He let out a muffled sound and remained silent for a long while before saying, "The words I said in the Prince's Mansion last time were not meant to look down on you, let alone to imply that you should seduce the princes.
If I've made you unhappy, then I..." He was just testing her, but he couldn't bring himself to say this.
Dugu Luanyue looked back at him, raising her charming and slender eyebrows. "Then what?"
Huo Wei took out the white jade hairpin from his chest and placed it on the table. "I'm sorry."
Dugu Luanyue's eyes trembled slightly. She retracted the step she had just taken. "Huo Wei, what did you just say to me?"
Huo Wei said in a deep voice, "Are you deaf?"
Dugu Luanyue was surprised. A brute like Huo Wei, who was impervious to reason, actually apologized. She was quite taken aback.
She reached out and picked up the white jade hairpin. It still retained Huo Wei's body heat. She gently stroked it with her fingertips. "Fine, I'll accept this apology."
Huo Wei raised his eyes. "Murong Hua is not a good person. Stay away from him."
She stood beside Huo Wei, pouring tea from the teapot. "I know."
Huo Wei added, "With his stupid head, he'll surely mess up the renovation of the hot - spring palace."
Dugu Luanyue said softly, "I know."
Huo Wei stood up, his expression turning cold. "Since the Empress knows, she should inform His Majesty to replace him."
Dugu Luanyue let out a muffled laugh. "Huo Wei, what's gotten into you today? Don't make me misunderstand that you're jealous."
Huo Wei took a step towards her, leaning slightly. His tall and straight figure was only as far away from her as the length of an eyelash. His voice was deep and magnetic.
"Dugu Luanyue, you think too highly of yourself. I just think that idiot will be seduced by you to increase the budget again, which will delay my important matter."
Dugu Luanyue's face darkened. "Your important matter. Is attacking the Southern Chu your so - called important matter?"
A cold smile played on Huo Wei's thin lips. "What do you think?"
At this moment, she lifted the jade hairpin in her palm, eager to stab it into Huo Wei's chest and be done with it. But then she thought it wasn't worth it.
She looked at the young general in front of her with a cold and pale face and a gloomy look in his eyes.
"I'm powerless to stop you from attacking anyone. But if you really take that step, then you and I will be enemies for all eternity."
Huo Wei coldly said, "Let's wait and see."
He took the white jade hairpin from Dugu Luanyue's hand and casually inserted it into her black hair. "When the Southern Chu is destroyed, the Empress may even beg this prince for protection to save her life."
Dugu Luanyue watched Huo Wei's departing back. Her slender, vermilion fingertips dug hard into the golden embroidery on her sleeve.
The golden embroidery thread snapped and flew up. She turned around and left the Liufang Pavilion, heading towards the Fengluan Palace.
Wei Zhiruo, who had just come out of Concubine Wei Enxian's palace, stepped through the archway. She happened to see Huo Wei and the Empress walking in opposite directions.
When Dugu Luanyue approached, she bowed. As she looked up, she saw the white jade hairpin in Dugu Luanyue's hair. Her pupils shrank.
After Dugu Luanyue walked away, she said to the maid Xiangqin beside her, "He actually came into the palace specifically to return the white jade hairpin. Xiangqin, don't you think it's strange?"
Xiangqin said, "The Empress dropped something in the Yuzhang Prince's Mansion. It's appropriate for the prince to return it in person."
Wei Zhiruo shook her head.
"No. I picked up this white jade hairpin in front of Huo Wei's bedroom that day. I could have used it as leverage against him. But you're so stupid that you were caught by Huo Wei's people, and the hairpin was taken back."
She always suspected that there was something between Huo Wei and Empress Dugu. How could such a stable hairpin in her hair fall so easily? Moreover, she had personally watched Huo Wei drink the drugged tea. There was no way he would show no reaction.
Xiangqin rolled her eyes.
"Miss, how about this? You go and tell Concubine Wei Enxian about this. Maybe your aunt really has a way to verify it."
A sly smile appeared on Wei Zhiruo's lips. She lifted her skirt and turned around to go to Concubine Wei Enxian's bedroom again.
