Not long after Shen Lingzhen finished her breakfast, she heard people saying that Zhao Xun was preparing to return to the capital. Yu Wanjiang invited him to stay for lunch, but he declined, saying that affairs in the capital were numerous and he should not delay, and would depart immediately.
Shen Lingzhen thought to herself that Huo Liuxing truly was prescient—he had even predicted this excuse without the slightest error.
When a noble person departed for the capital, the Huo family naturally went to see him off according to propriety.
A large group of family members gathered before the Huo mansion gates. Huo Liuxing and Yu Wanjiang exchanged polite pleasantries. Shen Lingzhen also worked hard to maintain superficial courtesies, instructing Zhao Xun to be careful on the road. Yet in her heart she worried, thinking that this cousin of hers had used this opportunity of escorting a bride to thoroughly investigate Qingzhou and the Huo mansion from top to bottom. She wondered whether, after returning, he might act against the Huo family.
If sending messages weren’t so unreliable, she would have wanted to send word to the Duke’s mansion, asking her family to help monitor developments at court.
Zhao Xun’s departure this time seemed to be a spur-of-the-moment decision—the entourage was not large, with merely a dozen or so attendants. Huo Liuxing therefore proposed dispatching a team of mansion guards to accompany and protect him.
Seeing this, Huo Shuyi volunteered, saying that since her elder brother’s legs were inconvenient, it would be better for her to lead the mansion guards to see him off on his behalf.
Shen Lingzhen knew she was behaving this way because she mistakenly believed Zhao Xun to be the Huo family’s benefactor. Afraid that Zhao Xun might use this to manipulate her into doing something, she quietly poked Huo Liuxing’s waist from behind and to the side.
Huo Liuxing acted as if he hadn’t noticed, cupping his hands toward Zhao Xun: “In that case, I’ll trouble my younger sister to escort Your Highness to the city gate. I have been remiss.” Only after speaking did he squeeze Shen Lingzhen’s fingers in secret, signaling her to rest assured.
Zhao Xun smiled and waved his hand, indicating it was no problem, then turned and left the Huo mansion.
Huo Shuyi was dressed as a young man, wearing simple, fitted short clothing for physical activity. She stepped on the stirrup and mounted her horse with ease, then rode off in a cloud of dust. Upon reaching the city gate, she dismounted and bowed to Zhao Xun in farewell.
Zhao Xun sat high atop his horse, looking down at her with praise: “Miss Huo’s horsemanship is absolutely superb, making even us men feel admiration. Such martial skills must have been inherited from General Shu?”
Huo Shuyi’s given name was “Shuyi.” The “General Shu” Zhao Xun spoke of now referred to her and Huo Miaoling’s biological father—that is, Yu Wanjiang’s first husband.
Bringing up her biological father who had died many years ago inevitably dampened Huo Shuyi’s mood. She lowered her eyes and nodded: “Shuyi did indeed practice martial arts with my father from a young age.”
“During his lifetime, General Shu fought alongside Commissioner Huo on the battlefield, facing death together with mutual trust and devotion. He deserved the title ‘hero and outstanding man.’ Yet regrettably, ten years ago, in order to rescue my cousin-in-law from a prisoner-of-war camp, he unfortunately perished in Xiqiang…”
Reaching this point, Zhao Xun sighed deeply.
Huo Shuyi nodded, the smile on her face becoming somewhat forced.
Zhao Xun shook his head with emotion, as if unwilling to mention further these heart-wrenching matters from years past, then changed the subject: “Qingyang is not very peaceful either. Your diligent study of martial arts is a good thing. Should you encounter danger, you can have the strength to protect yourself. Don’t be like my cousin—so delicate and fragile that she was easily abducted.”
Huo Shuyi froze and looked up: “What do you mean ‘abducted’?”
——
After seeing off Zhao Xun, that great Buddha, Huo Liuxing instructed Jingmo and Kongqing to hide away in cabinets everything in the study that bore his handwriting.
He had two styles of handwriting—one for public display, and one used when necessary to write secret correspondence.
The latter was naturally burned clean after being written. The former originally posed no harm, so in this room, many books contained annotations written in his own hand.
Regarding the matter of the handkerchief, he had told Shen Lingzhen a lie about which he wasn’t certain. In case the facts weren’t as he supposed, he needed to avoid the risk of being exposed.
Given Shen Lingzhen’s rule-abiding nature, after entering his study, she typically wouldn’t even carefully examine items openly displayed on the desk, much less go through his cabinets. Therefore, there was no need to burn the books—this precaution alone was sufficient.
While Jingmo and Kongqing were busy, Huo Shuyi returned to the mansion. As impetuous and rash as ever, she rushed into Huo Liuxing’s courtyard and knocked on the study door.
Huo Liuxing had the two stop their tidying, then said “Enter.”
After Huo Shuyi entered the room, she glanced at Jingmo and Kongqing, then said with a furrowed brow: “Second Brother, I have something to say to you privately.”
The two looked to Huo Liuxing for instruction, then bowed and withdrew.
Huo Liuxing sat by the window with a faint smile: “In such a hurry—did you hear some news from the Fourth Prince?”
Huo Shuyi froze: “How does Second Brother know?”
“Not only do I know that, I also know that he probably spoke ill of your sister-in-law behind her back, pretending it was an accidental slip of the tongue. He requested that after hearing it, you absolutely must keep it to yourself and not spread it around—especially not tell me, your second brother.”
Seeing Huo Shuyi rendered speechless, Huo Liuxing smiled and shook his head: “If he hadn’t added that instruction, after returning to the mansion you might have consulted with Mother first before deciding whether to tell me. But because he said it, you couldn’t hold it in and insisted on telling me immediately… Am I right or not, Second Brother?”
