After thirty lashes, Huo Xiao lay in bed for half a month before he could move. During this time, many people came to offer their condolences, and most of their words were accusations of the Ninth Prince's debauchery and cruelty.
If he had been nostalgic for places of pleasure in the past, it would have been fine, after all, most of the young men in the capital also had some fetishes. But this time, Zhou Huaiyan humiliated the general guarding the border for the sake of a lowly foreign slave.
This was a completely different matter. Several ministers even wrote to the emperor to complain about the incident, which caused a great disturbance in the city.
"My Lord, this is the list of people who came to visit me. Your Highness is really smart. There are indeed some problems with the people in it."
In the study, Huo Xiao placed the envelope on the table with a hesitant look.
"It's just that foreign slave..."
"Take a look at this first."
Duke Wei took out a stack of papers from the box. Huo Xiao took it and read ten lines at a glance.
"Jiangnan Yun Family...?"
There were many large rivers in the Zhou Dynasty and the waterways were well developed. The Yun family in the south of the Yangtze River had been engaged in shipping for generations and almost controlled the waterways of the Zhou Dynasty, becoming rich enough to rival other countries.
The daughter of the Yun family went to the northern border for business. On the way, she encountered a foreign invasion from the south. When she escaped from the snowy plains, she was already pregnant and was about to give birth to a green-eyed baby boy in a farmer's home in the northern border.
Huo Xiao was shocked.
"That foreign slave turned out to be a direct descendant of the Yun family. If so... does Your Highness know about this?"
"Otherwise, do you really think that he was so mesmerized by those eyes that he lost his way?"
Duke Wei snorted.
"That boy looks stupid and foolish, but he is actually as cunning as a fox. He even dared to deceive people around me."
Having said that, he glanced meaningfully at the silent butler He Jin beside him. The latter just lowered his head respectfully and did not answer, which was regarded as tacit agreement.
At first, Duke Wei asked He Jin to investigate Ah Fei's background, but the latter immediately sent the result to Zhou Huaiyan.
Duke Wei finally understood the truth, but he didn't expose it. As a prince, he should be more thoughtful, otherwise Zhou Huaiyan would step on him to ascend the throne.
Jiang Yi is also willing.
Throughout the ages, if one wants to fight for the supreme position, one must have soldiers and money. The Yun family's power can not only control the military line, but also possess the wealth of a country.
This move was an excellent one.
Now that the identity has been checked, Duke Wei does not want to discuss this matter any further.
"Have you found out about the unrest in the north?"
Huo Xiao knelt down on one knee.
"I am ashamed. I have only found out that someone who colluded with the foreign race is hiding in the army. The specific person has not been determined yet. However, the people in the army cannot reach the capital. The participants in this assassination may be from all over the country."
【Four directions...】
Duke Wei's eyes darkened slightly. On the surface, it was the royal family of Yanzhou and the foreign races, plus the people hidden in the army. There was only one left, who else could it be?
·
"——White Horse Temple?"
At the same time, Zhou Huaiyan also received the news from Jin Cui. Hongdou brought a pot of hot milk tea and replied respectfully,
"Yes, after the Wang family fell, Yanzhou had a lot more people. The White Horse Temple began to teach Buddhism. The temple was packed with people, and many officials also went there."
"Nonsense."
Zhou Huaiyan sneered. He tapped the table lightly, lost in thought.
"As far as I can remember, the White Horse Temple became famous the year Prince Jing plotted a rebellion?"
"Yes, twenty years ago, Prince Jing started a rebellion. The White Horse Temple was not afraid of the rebels and saved many people. Since then, it has been named the National Temple.
Red beans are detailed.
"Now, decades later, there is a White Horse Temple in almost every state capital."
Even the name of the Xuan'an Pavilion was written by the great master Jiankong of the White Horse Temple.
Zhou Huaiyan intuitively felt that he had grasped something.
"There's something a bit cat-sick in here, go check out the White Horse Temple."
“It’s already being done.”
That's about it. Zhou Huaiyan closed the book in his hand and put it aside.
"Where's Ah Fei?"
"At the Xuan'an Pavilion. Dinner is coming soon. I think he should be back soon."
Zhou Huaiyan supported his face with one hand, playing with the jade beads around his waist in boredom.
"Hongdou, why do you think he suddenly wants to study medicine?"
"A Fei has no special talents. If he wants to stay with His Highness, he will naturally think about learning something useful to His Highness."
