The dinner party began, and the entire Prince Yuzhang's Mansion was bustling with activity.
Only then did Huo Wei notice that Dugu Luanyue had been busy all afternoon. She had ordered red silk to be hung all over the mansion and beautiful red lion lanterns to be hung up.
Even the servants in the mansion had changed their outfits. The belts of the servants were changed to dark red,
and the headbands of the maids were changed to bright red. As they walked through the huge mansion, they were like bright and shiny hawthorn fruits.
The cold and military - flavored mansion was now decorated and instantly became resplendent in gold and red, warm and lively.
Meng Tan was chatting with the military officers and guards beside him: "I have to say, the prince's mansion really needs a princess to manage it. After today's decoration, this mansion finally doesn't look like a martial arts training ground anymore."
Military Officer: "That's right. The prince is just a rough man. How could he know how to manage the inner courtyard?"
Guard: "Finally, when we come to the prince's mansion, it doesn't feel like going to another military camp. It looks great!"
The dinner was lively. Dugu Luanyue raised her wine cup towards him and said, "Prince Yuzhang, may you have many happy returns of the day!"
Huo Wei nodded slightly towards her and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty the Queen."
During the dinner, several well - acquainted noble ladies from Beiyan were chatting while holding their wine cups.
Lady Wang: "You don't know. The Queen Dugu really put a lot of effort into getting our husbands to come to the prince's mansion for Prince Yuzhang's birthday."
Lady Li: "That's for sure. I heard that the Queen Dugu has been living a rather oppressed life in the harem. Now, His Majesty has asked her to arrange the prince's birthday. If we all don't come, when His Majesty returns, the Queen Dugu will surely be scolded."
Lady Wang said with a smile: "Yes, yes. The Queen even had to humble herself to invite us. So, here we are."
Huo Wei pricked up his ears and heard a few words. His face darkened slightly.
After only a few drinks, Dugu Luanyue got up from the main seat and walked out, trailing her light - red dress. After drinking several cups of wine, her head was a bit dizzy.
She had never been good at holding her liquor and never drank too much.
Dugu Luanyue didn't let anyone follow her. She took a short walk near the mansion. Anyway, she had to go back after the last program was over.
Huo Wei was inside, dealing with the court officials who had come. He also noticed that there were return gifts on the tables of these people. As a man, he had never known the etiquette of receiving guests in the inner courtyard.
Aunt Meijiang appeared beside him at this moment and handed him a cup of light wine. She whispered:
"Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen has already brought return gifts for the court officials and their ladies from the palace. You don't need to worry about the return gifts anymore."
Huo Wei withdrew his gaze, took the cup of wine, and placed his other hand on his black silk belt. "Thank the Queen for me."
Aunt Meijiang continued: "Her Majesty the Queen said that although these court officials hold some minor positions, it doesn't mean they can't be befriended.
Your Highness has just returned to the court and has a weak foundation. If you try to befriend the noble families all at once, it may displease His Majesty.
However, Your Highness can start befriending these middle - and lower - level officials. Firstly, it can show that Your Highness has no ambition;
secondly, it can also show that Your Highness has no airs of nobility, thus earning you a good reputation for being kind and gentle."
Dugu Luanyue knew very well that a fierce beast like Huo Wei was a war god who could expand the territory on the frontier.
But in this restricted and cage - like court, he was a caged beast without his fangs. He was struggling to move forward.
He was an orphan since birth. No matter how many great achievements he had, he would never be favored by the nobles of Beiyan. They would only look down on him and say that he was a rough warrior who only knew how to fight and didn't understand noble etiquette.
Huo Wei's black eyes flashed slightly. Dugu Luanyue's charming face appeared in his mind again.
The eternal dark clouds in his deep, long eyes seemed to be dispelled by a warm wind, revealing a bit of bright light.
He raised his head and drank the cup of wine in one gulp. His face showed less coldness and gloom. Looking up, he found that the main seat was already empty. "Where is she?"
Aunt Meijiang replied: "Her Majesty the Queen couldn't hold her liquor and went to get some fresh air behind the main hall."
Huo Wei nodded. What he didn't notice was that Wei Zhiruo, hidden behind the dinner tables, sneered at this moment, and her eyes were filled with evil light.
