A-Ning also hung up the little clothes he bought, and went to the depths of the forest with Chang Xiaoqiu to join the army.

The white mist was still steaming, and stuck wetly to the skin, giving people the illusion that venom was seeping into their bones. The southwest was warm at this time, and spring was blooming. Even the garrison camp was full of birdsong and flowers, but it was cold and silent here, and the depths of the forest were even darker. An adjutant clicked his tongue: “Even the Ghost Boys infected with Gu can only live on the edges of the woodlands. If we go deeper, will there really be people living here?”

“In the depths of the driest desert in the northwest, there is a scattered camel-raising tribe. They can tell which swath of sand contains water with just their eyes.” Liang Shu said: “Perhaps there are similar mysterious tribes in the southwest, hiding abilities that outsiders cannot fathom.”

“Then they are very capable.” Chang Xiaoqiu went on tiptoe to look into the depths. “Not only can they live in the miasma-filled forest freely, but they were able to defeat Mu Zhe and his congregation.”

“It doesn’t matter how capable they are. As long as they don’t disturb the lives of the garrison and our people, it is not for us to disturb them.” Gao Lin glanced at the sun. “Alright, it’s almost time. You fellows follow me down the mountain to celebrate Old Zhou-furen’s birthday!”

“Lieutenant General Gao, the old lady’s surname is Zhang.”

“Close enough, close enough.”

No matter what the surname was, in short, there would be a festive event in the near future. Liang Shu sent Chang Xiaoqiu and A-Ning to have dinner with Gao Lin, and everyone left in a noisy group. Liu Xian’an stood there and waited for a long moment, but without waiting for him to speak, he took the initiative to ask: “Aren’t we going?”

“No, I’ll take you to eat alone.” Liang Shu took his hand. “The running water here is hot and sour, not to your tastes. Who was it who ate the salted fish last time and vomited?”

“……But it will be lively.”

“Liveliness is not only about eating. The village will also set up a stage for singing, and then I will take you down the mountain.” Liang Shu crouched down. “Come up, there are many trees and vines here. I will carry you on my back.”

Second Young Master Liu, who was tired from walking, still had to pretend to make excuses: But Da-ge said I must be more active.

Liang Shu said: “Then thump on my back a couple of times.”

Liu Xian’an symbolically twisted his wrist twice, completing the day’s activity. Master Liu wasn’t there to see it, and First Young Master Liu would have cried — however, there was no ruler to beat him with for the time being. It was currently the critical moment for treating Ku You’s eye disease, and he couldn’t spare half an inch of attention.

In the garrison camp, Ku You discerned movement outside and asked: “There seems to be someone beating drums?”

Liu Xianche said: “There is an old lady at the foot of the mountain celebrating her birthday. She should have sent some celebration cakes up the mountain. But for Commander Ku to hear something so far away, his hearing must be very good.”

“I trained with His Highness. Now that my sight is blocked, I must listen more carefully.”

Ku You helped with the bandage around his eyes: “How long before I can see?”

“It depends on the effects of the acupuncture. If you are lucky, it will take ten days. If it doesn’t work, you must wait for the next operation,” Liu Xianche said. “Commander Ku was poisoned in his early years, so the treatment is more complicated than with general gold blindness, and requires more patience.”

“Okay.” He had a disease, so even if he had no patience, he must have patience. Ku You stood up while leaning on a stick, and said with a smile: “Just listen to those brats making noise. I’ll go to the front and ask for two cakes for us to eat.”

Liu Xianche made a sound of acknowledgement and watched the other party leave the small courtyard. He found that Ku You’s ability to perceive the outside world was already very strong. He barely used the wooden stick to explore the way, and walked in great strides. If not for the gauze covering his eyes, ordinary people would not be able to tell that he was suffering from a serious eye disease.

The celebration cakes were exquisitely made, with even seven or eight kinds of fillings. Life in the military camp was finally a little more sweet. Liu Xian’an also shared a celebration cake, and while he was eating, he returned to his residence. At this time, the Jiangnan chef invited by Liang Shu had already cooked a table full of dishes, and was standing in the courtyard with a big smile on his face, ready to receive a reward.

Liang Shu tossed him an ingot of silver, and the portly uncle departed with a smile on his face. What could he say but that His Royal Highness Xiao Wang had the ability to lead the army out to fight against the cult, but didn’t forget to tie his sweetheart to him……binding him with a famous chef and specially asking for the flavors of Baihe City. As far as the flavors of Baihe City were concerned, places fifty li away could be considered foreign lands, because his lazy family had never traveled so far away.

“Does it taste the same?” Before he had eaten two mouthfuls of the meal, Liang Shu leaned over to inquire. His expression was exactly the same as the portly uncle asking for a reward just then.

Liu Xian’an replied: “Just the same.”

It was the same, wasn’t that somewhat of a reward? In any case, this meal was so good that no one else could see it, lest their eyes hurt. If the half-eaten celebration cake raised their spirits to the sky, they might also reflect on why their stomachs were already full of sugar, but it was not half as sweet as this young couple.

The two of them ate finely spoonful by spoonful, but the open banquet in the village at the foot of the mountain was a different scene. Even Gao Lin, who always liked to join in the fun, was a little dizzy from the noise. The children in the eyes of the women were like horns being sounded one after another, and when they raised their voices to shout, his soul split open.

After Cheng Suyue, A-Ning, and Chang Xiaoqiu went to see the old birthday star, they went out and saw a young girl standing in front of Gao Lin. So they immediately stood in tacit understanding and pretended to chat, but in fact, each of their ears were trying to become as big as a copper basin—

Gao Lin was young and promising, and was born with a dignified appearance. Apart from his bad mouth, there were no other major problems, so no matter whether it was in the northwest or the southwest, he was considered a target for marriage and love, and this time was no exception. The young girl chatted with him for a while, and her brother and grandmother also appeared and surrounded him without anyone noticing, the whole family striving together, inquiring here and there and turning the topic to major life events. Later, seeing that Gao Lin wanted to run away, they brought up the topic of His Royal Highness Xiao Wang. The conversation was very strategic, and they refused to let him go. If he tried to go away by force, the old lady would cry on the spot and feel pain in her heart.

Cheng Suyue: “Pfft.”

Gao Lin answered halfheartedly to the point that his mouth was parched. He felt that he had talked his share for half a month, and the other party still wanted to drag him to their house for tea. At the critical moment, Liang Shu and Liu Xian’an appeared just in time, and His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was quite capable of bluffing with an expressionless face. He frowned and asked: “What was going on with those three people?”

Cheng Suyue said with a smile: “They were trying to matchmake with my brother. They talked for a quarter of an hour, but were scared away by the prince.”

Gao Lin drove away his sister, who had watched the excitement and didn’t think it was a big deal. He complained to Liang Shu: “Your Highness, it’s terrible, they really insisted that if I drink the wine of the village, I must be a son-in-law of the village, or it is inappropriate and irresponsible. Chattering back and forth, even human traffickers are not so capable.”

Liu Xian’an sympathetically handed him a throat lozenge. 

His voice was hoarse, and it seemed that he had indeed talked a lot.

There was indeed a custom of snatching marriages in the southwest. Gao Lin feared that if he wasn’t paying attention, he would become someone’s groom, so he didn’t eat anymore and went back to accompany Ku You to eat a big pot of rice.

When faced with the girl herself, he wished he had eight legs to flee on, but now that she was gone, he shouted and bragged about himself with great emotion, you didn’t see it, brother, I’m valuable on the market, tsk tsk tsk.

Ku You was very annoyed: “Scram!”

After scolding, he got up and walked away quickly.

Gao Lin reached out his hand, but didn’t have time to catch a wisp of him. He thought to himself, it doesn’t matter if you’re blind, seeing as you can run as fast as if you’re being chased by a dog.

The entire Valley of Ten Faces celebrated this spring with birthday banquets. The threat of the Ghost Boys had been eliminated, but in the wider southwestern continent, the cult was still as difficult to get rid of as a stubborn disease. So after a short period of relaxation, everyone threw themselves into a new round of activity.

A-Ning brought a plate of fruit cake and asked: “What is the young master writing?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just drawing a stroke or two.” Liu Xian’an put down the brush. “I was thinking about the huge stone wall at the entrance at the Valley of Ten Faces. It records that the village’s ancestors could step down from the clouds and were able to freely enter the poisonous miasma without being affected. Could it have something to do with the mysterious tribe in the forest?”

“It’s possible. Didn’t the prince say there was no need to disturb them?”

“There is no need to disturb them, I was only thinking to myself.” 

Liu Xian’an washed his hands and took a snack, breaking it open to share with A-Ning. He said: “You can share some with others later, especially Cheng-guniang. The chef has prepared too much.”

The portly uncle hadn’t rested since he entered the camp, admiring His Royal Highness Xiao Wang and cherishing his generous wages. He used practically all his strength to procure food and snacks every day. Liu Xian’an couldn’t stop eating, and while lying in bed at night, he asked: “Have I gained weight recently?”

Liang Shu touched what shouldn’t be touched before marriage. It felt good, and he answered with satisfaction: “It’s just fat enough. I’ll give him a reward.”

Liu Xian’an: “…….”

Forget it, he was on his own.

Thus, seven dishes and eight bowls of snacks were sent out. On this day, A-Ning ran around with a food box. He went first to Gao Lin’s residence, but no one was there, and then he went to Cheng Suyue’s courtyard and stuck his head through the door: “Cheng-guniang, are you busy? Let me bring you a bowl of red bean paste.”

“Come and sit down.” Cheng Suyue put the basket in her hand on the table. “I was looking for clothes. Good grief, I can’t find them.”

The clothes belonged to Gao Lin. There was a hole in the sleeve, and it would be a pity to throw it away, so he gave it to Cheng Suyue to help mend it. A-Ning was quite shocked when he heard this. Of course he was not shocked that the clothes had been lost, but he was shocked that Cheng-guniang could do such delicate work as mending clothes! He didn’t show his shock, but only guessed: “Could they have been taken away by wild animals to build a nest?”

“That is the only possibility.” A thief would never sneak into the military camp just to steal some rags. Cheng Suyue said: “Forget it, they weren’t valuable. Don’t look for them, are you delivering snacks?”

“There is a bowl left. I’m going to ask the First Young Master and Commander Ku if they want it.” A-Ning said: “They should have finished applying medicine by now.”

Ku You’s residence was on the north side of the camp.

There were two soldiers patrolling outside the courtyard, basking in the sun. They were a little drowsy at first, but were woken up by a cough. After seeing the person, they hurriedly stood up straight: “Lieutenant General Gao!”

The person in the room put down his teacup with a thump and opened the window to run, fearing that he would be dragged back to be told love stories in detail. Gao Lin said: “His Highness asks that you and I go as soon as possible.”

Ku You breathed a sigh of relief. He put down his one leg and raised a hand to straighten his clothes, asking, “Why is the prince looking for us now?”

“They might have found something in the woods.” Gao Lin handed him his cane. “Let’s go.”

Found something in the woods? Ku You was stunned upon hearing this: “What the Baifu Sect buried?”

“I haven’t seen it yet either,” Gao Lin said. “I was waiting to see it together with you.”

The two left the camp and walked deep into the dense forest. The first part of the road was made of packed dirt because all the soldiers and villagers came in and out often, but further in, it became more and more inaccessible. There was no road, and what one stepped on was a thick layer of fallen leaves.

Rustle.

Rustle.

Rustle.

Gao Lin walked very fast. Ku You pricked up his ears and followed behind him based on his sounds. After following for a while, he stopped, stretched his stick forward, and shouted: “Hey, come here and give me a hand, I’ve got a foot stuck in the mud.”

After a moment, the stick swayed slightly, as if someone was holding the other end.

And at almost the same time, Ku You suddenly yanked the wooden stick in front of him and raised the soft sword from his sleeve with his other hand, pointing it straight toward the other’s face.

The other party flew away and sneered: “You’re quite clever, Commander Ku.”

“You sound similar, but your gait is not the same.” Ku You clenched the hilt of the sword. “You are very bold to dare to break into the garrison in disguise.”

“If I were not bold enough, it would be difficult to lure Commander Ku here.” The other party ordered in a low voice, “Do it!”

Ku You caught the faint sound of wind coming from above his head, and slashed with his hand. The blade of the sword clanged, as if it was wrapped in an extremely soft fabric, and the sound of silver bells suddenly rang in his ears, interfering with his judgment. After a brief moment, a cold sword was placed at his throat.

“Don’t worry, our leader simply wants to talk with you.”

. . . . . . . 

A-Ning took some snacks and went to Liu Xianche first, but a medicine boy said that the First Young Master had gone down the mountain with Lieutenant General Gao after applying medicine for Commander Ku in the morning, and he hadn’t come back yet.

So he ran to the north camp again, but the guards also said that Commander Ku and Lieutenant General Gao had gone out not long ago.

A-Ning was puzzled when he heard this: “What about my family’s First Young Master?”

“We didn’t see him. Only Lieutenant General Gao came,” the guard said. “He seemed to be in a hurry. The matter must have been urgent. There was a big hole in his sleeve, and he had no time to change clothes. The two just said a few words and left quickly.”

When A-Ning heard that the clothes with a hole in the sleeve had appeared again, he vaguely felt that something wasn’t right, and asked quickly: “Where is the prince?”

“In the study.”

A-Ning stuffed the snacks into the guard’s hand, turned around, and ran to the study.

That the commander of the southwest garrison could be kidnapped like this sounded so ridiculous that it was unimaginable. Liang Shu immediately ordered all entrances and exits to be blocked, and Gao Lin also hurried back. He hadn’t heard about Ku You yet, but had discovered another anomaly — that day at the birthday banquet, the grandparents and grandchild who insisted on saying he should marry were not villagers of the Valley of Ten Faces. He mentioned it by chance today, but everyone said they had never seen them before. They had just appeared as if they were ghosts.

“But what was the point of them pestering me with all that nonsense?”

“There was no other meaning. As long as they could become familiar with your voice and tone so that they could imitate it easily, that was enough.” Liu Xian’an said: “Their real purpose was Commander Ku.”

Gao Lin cursed.

The enemy’s timing was extremely accurate, which showed that they had prepared very thoroughly in advance. Even if they sent troops to search the mountain now, it was likely that there wouldn’t be any results. Cheng Suyue saw that Liang Shu’s expression was extremely ugly, and said: “Ku You has a special status. If the Baifu Sect kidnapped him, there is a great possibility that they will negotiate terms with the prince. At least…..his life will not be in danger for now.”

Just as she was speaking, someone sent in a letter from outside. It was not from the Baifu Sect, but from Liu Hengchang.

“Is there any new information?” Liu Xian’an asked.

Liang Shu opened and scanned it. The letter happened to mention the new guests Mu Zhe had invited from Nanyang.

“The Nanyang people can summon thunderstorms, control birds of prey, one person can transform into an army of thousands, and they can summon the undead,” Gao Lin said. “They dare to boast of this, but their resources are not as extensive as his.”

Liu Xian’an surmised: “They might also be good at ventriloquism. As long as the listener has his eyes closed, one of them could transform into an army of ten thousand.” And if you were an ordinary person, you wouldn’t be able to imitate a voice realistically enough after just one conversation.

