Huo Wei frowned slightly, yet still smirked wickedly. "Little thing, you truly live up to your reputation as the male top courtesan in the brothels."
All he heard were her muffled groans. She waved her arms wildly in resistance, but Huo Wei easily subdued her.
Shen Guilan just walked over from the corner. He saw Huo Wei holding a young guard and kissing passionately. First, he was stunned, then he coughed softly.
"When did you start indulging in such things again?"
Huo Wei shielded Du Gu Luanyue against his chest. He tilted her face slightly to the side and blocked her with his body. Then he slowly turned his head.
"Do you have to interfere in this too?"
Shen Guilan said, "Last time you took a mandarin duck bath with a woman. I thought you only liked women."
Huo Wei raised his eyebrows wickedly. "Just changing my taste. Isn't this what you'd like to see?"
Shen Guilan nodded slightly, then lifted his feet and left. "Then carry on. Take care of your health."
After seeing his senior brother walk away, Huo Wei finally let go of Du Gu Luanyue.
She pressed her chest and gasped slightly. Then she raised her hand and slapped Huo Wei across the face. Her upturned fox - like eyes stared straight at him.
Without saying another word, she turned around and left. Huo Wei knew that Du Gu Luanyue was really angry this time. At this moment, his face started to burn with pain.
He slowly unwrapped the kraft paper in his hand, took a bite of the rose cake, and found it tasteless. He threw it away after only a few bites.
Meng Tan walked over. "Your Highness, Military Advisor Shen said that you should keep the male top courtesan and give him a proper status. Don't let him receive other customers anymore. He's afraid you might catch an illness."
Huo Wei's fierce eyes flashed with cold light. He glared at Meng Tan. "Get out! Get out of here!"
He kept telling himself in his heart that Du Gu Luanyue was just using him. In just a few days, he would stop thinking about her completely.
He, the magnificent Prince of Yuzhang, would surely have any woman he wanted in the future. Why would he want a woman of the old emperor? However, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. How dare the old emperor!
Meng Tan swallowed hard and then asked timidly.
"Your Highness, should I send someone to remove the flour in your room?
I mean, Your Highness, you're a great commander. Why are you researching pastry - making? Whatever Your Highness wants to eat, your subordinate can ask the palace servants to make it."
Huo Wei's eyebrows and eyes turned fierce. He roared, "Why haven't you left yet? Do you want me to kick you out?"
Meng Tan really didn't know what he had done wrong. He scratched his head and left.
That night, Du Gu Luanyue silently returned to her own palace. The pain in her chest gradually subsided in the middle of the night.
She didn't tell Aunt Mei Jiang about Huo Wei's plan to recruit soldiers after the spring. She kept it to herself. Before she could come up with a proper solution, telling others would only add to their troubles.
She thought that relying on Huo Wei might not work.
On the Lantern Festival, as night fell, the hot - spring palace was decorated in a festive manner. Red lanterns were everywhere.
The maids had red ribbons wrapped around their hair buns, and the young eunuchs wore red belts. Du Gu Luanyue quietly arranged the Lantern Festival activities. She spoke very little and seemed very calm.
Huo Wei also went to the palace banquet on time. As he passed by a imperial physician, the physician was instructing a young medicine boy beside him.
"Carry the Queen's medicine carefully. If you spill it, you'll lose your head!"
Huo Wei paid attention and continued to listen.
The young medicine boy said aggrievedly.
"I'm being careful. I'll take it into the palace soon. But the Queen said that she doesn't like to drink such bitter medicine. It makes her chest hurt more."
The imperial physician said, "The Queen is a woman. She's probably delicate. But good medicine tastes bitter. The knife wound was too deep and never fully healed. It seems she's left with a chronic illness."
The imperial physician and the young medicine boy quickened their pace forward with the medicine box. Huo Wei gradually stopped. The complex emotions in his chest fermented, and he felt a bit uncomfortable.
The knife wound was too deep, never fully healed, and left with a chronic illness... He stood outside the main hall, in a daze for a moment. His heart seemed to clench.
A eunuch behind him shouted, "His Majesty the Emperor is coming! Her Majesty the Queen is coming!"
Huo Wei slowly turned around. He saw Du Gu Luanyue in a gorgeous red - and - gold phoenix robe with a phoenix - feather flower decoration on her brow, walking through the falling snow.
She looked at Mu Rong Min with a soft and charming look in her eyes, talking to him happily.
Huo Wei's black eyes darkened slightly, and he bowed.
Du Gu Luanyue and Mu Rong Min walked over hand in hand. She didn't even glance at Huo Wei. Her heart and eyes were full of Mu Rong Min.
"Your Majesty, I've prepared some plum wine that's easy to drink. You should try more later."
Then she complained, "Your Majesty should drink less strong liquor. It's not good for your health." This complaint was actually concern, and the Emperor was very pleased to hear it. But Huo Wei's black eyes darkened again.
Mu Rong Min looked back at Huo Wei. "Prince of Yuzhang, what are you standing there for? Come into the hall with me."
Huo Wei said, "Yes, Father."
His eyes closely followed the figures of the Emperor and the Queen. He took a look and then lowered his head.
In his deep and narrow phoenix eyes, some ripples appeared. He sat down at his seat and started to drink.
There was no plum wine as Du Gu Luanyue had mentioned, only bitter and spicy strong liquor.
Oh, he remembered. Only Mu Rong Min had the plum wine.
The third prince, Mu Rong Jue, excitedly came over. "Brother, long time no see!"
Huo Wei: "Yes, long time no see."
Mu Rong Jue sized him up. "What's wrong again? You look so gloomy. People who don't know might think you've been dumped by a woman."
Huo Wei raised his head and drank. "I'm impotent. How could I be dumped by a woman?"
Mu Rong Jue sighed. "Alas, God opened all the windows for you and didn't even close your door, but pinched you when you were climbing through the window."
Huo Wei had no mood for joking. He was still thinking about what Du Gu Luanyue was up to. How did she end up with a chronic illness?
That night when she came to him in the middle of the night and then covered her chest, it wasn't an act. She was really in pain.
The more Huo Wei thought about it, the more annoyed he got. He looked up at the dragon throne and saw Du Gu Luanyue sitting next to Mu Rong Min, pouring wine for him and feeding him food.
His well - defined jaw tightened.
Mu Rong Jue said, "Brother, you've deformed the golden goblet in your hand. What's wrong with you? I'll ask a palace servant to change it for you. This one can't be used anymore."
Huo Wei said coldly, "No need to change. I'll keep this one. I only want this one."
Mu Rong Min came down with Du Gu Luanyue. There was a faint blush on his cheeks. He walked over and raised his cup.
"Come, my most capable son. Have a drink with your father and mother."
Huo Wei stood up and gulped down the strong liquor with the deformed golden goblet. The words "my most capable son" made him feel uncomfortable.
He still glanced at Du Gu Luanyue from the corner of his eye, only to find that she was looking at Mu Rong Min tenderly and really didn't look at him at all.
Mu Rong Min also raised his plum wine. Only the Queen, Du Gu Luanyue, didn't even take a sip. She didn't give the Prince of Yuzhang any face.
Mu Rong Min laughed. "You mother and son, even on this New Year, you're still in a bad mood. Did the Prince of Yuzhang often come to pay you respects and bother you?"