Lan Tingche returned late and happened to run into Huo Xiaolong coming out of Cen Ang's room. The girl looked at him in his long robe and seemed a little downcast. She didn't ask why, but simply took his hand and said...
"Is Tingche unhappy?"
Clearly, Lan Tingche didn't reply immediately. The man was silent for a few seconds before speaking.
"A little bit, but it's nothing, it should be fine by tomorrow."
The girl, who had been pampered by her family and responded to every word, did not blame him. Instead, she pulled him to sit on the rocking chair in the courtyard and sat down next to Lan Tingche.
She reached out and wrapped her long arms around the man's shoulders, letting him lie in her arms.
If it weren't for what happened back then, Tingche would definitely be very happy now, the rightful crown prince.
Huo Xiaolong felt a pang of heartache, lowered his head, pressed his forehead against the man's face, and whispered...
"It's alright, Tingche, it's all over now."
The passionate kiss made Lan Tingche a little flustered. He had been engaged to Long'er for so long, and the most intimate thing they had ever done was hug, a habit that Long'er had developed when she was a child.
The man's ears turned bright red, and he buried his face in the girl's arms, unable to look at her.
But he wasn't exactly clingy. Huo Xiaolong could clearly feel the strength of the arms wrapped around his waist, like an old married couple. He lay on his lap, his head resting against his abdomen, vulnerable because of a moment of unhappiness.
The girl no longer had the upper hand. The rocking chair was large. He looked up at Huo Xiaolong and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.
"Can we do it again?"
The girl raised an eyebrow and said
"Are you happy now?"
He was still depressed when he thought about his parents, but when he thought about that kiss, he felt a little restless.
"Today, Mom told me about the Crown Princess's past, which is your mother."
Hearing this, Lan Tingche remained silent, his fingernails digging into his palms. Long'er knew he resented and hated him.
“We’re engaged now, so your mother is my mother and your father is my father. I’ll put the Emperor’s head in front of their graves so they can vent their anger.”
"So, Tingche, don't bear it all by yourself. You have me, your aunt, and the sisters from Fengyue Tower. You and I don't have to be like ordinary couples where men have to be strong. You don't have to be like that with me. You can cry and you can be vulnerable."
"You and I are each other's support. If I encounter anything unhappy in the future, I will cry my heart out in your arms."
Hearing this, the man's eyes gradually reddened. He did not return to Long'er's embrace, but instead held her close to his chest.
Lan Tingche thought this was good; he already possessed the most precious treasure in the world.
Hearing the man sobbing, Huo Xiaolong didn't spoil the mood this time, and patted his back gently with her small hand.
"It's okay, don't be afraid, I'm here, everything will be alright."
"Sometimes I wonder if my parents think it's shameful for you to be a son-in-law who lives with my family."
Lan Tingche had probably cried enough when he suddenly asked this question.
Huo Xiaolong thought about it carefully, then pursed his lips and said...
“I don’t know about your father, but your mother probably wouldn’t. My mother said that your mother has a good temper and is gentle, so she definitely wants you to be happy. At worst, she can have two children in the future, and one of them can take your surname.”
Lan Tingche really hadn't expected this, especially regarding having a child...
The man's face turned red again.
Then, remembering the hardships of childbirth endured by the women of the brothel, he immediately became serious.
"No, I won't have any more. It's too much suffering."
Long'er nodded in agreement. Fine, if she doesn't want to have children, she doesn't care anyway. If they come, she'll accept them; if they don't, so be it. It's no big deal.
"Whom does Brother Tingche want to plant in the imperial court now?"
“Now is not a good time, as most of the top positions in the imperial examinations are monopolized by powerful families,” Lan Tingche replied.
"Noble families? The Emperor has already ordered the burning of family genealogies. How can noble families still be of one mind with him?"
“But normally he wouldn’t order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to do it, and the Ministry of War wouldn’t take action either. Even if he wanted to confiscate property, there would be no one to choose from. You’re like a pillow for him to doze off, just the right fit.”
"Besides, the aristocratic families will only think that the Yue family is stupid and that their actions have given others a handle to use against them. His Majesty's move is just to dampen the aristocratic families' arrogance, and he does not intend to really take action against them."
Huo Xiaolong nodded. Although she had only been in the capital for a short time, she had already figured out the layout of the court.
Just as Cen Ang said.
Back then, all the generals who could lead troops were out quelling rebellions, but Yuwen Xuanhong was ruthless. Within three days of obtaining the edict of usurpation, he executed all the late emperor's direct descendants. Even if those generals returned to the capital, they wouldn't be able to accomplish anything.
Without a pillar of support, and with family members all in the capital, it's difficult to seek justice.
But not opposing him doesn't mean being of one mind with him; everyone knows how he got the throne.
The Censorate has no real power base, but he cannot touch it; it is the eyes of the people.
He dared not touch the military generals led by Xiao Lanyi, as these men all held military power. If he were to confiscate their property, it would inevitably result in mutual destruction.
Therefore, in the imperial court, apart from his own old subordinates, he could only try to win over powerful families.
However, these powerful families were only interested in fame and fortune, and even wanted to overshadow his reputation. The emperor was not happy about this, which led to the scene of Huo Xiaolong's family being raided.
"And I heard from my aunt that the Empress Dowager wasn't like this before; she used to be quite peaceful in the palace."
The girl frowned upon hearing this. The Empress Dowager had not shown her face since she arrived in the capital, but she could not ignore the matter of bestowing a marriage upon her brother Tingche.
"Don't worry, she'll show up eventually."
Huo Xiaolong placed his hand on Lan Tingche's hand and patted it gently.
The man's mood fluctuated greatly tonight; every time the girl touched him, he felt refreshed and happy.
"Let's take care of him tonight, we have to get rid of him."
Huo Xiaocheng, watching from the top of the wall, was itching with anger. He grabbed Chunying's hand and said fiercely.
"Tsk, Long'er kissed him first."
"That won't do either!"
The beauty rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky. When Long'er kissed Tingche just now, she had a feeling that her own child was finally going out to find some good cabbage.
"Couldn't he dodge? Doesn't he have legs?" Huo Xiaocheng was still angry, grabbing his wife's hand and saying indignantly.
"Why didn't you dodge when I kissed you? Didn't I kiss you less before we got married? Why didn't you dodge then?"
"I...I..."
"What do you mean, 'you'?! Go home and sleep!"
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