Gao Lin thought to himself, it’s incredible, this imitation skill seems to have been tailor-made for Ku You.

Liu Xianche asked: “What else did A-Chang write in the letter?”

“He wrote that Wumeng Yunyou won’t be able to recover in the short term.” Liu Xian’an read the letter and said, “However, it was not his idea, but Feng Xiaojin’s. Feng Xiaojin took the lead in saying that he did not want the Wumeng brother and sister to get involved in the dispute between the Baifu Sect and the prince. For this reason, he also provided A-Chang with many opportunities to administer drugs.”

“This person……doesn’t sound very loyal to Mu Zhe.” Cheng Suyue slowly touched her healed neck. “He really didn’t seem to care about anything. But if he actually wants to protect the brother and sister, why not take them far away from that nasty, gloomy cult?”

“It’s not necessarily that he doesn’t want to leave. It’s also possible that he can’t. Cults always have a few dirty tricks when it comes to controlling people,” Liu Xianche said. “After this dressing change, there is half a chance that Commander Ku’s eyes will be cured.”

“But that’s only if the Baifu Sect treat him with courtesy in the early stage.” Liang Shu ordered, “Go and bring Chi Teng out of prison!”

The soldier who took the order heard the anger in the prince’s voice. He greased the soles of his feet and ran like the wind, not daring to delay for a moment.

Gao Lin thought that if the other party tied him up, that would be fine, but Ku You was a closed gourd, a glib talker, had a stubborn temper, and could not see clearly. If such a combination fell into the hands of the cult, how could he not suffer?

Damn it.

They must save him quickly.

---

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

Liu Zhenqing swore that he really didn’t fall in Huo Fenglie’s direction on purpose. This was a trick of fate, ah! But no one around believed this. Thinking it was naked seduction, they looked at him with disdain from all directions.

Just as he was about to pounce on this person, a cold black object suddenly stood in front of him. Liu Zhenqing instinctively grabbed it to stabilize his body. It felt chilly to the touch, but very familiar. When he lowered his head and looked closely, he saw that it turned out to be a sword.

It was Huo Fenglie’s Chunjun sword. Seeing Liu Zhenqing about to pounce on him, he had used the scabbard to catch him at the last moment. He lifted it up, forcing Liu Zhenqing to stand on his own, and then withdrew the sword and left without looking back.

Liu Zhenqing froze on the spot, feeling that the sword looked familiar.

When he returned to his spot, he was faced with the mournful and furious looks of his two cousins. Liu Zhenqing couldn’t be bothered to talk nonsense with them, and his mind had already shifted to Huo Fenglie…..in the direction he was going stood the man in scholarly white who had just spoken up for him. He was about the same age and appearance as Liu Zhenqing was now, with good looks, a pleasant temperament, and a bookish air.

Logically speaking, most children of this age would not have known Liu Zhenqing, and even if they had known him before, they wouldn’t recognize him as he was now. After all, there were only a few children who knew him well. But the person in front of him looked familiar, although he couldn’t recall him for the moment.

“Hey, do you know who the young man in white sitting with General Huo is?”

The two cousins looked at Liu Zhenqing with immediate disdain, and the Third Cousin was furious: “Can’t you just calm down, ah! Is this the time for jealousy?”

“He just dared to speak up for me, much more reliable than my two cousins. Can’t I be curious?” Liu Zhenqing said with a raised eyebrow.

The two of them choked up at once. The Second Cousin said: “That’s one of General Huo’s good brothers. I’m telling you, you can mess with others, but don’t get too close to this person!”

“Why not?” Liu Zhenqing was puzzled.

The Second Cousin said coldly: “His name is Bai Su, courtesy name Yuzhou.”

Surname Bai…..could it be…..

In a few words, he found out that Bai Su was not only the son of the Grand Tutor, but was the number one scholar the previous year. However, he had not become an official.

Liu Zhenqing’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart skipped a beat. “Does Young Master Bai have an older brother?”

“You know?” The Third Cousin said in surprise.

Sure enough. He wondered if that person was well. Judging from the reactions of these two people, could it be that he was implicated and convicted because of him?

The Second Cousin admonished: “Hmph, it’s good that you know. “He did have an older brother, eight years older, named Bai Yu. But he’s been dead for nearly eight years.”

Liu Zhenqing’s pupils trembled. Eight years. Could it be that after his death…..

“He was the former right hand man of Liu Zhenqing, the traitorous prime minister. When Liu Zhenqing died, he was still working for him in the south. His Majesty started to collect criminal evidence and attack his cronies, and he originally wanted to make up for his mistakes with merit, but he was brutally tortured by Liu Zhenqing’s soldiers and burned alive on the river boat returning to the capital, leaving only his charred corpse to be buried.”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart trembled, and the color in his face gradually receded.

“So he is a victim, ah, and will definitely take his anger out on our family. Don’t bring trouble onto yourself.”

Liu Zhenqing’s chest felt a little tight. What his two cousins said was incorrect. If he was really angry with them, would he have helped him just now?

Viewing Bai Su from a distance, he was a gentle scholar with a pure, kind heart. Just like Er-gou, he hated him but would not blame the Liu family of the same clan.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t think of anything to say. Although he didn’t know how Bai Yu died, it was reasonable to say that it was because of him.

He didn’t expect that the person at his side would not have a good ending, and also didn’t know how the other one was doing nowadays.

This new information made Liu Zhenqing a little melancholy. Sure enough, he shouldn’t ask about the past. Since he had already died once, he should forget them all and stay far away. Apparently he still had to…..Liu Zhenqing’s gaze finally moved to Huo Fenglie.

. . . . . . .

“Cousin…..” Rong Shiming anxiously stepped forward to seek out the First Princess. Because of the previous incident in the gambling house, he knew that as long as Huo Fenglie was around, it would be difficult to punish Liu Zhenqing.

The First Princess waved her hand to signal him to be patient. Unless he had forgotten how his brother died, she didn’t actually believe that Huo Fenglie would do his utmost for the Liu family. This was just his way of returning a favor. 

If he had forgotten, then she would just remind him! It would be much easier to take action then.

. . . . . . .

With a bang, the Chunjun sword was placed on the table. Bai Su smiled at the sound. He was indeed a little angry. Seeing how he was showing some protectiveness just now, he had thought he was still indifferent, and that nothing could cause turmoil in his heart. After so many years, it was rare to meet someone who could make Huo Fenglie a bit more temperamental.

“If you’re angry, just ignore him,” Bai Su teased, pouring tea for Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie shook his head with a slight frown and said, “I’m not.”

Bai Su saw Huo Fenglie’s expression gradually smooth out and said in surprise: “You were only unhappy for a moment. If others had rumors like this spread about them, they would be angry.”

But Huo Fenglie really didn’t care anymore. There were so few things in the world that could cause his mood to change. After all, his body wouldn’t allow it, and he had seen such things before, so it wasn’t surprising.

Huo Fenglie’s expression was difficult to decipher for a moment. In the past, that man and his sister-in-law had played tricks on his elder brother together. Compared to that, today’s trick for self-protection was really nothing.

“I heard that he even ate your fish?” Bai Su poked fun at the interesting fact he had heard.

Huo Fenglie’s eyebrows twitched. He grabbed the teacup, and the liquid inside it shook.

Seeing that Huo Fenglie seemed to have something on his mind, Bai Su said: “You never attend such parties, so why stay? Is it because of Liu Xiaozhu?” It should be known that his good brother would rather sit in a daze under the tree at the manor than join in the fun. “Because you want to protect the last bloodline of the Liu family?”

Huo Fenglie lowered his head in thought and didn’t answer.

“It’s okay, just do what you want.”

“That’s not it,” Huo Fenglie said suddenly.

Bai Su was taken aback. “What?”

He didn’t want to protect the Liu family bloodline? Truly, he was not such a sentimental person. “Then why? His kindness to the twins?”

Huo Fenglie didn’t answer. It was clearly more than that.

Bai Su slowly sipped his tea. “I’ve felt it was strange from the beginning. Why did the Emperor apprehend the Eighth Princess for no reason? Isn’t this giving the First Princess no face? And even if someone was sent to apprehend the Eighth Princess, you wouldn’t be asked to come in person. Could it be that you knew he was going to run into trouble? You came here specially to help?”

Bai Su was very intelligent, and caught onto many clues at once.

Huo Fenglie hid nothing, saying directly: “The Emperor has just issued a mandate for the Jinyiwei and Dongchang to secretly investigate the Imperial Examinations. It is suspected that Qiming Academy and others are helping the candidates to cheat.”

Bai Su’s eyes instantly widened, and he couldn’t help but glance from Rong Shiming to the First Princess. 

“He Lan, Qin Yu, and I were both there at the time. The Emperor’s prejudgment of fraud is unprecedented, but…..” Huo Fenglie’s eyes darkened as he looked down at the teacup in his hand, watching the liquid inside fluctuate due to his unnatural leakage of internal energy. “But we had heard about it long before.”

Bai Su looked at Huo Fenglie in surprise.

“It was Liu Xiaozhu. He had just heard about the academy model created by Rong Shiming and made the same conjecture as His Majesty. The Emperor only started to become suspicious after a long investigation.”

Bai Su was surprised: “I couldn’t tell that he was so clever. I understand, you think he’s a talent, so you don’t want anything to happen to him.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t answer.

The Emperor was very intelligent, which was why he could control the affairs of the court at such a young age. There were many things that most people didn’t realize, but that the Emperor thought of first. He was extremely sensitive to potential crises, which stemmed from the teachings of a single man. There were few people in the world who were better than the Emperor in this regard.

…..Very few.

Huo Fenglie’s drooping eyelashes cast a shadow, and his increasingly abnormal eyes were faintly reflected in the shaking tea. Others wouldn’t notice, but Bai Su could see it clearly.

Bai Su was shocked. Huo Fenglie’s eyes were very strange at this time, just like when he went to the desert with the Huo army a few years ago and tried to draw the eyes of a lost person they met by chance when he went to draw the solitary desert vapor.

It was a hopeless endeavor. When the man saw that group of people, he knew that it was most likely a mirage, but couldn’t help but rush forward to find out. Even though he stumbled on the way and felt helpless, he didn’t dare stop, just because of the glimmer of hope hidden in the illusion.

But how was it possible? How could that kind of look appear on Huo Fenglie’s face? When Bai Su blinked and looked over, it seemed as if he had been mistaken again.

“Zhanyuan?” Bai Su sensed something strange.

“Do you believe that there is another world?” Huo Fenglie suddenly spoke in a deep voice.

Bai Su was astonished, and wondered how he could ask such a strange question. “The world after death?”

“There was once a man who was seriously injured. He had a fever and went into a coma. In order to comfort a crying child, he told the child a secret, saying that he would not die and that he was from another world. He came here after dying in that world, so if he died here, he would be resurrected.”

Huo Fenglie spoke in a tone so moderate that there were no fluctuations in his voice. However, his deep, dark eyes suddenly rose, and a dangerously sharp gaze shot into the distance through the gauze tent in front of the seat, firmly locked on one person.

---

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Chapter Nineteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-One

Wearing black and gray civil and military robes, that figure was extremely tall, handsome and unrestrained. His imposing manner was extraordinary, splitting open the bustling venue of the spring outing banquet like cold iron.

When Liu Zhenqing looked over, he happened to meet those bottomless eyes that were like black pools of water. Compared to the last time he saw him, his aura was a bit colder. Although very little of his emotions leaked out, Liu Zhenqing knew that he was unhappy.

It was different from last time. This time, even the thick-skinned Liu Zhenqing knew that it was too much. He didn’t know when Huo Fenglie had started to listen. Looking at the servants guarding the entrance in a daze, it should have been a long time. He had probably never been so speechless in his life.

Huo Fenglie walked toward the center of the venue where Liu Zhenqing was kneeling, followed by a group of Imperial guards.

The people around were so nervous that they didn’t dare to breathe. Perhaps it was a psychological effect, but everyone felt that when Huo Fenglie entered the venue, the temperature of the entire place dropped a few degrees. The excitement of discovering new gossip was completely annihilated, and everyone was as quiet as quails.

Liu Zhenqing felt uneasy as he knelt there, and when Huo Fenglie stood still beside him, he was truly frightened by his next sentence: “Who did you say I like?”

But the Eighth Princess was the first to speak.

“You…..why did you bring the palace guards?” The Eighth Princess’s tone sounded a little guilty.

“May the princesses have peace and good health. By His Majesty’s orders, the Eighth Princess is invited to return to the palace.” Huo Fenglie’s tone was cold and firm, with a business-like attitude.

“General Huo, the Eighth Princess was invited by me. What are you doing?” The First Princess stood up with an unhappy look.

Huo Fenglie said: “The Eighth Princess has not received permission to leave the palace.”

“Zhanyuan-gege! The Eighth Princess couldn’t help but say coquettishly.

“Your Highness, please!”

She had actually sneaked out! Liu Zhenqing was secretly pleased. Fortunately, he would be safe once the Eighth Princess left. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the Eighth Princess say shyly: “It’s okay for me to leave. Zhanyuan-gege, tell me, is what he just said true? Do you treat me as…..?”

Liu Zhenqing sucked in a breath and immediately looked at Huo Fenglie.

“No!” Huo Fenglie decisively denied.

The originally blushing princess paled, and she was so angry that she asked directly: “Zhanyuan-gege! You really don’t like me?!”

“I’ve never liked you,” Huo Fenglie said with grim, merciless eyes.

This time, not only the Eighth Princess, but everyone including Liu Zhenqing took a sharp breath, as if they were standing on a minefield.

Liu Zhenqing in particular couldn’t help but widen his eyes. This kid’s emotional intelligence level was anyone’s guess, ah. Even the straight man Huo Feihan knew how to be polite when rejecting a girl.

Although Liu Zhenqing felt a little refreshed, the Eighth Princess had wanted to torture him before, and this damage value would definitely be transferred to…..

Sure enough, in the next second, he heard a biting howl, “How dare you lie to me!”

Liu Zhenqing knew he couldn’t salvage this, so he could only bite the bullet and say: “I was just guessing.”

“You guessed wrong,” Huo Fenglie’s voice sounded again.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie in astonishment. There was no need to try so hard to cause trouble.

And Huo Fenglie was also looking at him, a dangerous look in his eyes that clearly signaled his attitude.

He didn’t say on the spot that Liu Zhenqing was making things up, so the matter of spreading rumors to cause trouble was settled.

“Daring to play tricks on me, you’re seeking death! Someone come and pull out his tongue for me.” The Eighth Princess was so angry that she had lost her composure and was trembling all over. Naturally, there were loyal servants around her who immediately drew their swords and rushed forward.

Liu Zhenqing: …….

My life is over!

Liu Zhenqing tried to run, but his legs were numb from kneeling for so long.

At this moment, Huo Fenglie suddenly took a step forward and stood in front of Liu Zhenqing casually but firmly.

Liu Zhenqing was stunned, and those rushing over also stopped.

Who dared to take a step forward with the intimidating man standing in front of the other?

The Eighth Princess’s eyes practically popped out of her head. “Zhanyuan-gege, what do you mean? He mocked me like this and you want to protect him. What is your relationship with him!”

