T/N: Thank you so much to InkRaven87 for the donation! Here’s a double update!

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A Rubik’s Cube could anger Huo Fenglie. It was just unknown who his anger was directed at.

Everyone present thought it was the Liu family.

The two younger brothers couldn’t help but tremble, and even Liu Zhenqing’s face sank as he was once again faced with something he didn’t want to think about too deeply.

Did Er-gou really hate him so much?

Rong Shiming was a little displeased. Although he thought Huo Fenglie’s anger was inevitable, why wreck the place? How could they continue to play like this? But when his eyes glanced over in dissatisfaction, he froze for a moment.

Huo Fenglie was looking at him……he was actually looking at him, and his cold, dark eyes seemed to be seeing a dead person.

Rong Shiming’s legs softened at once, and he directly leaned against the table.

The First Princess recovered and promptly stood up, saying angrily: “General Huo, how can you attack me at will within my palace? What if you had hurt me?”

“My hand slipped for a moment. Please forgive me, Your Highness.” Huo Fenglie was perfunctory and indifferent, but his eyes were as sharp as arrows, causing people to not dare to look directly at him.

“You!”

The First Princess was furious, and was about to speak when she saw Bai Su walk directly in front of the crowd and slowly pick up the jade Rubik’s Cube on the ground.

“Your Highness, General Huo saw something familiar and was just agitated for a moment.” Bai Su went right ahead and started to solve the Rubik’s Cube.

Everyone was shocked. After all, it stood to reason that…..Bai Su probably didn’t want to see this thing either.

However, under the dexterous twists of Bai Su’s hands, the Rubik’s Cube was quickly solved with a crisp clicking sound.

The people around didn’t dare to breathe and others didn’t dare to play. But it seemed that no one dared to say anything when this family member of one of the victims amused himself.

“Aiya, I accidentally solved it. It seems that it isn’t suitable to continue the competition. How about voiding the bet to avoid hurting the harmony?” Bai Su smiled gently, as if he wanted to pass over the matter in one go.

And now Rong Shiming understood that he had become the victim of his ingenuity. Regardless of whether Huo Fenglie would be affected by this game and refuse to help Liu Zhenqing, he had already offended Huo Fenglie by taking the initiative to instigate this matter.

How could Rong Shiming be willing to give up halfway? His expression was sullen and unresigned. “I made a bet with Young Master Liu and we haven’t finished the competition yet. It is better for Young Master Bai to watch quietly.”

Bai Yu did not put the Rubik’s Cube back, but raised his eyebrows and said: “Then think of other games to compete in. I’m afraid that if you continue to play this one, someone might first cause the one who prepared this thing to have no chance to compete again.”

His always gentle tone turned gloomy during the last sentence and seemed to imply something, which sent chills down Rong Shiming’s spine. He didn’t dare look over, but still glared, unconvinced.

And the First Princess was also angry, but didn’t want to offend Huo Fenglie. After all, if this matter was brought to the Emperor, he would definitely favor Huo Fenglie. Thus, she said directly: “Cousin, think of something else.”

The princess’s words invalidated this competition. Rong Shiming was so furious that he immediately smashed the mechanism box in his hand. The people around him understood the current situation and helped persuade him to find another way to conduct the competition.

“Then please think about it slowly, Young Master Rong. Young Master Liu, come to our spot to take a rest and recover before competing again later?” Bai Su smiled and made an inviting gesture.

This move shocked everyone again. The appearance of the Rubik’s Cube reminded a victim’s family member about the reason he hated the Liu family, but he still took the initiative to get close to him? This…..everyone looked into the distance and saw that Huo Fenglie had walked back into the gauze tent at some point, returned to his seat, and sat down.

When Bai Su invited him, he must have known that Huo Fenglie would not turn against him.

Could it be that Rong Shiming had really dropped a rock on his own foot, and in the end, this anger was directed at Rong Shiming and the First Princess?

The First Princess and Rong Shiming exchanged glances, and the looks on their faces were not very good. If this was the case, they would really have to pay a double penalty.

Although Liu Zhenqing looked at Bai Su with some surprise, he readily followed this good advice and walked away, leaving everyone behind with looks of amazement on their faces. The two younger Liu family brothers didn’t dare to follow, and could only go back to their seats and wait anxiously for the next competition.

