Du Gu Luanyue stood in the wind and snow, narrowing her eyes slightly. A few scattered snowflakes dotted her eyebrows.
"I know you're unhappy. You don't want to stay by Murong Min's side in such a capacity.
But Huo Wei, all I can do is keep you alive. As for your happiness, I seem powerless."
As long as he was alive, she would be at ease after leaving Northern Yan in the future.
Judging from Murong Min's attitude towards Huo Wei, it would probably only take a year or so for Huo Wei to truly hold real power.
Huo Wei's pitch - black eyes were devoid of warmth. He merely asked calmly, "Where is Shen Guilan? I need to ask him something."
Du Gu Luanyue replied, "He's hiding in White Horse Temple, protected by my men."
She turned around and left, coughing.
Huo Wei looked up at her retreating figure. It seemed she had lost a bit of weight. His chest felt tight. At that moment, he wanted to go up and ask a few questions about how she had been recently. Why did she look so frail?
But he still turned around and left, in search of an answer.
Murong Min's recognition of Huo Wei had caused quite a stir both within and outside the court.
From being the adopted son of Emperor Wenhui and a noble of a different surname, Huo Wei had suddenly become the emperor's legitimate eldest prince. He had gone from being feared by the emperor to becoming the most cherished prince, one who was given high hopes.
All this had happened within ten days. People across the land marveled at how life was like a play.
A few days later, the Wei family was also released without charge. The Grand Tutor Wei, changing his previous attitude, began to figure out how to restart the wedding banquet between Huo Wei and Wei Zhiruo.
His daughter might very well become the future crown princess or even the empress.
A month later, Huo Wei had stayed in the Prince of Yuzhang's Mansion for a whole month. He had become even more sinister and silent than before.
Shen Guilan, dressed in a plain white robe, stood beside Huo Wei. After being recognized and enfeoffed as the eldest prince by Murong Min, Huo Wei seemed to have changed.
He had shed his gloomy and murderous black robe, replacing it with a gold crown adorned with dragon patterns and a light - gold brocade robe with cloud - dragon patterns. There was only a slight difference between his robe and the emperor's dragon robe. The golden dragons on the prince's robe had one less claw.
Shen Guilan asked tentatively, "What's wrong with you lately? If you're really unhappy, I'm willing to let you wreck my medicine fields."
At that moment, the snow had stopped. Huo Wei's tall and slender figure stood like a lone sword in the cold courtyard of the mansion. His slanting phoenix eyes turned slightly towards Shen Guilan.
"Whether I'm happy or not doesn't matter to you people."
That day, Huo Wei had sent someone to bring Shen Guilan back from White Horse Temple. Shen Guilan had told Huo Wei all about his cooperation with the empress Du Gu Luanyue. All this had been done just to save Huo Wei's life.
But during this period, Shen Guilan clearly felt that Huo Wei had distanced himself from everyone.
A servant of the mansion brought a cloak. "Your Highness, the carriage has been readied for you."
Huo Wei glanced at Shen Guilan. "Come with me to the palace. From now on, you don't have to stay in the mansion all the time. Just stay by my side."
Shen Guilan's eyes darkened. "Yes."
Was Huo Wei starting to keep an eye on him by always having him around? A few days ago, Huo Wei had been asking about his master's whereabouts, but he had kept silent. After that, Huo Wei had stopped pressing him.
From that day on, Huo Wei restrained his former wildness and unruliness from the military camp. He attended court on time every day and had his own insights on national affairs in the court.
He began to assist Murong Min in handling state affairs and often appeared in the Zichen Palace, acting cold yet obedient.
Because of their blood relation, Murong Min also entrusted a lot of real power to him without hesitation.
Huo Wei quickly promoted his own followers and began to quietly get rid of some former enemies. He started to settle down and quickly establish his foundation in the court.
The Wei family began to approach him frequently, hoping to continue the wedding banquet that had been interrupted.