Huo Fenglie said straightforwardly: “He has not violated any laws, so lynching is not allowed.”

“He lied…..”

Liu Zhenqing quickly seized the opportunity. “It was a guess, not a lie!”

The Eighth Princess almost vomited blood, but also realized that dealing with him was clearly improper and unfavorable. If Huo Fenglie wasn’t here, nobody would have dared stop her, but he was here and protecting the villain.

Before the Eighth Princess could act up, he said, “The Eighth Princess will be sent back to the palace,” and this farce came to an end.

The guards immediately surrounded the Eighth Princess.

Facing the Imperial guards sent by the Emperor, the Eighth Princess was unable to resist, and the First Princess was even less likely to openly disobey the Emperor’s orders. She just said awkwardly: “Child, next time you come out, you must tell your Imperial brother, ah. Go back quickly, so as not to worry His Majesty.”

The Eighth Princess was so furious that she almost burst into tears.

The First Princess naturally knew what the Eighth Princess was thinking, and directly hinted: “Don’t worry, leave this to me.”

Even if a member of the royal family could not kill an Imperial merchant, it was still very easy to find a reason to injure or maim them.

This was said softly, but Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing in the middle could hear it.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. It seemed this matter was not over yet.

In the end, the Eighth Princess had no choice but to compromise. After sending Liu Zhenqing a vicious glare, she looked at Huo Fenglie with tears in her eyes.

“Zhanyuan-gege, please help me plead for leniency later, otherwise the Emperor will punish me.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness, the Emperor will not punish you excessively. And…..I have no intention of entering the palace. This servant intends to stay and attend the spring outing banquet.” After Huo Fenglie finished speaking, he took out an invitation.

The First Princess and Eighth Princess were both shocked. Naturally, invitations were sent to all the young dignitaries. This was only polite, but for those who had official duties, especially Huo Fenglie, it was assumed that they would not participate.

And everyone had assumed that Huo Fenglie was here to escort the Eighth Princess back to the palace.

“General, you……” The First Princess didn’t know what to say for a moment.

“Zhanyuan-gege, you…..aren’t you here to pick me up?” the Eighth Princess said in disbelief.

“This servant was only ordered to send Imperial guards to find Your Highness,” Huo Fenglie said expressionlessly.

The Eighth Princess was aggrieved and astonished. She clearly knew that Huo Fenglie would not come to such a gathering, as she had tried and failed several times to invite him. But this time……suddenly, the Eighth Princess looked wide-eyed at Liu Zhenqing. “Zhanyuan-gege, are you doing it for……”

Liu Zhenqing, who was still lamenting his terrible fate, heard Er-gou’s response and was bewildered for a moment. He had just thought that he was looking for an excuse to escape the Eighth Princess’s entanglement. It wasn’t possible that he would stay because he was worried about Liu Zhenqing’s situation.

Eh…..it also didn’t seem impossible. Although he had just offended Huo Fenglie, on the surface, he had still been kind to the Huo family. Every drop of kindness to the Huo family should be repaid with spring water, so he would certainly not turn a blind eye to his crisis.

After thinking about it like this, Liu Zhenqing suddenly felt confident. Seeing the Eighth Princess glaring over, Liu Zhenqing was emboldened by his backing and put on an innocent expression, the fragrance of tea simply overflowing. This expression was more infuriating than any provocation, and the Eighth Princess was about to explode.

But with a look from Huo Fenglie, the guards ceased delaying and formed a wall, pushing the Eighth Princess to leave. If the First Princess hadn’t sent her old mother to persuade her, the Eighth Princess likely would have caused a stir.

When the others left, the First Princess continued to look at Huo Fenglie in disbelief.

“Your Highness doesn’t welcome me?” Huo Fenglie got straight to the point.

The First Princess scoffed coldly and said: “General Huo gives me face by being here. Be welcome.”

Huo Fenglie did not go to the seat arranged by the First Princess. “I am here with a friend. Your Highness need not make special arrangements.”

Having said this, he turned around and was about to walk in the direction of the young man in white, when his way was blocked seemingly on accident by Liu Zhenqing, who was kneeling on the ground.

Huo Fenglie stopped and glanced at the First Princess.

The First Princess wore an ugly expression. “Young Master Liu, why are you still kneeling?”

Hearing this, Huo Fenglie continued to walk forward, and Liu Zhenqing also stood up.

But he was a little weak, after all. He had been kneeling on the bluestone floor for a long while and could not stand firmly at all, and accidentally tilted in the direction Huo Fenglie was walking by.

Everyone was shocked to witness this scene. A weak willow falling in the wind, so shameless!

Liu Zhenqing sucked in a deep breath. What kind of dog-blood coincidence was this, ah!

---

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Chapter Eighteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty

When Bo Yueming returned to the bedroom after answering the phone, Pei Yi was sending the revised details of the script to the work group.

He picked up a water glass and tried to take a drink, only to realize that he had reached the bottom of the glass.

While his thoughts were frozen, Bo Yueming went ahead and took it. “Wait, I’ll pour it for you.”

Pei Yi gave up the empty glass without hesitation and said with a smile, “Er-ge, Qiao Dong has been talking to me these days and says he’s about to lose his job.”

Since Bo Yueming came to Haishi, he had practically taken over Qiao Dong’s daily tasks as an assistant.

From the scheduled morning wakeup call to three meals a day, from travel arrangements to the current water refill, every detail was taken care of. He was simply an all-around lover.

Bo Yueming handed the warm water back and said, “Isn’t me taking care of you a good thing?”

“Yes, ah.”

Pei Yi drank half a glass of water and joked, “You, the chairman of Bo Group, are too capable. I’m afraid I can’t afford your daily salary.”

“For you, it’s free.”

Bo Yueming took the remaining half glass of water from his hand and drank some unhesitatingly.

Pei Yi mentally calculated the time the other party had stayed in Haishi, and asked uncertainly, “Er-ge, is it really not busy at the group? Don’t delay your business for me.”

“It’s busy.”

Bo Yueming said honestly, “Kitten, I actually just received a call from Bo Jiao. The foreign partners will arrive in the capital the day after tomorrow for a personal inspection. I have to go back.”

“…….”

Pei Yi was stunned. He didn’t expect that his words would come true.

However, facing the outcome he had already prepared for, he quickly recovered his senses and said, “Okay, have you booked the flight ticket?”

Bo Group currently relied on Bo Yueming for support. It was already good that the other party could extend his stay with him from the original four or five days to half a month.

Bo Yueming added, “The other party’s flight will arrive in the morning the day after tomorrow, so I’ll take a flight back tomorrow night.”

He had originally planned to tell Pei Yi and then book the flight ticket.

“Book it for one or two in the afternoon so that you can still get dinner after returning to the capital.” Pei Yi advanced the time for Bo Yueming, something unclear and inexplicably sweet in his eyes. “Don’t compress your time for me. You need to take a break.”

Although the later flight would give them a few more hours together, it would be difficult for Bo Yueming to get enough sleep.

There was a smile in Bo Yueming’s eyes. “You really want me to leave tomorrow afternoon?”

Pei Yi suppressed his reluctance and tried to be brave. “Of course, it’s not like I won’t go back.”

Although the movie game’s launch time had been delayed a bit, if the filming could be completed by August, he could still return to the capital then.

Bo Yueming heard Pei Yi’s promise and said in a low voice, “Okay, let me call Lin Zhong to book a flight.”

“En, I’m going to take a shower first.” Pei Yi’s eyes flickered, and he added, “Open a bottle of wine?”

After his lover returned to the capital, he would have to curb his addiction to wine again.

Bo Yueming doted on him as always. “Okay.”

. . . . . . .

Forty minutes later, Pei Yi came out of the bathroom slowly.

Bo Yueming was sitting on the viewing sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Hearing footsteps, he immediately turned to look over.

Their eyes met mid-air, and smiles burst forth.

Bo Yueming asked, “Why did you take so long today?”

Pei Yi’s cheeks were a little red, and he seemed to be hot. “…..I took a bath.”

Bo Yueming patted the empty seat next to him and said, “Come here, the wine has aired out. I’ll pour it for you.”

Pei Yi quickly approached and sat down next to his lover.

The rotating decanter on the table turned slowly, and the diamond-shaped glass surface created an extremely beautiful halo under the lights.

The slightly cool red wine entered his stomach and the higher alcohol intensity surged up, making his whole body feel comfortable.

Pei Yi gazed at the cityscape in the distance. “This is the first time I’ve sat down and relaxed to look at the scenery. It’s really different from home.”

Bo Manor had some of the most luxurious buildings in the Imperial Capital, but there were only single-family villas within it, and it was impossible to see the lights and shadows of the busy city below.

Bo Yueming put an arm around his shoulder and said, “If you like such a high-rise, we can move out when we return to the capital.”

Both the Bo family and Bo Yueming had sufficient housing assets.

Pei Yi chuckled. “I can live wherever I like?”

Bo Yueming focused on him. “Of course. What do you think?”

“The place I want to live must be —” Pei Yi teased him, “A place where the front door sliding window shows a river or the sea, the back door sliding window shows a stream and rice fields, and there must also be fruit trees!”

“In other words, somewhere different scenery can be seen throughout the year. Can you find such a place?”

Bo Yueming thought for a couple of seconds and said, “As long as you want it, I can find it.”

Pei Yi drank the wine at the bottom of the glass in one gulp and revealed some of the truth. “Acutally, when I was a kid, I saw illustrations in a book like this and thought it would be a great home to have one day.”

When he was a child, Pei Yi had no idea about love, but he looked forward to having a family—

He would have a few free-range kittens and puppies, his family all around him, and enough to eat every day without going hungry.

Bo Yueming heard these words that were obviously different from “Pei Yi’s” identity as a young master, his arms tightened around him. “Pei Yi.”

Pei Yi was still staring at the night scenery in the distance, and replied casually, “En?”

Bo Yueming wanted to ask something, but remembering what he had promised, he could only suppress his impulse—

If his lover was not willing to confess his “secrets,” he would never be the one to ask.

Pei Yi didn’t notice his lover’s gaze for a moment, and slowly moved his eyes to his lover’s face.

“Er-ge, has the ticket been booked?”

“En,” Bo Yueming responded.

When Pei Yi heard this, he simply took the wine glass from the other’s hand and hid his shyness under his initiative. “Then we have to hurry up.”

Bo Yueming asked knowingly, “What?”

As if to embolden himself, Pei Yi drank the wine he had grabbed in one gulp. “Er-ge, I just told a small lie. I wasn’t taking a bath in the bathroom. Actually…..”

Before he could finish his words, Bo Yueming moved first.

“Wu!”

His fingertips sank into softness, stimulating a whimper, and his breathing even became hot.

Bo Yueming’s eyes unknowingly darkened. They were like the surface of the sea at night, hiding unknown turbulence and currents. “You don’t have to go to the set tomorrow?”

Pei Yi bit his lip lightly and leaned forward with some dissatisfaction. “I can rest tomorrow.”

In the past half month, in order for Bo Yueming to take care of his daily work, the two of them behaved intimately in private, but the frequency was very small and restrained.

Pei Yi knew that his lover was about to return to the capital the next day, and even though heat filled his neck and cheeks, he still took the initiative to touch him.

“Er-ge.”

“En?”

Bo Yueming’s voice was very deep.

Pei Yi pointedly teased, “The coat no longer smells like you. Give me some more.”

“……”

Bo Yueming narrowed his eyes and fiercely kissed the lips of the person in his arms.

The wine glass in Pei Yi’s hand fell to the floor and was completely covered by the bathrobe that went with it.

The night was saturated with intensity.

It wasn’t until a ray of light broke through the sky outside the window that the two of them embraced each other and slowly fell asleep.

. . . . . . . .

When Pei Yi woke up again, there was no one beside him in bed. The setting sun outside the window was burning brightly.

He suddenly sat up in bed, then collapsed back limply due to the excessive soreness in his back.

“Wu.”

Pei Yi frowned and frantically flipped through the phone screen with his fingertips.

The moment he saw the time clearly, a familiar figure appeared outside the room.

Bo Yueming approached. “You’re awake?”

Pei Yi stared blankly at his lover who was still at the hotel, his thoughts slowly turning. “Er-ge, you haven’t left yet?”

Didn’t he book a flight for one or two in the afternoon?

It was almost six in the evening.

Pei Yi’s voice was particularly hoarse due to the previous night’s indulgence.

Bo Yueming handed over the warm water that had been changed out several times at the bedside and said truthfully, “I asked Lin Zhong to book a flight at 10:50 tonight. There’s still enough time. I’ll have dinner with you before leaving.”

Pei Yi suddenly realized, “You didn’t change the time, ah?”

Bo Yueming straightened his messy hair. “I didn’t change it. I couldn’t bear to leave you, so I’ll leave as late as possible.”

Pei Yi’s heart was filled to the brim with love, and he whispered coquettishly, “I thought I overslept just now, and that you just left without waiting for me.”

Bo Yueming seemed to have remembered something, and teased, “There was a kitten mumbling in his sleep and asking me to wake him up before leaving. How could I leave without a word?”

Pei Yi gave a hum.

His eyes unconsciously wandered around the room, and he glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window as if he had a guilty conscience.

Bo Yueming saw this clearly. “Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with everything that needs to be dealt with.”

“……”

Pei Yi didn’t understand. “What are you talking about? What am I not getting?”

“Are you hungry? I asked the hotel to make a meal for two.” Bo Yueming smiled and changed his words. “I saw that you were sleeping deeply at noon, and you wouldn’t wake up no matter how loudly I called you.”

Pei Yi kept in mind Bo Yueming’s flight time that night and didn’t waste a single minute they could spend together. “I’m hungry. Er-ge, let’s eat.”

“Okay.”

. . . . . . .

Because he feared it wouldn’t be safe driving back and forth late at night, Bo Yueming didn’t let Pei Yi follow him to the airport. The two said a simple goodbye outside the hotel lobby.

Pei Yi watched the car’s tail lights disappear into the night and took a subtle deep breath.

Qiao Dong asked in a low voice, “Brother Yi, are you very reluctant to let Mr. Bo leave?”

Pei Yi refused to admit it. “No, we’re both grown men. Why should we be reluctant to part?”

Qiao Dong didn’t believe it. “Then why are your eyes red? Did you get dirt in them?”

“…….”

Pei Yi was disgraced by his own family’s assistant. He patted him on the head. “You employees should stay out of your boss’s affairs.”

Qiao Dong shrank his head in feigned fear, his eyes full of smiles. “Okay!”

Pei Yi suppressed his emotions and got back to the point. “Let’s go upstairs, we have to keep up with the rest of the filming.”

“En, all right.”

. . . . . . . 

The movie game involved three parts: arranging, shooting, and editing.

Pei Yi had completed his part of the work, leaving the rest to Director Kong Li and others to worry about.

And he only needed to cooperate with the crew to discuss and modify the shooting details.

Director Kong Li had a dedicated filming team, and the cooperation between them was very tacit. In addition, Weiyi had exclusively selected young actors who were sincere in their filming work—

The entire filming process went extremely smoothly, and only lasted forty days before being completed.

As the head of YWY Studios, Pei Yi took the initiative to handle the closing banquet at the hotel, allowing the actors and staff to have a good time.

