Liu Zhenqing had already calmed down when he boarded the carriage procured by Mo Qi.

What he currently knew was that the Imperial Examination fraud had been exposed today, which was similar to the cheating model Liu Zhenqing had guessed, and was focused on the Ministry of Rites, Rong Shiming, and perhaps the First Princess. But he never suspected that the Liu family would be involved. This truly made no sense, but Mo Qi had already inquired with the Jinyiwei. The entire Liu family had been arrested and sent to the Imperial Prison. The capital was currently under martial law, and all relevant academy personnel and participating students had also been detained for interrogation. He could be considered a fish that had slipped the net.

To be honest, he really wanted to leave without any unnecessary complications. He didn’t want to see anyone related to the past again. But now, once he left Huo Fenglie’s protection, what waited for him was the Jinyiwei who were searching for him throughout the city.

If he was imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, his fate would be decided by others. 

Therefore, even if Liu Zhenqing was unwilling, he could only follow Huo Fenglie back to the General’s Manor for the time being and wait until the matter had been investigated clearly.

Liu Zhenqing sent a covert glance at Huo Fenglie, who was sitting beside him.

From the moment he got on the carriage, Huo Fenglie had been doing breathing exercises with his eyes closed. He was not a martial arts practitioner and didn’t understand the specific situation, but thinking of Huo Fenglie’s abnormal physical condition just now, he was probably really ill.

Then it could be said that he dragged his sick body to help him?

This…..he felt that there was an inexplicable sense of dissonance in Huo Fenglie’s behavior.

He thought and thought, feeling that they should be arriving at the General’s Manor soon. He couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous, so he leaned forward to lift the door curtain and look outside.

But as soon as he moved, his arm was grabbed again.

Liu Zhenqing looked back and thought that Er-gou was addicted to catching him.

“Where are you going?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Liu Zhenqing looked at him speechlessly. The carriage was moving, where could he go? Could he fly out?

Likely realizing that he had asked a stupid question, Huo Fenlie’s eyes flashed and he let go of Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing coughed and changed the subject: “General Huo…..how is your health?”

“It’s an old injury. Not a problem,” Huo Fenglie replied.

He kept feeling that the current Huo Fenglie was not the Er-gou he once knew. His behavior in the alley before was so strange.

“General Huo, although I am very grateful to you, I have a question…..”

“Ask.”

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes slightly as he examined Huo Fenglie’s expression, saying: “It is no trivial matter to harbor a suspect. Even though General Huo is favored by the Emperor, it is not proper to act like this. Why are you helping me? I asked myself if my so-called favor toward the Young Master and Young Lady of the Huo family could extend to this point.”

Perhaps he had some other purpose, or perhaps he really was kind enough to be willing to help.

“The Huo family must repay all kindnesses. If I do not get you safely out of the city, this kindness has not been repaid,” Huo Fenglie said with a magnanimous look.

Was this true or false?

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. He was a little unable to tell. After all, he really couldn’t think of a reason for Huo Fenglie to be so helpful, so this was a legitimate excuse. But if it was true, Er-gou had become too pedantic when he grew up. Even Huo Feihan didn’t have such an honest temperament, ah. 

If Liu Zhenqing had met the current him in the past, he would have bullied Er-gou to the point that he even gave away his pants.

“General Huo, this…..if someone else tries to take advantage of your gratitude, you’ll suffer a loss.” Liu Zhenqing looked away as he pointed out the other’s flaws, and didn’t see the softness in Huo Fenglie’s eyes.

The carriage slowly came to a stop. Liu Zhenqing’s heart trembled and his expression became a little stiff.

Huo Fenglie did not urge Liu Zhenqing to get out of the carriage, but waited quietly instead.

Then Mo Qi’s voice came from outside. Liu Zhenqing just wrapped up in his cloak and covered his face completely. Since he was going into hiding, he must conceal himself.

The two disembarked the carriage, and at a glance, Liu Zhenqing took in a familiar scene: high steps, a vermillion door, and the Imperial plaque with the gilded characters “General’s Manor.” Even the two stone lions at the door seemed to have remained unchanged.

At this time, a familiar old man was standing at the door with a frown, waiting with a group of servants.

This scene really put Liu Zhenqing in a trance for a moment. It was as if he was still a teenager, getting caught in the act after playing with Huo Feihan and returning late.

This person was the Huo family’s steward, Uncle Tian.

