Qi Qi said, "Perhaps? It would be wonderful if there were such a person. I wouldn't be sad if I didn't have one. Besides a lover, I also need family and friends."
Huangfu Jue said, "Why are friends listed last? Aren't I first?"
Qi Qi: "...So you're focusing on this?"
"Or else?"
"What? Go to sleep! Aren't you sleepy?"
"..."
Huangfu Jue wanted to warn him not to go to Lao Wu again, but after these words, he also figured out that Lao Wu was not the most important person in his heart. It was better to keep it a secret for the time being. Otherwise, if he said too much, he was afraid that Lai Bao would become rebellious and think that this kind of "love" with difficulties and obstacles was more sincere and beautiful.
Doesn't this match up with that ridiculous princess and prince story he tells?
Huangfu Jue would never be that kind of wicked stepmother. In his opinion, he was just a hunter friend who saved the innocent girl Lai Bao, and Lao Wu was the poisoned apple. What good would it do to follow him?
He's poor and fierce-looking; if he marries wives and concubines, he'll be even more vicious.
...
Huangfu Yi was unaware that Huangfu Jue was speaking ill of him in his heart. Since he had changed the direction of his life plan, he needed to prepare in advance. The Ninth Prince was a deep and scheming man, and it would take some effort to gain his trust. However, Huangfu Yi did not engage in any underhanded tactics this time and came to work for him with sincerity, so he was not afraid that Huangfu Jue would not trust him.
This bandit suppression campaign at least made him famous, and the old man probably knew that he didn't have many children left, so he promoted Huangfu Yi to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
The official position looks prestigious, but it is actually all show and no substance, all gold and jade on the outside but rotten on the inside. The Ministry of Rites is in charge of all the rites, sacrifices, and imperial examinations in the country. In the current state of the Great Xia, the power is only in the hands of a few people at the very top, and each of them has their own faction. These people have been in the court for a long time and their power is deeply rooted. Even if a prince like him comes without any support behind him, he will have no chance of getting real power.
Even those people in the Ministry of Works were previously disloyal and hypocritical. It took Huangfu Yi several years to gain a foothold. Now, with the emperor's decree, he's been trapped in this predicament, unable to develop his power. How can he possibly seek revenge against this damned emperor...?
In that case, it's more convenient to use someone else's hand...
After a few days in office, Huangfu Yi found that the position of Vice Minister of Rites was indeed not very demanding, except for some trivial matters. His subordinates were extremely perfunctory every day. On the other hand, the Ministry of Works was as busy as ever, but no matter how busy he was, he was still just doing odd jobs for the court.
On this day, Huangfu Yi went on a long business trip. On his way back, he encountered a group of people whose clothes and appearance were different from those in Xia Kingdom. They were acting strangely and looked quite disheveled, as if they were exiles or being chased. When they saw Huangfu Yi, they all showed surprise.
Huangfu Yi immediately ordered his trusted men to take control of these people. Upon questioning, he learned that they were envoys from the Xianbei, and the one who was seriously injured and unconscious was Tuoba Shuo, the second son of the current Xianbei leader Tuoba Xiong.
Tuoba Xiong......
This man was none other than his mother Tuoba Yan's younger brother, with whom he had a very close relationship. Huangfu Yi was precocious from a young age and remembered everything his mother had ever said. He also knew that his mother had lost her mother at the age of six and had relied on her newborn brother for survival. In the clan, she had a very difficult life because she was targeted by the forces behind the new queen.
Later, due to her exceptional talent and martial arts prodigy, she became a general in her clan at the age of sixteen. After five years of fighting, she was finally defeated by the Duke of Zhenguo. To protect the Xianbei people, she had no choice but to marry into the Xia Kingdom for a political alliance and was bestowed the title of Consort Li.
The concubine's martial arts skills were crippled when she entered the palace. She plotted for many years to assassinate the emperor, but failed. In order to protect him, she committed suicide.
She longed for the grasslands and freedom for so long, but in the end she never got to see them. The Xianbei and the Xia Kingdom had not had any contact for a long time, and her younger brother actually became king.
Huangfu Yi's eyes were deep, and he secretly kept the matter a secret, taking Tuoba Shuo in for treatment.
Soon after, it was learned that Tuoba Xiong had resolved the internal strife in Zuzhong three years ago and seized the throne in one fell swoop. He was currently discussing with the Xiongnu a grand plan to seize Xia. Both sides sent envoys to Xia, both as diplomatic missions and as an opportunity to contact the orphaned daughter of Princess Tuoba.
Unexpectedly, they were constantly blocked by the Zhenbei Army, resulting in heavy casualties.
“Cousin, since the news of Aunt’s passing reached us, Father has been heartbroken. He has sent people to Xia Kingdom several times, but they have all been blocked by those damned Zhenbei Army. Ha, do they think that just because they can’t get in, we will stop fighting?”
Huangfu Yi's heart skipped a beat. After reminiscing about the past for a while, he finally probed, "Cousin, you've really worked hard. Now that we're nearing Jiangnan, do you still intend to go on your mission as planned?"
Tuoba Shuo shook his head and said, "No need. Along the way, there are starving people everywhere, and the people are full of complaints. The Xia Kingdom is now in decline and is on the verge of collapse. I know that you are not doing well in the Xia Kingdom. Now come back to Xianbei with me. Soon we will defeat the Zhenbei Army and then crush the Xia Kingdom."
Huangfu Yi lowered his eyes: "What else did my uncle say? I need to work with you from within Xia Kingdom to seize power in the court..."
“No need,” Tuoba interrupted.
“If the Xianbei attack, the Xia Kingdom will be in chaos. That tyrannical ruler will inevitably suspect and blame you. Staying here is already very dangerous. Come back with me. Although the tribe is suffering from natural disasters and the environment is bad, it is still our own territory. There is no need to continue to suffer under someone else’s roof.”
“My father has often talked about my aunt since I was a child. He misses her and he misses you too.”
He handed over a bronze deer-shaped badge, saying, "This is a keepsake that my aunt left for my father."
Huangfu Yi had some doubts about the purpose of his visit, but after hearing this, he tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, and inevitably shed tears.
Unfortunately, if it had been a few years earlier, his mother wouldn't have died; if it had been two years later, Lai Bao would have had no more attachments to the palace.
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