On the contrary, he was extremely handsome and outstanding.
He sat quietly in a wheelchair with a slender and tall figure that appeared a
bit aggrieved no matter which way they looked. However, he sat extremely
upright. He was dressed simply. There wasn't much blood in his face, but
his facial structures were as sharp as a sheathed blade, and it made people
not dare to freely approach.
Just then, the atmosphere around underwent a slight change.
Jiang Suizhou saw a man in his peripheral vision.
He was tall and sturdy. He was obviously wearing a wide-sleeved imperial
robe, but appeared instead like a mountain bandit. His grim face was very
conspicuous. His copper bell-like large eyes were now filled with grief and
anger and were even a little red. He was giving him the evil eye.
…Oh, Ji Hongcheng.
Jiang Suizhou secretly took a deep breath.
Ji Hongcheng was a reckless and straightforward man. Seeing Huo Wujiu at
this moment, he would probably say or do something.
Jiang Suizhou prepared himself and waited for Ji Hongcheng to launch an
attack.
Ji Hongcheng really did stride towards him. His robes fluttered,
personifying a black bear that drilled through the cloth store, wrapped in
silk and satin, baring its teeth and claws as it pounced to eat people.
However, Ji Hongcheng abruptly stopped three steps away from him.
Jiang Suizhou halted and frowned at him. He saw Ji Hongcheng standing
there motionless.
…What is he doing?
Jiang Suizhou was somewhat confused. Then, Ji Hongcheng fiercely glared
at him with his large bell-like eyes, turned around and left. The delicate and
pretty lady beside him turned around rather apologetically and saluted Jiang
Suizhou.
…He just left?
Jiang Suizhou gave him a puzzled look and just assumed that the guy didn't
dare to go crazy at the birthday feast of the emperor.
Little did he know that when Ji Hongcheng was about to charge towards
him, a tiny paper-wrapped ball flew out of the air as sharp as an arrow and
steadily hit Ji Hongcheng's chest, then fell into his arms.
No one saw this small fly-sized object, and no one saw who did it.
Only Ji Hongcheng, who hastily hid in the latrine and carefully unfolded the
paper ball to look at it, knew.
Strong and soft calligraphy graced the paper. At first glance, it was General
Huo's handwriting.
[Don't send letters again. Bide your time for a better chance.
When Lou Yue returns to the capital, send Zhi Liu to me.]
Ji Hongcheng immediately understood what he meant.
It turned out that, without him having to say it, General Huo had already
planned ahead. He had not done anything, but was just waiting for the right
time.
The timing… depended on General Lou.
But General Lou was bent on loyalty and service to the kingdom while
General Hou was a rebel…Would General Lou really help him?
Ji Hongcheng's heart was beating drums. He stuffed the note into his mouth
and swallowed it.
——
Huo Wujiu had figured that he would meet Ji Hongcheng at the banquet
today.
Although this person said he wanted to help him, he didn't help much. On
the contrary, the frequent letters he sent were all useless news which would
more likely attract attention and cause trouble for King Jing's mansion.
To Huo Wujiu, Ji Hongcheng's only role was to contact Lou Yue for him.
Huo Wujiu sat quietly in his wheelchair, his gaze extremely profound.
He persisted on staying alive, not to let the emperor humiliate him for a few
more years, but to wait for the right opportunity to leave here. In the whole
of Southern Jing, he couldn't find someone he knew, and the only person he
could use was Lou Yue.
Although Lou Yue stood opposite his father's camp and was now hostile to
him, he owed Huo Wujiu a life in his early years, which could be
considered a personal favor.
He didn't want to coerce grace for reward, and he would never let Lou Yue
do anything against his principles. But now that he was trapped in the
enemy camp, he could only use this favor to find a way out.
With this in mind, he raised his eyes and looked at Jiang Suizhou.
Jiang Suizhou was walking one step in front of him, with a tall and slender
posture and fluttering robes. He must have been sporting a fiendish look at the moment, which made those around him cautiously look in their
direction, but not dare to step forward.
If there really was such a day…Jiang Suizhou most probably wouldn't sit
idle.