According to Liu Zhenqing’s memory, Uncle Tian had hardly changed. Especially his iconic braided beard.

In fact, its style was quite proper, but when he thought about the origin of this style, Liu Zhenqing felt guilty and amused. 

He recalled that back then, Uncle Tian cherished his beard. He kept it smooth as silk, so smooth that even young girls would envy it. This person’s beard could not be in disarray even if his head was cut off，and he had to comb it with a small comb seven or eight times a day. That was, until he was targeted by Liu Zhenqing.

Although Liu Zhenqing was a transmigrator at that time, he had started from scratch around the age of ten and indulged in the arrogance, willfulness, mischief, and rebelliousness that he had never had in his previous life. If he was going to live a free and unrestrained lifestyle, he would naturally be childish at times. He often went out with Huo Feihan. In Uncle Tian’s eyes, Liu Zhenqing was a naughty and mischievous young master who always caused trouble with him, so he became a monitor, watching them every day and complaining to the elders.

This made the two of them depressed, so Liu Zhenqing played a prank by using the modern principle of the perm to give his beard a big wave while he was taking a nap.

Afterwards, Uncle Tian almost lost his mind. Liu Zhenqing, who had taken the lead in committing the crime, and Huo Feihan, his accomplice, were severely punished.

They thought that when the matter was over, he could grow his beard straight again. But for some unknown reason, the beard that grew out after that was all crooked, and Uncle Tian could only tie his beard into braids with tears in his eyes. Thus, he also led the trend of beard styling for middle-aged and elderly men. But Uncle Tian was not happy. He lost weight due to depression, which caused Liu Zhenqing and Huo Feihan to feel guilty. They sincerely apologized, and Liu Zhenqing also said that he would try to straighten it again, but Uncle Tian would never again let anyone touch his beard.

Now, looking at the little braids that were tied with different colored strings, it seemed that Uncle Tian had found the fun in it.

The small smile brought on by the memory slightly relieved Liu Zhenqing’s nervousness.

As a former seventh-rank minister and the steward of the General’s Manor, his status was not low, but when he saw Huo Fenglie walking up with a person who was covered from head to toe, Uncle Tian still stepped forward to bow respectfully. Upon realizing the identity of the covered person, although he was surprised, his tone and attitude were very polite.

Uncle Tian should know Liu Xiaozhu. After all, Liu Zhenqing had heard from Jin Li that the young master had come to the door several times when he was pursuing a certain someone. It was likely that Uncle Tian had a deep impression of him, and mostly disliked him. But because of the previous incident with the twins, Uncle Tian had also arranged for medicine to be delivered, so he should have changed his attitude toward him at this point.

At this moment, Uncle Tian paid more attention to Huo Fenglie. When he appeared to be in good shape, he breathed a sigh of relief and took them inside, asking questions with concern.

After learning the details of the matter, although Uncle Tian’s expression was a little strange, he didn’t question the Second Master’s decisions. He just asked respectfully: “Then which courtyard does the Second Master think is appropriate for Second Young Master Liu?”

Huo Fenglie said directly: “The Snow Catkin Courtyard.”

When these words were spoken, Uncle Tian stopped suddenly. His beard trembled and he said in a fluster: “Second Master, you said the Snow Catkin Courtyard? That…..that is not a guest courtyard. It hasn’t been cleaned up much, and…..”

Liu Zhenqing could understand Uncle Tian’s dismay, because Liu Zhenqing himself froze upon hearing the name of the courtyard.

The Snow Catkin Courtyard was originally one of the Huo family’s guest courtyards. It had a pleasant and elegant environment that did not match the overall style of the General’s Manor, and was previously used to host scholarly guests. Later, Liu Zhenqing became good friends with Huo Feihan. The Snow Catkin Courtyard became the place where he stayed overnight, and was gradually no longer used by others.

He had originally thought that even if the courtyard was not razed to the ground by the Huo family, it would have been renamed in order to ward off bad luck. Yet now the courtyard was not only still there, but was going to be used by his Liu family. Uncle Tian probably had to wonder if Huo Fenglie was deliberately mocking this person.

Liu Zhenqing felt complicated for a moment. He didn’t know what Huo Fenglie meant by this arrangement, but Liu Xiaozhu shouldn’t know anything about it, so Liu Zhenqing couldn’t react.

