"Then why don't you, young master, do me the honor and marry me?"

Liu Yingying originally just wanted to tease him, but she regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.

Huo Huaizhi was completely petrified at this moment.

The young master of the prestigious Duke of Zhenguo's mansion didn't dare utter a single word!

He wasn't quite sure if Liu Yingying was joking or serious.

Or perhaps she was testing him?

"Hey? What are you spacing out for!" Liu Yingying tapped the table. "I was just joking with you. I hope the young master wasn't scared?"

"Cough cough! No...no!"

Huo Huaizhi then came to his senses and immediately coughed twice.

But his expression was extremely unnatural.

Liu Yingying wanted to roll her eyes in exasperation. Was this guy really afraid that she, a toad trying to eat swan meat, would cling to him?

Bah! She's not a toad, and she doesn't want to eat him!

Men in ancient times were so conservative; they couldn't even take a joke like this.

Even today, Liu Yingying still finds dealing with men of this era exhausting!

Just then, the sound of the Moon Grey Falcon came from outside.

"Master, an urgent report has arrived from Zhennanguan!"

"Okay, I understand!" Huo Huaizhi stood up. "Madam Liu, I have important matters to attend to. I hope you won't blame me for my rudeness!"

"Oh, then you should go quickly!"

Liu Yingying felt that she could eat more freely when he wasn't around!

Huo Huaizhi entered a side room at the end of the corridor. Even on his way to take up his post in Zhennanguan, he had a lot of official business to attend to.

This is his "temporary study".

At this moment, he sat upright in his chair, holding the urgent confidential report he had just finished reading.

Zhennan Pass is the southern gateway to the Great Xia Dynasty, and it is used to defend against the influence of small countries such as Yunzhao and Mianyin.

Among the many small countries in the south, Yunzhao is the most powerful, and in recent years it has repeatedly provoked the borders of Xia.

This is also why His Majesty the Emperor sent Huo Huaizhi to guard the southern border.

However, the contents of the secret report in his hand were not news of Yun Zhao causing trouble at the border again.

Instead, with King Yunzhao critically ill and his sons engaged in fierce infighting, this might be the best opportunity for the Great Xia to reclaim the three southwestern cities!

After pondering for a moment, Huo Huaizhi asked Grey Falcon, "Have any other messages been sent back by our spies in Yunzhao?"

Grey Falcon thought for a moment, and something actually came to mind.

"I've also heard a rumor, but I'm not sure if it's true..."

Huo Huaizhi: "Speak!"

Grey Falcon: "It is said that the current King Yunzhao has a son who has been living abroad and is located within the territory of Great Xia. So recently, Yunzhao has been making a lot of moves, probably because they want to find this son and bring him back!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Huaizhi immediately thought of Xue Ye.

No wonder so many people from Yunzhao have been found in Xia Kingdom recently…

Is this a coincidence, or is there something wrong with that person's identity?

At this moment, Huo Huaizhi suddenly remembered the first time he met Xue Ye.

It was in the inn that Xue Ye and Liu Yingying encountered the assassins...

At first, he thought those people were after Liu Yingying.

Looking back now, it's probably more than that...

That evening, Dongqing came over and stood outside the door to convey Huo Huaizhi's message to Liu Yingying.

"Your Excellency, our young master asked me to tell you that he plans to set off early tomorrow morning."

Liu Yingying: "Oh, okay, then I wonder if it's convenient for the young master to say goodbye in advance?"

Dong Qing quickly explained, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. The young master is going to Zhennan Pass to take up his post, which happens to be not far from your wife's hometown. It's inconvenient for a woman like you to travel alone..."

"So, what you mean, young master, is that you'd still like to travel with us tomorrow?"

"Oh... alright then!" Liu Yingying was slightly surprised.

She knew that Huo Huaizhi was intentionally protecting her, but in doing so, she owed him a huge favor!

After traveling for another two days, they finally entered the territory of Ningzhou Prefecture.

A few days ago, because Liu Yingying had just recovered from a serious illness and was still quite weak, Huo Huaizhi arranged for her to ride in a carriage alone, while he and his subordinates rode horses.

Today, Liu Yingying felt she was back to normal and suggested that she ride a horse like everyone else.

This way, they could travel faster, and she really felt bad about slowing everyone down any further.

Huo Huaizhi had witnessed her fierceness firsthand. Unlike the delicate and helpless noblewomen in the capital, she was different. So he ordered someone to harness a chestnut horse to Liu Yingying.

However, Huo Huaizhi seemed to be trying his best to avoid her.

Liu Yingying rode behind on horseback, her gaze fixed on the tall, imposing figure ahead, and she couldn't help but purse her lips.

This young master is acting strangely. Could he really have been frightened by what she said that day?

No, I need to find a chance to explain this to him!

According to the plan, they should be able to reach Wuhui Town in Ningzhou County today, where they can have a hearty meal and rest for a while.

However, due to the torrential rains of the previous few months that washed away the road leading to Wuhui Town, it has not been repaired yet, and their large group of people and horse-drawn carriages cannot pass through.

So they had no choice but to camp in the wild again.

Dongqing brought over a small package and handed it to Liu Yingying.

"Madam Liu, here is some dry food and water. Please make do with this!"

Liu Yingying weighed the package in her hand and opened it. The dry rations of this era were much harder than the compressed biscuits of later generations.

If you were to use it to throw at someone, it could give them a huge bump on the head...

Seeing her slightly furrowed brows, Dongqing understood and said, "Given the situation, we probably won't reach the nearest town before dark, so we'll have to eat dry rations to fill our stomachs."

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