Shi Ling was surprised to see Huo Xi, who had a face as beautiful as jade and a gentle and elegant temperament.
I never expected Huo Xi to be so good-looking.
She originally thought Huo Xi would be an ordinary man, but now she sees that he might actually become her husband's biggest rival.
The way the wicked mother-in-law treated Huo Xi was especially infuriating.
She treats her own son so badly, but treats her brother-in-law so well.
She even personally stews soups and medicinal dishes; I don't know where her heart is.
Seeing that the two were about to leave, she quickly squeezed Huo Jiwen's arm.
Huo Jiwen finally snapped out of his sour feeling, forced a stiff smile, and walked over with Shi Lingqiao.
He looked at Huo Xi with feigned surprise and said, "Uncle, you're back."
When Huo Xi saw Huo Jiwen, he felt a complex mix of emotions.
He smiled faintly and nodded. "Yes, I'm back."
On his way back, he already knew what had happened at the Duke's mansion.
It's truly unexpected that Huo Jiwen would be so unfilial to his sister-in-law for the sake of a woman, and even argued with her to the point of making her faint.
He was determined to marry a woman like that.
He was ambushed several times along the way. The people who came to kill him were well-trained assassins, which are not something an ordinary family could afford to raise.
If it weren't for his sister-in-law and the emperor sending people to protect him, he might have died on the way back.
Based on the information he received, his sister-in-law asked the emperor to strip Huo Jiwen of his title as heir apparent and also spread the word that she did not want Huo Jiwen to inherit the Duke's mansion in the future.
Besides Huo Jiwen, he was the only legitimate son of the Duke's mansion, so it was easy to guess who wanted to kill him without even investigating.
Of course, he didn't just assume it was Huo Jiwen based on his own guesses; he used the people his parents had left him to investigate. (M.cascoo.net)
And as expected, it turned out that Huo Jiwen had indeed conspired with the Fourth Prince to do it.
Besides feeling disillusioned and disappointed with Huo Jiwen, there was also a sense of anger at his lack of ambition.
Their ancestral precept is not to participate in the struggle for succession. Unless it is a matter of life and death for the Duke's family, they should not take sides. Only in this way can the Duke's family be guaranteed to last a long time.
But Huo Jiwen got close to the Fourth Prince so quickly. If the Fourth Prince doesn't become emperor in the future, the Duke's Mansion will definitely be implicated and purged by the new emperor.
Huo Xi knew from a young age that his nephew was the heir to the Duke's mansion, so he never thought of competing for it.
But he didn't want to live an ordinary life, so he studied hard and wanted to pass the imperial examination.
Giving up military service and fighting on the battlefield, he could become a civil official and support Huo Jiwen, one a scholar and the other a warrior.
But no one expected that Huo Jiwen would turn out like this because of a woman.
Forget about supporting each other, his own nephew even wanted him dead.
Since Huo Jiwen is disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust, then he doesn't need to be impolite.
If his sister-in-law really wants him to inherit the Duke's mansion, he will no longer back down as he did before; he will obey her arrangements.
If Huo Jiwen becomes unfilial in the future, he will treat her as his mother and care for her until she grows old.
The crown prince did not die. Whether it was his status as the legitimate son, his own intelligence and ability, or the emperor's high regard and trust, he would be the next emperor if nothing unexpected happened.
The fourth prince is ambitious and ruthless, but he is not cut out to be a wise ruler.
It is obvious who is right and who is wrong.
Therefore, he could not allow Huo Jiwen to drag the Duke's Mansion, which his ancestors had protected with their blood and lives, into the abyss.
Huo Jiwen could clearly sense that his uncle's attitude towards him had become colder, and in addition to feeling annoyed, he also felt a little panicked.
Could it be that my uncle suspects me because of the ambush?
He quickly reassured himself that the people who intercepted him weren't his men, and he hadn't personally made the arrangements, so they probably wouldn't be found out.
The younger uncle's change in attitude is likely because he was stripped of his title as heir apparent and now feels he has a chance to seize control of the Duke's mansion.
I never expected my uncle to be so cunning. I used to always pretend to be unassuming and low-key in front of him, but it turns out he was just waiting for this. What a hypocrite.
Although Huo Jiwen's dislike and annoyance towards Huo Xi deepened, he did not show it.
He involuntarily raised his hand and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Huo Xi, "I heard that you passed the provincial examination with top honors this time. Congratulations, Uncle."
Huo Xi's smile remained faint. "Thank you!"
He didn't ask who the woman next to Huo Jiwen was, but looked at Qingyou and said, "Sister-in-law, let me take you back to your courtyard, and I'd like to ask you for a cup of tea."
Qingyou smiled and said, "Great! My brother just sent over some new tribute tea a few days ago. You should try it."
"If you like, take them all home to drink."
Huo Xi's smile became much more genuine as he faced his sister-in-law. "Okay, thank you, sister-in-law."
The two of them, singing in unison, left Huo Jiwen and Shi Lingqiao standing to the side.
This made Huo Jiwen even more jealous. A few days ago, his uncle sent someone to deliver this year's new tribute tea. He hinted several times that it was delicious and hoped his mother would let him take it back to the courtyard, but she pretended not to hear him.
Now that Huo Xi has returned, before he has even said anything, his mother has already offered to give him the tribute tea.
This discrimination is far too obvious...
Moreover, his mother really went too far. She was all smiles of surprise and love when she saw Huo Xi, but when she saw him and Shi Lingqiao come over, her smile faded considerably.
He's her real son!
Seeing the two about to leave, Huo Jiwen immediately looked at Huo Xi and said, "Uncle, I haven't introduced them yet."
"This is my wife, Shi Lingqiao."
Then he said to Shi Lingqiao, "This is my uncle Huo Xi."
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