“Second Master, it’s not suitable. Why not change it…..” Although Huo Fenglie always made decisions without hesitation, Uncle Tian couldn’t help but offer a few more words of advice this time.

“No one can get close to it, no news will leak out, and it’s secure,” Huo Fenglie explained indifferently, as if this was just business and he was only arranging the most suitable accommodations for the guest without any unnecessary considerations. 

Although Liu Xiaozhu taking refuge in the General’s Manor could not be kept secret, it should not be known by too many people. It was better to be careful when there were so many people talking about him, so this arrangement was reasonable. Regardless, Liu Zhenqing temporarily accepted this excuse. There was really no trace of scheming on the other’s deadpan face.

But Uncle Tian appeared hesitant to speak, and glanced at Liu Zhenqing several times.

It wasn’t until Liu Zhenqing discovered that the familiar path in his memory had changed that he realized the courtyard had been renovated.

The Snow Catkin Courtyard had originally been next to Huo Fenglie’s courtyard. Now, the two courtyards seemed to have been connected to form a huge re-landscaped courtyard in the middle, the equivalent of two residences in one. The original gate to the Snow Catkin Courtyard opened into it, so it was basically attached.

When he realized this, Liu Zhenqing felt that he had been thinking too much before. It was just a courtyard, and the Liu family wasn’t even taken into consideration. It had just been used to expand the living space for the current head of the Huo family.

Therefore, Uncle Tian’s anxiousness was not because Liu Zhenqing once stayed in this courtyard, but because this was out of compliance?

Although it was empty and separated from the other residence by a courtyard, according to the structure, it could be regarded as General Huo’s inner courtyard. But of course a general like Huo Fenglie would never pay attention to such details, so Uncle Tian’s persuasion was useless.

When passing by the courtyard, Liu Zhenqing just took a cursory look and felt that it was indeed grand and refined after the remodel. It had everything covered for training, enjoying the scenery, leisure, and entertainment. Such a large space could certainly accommodate a lot of people. When it was first renovated, it was likely for the purpose of the future Mrs. Huo spreading branches here and letting the population flourish.

Unexpectedly, the first person to move in was a man who once clamored to pursue Huo Fenglie. If word of this spread, wouldn’t Er-gou’s reputation be tarnished again?

Liu Zhenqing was amused by his own thoughts. He couldn’t be blamed for this. It was Er-gou’s own fault.

Just as he was thinking, Liu Zhenqing caught sight of the familiar courtyard door and the smile on his face turned uncontrollably bitter.

He never thought…..that he would come here again. This was the place he had lived most often, aside from his own manor and the Imperial Academy.

Upon stepping into the Snow Catkin Courtyard, Liu Zhenqing was a little surprised. Other than the lack of human presence, the scenery was almost the same as it was all those years ago. Hearing Uncle Tian say that it hadn’t been tidied much, he had expected a scene of neglect. Unexpectedly, not only was it tidied up neatly, but even the vegetation outside seemed to have been pruned on the regular, and the windows were open for ventilation. Sunlight could even be seen streaming through the windows, illuminating the furniture and decorations inside.

Liu Zhenqing saw it as if it was a lifetime ago.

“Uncle Tian, I’ll leave this to you.”

While looking around, Liu Zhenqing heard this and turned to find Huo Fenglie looking at him. He said: “Young Master Liu, please rest first. I will inquire about the situation outside.”

Liu Zhenqing cupped his hands and thanked him, and it wasn’t until Huo Fenglie departed that Uncle Tian stepped forward to greet him politely.

Because of the attack, Liu Zhenqing was still in a bit of disarray. Uncle Tian immediately selected two of the most loyal servants in the General’s Manor to take charge here, and arranged a bath and clothing, along with tea to alleviate the shock. Only then was it truly clear that there were almost no servants walking around Huo Fenglie’s residence. It was very much quiet and secure.

When Liu Zhenqing finished cleaning up, Uncle Tian continued to accompany him in the courtyard, but logically, the two were not familiar with each other at all. There was a man with “amnesia” who once pursued their general to the front door, and now the Liu family was in trouble. Even the well-rounded old steward, no matter how much of a gossip he was, felt that he was stepping on uneven ground.

Seeing Uncle Tian’s grimace and the twitching of the braids in his beard, it was clear that his heart was in turmoil.

And Liu Zhenqing was no longer listening to Uncle Tian’s continuous flow of conversational topics, his attention completely diverted by the little braids in his beard.

