Huo Wei glared at her with his fierce eyes. "Hurry up and go!"
Du Gu Luanyue frowned slightly. The "Tong Shi" was a register that recorded the number of times and the time when the emperor and the concubines slept together. Only the queen was allowed to read it, and no one else was even allowed to take a peek.
Mu Rong Min hated this thing the most, but according to the palace rules, he had no choice but to present it to the queen. She pushed Huo Wei away.
"You're a prince. What do you want to do with the record of your father's time with the concubines? No way!"
Huo Wei grabbed the corner of her robe and pulled her towards him. Du Gu Luanyue bumped into his solid chest. Her clothes were thin, and the impact made her soft breasts ache.
Anger welled up in her heart. She thought Huo Wei was overbearing and barbaric.
"I only say things once in the army. Those who want to hear it a second time are those who are looking for death."
Huo Wei's chiseled jaw was tense. His eyes were calm but exuded a strong sense of oppression, making people breathe more slowly.
Du Gu Luanyue didn't dare to provoke him. She was afraid that he would use the imperial examination as a threat again. Only when Huo Wei became the chief examiner of the imperial examination could the recruitment of soldiers after the spring be cancelled, and she could gain more time.
She said, "Auntie, go and bring in the 'Tong Shi'."
Huo Wei took the "Tong Shi" and started flipping through it. He looked from last month to this month, and his face gradually darkened. The sound of turning the pages became louder and louder. The thin pages were almost torn in his hands.
He saw that Mu Rong Min had entered the harem twenty - two days out of thirty in a month, and eighteen of those days were spent in Du Gu Luanyue's bedroom.
Looking at the duration and time of the nights spent with the concubines, some were in the afternoon, and some were at night.
With a bang, Huo Wei threw the "Tong Shi" on the ground with one hand. The register rolled several times and stopped at Du Gu Luanyue's feet.
She bent down to pick it up, smoothed the pages, and looked at him in confusion.
"What are you going crazy about? You asked to see it yourself, and now you're throwing a tantrum."
Du Gu Luanyue gave him a reproachful look. She had no idea what Huo Wei was angry about. At first, she thought that Huo Wei might want to know Mu Rong Min's preferences.
She thought he might want to send someone to Mu Rong Min, but she didn't expect him to get angry.
Huo Wei leaned back on the wide chair and straightened his body. "You seduced the emperor and did everything you could just for the imperial examination?"
Du Gu Luanyue nodded. "Yes. If I don't make him happy, how can I pave the way for you?"
She had told Yu Zan and Su Rou to do everything they could. Mu Rong Min had been very happy recently. She was just waiting for the right time to mention the imperial examination.
Huo Wei's cold eyes were filled with hidden anger. His thin lips were pressed into a straight line. He slapped the tea table beside him with a loud noise. "Your Majesty doesn't need to be so diligent in serving the emperor. I may not go for the imperial examination anyway!"
Du Gu Luanyue opened her eyes wide and was speechless. "???"
She quickly walked up to Huo Wei.
"What's wrong with you again? What did I do to make you unhappy?
Do you know how much effort I've put in to make you the chief examiner of the imperial examination?
I can't make any suggestions in the court, so I can only find ways in the harem. Huo Wei, I've really tried my best!"
Du Gu Luanyue's small face, which looked a bit haggard and sickly, was now a bit flushed with anger because of her anxiety.
Her fingers tightly grasped the hem of her skirt. Her fingertips dug into the silk, and several threads were torn.
This Huo Wei was so moody. He was really hard to handle!
Huo Wei looked her up and down several times, as if he was staring daggers at her. "You've really tried hard. You've tried hard in Mu Rong Min's bed."
He stood up, straightened his front, glanced at her coldly, and was about to leave.
Du Gu Luanyue quickly grabbed his arm. "Are you jealous that I'm serving the emperor?" She thought for a long time and could only come up with this reason. Could it be that Huo Wei was really jealous?
Huo Wei shook off her hand. "You're his woman. It's natural for you to serve the emperor. What does it matter to me? Don't think too highly of yourself. I wouldn't take a fancy to you even if I liked anyone."
The flame that had just ignited in Du Gu Luanyue's heart was immediately extinguished by his cold and sarcastic words. She had thought that Huo Wei might have some feelings for her, but it seemed not. Huo Wei really looked down on her in his heart.
Well, he was the prestigious Prince of Yuzhang. When she first met him, she had used some underhanded methods.
"Then why don't you want to do it anymore?" she asked in a low voice.
Huo Wei turned around. "I'm a military general. The imperial examination is for selecting civil officials. It's not suitable for me."
Du Gu Luanyue walked over and blocked the door of the palace hall. She hugged his slender and strong waist and blinked her charming fox - like eyes at Huo Wei.
"Suitable. It's very suitable. When the time comes, you bring the test papers here. I'll help you look through them and pick out the candidates. I'll definitely pick out a few who can be useful to you."
But this answer still made Huo Wei feel stuffy in his heart. "It's none of your business. Get out of the way."
Du Gu Luanyue wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the face. "Oh, why are you always so stubborn with me... In at most two or three days, I can make it happen for you."
Huo Wei thought that it meant she would have to serve the emperor for another two or three days. His face became even darker.
"I'm a dignified prince. If I have to rely on a queen to work hard in bed to get a position in the imperial examination, it would be a joke if it got out. You find another way. Let's all save some face."
Du Gu Luanyue touched her head. Her mind was a bit muddled, but she still nodded. "Okay, I'll think of another way besides serving the emperor."
Only then did Huo Wei stop. Du Gu Luanyue quickly let go of his waist and stood far away, making a gesture to let him leave. "Please."
Huo Wei gave her a sidelong glance. "Your attitude changes really quickly as long as I agree to the imperial examination."
Du Gu Luanyue lowered her eyes and said aggrievedly, "I know you look down on me, so I don't dare to get close to you. Let's keep our distance. I'm afraid you'll get angry with me again."
Huo Wei stared at her with his deep, dark eyes for a moment, then turned his head away. "It's best that you know. I really don't like you getting too close to me."
He rode his horse all the way back to the Prince of Yuzhang's Mansion. The streets of the imperial city of the Northern Yan Dynasty were filled with dust from the head to the end of the street. He almost knocked over the eggs that the common people had placed on the roadside.
Huo Wei was in a bad mood, but he didn't think it was because of Du Gu Luanyue serving the emperor. He thought he couldn't possibly care about this scheming and bad - tempered woman.
In the following days, she completely cooled off towards Huo Wei. She even refused to see him.
She was afraid that Huo Wei would insist on seeing her, so she had to hide in the Zichen Palace.
Du Gu Luanyue was really afraid of the moody Huo Wei. Mainly, she was afraid that he would go back on his word. So before things were settled, she decided to avoid seeing him.
In the cold spring, the snow in the Northern Yan Dynasty was still slowly melting. Under the red palace walls, it was still desolate and cold.
She had a beautiful face and was lying limply and charmingly in the side hall of the Zichen Palace.
"Your Majesty, that Prince of Yuzhang under your rule is too idle.
After the spring, everyone is busy, but he's the only one idle. You should find something for him to do, so as not to waste the court's salary."
Mu Rong Min was watching the new dance arranged by Su Rou and the others. He hadn't even finished reading the program list. This kind of thing was really addictive to him.
Ten charming dancers' dance skirts were scattered all over the place. From time to time, they would lie on his imperial desk and dance a bit.
Mu Rong Min didn't even move his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, you always like to make trouble for the Prince of Yuzhang. What on earth did he do to offend you?"