When the banquet was coming to an end, Pei Yi found an excuse to invite Director Kong Li aside.

“Director Kong, I would like to toast you with this drink and thank you for your support and deduction to this project.”

“The first version of the script was leaked unexpectedly. If it hadn’t been for all your help, this project would have had eight or nine chances out of ten to fail. It’s all thanks to you.”

Pei Yi’s words were sincere, and Kong Li felt comfortable hearing them. “Mr. Yi is too humble. I admire your hard work and ability.”

The two toasted each other and drank half a glass of wine. Kong Li replied, “I hope we can continue to work together if there is an opportunity in the future.”

Pei Yi continued, “Director Kong, to be honest, I do have a game project that I would like to work with you on.”

He paused, then said lightly but firmly, “It would be an individual partnership between YWY Studios and your team.”

Kong Li heard something in his words and said, “Mr. Yi wants to cooperate with us without Weiyi?”

Pei Yi raised his glass and didn’t deny it. “Director Kong, you have more experience than me. I can’t stand up in front of you.”

“After an episode some time ago, I realized that YWY Studios is small, and Weiyi is a giant in the gaming industry. We have the desire, but we don’t have the strength.”

“Is it that Mr. Yi has the desire but not the strength, or that he has the strength but not the desire?”

Kong Li gently swirled the wine glass. She knew people clearly and had already come to understand Pei Yi’s abilities and ambitions during this period of time together.

It was not so much that YWY was unable to cooperate with a large company like Weiyi for a second time, but that Pei Yi had seen through the nature of Weiyi and didn’t want YWY to cooperate too deeply with it.

Pei Yi glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye and shrugged. “Director Kong, you’re a wise person.”

Kong Li liked to work alongside and talk to outspoken people like Pei Yi. “Talking about cooperation is easy. As long as your game script is creative enough, my team and I will schedule it in.”

“Naturally.” 

Pei Yi didn’t miss the hint in her words. “I will wait for Director Kong to accept.”

Kong Li laughed in spite of herself and could only raise her glass.

The two briefly negotiated a while longer, and it wasn’t until Pei Yi watched Kong Li return to the banquet hall that he turned and looked around the corner.

“Brother Gu, aren’t you tired of hiding, ah? Come out.”

“……”

Gu Jianshen walked around the corner and asked helplessly, “When did you notice me?”

He had originally just come out to use the restroom, but when he returned, he heard them talking about working together without Weiyi.

As Weiyi’s copyright department manager and Pei Yi’s personal friend, Gu Jianshen couldn’t move forward or retreat for a moment and could only stop at the corner.

Pei Yi looked him in the face and didn’t lie. “I discovered you earlier. It was difficult for you, being ‘forced’ to eavesdrop.”

Gu Jianshen couldn’t do anything about his straightforwardness. “You, you knew I was there and dared to extend an olive branch to Director Kong in private? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll report this matter to Weiyi’s senior management?”

“Why would I be afraid? Even if Director Kong and I work together, it’s a new project, and won’t harm Weiyi’s interests. I have a clear conscience. Besides…..”

Pei Yi lightly sized up Gu Jianshen’s expression, as if concocting something.

Gu Jianshen noticed his unusual meaning and asked, “Besides what?”

Pei Yi came closer and raised the remaining half glass of white wine. “Brother Gu, would you like to come to our YWY? I guarantee that the salary package will be better than Weiyi’s, and your rights and flexibility will also be higher.”

“I’ll leave all the studio’s external copyright matters to you.”

“…….”

Gu Jianshen was stunned for several seconds, unable to laugh or cry. “Are you serious?”

Pei Yi raised his eyebrows. “What? Do you feel that YWY isn’t better than Weiyi?”

Gu Jianshen shook his head. “No, of course I won’t look down on your company.”

With Pei Yi’s practical abilities and Bo Yueming’s dominating support at the charity dinner, who would dare to underestimate YWY Studios?

What’s more, since the mobile version of The Last Fog was launched two months ago, it had already reached the top of the list of major software stores. Ratings were as high as 94 percent, making it a well-deserved dark horse in the gaming industry!

“It’s just that I’ve reached where I am today because of Mr. Qu’s promotion.” Gu Jianshen looked at Pei Yi seriously as he told him the truth.

“Whether in work or daily life, you have to pay attention to friendship and face.”

He couldn’t just leave so casually and unkindly.

Pei Yi gave a slight nod, respecting the other party’s considerations.

However, from the perspective of a friend, he still analyzed the pros and cons and gave some advice, “Brother Gu, you should know Weiyi’s current situation better than I do.”

“There are factions among senior management. No matter how secure Qu Yi’s current position is, he is only the temporary executive director. Once he falls like Guo Guanghong did, what will the outcome be for you?”

What else could the outcome be?

He would become a victim of the struggle and be forced to resign.

Gu Jianshen remained silent, knowing that what Pei Yi spoke of was a real issue.

Pei Yi stopped where he should. “Brother Gu, I’m not forcing you to answer now. I’m just extending a sincere invitation to you, which will remain open long into the future.”

Gu Jianshen recognized the affirmation in the other’s tone and asked with a smile, “You’re so convinced that I’ll come to YWY Studios one day?”

“How should I say this?”

Pei Yi swirled his glass and said, “When I asked Pear Garden…..that is, Mr. Li, to cooperate with me, he rejected me.”

“We communicated with our art director Lou Yang online since she was overseas, and she also hesitated to consider it.”

“Also, when we first sent an invitation to our technical director Xiang Nansheng, he was a partner at the original Youming Studios.”

“But facts speak louder than words. They made their choices.”

Both The Last Fog and YWY Studios had been established by Pei Yi.

This was Gu Jianshen’s first time hearing about such behind-the-scenes events, and a hint of surprise flashed through his eyes.

Pei Yi caught Gu Jianshen’s gaze and further confessed his innermost thoughts, “I think that the prerequisite for working together is mutual appreciation and trust. Some people work together for profit, but others work together because of affection.”

Gu Jianshen nodded unconsciously, then heard Pei Yi say very firmly—

“Those of us at YWY will always retain this affection, and of course, I won’t let anyone lack in benefits.”

Gu Jianshen’s thoughts moved slightly, and he gave a heartfelt sigh. “Pei Yi.”

“En?”

“You have the charisma to make people want to work with you.”

Hearing this compliment, Pei Yi raised his wine glass in thanks and drank it all in one gulp. “Then it all depends on your future choice.”

. . . . . . . .

The closing banquet lasted until eleven o’clock.

Pei Yi had been restraining his drinking. When he returned to the hotel suite, other than some dizziness, he had still managed to retain his senses.

Pei Yi drank some water in one gulp and took the initiative to mention, “Qiao Dong, please book the flight tickets back to the capital for tomorrow. It would be best to land before six o’clock in the evening.”

When Qiao Dong heard Pei Yi’s plan, he asked uncertainly, “Brother Yi, we’re leaving tomorrow?”

According to the original plan, they would hand over the finishing work to Weiyi and not return until the day after next at the earliest.

Pei Yi rubbed his throbbing temples and said, “Yeah, I’m sure.”

As an assistant, Qiao Dong naturally went to work according to Pei Yi’s instructions.

He used his phone to search for suitable air tickets, and couldn’t help but ask probingly, “Brother Yi, you haven’t told Mr. Bo about returning early, have you?”

Pei Yi thought of his lover whom he hadn’t seen in over a month, and an unconcealable smile flashed across his face. “He doesn’t know. You keep it a secret for me, I want to give him a surprise.”

---

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Chapter Ninety-Six <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Eight

It was clear that the Eighth Princess wanted to torture Liu Zhenqing.

“I am unjustly accused, ah, Your Highness!” At once, Liu Zhenqing wailed melodiously, his voice of unjustness crying out like falling snow in summer. Those who didn’t know would think that someone was weeping blood and crying out against injustice in front of the magistrate’s office, which gave people goosebumps.

The Eighth Princess was offended by this sound, and shouted angrily, “What injustice?”

“Your Highness, you have really misunderstood. What this lowly one said was for you!”

Liu Zhenqing’s statement immediately confused everyone. The Eighth Princess was also confused. “What did you say? For me?”

Liu Zhenqing nodded with conviction. “Your Highness, after this lowly one lost his memory, he was quite confused about the fact that he liked General Huo. After hearing a lot of stories about General Huo’s heroic deeds and admiring him, this lowly one felt it strange. How could such a perfect man as General Huo not be married yet?”

These words immediately drew everyone’s attention, and even the Eighth Princess couldn’t help but ask herself, why is that?

“Later, I thought, how many outstanding people in the Great Zhou Dynasty could be worthy of him?”

The Eighth Princess’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

“After thinking about it carefully, I felt that General Huo must be the only one suitable for Your Highness, ah! This lowly one asked around for a while, and heard many romantic rumors about the general and Your Highness. They’ve known each other since childhood, ah, they’ve exchanged gifts, ah, they’re a matched hero and beauty. Doesn’t this mean that they are connected by the red string of fate? How could it be anyone else?”

Hearing this, the Eighth Princess immediately raised her head with pride.

“My original intention was to say that if everyone in the world wants to choose the best partner, it must be General Huo, but General Huo must also choose the best. That must be Your Highness, so I was speaking for the princess. If the princess wishes to marry, she should not marry anyone else but General Huo. This is a match made in heaven between a talent and a beauty. If the two didn’t match each other perfectly, then how could there be a golden couple in this world who can spread their wings together, ah!”

This passage immediately coaxed the Eighth Princess to the point of trembling. She loved to hear people say that she and General Huo were a couple.

The others were also successfully deceived. Even the young man in white looked at Liu Zhenqing in astonishment.

Rong Shiming took in this scene and immediately became anxious: “Liu Xiaozhu, you are just deceiving the princess. Do you think this flattery will save you? Your Highness, please don’t be fooled by this wretch’s sweet words!”

Without giving the Eighth Princess time to react, Liu Zhenqing said: “Everyone knows that I dined with General Huo afterward on that day.”

The Eighth Princess grew angry at once. It was because she heard about this incident that she wanted to quickly eliminate this love rival. After all, she had never heard of Huo Fenglie getting close to any of his admirers.

Others could no longer wrap their minds around this. After all, Liu Zhenqing mentioning this matter had reversed his good situation, which was simply an incomprehensible move, and they feared that this might make the princess’s punishment more severe.

Liu Zhenqing continued with a smile: “And I finally discovered why the general hasn’t married yet.”

This sudden clap of thunder shocked everyone present, and they immediately pricked up their ears.

The Eighth Princess quickly asked: “You know?!”

Liu Zhenqing said: “Although nothing was said about it at the dinner table, the conversation caused this lowly one to have a guess. I think that General Huo should like the princess.”

“What!” The Eighth Princess stood and asked excitedly.

The others listening to this gossip were already holding their breath. Dare they say that these words were too fantastical? The young man in white was also stunned. Was this man talking about his good brother?

But at this time, Liu Zhenqing seemed to be a veteran gossiper, and said in a very certain tone: “I believe this is the case. Princess, please listen to my analysis.”

“Speak, speak quickly!”

“General Huo is now twenty-six years old. If he had a person he likes, he would have married long ago, unless the person he likes is not someone whom he can marry easily!”

The Eighth Princess couldn’t wait for him to say that she could very easily take General Huo home! “This…..who in this world is he unable to marry?”

“Of course, he is a person who is extremely noble at heart. General Huo is reticent and reserved, but he also has the important duty of defending the country. The border was not stable before, and General Huo feared that rushing to the battlefield from time to time would delay Your Highness. What’s more, Your Highness is still young, so how dare he promise a lifetime! Your Highness, think about it, you are the only princess of this generation in the whole Great Zhou Dynasty, ah! Other than you, who could make him think twice, cherishing and hesitating?”

The Eighth Princess was dazed. It was…..like this? That was why he treated her coldly? But didn’t something seem to be wrong?

The others were even more confused. They seemed to have heard that only the princess was interested in the general, not that the general was interested in her……could it be that they couldn’t see beyond the surface?

“And if Your Highness thinks about it again, there are still the elders in the Huo family. Can they allow him to remain single like this? Why has there never been any news about them finding the general a wife? Is it that they know the general has someone he wishes to marry? If it was an ordinary woman, even if the general wanted to marry her later, why would the elders not find concubines for the general early on to let them spread leaves and branches as soon as possible? As far as I know, there is no one, male or female, in the general’s harem.”

Everyone: How the hell do you know?!

The young master in white: He actually knows!!

“Isn’t this because they also know that the general will marry the princess? As your consort, no one else can taint the general before he marries you, so even the elders do not dare to find someone else for the general! This is irrefutable proof!”

After Liu Zhenqing finished speaking, he let out a long sigh and appeared slightly sad. “Other than the general wanting to marry the princess, this lowly one really can’t think of any reason why the general has remained single until the advanced age of twenty-six without ever getting engaged. Thus, after that meal, I told the general that I was willing to give up. I originally planned to leave the capital yesterday, but ended up staying due to the First Princess’s invitation.”

There were exclamation marks over everyone’s heads. Could this be the truth?! Some couldn’t help but look to the young man in white for answers. Even the First Princess and Rong Shiming had to admit that this young man’s analysis made sense! Looking at the Eighth Princess again, her eyes were moist.

“No wonder it was no use for talented and beautiful women to express their interest in General Huo!”

“Right, ah, there are ministers who wanted to propose marriages to him, but he never responded.”

“I’ve never heard of the general liking anyone.”

“With a sister-in-law who is a medical fairy taking care of the house, there will be no problem of hidden diseases.”

“This seems to be the most likely possibility.”

“Right, ah, he’s already twenty-six!”

Everyone was chattering about it. The Eighth Princess was stunned for a while, and said with a stuffy nose: “But the outside world has been stabilized now, and he can’t delay his life-long events because of this. Why……”

Liu Zhenqing shook his head regretfully and said: “Your Highness, you have forgotten that General Huo has just returned from hunting down foreign spies, and then there was the assassination at the spring plowing festival. He was too busy. When I looked at the general’s face that day…..I guessed that it would not be long until the general proposed marriage.”

Everyone: You can read faces! This boast is a bit exaggerated.

But the Eighth Princess just ate it up, and blushed after being told this by Liu Zhenqing.

“Is everything you’ve said true?” The Eighth Princess was no longer as arrogant and domineering as before, but was only a young girl in love.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “If he can even disregard Your Highness, who else can he look upon? Me? Impossible, ba. Therefore, General Huo must secretly like…..”

“Like who?”

Suddenly, a cold voice filled the air like invisible frost falling on everyone’s shoulders, stealing their breath for a moment.

Liu Zhenqing’s back stiffened, and the mood he had just brewed immediately dropped to the freezing point. He turned his head stiffly and looked at the person walking slowly from the entrance, his throat going dry.

Didn’t they say that he wouldn’t come?

---

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Chapter Seventeen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Nineteen

While His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was not doing his job properly as he accompanied his sweetheart to see villagers at the foot of the mountain, Gao Lin on the mountain opened Chi Teng’s mouth.

“Mu Zhe…..Mu Zhe is extremely cunning. He doesn’t trust anyone, including me.”

He confessed while only having a breath of life left.

