Aunt Mei Jiang grew nervous. She immediately dropped to her knees and quickly explained, "Your Highness, it's not what you think. It's... it's..."
Huo Wei looked down at her with a sneer. "Speak! I'd like to see what excuse you can come up with."
The fierceness in his thick black eyebrows gradually faded. He stood up, picked up Dugu Luanyue, and carried her to the bed. Then he ordered, "Bring the antidote."
Aunt Mei Jiang covered her purse. "This old servant doesn't know what Your Highness is talking about."
Huo Wei stood by the bedside and reached out to grab Dugu Luanyue's neck. "Fine. Anyway, she's feigning death to return to Southern Chu. If she really dies, her ghost can return there faster."
Aunt Mei Jiang didn't even dare to breathe loudly. She took out the antidote for the fake - death drug from her purse. She knew that the Prince of Yuzhang could be as crazy as a madman when he got angry.
Huo Wei took the antidote with a cold face and force - fed it to Dugu Luanyue. He asked, "How long will it take for her to wake up?"
Aunt Mei Jiang kept her head down, but her eyes were darting around quickly. "About an hour."
In fact, after taking the drug, Dugu Luanyue would wake up in at most two cups of tea time. She had her reasons for saying this.
Huo Wei's handsome face was cold. He waved his hand. "Fine. You can leave."
Aunt Mei Jiang looked up at Huo Wei uneasily, but didn't dare to say anything more. She quietly retreated from the room and carefully calculated the time.
Huo Wei stood by the bedside and looked down at Dugu Luanyue, who was sleeping very peacefully, not even breathing.
The beauty had delicate eyebrows and a jade - like face. Her red lips were pale, and her exquisite appearance exuded a kind of cold beauty, lacking much vitality.
Huo Wei narrowed his pitch - black eyes, and a complex look appeared in his eyes.
He shouldn't have meddled in these matters.
He already knew that Dugu Luanyue was feigning death. As long as he turned the fake death into a real one, a war between the north and the south would surely break out. What was wrong with him?
He looked at his strong and broad palm, then at Dugu Luanyue's slender neck. As long as he exerted a little force, this peerless beauty would vanish in an instant.
Huo Wei frowned. He had to complete his revenge. He really shouldn't have gotten involved in Dugu Luanyue's business.
When he left the mansion, Shen Guilan scolded him.
If he chose the path of the court, he needed to make plans and strategies to strengthen himself. It was like making a tree without branches gradually grow into a towering one. It was a steady approach.
If he went to the battlefield, with hundreds of thousands of corpses lying on the ground, he could earn great military achievements and hold military power, which would be a great threat to the emperor. This was a fast way to seek revenge on the mastermind of the past.
But Huo Wei was very clear that a foreign king with only military achievements and no influence in the court would eventually end up dead.
In this world, no emperor would allow a foreign king with great military achievements and military power to stand beside the imperial throne, coveting the imperial power.
Should he seek stability, speed, life, or death?
For a moment, he looked into the abyss of his heart. It was too dark and deep to see any answers or decisions.
He withdrew his hand, put it behind his back, and made a fist.
The opportunity was clearly right in front of him, but he let her go again.
In less than two cups of tea time, Aunt Mei Jiang came in with a pot of tea and put it on the table. Usually a capable and straightforward woman, today she was crying and sobbing.
"Your Highness is still here guarding our Lady so late at night. When Lady wakes up, this old servant will surely convey your affection to her word for word."
Huo Wei still stood by the bedside without moving a step. He still said, "I have no affection for her. You don't need to talk too much."
Aunt Mei Jiang wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Your Highness boiled medicine for Lady and didn't let her leave. Aren't you reluctant to part with Lady?"
Huo Wei turned around and looked at her. A cold light flashed in his fierce eyes. "Old maid, if you say one more word, I'll throw you out."
Aunt Mei Jiang really hated this title. She wasn't that old. She was only thirty - three years old. What was so old about her?
But instead of leaving the room, she got closer and stood beside Dugu Luanyue, talking about Huo Wei's good points off and on, as if deliberately speaking to Dugu Luanyue.
Soon, after running through a long and dark corridor, Dugu Luanyue thought that she would be on her way back to Southern Chu when she woke up.
But she heard Aunt Mei Jiang's words in her ears. She and her servant were the most in tune. She understood the meaning behind Aunt Mei Jiang's words.
Aunt Mei Jiang was reminding her that Huo Wei was here, right beside her, and had been taking care of her.
When almost an hour had passed, Aunt Mei Jiang was driven out by Huo Wei.
Dugu Luanyue heard the commotion. On the bed, her eyes began to move, and some color gradually returned to her face.
A hot tear slid down from the corner of her eye. She slowly opened her charming eyes filled with mist, and her gaze fell on Huo Wei's face.
"Why did you do this? If I go back, the marriage alliance agreement will be null and void. It should be a good thing for you too."
Huo Wei's firm jaw became more distinct. He said expressionlessly,
"Don't forget that I'm the commander of the imperial guards. If you want to really leave, you won't be able to get out of Northern Yan in your lifetime without getting past me."
Dugu Luanyue propped herself up and sat up on the bed. Her charming eyes showed a hint of fragility. She looked at him with tears streaming down her face.
"Huo Wei, are you reluctant to let me go?"
Huo Wei flung his sleeve and turned his back to her. He said coldly, "Reluctant to let you go? I was just about to strangle you."
Dugu Luanyue sat quietly by the bed and closed her eyes. "Then do it. It's not too late now."
Huo Wei leaned down. His handsome and evil face got close to hers, showing a hint of fierceness.
"You and your servant planned to feign death and escape. A concubine who escapes from the palace privately will be sentenced to death if caught, not to mention that you're the queen.
Dugu Luanyue, your life is now in my hands."
Dugu Luanyue slowly opened her eyes. There was only a finger's width between their faces. They could both see their own reflections in each other's eyes.
"I know. So what does the Prince of Yuzhang want to force me to do with this?"
Her charming and seductive eyes stared directly at Huo Wei. Her voice was clear, as if she were pressing for an answer.
Huo Wei remained silent and moved his body away.
She then said, "I don't think that after I was sent to the cold palace, you would risk coming here to boil medicine for me if you had no feelings for me at all.
I woke up so quickly after taking the fake - death drug. It must be you who forced Aunt to get the antidote.
Indeed, you could have just let me die in the cold palace. But why didn't you?"
Huo Wei's deep black eyes were surging like a tide, darker than the sky outside the cold - palace courtyard. His cold and deep face remained motionless for a long time. Then he said,
"The Emperor sent me to tell you not to be impatient. He will come and take you out of the cold palace."
Dugu Luanyue said firmly, "I don't believe it."
Huo Wei turned around and left. If she asked any more questions, he wouldn't know how to explain himself.
Dugu Luanyue got out of bed bare - footed and hugged his narrow waist from behind. "It's you. You came up with a way to save me, right?"