Liu Zhenqing followed Bai Su silently, and then heard him say: “Don’t worry, we’re aware that Rong Shiming deliberately set you up, and we know the culprit well. If Zhanyuan hadn’t taken action just now, it would have been very troublesome. Don’t worry, his anger isn’t directed at you.”

Liu Zhenqing gave a dry laugh. Really?

“The two of you have high moral character and clear grievances. I admire you,” Liu Zhenqing praised sincerely.

“We’re just going by the facts,” Bai Su said with a smile.

Liu Zhenqing said: “It’s very difficult for people not to express their anger when things like this happen. Besides, you just helped me out of trouble. Now Young Master Bai invited me to signal to Rong Shiming that you hold no grudge against our Liu family because of this, and made him consider if he can still use the same tactics against me. It also shows everyone that the Huo family and Bai family both have their own grievances and debtors, and will not take their anger out on innocent people. I am grateful for such help.”

Bai Su’s smile became more sincere. Although he had helped the other party without expecting anything in return, that he understood and felt grateful still made him feel good.

This person had truly changed a lot. He Lan and the others were right. Liu Zhenqing was much more interesting now. In fact, the last time the three of them got together, Bai Su was away from the city, otherwise he would have gotten to know Liu Zhenqing again.

“Tell me honestly, if I hadn’t interrupted just now, what would Young Master Liu have chosen?” Bai Su asked curiously.

Liu Zhenqing said with embarrassment: “I would naturally have solved the Rubik’s Cube. No matter what, I couldn’t be humiliated like that.”

Bai Su said helplessly: “Is it because of the amnesia that you don’t worry about anything? Then your two little brothers would die of anxiety.”

Liu Zhenqing wore a helpless look. “There was no other way. What else could be done?”

Bai Su thought for a moment, then also shook his head in embarrassment.

In fact, Liu Zhenqing had already thought of a way just now. It was certainly not possible to be humiliated, so after he decided to solve the Rubik’s Cube, he would just hurry home and report it to the Old Master. The old man should have a pretty good idea of how to deal with this situation, and the most effective way to remedy it was to control public opinion.

He would ask the Old Master to go to the palace to cry and complain about being targeted for his blood identity. It would be best to first try crying, then try screaming, and then try threatening to kill himself. Then he would use public opinion to say that the princess’s palace had openly used the Rubik’s Cube to insult them, denying the Liu family a way to survive, and make the matter as big as possible. In addition, when he left the capital, it would be portrayed that he was mentally oppressed because of solving the Rubik’s Cube, and departed with guilt and introspection. In this way, by putting the matter on the table, it would simply portray the Liu family as pitiful victims.

After all, it was His Majesty who allowed this lineage of the Liu family to stay and gave them rewards, which showed his approval of them. The First Princess’s palace would definitely be warned this time. And once news of the Emperor’s support spread, other officials in the Imperial court would not have too many taboos against how the younger generations played. At most, they would still have the same attitude as before in the future.

Therefore, Liu Zhenqing didn’t think this was a difficult matter to solve. Back then, Prime Minister Liu was the best at manipulating public opinion and discerning human nature. Otherwise, his reputation as the “treacherous prime minister” would not have spread so far and wide.

He just hadn’t expected that there would be such an unforeseen event. But this was fine too. Nothing happened, and it was naturally better that Huo Fenglie interrupted.

When he came before Huo Fenglie again, Liu Zhenqing felt a little strange. Before being invited to sit down by Bai Su, he first thanked him, and Huo Fenglie gave a casual response. Although he couldn’t tell Huo Fenglie’s mood at the moment, he felt that the atmosphere was a bit low.

After sitting down, he saw that Bai Su had brought along the Rubik’s Cube from just now and placed it on the table. It seemed that he really didn’t care, and was just playing with it like an ordinary toy. Huo Fenglie glanced at it with a slight frown, but didn’t say anything.

“Young Master Liu, what do you think of the new competition later?” Bai Su asked while playing casually.

“Different situations call for different solutions. Anyway, apart from the martial arts competitions, we can compete in everything else,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“Rong Shiming doesn’t know martial arts, he’s just uncouth,” Bai Su said with a smile. “If it really has something to do with brute strength…..”