Witchcraft was prevalent in the Southwest, and the Imperial court had always had an attitude of suppression toward it. The only difference was that their suppression was sometimes loose and sometimes tight, but even in the most relaxed moments, Gu masters still couldn’t walk openly in the streets. Mu Zhe was born in such a shady witchcraft village.

“That year, the Imperial court sent a massive military force to suppress it. The whole village was surrounded, and there were heavy casualties, but Mu Zhe escaped. He walked through the old forests of Cuili City, took a merchant ship in Beining City, and headed all the way to Nanyang, where he contacted Baifu cultists who were also in exile.”

He was good at making Gu, and good at using his words to manipulate people’s hearts. The speed of his congregation’s development was much faster than those of other disciples, and due to this, he was favored by the leader at the time and soon ascended to a high position.

“Mu Zhe hates the Imperial court deeply.”

But this kind of hatred was not shown like that of ordinary people, screaming and shouting about avenging their families and clansmen. Instead, it silently lingered inside the bones. He was like a venomous snake, slowly gnawing at Dayan’s foundation day after day in the border cities far away from the Emperor, or like a spot of mildew, infecting the originally blue sky inch by inch.

If Chi Ting’s confession was not exaggerated, the number of Baifu Sect disciples in the Southwest, and even in the whole of Dayan, was far more than the Imperial court had estimated. However, Chi Ting was also not clear about the specific extent. Over the years, his main tasks were to make money and train an “elite army”……he really worked hard, and considered the results to be excellent, believing that he could go North with the leader to capture the Empire at any time. Yet he was wiped out overnight by Liang Shu, which truly showed that there was indeed a lack of excellence.

The Baifu Sect’s forces were nothing compared to the Dayan army led by Liang Shu. Therefore, all cults throughout the ages were the same. They were not very strong, and their main repulsive method was to take control of innocent people through deceptive means.

Gao Lin asked: “Does Mu Zhe have a wife and children?”

Chi Teng shook his head: “No. Although he adopted the Wumeng brother and sister, he doesn’t treat them as his children. They are just two convenient tools.”

“That portrait, isn’t that his wife?”

“No.”

The woman in the portrait was named Ying Yuyan, and that was her appearance from thirty years ago. At that time, Mu Zhe was only eighteen years old, and had just returned from Nanyang to Dayan. Under the orders of the leader at that time, he went to the Qinling City area to develop the congregation there, but accidentally drew the notice of the Imperial court and was hunted down by officers and soldiers. Mu Zhu fled into a brothel in a panic, and was rescued by a prostitute. He hid for half a month in that Chunxiang Pavilion.

During this half month, perhaps something happened between them, but perhaps not. However, Mu Zhe fell in love with Ying Yuyan because of this. However, the atmosphere in the city was tense at that time, so he did not dare to stay longer. Ying Yuyan was also being sought after at that time, and the Madam said that she would not sell her even for a mountain of gold. Mu Zhe didn’t have enough money to redeem her, so he had to temporarily leave Qinling City, planning to return when he was able.

“But when he went back after a year, that prostitute was no longer in Qinling City. It was said that she redeemed herself.”

“Mu Zhe didn’t find her?”

“No, he searched for her, but didn’t find her up until thirteen years ago, when he brought back a fifteen-year-old boy with nearly the same appearance as the person in the painting. We all guessed that it must be Ying Yuyan’s son.”

“Feng Xiaojin?”

“It was him.”

Feng Xiaojin was very ill at the time, and all the doctors said that they should prepare for a funeral, but Mu Zhe insisted on using Gu to pull him back from the gates of Hell and saved his life, also keeping his fifteen or sixteen-year-old face. Over the years, his facial features never changed.

Chi Teng continued: “Mu Zhe also hired the best martial artists for him and gave him a unique and honorable status in the Baifu Sect, but Feng Xiaojin didn’t seem interested in any of it. Over the years, he became closer to the Wumeng brother and sister, and watched those two children grow up.”

Gao Lin asked again: “Is there any connection between the Baifu Sect and the case of the extermination of the Tan Manor family in Wangcheng?”

Chi Teng was unclear: “What Tan Manor? I don’t understand.”

“Never mind, let’s talk about the Ghost Boys.” Gao Lin held a long whip in his hand, knocking it against his palm again and again. “How many were raised in total?”

Chi Teng said: “Two thousand.”

Two thousand innocent children were frozen at the age that should have been the most worry-free. Thinking of such a thing, Ku You at the side wished that he could cut this group of people to pieces.

Chi Teng likely understood how appalling this atrocity was, so he hurriedly said: “I had nothing to do with these things, and I don’t know any Gu skills. It was all done by Mu Zhe.”

“Why were you in such a hurry to release the Ghost Boys?” Gao Lin continued to inquire. “You should have known that those children would not be the garrison’s opponents, and you actually picked a time when the prince was present.” If it was purely to nauseate Dayan, then the price was too high.

Panting heavily, Chi Teng replied: “Because…..Mu Zhe wanted to lure the garrison into the forest.”

. . . . . . .

On a mountain path full of stars and moon dew, Liang Shu held the reins with one hand and the Sleeping Immortal in his arms with the other, walking languidly toward the encampment with the sort of slowness that could trample ants. The next day, he would deal with many military affairs, but today was a rare day off for him, so he naturally wanted to extend this period of time.

“Wu…..” Shaken awake by him, Liu Xian’an twisted in dissatisfaction and almost knocked himself off the horse.

Liang Shu hugged him tightly: “Just rely on me behind you.”

“I won’t fall,” Liu Xian’an replied dazedly. “I can sleep without the prince.”

“But what will you do if you fall?”

“If I fall, then I fall.”

“…….”

The Sleeping Immortal always said “this is fine, that is fine” when facing various things. Even falling off a horse was fine, but only when faced with His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s self-promotion did he often feel apprehensive, and find it not exactly fine — although he actually wanted to, thinking about the wetness enveloping his body in the dreams and the time when his arm was so sore in bed, he felt that it was fine to not do it for the time being. It was really too tiring, and it was quite comfortable like it was now. Plus, his elder brother was still there.

“What does it have to do with your elder brother? He doesn’t stay in the same room as us.”

“Don’t speak of it.”

Liang Shu wanted to speak. Not only to speak, but also to tease him, which caused the Sleeping Immortal to sigh again and again. Finally, he kicked the horse’s belly and ran back to camp.

“Your Highness.” An adjutant was waiting by the side of the road. “Lieutenant General Gao has finished interrogating Chi Teng.”

“How did it go?”

“It was a bountiful harvest.”

Since it was so bountiful, Liu Xian’an also read along. Flipping through the thick confession in his hand, he said: “Although Chi Teng knows nothing about the extermination of the Tan family, I still feel that our previous speculation is correct, and it happens to correspond with these past events.”

After Mu Zhe left Qinling City, Ying Yuyan met Tan Xiaozhong. The two had a child, and Ying Yuyan redeemed herself, but for some reason was unable to go to Wangcheng and join her lover. With a child in tow, she couldn’t live, so she had to marry that temperamental tofu man.

After Ying Yuyan died of illness, the eight-year-old Feng Xiaojin first killed the tofu man and then wandered outside for two years. Considered the adoptive son of the Dacang Mountain bandit leader, he stayed in the Southeast for four or five years, and after robbing the disaster relief money and food escorted by Tan Xiaozhong, the case of the Tan family’s extermination occurred.

“Feng Xiaojin had always refused to admit that he killed everyone in the Tan family.” Liu Xian’an mused, “Could it be that Mu Zhe did it? According to the degree of his obsession over Ying Yuyan, he must have hated Tan-daren to the bone.”

Liang Shu nodded: “It is possible. I have been investigating this old case all these years, and can recite Tan Xiaozhong’s records backwards and forwards. Twenty-nine years ago, the children of the Tan family did go to Qinling City to study.”

Liu Xian’an continued to read the confession, and said in surprise: “There is another tribe living in the deep forest?”

Gao Lin said: “In any case, that is what Chi Ting confessed. He also said that Mu Zhe released the Ghost Boys at this time in order to lure our army into the forest.”

Due to the heavy miasma, this dense forest had always been a warehouse for Mu Zhe to store valuable treasures. Although the garrison was close at hand, he was certain that this was definitely the safest place—and he was right. For more than ten years, the forest had been dead calm.

But three years ago, the treasures had been emptied overnight! On the west side of the dense forest was the meandering Dayan army, the east entrance was safe and sound, and there was boundless miasma on both the north and south sides. Logically speaking, this sort of thing never should have happened. How could gold and silver evaporate like dew? Mu Zhe was infuriated by this, and personally led people into the dense forest to search, finally finding traces of tribal life in the woodlands on the south side.

“They even fought each other for a short time. The opponent’s martial arts were extremely high. Not only did Mu Zhe fail to recover the lost property, but his arm was broken.”

Liu Xian’an said: “That is why Mu Zhe chose to release the Ghost Boys when the prince was here.” It was impossible for the garrison to ignore this sort of strange child Gu, and no one knew how many more were still hiding in the woods. If they wanted to completely eliminate them, the army would have to drive forward inch by inch, and the tribe would have nowhere to hide.

“Whether it is our loss or the other party’s loss, it is a good deal for Mu Zhe,” Gao Lin said. “In the end, those children were just an insignificant move for him.”

However, this move seemed to be for nothing at present.

At dusk, under the escort of the garrison, Chi Teng stood deep in the forest and blew the special jade whistle.

The sound of the whistle spread long and continuously, like a slight wind blowing through the forest, causing everything to rustle.

Liu Xian’an stood at the edge of camp, attentively listening to this mellow music.

Liu Xianche asked: “Is this how they train the Ghost Boys?”

“En,” Liu Xian’an said.

There was a faint shout as military orders were given in the distance!

Countless Ghost Boys jumped out from all directions, rushing in the direction of the whistle like a black stream.

Chi Teng paled and he shook like chaff, blowing intermittently and out of tune.

Gao Lin closed his eyes slightly, gritted his teeth, and commanded: “Kill!”

Swish, swish. Fiery arrows cut through the sky.

Screams mixed with the smell of burnt flesh, and the empty forest crackled and burned.

The rolling fireball was a scene that could only be beheld in hell.

Finally, a heavy rain enveloped the entire mountain.

After the rain stopped, the villagers at the foot of the mountain spontaneously sewed many small, colorful pieces of clothing and hung them on tree branches. When the wind blew, it looked like a group of light and lively little children were dancing there.

Chang Xiaoqiu gazed at the charred woodland and asked: “This place will be full of flowers in the future, right?”

A-Ning nodded with absolute certainty: “It definitely will.”

Chang Xiaoqiu was leaning against a tree with his sword in his arms and his eyebrows lowered. He looked like Liang Shu.

“En, that’s good.”

---

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

Green pines and cypresses, rock gardens and strange rocks, flower beds and bonsai, were dotted amongst the glorious pavilions.

The grand venue where talented people and beauties gathered was the most beautiful and youthful scenery in the capital.

“Wow, so many people, ah,” Liu Zhenqing exclaimed. As the ‘protagonist’ of today’s spring outing party, Liu Zhenqing walked into the venue gracefully.

Second Cousin: “Right, ah, so many people waiting to watch your misfortune!”

The two of them had finally figured it out. This was indeed a Hongmen Banquet. Starting from the gate, they had been caught in a trap.

Liu Zhenqing, on the other hand, acted like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water. “No matter how many people there are, even if the First Princess favors her cousin, there is no reason to bully people in front of such distinguished children. She still wants to save face.”

Having said this, Liu Zenqing suddenly froze for a split second, then asked quickly: “How has the First Princess treated the Liu family these years?”

The Second Cousin scoffed coldly: “She is also a person of the Imperial family, so she naturally looks down on us merchants and has never communicated with us.”

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes slightly. Since they were Imperial merchants, how could there be no contact between them and the Imperial family, whom they already did business with? They would have to dislike them to the point that they didn’t even care about their own interests.

It seemed that today, there were not only new grudges, but also old ones. The First Princess was not of a mind with General Huo.

Liu Zhenqing clicked his tongue twice. Was that girl still so petty just because he had offended her many years ago? Even the Liu family was collateral damage in this grudge?

The two people gave him instructions as soon as they sat down, as if they sensed that he would definitely cause trouble.

Liu Zhenqing was very innocent. Was he the type of person who took the initiative to cause trouble?

The gazes around him continued to come, and it was obvious that everyone had re-familiarized themselves with Liu Zhenqing again because of what had happened at the door, but also understood that he likely wouldn’t be able to leave here safely today.

After sitting for a while, everyone stood up one after another. Liu Zhenqing followed along and lowered his head toward the corner behind the main seat. Soon, a group of people came out in a grandiose manner.

Liu Zhenqing recognized the woman walking in the middle at a glance. She wore her hair in a bun with some of it loose like clouds, a large piece of gold with precious pearls holding it in place. Wearing a gold huadian and a woven silk dress, she was exceedingly luxurious. Although she was nearly forty years old, her face looked as if she were in her twenties, but in terms of temperament, she was dignified and graceful, not unrestrained.

This person was none other than the First Princess, Yuan Yuying. To be precise, she was the first person of his own generation that Liu Zhenqing had seen.

However, there was also a young woman among the retinue who was dressed as nicely as the First Princess. Judging from the clothes on her body…..she must be a princess who had not yet left the palace.

Liu Zhenqing did the mental calculations. There was only one princess of the new emperor’s generation who was still alive, and that was the Eighth Princess.

In his memory, she was the girl with two pigtails who fell flat on her face when there were no obstacles around, a silly little girl who shook when she looked at him. Now she was so beautiful and charming. Not bad, not bad…..

It seemed that no one had expected to see the new emperor’s sister. They couldn’t help being surprised, but after a moment, they repeatedly stole glances at Liu Zhenqing. Not only would he not be able to leave safely, but it was impossible to predict whether he would live or die.

“Liu Xiaozhu, you are truly unlucky! No one can save you now!”

Liu Zhenqing, who was lamenting the transformation of this woman, looked questioningly at the two people who were whispering harshly in his ears.

“This unruly princess has already threatened that she will marry no one other than General Huo.”

“The Eighth Princess hates it most when others compete with her for Huo Fenglie, regardless of their gender. She couldn’t leave the palace before, and could only summon some women outside the palace who were interested in Huo Fenglie to warn them, but she couldn’t deal with you. But now that you’ve encountered each other directly, it’s every man for himself. Don’t embarrass us.”

Liu Zhenqing: ? ? ?

The First Princess took the Eighth Princess to the main seat, had everyone sit down, and announced the start of the spring outing banquet. Between drinking tea and reciting poetry, the First Princess got straight to the point. “Young Master Liu Xiaozhu is here.”

Liu Zhenqing grinned and stepped forward to salute: “This one greets Her Royal Highness the First Princess and Her Royal Highness the Eighth Princess.”

After his salute, Liu Zhenqing was left kneeling, with no call for him to rise.

“Raise your head and let me have a look.”