Huo Shuyi nervously licked her lips and nodded: “That’s what I thought.” She frowned again. “Does this mean Second Brother has long known about the matter of the Shen woman being abducted before marrying you?”
“I know.”
Huo Shuyi bit her teeth lightly: “Then why isn’t Second Brother angry? His Majesty and the Grand Princess went to great lengths to conceal this matter—wasn’t it because they didn’t want this marriage alliance to be destroyed because of it? The Shen woman may have long since lost her virtue. What right do they have to make Second Brother marry someone so unclean and improper…”
“Huo Shuyi!” Huo Liuxing’s face turned livid. “Are these words appropriate for you—a young woman, a junior—to speak?”
Huo Shuyi clenched her fists and fell silent.
“I see clearly what kind of person your sister-in-law is. Yet others intend to drive a wedge in this marriage alliance and borrow your mouth to do so. Can you see clearly why? Shuyi, if a person doesn’t learn to think three times before acting, sooner or later she will suffer greatly.”
Huo Shuyi paused: “Second Brother, are you saying that the Fourth Prince he…”
“Last time you said your sister-in-law was being clever and causing trouble, yet you didn’t know that without her assistance, I absolutely would not have escaped so easily that night. Today I’m making this clear to you: regardless of what you calculate in your heart, on the surface, if you show her disrespect again in the future, if there are any more inappropriate words or actions, the Huo mansion will no longer have room for you.”
Huo Shuyi stood stunned for a long while, opening her mouth several times to say something, then swallowing the words back. Finally she nodded, her eyes reddening as she rushed back to her own courtyard.
Huo Miaoling saw her elder sister return and cry so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. Thinking she had encountered some villain on the road while seeing off the prince, she hurriedly called for their mother.
After inquiring with Huo Liuxing to understand the cause and effect, Yu Wanjiang took up a whip and pulled Huo Shuyi from her bed: “Kneel down!”
Having cried once through, Huo Shuyi had calmed somewhat. She knelt expressionlessly, letting Yu Wanjiang whip her ten times without making a sound.
After finishing with the whip, Yu Wanjiang lifted her outer garment to look at the shocking, bloody welts on her back. She closed her eyes and turned to call someone to apply medicine.
Huo Shuyi laughed coldly: “Why doesn’t Mother just beat me to death?”
Yu Wanjiang ground her teeth in hatred: “You dare speak to Mother of ‘death’? Do you know what you’ve relied on to live until today? If not for ten years ago, when Commissioner Huo, mindful of how your father died rescuing his master, kindly took in us three mothers and daughters, you would have fed the wolves at the border long ago! You don’t properly cherish this life, yet ‘death’ is constantly on your lips. You act impulsively and cause trouble around the Shen woman at every turn—how does this honor your father?”
Huo Shuyi lowered her eyes: “It’s precisely because I remember Father that I cannot accept the Shen woman. Ten years ago, how did Father die? How did Second Brother’s leg become crippled? How did our family become homeless refugees? How were the common people of Hexi trampled by foreign tribes? Has Mother forgotten all of this? The Zhao and Shen families harmed people to such an extent—why should I treat the Shen woman kindly!”
Yu Wanjiang shook her head: “Shuyi, search your heart and ask yourself: both are imperial relatives, so why can you be respectful to the Fourth Prince while viewing the Shen woman as a thorn in your eye and flesh? Is this truly only about righteousness, with no personal feelings involved?”
“That’s because Second Brother told me before that the Fourth Prince is a good person.”
“But didn’t your second brother tell you today that the Shen woman also helped him? Since you’re willing to listen to him regarding the Fourth Prince, why won’t you accept what he says about the Shen woman?”
Huo Shuyi was left speechless.
Yu Wanjiang sighed: “Shuyi, your second brother has his own path to walk. Romantic entanglements are far too insignificant, far too unworthy of mention to him. Some matters were concealed from you before because we didn’t want you to bear the burden along with us. But if you don’t grow more sensible, I fear you’ll truly ruin the greater cause. Now Mother must tell you plainly—remember every word carefully.”
Huo Shuyi furrowed her brow.
“Twenty-seven years ago, the current emperor raised troops in rebellion, forcing the last emperor of the previous dynasty, surnamed Meng, to abdicate. The last emperor swore he would die rather than surrender, and ultimately perished in the capital along with his many imperial sons and grandsons. But in fact, the previous dynasty left behind one imperial prince—the offspring of the last emperor and Commissioner Huo’s legitimate younger sister. That is, your second brother’s maternal cousin. That child was born on the same night as your second brother, amidst the chaos of war, and is now also twenty-seven years old.”
Huo Shuyi’s eyes widened: “Where is that prince of the former dynasty now?”
“In Bianjing, right under the court’s nose. Back then, after the current emperor ascended the throne, he commanded the Huo family to send the small prince left behind by the former dynasty’s last emperor to Bianjing. The Huo family was unwilling, so they devised a plan to use your second brother as a substitute for the young prince. However, the matter was exposed and they ultimately failed to pull off the deception.”
“The imperial house of the former dynasty suffered great defeat at the hands of the current emperor because the Huo family army withdrew from the capital. From that day forward, the Huo family was destined to forever owe a debt to the Meng clan. So you must understand—as long as that prince of the former dynasty lives in Bianjing for a single day, the Huo family cannot lay down the burden on their shoulders for a single day. Shuyi, the path your second brother must walk is not one you can accompany him on. If you truly care for him, broaden your horizons and look further ahead. Do well the things a younger sister should do, supporting him from behind.”