When the council session ended, the Emperor announced the adjournment with a displeased expression. At the same time, he summoned four or five trusted senior ministers to the North Palace for further deliberation. He had originally wanted to call Huo Buyi as well, but catching a glimpse of the Crown Prince’s face black as the bottom of a pot, he gave his foster son a meaningful look. Actually, Huo Buyi didn’t want to go anywhere—he wanted to hurry back to the residence to resolve the Luo Jitong matter. But since he was unfortunately caught by his foster father, he had no choice but to follow the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Palace.

“This is utterly outrageous, brazenly audacious!” The Crown Prince yanked off his own crown and threw it heavily onto the desk. Several snow-bright pearls rolled across the floor.

In the rear hall of the Eastern Palace, in the council chamber, three or four people sat on each side. They were either court officials in crimson and black court robes, or advisors in wide-sleeved long robes. Hearing the Crown Prince’s fury, they all chimed in.

“Your Highness speaks truly!” One person straightened and cupped his hands, declaring loudly: “The court has issued the land survey decree to investigate the fields and population of each prefecture and county, facilitating future tax collection and governance. The realm belongs to the altars of state; the altars of state belong to the court. Surveying land and population is naturally the court’s rightful business—yet some dare to question it!”

Another person echoed loudly: “Correct! War and military disasters lasted for decades. Now we’ve finally achieved unification and clarity throughout the realm. However, the land and population recorded by the previous dynasty differs vastly from today’s reality. Without investigation, how can we govern the nation!”

A sharp-featured young man smiled coldly: “Everyone hasn’t yet mentioned the key point! Land and population originally have no master. The reason the land survey decree faces collective resistance is because some fear the court will limit their annexation of land and accumulation of servants! If all the realm’s population and land belong entirely to powerful great families, where will the court collect taxes? Whom will it find to perform corvée labor?! At that point, will the realm still be the court’s realm!”

“Shaocheng, be careful with your words!” The Second Prince Consort, seated in the first position below the Crown Prince’s right, said softly. “Don’t sensationalize. Things haven’t reached such a state. If these words spread, it won’t be good for you.”

The Crown Prince had been about to voice his praise, but blocked by his second brother-in-law, he said: “Zicheng, what do you say?”

Huo Buyi sat in the first position below the Crown Prince’s left, smiling slightly: “What everyone says is correct.”

“I absolutely cannot agree with the Prince Consort’s words. Now that the realm is newly settled, there should be no situation of land and population annexation. This shows it’s those powerful great clans…” Shaocheng said loudly.

“Please hear me out, everyone.” A middle-aged scholar interrupted. “If the two of you spoke these words at today’s grand court assembly, you’d both certainly face criticism. Either they’d say the Prince Consort’s family has been high officials for generations, with dependent population and land beyond measure, hence his casual attitude. Or they’d say Shaocheng comes from a poor family and is waiting for wealthy households to disgorge their land so he can seize it for himself.”

Shaocheng was angry: “Nonsense!”

The Second Prince Consort said: “Zicheng, what do you say?”

Huo Buyi looked at the sky outside: “All have their reasons.”

“Alas!” The Crown Prince struck his own knee with a fist. “Father Emperor is too benevolent. Those ‘great surname military chiefs’ have people, land, and weapons. They brazenly declared before court officials that they absolutely won’t implement the land survey decree! And the local officials actually fear them, even accept bribes, allowing them to under-report, adding all the shortfalls onto commoners, making ordinary people bear heavy taxes and corvée labor. Hmph, I see we’re heading toward officials forcing the people to rebel again!”

The Second Prince Consort smiled: “Your Highness should look on the bright side—this shows that powerful clans throughout the realm don’t cover the sky with one hand, and corrupt officials throughout aren’t a unified bloc. Some collude with local powerful families to harm the people, but there are also principled upright officials who feel indignant and within days reported these unlawful matters to the court.”

A thick-browed, large-eyed young man laughed loudly: “Since marrying the Princess, every word from the Commandant’s mouth is pleasing to the ear, like bathing in spring breeze!”

Everyone in the hall laughed again. Shaocheng said: “May I ask Your Highness the Crown Prince, what is your intention?”

The Crown Prince said gravely: “I wish to memorialize Father Emperor that all powerful great clans who under-report should be convicted. Those who should be beheaded, behead them; those whose clans should be exterminated, exterminate them!”

At these words, several people led by Shaocheng loudly applauded. The Second Prince Consort said: “Your Highness, I believe this is inappropriate. His Majesty won’t approve either.” Several people behind him shared the same opinion.