Liu Zhenqing looked up and saw the First Princess squint her eyes for a long moment. She suddenly frowned as if she had seen something distasteful, then showed a familiar expression and rolled her eyes.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. He recalled that back then, this girl hated him the most, for nothing else but that he was better-looking than the First Princess. Her marriage partner at that time refused to marry the First Princess, saying that he fell in love with Liu Zhenqing at first sight and would not marry anyone but him. He even pointed at the two of them and compared them to one another, saying: “It is difficult to tell whether beautiful people are male or female without braids, but you are ugly and can’t be distinguished between human and animal.” The furious First Princess fainted on the spot, and Liu Zhenqing’s reputation as being handsome and beautiful spread everywhere.

And the First Princess had a grudge against him. Even when the political marriage failed and she returned to Great Zhou, the First Princess would definitely roll her eyes upon seeing him, which almost made Liu Zhenqing worry that if she continued to roll her eyes, she wouldn’t be able to roll them back. But now…..why had she still rolled her eyes?

“Sure enough, he has an…..unpleasant face.” The First Princess scoffed coldly, and the people present immediately became excited to watch the show.

Liu Zhenqing gave an immediate and shameless apology: “It is this one’s fault for not having a better face. It is better to allow this one to resign, lest he be an eyesore and ruin Your Highness’s enjoyment.”

The First Princess inexplicably felt that this method of shutting her up was very familiar, but she did not accept the trick, and continued to mock: “You are so eloquent, no wonder my cousin also ran into you. His brain is broken, but you are quick-witted.”

“Not so, not so, Your Highness is too complimentary.” Liu Zhenqing continued to smile shamelessly.

“Am I praising you?” The First Princess said coldly.

“Is Your Highness scolding me?” Liu Zhenqing asked innocently.

“You……”

Everyone felt suffocated watching Liu Zhenqing feign stupidity. Rong Shiming to the side gave Liu Zhenqing a fierce look.

Then the Eighth Princess opened her mouth loftily, “He is truly shameless and brazen. Auntie, don’t talk nonsense to him. He spoke improperly and showed contempt for Imperial authority, just slap him! Someone give him thirty slaps!”

Everyone present sucked in a breath as soon as these words came out. Was this meant to break a person’s mouth?

Upon hearing this, Rong Shiming held his head up high. And the face of the First Princess on the side was also relaxed. She knew that as an elder, she couldn’t take direct action and would be easily criticized for shielding her cousin, but the Eighth Princess had no such restrictions.

Although Liu Zhenqing had already mentally prepared himself, that didn’t mean he would simply surrender. He looked at the Eighth Princess, whose look of arrogance was even worse than that of the First Princess. It made her whole person lose its air of nobility, leaving only a sense of foolish pride. And he had just thought that she hadn’t grown uglier as she grew up……

“Daring to ask Your Highness, when did this one speak improperly and show contempt for Imperial authority? If we’re speaking of contempt for Imperial authority, then what happened at the front gate…..”

“Liu Xiaozhu, whatever Her Highness says is what it is. If you dare to refute, you are showing contempt for Imperial authority!” Rong Shiming said anxiously.

“I may have lost my memory, but I am no fool. There is no such provision in the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I hope that Her Highness will also make herself clear, so that this one will remember the lesson and correct himself in the future,” Liu Zhenqing said.

The Eighth Princess said in a stern voice, “Then I ask you, did you tell people that if they want to get married, they should marry General Huo?!”

Liu Zhenqing had thought of a hundred excuses, but hadn’t expected the Eighth Princess to so straightforwardly expose the scheme in her heart. He was caught off guard for a moment.

“Uh…..yes.”

“Hmph! Who do you think you are, that you can arrange General Huo’s affairs at will? Word of this has spread through the streets and alleys for others to set their minds on General Huo. Is he someone who just anyone can dream of marrying? You, shameless man, pestered General Huo, showed your affection in public, provoked trouble, and dared to say such rude things. Is this not speaking improperly? Regarding General Huo’s marriage, even my Imperial Brother says that we should respect his thoughts. You showed contempt for Imperial authority by making General Huo the topic of everyone’s conversations! Being slapped can be regarded as me showing mercy. If you dare to quibble, I will have your tongue pulled out!”

At this time, a person had already approached with the board used for beatings.

Everyone around felt that the silenced Liu Zhenqing would not be able to escape this disaster.

Suddenly, a clear voice sounded, “Your Highness, I feel that these remarks are more praise than ridicule. It is said that General Huo was also on the scene that day and was not angry, so it cannot be considered a crime.”

How dare anyone speak for him?

Liu Zhenqing was somewhat taken aback. He glanced at the speaker and saw that he was a young man in white, and…..there was something familiar in his features.

Everyone looked at the man in surprise and immediately realized, wasn’t this Huo Fenglie’s good brother?

But the Eighth Princess did not give him face, and declared arbitrarily: “If I say it’s a crime, then it’s a crime! Beat him!”

---

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Chapter Sixteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Eighteen

Weiyi Games headquarters.

An assistant knocked on the door of the single-person office. After receiving permission, he pushed open the door and walked in, not forgetting to look around before closing the door so that nobody outside noticed the scene.

Gao Pingfeng, who was in his seat, saw his appearance and urged, “Come on, nobody would dare to eavesdrop at the door in broad daylight.”

The assistant approached and whispered, “Teacher Gao, I heard that Pei Yi’s second revision of the script has been approved, and filming officially starts next Monday.”

Gao Pingfeng frowned. “It really passed?”

He had originally thought that the other party was putting on a brave face, but unexpectedly, it only took ten and a half days to get it out? Was it possible that he had ghostwriters behind the scenes?

The assistant nodded affirmatively, feeling a little impressed. “Teacher Gao, how could he create a new script in half a month, ah? And I don’t think the production team has made any major changes to the setting.”

“Who knows?” Gao Pingfeng still refused to acknowledge Pei Yi’s ability, so he just said. “I suppose he just hired outside help.”

The assistant wasn’t sure what Gao Pingfeng was thinking. “Teacher Gao, then what about our, no, your script. Will the company executives still use it?”

They had initially thought that Pei Yi was just verbally showing off and would not be able to write a decent game structure script when the time came, so they secretly worked hard to hand over the project during this time.

But contrary to expectations—

Now senior management was continuing to cooperate with Pei Yi and YWY Studios, but what about the script in their own hands? Wouldn’t it be invalidated?

When Gao Pingfeng heard the assistant’s question, a hint of displeasure flashed deep in his eyes.

Originally, he had persuaded Guo Guanghong and took advantage of the other party’s instructions to leak the script before filming started, thinking that he would be able to take over Pei Yi’s project naturally.

But now, he had nothing and all his hard work had been in vain?

He had labored to prepare for so long, so how could his hard work be wasted?

Gao Pingfeng suppressed the unwillingness and anxiety in his heart, and pretended to be calm on the surface. “What are you anxious about? You must learn to wait patiently in everything you do. Did I obtain my position as chief planner overnight?”

The assistant knew how to behave in the workplace, and flattered him, “Of course not! Looking at the entire headquarters, who doesn’t know that you, Teacher Gao, are one of the most senior employees?”

Gao Pingfeng emphasized with feeling, “After this week, it will be the end of my fifteen years of calculations. Tell me, how many fifteen years can there be in life?”

“Yes, ah, Teacher Gao, Mr. Guo thinks so highly of you…..” The assistant continued to flatter him, and lowered his voice. “I think your position in the company will continue to rise.”

Gao Pingfeng listened happily and said, “Do your best, kid. You will be indispensable when the time comes.”

The assistant said with appropriate loudness, “Ai! Thank you, Teacher Gao!”

“All right, don’t pretend to be good here!” Gao Pingfeng stopped him. “Hurry up and contact the two ghostwriters again to make the changes to the script I proposed. I’ll discuss it with Mr. Guo later.”

Just because Qu Yi and Ning Jing looked down on his project and insisted on cooperating with Pei Yi, that didn’t mean he had no chance to get a share of this market!

The enemy of his enemy was his friend.

He was promoted by Guo Guanghong. As long as the other party didn’t fall, he still had a chance!

Gao Pingfeng thought some more and reopened his laptop to prepare for work.

Suddenly, a series of messages were sent to him: “Mr. Gao, please come to my office to discuss something.”

“Ning Jing?”

Gao Pingfeng frowned slightly, unable to guess what the other party wanted from him.

However, due to their different statuses, he had no choice but to temporarily set aside his work plans, get up, and walk out of the office.

. . . . . . . .

Three minutes later.

Gao Pingfeng sat across from Ning Jing’s desk and smiled calmly. “Boss Ning, you were looking for me?”

Ning Jing looked up at him and then continued to sign her documents.

Gao Pingfeng felt the other party’s deliberate neglect and frowned in displeasure.

Before he could get angry, Ning Jing said lightly, “Gao Pingfeng, as of now, you are fired from the company.”

“…….”

The word “fired” was like thunder inside of Gao Pingfeng’s head.

His eyes widened in disbelief. “What did you say?!”

Ning Jing closed a document and didn’t mind repeating, “You. Are fired.”

“Why? I’ve been with Weiyi for fifteen years! Do you understand this concept? Can you just fire me like this?”

The more Gao Pingfeng talked, the less he was able to maintain his “easygoing” mask, and continued to question in turn —

“I am the game director of ‘Seventeen Days.’ Now that you’ve fired me, what are your plans for the next season of the game?”

“Will the other senior shareholders agree? Ning Jing, how long have you been with Weiyi? Do you think you can be lawless just by sitting in the position of general manager?”

“If Weiyi dares to fire me in such an unclear manner, I will immediately file a complaint with the relevant departments!”

Facing Gao Pingfeng’s attack, Ning Jing completely lost the gentility she had deliberately reserved in the past.

“Gao Pingfeng, don’t talk about how many years you’ve worked. As for how you got through these fifteen years, don’t you already know?”

“…….”

Gao Pingfeng’s eyes shifted, and his breathing stagnated. “What do you mean?”

Ning Jing broke through his mask of being a senior employee. “In the past ten years, you’ve just dawdled about the game planning team, choosing only small and easy projects to participate in. You drift along when you can with no ambition.”

The so-called salary changes were nothing more than an upward adjustment by Weiyi based on the market.

“Five or six years ago, the company encountered its first major crisis since its establishment and had to make some layoffs. In order to stay and continue to earn a living, you hastily joined Sister Chen Min’s project team.”

In other words, with ten years of service, he obtained the position of deputy planner.

“Look at your own conscience and tell me, from the project’s establishment, to the copyright, to the translation, and to the second production revision of ‘Seventeen Days,’ which part did Sister Chen Min not personally watch over?”

Gao Pingfeng did some work, but that was only what he should do as the deputy project planner!

After the “Seventeen Days” game became popular, the status of the entire game project team rose with the tide, and the year-end dividends were even more generous. From then on—

Gao Pingfeng got a reputation as a “senior employee.”

After the original chief planner Chen Min fell ill, her position was temporarily vacant, and the shareholders’ board of directors considered the new candidate for a long time.

At that time, Guo Guanghong took the opportunity to rationally voice his appreciation of Gao Pingfeng as the “deputy planner.” Coupled with his status as executive director, the other party was lucky enough to become the current chief planner.

Ning Jing did not deny the time and youth that Gao Pingfeng had devoted to the company, but his abilities were simply not worthy of his current position!

“You know it yourself. Since you took over ‘Seventeen Days,’ there have been more and more plot controversies in the game. The overall rating has also declined, and the number of new player registrations has fallen again and again!”

Ning Jing sharply pointed out the facts, making Gao Pingfeng flush with anger.

“You think you are irreplaceable? To tell you the truth, Sister Chen Min is coming back, and Sun Chenglang from the planning team can also take charge of this role.”

How could Gao Pingfeng be willing to throw away his secure job and settle for the next best thing? “Even if the position of chief planner can be returned to Chen Min, why dismiss me like this? You have to give me a reason!”

“A reason?”

Ning Jing laughed out loud when she heard this. “Gao Pingfeng, are you actually stupid or are you playing the fool? I originally wanted to save you some face, but since you’re not willing to accept it, forget it.”

“You leaked the script for the collaboration with YWY Studios, right? Leaking the company’s partnership secrets is illegal, don’t you know that?”

“…….”

Gao Pingfeng was speechless.

His usually calm and sophisticated expression finally revealed the embarrassment of being “slapped in the face,” and he tried to shirk responsibility, “Don’t just casually frame me, how could I…..”

“The senior shareholders have unanimously decided to fire you, and you will also be prosecuted!”

“You can call and ask Mr. Guo to find out if I am talking nonsense or if this is indeed the case!”

Ning Jing picked up the signed documents on the table and unhurriedly left Gao Pingfeng. “Be my guest.”

The office door closed.

Gao Pingfeng was stunned for a long moment, then quickly found his cell phone and called Guo Guanghong.

One missed call, then another.

It wasn’t until the third call that Guo Guanghong’s impatient voice sounded, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?”

Gao Pingfeng gritted his teeth in anger. “Mr. Guo! Ning Jing says that the company fired me? She also wants to sue me! Was this decided unanimously by the entire senior management?”

Guo Guanghong was silent for a few seconds before replying, “Lao Gao, I have nothing to do with this matter.”

Gao Pingfeng’s face became increasingly humiliated. “What do you mean you have nothing to do with it? Have you completely wiped yourself clean?”

Guo Guanghong on the other end recalled the ridicule and threats he had received in public at the charity dinner two days ago, and all the frustration he had nowhere to vent burst out.

“You did something shameful, what do I have to clean up?”

“Let me tell you, you’re a short-sighted person who tried to benefit yourself by messing with people who shouldn’t be messed with. And you still want the company to wipe your ass? Get out of here immediately!”

Beep—beep—beep—

The phone hung up at once, declaring his superior’s ruthlessness.

Gao Pingfeng’s expression changed several times, but he still found it difficult to accept the sudden news of his dismissal.

His chest felt increasingly tight, and he was short of breath. When he stood up to leave the office, his feet suddenly became weak—

Bang! 

He fell to the ground along with the chair!

“…….”

Gao Pingfeng covered his burning knee, and it hurt so much that he instantly regretted everything!

From graduation to now, he had only worked at Weiyi, and had climbed to a position where he was praised by everyone.

But now he was fired by the company without notice, and he couldn’t find any reason to complain!

What was even more terrible was that if Weiyi found evidence that he leaked the script, not only would his reputation in the industry be discredited, but he may also be subject to legal sanctions!

He was ruined!

Everything was ruined!

What was he trying to accomplish by shooting himself in the foot, ah?

. . . . . . .

When Bo Yueming, Lin Zhong, and others arrived at the conference room with a heap of food, Pei Yi and the film crew ended the first half of their detailed discussion.

“Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Mr. Bo and Mr. Yi have prepared lunch and drinks in advance—”

Lin Zhong took the initiative to signal the takeaway staff to help place all the food on the empty table. “Please help yourselves.”

Bo Yueming never liked to deal with such situations, but for the sake of his lover, he still took the initiative to speak out.

“The previous emergency delayed the crew’s time. Thank you for your patience. Please take care of Pei Yi in the future.”

Kong Li was already aware of the relationship between Bo Yueming and Pei Yi, and responded with a smile. “Mr. Bo is so polite. Didn’t this cost you money?”

As soon as she finished speaking, other staff members also expressed their friendly opinions. “Yes, ah, thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Bo.”

“Let me tell you, ah, Mr. Yi is young and outstanding, a perfect match for Mr. Bo!”

