In an exquisite garden in the capital, the sound of breaking porcelain was suddenly heard.

An elegantly dressed woman withdrew her hand, and the person next to her stepped forward to give her a handkerchief to wipe the tea from her hand. The woman suppressed a cough, exuding an ice-cold aura of intimidation even without anger.

The person kneeling below trembled endlessly. There was a bloody mark on his forehead, which had just been cut by the broken teacup. He said in a fearful voice: “Master, spare my life.”

The woman gave him a cold look, and it seemed as if his life or death would be decided in an instant.

The person waiting quietly to the side stepped forward to say: “Master, calm down. They are not to blame for this. It is that gang of rebels who were so useless as to be captured so easily.”

The woman moved her eyes to glance at them. “You still care to intercede for others? Your adopted son also helped Huo Fenglie a lot in this matter, otherwise how could he have defeated me so quickly!”

Zheng Wei said: “Master, my adopted son was also raised according to the upbringing of the Dongchang. Didn’t you say that he is too close to Huo Fenglie, so it wasn’t convenient for the time being…..”

“There is no time left. When he returns, if he can be used, then use him. If not, you can find a way to deal with him so that he doesn’t become a threat,” the woman said directly.

“Yes, this servant obeys.”

The only young man seated there could not sit still. “What should be done next? Before, you sent a message to the Western Shu Kingdom to…..”

The woman collected her breath and sat down slowly to view the beautiful scenery. Her tone became as gentle as the breeze again. “The plan naturally needs to be adjusted, and we must prepare ourselves for any eventualities. If we wait for them to ruin one plan before changing to the next one, it will be too late.”

“As expected, Master predicted the enemy’s movements. The emperor will definitely send Huo Fenglie to Nanfeng City as you wish,” Zhang Wei said with a smile.

The woman slowly closed her eyes: “Then there must be no unforeseen events with the Western Shu Kingdom. Don’t you think some people are doing too well?”

“There are some servants who have been away from their master for a long time, and naturally, some alienation arose. Would you like me to send someone…..”

“Go ahead.”

. . . . . . . .

“Your Majesty, the books on Western Shu that you requested have been sorted out for you,” Bai Su said as he stepped forward.

Inside the palace, Yuan Jue was touching his jade thumb ring in meditation when he heard this voice. He looked up with a smile and waved his hand for Bai Su to stand, saying: “Bai-daren should enter the court as soon as possible. You get things done much faster than the other scholars.”

Bai Su immediately saluted and thanked him.

Yuan Jue saw the bruises on Bai Su’s face and asked: “You are injured?”

Bai Su lowered his head quickly. “There is no problem with this servant.”

“Xia-daren’s actions were rather serious,” Yuan Jue said suddenly.

Bai Su’s expression changed slightly, and he immediately knelt down.

Yuan Jue waved his hand and said: “Don’t be like this. I don’t object to you investigating that person’s affairs privately, but other people won’t look well upon you if they find out.”

“This servant…..this servant only wants to fulfill his brother’s last wish.”

“I know. You are as stubborn as your brother was. Ever since you reported to me honestly, I knew that you would investigate. This is also likely why you were willing to serve as a court official.”

In fact, it was also because when Bai Su was reporting the situation to the emperor, the emperor revealed no resistance or refutation of the truth. This made Bai Su willing to take the risk of entering the palace to investigate.

“This servant dares not deceive the Holy Majesty. This servant also understands that time has passed, and it is difficult to find any evidence to clear that person’s name. This servant only wants to do his best and leave the rest to heaven’s will, and it is not in vain that this one took up the post of historian.”

“Fine, you have your convictions. I do not object. I also wish to know how sincere he was toward me back then,” Yuan Jue said in an unidentifiable tone.

Bai Su felt that the emperor should also value righteousness and ties of family and friendship, which was why he acquiesced in his behavior. This also showed the emperor’s generosity, and Bai Su felt extreme gratitude and admiration.

“With Zhanyuan going to Nanfeng City this time, he likely won’t come back to reunite with you until the end of the year.” Yuan Jue brought up personal affairs.

“General Huo will definitely deal with Your Majesty’s worries,” Bai Su said.

“He has indeed shared my worries. In the past six months, I really didn’t expect that my good brother, a military commander, would deal with everything so efficiently. It really surprised me. It’s not that I think Zhanyuan is unable to handle these things, only that he is better at riding horses and fighting. If I hadn’t found this matter troublesome and could only ask him, whom I trust the most, I wouldn’t have sent him to do it. But he is unexpectedly resourceful. There seems to be a strategist behind him, likely you brothers who came together to give him suggestions.”

