After Huo Wei returned to the palace that day, in the following five years, he never visited the hot - spring palace again.
After Dugu Luanyue left, he completely returned to the court affairs and almost fixed himself on the dragon throne.
Gradually, he fell in love with this power - play game that was devoid of sentiment and only emphasized strength and tactics.
With an iron - fisted approach and a ruthless heart, in just a few years, he had completely grasped the Jiangshan of the Northern Yan in his hands.
He gradually concealed his former military general's temperament and identity, becoming more and more like a cold - blooded and heartless emperor.
Except for Shen Guilan, who could chat with him for a few words, others only talked about state affairs and nothing else.
Leaning against the wall in the Zichen Palace, Shen Guilan sighed, "Alas, Your Majesty, you've been living like a non - human in these years. There's no vitality at all.
Let go of the past. Hold a beauty - selection draft, find some charming concubines, have a bunch of children, and live a harmonious and happy life. Isn't that great?"
Huo Wei had become more and more lonely and silent in these years. He had indeed become more steady, but Shen Guilan was afraid that he might suddenly go crazy.
After saying this, the memorial flew accurately towards Shen Guilan's head. "If you can't speak, you can stuff your mouth with the stuff from the manure bucket first."
Shen Guilan rubbed his forehead. It did hurt a bit.
"Five years ago, we've already found out about the secret letter. It was the work of Concubine Li. She stole the private seal of the Zichen Palace and intercepted the news from Southern Chu.
Your Majesty, you've already sent her to the Cold Palace. Later, I also sent a letter to Southern Chu. Empress Lingxi should not hate you anymore. It was all a misunderstanding, and we've made it clear."
Huo Wei leaned back on the dragon throne, his black eyes lifting heavily. "This incident happened five years ago. Why are you bringing it up out of the blue?"
Shen Guilan always loved to make a long preamble when speaking. As a civil official, he was always more euphemistic.
He got up and walked to Huo Wei's imperial desk. After clearing his throat, he said,
"Well... The mother of Empress Lingxi of Southern Chu, Empress Dowager Minghua, is having her fiftieth birthday. The invitation has arrived in the Northern Yan."
Huo Wei was about to take a sip of the tea in his hand but paused. "You can handle these matters by yourself, Prime Minister Shen."
Shen Guilan took out two invitations from the sleeve of his purple official robe and placed them neatly on the imperial desk. "Your Majesty, take a look. One is for me, and the other is for you."
Huo Wei's black eyes were cold. "It's normal for countries to have such exchanges. It's a matter of state. You can choose a generous gift on behalf of me and send it there."
Shen Guilan pursed his lips and put away his own invitation.
"I'm here to ask Your Majesty for leave. I'd like to go to the birthday banquet myself. At this time of the year in Southern Chu, lychees are growing all over the mountains. I'm really craving them.
By the way, it is said that there will be a King Lychee at the birthday banquet. We can't get this in the Northern Yan."
Huo Wei gave him a disdainful look. "It's unseemly."
Shen Guilan spread out the invitation for Huo Wei in front of him. The golden signature on it caught his black eyes.
There was no private seal on the signature. Instead, there were only two characters: Luanyue.
The small golden regular script was elegant and neat.
Actually, according to the rules, Huo Wei's invitation should not have reached Shen Guilan.
The reason it ended up in Shen Guilan's hands was that someone thought that with Shen Guilan's status to convey it, the invitation probably wouldn't be thrown into the brazier.
"Your Majesty, look. Empress of Southern Chu personally invited you. She's coming to seek peace. She must want to ask for your forgiveness for what happened back then," Shen Guilan said in a soft voice.
Huo Wei sneered. "She didn't say a single word for five years. Now, during the birthday banquet of the Southern Chu's empress dowager, she comes to show weakness and seek reconciliation. It's just because she sees that Dongning is growing stronger day by day and there's a risk of suppressing Southern Chu. She just wants to make friends with the Northern Yan.
Moreover, with Dugu Luanyue's personality, is she the kind of person who would show weakness for love? I haven't retaliated against Southern Chu in these years. It's already a sign of my broad - mindedness."
Shen Guilan sighed. "Alright then, Your Majesty. I'll take this invitation away."
Just as he was about to reach out his hand, Huo Wei casually threw the invitation behind the screen.
Leaning obliquely on the dragon throne, he looked non -chalant. "There's no need to recycle it. Just throw it away."
Muttering curses, Shen Guilan left the Zichen Palace. Only then did Huo Wei get up and walk behind the screen to pick up the invitation.
He looked at the signature several more times. The handwriting was indeed Dugu Luanyue's. Did she sincerely want him to go, or was she using him again for the game between countries?
Five years had passed. He was reluctant to set foot in the hot - spring palace again, reluctant to recall the past scenes of their life together, and even more reluctant to remember her determination when she left.
Perhaps in Dugu Luanyue's heart, the country was greater than everything else. In her eyes, he was insignificant, just a pawn.
She was so heartless that she could even kill her own child with her own hands. He wouldn't miss such a woman for a single moment.
Because her love could be discarded at any time.
When Shen Guilan set off for Southern Chu, he was full of joy, saying that he was going to eat the King Lychee. Just as he reached the city gate, he saw Meng Tan's army. On the leading blood - sweating horse, there was actually Huo Wei sitting on it.
Huo Wei glanced at him faintly. "I'm going to Danyang City to pay respects to my ancestors' graves. Don't think too much about it."
Shen Guilan rode his horse to his side. "I didn't ask Your Majesty what you're going to do. Your Majesty doesn't need to explain." Then, the two of them rode their horses southward with the army at full speed.
...
The Xie Family Ancestral Hall in Danyang City, Northern Yan
Five years ago, before the truth about the Xie family was found out, Murong Min passed away. Huo Wei had forever lost the chance to make Murong Min announce his guilt to the world, and he himself had lost the chance to return to the Xie family.
Because if he wanted to clear the name of the Xie family, he had to be Murong Yao, not Xie An.
After the truth was announced to the world, Huo Wei rebuilt the Xie Family Ancestral Hall in Danyang City.
This ancestral hall was special. It was not locked up but open to the public, allowing the people of the whole city to offer incense.
Among these people, the older ones still remembered General Xie Jinyang's heroic deeds of fighting for the country.
Therefore, over the years, the ancestral hall had been filled with incense, and some people even organized themselves to clean the dust. It was enough to show how much the Xie family had taken care of the people in Danyang City back then.
Dugu Luanyue held the hands of her two children and said softly, "Si'an, Jingshu, you came here once last year. Do you know how to pay respects this year?"
Back then, she didn't drink that bowl of abortifacient. From beginning to end, she never had the thought of aborting the child.
She knew that Huo Wei had no blood - related relatives, and he valued this matter very much. Moreover, she herself was also reluctant to part with the child.
After returning to Southern Chu, the Sheng family had been putting pressure on her mother, saying that she should get rid of the child and hold the wedding immediately.
Because the direct bloodline of the royal family must be the child born with Sheng Yunqi.
Dugu Luanyue flatly refused. Regardless of the turmoil in the court, just for her own insistence, she gave birth to this pair of dragon - phoenix twins.
The older brother's name was Xie Si'an, and the younger sister's name was Dugu Jingshu.