When Pei Yi heard the continuous compliments, he could only smile and exchange a look of tacit understanding with Bo Yueming.

“Everyone eat first. We’ll continue to discuss the details of the script in the afternoon.”

Saying this, he walked out under the eyes of everyone.

. . . . . . . .

The two returned to Pei Yi’s exclusive lounge.

As soon as the door closed, Pei Yi hugged him coquettishly. “Why are you here? You didn’t even warn me in advance.”

Bo Yueming embraced him and said, “I wanted to support you again.”

Pei Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “En, you fully supported me. I saw several staff members’ eyes practically stuck to you.”

“Nonsense.”

Bo Yueming gently grasped the back of his neck and took his kitten to sit on the sofa. “I happen to have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I got a message from Qu Yi that Gao Pingfeng was fired this morning, and an announcement will be made in the afternoon. Evidence will also be collected for prosecution.”

Pei Yi raised his eyebrows. “As expected.”

Gao Pingfeng was a senior employee of Weiyi and had signed an entry agreement with the company.

If Weiyi ‘dismissed’ him without reason, it would lose a large amount of compensation in possible labor arbitration, and would also be questioned by netizens.

Dismissing and suing him now was Weiyi’s method of protecting itself, and also the fate Gao Pingfeng deserved!

“Qu Yi also said that Guo Guanghong is a shareholder of the company and cannot be disposed of at will. However, at the shareholders’ meeting at the end of the year, he will find a way to completely weaken his rights within Weiyi.”

Bo Yueming explained simply, and his meaning was clear enough.

After the one-sided show of strength at the charity dinner, Weiyi chose to favor Pei Yi and YWY and apologize to them in their own way.

Pei Yi nodded. “Guo Guanghong is indeed annoying, but as long as I don’t see him again, I can let the matter pass.”

Bo Yueming glanced at the closed lounge door and asked in a low voice, “In this situation with Weiyi, do you still plan to cooperate with them?”

Hearing this, Pei Yi understood his lover’s true thoughts. “Er-ge, I’ve thought about this carefully. This partnership must continue, but this is the only time.”

“Although it would be smoother to directly announce the termination of the contract, there is no need to pay liquidated damages in vain.”

In Pei Yi’s opinion, if he had to use his own money to compensate Weiyi, he might as well use it for charity or to continue his gaming career!

Pei Yi continued to share his thoughts and plans with Bo Yueming. “Teacher Kong Li helped me a lot some time ago, and there have been many staff members quietly doing practical things before and after.”

“I don’t want to disregard their hard work just for the pleasure of my own momentary counterattack.”

Pei Yi also wanted to use this opportunity to completely win over Kong Li’s connections in the film industry. Once this wave of testing was successful, their YWY Studios could also invest independently and start filming.

Bo Yueming nodded without refuting.

“Er-ge, I’m very happy and blessed that you would support me this time, but YWY Studios has its own path—”

“I don’t want to expand rapidly and spoil things due to excessive enthusiasm. Instead, I wanted to watch the studio grow up slowly with Pear Garden, Sister Yang, and the others.”

Bo Yueming responded, “I know you can do it.”

Pei Yi’s smile grew wider. “Although we alone can’t win Weiyi’s title of the top company in two years, there must be a place for our big-faced cat in the Chinese game industry.”

His voice went a little softer, as if he was discussing some kind of secret. “Besides, ah, by my conservative estimate, it should take us four or five years to replace Weiyi.”

Bo Yueming couldn’t help but laugh, and gently rubbed the back of his lover’s neck.

Pei Yi took the opportunity to get into the arms of the person in front of him. He raised his head to kiss his Adam’s apple, vowing solemnly, “Er-ge, please wait for me, okay?”

“One day, my career will also be a security and support you can indulge in.”

When Bo Yueming heard Pei Yi speak of the future, he couldn’t help but kiss his lips. “Okay. I believe you, and I’ll wait for you.”

---

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Chapter Ninety-Five <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Seven

When the troops in the camp heard that the prince had returned victorious, they rushed out in excitement, but were all driven back mercilessly by Gao Lin. He asked: “Where is Second Young Master Liu?”

“We don’t know, ah. He wasn’t around this morning. It seems that he never came back after going down the mountain to diagnose patients.”

Liang Shu had gone into battle this time and also brought Ku You with him, and Liu Xianche, as a doctor, naturally chose to follow him. Before he left, he made a special trip to tell his little brother not to be lazy with his medical skills, and also arranged a rule compelling him to go to the foot of the mountain for consultations every fifth and tenth day — in fact, he said every fifth and tenth day, but the people in the surrounding villages rushed over after hearing the news and it was not just every fifth and tenth day.

This lazy fellow was terribly exhausted.

And so was A-Ning.

Liu Xian’an even thought, I might as well live in the village. Anway, the prince and Da-ge aren’t at the camp, so I don’t have to travel back and forth. But the guards of Xiao Wang Palace and the Imperial Guards who were in charge of his protection disagreed. This was the Southwest, after all, the old nest of the Baifu Sect, and no one knew what dirty things were staring out from such a dark place. The prince had given orders that Second Young Master Liu must not stay outside.

In this way, Liu Xian’an had no choice but to carry on, measuring the length of the mountain road with horseshoes time and time again. Finally, two days before Liang Shu’s return to camp, he succeeded in becoming sick and exhausted, lying in bed and burning like a piece of red coal, his eyelids unable to be opened.

Liang Shu pressed his chest and walked back all the way. After walking for a long time, he still didn’t see his forty-eight thousand year old Sleeping Immortal. Instead, he met a few aunts carrying baskets of vegetables, who were asking around to see if Second Young Master Liu was recovering from his illness, and insisted that he keep the eggs they had brought.

Now, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang didn’t care about putting on a show for him anymore. He swung his horse whip and rumbled into the residence. The courtyard was quiet, and A-Ning sat on the steps, flipping through a thick medical book in his lap. The commotion in camp just now had not spread to this back courtyard, so he was very surprised to see the prince appear at this time, and hurriedly stood.

“Where is Xiao An?” Liang Shu got off his horse.

“Still sleeping.” A-Ning whispered, “The young master caught a cold, and he had a fever last night. It only subsided near dawn.”

After the fever was gone, it was time to relax and sleep peacefully. Liu Xian’an was usually a good sleeper, and couldn’t be shaken awake by thunder. Presently, he was so sleepy that he was dead to the world. To him, all the sounds and movements in the world were lighter than a feather, and the only thing heavier was the quilt covering his body—plus one of His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s arms.

Liang Shu leaned sideways at the head of the bed. He rubbed those chapped lips with his thumb, then bowed his head and kissed them gently.

A-Ning quickly brought hot water and asked: “Does the prince want something to eat?”

“No need.” Liang Shu moved his aching muscles and bones, and after a hasty wash, he also took off his clothes and went to bed. Hugging the man in his arms, they traveled to the Three Thousand Worlds together.

This time, the hot spring was much hotter than before. Second Young Master Liu was also soaking in it. His hair was wet and sticking uncomfortably to his back, so Liang Shu helped him tie it up.

His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was sleeping soundly in bed, and when he inadvertently turned over the touched the hair of the person next to his pillow, Second Young Master Liu in the hot spring called out, “Ah.”

Liang Shu didn’t let go. He tugged his hair and asked, “Why do you keep running to me lately?”

Liu Xian’an said, of course it’s because I miss the prince.

No matter how tired he was during the day, he thought he would try his best to have a dream at night and soak in the hot spring for a while.

Liang Shu suggested: “Since you think so, then you can stay here forever.”

But Liu Xian’an refused, because he felt that His Royal Highness Xiao Wang might be returning soon, so he must leave quickly.

Liang Shu said: “Don’t go!”

Liu Xian’an didn’t listen. He dragged his wet robes all the way, his body piercing through layers of fiery rain and clouds, and he fell all the way into the present world.

He just happened to be caught firmly by his sweetheart.

Liang Shu embraced the flailing man in his arms, and bowed his head to kiss him while he was half awake and half asleep. Thus, Second Young Master Liu fell asleep again, thinking that the dream was not bad, so he gave up on getting up and continued to lie down comfortably.

One of the two had been fighting for days, and the other had been seeing patients for days. Both of them were exhausted to the bone and needed a good rest, so they slept for half a day and a night. It was not until the next morning that Liu Xian’an stretched his waist and sat up, refreshed.

Someone behind him pulled his hair.

Liu Xian’an: “…….”

Liang Shu chuckled: “Are you silly? Turn around and let me see.”

Liu Xian’an could clearly distinguish the difference between the voices of the Liang Shu’s in the two worlds. Although they were the same, one was leisurely and relaxed, while the other was much more lively and amiable. He turned his head slowly and looked at the person leaning against the bed for a long time, his brain buzzing. Then he said with pleasant surprise: “Your Highness?”

As soon as he opened his mouth, he realized that his voice was unbearably hoarse. Liang Shu got out of bed and poured him a cup of warm tea. Liu Xian’an still had some difficulty swallowing, but he was extremely thirsty, so he drank most of the pot in one go, only then feeling more comfortable.

He asked: “When did the prince return?”

“Yesterday afternoon.” Liang Shu also rinsed his mouth before returning to the bed. He let Liu Xian’an lie in his arms, and reached up to test the warmth of his forehead. The fever had subsided. This person seemed weaker than before, so he touched twice more. “How did you get yourself sick?”

Liu Xian’an replied, because the prince did not let me stay at the foot of the mountain.

Facing this calamity from the sky, Liang Shu didn’t change his expression. He replied calmly, well, I am also sick. My heart hurt all the way back.

Liu Xian’an didn’t believe it. He said: “But the prince was fine when he poured tea, and Da-ge also went out with the army.”

“In any case, I’m in pain,” Liang Shu insisted. And the pain was strange. He would bear it during the march, and even healed for a short time when facing First Young Master Liu, but once he was back safe in bed with his sweetheart, he immediately felt uncomfortable here and there, and the pain was overwhelming.

“You take a look, I’m injured.”

The bandage on his chest was applied with Gao Lin’s help. It was surprisingly thick, but couldn’t scare Liu Xian’an, because he could tell at a glance that based on Liang Shu’s complexion and movements that the depth of the wound didn’t exceed one point. Sure enough, when he opened it up, some places had already scabbed over.

Liang Shu didn’t feel guilty at all. “One kiss. It will feel better after one kiss.”

Liu Xian’an lowered his head and brushed a kiss to his heart. Liang Shu felt a little ticklish, and pulled him to his chest, kissing him tenderly.

He really did have a heartache yesterday, presumably due to his old injury being induced during several days of travel. However, he was already in good shape after a good sleep, and the tenderness with his sweetheart threw the remaining dull pain to the wayside. Liu Xian’an pushed himself up on his stomach and said: “Good news spread frequently about the prince’s expedition this time. When I went to see patients at the foot of the mountain, all the common people were talking about it. Within two years, the Baifu Sect will be uprooted.”

“Less than two years.” Liang Shu promised, “When spring is warm and the flowers bloom next year, I will definitely take you back to Wangcheng.”

Wangcheng, when spring was warm and the flowers were blooming. Just by hearing this, he felt that the scenery would be beautiful to behold.

Lying beneath the warm quilt, Liu Xian’an followed Liang Shu’s descriptions and carefully outlined twenty-four streets in Wangcheng in his mind, then slowly filled it with restaurants, tea houses, and palaces filled with silk and music.

As a result, he set a trap for himself.

And got more sleep.

On the other side, the team led by Ku You also returned to camp. A-Ning greeted: “First Young Master!”

“Why are you alone, where is Xiao An?” Liu Xianche asked.

“He’s in the back courtyard with the prince.” A-Ning tactfully did not mention the matter of ‘sleeping for more than ten hours,’ but said righteously that they must be discussing military affairs!

Ku You heard this and said: “What military affairs?” From his posture, it could be seen that he wanted to go and discuss them too.

A-Ning: “……”

Fortunately, at the critical moment, First Young Master Liu spoke up in time and sent this disobedient patient back to rest. Gao Lin heard that Ku You was back, and searched for him all the way to his residence. When he looked inside, Ku You wasn’t resting, but sat at a table, tracing shapes on it and murmuring to himself.

Lieutenant General Gao leaned in the doorway and sighed, talking like that, someone will say that you’ve been recruited into the Baifu Sect and that you’re reciting mantras.

As soon as he spoke, a brush soaked in ink flew toward him. Gao Lin ducked away and then stepped forward with a smile to hug his shoulders: “Not resting just after you got back, what map are you drawing?”

Ku You leaned back in his chair and said quietly: “I have a headache.”

“It’s not that you never fought alongside the prince in the Northwest. Why do you have a headache now?”

“It’s not the same.”

When he was in the Northwest, the prince was the veritable first commander. As the lieutenant general, he only had to obey his commander and fight every battle that was handed over to him. But in the Southwest, he became the leader, and had to look at the overall situation independently.

Ku You let out a long sigh: “I thought I had done well enough.”

But the facts proved that what he thought was good was far from good enough.

The same soldiers and horses, the same enemy, the same terrain, but the prince was able to defeat the Baifu Sect with his divine soldiers, making them hide all over the Southwest. These were tactics he couldn’t think up even after racking his brains.

When Ku You finished speaking, he added another sentence, what the hell are you laughing at?

“Okay, okay, okay.” Gao Lin gave him face and only smiled. He analyzed, “It’s not just a matter of strategy. The prince put you in the Southwest because you’re diligent. Everyone has their own style, why are you so sentimental?”

Ku You said: “In short, I want to reflect on my life.”

“Okay, then continue to reflect.” Gao Lin poured him a glass of water. “When you’re done reflecting, come find me in the torture room.”

At this time, there were as many as three hundred members of the cult captive. If even one person confessed a word, it was enough to peel the skin off the Baifu Sect. The first thing to do now was to deal with the Ghost Boys.

Liu Xian’an was in healthy condition. After lying down for two days, he returned to the village at the foot of the mountain to see patients, and this time Liang Shu was also with him. He took off the heavy armor, which made his whole person a bit less murderous, and wore a brocade robe. With his hair tied up in a silver crown, he stood there straight and tall, and was a little more approachable.

Thus, the common people were not scared away, and still waited in line according to the original plan. The first patient wore an expression of distress and lowered his voice when he came up, speaking a long paragraph quickly and quietly.

Liu Xian’an’s hearing was good, but he was not familiar with the accent in this area, and didn’t understand: “What?”

The patient repeated it again.

Liu Xian’an still didn’t understand, and tried to make him slow down, but Liang Shu couldn’t bear it anymore, and explained: “He says that he has had nausea, retching, and loss of appetite lately and wants to ask for medicine to stimulate his appetite. I say, what is there to be shy about with these symptoms?”

The patient was trembling: “…..Answering the prince, it’s because I’m nervous.”

Liang Shu looked at him shaking like a sieve and wondered, why are you nervous, could it be that I am not approachable enough today?

Liu Xian’an simply comforted the patient with a few words, inspected him, and prescribed him some medicine to invigorate the spleen and whet the appetite. Then he said to A-Ning: “Next.”

This time, it was a young man in his early twenties who came in. Liang Shu had learned from experience just now, and after the other party sat down, he ordered: “Speak louder when describing your condition!”