Bai Su had just wanted to reveal the existence of Liu Zhenqing. After all, he had played a big role in these matters, and Bai Su considered mentioning him to earn him merit. But remembering that the person before him was the emperor, his clever mind stopped him from doing so in the end.

After all, Liu Zhenqing was considered a fugitive before, and although the emperor turned a blind eye to Huo Fenglie’s private life, it was not a good idea to speak of it openly. Thus, it was better to wait for Huo Fenglie to return and bring it up himself.

Seeing that Bai Su had nothing else to say, Yuan Jue slowly turned his jade thumb ring. Was he worrying too much? Was there not a strategist at Huo Fenglie’s side? Or was it that Zhanyuan usually hid some of his capability around him? After all, according to Yuan Jue’s estimation of his overall prowess, these things should not have been completed so quickly and smoothly. He couldn’t do this. It had all gone too fast.

Soon after, Yuan Jue received a secret letter. Qin Yu and He Lan were rushing back to the capital one after another, and Huo Fenglie was taking Liu Xiaozhu and the King of Hell on the road together, heading toward Nanfeng City.

When Yuan Jue read this, his eyes couldn’t help but circle around Liu Xiaozhu’s name. The Liu family had been released, and the news had been spread. Why was Huo Fenglie still taking the young master of the Liu family with him? 

Huo Fenglie, Liu Zhenqing’s cousin, and Liu Zhenqing’s apprentice were traveling together. Yuan Yue twisted his jade thumb ring again, deep in thought. 

Forget it, he would see if Huo Fenlgie was so capable alone. If so, he had underestimated Zhanyuan.

Then Yuan Jue looked through the information on the Western Shu Kingdom again. “Western Shu has produced a great king.”

Reading the confessions, there were people from Western Shu in the group of rebels.

Yuan Jue didn’t bat an eye, and just gave a contemptuous smile, saying: “Could this great king really be an obedient dog?”

. . . . . . .

“It’s really amazing……”

In the carriage, Liu Zhenqing looked through all of the collected information Song Xingmu had provided to him before they left. 

“It is indeed amazing,” Huo Fenglie said. “The Kingdom of Western Shu was originally the weakest among the southwest kingdoms. After that battle, Western Shu also suffered the most serious losses. It had begun to split internally, but unexpectedly…..”

Huo Fenglie put down the map and said with a serious expression: “Their new king should be very young.”

“He could put internal affairs in order before the age of twenty, rebuild the land, and continuously annex the territories of the two neighboring countries. Not only is he good at managing politics, but he is also good at fighting. According to his tendencies, he is indeed ambitious.”

Huo Fenglie said bluntly: “They also favor slavery, and their territory and citizens are limited. To be able to grow to this extent is already excellent.”

“It can be said that the current king of Western Shu has made the wisest decision, which is to maintain friendly relations with Great Zhou thus far. It hasn’t invaded Great Zhou’s territory again, and even participates in friendly trade with Nanfeng City.” Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “This development was initially very good, but they happen to be involved with the rebels. Yuan Jue was already wary of their swift development. When he gets this information, he will have to keep a close eye on them. They are clever, but also not, always so confident that they can fight against Great Zhou. Is it because the new king thinks he can compete with you?”

“Not to mention me, General Dai who is currently stationed in Nanfeng City is not an easy military commander to defeat.”

“The Dai family finally has a general and he’s in Nanfeng City? After so many years, the little fellow has grown up. The last time I saw him, he was a little bean curd,” Liu Zhenqing said with a sigh. He hadn’t had many people to use back then. “The Dai family’s training of generals is second only to your Huo family, but their population is gradually declining, one batch worse than the previous one.” 

Liu Zhenqing raised an eyebrow and looked at Huo Fenglie, saying: “The same goes for you generals. Even if you have no heirs, you should recruit more disciples and successors. Otherwise, how will you pass on your skills and experience? Fenglie, have you ever accepted a disciple?”

Huo Fenglie shook his head.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but tilt his body, leaning toward the upright Huo Fenglie. He said with a bright smile: “Anyway, you won’t have children in the future. Consider taking on a disciple as soon as possible.”

Huo Fengle was taken aback, looking down at Liu Zhenqing as he leaned over. Seeing his features become more charming, like the peach blossom eyes of the past, his heart throbbed and he lost his words. He could only give a slight nod.