It really didn’t grow back straight?

Uncle Tian talked for a long time while Liu Zhenqing just stared at his beard, then felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine. He touched his beard and coughed, saying: “Many thanks to Young Master Liu for saving the First Young Lady and the Second Young Master before. Young Master Liu can stay here with peace of mind. Please let us know if there is anything missing, and we will do our best to satisfy your needs.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t care about anything else, and only asked about the two little children.

Uncle Tian was a little surprised that this was the first thing he was concerned about. “Because the Young Lady and the Young Master acted on their own and nearly caused a disaster, they were punished and sentenced to solitary confinement in the manor.”

Oh, he was aware. They were kneeling down in the ancestral hall and copying military documents. It was the Huo family’s old routine. Huo Feihan was often punished in the past, so he and Li Xingruo would secretly go to accompany him.

It really ran in the family.

Liu Zhenqing simply ignored that he had a share of the blame in the previous incident, and nodded with admiration: “They’re still so young, and haven’t completely learned martial arts yet. If they want to imitate others and decry injustice when they see it, they must learn well.”

Uncle Tian didn’t think it was appropriate for Liu Xiaozhu to say this as an outsider, but he could still hear that he was being sincere rather than flattering.

Uncle Tian said with a smile: “They can only go out for an hour per day at the moment, or they would have come out to see you by now. By the way, the Eldest Lady still hasn’t returned from the free clinic. When she returns, she will certainly come to thank Young Master Liu for his life-saving grace.”

Liu Zhenqing’s face was slightly stiff. If Li Xingruo were here, he really didn’t know if he would have had the guts to walk in.

It was best to resolve matters here quickly and leave before Li Xingruo came back. After all, it would be difficult to pretend in front of someone who knew him so well.

Liu Zhenqing always felt that since his rebirth, there were only two people who would be able to recognize him. One was Huo Feihan, and the other was Li Xingruo, because the three of them had the deepest relationship. 

Night fell, but Huo Fenglie didn’t return. Liu Zhenqing wanted to rest quietly alone, and Uncle Tian thought he was worried about the Liu family, so he didn’t bother him.

With a creak, Liu Zhenqing pushed open the window of the inner room. The scenery that came into view was still the same, as if it had come from memories long past.

Liu Zhenqing was only ten years old when he first arrived here after transmigration. Soon after, he was sent to study at the Imperial Academy by the old marquis, where he met Huo Feihan and Li Xingruo. A son of a marquis, a soon-to-be general, and an Imperial doctor’s child all came from extraordinary backgrounds. But when the three of them first went to the Imperial Academy, they weren’t familiar with each other. After all, one was civil, one was martial, and one was a woman, so it was difficult for them to mix together and interact.

The reason they had the opportunity to get to know each other was actually because of Er-gou.

At that time, a miracle doctor happened to be in Great Zhou and staying at the Imperial Academy temporarily, so Li Xingruo’s family recommended her to become his disciple. This should have had nothing to do with Liu Zhenqing, but he thought that perhaps it had to do with his aura as a time traveler. In the back mountains, he encountered the miracle doctor by chance while the man was collecting herbs. He used modern medical knowledge as a conversational topic, and the miracle doctor mistakenly thought he had astonishing medical talent. He was about to accept him as a disciple, and although Liu Zhenqing tried his best to refuse, the miracle doctor and the old marquis hit it off immediately. Liu Zhenqing had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

Of course, Li Xingruo was truly talented and was naturally accepted, so Liu Zhenqing inexplicably became her senior brother. At that time, Li Xingruo was not fond of him. But neither of them knew that due to this incident, the two families had become friends, and after getting drunk, they formed an engagement for the two of them.

Not to mention that the Master later found out that he had been cheated out of a discipleship spot. It was just that at that time, the pregnant general’s wife came to the Imperial Academy to visit Huo Feihan and incidentally went into unexpected labor. Although Er-gou was born, both mother and son were in very bad condition. The Master went first to rescue the general’s wife, who was in the worst condition, while Er-gou was handed over to an ordinary doctor in the Imperial Academy. The doctor’s medical skills were average. He usually dealt with common colds, and had never treated a newborn baby.

As the new apprentices, the two of them naturally accompanied Huo Feihan outside. Then the doctor came out and said that the baby hadn’t survived because of the umbilical cord being wrapped around the neck, and there was really nothing he could do. 