As he spoke, Bai Su raised his eyebrows and looked at Huo Fenglie across from him, and Liu Zhenqing also looked over shamelessly.

Huo Fenglie said in a deep voice: “If they go too far, I will take action.” Rong Shiming had already stepped on his minefield, so this was not really for the sake of Liu Zhenqing.

Bai Su raised an eyebrow at Liu Zhenqing and smiled. It truly warmed one’s heart. But in the next moment, Bai Su held the Rubik’s Cube and said to Liu Zhenqing: “Can you play?”

This made Liu Zhenqing feel awkward in a flash. “I’m okay.”

Seeing that he was uncomfortable, Bai Su smiled and said: “As you just said, we don’t take our anger out on innocent people. Who would care about a small toy? Common people are a little too cautious. When faced with this sort of thing, they still speak of it with pale faces, on guard for any possible dangers. I just feel like Rong Shiming was insulting us. Our displeasure is just the starting point, because someone is using this thing to deliberately poke at our nerves.”

Really? Liu Zhenqing didn’t believe it, and said in his heart: The person opposite doesn’t look as magnanimous as you. His expression is very bad every time he sees a Rubik’s Cube.

Petty Er-gou!

Bai Su seemed to have remembered something, and murmured: “In fact, I loved playing this game when I was a child. The more complex a thing was, the more I liked to play it, and I always tried to compete with my brother. He was good at this too, and always said…..”

Bai Su spoke to this point and suddenly paused. The Rubik’s Cube lay silently in the palm of his hand.

His face sank uncontrollably. Sure enough, it seemed to have brought back bad memories.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but think of Bai Yu, a scholar with great status and talent. He still remembered that the two of them met because of the Rubik’s Cube. That year, Bai Yu was ranked among the top three in the Imperial Examinations. There was a custom of a peach blossom banquet in the Imperial Academy, and Liu Zhenqing was invited by the teachers. The young man was drunk, his cheeks were flushed, and he used the wine to strengthen his courage. Then he took Liu Zhenqing’s favored Rubik’s Cube and said shyly: “Prime Minister Liu, this student would like to compete with you.”

That year, it was not long after the new fourteen-year-old emperor had come to power with their assistance, and although he was the prime minister, Liu Zhenqing had not yet begun to use thunderous means to achieve his goals. Huo Feihan had also just received a battle report and was preparing to attack the western front.

Surrounded by enemies in the Imperial court, Liu Zhenqing’s nerves were tense every day, out of fear that if he made a single mistake, all would be lost. It was a rare moment of leisure, watching green young men grow up, and he felt that there was hope for the future. Thus, he indulged himself for just one night.

Under the peach blossom forest, drinking a bit of wine, he accepted various challenges from the students regardless of his superiority. Liu Zhenqing, who was famous all over the country, would naturally not lose face when confronted by a challenge from anyone, and would keep them all in check.

Bai Yu competed with Liu Zhenqing using the Rubik’s Cube. Although he knew he would lose, he didn’t foresee that his loss would be so tragic. Before he had one side completed, Liu Zhenqing had already won the battle. Moreover, he still held the wine cup in one hand while twisting with the other hand, cool and carefree. He said in the end: “Not bad, keep up the good work.”

Bai Yu was not dissatisfied, but was instead full of admiration and worship. “This student will definitely work hard to win once.”

After that, Bai Yu followed him to the Imperial court and became the most powerful civil servant in his hands. If he were still alive, he would have been in his late thirties and started a family and a career, and would be able to take over his duties.

Reminiscing and regretting, Liu Zhenqing sighed in his heart. When he looked at Bai Su’s expression, he couldn’t help but stretch out his right hand to take the re-disordered Rubik’s Cube. With one hand, his slender white fingers seemed to continuously draw a silver line as they slid. The silver thread moved the rows upon rows of small squares like magic, making them obey and quickly unify.

Others played to find patterns and solve them, but watching Liu Zhenqing play was like a performance art, very pleasing to the eye.

Even with one hand, he was no slower than Bai Su with two hands, and he didn’t even pause in thought.

Having performed well in the Thousand Locks before, Bai Su was not surprised that Liu Zhenqing could play this. He watched and watched, his attention drawn in, and finally exclaimed: “You are quite skilled. As expected, you would have won if you hadn’t stopped just now.”