The maid knelt beside the young man and massaged his calf meridians. Zhou Huaiyan couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
"I have many doctors around me, so I don't need him. But my uncle said that Ah Fei has a very good physique and may be more suitable for martial arts training."
The maid paused and raised her head.
"Your Highness, do you want him to join the army?"
Zhou Huaiyan nodded slightly.
“I’ve had that thought.”
【I have...】
That is, it is gone now. Hongdou frowned hesitantly.
"Your Highness wants to send Ah Fei to the Yun family..."
The boy interrupted her slowly,
"When did I ever say that I wanted Ah Fei to return to the Yun family? Yun Moli, the legitimate daughter, died tragically in the Northern Territory. Do you think she didn't want to go back?"
In this era, women's chastity was extremely demanding. Her death was probably caused by one of the Yun family's own people in order to erase the stain.
Sending the young Ah Fei to the slave camp was perhaps the only way Yun Moli could think of to protect his child.
When he touched Hongdou, she suddenly came to her senses and frowned.
"If Ah Fei cannot bring the Yun family under your control, then he is useless. Why does your Highness want to keep him?"
Zhou Huaiyan took a sip of the hot milk tea nonchalantly, and the sweet aroma of milk and oolong tea spread between his lips and tongue.
"Of course..."
He couldn't help but squint his eyes in satisfaction, and murmured like a raving
"Your Highness likes it."
There was no reason. He was simply obsessed with those beautiful cyan eyes that were like the finest emerald green.
The day he found out Ah Fei's identity, Zhou Huaiyan made up his mind that since there was no danger, it would be a good idea to keep the kitten by his side.
That's why the young man told Ah Fei at that time that since she didn't want to leave, she should just stay with him.
"What did your Highness say?"
Zhou Huaiyan's tone was so soft that even Hongdou, who was kneeling beside him, couldn't hear it clearly.
Not to mention——
Ah Fei stood outside the door and listened to the whole thing.
As he had to dine with his master today, he finished reading the medical book early and came back. Unexpectedly, he overheard the conversation between the young man and Hongdou.
It turned out that his mother was the legitimate daughter of the Yun family, and she was raped by foreigners and gave birth to such a filthy person like him.
The master kept him by his side for the Yun family's power. But now, he was a useless chess piece, useless to the master.
All his efforts to learn medical skills were in vain because his master said he had many imperial physicians.
Moreover, these days of getting along made Ah Fei understand clearly that Zhou Huaiyan was not greedy for beauty at all, and would not be a person who indulged in desire. Therefore, the master had no interest in his body.
Useless slaves will be thrown away.
This is the iron law among the foreign races.
Ah Fei's face turned pale. He couldn't help but hug his arms and tremble with fear.
He had to... make himself useful to his master...
it works......
"—You want to learn martial arts?"
During dinner, Zhou Huaiyan heard the kitten's cautious request.
"Aren't you learning medicine from Doctor Li? Why do you suddenly want to learn martial arts?"
"Because... because Ah Fei wants to protect her master when he encounters danger."
Ever since he confirmed that his current identity was that of a servant boy, Zhou Huaiyan no longer allowed him to call himself a slave.
Ah Fei lowered his head and almost buried his face in the bowl. It was obviously the truth, but when he said it, he wanted to cry.
Zhou Huaiyan did not notice the change in Xiaomao's mood. He just felt that learning martial arts was very hard. Moreover, his uncle said in person that Ah Fei had a good physique and was someone close to him. Once she learned martial arts, she would have to undergo the most rigorous training, and it was not impossible for her to even be trained as a death warrior.
Zhou Huaiyan thought, since Ah Fei was just a servant who stayed by his side, there was no need for her to work so hard.
"Hongdou is very good at martial arts, and I have many guards when I travel, so there is no need for you to go..."
【--unnecessary】
The master himself said that he was not needed...
Click.
The crystal tears fell on the table, shattering into pieces. The kitten knelt on the ground, clutching the corner of his clothes, crying and trembling silently.
"A Fei?"
Zhou Huaiyan was stunned. He stretched out his hand and felt something wet and hot on his palm.
"Master...please."
The soft voice was filled with tears.
Ah Fei followed the boy's hand and raised her face. Her pale blue eyes were filled with tears, like a jadeite about to break.
[It's so beautiful...]
The boy looked at him blankly.
Being stared at like this, Zhou Huaiyan felt a strange burning sensation.
"Why are you crying?"
He stroked the corners of Ah Fei's red, moist eyes and sighed softly.
"Your Highness will allow me to do so."
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Ah Fei becomes stronger by 2%
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