Huo Wujiu withdrew his gaze.
If the heavens really spared him; if he still would have a semblance of
power lef, he'd see if he could save this rabbit. King Jing was still good-
hearted and harbored some inexplicable infatuation for him.
Jiang Suizhou, the man in front of him, did not know what Huo Wujiu who
was behind him was thinking.
He was led by the palace staff all the way to Qiuwu Palace Hall, where he
saw a eunuch waiting for him. When the eunuch saw him, he immediately
welcomed him with a smile and gave him a big salute.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I will show you to your seat."
After speaking, he turned sideways and moved to invite Jiang Suizhou
inside.
Just then, his gaze fell behind Jiang Suizhou.
At once, the flattering smile on the eunuch's face flickered for several
seconds before he stepped forward and said, "Please, Your Highness. There
are rules in our palace – family members need to sit separately in the
women's seats."
With that, he raised his voice and said behind him, "Someone, come here
quickly. Lead His Highness's wife to the west banquet hall…"
However, Jiang Suizhou coldy raised his hand, interrupting his order.
Send Huo Wujiu to sit there with female relatives? Seriously?
Needless to say, Jiang Suizhou knew that this was the method the emperor
thought of to humiliate Huo Wujiu. Moreover, this would also leave Huo
Wujiu alone. By then, any dirty trick played would be like shooting fish in a
barrel.
Therefore, he definitely could not agree.
As for how he could argue…
Jiang Suizhou paused and gave Huo Wujiu a gloomy glance, then his gaze
returned to the eunuch.
His eyes were as cold as a viper. With a shadow of a smile, he suddenly
displayed a somewhat unspeakable, eerie, perversion.
He spoke unhurriedly.
"I need to personally keep an eye on my wife. He is very wild, and only I
can control him…Please make an exception for me, eunuch."
He spoke softly, but inexplicably made the eunuch's back shudder. The
eunuch cautiously scrutinized King Jing and saw him standing backlit, with
a cool smirk at the corners of his mouth.
His bearing and delivery clearly wasn't asking him to bend the rules, but
was more like telling him that he had to bring his extra portable plaything to
fiddle with.
Who in the palace didn't know that King Jing was perverse?
He not only played with men, but also toyed them to death. Everyone said
that he took after his enchanting concubine mother, born to suck the Yang
energy of men.
The eunuch was shocked, and his eyes involuntarily drifted toward Huo
Wujiu.
Although the man in the wheelchair looked tall, his lips were quite pale.
He was looking down without any expression on his face. He was evidently
bold and sharp in appearance, but under Jiang Suizhou's shadow, he
appeared somewhat pitiful.
Look, there was even a wound on his eyebrow. Was it inflicted by King Jing
himself?
After a quick glance, the eunuch immediately averted his eyes, and failed to
notice what kind of mood the poor man sitting behind King Jing was hiding
under his drooping eyelashes.
The eunuch bowed and was caught in a dilemma: "Uhm…"
He hesitated for a moment and said with a forced smile, "Your Highness,
this is truly against the rules."
Jiang Suizhou turned cold and was about to speak…
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a crowd of
people climbing up the steps, drawing nearer.
Many officials clustered around and were lively. They followed a courtier in
a vermilion court dress all the way up the stairs as if he was the sun.
A red court dress, the highest rank.
There was no other person who could have worn this robe except Pang
Shao.
Jiang Suizhou's heart tightened.
He knew that the little eunuch in front of him was easy to fool, but Pang
Shao was a thousand-year-old fox. Jiang Suizhou was fighting for Huo
Wujiu to stay by his side, but one careless move would let Pang Shao see
the clues.
He went rigid, his heart hammering.
The next moment, amidst the noise of approaching people, he turned
sideways and grabbed Huo Wujiu's chin, roughly lifting his face up like an
object on display.
With cold eyebrows and a shadow of a meaningful smile on his lips, he
looked at the eunuch and said, "Against the rules? Then let me see whether
he is male or female."
Jiang Suizhou heard the weakening of the approaching voices behind him.
That group of people must have noticed the dispute on their side.
Jiang Suizhou was so nervous that his hands trembled a little.
However, he hoped that nothing was revealed and also hoped that Huo
Wujiu knew this was only a desperate measure…
The eunuch froze.
He stared at Jiang Suizhou's movements in a daze, and then found that His
Highness King Jing, whose lush feminine beauty carried an evil air, tightly
pinched General Huo's chin and forced him to raise his face to directly face
him.
The man's eyes were still downcast, and as he raised his head, a hideous
scar was revealed at his collar.
It lay across his clavicle, and although it had scabbed, the edges were still
red. It looked a bit appalling in the vibrant light.
The eunuch's legs went limp in fright.
"H-He's a man of course…" he stammered.
His Highness King Jing gave a cold laugh and flung Huo Wujiu's face
away.
"Isn't that right?"
He slowly and methodically took a handkerchief out of his bosom and
slowly wiped up the hand that had touched Huo Wujiu.
"You're sending him off with a bunch of women; are you not afraid of
accidents? I'm even more uneasy."
He slowly wiped his already clean fingers one by one, and the moment his
hand loosened, his handkerchief fluttered to the ground.
"I'm afraid of getting dirty, you should know that," he looked up and said.
"This…This…" the eunuch clammed up for a while.
Just then, Jiang Suizhou heard a burst of laughter behind him.
"I was wondering who the official here was. It turned out to be Your
Highness King Jing!" The man laughed aloud.
Jiang Suizhou turned around.
Pang Shao was standing there, just a few steps behind him.
Although this old bastard frequently persecuted him recently, it wasn't until
today that he came face to face with Pang Shao for the first time.
Unlike his repulsive appearance in portraits, this old bastard was born with
an upright appearance. When dressed in a court robe, he exuded quite a
majesty that reached the high heavens.
Only his eyes were exceedingly deep with a touch of an elusive gleam.
Jiang Suizhou tensed up.
He coldly swept Pang Shao a glance, put on a look of disinterest, and
faintly said, "Pang-daren1
."
His gesture could be regarded as very rude. Although Jiang Suizhou was a
prince, Pang Shao was also his biological granduncle with the highest
official rank as the Grand Minister over the Masses. In terms of status, the
two of them were not much different, not to mention Pang Shao's power.
But Jiang Suizhou knew that this attitude was what the original owner
should have had.
As expected, Pang Shao remained amiable and wasn't the least bit
indignant. Instead, he bowed, leading the courtiers around him to salute
Jiang Suizhou. Then he smiled and asked, "Your Highness, why are you
standing here?"
Jiang Suizhou's expression cooled further, and after a faint glance at Huo
Wujiu, he quickly averted his gaze in disgust and no longer looked at him
again.
"It's nothing." He turned sideways, seemingly unwilling to talk more.
"Pang-daren, you first, please."
Pang Shao, however, did not move, but instead addressed the eunuch, "On
His Majesty's joyous day, how did you displease His Highness King Jing?"
The eunuch hurriedly stepped forward, knelt down and said, "Pang-daren,
the King…the King wants to bring his wife to the table."
There naturally was no need for him to explain because Pang Shao had
noted Jiang Suizhou's every word and action just now.
Pang Shao looked at Jiang Suizhou with a smile.
"Let His Highness take him with him. The king and his wife are very much
in love. Do you want to separate the lovebirds?"
He spoke slowly.
Jiang Suizhou's face immediately turned ugly, as if he had swallowed
something dirty. He could barely hide his disgust.
Still, his face wasn't stretched taut and he only softly scoffed.
The eunuch repeatedly said yes and bowed to invite Jiang Suizhou to his
seat.
Pang Shao's words seemed to have disgusted Jiang Suizhou. He no longer
spared him a glance again, turned around as if no one was in his sight and
left.
Pang Shao stood in place and watched him leave.
Seeing Jiang Suizhou drifting away, an official nearby said discontentedly,
"His Highness is really rude."
Pang Shao smiled and shook his head. He didn't think much of it, and his
eyes even flashed with a gratified smile.
"Your Highness is just young," he replied nonchalantly.
——
1
Daren – honorific for high-ranking officials or nobilities