Seeing that Bai Su was in a better mood, Liu Zhenqing smiled. He was about to speak, when his right wrist was suddenly grabbed with great force. 

Because the movement was so big and the force so heavy, the Rubik’s Cube flew right out of Liu Zhenqing’s hand. 

And this time, the Rubik’s Cube was not so lucky. It was smashed out of the gauze tent on the spot and shattered to pieces, disrupting the crowd outside.

Everyone: He’s still angry?! I seem to see General Huo and Liu Zhenqing confronting each other, ah!

Liu Zhenqing met Huo Fenglie’s falcon-like eyes inside the gauze tent, and with ill timing, thought of the aftermath of what he had just recalled.

When he was drunk, he burned the midnight oil and slept in the peach blossom forest that night with his head pillowed in his arms.

In the end, he woke up in Er-gou’s courtyard. He had probably taken care of this drunkard all night and was robbed of his bed. Er-gou, who was fifteen years old, probably didn’t sleep all night. When he woke up in the morning and saw the kid, his eyes were all black and blue, but he still spoke with a pair of sincere eyes and suddenly told Liu Zhenqing that he planned to go to the battlefield with his brother.

In assisting the new emperor to ascend the throne, the young Huo Fenglie had also suffered from hardships and made a lot of contributions. Even more, he had established a deep friendship with the new emperor, so the situation was now stable. Liu Zhenqing and Huo Feihan both felt that it was time for the child to live the life he deserved. It didn’t matter if he worked as a reading companion or returned to the Imperial Academy. They would let him choose and grow freely under the protection of their wings.

It was unknown why Huo Fenglie suddenly had this idea. Although some members of the Huo family went to the battlefield at a young age, at that time, there were only the two brothers in the Huo family. The other relatives in the Huo family absolutely disagreed. To put it bluntly, what if something happened to the two brothers at the same time?

But although Huo Fenglie was young and not good with words, he never compromised on his decision.

Compared with the comfortable life of a young master in his fourteen or fifteen years in the capital, Huo Fenglie seemed so anxious for success that he was spoiling his prospects. Although everything that followed proved that his decision was the correct one, at that time, no one wanted to see him so eager to grow up. Even Liu Zhenqing beseeched Huo Feihan overtly and in secret, but as the elder brother, Huo Feihan felt that there was no problem.

So Huo Fenglie, who had just turned fifteen, donned the uniform of a soldier and set foot on the western battlefield.

On the day the army was sent off, Liu Zhenqing saw Er-gou among the troops and felt a little sorry for this stubborn child, but Er-gou’s gaze was extremely firm. At that moment, he was really like the rising sun, warm, but containing formidable power.

Completely different from the current cold gaze that seemed to come from the abyss.

Ignoring the nearly crushing force on his wrist, Liu Zhenqing stared at Huo Fenglie in astonishment. For a moment, it seemed as if he was enveloped by the clinging darkness there, and the heavy feeling was so overwhelming that he almost couldn’t breathe.

“General Huo, what are you…..”

No way, was he really so petty that he couldn’t stand a member of the Liu family playing with a Rubik’s Cube? Couldn’t he learn from Bai Su’s example?

Wait, this didn’t seem to be an angry look, but a shocked one. He hadn’t revealed his secrets, had he?

What had he done? He had just wanted to make Bai Su happy, so he used Bai Yu’s favorite one-handed twisting method. There were probably a plethora of people who knew it. Moreover, he clearly remembered that Er-gou was stupid in every way at playing with the Rubik’s Cube, and could not learn no matter how much he taught him. He shouldn’t be able to observe carefully and pick out flaws even Liu Zhenqing hadn’t thought of. If he could spot this, it would be absurd, ah!

“You……” Huo Fenglie’s expression was a bit difficult to describe. His pupils quivered slightly, and he even unconsciously grabbed the other person’s hand and pulled him forward.

“Zhanyuan?” Bai Su looked at the two of them doubtfully. According to his understanding of Huo Fenglie, he would never get angry because of Liu Zhenqing playing with the Rubik’s Cube. And Huo Fenglie’s emotions were indeed out of control at the moment, only in the wake of his words, he seemed to consciously restrain himself.

Just as Bai Su was about to speak, he heard Rong Shiming shout from outside.

The new competition was ready!

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Chapter Twenty-Two << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Four