That was the first time Liu Zhenqing and Li Xingruo saw Huo Feihan cry. He kept calling for his brother. 

This was likely the first time Li Xingruo had seen such a situation. Unresigned, she snatched the baby away and used all of her knowledge to try to save him, inserting silver acupuncture needles into any point that could be stimulated. But the baby still had no response. Li Xingruo was close to tears at that time.

Liu Zhenqing’s heart was also unable to bear it when he looked at the little baby, feeling that there should be warmth and life. He didn’t know where the impulse came from, but he instinctively took Er-gou over once Li Xingruo had mostly given up, and used a set of modern first aid operations. Even when the people around him were shocked by his actions and tried to stop him, he never stopped blowing and pressing on his chest. He didn’t know if it was the right thing to do or not, and it might be useless, but once he started doing it, he couldn’t stop. He kept feeling that if he persisted for one more second, a miracle might happen.

And just when Liu Zhenqing was about to faint from lack of oxygen, he heard Li Xingruo cry out: “He’s moving!”

At this time, the Master came out.

This was how Er-gou survived.

And due to this experience and friendship, the three of them quickly grew familiar with each other.

Liu Zhenqing initially felt that he was mentally older than them and would not be able to enjoy time together with them. However, the “Imperial Academy Anti-Bullying Incident” made the three people, who were not afraid of trouble and had a strong sense of justice, really get to know each other. 

At that time, there was someone who unjustly bullied a child because of his status. Huo Feihan directly stood up to protect him, Liu Zhenqing spoke out to solve the matter, and Li Xingruo provided evidence. The three of them worked together to shame the little bully, and after that, they found that they were birds of a feather.

But in everyone else’s opinions, both he and Li Xingruo had unique personalities while Huo Feihan seemed normal. And none of them were law-abiding people. They all basically got into trouble together, and only the eldest Huo Feihan endured punishment in a law-abiding manner. However, the three of them showed their best talents in their respective fields, and were the most troublesome existences for the academics.

They were young at that time, wayward, and lived a wonderful and unrestrained life. It seemed that there was nothing in the world that they did not dare to take charge of or do, and they didn’t know the difficulties of the world. They had never truly realized until the Imperial court incident that the Great Zhou Dynasty was unstable, and the great leader they followed met with an accident prematurely. The country was about to collapse due to internal and external troubles, as well as court struggles. They grew rapidly in just a few years, all of their edges and corners worn away in order to adapt to this turbulent world. Crushed under the heavy burden of their country, their high spirits burned desperately in a short period of time until death…..looking back now, he and Huo Feihan weren’t even thirty…..

Liu Zhenqing lay back on the bed, his eyes open in a daze. This bed…..seemed to be the same. Here there were memories of young people talking at night by candlelight, and also memories of the most painful and unbearable times. After all, in the two years before his death, every time he was seriously injured or had an accident, he had to lie here and be treated by his junior sister, because there were not many people around he could trust. It seemed that his frequent visits during that period also became one of the evidences that he was “harassing his sister-in-law,” which he was later criticized for. However, it was undeniable that this was the place that made him most at ease, and the only place he could take a break.

Liu Zhenqing lay there for a while, thinking that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. But not long after blowing out the candles, the sound of deep breathing came from the bed.

The heating in the room was sufficient, but it wasn’t too hot. However, Liu Zhenqing was not a peaceful sleeper, and the quilt slipped off with a flick of his hand.

An unknown amount of time later, there was a slight noise outside the door, and the moonlight shining into the room suddenly rippled, bringing in a burst of night chill.

The quilt on the ground was picked up, and a person stood at the bedside. Seeing the familiar sleeping position of the person on the bed, his lips curved up uncontrollably, and the chill in his body seemed to be driven away by the heat of the room.

Huo Fenglie sat on the side of the bed and covered Liu Zhenqing with the quilt, pressing it down on the sides with both hands for a moment. After Liu Zhenqing adapted to the existence of the quilt with dissatisfaction, Huo Fenglie did not retract his hands, and his gaze never left the person on the bed all the while.

Suddenly, Huo Fenglie leaned closer, not stopping until he could feel Liu Zhenqing’s breathing.

A deep and cautious voice sounded tentatively:

“Qing-ge…..”

Then there was an indistinct murmur as if in response.

“En?”

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Chapter Twenty-Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Nine