately, he would really become immortal! Huo Du just smiled and did not answer. ¡ª Not knowing if it was really calculated by Huo Du, or if it was really a coincidence in the world. In the late summer and beginning of autumn, Le Zhi was diagnosed with a child. ¡°You are really amazing.¡± Le Zhi looked surprised, and even forgot the joy of being pregnant. She pulled Huo Du and asked wholeheartedly, ¡°Hurry up and talk! How do you calculate it?¡± Huo Du first put on a thin cloak for her, then pinched her face, and said, ¡°Just do the math carefully.¡± Over the years, he had known her body like the back of his hand, including her monthly menstrual period and the length of each time. Over time, some patterns were naturally engraved in his mind. The reason why Le Zhi was pregnant at the end of summer was that he thought it would be a comfortable and pleasant climate when she gave birth. A woman had to suffer a lot in childbirth, some pain he could not bear for her, and he could only do his best within the scope of what he could do. And Le Zhi¡¯s body had been well conditioned by him in the past few years, and there was no uncomfortable morning sickness in the early stage of pregnancy. It was not until four months later that Huo Du diagnosed her with twins. In addition to joy, he fell into endless worry. Being pregnant with one was already hard, and if it was twins, it would be even more dangerous when giving birth. Since that day, Huo Du had not slept all night. And all the discomforts during pregnancy also occurred at this time. Le Zhi began to be very picky about her diet, coupled with the changes in her body, her arms and legs were swollen and her back pain, making her mood swings more and more intense. She began to become irritable, and she lost her temper with Huo Du because of trivial matters such as the soup being too bland, the rose shortcake not being crispy enough, and so on. One day, because the fragrant tea that Huo Du made for her after dinner was a little hot, she threw the teacup and returned to the bedroom angrily. Standing in front of the tall mirror and looking at the puffy face of the person in the mirror, she did not look pretty at all. But if she was given another chance to choose again, she still wanted these two children. Even before they came out, her heart was already overflowing with deep love. But she did not look pretty, which was a big blow to Le Zhi. She lay on the bed contradictorily in this way and fell asleep gloomily. Naturally, she could not sleep well with worries on her mind. When she woke up in the middle of the night, Le Zhi saw Huo Du sitting at the end of the bed, holding a warm handkerchief, and pressing her swollen calf carefully. His fingertips were soft and pressed carefully, and he did not even notice that she had woken up. Looking at his thin cheeks, Le Zhi¡¯s tears suddenly welled up. It was not that she did not know that she made trouble unreasonably and was angry with him on purpose, but she really could not control it. Ever since she became pregnant, Huo Du had been getting thinner and thinner. The reasons were self-evident. On a silent night, even a trace of sound was exceptionally clear. Le Zhi bit her lip, but still, let out some whimpering. Huo Du raised his eyes, and through the dim candlelight, he could clearly see Le Zhi who was crying on the bed. His face sank, put down the handkerchief, and helped her up. He wiped her tears and asked in a warm voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where are you uncomfortable?¡± Le Zhi whimpered and hugged his neck tightly, rubbing her tears into his neck. ¡°I, I¡¯m ugly and lose my temper now. I don¡¯t like myself like this.¡± Huo Du, who thought she was uncomfortable and nervous, was relieved to hear that. He raised his hand and stroked her back gently, again and again. The two hugged for a long time before he put her on the soft bed and wiped her tears with the clean handkerchief by the bedside. ¡°How can you be ugly?¡± Huo Du smiled and pinched the tip of her nose, ¡°What about the others?¡± ¡°Also, you called this losing temper? Did you forget what I taught you in the past? You haven¡¯t even torn down a house yet, and you still have the cheek to talk about losing your temper.¡± In the end, Huo Du leaned over and dropped a light kiss on her forehead, then leaned against her forehead and said, ¡°Considering that you¡¯re still groggy in the middle of the night, I won¡¯t argue with you this time. What do you mean by you don¡¯t like yourself? I like my baby the most.¡± Before she finished speaking, Le Zhi cried even more fiercely. Huo Du had no choice but to lie down and hug her, ¡°My baby is really made of water.¡± Unable to get his hands on the handkerchief, he had to use his lips to draw her tears into his mouth little by little. ¡°Tsk.¡± He commented with a smile, ¡°Even tears are sweet when you eat too much sugar.¡± The person in his arms was finally amused by him, and she laughed out loud with tears in her eyes. Holding him as if she could feel at ease, Le Zhi closed her eyes and fell asleep. Due to Huo Du¡¯s careful conditioning and pampering, Le Zhi¡¯s discomfort during the pregnancy gradually improved, and her mood improved a lot. Thinking that his little fox had such a big misunderstanding of her appearance, Huo Du unceremoniously bought all the beautiful maternity clothes in the city and asked her to change three sets a day. And he, naturally, painted every stage of her pregnancy with a brush. No matter what period Le Zhi was in, he loved it immensely. These were his most precious treasures. ¡ª In the warm spring of the following year, Le Zhi gave birth to twins, a boy, and a girl. Due to the proper care during pregnancy, Le Zhi recovered extremely fast and even the neighbors found it incredible. After giving birth, women usually tend to lose their vitality. Somehow, Le Zhi¡¯s complexion was getting better and better, as if she was better than before. Not just that, there was still an extra softness of motherhood on her body. A few months later, Le Zhi would also visit the candy shop when she was free. Now that there were two helpers in the shop, she was really happy to be free. After not seeing her for a long time, all the neighbors came to learn from her enthusiastically. ¡°Now you must be very busy and it¡¯s not easy to take care of children. It¡¯s hard at night, right?¡± ¡°I see that Zhizhi looks very good, but young people are different as they are in good health!