As soon as Shen Lingzhen returned to the inner courtyard, she went to bathe and calm her nerves. By dinner time, having just settled down somewhat, she heard of another matter.
The servants said that Huo Shuyi was injured and bedridden, unable to get down to the floor. For the next few days, she would probably have to take her meals on the bed.
Shen Lingzhen immediately connected this to the dispute she’d had with her brother and mother. Previously she had only heard that crying and commotion had come from Huo Shuyi’s courtyard, but didn’t know she had also been punished.
Shen Lingzhen had originally been thinking of avoiding Huo Liuxing for a while due to the fear he had aroused in her heart. Now, however, she had no choice but to steel herself and take the initiative to seek him out to ask about Huo Shuyi’s matter.
After all, Nanny Ji had said this affair was most likely related to her. When it occurred, she had not intervened out of consideration that Huo Shuyi disliked her. But if she remained completely indifferent now, it would truly be a breach of propriety.
Arriving before Huo Liuxing’s study door, Shen Lingzhen raised her hand to knock, but that scene from the Shen residence floated through her mind again. She couldn’t help but shiver and withdrew her hand.
After raising her hand and withdrawing it several times like this, the study door was suddenly pulled open from inside: “Are you playing thief?”
Upon seeing him, Shen Lingzhen immediately covered her own neck.
Huo Liuxing raised his eyebrows, looking at her with amusement as he held up his hands and waved them: “I’ve washed my hands.”
Shen Lingzhen restrained herself from showing her distaste as much as possible and followed him inside.
In the study, Kongqing was grinding ink while Jingmo was spreading paper.
Shen Lingzhen asked hesitantly: “Am I interrupting my lord’s important business?”
She naturally was interrupting. Huo Liuxing had originally planned to draft a letter and send someone to secretly investigate Shen Lingzhen’s lifesaving benefactor.
He was certain that while someone in the Huo mansion might be able to counterfeit his sword and scars, there was absolutely no one skilled enough to imitate his sword techniques, so now he had shifted his suspicions outward.
However, since Shen Lingzhen had come, to avoid letting her see his handwriting, he couldn’t put brush to paper.
He shook his head: “Your matters are also important business.”
Shen Lingzhen pondered for a moment: “It’s not entirely my matter actually. I wanted to ask my lord about Eldest Miss…”
She only spoke half her sentence, but Huo Liuxing understood: “She was punished with ten lashes. Mother measured her strikes—there’s no serious harm. She’ll recover after a few days’ rest.”
Ten lashes would be fine after a few days’ rest? If it were her, she probably wouldn’t be fine even after resting a lifetime.
Shen Lingzhen’s eyes widened: “What wrong did Eldest Miss commit to be punished so severely?” Her face showed remorse. “If it’s because of me…”
“It has nothing to do with you.” Huo Liuxing interrupted her.
Kongqing, grinding ink nearby, nodded in deep agreement.
If the young mistress knew the truth, she would definitely be unhappy. This time the lord’s blatant lie was told quite humanely.
Shen Lingzhen froze for a moment, her face heating slightly: “Then I was being presumptuous, thinking my lord had stood up for me.”
Huo Liuxing choked: “Oh, she repeatedly defied you—that alone deserves punishment. Count it as part of it.”
Shen Lingzhen hesitantly parted her lips.
“What? Speak your mind directly.”
“My lord, I’ve never quite understood why Eldest Miss targets me so?” Shen Lingzhen was somewhat embarrassed. “I can’t very well ask her directly, and I don’t know who else to inquire with. I’ve held it in for so long and can only come ask my lord.”
Huo Liuxing’s smile froze.
Jingmo nearby also never expected Shen Lingzhen to be so straightforward. His breath tightened involuntarily as he recalled that matter from ten years ago.
The origins of this affair were actually quite complex.
Since Daqi’s founding, because His Majesty had obtained his position improperly, he feared the military generals at court. For many years he had implemented a policy of controlling military power through civilian authority. The nation’s military strength therefore steadily weakened, and the northwestern border was frequently harassed by the Xiqiang people.
At that time, the drawbacks of suppressing military power became increasingly apparent. Having sat on the dragon throne for seventeen years, His Majesty felt his position was now secure. Wanting to revitalize Daqi’s military might, he approved the Huo family’s petition to fight war with war and attack Xiqiang.
