Zhi Lan gently shook her head, looking embarrassed. "This matter is not suitable for me to inquire about. I'm afraid it will attract the attention of those with ulterior motives."
Du Gu Luan Yue also understood in her heart that she had been in the limelight recently. So she didn't ask further about Huo Wei. Instead, she asked, "Are all the things specially prepared for Emperor Wenhui at the Hot Spring Palace ready?"
Zhi Lan nodded, her tone firm. "It's been arranged long ago."
Du Gu Luan Yue's goal remained clear. During the visit to the Hot Spring Palace, the Crown Prince of Dongning would also be there. Whether she could shake Dongning's trust in Beiyan or not would depend on how lively the Hot Spring Palace of Beiyan could be this time.
Since there was still no answer about Huo Wei's hidden illness, she could only speed up the progress of another plan.
A few days later, Empress Du Gu Luan Yue planned to arrange for the imperial household department to organize the emperor, concubines, and Beiyan nobles to go in three batches. They could spend the Lantern Festival at the Hot Spring Palace and then return to the palace.
On the day before their departure, the sandalwood in Qiulan Hall in the Beiyan harem was burning vigorously. The fragrant mist curled up, and the steady and peaceful aroma of sandalwood lingered in Wei Enxian's nostrils. But at this moment, her heart was far from calm.
She leaned on the beauty couch, her eyes sharp and gloomy.
"Last time, I explicitly and implicitly told His Majesty that the enchantress of the Southern Chu and the Prince of Yuzhang might have some shady business. After His Majesty heard that, his expression was neither happy nor angry. It really gave me a fright."
Wei Zhiruo, who was kneeling on the ground massaging Wei Enxian's legs, suddenly looked up. She said somewhat unwillingly, "Doesn't His Majesty believe what you said, Aunt?"
Wei Enxian shook her head, and the tassels of the hairpin on her cloud-like hair swayed.
"I've been in the palace for so many years, but I've never really understood His Majesty.
Later, I saw Huo Wei going to Fengluan Palace every day to pay his respects. Such a blatant act made me guess that His Majesty must have deliberately arranged Huo Wei to be in front of that enchantress.
I was so happy in my heart, thinking that we might catch them red-handed.
Who would have thought that Huo Wei has a hidden illness and is no different from a eunuch. Looking at His Majesty's attitude later, I guess His Majesty knew about it long ago."
Wei Zhiruo quickly retorted, "Aunt, Huo Wei doesn't have a hidden illness. The brothel girl Hong Ling can testify!"
Wei Enxian gave her a cold look.
"The imperial physicians in the imperial hospital have already said so. If we drag a brothel girl in front of His Majesty at this time, won't it upset His Majesty during the New Year?
Moreover, it's not easy to bring down Huo Wei now. After all, His Majesty still has use for this blade."
Wei Zhiruo gritted her teeth, her fists clenched tightly with anger. "I will surely find Huo Wei's weakness one day. He must have some dirty secrets!"
Bad news spreads faster than good news.
The God of War on the battlefield, the general who could destroy a country, the Prince of Yuzhang, turned out to be a man just like a eunuch.
The civil and military officials of the court and these Beiyan nobles already looked down on him. Now, they looked down on him even more and with strong mockery.
For several days after the court session, Huo Wei could see the fake pity in the eyes of the ministers.
A few ministers in front were chatting as they left the court. "Have you heard? The Prince of Yuzhang is a eunuch."
"I've heard. But I also heard that His Majesty knew about it long ago and deliberately helped to cover it up."
"No matter how many great achievements this man from the bottom has made, so what? He won't even have an heir. All that he has earned in his life will have no one to inherit in the end."
"That's not the worst. The most important thing is that he will never have the chance to enjoy the greatest pleasure in life."
Huo Wei walked behind and heard their words. A hint of coldness appeared in his cold and deep eyes.
He took big steps and caught up. He pushed aside the ministers in the middle and walked among them.
"Thank you, my lords, for your concern. I'm still young and there's still a chance for treatment. Unlike you, my lords, who are half - buried in the loess. It's not important whether you can enjoy the greatest pleasure in life or not. You should focus on saving your lives first."
After saying that, he left without even looking at their expressions.
Of course, he felt annoyed when being talked about like this.
If it weren't for the fact that Du Gu Luan Yue was a woman, he wouldn't have to expose this matter in a way that would hurt himself while hurting the enemy, making all the civil and military officials in the court laugh at him.
He got on the carriage of his mansion and returned home. As soon as he arrived at the mansion, his military advisor, Shen Guilan, was waiting for him in the study.
Huo Wei took off his cloak and put it on the hanger. He casually asked, "Senior brother, will you go to the Hot Spring Palace with me tomorrow?"
Shen Guilan was still dressed in simple cloth clothes and wearing a pair of cloth shoes. He looked at Huo Wei calmly. "Why did you push yourself out like this? Just to save Empress Du Gu?"
Huo Wei's fingers casually twirled the teacup in his hand. His thick eyebrows gradually relaxed.
"This matter started because of me. She's just a woman and shouldn't have to suffer such slander. Moreover, this was a trap deliberately set by that old thing, Murong Min."
Shen Guilan's chest tightened. He said coldly,
"Junior brother, I don't want you to have any distractions on the road of revenge. You've already intervened in Empress Du Gu's affairs several times."
Huo Wei said, "I just wanted to seize the power of the imperial guards and happened to save her."
Shen Guilan asked angrily, "Then why did you use the funds from your mansion to make up for the shortage in the renovation of the Hot Spring Palace?"
Huo Wei's temper was not very good. Even with Shen Guilan, he would get angry when he was provoked.
This question had uncovered the thing that he didn't want to talk about.
Huo Wei's long and sharp eyes suddenly became extremely sharp, shining with a cold light like a fierce beast.
"Senior brother, I know what I'm doing."
The second prince, Murong Hua, who was stupid and incompetent, took over the matter of the Hot Spring Palace. But then he found that he didn't have the ability to handle it.
He was busy flirting with his concubines, so he secretly returned the matter to Huo Wei.
By the time he returned the renovation project to Huo Wei, there was already a big problem with the funds. The money was far short of the original plan.
Shen Guilan had grown up with him since childhood. How could he not know Huo Wei's temper?
He leaned towards Huo Wei.
"If you're attracted to Empress Du Gu and she happens to be seducing you, you might as well make a deal with her and ask her to help you achieve more things in front of Emperor Wenhui.
After all, there are some things that a woman can do but a man can't.
After everything is accomplished and you're strong enough, won't the empress still listen to you?"
Huo Wei glanced at him sideways but didn't say a word.
Shen Guilan stood up and straightened his washed - out cloth clothes. "Huo Wei, I'm giving you a way out."
The teacup in Huo Wei's hand suddenly stopped turning. The last words Shen Guilan said, "won't the empress still listen to you", seemed particularly interesting to him.
The corners of his thin lips, as sharp as a dagger, curled up.
"I'm just putting on an act with Empress Du Gu. But senior brother is right. If she can help me, I'll be the one who benefits."
After talking to Shen Guilan, Huo Wei didn't wait until the next morning. He got up and went to the Hot Spring Palace.
Unexpectedly, the Hot Spring Palace that he personally supervised the renovation of was specially prepared for Murong Min.
Coincidentally, Du Gu Luan Yue also set off for the Hot Spring Palace the day before. As soon as Huo Wei arrived, she knew about it.
She came out to greet him wearing a red phoenix robe and with her black hair hanging on her shoulders. Her charming eyes were smiling as she looked at him. "Come here. Let me see if your illness is cured."