At last, Han Ye, who was sitting opposite them and reading medical texts, opened his mouth to say: “Why are you cursing others…..”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw his master leaning frivolously on the general. His cheeks flared up and he instantly could bear to look.

Yes, he had already come to terms with the facts. Since he was entangled with his master, it was indeed impossible for him to have any descendants.

Liu Zhenqing took the opportunity to look at Han Ye and say: “By the way, is the lord of Nanfeng City still Tan Mu? How does he get along with the Dai family?”

“Why are you asking me?” Han Ye said, not understanding.

Liu Zhenqing gave him a puzzled look: “Medical Valley is near Nanfeng City. Didn’t you go there when you needed daily necessities in the past?”

Han Ye stared blankly for a moment, then said with an ugly expression: “I don’t know about others, but in any case, Master and I have never been there. We went to other cities.”

“Ah? Why go so far away when you could be close?” Liu Zhenqing asked with bafflement in his eyes.

Han Ye rolled his eyes at Liu Zhenqing, as if he couldn’t be bothered to explain. Just as the carriage stopped, the driver outside shouted: “Gentlemen, there is a stream and a waterfall here that is suitable for a rest stop. Would you like to stop here?”

“Yes,” Liu Zhenqing responded.

When he got off the carriage, Han Ye saw that the surrounding environment was good, so he took the medicine boy to go look for any medicinal herbs. The driver began to catch fish to prepare food.

The ice in the carriage had run out not long ago, and the weather in late summer was really too hot. In a moment, one would be covered in sweat.

Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing walked to the stream. At once, Liu Zhenqing began to remove his clothes.

Huo Fenglie said in bewilderment: “Qing-ge?”

Liu Zhenqing said without looking back: “Isn’t it hot? It’s rare to encounter such a clear stream, let’s get in and cool off.”

As he spoke, Liu Zhenqing left only his under layer, tied up his hair, and jumped into the water. His slender white form swam in the shallow water, his smooth waistline swaying like a silvery-white mermaid.

Liu Zhenqing swam for a while, and when he looked back, Huo Fenglie was standing on the shore instead of getting in. He just looked at the other man and raised his eyebrows slightly.

He swam closer and lay down on a stone, looking up at Huo Fenglie. “Come in, ah.”

Huo Fenglie instinctively avoided looking at the stark bite mark on Liu Zhenqing’s shoulder. “I’m…..I’m not hot.”

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes. The raised corners of his mouth sank, and he said in a heavy voice, “Was it because of me that Master and Xiao Ye didn’t go to Nanfeng City?”

Huo Fenglie froze for a moment. Looking at Liu Zhenqing, he found that the other had his back turned to him.

He looked at his back with some worry and said: “I don’t know.”

“It probably was. I left behind such a bad reputation back then. Judging from the situation elsewhere, the people in that city still resent me now. If they went to that place often, they would certainly hear people curse me often, and naturally wouldn’t be happy to go.”

When he was done speaking, Liu Zhenqing let out a sigh and swam away.

But after swimming for a while, he stopped and stood blankly in the water. With his back to Huo Fenglie, he seemed very lonely.

Standing there in the water, Liu Zhenqing counted silently. It was not until he counted to ten that he felt the water ripple around him, and the corners of his mouth rose when he heard a voice sound from behind him.

“They knew it wasn’t true.”

Liu Zhenqing turned around to find that Huo Fenglie had joined him in the water. Seeing that he was dressed in the same way, he was instantly satisfied. He asked with a serious expression: “You all obviously didn’t know anything, so how did you know it wasn’t true?”

“Because we believe in you,” Huo Fenglie said sincerely.

With a moved expression on his face, Liu Zhenqing rushed forward and hugged Huo Fenglie tightly. “Er-gou, you’re so good.”

Huo Fenglie was stunned by Liu Zhenqing’s show of emotion. Being hugged was also a bit awkward. After all, he had been trying to keep a distance from Liu Zhenqing, not to mention that now…..they were unclothed. It was difficult to push away an unhappy Qing-ge at that moment, but he didn’t dare hug him back, so he could only allow Liu Zhenqing to hug him tightly. Liu Zhenqing’s secretly raised lips remained unseen.

And Han Ye, who returned at this time, felt as if his eyes had been stung. Even the young medicine boy let out an exclamation. Who could bear to see two men embracing each other like this in broad daylight?

Feeling so many eyes on him, Huo Fenglie couldn’t take it anymore and could only push Liu Zhenqing away. But as he was pushed away, Liu Zhenqing’s hands remained to touch his abdomen.