Not long after, Huo Wei's face flushed an abnormal red. A tingling sensation came from under his scalp and went straight to his lower abdomen, like a fire igniting his blood.
He felt something was wrong. He got up and left the dinner. His steps were a bit staggering, and his dark and deep beast - like eyes were blood - red.
There was something in the cup of wine he had just drunk.
Dugu Luanyue heard someone behind her. She turned around suddenly, and before she could react, she was grabbed around the waist by a tall black shadow in the corridor and then dragged into a room.
In a moment of panic, she realized it was Huo Wei. "What's wrong with you, Huo Wei?"
Huo Wei's eyes were blood - red. Without saying a word, he threw her onto the bed.
Wei Zhiruo clearly saw Huo Wei leave in this direction just now. How could he disappear as soon as she came out?
She ran around the mansion in a panic, looking for Huo Wei for a long time but couldn't find him.
She also went to take a look at Huo Wei's bedroom, but before she could get close, she was stopped by Meng Tan, who said that no one was allowed to enter without permission.
Wei Zhiruo shouted at him: "This is Prince Huo Wei's mansion. I can go anywhere I want!"
Meng Tan: "Miss Wei, I'm just following orders."
Meng Tan had seen Huo Wei drag a woman into the room just now, but he didn't see clearly who it was.
Since his master was having a private moment, he would guard it to the death.
Wei Zhiruo was taken away by several guards called by Meng Tan. She was extremely angry and gritted her teeth and said:
"I'm going to stay in your mansion tonight. I just want to see if there's really something wrong with Brother Huo Wei's body!"
Meng Tan ordered people to guard the surrounding area. It was quiet all around, but there was movement in the bedroom.
Huo Wei's rough big hand tightly grabbed her neck. His eyes were extremely blood - red. "Dugu Luanyue, is this the only dirty trick you have?"
Dugu Luanyue's wrists were tightly held by him, and her arms were lifted above her head. She couldn't move.
She only felt a pain in her wrists and said in confusion:
"What did I do? Let me go quickly. My wrists hurt so much."
At first, she didn't resist Huo Wei's sudden embrace and passionate kiss. But after she felt something was wrong, even a sense of hatred and anger, she started to resist.
Huo Wei's whole body was like an arrow on a tightly stretched bowstring, trembling slightly.
"Since you've been thinking about this all along, I'll grant your wish today."
The wine was handed to him by Aunt Meijiang. After he drank it, he knew he had been drugged.
Aunt Meijiang was Dugu Luanyue's confidant. If this dirty idea wasn't Dugu Luanyue's, then whose was it?
But Dugu Luanyue saw the hatred in Huo Wei's eyes towards her. She was scared.
She didn't want things to start like this, with Huo Wei full of hatred. What if he really resented her in the future? All her previous efforts would be in vain.
She had to think about the future, even more long - term things. This wasn't a good time.
Huo Wei's kiss was fierce and suffocating, just like the first time they met in the side hall.
His thick, calloused big hands roamed over her body.
The belt was easily undone by him. One by one, her silk clothes were thrown out from behind the curtain. Huo Wei's attack was fierce and showed no tenderness.
Dugu Luanyue kicked hard with her legs. "Huo Wei, did you eat something you shouldn't have?"
She thought Huo Wei was a very cautious person and wouldn't lose his mind like this.
Fine beads of sweat oozed from Huo Wei's forehead. He sneered:
"When your confidant Aunt Meijiang came to talk to me, she handed me a cup of wine. After I drank it, I became like this. If this wasn't your idea, then whose was it?
Dugu Luanyue, I thought you really came to arrange my birthday sincerely. I didn't expect you still wanted to use me, to tie me to you, right?"
Dugu Luanyue: "Calm down, Huo Wei. I didn't do this. I really didn't. Look, I left the seat earlier than you. It was you who came to me."
Huo Wei's blood was boiling all over his body. His face was flushed, and the lust in his deep eyes became more and more intense.
Whenever this happened, his psychological defense line was like a dam that had collapsed when facing a flood. He just took a step and crossed the warning line.
His sharp eyebrows twitched slightly. He laughed out of extreme anger, and the laughter was filled with an evil air. "I'll grant your wish today. How about that?"