"Why did you lose your temper with the Emperor in the palace today?"
Cen Ang and He Yi had already heard in the Prince's mansion that Huo Xiaolong disliked the Emperor. She usually acted like a girl and was fine, and it wasn't a problem if she lost her temper. The main problem was that her mother was afraid that she hadn't gotten over her temper and might accidentally kill the Emperor in a fit of anger.
“I knew he would find fault with me sooner or later. He’s stubborn and narrow-minded, but Mother, I never expected it to happen today.”
"I've fought this hard and he still won't smile at me. Just wait and see if I'll give up or not, then he's finished."
Huo Xiaolong changed back into her everyday clothes and sat leisurely in the palace, with Cen Ang feeding her some dried fruit.
Since that's the case, why not let Tingche investigate the matter from back then openly and honestly? The matter should be resolved as soon as possible; all that's missing now is physical evidence.
The woman looked up at the sky, the autumn light and the cool breeze carrying the fallen leaves blew around her. Snowball ran over to its owner and rubbed against her feet.
"Mom, are you missing the Crown Princess again?" Huo Xiaolong asked, noticing the longing in Cen Ang's eyes.
The woman nodded, sighed softly, and then said...
"Of course I want to, how could I not?"
She used to sit next to me like this, and I fed her snacks too.
"Grandma! My mom's going to hit me!"
Cen Ang's thoughts were pulled back by the child's voice. It was Xiao Siman. This child was good-looking and had been pampered at home since she was a child. Apart from Huo Xiaolong, no one usually fought with the two of them.
Long'er took action because these children weren't paying attention in class.
"Why did you get hit again? Did you upset your mother again?" Huo Xiaolong asked, gesturing with his chin.
He was talking while munching on the pit of a dried fruit in his mouth.
"No, Auntie, I just brought back the things I made at Grandma's house."
Hearing this, the somewhat melancholic girl jumped up from her chair and said anxiously.
What have you been fiddling with this time?
"Just some things..."
"What is that?"
"It's one of those things that, when lit, produces fireworks."
"You think you can make fireworks? You think you can tinker with fireworks? How old were you when you learned to make them? Tell me, don't pretend with me."
Although the little girl was pretty, Huo Xiaolong wasn't swayed by her charms. The main reason was that the girl's way of acting cute and coquettish was something she had learned from him.
"You know, those fireworks, and then the things that fall down can burn people."
"How badly was the person burned?"
"The kind where your whole body is on fire."
Tsk, he really deserves a beating.
Mando had already caught up with her with a feather duster, and had told her at least ten times not to put these things in the bed. She said they were scary and what if she hurt herself?
"Grandma, save me."
The little girl stared wide-eyed at Cen Ang, her little hands clutching the woman's hem tightly.
"You're definitely going to get a beating today!"
Little Siman didn't understand why Aunt Huo, who had just been trying to mediate the fight, was now grabbing her by the collar and handing her over to her mother.
Watching Aunt Huo walk towards her mother's courtyard, the child sighed.
What a waste of time. Why didn't my aunt take what she made to fight in the war? No one would have died then.
Inside the palace, the seventh and eighth princes were given the title of military governors in front of the emperor, which was considered a merit. Although they did nothing, they were eligible to establish their own residences.
But neither of them was very happy.
Even his face was full of worry.
"What's wrong with my son? He's returned victorious from the battle, yet he's still not happy?" Consort Wen asked, looking at her sullen son.
The Eighth Prince slumped for a moment, then said in a slightly tearful voice...
"Mother, it seems that there is really no possibility between me and that girl."
"Why? If she minds the women in your backyard, I've already spent money to send them away during the time you were away on the expedition. I've truly gone all the way to the end. If their maternal family dares to bully them, your maternal grandfather's servants will be the first to not let those scoundrels off."
"This isn't enough? Our sincerity isn't even sufficient?"
"Is it that she disagrees, or that the Prince of Zhenbei won't give his approval?"
Consort Wen became anxious when she heard about this. Her son was already this age and still didn't have a proper imperial consort. She no longer cared about his lineage, and she didn't even care whether her future imperial consort could give her a grandson or granddaughter.
The main reason is that if something were to happen to him in this deep palace one day, he would have someone to accompany him through the rest of his life.
The Eighth Prince had one leg on the chair and the other draped over it. He didn't speak, but simply thought about the scene of Huanlu guarding the city that day.
The commander of Dongyu is Lan Tingche, who stands on the city wall to direct the battle, while Huan Lü is the general who goes down to fight.
Yuwen Sinian also went to the city wall to watch the battle. As a prince of the Great Yan, he could be cowardly, but he could never let others see it.
So he went despite his reluctance.
Huanlu, clad in armor, held a long sword in his hand.
Her face was obscured from view from the city wall; all that could be seen was that she was a slender female general.
As Lan Tingche waved the flag, the girl who was usually blown away by the wind led her people to charge forward.
The Eighth Prince could see every moment Huanlu was injured—her back, her palms, her arms.
But she didn't stop until the bugle call to retreat sounded.
Huanlu walked up the city wall, sharing the joy of victory with Aunt Cen and the birth mother of the Prince of Zhenbei.
In Yuwen Sinian's eyes, she was dazzling, covered in blood and sweat.
Right there in the sunlight, just twenty steps away from him.
He could even guess what Huanlu and the two ladies were talking about.
But for some reason, Yuwen Sinian didn't have the courage to go up and talk to her.
At that moment, Yuwen Sinian remembered a sentence that the Prince of Zhenbei had once said to him.
"Prince Zhenbei, please have some compassion and help me get together with your servant. Do you know who I'm talking about?"
The Prince of Zhenbei had just returned from court that day, riding a tall horse, he raised an eyebrow at him and gave a cold smile, saying...
"Eighth Prince, what makes you think you're good enough for my sister?"
"Because you were born a prince?"
"Do you still think that I, Huanlu, covet the position of imperial concubine?"
At the time, Yuwen Sinian thought Huo Xiaolong was a bit absurd. Everyone knew where her older sisters came from. He liked Huan Lü, but from beginning to end, she felt that Huan Lü should be grateful for his affection.
As a prince, he lowered himself to pursue her, so the reason why Huanlu disagreed with him must be because of the Prince of Zhenbei.
But seeing Huan Lü leading troops today, Yuwen Sinian no longer thought that way.
He really doesn't deserve her.
"Mother, I am not worthy of her," the Eighth Prince said calmly.
Her tone was calm, but there was a hint of despair, grievance, and self-reproach in it.
"Nonsense! How could my son be unworthy?" Consort Wen was somewhat anxious, for matters between men and women are most prone to discouragement.
"mother."
Yuwen Sinian didn't call her "Mother Consort," but rather "Mother." Consort Wen was somewhat taken aback, only to hear her son continue speaking.
"If you didn't become a concubine in the palace, what would you most like to do in your life?"
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