In the Zichen Palace, after swallowing a golden pill, Murong Min felt a bit dizzy.
Huo Wei stood not far from the imperial desk, talking about severely punishing corrupt officials. Just then, Du Gu Luanyue walked in from outside the hall. Murong Min had summoned her to have lunch with him.
Murong Min opened his arms. "Come here, Empress. Sit beside me."
Du Gu Luanyue no longer bothered to pretend to be Lu Wanyin. She had changed into her favorite bright - red phoenix robe and sat on Murong Min's lap.
Murong Min held her delicate hand and stared at her. "Empress, don't rush to leave after lunch. Stay with me for a nap."
Du Gu Luanyue's eyes darkened slightly. Didn't Sheng Yunqi say that Murong Min's health had been exhausted? Why did the emperor want her to stay with him during the day?
Now that the jade hairpin was no longer needed, she still had to figure out how to avoid it.
Huo Wei's figure, as straight as a lone sword, remained motionless. Suddenly, he spoke up. "Father, is the marriage between the Wei family and me still valid?"
Murong Min turned his head. "If you want to marry the Wei girl, it's fine.
Now that your status is different, as a true member of the royal family, it's actually the Wei family that is overreaching. How about changing her status to a concubine to teach the Wei family a lesson?"
Huo Wei bowed his head and said calmly, "Thank you, Father, for your approval."
Du Gu Luanyue's jade - like eyes widened slightly in surprise. She quietly looked up at Huo Wei, a bit absent - minded. Huo Wei suddenly smiled. "Mother, you look like you have something to say. Do you have any instructions for me?"
Du Gu Luanyue pursed her lips and forced a smile. "No. I was just thinking that the eldest prince is about to get married and is becoming more and more steady."
Huo Wei's smile was deep and mysterious. His sinister pupils were always half - closed. "Thank you for your praise, Mother."
During lunch for this family of three, Murong Min deliberately ate a few more golden pills. As a man, Huo Wei naturally knew what Murong Min was going to do later.
Du Gu Luanyue was a bit absent - minded on one side. No matter how rational she was, her mind was in a mess now.
Huo Wei had actually taken the initiative to take Wei Zhiruo as his concubine. She had thought that with the favor Huo Wei was receiving from Murong Min, he no longer needed the support of the Wei family.
He just needed to wait for the final victory to fall into his hands.
Previously, Shen Guilan had told her that Huo Wei was going to clear Xie Jinyang's name and then take revenge on Murong Min. But his recent change of attitude really left her completely puzzled.
While lost in thought, the soup bowl in front of her somehow toppled over. The oily soup spilled all over her skirt.
Du Gu Luanyue quickly stood up. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was careless. I'll go back to the palace to change my clothes first."
Murong Min was a bit unhappy. "Hurry up."
Not long after Du Gu Luanyue returned to the Fengluan Palace, Eunuch Yingxi sent someone to inform her that she didn't need to go back.
The Prince of Yuzhang was accompanying the emperor in drinking. He was now drunk and asleep.
Du Gu Luanyue let out a sigh of relief. She thought that it was becoming increasingly dangerous to stay by Murong Min's side. She had to start preparing to leave Northern Yan.
She held the small fox - shaped brocade box that Huo Wei had given her in the past. She gently stroked the patterns on it with her slender fingers, looking a bit dejected.
Aunt Meijiang walked over with the bruise - removing ointment to continue applying it on her.
"It seems that His Majesty has become addicted to those golden pills. Every time he takes them, he always goes crazy and mistakes you for Lu Wanyin. He beats and scolds you.
Today, he even wanted you to accompany him to bed. What a strange emperor."
Du Gu Luanyue didn't care about the wounds on her body. She said in a low voice, "Aunt, it's time for us to leave."
Aunt Meijiang was shocked. "What? Are we leaving now? Have all the hidden dangers in Southern Chu been resolved?"