It was rare for her to speak so casually, and Zhao Shu tried to force a smile, but perhaps because of the bitterness in her heart, the flesh on her face wouldn't obey her.

"I overestimated myself," she said softly. She now understood what had happened today. These people were here to kill her, because the recent upheavals in the capital were all orchestrated and instigated by her.

Huo Baichuan was right. She was indeed using others' strength against them. By taking advantage of Emperor Mingde's desire to consolidate power and by using Qiu Chengshi and others, she had defeated Wang Yang's faction, forced Xie Yun to work for Emperor Mingde, and even invited Huo Baichuan to join her.

These things could no longer be hidden, but she was unaware of it, thinking that the Prince Yong's mansion would not be noticed so quickly.

However, she overlooked one point: the manor was like a leaky sack. Even if she eliminated many spies, it was only a small part of the problem. News from the manor would still spread out like a balloon with a few holes punctured.

In the past, the affairs of the Prince's mansion were trivial and no one paid attention to them. However, so many things have happened that if they are not noticed, then everyone in the world would be stupid.

Especially those from Wang Yang's faction, they must have found something out. Even if they can't find anything more, as long as there's the slightest impropriety, they won't be able to wait to kill him to vent their anger.

Moreover, with Prince Duan still at home, unable to tour the country on behalf of the emperor, he must be insanely jealous of his nineteenth brother.

With so many enemies, how could the ship not capsize?

"You are the second most capable woman I have ever met." Even when Huo Baichuan was comforting someone, he disdained to lie. Even when he was praising someone, he would also take the opportunity to put them down.

Zhao Shu smiled self-deprecatingly. Whether she was first or second, she didn't care. She just needed to protect what she cared about.

Huo Baichuan thought that a proud woman like her would definitely ask who was number one, but Zhao Shu remained silent, which surprised him.

"Will my father be alright?" Zhao Shu asked after a long while.

"Don't worry, your father is actually a very simple person. They will only kill you, they won't easily touch your father." Huo Baichuan reached out and patted her head, indicating that she could rest assured.

Perhaps it was the burning heat from Zhao Shu's scalding tears that had just touched him that made him stop calling Zhao Shu stupid.

He was still very angry. When he first met Zhao Shu, she was so confident that she thought she was the most important person in the world. But after investigating, he realized how audacious this girl was. She was playing with fire and would get burned one day.

He was surprised when he was taken to Prince Yong's mansion that day. He was surprised by her confidence and inexplicably believed her. Looking back now, he realized that he was quite absurd, like those poets in history who had some romantic feelings and always did things that were incomprehensible to others. It was very boring.

Calling her stupid is just a way of reminding her not to be so clever as to treat others like fools.

Zhao Shu knew that these words were meant to comfort her. Those people dared to kill her, so they must have been sent by someone extraordinary. How could they possibly let her father go?

She wondered if her grandmother had sent anyone to protect her father. At that moment, she longed to go to the palace immediately, to stop hiding and concealing herself. At worst, she would be burned at the stake as a monster.

She was willing to do anything as long as her father was well.

"Do you trust me?" Huo Baichuan asked.

Zhao Shu thought for a moment. She had nothing that anyone would want from her, and they had already gone through thick and thin together today, so she nodded and said, "I believe you."

"Alright, then tell me honestly, were the matters concerning the Fubing system, the fiefdoms, the Xie family, the Wang family, and the Yang family all done by yourself, or were they taught by others?" Although he asked this question, he was already certain in his heart.

He could find out that Zhao Shu broke a porcelain bowl with plum blossom decorations three years ago, and that five years ago, Zhao Shu was ridiculed for her ugly sideburns at another mansion, so she sold all the maids around her when she returned home.

However, he could not find out who was behind her, or when she learned pharmacology and how she could cure diseases. The Prince's mansion did have medical books, but he did not believe that she could cure diseases just by reading a few medical books. However, the prescription she wrote was called a wonderful prescription by the doctor who brought her to the capital.

This woman, disliked by all the noble ladies in the capital, is shrouded in mystery and cannot be understood.

“It was me,” Zhao Shu said. “No one taught me. I wanted to do it myself. Will Mr. Huo report me?” Apart from the secret of her rebirth, she knew she couldn’t hide anything anymore. There were plenty of people in this world who knew how to scheme from a young age, and she was just one of them. As for understanding medical principles, if one had the talent, one could learn them by reading medical books. In this world, everything comes from nothing.

Sure enough, Huo Baichuan chuckled twice, "What am I going to accuse you of? Accuse you of being a cunning devil? Or accuse you of fueling the flames, helping the Emperor defeat the Wang Yang faction, and forcing Xie Yun to go to Jiangnan to invite Yan Shiren? Or accuse you of understanding medicine?"

"Mr. Huo's kindness is immense, and I, Ah Jun, will certainly repay it in the future." Zhao Shu thought for a moment. Huo Baichuan possessed far more than she did, so if she wanted to repay him, she could only wait for the right opportunity.

"If you heal my elder sister, it will be repaying your kindness. Don't worry, your father will be fine. I promised to protect your father, and I will not break my promise. Just don't act like an old man in the future. Children should act like children. You are so old and dejected, it's really annoying."

"Then why do you put on such a cynical act, Mr. Huo? Young masters from noble families are all different from you," Zhao Shu retorted. Nowadays, she rarely acts childlike in front of outsiders; even when she occasionally acts coquettishly, it's all an act.

Huo Baichuan closed his eyes and leaned against the edge of the bed. "It's natural to be different from others. Nowadays, all the young masters of aristocratic families are the same. It's too boring."

As the two talked, they lost track of time. The sound of cicadas could be heard in the distance, and rain was drizzling outside the window, making the scene seem incredibly desolate.

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