The Crown Prince looked toward Huo Buyi. Huo Buyi surveyed the room—everyone fell silent. He first thought it might be better to let the Emperor foster father personally ‘instruct’ his son, but considering how well the Emperor and Crown Prince treated him, he could only patiently say: “Your Highness, let me ask you one thing. If upon investigation, eight or nine out of ten powerful great clans throughout the realm have concealed circumstances, would you really behead and exterminate them all?”

The Crown Prince remained silent. Shaocheng said loudly: “The previous dynasty’s Martial Emperor issued the ‘Maoling Relocation Order,’ forcing powerful clans throughout the realm to relocate on schedule to weaken their power. Why can’t our Majesty do the same?!”

Someone sneered: “The Martial Emperor also exhausted his military in aggressive wars. Are you also asking His Majesty to emulate that?”

“You…” Shaocheng was furious.

“Enough!” the Crown Prince said.

The hall fell quiet. The Crown Prince glanced around at everyone and said gravely: “All of you may withdraw first. The Prince Consort and Zicheng remain.”

Everyone obeyed the command, bowed, and filed out. Only Shaocheng remained indignant, finally dragged away by colleagues.

Only three people remained in the hall. The Crown Prince glanced sideways at Huo Buyi: “You remain detached, completely unconcerned, not afraid those ‘great surname military chiefs’ will bring disaster to the nation and harm the people.”

Huo Buyi smiled slightly: “Most powerful clans won’t comply. The previous dynasty’s Tyrant Emperor’s ‘New Policies’ are still vivid in memory. If things really become urgent, they also fear another ‘Royal Fields System’—that is, all mountains, rivers, and fields throughout the realm being confiscated by the court. Right now His Majesty is only surveying land. They’re just unhappy about it in their hearts. As long as His Majesty shows determination, they’ll obey the command.”

The Crown Prince continued: “Why can’t Father Emperor implement the ‘Maoling Relocation Order’?”

Huo Buyi thought: Why? Once His Majesty severely beats you with rods, you’ll understand. If one beating isn’t enough, there can be two. However, he still patiently explained slowly—

“Before the High Emperor unified the realm, the world had already been in chaos for hundreds of years. Under the Zhou Son of Heaven’s rule, feudal lords and marquises attacked each other incessantly. Later, the First Emperor swept across the six directions through constant warfare. Sadly, before things quieted for long, heroes rose up together to resist tyrannical Qin—more warfare. With difficulty, the Hegemon King destroyed Qin, but hatefully distributed fiefs unfairly among the lords. So soon after, the High Emperor raised troops against the Hegemon—continued warfare. Finally, the Chu Hegemon King killed himself at Wujiang. Of those who initially competed for the realm, fewer than a handful remained. After founding the nation, the High Emperor fought across the realm again, eliminating non-surname princes one by one. Empress Lü and Emperor Wen recuperated. By Emperor Jing’s time, he also dealt with the same-surname princes—by this point, years of continuous warfare meant not only the people suffered, even powerful hereditary families had only two breaths left…”

“Why are you saying all this?” The Crown Prince frowned.

Huo Buyi said: “My point is, this matter is also His Majesty’s fault.”

“Zicheng, don’t talk nonsense,” the Second Prince Consort said nervously.

Huo Buyi’s smile was gentle: “His Majesty was too brilliant and martial, unifying the realm too quickly. Rebuilding from ruins is actually easier than reforming an established situation. The Martial Emperor could implement the ‘Maoling Relocation Order’ because, first, his temperament was harsh and severe, and second, the powerful great clans then were far less powerful than today’s. Put bluntly, after the Tyrant Emperor usurped the throne and the realm fell into chaos, the chaos didn’t last long enough. These hereditary powerful clans only suffered superficial injuries in the military chaos, their foundations weren’t destroyed—but these are words that pierce the heart. Can they be spoken outside?”

The Crown Prince fell silent. The Second Prince Consort breathed slightly easier.

“Our dynasty inherited the realm from the previous dynasty. Though unification was certainly much faster, we also inherited many of the previous dynasty’s problems. Like the Lou family, Liang family, Yuan family, Geng family—oh, and the Prince Consort’s Dou family… these aren’t clans His Majesty built up. On the contrary, when His Majesty established the nation, he received much help from them. Like the Yuan and Liang families—they led several commanderies to submit to His Majesty. The Prince Consort’s uncle commanded the four commanderies of Hexi, with peaceful people, strong troops and sturdy horses. He wasn’t at his wit’s end with no way out, yet he still sincerely submitted to His Majesty. Crown Prince, how should His Majesty handle this?”

