"They know you're coming with me, so they're getting anxious." Huo Xiaolong stood in front of Da Ni'er and raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend.
"Will you see me?"
"Let's see who Boss Honghua is. He'll definitely be involved in this whole mess."
Da Ni'er arrived as promised, but she was a little dazed when she returned. No wonder Lan Tingche's parents couldn't tease her; it turned out that even before she was around, the Great Yan had been thoroughly infiltrated.
Looking at the dull, dark-skinned girl, Huo Xiaolong gave her a sharp rebuke.
"How's it going? Who is it?"
"The head maidservant by the Empress Dowager's side."
"Tsk." Long'er glanced at her sideways.
Only this silly child could believe that. How could the head aunt be the boss? The Empress Dowager is the highest-ranking person.
"It's the Empress Dowager, you hillbilly."
"ah?"
Da Ni'er was a little skeptical. This thing could make a spy rise to the position of Empress Dowager; it was practically a matter of taking over the Great Yan Dynasty.
"Do you remember the first time we went to her palace? The time when Sister Kid was poisoned?" Huo Xiaolong asked.
Da Nier nodded in reply.
"I remember, didn't all of us go that time?"
"The scent of safflower in her room was very strong."
"Safflower has a scent? Are you a dog?" the dark-skinned girl said in a cheeky tone.
"You know I've always had a keen sense of smell since I was little. I can smell what everyone is doing just by standing at the entrance of the red-light district!"
Huo Xiaolong draped his leg over Da Nier, his face full of smug satisfaction.
"Then what?"
"Then I provoked her a little, right? With the kind of killing methods you grassland people use, I killed the scout. You didn't even see it. Her expression at the time, on the surface she didn't react, but actually she almost broke her walking stick. She was so angry that her blood was boiling."
Da Nier sighed deeply, then asked...
"So, what's your plan to get back at her?"
"The medicine that Master Miao gave her last time is incurable. If we can come back alive, that's fine. If not, it will probably be next year."
"You're really mean, Huo Xiaolong."
The young woman had long harbored suspicions about the Empress Dowager. To be able to keep the safflower hidden so well in the capital, that person must be of high status and power. In other words, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was from the most prestigious family in the capital.
However, there are only two powerful ministers in the capital now. One is the three-dynasty prime minister led by Chen Songyun, and the other is the emperor's confidant, Grand Tutor Xu.
Grand Tutor Xu was at odds with her every day. According to Cen's spies in the palace, the old man was always running to the inner palace. In addition, there were so many things that the Empress Dowager had forbidden before he came to the capital. Once the clues were sorted out, everything became clear.
She doesn't have time to deal with what happened back then; right now, she needs to resolve the matter in Dongyu.
She couldn't leave during the day, so she could only sneak out of the capital with her troops in the middle of the night.
Tonight, the moon is bright, not as big as it is on the grassland, but it's not dark on the streets.
Long'er planned to leave the city late at night and meet up with the Zhenbei Army along the way.
The young women, clad in armor, mounted their horses, swords in hand, and followed the girl who had led them out of the mud, heading towards the next battlefield.
This time, Huo Xiaolong learned her lesson and stopped asking her sisters if they could wait for her at home. She knew in her heart that asking was pointless and would only result in a beating.
The summer breeze felt very comfortable, and the crisp sound of horses' hooves rang out incessantly.
Before even reaching the city gate, Huo Xiaolong saw a bunch of carriages parked on both sides of the street.
"Your Highness."
Fan Lihua got off the carriage and ran to Huo Xiaolong's horse.
"Whoa." The red-armored girl reined in the reins and continued to ask.
"Why are you here?"
The number of girls who came today was just like the number of people attending the Prince of Zhenbei's first court session, even more than on that day.
"We're seeing the prince off. Everyone else gets a hero's drink, so our prince should too."
Pear Blossom presented the wine bowl to Huo Xiaolong's horse. The red-armored girl, seeing the women watching her from beside the carriage, dismounted and bowed to them, saying...
"Thank you all for coming to see me off. With this bowl of wine, I will certainly live up to your expectations."
Huo Xiaolong reached out and took the wine bowl, then tilted his head back and drank it down.
The girls behind me all received drinks, which was quite touching.
"This is what the princesses in the palace asked me to bring to you. They said they can't do anything for you, only some money, but even if it's just a small contribution, it's good."
The girl in red armor looked at the box of silver notes in her hand. It wasn't much, but it was the best that these princesses could offer.
"Pear Blossom, please thank them for me."
"Your Highness, please rest assured."
Then, Pear Blossom quietly went to Huo Xiaolong's ear and whispered something.
"Is the eldest princess watching you from upstairs?"
In the pitch black, what can you see if you don't come closer? Hearing this, Huo Xiaolong subconsciously looked up and saw a private room in a restaurant.
The woman in her thirties inside was leaning against the window, toasting her.
Both you and I harbor ambitions for imperial power.
But even though we were born in the same dynasty, I, Yuwen Helan, am not as good as you.
If you come back alive...
I will help you fight for the world.
Huo Xiaolong returned the toast, and their wine glasses clinked together in mid-air.
"Gentlemen, it's past midnight, and the air is a bit damp. You should head home early."
As soon as these words were spoken, the lights in the shops along the street came on one by one, and the doors that had already been installed were taken down.
The brothel closed down a few days ago, and the girls who used to sing, dance, and laugh with people there are gone.
The people of the capital knew that Huo Xiaolong was leaving today and fearing the curfew, so they stayed indoors. But then they thought about it and realized how disheartening it would be if the person who helped them get revenge left in the dark.
The pitch-black street was instantly bathed in a dim yellow light.
"Your Highness, please take care and have a safe journey."
"Wishing Your Highness a triumphant return."
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