Concubine Wei Enxian was brewing tea. She was surprised to see her come back. "Zhiruo, why are you back?"
Wei Zhiruo drove all the palace servants out of the concubine's palace. She whispered in her aunt's ear, telling her in detail what had happened in the Yuzhang Prince's Mansion.
After listening, Concubine Wei Enxian's long eyes widened slightly. She put down the teapot she had just picked up. "Is this true?"
Wei Zhiruo nodded vigorously. "It's true. I saw it with my own eyes! Today, the Yuzhang Prince came in person to return the white jade hairpin, and the Empress even wore it in her hair."
Concubine Wei Enxian said hesitantly, "I've heard some rumors that the Yuzhang Prince has a hidden illness. But you said he doesn't. This is really strange."
Wei Zhiruo sneered. "But aunt, I don't want anything bad to happen to Brother Huo Wei. I'll just help you get rid of this peace - making empress."
Concubine Wei Enxian kept this matter in mind and began to secretly think of a way.
She wondered if she could find evidence against Dugu Luanyue and Huo Wei. If she could, then all of Huo Wei's military power would be handed over to her son, Murong Jue.
And the Empress Dugu would be secretly executed by the emperor. The position of empress would be vacant. It would be a win - win situation.
After happily rewarding Wei Zhiruo with some jewelry, she got up and went to the Zichen Palace to play chess with the emperor and chat about daily life. After all, the New Year was approaching.
The New Year's Eve palace banquet was approaching. Dugu Luanyue and Mei Jiang were busy preparing for the banquet in the Northern Yan's harem.
"Yesterday, I advised His Majesty that the New Year's Eve palace banquet could be a simple one. But since the crown prince of the Dongning Kingdom is in the Northern Yan,
it's not appropriate to make it too shabby. So I informed the internal affairs office that the New Year's Eve palace banquet will be grander than before.
Unexpectedly, as soon as this decision was made, the officials from the censorate and the ministry of revenue began to submit memorials impeaching me one after another."
Dugu Luanyue's face darkened. She knocked over all the material lists beside her elbow onto the ground.
Yu Zan was startled. She quickly bent down to pick up the things and put them aside. She asked,
"Since the officials are dissatisfied with your grand - scale preparations that consume the national treasury, why don't you make it more modest?"
Mei Jiang gave her a cold look.
"Do you think the Empress is a wasteful person? This is to further deplete the Northern Yan's strength and delay the time of the southward invasion."
Yu Zan immediately shut up and silently stood aside.
But what did such a major matter of the country have to do with a weak woman like her? Wouldn't it be good to live a stable and prosperous life in the Northern Yan?
Dugu Luanyue sighed. "Huo Wei's intention has never changed. Attacking the Southern Chu is still his goal. I have to think of more ways."
But the last words Huo Wei said today were quite interesting. He had always resisted her, but today he not only apologized but also said that she might beg him for protection in the future.
Before the New Year's Eve palace banquet started, Huo Wei received an order and led Murong Jue to suppress bandits.
After the New Year's Eve palace banquet, Dugu Luanyue asked Yu Zan to find a way to make Murong Min catch a cold during the night of the imperial consort's service.
As expected, Murong Min began to cough and fell ill in bed since the first day of the New Year. Dugu Luanyue gently advised,
"Your Majesty is quite seriously ill this time. I'm very worried. I'd like to go out of the palace to the Royal White Horse Temple to pray for Your Majesty. Falling ill at the beginning of the year really deserves attention."
Murong Min said weakly, "Don't trouble yourself. The Empress is tired after organizing the palace banquet. Just rest these days."
Dugu Luanyue insisted on going. After saying it several times, the emperor finally agreed.
The day the Empress went out of the palace to pray was the day when Huo Wei returned from suppressing the bandits. The army happened to pass by the White Horse Temple.
When Huo Wei saw the Empress's imperial carriage, his cold and fierce eyebrows raised slightly. "Don't rush back. Let's go to the White Horse Temple to pray first."