Huo Wei was just like a fierce yet innocent wild beast deep in the mountains.
When it came to war, he charged into the battlefront; when the war ended, he beat the gong to call back the troops. There was never any in - between or half - heartedness.
He always thought that a woman could only love one man, and he also believed that a man would only truly fall in love with one woman in his lifetime.
Since childhood, he had thought that having just one partner for life, being each other's haven and support, was the happiest thing in the world.
For a moment, he felt happy deep in his heart. So that Sheng Yunqi was just her male concubine, and he had even traveled all the way from Southern Chu to Northern Yan. It was truly ridiculous!
But the next second, a dark cloud seemed to hang over him. This woman was promiscuous and not worth a second look!
Huo Wei coldly shouted, "Don't use your worthless tears to gain my pity. I have no intention of pitying you at all!"
Du Gu Luanyue said hoarsely, "I don't expect your pity. I haven't even said a single word to excuse myself.
But you grabbed my arm, then my neck, and pressed my back against the hard tree trunk. Can't I shed tears because of the pain?"
Huo Wei immediately let go of his hand, and the memorial in his sleeve fell out.
Du Gu Luanyue looked down, squatted down, and picked it up. It was the memorial about conscripting soldiers. Her eyes instantly turned fierce, the veins on her forehead bulged, and she bit her silver teeth tightly.
Huo Wei's cold voice came from above, "Conscript soldiers in spring, train them in summer, go on an expedition in autumn, and by winter, we'll be able to seize most of the northern territory of your Southern Chu."
Du Gu Luanyue felt as if her whole body was covered in thorns. She tightly held the memorial in her hand and slowly tightened her grip:
"Your Highness has a good plan. I was finally outsmarted by you. You've got Sheng Yunqi in your control and on the other hand, you've started conscripting soldiers. I'm in your grasp, and so is the Sheng family. I just misjudged you."
Her face finally turned completely cold, but she didn't plan to quarrel with him. She never did anything meaningless.
Huo Wei snatched the memorial from her hand. He could have presented this memorial at the morning court today, but he had been holding it back.
He said softly, "Let go."
Du Gu Luanyue then let go. Her breathing became chaotic, and she could hardly hold back the turmoil in her heart. She looked at Huo Wei with a gloomy look in her eyes:
"Your Highness thinks you've calculated everything, don't you?
The fact that you can't have children is false. What do you think His Majesty will think if I tell him that you, a normal man, often go to the harem while deliberately hiding this fact? Given His Majesty's suspicious nature."
Huo Wei's originally arrogant face suddenly darkened. He had wanted to use Sheng Yunqi to blackmail her, but he felt that this male concubine was no longer of much value.
But then he said, "Sheng Yunqi may not be your lover, but if His Majesty finds out that the Queen has a male concubine, what do you think His Majesty will do to you according to his temper?"
If this deliberately hidden news were spread, Huo Wei would surely arouse the Emperor's suspicion and it could even affect his future career.
In this game, both she and Huo Wei had each other's fatal weaknesses in their hands.
If Huo Wei exposed Sheng Yunqi's matter, it would also be fatal to Du Gu Luanyue.
They confronted each other again, evenly matched.
But Du Gu Luanyue also knew Huo Wei's character very well. You couldn't deal with a wild beast by force. For a moment, she softened again:
"At this moment, Your Highness weighs more in my heart than Sheng Yunqi.
When it comes to the country and the family, the country comes first, and the family comes second.
If Your Highness conscripts soldiers now, you'll have to put aside your plans in the court. If you don't recruit these talents, others will.
Even if the dynasty wins the war and returns, as long as Your Highness doesn't fight, you'll be a person with nothing to do in the court. By then, with no one on your side in the court, I'll just wait to see you struggling."
Huo Wei put the memorial back into his official robe sleeve. He sneered at Sheng Yunqi in his heart again.
Then he went to the Zichen Palace. When he left, somehow, the memorial fell to the ground and he didn't notice.
Aunt Meijiang quickly picked up the memorial quietly and came over, "Your Majesty, do you think the Prince of Yuzhang believed you?"
Du Gu Luanyue took the memorial and tore it into pieces. Her eyes were spitting fire:
"I'm not sure yet. But as long as I show that I don't care much about Yunqi's life and death and focus all my attention on helping Huo Wei gain a foothold in the court, he won't be so aggressive.
But Huo Wei is extremely unpredictable. I'm afraid he'll suddenly figure things out, and then I won't have the chance to save Yunqi."
These words were just to stop Huo Wei from killing Sheng Yunqi, but no one knew how long it would work. After all, Huo Wei was a crazy man.
After Huo Wei left the Zichen Palace, he went straight back to the Prince of Yuzhang's Mansion and walked into the dungeon of the mansion.
Sheng Yunqi was sitting upright in the dungeon, as straight as a pine and crane. There was still a dog - chain around his neck. He slowly opened his eyes:
"Is the Prince of Yuzhang here to kill me? Hurry up. Don't hesitate."
Huo Wei stood in front of the prison door with his arms folded, a mocking smile on his face:
"Previously, I thought it was a lover chasing his wife thousands of miles away. I really didn't expect it was just a one - sided love from a male concubine."
Sheng Yunqi said, "What are you laughing at? What male concubine? Did you go to make things difficult for Luanyue?"
Huo Wei raised his long eyebrows slightly, and his smile became even more arrogant:
"Poor male concubine. Your Royal Highness the Crown Princess has no intention of saving you. After all, she'll have thousands of male concubines."
Sheng Yunqi looked at Huo Wei in surprise, not knowing what he was talking about.
He just wanted to know why Du Gu Luanyue had no intention of saving him.
Huo Wei looked down at him from above, "She's given you up, little male concubine."
Sheng Yunqi slowly lowered his head, "That's okay. As long as this choice is beneficial to her. Prince of Yuzhang, just do it. Give me a quick death."
Huo Wei swept a cold look at him with his narrow eyes and looked down at him from above:
"Montan, let this male concubine out and ask the steward to arrange for him to plant herbs for Military Advisor Shen in the back garden."
Sheng Yunqi suddenly stood up and roared, "Crazy! Why a gardener? You might as well just kill me!"
Montan picked Sheng Yunqi up and quickly arranged for him to go to the back garden.
Sheng Yunqi walked over unsteadily. He saw that the whole back garden was in a mess. On one side of the muddy ground, there were rose buds piled up like a small mountain.
He was stunned for a long time, and then suddenly laughed mockingly, "Prince of Yuzhang, you've fallen in love with her, haven't you?"
Huo Wei's black figure loomed over him. He tapped Sheng Yunqi's face with a dagger, "Do you think I'll like her? Are you blind?"
Sheng Yunqi squatted down and reached out to touch the broken rose branches on the ground:
"I also have a rose field like this in my mansion.
But you bought the wrong variety. The roses Luanyue uses to replenish qi and blood are not these ornamental roses, but Mo Hong roses.
He stretched out his hand to show the size, "After the Mo Hong roses are soaked in water, they'll be as big as my palm. They're from the southern part of Yunnan in Southern Chu. You don't have them in Northern Yan at all."
Huo Wei kicked him into the flower field:
"I'll say it again. That promiscuous and lying woman is not worth a second look from me! I'd be a fool if I did!"
Sheng Yunqi slowly got up from the muddy ground. His face was covered in mud, but his eyes were still gentle. He laughed out loud:
"Now I finally understand why you've been delaying killing me and why you don't dare to really send me to be castrated.
Prince of Yuzhang, you won't dare today, tomorrow, or the day after."