“When people came to submit, could His Majesty not accept them? Over these years, the various lords have worked diligently, fighting and managing for His Majesty without impropriety. Should His Majesty take up a knife and kill them? Forcing meritorious subjects to death at every turn, exterminating three clans—not every emperor can do such things. At least, our Majesty cannot.”

The Crown Prince thought of Zhou Yafu and couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

The Second Prince Consort’s eyes moistened. He sincerely bowed to Huo Buyi: “For these words, Zicheng, I thank you first!” Raising his head, he said: “These two words ‘meritorious subjects’ sound good but are difficult to live up to. I don’t blame His Majesty and Your Highness for your concerns. For the sake of great order throughout the realm, the land survey must be implemented. But we meritorious families have many children and descendants. Sometimes incidents inevitably occur that obstruct the court’s grand plans…”

“Enough.” The Crown Prince glared at the Prince Consort. “You are you, your family is your family. If not to avoid suspicion regarding your cousin, you wouldn’t have lain low until now, daily composing poetry and music with Second Sister, accomplishing nothing.”

The Second Prince Consort smiled: “Actually, composing poetry and music, passing days leisurely—that’s also a kind of freedom.”

“Forget it!” The Crown Prince said without good humor. Turning his head, he looked at Huo Buyi with slight puzzlement: “How do I feel that today you’re very… very happy…?”

“Oh, is that so?” Huo Buyi’s long eyebrows were raised elegantly, his handsome eyes deep as pools. Though he didn’t say much, one could clearly sense the brightness and ease about him.

The Second Prince Consort laughed lightly. The Crown Prince asked him why. He said: “Your Highness doesn’t know—a few days ago, Zicheng asked me to investigate something. Whether Prefect Wan Songbai of Xu Commandery handled the land survey properly?”

The Crown Prince didn’t immediately recall the connection. The Second Prince Consort reminded him: “Prefect Wan and Colonel Cheng are sworn brothers.”

The Crown Prince was startled, then made a drawn-out sound of understanding with sarcasm.

Huo Buyi said gently: “May I ask the Commandant, how is Prefect Wan’s situation?”

The Second Prince Consort smiled: “Rest assured, I inquired carefully. Prefect Wan doesn’t get along with his clan relatives, so the Wan family members can’t abuse their power either. The land survey of the Wan family in Sui County went very smoothly. As for Xu Commandery, Prefect Wan has troops and wealth. First, he doesn’t fear local powerful families’ threats; second, he’s not tempted by their bribes. Therefore, the land survey in Xu Commandery also went very smoothly.”

Huo Buyi felt relieved, then immediately turned hostile: “The Commandant is truly infuriating. Back when you asked me about the Second Princess’s daily habits, I never told anyone. Who knew the Commandant would turn around and reveal what I entrusted to you. Fine, I must also speak with His Majesty and Your Highness. Your Highness, do you know that before His Majesty bestowed the marriage, the Prince Consort and the Princess in the garden…”

“Stop, stop!” The Second Prince Consort’s face and neck flushed red with anxiety. “Fine, fine, it’s all my fault! Don’t say it. For the sake of the Princess treating you well since childhood, for the sake of last time… oh…”

He suddenly remembered something. “Right, I haven’t settled accounts with you yet! Your Highness, let me tell you—three years ago I traveled long distances over mountains to the border city to see this scoundrel. Who knew he actually pretended not to recognize me! Made me search around the camp all day, thinking I’d found the wrong place!”

Huo Buyi smiled: “Who told you to dress so gaudily? The border is harsh and bitter. The soldiers most despise those brightly dressed hereditary family young masters!”

The Crown Prince finally couldn’t hold it in and laughed aloud. After laughing, he composed himself seriously: “In Zicheng’s view, how will Father Emperor handle the matter of local powerful clans defying the land survey decree?”

Huo Buyi thought for a moment and said: “His Majesty will first deal with those commandery prefects who under-reported land and population. He’ll probably execute quite a few—after all, they’re the court’s senior ministers. Disregarding national law, they bear primary responsibility. Then the court will intensify the land survey and observe the attitude of local powerful clans. If they submit and honestly obey the decree, that’s the end of it. If they still stubbornly resist and refuse to change, even raising troops in rebellion…” He didn’t continue, only using the cold light in his eyes to express his determination.

The Crown Prince nodded. He thought the same—it fit his father’s habit of giving people a chance to choose again. He asked again: “What does the Prince Consort think?”

The Second Prince Consort held up a brocade handkerchief, still wiping the cold sweat Huo Buyi had frightened out of him earlier. Hearing this, he complained: “Aside from his own marriage matters, this scoundrel’s predictions about other major and minor affairs are usually not far off.”

The serious matters were mostly discussed. Huo Buyi rose to take his leave. Originally the Crown Prince wanted to ask him a few questions about how his marriage was progressing, but the Second Prince Consort stopped him with a look. He could only watch Huo Buyi depart.

Watching Huo Buyi’s tall, vigorous retreating figure, the Second Prince Consort couldn’t help sighing: “If not for that dog thief Ling Yi’s evil deeds and the tragic death of relatives, Zicheng should have been the most splendidly dressed, spirited, bright and straightforward young man in this capital. Alas, fate truly plays tricks on people.”

The Crown Prince also sighed.

…

Returning to the residence, Huo Buyi heard that Luo Jitong still hadn’t left, so he first returned to his room to change into everyday clothes before going over.

Luo Jitong sat anxiously in the side hall. Seeing Huo Buyi enter, she tensely straightened.

Huo Buyi didn’t look at her, walking straight in: “I thought you knew everything. Who knew that only during court today did I hear your father was still outside the city. I thought you didn’t yet know what I said to your father.”

Luo Jitong abruptly shouted: “I saw the bite marks on Cheng Shaoshang’s arm!”

Huo Buyi turned around, looked at her for a moment, then slowly lifted his own robe sleeve. Sure enough, on his upper right arm was also a circle of scabbed tooth marks, deep pink in color.

“…As I thought, as I thought.” Luo Jitong collapsed into her seat, murmuring: “I wondered why you kept touching your right arm.” She suddenly raised her head. “All these years, you never forgot her?!”

Huo Buyi tacitly acknowledged.

“You, why did you treat me this way?” Luo Jitong’s tears brimmed on her lashes. “Since childhood you wouldn’t let anyone get close, yet you tolerated me interfering in your household affairs. I thought you were willing to accept me, but it was all just a grand dream! You, you deceived me so bitterly!”

Huo Buyi corrected: “Deception doesn’t quite fit. It should be called misleading.”

Luo Jitong wept: “How could you treat me like this! I gave you my whole heart. If you weren’t willing to accept me, that’s fine, but why trick me and waste these years of my youth! All these years, don’t you have even half a bit of feeling for me?” She looked over with tear-filled eyes.

Huo Buyi thought for a moment and said lightly: “No.”

Luo Jitong’s face turned deathly pale.

“You and I became acquainted long before Shaoshang appeared. For the sake of your usefulness to me these years, I’ll let you understand completely today.” Huo Buyi placed his hands behind his back and walked to the window. “I knew what kind of person the Fifth Princess was very early on—tyrannical, narrow-minded, arrogant, extravagant, and licentious. Yet you, Lady Luo, known for your virtuous and reasonable reputation, got along harmoniously with her—tell me, how did I view you?”

Luo Jitong protested mournfully: “I did it for my father, brothers, and family! The Luo clan’s sons are mediocre. If I couldn’t attach myself to the Fifth Princess, how would Her Majesty the Empress speak up for my family!”

“So you just watched the Fifth Princess beat an innocent little palace maid to death with rods, drown young ladies who stole glances at me in the lake, and then you helped cover it up before Her Majesty?”

Luo Jitong was immediately speechless.

Huo Buyi’s gaze was cold: “However, at that time I thought you were just an ordinary woman greedy for power and influence. It wasn’t until that year when the Grand Empress Dowager of Huai’an held her birthday banquet that I realized I’d misjudged you. I never expected you were actually ruthless and vicious.” He raised the corner of his mouth mockingly. “Let me ask you—your personal maid Chun Tiao, how did she die?”

Luo Jitong looked shocked and uncertain, stuttering: “She, she… wasn’t it the Fifth Princess…”

Huo Buyi sneered: “Everyone thought the Fifth Princess did it. Only afterward did I realize something was wrong. For someone of your hereditary family background, those who serve personally wouldn’t be casually bought from outside. Most would have their whole family working in the Luo residence, right? Like Shaoshang—her personal maids are all daughters of Colonel Cheng’s subordinate troops. How could a maid whose whole family was in the Luo family’s hands be easily bought off by the Fifth Princess?”

