Huo Wei sneered in the cold. What Du Gu Luanyue was thinking had nothing to do with him.
Mu Rong Min sighed. "It won't do. You're still young. You don't understand."
In this matter, his pride had been hurt by Du Gu Luanyue.
In the Zhaoyang Palace recently, he had felt that Du Gu Luanyue seemed to be a different person at night. She perfunctorily fulfilled her basic duty of serving him in bed and even said that she regarded him as an elder in the family.
His newly - wedded second empress actually disliked him for being old.
Huo Wei said calmly, "Father doesn't need to be depressed. Just hold another beauty pageant and find a woman you like to enter the palace."
Mu Rong Min supported his forehead, and a hint of unsatisfied smile flashed across his lips. "You don't understand. You don't understand her charm."
Du Gu Luanyue was so beautiful that no man could remain unmoved.
It was only after he met this young empress that he understood what it meant that all the concubines in the harem paled in comparison.
Huo Wei's face suddenly darkened. A fierce light flashed in his black eyes, and even he himself didn't notice his unhappiness. The old emperor was really interested in the princess from Southern Chu.
He accompanied Mu Rong Min in drinking for an afternoon until the emperor fell into a deep sleep. Seeing that it was getting late, he stood up, tidied his black robe, and prepared to leave the palace.
Coming out of the Zichen Palace, he looked up and saw the Zhaoyang Palace beyond several snow - covered palace buildings. In the harem, the bedrooms of the emperor and the empress were always not far apart.
At this moment, there was still a faint bitter smell of medicine in the Zhaoyang Palace. Du Gu Luanyue put on a thick red fox fur cloak and was about to go out.
Yu Zan quickly walked over. "Where are you going, Your Majesty? Your injury hasn't fully healed yet."
Since Yu Zan was pointed out by Du Gu Luanyue that day, she had been very active in her work these days. She cared a great deal about the empress and showed her concern everywhere.
Du Gu Luanyue had a haggard face with only faintly drawn eyebrows.
"I want to take a stroll in the plum forest in the palace. I've been cooped up in the room for days and I'm really bored now. None of you need to follow me. It's cold outside."
Mei Jiang supported her out of the palace gate. She knew Du Gu Luanyue very well. When the empress had something on her mind, she liked to find a place to be alone. Her voice was gentle.
"Go ahead, Your Majesty. I'll disperse the people nearby who might disturb you in the plum forest."
Du Gu Luanyue tightened her cloak and walked towards the plum forest. The largest and densest plum forest in the Northern Yan Palace was called the Lengxiang Garden.
When people walked into the Lengxiang Garden, those outside could only see the criss - crossing pink and white plum blossoms. The view inside was blocked by the dense plum trees.
The Lengxiang Garden was actually located between the Zichen Palace and the Zhaoyang Palace. Passing through this plum forest would lead to the bedroom of Emperor Mu Rong Min.
Du Gu Luanyue's black hair was lightly coiled up. She slowly walked in, dragging her bright red Northern Yan palace dress. After walking a few steps, she almost bumped into someone.
Fortunately, the black - robed man was quick. He reached out his arm and supported her on the shoulder.
After Huo Wei steadied himself, he looked down at her coldly. "Out of favor and can't wait to go see His Majesty?"
Du Gu Luanyue steadied her steps and supported her chest. It was Huo Wei.
Her face was still a bit haggard. She whispered,
"What would I go to see His Majesty for? I came here on the off - chance that I might run into you, Prince of Yuzhang."
On the spur of the moment, she just said this.
Huo Wei folded his arms. After a while, he asked, "Is your wound getting better?"
Du Gu Luanyue slightly raised her charming eyes. A smile appeared on her pale face. The upturned corners of her eyes were still charming. "Are you concerned about me?"
Huo Wei sneered. "I am very concerned about you, concerned about how you can fall seriously ill and never recover."
Du Gu Luanyue said slowly, "Yes, I'm out of favor. It will be easier for you to kill me in the future. Anyway, there's no one to support me."
This Huo Wei was really a heartless man. That day in the cave, he clearly had wavered in his thoughts. It had only been such a short time, and now he was cold - hearted again.
Seeing her haggard face, Huo Wei finally saw a pitiful look on her. He said coldly, "Even if you're the eldest legitimate princess from Southern Chu, you have to learn to humble yourself when you're in our Northern Yan."
Du Gu Luanyue looked in the direction from which Huo Wei had come. Just behind him was Mu Rong Min's Zichen Palace. Did Huo Wei and Mu Rong Min have a private conversation about her today?
She quickly asked, "Do you know something? What did His Majesty say to you?"
Huo Wei raised his eyebrows coldly. "What, are you going to try to regain favor?"
Du Gu Luanyue pretended to be on the verge of fainting and slowly leaned towards Huo Wei, resting on his chest. "If I try to regain favor, will you be unhappy?"
Huo Wei didn't push her away immediately. He stood still, and his sharp thin lips curled up. "Du Gu Luanyue, you think too highly of yourself, don't you?"
Du Gu Luanyue looked at him pitifully.
"Huo Wei, you're so heartless. Have you forgotten all the tenderness in the cave that day?
I blocked the knife for you. You sutured my wound. We embraced naked on that cold night, and you passed your body heat to me. I thought we were no longer enemies."
Huo Wei stood with his hands behind his back. "Your Majesty the Empress, please watch your words." After a pause, his eyebrows became sharp again. "You stabbed my horse. I haven't settled this score with you yet!"
Du Gu Luanyue got up from his chest. Her heart panicked. Did Huo Wei discover her plan?
No wonder he disappeared after coming out of the cave that day.
But how much did Huo Wei really know?
She couldn't get a definite answer, so she had to probe carefully.
"Huo Wei, I'm sorry. I stabbed your horse with my hairpin.
But that day, I just thought that if you didn't have your horse, our speed of getting out of the forest would slow down, so that I could spend more time with you."
Her jade - like eyes were a bit red. She looked at him pitifully and reached out her jade finger to tug at his hand.
Mu Rong Jue's voice echoed in Huo Wei's mind. A woman lies to you because she likes you. Why doesn't she lie to others?
A cold wind blew in the Lengxiang Garden. The wind blew the plum blossoms, and the pink and white petals fluttered down.
In the fluttering, they all fell on her black hair and bright red palace dress. The fallen stamens were like her crystal - clear teardrops, falling one by one.
Huo Wei only felt that her fingertips were extremely cold. The ferocity on his cold and handsome face faded a bit, but his tone was still not very gentle.
"I'll settle this score with you sooner or later. Go back to your Zhaoyang Palace by yourself."
Du Gu Luanyue thought to herself. It seemed that Huo Wei didn't know much. He only knew that she had stabbed his horse with a hairpin. His attitude towards her had also softened. He didn't try to kill her or poison her as soon as he saw her.
She said softly, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Huo Wei knew in his heart that since Du Gu Luanyue had fallen out of favor by cold - shouldering the emperor, her days would not be easy in the future. Coupled with the fact that she was a princess from a foreign tribe, her situation in the harem would get worse day by day.
But did this really have anything to do with him? Was the price this woman paid too high?
There were footsteps behind the Lengxiang Garden. "Prince of Yuzhang, wait for a moment. Wait for this servant."
Huo Wei looked up. "Find a place to hide by yourself."