Shen Lingzhen waited and waited, but the hot water bottle didn’t come. Because Huo Liuxing’s hand covered her lower abdomen, she dared not breathe heavily and could only take tiny, shallow breaths. Having nowhere to put her gaze, she stared at his sleeves embroidered with silver dark leaf patterns, as if trying to see flowers bloom from them.

Seeing her flushed cheeks and flickering eyes, Huo Liuxing truly felt she was making a big fuss: “On our wedding day, I massaged your feet for you. How come you weren’t like this then?”

Reminded by him, Shen Lingzhen also found it strange—how had she regressed? Clearly back then she could properly regard him as a single-minded physician, yet now when he applied slightly more pressure, she became so nervous her scalp tingled, as if sparks were exploding in her body.

But though her heart was in such torment, the dragging pain in her lower abdomen truly gradually lessened.

Huo Liuxing’s massage technique was quite exquisite, circling around her navel as the center. That warm, soothing feeling spread in rings across her skin, penetrating deeper, miraculously smoothing away wave after wave of cramping pain.

Moreover, Huo Liuxing was very attentive, observing her expressions. When her brow relaxed slightly, he naturally lightened his pressure; when her brow furrowed, he increased it.

This kind of thing was something a lifeless, unthinking hot water bottle couldn’t do.

Noticing she frowned from pain less and less frequently, he asked: “Feeling better?”

Shen Lingzhen looked at him and nodded: “Is my lord’s hand getting sore?”

“This is nothing.” He raised his eyebrows.

“But my lord should go bathe.” She wrinkled her nose. “You smell of wine—you’re almost making me drunk.”

How could Huo Liuxing not hear that she was being considerate of him, deliberately finding an excuse to let him rest?

But he truly had drunk too much wine tonight, and the powder on his face should be washed off. He had no choice but to leave temporarily. He instructed her to endure on her own for now, then withdrew to the washroom. Spending the time of one incense stick to swiftly handle everything, he hurried back.

Who knew that even in this short time, Shen Lingzhen couldn’t bear it and had curled up into a shrimp again.

Huo Liuxing lifted the quilt and climbed onto the bed, gathering her into his arms. He looked down and asked: “Just this little while, and it hurts again?”

Shen Lingzhen hadn’t expected that the earlier comfort was only temporary. As soon as he left, all the pain returned. She no longer wanted to act tough and curled in his embrace, saying: “It started hurting as soon as my lord left.”

Huo Liuxing reached his hand down while asking: “Now you know my value? Do you still want the hot water bottle or not?”

Right now Shen Lingzhen only felt his hand was truly useful. As long as she didn’t have to hurt, she’d do anything, say anything. She quickly shook her head: “I don’t want the hot water bottle anymore—I only want my lord.”

Huo Liuxing felt an unprecedented comfort and satisfaction in his heart. His whole body seemed to breathe freely, full of energy. But as he massaged, he felt this situation was truly not quite right.

He was a person with integrity. How could he be so bewitched and enraptured by such humble, pleading words?

Thinking this, the hand pressing on her lower abdomen accidentally stopped.

Shen Lingzhen thought he had fallen asleep. She raised her head and looked at him pitifully.

Meeting her gaze, Huo Liuxing immediately resumed his movements without pause.

Forget it, never mind. He wasn’t unique—men of integrity throughout the world probably couldn’t withstand such soft, gentle words. Hadn’t they said that the hero Lu of the Great Zhou dynasty also failed to pass the beauty test?

Consoled, Huo Liuxing exerted himself again. While working, he took the opportunity to fish for compliments: “Shen Lingzhen, honestly speaking, am I not quite good?”

Shen Lingzhen had no idea what struggles her bedside companion had gone through in this short half incense stick of time. She only felt her life was in his hands—how would she dare not be honest? She immediately nodded: “My lord is the best person in the world.”

“Then tell me, what’s good about me?”

“Good in…” Shen Lingzhen’s mind spun rapidly. “My lord has a dignified bearing, noble bearing, exceptional skills, remains calm in danger, has great talent and strategy, is resourceful and wise…”

Huo Liuxing felt no shame in taking advantage of the situation. He nodded with satisfaction: “Then if you now had a chance to choose your fate again, would you…”

“There are no ifs—there would absolutely never be such an if.” The will to survive pushed Shen Lingzhen’s ability to adapt to its limit. Her answer was perfect.

Having heard enough sweet words, Huo Liuxing secretly pleased, sighed, shut his mouth, and focused on his work.

After massaging for another incense stick of time, Shen Lingzhen’s body, which had been curled up from pain, relaxed and she began to spare attention for other matters. She asked him: “By the way, my lord, don’t you think that General Yeli tonight was very strange?”

Huo Liuxing looked down at her: “You still have energy to think about this?”

“Tomorrow is the surrender ceremony. I’m afraid if I don’t speak now, and General Yeli does something harmful to my lord at the ceremony, it will be too late.”

“You have observations?”

Shen Lingzhen pondered for a moment and asked: “Has my lord ever had any previous connection or history with this general? Perhaps you crossed swords on the battlefield eleven years ago, or met him during recent negotiations with Xiqiang?”

Huo Liuxing shook his head: “Tonight was the first meeting. I’d never heard of this person before.”

