On the other side.
Qingyou went to see the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager already knew that Huo Chen was still alive, and she kept thanking Heaven for its mercy, unable to bear the thought of her daughter and son-in-law being separated by death.
Moreover, with her son-in-law returning alive, her daughter will not only no longer have to remain a widow, but will also have greater support in the future.
Even if a grandson is unfilial and disobedient, his son-in-law will still take care of him.
The mother and daughter chatted happily for a long time until the eunuch from the emperor's side came to invite Qingyou over, at which point they stopped.
Qingyou returned to the Imperial Study and sat there for a while.
Then she took the initiative to tell the emperor that she had asked the crown prince to take Huo Xi out for a stroll.
In front of the emperor, she could only ever be the younger sister who depended on him and valued him the most.
She gave the emperor the impression that she wouldn't hide anything from him.
Sure enough, after hearing Qingyou's story, the emperor understood her little scheme.
He had no objection to the idea that Huo Xi wanted to interact more with the Crown Prince.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Huo Xi will be the next Duke of Zhenguo, and closer contact would also be beneficial to the Crown Prince. (M.cascoo.net)
Since the emperor did not object and even expressed his support, Qingyou's goal was achieved.
Then she and Xiaoxing left the Imperial Study and went to the East Palace to pick up Huo Xi.
The news that the Duke of Zhenguo had returned alive quickly spread among the powerful and influential people in the capital.
The court officials were all shocked, and the princes were also quite surprised.
The fourth prince was initially pleased to hear that the Duke of Zhenguo had returned alive.
With Huo Jiwen's biological father back, his aunt should no longer be able to find a successor.
Before they could even celebrate, a guard reported that the Duke of Zhenguo and his wife had brought Huo Xi to the palace.
Then Huo Xi went to the East Palace with the Crown Prince and sat there for most of the day.
This made the Fourth Prince feel gloomy. If his aunt and the Duke of Zhenguo allowed Huo Xi to befriend the Crown Prince, it would be very disadvantageous for him.
Then someone was sent to the Duke's mansion to tell Huo Jiwen and his wife the news.
The Duke's Mansion.
Qingyou went out to play at the manor, and Huo Jiwen and Shi Lingqiao were no longer bothered. They both felt incredibly light and relaxed.
Huo Jiwen was in a good mood these past few days, and he even took Shi Lingqiao out shopping and sightseeing.
The two of them had just returned from watching a play outside.
The Fourth Prince's bodyguards arrived.
Upon hearing the guard's words, Huo Jiwen was so startled that he dropped the teacup in his hand to the ground.
"What did you say? My father is back alive?"
Is this some kind of joke?
The guard was taken aback, clearly surprised. "Young Master Huo doesn't know about this?"
He came mainly to tell Huo Jiwen that the Eldest Princess and the Duke of Zhenguo had brought Huo Xi into the palace and that he was interacting with the Crown Prince.
Unexpectedly, Huo Jiwen was unaware that the Duke of Zhenguo had returned alive.
Huo Jiwen was momentarily dazed. "Do many people know about this?"
The guard nodded. "Anyone with good connections should know by now."
Huo Jiwen's expression changed, and he remembered what the guard had said earlier.
"Did Huo Xi enter the palace with my parents?"
The guard replied, "Yes, the eldest princess even had the crown prince take Huo Xi to the East Palace for half a day."
"My master was worried that Huo Xi would steal your thunder in front of the Princess and the Duke, so he sent me to convey this message."
He thought for a moment and then added a piece of information he had gathered: "Huo Xi returned to the capital from the estate with the Eldest Princess and the Duke."
Huo Jiwen's face was very ugly. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I understand. Please tell my fourth cousin that I will remember this favor."
The guards didn't linger and left immediately.
After everyone left, Huo Jiwen couldn't resist and overturned the teapot on the table.
He even stood up and kicked the tables and chairs in the room, venting his anger and trying to hide the slight panic that had arisen within him.
So many people knew that his father had returned alive, and Huo Xi even went to the estate to pick him up. But if it weren't for the Fourth Prince's people coming to inform him, he would still be in the dark.
His mother and father must have said something, and then secretly informed Huo Xi to go to the estate.
Shi Lingqiao was initially pleasantly surprised to hear that her father-in-law had actually returned alive.
In this way, the wicked mother-in-law will be kept in check, and the husband's position as heir apparent might be regained soon.
Who would have thought that the wicked mother-in-law would only inform Huo Xi to go to the estate while keeping it a secret from the couple? It was simply too much.
Seeing her husband's crazed and furious expression, she dared not approach him.
Once he had calmed down a bit, she deliberately tried to sow discord by saying, "Husband, does Mother dislike you that much? She didn't even tell you that Father had returned alive."
She's feeling pretty annoyed right now.
I think the wicked mother-in-law is really too cruel, treating her husband like that.
Huo Jiwen was also very unhappy and growled, "I am her biological son, how can she be so biased?"
"I wonder what she'll say about me to Dad."
This was his biggest worry: he feared that his heartless mother would influence his father's behavior and cause him to develop dislike or resentment towards him.
After all, he was only a few years old when his father went to war, and they didn't spend much time together. They hadn't seen each other in years, so it was impossible for them to have any deep feelings for each other.
This was also what Shi Lingqiao was worried about. She held Huo Jiwen's hand and said, "As soon as Father comes back, you should take the initiative to apologize to him."
This strategic retreat can actually bring comfort and joy to the elders.
She added, "No matter what, you are Dad's only son. Spend more time with him and cultivate a father-son relationship; no one else can compare."
She believed that parents would definitely care more about their own biological son, except for the kind of wicked mother-in-law.
After listening to her words of comfort, Huo Jiwen calmed down completely and said, "You're right."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com