Huo Wei looked at the glistening tears in her eyes. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his gaze, filled with doubt, remained fixed on her, unable to move away.
Why was she crying? Maybe there was sand in her eyes. It surely had nothing to do with him.
Wei Zhiruo had never shown respect to the queen. She wouldn't take the initiative to salute. Instead, she just stared with her big, round eyes.
Huo Wei stood still, still thinking about how to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, Dugu Luanyue took out a embroidered handkerchief from her sleeve without saying a word, wiped the corners of her eyes, and then turned around and left the imperial garden.
Wei Zhiruo shook Huo Wei's arm. "Brother Huo Wei, now that you've cured your hidden illness, you'll surely marry me, right?"
Hearing this, Dugu Luanyue finally understood. So, the reason why Huo Wei had been keeping a distance from her was that he was going to form an alliance with the Wei family through marriage.
The Wei family held the military power of the whole country. With the support of the Wei family, when he went on military expeditions, there would be a powerful force in the court to back him up.
However, for a noble family like the Wei family, she wondered if they would use Huo Wei as a tool to seek power in the future or kick him aside after getting everything they wanted.
Huo Wei removed her hand from his sleeve and turned to leave. "Marry this prince? Are you willing to marry this prince and live like a widow?"
Wei Zhiruo clung to him. "No, no!"
She had always been skeptical about this matter. She thought that if she could marry Huo Wei first, she could figure out what to do later.
In any case, the position of the Princess of Yuzhang couldn't be given to anyone else.
Halfway through, Huo Wei managed to shake off Wei Zhiruo and then turned around and strode towards the direction where Dugu Luanyue had left.
The figure in bright red stood under a banyan tree, with her arm leaning against the trunk, seemingly crying.
Aunt Meijiang comforted her worriedly.
"Your Majesty, please stop crying. You and the Prince of Yuzhang were never meant to have a good ending. You'd better just live with His Majesty."
Dugu Luanyue slightly raised the corners of her red - rimmed eyes. After exchanging a glance with Aunt Meijiang, she continued to cry softly.
"I know. I just don't want him to hate me.
About the matter of Yun Qi last time, I was just trying to think of a way on the spur of the moment to comfort him and make him return to Southern Chu quickly. But I never expected that Huo Wei would overhear it and misunderstand me even more."
Aunt Meijiang sighed.
"Alas, Your Majesty shouldn't have fallen for the Prince of Yuzhang in the first place. After all, he is a handsome and capable general. Who wouldn't develop some other feelings after getting in touch with him for a long time?"
Dugu Luanyue wiped the tears under her eyes with the brocade handkerchief again.
"At first, I was really just using him. But who would have thought that in the process, it was I who got deeply involved.
Forget it. Aunt, accompany me back to the palace to drink. I will surely cut off this karmic bond within three days."
Huo Wei was hiding in the lush grass around the corner. His dark eyes were deep. Cut off the karmic bond? Shouldn't it be him who was supposed to do so?
Just as he was about to step forward and retort a few words to Dugu Luanyue, someone suddenly grabbed his arm.
Meng Tan looked at him seriously. "My lord, something has happened to someone outside the palace. You'd better go and have a look."
Huo Wei asked in a deep voice, "What's the matter?"
Meng Tan covered half of his mouth with his palm and whispered in Huo Wei's ear.
"It's the newly - appointed Lord He in the Censorate, Lord He Xun, who is very close to you, my lord."
The other day, Huo Wei told Murong Min that there must be something fishy about the Hundred - Flower Pavilion. Someone there deliberately revealed Murong Min's identity after discovering it, thus defaming the emperor's reputation.
Huo Wei then advised that they should catch the person behind it to prevent this person from using this matter to continue defaming the emperor's reputation in the future.
After getting Murong Min's approval, as soon as Huo Wei left the Zichen Palace, he privately hinted to He Xun, the censor of the Censorate.
That night, He Xun led people to raid the Hundred - Flower Pavilion. With his iron - fisted methods, it was in a complete mess.
He Xun sent people to take away the boss of the Hundred - Flower Pavilion and tortured him severely. The man confessed that the Hundred - Flower Pavilion was actually an industry of the Wei family.
Although Murong Min was angry, he didn't dare to ask Empress Dowager Hua who had told her about this matter.
When he heard that this industry was related to the Wei family, he secretly vented his anger on the Wei family.
The Phoenix Seal in the hands of the Virtuous Concubine hadn't been in her hands for long when Huo Wei took it away with the emperor's oral order.
Huo Wei glanced at the direction where Dugu Luanyue had left, then retracted his gaze and walked towards the palace gate. "What happened to He Xun?"
Meng Tan said, "Lord He was almost assassinated when he got off work yesterday. He has been hiding at home all day today and didn't dare to go out even a single step."
Huo Wei quickened his pace and left the palace. At the palace gate, he mounted his horse and rushed straight to He Xun's temporary residence.
Huo Wei stood in front of the door. Seeing that the door was half - ajar, he silently drew out his long sword from his waist and used the tip of the sword to push open the door.
Huo Wei said, "He Xun, this prince is here."
The yard was empty, and there was no response for a long time.
It was not until they heard a crisp sound from the back of the yard that Huo Wei and Meng Tan immediately rushed in. They saw two black - clothed assassins about to attack He Xun who was hiding in the kitchen.
Meng Tan flew forward and fought with the black - clothed assassins. Huo Wei was quick - witted and pulled He Xun out of the chaotic room.
He Xun was a bit in a daze. "My lord, the people behind the Hundred - Flower Pavilion are from the family of Marshal Wei. I'm afraid I've offended a powerful enemy."
Huo Wei's long and slanting eyes scanned the surroundings.
"The official residence is almost completed. At that time, this prince will send special people to guard it.
Before moving into the official residence, this prince will send people from the Black Tiger Cavalry to protect your safety."
He Xun nodded.
"Thank you, my lord.
Actually, I've been followed for several days, but I didn't dare to tell you such a trivial matter. Fortunately, I was saved by you today. Otherwise, I would be a corpse by now."
Huo Wei punched He Xun in the chest, but not very hard. He said in a deep voice, "The court is also a battlefield. Since you're with this prince, we'll share life and death."
He Xun's eyes turned red. The outside world rumored that the Prince of Yuzhang was a god of war who destroyed the Liao Kingdom and was heartless. But after contacting him several times, He Xun found that it was not the case.
Although he often acted like a tough general in the army, he was extremely loyal and kept his words.
He Xun gathered his courage. "From now on, I'll follow you, my lord, wherever you go!"
While the two were talking about the Wei family in the yard, Meng Tan had already finished dealing with the assassins and walked out.
After comforting He Xun, Huo Wei was about to leave when a dagger flew out of the room and aimed straight at the center of Huo Wei's back.
Huo Wei sensed the danger and dodged to the side. Although the dagger didn't hit his back, it stabbed into his arm, and blood gushed out immediately.
He Xun exclaimed, "Assassin! There's another assassin!"
Meng Tan rushed back into the kitchen. After a muffled groan came from the room, Meng Tan said,
"This man was waiting to assassinate you, my lord, while still holding on to his last breath. I've already killed him."
Huo Wei pulled out the dagger and threw it on the ground. He covered his arm. "Meng Tan, let's go."
Before he could even bandage his wound on the way back to the Prince of Yuzhang's Mansion, he was summoned to the Zichen Palace by someone beside Murong Min.
The Censorate suddenly impeached the Prince of Yuzhang for forming cliques and seeking personal gain. Murong Min was extremely angry.
Upon learning this news, Su Rou immediately informed Dugu Luanyue that the Prince of Yuzhang was in a very dangerous situation.
Huo Wei entered the Zichen Palace pale - faced and came out looking just as pale. His legs became weaker and weaker as he walked.
It was only because of his black brocade robe that no one could tell that his sleeve was already soaked in blood.
As he walked, he finally collapsed on the ground.