The prince curled his lower lip slightly, and regained his lazy expression. "Go back and ask the Grand Tutor and you'll know why."
Huo Jincheng understood why after a moment's thought. A Grand Tutor and the Prince of Pingnan, who commanded a large army, one civil and one military, would be feared by anyone. His heart sank as he thought of this. "Your Highness, I'm afraid I may have made a mistake in one matter."
"Oh, what's the matter?" The prince sat up suddenly.
"Prince Pingnan's concubine, Concubine Min, has a brother-in-law who once hired assassins to assassinate Prince Pingnan's legitimate daughter and youngest son. Last night, I led my men to take him to a farm on the outskirts of the city and put him under guard."
The prince lay down again. "I told you not to have too much contact with them in public, so as not to attract attention, but I didn't tell you to ignore their lives. If anything happens to them in the capital, I will only hold you accountable."
What kind of thing is this? Think about it, Ding Youtian was born into a farming family, yet he not only married the daughter of the Prince of Pingnan but also caught the eye of the Crown Prince. It's one thing for him to protect Ding Youtian on his own accord and for the Crown Prince to order him to do so.
He was feeling a bit uncomfortable when he heard the Crown Prince say, "Jincheng, you and Jinyu have been with me since childhood. Because of your relationship as Grand Tutor, I am even closer to you. Please don't let me down."
Huo Jincheng's face turned stern: "Yes, I will do my best."
The prince nodded and said, "Well, I trust you to do the job. Before the prince returns to the capital, their safety in the capital will be left to you."
"Then what about Nan Xiang..."
"No rush. We can put the Nan Xiang issue aside for now. As far as I know, Nan Xiang has never accepted a disciple. You guys have been in Dingxian Village for a while. Although the officials in the court know you, they must recognize you, but it's always better to stay out of sight."
"Ding Youtian, as long as you treat him sincerely in private, if there is any disturbance in the future, I believe that even if Prime Minister Nan is unwilling to help, his disciples will certainly not sit idly by."
"Your Highness is absolutely right. I know what to do. I will take my leave."
"Go ahead and ask Xiao Shi to come in."
Huo Jincheng didn't see Xiao Shi when he came out, and he didn't see anyone in Jixianyuan, where the painters were in the Prince's Palace. He then went to the Inner Palace and saw Xiao Shi through the window, seemingly writing a letter at his desk, so he rushed in.
"Who are you writing to when you're all alone?"
“Give it to me!”
He extended his hand toward Xiao Shi.
The panic on Xiao Shi's face had completely disappeared. Without hesitation, he handed the letter he had written to Blind Liu but had not had time to hide it to him.
Huo Jincheng glanced at the half-written letter and raised his eyebrows, "Second Master?"
Huo Jincheng knew that Feng Qingzi was Nanyangzi's senior brother. He also knew that Nanyangzi had another junior brother, but he didn't know his name.
"Come with me to see His Highness."
He brought Xiao Shi to the prince and gave him the letter. Xiao Shi looked calm because in the letter he only told Liu Xiazi that Huo Jincheng and the prince already knew his true identity, and wrote that if the prince successfully inherited the throne, it would be better for the country and the people than if Prince Yong succeeded to the throne. His words implied that he was begging Liu Xiazi to help the prince.
Therefore, he had nothing to worry about. At most, he would be guilty of knowing the truth but not reporting it.
"Is your father Hua Xinzi?" The prince asked after reading the letter and looking up at Xiao Shi.
"Hua Xinzi?" Huo Jincheng frowned. Hua had come to the capital in search of her lost brother. He hadn't believed Yunniang's claim that Hua was seventeen years his senior. There were very few people with the surname Hua in Dayan, and Xiao Shi was already in his early twenties. If his father, Hua Xinzi, was truly Hua's younger brother, then Hua...
He looked at Xiao Shi. Xiao Shi had nothing to hide now that Feng Qingzi was dead and his revenge was achieved, so he told the truth, "Yes, my father is Nan Xiang's junior apprentice. He helped Second Uncle-Master when the Emperor led his men to attack the last city. He pretended to join Feng Qingzi and joined forces with Second Uncle-Master to capture the city."
"My father was a natural at heart, used to living a carefree life. He bid farewell to Second Uncle-Master and took his family into seclusion in a remote town. However, he was eventually discovered by Feng Qingzi. Except for me, who luckily survived, he murdered the entire family!"
"Does your father have a sister? Are your family members from the Ganao tribe?" Huo Jincheng asked anxiously after he finished speaking.
Xiao Shi looked at him and said, "Yes, my father did have a sister, but she was lost when the tribe was destroyed."
"Then do you know your aunt's name?"
Huo Jincheng lost control a little, and the prince suddenly remembered that his wife's surname was Hua, so he asked, "Do you know your aunt's name?
"Flower spirit."
The prince saw Huo Jincheng's brows relax, but Xiao Shi continued, "Also called Hua Rou."
"Hua Rou?" Huo Jincheng's face paled, and he muttered, "How is this possible? How could this be?" He took a step toward Xiao Shi and said, "Then your aunt must be forty-eight this year, right?"
Xiao Shi nodded, confused, "Exactly."
The prince smiled unkindly. Seeing Huo Jincheng looking at him, he tried to hold back his laughter but failed, so he just burst out laughing.
"Your Highness!" Huo Jincheng was unhappy. He didn't care that Hua was much older than him, but in his mind, Hua had always been like a holy white lotus, beautiful, quiet, and indifferent to the world.
"Don't worry, there are many people with the same name in the world. I have seen your wife before. She is at most in her twenties. How can a woman in the world have such a magical skill to keep her youth?" The prince smiled and comforted him.
Huo Jincheng said, "I'm not disappointed because she's older than me. I just...think she's the most innocent woman in the world. I never thought she would hide anything from me."
The prince couldn't help but curl his lips again, "Have you ever asked her her age? If you did, and she concealed it, then you can assume she lied to you. If you never asked, how can you say she concealed it?"
Huo Jincheng frowned and thought for a moment, as if he had never asked Hua's age before. The prince knew he hadn't asked by looking at him. "Don't worry about it anymore. It's all in the past. Don't dwell on it. What matters most is to do what needs to be done right now."
Xiao Shi looked at Huo Jincheng with a look of realization, "Commander Huo, do you know my aunt?"
The prince laughed and said, "More than that, he might even be your uncle."
Xiao Shi: “Ah?”
Huo Jincheng narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the slightly shocked Xiao Shi. Then he knelt on one knee in front of the prince, clasped his fists and said, "I'm leaving!"
"Go ahead. You don't have to come to the palace for now." The prince rubbed his brows and said to himself, "I'm afraid there will be a wedding in the palace soon. Jinyu..."
"Happy event?" Huo Jincheng stamped his feet, "What does it have to do with Jinyu?
The prince waved his hand and said, "It's not my wish to take a concubine. Go on."
"Commander Huo." Xiao Shi wanted to ask Huo Jincheng about his aunt, but Huo Jincheng ignored him and strode away.
"Your Highness, Commander Huo..."
"Ignore him and continue painting yours."
Huo Jincheng left the palace and got on the carriage waiting outside. He was very worried all the way. Sometimes he thought of Hua, and sometimes he thought about how the happy event in the palace had to do with Yang Jinyu. He was very upset.
Just as the servant drove the carriage to the gate of the mansion, Yunniang rushed up.
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