“That’s strange. My lord’s eyes were covered during arrow-throwing tonight, so you may not have noticed. I always felt that when General Yeli looked at my lord, it was like looking at an old acquaintance—someone he regretted not being able to compete with before, and whose long-cherished wish was finally fulfilled tonight.”

Huo Liuxing frowned. Shen Lingzhen was a perceptive person. For her to say this, there must be a reason.

“Also, after losing to my lord, he didn’t seem particularly unwilling or angry. Instead, he seemed quite satisfied. After that satisfaction, there was a hint of regret, as if…” She gave an example: “For instance, the world’s greatest martial artist, seeking a worthy opponent for many years, finally meets someone who can match him. They should cherish each other, but because they must compete and determine life and death in a match, he feels it’s a great pity. General Yeli’s attitude toward my lord seemed exactly like this. My lord might want to thoroughly investigate this person.”

“I’ve noted your reminder.”

Shen Lingzhen nodded and continued worrying: “When His Majesty kept my lord earlier to discuss matters, did he make things difficult for you?”

Huo Liuxing smiled. The old Emperor currently had to rely on the Huo family—how would he make things difficult?

“Just discussing the matter of the military spy with me.”

Shen Lingzhen’s interest was immediately piqued: “Speaking of this, the spy my lord caught earlier was already silenced by the Second Prince, wasn’t he? Who exactly is the suspect currently in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison?”

“A Huo family death-sworn warrior.”

Shen Lingzhen was shocked: “My lord sacrificed one of your own people to give false testimony?”

Huo Liuxing shook his head: “Without real evidence, empty verbal testimony would instead make His Majesty think the Second Prince was innocently framed.”

“Since it’s not for testimony, then it’s to lure the snake from its hole?” She frowned. “But the Second Prince clearly already sent someone to silence that spy. After hearing the news, he should guess this is fake.”

“Then let him guess it’s fake.”

After a moment’s confusion, Shen Lingzhen understood. Zhao Rui knew for certain the spy was dead and would inevitably guess this was the Huo family baiting him. Initially, he would definitely hold back and deliberately not investigate the imperial prison.

But this way, the resulting disadvantage was that he couldn’t control what happened in the prison or obtain firsthand information from within.

In that case, the “story” in the prison could be performed however Huo Liuxing wished.

The spy could be fake, and the people investigating the prison could also be fake. Huo Liuxing could very well direct and act in his own play—sending another death-sworn warrior to perform a scenario that forced Zhao Rui to act.

As long as Zhao Rui made a move, all the previous fakes would become real.

Those in power valued results, not process. As long as the Emperor was ultimately convinced that Zhao Rui truly colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, the details of solving the case and whether there was concrete evidence actually weren’t that important.

Shen Lingzhen nodded: “My lord has a good plan.”

When facing villains, if you stubbornly insisted on using only noble methods while remaining pure and holy, you would never be able to punish them.

This time, Huo Liuxing was using their own methods against them.

However…

She frowned: “But to bring down the Second Prince, some people will inevitably have to sacrifice their lives.”

Huo Liuxing fell silent briefly, then said: “These are necessary steps on the path.”

Shen Lingzhen’s heart jumped, and she remembered what the Crown Prince had said to her tonight.

She raised her eyes: “On my lord’s necessary path, will there be many more such sacrifices one after another?”

He nodded: “Yes.”

“Will these sacrifices include Daqi’s innocent officials and common people?”

Huo Liuxing lowered his eyes to look at her.

“I once required my lord not to deceive me about anything. Since my lord agreed, I should also hold myself to strict standards and not create discord with you because of outsiders… My lord, I actually encountered the Crown Prince tonight. He said some things that worried me.”

Huo Liuxing raised his eyebrows: “Zhao Chen? What did he say to you?”

Shen Lingzhen recounted Zhao Chen’s words verbatim and asked: “Waging war, stirring up bloodshed and disaster—will my lord do such things one day?”

Her tone wasn’t aggressive, yet it made Huo Liuxing fall silent. Even the movement of his hands stopped.

After a long while, instead of answering, he asked: “If I did such things, what would you do?”

Shen Lingzhen bit her lip and likewise remained silent for a long time before saying: “Does my lord want to hear the truth?”

“Of course.”

“I would understand my lord but wouldn’t support my lord. I think I would, as the Crown Prince said, do everything in my power to prevent Bianjing from becoming a mountain of corpses with blood flowing everywhere.”

Huo Liuxing looked down and smiled: “Everything in your power? Do you know how much power you have?”

Shen Lingzhen shook her head.

He blinked. His expression was casual, but his tone was extremely serious: “Then let’s hope you never find out.”

Shen Lingzhen looked at him silently for a long time.

No more words needed to be said.

His entire life until now had been lived for the Huo and Meng families, and he would continue living this way in the future. Either the great enterprise succeeds or he dies—otherwise he could never stop. She could see how much he was not in control of his own fate.

Promises he could make, he wouldn’t withhold from her. What he currently couldn’t promise, she could only take one step at a time and trust him.

With this one word “hope,” everything was enough.

Shen Lingzhen suddenly wanted to complete the impulse she couldn’t act on at Chongzheng Hall tonight.

She gently raised her arms, embraced him, and nodded: “Alright.”