In the first military campaign after that, Huo Liuxing led the army to great victory, severely damaging Xiqiang and becoming renowned throughout the realm.
Everyone at court smiled joyfully as they congratulated His Majesty.
However, while they shouted slogans of “strengthening our Daqi, promoting our national prestige,” in their hearts they felt afraid.
The invincible Huo family army of the former dynasty had been completely annihilated in the civil war twenty-seven years ago and had long been dormant. The Huo family, having been passively beaten for so long, emerged once and could still kill gods when facing gods, kill Buddhas when facing Buddhas?
Thus, half a year later, when Huo Liuxing once again pressed his advantage in a northern campaign, disputes arose at court claiming the Huo family sought glory through military exploits, launching unjust wars for selfish gain, disregarding the people’s livelihood and bringing shame to Daqi.
These voices caused His Majesty, originally full of grand ambitions, to also begin hesitating and retreating.
The head of the Shen family’s second branch—that is, Shen Lingzhen’s second uncle—was the one who at this time quietly advised His Majesty, saying that a prince of the former dynasty remained in Bianjing, the offspring of Huo Liuxing’s aunt and the former dynasty’s last emperor. After so many years had passed, the Huo family still possessed such military might—were they perhaps plotting restoration?
One word—”restoration”—completely extinguished His Majesty’s aspiration to revitalize Daqi and caused the northwestern war situation to take a sharp turn for the worse.
Huo Liuxing’s originally unstoppable army suddenly lost its food supplies after penetrating deep into Xiqiang territory. They fell into a besieged situation with no reinforcements, ultimately becoming Xiqiang prisoners instead.
Huo Shuyi’s biological father had sacrificed himself there.
With such blood-deep enmity before her, she fundamentally could not accept the Shen family, let alone with the word “affection” involved. As Huo Liuxing’s trusted aide who had served him personally for many years, Jingmo could naturally detect Huo Shuyi’s feelings toward him.
However, Jingmo knew that whether it was “enmity” or “affection,” neither was appropriate to reveal to Shen Lingzhen now.
To speak of “enmity” would openly reveal that the Huo family had planted spies in the capital—how else would they know that the Shen family had schemed behind the scenes ten years ago?
But to speak of “affection”—how would Shen Lingzhen conduct herself in the Huo mansion in the future?
Jingmo truly broke into a cold sweat on Huo Liuxing’s behalf.
Huo Liuxing was also silent for quite a while before finding a vague excuse: “She mistakenly believes I haven’t let go of what happened twenty-seven years ago, so she feels indignant on my behalf. But you needn’t worry too much. I had just been born then. The grudge between the two families is merely something I ‘heard about’ after growing up. After all these years, I’ve long since come to terms with it.”
Shen Lingzhen froze slightly: “The grudge between the two families my lord speaks of refers to?”
Huo Liuxing also froze, as if wondering why she would ask: “I’m speaking of my elder brother.”
Shen Lingzhen lowered her eyes: “My lord’s elder brother died in the chaos of war that year. If I could apologize to you on Imperial Uncle’s behalf, I certainly would. However, I’m not a descendant of the Zhao family, and even if I were, I wouldn’t be qualified to speak for the Son of Heaven…”
The way Huo Liuxing looked at Shen Lingzhen gradually changed somewhat.
Jingmo also stood stupefied, looking questioningly toward Huo Liuxing.
Huo Liuxing vaguely understood something and made an “oh” sound: “That’s natural. So I’m saying Shuyi is narrow-minded and immature.” Seeing her looking somewhat downcast, he glanced at the darkening sky outside the window and said with a smile: “You were frightened today. Go back early and rest. I’ll come in a while.”
Shen Lingzhen nodded and left the study.
The moment she left, the smile on Huo Liuxing’s face instantly vanished without a trace.
Jingmo asked puzzledly: “My lord, does the young mistress not know that your elder brother died by her mother’s blade? And moreover…” Moreover, the lord’s birth mother had also become despondent after losing her eldest son and, shortly after giving birth, charged onto the battlefield in a suicidal manner, dying there.
Huo Liuxing furrowed his brow.
Ten years ago, the second branch of the Shen family’s actions were not presentable—it was quite normal for Shen Lingzhen to be unclear about them. But twenty-seven years ago, the Grand Princess Zhengguo leading troops to kill the Huo family’s eldest son was not a shameful secret.
Moreover, this matter was precisely the reason His Majesty chose to marry off Shen Lingzhen—since the Grand Princess had killed the Huo family’s son, then take her only daughter to compensate the Huo family, thereby calming the Huo family’s resentment and winning them over.
Otherwise, with so many princesses in Bianjing of more noble status than Shen Lingzhen, if he wanted to repair relations between the two sides, why wouldn’t His Majesty choose them?
From beginning to end, Huo Liuxing had assumed Shen Lingzhen knew about this matter. After all, the Shen family’s main branch had only this one child. If they didn’t even explain to her the past grudges between the two families and just had her marry here in complete confusion, wouldn’t that be absurd?
But from the looks of it now, she truly knew nothing about this.
Huo Liuxing had Jingmo go confirm this matter with Nanny Ji. After the time it takes to burn one incense stick, Jingmo returned, saying Nanny Ji requested an audience.
“Have her come in.”
Jingmo extended his hand in invitation, indicating Nanny Ji should enter.
After entering, Nanny Ji performed a courtesy toward Huo Liuxing: “Young master.”
Huo Liuxing’s face showed confident amusement: “Has Nanny come to explain to me why the Grand Princess deliberately concealed past events from her?”
Nanny Ji knelt and bowed, touching her forehead to the ground: “This old servant presumes too much and begs the young master to understand a mother’s feelings for her child. Back then, enemy and ally stood on different sides. The Grand Princess crossing swords with the Huo family was also a helpless action. Now that times have changed, His Majesty wishes the young mistress to repay the debt the Grand Princess owes. The Grand Princess’s heartache cannot be overstated.”
“These past days, the young master has come to understand the young mistress’s nature somewhat. If the young mistress had known of this matter early on and knew she was being traded like an object, she would certainly be heartbroken. Moreover, after entering the Huo mansion, she would definitely never be able to raise her head before the young master. The Grand Princess’s love for her daughter is deep—she doesn’t wish her to bear the burden of past grudges on behalf of others. She hopes the young master will understand.”
Huo Liuxing blinked calmly without speaking.
Nanny Ji bowed her spine even lower: “This old servant presumes to ask on the Grand Princess’s behalf—in the future, will the young master… truthfully inform the young mistress of this matter?”
Huo Liuxing maintained a somber expression in silence for a long while, then suddenly laughed once.
Those people in Bianjing—Zhao Xun didn’t want him to return to court, so went to great pains scheming to harm him. This was the mantis. His Majesty had uses for him and attempted to win him over, yet also feared he harbored second thoughts. So he sent Zhao Xun, who held hostility toward him, to escort the bride, using his son’s hands to probe his depths first. This was the oriole.
And what of the Grand Princess? If she had firmly defied His Majesty, she indeed would have had a chance to cancel this marriage alliance. But doing so would certainly offend His Majesty and likely bring disaster upon the Shen family. Yet she had determined that the Huo family were no good people, and if they later harbored treasonous intentions, the daughter caught in the middle would surely meet a miserable end. Therefore, she kept Shen Lingzhen in the dark, leaving her in a position of complete innocence.
Ignorance is no crime. Even if Huo Liuxing harbored resentment about past events, how could he throw a punch at cotton and quibble with Shen Lingzhen?
This old nanny serving the Grand Princess was not actually asking him now whether he would truthfully inform Shen Lingzhen of this matter in the future.
Rather, she was asking whether he would keep Shen Lingzhen in his heart. If he kept her in his heart, naturally he would cherish her and, like the Grand Princess, conceal it from her.
This Grand Princess Zhengguo was neither the mantis nor the oriole, but an eagle.
She had long since planned that there might come a day of life-and-death struggle between the Huo family and His Majesty. So now, she needed to stabilize both His Majesty and the Huo family.
She wanted him, Huo Liuxing, to keep Shen Lingzhen in his heart. Thus, should the Huo family truly rebel in the future, they would do their utmost to keep her safe.
These past days, he had continuously monitored Shen Lingzhen, investigated her, intending to use this to discern the Grand Princess’s position and purpose, yet gained nothing. Not until today did he finally comprehend that this deeply calculating Grand Princess was not concerned about his legs and had long anticipated what he plotted.
What she used on him was a honey trap.
Now, she was asking him whether he would fall for it.
Huo Liuxing laughed: “Good, excellent Grand Princess Zhengguo.”