“Furthermore, after the incident, the Fifth Princess quickly confessed to framing Shaoshang without reservation. With her recklessly bold, brutish, and tyrannical temperament, she wouldn’t go to great lengths to kill a maid to silence her, because she simply wasn’t afraid of being exposed. The one who needed to silence her was you, wasn’t it, Lady Luo? Unfortunately, by the time I discovered the clues, you were already about to marry far away to the northwest.”

Luo Jitong wiped her tears and laughed coldly: “It seems you’ve reached a conclusion about me? If so, why did you tolerate me getting close to you?”

“If you were truly a kind and righteous good girl, I would definitely stay far away from you.”

Luo Jitong said resentfully: “You only see my bad points. Can’t you see any of my good points? I kept my promises, serving my late husband and the Jia family parents with all my heart…”

Huo Buyi laughed mockingly: “Lady Luo, stop pretending. Others may not guess your intentions, but you can’t fool me. The Luo clan has been weak in recent decades. The marriages of the clan’s daughters have all been used to curry favor with the powerful. Your aunts and sisters all accepted their fate, but you refused. So even knowing the Jia family’s son was weak and sickly, you still acted righteously determined to marry over, playing the aggrieved victim before everyone. Thus your father and mother promised you that when you remarried, everything would be up to you. How about it—am I correct?”

Luo Jitong’s chest burned like fire. She shouted: “So what if it’s true? First marriage follows the father, remarriage is self-determined. When I became a widow was when I could make my own decisions. What’s wrong with planning for myself! Do you think I didn’t investigate those families who wanted to marry me then? Those clans looked glamorous, but those willing to marry me were all good-for-nothing sons and grandsons, counting on me to discipline their sons! The Jia family was also a high noble family. Marrying those good-for-nothings wasn’t as good as marrying into the Jia family—at least I could remarry quickly! You know how much I envied Cheng Shaoshang. Though her birth wasn’t as good as mine, her parents genuinely planned for her. She’s born beautiful, yet her parents never thought of using her to curry favor with the powerful!”

Huo Buyi thought of that girl and unconsciously smiled softly: “Actually, her parents feared she’d cause trouble and embarrass them, so they never dared marry her high. You pretended too well—virtuous and worthy, benevolent and accomplished. Your family naturally wanted to marry you into a high position. Perhaps you should have learned from Shaoshang, ruined your reputation somewhat… oh no, you couldn’t learn that. You cherish your reputation, cherish your prospects, can’t bear to give up anything. In the end, you could only sacrifice others’ lives.”

Luo Jitong shuddered: “What do you mean?”

Huo Buyi said word by word: “Your former husband, the Jia family’s Seventh Son—exactly how did he die?”

Luo Jitong felt the world spinning, almost unable to stand: “You, you you… I did nothing! You can’t slander me just to cast me aside!”

“I never speak without basis.” Huo Buyi stared at her like aiming at a target, his gaze ice-cold and merciless. “Everyone says the Jia Seventh Son’s new wife was the most virtuous woman under heaven. But I knew your true nature. Back then, there was a frail, elderly imperial physician in Changqiu Palace. You followed close behind him for several months. I remember that imperial physician specialized in medicinal food preparation. Some obscure, unknown incompatible substances—he knew them all clearly.”

“After Jia Seventh Son passed away, the physician Marquis Cui brought to the border once found it strange. Jia Seventh Son’s weak constitution was brought from the womb. He’d seen many such cases and had treated at the Jia residence before. He felt it shouldn’t have been impossible to survive past twenty years old.”

“Jia Seventh Son’s parents watched over their only son very strictly. They should still have records of his diet from back then. Lady Luo, if I had them test the meals you gave Jia Seventh Son back then, what do you think the result would be? Hmm, ordinary people might only feel unwell, but used on the weak and sickly Jia Seventh Son, it would be fatal.”

Luo Jitong swayed unsteadily, pleading mournfully: “I didn’t mean to! I did it for you, Shiyilang! I’ve liked you since childhood. Seeing you arrive in Liangzhou sick and injured, I wanted to go care for you! I couldn’t let you go!”

Huo Buyi looked at her coldly: “Though Shaoshang’s mouth is bad, she’s never harmed innocent people. You speak nicely, but harm people without scruple. What was Jia Seventh Son’s crime? The Jia parents losing their son in old age—how innocent were they!”

“He was going to die anyway!” Luo Jitong shouted.

“Everyone must die. The difference is only length of life.” Huo Buyi said sternly. “The physician said he’d seen people with weak constitutions like Jia Seventh Son who, because of proper care, could not only marry and have children after adulthood, but lived to over forty. Hmm, but you certainly couldn’t wait that long.”

Luo Jitong straightened her body, heavily wiped away her tears, and laughed self-mockingly: “Good, good, good. Since you view me as a venomous viper, why didn’t you expose what I did!”

“Because you saved A’Fei’s life.”

Luo Jitong was stunned.

Huo Buyi said: “The Liangqiu brothers’ fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and elder uncles all died in battle following my father. I must provide for their orphans and widows. That year, if you hadn’t released your spirit dog to search, A’Fei would have frozen to death on the snowy ridge—so I didn’t tell the Jia family.”

Luo Jitong’s eyes brightened, but the next sentence shattered her hope.

“However, yesterday I already told your father. When he returns home from outside the city, he’ll deal with you.” Huo Buyi said. “I told your father—either marry you far away, never to return in this lifetime; or confine you in seclusion. In any case, you saved A’Fei’s life, I spare your life. We’re even.”

Luo Jitong’s heart turned cold. She said blankly: “I, I don’t understand. Since you knew everything, why did you still let me get close to you, still let me, let everyone, misunderstand that you were willing to marry me? Since you weren’t willing to marry me, why…”

She saw Huo Buyi’s dark eyes and her heart trembled. “Oh, I understand now. I get it. You used me as a front. You did it deliberately!”

Huo Buyi stood by the window, backlit: “Five years ago I decided to let Shaoshang go. I hoped she’d suffer no more grievances, marry well, live peacefully. I didn’t want to obstruct her, and couldn’t let His Majesty and His Highness obstruct her. With you here, everyone could feel at ease about me.”

Luo Jitong still didn’t understand: “But you can delay for a while, not for a lifetime! Once Cheng Shaoshang marries, you’ll eventually have to take a wife. Even if not me, it’ll be someone else. Why did you…” Her voice cut off.

Huo Buyi’s smile was ambiguous. She instantly understood and said incredulously: “You, you never wanted to marry anyone! No, no, that’s impossible. You still need to continue your ancestors’ bloodline. The entire Huo clan was destroyed. How can you selfishly cut off the bloodline?!”

“Why not?” In the daylight streaming through the window lattice, Huo Buyi’s profile was perfect as cold jade. “Thousands of years ago, there was no Huo family in the world either.”

Luo Jitong was speechlessly agitated, her chest nearly bursting. She said through gritted teeth: “Ha ha ha, you deceived us all! But His Majesty won’t let you act recklessly. His Highness the Crown Prince will be furious to death. You, you…”

Huo Buyi gazed out the window, his eyes clear, cold, and profound: “As long as I don’t want to marry, there will always be a way. If I take a wife, it will certainly be because I feel joy toward that woman, not for any other reason.”—Just like his loving and devoted parents.

No matter how much blood and fire, danger and hardship, a stubborn and proud youth always lived in his heart. He wanted to obtain the kind of love his parents had. He wanted his future children to be like their six siblings—born into this world because of sincere and beautiful affection, not for entangled interests or continuing the family line.

So he’d never blamed Aunt Huo Junhua. Though she was blind and misjudged people, her plan to marry the man she loved wasn’t wrong.

Huo Buyi felt everything that needed saying had been said. He said: “You saved A’Fei’s life, I also spare your life. You framed Shaoshang, so I used you as a front for several years. Now grievances and debts are settled. Lady Luo, farewell here. Safe travels, I won’t see you out.” Having spoken, he departed with a flick of his sleeve. In the westward-slanting golden sunlight, his figure was tall and slender, refined and handsome.

Luo Jitong stared blankly, her heart both pained and wounded.

She knew she hadn’t misjudged the man. Her beloved was different from all other men under heaven. Beneath his silent, quiet exterior, he possessed the purest, most passionate affection in the world. Unfortunately, this affection didn’t belong to her.

“There’s something I must tell you.” She suddenly shouted at Huo Buyi’s retreating back, full of malice: “The tooth marks on Cheng Shaoshang’s right arm have almost completely faded. I fear in her heart, you’ve also been completely forgotten.”

Huo Buyi’s steps halted. Without turning around, he said lightly: “It seems back then I bit too lightly. However, this need not trouble Lady Luo.”

Luo Jitong collapsed to the ground, her heart cold and spirit extinguished.