The young man paled: “Ah?”

Liang Shu frowned: “What, did you not hear what this lord said?”

His tone was actually very mild, but even if His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was calm, he looked threatening, and few people in the world could bear it.

So the young man had no choice but to say loudly and a bit tragically: “I, I have a kidney deficiency!”^[1]

Liang Shu: “……”

Liang Shu’s eyes were quite sympathetic: “All right, all right, I’ll allow you to speak in a low voice.”

Liu Xian’an diagnosed him carefully, and Liang Shu tried not to smile, showing a calm and breezy expression on his face. It wasn’t until the young man left that he went: “Pfft.”

“If the prince makes trouble again, I’ll replace him with A-Ning.” Liu Xian’an put his brush back. “What’s so funny about a kidney deficiency?”

“I don’t know. In any case, I’ve done nothing wrong.” Liang Shu cleared his throat and moved his head closer. “Why don’t you give me a try?”

Liu Xian’an stared directly at the door. Won’t try!

---

[1] Having a kidney deficiency widely means that a man is bad in bed. ⮐

---

Chapter Ninety-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Eight

The next day, the two cousins were excited and got ready early. After all, the First Princess’s spring outing banquet usually focused on young officials’ children from the capital, and Imperial merchants were never invited. This was the first time they had ever received an invitation.

As a result, when they saw Liu Zhenqing who was still fuming in the carriage, the two cousins erupted in anger.

“When we get there later, don’t embarrass our Liu family!”

“If you cause trouble, we’ll be the ones who have to deal with it when you leave the capital. Understand?”

Liu Zhenqing disinterestedly played with the nine-link ring in his hand and said: “Didn’t you hear that I offended Rong Shiming a few days ago? Now they’re using their power to force us to be present. Is it a spring outing banquet or a Hongmen Banquet?^[1] You still haven’t figured it out yet?”

The two didn’t get angry, and Second Cousin said: “Then you can kowtow and admit your mistake later.”

Liu Zhenqing rolled his eyes. This one had a bright future.

“Are you still unwilling?” Third Cousin said sternly.

Liu Zhenqing said with sudden seriousness: “The ancestors of the Liu family were once the founding fathers of the country, and there were many great people after them. Why is your generation like this? You take your cues from others and act according to which way the wind blows. Even though you are Imperial merchants, you should have the Liu family backbone. Otherwise if something happens in the future, how will you be able to handle it?”

These words, with the aura of an elder’s scolding, immediately left the two speechless. Their faces reddened in embarrassment, and they could only stare blankly.

If a family wanted to continue from generation to generation, each generation of young people must undergo the appropriate training, but most families gradually became content with pleasure and slowly went downhill. The Huo family was in the opposite situation in this regard. The young people in their family had been on the battlefield for generations, so their loyalty would last forever.

As for the Liu family…..originally, outsiders were worried that the population of Liu Manor was withering, but his Grandpa boasted to the outside world, saying that with Liu Zhenqing around, the Liu family could persist for another hundred years. But not long after the old man passed away, the manor was brought to ruin by him.

Liu Zhenqing looked at the two fellows in front of him who couldn’t see the situation for what it was and bullied the weak while admiring the strong. He shook his head helplessly. These two were the ones behind the Liu family, so this lineage was probably not far from its demise.

The carriage soon arrived at the princess’s manor. When he got off the carriage, he saw a series of buildings encircled by red walls with yellow tiles. The four corners of each roof were raised high, like a phoenix spreading its wings.

The richly ornamented buildings were magnificent.

A plaque hung high on the red lacquered door, and the words “First Princess’s Palace” had been inscribed by the new emperor himself. The two stone lions beside the door were carved from white marble, and the animal head door knockers were inlaid with gold, a display of luxury.

Aside from the Empress Dowager and the Taifei in the harem, the First Princess could be regarded as the third most noble lady in the Zhou Dynasty. Even the Empress was behind her.

All of this was because the new emperor was able to successfully take back and inherit the throne. The first three women had made great contributions, and the new emperor was grateful for their work and would naturally give them generous rewards.

And no one dared to comment on how luxurious the First Princess’s Palace given by the emperor was.

Even though the two cousins were born into a family of Imperial merchants, they couldn’t help but marvel at such generosity.

“Hey! The ones in front are blocking the path!” A loud voice suddenly sounded.

The front doors of the First Princess’s Palace were opened wide, and other guests entered in an endless stream. They weren’t standing in the center, nor were they blocking the path at all.

When Liu Zhenqing turned around, he spied two familiar figures.

Liu Zhenqing’s heart was full of joy, and he greeted them warmly, exclaiming: “We meet again, ah. It will make others envious.”

As soon as he spoke these words, the invitees around looked at them curiously. After all, what happened a few days ago had already spread everywhere. Jiang Zi’er, who had come with the other person, immediately wore an ugly expression. Having learned her lesson, she just gave Liu Zhenqing a cold look and took the first step inside.

Rong Shiming’s face distorted for a moment, and he rushed to the door first. The steward and servants greeted the young master, but Rong Shiming didn’t leave right away. Instead, he stood at the door as if to help greet the guests. When the three young masters of the Liu family came forward and the steward checked the invitation, Rong Shiming shouted at once: “Who are you trying to fool by making a fake invitation? How could the First Princess possibly invite merchants? It turns out you are fishing in troubled waters, trying to sneak into the spring outing banquet and cling to the powerful. Such shamelessness.”

One declaration turned into countless slaps to the Liu family.

The two cousins immediately flushed red and stepped forward agitatedly to explain.

“Young Master Rong must have misunderstood. How could this be fake? Take a closer look.”

“That’s right, ah, ours is no different from the others!”

Rong Shiming scoffed coldly: “How could I be wrong? Steward, tell me! Is this a fake?”

The old steward glanced at Rong Shiming, then looked at the invitation in his hand and said, “It is indeed a fake.”

This situation immediately stirred up the people around them, and they began to discuss it.

The two cousins’ faces turned purple with anger. “It was delivered personally by the steward of the First Princess’s Palace. He still has the token of authority on him. This can’t be fake.”

“Right, ah, it was clearly you who came to deliver the invitation yesterday morning. We…..”

“Presumptuous! How can you be allowed to make noise in front of the First Princess’s door?” Rong Shiming promptly became valiant and authoritative.

The old steward coughed. “The invitation is indeed fake, and we never invited you. However, if the three young masters of the Liu family are willing to wait, if there is still room after serving the other guests, we will inform the First Princess, and perhaps she will invite you into the spring outing banquet.”

Asking the three of them to wait at the door…..saying that their invitation was fake and that they were trying to sneak in…..this…..this was too insulting. But if they left like this, the incident would definitely become the laughingstock of the whole city the next day.

The two cousins panicked. At this moment, Liu Zhenqing, who had been observing behind them, spoke.

“Second Cousin, Third Cousin……”

Rong Shiming raised his head the second Liu Zhenqing opened his mouth, not hiding his condescending contempt and ill-intentioned expression at all.

“Let’s go, ba,” Liu Zhenqing said with a dull expression.

The second and third cousins immediately stared at Liu Zhenqing. They also understood that someone was deliberately making things difficult for them, and felt that they had suffered today all because of him.

“What? This plan didn’t work out and you have to go back home. Why not wait, perhaps you can sneak in,” Rong Shiming mocked. There were even more sounds of snickering and disdain all around.

But Liu Zhenqing curled his lips and said: “How could this be? Since something like this has happened, we will naturally go to the magistrate’s office to file a complaint!”

When he said this, everyone in front of the First Princess’s Palace fell silent. Dozens of pairs of eyes looked at Liu Zhenqing, some bewildered, some puzzled, and some at a loss. One young man in white actually revealed a good-looking smile and looked at Liu Zhenqing with great interest.

Rong Shiming’s eyes widened in disbelief: “What…..what do you intend to do?!”

Liu Zenqing smiled without restraint and snatched the invitation from the steward. “On this bright, clear day, at the feet of the emperor, someone dared to act in the name of the First Princess. Falsely spreading a mandate shows contempt for the Imperial family. It is a heinous crime, and deserves to be punished! Since such an evil thing has happened to us, if…..if it is related to the assassination some time ago, how could we let it go! It must be investigated thoroughly!”

Liu Zhenqing spoke with fierce steadiness, and pulled the two cousins to leave.

Everyone around was frightened when they heard this, and suddenly felt that this was a serious matter! The person behind them panicked at once.

“Young Master Liu, please stay, let me take another look.” The old steward practically ran over, his robes in hand.

But Liu Zhenqing walked faster. “Steward, please tell the First Princess to rest assured. We will definitely cooperate with the magistrate’s investigation. The origin of this invitation and the person who sent it will not be let go.”

Liu Zhenqing was unbridled in his youth. He often caused trouble, and could argue three points on his own behalf even when he had no grounds to stand on, let alone when his reasoning was well-founded. Now that he was Liu Xiaozhu, he was even more emboldened because of his backing, and his nature erupted. Wasn’t this like delivering oneself to his door to be walked over and played with?

When the old steward ran too fast and fell directly at Liu Zhenqing’s feet, Liu Zhenqing stopped in surprise. And at this time, Rong Shiming also realized how high this matter could rise. He froze, looking at Liu Zhenqing in shock and anger.

“Steward, what are you doing?” Liu Zhenqing asked, suppressing a smile.

“Young Master Liu, please slow down and let me take a closer look to avoid making a mistake. I have been too tired recently and my eyesight is not working well, hehehe…..” The old steward wrinkled his chrysanthemum-like face and smiled with difficulty, then took the invitation from Liu Zhenqing’s hand and immediately said in a loud voice: “Aiya, very sorry, I apologize to the three young masters. I was blind and saw wrongly. This is a special invitation, and is slightly different from the usual one. It’s all my fault. Three young masters, please come in quickly.”

The two cousins were immediately overjoyed. They never expected that they could make a comeback and also have face, and couldn’t help but send Liu Zhenqing embarrassed looks.

But Liu Zhenqing said: “Steward, have you looked carefully? This is no joking matter. It is very serious.”

“Of course, of course, I looked carefully.” The old steward continued to apologize, but he was complaining inwardly. He didn’t think that the love-brained idiot whose scandal had spread all over the capital would have such a side. He was very difficult to deal with. Had he known this, he would not have cooperated with Young Master Rong.

Liu Zhenqing naturally knew that the invitation was genuine due to the behavior of the two of them just now, so he had come up with such a trick. Of course, if it was fake, that would be even more interesting.

“But Young Master Rong is the cousin of the First Princess. He was so sure. Which one should I trust? Is it better to believe in your dim eyesight, Steward, or to believe in Young Master Rong’s sharp eyes?”

These words burned like tongues of fire, making Rong Shiming’s face hurt.

There was no one around him who didn’t know the truth of the matter at this moment, and they were all watching this dramatic rendition of a person going for the kill but being killed himself with surprise and amazement.

It was previously rumored that Liu Zhenqing had angrily denounced Rong Shiming, but others couldn’t believe it. They thought that Huo Fenglie and He Lan, who appeared later, had won the match. They didn’t expect Liu Zhenqing, who had lost his memory, to be so capable and win the game with just a few words.

Now it was Rong Shiming who had to go down the stairs.

The old steward looked back at Rong Shiming and saw that he was unwilling to bow his head easily, so he could only apologize on his behalf: “Young Master Rong hasn’t seen many of them, so if there is a small difference, there will be a misunderstanding. I hope Young Master Liu will be willing to generously excuse him.”

“Steward, the question is not if we are willing or not. If he hasn’t seen many and doesn’t know clearly, then he can’t say for sure. This is slander, ah. Although we are merchants and common people of the Great Zhou Dynasty, we cannot bear infamy at will. Young Master Rong’s behavior has truly embarrassed us.”

This was said tactfully. It was clear that if Rong Shiming didn’t apologize, this matter would not be over.

Seeing this atmosphere, the two cousins couldn’t help but want to pull Liu Zhenqing away, but Liu Zhenqing gave them a rare cold look. The imposing manner of an elder brother shocked the two of them on the spot.

Likely because Liu Zhenqing was so provocative, Rong Shiming finally couldn’t stand it any longer. “What’s wrong with just embarrassing you?”

Liu Zhenging had expected early on that this child wouldn’t bow his head so easily, so he said with a cold face: “It turns out it was really intentional, ah. In other words, the First Princess really did invite us, and today Young Master Rong stood in the princess’s place and overstepped the royal authority, ignored the First Princess’s orders, and stopped us directly. Young Master Rong really dominates the capital, ah! This lowly one sees how it is. Since Young Master Rong won’t allow it, we naturally don’t dare to participate. Farewell!”

The people around couldn’t help but suck in a breath when they heard this, and Rong Shiming’s expression also distorted. 

The old steward quickly stopped Liu Zhenqing, who was about to get in the carriage. If word about today spread, not only Rong Shiming would be implicated, but him as well. After all, they were the ones in the wrong.

“Young Master Rong, you young people can just talk it over. Don’t hurt your friendship. After all, he is a guest invited by the First Princess, so you can’t have a bad temper. Young Master Rong!”

Rong Shiming nearly vomited blood in anger, but he could see the situation clearly. In the end, he said with his body trembling: “It was only a joke. Young Master Liu has such a big temper.”

“Defending one’s honor cannot be considered as having a temper!” Liu Zhenqing gave Rong Shiming a cold look, indicating that such a statement was not an apology.

Rong Shiming’s teeth nearly broke, and he was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot. In front of everyone, he at last said resentfully: “I made a mistake, and I apologize to the three members of the Liu family.” His eyes said once again: Just you wait.

After speaking, it seemed that he couldn’t bear it anymore, and he turned around and rushed into the First Princess’s Palace.

The old steward immediately apologized and said some good words, and finally, the three Liu family members smoothly entered the manor.

Apart from Liu Zhenqing, who leisurely admired the surrounding pagodas and buildings, waterside pavilions, and strange plants and fairy vines, the two other Liu family members’ backs were nearly soaked when they returned to their senses.

Second Cousin: “Liu Xiaozhu, are you crazy? What you just did really offended them.”

Third Cousin: “You were told not to cause trouble, why did you……”

Liu Zhenqing said speechlessly: “What they did was already shameless. If you keep on swallowing your anger, you’ll be bullied to death. Since they wanted to cause trouble for me, why not protect myself as much as possible?”

The two of them were rendered mute by Liu Zhenqing’s words, and watched as Liu Zhenqing enjoyed the garden scenery with great interest. As they went, he also tugged the old steward who was personally leading the way in front and asked: “Will General Huo and He-daren be here today?”

The two people were suddenly disgusted, but the old steward looked at Liu Zhenqing with strange eyes. 

“They all have official duties and do not attend such gatherings, but there will be other distinguished guests present.”

Liu Zhenqing thought the same thing. Their separation last time had not been pleasant, so there was no need to see the other person again before leaving. Moreover, he was doomed to lose face today and didn’t want to be seen by a little brother like Er-gou.

However, the steward’s reaction was quite interesting, as if he was trying hard to suppress his expression of “rejoicing in another’s misfortune.”

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[1] Hongmen Banquet (鸿门宴) = A trap like the GOT red wedding 🙂 ⮐

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Chapter Fifteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventeen