"Like? Not really." After saying that, he lifted his foot and walked away.
Du Gu Luanyue raised her long, slightly arched eyebrows. She wasn't angry but just looked at Huo Wei's back with amusement.
For no reason, she compared him with Sheng Yunqi. Yunqi used to be outspoken with his sweet words. He could say whatever she wanted to hear and make it sound wonderful.
But Huo Wei was different. He always spoke crudely, yet his actions were so straightforward that she secretly compared him with Sheng Yunqi in her heart, and there seemed to be a difference in their standings.
Aunt Meijiang lifted the beaded curtain and walked in. She looked outside and said with disgust:
"This Prince of Yuzhang. No girl will ever want him in the future."
Du Gu Luanyue just turned around with a smile, picked up the box in the shape of a little fox and looked at it again.
She took out all the pastries inside and put them on a plate. Then she put the precious item that she had always treasured in her drawer into it and carefully put away the fox brocade box.
"It doesn't matter if no one wants him. Anyway, Huo Wei is more suitable to live alone. Having someone else with him might easily get that person angry to death."
Aunt Meijiang stared blankly at Du Gu Luanyue's actions and asked, "This old servant thought the empress would throw the thing away. It's just a box."
Du Gu Luanyue said indifferently, "I like this little fox. Although Huo Wei is annoying, the thing he chose is okay."
When spring was at its fullest, the peach blossoms were in full bloom under the golden sun. A dark cloud on the horizon was gradually pushed over by the wind. The wind quickly descended, blowing the pink peach blossoms in the grove to the ground all at once.
The grayish - blue cloud gradually covered the golden sun above. The golden glazed tiles also lost their brilliant luster.
Half a month passed. Huo Wei was busy investigating the insider and hadn't seen Du Gu Luanyue for a single day.
When he heard news about her again, he quickly went to the Zichen Hall and saw that bright red figure kneeling outside the hall, pleading bitterly with Murong Min.
"Your Majesty, the plague that has emerged on the northern and southern borders concerns the subjects of both countries. You can't just drive those people to one side and ignore them!
Southern Chu is still safe for now. If Northern Yan doesn't control the spread of the plague, my mother country will also suffer!"
Du Gu Luanyue knelt outside the hall, pleading one after another.
At the border between Northern Yan and Southern Chu, there was a prefecture that was an important north - south trade route. Since the early spring of this year, an unprecedented epidemic had occurred.
The common people were infected for no reason and died within three to five days. This epidemic had already spread to the entire Danyang City and was showing a trend of further expansion.
Emperor Wenhui Murong Min had sent people to suppress the spread of the epidemic a month ago. Unexpectedly, it consumed a huge amount of the state treasury.
So he gave an order to lock all the north - bound passages, leaving those common people to fend for themselves and blocking the north - south economic exchanges.
But this wasn't what Du Gu Luanyue was most afraid of. She was most afraid that Murong Min would abandon these common people and ignore them.
But he was also afraid that keeping the people imprisoned in the city would cause a big incident, so he secretly loosened the checkpoints on the south - bound passages.
Once these people infected with the epidemic crossed over and brought the epidemic to Southern Chu, it would be even more difficult to deal with.
Huo Wei stood outside the Zichen Hall. He glanced at Du Gu Luanyue. She rarely lost control like this. He slightly bent down and said:
"What good does kneeling and howling do? Go back first. I'll go and ask."
Du Gu Luanyue said with a look of anger on her face, "I've been pleading for so many days. It's of no use at all. You're not from Southern Chu. What are you going to ask about?"
Huo Wei said, "Although I'm not from Southern Chu, the people who are dying now are the subjects of my Northern Yan. I should go and inquire."
He took two steps. Seeing that Du Gu Luanyue still didn't get up, he said again, "If you don't get up, I won't tell you anything I find out later."
Aunt Meijiang quickly helped Du Gu Luanyue up. She bent down and patted the hem of her skirt, sighing:
"Empress, let's go back to the palace first. Let the Prince of Yuzhang go and ask first."
Du Gu Luanyue's lips were a bit pale.
"Murong Min is such a cold - blooded person.
When I was trying to please him, no matter how much silver I spent, he never said anything. But when it comes to serious matters, he never takes me into consideration at all.
He clearly knows how worried I am about the southward spread of the epidemic, but he still acts stupid."
Aunt Meijiang shook her head repeatedly after hearing this.
"The emperor weighs the pros and cons. He is supposed to be the empress's husband, but in fact, he is not as good as the Prince of Yuzhang.
The Prince of Yuzhang knows how to comfort the empress when she's unhappy, while the emperor only comforts others when he's happy."
She didn't go back to the palace. Instead, she sat in the small grove on the way that Huo Wei must pass when leaving the palace, quietly waiting for Huo Wei to bring out the news.
She waited until afternoon. Her stomach was growling when she finally saw Huo Wei walking from afar.
Du Gu Luanyue immediately stood up and walked in front of Huo Wei.
"What did the emperor say? How should this plague be suppressed?"
Huo Wei looked solemn. "After the attack on Western Liao, the state treasury has been empty. This epidemic is too fierce. To completely eradicate it, a large amount of silver will be needed.
The emperor's idea is to let the epidemic ferment in the city first. After a group of people die, the court will then send people to take care of it."
Du Gu Luanyue asked him seriously, "Do you approve of the emperor's approach?"
Huo Wei replied concisely, "No."
The two stared at each other silently. The wind blew through the grove, and the rustling sound of the green forest came. They couldn't hear any noise from the outside world.
One of them was a noble of the royal family from birth, and the other was a commoner born in the mud. But on this matter, they both saw the same determination in each other's eyes.
Huo Wei continued, "The lives of the common people are also lives. Whether in Northern Yan or Southern Chu, all lives are equal.
I know what you're worried about regarding this epidemic. You're right to be worried.
If Northern Yan doesn't stop the spread of this epidemic, it's only a matter of time before the plague spreads to Southern Chu."
He was just guessing. The state treasury wasn't as empty as it seemed. This was secretly told to him by his trusted official in the Ministry of Revenue.
But Murong Min had always claimed that the state treasury was empty. Even Huo Wei couldn't figure out the emperor's thoughts for the time being.
Did he really want to see Southern Chu infected by the plague so that Northern Yan could send troops to Southern Chu under the pretext of suppressing the plague?
Du Gu Luanyue dragged her bright red skirt and paced back and forth in the small grove. She said in a deep voice:
"Yes, the lives of the common people are also lives. How can the court ignore them? How can it only show up at the end as a body - collector?"
Huo Wei looked at Du Gu Luanyue, who used to be the imperial princess. Now, because she was in the harem, she seemed restricted, like a fox trapped in a cage, anxious inside.
Huo Wei held her arm and stared at her. "The emperor's attitude is tough. I've said all I can. Don't be in a hurry. I'll think of another way."
Du Gu Luanyue put her jade hand on the back of Huo Wei's hand. "Huo Wei, this matter is really very important to me. Are you really willing to help me this time?"