All of Huo Fenglie’s muscles instantly tensed, and he looked at Liu Zhenqing with some embarrassment.

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “I’m so envious. I also want such good-looking abs.”

Huo Fenglie could only take a step away. 

Liu Zhenqing clicked his tongue twice and said: “It’s a pity.”

Huo Fenglie gave him a doubtful look.

Liu Zhenqing said with regret: “It’s a pity that the water isn’t hot. I didn’t see your tattoo in the bathtub before, and there’s no telling when I’ll get to see it next.”

Back then, he only had time to see a leaf on Huo Fenglie’s shoulder. It was probably a leaf, but his memory was a bit vague and uncertain. 

Huo Fenglie suddenly had a complicated and uncomfortable look on his face. Liu Zhenqing was bound to think of something if he was mentioning it like this. When he saw Liu Zhenqing direct another smile at him, he really couldn’t bear it anymore and could only dive into the water for a swim.

Smiling, Liu Zhenqing said: “Wait for me, let’s have a swimming competition. I’ll swim one lap and you swim five, and you win only if you catch up with me in the end. If you win, you will be rewarded, and if you lose, you will be punished.”

Han Ye ridiculed: “You couldn’t win even if he did ten laps.”

As expected, Huo Fenglie won in the end. Watching him emerge from the water, Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows and chuckled. He really looked a bit youthful, especially with how the contours of his body were sparkling with water droplets as they were illuminated by the sun. It was extremely…..eye-catching.

The two of them were tired of playing in the water. It was time to get and change clothes and eat. Huo Fenglie used his internal force to dry Liu Zhenqing’s hair, and then asked Liu Zhenqing to board the carriage first. Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Let’s go in and change together. At least we can sit down.”

Huo Fenglie said resolutely: “I’ll dry my hair first. Then I’ll go in.”

Liu Zhenqing raised an eyebrow, then directly went in. Huo Fenglie was standing guard by the carriage when he suddenly heard a thud from inside, as if something had impacted the wall of the carriage. Then Liu Zhenqing let out an aiya.

Huo Fenglie instantly rushed into the carriage, and when he opened the curtain, a pair of hands reached out, hooked Huo Fenglie’s neck, and drew him inside.

Of course, Huo Fenglie immediately understood what was going on. He wanted to evade, but his neck had already been hooked. It was not easy to break free, for fear of hurting Liu Zhenqing, so he was pulled down just like that.

There was a bang, and the carriage shook. Huo Fenglie’s arms reached out to the sides to support himself, controlling his weight so as not to crush Liu Zhenqing below. He was still pressed down slightly, but when Huo Fenglie reacted, his face instantly turned red. Because Qing-ge wasn’t wearing any clothes.

Huo Fenglie tried to lift his body, but his neck was still pulled down.

“What are you hiding from?” Liu Zhenqing asked with dissatisfaction.

All of the curtains in the carriage had been lowered. The light in the carriage was not very bright, but he could still see Huo Fenglie’s cheeks gradually turning red, and even his breathing was altered.

“Qing-ge…..you…..”

Liu Zhenqing said with a chuckle: “I have something for you. As I just said, I’ll give you a reward since I lost.”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly. Just as he looked at Liu Zhenqing, he felt his belt loosen and his expression immediately changed. His hands were originally supporting him on both sides, but now he could only use one of them to hold himself up as he quickly stopped Liu Zhenqing’s hand with the other.

“Qing-ge!”

“What? Don’t you want it? It’s been so many days,” Liu Zhenqing said softly. When his hand was caught, he took Huo Fenglie’s hand and moved it toward him. “But, I want it, ah…..”

Feeling the touch on the back of his hand, Huo Fenglie instantly froze.

Liu Zhenqing really felt like a scoundrel, but looking at Huo Fenglie’s earlobes that were so red they were practically dripping blood, his heart itched.

He saw that Huo Fenglie was still frozen, his eyes quivering as if he was struggling with something. Then he raised his leg and used his knee to stimulate him. He didn’t believe that Huo Fenglie could still resist when he had already experienced it.

In the end, Liu Zhenqing had underestimated Huo Fenglie’s determination, as well as the surrounding environment, and heard a shout from outside that the fish had been roasted.

Huo Fenglie suddenly returned to his senses and raised his body. Liu Zhenqing couldn’t hold him back even if he wanted to, and Huo Fenglie picked up the package beside him before disappearing in a flash.

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly at the hanging carriage curtain, almost angry enough to vomit blood.

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Chapter Ninety-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred One