The three girls listened outside the door, and in unison took out snacks wrapped in oil paper from their purses.
Huo Xiaolong was already used to it; it was no big deal.
How many old men are there in her family now? What difference would it make if one more came?
One more or one less makes no difference. Long'er thought to herself, as long as she can make these older sisters happy, she can afford to support each of them and each old man.
Besides, her sisters didn't ask her to raise it, did they?
"Uncle Hua, guess where we are right now?"
Instead of crying like Zhiyin, Zhihua sat down next to the old man and asked him questions.
"The young lady should be married by now. I believe her husband's family is wealthy and will take good care of you two sisters. If that's the case, this old servant can rest assured."
Zhihua sighed softly. Uncle Hua has suffered a lot over the years. He is only around fifty years old, but now he looks like an old man. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he looks like Doctor Gu.
"Uncle Hua, have you heard that a Prince of Zhenbei has come to the capital? He just returned after winning a battle."
The old man nodded and said
"I've heard about it."
"My sister and I are now living in the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion. We are considered young ladies in the mansion, and we live better than all the noble ladies in the capital."
Old Man Hua didn't seem to have reacted yet.
Back then, these two sisters only knew how to draw and play the piano; how could they possibly endure the hardships of going to the battlefield?
"So Uncle Hua, you have to come back with us. My sister and I can protect you now."
"Ladies, you must not be willful. This old servant does not know why the Prince of Zhenbei saved you two, but now you have your own lives to live, and you must not get involved in the past."
"Isn't this just causing trouble for the prince?"
Huo Xiaolong and his friends were enjoying their meal outside and were also having a good time listening to the story.
Hou Xiangxiang nudged Long'er twice with her elbow and said with a grin.
"I'm talking to you, Your Highness!"
"Oh, it's okay, come on."
Old Man Hua then realized that there were people outside. The small wooden house was very small, and even Zhou Ning'an was standing at the door.
"Who is speaking?"
The old man instinctively shielded Zhihua and Zhiyin behind him and spoke.
"Uncle Hua, it's the Prince of Zhenbei."
"Long'er, come and greet your elders."
"Ai."
Although she called him Huo Xiaolong, the three sisters had always done everything together since they were little, let alone something like recognizing an elder.
Old Man Hua looked at the three girls in front of him. One was dressed in a strange and somewhat offensive outfit, while the other was dressed in grassland attire and had dark skin, clearly not from the Great Yan region.
The last one is alright; he's dressed so long he looks like the Prince of Zhenbei.
It's just this mouth...
"Hey Uncle Hua, hurry up and come home with my sister to retire, or she'll come over in the middle of the night to steal your bedding and carry you away."
“You silly child…” Zhiyin nodded at her head from the side.
"Uncle Hua, this is the Prince of Zhenbei."
What prince would bow to his sworn sister's old servant? Although the bow was somewhat inappropriate, it was a matter of face. The Prince of Zhenbei had given him face, and he had to accept it.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."
Watching the old man turn around and pack his luggage, Zhiyin felt that all her and her sister's chatter hadn't been as effective as a single word from Long'er.
As for Huo Xiaolong, he grinned and whispered to Zhihua...
"Sis, your uncle is so obedient. When we get back, let him play with my grandpa and the others. Those eunuchs are always doing chores. They're so old, why don't they take good care of themselves and enjoy their retirement?"
"Alright, I'll follow your arrangements once we get back to the manor."
Zhou Ning'an bowed to Old Man Hua again, and from then on, on the way back, Young Master Zhou's mouth never stopped.
The old man kept asking him about Zhihua and Zhiyin's affairs over the past few years. After receiving a hint from his wife, Zhou Ning'an was able to answer.
Do you know why your sister took you to pick up Uncle Hua and bring him back to the mansion today?
Zhihua looked at Huo Xiaolong, patted her head, and asked softly.
"I wonder, do you want Uncle to come back with peace of mind?" Long'er guessed.
Zhihua glanced at her younger sister Zhiyin, then looked out the window, and shook her head slightly.
She only spoke after the carriage arrived at the gate of the Prince's mansion and she took Long'er's hand and entered the gate.
"Although my family was part of the Crown Prince's faction, we didn't end up being wiped out. Before the emperor ascended the throne, how many people in the entire court weren't part of the Crown Prince's faction?"
"Even if Yuwen Xuanhong wanted to kill them, he couldn't kill them all."
"So?" Huo Xiaolong asked.
"So, my dad must have done something he shouldn't have done back then."
Zhihua looked at Uncle Hua. How did Uncle Hua survive the confiscation of his family's property and the extermination of his clan? Why had no one discovered him hiding in the Hua family mansion for so many years?
These are all questions that need to be asked.
She needs to figure this out.
Seeing her sister's serious expression, Huo Xiaolong nodded and left the space to the two sisters.
She didn't leave; she waited for her two older sisters in the courtyard.
The sisters also want to overturn the case. As long as the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are cleared of all wrongdoing, that dilapidated old house can regain its former glory.
As night and day alternated, moonlight filtered through the withered branches, dappling the ground.
Huo Xiaolong looked at the ground and felt that the moonlight was like the emperor's fig leaf, which was about to be exposed but was still being stubbornly covered up.
From time to time, the sobs of Zhihua and Zhiyin could be heard from inside the house, along with the old man's desperate pleas.
—The door creaked open.
"Sister, don't worry. If Uncle Hua doesn't want to say, he won't. He'll tell you when the time comes."
Actually, everyone here understands why Old Man Hua doesn't want to talk about it. It's not easy for Zhiyin and Zhihua to come back alive, and they're doing quite well. Why bother digging up those old stories?
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