¡± ¡°Does Doctor Huo have any secret recipe? My daughter-in-law¡¯s morning sickness is really terrible. If there is a secret recipe, I¡¯ll have to get one for her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Le Zhi curved her lips and smiled. There was no secret. If there was, it was also Huo Du¡¯s meticulous care that served her every day and every night. When she was pregnant for ten months, he seemed to work harder than her. ¡°Both children are very well behaved, and they don¡¯t make a fuss at night, which is really worry-free.¡± Le Zhi replied with a smile. Thinking of her two lovely children, Le Zhi could not hide the smile on her face. She and Huo Du¡¯s children were not only beautiful and cute but also well-behaved and sensible. They had never cried in the middle of the night since they were born. It was because she slept soundly every night until dawn, that she was able to recuperate her body so quickly. ¡°How is it possible that there are children who don¡¯t make trouble at night?¡± ¡°Yes! No matter how well-behaved children are, they will always make trouble a few times.¡± After a few neighbors left, Le Zhi fell into contemplation. They make a lot of sense, but¡­ There are always exceptions, right? She had never heard a child cry in the middle of the night! So, at nightfall that day, Le Zhi deliberately pretended to fall asleep, but actually wanted to see if the children would cry at night. Sure enough, a child woke up crying in the middle of the night. At this moment, the person beside her released her, tucked the quilt for her, and got off the bed. Through the bed curtain, Le Zhi heard him pick up the child and gently walk into the side room, closing the door carefully. The crying was suddenly inaudible. Le Zhi¡¯s heart moved slightly. She lifted the curtain to get off the bed, walked slowly to the door of the side room, and opened a crack to look inside. She saw Huo Du holding the child and skillfully coaxing her softly with a small toy in his hand. It turned out that it was not that the children were well-behaved, but that Huo Du got up again and again at night to coax them so that she could sleep until dawn. Le Zhi slowly pushed the door open with red eyes and walked to his side. Huo Du raised his eyes to see her, a little surprised, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± Because he was holding the child in his hand, Huo Du could not hold her. But it did not matter, Le Zhi hugged his waist and pressed her whole body against him. She choked and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine for me to do this.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m also the children¡¯s mother!¡± Le Zhi¡¯s eyes reddened, and she muttered, ¡°It would be too irresponsible for me to let you do it alone.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Huo Du gently touched her forehead with his forehead, ¡°Without you, how could they come to this world safely?¡± The mother had suffered a lot, so in the future, let him as a father do more. After coaxing the child to sleep and putting her back in the cradle, Le Zhi was still sobbing silently. Huo Du had no choice but to carry her up and go to the bed together, lowered his voice, and smiled, ¡°I just finished coaxing the little baby, and I still have to coax my baby Zhizhi.¡± He held up her face with his hands and kissed her gently again and again until she stopped crying, and the kiss turned into a deep kiss. Gradually, their breath became a little chaotic. It had been more than a year since the conception to the birth of the children, plus the days of recuperating Le Zhi. The two had not been so intimate for a long time, and naturally, there was some anticipation and urgency at this time. Familiar memories overlapped at this moment, Le Zhi laced around his neck and slowly curved her lips. The curtain of the bed fell, sealing the beauty inside. Only the gentle whispers between lovers overflowed from time to time, lasting for a long time without stopping. * In the autumn of the eight years of Xinhe. The family of four went to the outskirts to play, accompanied by the fragrance of osmanthus. Le Zhi sat under the osmanthus tree and smiled as she watched Huo Du and the two children play with each other. Not long after, the two children ran to her side, one of them lowered their heads and whispered softly in her ear in a soft childish voice. ¡°Mother, Father said that you are more beautiful today than yesterday!¡± ¡°Mother, Father said he loves you very much!¡± Le Zhi blushed slightly and glared at the person not far away. She raised her hand and patted the heads of the two children. Their Tangtang* and Guoguo*. (Tangtang* (candy) and Guoguo* (fruit) ¨C nicknames for their children) Their son and daughter were very similar to her, but their eyes followed Huo Du¡¯s which made people¡¯s hearts sway with their peach blossom eyes. When they smile, they looked like a crescent moon, very beautiful. Well, they were more than that. Le Zhi leaned over and whispered a few words in the children¡¯s ears, and then the two children ran towards Huo Du with a smile. The two of them shouted in unison in front of Huo Du, ¡°Father, Mother said she loves you more!¡± The tenderness in Huo Du¡¯s eyes was so deep to go unnoticed. He raised his eyes to look at the person under the tree, only to see that she was also smiling at him. With four eyes looking at each other, their love for each other was undoubtedly revealed. At this moment, Le Zhi seemed to see her eternity. He and the children brought her eternal sweetness. The evening sun shone on the body cozily, which made Le Zhi fall asleep against the tree trunk. ¡°Mother is asleep again!¡± Huo Du squatted down in front of her, and looked at her peaceful sleeping face, with his lips curled. Just as her sister said, Le Zhi when she was carefree was someone who could fall asleep lazily anytime and anywhere. He finally made her carefree and worry-free. Picking up Le Zhi gently, Huo Du kissed her on her forehead and walked towards their home slowly. Tangtang and Guoguo, who were behind him, muttered softly. ¡°Brother, I¡¯m tired too.¡± ¡°But Mother fell asleep. Every time Mother fell asleep, Father didn¡¯t have time to carry us!¡± The two children shook their heads resignedly and followed their father¡¯s footsteps hand in hand. The setting sun shone on a family of four, sunny and warm. The rest of their life was also very beautiful. ¡¾End of full text¡¿ The author has something to say: The story of Zhizhi and Brother Du is up to here. They will always be sweet and happy together.